#Imagine you're sitting at the dining room table picking at the last of your dinner and you hear your spouse yell HOW OLD ARE CHICKENS

[undeadhousewife]

Welcome to my family, where my oldest was talking about how a kid asked the rabbi tonight which came first - chicken soup or the matzo ball which launched me into asking "wait how old ARE chickens??" and now my man is reading down a list of animals domesticated from oldest to newest

[outoftownagain]

The best restaurants in Santorini, Greece

This, of course, isn't a definite list. We didn't even try a fraction of what the culinary world of Santorini has to offer and I am sure there are plenty of equally fantastic or better places. But by these 5 restaurants stood out for us and came recommended by other travelers and locals.

Hope you're not hungry!

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1. Μεταξύ Μας / Metaxi Mas 9FQ5+H2 Exo Gonia, Greece www.santorini-metaximas.gr

Metaxi Mas is a must whether you take a taxi, rent a four-wheeler, or simply walk from the charming village of Pyrgos. (We were advised very strongly against doing the latter by a very nice lady at a souvenir store: "It's not possible to walk, it's in the next village! But it is a wonderful restaurant, you must make it there regardless," she said. We did it anyway and it took about half an hour of walking downhill.) And just like pretty much everyone we spoke to about Metaxi Mas promised, it is absolutely amazing. You won't find your regular horiatiki and moussaka here, but by the time you make it here, you've most likely had enough of those and will be excited to take a quick break. You'll also have a change of view, because the cozy terrace is overlooking the airport and the less photographed side of the island, which may be slightly less iconic but gorgeous nonetheless. We started with Smoked Fish in a Chickpea Stew and the moment we tasted the dish, we knew that it would be the best meal on the island. We continued with Shrimp saganaki finished with ouzo, tomato sauce, fennel and feta cheese, which I will remember for a long time. And then, for a finale, a Spicy fried pork with Assyrtiko Santorini wine (which we were about to learn all about at a nearby winery, Santo Wines) with peppers, onion, garlic, Santorini cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and boukovo—red pepper flakes. Were we full? Of course. Did we want more? Absolutely! It was our last day on Santorini, so we knew we wouldn't have time to return to Metaxi Mas, so we asked our lovely waitress if she could suggest just one more, small dish, simply because everything was so delicious that we'd love another bite. She said that her favorite thing on the menu was Oven-baked asparagus with Cretan graviera cheese and estragon, and we thought that a little asparagus appetizer would be a perfect finishing touch to this feast. Little did we know that the "small dish" is in fact a huge plate filled with lots and lots of hot, melty, delicious cheese (with a little bit of asparagus buried deep under). It was way more than we wanted but way too delicious to leave behind and a taxi to take us to the wine tour at Santo Wines was already waiting. We might have burnt our mouths a little but we finished the asparagus and our wonderful waitress brought us a dessert packed to go because she knew we had to go. If you're in Santorini right now and looking for some delicious food, I couldn't be more jealous of you!

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2. To Psaraki Vlichada Marina, Vlichada 847 00, Greece www.topsaraki.gr

Near the southernmost tip of Santorini, at the end of Perivolos beach you'll find the charming Vlychada port. Arguably the best place to view it from (and definitely the most delicious one) is To Psaraki taverna. You'll have to drive or take a taxi there but the place is worth the trip. The actual restaurant is very nice but you really want to sit at the bright blue terrace across the street, which overlooks the port and the sea. Eating at To Psaraki feels like finding a hidden gem andt also like being on a Greek postcard at the same time.   The food is delicious and it starts from the very beginning—each table receives a bread basket and a portion of Santorini tomato paste with olive oil and oregano. (There is a tomato paste museum down the road, but it was still closed due to Covid when we visited.) We continued the feast with Fresh Greek mussels steamed with wine and spring onions (it's hard to imagine a more perfect dish to go with the view of sea and a distant smell of a seaport) after which a gorgeous Grilled Octopus arrived. Can't say that we were hungry anymore, but our main dish — fresh and homely amberjack was only about to be served. Accompanied by vegetables, tomatoes and a lemon, it was wonderful.

The restaurant overlooks the port and a short walkaway is Vlychada Beach with black sand, a beach bar and some amazing view of the cliffs, which makes it easy to spend a whole day in this small area.

