After a solid sleep, I woke up at ten in the morning. The house was silent. Levi left at eight, as always, but I thought he would at least take Sundays off. After a moderate breakfast and some idle television watching, I decided to talk to some of my friends. To be clear, they were colleagues—actors, musicians, set crew, and my manager. I had spent the last five years, first studying the fuck out of Ascarian language and acting. I had little time or opportunity to meet anyone outside the industry. I also went cold turkey on my friends in my home country, too, because they were mostly homophobic.

Even if they weren't homophobic, they still wouldn't understand why I left my home behind. My time in Ascaria was focused on building connections. This week, the week filled with fear and chase, was probably the longest vacation I got in years. And in the quiet of this expensive house, surrounded by things I couldn't truly possess, the loneliness pressed in. I wished I could call someone, anyone, just to hear a comforting voice. But it was too late for that.

I texted some nonsense to the group chat to my friends, asking how they were doing, whatever, whatever. My manager wanted me to audition for some commercial gigs.

But Levi said that we would talk about my job at dinner. I needed to wait for him. What an obedient little dog I had become.

It was around noon when Levi came home. I wasn't expecting him. He carefully took his suit off, placed it onto the portmanteau.

"Good day, Raphael. I brought you your clothes." He said without even caring whether I would wear it or not. Couldn't he at least wait until I greeted him back?

"Oh God, Levi!" I groaned. "Are you even aware how you come across? If you are going to treat me like a doll, at least treat me like a breathing one." I spat at him.

He was carrying some designer bags in his hands. As he walked to the couch, I could sense his gaze all over me. I was waiting for him to show some type of intimidation tactic to shut me up.

Instead he said, "My apologies, it seems I brought work talk home."

There he was again; he threw me off balance with one simple apology. He placed the bags behind the couch and sat next to me.

"Let me start from the beginning. How was your day?" he asked, a subtle warmth in his tone that made my skin crawl. Get a load of this guy. Now, if I kept being rude, I'd be the asshole.

"Well, yesterday was tiring, so I'm a little cranky," I replied. "How was yours?"

He glanced toward the fridge. "Summer's coming. Which means a very expensive plant in cultivation. I am swamped in work, as per usual. And I'm craving sugar."

I wanted to know more about his work. "What plant?" I asked.

Levi stood up. "It's a rather long story," he said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "How about a cup of hot chocolate?"

Look at him smiling with the mentioning of chocolate. "Fine, you are allowed to make me a cup of hot chocolate. But with only one spoonful of sugar and only dark chocolate. I still have nightmares about your milkshake."

He lightly chuckled at my remark about his culinary skills and reached for the kitchen cabinet. He got himself two mugs and placed them on the counter. Before he started measuring the cocoa powder and starch, he began to heat the milk. The kitchen of this house was mostly abandoned by its adult, but not knowing how to cook, masters.

I was carefully watching him. It was like watching somebody disarm a bomb. He put exactly one spoonful of sugar in my cup, added only one bar of dark chocolate. Following the recipe as if it were life or death to me. Though, I don't want to talk about the amount of sugar he added to his cup. Levi Blake, you are the reason why we have sugar tax.

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He only stirred the cups counterclockwise, not disrupting the flow of the liquid. Look at him being considerate about the milk, while always throwing me off balance. Just like the very image in front of me, Levi, preparing a cup of hot chocy for me. As I watched him, he lifted his head from the cups and asked, "Do you want tiny marshmallows on your cup?"

Imagine this. A man of noble blood, the very blood he claims to despise but still reaps its benefits, a man capable of orchestrating a full-blown revolt, asking about tiny marshmallows. And with such certainty, too. I couldn't help myself. I burst out with laughter.

Levi was surprised by my reaction. "It is the first time I have seen you laugh out loud," he casually remarked. "Brace yourself for the story of the most exquisite plant of Ascaria."

This man always gets right back to business. Levi grabbed the mugs and came back to the couch. He sat next to me again. It was relaxing to listen to him. The way he talked about something he was interested in was like listening to a choir that had practiced for countless hours, a choir consisting of a single, flat voice. Since it was relaxing, I grabbed a cushion and placed it under my head, laying on the couch. Levi wasn't indifferent to me, but he ever so slightly raised his brow at me.

"Oh," I said teasingly. "Do you not approve of me relaxing?"

Levi scoffed silently at my question. "Of course not, I was merely surprised," he mumbled. I suppose he really was surprised since he took a big sip of his hot chocolate. Then, he began to explain the plant. "The Aether Bloom," he stated, his voice taking on a professorial tone, "scientifically known as Aethelorchis Hereditas, is an endemic species, exclusive to the Ascarian mountain ranges." He gestured vaguely with his free hand. "It possesses five deeply hued purple petals, and its stem and body reach twenty centimeters. Its subtle fragrance renders it commercially useless for perfumery. It thrives only in the unique soil composition found at high altitudes, demanding both sunlight and cold temperatures. The harvesting process is, of course, entirely manual, due to the delicate nature of the plant." He paused, his gaze fixed on the swirling liquid in his mug. "Its potency is remarkable. The Aether Bloom contains opiate components a hundred times more concentrated than those found in poppies. The crushed petals are used for potent anesthetic creams, while the boiled stem and body produce a highly effective analgesic. Even the residual water from the boiling process retains significant medicinal properties." He looked up, his gaze meeting mine. "As I have mentioned previously, my family's reputation in the pharmaceutical sector is built upon this plant. Its cultivation and refinement have been the cornerstone of our wealth for centuries."

"Okay, okay. You talk really nicely, and it's been fun listening to you, but dial it back a little, eh?" I said to him while making a gesture to him with my hand to stop. He looked at my palm in such a way, I could feel the pinprick of needles.

"Raphael, I already knew you were not in pursuit of academic success, but it seems today you are rather... How should I say?" he said, his voice dangerously low.

"Dumb?" I asked. Son of a bitch. He called me an idiot. A blue flame that never dies started burning in my chest. Oh, you fucker. Would you still hint that I am dumb when I find what was going on behind that door of yours?

Levi was carrying a blank expression. "No, my apologies, Raphael. I miscalculated the gravity of my words. I simply wanted to imply a difference in our areas of expertise. Nothing more."

"You need a fucking better apology than that. An actual apology." I stated without backing down. He didn't wait for a second before talking.

"I apologize for my words. I will strive to do better in the future for our interaction, as your husband."

As my husband? Yet again, reminded me of my place with one fucking word. Again, he made sure if I rebel, I would be the asshole, the tight fucker who blew things out of proportion.

"Levi. You are tiring me out. I really need a moment." I raised to sit on the couch.

Levi was silent for barely ten seconds. He was checking my movements. "You should take a sip of your hot chocolate. It is amazing for sadness."

"Yeah, hot chocolate..." I took a small sip. It tasted delicious. He really knew how to make a rich and smooth drink. "I need to go to my room to gather myself." While I rose from the couch, I saw him glancing at the wall clock. "We have approximately six hours to leave. Take your time, and please be well. You can reach me anytime for anything." he said.

As I was going upstairs, I could feel his gaze on my back. Every single hair on my back stood up. The lion was in the room. Threatening me, not with a roar, but with a silent growl.