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Sleepless nights were not uncommon for the young student of the Akademiya, in fact, it was rare for her to even have time off when it was readily given to her. But tonight she aimed to focus her attention fully on her work as she was brainstorming for her next thesis.
However, even with her grand knowledge of the stars, she felt her hand unable to communicate that excitement. She believed that she may have stressed herself already, after having worked on several essays earlier that evening. She stretched out her tired muscles and yawned, perhaps sleepiness was to come upon her. Suddenly, she heard a knock on her window. Layla jumped, turning to see who was behind it. She gasped when she caught a glimpse of the mysterious person on the outside.
Candace? Did she come all the way here? Before any more thoughts rushed over the elf’s head, she unhatched the window and opened it for her to come inside. She appeared to be using a device to allow her to float up here, Layla did not have time to question every gadget Candace had in her pockets.
“Miss Layla, may I come in?” Candace asked, halfway through the window anyways. When Layla nodded, the young woman had hopped off the hovering device and planted her feet onto the elf’s dorm room floor. The dark-haired woman looked around the dorm, it wasn’t messy per se but the paperwork over the desk was unorganized, “I see you’ve been working hard?”
Layla laughed, flustered, “Well, I was . But my hands betray me.” She flexed her fingers and when she withdrew them, they began to pop loudly - making Layla cringe.
Candace opened her palm, gesturing for Layla to allow her to observe her hands. She trusted the older woman, as they have met like this many times before. Candace traced over the lines of the elf’s fingers and carefully massaged the muscles that offered her stress - even with the warrior’s hands, she was still capable of an intimate gentleness. Layla thought nothing of it, instead thinking about those ladies in her study hall who discussed how people are able to see your future through the palm of your hand.
Perhaps Candace was able to see such things too, her eyes were able to see things many cannot. It was believed that those who were gifted a golden eye were gifted with immense power, to create sandstorms that can wash their enemies away. But she was not cruel in the way many believe, she also allowed to have these moments of quiet as well.
“You’re tired,” Candace stated blankly, almost causing the other to laugh with how matter-of-fact the woman sounded, “I request that you shall rest now.”
Layla shrugged her off, “All in a day’s work, I still have much to get done.”
Candace gave her an unimpressed look, glancing over the paperwork on the table, “Have you not worked enough? Even a hard-working soldier knows that being stubborn in his breaks can cause him to break bone.”
The elf had no idea where she got that saying, perhaps she made it up herself? However, she was not one to argue with Candace. No matter what excuse she’ll gives, the guardian will always find a way to debunk her.
She rolled her eyes at her concerned friend, patting her off with her other hand.
“Fine, fine. Do not worry your pretty head,” Layla yawned dramatically again, “I shall sleep, only to comfort you.”
Her hands were free from the worried touches of her friend and she organized her table once more. Candace smiled, beginning to mess around her a gadget connected to her arm. It wasn’t uncommon to see her fiddling around with new technology, but it was always interesting to see her use said machine while in Layla’s presence. It was natural to want to learn more about her knowledge on these things but the poor girl never found the time for it.
As Layla got into her bed, she glanced over at her friend who stood in the center of her room. It wouldn’t be right to leave her there, completely absorbed in her own head. So the student decided on a way to give her own friend comfort and peace of mind.
“Candace, we can share the bed if you like.” Layla peeled back the covers.
The taller stared at her, dumbfounded, “Layla… you realize that’s a twin-sized bed.”
Of course, she did, but she thought that maybe she was small enough to fit the two of them. Perhaps her mouth was running ahead of her brain, interesting - she’d think about that in the morning, however.
“Well, if I shrink really small, then maybe-” The elf began but Candace simply sat at the edge of the bed, interrupting her thoughts. The two simply watched each other, in confusion on Layla’s part.
“I do not need to sleep, but I can watch over you if you allow me.” Candance looked away, her face flushing. This was the first time she ever saw her friend appear shy. Strange, there was no reason for her to act this way after all.
Layla, drained from all the activities she had done earlier, simply nodded and laid her head on her pillow. As she drifted off, she felt the rustling of covers and warmth surrounding her as a voice spoke, “Goodnight, my starlight.”