Judicial Temptations :: WRIOLLETTE

50 :: Unexpected Changes

Wriothesley had spent most of the past week recovering in his and Neuvillette's shared apartment. Though he was out of immediate danger, his body was still adjusting to the dual elemental energies now coursing through him. His skin felt hot and cold in turns, with odd, sporadic fevers that had come and gone without warning. Nahida had assured them it was normal—his body was still stabilizing from the immense power within him—but that didn't make it any more pleasant.

Neuvillette, for his part, had insisted on staying home with him, deferring his usual duties to ensure Wriothesley wasn't left alone during this delicate recovery period. His dragon form had made an appearance, the soft sheen of his scales showing on his arms and his eyes more serpentine than usual. He'd spent most of their time together in this form, finding comfort in being his true self while they were tucked away in their quiet home.

But Wriothesley, always restless, was growing tired of the stillness. After a few days of doing nothing but resting, he had finally called the chief of the precinct, asking—no, demanding—some work be sent over. He wasn't the type to sit around and do nothing.

The precinct had obliged.

A little too much, in fact.

Wriothesley stared at the four colossal stacks of paperwork that now dominated the living room table. They towered over him like mountains of bureaucracy, an avalanche waiting to happen. He groaned loudly, dragging a hand down his face.

"You okay, Wrio?" Neuvillette's gentle voice came from behind him, followed by the familiar warmth of his arms wrapping around Wriothesley's waist. Neuvillette rested his chin on Wriothesley's shoulder, nuzzling against his neck.

Wriothesley let out a long, suffering sigh. "Yeah, baby. I'm okay." He leaned into Neuvillette's embrace, the comforting scent of the sea and rain that always surrounded him soothing his frayed nerves. He turned his head slightly and pressed a kiss to Neuvillette's cheek.

"Are you sure?" Neuvillette asked, his tone soft and filled with concern. "I know you've been eager to get back to work, but maybe this is a bit too much, considering..."

Wriothesley shook his head. "I can handle it. Or, well, I thought I could," he admitted with a wry smile. "But looking at this mountain of paperwork... Maybe I should've thought twice before calling the precinct."

Neuvillette released him and stood beside him, eyes drifting over the absurd piles of papers and reports. "They didn't have to send all of it at once." He frowned, clearly displeased with the overzealous response of the precinct. "You're still recovering. This seems excessive."

Wriothesley chuckled, though it was more out of disbelief than amusement. "Yeah, tell that to them. I've only been gone for two weeks, and I've still got one week left of leave. You'd think they could manage without burying me under all of this."

Neuvillette sighed, crossing his arms. "Perhaps I should have a word with the chief. This is hardly appropriate for someone still recovering from—" He trailed off, his eyes widening slightly.

Wriothesley blinked, noticing Neuvillette's sudden pause. "What? What is it?" he asked, turning toward his lover.

Neuvillette's lips twitched, a soft chuckle escaping him as he pointed toward Wriothesley's side. "You... you have a tail."

Wriothesley's brows furrowed in confusion. "A tail?" He glanced down and, sure enough, there it was—a fluffy, grey wolf tail swishing behind him. His eyes widened in horror as he reached up and felt the fuzzy wolf ears that had popped up on top of his head. "Oh, for the love of—"

Neuvillette's soft laughter filled the room. "How... adorable."

Wriothesley groaned, his face flushing as his wolf ears twitched in irritation. "Shut. Up."

But Neuvillette was having none of it. His normally composed demeanor was quickly giving way to amusement as he tried, and failed, to stifle his giggles. "I'm sorry, but you really do look too adorable to be taken seriously like this. A tail and ears? It's almost too much."

Wriothesley crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Neuvillette. "I am not adorable. I'm the chief deputy of the precinct. I deal with criminals, not—"

Neuvillette raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "Not with adorable little wolf features?"

Wriothesley groaned again, his ears flattening against his head as his tail flicked behind him in clear annoyance. "This is exactly why I didn't want to take on Otto's energy. Of course I'd end up with his stupid wolf features too."

Neuvillette's laughter only grew. "You should see yourself right now, Wrio. You're positively precious."

"Precious?" Wriothesley repeated, incredulity dripping from his tone. "I'll show you precious—" He lunged at Neuvillette, intending to grab him in some sort of playful retaliation, but his movements were clumsy, still shaky from the fevers and the aftereffects of the ritual. Neuvillette dodged easily, his dragon reflexes making him quick on his feet.

"Careful!" Neuvillette said, his laughter now filling the room as Wriothesley stumbled forward. "You're still recovering. I'd hate to have to explain to Nahida why you ended up in bed again after trying to wrestle me with a tail."

"I'm fine," Wriothesley grumbled, straightening himself with as much dignity as he could muster, which wasn't much considering the situation. "And stop laughing! I'm already dealing with enough."

Neuvillette finally calmed down, though there was still a playful glint in his eyes. He approached Wriothesley, wrapping his arms around him once more, but this time pulling him into a warm embrace from the front. "I'm sorry," he murmured, though his tone still held a trace of amusement. "But in my defense, you do look quite charming like this."

Wriothesley huffed but couldn't help leaning into Neuvillette's touch. "Charming, huh? Is that what you're going with?"

Neuvillette nodded, his smile softening into something more genuine. "Yes, charming. Very much so."

Wriothesley sighed, the irritation draining from him as he relaxed in Neuvillette's arms. He could never stay mad at him for long. "Fine, but if these ears and tail stay permanently, I'm blaming you."

Neuvillette pressed a kiss to Wriothesley's forehead, his lips lingering there for a moment. "I'll take full responsibility," he whispered against his skin, the warmth of his breath sending a shiver down Wriothesley's spine. "But for now, let's forget the paperwork. You need to rest."

Wriothesley gave the paperwork a weary glance. "But what about all that? I can't just leave it. They'll be expecting me to—"

"You're still on leave," Neuvillette interrupted gently. "They can wait. Your recovery is more important right now." He pulled back slightly to look Wriothesley in the eyes, his expression serious but full of love. "Please, just rest. I'll even help you with the paperwork later if you insist, but for now, let's focus on you getting better."

Wriothesley's ears twitched again, this time more out of appreciation than annoyance. "Fine," he muttered, though there was no real fight left in his voice. "But you owe me for all this teasing."

Neuvillette smirked. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Wriothesley chuckled softly. "You'd better." He sighed, letting himself lean fully into Neuvillette's embrace. The warmth of Neuvillette's body, combined with the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, was enough to lull him into a state of calm, the stress from the paperwork and his odd new wolf features momentarily forgotten.

As they stood there, holding each other in the quiet of their home, Wriothesley couldn't help but feel a sense of peace, despite everything. Yes, his body was still adjusting, and yes, he had a tail and ears now, but somehow, with Neuvillette by his side, it didn't seem so bad.

And maybe, just maybe, he could learn to live with being a little bit adorable.