Till Sunrise ┊Luke Castellan

16 .·:· Apollo's Call

Sir Leighton, Frederic. 'Flaming June'. 1895 ⋆.ೃ࿔*:·

Words: 1,452

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three days before the summer solstice

Phoebe entered the cabin to the comforting sounds of a singing kettle, its harsh cheerful melody filling the air with warmth. Her eyes immediately fell upon Lee, who stood beside the boiling kettle, his movements fluid as he prepared two mugs with practised ease.

As he heard the door close behind her, Lee looked up and greeted her with a warm smile. "What are we having?" Phoebe asked him mildly, her gaze shifting down to the mugs. Both were slightly chipped on the rim but made up for it with their print.

The mug on the left read 'My brother went to Mount Rushmore and all I got was this crappy mug'. Her gaze then shifted to the mug on the right, adorned with Mr. Happy from the Mr. Men series, a solid choice of mugs she mused to herself.

"Ponyo Tea?" Lee suggested and at his words Phoebe instantly smiled, a fondness creeping into her expression.

"Did Will make you watch it again?" she teased, leaning against the counter.

"Twice this week," Lee groaned good-naturedly, shaking his head.

"You could always say no," Phoebe offered, a playful glint in her eyes.

Lee pulled a mock look of anguish. "I don't know if his little boy heart can take it," he lamented dramatically, his expression exaggerated for effect. Phoebe simply shook her head at him, an amused smile tugging at her lips.

"So, now once again I'm addicted to this drink," Lee groaned, as pulled out the tabletop stove from under the desk. He then reached into his bag and retrieved his water bottle.

"I thought Chiron said you couldn't steal any more milk from breakfast," she chided him, her tone teasing but affectionate.

"What can I say, I'm a rebel," Lee replied with a quick grin as he poured the milk into a small pot, placing it on the stove. "Plus, what he doesn't know won't hurt him"

Meanwhile, Phoebe crouched down and pulled a dusty, warped wooden tea box from under the bench. She selected two bags of English breakfast, then grabbed the spice box next to it, selecting a small container and handing it to Lee.

Lee poured about one teaspoon of cinnamon into the milk before picking up the small bottle of vanilla essence and adding two splashes. Mixing it together with a teaspoon, he then turned on the gas and ignited the element with a flick of his fingers, a spark dancing off his index and thumb. Phoebe rolled her eyes at his attempt to show off as she ripped open the paper bags and placed the now-free tea bags into the two mugs. She grabbed a faded sun-printed tea towel to grab the kettle handle, making sure she wouldn't burn herself as she poured just enough water to cover the tea bags before placing the kettle back on its element.

Lee then grabbed the honey from its spot on the window ledge, freshly warmed by the sun. He drizzled a healthy teaspoon of honey into both mugs and carefully mixed it in, ensuring the spoon didn't get tangled in the tea bag's string. Finally, the piping hot milk was poured over the tea, filling the air with a comforting aroma.

"How did you know I was coming?" Phoebe asked, picking up her Mr Happy mug.

"I saw you coming down the hill. Wanted a little late-night rendezvous, did we?" Lee asked with a playful roll of his eyes, teasing her gently.