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3.  Kokkalo 25is Martiou 25, Thira 847 00, Greece kokkalosantorini.com

We arrived in Santorini midday and after the initial shock caused by the overwhelming beauty of the view from the plane, then the taxi and finally from our suite, we were ready to eat. We picked Kokkalo purely because it was the closest recommended restaurant from our suite. It did take some climbing (everything in Santorini involves countless stairs and hills) and then a short walk along a busy, narrow street, but the place was 100% worth it.

We were greeted by a very friendly and quirky lady with a very particular sense of humor and a tray with 2 glasses of strong, local liquor. Day drinking it is! After hearing that we just arrived on the island, she was quick to recommend a local specialty—Santorini tomato fritters. "If you're going to have them, you need to have them here," she said, "we have cooking classes and we teach how to make them here." Tomato fritters are very tasty, but to be completely honest, it is one of those dishes that you try once and don't necessarily need to order again anytime soon.

We also got the Santorini Greek Salad and Chicken Souvlaki, which were both absolutely delicious and anyone could eat them every day for a long time. The presentation of the chicken deserves a special shoutout—it is definitely an attention-grabber when it arrives at the table.

Kokkalo is totally a great spot—it may not overlook the volcano, but staring into the flat side of Santorini with Anafi island in the distance is a pure pleasure! Mix that with great food, chilled wine and lovely service and you have a fantastic experience!

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4. Roka Mpotsari 6, Oía 847 02, Greece www.roka.gr

I'm not gonna lie, Roka was a bit of an accident (a great one though!) We hiked from Fira to Oia and we completely underestimated the time it would take us to complete the hike considering all the stops for wine, snacks, photos and views. They say that the hike takes from 3 to 6 hours and it did take us 6 hours (we're fast hikers but we stopped A LOT along the way to enjoy the views and wine) so when we finally got to Oia, we needed to eat before the sunset and most places were either booked or still closed because of Covid. We basically ran to check out Roka and it is semi-hidden in a maze of small, charming alleyways so we got a little lost trying to find it. We were greeted by a man who looked like he could be in a movie about a mafia-ran restaurant: white shirt and a tie, a sceptical gaze, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, and a brutal silence. He turned out to be our waiter and luckily he turned out to be very friendly, much contrary to our first impression of him.

We were seated at the small back patio lit by the setting sun and overlooking the sea and some less touristy parts of town and the island. The food was absolutely delicious yet presented in a slightly pretentious but cheesy way. It is not taverna food and obviously the chef is aspiring to a higher level of a dining experience. To start we were served rusk with olives and delicious tomato paste, which we learned was typical of Santorini, famous for its cherry tomatoes. Then we continued with ‘Imam Bayaldi’ with eggplant, shrimps, ’Oyzo’ glaze and chilli garlic mayo and Mushrooms Ragout on a sourdough bruschetta with caramelized onions, cream and gruyere sauce. Those two appetizers were quite Huge And Totally Satisfied Our Post-Hike Hunger, But We Had Two More Dishes Coming - Main Courses This Time.

Skioufikta - Traditional Greek Handmade Pasta with Caramelized Onion, Eggplant, Zucchini, Tomato and ’Xinoturi’ From Ios, which was light, delicate and delicious. The shape of pasta is a bit like cavatelli and is a perfect vessel for the summer flavors of this dish. Fresh Dorado Fillet came with fantastic Parsnip Puree, Braised Leek that melts in your mouth with Hazelnuts and was topped with long, thin crisps that gave it an additional texture. Satisfied and excited, we ran to the nearby Castle of Agios Nikolaos for a spectacular and unforgettable sunset.

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5. Naoussa Fira Santorini Next to the Central Orthodox Cathedral of Fira Town Mitropoleos Fira Town, Thira 847 00, Greece naoussasantorini.restaurant

When we arrived at this gigantic taverna, it was empty, with the only two guests eating at a table near the windows. We decided to sit at the other table with a view—right next to the couple finishing their dinner. It turned out to be a quite an unfortunate choice because those guests were an extreme example of a married couple who goes out to talk to other people in bars and restaurants. We spent the entire dinner listening about the wealth, success and amazing life of our co-diners, all the houses, apartments, businesses and countless trips all over the world were described in detail whether we wanted it or not. We also learned the history of their relationship including tidbits like: "Would you believe that after not seeing me for 2 weeks my husband chose to take me out to eat sushi instead of taking me to the bedroom straight from the airport?"

