Something's Strange (4)

Demian slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way to the main building where the infirmary was located. 

He knocked on the door before opening it. The nurse, a plump beta woman with light purple hair thrown up into a messy bun, looked at him. She blinked wide, owlish eyes at him. "Do you need something?"

"Has a Remi Sato or Dane Willy stopped by here earlier in the day?"

The nurse shook her head. "You're the first person I've seen all day."

Demian's heartbeat became frantic. Why hadn't they stopped by here to get Remi any medicine? Did that mean Remi was feeling any better?

"Is there any way I can get a fever reducer? My. . .friend was supposed to come by and grab one but it looks like he didn't."

The nurse narrowed suspicious eyes at him. "Your friend? Is there any particular reason why they would need one?"

Demian hesitated, still standing in the doorway, before telling her what had happened during training earlier that morning.

The nurse got up from her seat while cursing out the instructor who was stupid enough not to send a student her way. She picked up a vial with a blue colored liquid in it. "Give this to your friend. Make sure he eats something with it."

Demian thanked her while taking the potion. He gripped the bottle carefully in his hands before making his way to the dormitory where Remi was living. He wasn't sure what room Remi was in but he could always ask someone.

He entered the building and found a few students in the lounge area. "Do any of you know which room Remi Sato is staying in?"

A thin boy with large wire-frame glasses answered him. "Room A27."

Demian flashed him a relieved smile. "Thank you." He then headed towards the staircase and walked up to the second floor, taking the steps two at a time. Heading down the large corridor, he scanned each door until he found the one he was looking for.

He knocked on the door, afraid to knock too loudly, but was also afraid that if he knocked too softly then Remi wouldn't be able to hear him.

The door opened just a fraction and beady black eyes peered out between the crack. "What?" Dane's tone was sharp and curt.

Demian's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Wasn't this Remi's room?

He held up the potion. "A fever reducer for Remi. The nurse said that neither you nor him stopped by."

Dane eyed the bottle like it was some foreign creature before snaking a hand out through the crack to take it. "I'll let him know you came by," Dane said, surprisingly a little nicer.

Demian put his hand on the door before Dane could close it. "How is he?"

"Fine," Dane said between clenched teeth.

A sweet and fragrant scent assaulted Demian's nose just then. His hackles rose as he realized it was Remi's scent; roses, freshly cut grass, and sunshine. A fresh, wild, and outdoorsy scent that completely matched Remi's vibrant personality.

"Why does it smell like him?" Demian growled, a vein pulsing in his neck. Pheromones this strong could only be smelled during heats, ruts, and sex. And since Remi was neither an alpha nor an omega, that meant he had sex. And the only other person in the room was Dane.

Dane glared up at Demian; yes, Dane was shorter even if it didn't seem like it at times. "None of your business," his tone was completely rude and this time, Dane successfully shut the door on Demian.

Demian felt himself backing up until his back hit the wall. Was it really true? Was his first assumption right? Were Dane and Remi really a thing?

Demian's heart clenched and his fingers shook. That realization was extremely painful and one he had never wanted to come across. 

He lowered his head down for a few seconds. Had he really lost his chance with Remi? Would he have even tried, knowing that his parents never would have agreed?

* * * *

Dane slammed the door shut, while also making sure it didn't make a lot of noise. He glanced down at the potion in his hands.

Prince Demian Maxwell obviously cared for Remington, so why did he act the way that he did?

Remington had been hurt when Demian started hanging around Ophelia. Even though he never said anything, Dane could tell. He had been friends with Remington since they were children and now served as his knight, Dane would be a fool if he couldn't read his liege by now.

Dane glanced towards the bed where Remington laid. His thin body, which had been wriggling in agony, had calmed down as soon as Dane had opened the door. He couldn't smell them very well since he was a beta but he was positive the prince had let his pheromones out unconsciously. Was that why Remington seemed so calm?

Had the years of having a crush on Prince Demian affected Remington even when he was in the throws of heat?

Dane shook his head. This was something that he would never have an answer to or fully understand.

He placed the bottle on the bedside table. Even though the potion is unwarranted, he knew his liege would still appreciate the gesture. The only question is, how much will Remington be hurt by this simple little gesture?

Dane sat down on the edge of the bed and carded his fingers through Remington's hair. If he had been any other beta, he would not be able to get this close. Betas may not be able to smell pheromones properly, but that did not include an alpha's rut or an omega's heat; a beta could smell pheromones during those times.

He was only able to be so calm because he had taken a Knight's vow on the day he had become Remi's knight. The vow used a special kind of herb along with a magic enchantment. It was completely experimental and had been invented by Remington but it had proved successful the first time Dane had witnessed Remington's heat. He was also the only knight in existence for now who knew of this special kind of vow because Remington did not want to reveal it to the world yet. 

Though if Dane was being honest, he probably wouldn't have needed to have done that second vow. Remington was so much like a sibling to him that he was pretty sure Remington's pheromones wouldn't have affected Dane anyway.

