Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Despite sleeping in what was basically a fluffy cloud, Julian was still stirred awake by his internal alarm clock. His consciousness slowly came to him, like fine sand slipping through the crack of his fingers, so it took him a while to be fully alert. Long eyelashes fluttered open, revealing a pair of violet eyes still clouded by sleep. Normally he would have rolled out of bed and made his way to the bathroom in order to get himself ready for his early morning shift but when he remembered that he doesn't have anymore job to get to, he relaxed.

It was then that he finally realised the warmth wrapped around him, a warmth that was different from the one provided by the duvet that was covering him. Julian tried to sit up in order to check it but soon found himself pulled back against a firm chest. A soft grumble reached his ears and Julian had to blink a couple of times when he came face to face with a bare chest.

A tilt of his head made him come nose to nose with the frowning face of Kael but the even breathing and closed eyelids told him that the raven was still sleeping. Instead of trying to pry himself out of Kael's hold, Julian decided to settle in this new position with Kael's arms wrapped around his body.

While still deep in his sleep, Kael's face seemed to deepen into a frown instead of going slack. Julian wondered what could possibly be disturbing the raven's slumber for him to frown like that. 

"You'll get old faster if you keep on frowning..." Julian whispered to himself as he reached up with one hand to smooth his thumb over the frown in between Kael's brows. However instead of relaxing his facial expression, Kael seemed to deepen it further, which made Julian chuckle softly.

"Well, at least you're handsome enough that it wouldn't affect you much." His fingers glide over Kael's forehead to tuck a loose strand behind Kael's ear, giving Kael half of his regular appearance of brushed back hair. Seeing Kael like this made Julian realise that this will probably be a common thing for them once they were married later on. 

It felt odd for him to wake up in the arms of someone else who was not his family but seeing as Kael will become part of his family soon, perhaps Julian can get used to this too. With that thought in mind, Julian slowly started to doze back to sleep, feeling at ease in the cosy warmth of Kael's embrace.

It was well a few more minutes that Julian dozed off that Kael woke up...his was not a pleasant one unlike Julian's, the male being awakened by a dreamless sleep that felt suffocating, taking a few breaths to calm himself down, the frown on his face not leaving.

Maybe he needs to take medication for this...

He pushed that thought away and just focused on the warmth currently in his arms right now, he must have pulled the smaller male to him during the time he slept...how much is it...3 hours? He can't remember but he did remember seeing Mark out and walking towards the garden from his window, their shift starts from 7 am till dinner but the man goes out that early to gather herbs and tends to them, saying they're the delicate kind and needs to be watered before the sun even rises.

He spends a few more minutes laid down beside Julian, the even breathing of the male finally calming him down, he then slowly and gently sat up, making sure to not wake Julian up...he removed his arm that the male is using as a pillow and placed a pillow underneath his head before moving off the bed, covering Julian with the blanket. Koda is still sleeping but he moved closer to the window now, and might be sensing the sun is about to shine through it. 

Kael moved silently and went towards the bathroom to wash his face, the dark shadows under his eyes seemed to increase overnight but he paid no mind to it...what he needs to do now is to prepare for the day...now that he thinks about it, Julian doesn't have any change of clothes, they didn't bring anything in preparation for an overnight stay.

The second time he woke up, it was to a drowsy jolt and his hand immediately patted the spot beside him, finding it cold and absent of the comforting warmth that had held him through his sleep. Julian sat up on the bed with a yawn that he didn't bother covering as his bleary eyes scanned the room, only finding it also devoid of Kael's presence. His eyes landed on Koda, who was still slumbering by the window.

The sound of running water told him where Kael was at and he slowly slipped out of the warm duvet, shivering slightly at the cold air that immediately assaulted his bare legs. Julian did a full bodied stretch with his arms raised up and a low groan slipped out of his lips when he felt his stiff muscles starting to regain its senses again. He stretched his raised arms behind him, arching his back until he heard the satisfying pop sound. All the while, the large pyjamas top was raised up along with his movement to show his pale stomach.

He was still in the middle of stretching his back when the sound of the bathroom door opening reached his ears and Julian turned his head toward Kael with a smile on his lips. 

"Good morning, Mikael." Julian greeted him as he slowly let his arms fall back down to his side and with it, the pyjamas top slid back into place to once again cover his thighs. "Did you get some rest last night?" His sharp violet eyes noticed the dark shadow on Kael's face as he approached but decided not to pry into it for now.

"Yes I did, did you sleep comfortably?" Well technically Kael didn't lie, he did get some rest, a good 3 hours of it...for normal people it isn't enough but for him it is. "I'll just go ask for a change of clothes for you," he told Julian before he went and opened the door, a trolley was outside with a clean change of clothes for Julian and a note. 

"Madame Floria gave me permission to pick up clothes for them from their home, judging by the size I believe these are Sir Julian's," -Ivan.

Kael picked the clothes and got inside the room again, handing it to Julian, "Ivan picked them up for you," he told him, "If you want you can take a bath, I will wait for you here so we can go out together," Kael told the younger male, he's feeling a bit tired but not tired enough to fall asleep, besides, today his Father is going home, it's better to introduce the Vance family to him in the most normal way even though he knows that his Father might make his entrance in the most outrageous way he is known for.

Julian can see the white lie from miles away but seeing as Kael was not willing to talk about it, he decided to let it be. "I did. Your bed is so soft that it felt like I was sleeping on a cloud." Julian answered as he watched Kael open the door. He had expected it to be for a while but he didn't expect for the raven to step right back in just seconds later.

"That was rather efficient and thank you." Julian commented as he received the folded clothes from Kael. He blinked at the sight of white button up and black slacks since it had been a while since he last wore it. This set of clothes was one of the better ones he had in his wardrobe and he normally only brought it out when the job interview required formal attire.

But seeing as he would be meeting the patriarch of the Albrecht family today, it would be a good idea to dress up for the occasion. "Nah, I only shower in the morning, so I won't be long." He said as he closed the door behind him. Like Julian said, he made quick work of showering, being careful to not let any of the water touch his hair because it would take him a while to dry the length of it.

Julian took a moment to look himself in the mirror once he was dressed up. He wondered if he should style his hair better for the first meeting he would have with the whole Albrecht family but decided against it. Julian doesn't want to come off as too try hard when it was against his usual self. So he opted for a simple braid and let it fall behind him.

"Sorry for making you wait," Julian said as he exited the bathroom, body wafting of the similar scent that Kael has from using the man's body wash. "Should we get going?" He asked as he offered his hand to Kael.

Kael was sitting on the sofa when Julian came out of the bathroom, the male had his eyes closed while Koda was sitting on his heel, the lion's tail was hitting a carpeted floor.

Despite Kael saying that those 3 hours of sleep was enough for him, his body says otherwise yet he refused to take a rest, deciding to just close his eyes for a bit and calm his mind, he opened his eyes when he heard Julian's light footstep coming near, he looked up at the younger male and his offered hand. 

