The summer villa of Castriel Persimore was at the dead-end of the road. Nestled in between an apple tree and rock formations before meeting a short cliff. A tiny wooden gate guarded it against animals that may enter the premises in search of food. The second-story villa appeared to be well taken care of by the neighbor living fifteen feet away. Waves seemed to crash softly on the rocks below, and a staircase leading to the beach was located at the back of the house. The last few steps were invisible, for water, due to the high tide, submerged it. The cries of seagulls were scarce as daylight soon started to dissipate. Evening stars were about to paint themselves in the dark blue skies as a cool breeze flew about.

Briar admired all this, waiting for Castriel to finish unloading their luggage with the coachman. The train ride filled with nothing but silence after Castriel asked such an embarrassing question that it left Briar stunned in his seat. Realizing the gravity of his own question, even Castriel was rendered speechless. Their little game of getting to know one another is forgotten.

“Briar, let’s head inside.” Came the lulling soft voice of Castriel from the front door, standing in the doorway to call out to the young master merely staring at the ocean before them. The orange glow cast its vibrant colors on the shimmering waters, inviting him for a plunge. “Briar?”

“Coming…” The young master answered, meeting the eyes of the museum curator before looking away once he realized he stared too long. Joining him inside, Briar felt like he was naked as his face flushed. He and Castriel, all alone. This seemed to be more like a honeymoon between married couples rather than a trip. Compelled to ask, he fiddled with his gloves. “Um, may I know… Would we be sleeping in the same room or not?”

“There are two rooms in this house. One is the master’s bedroom and one is for the guest. Normally, I wouldn’t sleep in the master bedroom because I often work in the basement below and there is another bed there, of course.” As Castriel continued to ramble away, unable to grasp the question Briar asked him, the young man’s gaze swept around the room. Intricate portraits and knick-knacks decorated the walls and cupboards. The creamy wallpaper was almost unseen as the furniture and objects occupied the areas, the hue peeking through small spaces. It was a bit overwhelming for him to see many objects, unlike the home he grew up in where his aunt appreciated simplicity more. However, Castriel’s home spoke many things about its owner and their profession. Castriel indeed took pride in his collection, whatever they may be. “Now, your room would be on the left side upstairs, at the end of the hall. If you ever need me, mine will be across yours.”

“Oh, I see. So, we wouldn’t be sharing one bed.” Briar let out a breath of relief. “All right—”

“Do… Do you want to sleep in one bed together?”

Face red all over, Briar sputtered out his answer to the question. “N-no! I mean, not at the moment. I-I think we’re not ready for that yet! We barely know each other. Maybe soon—but I don’t know since I’m not sure whether we’ll get married! You know what, let me just bring my suitcase up there.”

“Take your time.”

As they both settled in the summer villa, Briar changed into a more comfortable set of clothes before joining Castriel downstairs to help him prepare for dinner. He couldn’t admit it aloud, but the thought of a month alone with Castriel started to overwhelm him. Pressure closing on his head, the weight of his decision heavy. The evening came quicker, much to the young man’s surprise, and blamed it on his nerves for not noticing the time. It wasn’t soon that they finished eating their dinner of pasta and mushroom soup.

Another thing about Castriel he learned today was he is a good cook.

“Thank you for cooking.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

Awkward glances were exchanged as Castriel volunteered to wash the dishes and told Briar to head to bed early. Even though he was heading for his room, a tingle made itself known in the pit of his stomach. Yet, just before Briar could bid the sorcerer a good night, his eyes widened when Castriel grabbed him by the wrist.

“Y-yes?”

“This… This is my last question for you today, Briar.”

Oh, he never got to ask his last one… It was definitely awkward.

“What is it?”

“Can I…” Swallowing hard, Castriel cleared his throat and asked in such a tiny voice. “Would you give me the honor of kissing you good night?”

Briar did not know how to respond to such a question, having never been asked such a thing before in his life. What was even odder to him was how he did not hesitate to agree to it, stunning himself even more. But his anxious thoughts melted away as Castriel gently leaned forward to press a kiss on his forehead. The gentle act of affection sprouted butterflies all over his stomach, fluttering up and spreading across his skin.

“Good night, Briar.”

“G-good night to you too, Castriel.” His answer was meek, unable to process what just happened as he seemed to float up the stairs to his room. His conclusion, however, was how Castriel Persimore is indeed a dangerous person as he initially thought. So treacherous and menacing that a single kiss on the forehead left him wanting more, causing him to be suspicious about whether Castriel cast a spell on what he ate.

Shaking his head at the idea, Briar flopped down on the soft mattress, letting sleep claim him instantly. A mark of the end of the day.

The thirtieth of October. Eight months left before Briar turns twenty…