Michael barely slept.
Long after the dormitory lights were switched off and the quiet breathing of the other seminarians filled the room, he remained awake on his narrow bed.
The night replayed itself over and over in his mind.
The cold air.
Lucas standing close to him beneath the dim compound lights.
The warmth of the wool socks still tucked beneath his pillow.
And the kiss.
Michael lifted his hand slowly and brushed his fingers against his lips.
His heart thudded softly in his chest.
It had been real.
Not a dream.
Not his imagination.
He rolled onto his side, staring at the ceiling.
Part of him felt light, almost happy.
But another part of him felt a rising fear that refused to settle.
They were seminarians.
What they had done was something no one here was supposed to do.
The thought twisted inside him.
Eventually exhaustion pulled him into a shallow sleep.
The seminary bell rang before dawn.
Michael sat upright immediately, his mind still foggy from the restless night.
Samuel groaned from the other bed.
"Morning already?" he muttered.
Michael dressed quietly in his cassock, his thoughts racing.
He hadn't yet decided how he would face Lucas.
The chapel was already filled with seminarians when he arrived. Soft light filtered through the stained-glass windows, coloring the stone floor with faint reds and blues.
Michael slipped into a pew.
And then he saw him.
Lucas was standing near the front with the choir, adjusting his sheet music.
For a moment, Lucas glanced up.
Their eyes met.
Both of them looked away almost immediately.
Michael felt his ears grow warm.
Throughout the prayers, his focus kept drifting.
Lucas's voice joined the choir, smooth and steady, filling the chapel with a calm that only made Michael more aware of him.
At one point Michael looked up again.
Lucas was already looking at him.
But this time Lucas didn't look away first.
Instead, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
A small smile.
Michael quickly lowered his gaze to his prayer book.
Later that morning, in the corridor outside their room, Samuel leaned against the wall watching Michael struggle to tie his belt.
"You look like someone who didn't sleep," Samuel said.
Michael shrugged.
"I slept fine."
Samuel narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Really?"
Michael grabbed his books.
"Yes."
Samuel folded his arms.
"Then explain why you've been smiling to yourself for the last five minutes."
Michael froze.
"I wasn't smiling."
Samuel raised an eyebrow.
"You were."
"You're imagining things."
Samuel chuckled.
"Sure."
Later that afternoon, Michael stepped outside near the back of the chapel.
He didn't notice Lucas approaching until he heard his voice.
"Michael."
He turned slowly.
Lucas stopped a few steps away.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
The memory of the night before hovered silently between them.
Finally Michael looked down.
"About last night…"
Lucas waited.
Michael hesitated.
"Do you regret it?" Lucas asked quietly.
"No."
The answer came faster than he expected.
Lucas studied his face carefully.
"Then why do you look like you're about to run away again?"
Michael sighed softly.
"Because this place… this life… it's not simple."
Lucas nodded.
"I know."
Michael ran a hand through his hair.
"If anyone finds out—"
"They won't," Lucas said gently.
Michael looked uncertain.
Lucas stepped a little closer.
"Not unless we give them a reason to."
The words were calm, but they carried weight.
Michael searched Lucas's face.
"And if someone does find out?" he asked quietly.
Lucas didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he reached out and briefly squeezed Michael's hand.
The touch lasted only a second.
But it sent warmth rushing through Michael again.
"Then we deal with it together," Lucas said.
They didn't notice the figure standing across the courtyard.
Near the statue garden, Francis stood partially hidden beside a stone pillar.
His gaze followed them carefully.
He watched the way Lucas stood close to Michael.
He watched the way Michael's expression softened when Lucas spoke.
Francis's eyes narrowed slightly.
Something about their behavior felt… strange.
He leaned back against the pillar, crossing his arms.
For now, he said nothing.
But he kept watching.
A few minutes later, Michael and Lucas began walking back toward the dormitory.
When they reached the corridor, they stopped.
Neither seemed eager to leave first.
Lucas glanced at him.
"Try to sleep tonight."
Michael smiled faintly.
"I'll try."
Lucas nodded and turned toward his room.
Michael watched him go for a moment before heading down the opposite corridor.
But as he walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed between them.
Something deeper.
Something dangerous.
And somewhere in the quiet courtyard outside…
Someone else had started to notice.