As dawn approached, the wooden cabin grew colder; even the central heating seemed powerless against nature's cruelty.
In the middle of his sleep, Leonid woke up, his body barely able to move as if he had just emerged from a coma. He slowly raised his hand, pushed the blanket aside, and sat up with difficulty.
The air was so cold that his breath turned into a faint mist. With heavy steps, he walked toward his bag, his slim waist barely holding up his sweatpants.
He opened the bag and rummaged through his clothes haphazardly, tossing some to the floor until he found his coat. He put it on immediately.
He was nearly frozen. The thought of sleeping shirtless, as he used to, could've killed him this time.
In the darkness, he moved toward Charlotte's bag, lifted it onto the bed, and carefully opened it. He went through her clothes until he found her coat her cotton pajamas weren't enough to face this cold, not even with the blanket.
He placed the bag on the floor and headed toward her, holding her coat in his hand.
"Charlotte..."
He whispered hoarsely, but she didn't respond. She was fast asleep.
"Charlotte, wake up..."
He shook her gently, but her body barely stirred.
"Charlotte..."
He called her again, patience thinning as the cold bit at his bare feet.
He lifted the blanket off her and set the coat aside, then held her shoulders and helped her sit up. Her lips puckered unconsciously as he rested her against his chest, over the cold fabric of his coat.
"Mmm..."
She groaned softly, lifting her head slightly, but his hand stopped her.
"Stay still."
He said it in a low voice, then carefully helped her into the coat while she swayed between sleep and waking. Her breath, like his, became visible, condensing in the cold air.
Once he was done, she closed her eyes again, warmth beginning to return to her body.
He buttoned the coat, gently rested her back on the pillow, and pulled the blanket over her. After making sure she was alright, he stood up quietly and left the room.
The cabin was lit but still. No sign of Daniel or Liudmila.
He wanted to ignore the thought, but couldn't suppress the worry, so he headed toward their room.
Knock. Knock.
He tapped the cold wood with the tips of his middle and ring fingers, a yawn slipping from his mouth without resistance.
Inside the dim room, Daniel awoke and sat up quickly, his blond hair tousled and his eyes barely open.
He heard the sound of knocking at the door and got up. The cold pierced his body, instantly waking his senses.
"Hold on a second!"
He called out sleepily, but instead of heading to the door, he leaned toward his bag.
He pulled out another set of pajamas and quickly put them on over his thin ones, then grabbed his coat and threw it on top.
Finally, he opened the door to find Leonid leaning against the wall, eyes closed.
"Did you knock just to wake us up and then fall asleep standing there?"
"Hmm?"
Leonid slowly opened his eyes, stretched lazily, and let out a quiet yawn.
"I'm not asleep."
"Right… so?"
Daniel leaned against the doorframe, his hand tousling his messy blond hair.
"Nothing. I just wanted to check on you... it's really cold."
Daniel raised an eyebrow, then crossed his arms, a mocking smile forming on his face:
"Are you playing the role of the caring big brother now? That makes you look... cute."
Leonid glanced at him with one eye, then pushed his silver strands away from his forehead.
"Cute? Haven't heard that word used for me since I was born."
Daniel chuckled softly and stepped a little closer:
"You're exaggerating… I'd bet everything in my pocket that Charlotte has called you cute at some point even if not directly."
Leonid let out a heavy sigh and took a step back:
"A losing bet. Now, go inside and check on your girlfriend."
"Lyudmila!"
Daniel exclaimed, as if her name had snapped him out of a daze. He turned immediately and entered the room.
He remembered she had refused to change clothes, and what she was wearing was far too light for a night like this.
As for Leonid, he quietly returned to his room, closed the door behind him, and sighed deeply.
He slipped back under the blanket and lay beside Charlotte again, closing his eyes and wrapping an arm around her, hoping to fall asleep before morning arrived.
Four hours later, the time was nearing nine in the morning.
The sun had risen, and as time passed, warmth began to creep into the corners of the cabin.
Charlotte woke up from the heat.
Lazily, she pushed the blanket off and sat up with effort after moving Leonid's arm away. The coat was still wrapped around her.
