Chapter 9: A New Home, a Garden, and the Slow Burn of Love

Nocht was further inland than what Lukas was accustomed to. He never would have thought this while he lived in Little Whirling, but he felt surprisingly empty when he looked to the skies and saw that no gulls soared across their depths, or when he took a deep breath and the smell of salt and sand did not permeate his nostrils. Nocht smelled like wood and pine and animals. He wasn't used to it.

Through the trees, he could see the sky, sprinkled with stars but otherwise unmarred by the smoke of war drifting in from some faraway place. It calmed his trembling heart some, but that didn't mean the war had ended. He knew very well that, back in the Kingdom of Acacia, something was burning at the hand of King Ivan or Queen Yao.

He suddenly felt cowardly, staring out the shop's window at the sleeping town. He'd gathered his closest and ran, avoiding the war like the plague rather than stay and fight like the proud sorcerer he liked to call himself. If that wasn't the definition of a coward, then he wasn't sure what was.

"It's pretty, ain't it?"

The voice that startled him out of his musings belonged to Mathias, admiring the town of Nocht with a smile on his lips.

"Lots of trees and grass. Bet'cha could find new herbs and stuff for your apothecary," he said, turning towards Lukas.

Lukas nodded. "I guess so," he replied. His gaze wandered to the moon, hanging bright and heavy above them, as if it were a ripe fruit about to fall. It cast a muted glow on all that its light touched, including the brilliant blues of Mathias's eyes as he continued to admire his new surroundings.

Such adaptability, Lukas noted privately, I'm almost jealous.

He glanced down at Mathias's hands, no less petrified than they were before. Mathias had adapted quite well to his curse, determinedly begging Lukas to modify everything for foot use when anyone with a lesser will would have given up. Of course, he couldn't compliment Mathias on such an admirable trait, as that would prompt the bigheaded oaf to talk about his own curse, and the very thought of Mathias's untimely death made Lukas's skin crawl unpleasantly as the temperature around them suddenly decreased.

"Lukas, is that you?" asked Mathias, shivering slightly.

"I'm sorry," Lukas answered weakly, his voice cracking. He felt the weight of an arm drop onto his shoulders, and looked up to see that Mathias had pulled him close.

"Worry not. I'm here to listen if anything's on your mind."

Lukas shook his head. "I'd rather not talk about it at the moment," he said.

Mathias simply shrugged. "When ya do, ya know where to find me."

"Thank you," said Lukas, placing his hand on one of Mathias's own.

Just then, Berwald and Tino appeared, having scoped out the darkened town during a late-night walk.

"Hullo," greeted Berwald, startling his brother and the Sorcerer out of their moon-induced reverie.

Mathias turned on his brother, frowning at Berwald's smug visage. "A little privacy?" he asked.

"Mathias is right," Tino interrupted, lips pulled into a small grin, "we should give the lovebirds some alone time."

"Not you too, Tino," whined Mathias, "my own brother-in-law, turning against me."

"What about your brother?" asked Lukas, "Is he not your own flesh and blood?"

Mathias shook his head. "Berwald's a lost cause," he said flatly, "gone to the Gods of Sarcasm and Cruelty."

This earned him a bop on the nose from Berwald.

"Brotherly love aside," interjected Lukas, "where have Leon and Emil gone?"

"They headed towards the fenced-off area behind the shop," said Berwald, "we were about to follow them."

"Let's all go. I do recall moving us to a place with a garden," Lukas said.

Tino clapped excitedly as the group headed towards the fence. "A garden? I've always wanted a garden," he cheered.

True to Berwald's word, they did indeed find Leon and Emil in the garden, kneeling in front of a cluster of glowing flowers. Tino immediately raced over towards the flowers, inspecting them with a curious eye.

"These are Damsel's Breath," he said, "if you drink their tea before bed, it gives you good dreams. Oh, and here are some Pearl Toadstools! It's nearly impossible to tell their pearls from oyster pearls!"

Lukas watched in amazement as Tino flit around the garden, jabbering names of the plants he found. "You're quite knowledgeable," he noted aloud, which stopped Tino in his tracks. "What say you to studying in my shop?"

"I'd be honored," Tino answered with a grin, "I'm barely a novice magician, but I promise you will not be disappointed, Sorcerer."

"May you remain true to your word," said Lukas. He knelt in front of a clump of tall, spindly mushrooms that trembled at every spoken word. "Shivering Fairy Caps," he whispered.

Tino knelt beside him, careful to not let his breath disturb the mushrooms. "React to changes in the air caused by breath or sound," he finished, smiling at Lukas, whose lips turned up in response. He then stood up, tiptoeing away from the Shivering Fairy Caps.

"We should sleep," he said, "it is long past our bedtimes."

The others nodded, and as a group, they filed into the house. Lukas took to his room, only to realize that he was being followed by Mathias.

"Is there anything you need?" he asked curtly.

