6 Moonligh

"Hey sleepyhead."

Laura rubbed her eyes and looked up. A hazy view of Austin's countenance became clearer as her blurriness washed over. Seeing his gentle smile, a warming breeze soothed through her body. The enticing comfort of his embrace took over all reasoning. "Austin!" Laura threw her blanket onto the ground and dexterously dove onto him.

She found an irreplaceable comfort calming her from the nightmare.

"Austin.Austin...Austin.." Hugging him for dear life, she repeatedly called his name to confirm him being there as she sobbed tears of both bliss and sorrow.

Austin wrapped his arm around Laura's back and stroke her head. "Look at you Laura... who's the one that said she was grown up already? You're crying like a baby."

"Uwuuu... but...but, you weren't there Austin. You weren't there!" Laura wailed, recollecting the feeling of dread piercing like needles into her skin and the invading emptiness...

"You weren't there!" Laura screamed. Her body tumbled down on his.

'Thump!'

Landing on the cold hard ground, Austin felt a sharp pain on his butt from maneuvering himself beneath Laura the moment they had begun to fall. Not expecting such an intense reaction, Austin could feel how scared Laura was from her trembling body. He hugged her tightly and tenderly caressed her head. "It's okay, It's okay Laura, I'm right here..."

Laura was lying on his chest with her face resting on his shoulder.

"Mm," she muffled out, solaced by Austin's cuddle.

Laura calmed down after a few minutes. Austin was stroking her back and she happily remained in this position, enjoying the moment with eyes closed. Neither of them said anything and she wanted to submerge in this feeling forever.

"Laura...Let's get you back in bed okay?" Austin probed. His back was getting sore.

"I don't want to."

"You will catch a cold staying like this. Come on, let's go"

"No, I don't want to, we stay like this," Laura childishly refused. Clearly, she had recovered from her earlier trauma and was just acting on her selfish desires now.

"One more minute then." Austin's tone left no room for argument.

Curling her lips in annoyance, Laura put all her weight onto Austin's body. She tried to make sure he could never get up.

A minute later, though Laura's small body was pushing him down with all her might, Austin easily picked her up. "Let's go to bed now, it's already very late." Letting go of her, he went to replace the dirty blanket with a clean one.

Laura observed Austin closely as he neatly arranged the bed. Her teeth were clenched, thinking very hard on how to get him to hug her again.

Then, electricity struck her.

"Your bed is ready Laura," Austin exasperatedly said, hoping the night would end peacefully now. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.

Stepping forwards, Laura did not go to the bed but stopped right in front of Austin with her arms crossed and gaze turned serious.

"What's wr-"

"Why?" Laura interrupted in a frightfully calm tone.

"Why what?" Austin warily replied, beginning to feel unsettled. 'Oh no, she is truly angry right now...'

"Why did Mother say you won't be here?" Laura asked.

"Oh, that..." Rubbing his head, Austin looked like he had forgotten about the issue. But rather, he was planning on not telling her about it.

No longer being able to hide it, Austin explained, "It's no big deal... I just wanted to go and read in the library. It's only for a week so there's no need to worry, you'll be fine without me Laura!" Making his case, Austin clinched his fist and hoped for the best.

"No."

Laura said only one word in response and walked away.

"Read for me Austin," she had already gotten into bed, lying underneath the covers with her cute eyes popping out at him. She had rejected and forgotten about the matter entirely.

Anticipating a fiery argument, Austin was speechless. He was still processing his choice of words and did not expect Laura to have zero consideration for his decision, overriding it with her own just like that.

Of course, if Austin knew how Laura had reacted to Elizabeth earlier today in the dining hall, he would not have been so naive.

"Wait, Can we talk about this Laura?" Austin pleaded, hardly believing he was under the control of a five-year-old child and had resorted to begging.

How those who knew him in the past would react seeing him like this! Notorious for his uninhibited will and impulsive actions, Austin was famed for never listening to anybody and doing whatever he wanted no matter what stood in the way.

Helplessly laughing at himself in this situation, Austin nearly broke out of his act to show Laura what he was made of! Yet could only keep his struggles internal...

A mighty, imposing demeanor was provoked out of Laura. She lost all former semblance of an innocent young girl. Her gaze looked down at all as if they were lower life forms - seeming to be perfectly natural. The temperature rapidly rose, stifling the air in oppressive heat and making one's blood boil. Even Elizabeth, the strongest in the Krashal Nation, found it difficult to refute her when she became like this, not out of pity for her daughter, but due to pure intimidation.

Gazing at Austin, Laura's frightening expression was threatening to unleash devastation at the hint of disobedience.

Austin of course, would not weaken at all.

