Golden Hour

Maverick's eyes immediately caught sight of Remus, standing tall and gallant. The sight brought a smile to his face, while Julius simply rolled his eyes.

Remus, catching sight of Julius, mirrored his expression, rolling his eyes as if in exasperation at seeing his master's less-than-enthusiastic demeanor.

But the moment Remus saw Maverick, his demeanor shifted; the horse visibly brightened, his ears perking up in recognition and excitement.

Maverick chuckled at the interaction, gently stroking Remus's mane. "Good to see you, Remus," he said warmly. "Come on, there's someone I want you to meet."

He gently guided Remus to the other side of the stable. There, standing elegantly in a separate stall, was a beautiful black mare. Her coat gleamed in the sunlight, and her eyes sparkled with intelligence and curiosity.

"This is Bella," Maverick introduced, smiling proudly. "My horse."

Julius's eyes lit up as he took in the sight of Bella. "She's a beauty," he admitted, clearly impressed. Even Remus, usually so aloof, seemed taken by the elegant mare. He moved forward, trying to nuzzle Bella in greeting.

But Bella, with a grace and poise that matched her appearance, simply turned her head away, ignoring Remus's advances. Instead, she stepped closer to Maverick, nudging him gently with her nose as if seeking his attention.

Maverick chuckled, petting Bella affectionately. "Looks like Bella has her own preferences," he teased, enjoying the interaction.

Julius, now feeling a pang of jealousy, crossed his arms, watching as Maverick lavished attention on Bella. "I see how it is," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else.

Remus, too, seemed to share in Julius's sentiment. The horse's ears flicked back, and he snorted softly, clearly displeased with Bella's choice to ignore him.

For a brief moment, Julius and Remus's eyes met in a shared look of frustration and jealousy. Both quickly looked away, their mutual annoyance at being overshadowed by Maverick and Bella evident.

Maverick, oblivious to the silent exchange, continued to chuckle as he patted Bella's neck. "Don't worry, Remus," he said, glancing back at the stallion. "You'll win her over eventually."

Julius rolled his eyes again, though this time with a smirk. "If that horse has half the charm you do, Maverick, I'm sure he'll manage just fine."

Maverick chuckled and turned to Julius with an idea. "Why don't we take a stroll, the four of us? You and Remus, me and Bella. There's a lake behind the manor that looks stunning during sunset."

Julius glanced at Maverick, a rare smile tugging at his lips. "A stroll sounds nice. Remus could use the exercise too."

With a shared nod, they saddled up on their respective horses. Maverick on Bella, who was eager and graceful, and Julius on Remus, who, despite his earlier sulkiness, seemed ready for the ride.

They set out from the manor, riding at a leisurely pace, the horses' hooves making soft, rhythmic sounds against the well-worn path.

As they reached the back of the manor, the view opened up to reveal a serene lake, its surface shimmering like glass under the evening light.

Maverick loved this part of the manor. The tranquility of the water, the rustling of the trees, and the way the sky blazed with colors as the sun set—all of it brought a sense of peace he rarely found elsewhere.

Julius looked around appreciatively, taking in the vastness of the manor. "You know, Maverick, you've got quite a place here. Beautiful scenery, wide-open spaces. If you'd let me, I'd love to live here for the rest of my life."

Maverick paused at those words, his gaze shifting from the landscape to Julius.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I didn't plan on coming back here, not for the rest of my life. I'm only here now because my uncle ordered me to return. Once my vacation ends, I'm heading back to London."

Julius's cheerful expression faded slightly. "You're seriously considering giving all this up? The manor, the title?"

Maverick nodded, his tone resolute. "Aristocracy isn't for me. I've made up my mind to give up my title after the London Season. This life, this estate… it's not who I am."

Julius's eyes narrowed as he considered Maverick's words. He didn't seem convinced.

"You should reconsider, Maverick. Maybe it's time to leave your current life behind and settle down here in Birmingham."

