When Nathaniel entered his room, he felt like a boy experiencing first love. He sat at his desk to attend to a few usual bedtime tasks, but soon realized he could think of nothing except the guest just behind the wall. The sound of a chair shifting, the faint creak of floorboards seemed to seep through the silence. He set aside his papers, rested his chin in his hand, and gazed out the window. Lost in his thoughts, he hardly noticed the rain had stopped, or that the moon had risen to scatter a silver glow across the floor.
A sudden unease swept over him.
Would Alex decide it was time to leave? What hour was it?
Almost ten in the evening.
Could he find a convincing reason to make him stay? As Nathaniel ran through every possibility, the clock struck ten. Startled, he shrugged off his jacket and tie, leaving only his shirt and trousers, and went to check on his guest, secretly hoping his persuasion wouldn't even be necessary.
— "How are you settling in?" Nathaniel asked with a smile.
Seeing the Young Lord in what had been his mother's room felt surreal, but strangely tender and quite intimate. Nathaniel realized he could allow only someone truly significant into such a private space. Never before had it occurred to him to instruct Sebastian that this room might be unsuitable. It was perfect — more than perfect. His heart thumped with a sudden, eager rhythm.
— "Very well, thank you. The view from the window is stunning — I even caught a shooting star."
— "Really?" Nathaniel sighed with relief, convinced that the thought of leaving hadn't crossed Alex's mind. "You truly are lucky. I haven't seen one in years. The last time must have been when I was a child."
The Young Lord turned his head and looked at Nathaniel with surprise. Then, without a word, he rose, took his friend's hand and led him out of the room, just as he had once done it to open for Nathan the long-forgotten world of horseback riding.
— "Come, let's go and watch! August is the best time of year to catch a sight of a falling star!"
Nathaniel obediently carried the candle and followed his friend, yet his thoughts were consumed only by how the coolness of his own hand slowly thawed beneath the warmth of the Young Lord's touch.
They spread a plaid on the grass, wrapped themselves in two more, and then sat quietly, gazing at the night sky.
The Duke felt a thrill run through him as he studied the night sky intently. At some point, a belated realization struck him.
We are sitting here, together, looking at the stars.
The thought alone sent a surge of excitement through him, as though it carried the weight of something secret, fragile, and infinitely precious. He turned his head slightly to glance at Alex. The Young Lord sat cross-legged, eyes fixed on the heavens, his face touched by moonlight. Nathaniel, leaning back on his hands slightly behind Alex, remained mostly out of his companion's sight, though he wished, foolishly, that Alex might turn and find him there.
He could not tear his eyes away from the young man's beauty. Unconsciously surrendering to the moment, he traced the line of his features: the sweep of his hair, the contour of his cheekbones, the shape of his chin, nose, and ears, before letting his gaze wander down the graceful curve of his neck.
I cannot believe we are sitting here like this, watching the stars. I do not want this moment to ever end.
He leaned forward slightly. His eyes fell on Alex's lips, slightly parted, softened by the stillness of the night. A tremor of longing passed through him, and Nathaniel lingered there, unable to look away. A thought pressed upon him — dangerous, unbidden — that filled him with both a wave of anxiety and a peculiar flutter in his stomach. Yet he did not turn from it; instead, he hovered on the edge of surrender, held captive by a desire he dared not voice.
How I wish I could press my lips to his, even for a single moment…
— "Look! Did you see that?"
Nathaniel came to his senses, though he could hardly call it true regret.
— "Oh, what a pity — I must have been looking the other way."
— "Don't worry, August is full of shooting stars. Let's wait a bit longer."
The Duke returned to reality, seating himself cross-legged like Alex, leveling himself with him, and turned his gaze skyward. Suddenly, a shooting star streaked across the heavens — bright, beautiful, and swift. Nathaniel let out a soft gasp, caught between surprise, delight, and awe, as if the star had answered the secret wish he had silently thought only moments before.
— "Truly breathtaking."
Alex looked like a little puppy, delighted… really, by everything in the world. He laughed and was excited, sharing the moment with his friend. The Duke suggested they head back, as the night had grown chilly and the Young Lord had only recently been unwell.
— "Thank you for this wonderful memory," he said as they went back to the house.
— "Are you already tired? Let's play something — I won't be able to sleep after what we've just seen!" Alex exclaimed.
He is too adorable for me.
— "Very well. What shall we play?" Nathaniel asked with a smile.
Alex spread a blanket across the floor of his chamber and seated himself cross-legged
— "Surely a respectable estate like this one must contain at least a deck of cards?"
— "You underestimate me," the Duke answered with a soft chuckle before slipping away to retrieve a deck from his chambers.
— "What shall we play?" he asked upon returning.
— "I want to play for a wish."
A thrill of surprise swept over Nathan at the unexpected proposal.
— "A wish?"
— "Precisely. If I win three times, I get to make a wish — and you must grant it without question."
Nathaniel's mind spun into a whirlwind, as if a hundred voices had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, each clamoring fiercely with their own suggestions for his wish.
— "So, if I win three rounds, does that mean I get to make a wish?"
— "Yes, but if I were you, I wouldn't count on it," Alex replied.
Huh, no, even if I have to cheat.
They played on, perfectly matched. As dawn approached, the score was forty-two to forty-two. Adrenaline and excitement coursed through Nathan; he felt as though his hands might shake at any moment. He hadn't planned anything specific, wary of giving himself false hope, yet he simply could not afford to lose. In the final hand, when the Duke laid down his last trump with calm triumph, he could not suppress a sigh of relief and joy. The feeling was so overwhelming that he felt an irresistible urge to tease the Young Lord thoroughly.
— "I'm afraid, my lord, I shall subject you to a most torturous delay. I'll need some time to make proper use of such power," he said, laughing.
Suddenly, Alex lunged at the Duke with playful fury, toppling him onto his back and catching him completely off guard.
As Nathaniel looked up at Alex, barely pressed beneath his modest weight, and felt warm hands placed over his own sprawled on the floor, an unexpected rush surged through him — an emotion he had not wished to feel at that moment. Startled, he summoned all his strength and flipped the Young Lord, reversing their positions.
That second stretched into an eternity for him; it seemed he tried to imprint it into memory forever, lamenting that he might never see Alex from such an intimate angle again. Swayed by the thrill of his own imagination, Nathaniel softened his gaze, leaned slightly closer, and murmured:
— "You cannot win."
The mock scowl melted from Alex's face, replaced by laughter. Nathaniel laughed in return and slid off his friend, untroubled by any suspicion.
— "I see you don't take defeat well," the Duke remarked. "But the sun's rising. I daresay we can now retire with a clear conscience. Good... morning?"
Both laughed and returned to their rooms. Nathaniel was utterly exhausted, yet his heart beat too wildly to let him surrender immediately to deep sleep.
When they woke well past noon, they shared a light breakfast before resuming their unfinished woodcarving project. That evening, they exchanged the little figurines they had crafted.
— "We've not ridden in some time," Alex remarked. "I shall expect you tomorrow for a lesson."
— "Perhaps you'd like a change? Bring Waterlily, and you could ride Altiva instead," Nathaniel suggested.
— "Very well, Duke. It's a deal."
How could he still call me by my title?
— "My lord, I beg you — surely it's time we set aside these formalities. I believe we're well enough acquainted for you to call me by my name. Don't you agree?"
Alex nodded silently in agreement. They took their leave of one another, and later, Nathaniel gently stroked the small wooden cat, placing it on his desk with a warm smile.