ago."
Teofil nodded dumbly. It wasn't too late to visit them, was it? Teofil wavered, running his hands through his hair. He shouldn't. If he left it alone, they'd leave him alone. He wouldn't have to tell them that he knew … and they could be friends.
He should change before he went. He'd been wearing this outfit since yesterday. Wystan snickered at him, drawing Teofil up short.
"How did you get in here, anyway?" Teofil demanded, scowling at his boss in annoyance.
"Everyone knows where you hide your spare key, Teo," Wystan said reasonably.
"No, only you know," Teofil accused, glaring briefly at Wystan. There was no doubt in Teofil's mind that Wystan had aided and abetted Cafon and Rathiel in their secret admirer games.
Ducking back into his bedroom, Teofil quickly changed into fresh clothes—dark blue, one of his best colors. Hesitating a moment, Teofil snatched up his brush and combed through his hair quickly.
Wystan was collecting roses when he returned to the kitchen—he had the white one and a handful of the red.
"Thana will like these," Wystan informed him happily. Teofil rolled his eyes, but didn't stop him. "You look nice, Teo."
"I hate you," Teofil said absently, scooping up his key and tucking it into a pocket.
"You can have tomorrow off," Wystan replied, smirking at him as he picked out another rose.
"I'm not saying yes," Teofil snapped, annoyed that Wystan was assuming that just because he knew who it was … Well, he was running across town now , instead of doing the smart thing and waiting until morning. But there was no way he'd be able to sleep knowing it was Rathiel and Cafon.
Wystan stared at him, his eyebrows raising in surprise.
"I'm going to hear them out," Teofil said quietly, resisting the urge to run his hands through his hair again.
"That's something at least," Wystan accepted grudgingly. "Take tomorrow off either way. I don't want to see you moping about the place."
"I don't mope," Teofil protested, rolling his eyes and casting about for anything he might have forgotten. "Lock the door when you leave."
Wystan nodded agreeably, turning back to the large vase of roses and studying them thoughtfully.
"The white rose was yours, right?" Teofil asked as he reached the front door, pausing in the doorway. He hadn't missed something there, too, had he?
"Yes, Teo. Stop stalling," Wystan ordered, making a shooing motion. Teofil sighed, making a face at his interfering boss before finally letting himself out and heading back to Cafon's house.
*~*~*
Teofil hesitated on Cafon's front stoop, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. It was late—what if they were asleep? What if it had been a game and they laughed him off their front steps?
What if they meant it, and they really wanted him?
Teofil knocked before he could talk himself out of it. Wystan would never let him hear the end of it if he traveled all the way across town and then didn't even knock.
The door opened after a long, agonizing moment, revealing a sleepy servant.
"May I help you, sir?" The man asked, looking faintly disgruntled.
"I need to speak with his lordship," Teofil said, making sure none of his uncertainty showed in his face or in his voice. He didn't want to be turned away now.
"It's late," the servant said, frowning as he let Teofil in. "He may have retired for the evening."
"I'd be obliged if you could check," Teofil said, offering a rueful smile. "It's important." At least, he thought it was.
"Who shall I say is calling?" The servant asked resignedly, but his expression betrayed nothing when Teofil gave his name.
"Wait here, please," the man directed, sweeping off into the house. Teofil waited nervously, his stomach doing somersaults as the minutes ticked by.
The servant reappeared after a short age, the same blank expression on his face as before. "This way, sir."
Teofil tried to pay attention to where he was being led, but he was too distracted by trying to figure out what he was going to say.
Teofil nodded dumbly. It wasn't too late to visit them, was it? Teofil wavered, running his hands through his hair. He shouldn't. If he left it alone, they'd leave him alone. He wouldn't have to tell them that he knew … and they could be friends.
He should change before he went. He'd been wearing this outfit since yesterday. Wystan snickered at him, drawing Teofil up short.
"How did you get in here, anyway?" Teofil demanded, scowling at his boss in annoyance.
"Everyone knows where you hide your spare key, Teo," Wystan said reasonably.
"No, only you know," Teofil accused, glaring briefly at Wystan. There was no doubt in Teofil's mind that Wystan had aided and abetted Cafon and Rathiel in their secret admirer games.
Ducking back into his bedroom, Teofil quickly changed into fresh clothes—dark blue, one of his best colors. Hesitating a moment, Teofil snatched up his brush and combed through his hair quickly.
Wystan was collecting roses when he returned to the kitchen—he had the white one and a handful of the red.
"Thana will like these," Wystan informed him happily. Teofil rolled his eyes, but didn't stop him. "You look nice, Teo."
"I hate you," Teofil said absently, scooping up his key and tucking it into a pocket.
"You can have tomorrow off," Wystan replied, smirking at him as he picked out another rose.
"I'm not saying yes," Teofil snapped, annoyed that Wystan was assuming that just because he knew who it was … Well, he was running across town now , instead of doing the smart thing and waiting until morning. But there was no way he'd be able to sleep knowing it was Rathiel and Cafon.
Wystan stared at him, his eyebrows raising in surprise.
"I'm going to hear them out," Teofil said quietly, resisting the urge to run his hands through his hair again.
"That's something at least," Wystan accepted grudgingly. "Take tomorrow off either way. I don't want to see you moping about the place."
"I don't mope," Teofil protested, rolling his eyes and casting about for anything he might have forgotten. "Lock the door when you leave."
Wystan nodded agreeably, turning back to the large vase of roses and studying them thoughtfully.
"The white rose was yours, right?" Teofil asked as he reached the front door, pausing in the doorway. He hadn't missed something there, too, had he?
"Yes, Teo. Stop stalling," Wystan ordered, making a shooing motion. Teofil sighed, making a face at his interfering boss before finally letting himself out and heading back to Cafon's house.
*~*~*
Teofil hesitated on Cafon's front stoop, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. It was late—what if they were asleep? What if it had been a game and they laughed him off their front steps?
What if they meant it, and they really wanted him?
Teofil knocked before he could talk himself out of it. Wystan would never let him hear the end of it if he traveled all the way across town and then didn't even knock.
The door opened after a long, agonizing moment, revealing a sleepy servant.
"May I help you, sir?" The man asked, looking faintly disgruntled.
"I need to speak with his lordship," Teofil said, making sure none of his uncertainty showed in his face or in his voice. He didn't want to be turned away now.
"It's late," the servant said, frowning as he let Teofil in. "He may have retired for the evening."
"I'd be obliged if you could check," Teofil said, offering a rueful smile. "It's important." At least, he thought it was.
"Who shall I say is calling?" The servant asked resignedly, but his expression betrayed nothing when Teofil gave his name.
"Wait here, please," the man directed, sweeping off into the house. Teofil waited nervously, his stomach doing somersaults as the minutes ticked by.
The servant reappeared after a short age, the same blank expression on his face as before. "This way, sir."
Teofil tried to pay attention to where he was being led, but he was too distracted by trying to figure out what he was going to say.
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