"Subaru?" Emilia entered Subaru's room. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," Subaru said, hidden under the covers.
He'd done.
He'd really done it… what's worse, he'd liked it.
"You didn't show up so I was… a little worried."
"Sorry."
"Are you really okay?"
"I'm fine," Subaru managed.
"No, you're not," Emilia said, sitting down next to his head, brushing his hair ever so gently. "You can tell me.
Subaru slowly, slowly moved closer and closer and rested his head on her lap. "I wish I could."
Soft. Warm.
Welcoming.
Just the way he remembered.
"You can."
"I can't."
"You can, silly. You can tell me anything."
"I really wish I could," Subaru mumbled, but before he could utter another word, his eyes closed and he fell firmly asleep.
Just how tired must he had been?
"But you really can," Emilia said but they never reached his ears. For he was now in lala land.
When Subaru eventually woke up, Emilia was gone and it was close to evening.
He'd slept the entire day?
… His stomach stung a bit. Very hungry.
A little feverish, a little wobbly but he got out just fine. Oddly orange outside. "It's setting…" he observed but moved closer and closer to the kitchen. He had to eat something, anything.
Empty.
Empty of people. Normally at least one of the sisters would be here, doing something. Perhaps they were out?
But both of them? Subaru didn't worry too much about that. Instead, he took out some bread, poured himself some juice and just forced it all down.
"What are you doing?" Ram said.
"Oh, Ram. I was wondering where you two were." He spoke with a stuffed face, gulping it down with the juice.
Ram said nothing, just observed. Or at least for a couple of minutes. "You… should go see Lady Emilia."
"Oh, I saw her earlier this morning. We spoke and-"
"Go to her room… now."
Huh?
Subaru paused for a brief moment but his brows rose up high and he knew… something had happened.
He started running, desperately trying not to fall flat on his face, barely succeeding and darting straight past the damn door, all the way across the hallway, to her room. To her.
To Emilia.
"Emilia!" Subaru roared in.
"Quiet down, Subaru-kun," Rem hissed.
Subaru shut up and found the white-haired girl peacefully asleep on the bed.
"What happened to her?"
"She has a fever. I put her to sleep. Try to scream again and I'll break one of your toes so you really enjoy screaming for a while," Rem said.
Subaru winced. Did you get possessed by your sister or something? He did not dare utter the words out loud though.
Yet… yet for some reason he breathed a sigh of relief and took a seat next to Emilia. He was glad. Glad nothing had happened to her… at least nothing that serious.
It was just a fever.
"Mm…Subaru?" Emilia mumbled.
"Yeah, it's me Emilia-tan."
She didn't wake up.
But she was okay.
Emilia was okay.
***
"Did you do something to her," Subaru said.
Just outside, Roswaal was waiting.
"Nothing in particuuular," he rolled his tongue.
Subaru glared but didn't say a thing.
"So, Subaru-kun…" Roswaal said. "Would you like to take this to the next level?" he whispered.
Subaru's heart beat just a tad faster. He didn't want to do something so… and yet… yet his penis… it awake from its slumber.
Whether he liked it or not, he did enjoy the moment with Roswaal. Way more than he'd have liked to admit. He didn't want to remember, but his body couldn't forget about it.
The erection was proof enough.
"Sorry," Subaru said. "I need to clear my thoughts first."
"Of course. I will be waiting."