midnightstar

"Sharon, did you call me?" Alisa's voice at the door a few minutes later.

"Yes, I was simply suggesting that you might like to go and wash Master Rean's back."

Silence.

"Well ..." No wait! "W... Would you stop bothering Rean!!? Don't you have something better to do~!?"

"Teehee~, yes, you're right, my lady." And now it sounds like she's walking away with Alisa. "One more question - will you be sleeping in your own room tonight, or with Master Rean?"

"Sharoooooooooooooooooooooooon!" Alisa wails. Oh please she hopes Rean hadn't heard that.

Considering the conversation is happening right outside the bathroom door, he heard every last word. However unlike Alisa, he is wisely keeping his mouth shut by keeping it submerged beneath the water while his face is turning redder and redder while his eyes close and he attempts to control his rampant imagination.

Sharon was getting fat off of this much trolling! Fortunately she'll burn it off with helping out Alisa's mom and grandfather. Also fortunately for Rean, Sharon doesn't go back to the door to tease him afterwards -- well technically she does go back in ONE more time, but only to retrieve his clothing in the separate section - even though it was so tempting to peek in on him! Alisa would never forgive her though. "Don't mind me, Master Rean, I'll have these washed and ready for you in an hour." or less.

She does however, leave a spare change of clothing on the door for him, as tempting as it would be to give him just a towel.

Rean would take what little small mercies he could get from the trolling goddess herself. "T-Thank you Sharon." Oh goddess he sounded so flustered just now which likely gave away he definitely heard that exchange just now. Too late to take it back now.

Alisa, meanwhile, waited patiently out in the living room and tried very hard not to think about sleeping in the same bed as Rean. Or Rean being ...naked. In the bath.

Book in her hands, she was not really paying attention to it, trying to focus on the words on the pages. Sharon was standing by of course, watching Alisa with an amused expression on her face, "Will you really be all right alone with Master Rean?" She asked innocently.

"I would have been fine before you had to say all of that.." Alisa groused.

"My my, I don't know what you're talking about ♥~"

For a moment there Rean was actually afraid Sharon really had left him with just a tower but sure enough there was still a proper long sleeved shirt and simple pants as well so on that front Rean was saved rom any further embarrassment. On the other hand he made one critical mistake after the fact in that he walked out while his hair was still wet and his tower on his head while he rubbed it dry. It had been a complete slip of awareness because of thinking on everything Sharon had teased him about.

The result was a very casual looking appearance as if this was a regular action on his part, just washing up and coming out half finished with the drying as if he was right at home.

Sharon glanced up when Rean stepped out, for a moment caught off guard - then she grinned back to her usual expression. "Are you feeling better Master Rean?"

Alisa looked up as Sharon said his name and ... she stopped dead, her eyes widening slightly and a slow blush creeping across her cheeks. Oh god it had to be illegal for someone to look so good just from looking so casual. "R..rean..."

"Yeah. A lot better. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to relax this much." He was still completely unaware of what a devastating effect he was having on the room without even trying to.

Come to think of it what got Alisa that dazed anyway? He did put his shirt on didn't he?

"Hm? What is it Alisa?"

Alisa blinked and immediately turned away, "N-Nothing!" Oh if he hadn't put his shirt on she might have fainted.

Sharon giggled behind her hand, clearing her throat, "Well, I am afraid I must leave for a short while to take care of matters. Will you be alright, all a l o n e?"

Alisa shot Sharon a look. "... ... w..we'll be fine, thank you."

Well that was fortunate then. Though a day might come when Alisa would have to face that kind of sight. How she would deal with such wonders was a mystery entirely.

"Yes it's just as Alisa said. Don't worry about us and take care though I know you hardly need to be told that~" After all Sharon was by far the most monstrous maid he had ever met.

Sharon gave the pair a bemused smile, nodding once, "Very well then. Have fun you two!~" And with that, she turns and pads away, heading out the door.

"'Have fun'." Alisa isn't fooled in the least! She sighs faintly, making her way over to sit down again, though she glances at Rean a little nervously. Why everything. Just why. "So um.. how are you feeling now?"

Even if he didn't get half as many of those comments as Alisa, it still felt a little bit tiring whenever Sharon deemed them thoroughly teased before moving on to her pressing duties.

Rean turned back to Alisa finally letting his towel slip off of his head sowing his thoroughly tussled hair. Not quite bedhead level but with a wild and casual look regardless. Looked quite comfy to thread ones hands through it though.

"Better definitely. Had no idea how much I missed a proper bath really."

She... kind of liked that look on him. It was ..really tempting to want to run her fingers through his hair too - from that brief moment she had patted his hair, it was surprisingly soft.

"Th.. That's good~!" She pressed her hands into her lap, awkwardly, "Yeah there's nothing quite like a good hot bath, I'll agree with you there." Um. Alisa don't.. talk about baths with Rean, that's weird. And it making her head go places it really shouldn't. Sharon teases but Alisa did wonder what it would be like to wash his back...

GAH, no, bad brain, stop that.

If only she would take that plunge. ALisa would probably be surprised by the positive reaction to it. Sadly she still wasn't ready to go that far let alone get in the bath with him to wash his back from the look of things.

