Sleepless Nights
Chapter 7
By Kitten Starr
It had been the fifth night in a row that Bit had failed to go to sleep. He would make it until around two o'clock in the morning and from there he would lay awake in bed. He had walked quietly by Leena's room the previous night to find her up once gain. He was beginning to get a nagging wonder as to why she wasn't sleeping as well. He thought he might walk in on her again but he remembered the rut he had gotten himself into before. He had painfully shrugged it off and went back to his room. He wondered if she were up again tonight.
Bit slipped out of his room while being careful to stay as quiet as possible. He treaded softly down the hall and saw that Leena's light was on. He took a huge deep breath and knocked on the door.
Bit waited patiently when finally Leena's head popped out the door. "Bit? What do you want at this time of morning? Why are you still up?"
Bit nibbled on his bottom lip, "I just saw that your light was on and I was wondering if you were still awake. I didn't mean to wake you if you were sleeping." He turned to leave, but a warm hand caught hold of his wrist. He turned around questioningly.
Leena smiled and her eyes moistened over. "Bit, go get dressed and we'll go somewhere. Meet me in the hangar."
"Huh? Where to?"
"Just go put some clothes on while I throw something on too."
Bit did as he was told and went back to his room to dress in appropriate clothes other than his makeshift pajamas. He wondered what Leena had in mind, but he wasn't about to question her motives. This could be the night he could finally confess his feelings to her.
-~*~-
Leena met Bit in the hangar where the Jeep was parked. She motioned for him to enter the vehicle as she took the driver's seat. Bit once again bid Leena's request. She cranked the vehicle and turned on the headlights.
"So where are we headed?" asked Bit.
"Wherever my heart tells me to go."
"Well, I hope it's someplace to get a decent meal. I skipped dinner and now I'm starving."
"Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything either. The nearest town is about fifty miles away. Will burgers and fries be okay?"
Bit thoughtfully rubbed his stomach. "It sounds good to me."
"Great! Then it's settled."
They drove in silence for a half hour until Bit finally spoke up. "Leena, can I ask you a question?"
"You just did," smiled Leena.
"Why haven't you been sleeping lately?" Bit's voice was full of concern and his eyes held the softness of the moon.
Leena's smile faded away. She was silent for a few minutes before responding. "There has been so much going on in my mind recently. I suppose I just don't know how to control them."
"Control what?"
"These feelings and memories of long ago. New emotions continue to rack on top of these memories that were supposed to be suppressed."
Leena's voice was a calm whisper. Bit listened carefully to every word she said. He could rather relate to what she was going through.
"When my mom died, I was just a little girl. I didn't understand why she died and why Dad told me that she was never coming back. I thought it was something I had done. I blamed myself and never allowed myself to feel and enjoy the pleasure of emotions. I've been deadened for so long but now it's all changing. Everything I've worked so hard to build up is now crumbling at my feet. I'm not strong like I make out to be."
Leena's eyes were wet from restrained tears. She pulled off the road into a secluded oasis. Her hands clutched the steering wheel tightly.
Bit was clueless as to what he should do. He did the only thing he could. He leaned over and placed a hand over hers. She leaned into him and the tears began to fall freely.
"Leena, you don't have to put on a façade for all of us. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders either. It's okay to cry when you're angry or sad."
Leena pushed away from him and looked him in the eyes. "It's you. You're the one."
Leena ran a hand over her eyes and dried her tears. She turned the ignition off and got out of the Jeep. Bit followed her.
"Are you okay, Leena?"
"I'm fine."
"What did you mean about that?"
"About what?"
"That I was the one?"
"Oh, forget that. I was just rambling on. You know how I am when I get upset."
"If you're sure."
"I'm pretty sure."
-~*~-
Leena walked back to the Jeep and retrieved a small basket and two sleeping bags. She started back towards Bit.
"What are those for?" asked Bit.
"We're camping out here tonight."
"What about food?"
Leena held up the basket. "I packed it just in case."
"You planned this?"
"You could say that, but not really."
The couple continued walking until they found a serene spot beside a gentle flowing stream.
"This is a beautiful spot."
"The moon and stars are quite exquisite too," replied Bit.
"It is a very romantic setting," Leena responded. She noticed that Bit wasn't looking at the sky but at her. All of the sudden she felt her heart rate speed up and her knees go weak.
Bit turned his gaze to the sky to see that the early morning sky was very much lovely. He wondered if by chance Leena knew that he was really talking about her instead of the diamonds in the sky. Silently he hoped that she had. It wasn't every day that you compared Leena to the brilliant sky.
Leena didn't realize just how bright the moon was until she looked Bit in the eyes and saw that they were the color of an aquamarine jewel. She set down the basket of goods and tossed Bit a sleeping bag. She spread out hers as Bit did the same.
-~*~-
After they had settled everything, Bit reached into the basket to find several items neatly packed. He fished one out and opened it. It was a delectable half of a club sandwich. He began chomping on it ravenously.
Leena reached in and pulled out a small container filled with chocolate chip cookies. She was almost in heaven when she took her first mouthful. Her violet eyes caught Bit staring at her like he had just seen something for the first time. She held out a cookie. Bit's eyes grew even larger.
"Well, do you want one or not?"
"Sure. Are you positive that you're okay?"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you're actually sharing those delicious chocolate chip cookies that you never let anyone touch."
Leena threw the cookie at him and he caught it. He put the whole thing in his mouth and tried to grin. It was a contorted grin, but still a grin all the same. Leena laughed once again thanks to Bit.
After eating their picnic, both snuggled into the warmth of their sleeping bags and fell asleep to the lullabies of the forest oasis surrounding them. Even if Bit didn't choose this night to tell Leena that he loved her, he knew the time was coming sooner with each passing day.
