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“Frankly, young master, I’d never thought you’d take a liking in such activities,” Thoma chuckled, pushing the towel he was using back inside the bucket filled with soapy water. “I still need to remind you, young master, that you should be careful around the dirt.”
Ayato chuckled, extending his leg to ease his servant’s work. “It’s just mud, Thoma. I think I’ll survive it,” he tilted his head with a playful smile on his lips.
With Thoma kneeling right before the balcony that led to the Kamisato Estate’s garden, Ayato couldn’t help but feel the warmth inside his heart as his servant cleaned the dirt off him. It almost made Ayato forget the embarrassment he felt when he slipped inside a puddle of mud. “But maybe I should, indeed, leave the gardening work to your capable hands.”
Carefully holding Ayato’s leg by his ankle, Thoma rubbed the towel around Ayato’s calf and shin, going all the way from Ayato’s knee down to his ankle. “Allow me to instruct you next time, young master,” Thoma muttered, shifting to Ayato’s other leg, “for now, let’s get you a little cleaner before you go inside and take a proper bath.”
Ayato nodded, placing his hands behind him to support his body as he waited for Thoma to finish him. Thoma’s touch was almost comforting, relaxing even. The damp tower gently caressing his skin, freeing his body from the dirty sensation.
That, at least, lasted until Thoma brought his attention to Ayato’s feet.
“A-ah, Thoma, wahait-”
“I already know what you’re going to say, young master,” Thoma chuckled, keeping a firm grip around Ayato’s heel to prevent him from pulling his foot away, “but I can’t allow you to leave dirt footprints around the clean house.”
“B-but- ahaha!” Ayato giggled, pressing his eyes shut while covering his smiling lips with his hand. He should have expected this. It was always like this.
Even when helping him after or during his baths, Thoma would always sneak this kind of play in the middle of the ‘cleaning’. Ayato, for some reason, always allowed himself to fall into this trap again and again.
Thoma rubbed the towel against Ayato’s sole, making sure to not let his master escape. “I-I cahan clehehean myself thehere!” Ayato whined, trying to reach out to Thoma’s hand, just to have his own foot pulled out of his reach.
With a smirk on his lips, Thoma wiggled his fingers under the towel, tickling all around Ayato’s foot, from his heel up to under his toes. “I’d be offended, young master, if you forbid me from doing such a simple task. Please, sit still, I’m almost done.”
“Y-you ahahare just tihihickling me, Thomahaha!! ~” Ayato protested, laying back on the balcony and pressing both his hands against his face while laughing. His foot twisted and squirmed inside of Thoma’s grip, but simply couldn’t find a way of freeing itself.
After making sure he got rid of all the dirt, Thoma allowed Ayato to pull his foot away. The noble gasped for air, sprawling around the floor as his body went limp. He revealed his flushed up cheeks, trying to look annoyed despite the wide smile on his face. “W-why do you always do this?!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, young master,” Thoma chuckled, damping the towel in the soapy water again, “now, be patient. I still need to clear your other foot ~”