The 8th floor

Where the bright and surreal colors surrounded her, Charlotte stood staring into her imaginary world. It was a beautiful dream where she smiled with her friends, Daniel, Kaiser, and Natalia, spinning in circles hand in hand with them.

"Charlotte, especially you, I'm sorry about yesterday,"

Kaiser, who was shorter and younger, apologized to Charlotte.

"I'm happy for you, Charlotte~!"

Daniel shouted loudly and began spinning faster.

"Oh, you guys are embarrassing me…"

Charlotte laughed, feeling the heat rising on her face again.

"Charlotte! I hope you find happiness with him every night. He's quite handsome, as I see~,"

Natalia winked, whispering to Charlotte before spinning again.

"That's true... It's so embarrassing~,"

Charlotte continued to smile under the blue sky and green earth, still unaware.

A simple minded person, Charlotte never suspected, even for a moment, that this was just a whimsical dream crafted by her subconscious mind while she slept.

Suddenly, her world started to halt. Everything turned into a blinding white light, overwhelming her vision.

"Wake up now,"

a rough, dry voice commanded, piercing through her dream world and forcing her to open her eyes to see the ceiling of a hospital room.

The soft morning rays struck Charlotte's drowsy eyes as Leonid's commanding voice invaded her mind.

"Finally, you're awake,"

Leonid said as he let go of the curtains he'd just opened and walked toward Charlotte.

"I've been here for hours, yet you wouldn't wake up despite all my attempts."

Leonid crossed his arms, staring at her puffy, sleep-swollen face, and added.

"What are you doing still lying here? Get up, and let's go home. Aren't you happy to leave the hospital and return home?"

"Hmph…"

Charlotte pouted her lips and glanced at Leonid with half awake, annoyed eyes before turning over to bury her face into the pillow, trying to cling to the remnants of her dream.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!"

Leonid's voice grew more urgent this time as he strode toward her, attempting to pull the blanket off her.

"Leave the blanket and get up!"

Charlotte ignored Leonid's orders, clutching the blanket tightly. After a moment of resistance, she opened her mouth and complained loudly.

"Leave me alone! I want to sleep!"

"It's six-thirty now. Who sleeps in this late, huh?!"

"It's me! Me!"

Charlotte whined, clutching her blanket and lying on her stomach, face buried in the pillow. Half asleep, she became someone completely different, as Leonid had anticipated.

"Stop acting like a child and get up now,"

Leonid said, lifting the pillow from under Charlotte's head and hitting her lightly with it.

He knew well that this woman loved sleep and could be stubborn about it, yet he didn't stop tapping her with the pillow.

"Stop being bossy!"

she complained loudly before speaking in a softer tone.

"Let me sleep for five more minutes."

"Five minutes?"

Leonid stared at Charlotte's blanket-covered back and sighed, already giving up on waking her for now.

He threw the pillow on her back and allowed her the five minutes she asked for.

Leonid sat beside her on the mattress, leaning on her figure.

In reality, Leonid wasn't sure whether he was resting his arm on her back or her rear since the puffed blanket covered everything.

As five minutes passed, Leonid tapped Charlotte's back lightly to wake her up.

"Hmm…"

"Wake up now,"

Leonid ordered in a firm tone, losing his patience.

"Fine!"

Charlotte responded irritably, beginning her signature worm like movements, which Leonid had never seen before.

Like an earthworm wriggling on moist soil, Charlotte raised her hips, causing Leonid to scoot back, sitting at a safe distance, watching her with a puzzled expression.

Charlotte bent her knees, taking a moment to push herself up to sit on her legs, still wrapped in the blanket. Her sleepy face was reddened in some spots due to her rough sleeping habits.

She tilted her head slightly, yawned, and leaned back as if to lie down again, but Leonid's arm stopped her, pulling her toward his chest.

"You're not on your bed at home,"

he said coldly, gently brushing aside the messy strands of her chestnut hair with his left hand.

"Hmph…"

Charlotte furrowed her brows, opening her eyes slightly to look at Leonid before pouting.

"You smell like cigarettes…"

"Really?"

She nodded immediately, closing her eyes again, trying to steal another nap.

