Thorne

6.Sleep

It was growing dark, the light outside the window fading rapidly and the moon peaked from behind a cloud.

It wasn't full, but it was almost there, maybe four nights or so, till it was, Lilian guessed.

She was leaning against the opposite wall to him.

Thorne.

He was turning restlessly obviously trying to get comfortable with his hands bound above him. The metal chains glinting in the moonlight.

She turned her head to look at the small bed in the corner.

"You can sleep on it, if you want." Thorne murmured from across the room. "It's getting late."

She turned towards him, "It's your bed..." She trailed off.

He laughed silently, "It's not like I can get to it." That much was true.

She nodded and heaved herself up, making her way over to the bed. She lay down on it, and wriggled to get comfortable. The thin mattress was better than the floor, but only just. She pulled the cold cover over herself, it seemed like no one had slept up there in a while.

Settling with her back to the wall, Lilian couldn't help feel a bit guilty at being on the bed whilst he suffered on the floor, thought as he had said, it wasn't like he could move from that spot.

From across the room, he huffed quietly and rested his head against his right arm.

The bandage on it was soaked in crimson, and single droplets of red trickled down his wrist and into his midnight hair.

She looked at him, and found him staring at her, in his unsettling way, as if she was... Lilian wasn't sure, it was almost as if he thought she was beautiful.

She turned away.

●■●■●

The bell tower tolled midnight, Lilian still could not sleep. She had been tossing and turning all of the night, but it was too hot.

She clenched the blanket in her hand and tried to ignore the sweat on her uncomfortably damp neck.

She allowed a quick glance at Thorne, and saw him staring at the floor. From the angle of her vision, the bags under his eyes were even heavier. He, like herself, had not slept for a few nights.

The need to sleep was wearing her down, but even in the deathly silence of the warm night, sleep would not visit like she hoped.

His eyes were still open, she could see the reflection of the moon within them.

All of a sudden, a feeling of longing came over her. Almost without meaning to, she slipped out of the bed, and holding the blanket close, she made her way over to him.

His eyes snapped up as she lowered herself onto the icy floor beside him.
Lilian slowly place her head on his shoulder, and he let out a low growl, pulling his knees up to incircle he within his protection.

She felt the warmth of his skin; the hard muscles under it. A sence of calm flowed through her veins.

Sleep came, as she fell deeply, listening to the beating of his heart.