"Hmmm," the raven nodded, accepting Julian's hand, ignoring the black sparks that clouded his vision for a split second when he  stood up, just like yesterday, he intertwined his fingers with Julian and focused on it for a while before gently guiding the smaller male out the door, by this time the chefs would have prepared breakfast...for now he is safe since they usually only prepare eggs, bacon, bread and coffee...he can eat those, he can make up for not eating well last night.

Julian had to stop himself from reaching out to stabilise Kael because the other man looked like he was a little lightheaded on his feet. It was obvious that Kael didn't get enough sleep last night and Julian wondered if it was because of him. When their fingers laced together, Julian leaned closer to Kael's side than he was yesterday, just in case Kael felt lightheaded again.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Julian whispered softly as they walked down the hall, squeezing on Kael's fingers slightly as he peered at him with worry in his eyes. He couldn't pretend not seeing it happening anymore. "We can go back to your room if you aren't." Julian suggested, choosing his words carefully so as to not come off as too prying into Kael's situation.

"I'm okay, don't worry about me," Kael told Julian, reaching to his head and patting him, he have grown quite fond of the gesture, he also enjoyed watching how Julian lean towards his touch...it reminds him of when Koda was just a cub, the lion always leaned towards his palm as if wanting to be petted...he finds it quite adorable but he dare not say it out loud, Julian is still a man and he reckon calling a man cute is a bit perplexing, maybe Julian would prefer to be called cool. 

He's also not repulsed with being close to him or touching him, their kissing lesson last night is a testament to that. 

"Let's go to the kitchen to have some breakfast," he told Julian, trying to change the subject to not make the younger male worry, he thought he was able to mask his tiredness but seeing how Julian looked at him meant he didn't do a good job with it.

Julian found himself leaning into Kael's touch once again when the raven's larger hand landed on his head. He doesn't know why it felt so comforting to have Kael pat his head like this. Was it because he was taller than Julian? But then again no one, not even Damian or Brutus ever patted his head like this despite them being taller than Julian. Most people would have viewed Kael's action as patronising but Julian finds comfort in it, almost like an affection.

It was obvious to Julian that Kael was trying to change the subject, perhaps he was uncomfortable with having Julian pry into his business after all. "Well you can lean on me if you get dizzy again. I may not look like it but I make a good crutch for tall people like you. You can ask Dami for his testimony." Julian said, half joking and half serious because he was getting the impression that Kael doesn't like having people fussing over him. By saying it in jest, perhaps Kael would be more receptive to it.

Kael just nodded to Julian and let the male walk closer to him...maybe letting Julian help him will ease the younger one's worry? He doesn't want Julian to fuss over him so he thinks this is better. 

They both walked towards the kitchen and he can hear the Vance siblings bantering over something the moment he opened the door, such sounds is new to him as usually the mansion is quite sides from the casual sounds the staff makes as well as Koda's roaring...this is a refreshing change...sometimes the silence can be deafening. 

When Valeria spotted the two of them enter, she had a wide smile on her lips and her expression became brighter when she saw their hands intertwined again.

"Come, breakfast is served~" she called for them using her hand and Kael complied, gently tugging on Julian's hand, the two of them sat on the chair that they sat on last night, "How is your night, did you sleep well Julian?" The Albrecht matriarch asked.

The silence of their walk to the dining room was broken by the sound of his two younger siblings' voices, bantering with each other as usual. "I swear they were better behaved than this." Julian tried to reason the behaviour of his siblings to Kael. He would never be embarrassed of them but sometimes they do not behave according to their age. "I guess you'll have to get used to having them around now." He said with a small smile on his lips.

Julian followed Kael as he was led by the hand and took their respective seat at the table. "I did in fact sleep very well Mrs. Valeria. Mikael's bed is very soft. How about yourself? Did everyone have fun last night?" Julian answered, smiling brightly at Valeria.

"You should have been there, Ian. Did you know Mama used to be able to haul someone twice her size over her shoulder? Mrs. Val shared the wildest stories with us last night." Sasha quipped, her excited grin showing off her toothy fang. 

"It was really fun last night and it would've been better if the two of you could join us next time." Damian added, a hopeful look on his face. It was obvious that despite having a good time with the ladies, Damian felt out of place as the only male around them.

Damian was still a teen still adjusting to his newfound teenagerhood after all.

"Is it now?" Valeria spared a glance at Kael who took his cup of coffee and sipped on it to wake himself up further, she remembered telling Chloe of the plan last night and she's sure something happened to make the two look a bit more closer than yesterday...Julian was basically glued to Kael's side when they entered the dining room, "I'm glad you like it since you'll be sleeping here a lot after the wedding," 

Their attention then shifted to Sasha, the girl telling them about the stories Valeria told them, clearly about hers and Floria's childhood, Kael knew how wild his Mother was when she was younger but he didn't expect Floria to be the same, she doesn't look it...then again his Mother doesn't look it either. 

When Sasha used the name "Ian" Kael can't help but look at Julian with a puzzled look before realising that it must have been the younger male's nickname...but he clearly remembered them using Juli as a nickname for him yesterday...he needs to remember them from now on.

"Next time," Kael told Damian, feeling a bit guilty for leaving the teen in the company of women, he was thinking of offering his room for him to stay in too but his Mother beat him to the punch and dragged the three Vance to the guest room before he can even say a word, of course she wanted him and Julian to be left alone but she could have offered at least a solo room for Julian...maybe Koda can accompany him instead, a male teenager needs their alone time too.

He was in that musing when the dining room door opened with a bang and in came Koda, he was huffing while he sauntered towards the table, first towards Julian, the large feline gave the male a head bump on the arm before going to Valeria,

 "Ohhh, sorry Koda sweetie, we forgot your morning greetings," the blonde said, cupping the lion's chubby cheeks and giving his nose a nuzzle, Koda huffing in contentment, "He does this every morning, he used to do this during the nights as well but nowadays he only does it when he feels like it," the woman explained before Koda moved to where Sasha and Damian are, he roared and gave the duo a head bump on their sides too then it's Floria's turn.

Koda stared at her for a while before grunting and rubbing his face on the woman's hand, his careful around her and stayed with her the longest as if rubbing his scent on her in a protective manner...actually last night he tried forcing his way inside the guest room where they slept, wanting to be around Floria, Valeria just fortunately managed to make him go to Kael's room...speaking of the blonde, she can't help observing how Koda is towards Floria..the fear inside her bubbling again but she pushed it in the back of her mind...Ludwig told her last night through text that he found a suitable doctor for Floria and that he'll bring the doctor with him today to meet her..she's hoping that there will be good news.

"Good morning Ko---umph," Kael tried to say when it was his turn for the morning greeting only for the lion to move up, both paws on his shoulder while Koda practically rubbed his whole upper body on the raven, he was roaring and growling, smothering the male with his thick mane, it seems the lion is slightly annoyed that even though he slept inside Kael's room, he still didn't get his morning greeting.