"Well, you'd better get used to your lover being a smoker. Now…"

He tugged the blanket away from her in one swift motion, adding.

"Now get up."

"Fine…"

Charlotte lazily stretched her arms in the air, but Leonid quickly lifted her, ensuring she didn't waste more time.

She sat sulking on the other side of the bed under Leonid's stern gaze.

Her long chestnut hair was disheveled, with frizzy ends, and the hem of her pajama shirt had risen slightly, revealing her pale back.

Despite his piercing stare, Charlotte continued to take her time, casually rubbing her shoulders and neck, enjoying the moment.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, she froze in place, her body instinctively flinching.

"W— what are you doing now?!"

She arched her back, trying to escape the cold touch of Leonid's hand on her back, turning her head to look at him.

Leonid, on the other hand, paused midair and simply watched her reaction before saying with a frown.

"What do you think I was doing? I was just trying to fix your rolled up pajama shirt."

His tone clearly conveyed his annoyance.

"Oh… okay…"

Charlotte looked forward again, almost rising from the bed, but Leonid's hand suddenly grabbed her collar, pulling her toward him.

"Ahhh!"

Charlotte yelped in surprise as she was pulled and dropped between Leonid's thighs. She could feel the strength of his muscular legs and… something else, only this time through her head.

Leonid's gaze bore into her as he reached for her again, prompting Charlotte to close her eyes, her heart racing.

She felt his cold fingertips touch her collarbone before he spoke.

"Do you always wear this necklace?"

Charlotte was utterly flustered, trying to process his sudden question, along with what had just happened and where her head was resting now.

She stayed still for a moment before replying in a low, trembling voice.

"...Yes, sometimes…"

Leonid tilted his head slightly, examining the delicate necklace she wore, small and fragile, much like her.

"...Why do you ask?"

"Just curious,"

Leonid replied calmly, shifting his gaze back to her.

"If I gifted you a beautiful necklace, would you wear it every day? Forever?"

"Well…"

She fidgeted with her fingers nervously, thinking shyly.

"If it's a meaningful gift, of course, I'd wear it every day, forever."

Her dark eyes briefly met his icy blue ones before darting away in embarrassment.

Amused by her awkwardness, Leonid continued to stare at her, though his expression remained as cool as ever, as if none of it affected him.

"I didn't say it outright yesterday, but I love you, Charlotte Smith,"

his lips curved into a slight smile as he lowered his head and asked in a soft voice.

"What about you? Do you love me?"

"Me?!"

Charlotte's eyes widened, her nails digging into her palms. She was both nervous and shy.

"I… Yes."

She answered, closing her eyes as a faint blush spread across her cheeks.

"I love you."

"That's an honor for me,"

Leonid remarked, gesturing toward himself.

After a moment, he continued in a calm tone.

"Now, can you get off my lap, darling?"

Charlotte opened her eyes, her gaze landing on the smirk playing on Leonid's lips.

He tilted his head back, running a hand through his silvery hair with a satisfied look before suddenly lifting her off his thighs with one hand.

Pouting, Charlotte sat back again. It had been romantic just moments ago, but with Leonid, romance was never lasting.

She stood after slipping on her shoes, smoothing out her disheveled hair.

"Here. "

Leonid handed her coat and helped her put it on, though she avoided looking at him, still pouting.

Moments ago, she'd been grateful to have fallen into his lap and shared such words with him, even for a few seconds. Now, everything had shifted she was upset with him again.

"What's wrong?"

Leonid crouched slightly, peering into her sulking face.

"Nothing."

"Are you sure? Then stop pouting before I have to intervene again."

"What do you mean by intervening again?"

Charlotte stepped back, heading toward the small bedside table, picking up Leonid's sunglasses that seemed too large for her face, and wearing them.

"This is your phone, and this is your house key."

Leonid leaned toward her, his muscular chest brushing her back briefly as he slipped her belongings into her coat pocket.

"Everything's ready now. We can leave."

"Yes…"

Charlotte replied softly, following Leonid as he walked toward the door.

"Oh, wait a moment,"

Leonid paused and turned back to her, saying.

"Don't you think we forgot something important?"

"Something important?"

Charlotte pondered his cryptic words for a moment before feeling his hand gently tugging her hair back, his lips pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.