This update's out a bit sooner than I thought, but when inspiration knocks you can't refuse to answer the door. And I'm sure you guys are rather appreciative of the quick update. Enjoy.

Seven

Lai frowned as he walked through the empty corridors. He hadn't seen Hartia all day and now he couldn't find him anywhere. He hadn't gone to his chambers and when Lai checked his own, he wasn't there either. He was starting to worry until he passed by the library and saw a familiar head of scarlet hair lying over crossed arms on the table top. Hartia had fallen asleep after everything.

            The magic examinations were today and Hartia had presided over them all, taking the whole day. He was a nervous wreck for the past few days, not being able to sleep more than five minutes at a time. Lai literally had to take care of him, forcing him to take time to eat and shower and sleep. But now that it was all over, so was all his worrying.

            Lai smiled at the sight. He'd fallen asleep over the top of an open book He walked over and gently nudged Hartia awake, but the redhead protested opening one eye and glaring sleepily at Lai.

            "Leave me to die in peace," he muttered.

            "You can die from exhaustion in your bed," Lai told him, still prodding him lightly. Hartia glared half-heartedly at him again then got up when he finally realised Lai wasn't giving up.

            "Fine," he muttered, yawning widely as he stood, swaying slightly. Lai caught his arm and steadied him.

            "You'll feel better once you've had a proper rest," Lai assured him.

            Hartia just nodded and allowed him to lead him away from the library and to his chambers. However once he got there and he felt Lai tugging him towards the bathroom, he dug his heels in.

            "No, Lai, let me sleep as I am, I'll be fine."

            Lai frowned. "Hartia, you can hardly rest properly when you're dressed in rumpled clothing and feeling rather rumpled yourself. Please take a bath, it will help relax you."

            "That's what the sleep is meant to do," Hartia grumbled. He started to undo his robe and quickly took it off, hardly caring that Lai was still in the room with him. "Better now? I can sleep like this." He moved away from Lai and lay face down on his bed.

            Lai sent him a mild glare. "You still have your boots on," he pointed out. Hartia leaned down without opening his eyes and tugged them off, making a face at Lai as he did so. Lai couldn't help the smile that formed about his lips. Hartia was still so innocent and childish in some ways. He would always have that slight air about him that put others at ease. It was just another of the many things that Lai loved about him.

            Lai moved over and perched on the edge of Hartia's bed, watching as he drifted slowly to sleep. He ran his fingers gently through his friend's hair and felt him stir.

            "Lai?" Hartia mumbled sleepily.

            Lai shushed him, resting his hands gently on Hartia's neck and making soothing circular motions over his bare skin. "You need to rest Hartia and to relax, so just don't say anything."

            He could feel Hartia's smile. The tense shoulders beneath his hands relaxed slightly. "I really don't deserve to have someone like you around me Lai," Hartia whispered softly. "But I'm glad I do, I'd be completely lost without you around."

            Lai smiled at the compliment, feeling the words leave a huge imprint on his heart. "Well that's good," he replied. "Because I'm never leaving, I wouldn't want you getting lost."

            "Mm," Hartia mumbled in assent. Lai could feel him completely relaxing, all tension and stiffness in his body melting away. He continued his ministrations until he could feel Hartia's breathing taking on a slower, steadier rhythmic pattern. He moved away from the sleeping man and considered him closely for a moment before kneeling down and reaching out to brush his scarlet locks from his cheeks, a soft smile on his own face.

            "Perhaps it is I who does not deserve to be around such a wonderful person like you Hartia, but I thank every god I know for each day I am." He placed a soft kiss on the top of Hartia's head as he stood back up. "You've done well Hartia, you should be proud of yourself." Lai watched him for a moment longer before crossing the room and leaving the sleeping man alone with his dreams.

            Lai wandered back over to the library, knowing Hartia would appreciate it if he packed up his belongings.

            It was still a rather late hour and few other were around, least of all the students and teachers who had participated in the day's examinations. Lai wasn't one of them. He wasn't a tutor in his psychic magics, even though he was the Tower's best, not to mention he was nocturnal by nature and deed, so it wasn't uncommon for the night watchmen to see him wandering around. A few saluted to him as he passed and Lai greeted them quickly before he headed into the cold silent chambers of the archives.

            He spotted the desk where he'd found Hartia before and saw that everything was still there. He smiled as he looked upon the books Hartia had fallen asleep on top of: all of them related to the most obscure topics he could think of, most of which wouldn't even be mentioned in passing at the examinations, but might have been relevant in the slightest way to one of his students. Lai shook his head wryly. Hartia really was dedicated to his life here at the Tower, it was a true shame that not everyone could see that.

            Lai paused, frowning slightly. He wished the Elders knew Hartia as he did, perhaps then they wouldn't have even considered the possibilities of what they accused him of. But, like many others at the Tower, they were stuck in their own mentalities about certain ways of thinking and seeing things. A fresh perspective like Hartia's was often taken amiss.

            Lai gathered up the rest of his books and placed the ones borrowed from the shelves back, and the ones he didn't know where to put were left on the table in a neat pile for one of the caretakers to find.

            Something slipped out of one of the books as Lai began to walk away with Hartia's own texts. He bent down and chuckled at what he saw.

            The latest Black Tiger graphic novel. How did he know it was new? Simple, it looked completely untouched. Hartia had started his own collection as soon as he had graduated. Everyone had their own idiosyncrasies and hobbies, this was Hartia's. Every book in that collection looked extremely well-read and well-loved, slightly battered ad worn about the corners, they'd been read a thousand times or more, slept with, cuddled up to, and hid under pillows when company unexpectedly dropped in. This book on the other hand was still completely intact, there were no creases of wear down the spine, no pages slightly folded back from haste while flipping through the story. He hadn't read it yet.

