CHAPTER 29: BACK TO OUR ROOM

It was bedtime in Bunker 3.

Everyone had already cleaned up. The day had been long and heavy, and the bunker finally felt quiet. Killian had washed off the mud from the run. Leo had washed his hands and face, and his shoes were by the door drying. Damian had wiped his pipe clean and kept it beside him.

Bianca had changed Tiny Elena's small cloth, and the baby was now resting peacefully.

The generator was steady. Eva had dimmed the lights for the night, and the whole bunker had that soft, sleepy feeling.

I was in the inner room with Bianca and little Elena to make sure that her body is finally calm and at the same I was waiting for Killian to finish up so we can go back to our room.

Tiny Elena was asleep on Bianca's chest. Her fever had gone down. Her little chain was still around her neck, resting gently against Bianca's skin. Bianca looked tired, but she looked peaceful too, the way a mother looks when her baby is finally sleeping.

Then Killian came in.

He did not whisper. He spoke clearly, in front of Bianca and Damian, so everyone could hear him.

"Elena, let us go inside. To our main room."

I looked up at him.

He continued, his voice calm and firm, "We are done with what we have to do for the day. You do not have to stress yourself again to still watch over Tiny Elena. Bianca can rest with her own child. You need to sleep. Let us go to our room."

Bianca looked at him, then at me. She nodded slowly. She understood. She did not need to make me watch her baby all night.

Damian was standing by the door of the bunker corridor .He heard everything.

Killian stretched out his hand to help me up. He is so protective of me. He always holds my back when I stand. Although it's not easy getting up myself with my belly.

We walked out of the inner room together, in front of Damian and Bianca, to our main room in the bunker.

When we entered our room, Killian closed the door gently. He turned to the small speaker on the wall and spoke to Eva in a low voice.

"Eva, turn off the camera and the audio for our room."

Eva answered softly, "Understood, Killian. Camera off. Audio off."

And just like that, everywhere became quiet. It was only me and him.

Killian had already cleaned up. He was not wearing a shirt. He was only wearing his trousers. The light in the room was soft and warm, and it fell across the room in a gentle way.

He stood in front of me for a moment, looking at me. He was not in a rush. He never rushes when he is with me. He looks at me first, like I am the only person in the bunker, like I am the only person in the whole world.

He came closer. He put his hand on my cheek. Softly.

"Elena," he whispered, "you have already worked yourself up too much today."

I looked at him. "I am okay now. I am with you."

He helped me to lie down on the bed. Our bed. Our mattress with our blanket. He laid me down slowly, carefully, so he would not press my belly. He knows how to be gentle with me now that I am carrying the twins.

He lay down beside me. He put one arm under my head, like a pillow. His other hand he placed on my belly, rubbing it slowly, in small circles. The way he always does. It is his way of checking on me and the babies at the same time.

I placed my head on his chest.

I could hear his heartbeat. It was fast at first, then it became slow and calm. It was steady. It was warm. He smelled clean and safe, like Killian always smells after he has cleaned up. Like home.

He kissed my forehead. Then he kissed my cheek.

"You are beautiful," he whispered. "Even when you are tired like this, you are still beautiful."

I smiled. "Killian, stop."

"No," he smiled back. "I will not stop. When I am with you, I have to tell you."

He took my hand and placed it on his chest, so I could feel his heart beating under my palm.

"This is for you," he said. "It has always been for you. For the past three years I have always knew that we would be together one day.....and I'm so lucky to have a kind woman like you."

I smilled, then replied " I'm also lucky to have you too."

We lay like that for a long time. Me on his chest, him holding me. His hand was still on my belly, feeling the twins move. Every time they kicked a little, he would smile. He loves feeling them move. It makes him happy in a quiet way, the way a man is happy when he knows his family is safe.

He whispered again, "Sleep, my love. I am here. Nobody will disturb us tonight. I have turned off everything. It is just me and you."

I closed my eyes. His body was warm. His arm was around me, holding me close but not too tight. He was careful not to put any weight on my belly. He kept rubbing it slowly, as if he was singing the babies to sleep with his hand.

I felt safe. I felt loved. I felt like I was finally back where I belonged.

Outside our room, Damian was still in the corridor. He did not say anything, but I knew he was there. I knew he was watching the door. I knew he was feeling jealous, because he lost everything. He lost his own bunker. He lost the twenty million my father gave him. He was regretting everything he did to me and yet I saved him, I let him into our bunker.

But inside our room, none of that mattered. Inside, it was only me and Killian.

I drifted in and out of sleep, listening to his breathing. Every time I opened my eyes a little, he was still awake, still watching me, still holding me. He did not sleep first. He waited until I was deeply asleep. That is how he is. He protects me even in sleep.

At one point, I whispered, "Killian?"

"Yes, my love," he answered immediately, as if he had not been sleeping at all.

"You're not sleeping ?"

He kissed my hair. "Not yet my love, I was watching you, you look like an angel whenever you sleep."

I smiled and closed my eyes again. I placed my hand on his chest and my other hand on my belly, and I slept.

Outside the room, Damian slept with nothing. Just jealousy.

But inside, it was just me and Killian. And our twins. And peace.