Nova came into his office for the first time in a while.

" The days agreeing with you now?" he asked.

" I've more or less adjusted," Nova replied, not bothering to clear anything off the desk before climbing up on it. " Also, your cat got into my room somehow and I can't sleep with it in there. Just watching. It looks so content. I can't stand it."

" It's because she likes you," William replied.

A flick of the ear.

" Do you even like me?" Nova complained idly.

... This took William off-guard for a moment, and he froze.

" Wh... Of course I do. I tell you I do all the time. I... slept with you. Of course I like you. I love you, even. I love you more than I really should."

Nova flipped over to face him.

" Do you like me because I'm me?" he asked.

" Of course I do, Nova," William exclaimed. " You're irreplaceable. You're the only you that exists in this world. You're the only one who's ever made me feel this way."

... Somehow, he felt that he was not convinced.