"...We're celebrating our three-month anniversary? I didn't know we were doing that," she says, blinking at the box. She takes it. "And accordingly I didn't get you anything."

"It was just a convenient excuse for me to give you a present. Open it!"

"Okay, pet." She pecks him on the forehead and opens the box. "...Aww."

"It's so teeny. How often am I supposed to water it?"

"There should be a little paper thing inside the box with instructions on how to care for it."

"Oh, so there is." She puts the tiny cactus on her windowsill and looks at the instructions and then kisses him.

Kiss! "I love you."

"Hmmm," she says, and then she kisses him again and says, "I love you too."

"Pity it's Thursday," she purrs in his ear.

He squirms more and a soft noise escapes his throat.

"When is your first class on Thursdays?"

"Eleven."

"And how strongly do you feel about having breakfast today?"

"Much less strongly than I feel about the way you're looking at me right now."

And Sadde has not been this happy since she actually collared him. Best. Dom. Ever.

"Not again," Sadde sighs, running a hand through his hair.

"Not ag-" She looks. "Oh."

"I keep hoping something will get through to him. If anything he's more miserable now than before."

"...It's more intermittent. And doesn't leak to anyone except you anymore."

"Yeah, I suppose. So, I mean, maybe the social welfare's higher, but it's still not an optimum solution." Well, look who's been studying his econ.

"Yeah. What're you gonna do?"