This is wonderful! I was intrigued by the title at the beginning. I've never heard that expression and then when you came back to it at the very end and used it so perfectly, it prompted a very happy smile.

You've truly built a whole world that I can see and feel and almost walk around in. Everything is so rich in detail and I'm wondering if Sean ever found a way to use those grapes to make a sweetener and if he kept just the right level of nutrients in the grain even after - when he began to open his heart to Viggo. He may have been just a little distracted for a time!

I love how you've made Sean a bit of a curmudgeon and how Viggo calls him on it time and again (anal, shy, surly!) even when he 'should be' a little more respectful. And how Sean's reticence begins to gradually slip away as he begins to know Viggo and recognize him as a friend.

The ending is beautiful: the way Viggo is suddenly unsure where he's seemed confident and steady throughout and it's Sean who pushes through that moment of fear and uncertainty in words and the Viggo in actions. I can see that hug and a moment when Sean relaxes into it because it's finally okay to. I really love that scene.

Thank you so much for this intriguing and warm gift. Anytime you'd like to continue with more of them in this world, I'll happily be here! *hugs*