Maxwell waited in front of the Academy gates for Tal. He was leaning against his Harley with a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. He looked a lot different from the first time Tal had met him, even if it had only been for a moment. This was not the Butler he had seen in Nik’s manor. This was a hot guy in leather pants with his hair tied in a bun.

Tal visibly gulped at the sight. His heart skipped a beat too much, and he found his throat oddly dry. How would he survive a whole ride on this monster bike with him? His feet pulled him towards the Harley with caution. He had never been on a bike before, and he couldn’t say he trusted them to be safe. Besides that, his mind was a little bit occupied with other thoughts concerning the sexy biker butler in front of him.

How many abs did he have? Did he have a six-pack? An eight-pack? Maybe his whole body was made of muscles. Tal wondered whether his chest was as rock hard as it looked. Maybe he had a tummy. A soft and squishy tummy, the perfect pillow for his little head. That would be sweet. Tummies, for context, were Tal’s absolute weakness. Abs were hot, muscles were sexy but nothing could ever beat a soft tummy. Those were the best.

“Mr. Thornwell.” He flicked the stub of his cigarette to the side and pushed himself away from the Harley to approach Tal. Maxwell offered him a polite bow as a greeting to which Tal didn’t know how to respond. He did nothing but stare when the Butler handed him his helmet. “I hope Mr. Bennet has informed you about the change of plans?” “Change of plans?” Tal echoed in question and slowly shook his head. “Nik just mentioned he’d be late.” Maxwell considered that. Then he swung himself on top of his Harley in a swift movement.

Tal couldn’t help but stare at the way his thighs were pressed against the metal. His black leather pants were making it even harder to look away. Come on, Tal, he thought to himself. You can’t simp over your crush’s butler. “You’re not nervous, are you?” Maxwell asked considerately when he noticed Tal’s hesitation. “Ah…” Tal shook his head again and finally unfroze. “No Sir, it’s just my first time…uh on a bike! But I trust you’ll be gentle with me.” Maxwell was blinking at him in confusion but gave him a sweet smile, nonetheless. Just then Tal registered his own words. In fear of his cheeks beginning to turn red, he quickly put on the helmet.

Despite Tal’s obviously weird comment Maxwell kindly reached his hand out to help Tal get onto the bike. “You’ll have to wrap your arms around me and hold on tight. If you feel your grip loosening, tell me immediately. Scream if necessary.” “Y-yes Sir,” Tal stuttered, now afraid of what would happen if he accidentally let go. The scenario of a sudden death in a bike accident came to his mind but he quickly shook the thoughts away. He didn’t want to jinx it. Tal tried not to blush while wrapping his arms around Maxwell’s chest and clasping his hands tightly. It was as hard as he’d imagined it to be.

“Are you ready?” He hummed in response and Maxwell started the engine. It roared loudly, making Tal flinch and hold onto Maxwell even more. A lot of thoughts went through his mind when the deadly monster machine started to move. Most of them were pleas for help and internal screaming but for his first time on a bike, Tal managed to relax quite easily.

He took deep breaths and closed his eyes, shutting out everything but the wind around him and the warm body in front of him. The fresh breeze made his skin tingly. He exhaled, his fingers twitching with the urge to let go of each other. He thought about spreading his arms widely and inviting the wind for a hug. Thankfully, a large part of his brain was still operating on a rational basis, and he didn’t actually let go. Finally, Tal opened his eyes again to watch his surroundings pass by like insignificant little blobs in the landscape.

The Academy was far behind them already but still visible. Maxwell navigated them through a mess of narrow and muddied field paths. Tal had been at the Academy for so long that he never realised how far away it is from the rest of civilisation. It seemed almost eerie to him now, to think about how they were basically surrounded by nothing for miles. He only knew the world from his early life when he was still taken care of by foster families, but during the past few years he had rarely left the Academy’s premises. Unless it was for field trips or ice hockey games, Tal stayed at the dorms. Maybe he had isolated himself too much.

The drive brought back memories of his childhood and he suddenly realised how much he missed simply going to the mall for ice cream or reading a book at the park until late at night. He wondered if he could convince Scar to go out with him someday after graduating. Of course, only if they would end up in the same city or close to each other at least. He didn’t want to think about losing his only friend after graduation.

Right when he was about to spiral into the deep abyss of his mind Maxwell slowed down and straightened his back. “This is Mr. Bennet’s Manor.”

With Maxwell’s help Tal made it safely down from the motorcycle and even though he had enjoyed the ride he was glad to have solid ground beneath his feet again. He thanked the butler and gazed at the buildings in front of him with wide eyes and an open mouth.

The manor consisted of three different buildings in U-form that were connected by bridges at the sides. The façade was partially covered in moss and vines. It looked like a typical mediaeval knight’s manor from any fantasy novel ever.

While Tal had been busy taking in the view of his prince’s castle, Maxwell stood patiently by the door, waiting for him. “How does this all belong to Nik?” Tal asked, unable to keep his curiosity inside. He climbed up the stone stairs step by step. “His family has owned the manor for generations. Once he has children it will be passed down to them. It’s a part of the family legacy.”

Tal flinched at the mention of possible kids but he couldn’t explain what was so bad about them. Nik was straight. Sooner or later he’d find a girlfriend, marry, have kids, go fishing, watch football (or whatever straight people did, he wasn’t sure). And if he were honest, Nik had a great personality that was highly compatible with having children. He was sure Nik would be a great father.

