The Delightful Pain 4

The chilly wind rattled the few dead leaves that still clung to the branches of the trees woke Luan up. He cracked an eye open and found Evangeline lay with her head in the crook of his arm. The sun bleak through the branches warming her face.

He had lost the way of counting the actual times in this world. His wrist watch was not working properly, stuck precisely at 4. The sky was changing from azure blue to peach. Luan could guess it was evening and they came in a stately fashion with all the grace of a breeze in repose. He wondered if days and nights were the same in this place, or if the hours ran differently in here, but he was sure the rotation of this world subtly misaligned.

His gaze fixated on Evangeline who lay in his arms. The tingling sensation that Luan felt from before resurfaced, causing a crept of blush smeared across his cheeks. Looking at her now, Luan wondered why on earth she was able to put on a strong facade when it was obvious that she was cracking up times by times.

Luan fought the urge of waking her up. Her face was relaxed and vulnerable in sleep, but softer and less angular when she was awake. Evangeline was so relaxed and vulnerable that Luan thought it was a greatly mistake if he wake her up. Perhaps that was the reason. He just could not bear to steal her good sleep away from her.

At that precise moment Evangeline moved, her hand draped around his waist, nuzzling her face against his chest. She had begun making little gasping sounds in her sleep, her eyes darting back and forth behind her shut eyelids. Her hand jerked, tightening against Luan's shirt.

"Please." Her voice sounded muffled against his chest. "Don't leave me, Raz."

"Hey?" Luan could not hide his surprise. Tears were brimming from her shut eyelids and she shook her head, hands trembling as she tightened her grip on Luan's white shirt.

"No!" Evangeline sat up so suddenly, her eyes flew open. For a moment she looked dazed and she had gone startlingly pale.

"My Lady?" Luan sat upright. His eyes focused on her. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked but Evangeline stay still with the color drained from her face. She looked completely stunned and terrified. He drawn her toward him. His lips parted. "Evangeline-"

"I-" Her voice hitched. "I'm sorry. You probably weren't expecting that." Evangeline felt his fingers against her face. They came away wet.

"You're crying." He said. When Luan's hands cupped her face, it was damp with her tears. A moment later, he pulled her into his arms, his hand winding into her hair. "It's okay. Just cry your heart out."

Evangeline remained rooted in Luan's arm but she could not help from spilling her true heart. It was too much for her. She felt everything around her wavered and at the edge of breaking apart. She just needed something to hold her world back in, but there was nothing. Not until she heard Luan's voice.

"Let your heart out. Cry over it." Luan stroked her back reassuringly. He knew what Evangeline feared. The only reason she was breaking down was probably because of him. The fear of losing someone you loved.

Please take care of her, Luan Winterlight. I'm sure you can, breathed a soft voice in the back of his head. He knew he was not really there, but that did not help him from hearing his voice. It felt like Drazhan was living inside his head. Luan had not meet Drazhan, but he carried him in some small part of his mind, an intrusive but welcoming ghost. He did not like the idea of someone barging his mind, but he seemed did not angry about it.

Evangeline soft wailed pulled him out of his reverie. His white short-sleeve shirt damped with her own tears. She clutched the back of his shirt, burrowed her face against his chest. Her body relaxed, but Luan knew her mind was frantically collapsing.

Evangeline pulled back from Luan's arms, not because she did not like him but because her heart was pounding. "I'm sorry." Her hands rested on Luan's wrist and slid down to his hands. She stared at his hands. They were slender and long and he has the prettiest fingernails she has ever seen. In fact, his was much prettier than hers. "Thank you."

Luan looked down as well. Evangeline was squeezing his hand hard, raising her eyes to his. Shadows were moving in the hazel of her irises; He could tell she was afraid. Afraid of the repeated nightmare.

"What's wrong?" Luan brushed Evangeline's hair out from her forehead.

She shook her head. "Nothing." Her cheeks stained with her tears, blushes creeped on the tip of her nose along with her cheekbones.