Julian's face gained a dusting of red colouring his cheeks at Valeria's comment because while what she said was true, he couldn't help but overthink about the things she was trying to insinuate. Him sleeping together with Kael after their wedding would be expected of them as a married couple but that was all they would do since they were not exactly a true married couple. They will only be legally married in the eyes of the law for one year and nothing more.

When Koda entered with a flourish grandeur, Julian gratefully accepted the head bump, smiling softly. "Good morning, Koda." Julian stroked the soft mane briefly as the lion passed by him to go around the table and greet each and every single one of the people sitting around the table. He watched with contentment as his two younger siblings got their fill of petting Koda's mane briefly before the lion made its way to Floria.

"Oh you precious darling. Trying to rub yourself all over me first thing in the morning. Such a good kitty." Floria cooed at Koda as she smooshed the adorable face of the lion and planted a gentle kiss on its nose. She was well aware that Koda was probably smelling the illness in her body, that was probably why it kept on insisting on trying to rub itself on her.

The moment Koda practically smothered Kael with its body, the Vance family burst into a fit of laughter. It was an amusing sight to watch a lion practically throwing what was equivalent to a tantrum  and trying to suffocate Kael with its fluffiness. "That would be the best way to go if you ask me." Damian laughed, his large body practically shaking. 

"Do you need a hand?" Julian was still chuckling while he was asking this, amusement dancing in his violet eyes.

"I am f---" was all Kael can get out of him because Koda put his large paw on Kael's face, stopping him from talking further, the raven tried to resist but when Koda is having a tantrum, even him glaring at the lion will sometimes not work...well, he can't glare at him right now coz the lion was busy smothering him while roaring, he even licked Kael's face like he's greeting him still but is still annoyed about him being left alone in the room...not to mention him being forgotten while Julian and Kael were having their lesson. 

After a few minutes, Koda finally settled down, letting go of the dishevelled looking Kael, his hair was now unkempt due to the lion rubbing all over him and his shirt had one button pulled off...maybe from the paws that tried to climb on him, Valeria and the Vance family are still stifling their laughter...Kael doesn't mind though, just that he thinks he can't face the table looking like he just got mauled by a cat...well...we was in a sense. 

"Mother you could have stopped Koda," Kael said, using one of the towels to wipe his face that Koda licked, Valeria let out a snort before apologising. 

"I'm sorry, I just don't have the heart to stop him from his tantrums, it's harmless and cute! What did you do to warrant such a reaction from him anyway?" Valeria asked, hand on her chest trying to stop another laugh from coming out of her. Kael didn't answer, he can't really tell her that he was busy teaching Julian how to kiss now can he? 

"...I'll just go for a bit to change," Kael chose to say before he stood up.

Julian chuckled softly when Kael stood up, looking very much dishevelled with messy hair and askew clothes. He looked very different from the usual image of put together assuredness. "You should look into the mirror while you're at it. Koda really did a number on you." Julian reached over to tuck a messy dark curl behind Kael's ear, smiling teasingly.  

When Kael left to get changed, everyone started talking again while eating their breakfast. Sasha, ever the impish troublemaker, started teasing Julian about his close interaction with Kael. "So what did you two do in his room last night? I hope it was nothing naughty~" She asked with a toothy grin, the slyness of her expression was her trying to insinuate that something did happen. 

Which she was right on the nail but Julian was not going to admit that he kissed his future husband while in front of his two younger siblings, his mother and his future mother-in-law. It would just end with lots of teasing.

"We just talked Sha, get your mind out of the gutter." Julian tried to rebuke her, even if the light flush on his cheeks would have given him away. Sometimes Julian hates how his pale skin would betray him like this. 

"Don't pry into their private relationship, Sha. I'm sure the two of them are responsible adults." Floria chastised her only daughter, which earned a mumbled apology.

When Kael returned, they resumed their meal over pleasant conversation with Valeria telling everyone the plan for the day. It went rather smoothly and Julian kept on glancing toward Kael from the corner of his eyes to make sure that he was eating alright. Though he was eating slightly better than yesterday, it was still obvious that Kael was not eating properly. His fingers brushed against Kael's under the table as he sent him a look of silent askance, asking if he was alright.

By the time breakfast ended, the group was split into two with the ladies going to Valeria's Chinese Pagoda and the gentlemen heading for the courts. They promised to meet up for lunch later and with that they headed for their destination.

"It's a lovely morning." Julian said as he started lathering himself with the sunscreen that had been provided to him by the head butler, Isaiah Williams. He was grateful of the detailed care the Albrecht and their staff were providing them with, even going so far as to provide Julian with a sunhat on top of the sunscreen. They have really done their research on albinism for Julian's sake. "Would you like some?" Julian offered the sunscreen to Kael.

Kael shook his head to Julian's query and instead fixed the sunhat on his head, "Make sure to cover your skin that the sunhat won't be able to cover," he reminded the younger  male, he was also thankful that Isaiah was informed of Julian's sensitive condition and that the man provided the necessary care...the head butler even suggested that they use the golf car, the vehicle used to go around the estate, but Damian asked not to, the youngest Vance wanted to go see the whole place on foot and Julian agreed with him, saying that it will be fun that way.

They took their time looking around the place, there is also a man made river inside the property, Kael explaining to the two that it goes around and towards the man made jungle, he even explained that there is a waterfall in the said structure, Damian excitedly asking if they could see it after checking out the courts and Kael said yes to it, the teen getting more excited than before.

They walked a little bit more before they reached a structure that looks like a gymnasium, the standard size...there is also four courts surrounding it, obviously for different types of sports, "The outside courts are usually used for tennis or soccer...but I prefer using it for tennis," Kael told the sibling before guiding them towards and inside the gymnasium that is obviously well maintained, the caretakers, 4 of them, greeted them. 

The inside of the place is how a normal basketball gymnasium is, complete with the necessary equipment used for the said sport, basketballs are organised on their racks, there are also seats for audience who wants to watch, 

"The other half of the facility is a swimming pool, Mother was a swimmer when she was younger and she had it built so she can swim around and practice when she feels like it," Kael told the two.

When Kael declined his offer of the sunscreen, Julian only shrugged but he didn't expect for Kael to reach over and fix the slightly crooked sunhat for him. This felt nice, having someone doing the small things for him when it was usually Julian who would do something like this for someone else. "Thanks." Julian said with a happy smile on his lips. Julian only managed to pass over the bottle of sunscreen for Damian to use when his hand was suddenly taken into one of Kael's and he was led away by the hand.

It was fun exploring the facilities, with Kael explaining and answering whatever questions Damian had as the large teenager bounded all over the place like an excited golden retriever. Damian was zooming from one side to another, gawking and admiring everything that he laid his eyes on. While Damian was like that, both Julian and Kael only walked casually behind him with their hands intertwined. Kael doesn't seem to mind that Julian's hand was a little oily from applying the sunscreen earlier and had laced their fingers together.

It certainly felt like they were a real couple going out on a walk while enjoying each other's presence. Well they were supposed to be for a whole year and two months. With Kael always being so considerate like this, maybe it wouldn't be a bad experience after all.

