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Across the Vessalius estate, there is a stir of pleasant unrest.
Winter's frost vanishes.
The heat billows through marble-stone verandas, thrilling hearts and fluttering against the long, ivory lace curtains. From below the countless rooms of Viscount Vessalius's elegant and white-marble manor, those living here enjoy themselves under the sun.
Oz decides to play hide and go seek, without telling Gil, stealing Ada's toy — a gilded, ornate bow with silk-paper red arrows.
He throws off his waistcoat, finding it easier to breathe and to aim as Oz crouches. He lets loose an arrow to the back of Missus Kate's head. She squawks unladylike in the gardens, dropping her tea cup onto the white-clothed table. Another servant fusses.
No one suspects him — except they do, they always do, and Oz doesn't hear about a punishment until the next luncheon.
Somewhere off by the lake, Ada plays with her house cats Dinah and Snowdrop rubbing themselves to her skirts. Uncle Oscar reads his morning paper, his teeth clenching lightly around a cigar. Oz spies Gil calling out Oz's name, searching the grounds.
"Ouchh!" Gil whines, one of Oz's arrows flying out and striking him. He rubs his bottom. "Young Master!"
An impatient huff,
"Well?" Oz says as if demanding an answer to a question not placed. His little, golden brows furrow.
Gil echoes him with a meek and nervous "well?".
"You were hit with a cupid's arrow, Gil!" Oz explains, disheartened. "Well? Who was it—Who did you fall in love with?"
At the further confusion, Oz groans. He flops himself on a grey stone-step. Like a cushion, all of the rosy flower blossoms squish under Oz. "You dummy! When you get hit by Cupid's arrow—you're supposed to fall in love with the first person you see!"
Gil's eyes squint. Their colour as amber as the dying sunlight.
"But… I saw you…"
Oz opens his mouth, ready to scold Gil, but hesitates.
He looks up in contemplation, humming and tapping his chin with fingertips.
"That's fine too, I guess." Oz shrugs, taking Gil's hand firmly into his hand not gripping Ada's bow. The other boy reddens. "I don't want you to fall in love with anyone else and leave us, anyway," Oz adds cheerfully, dragging Gil towards the fountains.
The courtyard stretches out for some distance. He splashes Gil with water, laughing and running off to the green hedge mazes, and hearing his best friend crying out for Oz to slow down!. They spend the rest of the morning doing whatever they want, hitting wrought iron gates with sticks and exploring, and Oz dunks himself under a pond to watch the lily pads glimmer above him.
"You think we're gonna grow old together, Gil?"
Oz kicks a rock by the lavender rose bushes, his nose itching as bits of pale dandelion fluff surrounds them.
"I..."
Gil clings to one of the angel statues, his little fingers curling. His head bows.
"I hope so," he mumbles forlornly.
"You're so silly." Oz, smiling and stern, ruffles Girl's dark curls with a hand. "Of course we will. You're supposed to say yes."
"Oh," Gil whispers. His cheeks dimple with a bashful look. "Yes, Young Master."
"That's better."
Oz pokes Gil's flushed cheek. Cute! Cute! Cute!
"Did you mean what you said before…?" Gil asks shyly, watching Oz's expression change into something more heavy in understanding. "That you... didn't want me to fall in love with anyone else, Young Master Oz? Did you really mean it?"
A sensation thwips! in Oz's chest. Like releasing an arrow.
He grips onto Gil's face with both hands, startling the other boy's reverie.
Oz grins.
"Let's go hide the smelling salts in Missus Cordelia's bonnet!"
"Wh-what!?"
"C'mon!" Oz yells, dragging on Gil's hand again, leading them towards the estate's manor.
He doesn't ever want to let go.
Not for the world.
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