            Lai quickly flicked through it, when a note right at the front caught his attention. He glanced at it curiously then grinned, laughing softly as he read the quickly scribbled words in Hartia's hand:

DO NOT READ THIS!

Wait until the examinations are over then you will have earned the right to relax and read leisurely, trust me the wait will be so much more worthwhile. Place down a small mark every time you open the front page and read this note and remember your vow.

The note itself was quite funny, Hartia would have to remind himself not to read a Black Tiger novel, but Lai was quite used to things like that from Hartia. Hartia usually had very strong will power, but when it came to his comics ... well, that was what the note was for. What actually made Lai laugh were the tallies he counted up at the bottom of the note.

            Looking at the date of release, Lai knew the book had only been out for two weeks. There were over three dozen marks on the piece of parchment, almost four. Hartia was really enthusiastic about his series, but Lai was rather proud that he held off for so long. It was just another sign of how dedicated Hartia was to his students that he would forsake the one thing he loved above all else to help them succeed.

            Lai put the note back inside the book and placed the novel on top of the small pile in his arm and walked out of the library again, his mind still on Hartia. He was smiling as he reached Hartia's chambers, but the smile faded as he noticed a faint tingling sensation.

            Hartia's watchers were still there, as they had been since the weeks before when Hartia had last been called before the Elders. Lai frowned thinking about it. They were using the other psychics at the Tower to watch him. The secrecy of it made Lai want to scream, he and the other psychics were the only ones who could notice the watcher, but it still bothered him. The watchers hadn't been there all the time lately, but they were still there occasionally.

            Trying to ignore the familiar uncomfortable feeling he went inside Hartia's chambers. That shouldn't raise too many eyebrows, he and Hartia were friends after all, but the feeling made him all too aware that others were watching events between them. It made him self-conscious, something he rarely felt, and it disturbed him that he would want everything between him and Hartia to remain secret, as though they were doing something wrong.

            But then again, privacy was privacy, and he was a reclusive person by nature. He was just glad Hartia couldn't feel the watchers, or things might have become strained between them.

            Lai moved over to the bookshelf and put back Hartia's books, save one. He smiled to himself, managing to put the watcher to the back of his mind and moved over to the bed where Hartia lay, still in the same position he left him. He put down the Black Tiger novel and took out the note. Walking over to Hartia's desk, he brought back a quill and inkpot and scribbled something  at the bottom of the note. He put the writing items back where he found them with a smile and walked back to the door, pausing to grab something off the bookshelf as he did so, then he left Hartia's chambers again, seeking out his own for a nice relaxing night.

*           *           *

Hartia stirred slightly many hours later. The sun was well above the horizon, though it was still morning. As was traditional, everyone at the Tower had the day off, so to speak. For most though it was a time to reoperate or celebrate. All of his students would be doing a lot of both. Each of them had passed their examinations quite well, some exceptionally well. He was extremely proud of them all.

            Opening his eyes fully Hartia frowned, trying to recall what happened to him the previous night and why he was in his bed wearing just his pants. He recalled still being in the library, fully clothed. He shrugged it off and stretched slightly, feeling extremely refreshed for some reason. He got up and headed into his bathroom to wash up. He debated for about five seconds whether to have a quick shower, or a lengthy soak in the tub. Needless to say, the fact that he was going to be doing nothing for hours decided the matter for him. He let the bath fill as he walked back out to find fresh clothes.

            As he passed by his bed, he noticed something on his bedside table and frowned slightly, until he saw what it was and grinned. He picked up his comic and glanced quickly at the note, intending to throw it away, that is until he saw the note at the bottom.

Hartia,

            If I so much as see a hair of your head outside this room before you are completely relaxed and have finished this book, you will dearly regret the consequences.

            You have most definitely earned the right to read this my friend, you should be proud, so enjoy yourself. You are quite right, rewards are much better earned through patience and taste all the sweeter after hard work. Now enjoy your day of rest, exactly the way as I intend to do.

            Lai.

p.s. Hope you don't mind if I borrow something

Hartia smiled, recalling Lai helping him in last night. He was glad for his friend's actions and insistence that he make himself more comfortable. He knew from experience that sleeping in his robes was extremely uncomfortable the next day. He felt wonderful right now, and he knew he would feel even better at the end of the day. Lai spoiled him at times, he was such a good friend, Hartia didn't know what he would do without him.

            He walked over to his wardrobe and picked out a few loose garments to wear, suitable for wearing inside his own chambers when he was expecting to see no one. As he passed by his bookshelf he frowned, seeing something amiss. Considering he was rather fanatical about his novels, anything slightly out of place would catch his eye.

            His first volume was missing. Hartia started to panic, until he recalled Lai's note. He glanced down at it still in his hand and chuckled. He must have been rubbing of on the quiet seer, considering Lai had always viewed the comics with exasperated disdain. It would be interesting to find out what Lai thought of the books.

            Whatever Lai thought right then though was soon pushed out of Hartia's mind as he headed back to his bath chambers, book in hand, and began his day of rest and relaxation.

            I really must remember to thank Lai for everything later, Hartia mused with a soft smile.

AN: Okay, I'll admit this chapter was a bit plot less in parts, but necessary timeline-wise, I needed the examinations finally out of the way so I can get onto the romance of the story, so yay for that! I promise yet more Hartia/Lai action in the next chapter.

Laters.