Chapter 7
By Kitten Starr
It had been the fifth night in a row that Bit had failed to go to sleep. He would make it until around two o'clock in the morning and from there he would lay awake in bed. He had walked quietly by Leena's room the previous night to find her up once gain. He was beginning to get a nagging wonder as to why she wasn't sleeping as well. He thought he might walk in on her again but he remembered the rut he had gotten himself into before. He had painfully shrugged it off and went back to his room. He wondered if she were up again tonight.
Bit slipped out of his room while being careful to stay as quiet as possible. He treaded softly down the hall and saw that Leena's light was on. He took a huge deep breath and knocked on the door.
Bit waited patiently when finally Leena's head popped out the door. "Bit? What do you want at this time of morning? Why are you still up?"
Bit nibbled on his bottom lip, "I just saw that your light was on and I was wondering if you were still awake. I didn't mean to wake you if you were sleeping." He turned to leave, but a warm hand caught hold of his wrist. He turned around questioningly.
Leena smiled and her eyes moistened over. "Bit, go get dressed and we'll go somewhere. Meet me in the hangar."
"Huh? Where to?"
"Just go put some clothes on while I throw something on too."
Bit did as he was told and went back to his room to dress in appropriate clothes other than his makeshift pajamas. He wondered what Leena had in mind, but he wasn't about to question her motives. This could be the night he could finally confess his feelings to her.
-~*~-
Leena met Bit in the hangar where the Jeep was parked. She motioned for him to enter the vehicle as she took the driver's seat. Bit once again bid Leena's request. She cranked the vehicle and turned on the headlights.
"So where are we headed?" asked Bit.
"Wherever my heart tells me to go."
"Well, I hope it's someplace to get a decent meal. I skipped dinner and now I'm starving."
"Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything either. The nearest town is about fifty miles away. Will burgers and fries be okay?"
Bit thoughtfully rubbed his stomach. "It sounds good to me."
"Great! Then it's settled."
They drove in silence for a half hour until Bit finally spoke up. "Leena, can I ask you a question?"
"You just did," smiled Leena.
"Why haven't you been sleeping lately?" Bit's voice was full of concern and his eyes held the softness of the moon.
Leena's smile faded away. She was silent for a few minutes before responding. "There has been so much going on in my mind recently. I suppose I just don't know how to control them."
"Control what?"
"These feelings and memories of long ago. New emotions continue to rack on top of these memories that were supposed to be suppressed."
Leena's voice was a calm whisper. Bit listened carefully to every word she said. He could rather relate to what she was going through.
"When my mom died, I was just a little girl. I didn't understand why she died and why Dad told me that she was never coming back. I thought it was something I had done. I blamed myself and never allowed myself to feel and enjoy the pleasure of emotions. I've been deadened for so long but now it's all changing. Everything I've worked so hard to build up is now crumbling at my feet. I'm not strong like I make out to be."
Leena's eyes were wet from restrained tears. She pulled off the road into a secluded oasis. Her hands clutched the steering wheel tightly.
Bit was clueless as to what he should do. He did the only thing he could. He leaned over and placed a hand over hers. She leaned into him and the tears began to fall freely.
"Leena, you don't have to put on a façade for all of us. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders either. It's okay to cry when you're angry or sad."
Leena pushed away from him and looked him in the eyes. "It's you. You're the one."
Leena ran a hand over her eyes and dried her tears. She turned the ignition off and got out of the Jeep. Bit followed her.
"Are you okay, Leena?"
"I'm fine."
"What did you mean about that?"
"About what?"
"That I was the one?"
"Oh, forget that. I was just rambling on. You know how I am when I get upset."
"If you're sure."
"I'm pretty sure."
-~*~-
Leena walked back to the Jeep and retrieved a small basket and two sleeping bags. She started back towards Bit.
"What are those for?" asked Bit.
"We're camping out here tonight."
"What about food?"
Leena held up the basket. "I packed it just in case."
"You planned this?"
"You could say that, but not really."
The couple continued walking until they found a serene spot beside a gentle flowing stream.
"This is a beautiful spot."
"The moon and stars are quite exquisite too," replied Bit.
"It is a very romantic setting," Leena responded. She noticed that Bit wasn't looking at the sky but at her. All of the sudden she felt her heart rate speed up and her knees go weak.
Bit turned his gaze to the sky to see that the early morning sky was very much lovely. He wondered if by chance Leena knew that he was really talking about her instead of the diamonds in the sky. Silently he hoped that she had. It wasn't every day that you compared Leena to the brilliant sky.
Leena didn't realize just how bright the moon was until she looked Bit in the eyes and saw that they were the color of an aquamarine jewel. She set down the basket of goods and tossed Bit a sleeping bag. She spread out hers as Bit did the same.
-~*~-
After they had settled everything, Bit reached into the basket to find several items neatly packed. He fished one out and opened it. It was a delectable half of a club sandwich. He began chomping on it ravenously.
Leena reached in and pulled out a small container filled with chocolate chip cookies. She was almost in heaven when she took her first mouthful. Her violet eyes caught Bit staring at her like he had just seen something for the first time. She held out a cookie. Bit's eyes grew even larger.
"Well, do you want one or not?"
"Sure. Are you positive that you're okay?"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you're actually sharing those delicious chocolate chip cookies that you never let anyone touch."
Leena threw the cookie at him and he caught it. He put the whole thing in his mouth and tried to grin. It was a contorted grin, but still a grin all the same. Leena laughed once again thanks to Bit.
After eating their picnic, both snuggled into the warmth of their sleeping bags and fell asleep to the lullabies of the forest oasis surrounding them. Even if Bit didn't choose this night to tell Leena that he loved her, he knew the time was coming sooner with each passing day.