Chapter 16
In the dead of night, Caitlyn woke up feeling parched.
She lay sprawled on the bed, mumbling drowsily a couple of times, smacking her little lips, and slowly dragged herself up.
The night was pitch dark; the nights in Ekavine were always darker than elsewhere. Outside, the chilly wind was howling through the blackness, and the lingering warmth of summer had long faded. Before autumn could be felt, winter was already knocking at the door.
Opening her bedroom door, Caitlyn rubbed her eyes, yawned, and looked towards the living room with a frown.
The lights in the living room were still on, and the TV was playing some weird late–night show. A guy with black hair stood by the table, holding a cup, staring at her in a daze.
Caitlyn pursed her lips and, with heavy eyelids, slowly made her way towards him.
Leon watched the golden–haired girl, like a fairy, approach him.
She reached out a hand to grab the cup but missed. She reached again, and missed again.
A faint trace of annoyance appeared on her little face, but Leon couldn’t help but feel a chuckle bubbling inside.
He picked up the cup and poured some water into it. Gently gripping Caitlyn’s t
tiny paw, he placed the cup into her grasp and then closed her fingers around it, all the while subtly stroking her hand.
Caitlyn was still half–asleep. Her eyes heavy with sleep, she drowsily glanced at him before lifting her slender neck to gulp down the water in big swallows.
After finishing the cup of water, Caitlyn sighed in satisfaction and then turned back to her room in a daze.
Leon slipped in front of her, blocking her way. Caitlyn looked up in confusion. Leon silently took the cup from her hand and looked down at her sleepy face.
She was only wearing a tiny spaghetti–strap top, her eyes hazy as she looked back at him.
Leon felt something soft inside him being touched.
He suddenly raised his hand and gently patted Caitlyn’s head, murmuring, “Don’t catch a cold.”
Caitlyn’s gaze finally cleared up a bit. She slightly widened her eyes, her face turning red as she quickly slapped Leon’s hand away and darted back into her room.
Leon remained rooted to the spot, staring blankly into the distance, pursing his lips as if savoring something.
‘Her hand was so soft,’ he thought.
The next day, Leon’s underwear and phone arrived; Ekavine’s delivery service was pretty decent.
He got a SIM card from Caitlyn, plugged it in, and feconnected to modern life.
Caitlyn was wearing white stockings today, her two slender legs accentuated by the stockings, showcasing her art–like beauty. Her little feet swayed gently.
Leon’s peripheral vision swayed along with them. Caitlyn seemed to notice something and suddenly glanced over, Leon immediately focused on his phone as his fingers tapped away at it.
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Chapter 16
Caitlyn shook her head and sighed to herself. ‘This guy must have hurt his head or something; that’s the only explanation for why he’s acting so spacey.
After dinner, the two of them sat on the couch watching the midday news. Or rather, they just turned on the TV; neither was really paying attention.
Leon suddenly yawned, his eyes wet and sleepy, like he hadn’t fully woken up yet.
By the time the third yawn echoed, Caitlyn was infected as well, opening her small mouth to let out a yawn.
She took a slight breath, turned her head to look at Leon, and asked, “Didn’t sleep well again last night? Or did you just stay up watching TV?”
“I might haven’t gotten used to the pillow yet…” Leon chuckled but then yawned again.
“If you’re uncomfortable, why hide it?” Caitlyn frowned slightly.
Leon forced a smile and started watching TV in silence.
Caitlyn stared at his profile, feeling an odd mix of emotions in her heart.
Although he seemed much better lately, every now and then, he still showed that lonely expression.
For someone who needed rest for their mental health, if he couldn’t even sleep properly, it must be pretty tough.
Caitlyn lifted her legs and hugged a pillow as she curled up on the sofa, frowning as she thought about what could help him.
“Wait… why am I so concerned about him?‘ Caitlyn suddenly shook her head, her mind clearing up. ‘I’ll ask Germaine if there’s any meds to help with this. Just stuff ‘em into his mouth, and that’s good to go.‘
Without further ado, Caitlyn immediately opened her chat with Germaine and started typing rapidly.
Caitlyn: [He’s not sleeping well. Are there any painkillers or hypnotic pills that might help?]
Germaine: [Hypnotic… pills?]
Caitlyn: [Sleeping pills]
Germaine: [Scared me there! I thought you had gotten so desperate that you’d want to jump into bed before building any feelings.]
The corner of Caitlyn’s eyes twitched as she clenched her fist.
‘She’s just going to spout nonsense right off the bat, huh?‘ she retorted inwardly.
Germaine: [Lady Caitlyn, pills aren’t good for the body.]
Caitlyn: [So what am I supposed to do if he can’t sleep? He’s all out of energy during the day.]
Germaine, sitting on her cozy little bed, suddenly had a flash of inspiration, her lips curving slightly as she hugged her phone and started typing.
Germaine: [Lady Caitlyn, actually, I think it’s more about his mind than the injury affecting his sleep.]
Caitlyn: [So? Can you fix him?]
Germaine: [I can’t, only you can.]
Caitlyn: [?]
Germaine: [Heard that when guys hit a major bump, they’re all about wanting a dependable big sis to lean on, ya know, comfort ‘em…
[Guess Lord Radford came to you ‘cause you’re the only one in the world who can comfort him, right?]
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13:05 Fri, 13 Jun
Chapter 16
Caitlyn: [I smell BS here.]
Germaine: [Lady Caitlyn, this is legit! Go ahead, post a question anywhere, and you’ll find plenty of people who feel the same way!
[So, maybe give Lord Radford a lil‘ comfort. Once he’s chill and happy, catching some Z’s won’t be an issue, right?]
Caitlyn: [Ain’t doin‘ weird stuff!]
Germaine: [Easiest fix? A lap pillow. Guaranteed to knock him out! Plus, you can pet his head softly, whisper sweet nothings…
[Lady Caitlyn, I’m kinda sleep–deprived too. Can I get that treatment?]
Caitlyn: [GTFO!]
Caitlyn slammed the chat shut, her face dark.
64%
‘This chick’s spouting nonsense. Quack! Like, who gets cured of sleep issues by just getting their head patted and a lap pillow?‘ She humphed coldly, dead set against it.
Suddenly, Leon yawned.
Caitlyn frowned, turning to him slowly.
Leon caught her gaze, puzzled. “What’s up?”
Caitlyn stayed silent, hesitating a sec before reaching out to ruffle his hair.
Leon’s body stiffened, and his eyes flickered slightly.
“This… this is revenge! Yeah! For you messing with my hair last night! Here ya go!” Caitlyn blushed, her voice a bit flustered,
Leon looked at her, closed his eyes silently, and nodded slightly, “Okay.”
Caitlyn looked at Leon, who was sitting obediently in front of her and letting her pet her head. She bit her lip slightly, her expression complicated.
‘This feels… odd. We are just friends, right? Yeah, friends petting each other’s heads is normal.
‘Not like it’s anything outta line, just helping him sleep better! Just head–petting, no lap pillow involved, totally normal!‘ she thought.
