Rick grimaced as he tried to stand up on his own. His legs felt like jelly, almost instantly giving out underneath him but barely holding on. With a grunt, his hands clenched against the railing that was embedded onto the wall. Deep breaths. Calm down, focus.

It was like everything underneath his hips was having a severe case of pin-pricks-and-needles. Like someone had forgotten to return circulation to them for a month and had now opened it all at once.

“It’s all in the mind, sir.” Dia was half a step away, arms half-extended and ready to catch him if he stumbled. “Your legs are perfectly functional, it’s just your brain getting used to being fully connected to them again.”

“Easier said than done,” he muttered through clenched teeth.

The nurse leaned slightly closer, her hand pressing softly against his stomach, there was a slight warmth spreading from the point of contact. His legs felt slightly less fragile. “How about five steps this time? I’ve got something nice if you do it.”

Rick cocked a brow and glanced at the young woman. “A reward for my efforts? I wonder what it would be?”

“Something nice.” She smiled teasingly.

“More than your company?”

Her cheeks took a slight pink hue, her lips parted, and she seemed about to say something, but no words came out. Dia’s head snapped straight ahead and her other hand abruptly reached out to nudge him a step away from the wall. Rick almost stumbled, caught off guard by the soft application of force against his back. His jaws clenched shut with the first step; the second one had to follow or else he’d really fall down.

It was at the third that he managed to grab hold of his balance. The sensation was like someone was lightly stabbing the sole of his feet. But he powered through, sucking in air sharply through his nose and taking his fourth step to avoid the sensation from becoming unbearable. Hands reached out to the sides as his body almost spun.

“Just one more, sir,” Dia whispered, her hand never touching but ever close and ready. Her gaze was firmly aimed at his hips and avoiding meeting his eyes. Her cheeks still held that pink hue, her lips a hint of a smile.

A little wobble, a deep breath. And… step. His knee almost gave out, but he managed to compensate just in time. It was only when he’d let out the breath he’d been holding that he felt Dia’s hands caressing his stomach. Her touch was firm, stabilizing him. She twisted him around, the motion was fluid, almost as if accidental, and Rick found himself back in the wheelchair right when his legs were giving out.

Something pressed against his lips, the touch surprising. The young teacher pulled his head back to glance downwards, spotting a little white pastry the blushing nurse was quietly holding right in front of him. With a quiet chuckle, Rick leaned forward, wrapping his lips around the treat as well as the tips of her fingers.

There was a soft milky flavor to it, with a touch of a fruit he couldn’t quite identify. It was sweet in an almost aromatic kind of way.

“WOOT!”

The shout came from the hallway. Rick’s body froze as his eyes flickered in the direction of the hollering. There were two nurses there, both wearing the same pink uniform Dia had, one with black hair, the other green. “You go girl!” The black-haired one proclaimed with a thumbs up.

It took Rick a fraction of a second to remember his lips were wrapped around Dia’s finger.

With a pop, a severely blushing Dia pulled her digit right out of his mouth. “Why you…!” She proclaimed, hurrying towards the door, the two nurses vanishing in a fit of wolf whistles and giggling. Dia closed the door and used the tiny curtain to block the view entirely. Not facing him quite yet, she huffed.

Even from behind, Rick could see the blush had extended all the way to her neck. Rick wasn’t sure whether to chuckle or not, though he definitely wasn’t able to hold back on the amused grin.

“I swear, they’re so immature.” Dia turned around, her face a deep crimson, her eyes glancing everywhere but at him. She hurried past him and to the table, towards a small wooden box she’d brought. “Did you… like it? Sir?”

“I think it was very sweet,” Rick said. “And the treat was delicious too.”

This time he did chuckle; Dia’s ears were practically glowing now. There was something weirdly transfixing about watching the young woman reacting in such a way to his words. He would’ve never guessed that reciprocating her not-so-subtle attempts at flirtation would work her up this much. It was… refreshing, even if he wasn’t quite sure where this was headed to.

His eyes lingered on her green choker and a slight worming hesitation made its way through him. “You’re… not going to get into trouble over this, right?”

“Sir?”

“You’re a maiden.” His brows furrowed slightly. “That means someone… owns you. Right?”

The nurse hesitated, touching her throat. There was a moment of silence that was followed by a coy smile. She leaned forward a little, presenting the collar to him. “Would sir snatch me away if that were the case? Spirit me away in the middle of the night?” She fluttered her eyelashes. The blush wasn’t going away, and the little hesitation in her wandering eyes made Rick think this attempt at a banter might have more to it.

“Maybe, if you can get me more of those pastries.” With a little chuckle, he glanced at the table.

