Lavender & Ice

23. Meeting the Family

"Just sit on my bed. It's more comfortable, anyway."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" She said, hesitantly.

"You've already slept in it once, why would I mind you sitting on it?"

Her face blushed at the memory. "All right, then." She said as she plopped onto his bed, sitting with her legs crossed as she propped the pillow up against the headboard, leaning her back against it.

"As soon as you get tired, go on to sleep. You don't need to push yourself."

"This is important. I can stay up and listen if there's a chance it will help you succeed. I just wish I could do more. Do you mind?" She said, motioning to his blanket.

"Go ahead."

She pulled the blanket up over her, soothing her sore body with the warmth it provided. "Thanks. Now lay it on me."

He stared at her with a confused expression.

She giggled. "Another earth saying. Just start reading or hypothesizing or anything you feel led to do."

~~~~~~

Two hours later, Kietnan put out the lamp on his desk and used his excellent vision to change into his sleeping clothes. He looked at his bed where Ashima lay tucked comfortably under the blankets, slightly snoring. She had stayed up and listened to him for over an hour, occasionally asking what a word meant that her translator must not have recognized.

His lips turned up at the corners as he climbed onto the other side of the large bed, placing a pillow in between them. He wasn't going to disturb her sleep again but he didn't want to repeat how they woke up last time.

That night, when he had tried to release his arms from around her after carrying her to the bed, she had begged him not to leave her as she cried so that's what he had done. So he was confused at her reaction the next morning. He had woken to find her still asleep so he simply lay there with his eyes closed, resting. But even with his eyes closed, he could tell how uncomfortable Ashima had been to wake up with him holding her. He had wanted to open his eyes and look at her, to try to figure out exactly what her confusing reaction was, but he was afraid of making her even more uncomfortable so he laid there letting her continue to assume he was still asleep. When she had seemed to calm down, he had rolled over onto his back, releasing her as he opened his eyes and made it seem as if he was just waking up. As he stood, he inwardly chided himself for letting the human affect him enough to make himself do such childish actions.

So... if she was so disturbed by the thought of waking up in his embrace, he would simply make sure it didn't happen again.

~~~~~

"My clothes aren't-."

"They're fine." Kietnan cut Ashima off. Yesterday after he returned from completing the day's trial, he had told her of the breakfast with his brothers on the first rest day. She'd been so worried about meeting his brothers, she had been coming up with excuses to delay their departure.

"I have no way of fixing my hair."

"It doesn't matter, they have nothing to compare it to. You're the only one on this planet with fur on your head. Besides, no one in this camp is wearing anything fancy, it is part of the whole reason we're out here. To remember our origins and live simply."

Ashima stopped her pacing. "Are you saying you don't usually live like this?" She motioned all around her in the tent.

He turned to look at her, smiling as if he just realized something, and smirked. But a simple "No." Was all he said. "Let's go, we're going to get fussed at for being late."