Chapter 84: B

"And I love you too, Hoor. You shouldn't even bother knowing whether I've missed you or not, because I do, with all of my heart and soul." She smiled at him before his eyes wandered back to her stomach and he placed his hand on her slightly bumped belly. "Oh my god, baby, you're growing." She chuckled at the childish voice he had used and when he looked back into her eyes, Maryam was wearing her heart in her eyes.
She smiled at him and nodded her head, "She's growing so well, even though it feels so empty in there without hearing your voice constantly."
"Which happens to be the fault of her ever so stubborn Ammi, right?" He lightly held her ear and she nodded with a pouty grin on her lips before he guided them to the bed and they sat down. His hand was still on her stomach, he couldn't believe that she was already fast growing.
"How many months are we counting now?" He asked and she chuckled.
"I can't remember exactly, let me think first." It took her some time before she remembered the months the doctor had told her and turned back at him, shooting him a grin, "Last time when we went to the hospital with Saima, the doctor said it was five months along. How many months are remaining before it comes out?"
He chuckled and lovingly pinched her nose, "We have just four months remaining. But let's have an agreement first, Hoor, in those four months, we aren't ever going to fight. We're going to nurture this baby together with so much love and care, agreed?"
She stared at the pinky finger he held up to her face and she chuckled happily before she placed her pinky there and they sealed the promise. She chuckled at how childish he acted before she stared right into his eyes, feeling how his love was threatening to rustle out of her heart and even though she was right here with him, she had still missed him so much that it hurt.
Her tears came back and when she opened her mouth to speak, her lips trembled. "I've missed you so much, Noory. You have no idea how bad it has been living without you by my side." He loved her honesty, he loved that she didn't cover up her feelings for anything.
"I ought to give you a gift for saying things as exactly as you feel them, Hoor." His eyes were tenderly roaming through hers and she seemed to ease under his touch.
"Oh," she gigged and moved closer to him, "I've so much missed your gifts!" She exclaimed naughtily and he was about to speak when she leaned in and kissed him lovingly on the lips. She was about to back up when Na'im pulled her and placed her on his laps.
"Do you think that's enough for a gift, Hoor?" He asked with their lips very close to each other and she chuckled.
"Yes, it was meant to be a gift. And gifts aren't supposed to stay so long."
"Mine plans to take up the whole night, are you ready?" He heard the way she had gasped and laughter rustled within him.
"The doctor said the baby is still so young for that, Captain. We shouldn't do it, it will wake the baby up." Na'im didn't know when he threw his head back and laughed at how she thought she would be able to frighten him with her words or make him back up.
"But I didn't mention anything about doing something, Hoor, did I? I simply said my gift will take up the whole night, that's all." When realization hit her, Maryam quickly hid her face into her palms and he laughed at how flushed she looked. "Where was your mind headed to?"
Lightly, Maryam punched him before she whined, "Come on, you know what I mean." She quickly stood from his lap and began looking at the bed then at the sofa, "I'll sleep on the sofa tonight, it's good for the baby."
But before she took the next step, Na'im pulled her back to his body and shook his head, "I'm tired of how everything connects to the baby, Hoor. We're doing it, and no, the baby isn't going to wake up. Damn it, girl, I don't even care even if she wakes up." She chuckled at how desperate he seemed and sounded and wrapped her hands around his neck.
"You asked for it, Captain." This time, she was the one that initiated the kiss that instantly turned him on with just some small movement of her mouth. She looked and sounded innocent, but whenever she did something to him, Na'im wondered where or how she learnt it or simply it was his body that reacted that way to even the simplest of touches from her.
She looked up at him with her eyes that changed color from how desired she felt and smiled lazily at him, "I think the baby is awake, Captain and mind you, she's a fiery one. So, maybe, the gift will take up the whole night."
Na'im gasped and was about to laugh when she muffled his words with laughter that sounded like a moan and he knew, if he hadn't met this girl, this innocent girl he loved so much yet in some way she was so naughty that he felt he loved her even more. And like she had proclaimed, the night was so long that they both grunted softly as the streams of sunlight streaked through the curtains and casted on them.
She squirmed sleepily and smiled lazily at him, "Good morning, Na'im. I love you." She placed the kiss on his lips and hide her face at the knowing look she saw on his face.
