Layers of Heat

Layer 5

When Ken and Miles left the campus gym, it was dark and cold with only a few students walking around. They went to the usual bus stop and saw a familiar round figure standing by herself. A smile curled Ken's lips as they approached her, but unlike the previous times, she didn't immediately turn to greet them.

"Leila?" Ken said.

Her nodding head snapped back to its normal position and she looked up at him with drowsy eyes. "Oh. Hi Ken. Hi Miles."

She yawned and slowly blinked her heavy-lidded eyes. The two men were immediately concerned, and Ken even went right up to her, their coats touching.

"Tired?" he asked.

Leila nodded and muttered, "I'm glad it's finally the weekend."

By coincidence, three of her four classes had tests that week, and so it had been a tough few days for her with late study nights. Ken only knew because she informed him they wouldn't be able to meet up to hangout that week, but with his usual gym time and her work schedule, he knew he would be able to see her today. He didn't expect her to be so exhausted though.

"Lean on me," he said, noticing the way she swayed on her feet. "The bus should be here soon."

She murmured a small thanks and leaned her body against his side. He supported her back with his arm and looked down at her with worry. Miles would usually tease them at this point, but even he could see the utter exhaustion from Leila, and so, he refrained himself.

Soon enough, the campus bus rolled by and they boarded. Again, Ken offered for her to lean on him, and she gladly accepted, resting her head atop his shoulder.

When their bus stop arrived, Ken tried to wake Leila up, even shaking her a bit. However, she was long gone and even nearly fell over into the aisle. He caught her by the shoulder and swept her into his arms, not wanting to take up too much of the bus's time. As they got off the bus and walked towards their dorms, the few people who were walking about couldn't help but stare as they passed by. Even Miles was surprised by the way his friend so casually escorted Leila in his arms, not seeming to be embarrassed at all.

Of course, the men brought her back to her room, and with Ken's hands occupied, Miles took it upon himself to knock. Winnie opened the door, shocked by the sight before her.

"What happened?" she asked.

Ken smiled reassuringly. "Leila fell asleep on the bus."

Being her roommate, Winnie knew the exact reason for her friend's exhaustion and didn't question them any further. Instead, she swung the door wide, allowing them to step in. Though she was grateful that they were taking care of her friend, she couldn't help but meet Miles's gaze with narrowed eyes. He mirrored her expression, albeit with a tiny smirk on his lips.

However, their hostile stare-off was soon interrupted when they witnessed Ken walk over to Leila's bed and gently place her down, taking caution to not wake her up. He even slowly and gently slipped his arm out from below her, using the opportunity to linger and stare at her blissfully oblivious sleeping expression.

"She's not a baby, you know," Winnie said, "It's fine if you woke her up."

Ken continued to stare down at Leila's face, a soft smile curving his lips. "I know."

Still, he did his best to not wake her and quietly moved away from her bed. Winnie didn't warm up to Ken the same way Leila had due to his association with a guy like Miles, but even she had to admit she was softening towards him.

Just as Ken passed by and exited the dorm room with a friendly farewell, Winnie caught Miles by his elbow and stopped him from following his friend.

He was startled by the touch and glanced at their contact before saying, "What?"

Winnie whispered, "Leila keeps telling me they're not dating, but that can't be true, right? Has Ken told you anything?"

"Ken says the same thing. And I can confirm it. They're not dating."

Her mouth gaped open and she motioned to where Leila slept with a flailing hand. Did you not see what I just saw?!

Miles rolled his eyes. "He thinks she's cute. That's all."

Winnie also rolled her eyes, but they nearly stayed stuck to the back of her head from how ridiculous she found his words and the whole situation. She had never seen two people so incredibly flirty with each other and yet so oblivious to it! Did the two of them expect to stay as friends? With that sort of behavior?! Forget about the casual hangouts and smiley chit chat—those sorts of activities could be done with friends. It was the damn cuddling that couldn't be brushed over! Every single time Winnie saw the two of them recently, they were practically connected at the hip. And when she asked about it, Leila said they were simply sharing body heat.

God, how much more dense could her friend be? And apparently there was a guy just as dense as her? What a pair they made!

Winnie clicked her tongue and let Miles go before shooing him away. He looked offended, probably because she had been the one to force him to stay in the first place, but she dismissed his expression and merely herded him out her door.

In the hallway, Ken saw the interaction and asked, "Did something happen?"

Miles smiled dryly as the two of them began walking back to their dorm room. Rather than be the focus of their conversation, he shifted it back to his friend.

"So because she's cute, you're willing to go the extra mile for her?"

Ken was thrown off for a second before honestly replying, "I can't help it when I see her shivering in the cold. Don't you think she really looks like a penguin?"

To be fair, Miles saw the appeal of someone like Leila, and the urge to protect her came naturally. However, it seemed his friend was forgetting about something far more important.

"Sure, but she's not some innocent little animal, Ken. She's a person." He paused for emphasis. "A woman."