Kloy sighed as he tossed the posterboard and its stand into his suite - he’d clean it up properly at a more decent hour. Probably.

At least they asked first, he reminded himself, still amused by delivering a sexual education lesson to the King so late at night. He turned back to his door to accept the second posterboard and stand Feyl had carried for him, saying, “Thank you for your… assistance.”

Feyl hummed with a smile as he handed the items over, leaning sinuously on the doorframe, “You’re welcome - but you know, doctor, I think I might be in need of a sexual education myself.”

Oh, I hoped he wouldn’t do this, Kloy thought, feeling tired more than anything. Not that the valet wasn’t attractive, and were he a younger man, he’d have already made the offer himself - but he plastered on one of his kindly doctor smiles as he turned back to the door, “The earlier lesson wasn’t enough for you?”

“Oh, I found it very stimulating,” Feyl replied with a flirtatious grin, “So how about it, old man? Care to… educate me?”

Kloy chuckled - oh, the valet was very temptingly his type - but he really was just too tired. So he put a hand against the man’s chest to push him back and say, “Young man, I think you should make that offer to someone more energetic.”

The physician shut the door before the stunned look of disbelief could morph into words with a sigh. He was sure the valet would easily be able to find a partner, and an old doctor wouldn’t hold his attention for long. After all, he’d been gentle enough with his rejection.

With another sigh, Kloy collapsed back into bed for the night.

He honestly didn’t even think about the encounter until the next afternoon, when he walked into the wards to make his rounds and found most of his staff gathered around none other than Feyl.

“Oh, good afternoon, doctor,” the valet practically purred as he leaned back on the edge of one of the high examination benches, “Sleep well?”

He can’t be serious, Kloy thought, face fixing into a smile of his own, “Yes, thank you, and you?”

“I was a little restless myself,” Feyl replied, “So I thought I’d drop by for a tonic and just got caught up talking with your lovely staff here.”

“Sorry, sir,” Raene, one of his doctors, said sheepishly, “We got a little distracted…”

“Well, so long as there weren’t any emergencies, that’s fine from time to time,” Kloy chuckled, “But it is time for rounds - if you’ll excuse us, Feyl.”

“Of course, of course,” the man waved a hand as he sashayed out of the wards, “I really should be getting back to my own duties, anyway.”

Kloy noted several hungry gazes following the valet’s exit, but kept his own to himself rather than encourage the persistence - even if it was fetching in its own way. He was sure the valet would give up within a few days - Kloy couldn’t be worth that much indignation. Especially with his younger colleagues appearing very amenable to taking his place.

Feyl didn’t arrive the next day - but he was in the wards the day after and the one after that. Usually flirting with multiple members of the staff, and most often near the entrance - which was distracting to both his staff and his patients.

After two weeks of this routine, Feyl started hanging around in Kloy’s receiving room instead of the wards themselves - flirting with the nurses who were meant to be checking in patients Kloy would see personally.

The first time it happened, the Royal Physician stepped out of his office to address it with, “Feyl, did the King need anything?”

He knew better than to ask if the man himself needed something.

“Hm?” Feyl hummed with faux innocence, “Oh, no, I just felt like dropping by, doctor - is that a problem?”

Kloy held back a sigh as he smiled, “No, of course not - what you do in your free time is your prerogative. I just don’t believe I’ve ever seen you in here before.”

“I’m very healthy,” the valet replied, leaning further over the front desk, “But if you’d like to check for yourself…”

“You could set up an appointment with one of our doctors,” Kloy replied, amused despite himself, “Nurse Hoyl can check who has the soonest opening…”

“No need,” Feyl chuckled, “It was for your peace of mind, doctor.”

“Well, if there’s nothing the King needs me for,” Kloy said, picking his words carefully again, “I’ll just be returning to work.”

“Of course,” Feyl said, turning his attention to the nurse on duty, “What were you saying, Hoyl?”

The man chuckled nervously, face dark at the proximity.

Honestly, he’s not being intrusive enough for me to bother asking him to leave, Kloy thought, returning to his office, But how long does he intend to keep this up?

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

After another week, Kloy decided to indulge the valet. After all, if he felt the old doctor was worth nearly a month of effort, Kloy was flattered enough to honor that. Also, he needed the valet to stop distracting his staff.

“Good afternoon,” Kloy greeted, waiting outside the hallway that led to the wards.

Feyl paused, eyes calculating as he canted one hip and replied, “Doctor?”

“I thought I’d bring this little game to an end,” Kloy chuckled, brushing past the valet, “If you’re really that determined to sleep with me, I don’t mind.”

“Don’t mind?” Feyl asked with an unmistakable sting of indignation.

“Yes,” Kloy said, “You’re attractive and experienced; I’m sure sex with you will be very pleasurable. I was simply very tired the first time you asked and didn’t think you’d see an ‘old man’ like me as worth this much effort.”

After a few more steps without the clip of the valet’s hooves following his, the doctor turned to face him.

