Don't Come Near Me, I'm Just a Background Character [BL Harem]

58 - Moving In

Remis shook his head. "There are, but... they can't come into our room." His eyes were cast to the side as he said so. Ever since the assassination, he was never comfortable with unknown servants entering his room at any period of the day. Remis's pupils shrunk. He felt like a cold stone dropped into his gut at the thought. It's alright now, but... his mind wandered. Well, I just...

"My lord?" Reask tentatively inquired, startling him out of his daze. His eyes were fixed onto the black-haired youth in concern, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Ah... right, right. My apologies," Remis said haltingly, "it's just my personal preference. If you want them to do your laundry or clean your room, though, I'm sure I can find a way to..."

Reask shook his head hurriedly, rushing to wave his offer off. "No, no, that's alright. There is no need to bother arranging such matters for me. I'm not as noble as you, my lord. I've taken care of myself from an early age," Reask interjected.

For some reason, that hit Remis in the wrong way. He scowled and took a token step closer. "I know how to do dishes and make my bed, you know." His brows creased as he added, "I'm not that spoiled."

"I'm not saying that you're spoiled, my lord! I meant no offense." Reask refuted. Yet, his eyes flitted around the room, eagerly surveying the gold-plated faucets and drains, the chandelier hanging brilliantly, the white scented candles emitting wisps of fragrance, occasionally hitting the knight's olfactories. He returned his focus back on the sulking black-haired youth standing naturally in the center, perfectly fitting into the lavish environment. "I just mean to say that your noble nature is simply used to such extravagance," he said earnestly.

Remis' scowl deepened, his cheeks slightly bulging. Then, his dissatisfaction morphed into a sense of fiendish playfulness. His expression twisted into a cheeky grin. "Well, I guess so, huh. After all, servants have been indulging in my every whim." He scoffed and sauntered towards the knight, standing on his toes and pressing his nose against his, the twinkle in his eye shining. "In fact, you're right. I've never washed clothes before, I don't know how to." He retreated from his instigative position and pointed to the laundry pile hidden. "I'm scared to try, Reask..." He whimpered. The red-haired knight turned to the clothes pile. On the very top, which Remis had completely forgotten about, was a piece of simple white underwear. Reask inadvertently inhaled a sharp breath, his breath stalling in his throat and his body growing hot. Remis remained ignorant, his kittenish fun continuing innocently without a clue as to what was going on in Reask's mind.

"But, Reask..." Remis poked the knight's nose lightheartedly, "you really can do chores, can't you? I bet you can do it wonderfully." Reask retreated, his eyes still peeled to the underwear laying idly on the floor.

"Yes, I guess so," he replied absentmindedly, a slight scrunch in his nose after Remis's impish poke.

"Wow, how amazing. Since I'm a noble, I'm obviously not accustomed to doing anything like that. Then if you've done chores for such a long time, you can do it for me too!"

Reask blinked, finally turning his eyes back up to meet the black-haired youth's face. "Wh-what?" He stuttered. Remis's mouth was bent into a small Cheshire grin, his eyes pressed into large crescents as he danced around Reask in a goading mood.

"Do it for me," Remis shamelessly repeated. A wave of laughter was struggling to stay bottled in his throat as he saw Reask's strange expression. "You can do it, right?"

"I don't–" Reask started.

"Hm?"

"I-I–"

"What?" Remis' laugh was truly threatening to erupt as he continuously interjected into Reask's confused tirade. The innocence of seeing something so shocking paired with the slight frustration of being interrupted had thrown Reask into a muddled state. By the time he had finished thinking, Remis had already told him that he would be helping him do his laundry for the rest of the year. The black-haired youth exited the bathroom with a beaming smile.

----

Day turned to night. Remis' stomach gurgled, seemingly wanting to devour even the lining of his organs. He clutched his empty stomach, looking longingly outside, but ended up trudging back into his room and plopping down on the mattress in defeat.

He didn't want to leave the dormitory. If he left and he saw him again, what would he say? What excuse did he have to justify that strange behavior in the garden... I still don't really understand it myself. He mumbled an intelligible curse and muddled further into the depressive fabric.

"My lord, are you..." Reask's voice was muffled by the thin door outside.

"Come in, come in," Remis waved his hand haphazardly, not lifting himself or bothering to collect himself from his situation. The door creaked open, and a slightly disheveled knight holding a basket entered, his demure eyes searching the room as if he was a rabbit in unfamiliar territory.

Reask walked to the bedside table, setting down the basket with a soft-fabric wrapping. "I did your laundry," he mumbled plainly.

"You did what?" Remis asked, a faint amusement tingling his insides. He sat up, propping his upper body on his arm while gently ruffling his hair with the other, rubbing his dry eyes and yawning.

In the dim light of the lamp, Reask blankly stared at Remi's disordered hair, tufts of soft black locks sticking out like a little hedgehog, vulnerable and endearing. The scent of the room matched the black-haired youth's clean, crisp scent, intoxicating and stirring. Reask inconspicuously shuffled a few steps closer to Remis, his body drawn to the boy's warmth.

Remis reached down towards Reask's standing figure, startling the knight. However, his hand didn't reach to Reask's hair for his light caressing that often happened when he was amused, but rather reached down to the foot of the bed to grab the dry, still-warm laundry.

He barked out a slightly incredulous laugh, lifting the heavy load onto his lap and breathing in the smell of fresh pine soap. "You actually did it," Remis murmured under his breath, feeling his eyes crease and his mouth turn up, revealing a toothy grin. He's so cute, he chuckled inwardly. Even the most joking sentences are something that innocent little tomato would take seriously. He forgot his hunger at that moment and scooted to the side, patting the empty area and gesturing for the red-haired knight to sit down.

The mattress sagged under his heavy weight. Reask felt the lingering warmth from Remis' body permeate his muscles and felt a warm bloom diffuse through his heart like warm spring rain. Remis slid back down the headboard, laying his head back on one of the light down pillows and moving further into the endless sheets of blankets and fur.

Then a low growl from his stomach sounded. Remis blushed in embarrassment and turned his head away, covering his mouth with his hand and curling into a ball. Reask's ears perked up when he heard the noise and he quickly resisted the urge to pat Remis' fine hair, just like he did to him. At that moment, they both inexplicably felt like they grew closer to each other.

"My lord, are you hungry?"