Page 44 of It Varies
“Servant is a little different than butler.He rarely butlers.”He stroked her hair, cheek, neck, and the hollow of her collarbone.“By modern parlance, he is my assistant.”
Mao came up and knelt, setting round cups on a low table before he got a teapot that looked bizarrely tiny in his hand, and he poured the tea for them.“I am usually a good assistant when I am not facing a woman who muddles my senses.”
“Oh, thelook like a beta and smell like an omegathing?”She squirmed around and reached for the teacup.Kazuya reached out and got the cup first, handing it to her.
Mao blinked.“Yes.That.When I am confused, my judgment isn’t the best.”
Kazuya sipped his tea while she sipped hers.His direct eye contact was a little off-putting.He seemed to be trying to communicate something to her, but they sipped in synchronized movements until the cups were empty.
Mao smiled and refilled their cups.“I also have some small cakes.”
Kazuya looked at Mao with a wry expression.“How helpful of you.”
More tea was poured, and Kazuya held one of the cakes to her.When she tried to take it, he simply held it to her lips.She asked, “Is this an octopus thing?”
He grinned.“It is.”
She opened her mouth and took a bite.She couldn’t describe the taste.She tried to break it down, but nothing was similar.
He finished it, and her suspicions rose.“Do you do this with all your patients?”
He shook his head with an innocent expression.“No.It’s fortunate.The dark elf army is rather large.I wouldn’t want to cuddle them.”
She looked around, and one of her legs had slid free of the robe.There was a spiral of circles that began at her toes and wrapped around her, creeping upward.She remembered the pressure and the suction.Surprisingly, none of the pain she had been expecting.
She looked at him.“So, with your newfound knowledge of how I react, how many treatments are left?”
He stared at her and caressed her cheek.“I need to have you in my arms many, many times.”
Vine looked at him.“But what do I need?”
He chuckled.“Clever.You need two more treatments.One if we can stay under for several hours.”
“How long were we in there today?”He looked to Mao.
“Ninety minutes.”
Kazuya smiled.“Good.I can cuddle you for another half hour until your limbs work properly again.”
She wiggled her toes.“They seem to be working just fine.”
“Ah, but as your healer, I am ordering you to remain relaxed until I am sure that you are able to move normally.”
“Speaking of moving normally, Mao is adapting well.”
The other man exhaled.“It is hard to adapt to, but the pain becomes part of you.”
“Now you are getting it.It will still catch you by surprise when you move, but you can be comfortable sitting still for a while.”
“Yes, I confess that I can’t manage more than ten minutes without altering my weight distribution.”
“Yeah.It becomes reflex after a while.”
He smiled.“I hope so.I am gaining an appreciation for pain.”
“As long as you don’t gain a fascination for it, you are fine.”She nodded at Mao.
Kazuya touched her cheek and directed her attention back to him.