But back to the restaurant, the food was delicious and the sunset view (when we managed to look away from our interlocutors) quite terrific. We started with Dolmades, which are vine leaves stuffed with lemony rice and happen to be one of my favorite small dishes. The leaves are the best when they're delicate and not veiny, the rice needs to be moist and the entire thing is best served room temperature or slightly warm. So good! We also had a tuna salad with hard boiled eggs, which looked a bit like mess but was packed with unexpected flavor. We finished with a whole fish, which was absolutely perfect.

We did drink a lot of wine and we took our time eating, listening to the forced stories and admiring the sunset. At some point the initially empty dining room filled up completely and then it emptied again. It felt like we experienced the whole circle of sunset dining crowd.

[alison-anonymous]

♡ lake house fever ♡ t.l.

Lake House Fever ♡ Tom Lucitor Imagine

Requested: no, BUT I PROMISE I WILL GET TO THOSE THAT ARE REQUESTING!!! I just keep getting new ideas, I’m so sorry :’(

Warnings: extreme FLUFF, slight angst but not too major

Summary: obviously the main plot line of Lake House Fever, only it’s the reader instead of Star and things are a bit changed up. Reader is a human who has been dating Tom for a long time against her parents’ will because she and him are undeniably in love with each other. The second time he invites her over to hang out with his family, and they end up stranded due to a storm with his mother who is just a little bit skeptical about his new girlfriend...

♡♡♡ 

To say that you were in love with Tom Lucitor might just be the understatement of the century.

Yes, you were a human.

And yes, you knew it was absolutely insane that you were in love with a demon hybrid who not only lived longer than you ever would, but was also the fucking Prince of the Underworld. There was no way that things would ever work out, right? This logic would have driven you away instantly, except for one fact that made your situation different.

He loved you too.

You and Tom had been dating for almost a year now, and you could feel it in your gut that Tom was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. You've never been more certain about anything more than that. And he felt the same, secretly forming a plan to slowly ease you into becoming his wife one day and the Queen of the Underworld. They'd find a way to make the fact that you were a human work, I mean, Star had been teaching you how to cast very small spells that very special humans can perform. Most of them consisted of spells for protection, and one random one about conjuring a cloud bartender she had insisted on teaching you.

Yeah, they'd make it work.

Anyways, your parents definitely did not approve of your relationship for obvious reasons. But ever since the moment you and Tom had laid eyes on each other and it was like the whole world had frozen, Star knew that she had to get you two together. Despite your parents' constant nagging to end it, you forced their lack of blessings to the back of your mind and did your best to let go of your problems with your best friends and with Tom.

It worked every time.

Nothing made you happier than being with your best friends and the love of your life! And while the road may have been a bit rocky, the day that Tom invited you over to his Lake House with his family for some bonding time was going to turn out a lot more... exciting than you had ever imagined it would be...

♡♡♡

The inside of the lava suit you were wearing was growing slightly warm from your closeness to said lava, but with one look at your boyfriend as he joyfully glided along the waves, you knew you could suffer through the heat. Surfing was never really your forte, but once Tom had taught you some tricks, you basically became a pro just to go surfing with him. 

Balancing your best on the board below you, you gradually picked up speed until you were side by side with Tom, who, not gonna lie, looked pretty hot when he was shirtless. 

“Hey there gorgeous,” he winked, earning a slight blush to rise to your cheeks. 

“Hey yourself, hottie,” you flirted back, receiving a sly grin from your boyfriend. His three red eyes were laced mischievously as he glanced towards the shoreline where his family was resting. 

“Race you to the shore?” 

“You’re on!” 

He beat you, of course. Not that you minded! He was totally awesome at surfing, not to mention you got a great view of his backside as you were left in the waves... Shaking your head to snap yourself out of it, you soon realized that you had a prior obligation to get to. Guilt riddled your mind as you popped the circular helmet off of your head and handed it over to your boyfriend.

“Thanks so much for the fun time, Tom,” you smiled. “But I totally forgot that I have to help Star with a Diaz family dinner.”

His mother made what sounded like an angry sigh from her height above you, only making you feel a little worse. With just one look at your hunched expression, Tom was instantly able to read your mind. 

“Hey, it’s all cool, sunshine,” you felt the butterflies flitter at the cute nickname. “But you know, you could just stay here!” 