"Should it be a long morning then?" He whispered into her ears and she quickly shook her head at him. Na'im chuckled softly and whispered into her ears, "I love you, more, Hoor."
?
Hafiz was surprised when he heard that someone was waiting for him outside. He knew if he had known about any visitor that was going to see him, then that person must've called beforehand. He kept thinking about who it was when he walked outside and she had her back to the door and he stood, frozen. She was moving her phone in her hands as she thought of what she should do.
When she felt someone's eyes on her, Saima turned and came face to face with him. She furiously walked towards him and was about to speak when he quickly took her wrist and made the 'shh' sound with his lips. "Come on, Princess. Let's go somewhere more private."
Saima walked silently as he led them to the said private place. She was angry at him, furious even. That she had to yank her wrist out of his hold when they stood in what looked like a garden and she kept wondering how one could find such a cool place in a barrack. "What do you think you're doing?" She asked, anger brimming in her eyes and Hafiz was bent on acting all innocent.
"What did I do?" He innocently asked and when she opened her mouth to speak again, he cut her off, "Can you please lower your voice a bit? Someone might walk and hear you. The last thing I want is for Captain Bolori to know you're here...because of me."
She rolled her eyes at him and scoffed, "Stop trying to romanticize the situation, Soldier. I simply asked what you mean by hanging up on me and not picking my calls afterwards!" She yelled at him, to hell with him and his warning.
Hafiz sighed and roamed his fingers through his hair out of exasperation. She chuckled humorlessly, "Oh, I'm such a bother that you can't even breathe normally when I'm around you? I shouldn't have wasted my time and efforts to come here then." She furiously turned back and had already stared stomping out of the so called garden when she heard his voice.
"I was afraid of falling in love with you, Saima." He blurted, his voice choked with emotions and he bit his tongue, because in no way had he planned to say those words out to her. "I just take you as a friend, but if things keep going the way they are between us, I don't know how to stop my heart." She had slowly turned back and was staring at him from the distance she had created between them.
"Just as a friend?" She repeated. So, he had taken her just as a friend while she was there, fantasizing about him day and night. She chuckled and nodded her head in understanding, "I understand you, Soldier. Maybe we should forget about the friendship as well." She turned on her heels and no matter how much he had called her name, Saima kept moving amidst her tears that blinded her vision until she was out of the barrack and hopefully, she would be able to move on from the love she was so tenderly taking care of in her heart.
...
Na'im heard the storms raging in the sky and his heart lost a beat. He knew what it meant if rain poured on earth for him. Certainly, rain was loved by all, it was as if everyone loved the rain and it was left of only him to be terrified whenever it fell down. It was still dark, but through the light provided by the lightening through the sky, he could make out his already packed luggage. He was traveling to Canada tomorrow with Alan Gubro for the graduation of the triplets and even though Maryam was a bit heavy now and there was no way she would be allowed out of the palace even if she wanted to, she only complained about missing him and didn't even ask to follow.
He knew it was because she knew he was traveling with Alan Gubro and not him alone. The storm raged the sky and he felt frightened, like the small boy he was, almost two decades ago. But today, he felt as though he were still that young boy he was, helpless and scared for himself and the life of someone that mattered, even though he was still unable to know who it was.
His entire body was shivering with fear and it was a good thing that it was only the storm and there was no rain pouring. He felt someone touched him on his arms as his teeth clattered with fear and when he slightly opened his eyes, he saw her face. As innocent and warm as she had been for him all his life, she looked bothered.
"What's wrong with you, Noory? Are you sick?" She asked with a low voice and Na'im only pulled her into his body because he didn't know how else he was going to answer her. His heart shook in his body and he was terrified to his bones.
Maryam nuzzled her head on his chest and she wrapped her hands lovingly around his waist, making sure she brought him even more closer to her body as she offered him comfort. Even though her seven months old bump was protruding enough to discomfort their embrace, she really hoped that it would work. And after the storm subsided, still with no sign of rain, Na'im began to get his composure back and he pulled her closer, kissed the top of her head before he fell into a deep slumber.
But he dreamt. And in his dream Maryam was crying and he happened to be the one that caused her such pain. She was speaking to him, wanting him to notice her but Na'im didn't even spare her a glance because she felt like someone he had never seen in his life or even had such deep feelings for. And when she got fed up about how he treated her, he watched her left even though with no iota of pain or regret in his heart and she promised she would never come back.