Maverick furrowed his brow, genuinely curious. "Why do you say that? What makes you think I should give up everything and stay here?"

Julius's response was cryptic, his voice calm but carrying an undertone of something more. "All the vampire business will come to an end soon. You won't have to worry about those creatures hurting anyone anymore."

Maverick's mind raced at Julius's words, trying to decipher their meaning. But before he could press further, Julius suddenly spurred Remus forward, picking up speed and riding ahead.

"Come on, Maverick!" Julius called over his shoulder, a teasing note in his voice. "We should head back. Edgar's dance lesson awaits us after dinner."

Maverick watched Julius ride off, frustration mixed with curiosity. He urged Bella to follow, but his mind lingered on Julius's cryptic words.

What did he mean about the vampire situation coming to an end? And why was he so insistent that Maverick settle down in Birmingham?

"Wait, Julius, we haven't finished talking." 

"Let's race, Maverick!" Julius shouted with a big wide smile. "Loser had to grant the winner one wish." He laughed while quickly riding away.

"You never listen to people." Maverick strengthens the rein and urges Bella to run faster.

As they rode back toward the manor, Maverick couldn't shake the feeling that something deeper was at play, something Julius wasn't ready to share just yet.

The moment Maverick almost caught up, Julius swiftly jumped down from Remus and charged forward. He turns back to look at Maverick but to his surprise Maverick is only a few steps away.

"You're dead when I get a hold of you." said Maverick with a dark face.

Ahead of him, Julius was laughing, clearly enjoying the chase. "You'll have to catch me first!" he called back, his voice full of playful defiance as he dashed across the lawn. 

Julius finds it even more hilarious when he sees Maverick's dark face, his laugh grows louder while still keep running. 

Maverick quickened his pace, his eyes locked on Julius, who was still teasingly out of reach. But as Julius glanced back to check Maverick's distance again, his foot suddenly caught on a rock hidden in the grass.

His laughter abruptly cut off as he stumbled forward, arms flailing as he lost his balance.

Time seemed to slow as Julius pitched forward, his body twisting awkwardly in the air. But before he could hit the ground, Maverick lunged, his hand shooting out to grab Julius by the wrist.

With a strong pull, he managed to stop Julius's fall, but the sudden shift in weight threw them both off balance.

Julius instinctively grabbed onto Maverick's arm, trying to steady himself, but the momentum was too much. They both tumbled together, rolling down the grassy slope in a chaotic tangle of limbs.

The world spun around them as they clung to each other, the soft green grass cushioning their fall as they descended the hill in a flurry of laughter and gasps.

Finally, they came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, Maverick lying on his back with Julius half-sprawled across him.

For a moment, neither of them moved, both catching their breath. Then, as the absurdity of their situation sank in, they looked at each other and burst into laughter, the tension from earlier completely dissolved.

"That was… quite the fall," Julius managed to say between fits of laughter, his usual composure thoroughly shattered.

Maverick chuckled, his anger long forgotten. "You're impossible, you know that?"

Julius grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "But you still caught me."

They lay there on the grass, side by side, watching as the vibrant orange of the sky slowly faded into the deep purples and blues of dusk.

The manor's silhouette loomed above them, majestic and silent, as the first stars began to appear in the darkening sky.

After a while, Julius's tone turned serious, his playful demeanor giving way to something more thoughtful. "Maverick," he began, his voice quieter now, "you can't keep resisting what's coming. Resistance only brings more obstacles. Just let things flow… follow the script, whether it is about the title or your job."

Maverick listened, his gaze fixed on the darkening sky. Julius's words echoed in his mind, but he didn't respond.

There was a truth to what Julius was saying, a wisdom that Maverick couldn't deny, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to accept it.

Julius stands up, patting away the dust on his clothes, and extends his hand to Maverick. "Let's go back." he said with a grin.

Maverick slowly sits up and grabs Julius's hand. "Please don't make me run again." Maverick's pleading.