The moment they entered the gymnasium, they immediately lost Damian because his younger brother had run off the second he laid his eyes on the courts. Julian greeted back the four staff members that had welcomed them, smiling softly at each of them. He didn't let go of Kael's hand despite feeling the curious eyes of the staff on them because if Kael was alright with them being seen like this, Julian would be too.

"And we just lost him." Julian laughed when Kael finished his explanation but found that Damian was already missing. "He ran off the moment he saw the basketball court. I swear he was born to dribble balls." His violet eyes watched as Damian somehow managed to convince the staff to go against him down in the basketball court. Damian's bright grin was infectious because Julian couldn't help but smile too as he turned his gaze toward Kael. "Well what would you like to do while we wait for him?" Julian asked.

"I promised your brother that we will play one on one," Kael told Julian, removing his sunhat for him since he doesn't need it inside the gymnasium, "Are you okay just watching?" he asked him, the two of them walking towards the benches while the four staff formed a group...three against two, Damian being part of the two man team. Kael sat Julian down, not letting go of his hand.

"I told your brother that I used to play basketball yesterday...well, I still play but not as frequent as before," He can still remember how the teen's eyes lit up when he told him stories of his varsity years and was so eager and asked if he can play with him sometimes, "Though I may not be as agile as I was before when I was younger, I did still promise him,”

Julian was surprised when Kael revealed about the promise he made to Damian but what actually surprised him was Kael's willingness to honour said promise made. Julian already knew that Kael was being nice to his mother and had chalked it off to maybe it was because their mothers were friends and more out of respect for the elder. But he didn't expect for Kael to also play nice with his younger siblings too, especially with the large age gap between them. 

"Yes, I would love to see you play. I guess it would be sort of a preview for your match with that friend of yours." Julian with a soft smile when he was being sat down on the bench but Kael still hadn't released their intertwined hands. Seeing Kael's effort to interact with not only Julian made his heart soften with budding affection. "Well I'm sure Dami will be able to learn a thing or two from you since you're technically his senior in basketball."

Julian brought one of their intertwined hands up and kissed Kael's knuckle. "That's your good luck kiss." He smiled again as he let go of Kael's hands.

Kael was surprised with that gesture, one can tell by looking at how his eyes widen for a split second before returning to normal, he slowly let go of Julian's hand...the feel of the younger's lips still lingered on his knuckles, "I can't promise a good match but I'll try," he told Julian, the sounds of a basketball hitting the floor and the whoops and yeahs from the staff and Damian filled the gymnasium.

Kael placed his right hand beside Julian as he leaned down, his other hand on Julian's chin, making the smaller male look up at him...the sounds from the game seems to drown out when Kael placed a brief kiss on Julian's lips...lasting mere seconds, the others none the wiser of what's happening between the two. Kael let go of Julian and faced the court, pushing his sleeves up as he did so, 

"Can I join?" he told the others and Damian's smile grew wider, the staff also looked quite excited to play with the young Master.

"Sure!" Damian answered enthusiastically, now the number of people match, two of the staffs are on Damian's side and the other two on Kael's, the teen Vance took the ball and explained that even though Kael is going to be his brother-in-law that he won't go easy on him, the staff were surprised about this news.

They knew the Madame we're bringing possible partners for their Sir Mikael but didn't know that someone was chosen already, one of them needed to talk to one of the staff in the mansion to get the whole details...well that explains the holding hands earlier.

Damian told Kael that their team will have the ball for now and passed it to the raven, who suddenly threw in a shot...a halfcourt one, Damian was a bit surprised with that move and the sound of the ball getting into the hoop broke that surprise…’ how did he do that, he didn't even go into shooting position, he just let go of the ball’ , was Damian's thought before smiling wide again.

This will be a fun match and Kael is so glad he didn't wear a pair of leather shoes.

The loud voices of the staff and Damian pulled his attention towards them but when Kael got in his line of vision, Julian was about to lift his head to meet his gaze when he felt the hand under his chin. Julian sort of sat there frozen when he felt warm lips pressed against his own slightly slack jawed one. The few seconds the kiss had lasted felt like hours as everything seemed to drown out around them and Julian was only able to focus on the feeling of Kael's lips on his own. 

Kael already went toward the court by the time Julian finally snapped out of his surprise and the flush to his cheeks were instantaneous. The memory of their practice last night came full force to the front of Julian's mind, making him go a deeper shade of red. He had not expected for Kael to be alright with kissing him out in the public like this.

The match started and Julian started cheering for both sides, unable to choose which one he should support. He cheered at each goal that was scored and clapped his hands to show his excitement. It was a truly exhilarating match to watch even if Julian knew next to nothing about basketball. It was amazing to see Kael being able to shoot straight into the opposite goal when he was so far away from it. Julian was mesmerised as he gazed at Kael's physique, admiration clear in his eyes.

Both teams were equally matched, battling with fierce desire to win but Damian managed to score an extra point just moments before the whistle was blown, ending the match. "Let's go!" Julian cheered as he made his way over toward them, stacks of folded towels in his arms.  He started handing it out to everyone else and saved the last for Kael. 

Julian peered to see that Damian was distracted by discussing the match with his teammates. "You played very well for someone who claimed to be rusty." Julian teased Kael as he placed the towel around Kael's neck.

It was only a moment of hesitation before Julian decided to throw caution to the wind and pulled Kael's head down with the towel. He went on his toes and misjudged the trajectory of his own movement because he ended up kissing Kael on the corner of his mouth instead of the cheek he had originally aimed for. 

"Your consolation prize." Julian whispered with red dusting his cheeks as he slowly backed away, releasing Kael's towel.

Kael let out a breath when Damian passed him and went for a last point shot, his team winning by a point...he can't help but admire the youth and his energy, making him remember how he was when he was the same age, then again it also reminded him how he was not in good shape right now, feeling more tired than usual...figuring out that it might be his lack of appropriate amount of sleep. 

The staff enjoyed the match, being it's been a while when they last played in the court with other people, some of them even in so much awe that they can't help just stopping to see how high  Damian jumps and how their Sir Kael just shoots in a perfect arc towards the hoop, they heard and saw videos of him playing when he was younger and they know he still plays with Sir Oliver but it's different when you see it first hand. 

Kael went back to where Julian is and was teased, "It's just my muscle memory," he said, "But my age is catching up on me, I'm not as fast as I am before," he accepted the towel and thanked the smaller male when he was pulled down and was kissed...well, not on the lips but on the corner of his lips...still it was a surprise to him and he was amused to see how red Julian's face is...his icy blue eyes looking at the male gently before he lifted his hand to touch him only to stop when he heard one of the staff gasp, making him look up. 

All of them are staring at them right now, the staff were surprised, one of them had a hand over their mouth, blushing at the sudden display of affection.

The surprised gasp of one of the staff reminded Julian that they were not exactly alone here even if it certainly felt that way whenever their eyes met. Julian felt a little embarrassed to be affectionate this publicly but the amused glint in Kael's eyes warmed Julian's chest more than the embarrassment could. The way Kael's eyes turned gentle as their gaze met just softened Julian's heart. 

