The Cabin

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖 | ᴛʜᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴋ

Julian woke up at five, a habit he'd grown used to, and quietly made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

He figured Owen and Mrs. Miller would probably sleep in. They both needed the rest, and Julian had a list of tasks to tackle before finishing the roof with Owen later.

As he pulled on a hoodie-the black one he'd tried to give Owen yesterday—he glanced out the bedroom window. His mind drifted back to Owen: the way he looked in Julian's high school hoodie, his terrified expression while holding the broom, the tears in his eyes as he worried about the cat, and the way he had looked at Julian on the roof as Julian ran his fingers through his hair. Owen's hazel eyes were beautiful, multidimensional, and far more captivating than any of the sunsets or prisms they'd talked about.

Julian snapped back to reality. Coffee and weights. Right.

He shuffled quietly to the kitchen, started the coffee maker, and chugged a glass of water before heading outside to his dumbbells on the back patio. After finishing his pre-lift stretches and reps, he looked out at the lake. The sky was heavily overcast-it was definitely going to rain today. Julian wanted to let Owen and Mrs. Miller sleep in, but if they weren't up soon, he'd have to tackle the rest of the roof by himself.

Returning inside after his workout, Julian was surprised to find Mrs. Miller already awake, sipping a cup of coffee while sitting in her wheelchair. She was gazing out at the rising sun and the birds singing their morning songs.

"Good morning, Julian."

"Morning."

"Owen's still asleep. I was feeling pretty good this morning, so I got up without him. He needs as much rest as he can get; that kid's a nonstop workaholic. I don't know how he keeps going and going..."

Julian smiled, and Mrs. Miller did too.

"Do you like it here, Mrs. Miller?"

"Yes, I do. Thank you for inviting us over, Julian. You're a sweet boy."

Julian tried not to laugh at the "sweet boy" comment. Sweet boy, asshole, neighbor, friend-he wasn't quite sure what he was anymore.

"Thanks."

He poured himself a second cup of coffee and sat down next to Mrs. Miller, joining her in watching the sunrise. It felt rude to leave her alone.

"Has the cat come out?"

Julian glanced over at the makeshift fort. "No, I haven't seen him this morning."

Mrs. Miller's smile faded slightly, replaced by a look of concern. "Julian, if I could burden you for a moment... I'm a little worried about my son."

"...Why?"

"He wants to save everything all the time. It's not healthy. He takes it on as if it's his responsibility... Not everything can be saved, Julian. One day, I won't feel better anymore. One day, I won't be here anymore. I'm worried about how Owen will handle that..." She paused. "When his father passed, it hit him hard. They were very close."

Julian thought back to yesterday and Owen's tears over the cat.

"He cares too much," Julian commented.

Mrs. Miller chuckled softly to herself, taking a sip of her coffee. "He certainly does... His heart is too big. That's why I worry." She looked over at Julian, and he smiled back. "He's really fond of you, Julian."

Julian clenched his jaw and gripped his coffee cup tightly, feeling his face flush. He rarely blushed, but he could feel it happening now.

"In fact, I think he may have a little crush on you."