Winter Hearts

Neighbours

Siana turned out the light, finally in bed after her walk with Leo. They had grabbed a bite to eat at the small gyros shop, sitting together in the window on tall stools, feeling very hot because of the open grill. They ate quickly and left, walking back towards the house and realising that it would be a while before they would really have some time and space to themselves.

Min had already showered and changed and was snuggled on the couch in front of the tv, waiting only for Siana's delivery of a tightly packed gyros. Siana dropped it on her blankets and went to shower and change too. She had ballet class in the morning and wanted to sleep early.

But now that she had freshened up, dressed in warm pyjamas and was lying warmly in bed in the dark, sleep evaded her.

She felt like today was but a memory. The exhaustion of preempting and overthinking their situation had taken its toll, and her mind had finally shut it down. Seeing Leo's post, having things in the open, and finally speaking to her mother and father had lifted her spirits, lifted whatever burden she may have felt about having secrets, and had brought her back to herself, she felt.

When she had gone searching for Leo, she was already bubbling with excitement from the fun her father had made for her and Min, and when she saw him on the sidewalk coming home, so tall and handsome as he walked towards her, the effervescence became like sparkling electricity, attraction.

She had been so very satisfied to have elicited his reaction to her rather everyday suckle on his skin, and the heat that it had lit deep in her belly was overshadowed only by her desire to prolong his obvious embarrassment.

Teasable Leo was so very, very delicious to watch.

Their laughter had quelled some of that heat, and brought her gently back to solid ground. With Min staying for a few days, they wouldn't have the place to themselves, and Siana didn't think visiting him upstairs was appropriate. He didn't suggest anything, just agreed with her that they had to bide their time, since they would be busy over the next few days.

"We'll just keep walking it off," he had mumbled around his sandwich, looking so very like a tired coach trying to rein in wayward kids in a gym. She smiled at how morosely he chewed on his food.

Now, after finally getting herself ready for bed, turning the light off seemed to bring her a wakefulness she normally didn't have, even when she turned in early.

But I always welcome sleep, she thought agitatedly, turning onto her side and noticing that the silence of the night seemed so loud. She could hear the neighbours clanging about next door, and wondered if Kkomae was in his slippers and robe, pottering about in their apartment. She could hear cars in the street, the odd voice as people passed by.

She started as she heard the shutters to the balcony doors get shoved open.

Perhaps it was Leo, airing out his room after their absence, or perhaps it was just someone else - but she got out of bed, pulling a light blanket over her shoulders, and opening up the doors to her balcony too.

Outside, the town was still awake, and lights from the highway traversing the mountain face and distant townships were twinkling. She looked up towards the sky, a clear winter night dotted with stars. The air was very still, and was deceptively warm because of it. She knew that dense cold from the mountains would descend upon them throughout the night and if she stayed outside too long she would begin to feel it very keenly.

It was quiet above, and she assumed that whoever it was had either gone back in, or was savouring the quiet, so she pulled her chair close and sat in it. She leaned forward to brace her crossed arms against the railing, and leaned her chin on them.