Julian was about to apologise for making things awkward for everyone when he was suddenly swept off his feet and into the arms of his younger brother. His arms flailed around momentarily before it settled on Damian's shoulders. 

"What are you doing Damian? Put me down." Julian urged his younger brother but Damian seemed adamant not to do as he walked away from Kael with Julian in his arms. "No! You're not supposed to kiss before your wedding." Damian stated firmly as he glared at Kael.

"Just because you're gonna marry Ian, doesn't mean you can kiss him freely." Damian said pointedly at Kael, his brows furrowed in disapproval but he seemingly forgot that it was Julian who had initiated the kiss. Julian on the other hand can only groan in embarrassment because it was only a small kiss but with Damian blowing it out of proportion like this, it felt much too embarrassing that meeting Kael's eyes felt too embarrassing now.

If Kael has a pair of dog ears and a tail, they will be down in dejection right now but obviously, he doesn't and he doesn't even show his emotion on his face but the gymnasium staff can clearly tell, one of them even uttering “Awwwwwww..." under their breath as if sympathising with their Sir, again, this is the first time they saw him this way... he's not even this way with Isla before...he did showed her his more relaxed side but not this much...between him and Isla there was a clear standing their Sir Kael was upholding. 

Kael just went towards the growling golden retriever that is Damian and patted the younger male's head without saying anything, Kael seems to be a bit down because he wanted to show his gratitude for Julian's consolation prize but is also quite moved by how Damian is so protective of his older brother, just shows how the Vance family is so close.

Julian was struck by the image of Kael with his doggy ears and tail dropping and felt bad for him. He was about to coax Damian once again when Kael stepped closer toward them and patted Damian on the head. A small teeny-tiny part of him was somewhat disappointed the head pat was not for him but Julian was quick to brush it off. 

"Dami, it's nothing really. It's just a tiny kiss." Julian cupped his brother's face and kissed him on his forehead and cheeks. "See, it's just like the kisses I gave to you. Mikael will be part of our family soon. So it would make me happy to see my brother and husband get along well." Julian smiled softly as he caressed Damian's face. Damian made a sound of reluctance, clearly unwilling to go along with it yet but his tight grasp on Julian had lessened a little.

Julian turned toward Kael, who was still standing close by them and he reached out to him, wrapping his arm around Kael's shoulder and using him as a leverage to get down from Damian's arms. He can feel Kael's arms wrapping around him as the raven helped him down but Julian's feet never touched the ground even after a couple of moments had passed because Kael didn't lean down to release him yet. "Thank you..." Julian whispered to him as he slowly let go of his arms around Kael's neck.

Kael let Julian used him as a leverage, his arms wrapping around the male's small frame and Kael got to feel his body against him for a while...and the raven took mental notes of how slim the waist is, how cool Julian's skin against his is and how his body is well toned...the only thing he did notice when it comes to Julian was his height, even Sasha is small...it seems Damian took all their excess height for himself.

He didn't realised it but his arms around Julian tightened a bit but not in an uncomfortable way, it felt nice...holding the smaller male like this...he had the urge to bury his face on the crook between Julian's neck and shoulder...he was about to but when he heard Julian said thank you, he let him go gently on the ground before patting his head, 

"Do you want to go back? Lunch time is close," he asked, gently letting go of Julian but his hold lingered a bit, his hand on the male's waist stayed, "Or do you want to stay here for a while to take a bit of rest?”

The arms that Julian had around Kael's neck slowly moved down to rest his hands against Kael's chest as he was slowly let down, his feet finally touching the ground. He can feel the muscles of Kael's chest rippling under his palms when the raven moved to pat his head before he was let go from Kael's arms. Julian remembered the sight of Kael's upper body from last night but actually feeling it felt like it was a completely different experience. It definitely felt as firm as it had appeared. "I should be asking you that. I am well rested already from just sitting and watching. It's you two who were doing most of the activity." Julian said.

He tried not to focus on the  large hand resting on his waist because it would just make things awkward for everyone if Julian were to pull attention to it. The heat of Kael's palm seeped through the clothes he wore and it was hard for Julian to not focus on having it settle on his waist like it belonged there. 

"Let's go back, I can't stand being the only one having to watch you two being all lovey dovey." Damian said almost sulkingly and made his way out of the gymnasium first. 

"I guess we should follow him then?" Julian asked Kael, tilting his head a little to meet Kael's gaze because he looked way taller when they were up close like this.

Kael nodded at what Julian said and removed his hand on Julian's waist to pick up the sunhat the smaller male put on the bench he sat on earlier, "Did you need to put on your sunscreen again?" He asked while he put the sunhat on Julian, fixing it and only stopping when he thinks it's covering Julian properly, the staff only watching their interactions with silence but nudging each other and smiling at one another. 

"I can help you with it if you want," the raven said, his hand settling again on Julian's waist like it was magnetised and just belonged there...like the action is just so natural. Kael looked at him, waiting to see if the male is okay with that offer.

Julian was starting to realise that maybe Kael was not as cold or as stoic as he appeared to be because there was no way his heart wouldn't soften from receiving the small act of care that Kael was showering him with. Kael's effort to secure the sunhat on Julian's head to make sure it gave the full coverage from the sun made Julian feel all warm inside. Julian was slowly starting to like being treated like this, having someone else doing the small things for him when Julian did the same for them. Of course he never expected for his actions to be reciprocated but it does feel nice to occasionally be at the receiving end of a mutual care.

Normally Julian would have declined because he doesn't want to burden anyone else with something he could do by himself but since Kael had offered first and that he looked earnest while doing so, Julian doesn't have the heart to decline him. 

"Only if you let me do the same for you." Julian smiled softly as he unconsciously took a step closer toward Kael when the large hand returned to his waist once again. "Just because you're not as pale as me, doesn't mean you don't need protection from the sun, especially when it's straight above in the afternoon.”

"Hmmm," Kael nodded, well he's about to say that he's fine but he thought that Julian is also worried about him and he also agree, the sun is quite punishing during this time of the day, "Let's sit there," he told Julian and guided him back on the bench where Julian sat earlier, Damian by this time is checking out the other courts outside.

"We'll go and clean the court for now Sir," one of the staff said, the others went to the other half of the gymnasium...well not really, they are just discreetly spying on the two because they wanted to see how their Sir Kael is treating Julian. 

Kael answered with an okay to the staff and reminded them that lunch break is also coming and that they should also take a rest, with that Kael sat with Julian on the bench and asked for the bottle of sunscreen, when Julian handed it to him, he opened it and put some on his palm, he started applying it on Julian's arm down to his knuckles and fingers...his caress as gentle as can be.

"Look at me," he told Julian in a soft tone when he's done with the other's arm, when Julian complied he then applied the sunscreen on the smaller male's face, gently and slowly, his fingertips trailing down on Julian's neck.

