Tell Me You Love Me - Helmut Zemo x Reader

Chapter 8

The rest of the day, (Y/n) sulked by the window, refusing any food that Helmut offered her.

"You need to eat. The baby needs nutrients." He pleaded.

She ignored everything he said to her, blankly staring out the window.

Later that evening, Helmut had begun getting ready for bed. He stopped (Y/n) just before she laid down on the couch, her usual bed.

"I want you to sleep in my room tonight." He demanded.

She felt too weak to fight with him. With a scowl, she followed him to his room. She assumed he made this request because he didn't want her to try and take her life again. He needed to keep an eye on her.

It was an awkward silence as she stood by the bed and watched him do his nightly routine. She had never watched seen him prepare to go to sleep this intimately. He noticed her feeling out of place and pulled one side of the sheets up, prompting her to get in.

She followed his silent command, putting as much room between her body and his as possible. It smelled different in this room; a more concentrated scent. The rest of the apartment smelled like Helmut as well, but it was a more diluted scent.

It was a pleasant smell; like cedar wood, fresh laundry, and something else she couldn't put her finger on. It just smelled like him.

Enveloped in his scent, she drifted off into a deep slumber. She woke up around three in the morning with a heavy weight around her waist. Her whole body felt overheated as she noticed warm breath on the back of her neck.

In his sleep, Helmut had moved to her side, his body flush against her back. His arm was draped around her waist as he breathed deeply into her neck. She threw the covers off of her body in an attempt to cool down, closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep.

When she awoke the second time, she was greeted by a gust of cold. There was no warm body next to her; she was surprised at her disappointment. She stretched all her limbs out as far as the could go, letting out a grunt as she did. Her hand hit a piece of paper that was placed next to her.

Good morning, Darling.
I've cut up some fresh fruit for you — it's on the counter. I've gone to the market to get you some vegetables and prenatal vitamins. I'll be back soon.

Be good,

Helmut

Glancing at the clock, she noticed it was nearly noon; she'd probably needed the sleep. She shuffled over to the closet in Helmut's bedroom in search of a sweater. She found a relatively large maroon cable knit sweater that she pulled on; the apartment was freezing.

She inhaled the scent that was attached to the sweater, feeling lightheaded for a moment. She'd never noticed how good the smell really was. It was comforting.

She hadn't realized how hungry she was until her stomach growled; fruit sounded amazing now. Moving into the kitchen, she found a large bowl of assorted fruits waiting for her on the counter.

The fruit was surprisingly sweet and juicy considering it wasn't in season; she gratefully scarfed it down.

She'd nearly finished the bowl when a huge wave of nausea hit her; morning sickness. She bolted to the bathroom, throwing the toilet seat up, the contents of her stomach releasing into the toilet.

She barely heard the front door open over the violent gagging noises.

"(Y/n)?" Helmut cooed.

She groaned in response; he dropped everything he was holding and ran into the bathroom. He let out a sigh of relief as he realized that it was only morning sickness.

"Oh, darling. It's alright." He said, pulling her hair back with one hand and rubbing soft circles into her back with the other.

"Would you like me to make you some toast?" He questioned when she finished. She nodded her head in response. His eyes scanned her figure, stopping on the red sweater that loosely hung on her body. The corners of his mouth gently pulled up; reaching his hand up, he smoothed out her hair. He ran his thumb over her cheek as they looked into each other's eyes.

As he began to pull his hand away, (Y/n) grabbed Helmut's wrist, pulling him into a hug. He froze, unsure of why she felt the desire to embrace him, but he quickly warmed into it. He pulled her as close as he could; she buried her face into his neck, inhaling deeply.

They sat, holding each other on the bathroom floor for what seemed like forever. Helmut pulled away first, holding the girl's face in his hands. He gently planted a kiss on her forehead before saying,

"Why don't you go lie down, yeah? I'll go make your toast."

*****