Page 18 of Xerxes Ascendant
Kyle was standing near the dresser, stuffing clothes into a worn backpack, and despite his neck and shoulders visibly tensing beneath the grey t-shirt he wore, didn’t turn around.
“Master Epsilon,” he said tightly. “I trust this will be about House business?”
Akira had a million things he wanted to say to him, and none included anything as inconsequential aswork.But Kyle’s tone was low with a hint of trepidation, and Akira took it as the warning it was meant.
Keep it professional.
He could do that. He’d spent five fucking years doing that.
Akira cleared his throat. “Yes. Tyler said…”
Tyler saidyou were here.
“Tyler said there’s a purchase order that needs signing off so the supplier’s invoice can be paid,” he said instead. “He left a copy on the desk up in the office.”
Kyle finally turned, running a cool, unconcerned gaze over Akira as if they really were nothing but work colleagues. Akira felt it lance his heart with a thousand painful spikes, each one thoroughly deserved.
“Was the PO validly raised?”
“It was,” Akira responded, feeling close to breathless from the effort it was taking not to fall to his knees and beg forgiveness. Was this what they had been reduced to: forced cordiality and overly formal speech? “Although you should check the figures are correct before approving it.”
“I’ll do that.”
Silence fell between them; awkward and stifling. Kyle’s blue gaze was crystalline and hardened, as if he’d barricaded himself off behind glass.
How Akira longed to break down those walls.
“I’ve processed your pay for this week,” he offered into the silence. The words were unnecessary; a Lower in Kyle’s position didn’t lose track of how many credits were in their account. He’d have figured it out on his own, but Akira needed to saysomething.
Kyle stiffened, reaching for the brand-new runepad Akira had left on the bed for him to find. He had wanted to wrap the device up like he had the Bon Jovi t-shirt…but that would have made it look like a present.
Which it wasn’t. It was just a runepad, because Kyle’s been had been lost, and didn’t mean anything, other than that he wanted his House manager to be contactable. It was why Akira hadn’t gone for the top of the range, but a mid-level modelthat Kyle had been less likely to reject, and one he could justify against House Epsilon’s budget.
It had all been very meticulously thought out and agonised over, carefully designed to give the impression that none of it had been.
“Yes, I noticed. But you made a mistake on the amount,” Kyle pointed out.
“There was no mistake.”
“To the contrary, Master, you would know I haven’t worked for the last fortnight.”
“I’m aware,” said Akira. How could he not be? He could have provided the time in hours, minutes, and seconds too if he’d been asked. “Just take it.”
The first cracks began to show in Kyle’s carefully constructed armour, then; a rapid blink, a soft inhale, and a fluttering of his fingers where they had been clenched around the runepad. And then he squared his shoulders as if preparing to face off against an immense enemy.
“No.”
“For the stars’ sake, Kyle,take it.I won’t have you starve because of my fuck up and your…”
“Mywhat?Say it.” Kyle took a fierce step towards him.
Akira felt his skin prickle, his heart race, and he instinctually lowered his head. Only a quarter inch, but it was significant.
He’d submitted. He never,eversubmitted outside of a scene.
“Your Randall stubbornness,” he said quietly. “Please.”
Kyle moved back, almost tripping over his own feet in his haste, perhaps equally as shaken about Akira’s unexpected obeisance. “Then I’m spending it all on cat food,” he muttered with a sharp bite to the words, glaring at him.
