It was no longer the pale gray of dawn, nor the dim quiet of early morning, but the gentle warmth of late morning sun filtering through the windows. The air inside the house carried a faint scent of herbs and woodsmoke ,familiar, grounding.
For a moment, he simply lay there.
Then,
"Sion…"
The name slipped from his lips almost instinctively.
He pushed himself up, testing his strength. The fever had receded. His body still felt heavy, but no longer weak enough to keep him down.
Without wasting another breath, he stood and stepped out of the room.
Eiran was already in the kitchen, moving about with practiced ease.
"Ah," he said, glancing over his shoulder. "So you're finally awake."
Darius nodded. "Where is Sion?"
Eiran didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gestured toward the table. "Sit. Eat first."
Darius hesitated. "I should—"
"You should listen," Eiran cut in. "You just recovered. Don't start running around like nothing happened."
There was no room to argue.
Reluctantly, Darius sat.
"Sion's in the smallholding," Eiran added after a moment. "Getting some fresh air."
That was enough to ease him slightly.
While eating, Darius lowered his head. "Thank you… for taking care of me."
Eiran waved a hand dismissively. "It's nothing. If you're thanking anyone, thank Sion. He's the one who barely left your side. I only helped where I could."
Darius stilled, his grip tightening slightly around the bowl. There was something in his expression then, something soft and earnest, that he did not bother to hide.
"I see," he murmured.
He finished quickly after that, his earlier restraint giving way to impatience once more. The moment he set the bowl down, he was already on his feet.
"I'll go now."
Eiran only sighed. "At least you waited until after eating."
Outside, the air carried the crisp bite of autumn. The smallholding stretched quietly under the pale sun, rows of crops swaying faintly in the wind. It was there that he found him.
Sion sat beneath the sparse shade of a tree, one leg crossed over the other, a book resting loosely in his hand. An apple, half-eaten, was held between his fingers. He looked entirely at ease, as though the world had arranged itself to suit him.
Darius approached with care, as though afraid the moment might dissolve if he moved too quickly. The wind brushed past them, carrying a chill that lingered.
Without a word, Darius lifted the blanket he had brought and draped it gently over Sion's shoulders.
Sion did not startle. He merely turned a page before speaking.
"Shouldn't you be resting," he said, tone light but edged with something sharper, "instead of worrying over someone else?"
Darius blinked, surprised, then broke into a smile that he could not contain.
"You spoke to me," he said, almost foolishly delighted. "I'm fully recovered now. Thanks to you… to all of you."
Sion glanced at him briefly, then returned his attention to the page. "I'm glad."
Darius shifted, suddenly unsure where to place his hands. "Thank you… for taking care of me. And I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."
Sion shrugged faintly. "It's nothing."
There was a pause. The quiet between them was not uncomfortable, but it carried weight.
"So… are we alright now?" Darius asked at last.
Sion closed the book, resting it against his knee. "Well. Kind of. What's done is done."
He took another bite of the apple before continuing.
"I went to the guild this morning. I tried to reclaim the property you sold under that agreement." His gaze flicked toward Darius, measuring. "It didn't work. They've already begun mining. Digging. It's no longer something we can take back."
"…I see," Darius said quietly.
Sion's gaze shifted toward him.
"Make sure," he said, voice firm now, "that you won't do something like that again."
"I promise," Darius said immediately, with a sincerity that left no room for doubt.
He hesitated, then added, "You don't have to give me a quarter of the harvest every year. That was never my intention."
Sion's brows drew together slightly.
"Only… in times of crisis," Darius continued. "When things are difficult. Like a poor season. Or… anything like that."
Sion studied him for a moment.
Then exhaled.
"…Fine."
It wasn't enthusiastic but it wasn't refusal either.
That alone was enough.
After a moment, Sion rose, brushing invisible dust from his clothes. "I'm going to the orphanage today. I need to prepare the gifts. The usual things."
Darius brightened slightly. "I'll help."
Sion glanced at him.
Then gave a small nod. "Alright."
He extended his hand.
"Let's go."
Darius didn't hesitate.
He took it.
And together, they walked back toward the house.
The kitchen soon filled with warmth.
Sion worked with quiet efficiency, preparing dough, arranging fruits, and setting aside portions of their harvest. The scent of freshly baked pies began to fill the air.
Darius moved where needed:fetching, carrying, assisting without being told.
At some point, Eiran stepped in, watching them with an expression that bordered on amusement.
He waited until Darius had stepped out again before speaking.
"Congratulations,Young master" he said.
Sion did not look up. "For what?"
"For wrapping a certain knight around your finger so neatly."
Sion's lips curved faintly. "Is that what it looks like?"
"Isn't it? Though I wonder… do you actually have feelings for him?"Eiran asked, more quietly this time.
Sion let out a small breath.
"…I can't help it."
Eiran raised a brow.
"He's… gullible," Sion added, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "It's cute."
Eiran huffed. "Even after he let you down once?"
Sion resumed his work, though his voice softened slightly. "Ever since he said he would choose to do it again, if it meant protecting me… I've had the sense that what happened back then wasn't as simple as it seemed."
Eiran hummed. "You might be right. Still… a beta and an omega. That's not something one hears of often."
Sion's eyes flickered, something sharp and unreadable passing through them."You worry too much."He said as he smiled.
Eiran straightened, a bit awkward now. "Right. Sorry."
By the time everything was prepared, the sun had begun its slow descent.
Sion stepped outside, intending to set off, only to find Darius already there, dressed and ready.
"You're leaving as well?" Sion asked.
Darius nodded. "Yes. I received a letter this morning. There's an emergency in the capital. They need me there."
Sion regarded him quietly. "I see."
Darius shifted, then spoke again. "I was thinking… we could go together. If you don't mind. It would be faster."
He gestured vaguely toward the outskirts of the town. "My horse is waiting by the stables just beyond the road."
Sion considered this, then gave a small nod. "Very well."
The journey would be quicker that way.
They made their way to the stables, where Darius's horse waited, already saddled and restless. With practiced ease, Darius mounted, then offered his hand down to Sion.
Sion took it.
Moments later, they were riding.
The road stretched ahead, winding toward the distant capital, the autumn wind brushing past them as the horse carried them forward.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then Sion leaned back slightly, just enough to be heard.
"Try not to sell anything again while I'm not looking," he said lightly.
Darius let out a small, embarrassed laugh. "I won't."
Sion's lips curved, satisfied.
And so they rode on, the distance between them no longer quite what it had been before.