When her eyes finally opened, he was seated at the low table nearby, a scroll in one hand, a cup of untouched tea cooling beside him. His hair was loose for once, dark strands cascading over his robes and for a brief second he looked less like the Sect Master who ruled thousands and more like a man lost in thought.
"You're awake" he said, tone even yet his gaze lingered on her longer than usual.
Liora sat up carefully pulling the blanket around herself, heat rising in her cheeks at the memories of last night. "I… didn't mean to fall asleep here," she murmured though they both knew that excuse was flimsy at best.
Jianyu's lips curved not quite a smile, but close enough to unsettle her. "You were injured You needed rest And…" His eyes lowered briefly, a flicker of something softer passing through them. "I didn't want you walking back in the dark."
The blanket suddenly felt suffocating What's happening to me? she thought
