Lured by the Moon

The boy tightened his lips, and his eyes flashed with something unknown. Looking at Sebastian with a determined pair of eyes. "I asked first."

Sebastian chuckles lightly, deep, and gentle. Leaning against his palms, he whispers in a secretive tone, "That's a secret."

The boy glares at him with black eyes before he pouts childishly. "I'm not telling you what I am," he said in an annoyed tone before looking away with a huff, looking around the room.

Sebastian grins as he watches confusion flicker across his countenance. "Wondering where you're at?"

The boy doesn't say anything in response, but Sebastian could hear his heart pitter-patter for a couple of seconds.

The boy looks at him with curious eyes before he swallows. He hesitated for awhile before he nodded relunctantly. Sebastian grins a teasing smile. "I won't tell you until you give me your name."

The boy huffs as he rolls his eyes, "Fine. My name is Atlas."

Sebastian rolls his name through his mind. Atlas. What a strange name.

It means to silently endure...

Smiling at the boy with a careless smile, he stood up from his bed that creaks under his weight, making the boy feel unsettled.

He didn't know what to make of the enigmatic large man before him that cast a shadow over him, who saved his life.

Sebastian could see the uncertainty and mistrust within his black eyes, so he gives an amiable smile to settle Atlas's nerves. "You're in my home."

Atlas reaches to touch his clothes, his eyes furrowing as if he were searching for something.

Sebastian had an educated guess what he was looking for, so he pulled the small knife from his pocket. In a teasing tone, "You're looking for this?"

Atlas felt his heart skip a beat, so he tries to cover the crack in his expression with a glare. "That's mine."

Sebastian holds the knife in a casual manner; he points at the knife in a joke that doesn't come across as threatening. "Well, children shouldn't be carrying knives, so I'll be holding it for you."

He said in a teasing tone that made Atlas huff with a harsh laugh and crossed his arms as he glared at Sebastian, "I'm not a child! I'm fifteen!"

Sebastian looks up and down at the boy with distainful eyes; his tone drips with doubts, but Atlas could hear a hidden laughter in his words that only made him even more furiated. "YES! Now, give my knife back!"

Sebastian now burst out with an unbridled laughter; he snorts as he puts the knife back into his pocket.

He shakes his head. "I'm far older than you, so I'll be keeping it for now."

If I give the knife to the boy, who knows if he'll stab me when I'm not paying attention? I better keep the knife for safekeeping.

Looking at Atlas with intrigue, the curiosity couldn't be hidden. "Where you're from?" Atlas closes his lips even further, treating his words more precious than gold. Sebastian could see a dark gleam that flashes across his eyes that disappears aftwards. He wasn't certain if it was a hallucination; it went too fast before he could notice more details.

Not a topic to discuss. Regardless, I'll find out what he's hiding.

His thoughts determined before he set them aside, he looks at Atlas as he asks, "Are you hungry?"

Growl!

Atlas blushes after his stomach just growls, as if the stomach has an ear of its own, making Sebastian chuckle lightly, he said with humor in his tone. "Looks like you're hungry after all."

Sebastian turns around, where Atlas furrows his brows, and the urgency in his voice couldn't be hidden. "W—Where are you going?"

Sebastian grins that same aggravating smile as he replies, "Getting you some food, idiot. Stay here like a good boy."

Atlas tries to push the covers away to stand on his legs, although he stumbles against the bed. Dizziness rushes forth like a flood, but in the midst of the storm, he heard a stern voice that lectured him. "Hey, don't be moving now. I'll be back."

Sebastian grabs his shoulders as Atlas lies back against the pillow with a relaxed groan. Sebastian chuckles again, but the words were filled with an unexpected authority, the tone was expected to be obeyed. "Don't move now." Atlas nods as he gulps, watching the man leave the room with the door shut behind him.

It was completely silent, where dark thoughts in his mind whispered to him, telling him to be cautious around him, including the man whose demeanor came off as approachable and friendly, but the warmth only made him feel more at unease in an unfamiliar environment.

Lost in thought—he's aware that he shouldn't trust the strange man who doesn't seem to be a human, but his mind and body is dreadful weary.

The man walks back in with the large tray in his large hands. The aroma of the food smells delicious and mouthwatering, which smells completely unfamiliar to Atlas.

Sebastian carries the tray and sits next to Atlas, who was gazing fixatedly at the tray, although Sebastian can imagine imaginary ears standing up in excitement at the sight of the food.

Where does that come from?

Chuckling at the bizarre thought that comes to mind. He set the tray before Atlas, who was staring at it with viligence, but the anticipation couldn't be hidden.

Atlas grabs the food before he sniffs it like a dog sniffing the food for the first time, causing Sebastian to frown, so he asks with hesitance. "Don't tell me, you never had pancakes?"

Atlas tilts his head as he asks curiously, "Is that what it's called?"

Sebastian had no words. Silence reigns in the room. Who has never had pancakes before?

Sebastian wanted to ask, but something at the back of his mind warned him this wasn't the time. Sebastian gives a brief, restrained smile as he nods, but Atlas was so focused on smelling the delicious aroma of the pancakes that he was unaware of Sebastian's internal conflict, he was oblivious of the confusion and doubts that flickered across his eyes.