Mathias shrugged. "I gave my room to Berwald and Tino to sleep in," he said sheepishly, "would you mind if I shared with you? I could sleep on the floor…"

Lukas tilted his head slightly. The presence of his new understudy and his husband had presented him an opportunity any lesser man would have jumped upon—the opportunity to share a bed with Mathias, something that had occasionally crossed the deeper recesses of Lukas's mind. Not that he would admit it out loud, much less in front of the very man who stood before him. Lukas considered himself above that.

However, he also fancied himself an opportunist, and he would be disappointed in himself if he missed the glorious chance presented before him.

But, this was Mathias he was talking about. He most likely did unsavory things in his sleep, such as snoring a racket or tossing and turning.

Then again… said Lukas's conscience, as it battled against itself in a war of yes and no.

Mathias interpreted Lukas's internal monologue as a sign that he wasn't wanted, and moved to sleep on the couch.

"Wait," interrupted Lukas, biting his lip, "I'll allow you to sleep in my bed tonight." He smirked at the expression that lit up his friend's face; Mathias's eyes were glittering. "But," Lukas added, "no funny business. From either of us. Okay?"

Mathias nodded, a little too exuberantly. "Understood!" he exclaimed.

XxX

Lukas could barely sleep. Not to say that he was unable to catch some rest, but it was sparse and often he found himself waking up throughout the night. Mathias, in fact, did not toss and turn. He did not snore. He lay splayed out on his back, breathing softly through his mouth as if there was nothing wrong with the world. Lukas tried to minimize contact with his friend, but found that Mathias's tendency to impersonate a starfish as he slept made doing so difficult.

It must have been somewhere in the early hours of the morning when Lukas heard Mathias mumble.

"Too hot…"

Mistaking Mathias's murmurs for a complaint about the weather, Lukas pulled the blankets away from him, hoping to cool down his companion some.

"It burns…"

It was then that Lukas realized Mathias was dreaming about Little Whirling erupting in flames. He touched Mathias's arm gently; he could see blotches of fresh, pink skin in the moonlight streaming through the window. Carefully, he traced the outline of one of these scars. His magic had been strong enough to save Mathias's life, but the shapes marring his pale, smooth skin would serve as an eternal reminder of the fisherman's mortality.

"Berg… Help me…"

Now wide awake, Lukas peered at Mathias's sleeping face. His features, normally set in an easygoing and charming expression, were now twisted in pain. His forehead was clammy. His breathing was labored as he called out the name of his best friend and aide. Lukas couldn't help but pity Mathias, cursed and homeless, as a tender feeling swelled through him. He suddenly felt a pleasant warmth branching out from his chest, and lay his head on Mathias's shoulder, breathing in deeply. Mathias was warm against his cheek and smelled of salt and sand, just like the ocean he used to fish from.

"Lu…kas."

"Yes Mathias?" Lukas answered, "I'm here, I'm here with you." His fingers danced down Mathias's jaw, hoping to remind him though touch that there was no more fire, no more pain.

"Lukas. Lukas, Lukas, Lukas."

Fascinated by the way Mathias chanted his name, Lukas let his fingers glide across Mathias's lips. They were surprisingly soft to the touch, unlike his own narrow, chapped ones, and he had to suppress the desire to lean down and let his lips lie against Mathias's.

Then Mathias opened his eyes. Blazing cerulean burned against Lukas's own gaze, and he read in them feelings of trepidation and fear. Caught with his fingertips resting against the swell of Mathias's bottom lip, he withdrew them as if scalded as the air around them began to chill.

"I-I-I didn't mean…" Lukas stammered, embarrassed and ashamed that he had been caught in such a compromising position after telling Mathias to keep his hands off him.

When Mathias spoke, his voice was watery. Tears began to blur those bright blue eyes of his. "Lukas," he whispered, falling against the sorcerer.

"Mathias?" Lukas answered warily.

"The fire," Mathias breathed, "I could feel it."

Lukas pushed his fingers through Mathias's tangled locks. "You were having a nightmare." It was a statement, not a question.

Mathias responded with a nod before looking up at Lukas. "It really happened, didn't it…" he sobbed.

Rather than respond and risk sending Mathias into a darker place, Lukas buried his face in Mathias's hair and held him close. His mind suddenly flashed to old Mrs. Willowby, and he felt as if a serpent had wound its way around his heart and threatened to crush it. "I understand," he whispered, lips moving against the fluff of Mathias's hair. He breathed in; Mathias's hair smelled like freshly-washed linens.

Suddenly, something splintered in Lukas's heart. Maybe it was the doing of the imaginary serpent, constricting the frozen organ until it threatened to shatter. In his mind, he could hear the glassy tinkle of ice shards clattering against his bones. From his eyes, tears fell to land on Mathias's cheeks.

"I understand," he said again, not bothering to disguise the sob burdening his voice.

Mathias pressed himself deeper into Lukas's form with uncharacteristic desperation, rubbing his face into Lukas's chest as if to make sure that the sorcerer was not an apparition thought up by his fevered mind. His hands lay limp by his side, petrified and useless yet still elegant in form and anatomy. Lukas slid his fingers between Mathias's stone digits. They were cool to the touch.

