Beneath the canopy of the midnight sky, adorned with a myriad of stars sparkling against the dark night, you found solace atop the weathered roof of an abandoned cathedral at the edge of town. Here, in the tender embrace of your beloved, you escaped the confines of your oppressive home, where Matteo had helped you sneak out under the cloak of night.

Matteo was a fleeting presence in your quiet countryside life, often returning to the bustling city for his long hours of work. His devotion to you, a simple country bumpkin, made your heart swell with adoration. He was unburdened by societal constraints, unlike yourself—a man bound by family expectations and the strict demands of faith. How scandalous it would be for the town, if they found the pastor's son in sucking faces with another man, branded a delinquent in their eyes.

Such anxieties plagued your thoughts until Matteo tenderly kissed your knuckles, a gesture that dispelled your fears into oblivion. In that moment, nothing else mattered but him—the warmth of his touch, the soothing timbre of his voice, and the entirety of his being that consumed your every thought.

"I missed you," Matteo whispered, his fingers lingering lovingly over yours, weathered from his life's journey yet gentle in their caress. "I wish I could stay here... just to be with you, Urabe."

Oh, how fervently you shared his wish—to embark with him on new horizons, to revel in the freedom of an untamed love away from prying eyes. To declare your affection openly, unshackled from the gaze of judgmental onlookers, and to intertwine your lives without the pain of waiting for his return like a yearning lover awaiting their knight.

"One day, I'll take you away from here. I promise," he vowed, his grip tightening with a silent determination that resonated deep within you, a pledge he would make sure to uphold.