That day, the Osborne family enjoyed their outings to the fullest. Julius also for once, act like a child of his age. It was to be expected since everything that he had seen here is something he had never experienced during his life as a cultivator.
By the time they returned, it was already late night. Rufus and William had already fallen asleep on their way home but Julius is still energetic. While everyone is settling down in their own room, Julius sneaked out.
His destination?
Mikhail’s room.
The residence was silent. Shadows occasionally danced under the gentle glow of moonlights that shone through the windows. Julius moved with practiced ease, light-footed and quiet, like a phantom gliding through the halls.
He stopped before Mikhail’s door, raised his hand and knocked lightly. His knuckles tapped the door twice. Then, without waiting for permission, he pushed the door and slipped inside.
Mikhail, who had been seated at his desk, looking over reports on a holoscreen, didn’t even bother to look behind. “Should I be concerned that you’ve become this proficient at sneaking around or is this just your way of bonding?”
Julius smirked, closed the door behind him with a quiet click. “I’ve been sneaking around even before I could walk. You should be proud, Uncle.”
Mikhail sighed, leaned back in his chair and swivel it around to face Julius. He eyed the boy with a mixture of tiredness and fondness. “You should be asleep.”
“And you should stop reading reports at midnight,” Julius retorted as he strolled further into the room. “But here we are.”
Mikhail didn’t respond immediately, waiting for Julius to speak first. He knew this wasn’t just a late-night visit for the sake of mischief. But when Julius stayed quiet even after settling on the edge of the bed, Mikhail finally could not help but broke the silence. “What’s on your mind?”
Julius fiddled with the hem of his sleeve for a moment. “The Cradle… I will be spending some time there, only to be home once every few months, right?”
“That’s right. Usually, as a cadets, you’ll have a week off after every four months,” Mikhail answered.
Hearing this, Julius frowned. He clearly did not like the answer that he was given.
Mikhail noticed that Julius was restless. It was hard not to. Not when their bonds are sending him signals to comfort the boy. He stood up from his chair and went to take a seat on the bed beside Julius. “Speak up your mind. I could sense that you are agitated.”
“Well… I’m worried,” Julius murmured softly.
This made Mikhail raise an eyebrow. He could barely believe his ear. ‘This mischievous boy can be worried?’
“I’m worried that when I am not around, someone would try to court you.”
“…”
Mikhail raised his hand and placed his palm on his face. ‘Of course… what was I expecting.’
“So, you snuck into my room in the dead of the night,” Mikhail said flatly, “just to declare yourself jealous?”
Julius turned to face Mikhail with a deeper frown adorning his face. “It’s not just jealousy,” he said in a serious tone. “You don’t understand. Just the thought of someone approaching you in an attempt to make a move on you make me want to shred them to pieces.”
“Are you feeling territorial?” Mikhail asked.
“… I guess so…”
“Wonderful,” Mikhail sighed. “Next thing I know, you’ll cover me with your pheromones like a possessive Alpha in heat.”
Julius blinked, then gave a slow, deliberate grin. “That is indeed a great idea.”
Mikhail froze, then stared at him with a deadpan look. “That was not an invitation, Julius.”
“Too late,” Julius replied as he pounced on Mikhail. Though his body was just of a child, as long as he were to make use of his abnormal strength of a cultivator, pushing Mikhail to the bed was simply child’s play. “Tell me, how should I leave my pheromones on you?”
“You’re insane,” Mikhail muttered, attempting to push Julius away and get up. Unfortunately, Julius simply pushed him back on the bed and the strength of a cultivator is not something that Mikhail can fight against. “Julius…” he called out in a more stern voice.
That made Julius pause. He could sense that Mikhail’s patience is starting to wear thin. He gritted his teeth staring at Mikhail for moment, before letting out a heavy sigh.
“… I’m… not actually going to do anything,” Julius said after a moment, pouting as he flopped down beside Mikhail.
“We know that’s a lie,” came Mikhail’s reply.
“You’re right. But I won’t do it if you didn’t want it,” Julius mumbled softly. “It’s just… the thought of someone else thinking they could take a place in your heart in my absence… it’s just getting under my skin…”
Mikhail exhaled sharply, half in frustration, half in resignation. “You’re a child, Julius.”
“I’m not,” he replied quickly, his voice low. “You know I’m not.”
Mikhail turned his head slightly, enough to meet the boy’s gaze. Julius’s expression was no longer playful—it was raw, vulnerable. Not the bratty act he usually wore like a mask.
“…You really are serious about this, aren’t you?” Mikhail said quietly.
Julius nodded. “The moment I laid my eyes on you when I first arrived to this world.”
Mikhail let out a quiet breath. His expression was unreadable for a long moment, his gaze locked with Julius’s.
“The moment you arrived, huh?” he echoed, voice low.
Julius didn’t look away. “Yes.”
A beat passed. Then another. Both of them never moved their gaze away, as if trying to look into one’s soul.
Then, Mikhail reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair with a sigh. “Then, do me a favour.”
“Hm?”
“As you know, I’ve seen what you experienced in your past life thanks to our symbiotic bonds,” Mikhail began. “I know, you’ve never experienced a good childhood. Today’s outing is proof enough. While the Cradle isn’t exactly what one would call a good childhood experience, it is still, in a way, a school.”
“So, Julius… Let yourself be a kid, even just for a while.”
