"Can't sleep?" (To be fair this probably happens a lot with cinder and Chester -w-)
With a slight jolt at the unexpected sound, Chester turned from his dimly lit desk to find Cinder through the shadows. Had he woken her when he got up after all? Or, no, maybe she just woke up and wondered where he'd gone. Yeah, that one must be it. It had been a little while already.
"Not a wink." he replied, a sad, dejected tone in his slightly grainy voice. Yikes. He prayed he didn't look as tired as he sounded. Or at least that the darkness would cover it. "It's almost every time I close my eyes tonight.. You know?" He turned back to the desk, staring down at the four same runes he'd been repeating over and over on messy sheets of paper. It didn't even really count as studying anymore, but, he'd needed something to take his mind off of things.
"Three nightmares tonight already." He said, resting his elbows on the desk and running his hands up into his hair loosely. "- and it isn't anywhere near sunrise yet.. I... I don't know what to do with myself right now in honesty." With a breath out, he closed his eyes just for a second. When he opened them back up maybe halfway, maybe less- he'd never really thought about how wide his eyes usually went, but now those eyelids felt like they were just, weighed down, and he could feel the skin beneath his lashes burning.
How long had he been without a decent sleep now? This whole week had been pretty much like this, and it wasn't great before that either... The festival maybe? Except, no, he'd been so busy in the run-up to it he'd resorted to napping in the sheep field while they were grazing, so he couldn't have gotten much sleep then either. He sighed heavily, dropping just one hand from his head to turn his tired eyes to cinder once more, full of some kind of pleading hope, and also, of comfort. He felt her hand on his shoulder, a reassuring contact, and then brushing up gently into his hair. Through the tangled locks her hand found his own, and guided him back down. His expression softened, facial muscles relaxing that he hadn't even realised were tensed.
"Is there something I can do to help?" Her voice came like a welcome song. It was easy to forget sometimes, the way she spoke so softly here with him, that her life was all about fighting and survival and struggle.
"Cinder, you're already helping. More than you know~" He lifted her hand to plant a soft kiss on, and took a second, just enjoying the way the silence finally felt calm again.
"Okay, what if.. we get that fire going again, and, try the couch so we can be near it, if- Well, you don't have to, I'm sure the bed would be more comfortable, I'd rather be there myself- I mean I could- but, I already tried that enough times tonight, I think, and it didn't work right, how am I even supposed to get comfortable knowing that I'm just going to have another nightma-" A finger to his lips stopped his babbling.
"The couch is fine." She assured, bringing a subtle smile to Chester's face. With a kiss to his forehead and a squeeze of the hand, Cinder stepped away towards the old wood burner, and after a few seconds just smiling after her still, Chester stood too.
"I'll go get the blankets."
"Okay~"
He paused on his way out of the room, angling back around the wall to look back at her. "Thank you" he said softly, voice full of admiration and love. "For- literally everything. I love you."
