Don’t eat the strawberries.

The order had been simple, and the matron had been very clear about the endless wrath that would befall anyone who did not obey her. But the sight was too tempting. The very last strawberries of the summer glowed alluringly in the sun, and nobody was in the garden anyway, so what were the chances of getting caught?

The monastery was in a quiet mid-afternoon lull, and most people were taking a nap or escaping the heat, staying cool within the thick walls or lazing in the cloister or the parlatorium.

Embry reached down and grabbed one of the strawberries — happily savouring the ripe sweetness.

He was so busy searching for his next treat that he didn’t notice the shadow hovering over him.

“Stealing the matron’s strawberries again, Embry?”

The Mage could argue that the slight flush on his face was due to the heat.

Really.

It was just so hot outside.

But the slight smirk in the question’s tone and the grin plastered all over his Page’s face were enough to make him feel guilty.

And a little happy.

But mostly guilty about being caught.

“You know, if you don’t want to be caught, you shouldn’t be sneaking around in your red robe. Green or something less… glaringly obvious would do the trick,” Kuo snickered and snatched the second fruit directly from Embry’s limp hands.

“I am not stealing — I’m borrowing. I swear I pay her back in flattery and… even more flattery.”

“Yeah… sure.”

Embry stood up and looked around, mourning the sight before him. There were only some sad, pale berries left — not ripe enough to be eaten. “Dammit, the Fledglings picked most of them already.”

His Page laughed lightly. “What’s with your sweet tooth?”

Embry shrugged. “Further north, the summer fruit season is really short. I think only a few weeks every year, and I really like them.”

A lot.

Maybe a bit more than a lot. He could taste the sun on his tongue and some odd memories from a childhood that had been too short. Memories from before… before the fire.

Kuo tugged on his robe. “Hey, Embry. Here.”

His Page held out a big strawberry. Perfectly shaped and a rich, dark red.

Ripe.

Concentrated summer.

Embry could already taste the tart sweetness.

He knew he should ask if Kuo was sure and if it was really okay to take it, but sometimes you just had to say “thank you”, grab and run.

So Embry took it gingerly and bit into it.

The Mage nearly lost his balance when the shorter Page yanked him down by the front of the robe, biting into the strawberry as well. He felt a light brush of soft lips and stared into the twinkling amber eyes of Kuo before he was shoved back.

“Swallow, Embry. You look like an undead with juice dribbling down your chin. Thanks for sharing.”

Kuo smiled and wandered back to the Pages’ quarters.

He turned back on bare feet, digging his heels into the warm, dry soil. “Don’t wipe your mouth with your robe or I swear I’ll stitch some weird spell into it to make your face itch for weeks.”

Embry nodded dumbly and tried to wipe his chin with his hand. It came away sticky, and his skin prickled from the fruit acid. He probably looked like a Fledgling, and if the matron caught him, she’d know for sure.

“Was that a kiss?” the Mage asked, confused.

Kuo sniggered. “No, Embry, that wasn’t a kiss. If I kissed you, you’d know.”

And with that, he vanished into the monastery, still laughing.