Julian was happy when Kael agreed to the exchange and easily followed the direction he was guided to. Okay maybe he had been curious about how Kael's bare skin felt like to the touch, sue him, well maybe not since he was practically broke but the point still stands that Julian was probably taking advantage of the arrangement to maybe cop a feel of Kael's body.

Wait. 

That made him sound like a pervert. Well what Julian was trying to say was, he was just curious. That was all to it. He doesn't have a nefarious reason behind his offer for an exchange between them.

Julian passed the bottle of sunscreen over to Kael and sat there, facing Kael, patiently as Kael started to administer the sunscreen to Julian's skin. He already knew that Kael was capable of gentleness with his action but having his long fingers pressing into Julian's skin felt intimate as the digits moved down his arm to get to his hand and fingers. Julian was mesmerised by the motion that he wordlessly followed Kael's order to look at him. Their gaze didn't meet since Kael was focusing on carefully applying the sunscreen to his face but Julian was taking the opportunity to observe Kael's features.

This moment not only felt intimate, but dare he say, sensual, as Kael's fingers travelled on Julian's face, gentle and slow in his motion. Julian almost forgot to breathe when the clever fingertips made their way down to his neck and Julian's body involuntarily shivered from the sudden sensation of having a warm hand on his neck. Their eyes met and Julian subconsciously licked his suddenly dry lips. This charged tension between them felt so thick as they stared at each other.

Julian was not really thinking of the consequences of his own action at this point because all he could see right now was Kael. He leaned in and kissed Kael on the lips. Well it was more of a peck, a light press of their lips because realisation finally dawned on Julian when their lips touched. "Sorry, that was too forward of me." Julian apologised, cheeks inflamed.

Kael was so focused on applying the sunscreen on Julian that he didn't know what the action caused the male...but he got to admit, he did want to feel Julian's skin again even though the both of them slept on the same bed last night and they were both half naked as well...he was just so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he wasn't able to focus on the feel of another person beside him...just that earlier he recognized how pleasantly cool Julian's skin is against him. 

He is genuinely applying the sunscreen because Isaiah told him how frustrating it is to deal with the sun specially when you have sensitive skin but when he felt Julian shiver with his touch, he can't help looking at him...violet eyes looking straight at him...the tension between them was so thick that he was surprised that Julian leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips...a light press, that was it. 

"Was it my proper consolation prize?" He asked before giving Julian a kiss as well, the same feather touch the younger male gave him, "Thank you," he said, he didn't smile but his icy blue eyes looked a little brighter if not for the dark shadows under his eyes. 

The staff cleaning the floor just contained himself from smiling widely by gripping hard on the mop's handle, he saw all of it and also felt the tension, he can also feel the lighter vibe the two exudes just not far away from him...and he also bet the other staff who are spying on the two are probably melting down into a puddle already in an attempt to not make any noise since the sounds bounce off the walls.

"Yeah, it is." Julian was quick to agree because he couldn't think of any other reason why he would suddenly kiss Kael out of the blue like that. Just because Kael said he was fine with kissing him, he shouldn't have taken advantage of their arrangement to do as he pleased. Julian didn't manage to berate himself any further because the kiss that Kael pressed back against his lips managed to shut down Julian's brain momentarily. His whole system had to reboot and almost crashed again when he saw the look flickering in Kael's eyes. It always mesmerised Julian how Kael's face can be so stoic but his eyes were always so expressive.

"Give me the sunscreen." Julian hastily snatched the bottle of sunscreen before Kael could hand it to him properly because he needed some distraction right now. He realised that he had brought this upon himself but damn was Kael always making his heart beat so much. Despite his self-inflicted embarrassment, Julian's hands were still gentle as he applied the sunscreen to Kael's skin. He applied just enough pressure to his fingers to massage the cream into Kael's skin, taking the time to make sure every inch of his hands were covered.

Julian hesitated a little bit when it was time to apply the sunscreen to Julian's face because he had been trying so hard to not be conscious of Kael's gaze that had been on him throughout the time he was applying the sunscreen to Kael's arms and hands. "Can you close your eyes please? It's rather.... distracting..." Julian mumbled the last part because it felt mortifying to admit it out loud like this. 

When Kael finally closed his  eyes, Julian leaned in closer to apply the sunscreen to Kael's face. Up close like this, Kael really does look handsome. His fingers were careful as he started massaging Kael's face, especially the area under Kael's dark eyebags and he had to stop himself from tracing Kael's lips with his thumb because it was still lathered in sunscreen and he doubted Kael wanted to taste that. His hands travelled all the way down to Kael's neck, kneading into the skin with deft fingers to unknot the tension in Kael's neck and collarbone. "Done." Julian whispered softly.

Kael watched Julian's every movement, especially how the other's face is all red he deduced from the embarrassment of kissing him earlier, he almost forgot that they aren't alone in the gymnasium and the squeaking of the mop had bought the the presence of others to his attention, well he just assumed that the staff present didn't saw anything seeing as the other is busy, Kael being oblivious to the eyes directed to him and Julian. 

The glide of Julian's fingers on his arms felt rather relaxing, the cool palm applying pressure on areas where there are so much tension...it made his breathing even more calmer than earlier, he complied when Julian told him to close his eyes because he felt his eyelids actually getting heavy, Julian's hands felt like they're just unravelling the most tense  muscles he have that almost put him to sleep and he was actually drifting off, he might have just but Julian's voice saying that he's done woke him up.

"Thank you," was all he could say before covering a closed hand just above his mouth, stifling a yawn. He apologised afterwards and offered a hand to Julian, signalling that he wished to hold hands with him while they walked back to the mansion.

It was sort of enthralling to watch the tension sliding off Kael's body and knowing it was he who managed to make Kael relax using his hands alone. Now he understands why Brutus got into learning body massage. It felt pleasant to watch someone come undone at your hands. Julian almost felt bad for having to stir the drifting Kael awake again once he was done because it was obvious that Kael was lacking rest.

"No worries." Julian smiled at him reassuringly as he took Kael's offered hand, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet and fall into steps right by his side. Julian waved goodbye to the staff while they were on the way out, saying thank you to them for having them there.

 The walk back to the mansion was rather peaceful as they walked languidly. Damian already ran off by himself, remembering the route back already because he didn't want to see the two lovebirds being all mushy with each other.

"You know, I can give you another massage tonight. I can see how much you enjoyed it just now." Julian offered as he turned to face Kael.

Kael was not really into massages, the last time he got one was when he was in college, relieving the aching muscles in his body after a long match, his parents asked for a masseuse for him and he had to admit it felt great...but afterwards he wasn't able to find time to got to a massage salon, being so busy with the business and all that's why when Julian applied sunscreen on him while giving his muscles a bit of pressure, it felt good...Isla massages his shoulders a lot back then but the pressure was not that great, Kael guesses that there are just people who are gifted for it. 

"Hmmm?" He looked at Julian when he offered, looking a bit sleepy, "Are you sure? If it's alright with you then I won't refuse," Kael answered, experiencing that kind of bliss is something he needed right now...maybe he has a lot of tension in his body and he needs one in order to sleep better.... there's no harm in trying. 