Silence hung between them. Mikhail stayed quiet while waiting for Julius to respond. Meanwhile, Julius was pondering silently.
He had never truly had a chance to be a child, not in the way others had. His life as a cultivator had always been about growing stronger, faster, better. All to protect Maxwell. Childhood had been a fleeting concept, something he had never been allowed to enjoy.
“Alright… I’ll do that,” Julius murmured after a long time.
Mikhail smiled gently, his expression softening. “Good. Just remember, you don’t have to be perfect. It’s okay to be flawed, to make mistakes. You don’t need to act as if you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders all the time.”
“Then, a kid is also allowed to be selfish, right?”
Hearing this, Mikhail lets out a series of chuckle. “Of course. Be as selfish as you want as long as you don’t harm innocent people.”
Julius, his mind racing with thoughts of how to push his limits, shifted closer to Mikhail on the bed. His gaze locked onto Mikhail’s, and for a fleeting moment, he felt the weight of the moment settling in. It wasn’t about childhood, or selfishness—it was about something deeper, something he’d been holding back for far too long.
“Then,” Julius began, his voice low, almost a whisper, “I’ll be selfish for once.”
Mikhail, caught off guard by the intensity in Julius’s eyes, didn’t quite register what was happening until it was too late. Before Mikhail could say anything further, Julius leaned in quickly, closing the distance between them.
Mikhail froze, his breath caught in his throat as Julius’s lips met his in a soft, almost hesitant kiss. It wasn’t forceful or demanding; instead, it was tender—an unspoken plea for validation and closeness, something Julius had never dared ask for.
The kiss lingered for only a moment, but in that short space of time, it felt like a lifetime. Mikhail’s heart pounded as his mind scrambled to make sense of the sudden shift. His body remained still, unsure of how to respond, but deep down, there was a warmth spreading through him, something akin to acceptance.
Julius pulled away just as quickly as he had kissed Mikhail, his cheeks flushed with a mixture of nervousness and satisfaction. He didn’t say anything at first, unsure of how Mikhail would react. The silence that followed felt heavy, but at the same time, it was peaceful—like something that had always been there, waiting to happen.
Mikhail, still processing the unexpected moment, let out a slow breath and slowly turned his gaze to Julius. His expression was unreadable.
“You said it yourself, Uncle. I can be selfish as much as I want as long as no innocents are harmed,” Julius said in his defence before Mikhail could even say anything.
Mikhail simply stared at Julius with disbelief. Then, he let out a helpless laugh before saying, “You know, Julius… I’ve lived a long life. I’ve fought in wars and even once, buried the people that I loved in the previous life. And yet, nothing has quite prepared me for you.”
Julius, though still slightly nervous from the kiss, couldn’t help but grin at Mikhail’s response. There was a sense of relief in the air now, though he wasn’t sure if it came from his own actions or Mikhail’s reaction.
“I guess I’m full of surprises,” Julius replied with a smirk, though his voice held a touch of uncertainty that he couldn’t quite hide.
Mikhail, still processing everything, took a deep breath, his expression softening as he ran a hand through his hair. “Indeed you are. You are everything I never expected,” Mikhail continued, his voice surprisingly soft despite the chuckle. ‘And everything I probably shouldn’t want…’ he added silently in his mind.
“Uncle?” Julius called out in an unsure tone. “Do you… regret it?” he asked softly. From their bond, Julius could feel a slight rejection and it pained him.
Mikhail’s expression softened further, and he let out a deep sigh. “Regret?” he echoed. “No. But… I don’t think I can give you what you want, Julius. Not after what I’ve experienced before. There is also a matter that we are both related by blood no matter how thin it is.”
“Is that… a rejection?”
Mikhail’s gaze softened, a mixture of melancholy and concern in his eyes as he met Julius’s questioning gaze. He could see the hurt and fear in those eyes.
“…When you’re older,” Mikhail said at last, voice filled with tenderness. “When time has passed. When you can look me in the eye and tell me that your feelings haven’t changed… I’ll give you my answer, then.”
Julius looked up, wide-eyed. “So… you’re not rejecting me?”
“I’m telling you to be patient,” Mikhail said firmly. “You’re strong, Julius. Stronger than anyone I know. So wait. Let yourself live. Grow. And if what you feel now still burns just as fiercely in the future…” Mikhail’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Then, I’ll also stop running.”
Julius was quiet for a long time, searching his face. He even reached out through their bonds for the truth behind those words. Then he finally gave a small nod. “Fine. I’ll wait,” he said. “But… promise me that you won’t fall for someone else before then.”
Mikhail gave a soft chuckle, shaking his head. “You are really relentless.”
“Uncle, you have to promise me. Please give me your words.”
“Alright, alright. I promise,” Mikhail said with a sigh, though there was an undeniable warmth in his voice. “I won’t fall for anyone else, Julius. I promise.”
Upon hearing the answer that he wanted to hear, Julius moved. In a swift but gentle motion, he pressed his lips to Mikhail’s once a gain. Just as quickly as he stole the kiss, he also pulled away before Mikhail could even register what had happened.
Julius's expression softened, a vulnerable smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "A kiss to seal the promise," he murmured, almost as if trying to reassure himself more than Mikhail.
“You… are impossible,” Mikhail said in a defeated tone.
“I know,” Julius replied. “But I am your impossible,” he added with a smirk. Then, in a more serious tone, Julius uttered a quiet oath, “I am yours. And one day, I hope you can be mine too…”