Silvio was so serious. It made Simon's focus sharpen, all his attention on his friend. Whatever he wanted to say, it must be important to him. After shifting a bit himself to better look at his friend, Simon squeezed his hand to encourage him on.

When the confession came, Simon wasn't sure what to say. He knew Silvio well enough to realize this wasn't some silly prank. The weird part was that... Simon didn't even disbelieve him. Not even for a second. But accepting this truth somehow seemed harder. Werewolves and other creatures he thought were fiction were real?? But he also thought, well, why wouldn't they be? Fiction usually has some basis in truth, right?

The silence stretched on, but Simon's grip on Silvio's hand didn't change. No, he wasn't letting go. After a long moment, he finally said, a little more quietly than usual, "Is that why you go away every month?"