Layers of Heat

Layer 1

While Leila stood at the snow covered bus stop, the sound of her clattering teeth attracted the attention of those waiting beside her.

Her class just ended, and it was finally time for her to head back to her dorm and relax for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, she just missed the campus bus, and it would take another ten minutes before the next one arrived.

Usually she was fine, but she had run late that morning and hadn't worn all of her usual layers when it came to the winter weather. Honestly, she was almost at the point of just curling up into a ball to preserve her body heat.

"Are you okay?"

She glanced at the person beside her and saw a guy who looked completely unfazed by the cold. He wasn't even wearing a scarf! It made her jealous.

"N-n-nnno," Leila stuttered honestly through her teeth.

To her shock, the stranger immediately took off his coat and draped it around her shoulders. A gasp escaped from her as the size completely enveloped her body—as did the heat. In just a few seconds, she began to feel herself stop shivering.

"I'm s-so s-sorry," she said, her speech slowly returning to normal. "You must be c-cold."

He smiled. "I'm fine. You obviously need it more."

Leila felt her eyes water, and she sniffled dramatically. "You're s-so nice. What's your name?"

"Kenneth. But I go by Ken." He stared at her for a second. "You're...the Little Penguin, right?"

She smiled, the cold making her lips stiff. "I guess."

The college campus may be huge, but among the students and staff, Leila had become a peculiar sighting. Kinda like bigfoot, but not as mythical or interesting. Her name wasn't known, but her appearance when she waddled around in a hundred layers of clothing had gained her the nickname Little Penguin. She appeared only during the winter time, and then, during other seasons, she was gone.

This was her last year of university, so her trivial tale would probably disappear after she graduated. Until then, she was still a sight to behold.

But not today.

"I woke up late and had to settle with what I could grab before rushing out the door," she explained. "So I really appreciate your coat."

"No problem," Ken replied.

Leila glanced at his body and saw that he wasn't shivering at all even though a few minutes had passed. Out of curiosity, she poked his biceps and felt heat emanating through his sweater before transferring into her finger. Ken blinked at her touch but didn't pull away.

"You're so warm," she sighed, shuffling closer to him. "Can I stand next to you?"

"Uhhh, sure."

Though she was fully aware that it wasn't appropriate at their first meeting, Leila tucked herself against his side, his arm pressing into her back. She nearly gasped from the warmth that surrounded her. How was it possible for someone to hold so much heat in their body? The urge to bury her face into his chest was strong, but she strangled it before it could manifest.

"Where are you headed?" she asked.

"The west side dorms."

"Oh! Same!" Leila craned her neck in order to see his face. He stared back, his eyebrows raised curiously. "Now that I look at you, you do look a little familiar."

Ken chuckled. "I'm pretty sure we've seen each other around the last three years."

"You're a senior too?" When he nodded in reply, she asked further, "What program are you in?"

"Sports Management."

Leila eyed him from head to toe, seeing that he was wearing sporty clothing, and even though his outfit was mostly baggy, there was definitely muscle hiding in plain sight.

"Cool," she replied. "You play any sports?"

"Football. Basketball. Anything really. But just for fun. I'm not on any of the university teams. What about you? What program are you in?"

"Not as interesting as yours, but I'm in Economics."

He smiled. "Our majors overlap more than you think."

They continued to chat about their university lives until the campus bus arrived. Together, they boarded and sat side by side. When Leila tried to take off Ken's coat, he assured her to keep it on for now. Of course, she gladly accepted his charity.

She also found herself leaning against his side, even though the bus was fairly warm already. But thankfully, he didn't seem to mind.

When they arrived at the bus stop near their dorm, the blast of cold air on her face made Leila dash for the building.

"What's wrong?" Ken called from behind her, his voice frantic.

After she made it past the doors, she turned around and grinned at him through the glass. He was close behind and reached her within a few steps. At the sight of her expression, he mirrored it, though a little confused. She simply chuckled and didn't bother to explain herself as they walked to the elevators and got on.

"What floor do you live on?" she asked while pressing the button labeled 2.

"Third."

Leila pressed the 3 and soon enough, it was time for her to get off. Just as she passed through the doors, her farewell about to leave her lips, Ken called out to her.

"My coat," he reminded gently.

She had nearly walked away with it still wrapped around her. After a short laugh, she took it off and handed it to him.

"Sorry about that. Thanks again! I'll see you around, Ken." As she was about to walk away, Leila recalled something and turned back to him. "My name's Leila, by the way!"

—

Ken watched the elevator doors close, blocking her from his sight, and he gripped his coat between his hands. Even though she was long gone, he could feel her warmth still resonating on his coat, as well as his body.

"My name's Leila by the way!" her voice echoed.

Failing to hold back a smile, he whispered to himself, "I know."