CHAPTER 334: WHEN YOU’RE ASLEEP, ISIAH (CORRECTED CHAPTER)

Isiah, oblivious to his own exhaustion, settled near the door of the room. Despite the undeniable tiredness, he stubbornly refused to admit defeat.

He convinced himself that a brief closure of his eyes was all he needed, expecting to open them again shortly. However, the lure of sleep proved stronger, and Isiah drifted into slumber, his body succumbing to the rest he had been denying himself.

As the night enveloped them, all were lost in slumber. It wasn’t until the late hours that Lexie finally stirred, her eyes slowly opening. She had been asleep for the better part of the evening, her body craving and finally savoring the rest it so desperately needed.

With a quiet tenderness, Lexie summoned a blanket, gently covering both Ciel and Eijar as they peacefully slept.

Her fingers brushed over Ciel’s golden hair, a bittersweet smile gracing her face, carrying an unspoken melancholy within the warmth of the moment.

Surrounded by the soft glow of the still-illuminated room, Lexie raised her body to survey her surroundings. A glimpse revealed Isiah, slumbering on the floor next to the door, unaware of his fatigue as he rested in the quiet corner.

The frigid weather permeated the room, making the idea of sleeping on the cold floor seem almost absurd. Isiah, however, remained oblivious to the chill, nestled on the floor in a deep slumber, still unaware of the biting cold that surrounded him.

Lexie gazed at Isiah for a prolonged moment, caught in a dilemma about whether to take action or let him be.

Her contemplative stare reflected uncertainty, as she grappled with the decision .

With a hint of difficulty, Lexie rose from her spot and navigated the room with deliberate, slow steps. The icy floor beneath her feet served as a stark reminder of the unforgiving cold.

"I know you’ll hate me for this," she silently admitted to herself before settling on the floor in front of him.

Isiah remained in a somewhat haphazard sitting position on the floor. One elbow rested on his raised knee, his posture a mix of weariness and the unintentional grace of someone who had succumbed to sleep in an unplanned spot.

His features, softened by the tranquil repose, revealed a vulnerability that contrasted with the stern exterior he often displayed while awake.

From her close vantage point, Lexie gazed at Isiah’s face, a sense of guilt lingering in her thoughts for intruding on his rest. Yet, the quiet atmosphere seemed to cast a hypnotic spell as she observed his features.

This proximity provided an opportunity she hadn’t had before – to study his face in peaceful repose, unveiling a side of him rarely seen in the midst of their turbulent journey.

Inside her thoughts, Lexie couldn’t help but utter, "You look like a kid when you sleep, Isiah."

A bittersweet smile played on her lips, and a soft sigh escaped her, carrying the weight of unrequited emotions.

Lexie sat there, quietly immersed in the depths of her feelings, aware that her love for Isiah remained a solitary journey, unspoken and unacknowledged.

"So stubborn, Isiah. You might get sick," Lexie mused within her thoughts, her eyes fixed on his peaceful face.

"You’re still human, always choosing the difficult path as if your well-being doesn’t matter and as if you’re impervious to pain. You did it in the past, and you keep doing it... or did you do it because I am intruding? If I wasn’t here, were you going to sleep on the bed with Eijar and Ciel? I guess, yes."

Locks of Isiah’s hair cascaded over his forehead in a disheveled yet strangely alluring manner, giving him an effortlessly attractive appearance even in his sleep.

Lexie found herself tempted to reach out and touch those locks, her injured hand hesitantly extending towards them.

However, she stopped mid-air, a sudden pang of self-consciousness flooding her thoughts.

The notion that her injured hand, marred and bandaged, was somehow unworthy of touching someone as seemingly flawless as Isiah held her back.

A fleeting moment of hesitation lingered, and she withdrew her hand, choosing instead to admire him from a distance, her unspoken affection echoing in the silent cavern of her heart.

Summoning a blanket with a quiet wave of her hand, Lexie draped it gently over Isiah’s slumbering form.

Despite this nurturing gesture, she remained in her place, perched on the floor, silently observing every rise and fall of his breath.

Her heart, heavy with unspoken emotions, found solace in the intimate act of caring for him, even if from a distance.

"I guess I should just look at you and fill my eyes with you when you’re asleep, Isiah," Lexie pondered in the quiet recesses of her mind.

"Because I’m so damn sure that you will never accept me going anywhere near you when you’re awake. It’s you, right? You could do that. I’m not asking for anything, just... sometimes I wonder if the pain that I feel could get any less with time passing." Her thoughts echoed .

Lexie sat with her arms wrapped around her legs, her gaze fixed on Isiah’s peaceful form. Resting her head on her knees, she gradually succumbed to the fatigue that enveloped her.

Eventually, in that vulnerable position, surrounded by the cold and the soft glow of the room, Lexie drifted into sleep, finding solace in the simplicity of the moment and the unspoken connection with the slumbering figure before her.

As Isiah woke up, a palpable chill accompanied his gaze upon Lexie, who lay sleeping on the ground.

Confusion and a cold detachment marked his expression as he tried to fathom the reasons behind her actions. Perplexed, he couldn’t quite grasp the motives driving her to such vulnerability.

Isiah’s gaze shifted, and he noticed the blanket enveloping him. The realization dawned that someone had cared for him while he slept.

His eyes traced the contours of the draped blanket, a subtle acknowledgment of Lexie’s quiet gesture. Yet, the coldness in his demeanor persisted.

In a swift motion, Isiah stood, disdain etched on his features, and callously tossed the blanket to the floor.

Without a second glance at Lexie, he distanced himself, striding away towards the bathroom.

Resentment lingered in his steps, fueled by the realization that she had taken advantage of his vulnerable slumber to draw near.