He walked up to her in a friendly approach and took her delicate small hand from beneath the blanket. He held her hand compassionately between his and asked with pure gentleness. "Please, Laura? Let me go to the library, just for one week."

Just like how only Austin could evoke Laura's flame, only he as well could thaw it away.

Failing to keep her bearing, Laura's eyes moistened in panic.

Austin clutched her hand tighter. "I'll make it up to you, I promise," he said with a gentle smile.

"Then... you can't go for a week, only for one day!" Laura declared.

"Sure."

Having never been separated from Austin before, Laura still did not feel any better. Remembering how he affectionately held her before, she immediately thought of another condition that made her blush in excitement.

"Sleep..." Laura meekly whispered, her voice not reaching Austin's ears.

"What?"

"Sleep!"

"Oh right, goodnight then Laura." Austin leg go of her hand and tucked it underneath the blanket.

"NO!" Laura reacted in great fear, instantly pulling her hand out and holding onto him.

"SLEEP! You have to sleep with me! And you have to hug me like you did before!" Laura blurted out. The tinge of red on her cheeks turned many shades darker.

"Oh... I'll have to ask mother first." Austin replied with a thinking face, amusing himself at Laura's flustered appearance.

"N-no...No need! I will tell her tomorrow!" She hurriedly said. "You're not allowed to go if you don't listen to me! I won't let you no matter what!" She added, this time in confidence.

"Okay okay." Austin chuckled, jumping in and taking refuge under the blanket, then teasingly whispering in Laura's ear. "Thank you."

Not prepared at all for the sudden intimacy, she was still trying to fight her nervousness before Austin's hot breath tickled her ear. Her heart that was already beating at bottleneck speed pounded even faster and a wave of foreign emotions crashed in turmoil inside her.

What she did recognize though, was an indescribable happiness.

"Austin." Laura murmured very quietly.

"Yes Laura?" Austin was now laying right next to her.

"The condition... you have to hug me like before."

"Oh, right." Austin wrapped his arms around her. The heat on his body was transferred onto her.

Laura burrowed her face into Austin's chest. Feeling his body entangling with hers, she descended into an unspeakable pleasure.

"You can't let go..." She managed to weakly mutter out before losing all ability to think.

After some time, Austin was resting his chin on Laura's shoulders, his arms enveloping her from behind. He breathed in her sweet orchid scent and hugged her warm cozy body, melting in its marshmallow-like softness.

A tingle ran down Laura's spine each time she received Austin's exhale at the back of her neck. Her body turned hot and she could not tell if she was in a dream. She felt comfortable and all of her worries flew out into the past.

Compared to when they slept together before, Laura was not proactive in her attack this time around. She meekly stayed still, not making the slightest of movements.

Then again, what restraint would she have had as a baby?

Having learned the feeling of fear, Laura did not even dare breathe loudly in worry she would disrupt this perfect moment in time.

"Laura." Seeing her behave so awkwardly, Austin knew she would never fall asleep like this.

Laura gripped down on Austin's arm to tighten his clutch on her.

"What...what is it?" Completely different from the usual bossiness in her voice, Laura sounded like a whimpering puppy being abandoned by its owner.

Not hearing a response, she panicked. "We-we...we already agreed! stay... stay like this." Laura said in a begging tone.

"Do you remember?"

"Wha?" Laura eased up a little, seeing Austin had no plans of letting her go.

"Six years ago we slept on the same bed, just like now. Except, at that time you would never stop touching and crawling all over me."

"R-really? I-I don't remember doing that..."

"I do clearly! When it was time to sleep, you held onto me so tightly I couldn't move at all. It was hard to breathe sometimes as well. You were quite cute looking back on it."

"Th-thats..." Laura wriggled her toes, squirming in embarrassment from hearing Austin's recount of what she did.

"You made me feel very safe at that time Laura. Thanks to you, I had pleasant dreams every night."

In disbelief, Laura was stunned for a second before breaking into a blissful grin. "Really!?" She excitedly said, in a hurry to check and see if what she had just heard was real.

Laura had been praised countless times as the Princess of the Krashal Nation and had eventually become numb towards all the styles of flattery she received. This time, however, definitely did not feel the same way.

Losing all nervousness and tension, Laura turned around, her face practically touching Austin's as she waited in anticipation for his reply.

Austin's face was lit up under a shade of moonlight that had broken in from the starry night sky.

"Of course. Thank you, Laura, for being there by my side." He revealed a beautiful smile.

Lost in pure ecstasy, Laura poured out all of her urges, rushing forward to embrace Austin. She did not know when, but she entered the happiest dream of her life.

Little did Laura know, Austin's radiating face in the moonlight would be etched deeply in her nightmares.