The Iudex's day off

Chapter 94 - The negative EQ strikes again!

 Neuvillette's POV

 "What was all that about?" Wrio asked.

 I looked over only to find him sprawled out on the couch once more in a position that I imagine was hardly comfortable.

 "It would be in your back's best interest if you found another position to lie in."

 "Nah. I'm good. This is the best angle to look at you from." He laughed.

 My hand filling out some documents stilled.

 I will not react to that.

 I won't encourage-

 "Actually, Now that I think about it, the angle I had in the Pankration ring was better."

 Oh, how I wish I could wipe that smirk off his face.

 Still, if I don't react to it, he is bound to give up his teasing eventually.

 And sure enough, there was only silence after.

 A solid minute of silence before his hand suddenly appeared on the paper in front of me.

 I looked up full of shock as he swept my papers away, meeting a pair of eyes filled with mischief.

 "What-"

 "I just remembered another angle that wasn't all that bad."

 Before I could react, he had already swung himself over my desk, taking a seat on it like last time.

 "I was right. This angle is quite wonderful as well." He smirked.

 "Yes. Yes, it is." I blurted out.

 His eyes instantly filled with shock and the arm he had been leaning on threatened to slip from under him.

 Hmm?

 What's with that reaction?

 I was merely making an observation.

 I didn't even think too deeply about it, so why?

 While his actions could be counted as teasing, I don't see how my simple observation would warrant him blushing.

 This angle does him some favors. It's that simple. No need to think too much about it.

 "Wrio?" I called out to him.

 "Y-yes?"

 "While I wouldn't mind continuing to look at you like this, I will have to ask you to find another place to sit. I can't guarantee that I will react quickly enough again if Furina barges in once more."

 Even I was impressed by how quickly I reacted to her entrance.

 Though...

 My reaction did land us in a rather... troubling situation last time.

 "I would rather not have to shove you under my desk again."

 My self-control is limited.

 Even more so with that bastard continuously spewing nonsense in my head even at this moment.

 No, shoving him under my desk once more is not a good idea, so shut it.

 Sure, I have started acting on my instincts more, but I have not given up on reason.

 Surprisingly, his blush deepened at my words.

 ?

 I was merely stating that Furina would misunderstand, not that I would.

 Surely his actions weren't meant as anything more than innocent teasing.

 He should know better than to provoke a dragon who is very much in love with him.

 Especially after last time.

 But...

 He didn't move off my desk still.

 Sigh.

 It looks like I'll just have to do it myself.

 I stood up and picked him up. Surprisingly, he didn't protest this time.

 "Where do you want to sit?"

 Anywhere but my desk, if you will.

 "Huh?"

 He looked at me all confused so I repeated the question.

 "Where do you want to sit?"

 He stared at me in silence for a moment before spitting out:

 "Your lap?"

 Silence.

 He wants to sit where?

 "No."

 Absolutely not.

 This is dangerous territory we're stepping into.

 "What no?"

 His eyes suddenly sharpened as he frowned.

 "You cannot sit on my lap."

 "Wha-What?! When the hell did I ask to sit on your lap?!"

 "Just now-"

 "I did not such thing! Now put me down!"

 Hmm...

 Was that something subconsciously spoken then?

 But things subconsciously spoken are usually one's true thoughts and now he's denying them.

 Is he afraid I wouldn't want to do it since I said no?

 It isn't exactly that I don't want to, but rather...

 Sigh...

 Fine.

 Just this once should be fine.

 It's just that his sitting on my lap will be uncomfortable for both of us.

 Hmm...

 We'll just have to settle for this then.

 I slightly shifted my hand to be able to hold him with just one while I grabbed most of my leftover work with the other.

 Under his constant insistence that I put him down, I walked over to the couch and sat him down on one side, sitting on the other.

 As he looked at me somewhat stunned, I wrapped my arm around his shoulder, pulling him down to lie on my lap.

 This should be fine, no?

 It isn't exactly sitting, but it will have to do.

 Hmm.

 This isn't too bad.

 He doesn't seem to dislike it wither seeing how he stopped fidgeting.

 Well...

 Neuvillette wasn't wrong, but he wasn't exactly right either.

 Wriothesley didn't dislike the current situation, but he didn't stop fidgeting because of that.

 He was simply too stunned to move a muscle.

 His brain had yet to fully process Neuvillette's offhand comment about him sitting on his desk.

 To top it all off, at some point, Neuvillette started stroking his hair as he worked.

 At first, the dragon was smiling, but a frown quickly replaced that smile and Wriothesley was subjected to the sight of Neuvillette absentmindedly biting on his glove to pull it off before his hand went back to stroking the warden's hair.

 Yeah...

 Wriothesley's mind wasn't gonna catch up anytime soon.

 Maybe tomorrow he could try again.

 As this was happening, somewhere deep within Neuvillette's mind, a certain someone whose words and advice had once again been ignored by Neuvillette was losing it, rolling around on the floor laughing hysterically.