Chapter 3

Steve felt like he was going crazy during his lover's absence. Everything inside him urged him to trust Charlie, but all the clues he couldn't comprehend made him doubt. Every time he focused on one of these details, memories of their night of passion flooded back to him, as if trying to dispel his doubts. The military man had a headache from concentrating on the reasons he had to be wary of Charlie, even though his entire being seemed to want to push that idea away.

He was sitting with his head in his hands, in front of a cold coffee when Charlie returned, but he didn't hear him, too lost in his thoughts. He jumped when the redhead placed a hand on his shoulder and moved away from him abruptly.

"Hey, what's going on?" Charlie asked, concerned.

"What have you done to me? Why can't I think clearly about everything that's wrong with you? Why do I feel like my body wants to trust you even though I see so many reasons not to?"

To Steve's surprise, Charlie smiled at his words and sat on the bed.

"Because I've given you plenty of reasons not to trust me, but your body and heart have recognized a unique bond between us that's more important than anything else."

Steve looked at him puzzled; he didn't understand what the young man was saying, and he struggled against the urge to question him about everything that was bothering him, but also against his need to be in his arms. He decided to understand before giving in again to his desires, even though he felt like he was fighting against an incredibly strong magnet.

"And are you going to explain all these reasons to me?"

Charlie studied him for several minutes that felt very long to Steve. He was afraid that his lover wouldn't be transparent with him, and he was increasingly struggling against his need to touch him. He even felt like he was trembling.

"How about you stop fighting what you're feeling, come over here with me, and I promise to tell you everything and answer all your questions?" Charlie pleaded with a hint of pain in his voice.

Steve didn't hesitate. He needed this contact too much. All he hoped for was that Charlie would be honest with him and keep his promise. He got on the bed and sat facing the redhead, who immediately took his hand. The soldier's tremors ceased as soon as their skin made contact, and his doubts eased.

"What's happening in my body?" the soldier murmured, scared of what was happening to him.

"It's because you doubted our bond," Charlie explained.

Steve stared at his counterpart, wondering what he was talking about, but also why he seemed upset by this fact.

"Let me explain who I am first, and if you still have questions afterward, you can ask me, okay?"

Steve nodded, becoming calmer by the minute from the caresses Charlie's thumb made on the back of his hand, as well as from his calm voice.

"I know it's going to sound crazy, but real magic exists, and I'm a wizard," the redhead said while taking out his magic wand in front of Steve's astonished eyes.

He made a motion with the carved piece of wood while murmuring some words in a language the soldier didn't understand, and Steve felt himself lifted off the bed. Panic surged through him as he realized what was happening, but Charlie lowered his wand immediately, and Steve was gently placed back on the bed. Panic had gripped the soldier, who retreated from the bed, his heart pounding, his mind confused, assessing the threat before him. His body began to tremble, urging him to seek the soothing touch of the wizard in front of him.

"Steve, I promise you have nothing to fear from me. Let me show you and explain before you push me away," Charlie pleaded, his voice filled with pain.

The soldier sat at the edge of the bed and took his counterpart's hand in his. He still didn't quite understand why his body was reacting this way, but he was starting to accept that the magic Charlie spoke of must have something to do with his need to touch his lover. His tremors calmed down, as did his panic. He realized that indeed, the wizard's demonstration hadn't put him in danger, and he suddenly became very curious.

"Can you show me other things?"

The worried expression in front of him brightened and turned playful. Charlie cast a spell to summon an empty glass, which he then transformed into a rope before restoring it to its original form, all under Steve's amazed gaze. The soldier had a childlike smile, his eyes sparkling as he struggled to believe what he was seeing.

"I think you've seen enough for now," Charlie chuckled. "How about I continue with my story?"

Steve was a bit disappointed not to see more, but he suspected it was just a matter of time. His curiosity about his lover's life returned to his mind with renewed force.

"There are wizards in every country. My family lives in the United Kingdom, and I've been in Romania since I was 19."

"Why did you move to Romania?"

"To study dragons."

"You... you," Steve stuttered, struggling to imagine what Charlie was telling him.

"I'm a dragon caretaker."

Steve was taken aback for a moment before excitement surged through him. The world his lover was inviting him into seemed full of surprises, and he was eager to explore it... and especially to see real dragons!

"As you might guess, there are all sorts of wizards, some of them very bad. Fortunately, they are often countered by aurors, the magical police, if you will. However, there's a very powerful dark wizard who rose above the others about twenty years ago and triggered a war among wizards. He was defeated when I was nine years old. Everyone thought he was dead, but he came back three years ago."

Charlie paused, and Steve, who was hanging on to his every word, sensed his turmoil. Suddenly, he recognized the look in the young man's eyes – the same look that many returning soldiers had – and he understood, at least partly, what Charlie was about to say.

"There was a second war?" he asked, praying to be wrong.

"Yes," the wizard answered, his gaze dark.

"Did you fight?"

"Yes, like my entire family. I was in charge of recruiting wizards from outside of Great Britain to join our side."

Charlie's gaze was clouded, and emotion choked his words. Steve could feel his sorrow deep within himself and squeezed the freckled hand as a gesture of support.

"When you jumped on me in Romania, I was actually in the middle of recruiting someone. But the undeniable connection between us, your condition, and the obvious danger around you made me bring you home and take care of you. When you woke up, I learned that a major battle had begun in England, and my men and I had to go there. I started the alarm and took care of you. I put you to sleep and used magical transportation to take you to your base careful to not being seen, then I went to England. The battle had just resumed, it was terrible. Our side won, but we had lost so many."

Charlie interrupted his story, tears welling up in his eyes. Touched by his distress, Steve pulled him into his arms. He knew his lover must have lost someone close, maybe even several people, although he desperately wished to be mistaken. The redhead allowed himself to be held by the soldier, tears silently streaming down his face. They remained like that for several minutes until Steve broke the silence, still not loosening his embrace.

"Who was it?"

"One of my younger brothers, Fred. He died before I joined the battle."

The American tightened his arms around the trembling body and lay down on the bed to cradle him until the tears stopped. They stayed like that for a while, enjoying each other's soothing presence. Steve felt at ease; Charlie had answered all the questions he had this morning, and while many new questions were forming in his mind, only one seemed urgent to discuss.

"What's this bond you're talking about?" he finally asked.

"The bond of soulmates," Charlie replied, sitting up to look him in the eyes.

Steve was momentarily taken aback by this declaration. The idea of being destined for someone who would love and accompany him in life as he deserved was appealing, but he knew very little about Charlie. He had never been attracted to men before, and panic began to set in.

The thin lips of his soulmate pressed against his, and he immediately calmed down. He breathed easier and reconnected with reality.

"You're not stuck with me for life. Since you're not a magical being, you can choose to break this bond and live your life on your own. But know that I will do everything I can to make you happy, even if it means watching you risk your life in dangerous missions."

"Is that coming from the guy who works with dragons?"

Both of them laughed and kissed, quickly succumbing to passion as they discarded their clothes in a hurry.