You considered it. You truly did consider it because, even though you loved Star, you would choose staying with your boyfriend over attending another Diaz family dinner any day. They were sort of... strange. But the last time you tried to skip out, Star made sure that you paid for it by forcing you into owing her a favor when she needed it, and that usually resulted in cleaning Lavabo’s lint trap or helping Star and Jana awaken the dead... it was terrifying owing Star a favor.

“I would love to, but Star can be very... persuasive,” you chuckled awkwardly. “I really should get-"

A sudden loud, earsplitting bang of thunder erupted through the sky, startling you so badly you jumped out of the lava suit. Up above, the usual tangerine sky had now began turning a fiery red with neon yellow lightning bolts throughout. You quickly latched on to your boyfriend's lavender arm, not even noticing him smiling at how cute you were when you were scared.

"Well, that looks like a pretty nasty storm," Dave commented, already beginning to pack up the lawn chair he had been sitting in.

"We better head inside for safety. Guess you'll be sticking around," Tom grinned at you, wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you close. You felt you face flush red at the closeness and the exhilaration that never went away. In your flustered state, you completely forgot all about the dinner as you muttered a soft "okay" before following them all inside.

The sky didn't look any better inside their lake house. In fact, it almost looked worse! You were cuddled up on the couch next to Tom while his family was splayed out on the couches next to and before you. To be honest, you weren't quite sure exactly how they felt about you. You hoped they liked you, but the Lucitors were the kind who seemed mostly indifferent which made it even more nerve wracking for you.

Another surprise thunder bolt caused you to squeak and grab onto Tom's arm out of fear. He smiled softly at you and rested his hand on top of yours. Once you realized what you had done, the blush quickly returned, causing you to stutter.

"H-hey there," you giggled.

"This is quite a storm," Dave commented. "Looks like we're gonna be here for quite some time."

Hey, that means more room for family bonding! Sure it made you a little nervous seeing as you were a human in a room full of demons... but then again, Tom's dad was also a human, so maybe things would be okay.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a shrill shriek that appeared to be coming from behind a very scary portrait of an old... bat, demon thing?

"W-what was that?" You stammered, realizing a bit too late that being with demons also meant a lot of scary, sudden stuff. But when Tom snaked his arm around your waist and pulled you into his chest, the fear was instantly gone.

"That's just Relicor, he wants to play Scrabble with us." As soon as he finished talking, the painting squeaked open to reveal the exact same creature. He let out a loud squak and flew down to rest on the couch beside you, pointing at the Scrabble box that had miraculously appeared on the table. After playing a few rounds of Scrabble, and showing off your complex vocabulary skills, Wrathmelior was coming back from the kitchen when she spotted a huge photo album book.

"Great idea, Honey," Dave agreed after she made some sort of clicking sound you assumed was her speaking. Everyone rose from their seats to go find a larger table that we could all look at the pictures from. While you were following your boyfriend's enormous mother, you suddenly realized how difficult it would be if you ever had to communicate with her one on one.

"I wish I could speak demon," you sighed to yourself, not realizing that Tom heard you.

"I could teach you," he winked. "It'd be fun!" It was only when you realized the suggestive tone he had added to it that you turned beet red and playfully pushed him.

"You're an idiot, Lucitor."

"And you are beautiful, L/n."

You finally reached the dining room and pulled up some chairs so you could gather around the photo book. She started at the beginning, so baby photos was obviously the first thing you saw. You couldn't help but coo over the adorableness as Tom's groans of embarrassment filled the background. Baby Tom was absolutely adorable!!

"Oh my gosh, T, you were such a cute baby!" You cried, leaning your head on his shoulder. His heart began to race as he chuckled softly.

Wrathmelior turned the pages as we passed through Tom's childhood years and family reunions until she stopped at...

"Oh, here we go," Wrathmelior's sister spoke in her raspy voice, practically rolling her eyes. "The Star and Tom section."

Instant tension filled the room as you felt your heart tighten in your chest. Before you were dozens of pictures of your best friend and your boyfriend... on dates, at parties, on walks in the park, on family reunions or celebrations...

To say that it nearly broke your heart would be an understatement. Dave sent you a sympathetic glance as you tried to force yourself to look away. You didn't want to see anymore. Tom, clearly seeing your uncomfortableness, laced his fingers through yours and cleared his throat.

"Umm... Mom? Maybe we can skip this part?"

