Chapter 8

"Do not let the wound touch water for at least a week. Don't engage in vigorous physical activities like running or horse riding and absolutely no training meanwhile. I'll come again tomorrow to replace the bandages." The doctor advised nonchalantly as he secured the bandage around Hansel's torso with a knot. The wound was deep but it was not near the spine so there wasn't anything to worry about.

The doctor was in a sour mood. He was taking his required afternoon nap when he was suddenly requested to arrive at the Wintern mansion by a servant who was relaying the message. He was extremely surprised when he received the word and thought something had happened to the Duke. To think they hurried a famous doctor like him all this way just to bandage a scratch on a knight's back! He definitely was going to charge them extra for having snatched away his last bit of peace before the holidays were over.

The doctor left after giving Derek, who stood in a corner of his room, a slight bow. His figure was leaning against the wall and his hands were folded as he looked at Hansel in concern.

Hansel was sitting on Derek's bed silently, reluctant to leave but couldn't speak anything to him either. He was taken aback when he saw Derek's face turn white as he came to realize that Hansel was bleeding. While it was funny watching such a large man fretting about for a minor cut, Hansel felt a little happy that Derek worried about him. He had suffered from wounds far more dangerous than this but never saw a doctor for treatment. They would sometimes inflame, giving him high fever and chills but he couldn't even afford to buy some medicines for help. He had walked from dawn till evening with mercenaries while suffering like that. This meager stinging sensation on his back was nothing compared to all those times.

"T, tha…thank…thank you." Hansel stuttered with his words. He was looking down at his hands while his thumbs fidgeted with each other. Even though he had once again brought trouble for his Master, he felt really grateful to Derek for taking care of him.

Derek, on the other hand, knew nothing of what was going inside Hansel's head. He thought Hansel was trying to excuse himself again after thanking him. All this time, he eyes never once met Derek's even though they were both in the same room. He was definitely uncomfortable with him around, Derek thought.

"Wait!" Derek almost shouted, panicked. His voice was weaker than his normal one but it drew Hansel's attention anyway. Hansel had no intention to leave but Derek didn't know that. He rushed into his bathroom and then quickly emerged with a bowl of water and a towel in his hands.

"Let me at least clean you before you go." Derek pleaded, taking his place on bed just behind Hansel. Hansel's body was still covered with dirt from cleaning the armory. If he would try to clean himself, he would definitely wet the wound. Derek put the towel in water and then wringed it dry.

"Why were you not wearing a shirt?" Derek asked while he gently rubbed Hansel's back with the cloth to clean it, recalling the discarded white shirt he had seen in the armory.

"It was the shirt Second Master gave me to wear…on that day." Hansel replied in a small voice. His face heated up at once remembering how intimate they were a week before. "So, I was afraid that it would get dirty while cleaning the room."

It was the truth. When Hansel wore that shirt for the first time, he felt it softness. It was nowhere near the coarse clothing he owned and it wouldn't be farfetched to say that he could buy a hundred of those in exchange of the shirt that Derek gave him. If it were to get spoiled somehow and if Derek asked him to return it, he definitely wouldn't have been able to compensate him even with his entire salary.

"So, you're saying that a shirt is more valuable than your safety?" Derek spoke through clenched teeth. Had he been wearing his uniform or even a piece of shirt, it could have prevented the spear from piercing him that deep. Even though Hansel was not facing him, he could sense the fury in Derek's voice and flinched in response.

Derek, watching Hansel's back muscles contract, felt helpless. Somehow, he always lost control when it was something concerned with this apprentice knight in front of him. He sighed and hugged Hansel from behind, resting his head on his shoulders with his eyes shut.

"I was scared." Derek said. His voice choked and he couldn't speak further. When Hansel had slapped his hands away earlier, Derek was afraid that he did not want to see his face again. And when Derek saw his cuffs soaked with Hansel's blood, he was scared that he would be left deserted again. This fear of abandonment, he never wanted to experience it again.

While Derek was engaged in his thoughts, Hansel's heart was beating loud. Derek's hot breath hitting his nape as well as the warmth seeping from him into his cold body, he desired all of it. He wanted to turn around and see what kind of face Derek was making but he didn't. He wanted to console him and hug him back but he did not have courage to, especially after ignoring him for a week.

"After that time, I was embarrassed to see you…" Hansel spoke in a small voice and Derek would have been unable to hear it if he wasn't sitting so close to him.

"What?" Derek asked him as he couldn't understand what Hansel was talking about. He opened his eyes and looked at him with curiosity. It was the first time that Hansel had spoken to him and those words were not to apologize or thank him or related to work.

"I didn't come to see you because I did not know what kind of face I should make in front of you after all that…" he spoke a little louder this time but kept staring at the ground. Derek gasped at Hansel's words and blushed but it was nothing compared to Hansel's face which had turned red up to his ears.

Derek's heart was beating fast. He was thankful to hear the words which had come out of Hansel's mouth.

So, Hansel had ignored him not because he hated him but because he was shy! It had managed to defeat insecurity in Derek's heart and lighted hope in place of it.

"Just don't disappear without a word again." he said to Hansel. His voice was shaking because of the extreme happiness that was budding inside him.

He hugged Hansel even tighter than before but carefully so as to not open the wound on his back. Hansel leaned in his embrace and closed his eyes. He was satisfied that he had spoken his heart to Derek and that he had accepted it.

The wet towel Derek was using to wipe Hansel's body now laid forgotten beside their entwined bodies. Water seeped from it into the bedding, but that was insignificant to the two who were lost in the moment and kissing.