quite a few foods were stocked there for emergencies and yernia brought a can of fruit from the storage.
âif youâre this sleepy, you should have lied down and slept.â
a big, warm hand touched her cheek as she dozed off with the food on the table.
before her drooping head hit the wooden surface, cassian supported it and smoothed her eyelids.
she woke up from her light nap and rubbed her cold eyes.
âi waited for you so that we can eat together once youâre done. iâm not that sleepy.â
cassian, who came out wearing only a robe, sat on a chair opposite yernia.
he found it in the cabin before he went to wash up.
yernia was also wearing the robe he found for her.
the robe seemed to belong to a man so she tied the strings tightly around her waist.
however, it was big enough to slip quickly if she wasnât paying attention.
âyouâre so weird today.â
silence ensued between them even while eating.
she and cassian werenât this silent before.
no wonder yernia couldnât stand the awkwardness.
âiâm going to bed. you should go to bed too.â
âare you going to sleep already?â
âyes. iâm so tired today.â
however, yernia chose to just go to sleep without asking any more questions because she thought she was the only one who felt the strange atmosphere.
as she hurriedly moved to the bed, cassian licked his lips while picking and eating grapes.
the small, round fruit slipped into his mouth as his gaze fixed only on yernia.
once she became bothered, she couldnât control it.
her casual movements turned unnatural, making the bed creak.
âwhy? what is it?â
the question was just the beginning.
she barely climbed onto her bed and sat down but she didnât lie on her back yet.
when yernia faced him, he approached the bed while she remained seated.
every time he walked, his robes would open and she could see the firm muscles in his chest and stomach.
his loosely-tied robes appeared like they were dancing and she wondered if cassian did it on purpose.
âwhy? are you really asking because you donât know?â
cassian climbedââ
no.
he crawled up to the bed.
every time his knees would press against the sheets, the cheap spring underneath would squeak and go down as much as the weight load.
âare you going to sleep just like that after not seeing me for a week?â
cassian smirked, waiting for a response.
he shouldnât say something like that to her because it sounded something like only lovers who missed each other would say.
she did want to see cassian but even if cassian missed her for a week, it must have been because he needed her guidance.
as his childhood friend, he was also probably worried about leaving her alone.
âi donât think iâll be able to sleep tonight. are you sleepy?â
she meantâ¦
she meantâ¦
it was hard to keep thinking when he was around.
when yernia retreated until her back touched the headboard, she willed her head to cool off.
âdo you want me to guide you?â
come to think of it.
there was something between them that they had to do but didnât.
since they hadnât done it in a week, he might have felt bitter when he heard her say that she would rather sleep.
yernia cast an anxious glance at cassian as he hovered over her while biting his lip.
âeven if you guide me, i still canât sleep in comfort. do you know how hard it is for me to sleep with you?â
ââ¦â¦.â
he couldnât sleep next to her even after her guidance?
yernia had no idea how to take that.
she would rather not know.
âthen, shall i go out?â
she sounded upset and cassian was stunned, speechless.
he wondered if yernia was this tactless, but seeing her wandering gaze and helpless expression, she definitely did it on purpose.
âwhere would you go?â
cassian wasnât mad since she couldnât go out of this cabin anyway.
it was snowing so much outside that her feet might fall out, and yernia had a bad sense of direction, too.
plus, her emotions were a mess right now after her encounter with the monster a while ago.
knowing her personality, she knew she wouldnât go even if she told him she would do it.
cassian smiled lazily as if he was a predator eying his favorite prey.
âdo you know the way to the barracks?â
ââ¦â¦.â
âitâs snowing a lot outside, so how can you go there?â
yernia couldnât argue because cassian was right.
she couldnât see quite well in the dark out there but yernia couldnât stand this situation either.
âexcuse me, cassianââââ
âyes. iâm listening so just say it.â
their distance was close enough to capture each otherâs expressions.
it wasnât like this wasnât familiar to her.
cassian watched her with hooded eyes, his thick lashes fluttering as his gaze fell to her lips.
he was waiting for what she had to say.
the strange idea that something should be done immediately made her nervous.
âiâm your guide but⦠can we not do it tonight?â
âdonât you want to kiss me?â
âno.â
âdo you not want to guide me?â
yerniaâs eyes grew big, clearly misunderstanding something.
âno. itâs never like that, so donât get me wrong.â
âthen donât push me away.â
while saying that, cassian kissed her on the lips, and yernia couldnât speak after that.