The duo walked back to the mansion, the path seeming more shorter than earlier. The head butler, Isaiah, was waiting for them at the entryway. He was holding a tray with a few rolled up warm towels on it and two glasses of water for Kael and Julian. The man smiled at them.

Julian was originally interested in massage because of Brutus. His childhood best friend had picked up massage skill as an outlet for his temper during the late years of their teenagerhood and seeing just how good it was for Brutus, Julian had asked him to teach some of the skill the redhead had learnt. While Julian doesn't have the official credentials that would make him a professional masseuse, he was adept enough at it that it would be fine to massage someone like Kael as a favour. If massaging Kael was all that needed to lessen the dark eye bags under the blue eyes, then Julian would gladly do it.

"I am sure and it would put me at ease to see you getting some proper rest." Julian reassured him with a bright smile on his face. He was getting a little giddy at the prospect of actually being of use and able to repay Kael for the grace he had shown his family. Even if his offer had been miniscule in comparison to what the Albrecht was doing for them, at least Julian was doing something to reciprocate their kindness. It didn't sit well with Julian to always be on the receiving end of their good will.

As they approached closer to the front entrance of the mansion, he could see the figure of Isaiah. "Hello again, Mr. Isaiah. Thank you for the lovely sunhat, it was certainly helpful." Julian greeted the older butler, a grateful smile curling his lips. He noticed the tray the butler held and his smile turned brighter. Truly the Albrecht and their staff were very considerate and caring people. 

"Oh, thank you for the water and towel. They're very much appreciated after being out in the sun." Julian released Kael's hand in favour of taking one towel to pass it over to Kael before taking one for himself. They both wiped their hands using the warm towel and then traded it for the glass of water.

Julian took small sips of the water, feeling the cool liquid flowing down his throat. Once he finished it, he placed it back down on the tray again. "By the way, Mr. Isaiah. If it's of no trouble to you, can I request for a bottle of massage oil to be delivered to Mikael's room by tonight? We have a need for it." 

Julian didn't realise that he probably should have worded his sentences better since it made so many people misunderstood him. Though Julian's bright smile made people who heard him feel a little guilty for the dirty images that came to mind regarding their young master and his fiancé. 

When Julian asked for a bottle of massage oil, Isaiah froze, his smile froze as well...the maids wiping the vase near the large doors of the mansion stopped moving, the male butler that is carrying a tray of snacks to be placed in the holding area of the mansion stopped in his tracks, even one staff that was sweeping the front entrance stopped moving, all of them looked at Julian sans Isaiah who is still smiling, all collectively have one thought in mind. 

"Hmmmmmmm?!?!?!?" 

But none of them voiced it out of course.

Isaiah took a few seconds to recover from that but still smiled, just in time when Kael returned the empty glass of water on the tray and thanked him, "Of course Sir Julian, I'll have it delivered as soon as I can," he told the white haired male and bowed at them, robotically walking back inside the mansion, when Kael looked at the others, they instantly returned to what they were doing. 

The Albrecht heir just raised a brow in confusion. 

"Let's go inside to cool off," Kael told Julian before he held the other's hand again, deciding that their tour of the place can continue for later, for now he just wants to sit down on a sofa or beside Koda and just close his eyes and wait for his Father's arrival.

Watching Isaiah walk away so awkwardly, Julian had a look of mirrored confusion when he glanced at Kael. He doesn't understand why the seemingly unflappable Isaiah suddenly becomes like that. "Your staff are funny." Julian commented as his hand was taken by Kael once more. He followed wherever Kael was leading him and noticed that Kael had gotten a little sluggish after he dozed off during the impromptu massage session in the gymnasium.

Since they returned to the mansion earlier, no one else was here yet, including Damian, who got side-tracked by the rows of equipment in the gym. The staff there had reassured him that they would help lead Damian back to the mansion in time for lunch. 

As they entered the living room, he saw Koda already waiting there, sitting in the patch of sunlight that filtered in through the large glass window. Julian pulled Kael by their joined hand to approach the lion and give it a few pats on its lush mane once it sniffed his fingers. "Hello again, Koda. It's always so nice to see a gorgeous lad like you." Julian cooed at the lion, giving it a few more good scratches behind the ear. 

"Sorry about that. Let's sit down shall we?" Julian apologised once he realised that he had dragged Kael along to his whim. They both took a seat on the sofa. Once they were all settled in, Julian turned toward Kael with a smile. "Do you wish to continue our earlier session? You certainly looked like you needed a good rest right now." Julian asked him, reaching up with his free hand to touch Kael's cheek and gently rubbing his thumb under Kael's eye bag.

"Hmmm," was all Kael's reaction to Julian's comment about the staff... he's feeling rather sluggish, maybe the lack of sleep is catching up on him which is pretty new to him, he's used to sleeping for only a few hours and can function properly throughout the day, well maybe his temper is shorter than it used to when he's in that state, and he wonder why he had this strong urge to just lay down wherever and close his eyes...maybe it's because of the relaxing day he's already having? 

Kael has to crouch down a bit when Julian patted Koda's mane, he can easily let go of Julian's hand when the male went to pamper the lion a bit but didn't want to, he's afraid he'll suddenly just lay down on the cool floor and doze off so he was honestly thankful that Julian decided to pull him on the sofa to sit, he leaned back and sighed, legs stretched a bit and eyes closed...he hummed when Julian touched under his eyes and he unconsciously leaned to the touch...he didn't say yes or no to Julian's offer of continuing his massage earlier...he just felt so tired.

The image of a large black panther came to mind  when he saw the way Kael stretched his limbs the moment they sat on the sofa and the languid way Kael leaned into his hand. He can see the similarity of Kael's mannerism to a feline and the black panther suited him well. 

"I'll take this as a yes." Julian said as he scooted closer to Kael and put both of his hands on the raven's face. "Just relax." The albino whispered as he started his massage on Kael's face.

They fell into silence as Julian diligently made his way down Kael's face to his neck, putting extra care in kneading at the knots he could feel there, slowly unravelling the tension from Kael's shoulders as his fingers dig into the tense muscles. 

Normally he would have Kael lying on his stomach for some proper massage on his back but seeing as the sofa was not wide enough for that and the living room was not an appropriate place for people to walk in and see Julian on top of Kael, he decided to adapt to the next best thing. From the shoulders, Julian took the time to go down Kael's arms and to his hands. The lingering sunscreen helped to make things smoother as he massaged the skin.

By the time Julian was done, he realised that Kael had dozed off against the backrest of the sofa. However with how tall Kael was, his head was not properly supported by it and it looked to be an uncomfortable position to fall asleep in. "Come here." Julian urged him gently, using a hand on Kael's neck to guide him to lie down. "Use my lap." He whispered softly as he shifted on the sofa to accommodate Kael better and let him use his laps as a pillow. Once Kael was settled, Julian started to idly comb his fingers through the dark hair.