"So then. Now that I'm all freshened up. What should we do next?" A simple and genuine question that would be so misconstrued if the Teasing Goddess herself was still around.

BOY howdy would it ever, and Sharon would probably have so many regrets she left and missed that perfect comment. But it's all right, she had plans to troll the couple more - she just had to give them some time to relax between trolling.

"Wha-" Oh. Oh. Right. Alisa glanced around as if expecting Sharon to pop out of somewhere, then glanced back at Rean, "W-well... um...! Well we could play Blade or..." She glanced out the window. They could go for a walk, but as much as she loved Roer, Nord spoiled her for views. "Actually, you're the guest so...what would you like to do?"

Personally, she'd love to curl up with him on the couch, but she didn't dare suggest then.

Oh dear. Sounds like they best make good use of their time alone. To be frank though Rean had no special idea as to what to do with their sudden free time. Just staying with Alisa was doing plenty for his mood and overall wellbeing.

"Blade huh. It's been a while since I had a chance to play. Altina isn't exactly the card game type." Though he did start seeing glimpse of her being more than just a drone. Unfortunately she was still strongly associated with that bastard so he still kept her at an subconscious arm's length.

"Hmmm if I am entirely honest I don't have the smallest clue. I don't mind just staying indoors with you if you like~"

She inwardly cringed - mentioning Blade was an oops, it seems. Still him saying he didn't mind staying in with her brought another small blush to her cheeks, and she patted the couch, "...Okay, come sit down then." Even if him sitting near her would make it more tempting for her to play with his hair. That wild, tousled look was... ahrm.

"Ah, how... how's Valimar?" He's been here all this time and she hasn't asked about the Divine Knight even once~! Though part of that was mostly because she was concerned if she brought him up, she might remind him of his duties at the moment.

It wasn't the worst topic. Frankly he was starting to consider trying to get closer to Altina. But that was best something to sort out when not on limited time with the brightest thing in his entire life at this point in time.

"Oh. He's good. Getting better and better at talking like a human too. Actually he did ask me if I've been in touch with everyone else just last week." After all the big guy only knew thing when he was around Rean.

"Did he really? That's amazing~!" Alisa ...scoots a little closer once Rean's made himself comfortable too. "He's really come a long way from when we first found him." So long ago, and as much as she appreciated the Divine Knight, the fact that both Rean and Valimar were trapped in the claws of Osborne during this war...

She had her suspicions even after the war, Rean and Valimar wouldn't be free.

"hahah Yeah. It's amazing." Frankly Valimar being there with him just as trapped had helped keep him sane as well. Always reassuring and always supportive. And always watching over him without Rean even realizing it. When she moved closer, Rean's hand found her and gently covered it against the couch.

"Kinda wish he could see you again sometime." Unfortunately the opportunities for that were even rarer than those for Rean so there was no helping that.

Despite how worried she was about him - both of them - she couldn't hide the small, warm smile that touched her face when he put his hand over hers. On the other hand, it made her want to hold him even more - his situation was far from ideal, and if she could hug him and hold him and just make it all go away she would.

"I do too." Alisa said with a softer voice, smiling gently. "I miss ...him." Must... make things difficult for him. It was going to be hard enough to see him off at the train station later.

She falls silent for a moment, then glances worriedly over at him, "... have you been back home... ... to Ymir... since then...?"

Oh that was not the wisest question to ask as Rean averted his gaze guiltily. However he didn't let go of her hand at least. If anything she might feel him squeeze it a little harder.

"I... haven't. I don't think I can. Not yet." After all he learned about his biological father being alive and at the heart of everything that went wrong in the empire which in turn had given no small grief to his adoptive family.

She winces slightly - yeah she didn't think it was a good question to ask but it needed to be asked, to get out there. Feeling him squeeze her hand harder though, she scooted closer to him, "Rean..." His parents were probably worried sick over him. "...I don't think they would blame you for anything. None of the people in Ymir would...they care about you."

"Because they are just too good of a people. Too good for someone like me." After all he had stained his hands with blood of calvard soldiers plenty and there were even rumblings in the military about a campaign being prepared to take North Ambria. No doubt he would get pulled into that conflict as well. The fact that Jaegers worked to keep that place going and it was also Sara's homeland had filled him with apprehension galore.

She stared at him for a long moment, stunned. Part of her wants to just -smack- him for saying something so foolish, "Someone ...like you...?" she repeated slowly, as if trying to process this.

She pulled her hand away from his, silently, "What are you talking about? Rean...! How can you talk about yourself like that? I know, you blame yourself for having to help in this war, doing things you don't particularly want to, but you haven't had any -choice- in the matter, right? You've been able to keep a lot of people from getting hurt or dying, haven't you?"

"If you were such an awful person, you wouldn't care about any of that. You wouldn't have spent your first year in Thors helping out everyone, not just in Class VII, but in Trista as well. In every town you've been to! Not counting everything you did when war broke out and you traveled around looking for all of us, liberating Trista, helping everyone in need no matter who it was... you deserve --! You deserve kindness and love as much as the next person,... why are you always so hard on yourself,..?!"

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