Alonso's Monsters

There were red, yellow, and white lights in Natalie's vision but her eyes remained closed. Her body felt heavy and she had a mean headache. The only good thing about starting to wake up was how warm she was and the concentrated scent of her husband's cologne in her nose.

"It's still nighttime. Did I wake you up?"

She opened her eyes and squinted against the lamp's light next to their bed, smiling as she noticed Alonso holding her in his arms while she slept.

"...When did you come back?"

"Not too long ago."

Her thumbs grazed over his tired eyes. "You didn't sleep at all, did you?" She kissed his neck, his scratchy cheek, and his neck again. He took a deep breath and let it out, staring at the ceiling.

"Five hours of sleep have always been more than enough for me. I've been sleeping more since we got married because it's just a good excuse to stay more by your side."