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You shivered in the cool morning air, even through the warm coat you'd bought. It wasn't quite winter yet, but mornings and evenings were already chillier than you’d like. For a moment, you considered retreating back into your flat, postponing your plans until spring, or maybe summer, when it'd be warmer.
But with a determined shake of your head, you turned away and left the house behind, walking through Liscor’s streets with a mission: Surprise Klbkch during his Senior Guardsman Rounds. You’d gotten the idea from Relc. Not like he had ever had it happen to him, but he’d mentioned that some of his colleagues got surprise visits from their partners every now and then.
And he said it was always fun to see Klbkch getting surprised, something you so far hadn't had the chance to do.
You smiled a little as you walked, trying to figure out where exactly they were. You knew the rough area that Klbkch and Relc would patrol, but they didn't have a set route. You were sure you’d find them, though. Hopefully, just showing up would be enough to surprise Klbkch; you'd considered hugging him right as he turned a corner, but had decided that jumping a [Guard] on the job was probably not the wisest course of action.
Finally, you heard Relc’s voice, talking to a shopkeeper not too far away. And where Relc was, Klbkch shouldn’t be far. You hurried towards him, managing to leave the nearest alley just when they passed it. Relc’s tail started wagging slightly, eyes focused on Klbkch.
“Hey!” You called out to them with a big grin. “Fancy seeing you here!”
Klbkch nodded at you. “It is always nice to see you.” He looked... Well, like he always did; perhaps a bit pleased to see you, but not like he hadn't expected it.
Relc noticed, too, and deflated a little. "Aw, Klb, couldn't you at least pretend to be surprised?"
One of Klbkch's antennae moved slightly. "I'll do that next time."
"So you knew I was coming, huh?" You fell in next to Relc and Klbkch; you couldn't accompany them for long, but nobody would mind if you spent a little time with them on the job, as long as they still reacted as fast as usual.
Klbkch nodded. "It's not easy to sneak up on me."
"Hm." You reached out and gently squeezed his hand, feeling the hard chitin against your much softer fingers. "Then I'll have to find something else next time." Maybe you could bring him some food he liked...? Though there weren’t many places for insect-based dishes.
Klbkch squeezed your hand back, though he didn't turn to look at you. You let go again after another few steps; Liscor was relatively safe, but you knew that Klbkch would prefer to not have you holding onto his hand, just in case.
You walked alongside Relc and Klbkch for a while, chatting. As you parted, you and Relc shared a look, and you knew: You'd be planning a better way to surprise Klbkch soon.