AS FAR AS THE MOON (english version)

XIX - Kyran

To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake,
it is necessary to resist the cold.
- Aristotle

I made to lick the paper and close the cigarette I had just finished rolling, placing it between my lips in the corner opposite the scar. I sighed as Niko opened his mouth in an awkward yawn from the other side of the couch, settling his arms behind his head and giving me a quick furtive glance.

I frowned, "What?"
"Nothing," he shrugged indifferently.
I looked at him with a confused expression, but decided not to inquire too much. I didn't feel like listening to what he had to say, as I was sure it was some rebuke about my attitude towards Ayla the night before. It was nothing that interested me, so I ignored him.

I was about to get up and head towards the terrace, when a raven, limp hair peeped out from the corridor. She widened her eyes when she saw us. She looked sleepy and her hair was tousled—a grey sweatshirt fell over her shoulders, so big she could have swum in it, while burgundy chequered trousers tickled the backs of her feet and had a darker tinge on the back, standing under her heels.

"Good morning princess, did you have your beauty nap?" greeted Niko, and I had to force myself not to roll my eyes.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, crinkling her eyelids in an impish gesture.

"Your brother and Khai are working and he asked us to stay with you in case you needed anything. How's the knee?"

She casted a quick glance in my direction, which caused a slight tightening of my throat. I kept my eyes fixed in hers to intimidate her, which seemed to work—she brought her attention back to the blonde boy, before moving closer to the wall she was leaning against and murmuring, "No need, guys, really. I don't want to force you guys to baby-sit, I can do it myself."
I rolled my eyes. I've heard that one before.

"Yes, we do. Besides, it's not a problem for us," Niko declared, pointing at me absent-mindedly.

The golden straws of her olive eyes pointed at me again, and I read a hint of scepticism in her expression. It was clear that the thought that I was here of my own free will made her suspicious—which was to be expected, but it still caused a twinge of annoyance.

"There's no need, seriously. I can very well—" she started to say, but was interrupted by the boy on my left.

"Ayla, you can't even stand without leaning against the wall. Come on, sit down. I'll make you a coffee."
He walked towards her, guiding her by the elbows to where he had been sitting a few moments before, then disappearing behind the half-wall.

We were alone for a few seconds, which for a reason incomprehensible to me, made me inexplicably nervous. I made my way towards the terrace, when she opened her mouth, paralysing me on the spot.

"You lied last night."
I turned, "Huh?"
"About dinner. You lied." Those damn irises pierced my soul so deep that I had to feign all the indifference I was capable of in order not to stand there and study the details like a fucking idiot.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Even if I did?"
"Why?"

I bit my inner cheek, feeling exposed like a naked child at the beach. "You hadn't eaten. I just assumed you were hungry."

I remembered seeing her poking at the food on her plate, and wondering why she had not taken a single bite. It was impossible that she was not hungry after the tiring day she had endured. It was too strange a behaviour.

I saw her scan my face again—and again that feeling of exposure forced me to suppress a shudder, so I returned her gaze with more determination than ever.