Except that when Micah plucked up the courage to look up from his empty plate, it was to see Damon glancing off to the side, not quite meeting Micah’s eyes. “My sisters and I plan to spend Christmas here next week. I didn’t want to intervene with any holiday plans you may have, but I still wanted you to be included, so I thought we’d fly over this weekend to make sure the estate was in acceptable condition for next week.”

That was a lot of words to basically confirm that Damon had, in fact, dragged Micah all the way to Italy just to show off his family’s countryside estate. Maybe Micah should have been irritated, but instead, he felt oddly light, and warm, and giddy.

“That’s… actually really sweet.”

Damon’s eyes darted back to his. “Next time I bring you here, it’ll be for more than just the weekend,” he assured. “I’ll take you skiing in the Alps, or we’ll visit the Carnevale. Of course, if you’d rather go in the summer, the beaches are beautiful.”

Micah didn’t know if it was how uncharacteristically earnest the man sounded or the fact that he assumed he and Micah would still be “together” come summer, but his throat felt suddenly tight. “That sounds amazing,” he said, voice a bit croaky. “But, I mean, this is good too. I don’t have to see the Alps or walk some beach to enjoy spending time with you.”

Too much, Micah, a voice in his head warned. Too honest.

Luckily, Damon didn’t comment on it. “Of course, we don’t have to spend the entire day in this musty, old house. They are some hot springs in the woods, about a mile southeast of the courtyard, that I wanted to show you if you’re up for it.”

Private hot springs in the middle of the woods with Damon?

Honestly, it sounded like an invitation for another “hot tub incident” all over again, and if Micah had any sense in his brain, he’d turn Damon down.

“Sounds fun.”

Internal sigh.

Micah hadn’t packed anything but a coat and hat, but after digging through a handful of wardrobes on the third floor, they found enough winter gear for both of them to make the mile-long hike in the woods. (Micah also managed to dig up some old baby pictures of Damon that he’d spent an appropriate amount of time “oohing” and “ahhing” over.)

The sun was already setting by the time they finally ventured outside, dusk settling upon the winter wonderland that was Damon’s backyard. Damon led Micah through white-speckled evergreens, assuring him that he knew the way by heart as they trudged through the snow, no path in sight.