Tal dug his nails into his palms. He couldn’t get distracted now. How was he even able to think of Nik as a gentle and loving father when he had seen first-hand what he’d been capable of? Concentration, Taliesin, no crushing on a murderer, no simping for a serial killer unless it’s a fictional character, you know the ground rules. CONCENTRATE.

Upon reaching the last step, Maxwell unlocked the doors and gestured for Tal to go inside. “We will wait for Mr. Bennet in the dining hall.” The butler pointed at the doors on the left side, at one end of the entrance hall. “Yes,” Tal said and nodded. “He mentioned that.” “I’m glad. I will be preparing a meal in the meantime. Please make yourself at home.” Tal was walking towards the hall when he stopped. “What? I told Nik that I wouldn’t need a meal.” “He insisted.” Maxwell bowed his head and left towards the other end of the hall, possibly where the kitchen was. At least that’s what Tall assumed when he sat down in the dining hall.

He was angry at Nik. He specifically asked him not to order anything or prepare dinner. Was he being mocked? Why did he have to go against Tal’s wishes and do something that ridiculous? Tal generally didn’t like eating in front of other people but especially today, after he threw up all night, he had no hunger. How was he supposed to eat? It would all go to waste and Tal hated wasting food. He sighed loudly and got up. Maybe Maxwell would understand. He could try to convince him that preparing a meal wasn’t necessary no matter what Mr. Bennet thought.

Tal sneaked towards the door but hesitated right when he reached it. Was it okay for him to leave his assigned space and move on his own through the manor? Maxwell had said they should wait in the dining hall but if he didn’t talk to the butler, he would be faced with a meal that he couldn’t eat. Surely this was worth an exception, right? He was just going to inform Maxwell and then return to the dining hall with no detours. Yes, he told himself, no detours.

Tal opened the door as quietly as possible and stuck his head out. There was no one in the entrance hall so he could carefully proceed. He almost felt like a criminal wandering through the luxurious room. He hadn’t had enough time to examine it earlier so his eyes were now eagerly roaming over the wooden furniture and paintings on the wall. One stood out and immediately caught his attention. Before realising that he was moving Tal found himself in front of the painting.

It was unmistakably a family portrait. The colours were so strong and mesmerising that Tal at first assumed it was freshly drawn. The picture clearly showed Nik and his parents in formal clothes. Nik was seated in the middle in front of his parents while they stood behind him. The resemblance between them was remarkable. Nik had his mother’s green eyes and his father’s brown hair.

Nobody was smiling and yet the picture radiated a comfortable energy. You could tell by their body language alone that his parents must have been very proud of their son at that time. Tal noticed suddenly that Nik wasn’t wearing his eye patch and for a recent drawing he seemed a bit too young. Nik was tiny but not that tiny. He must have been twelve or thirteen when the portrait had been made.

Someone cleared his throat next to Tal and startled him greatly. A shiver went down his spine and just by pressing his hands against his mouth, he managed to stifle a scream. “Maxwell is keeping his eye on you I see.” “Nik.” Tal stumbled back in surprise when he faced the boy and noticed how close he was standing next to him. His stomach turned and he almost retched. Memories from the nightmare were resurfacing and Tal had a hard time trying to concentrate on his breathing. He averted his eyes and focused on catching his breath. He inhaled and counted to four in his head, but nothing seemed to be working. Was he having a panic attack?

“Taliesin, what’s wrong?” Nik reached out to him but Tal moved further away. “I’m fine. Let’s talk and,” he gulped down what should have never found a way up and continued, “get it over with.” “Oh my,” Nik mumbled, assuming to have understood the situation. “I should have never trusted Maxwell with the kitchen. I still remember the last time he offered to make a salad for me. Try to imagine my expression when the eggplant took off and walked away, leaving the rest of his companions to die in a dramatic explosion on my plate. Do you perhaps need any water, Taliesin?”

Tal took another deep breath and fought the urge to smile at Nik’s silly comment. Although it had surely helped him to calm his breathing. “Taliesin.” Nik called his name again and this time he looked up. He couldn’t describe it, but Nik’s voice felt like an anchor in that moment. It dragged him back to reality, away from his nightmares and it pinned him down. He was thankful for him. How odd. The person of his nightmare was the only person who could help him get through it. “You shouldn’t have come if you felt sick.” “If I don’t find out the truth,” he mumbled in a strained voice, “I won’t get better, so please, Nik. We need to talk.”

The boy hesitated. Tal was sure he would send him away and tell him to come another day but then despite his doubts Nik gave in. “As you wish. Wait in the dining hall for me, I’ll be right there.” Tal nodded. He dragged his body back to his seat and slumped down. He leaned his head against the table. The wood wasn’t as cool and refreshing as the stone pillars of the library but it would have to be enough to calm him down for now. He remembered how he first ended up in a similar position after he accidentally teleported himself to the manor. That was the day Nik had given him that useless book. Thinking about how much time he spent on trying to figure it out made him smile now. Ridiculous.

“Here.” Nik was next to him again and carefully handed Tal a glass of water. It was weird that Tal hadn’t noticed him coming in since his ears were usually sensitive to sound. “Thanks,” he whispered and took a sip while Nik sat down on his opposite. He must have figured out that Tal needed some distance. “Since you’re not feeling well,” he began his tale and folded his hands on top of the table. “I will try to explain it quickly. It will be a lot to digest so make sure to get enough rest later.” “I’ll be fine.” Tal interrupted him. “Just tell me what I am, please.” “I fear, for you to understand what you are, I have to start at the beginning…”