Nikoly actually seemed offended. “You and Orin aren’t like the others with their sport.”
It was Tiiran’s turn to glance down. His chest warmed pleasantly. “No,” he agreed. “Neither are we… unless you shared with anyone already? That’s all right if you did,” he lied there, just a little, but Nikoly wasn’t Fial, so it was probably fine.
“Tiiran.” Nikoly gave him a beautiful, if slightly exasperated, smile. “We aren’t like the others either. That has never been what I wanted from you. What I do for my mentor, I would do for you, and more than that, as you know.” He might have added that to cut off Tiiran’s visible displeasure with the idea of Nikoly behaving with a mentor as he did with Tiiran.
“That’s not what mentors are meant to do with those they have power over,” Tiiran said anyway, just to have it said.
Nikoly was a sunbeam. “She doesn’t, and I don’t and wouldn’t anyway. These marks are my choice. I’m not sworn to be of usein bed. That’s a preference. And not with her anyway.”
But he made comments about Tiiran being worthy. Worthyto servewas what that meant.
“But why me for either one?” Tiiran refused to be blinded by that smile, even as it continued to warm him. “Do not say I am fae-touched.”
“Because you’re working hard here and you need help.” Nikoly implied this was obvious. “You care for everyone but not yourself. Everyone here admires you.”
“And fears me?” If the outguardsdidrefer to Tiiran as a terror, they were chicken-hearted niddy-noddies who deserved to sleep in the dirt.
“Admires you,” Nikoly said again, firm. “The founding of the country is linked with this library. You’re keeping the tradition alive, but you’re not bound by it. You’re brave enough to reject what no longer works and make changes to help people. We’re honored to serve you, all of us. And for those who don’t care about grander traditions, to whom the library is mostly about steady, safe work, you are a fair and responsible leader.”
Tiiran raised his head. “I’m not a Master Keeper to lead anyone.”
“You’re mine, which I already told you.” Nikoly was sly and then smug when Tiiran put his hands to his hot face.
“But, Nikoly,” Tiiran had to whisper it, “what if I do something wrong, or having you around makes me believe I reallyama full-of-myself Master Keeper?”
“You wouldn’t,” Nikoly answered with confidence. “But if you did, Orin would be there to make you beg. Would you like me to ask him to if I feel you need it? To be honest, I think he would make that decision himself.”
Tiiran dropped his head. That did sound like something Orin would do. All he’d have to do is take away his approval and Tiiran would probably crawl to him to get it back.
Nikoly interrupted Tiiran’s internal wriggling. “Do you want to stay over there, Tiiran, or would you like to sit next to me?” He gave the space next to him a pat.
Tiiran swung a look to the open door to the office, then to the empty spot on the window seat. “There’s not much cushioning there.”
“Cushions can be moved,” said Nikoly, who had brought a cushion in for Tiiran and placed it on the desk chair where he’d wanted Tiiran to sit.
“You serve me here, and you also want to serve me in the manner of one of Orin’s cockwarmers, and yet you move me around as you please,” Tiiran grumbled. “I’m not a cushion.”
“You don’t have to do as I suggest.” Nikoly was innocent and sweet, then anything but. “You want to please me. Tiiran, that’s… if you’re worried about me, you should know how powerful you make me feel.”
“Powerful?” Tiiran echoed in surprise, his voice cracking.
Nikoly tipped his head to the side. “That isn’t how you feel with Orin?”
“Aaah,” Tiiran said. Then added, “Uh,” about as eloquently as an assistant on their first day. He supposed he felt powerful whenever Orin admitted Tiiran had tempted him. But mostly, no, and he didn’t want to. “Orin is the one person I like to be powerless around. No, notpowerlessbut… I don’t have to do anything. I’ve always had to do everything for myself, by myself. Until now. With you and with him, although differently with him.” With Orin, he could be helpless if he wanted to. Tiiran glanced to the open door again before lowering his voice. “Orin asked me about last night and looked me over this morning. For injuries,” he elaborated.
“Only for that and for no other reason?” Nikoly wondered, batting his eyelashes like a flirtatious noble trying to get Mattin to notice him.
Tiiran loudly cleared his throat. “Should I check in with you? For injuries or what-have-you?”
Nikoly exhaled, long and low. His gaze made Tiiran tug at his clothes and clear his throatagain.
“What?” Tiiran finally demanded.
“Do you want to check me over?” Nikoly asked, leaning back. “See for yourself?” He shrugged his robe off in one impossibly graceful move. He went for his shirt next, pulling at the laces.
Tiiran was up and out of his chair before Nikoly had reached for the hem to pull his shirt up over his head. He shoved the door closed although he had no key to lock it, then he was headed toward the window seat as though he had no choice in the matter.
“Shameless sunflower,” he murmured, falling to the seat beside Nikoly and then swallowing a small cry as the careless action.
