Will all the paper be shades of grey? [has your number, pal.] But yes Palamedes, I will help you cut fruit into flowers and watch you make an expert card.

[gladly, as it turns out.

viktor presses a palm to pal's chest, almost like he's chasing a heart beat of feeling out the soft rise and fall of his breath. closes his eyes too, a faint quirk of his lips to certain implications.] Spare Allen that. You'll have to keep the books away from some of those ideas.

[but with that he shifts, taking what's left of the cake from pal's hand to put aside, the teacup too if he needs to, shifting to his knees to loom over him. for a kiss in this case, which tastes pleasantly like the sweet edge of the cake and not of salt water or blood or any number of far more unpleasant things.

hands to pal's jaw, one kiss then another, a pause to say,] I would say you haven't the slightest idea how glad I am that you are okay but- [another kiss, cutting himself off. hm.] You are quite sentimental. And handsome with your glasses off, though I think I prefer them.

[another kiss, this one a little deeper, sharp edged with that lingering tension, released with a sigh.] Thank you for making it back to me.