[Csevet can't quite help the way his eyes slide down to Maia's fingers as they tug at an errant thread on his cuff, watching the expressions on his face change as he speaks, as his level of formality wavers from the formal first to something more personal and then finally to the most casual, the most intimate. Csevet's ears go pink at the tips again, and he ducks his head for a moment before bringing it back up as Maia looks him in the face, making sure he's listening.
For a while, after Maia finishes, Csevet is quiet, going over the things his Emperor has said to him. That gnawing pit of cold fear is still in his gut, as he thinks it through, trying to work out the hidden meanings, only to remember that Maia is not one to generally speak in hidden meanings. That Maia usually speaks his mind, even when what he has to say sounds naive or too soft, too kind - and this is certainly too kind, the way Maia says that in this situation it is Csevet's wishes that matter, that he need not defer to Maia. There is a certain level of command in it, though, and Csevet believes what the Emperor is saying.
Strange, to think of him as the Emperor when Maia is saying so resolutely that he is not the Emperor here. There are a dizzying array of possibilities that rise up in the back of Csevet's mind at that, and he shuts down every one of them, locks them away, refuses to entertain them to even the smallest degree, even when Maia says 'cannot deny I would miss thee' and something in his gut seems to flop over.
Exhaling a long, slow breath, Csevet considers his words for a moment, and then speaks, his voice soft but very firm, his eyes on Maia's face, holding his gaze if he can.]
Serenity. Maia. We have mentioned before that serving you is our job, and that we are very happy with it, but we fear that we have perhaps not firmly enough stressed the latter part of that. We are very happy with our job.
[A pause, and another exhalation, carefully measured, eyes still holding Maia's.]
While we do enjoy secretarial duties, for we feel quite confident in our ability to carry them out and find satisfaction in so doing, our happiness with our position is not because of the work itself. We are glad...
[A careful breath.]
I am glad, Maia, to be next to you every day, and were I not, I would miss you on each of those days.
no subject
For a while, after Maia finishes, Csevet is quiet, going over the things his Emperor has said to him. That gnawing pit of cold fear is still in his gut, as he thinks it through, trying to work out the hidden meanings, only to remember that Maia is not one to generally speak in hidden meanings. That Maia usually speaks his mind, even when what he has to say sounds naive or too soft, too kind - and this is certainly too kind, the way Maia says that in this situation it is Csevet's wishes that matter, that he need not defer to Maia. There is a certain level of command in it, though, and Csevet believes what the Emperor is saying.
Strange, to think of him as the Emperor when Maia is saying so resolutely that he is not the Emperor here. There are a dizzying array of possibilities that rise up in the back of Csevet's mind at that, and he shuts down every one of them, locks them away, refuses to entertain them to even the smallest degree, even when Maia says 'cannot deny I would miss thee' and something in his gut seems to flop over.
Exhaling a long, slow breath, Csevet considers his words for a moment, and then speaks, his voice soft but very firm, his eyes on Maia's face, holding his gaze if he can.]
Serenity. Maia. We have mentioned before that serving you is our job, and that we are very happy with it, but we fear that we have perhaps not firmly enough stressed the latter part of that. We are very happy with our job.
[A pause, and another exhalation, carefully measured, eyes still holding Maia's.]
While we do enjoy secretarial duties, for we feel quite confident in our ability to carry them out and find satisfaction in so doing, our happiness with our position is not because of the work itself. We are glad...
[A careful breath.]
I am glad, Maia, to be next to you every day, and were I not, I would miss you on each of those days.