Chase and Harlan had the good grace to be discomfited at Raum’s outburst.
“He said he was fine, and all we’ve done since we got here is read books,” Chase offered lamely. “We were supposed to be taking care of him.”
Harlan grimaced and wiped a big hand over his face. “Not well enough. He passed out, Chase.”
“Should we take him to the hospital?” Chase asked again, looking between Raum and Harlan. “We can’t just sit around doing nothing while he’s passed out like this.”
Harlan was thinking, brow furrowed, and Chase was obviously torn. Raum sighed loudly enough to grab their attention. “Ezra can sleep on my couch while you two go grab some food and drinks. He needs to eat and rest. I promise he’s safe here, and his familiar is more than capable of watching over him while he sleeps.”
Lilith slow-blinked at the two MERS soldiers, paws making biscuits on the blanket, pristine white claws extended. Harlan squinted at Raum, then Ezra, and finally he nodded. “If he just needs to sleep, he can do that here. No need to wake him again by moving him around, and I doubt he wants to be carried out of here. I’m going to get some food.”
“Want company?” Chase asked, but Harlan shook his head.
“Text me what you want. You can work on the things Ezra was talking about before he passed out. Call me if he gets worse,” Harlan ordered, but in a way Raum found charming and not at all bossy, especially when Chase agreed.
“The HUB is right next door,” Raum volunteered. “No driving necessary. Just follow the signs to the HUB and there’s plenty of choices for food there.”
“I will, thanks,” Harlan said, and he tilted his head to Chase, gesturing for him to follow.
The energies of their auras were perfectly in tune with each other and spoke of a deep intimacy, and Raum shut down his ability in order to maintain their privacy, and his sanity. Chase and Harlan both stepped out of his office and spoke for a few moments outside the door, Raum ignoring them on purpose, not wanting to intrude on the lovers.
He liked his job, the hours spent on research helped him maintain his personal space, since his senses were so…thorough. Secrets never lasted long around him and that was more irritating than not in his daily life.
Raum left the office when he heard Harlan leave the Special Collections, and Chase was typing on his phone, sparing Raum a quick glance when he stepped out, pulling the door closed behind him. He left it cracked enough for Lilith to leave if she needed to.
“Do you want something to eat? MERS is buying,” Chase asked, thumbs paused over the screen of his phone.
“I’ll take a chef salad with blue cheese dressing and a ginger ale,” Raum answered, touched to be included. “Thanks.”
Chase typed in Raum’s order and sent it with a tiny flair of his thumb. “Done. Hope Ezra likes what I ordered for him.”
Having lunch brought to him was a nice deviation from his usual trip to the HUB. It was a short walk, but lots of people. He enjoyed the quiet of the library and the restricted sections.
Ezra
Lilith wokehim as per usual, sniffing at his face, whiskers tickling. Ezra wrinkled his nose and grumbled, wanting to go back to sleep.
“Food is here. You should eat, you’ll feel better,” a sexy, rumbling voice informed him. Ezra liked the dream he was having, though the blurry effects obscuring the very attractive man speaking to him were a bit annoying.
A deep chuckle woke him enough for him to lift his head, wondering what the hell happened. Lilith squinted at him in displeasure, paws making biscuits on his chest, claws pricking a bit.
He was in someone else’s office, on a very comfortable couch that took up one wall. A huge desk sat across the room from the couch, wide enough that Ezra had no idea how it got through the doorway in the first place. The walls were covered in heavy, wooden bookshelves overflowing with tomes, and stacks of books covered every available surface. The room had the familiar and reassuring scent of paper, leather, cedar, and…flowers.
“Flowers?” Ezra asked, shifting enough that he dislodged Lilith, who jumped away to sit on the cushion by his feet, licking her shoulder angrily. He rubbed his eyes, and then lifted himself to lean against the armrest of the couch. “And what food?”
A sandwich was held out to him, wrapped in plain white paper, and he grabbed the food before his brain even thought to ask what kind of sandwich it was—roast beef, and he groaned in delight with the first bite.
Raum, the sexy professor, leaned back on what Ezra assumed was his desk, and went back to eating his salad in a takeout bowl. He gestured with his plastic fork, encompassing the room.
“What kinda flowers? Can you tell me?” Raum asked, thankfully not talking with his mouth full. Ezra would have left the entire library to avoid hearing someone else chew with theirmouth open. Professor Sexy was getting more sexy without even trying.
Ezra took another bite of the roast beef sandwich as he thought about it, swallowing before taking a guess. “Honeysuckle.” He took another breath in through his nose, and under the delightful odors of sweet onion dressing and the whole grain bread, he got another hint of flowers. “Lilacs, too.”
Raum’s eyebrows went up, and he hummed as if Ezra said something unexpected. “Interesting.”
“Is there a drink?” Ezra asked, hopeful, and Raum reached behind himself and grabbed a can of ginger ale, handing it over. It was still cold, and Ezra enjoyed the bubbly, crisp first sip after popping the tab. “And what’s interesting?”
“Everyone smells something different in my space,” Raum answered, and he walked a few steps to the trashcan by the door, tossing in his empty bowl and fork. “It’s a fae thing. Those two flowers are closely associated with my ancestors.”