Feyl’s face was - as it often was - very easy to read. It was clear he saw this as a sympathy offer, which also clearly did not sit well with him.

“You’re distracting my staff a bit too much, and as I said, I’m sure it will be a very pleasant time,” Kloy sighed, “So? You’ve been trying to get my attention for nearly a month, young man - now you have it.”

At being told the primary reason was being seen as a nuisance, the valet’s expression turned to pure indignation.

Kloy held back a chuckle as he turned and started walking again - feeling some petty satisfaction when hoof-clicks sounded behind him.

Apparently, nuisance is preferable to pity, he thought, leading the way to his suite.

He held the door open for his guest and smiled, “After you.”

Feyl still seemed torn - then rolled his eyes and waltzed in, “I suppose I have been more persistent than usual…”

Sounds like he isn’t sure why himself, Kloy thought, stepping in behind him and pulling the door closed. He wasn’t particularly interested in the details, though - he was sure once they had a little fun it would be out of the valet’s system. The man was his type, and it wasn’t as though he’d never thought about it before.

“Something wrong?” Kloy asked, noticing the valet had frozen.

Feyl spun with a smile, pressing himself against the doctor’s chest immediately, “No, of course not, doctor.”

Kloy chuckled before his mouth was captured in a kiss - he walked the valet backward to the couch as it quickly escalated to include tongue, though hands had so far remained over clothing. Kloy moved to sit on the couch, Feyl following him down to straddle his lap-

-then pushing up with a, “No! No, I can’t-!”

Kloy blinked rapidly in surprise as the valet got back to his hooves, not entirely sure what had just happened.

“How can you…?” Feyl made a noise of disgust, hands moving to pick things like clothing and random paperwork up from the floor, “This is a disaster area!”

“... I don’t think it’s all that bad,” the physician said, letting his hands fall into his lap as he watched the valet continue tidying, “I just tend to take work home with me and don’t trust the general cleaning staff with medical records…”

“And you’re very busy during the day, and cleaning is an extra chore that you don’t have the energy for,” Feyl sighed, though not unkindly, “Yes, yes, I understand - but I… I cannot focus with all… this.”

“I see,” Kloy laughed, not having expected a little mess to be what thwarted the valet’s determination.

“You just sit right there, and we’ll continue when I’ve gotten this into… a semblance of clean,” Feyl huffed, clearly determined to follow through.

“As you will,” Kloy laughed some more - honestly, it was hard to refuse when his suite could do with the tidying.

As he watched Feyl moving about the room, tidying and muttering to himself as he went, the doctor felt himself growing drowsy. It usually happened when he sat too long at this time of day, and considering his company would no doubt wake him when it was time, Kloy didn’t fight the urge to nap. In fact, he set his glasses on the side table and laid down to be more comfortable as his mind slipped away.

Kloy woke naturally - sure only a few hours had passed at most, but surprised that he hadn’t been woken.

Though less surprised when he realized there was a weight on top of him that turned out to be a still sleeping Feyl.

Kloy reached over his head to carefully feel for his glasses, slipping them on to look around his suite. And honestly - he was impressed. Feyl hadn’t just tidied up the clothes, papers, dishes, and other miscellaneous objects left about the room and floor - he’d actually cleaned the space. The various cleaning implements - broom, mop, duster - had been pulled out of their closet and left leaning against the wall.

He really didn’t like the mess, Kloy mused, looking down at the man sleeping on top of him, And he’s been doing a job usually done by four or five people, so he’s at least as busy as I am…

That was the main reason the physician hadn’t understood the persistence - Feyl had gone out of his way to make time to be in the vicinity of the medical wards when there were easier partners to be found in the course of his usual duties. Half of them probably were the course of his usual duties, considering it was a fairly popular method of handling court politics.

Maybe that was why he ended up focused on me, Kloy sighed to himself. A partner he actually chose with no ulterior motive on either of their parts - he could see the appeal.

So it was with regret that he shook the man awake, “Sorry - I think we’ve both been away from our duties too long.”

Feyl came to with a drowsy groan, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes, “Mm, you’re probably right,” he sighed, “Apologies - I only meant to tidy up a bit, but once I got started…”

“I should be thanking you for that,” Kloy chuckled, getting to his hooves with a stretch, “I really should keep up with it more.”

“I suppose it wasn’t meant to be,” Feyl snorted, getting to his own hooves.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to trying again,” Kloy replied, “At another time.”

“Oh?” the valet smirked, “I thought I was being too distracting.”

“To my staff,” Kloy returned, leading the way to the door, “I never said I minded the distraction.”

“Then I’ll be more selective on my future visits to the wards,” Feyl chuckled, letting a hand trail down one of Kloy’s arms as he brushed past.

“Please do,” the physician replied, “I look forward to it, young man.”

“You should, old man,” Feyl snorted, “I have it on good authority that I am an excellent fuck.”

Kloy just hummed, genuinely excited for the next attempt.