without a heavy heart. A gift, such as he’d been given, deserved to be shared between two people in love. Without Michael by his side, daylight would hold no meaning for him.
* * * *
“This hat makes me look stupid,” Michael grumbled. It was bad enough that he’d been told to wear jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.
Neo wrapped his arms around Michael. He ducked under the wide brim of the straw hat and kissed him. “Sorry, but I’m not taking any more chances with you.”
“Yeah, that’s what you said last time,” he quipped. As soon as the words were out he gasped. “I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. I know it’s not your fault.”
Neo said nothing for several moments. One side of his mouth eventually lifted into a half-smile. “I know you didn’t, but you’re right, I have said that too many times without following through on my promise. I’m truly sorry for that.”
Michael shook his head. The last thing he wanted was for Neo to feel guilty. In the week since Neo had risked his life to rescue him, Michael had begged Neo to go out and enjoy the sunshine. Each time Neo refused, saying that he wouldn’t go out until he could take Michael with him. It might have seemed like a simple thing to some people, but Michael knew how much Neo had missed moving around in the daylight hours.
“What’re we going to do?” Michael asked as Neo opened the door and ushered him out.
“I don’t know,” Neo answered. “I think I’d like to walk around if you think you’re up to it.”
“I’m fine.” Michael’s burns had healed within forty-eight hours, but it had taken him longer to regain his strength. He glanced at the setting sun. “You know, there’s probably only about forty-five minutes of daylight left. We should’ve come out earlier.”
Neo threaded his fingers through Michael’s as they walked down the path. “I’m still not convinced it’s safe for either of us. Since the sun is weaker at this time of day, I thought it would be a good test.”
Strolling towards the valley beyond the mated employee housing, Neo slowed his pace. Michael stopped and looked up at the man he loved. “Something wrong?”
His eyes shimmering with unshed tears, Neo shook his head. “It’s the first time I’ve seen my beloved Le Uve del Regno in the sunlight. It’s more beautiful than I ever imagined.”
Michael gazed at the landscape. Although a light snow had fallen only a month earlier, the terraced hills were varying shades of green, the tall cypress standing sentinel around the perimeter of the vineyard. “When I first came here, I thought of those trees up there as prison guards.”
Neo’s hand landed on the small of Michael’s back. “You didn’t like it here?”
Michael shook his head. “It wasn’t that. I mean, it’s gorgeous, no one could deny that, but I was…lonely. In the Realm people wanted me around. They valued my opinion, they thought I was funny.” Michael shrugged. “I felt like I’d given everything up for a man who didn’t even want me here.”
“But you stayed anyway,” Neo reminded Michael.
Grinning, Michael wrapped his arms around Neo’s waist. “Of course I did. I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving Sema .”
Neo chuckled and kissed the top of Michael’s head. “You like my big pussycat don’t you?”
“I love your big pussycat, and I hate to tell you this, but I think he likes me better than he does you.”
“No way. I rescued Sema from a horrible man who used to beat him. Sema may be a cat, but he understands more than you think he does.”
Nestled against Neo’s chest, Michael hummed his contentment. Although Neo still refused his role as king of the Blessed Creatures, his heart seemed bigger than his stubbornness. Caring for the well-being of all of God’s creatures was the most important aspect of leading them. Spiro had done a good job in Neo’s absence, but he lacked the resolute quality that came so naturally to Neo.
The back of Neo’s
* * * *
“This hat makes me look stupid,” Michael grumbled. It was bad enough that he’d been told to wear jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.
Neo wrapped his arms around Michael. He ducked under the wide brim of the straw hat and kissed him. “Sorry, but I’m not taking any more chances with you.”
“Yeah, that’s what you said last time,” he quipped. As soon as the words were out he gasped. “I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. I know it’s not your fault.”
Neo said nothing for several moments. One side of his mouth eventually lifted into a half-smile. “I know you didn’t, but you’re right, I have said that too many times without following through on my promise. I’m truly sorry for that.”
Michael shook his head. The last thing he wanted was for Neo to feel guilty. In the week since Neo had risked his life to rescue him, Michael had begged Neo to go out and enjoy the sunshine. Each time Neo refused, saying that he wouldn’t go out until he could take Michael with him. It might have seemed like a simple thing to some people, but Michael knew how much Neo had missed moving around in the daylight hours.
“What’re we going to do?” Michael asked as Neo opened the door and ushered him out.
“I don’t know,” Neo answered. “I think I’d like to walk around if you think you’re up to it.”
“I’m fine.” Michael’s burns had healed within forty-eight hours, but it had taken him longer to regain his strength. He glanced at the setting sun. “You know, there’s probably only about forty-five minutes of daylight left. We should’ve come out earlier.”
Neo threaded his fingers through Michael’s as they walked down the path. “I’m still not convinced it’s safe for either of us. Since the sun is weaker at this time of day, I thought it would be a good test.”
Strolling towards the valley beyond the mated employee housing, Neo slowed his pace. Michael stopped and looked up at the man he loved. “Something wrong?”
His eyes shimmering with unshed tears, Neo shook his head. “It’s the first time I’ve seen my beloved Le Uve del Regno in the sunlight. It’s more beautiful than I ever imagined.”
Michael gazed at the landscape. Although a light snow had fallen only a month earlier, the terraced hills were varying shades of green, the tall cypress standing sentinel around the perimeter of the vineyard. “When I first came here, I thought of those trees up there as prison guards.”
Neo’s hand landed on the small of Michael’s back. “You didn’t like it here?”
Michael shook his head. “It wasn’t that. I mean, it’s gorgeous, no one could deny that, but I was…lonely. In the Realm people wanted me around. They valued my opinion, they thought I was funny.” Michael shrugged. “I felt like I’d given everything up for a man who didn’t even want me here.”
“But you stayed anyway,” Neo reminded Michael.
Grinning, Michael wrapped his arms around Neo’s waist. “Of course I did. I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving Sema .”
Neo chuckled and kissed the top of Michael’s head. “You like my big pussycat don’t you?”
“I love your big pussycat, and I hate to tell you this, but I think he likes me better than he does you.”
“No way. I rescued Sema from a horrible man who used to beat him. Sema may be a cat, but he understands more than you think he does.”
Nestled against Neo’s chest, Michael hummed his contentment. Although Neo still refused his role as king of the Blessed Creatures, his heart seemed bigger than his stubbornness. Caring for the well-being of all of God’s creatures was the most important aspect of leading them. Spiro had done a good job in Neo’s absence, but he lacked the resolute quality that came so naturally to Neo.
The back of Neo’s
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