* * * *

When Remi came to, the first thing that he noticed was that his head hurt and his mouth was dry. It was also nighttime.

"How long was I out?" His voice came out hoarse, cracking in some spots.

"Just a few hours," Dane answered. He leaned over and helped Remi to sit up before handing him a glass of warm water.

Remi took the glass, taking a long gulp of the slightly warm but refreshing water. The water slid down his throat, rehydrating his taste buds and returning his sandpaper-like tongue back to normal. "That's it? I'm normally out for two days." In this world, most heats only lasted for a day, unlike his last world. Remi, unfortunately, had two-day heat cycles four times a year.

He couldn't believe it. His hand came up to his neck and he wrapped his fingers around the suppressant collar he had invented-well, in this world. Suppressants and diffusers weren't as common or wildly researched as they were in his old world.

"Hmm." Dane hummed as an answer.

Remi went to put the empty glass on the bedside table when he noticed a vial filled with a fever-reducing potion. "Why did you get one of those?" Dane knew full well that those potions won't work on an omega during their heat cycle.

"Prince Demian brought it."

Remi was really glad he had set the glass down or it would have fallen. His fingers jerked and trembled with Dane's casual comment. "Why was he here? Wait, he didn't notice anything, did he?"

"I'm not sure and no. Based on his reaction and the knowledge that he has of Remi Sato, he most likely came to the conclusion that we had a very wild time in here."

"What?" Was the eloquent response that spilled from his mouth. He had a hard time processing his words because Dane sounded smug and he was smirking. This was a new experience for him because the guy was usually monotone and expressionless, it became even worse after he became Remi's personal knight.

The smirk on Dane's face widened, even if it only lifted one side of his lip. "He's under the impression that I fucked you senseless."

His heart stopped.

Remi's heart literally stopped.

Dane quirked up an eyebrow. "Remington?"

His voice brought Remi out of his stupor. "Why didn't you correct him!" He roared. His face was filled with horror and he was pretty sure he was as white as a ghost right now.

"Would you have rather had him figuring out what was really happening to you?"

That instantly calmed him down. "No," he answered despondently. But was this situation any better? 

That had been the one thing keeping him sane during those years he spent as a baby and toddler. That one day he would meet his favorite love interest from his favorite otome game. He had always dreamed of meeting Demian and now that he had, he wanted to do everything he could to ruin the game's plot for Demian's route. He was fine if Ophelia succeeded with the other love interests, she just couldn't have Demian.

Dane's sigh pulled Remi out of his thoughts. "Are you certain he's the one you want?"

"Yes," came Remi's immediate reply.

"Then don't clear up the misunderstanding." Remi wasn't following Dane's logic and his confusion must have shown. "He's been showing interest in you and Ophelia. He's likely only hanging out with Ophelia because she's an omega. If he thinks you're in a physical relationship, then he'll either not do anything and continue to chase Ophelia, or he'll become jealous and try to break you and me up."

Remi waved his hand to dismiss that idea. "I don't like it."

"Good, 'cause I didn't want to do it either." Dane's straight shoulders visibly relaxed.

"Then why did you suggest it?"

Dane rolled his eyes, something Remi hadn't seen the man do in a long while. "Prince Demian seems to be the type to fall for it."

Remi wanted to argue with him but it seemed to be true. Demian had become a little slow and dimwitted recently, completely different from the first two weeks. The only time he seemed like he did at the beginning of the year was during their swordsmanship class, which was only one day a week.

"See," Dane said smugly, "even you can't deny it."

Remi found himself nodding. "I can't be certain since I just recently met him, but it almost feels like he has a split personality disorder sometimes."

"What?" 

Remi had forgotten that personality disorders weren't widely known or even studied for that matter. "It's almost like he's two different people," he clarified.

Dane shrugged nonchalantly. "I just thought he seemed dull and boring except for when he's around you. When he's around you, he becomes energetic and lively with a hint of mischievousness."

Remi gave Dane a long hard stare, somehow feeling like he should be jealous. "You're paying an awful lot of attention to him," his voice was guarded and lower in octave than normal.

"Duh, aren't you planning on making him your spouse? I know you're not going to give up on him without a fight, so shouldn't I pay attention to him, to help you out and because he'll wind up being my future liege whether he wants to or not."

"You're right." To hell with the game's plot, not like he was planning on letting it have its way anyway. He just needed to find a way to make himself more appealing than Ophelia. "But I'm still not using your idea. I know you only want to do it to keep the admirers at bay," Remi threw in teasingly.

Dane nodded, playing along. Remi wondered if he would have as many admirers as he did now if they were to witness Dane's true personality instead of that cold, indifferent persona he uses during classes?.

Remi pulled his knees up with the blanket around them. He needed to figure out how to correct the misunderstanding that Demian had of his and Dane's relationship while trying to make himself more appealing than the game's heroine.