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Pure Vanilla's stomach rumbled.
He'd been sitting by the campfire for what felt like hours and hours on end now, but in reality, was merely minutes — he presumed the hunger was getting to him again. He couldn't sleep tonight, and for once, it wasn't because thoughts were on his mind, bothering him like a weight that he couldn't push off, no. Tonight, it was the rough floor of the tent that he'd been attempting to rest in, and he couldn't bear feeling the bumps and lumps against his back, even through the sleeping bag.
Though, with how quiet the eerie dark of the night was, he was tempted to go back, if only to have some sense of security. The campfire still burned as brightly as the night's moon. Soon enough, the soft crackle of the flames was interrupted by the sound of another tent unzipping, with footsteps following close behind.
"You couldn't sleep?" White Lily questioned, coming up behind him on quiet feet before sitting herself down on the ground next to him. They'd went out for camping as a fun little activity with the others — Dark Cacao, Golden Cheese and Hollyberry. But the other three were almost as soundly asleep as if someone had knocked them out cold. Pure Vanilla didn't mind.
As a response to her question, he simply gave a soft nod, finally tearing his eyes away from the fire and gazing upon her face that was so wonderfully illuminated by the blazing light beside them. He couldn't see her fully, but the part his sight did let him take in was enough to make his heart content with drinking her beauty in. After a short while of just letting his eyes gaze into hers, he, too, asked the same; "I'm assuming the case is the same for you?"
She smiled. He loved that smile more than most things in his pitiful life, he thought. "You're right. I suppose I wanted to come out for fresh air and clear my head," she hummed, her wonderful gaze wandering up to the sky and bouncing from one star to another, admiring them, committing the sky to memory. Sometimes Pure Vanilla wished she could look at him that way all the time.
The silence between them was comfortable enough that Pure Vanilla couldn't help but lean in and rest his head on her shoulder, something to which the girl didn't object to.
"Have you eaten dinner?" It was a simple question, but one that made his stomach churn, but not from the hunger lingering in it. He couldn't lie to her, he knew that much, but he could stay quiet instead of answering. She took his silence as a "no," and reached into her pocket to get him a small snack. She knew him well — sometimes a little too well.
With a sigh, the blond-haired boy took the little baggie and set it in his lap, not opening it just yet. "You worry for me too much," he couldn't help but think and also voice. With her, it was always like that. She was the shoulder he could bear to lean on, the one who returned his kindness in equal measure, the one who didn't expect him to be so fully composed all the time.
He felt warm, leaning on her like this. He knew it wasn't because of the campfire, as it did little to calm his shivers before she came outside. And, besides, the warmth was primarily in his heart. She was so comforting, even in silence, and the way she hugged him close to her made his heart skip a few more beats than it probably should've. He didn't want to think about the fact that a soft brush of pick most likely laced his cheeks, all because of her.
She seemed to have smiled at the way he nuzzled into the crook of her neck, and just let him do so in peace.
It took him a few moments to realize he was dozing off already — it seemed that he was more tired than he'd liked to admit, anyway. He didn't want to fall asleep just yet. He wanted to stay with her. He wanted to cling to her like the roots of a tree did tot he ground, for she was his sun and he was the sunflower following her every move. And if she was the moon, then he was the glow it casted upon the world — he didn't feel complete without her. And he wanted to stay awake with her.
Alas, the exhaustion of the hike up to this place was catching up to him. White Lily didn't seem to mind. Slowly, he adjusted himself so that he was laying in her lap, using her as a pillow, almost, and if he could've heard what she was thinking, they would have been only thoughts about how adorable he looked like this.
A few minutes passed in a comfortable silence before either of them spoke.
"...G'night," he mumbled, not quite coherent enough to say it properly. "Love you."
Pure Vanilla didn't even notice the words slipping past his lips, and before he could bring himself to care, he was already fast asleep.
White Lily smiled at his words. One day, she hoped, she could give him an 'i love you' back, though, preferably when he was awake. Gently, she tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, letting her look at his peaceful face while he slept.
The night settled into a warm quiet, only punctured by the soft crackle of flames, and yet, not matter how fierce the fire was, it couldn't outmatch how cozy and warm she felt, despite the chilly night, with who she hoped- who she knew was her soulmate.