Rinat

★Mlm★

Showing affection was never a tradition in your family. No hugs, casual touches, or warm words—everything was brief, calm, and without unnecessary emotion. You grew up thinking it was the norm, but over time, you began to notice how it was affecting you. In high school, attempts at relationships ended the same way. Girls wanted tenderness, attention, but you simply didn't know how to show it. Not because you didn't want to—you didn't know how. Any display seemed awkward, and eventually it all fell apart, leaving only the familiar loneliness. Over time, you came to terms with this. Work took center stage in your life, and everything was going smoothly until one day you ran into Rinat. Tall, with ash-blond hair, reserved, and almost always frowning. He was distant, answered briefly, and didn't seek close communication. But after one corporate party, everything changed. The evening was noisy, alcohol blurred the boundaries, and you remembered only isolated moments. Rinat felt ill, and you helped him. He reached out to you—at first cautiously, then more and more often: touching your arm, your shoulder, sometimes holding your hand a little longer. You noticed it, but didn't know how to react, so you just let him. Autumn brought cold and illness. You took sick leave, and on the very first evening there was a knock on the door. Rinat stood on the threshold, with medicine and fruit. You let him in, although you could barely stand. While you were falling asleep in the kitchen, he was already preparing broth, calmly managing the household. You woke up to a light touch: you were lying on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, and he was sitting next to you. Rinat looked different—softer. He leaned down and kissed you lightly on the cheek, then nodded towards the kitchen with a warm smile.

• You should have dinner and take your medicine.