She shook her head no and was about to continue on looking at the section until she noticed how sad you looked. She heaved a slight sigh and began to turn the page, but by that point you had already stood up and politely asked them to excuse you.

Wrapping your arms tightly around yourself, you walked through the winding hallways and just as you were about to make it to the door, Tom's hand landed gently on your shoulder, whirling you around to face him.

"Hey- sunshine, what's wrong?" His eyebrows knit in concern as he noticed the puffiness in your eyes, like a dam ready to break.

"I-it's nothing," you sniffed, hastily rubbing your eyes. "I'm fine. I just... I think I should go."

"Why?"

His obliviousness sparked a tiny flame of anger inside of you as you shook your head, turning back to face the door. "Your mom obviously hates me. And from the looks of it wishes you were still with Star so... maybe..." You bit your tongue as tears began cascading down your cheeks. "Maybe you should just be with her instead of me."

You threw open the door and raced out into the firestorm, just being glad to get some fresh air and not even caring about the danger surrounding you. Tom was quick to follow you, grabbing your hand and looking around at the sky with fear. He might be fine, but you? You were human, you might die the second you touched the lava.

"Y/n, please, don't do this. That's not true! My mom just has a hard time with change... just, please, come back inside. It's not safe-"

Just then, the absolute worse possible thing that could happen happened. A huge wave of lava came crashing in and dragged Tom out into the water... or lava? A scream escaped from your throat as you watched him struggle against the choppy waves. His mother was screaming from the window and the panic was beginning to close up your lungs.

But he was your boyfriend. And no matter what, you loved him and would do anything to save him. So, you grabbed your surfboard and leapt on top of the waves, wincing in fear at the heat that radiated around you. One wrong move, and you were gone.

"Y/n no!" Tom's shouts were staccatoed as he bobbed in and out of the lava. "It's too dangerous!"

But you didn't care. Riding the waves, you did your best to angle the board towards Tom and just as you were about to reach him, a huge wave rose high over both of your heads and came crashing down.

The only sound to be heard was your screaming.

♡♡♡

About five minutes later, a large blue orb soon rolled onto the beach out of the lava, and soon dissipated to reveal you and Tom, lying side by side.

Tom let out a soft groan as he quickly sat up, and noticing your motionless body, quickly shook you.

"Y/n? Oh thank gods," he quickly swooped in to press a kiss to your lips once he realized you were okay. You giggled into the kiss until he pulled away and were about to sit up when you winced in pain.

He quickly wrapped his arms around your back to support you and inspected your leg. A huge, red gash was evident right by your hamstring. Just then, his family came rushing through the door and straight up to you.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Tom said, gracefully swooping you up into his arms. "Y/n got burned by the lava saving me. Do we still have that first aid kit?"

"Yes, come on, let's go."

About a half our after they had all patched you up and Tom had never left your side, the sky had finally cleared.

"Hey look," you pointed out the window from your position on Tom's lap. "The storm's over."

Wrathmelior turned to you and began leaking some sort of strange substance from her eyes. You had guessed she was crying and felt a heavy weight press against your chest, soon realizing how much danger you and Tom had both been in. You leaned against him even more and rested your head on his shoulder.

"You could have died," he softly scolded.

"So could you," you countered. "I would rather die than let you die."

Just as he was about to respond, his mom made another series of clicks and sounds. You sat there dumbfounded until Dave translated.

"She says that it was she who caused the storm and she is incredibly sorry that she was so judgemental towards you. My wife has a hard time when it comes to girls hurting our boy, so she gets a little... overprotective," he chuckled, scratching the back of his neck before offering you a warm smile. "But please know that we do appreciate you Y/n, and are very happy that our boy has someone like you in his life. Thank you for saving him."

"Of course," you smiled, feeling tears of joy form in your eyes.

Maybe meeting your demon-hybrid boyfriend's family wasn't so bad after all.

♡ a.a.

[moonb-eam]

Hi, sorry if you're already answered it, but i wanted to ask about the dinner at Eliott's castle, when Lucas went to the drawing room to the teleskope and Eliott came to him, can you please tell me (if you want!) what was Eliott thinking? He wanted to say something to Lucas and they were interrupted by Arthur. It's totally okay to not answer, thank you so much for that story! ❤️❤️

hello lovely!! 🌷you’re so sweet thank you!! ☺️

I actually haven’t answered this question before, so let’s dive in!!

It goes like this:

They finish dinner, and decide to play cards.

