𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 - Wriothesley x Neuvillette

Aftermath of love (Chapter 31)

In the aftermath, there was a lot to clean up and lots of work to do. Neuvillette worked long hours, and Wriothesley could do nothing but watch as he overworked himself. Slowly, Fontaine got back into the usual routine, but the Iudex was still working too much, staying in his office till late at night. It worried Wriothesley a lot to see him exhaust himself every day, and not only that, but they rarely got to see each other. It had been almost four days since they had last seen each other, and even then, Neuvillette had been working. 

Wriothesley had had enough. The worry had reached a boiling point, and he couldn't stand idly by any longer. He left the administrative affairs of Meropide behind and made his way to Palais Memoria, determined to confront Neuvillette about his relentless workload. As he entered Neuvillette's office, he found the Iudex hunched over a pile of documents, surrounded by the dim glow of candlelight. Dark circles underlined Neuvillette's eyes, a clear sign of sleepless nights and tireless efforts.

"Neuvillette," Wriothesley's voice cut through the silence, drawing the Iudex's attention. Neuvillette looked up, exhaustion evident in his eyes, but a spark of surprise flickered as he saw Wriothesley standing there. 

"Wriothesley? What are you doing here?" Neuvillette asked his tone a mix of exhaustion and curiosity. 

"I'm here because I can't stand seeing you work yourself into the ground," Wriothesley declared, crossing the room to stand in front of Neuvillette's desk.

Neuvillette sighed, rubbing his temples. "There's just so much to do. Fontaine needs to recover, and I need to ensure everything is in order."

"And I understand that," Wriothesley replied, frustration evident in his voice. "But you also need to take care of yourself. You haven't slept properly in days, and I haven't seen you outside of this office. Fontaine won't heal if you exhaust yourself like this."

Neuvillette's gaze softened as he looked at Wriothesley, appreciating the genuine concern in his eyes. "I just... I can't stop thinking about what happened, about all the lives lost. I need to make things right."

"You've been doing that, Neuvillette. But you're not a machine. You need rest, you need time for yourself, and you need time with me," Wriothesley insisted, reaching out to gently cup Neuvillette's face.

Neuvillette leaned into the touch, a small sigh escaping him. "I know, but-"

"You can afford to take care of yourself," Wriothesley interrupted, his tone firm.

Neuvillette's shoulders slumped, and he finally allowed himself to acknowledge the toll the past events had taken on him. "I just... I don't want to let anyone down."

"You won't be letting anyone down if you let yourself rest," Wriothesley reassured him, his thumb gently tracing Neuvillette's cheek. "I care about you, Neuvillette. I want to see you well, not just for Fontaine but for us."

Neuvillette smiled softly and looked up into Wriothesley's eyes. How had he deserved such a caring man? He gently took Wriothesley's hand into his own and kissed the back of it while maintaining eye contact with Wriothesley.

Wriothesley was not prepared for such a gesture from the Iudex and felt a blush creep up his neck. Who had taught Neuvillette that? He thought to himself, flustered but very happy about the affection.

He put his hands on the desk, pushing some papers aside and leaning over the desk to kiss Neuvillette. He held himself up as he kissed the Iudex, who was surprisingly eager to kiss him back. He felt Neuvillette's hand on his neck and another on his cheek as they shared a kiss. Pulling apart, Wriothesley lingered close to Neuvillette a moment longer than necessary before standing up straight again.

"I'm sorry Wriothesley, but I have to go back to work." Neuvillette sighed.

"Hah, no you don't," Wriothesley said before swiftly crawling over the desk and sitting down on Neuvillette's lap. Was it embarrassing? Yes. Did he care? No. At that moment, he would do whatever was necessary to keep Neuvillette distracted.

"Wriothesley? What are you doing?" Neuvillette asked, confused about the Duke's actions. He felt an unfamiliar warmth spread inside him.

"Stopping you from working."

"Please get off my lap."

"I don't think I will," Wriothesley said, smirking at Neuvillette.

He didn't know if he hated or had missed that smirk, but as he stared at Wriothesley, deep inside he knew it was probably the latter. It was nice to know everything was over and that he just had to hang on a little longer. Having Wriothesley by his side- On his lap, certainly helped make things a bit more bearable. 

He wrapped his arms around Wriothesley, holding him.

"Your grace, this behavior is very unbecoming of the Duke of Meropide. I highly suggest a more appropriate approach."

Wriothesley chuckled and kissed Neuvillette's forehead.

"It's just Wriothesley, Monsieur. And I believe my actions are very much appropriate considering the situation."

Neuvillette smiled and felt as Wriothesley pushed his lips against his own yet again. He felt Wriothesley's lips against his own and felt the other man force his mouth open and deepen the kiss. He had never experienced such things before, but the warmth growing inside him convinced him that this was exactly what he wanted. 

His hands ran over Wriothesley's back, holding him closer as they kissed.

"Neuvilette," Wriothesley muttered against his lips, and Neuvillette opened his eyes and looked at him. "You are the most beautiful man I've ever seen."

Neuvillette blushed at Wriothesley's words. "Thank you."

He felt Wriothesley lean in and kiss his neck, and he couldn't help but let out a small gasp. He had never felt that before, and he could feel his knees get weak. At that moment, he was grateful they were sitting down, or else he would have collapsed right then and there. Wriothesley's lips grazed his neck, making him shudder.

 "Wriothesley..." He mumbled, looking at the other man with a flushed face.

"Oh, look at that. I've already taken up twenty minutes of your time. Will you stop working now, or do I have to continue?"

"N-No, I'll stop now, just let me put the papers away," Neuvillette said. 

He knew he wouldn't be able to handle it if Wriothesley kissed his neck just once more. He was convinced he would undoubtedly drop dead. Wriothesley got off his lap, and Neuvillette stood up. He quickly gathered his things at put the paperwork away, all while Wriothesley waited and stared at him. He couldn't quite understand what he was feeling. Definitely love, but that warmth inside him... it was not just in his chest this time. 

Y'all better be grateful for this.