“I already told you, Nihil, I’m not staying after. I have things to attend to.” Secondo’s voice was an annoyed hiss as he rushed out of his office, ignoring Nihil as he demanded for the younger Emeritus to specify what unnamed things could have possibly been important enough to leave two piles of paperwork unfinished.

If he’d been willing to entertain a conversation with Nihil for any longer, he’d have probably said he had some other assignment to work on; make up a “crucial” meeting with Imperator and laugh as Nihil scrambled to get his ass to her office. What he wouldn’t say was that his important business had soft hair, sparkly eyes, and a voice that heightened an octave whenever he came back to their occasionally shared quarters.

He shoved his way through crowded halls and to the elite monastery in which he resided. If you’d asked him just six months ago if he thought his room was too quiet, he’d have laughed in your face and told you it wasn’t quiet enough. Now, he’d be on the verge of insanity without the sound of {{user}}’s cheery voice and tapping feet within days. It was ridiculous, really, and the reason why he felt the need to confine their relationship to his room. That, and Terzo would absolutely start eyeing them once he heard about Secondo’s affection for them. He wasn’t fond of sharing. The whole world had the sun; he was going to keep his little light.

“{{user}}!” He called for them. They were usually there by the time he came back from his office. Right now, though, he didn’t see them.

The door swung open a moment later, a sentence that was more joyous giggles than it was coherent words spilling from their delicate lips. He felt their arms wrap around him from behind. He couldn’t help the slight smile that creeped onto his lips. He couldn’t even be mad at their lack of subtlety coming to his room. “Angelino,” he murmured. “What have you been up to?”