Chapter Text
[...]
Subaru was and is weak, so much so that his only power was the ability to die and come back to life, and this caused him to have nightmares... constant nightmares ever since he made amends with the members of the mansion, especially the maid who had previously killed him due to a childhood trauma related to his cursed smell. He had managed to reconcile with her, though it was still difficult to deal with, but the boy tried. During the night he tried to sleep, but this was difficult because he had constant nightmares, sometimes waking up in the middle of the night, and other times feeling comfortable with a soft sensation in his hand, as if someone were silently comforting him. And this night... it was the same... but different...
"Ahhhh!" – Subaru jumped out of bed, panting and with sweat dripping down his forehead. He pressed his hand against his chest as he breathed heavily and tried to calm down.
"Subaru-kun, are you alright?" Rem asked, worried that her hero had suddenly woken up from yet another nightmare. She was sitting on a stool beside the boy's bed.
"Ah, Rem. No, I'm not—WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Subaru shouted, completely startled, even in the middle of the night, but he quickly covered his mouth to avoid shouting more. Rem was startled, but she soon blushed and nervously rubbed her hands together.
"W-Well, Rem noticed you looked terrible, so… she decided to come here and comfort her hero!" – Rem said nervously, but soon smiled at him and clenched her fists, determined to help Subaru.
"BUT YOU—...but you invaded my room. That's really weird!" Subaru said, whispering the last part so the people in the mansion wouldn't hear. His words made Rem blush even more and look away, unable to look at him after he said those things, as it made the oni maid seem crazy. "But…so the reason I calmed down during the night…was it you?"
"Yes!" – Rem exclaimed, regaining her previous cheerfulness. She took a step forward, sitting on the bed next to Subaru, gently and affectionately holding his hand. – "Whenever I saw Subaru-kun trembling and seeming to be having a bad dream, Rem would gently hold his hand, and it seemed to calm him down."
"..." – Subaru looked at her uncertainly, then glanced at his hand, which Rem was holding. The feeling he had in his nightmares was indeed the same as what he was feeling now with his hand being held. Was the maid invading his room at night strange?... yes, incredibly strange! But at the same time, she had helped him without him even knowing... until now. Biting his lip uncertainly, Subaru looked down and blinked a few times, unsure whether or not he should accept this.
Realizing this, Rem moved on the bed, sitting up. She pulled Subaru close and placed his head on her lap. This action surprised the boy, who looked up and saw half of his view blocked by the maid's two large eyes. She didn't mind if he looked at her that way; she even liked it. Reaching her hand to his head, Rem gently and lovingly stroked it, a small smile on her face as she found herself in such a situation with the boy.
"It's alright, Subaru-kun. Rem is here to help you in any way she can, staying by your side, comforting you, scolding you, I'll always be with you." – Rem affirmed in a soft whisper, also as a way to reassure him amidst the comforting silence of the early morning.
Subaru blushed slightly, averting his gaze without being able to look at her. He was uncertain; yes, the girl had become relatively special to him, and now that he knew she helped him while he slept... even if it seemed incredibly strange, but okay! The boy looked up again and took a deep breath to speak, already feeling his heart beating in a regular and calm way.
"Rem… can you stop barging into my room? Sorry, but… I'd at least like some prior warning." – Subaru said, teasingly, but his words made Rem blush even more and stop stroking his hair.
"So... if Rem asks first, will Subaru-kun let her into his room?" Rem asked, her voice trembling slightly due to the anxiety she felt while waiting for an answer.
"...yes? That's obvious in a social setting." – Subaru said, chuckling shyly at the thought, but then he stopped and looked back at her, blushing and averting her gaze. – "But yes... if you ask, I... I'll let you into my room."
"So Subaru-kun lets Rem sleep with him?!"
"Hold on! That's going too far!"
"Oh… Sorry…" Rem said, blushing for having spoken without thinking first. She scolded herself for saying it too quickly without even being sure he would say yes, and that made her bite her lip.
"..." – Subaru blinked a few times, uncertain about what the maid was saying, then blushed and looked away before speaking. – "W-Well... if you want... I can-"
"Yes! Rem wants it! She really wants it!" – Rem said excitedly, her smile trembling, but she quickly realized what she had done and stepped back. – "Eh, sorry… I did it again."
"Okay… let's just do this before things get weirder…" – already accepting the situation, Subaru chose not to argue and simply went along with it. He lay down on his bed, with Rem lying behind him, their backs to each other. The boy was nervous; he had never done this before, and sleeping with a girl next to him… it made him have impure thoughts!
But before Subaru could think any further, he felt something soft touch his back and was embraced by two pairs of hands. He was surprised and looked back, only to see Rem hugging him with a silly smile on her face.
"Rem..."
"Subaru-kun's scent… zzzz…" – Sniffing the boy a little, Rem fell asleep with a silly, cute smile on her face. The boy's miasma smell was still strong, but the maid had managed to distinguish the miasma smell from his natural scent, a scent she had come to love.
"...ah, why me?!" – Subaru simply gave up trying to understand and chose to accept his situation. Since somehow he felt comfortable and at peace with that position... BUT THE IMPURE THOUGHTS REMAINED IN HIS HEAD!
End of chapter.