Dia took the cue, a little nod as she caressed her neck. Her other hand reached into the box and pulled out a blue pastry. “Green collars means we are owned by the kingdom, but are currently seeking an owner. Some might use the term ‘public property’, but that’d be… quite rude.”

“Oh… oh!” Rick’s face suddenly paled, then became beet red. “Wait, you I, no, wait, but-”

The nurse giggled, her hand reaching out to stop his words with the blue pastry. The taste was fruity, but Rick couldn’t recognize what type exactly. The maiden giggled. “It’s not illegal for a maiden to have some fun, sir.” There was a little hesitation there, but an earnest smile. “Though I might change my opinion if I end up bonding with you.”

“Wait, it can happen… accidentally?” His brows arched upwards, glancing at Dia as she broke into a fit of giggles. “You’re pulling my leg.”

The giggling stopped, looking at him slightly confused. “Pulling your leg? Is that an idiom where you’re from, sir?”

“It means that you’re tricking me.”

“I would never do such a thing!” She put her hand against her chest as she put a face of mock shock.

“You’re prettier when you’re blushing.”

And just like that, her cheeks returned to a beet red that was dark enough her pink hair almost looked white by contrast. “You’re mean, sir.”

“I try.”

“To answer your question, no. A bond cannot overwrite another, the first must break before a new can be made.” Her fingers brushed against her choker. “I’d need to take my collar off to break my bond.”

“So the bond wouldn’t survive without the collar?”

“If you believe in the tales for little children, then a sufficiently strong enough bond can survive even that.” She shook her head, moving a strand of pink hair behind her ears. “For us greenies, when we find an owner, they take off our collar, breaking our previous bond, and then put on the blue collar.” There was a wistfulness in her voice. “At that point the maiden is meant to express her trust in her new owner, a small ceremony of sorts, and that’s when the new bond forms.” Dia spoke with a little chime to her voice as her blushing cheeks dimpled with the smile.

The moment lingered as she sat down at the edge of the bed, her fingers traced circles against her skirt.

“You look like you have something in your mind,” the young teacher proclaimed with a chuckle. It made her squirm a little, snapping her of the whimsy that had claimed her.

She looked at him for a moment, lowering her head slightly. “Would… would it be improper to ask about your world, sir?”

“Sure, what are you curious about?” With a little pause, Rick felt a trickle of amusement. “Or are you curious about me specifically?”

Like a deer caught in headlights, Dia’s eyes opened wide, and she quite suddenly found that the wooden box in her hands was something she should definitely focus on. “I mean, um…”

“Tell you what.” He pointed at the bag. “One pastry, one question.”

There was an abrupt change in Dia’s expression, brows furrowing. “Five.”

“Are you haggling with me?”

She tensed. “…may I? Sir?”

“Knock yourself out.” He tilted his head. “Two.”

“Five questions,” she replied quickly, sharp like a knife. “But you can say no to one beforehand.”

“Two, and I call you cute.”

She flustered, but the brows did not waver. “Four questions, and you can say no to two.”

“Isn’t that just two minus the cute part?”

Dia almost stumbled through her words. “And a kiss.”

The moment the words left her lips she went pale, then red, and then her grip on the box tightened enough it groaned as she half opened her mouth to say something else but clamped it shut. Her eyes were firmly fixed on Rick now, and her breath caught in her throat.

The teacher felt his own face warm up slightly, a part of him quite sure she’d suffocate if he waited too long to reply. But at the same time there was a hesitation at the offer. Should he? Flirting was one thing, this… felt like something else entirely. His mind flickered backwards, looking for a reason to stop himself.

The only image that came to mind was a small blue box that was gathering dust on a nightstand, a dead relationship on a world he could not go back to.

But…

The next image was of a stream, water cold but his body hot. A naked woman clutching at his body in desperation, his name on her lips. Dark skin and white fur. Monica.

“I… I’m sorry for ruining the moment, sir.” Dia’s voice broke the silence and Rick’s train of thought, ready to stand up and leave. “Just two answers will be just fine.”

His hand reached out, grasping her wrist.

“Wait.”

He wasn’t sure why he said the word; it escaped him before he could contain it.

“Yes?” The nurse tentatively asked, the look in her eyes clearly cursing herself for offering a venue of escape.

“I mean…” Rick hesitated. What did Monica mean to him? Should he even take this situation so seriously? “I… it’s complicated.” He muttered. “But… let’s not force things, please?”

Dia’s shoulders slumped a little. Was it relief on her face? Disappointment? She gripped his fingers lightly and a slight smile emerged. “Certainly, sir.” There was a slight waver in her voice as she said this.

“Two questions, then.”

They nodded in agreement.