Title: Paperwork

A/N: I almost forgot about this with all that's going on! Sorry about that.

Summary: Natalia was used to paperwork, it was the only way she could achieve any of her dreams.

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It was getting late. Sitting in the parlour, Natalia glanced to her right. The lamp flickered softly, the shadow she cast on the wall distorting slightly. Perhaps she should have taken the servants lighting candles as a hint to stop for the day. Only now did she notice how strained her eyes felt, how cramped her hand was. There was only so much paperwork a person was meant to process at a time.

Still, it was fascinating. She looked down at the table once more, at the reams of paper stacked like a mosaic. The treaty between Kimlasca and Malkuth was an ongoing process, a series of complex negotiations and compromises. While it was too important a matter to be left in her hand, she was grateful for her father leaving some tasks to her. This was change on a different scale than opening an orphanage.

She wondered if Ashe could see that she was keeping her side of the promise. A sharp ache tinged in her chest and Natalia closed her eyes. Maybe one day the thought of him wouldn't bring pain, but that day wasn't today.

Just as today wasn't the day this paperwork would be completed. Stretching her arms in front of her, Natalia looked up. "We should call it day."

"Hmm?" From across the table, seated on the opposite couch, Guy chewed on his pen as he looked up blankly at her.

"It is getting late," she explained.

Guy looked at the candles, then at the big grandfather clock. His eyes widened and the pen fell out of his mouth unceremoniously. "Wow, it really is late."

"Yes." She chuckled, covering her mouth with a hand. "I thought you would stop before this point. I did not think you got so interested in paperwork."

"Well…" Guy rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I'm not usually. I mean, I'll do it, but with a lot of breaks in between." He looked at the grandfather clock once more, his brow knitting. "I don't get what went different this time, it's not like it was anymore interesting."

"Isn't it, though?" Picking up one of the contracts, she leafed through it reverently. "We are shaping the future here, dictating how things will be run. The rules of peace. It is important work."

"No, I get that, I do." Guy crossed his arms and cocked his head. "It's just…well, I mean, all these fancy words and elaborate sentences are there just to get someone to sell apples in exchange for wheat. I feel sleepy just looking at them."

"Hmm…" Natalia sighed. Leaning forward, she started to gather her papers, carefully stacking them on top of one another. "Luke is like that too. He always skipped whenever father assigned us a task. Well, that was before…" She paused, holding the collected papers in her hands. Before Ashe died. Before the mine collapsed. Before everything they knew got turned around. Sure, he wasn't one for paperwork now, but it didn't feel like a laziness thing anymore. Gently rapping the papers on the table, she aligned the edges and continued like she hadn't said anything. "Anyways, I do not mind it."

Guy didn't comment on her pause and she was grateful. Instead he rested his cheek on his hand and smiled brightly. "You're amazing."

"Huh?" Natalia almost dropped the papers in response to his unwavering gaze.

"You did this before too, right? For the orphanages and the city works and all that." Guy's expression gentled and she flushed. "While Luke and I were out having fun, you did all the hard work. It's amazing."

If he didn't look somewhere else soon, she was going to combust into flames. Honestly, for a man who flinched at the sight of a girl, he was a natural charmer, to the point that it was almost unnatural. Did he ever hear himself? Coughing, Natalia forced her attention on her pens and the boring task of arranging them. "It is what I am supposed to do."

"And what Luke was supposed to do and what I'm supposed to do now." Guy shook his head. "Don't sell yourself short like that."

Well, maybe there was some truth to his words. It might not be as immediate as fighting villains and travelling the world, but she was making a change. Whether it was her work before or her treaty now. Natalia smiled back at him. "You are right, Guy. Thanks."

"Just stating the truth," he replied easily, his eyes crinkling as he smiled.

A bell chimed ten times, interrupting the conversation, and Natalia glanced at the grandfather clock once more. Ten on the hour. It was a little late for dinner, but the servants would have certainly kept something warm. Turning back to Guy, she got up. "We should eat before we actually end up skipping dinner."

"That would be great." Guy turned a bright red as his stomach gurgled. "Yep, definitely going to have dinner now."

Natalia laughed.