Eliott doesn’t know where the suggestion comes from, somewhere between Arthur and Herman’s conversation about horribly lost bets, and Daphné’s insistence that she had never lost a hand of cards in her life (which is true), but he’s grateful for the enthusiasm with which the idea is received, because it means that they stay.

It means that Lucas stays. Just a little longer.

Eliott can feel minutes falling from the gaps between his fingers like water, and inevitable end to the storybook night where every smile was shy and every glance was a secret between two people.

Eliott remembers the story only vaguely. Perrault, with a young woman who ventured out her cruel household to a ball. Then, the chiming of midnight, and it all goes away. A dress that turns to tatters. A carriage that turns to a vegetable.

It’s far from midnight still, but Eliott fancies himself the young woman counting down the minutes at her ball. Or maybe he’s the carriage.

He wants to follow them into the drawing room, because he wants to see their faces when Daphné holds her promise to win back any money she lays down, and because he wants to get a spot at the card table where he can be across from Lucas again, and watch the way candlelight caresses his skin.

But he stays behind to help clean from dinner, because the dishes are heavy and the staff must be tired, and because that’s what he always does, whenever they finish a meal. He waves off Daphné with their guests and tries in vain to ignore her when she points at Lucas’ turned back and mouths at Eliott, I like him.

Eliott makes a face at her, picking up another plate.

How could you not?

Clearing the table is usually a quick process, quicker tonight for how distracted Eliott is throughout, thinking of Mr. Savary’s obvious and alarming admiration for Daphné, Mr. Broussard’s keen eyes that seemed to catch every heartfelt look Eliott sent to Lucas that night, and of Lucas himself, and the sweet way he smiled at Eliott over his glass of wine.

It’s likely that Eliott was too obvious in his longing, his heart a phantom weight in his palm, and that was what Mr. Broussard noticed when he stared at him. It’s likely the reason Mr. Broussard was staring at him in the first place. Eliott would be embarrassed by it, if it weren’t for the shrewd grin that accompanied Mr. Broussard’s appraisal, something that was more approving than judgemental.

But perhaps Eliott is overthinking it.

Perhaps he’s overthinking Mr. Broussard’s perception just as he may be overthinking Lucas’ smiles and soft gaze. Just because he didn’t exude any outward ire towards Eliott doesn’t mean that he...

It doesn’t mean that...

(It doesn’t mean that a garden of hope needs to bloom in Eliott’s chest like this.

Yet, it does.

It does.)

“Eliott?”

He started when Madeleine touches his arm.

“Yes? Yes. Um.” He glances around the room. “If that’s the last of the dishes then you can...um.”

“Yes, we’re headed down.” She grins, patting him on the arm. “Best to return to your guests, chéri.”

The glint in her eye makes Eliott want to hide under the dining room table.

Tonight, it seems as though everyone knows.

“I shall...do that,” he says lamely, and he scurried away from Madeleine’s teasing smile, turning towards the drawing room, before he recalls the conversation he had with Mr. Leplein about literature, and how Herman said he had not yet had the chance to read Candide, and Eliott pivots on his heels, heading the opposite direction down the hallway.

He’s certain has a copy of the novel in the smaller drawing room. The study, as he likes to call it, even though it’s more a reading room than anything else.

Eliott has never been one to shy away from lending things out, and he can’t imagine anything that’s better to share than a book. Besides, the copy he’s thinking of is new, purchased to sit on the shelf and be an addition to his library. He has an older copy, one that is well-thumbed with tightly-scrawled notes inked into the margins. It’s the copy Eliott bought for himself after his father died, a delayed act of rebellion for the man who banned any and all Voltaire from the house.

Eliott bought himself a copy in Paris, on a trip to see the family lawyers, and he’d spent that entire night awake in his hotel room, reading in a daze. Then, on the journey home, he read it again. Then, he read it again, with a pot of ink at his side.

There was something about the novel that speaks to Eliott directly - its insouciance, its boldness, its humour, the main character’s journey of disillusionment. It gives him a feeling that someone has looked directly into Eliott’s mind, his heart, and has given him the words they pulled from him, but rearranged them differently so they make sense, so that Eliott can find and be found all in the turn of a page.

This is, at its most basic level, what literature has always done. It’s why Eliott adores it so.

