Chapter Text
"Sorry Spica but I haven't seen him either; Arcky and I got back into town only a bit ago."
An apologetic smile pulls at your lips as you head towards the mansion's second floor, focus split between minding the steps and trying to suppress your enjoyment of Spica's daily frustration with locating his childhood friend. Having just returned after an overnight of travel with his Fili Pfeper counterpart, the first thing expected was silence and a nap, and definitely not a video call with the committee leader calling asking of Alpheratz's whereabouts, but not like that was the last thing expected either. A muted notification rings and he apologizes quickly, only just remembering your part in the weekend's events. "Forgive me Summoner, I'll let you get some rest. Please remember the meeting this afternoon, and remind Alpheratz if you see him before I do, which is absolutely likely."
Rolling your eyes with a grin, you begin to protest while opening the door to your room, only to stop when a lazy wave causes a ruby tie to shift against the head so rudely harassing your pillows. Focus immediately switches to your Stella tab as you will your face to comply, gritting teeth and attempting a totally normal, nonchalant smile. "Thanks, Spica, I'll let him know if I see him."
Spica nods on the screen and you're quick to end the call as a low chuckle rumbles from the bedside, "I was almost starting to get worried ya know? You said you'd be back a few hours ago."
You shake your head, removing your coat and boots before crawling into the inviting covers Alpheratz has open and waiting next to him. "The last town had a few problems that Arcky wasn't expecting-" you explain, nestling into the plush bedding while violet eyes patiently wait for you to get comfortable, before sitting respectfully outside the blankets, snickering to himself as you yawn before snuggling into his shoulder, "-I'll tell you about it later if you tell me a story now." You bat your eyelashes innocently and catch him playfully rolling his eyes as he pulls a leather-bound tome from thin air.
When Alpheratz first explained how his magical item worked, it was disappointing to hear the book's pages were not, in fact, lined with stories, spells, languages, and scripts in the ways one would imagine a magical book to be filled. That it was so barren and blank had been quite the letdown until he sparked a light from his fingertip, pouring mana into the pages while you watched with marvel as spirals and squiggles danced listlessly across each parchment, only offering a moment's glow before tucking their luminescence between the sheets. Alpheratz watched as the diamonds in your eyes sparkled. It was always a battle within him as part of him enjoyed the pout that came around once the sparkles faded, and yet the other wanted nothing but the gemstones in your eyes to shine forever. The latter usually seemed to win, as it did in this scenario, and the adlib began again, "Once upon a time, there was a ______," he glanced down and awaited your answer. "A florist." At your words, petals bloomed and scattered along the pages as he chuckled, "Okay, a florist, we can work with that..."
Shooting stars dance within the cozy space as they breathe life into the scene, taking their own mind and transforming into a starlight show, twinkling with each page that magically turns along with Alphe's improvised story. You try earnestly to keep your eyes open to enjoy the show, not wanting to be rude to the page master, but the long travels back have begun taking their toll. You hear light laughter before submitting to the darkness taking over, watching the falling shimmers slowly fade behind your closed eyelids as the weight shifts next to you, your final thoughts being gratitude for the coolness underneath your head.
Alpheratz smiles softly, it's not often that he gets to steal moments like this, but he ensures that any opportunity given does not get wasted. After successfully replacing his shoulder with a pillow and confirming your approval with the satisfied scrunkle of your facial features, he thoughtfully places your Stella Tab on the nightstand, plugging it in to ensure you'll have a full battery when you wake up. He nods with pride as he mentally pats himself on the back before glancing toward the door with a smirk. He had been grateful for the empty room over the weekend as it provided solace from the ever-nagging council head, but with your return, he'd have to find a new hiding place, although not before causing one more headache to the fearless leader. Alpheratz halfheartedly mumbles an apology before shutting off both Stella Tabs, rounding the bed, and heading toward the door with purpose. Even with its laidback delivery, his words were still genuine- he really was worried when you'd shown up hours later than planned and without an update, but now that he knew the most important thing was safe, the exhaustion of worrying all weekend set in, and he'd be damned if he didn't get his reward for not being bothersome, and letting you focus on work. Alpheratz locks the door with ease, removing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt before switching the pillow for his shoulder once again, taking back his rightful place next to you for a long, overdue nap.
There would be another meeting tomorrow, and maybe he'd consider apologizing to Spica later.