Adam glanced over shyly and blushed when Alec squeezed his hand. He'd never held hands with someone before, and he wasn't completely sure how he'd ended up holding hands with Alec now.

It caught his attention when Alec mentioned relics he was supposed to keep safe. Adam hadn't previously thought of this place as anything other than temple and library, but now he realized that Alec had another role. He was guarding something of value, though it was difficult to know from 'relics' alone what value they held to whom. They might be priceless treasures or they might simply be artifacts of value to Alec and the angel that he obeyed or worshiped.

He tried not to think about the shift he was missing at work. Part of his mind was busy calculating the lost income, the adjustments he'd need to make, how he'd cope if he lost the job, what he'd have to give up to compensate. But his stomach still growled hungrily when he stepped through the door into the banquet hall, spread with a smaller feast filled with similar wonders. It seemed absurdly ostentatious, as though the temple itself was trying to court Adam with flamboyant gifts.