Night had settled gently over the seminary.
The evening bell had long finished ringing, and most of the seminarians had returned to their rooms after study hour. A thin cold wind drifted through the compound, rustling the tall mango trees near the chapel.
Michael stepped out into the corridor, rubbing his hands together. The cold had grown stronger over the past few nights, and tonight it seemed to seep straight through the thin fabric of his cassock.
He exhaled slowly, watching his breath form a faint mist in the air.
"Cold?"
The voice came from behind him.
Michael turned.
Lucas was leaning against the corridor wall beneath the dim yellow light, his arms folded loosely.
Michael tried to sound casual.
"A little."
Lucas pushed himself away from the wall and walked toward him. In his hand was something folded neatly.
"I thought so."
He held it out.
Michael looked down. It was a pair of thick wool socks, dark grey and soft-looking.
Michael blinked in surprise.
"You bought these?"
Lucas shrugged slightly.
"I went into town earlier today. Figured someone here would forget to bring warm things."
Michael hesitated before taking them.
The socks were warm from Lucas's hands.
"You didn't have to do that," Michael said quietly.
Lucas smiled faintly.
"I wanted to."
Something about the simplicity of the gesture made Michael's chest tighten.
He slipped the socks into his pocket, suddenly unsure what to say.
Lucas tilted his head slightly.
"Walk with me?"
Michael hesitated.
For the past few days he had tried so hard to keep his distance.
But standing there now, under the quiet night sky, it suddenly felt difficult to say no.
"…Alright."
They stepped out into the seminary compound.
The place felt almost peaceful at night. Dim lights lined the stone pathways, casting soft shadows across the grass. In the distance, the chapel stood quietly, its tall cross visible against the dark sky.
They walked slowly, side by side.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
Their footsteps echoed softly against the pavement.
Finally Lucas broke the silence.
"You've been avoiding me."
Michael's heart skipped.
"I haven't."
Lucas glanced at him.
"You have."
Michael stared ahead, pretending to focus on the path.
"I've just been busy."
Lucas stopped walking.
Michael took two more steps before realizing Lucas wasn't beside him anymore.
When he turned, Lucas was standing there watching him, his expression calm but serious.
"Michael."
Something in the way he said his name made Michael's chest tighten.
Lucas took a step closer.
"You don't have to lie to me."
Michael looked down.
The cold air suddenly felt sharper against his skin.
"I'm not lying."
Lucas studied his face for a moment before speaking again, softer this time.
"Did I do something wrong?"
The question caught Michael completely off guard.
"No," he said quickly.
Lucas nodded slowly.
"Then why are you pushing me away?"
Michael opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Because the truth was something he didn't know how to explain.
The bathroom.
That moment when Lucas had leaned closer.
The way his heart had reacted.
The way he hadn't moved away.
Michael's hands tightened slightly at his sides.
Lucas stepped even closer now.
The distance between them had become small.
Too small.
"You've been different since the bathroom," Lucas said quietly.
Lucas's voice had dropped to almost a whisper.
"You felt it too, didn't you?"
Michael's heart began pounding.
For a moment he couldn't look up.
But eventually he did.
And Lucas was already looking at him.
Not accusing.
Not judging.
Just waiting.
The cold wind moved softly through the trees around them.
Michael swallowed.
"I don't know what I felt," he admitted.
Lucas didn't speak.
He just kept watching him.
Michael looked away again.
"I've made mistakes before," he said quietly. "With people."
Lucas's expression softened slightly.
"They cared about me for a while," Michael continued, his voice low. "And then they left. Like it meant nothing."
The confession hung in the cold night air.
Lucas didn't interrupt.
After a moment he stepped closer again.
Now they were standing only inches apart.
"You think I'm like them?" Lucas asked softly.
Michael shook his head quickly.
"No."
Lucas's voice was gentle.
"Then stop punishing me for something I haven't done."
Michael looked up.
And suddenly he realized just how close Lucas was standing.
The dim compound light reflected softly in Lucas's eyes.
Michael's heartbeat quickened.
Lucas lifted one hand slowly.
For a second Michael thought he might step back.
But he didn't.
Lucas's fingers gently brushed the edge of Michael's sleeve.
The contact was light.
Barely there.
Yet it sent a quiet warmth through Michael's chest.
Neither of them spoke.
Lucas leaned a little closer.
Michael's breath caught.
The world around them seemed to fade — the distant buildings, the rustling trees, even the cold night air.
All that remained was the space between them.
Lucas's voice was barely audible now.
"Tell me to stop."
Michael didn't say anything.
Lucas studied his face for a moment.
Then slowly — very slowly — he leaned forward.
Michael's heart pounded loudly in his ears.
For a split second he thought about stepping back.
About remembering every warning his mind had been shouting for days.
But instead…
He stayed.
Lucas's lips touched his.
Soft.
Careful.
Michael froze for a heartbeat.
Then something inside him finally gave way.
His hand instinctively moved, gripping the front of Lucas's sweater slightly as he kissed him back.
The kiss deepened slowly.
It wasn't rushed.
It wasn't desperate.
It was warm and searching, filled with the quiet tension that had been building between them for weeks.
Lucas's hand rested lightly at Michael's side, steadying him.
Michael felt his entire body warm despite the cold night around them.
For a moment the world truly seemed to stop.
Until—
Footsteps.
Both of them pulled apart instantly.
Another seminarian was walking down the pathway toward the dormitory.
Lucas stepped back slightly.
Michael's breathing was uneven.
Neither of them spoke.
The other seminarian passed by without paying them much attention.
When the path was quiet again, Lucas looked at Michael.
But Michael couldn't meet his eyes.
His lips still tingled from the kiss.
"I should go," Michael murmured.
Lucas didn't try to stop him.
Michael turned and walked quickly toward the dormitory building.
He didn't stop until he reached the corridor.
Inside his room, he leaned back against the door, his heart still racing.
Slowly, he lifted a hand and touched his lips.
The memory of the kiss replayed in his mind.
And despite everything he had feared…
He couldn't stop the small, trembling smile that formed on his face.
Because for the first time in a long while…
He didn't feel alone.