"Oh, My Lady. I wish I know what you're thinking right now." Luan said without preamble.

"You know," Sai Evangeline, feeling hot blood rise to her face. Her hazel eyes softened. "You can call me by my name. I won't mind it, Luan."

Luan stroked a finger down her cheek. "I've been dying to do so, but something in Melian's eyes strained me from it. Though it did slip out from my stubborn tongue."

At that Evangeline chuckled but it only lasted for a second. "Melian is not a fearful lady."

"She is." Luan leaned down, resting his forehead against hers. "Tell me." One of his hand snaked around her waist, the other one slid down from her shoulder down to her hand.

"Hmm?" She hummed.

At Evangeline's pale face, Luan knew she was hiding something from him. He cupped her cheek. "If there was nothing happened, then what's with your pale face is about?"

"I'm fine." She protested softly. She lied. It wasn't true. She was scared of her own feelings. The long-lasted nightmare haunted her once again, and she was still fighting the words she could not say that choked her throat. Now was not the time to say what was torturing her. Not when she barely knew Luan.

Evangeline looked down at their joint hands, trying to shake off the web of her nightmare memories. She had not realize how hard it was to meet her loved one once again. Not when she knew he would never coming back again.

"Evangeline." His soft voice drawn her hazel eyes to meet with his blue eyes. "Okay." He breathed out softly. "I won't pry. Not until you decided to tell me." He said, squeezing her hand soothingly. Luan saw that he had caught her off guard and a look of hesitancy flashed across her face before she spoke.

She let out a shaky breath. Tears were brimming from her eyes, threatening to fall down to her cheeks. "Thank you." Evangeline said.

As Luan noticed Evangeline has regained her composure, he rose on his knees. "Let's head out." Before Evangeline could say anything, he was already on his feet.

"Take my hand." Luan said.

"What?" Evangeline was baffled. She looked at Luan in surprise. He was holding his hand out and he flexed his fingers.

"You can either take my hand or you can say you don't want to." He said cheekily. "Come on."

Evangeline took his hand, accepting the shock that went through her at his touch. His skin was warm and soft and rough. He tightened his grip on her and he pulled her on her feet gently.

Luan cocked his head to the side, and his black hair fell across his forehead. There was something ethereal about Luan that Evangeline could not help but to look at him. He has the most beautiful face she had ever seen. Smooth black hair and blue eyes shone like a sea glass. Elegant cheekbones, sharp jawline, thin lips that shaped like a heart when he smiled, and long eyelashes. Even the curve of his throat was perfect. He looked exactly like every prince charming she would ever conjure up in her head.

He seemed to realize she was staring at him. "Eve?"

"Did you say something?" Evangeline asked.

Luan looked mildly surprised but he offered her a demure smile. "I say, it's better if you wrap yourself with my hoodie."

Evangeline's eyebrows creased. "Hoodie?"

"You're out of space again." Luan said.

She looked at him. Luan's dark hair blowing madly in wind and she lost in thoughts as she looked at him. Everything about Luan drawn her into a painted canvas. Too beautiful to be true and she was no longer thinking of Darzhan. "Sorry."

"It's alright." Luan touched her face gently with the back of his hand. "Stay here." He dropped his hand, turning away from her. He bent down, retrieving his grey hoodie on the ground.

Evangeline looked at the grey hoodie on his hand as Luan handed it across to her. She put it on, revelling in the softness of the fabric. It was too big in a comforting way.

"I didn't notice it before, but mine is too big for you."

Evangeline felt her cheeks flame and she was taken back on Taehyung's soft demeanor toward her. "It took you long enough to notice it." She said and they both fell into a pool of laughter.

"Now. If you don't mind, my lady. Come along with me."

"Luan, stop calling me My lady." She said and Luan looked slightly amused. He shoved his way out through the branches of the trees. Evangeline went after him and she pushed through the branches. The dry- edged leaves scratched at her skin. A moment later, she was outside of the hill and she saw Melian.