She slowly raised her hands and began unbuttoning it, one button at a time, then slipped it off and tossed it aside.
At last, she felt the air touch her skin she had been on the verge of melting from the heat.
She lay back down and closed her eyes, about to drift off again… but a faint groan broke the room's silence.
Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she turned her head toward Leonid.
He was fast asleep, still wearing the coat, and covered with the blanket but his face looked pale and damp with sweat.
"Ah..."
He groaned again, and Charlotte suddenly sat up, worry washing over her.
She stared at him for a few seconds, then quickly pulled the blanket off his body.
She thought it was just the heat, but his continued groaning said otherwise. So she carefully unzipped the coat, hoping it might help him breathe more easily.
As soon as she did, his muscles began to tense and spasm right before her eyes.
She sat frozen, staring, unable to act. As the moments passed, his condition didn't improve.
Strands of his silver hair gradually soaked with sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Leonid..."
She whispered softly, her features etched with worry.
She pulled back a little, grabbed a handkerchief from the table, and returned to gently wipe his forehead. He groaned from time to time, the sound uneven, until he suddenly quieted, his head turning unconsciously toward her hand.
When she finished, she ran her fingers gently through his hair, combing it back.
His temperature wasn't high, but his pale face and silent exhaustion deepened her concern.
She remained beside him, watching him and softly stroking his hair. As for the sleep that had weighed on her eyes, it had vanished completely.
Was he feverish? She had no sure way to tell… or perhaps she did, but wasn't confident it would help.
She stopped brushing his hair, then very slowly lowered her head until her forehead touched his.
She held her breath so as not to disturb him, her lips hovering near his, almost touching.
From what she could feel through the contact, Leonid's temperature was normal… in every sense of the word and that surprised her.
She closed her eyes and stayed where she was, wondering if her method was appropriate, and if not… had she made a mistake?
Suddenly, she felt a soft touch on her head.
Charlotte's eyes flew open to meet Leonid's gaze. His expression was tired, but slowly regaining its usual sharpness.
"You're awake?!"
She quickly lifted her head, clearly flustered.
"How long have you been awake? Or… did I wake you?"
Leonid stared at her silently for a moment, then replied in a hoarse voice:
"And since when did my head become your pillow?"
His voice was low, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Your head isn't my pillow not now, not ever!"
She answered quickly, but there was a childlike embarrassment in her tone.
Then her voice shifted as she leaned toward him, concern taking over:
"Forget that and tell me… are you feeling okay?"
She slowly raised her hand and gently placed it on his cheek.
Leonid closed his eyes for a moment, as if savoring the warmth of her touch, then murmured softly:
"I'm fine… why do you ask?"
"Are you sure?"
He opened his eyes slowly and gave a faint smile:
"You're acting strange this morning. First, I wake up to find you in a weird position, and now this?"
But she didn't smile. Her gaze grew more worried.
"Your skin was pale and soaked with sweat… and you kept groaning the whole time."
His smile faded gradually, and a distant look appeared in his eyes. He remained silent for a moment, then said quietly:
"I'm not sick… don't worry."
He reassured her first, then added:
"It's normal. It's been happening to me ever since my mother died… It's just part of the insomnia."
He gently ran his fingers through her hair before Leonid slowly pulled his hand away and sat up. As he lifted his upper body, Charlotte withdrew her hand and lowered her gaze.
She remained silent, lost in her thoughts, with Leonid's words buzzing incessantly in her ears.
He's struggling with what happened since his mother's death, battling the insomnia that haunts him.
She squeezed her eyelids shut with a feeling of sorrow; perhaps she loved him deeply, yet after all this time, she still knew nothing about him except his name.
Leonid got out of bed and took off his coat, feeling a mild warmth fill his body completely different from the cold that had gripped the place before sunrise.
He stretched his arms, ready to head to the bathroom, but suddenly stopped when he felt Charlotte's hand grasp his sweatpants leg. Her grip was light but carried a hint of hesitation and worry.
"Charlotte?"
He slowly turned toward her, seeing a serious look on her face.