They sat together like that until Mathias's breathing settled into a calmer pattern and the tension eased out of his shoulders. Lukas too could feel the fuzz of exhaustion creeping into his consciousness. He'd been awake for far too long.

Mathias shifted against him. "Lukas," he murmured, voice slurred by sleep.

"Yes?"

"You're wonderful. Thank you."

Lukas's response was to lean down and press his thin, chapped lips against Mathias's own.

XxX

Mathias woke up alone to the sounds of hustle and bustle downstairs, no doubt somebody clattering around the kitchen trying to prepare food. The sun was nigh-on approaching its zenith—he must have slept through most of the morning. It had been a long night, after all, what with relocating the Sorcerer's entire shop to an entirely different nation.

He vaguely recalled dreams of fire and loss, and immediately regret the action as an uneasy feeling threatened to turn his stomach. However, a lone memory, filled with warmth and joy, shone through the darkness: the sensation of thin, chapped lips pressed against his as their owner held him close during one of his most vulnerable moments.

It was Lukas, of course. They had shared his bed, after all.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Mathias grinned. Lukas had kissed him! Feelings of affection swelled inside Mathias. Finally, it seemed like Lukas had fully opened up to him!

His feelings for the Sorcerer were plenty. Behind the surly front that Lukas put up was an intelligent, gifted young man who put the needs of others before his own and cared deeply for those around him. Sure, Mathias was a bit iffy about the cold front that accompanied some of Lukas's more sour emotions, but he could work with that. Lukas deserved it.

The realization, when it hit, did not surprise him at all. Mathias loved Lukas. He had loved him for a while now. He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when he'd started falling for the chilly sorcerer, only that he was in too deep and that there was no way to turn back on his feelings. It was as plain and clear as the noon sun outside.

He swung his legs out of bed, noting with slight displeasure the fresh scars marring his skin. Then he remembered that if it weren't for Lukas (along with Berg and Leon), he wouldn't be alive to complain. After quickly dressing himself, he headed to the kitchen, where he found Lukas and Tino working together to cook brunch.

"Mornin', friends!" Mathias said jovially, clapping both magicians on their shoulders.

Tino smiled at him. "Ah, you're finally awake! We're almost done making breakfast."

Lukas was silent, preoccupied as he was with making sure their bacon did not burn. He focused more on the pan than the newcomer in their midst, as the memory of last night's kiss was fresh in his mind and on his lips. He couldn't look Mathias in the eye, even though he wanted nothing more than to throw himself into Mathias's arms and let the man kiss him silly. When the thought came across his mind, he froze up. A chill would spread through his limbs and the muscles would tense. Nothing like a curse to keep him from following his own passions.

He did not love Mathias, but he desperately wanted to. This blasted curse, he lamented, it did not affect me when I had nobody to love, but now I do and I feel the true extent of her spell. That evil witch! Cursing me not to fall in love with the one who I am meant to be with. Of course she would, he realized with increasing sadness.

"Lukas, the bacon!" came Mathias's cry.

Tino snatched the frying pan away from Lukas and fanned at it with his hands, trying to clear the smoke that surrounded the meat. "Oh, thank goodness, it's salvageable!" He placed the pan on the countertop and began to cut away the burned bits.

Mathias turned to Lukas. "Are ya all right? Normally your bacon's perfect."

Concern colored Mathias's visage and Lukas could not meet his eyes. "I'm fine," he said tersely, "just… a little tired."

It was clear that Mathias did not believe him one bit. "If that's what ya say," he answered, "but if anything's bothering you, then please… Don't bear the burden alone." He placed his hands on Lukas's shoulders. Lukas pulled away.

"I said I'm fine," he stated. Without another word or another glance, he disappeared from the kitchen.

Tino and Mathias watched him leave. "Sometimes I wonder," Tino said sadly.

Before he could finish that thought, Lukas re-entered, carrying three envelopes in his trembling, white hands.

"What are those?" asked Mathias, moving to inspect the envelopes. They were made of cream-colored paper with gold trim, and on their flaps, they bore the royal seal of the Kingdom of Acacia, in crimson wax.

"I thought they couldn't find us," Tino whispered.

Lukas opened up the envelopes, pulling out three letters and laying them on the countertop before his companions. They were identical in penmanship and content, save for the names at the top.

Dear Lukas Thomassen…

Dear Emil Steilsson…

Dear Tino Väinämöinen-Fisher…

"These are draft letters," Lukas said hoarsely, "not just for myself, but for Emil and Tino as well…"

AN: Jeez I'm finally kind of settled into my new Uni now... It's a big school and I have to take the shuttle to get around most of the time. The nice part about taking the shuttle is that I can totally write fanfic while I travel, so it's kind of a win-win?

Either way I think I have the rest of this fanfic planned out. Let's hope I'm lucky enough to write more!

I feed off of your reviews. They keep me warm. They haven't turned on the heat in my building yet so...

XOXO!