He thinks, that even if Mr. Leplein doesn’t have the same epiphany Eliott does, that he will enjoy the humour in it, and the exciting pacing of events. He seems like a man who appreciates nothing more in the world than a good story.

Eliott stops at the entrance to the study, and as he squints into the dark room, he sees something shift there. A layer to the dim that is thrown into awareness by moonlight. For one wild moment Eliott wonders if he’s being burgled, but then his eyes catch on the slope of the figure’s shoulders, the tilt to their head as they examine the brass telescope in the corner of the room, and Eliott’s heart begins racing for another reason entirely, because he knows it’s him.

Lucas has found the telescope.

(Really, there could never have been any other fate.)

Eliott’s eyes adjust to the darkness, and he can see more of Lucas now. He can trace the slope of his neck and notice how his fingers are clenching in the air, as though they want to close the distance between warm skin and cool brass, but don’t dare to.

Now that he’s here, now that Lucas is seeing the telescope and seeing Eliott’s beating heart in his hand, and extended, the worst thing would be for Lucas not even to use it. Or to touch it.

So Eliott says, “You can touch it, if you want,” and Lucas startles like he’s a rest bird that’s been shaken from its nest.

“You scared me,” Lucas says, and Eliott’s stomach turns when he thinks of the last time those words were said to him, right before his disastrous proposal.

But he does his best to push forward. They’re not they’re, no - they’re here.

He spots the copy of Candide on the small table between the chairs and waves it through the air like a white flag.

“He says he’s never had a chance to read it,” Eliott explains.

Lucas seems to take this in stride, and then he asks, “You wouldn’t mind? If I touched it?”

Would Eliott mind.

He nearly laughs, a hysterical giggle building somewhere deep in his chest, and it would be so simple to tell him then, to say what Lucas has likely already guessed: You don’t even need to ask. It’s yours. It’s always been yours.

Yet there’s a fragile peace building between them, something a Eliott understands is fragile and young. This is Lucas asking, and so he says, without any irony, “I wouldn’t mind.”

Watching Lucas hesitantly reach out, then become more confident as his fingers meet the brass, caressing and travelling and touching so throughly and wondrously makes Eliott’s heart stutter and head swim.

He wonders what it would feel like, to be touched like that. To be touched like that by Lucas.

But watching Lucas fawn over the telescope also tugs in something fond and underneath Eliott’s ribcage. It fills him with something equally wondrous, to watch Lucas be so intrigued by something Eliott was able to give him.

He takes a step closer. “Do you like it?” He asks, at once desperate to know, to hear it, and when Lucas laughs, Eliott can’t help but smile.

“I like it,” Lucas says, and then: “I’m very fond of the stars.”

Eliott thinks of every time he saw Lucas’ head titled back to the sky, every time he saw him inhale the night air as though it keeps him alive, every time he smiled at the mention of a telescope, and he feels himself soften.

“Yes.” He says quietly. “I know.” I know you, he doesn’t say.

He didn’t even realize he’d taken another step forward, and he’s closer to Lucas now than he first thought he was, close enough to see to the depths of his midnight ocean eyes.

In the reaching hand of the moonlight, he looks ethereal. Untouchably beautiful.

Yet somehow, Eliott knows him.

“Lucas,” he says, and he can hear how pained his voice is, straining with the weight of everything that he hasn’t said but is at once desperate to: I know you, It’s always been yours, you can keep it if you like, I love you, I still love you, Do you know what you do to my heart when you smile at me?

And, above all: Do you think you might be beginning to know me? Do you think of me differently now?

Lucas raises his eyes to him, and Eliott’s throat is tight, but he’s opening his mouth again, mortifying honesty dripping from his tongue like too-sweet caramel, and he’s-

“Lucas!”

Eliott leaps to attention as though he’s a boy who’s been caught daydreaming again. The Voltaire drops to the floor with a smack and Eliott’s ears are ringing as he stoops to retrieve it, and he barely manages to take a step away from Lucas before Mr. Broussard is poking his head into the study. When he sees Eliott, then sees Lucas in the room with him, the shrewd smile returns.

It’s still not close to midnight, but Eliott accepts the interruption for what it is, and lets any magic that had been building in the moonlit space between him and Lucas fade to nothing.

Except-

Except there’s Mr. Broussard asking Eliott to join them at their inn, to try some of that famous scotch, and there’s Lucas, saying, “One drink, Mr. Demaury?”

And there’s magic, still.