“It will be my pleasure.” Nikoly ducked his head. Tiiran opened his mouth, but all that emerged was a strangled, humiliating squeak. Nikoly really was too handsome. Thankfully, before Tiiran made any more noises, Nikoly was off, leaving Tiiran to rearrange things on the desk’s surface to make room for cups of tea, hoping movement would make his limbs less jittery.
He glanced over to the copying tables, as if for an explanation for his restlessness and pounding heart, but the remaining assistants didn’t even glance up, although Mattin did sigh, “Two,” over the book in front of him, possibly despairing over needing to make another copy.
Tiiran left him to it, bending over his own work at last, but not before taking the pouch from his robe and holding it beneath his nose.
Chapter Six
Tea in the afternoons with Nikoly became a regular occurrence. If Tiiran was anywhere but the table on the third floor where he went when he had work that needed to be done without interruption, Nikoly would find him with a cup, or a tray with cups and a plate of something to eat.
Sometimes, Tiiran continued his work, which Nikoly didn’t seem to mind, and sometimes Nikoly would offer a remark about something he’d seen that day—Agate springing off Po’s back, Niksa smiling about something, two kitchen assistants exchanging jokes while carrying pastries to the ovens—and Tiiran got to listen to Nikoly describe it. Nikoly didn’t use flowery language, but he told stories well, and when he laughed, Tiiran often laughed too.
Po had squinted at them once when they’d shared a look across one of the copying tables and Tiiran had erupted into snorting giggles. Tiiran had taken a moment the next day to bring her tea in case she was feeling left out since he and Nikoly had laughed together.
Po had kissed his cheek. Amie had come into the rest area some time afterward to find Tiiran still standing there with his hand on the side of his face.
The scent of tea also seemed to summon Mattin from wherever he was holed up, so Tiiran suggested scheduled afternoon tea breaks regardless of schedule, and everyone had approved, with Niksa even volunteering to go get food from the kitchens.
Tiiran’s eyes had met Nikoly’s at that while Tiiran had blushed hotly for no reason he could think of, and not even the surprise emergence of Toak from his office to ask what the noise was about could affect the warm feeling that followed Tiiran to his bed that night.
It was Toak’s only visit to the library in at least a fortnight, though perhaps he’d let himself into the library the night before and had fallen asleep in his office. He hadn’t been happy to immediately be hit with requests and questions about the work waiting on his desk. He’d marched out not long after that and had not returned since.
Tiiran had responded by taking more work from Toak’s desk and putting it next to Mattin. Mattin had pulled it in front of him without pausing in drinking his tea.
They left him to his extra work, though Nikoly replaced Mattin’s cups when they were empty, winking at Tiiran when Tiiran caught him at it.
“It’s not spring tea,” Nikoly explained one evening, his eyes on his work yet still noticing Tiiran glancing to Mattin in concern. “In the afternoons, I stop giving him spring tea in favor of lighter blends. He does need to sleep sometime.”
Tiiran exhaled in relief, then jerked his head up. “Do you do that with me too?”
Nikoly raised his eyebrows as he looked over. “Don’t you notice the different tastes? I assumed you had. You and Mattin really are twins born on different days.”
About to protest, Tiiran stopped to sniff the cup again, then sighed before finishing the cold dregs, something he had seen Mattin do more than once. Unlike Mattin however, he shuddered at the taste.
“I can get you more,” Nikoly offered.
Tiiran simply huffed in reply and went back to staring at accounting lists. “Thank you, though,” he whispered several moments later. “For thinking of our sleep. And, while I’m at it, for putting honey and cream in my spring tea. I don’t need it, but it does taste better that way.”
When he looked over, Nikoly’s head was down, his curls hiding his eyes but not his pleased smile. “Would Orin mind me serving you?”
Tiiran stared at him blankly. “He’d be pleased that I was remembering to eat more and resting, even though it’s not reallymeremembering. He’d probably thank you for it and suggest that I…”enjoy the handsome man bringing you food and tea, kitten. Tiiran snapped his mouth shut. “He would say I need more friends,” he began again, paying more attention to what was about to come out of his mouth. “He thinks I don’t take care of myself, not enough in the basic areas like rest and meals, and not at all in the extra ways, like….” His thoughts stalled.
“Like smelling some roses?” Nikoly filled in curiously.
“Like peeling myself an orange and arranging it nicely on a plate,” Tiiran corrected him quickly, only to pause. “And stopping near a garden to smell the flowers, yes.”
“Notinthe garden?”
“The fae are in there,” Tiiran grumbled, positive he’d heard more tinkling laughter when he’d followed Orin’s order to visit the garden.
The fae were allegedly everywhere but Nikoly thankfully didn’t remind him of that.
“Well, you have your petals now at least. A thoughtful gift, from your large, clever outguard.”
“I’m worried the scent will fade,” Tiiran fretted aloud. “It will the more I open the pouch. I thought of getting some more petals and drying them, but I don’t know how.”
“The things that worry you,” Nikoly told him with another shake of his head that seemed fond, unless Tiiran imagined it. “I am sure some noble or healer at some point wrote a guide.”
“Several,” Mattin remarked out of nowhere. He didn’t raise his head. “I cannot vouch for the healing advice but the information on the drying of plants should be applicable. I can direct you to them if you wish. I’ve found some plant lore, and some copies of healing treatises, and some diaries and such, as well as….” Mattin stopped abruptly. He often did, as if anticipating people growing bored with him. “I’ll find them later for you.”
