The world outside was a symphony of chaos, howling winds, relentless rain, and the occasional rumble of distant thunder. Inside, a single dim lamp flickered in the corner of a tiny cabin, its warm glow brushing against the worn wooden walls.

She sat curled on the frayed couch, her knees drawn to her chest, a book resting unread on her lap. The fire in the hearth crackled softly, but it was him, sitting beside her, his arm draped over her shoulders, that kept the cold at bay.

He wasn’t large or imposing, but his presence was a fortress. His warmth, the way his chest rose and fell with each steady breath, and the quiet hum of his voice as he murmured soft words she couldn’t quite catch, they wrapped around her like the thickest, softest blanket.

He shifted slightly, adjusting the quilt that half-covered them both. “Cold?” he asked, his voice low and tender.

She shook her head, leaning into him. “No. Not with you here.”

The storm raged louder for a moment, rattling the windows, but it couldn’t breach their bubble. In his arms, time slowed, and the rest of the world fell away. They weren’t just two people sitting in a room. They were something infinite, something ancient. Together, they carried all the secrets and all the love of the universe, a silent understanding that neither words nor storms could touch.

~Corina

She tilted her head to look at him, her eyes searching his face. The firelight caught the faint smile playing on his lips, the quiet depth in his eyes. She whispered, “Do you think this is what forever feels like?”

His smile widened slightly, and he pressed his forehead to hers. “If it isn’t,” he said, “then I don’t need forever.”

The storm outside continued its symphony, but it didn’t matter. They had all they needed: a shared warmth, a quiet love, and the unshakable sense that, together, they were the universe.