"You were a very good choice of companions," he says in between conversations. "You're a lot more notorious than I am these days, they hardly care it's my first time attending one of my aunt's parties since the one I emerged from with a black eye."

Elyn wrinkles her nose. "Am I notorious? I don't really like the sound of that."

"Then perhaps you should stop discovering demiplanes. And trying to save the universe."

Elyn wants to argue that she can't exactly stop, not when the universe needs saving, but she has a suspicion that that's what he means, in his understated way. Tyko says things like that loud and annoyed, but Brennu's mild statements are harder to argue with. "Well, I hope they don't know about that last part, we're trying not to cause a public panic."

He doesn't smile easily (she doesn't know if he ever did, and it's not a question she's going to ask. If someone has a clear before and after in their life, it's best not to ask about the before until they bring it up first), but his mouth twitches a little with amusement. "I think perhaps they're surmising it."

"Anyway, I'm not here about the universe tonight," she says, breezing over that as fast as she can. "I'm here about you."

"I know you are." He looks out at the dance floor, where the colors make everyone a blur, so it's hard to gossip about one or another. Elyn will still stick out, at her height, but even the color of her hair might be disguised by the lighting. "Do you want to dance?"

"Are you sure?" she asks, which is a stupid question, because he's many things, but she doesn't think indecisive is one of them. When he invited her, he said it was to stand on the sidelines and get used to things, but if he's decided he can do more, he can.

"Do you still remember the steps?"

"I do. I guess I'll just have to prove it."

Last time she danced in this room, she was trying to figure out who he was. This time, she's here for him, and it's a change, but then again, everything in Elyn's life has been changing constantly for years now, and maybe this room and Brennu are all the steadiness she needs.

"So soon?"

Members of the emperor's court, the ones who work for their board, are expected, even encouraged, to fraternize. No one would blink at Athan walking out of Kian's room in the full morning light, as long as they were both there for their first meetings. It doesn't have to be a secret. But something about this feels too sacred for speculation, the same tired jokes everyone gets about such relationships. Too important for the discreet checks making sure his loyalty hasn't shifted.

Maybe that means it already has.

"I'm sorry. I'm going out of the city next week for a pickup. Maybe I can find an excuse to invite you along?"

Kian's smile melts into a frown. "Testing phase for Niri's newest invention next week, I can't."

"Then I'll just see you when we can." It's not enough. It can't ever be, not while they're here. "I promised to help you with your hair."

Kian shakes his head. "It's a sweet thought, but when we have more time. I'll just wear a scarf today." He reaches out, trails his fingers down Athan's cheek, so soft he almost can't feel it. "Come back tonight?"

Someone will notice, if they spend too many nights together. They'll lose their privacy, and who knows what they'll lose with it? Rannon has a way of spoiling beautiful things, as this could be. "Tonight," Athan promises anyway. This promise, anyway, he'll keep. "Go back to sleep, then. I didn't want you to wake and not know where I'd gone."

"Thank you." Kian smiles again and settles back into his pillow. "Love you."

ID tags: Xion Praeten (PC): gay man, Pera Rivers (NPC turned PC): Gay man, Phryane Tinueth (PC): Queer, Rina Falava (PC): Bisexual, Queen Sirena Kladivo (NPC): Lesbian, Death: Mlm

Details and/or Spoilers: Xion and Pera are dating, Phryane and Sirena were in a manipulated marriage