“…What the heck is that?”
Mikhail looked at Nicolas with a raised eyebrow, supporting his head on one hand that was leaning on the desk in front of him. Nicolas was holding a small collar with a grin, his eyes twinkling. “It’s a collar,” he said matter-of-factly.
The Russian man gave an exasperated sigh. “Yes, I know that already,” he said in a huff, leaning back in the chair he was in and crossing his arms. “But what is it for?”
“Well, it’s your birthday today, right?” Nicolas replied, dangling the collar off of a long, slender finger. His grin had turned mischievous now that Mikhail didn’t know what it was for, and he was going to use it to his full advantage.
Mikhail sighed. “You have already established that,” he answered, rubbing his temples with his hands. Just because he hadn’t absorbed any information today didn’t mean that the information he did have didn’t affect him.
“Well, let’s go to your home, and you will get your answer,” Nicolas replied. “Our shift will end in a minute or so anyway, so let’s get ready so we can leave as soon as the others come.”
“Fine,” Mikhail said. He stood, stamping one of the books in front of him furiously before standing and heading to the break room. As he was leaving, he looked at Nicolas over his shoulder. “But one at a time so that customers will not be left alone.”
Nicolas complied, sitting and drumming his fingers as Mikhail went into the back room. It didn’t take very long at all for the information absorber to return, and Nicolas jumped up before Mikhail was even halfway back to the desk he had been sitting at. Mikhail rolled his eyes, but he waited as well, stamping a few more books as he waited.
Finally, Nicolas came back, and as if on cue, two middle-aged women walked into the library, taking off their coats and smiling at the men. “We’re here to take over, you may leave now,” one of the women said.
Nicolas smiled at them in return. “Thank you, ladies,” he said suavely. Mikhail had to fight back an exasperated sigh as one of them swooned and the other gave a girlish giggle. Nicolas was his, his and no one else’s!
Nicolas, however, didn’t notice the women’s antics as they left the library, and the two men made their way to Mikhail’s house, Nicolas still twirling the collar around one finger. Finally, they had made it through the almost blizzard-force winds and snow, and in almost no time at all, they were taking off their winter coats.
“So. What is my surprise gift, which I told you not to get me?” Mikhail said, turning to Nicolas with crossed arms and a frown.
Nicolas grinned and turned to one of the doors. “Kyros, you can come out now!” he called. The servant in question came out tentatively. In his arms, he held…
A little, black and white kitten.
Mikhail looked at the kitten incredulously before turning back to Nicolas. He opened his mouth to try to speak several times before closing it and turning back to the cat. Kyros began to sweat bullets during the tense silence, but the cat looked up at Mikhail curiously, her tail flicking a few times.
“What. Is. This?”
“It’s a cat,” Nicolas said cheerfully. “She’s your birthday present!”
Mikhail glared at Nicolas. “And I know how to take care of a cat?” he deadpanned.
“That’s what your powers are for,” Nicolas answered with a mischievous grin. “You might as well use your powers for something useful for once.”
Mikhail sighed and rubbed his temples. “You will be the death of me, you know that,” he growled. When Nicolas didn’t say anything, Mikhail rolled his eyes and took the cat from his servant. Almost as soon as the kitten was out of Kyros’s arms, the old man promptly fainted. Mikhail groaned before opening one of the doors. “Can someone please take care of Kyros?” he asked.
When someone had taken care of the poor old man, Mikhail and Nicolas retreated into the study-slash-library, where Mikhail set the kitten on the desk to examine it. It was a female, which he had deduced when Kyros had been dangling it from his hands. Most of her fur was black, with the chest, stomach, paws, and snout all being white, save a small splotch of black right above her nose.
“Playful little thing, isn’t she?” Nicolas said with a chuckle, dragging his finger around to play with her. She chased after it, pouncing on it when she had gotten close. Nicolas laughed when she did so, scratching her back with the other hand. Almost immediately, she lazily melted into the scratch, and a small purr could be heard.
Mikhail allowed himself a small smile. Maybe a cat in the Garnett mansion wouldn’t be too bad.