Reflections Of Angels

Sleight Of Hand

When he opened the door to his office, Nyx skipped inside and perched on the desk, swinging her legs cheerily. Leaning on the doorframe, he laughed. "What are you doing? Get off."

"Make me." She teased.

He pressed his lips together, amused, but didn't rise to her bait; instead walking across the room to a cupboard to retrieve some medical supplies.

As he drew close, Nyx made a show of playfully riffling through the papers on his desk. "Ooh, what's this? I wonder what's in this notebook?" He took the notebook off her. "Ooh, what about this one?" She picked up a second notebook, flicking through the pages before he took that one off her too.

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head when you fell?" He asked.

"Shockingly, I actually like this room." Nyx told him, sliding her hands one after the other up his chest to rest on the back of his neck as he leant in close to dab clean the scratch on her brow. "It's nice and cozy. And you keep it all locked up, which just makes it all the more... enticing." Her eyes flicked down to his lips.

"Nyx..."

"I've missed you."

And then he was on her; kissing in fervent desperation, his fingers clutching onto her, her hands in his hair; as he lowered her back against the top of the desk, clambering on top of her as he shucked up her skirt, hitching up her legs around his waist as she tugged at his shirt.

And then he stopped. "Nyx, I'm sorry- we can't..."

Nyx sat up; him straightening with her. "Is this about the incident the other day? The blackout, where neither of us can remember? Why don't we just talk about it?"

Taking the two notebooks in his hands, he turned towards the door. "You don't understand." And with that, he strode out into the hall and towards his room.

He had barely shut the door when there was a rapid knock on it; tensing his jaw, he turned and pulled it open again. Nyx, book clutched to her chest, slipped under his arm and into the room. "I'm staying here tonight."

He scoffed in a sound somewhere between laughter and disbelief as she hopped up onto the bed. "No, you're not."

Nyx made a show of snuggling down against his pillows and opening her book. "Oh no, what is it I am doing then?"

He looked as if he was about to argue, and then tiredly seemed to decide against it, swinging the door closed. "Alright, but I'm taking advantage."

"Wait, what do you-" Nyx started but her question was answered when he leapt into bed with her and laid down with his head on her stomach. He smiled peacefully as his eyes fluttered closed in an act of sleep. "Read to me."

She picked up her book again. "Read to you?"

"Yeah. Read to me."

Nyx opened the book and began. "Dorian Gray was a rich, blond asshole who everyone liked for some reason."

Caught off guard, he broke into sniggers. "That's not how that starts and you know it."

"Alright, alright." She laughed, fingers drifting through his hair. "I'll start again. Ah-em.
Dorian Gray was a an absolute himbo-"

His loud guffaw vibrated through her, sending her off into peels of laughter.

***

Later that night when he lay softly sleeping upon her chest, Nyx turned her gaze to the notebook he had placed down upon the bedside table. Reaching out in the dark, she fingered cover on her copy of Dorian Gray, coming loose with age; what was previously a vague idea solidifying into a plan in her mind

Reaching out, she took the notebook, silently and carefully, and unbound the pages from the cover. Then, after switching them over, she placed the disguised book on the table and slid the notebook in with her under the covers.