When he turned the corner, Raven stirred under his blanket and sat up, rubbed his eyes, and looked at him in the darkness.
“S-sorry.I think I fell asleep.”
Maxim forced a slow exhale.“That’s fine.It was a long day.”
Chapter 32
Ravencouldtellthatit was dark when he woke, and he knew he’d dreamed of something.The exact details of the dream escaped him, but he remembered warmth and feeling safe.Desperately, he pushed against the wakefulness in order to go back to that dream, but it dissolved and left his mind filled with longing.
He sat up.He was on the couch in the penthouse, Umeboshi stirring by his legs.A blanket was draped over him, and a scent clung to the fabric, faint yet comforting.
When movement in the dark caught his attention, Raven looked up to see Maxim standing by the elevators, silent and almost fading into the shadows.Raven could almost have dismissed him as a mirage.
“Sorry.I think I fell asleep.”
Maxim smiled.“That’s fine.It was a long day.”
Raven rubbed his right eye.“I guess.”
Maxim hummed.“Rest has a tendency of coming to the industrious.”
Raven lifted the blanket off his legs, off Ume, who promptly yawned, then stretched.He looked back at Maxim, who seemed…different.No, not different.Raven knew those clothes.They were the ones he’d worn when they’d first met, when he’d told Raven about having become a vampire, and about how he was safe here.
“You changed.”
Maxim shifted his weight from one foot to the other.“Yes.I had to go out.Hunter business.”
“Ah.”Raven pulled his feet off the couch.Whether Maxim minded or not, it was the kind of nice furniture you probably shouldn’t put your feet on.“Was it… How was it?”
Was it another crime?he’d meant to ask.A crime like the one that had brought them together.With sudden urgency, Raven wished he could forget about it, could turn off that knowledge of what he had experienced, just for an hour.Or even ten minutes.
Maxim heaved a sigh, crossed the distance from the elevators to the couch with noisy steps, and dropped onto one side of the L.
“Oh, Raven.It was disastrous.I had tofinesomeone.I do not enjoy fining people.One has to write a report for that sort of thing.Not me, obviously.Heath writes the reports.But I had to report to him.Have you any idea how trying that is?”
Raven blinked.“I…don’t actually know.”
Maxim looked at him with big green eyes.“Ah.Say, have you spoken with Heath recently?”He crossed his legs.“Has he maybe made…certain suggestions?”
Raven bit his bottom lip.“Well…”
Maxim nodded.“It’s all right.You can tell me.”
“He just… He didn’t mean anything by it.He’s just not a fan of your collection.”
“I know!Isn’t that a mystery.It’s a nice collection, don’t you think?”
“It’s…extensive.”
Maxim nodded.“Oh, very much.Did you have any favorite parts?”
Raven thought for a second, then pulled out his phone.“I’m not sure.But it’s cool to have everything on file now, right?Easier to sort through?I have to send everything to you.”
Maxim made an annoyed sound.“Nonsense.I trust you fully.Feel free to organize everything on your computer before sending me the files.”
Raven pulled at the sleeve of his hoodie.“I don’t think my computer can handle that many audio and video files, honestly.I’m sorry.It’s kind of old.”
“Ah.In that case, I will buy you a new one.For work.”He gave Raven a lopsided grin.“Unless you and I can agree on something.”