Throughout the time that Julian's hands made it's wonders on Kael's tension filled body, the raven just drifted off to a dreamless sleep, it may sound sad for other people but he preferred this, he can relax, he won't be haunted by memories from the past that kept him up all night...that kept him from relaxing...a dreamless sleep meant he can actually sleep.

It's such a wonder that Julian managed to make things just seem okay, even when he just met him for 2 days.

Kael let out a content hum when Julian's hands made its way to his shoulders and down to his arms and hands, though clothed, Julian still managed to add pressure on parts of his muscles where there are knots of tension in them, it felt good that he just wanted to sunk into the soft sofa...he wasn't even aware that he already fell asleep for a few minutes, only stirring up a while when Julian made him lie down and used his lap as a pillow for him, it's not as soft as a woman's but it's still comforting...and the fingers gently combing his hair felt so nice.

His breathing began to even out and he finally drifted off to sleep.

"I heard you two are back, sorry we did--" Valeria's voice rang through the lounge area, suddenly biting her tongue when she saw Julian and Kael on the sofa, the raven sleeping peacefully, she can tell because the usual frown he has when he sleeps isn't present, she wanted to scream but managed to calm herself, afraid to break the peaceful air currently present in the room, Floria and Sasha popping out from behind her and peeking on the two.

Pale fingers carded through the dark hair, messing up the immaculate hairstyle that Kael had put his hair into but that would be a problem for later because right now, the peaceful atmosphere was making even Julian sleepy. It had been a very long time since he had such a peaceful afternoon to lounge around and actually relax like this. 

Playing with Kael's hair using his left hand, Julian's right hand started to absentmindedly pat on Kael's chest, as if he was lulling a baby to sleep. It was an old habit of his that refused to die out because his two younger siblings still liked to use his laps as a pillow and he would start patting them like they were still the babies he helped raise.

He was only starting to doze off a little when he heard the voice approaching. Julian lifted his head to meet the trio's gaze and raised his index finger to his lips to make a shushing motion for them to be quiet. He looked apologetic enough at having to do so and Floria got his message as clear as day.

"We should let those two rest here. Let's go somewhere else." Floria whispered softly as she took hold of the arm of the stone statue figure that was Valeria and began leading her out of the lounge room. When Sasha too didn't budge from where she stood rooted in shock, Floria used her free hand to start urging her daughter away too. "Come on now." The brunette herded them out to give the two boys their privacy. 

"What are you guys doing standing outside here?" Damian asked when he rounded the corner and saw  everyone standing outside of the lounge room. He couldn't help but peek inside and almost groaned out loud before he stopped himself. "Those two had been all over each other today." The large raven complained in a hushed whisper as he followed after the ladies.

"Really?" Valeria asked, grabbing Damian's arms, she was supposed to grab his shoulders but the teen is too tall, grabbing his shoulders would mean she has to jump up to do so but her heels will definitely won't allow her to do that, "Are they really?!" She repeated in a hushed scream that can only be heard by them four, she told everyone in the mansion about the whole plan about making Kael and Julian be as close as they all are allowed to pushed them to be, of course they can't directly meddle in but they can make scenarios where they will be together so hearing that the two of them are naturally gravitating towards each other is great news. 

-- 

Kael frowned a bit when Julian's fingers on his hair stopped moving, the frown only disappearing when Julian returned to combing his fingers on his hair again...he just might sleep till Ludwig comes.

Damian instinctively leaned down, his hands going over to wrap around Valeria's waist, thinking that she was about to fall or something when she suddenly grabbed his arms but he stopped himself before he could touch her. 

"Yeah, they both were holding hands while walking and kissed while in the basketball court earlier. Heck, they were even applying sunscreen on each other." Damian grumbled because while he was happy that Julian found his own happiness, he was still sulky about the impending fact that he wouldn't be his brother's number one priority anymore after this. Damian was starting to like Kael because the older raven had been very kind to them but the clingy child inside Damian who saw Julian as more of a parental figure than a brother felt like the older man was trying to take him away.

--------------

After everyone else finally left them alone, Julian's hand returned to combing through Kael's hair again. He noticed the frown that still lingered and smoothed his fingers over it. The albino leaned down and whispered "Sweet dreams," as he planted a gentle kiss to the sleeping raven's forehead. Julian settled into the sofa and started to doze off with the fingers of his left hand tangled in Kael's hair and his right arm resting over Kael's chest.

Valeria have to put her hands over her mouth to stop the scream from getting out of her, she then asked Damian when this all happened and the male told him that it happened in the gymnasium, she then took out her phone and dialled something...after hearing a ring from the other side and a click, she started talking to the person on the line, might be one of the staff, she asked a few questions, mainly about what happened when Kael, Julian  and Damian's visit to the place earlier...there was an excited chatter afterwards...the phone ending after 5 minutes. 

Valeria huffed with a huge smile on her face before going to Floria, "Did you hear that Flo?! They're getting along!" She told her in a still hushed whisper, her tone very excited, during their time going around her Chinese Pagoda where a Buddha statue was inside too, she told them the story about her introducing Kael to countless people and she also told them of her wish to have Kael and Julian get to know each other more so the relationship could work... although she still assured them, rather made a

n oath and the Buddha statue as a witness, that whatever happens even if the relationship doesn't sail, that she will still be there for them no matter what (even if they don't like it even)

Floria giggled, sharing Valeria's delight over the news because while she had hoped for things to work out between them, she didn't expect for it to be so soon. While she knew that her son was a lovable person, she didn't expect for Kael to readily reciprocate Julian's freely given care. Hearing about it from Damian really soothed her worry because if things really worked out well for them, then she can leave with a lighter heart, knowing that her eldest would be in good hands. Julian really deserved all the good things in life after having sacrificed so much for those around him.

"I am so happy to hear they're getting along so well. Looks like your boy still had that attachment for Juli even after all these years. Looking at them like that really reminded me of that picture of theirs, though this time it's my Juli holding Kael." Floria giggled even if the topic of their last encounter was bittersweet and full of regret, Floria still loves the memory of seeing baby Julian being held by the four years old Kael. Who knew that those two would recreate that picture on their own without any of them meddling too much.

"Yes, I still remember that..." Valeria smiled, the memory getting back to her...Kael was 4 by then and Julian was just a baby, her son was curious of the bundle of blankets his mother was holding back then, he even climbed the chair Valeria was sitting on just to look, bright icy blue eyes looked in awe when he laid eyes on the beautiful baby that is Julian and throughout that day he followed her behind, wanting to see the baby again. Floria was so moved with that so when Kael asked to hold Julian, she agreed but of course with her support too...Kael stared at Julian throughout that time and only looked away when Valeria told him to look at the camera, the two mothers wanting to keep that image in their memory.

And that picture is displayed still in the Albrecht's main living room.

Valeria and Floria smiled at each other, them two being the only one that shared that memory, the two younger Vance just looked at them before Valeria pulled them away, wanting for Julian and Kael to have this relaxing moment only for them.