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"I'm a strong man, right?" Serapter looked up from the fireplace, turning his head back to look at the man this room belonged to.
"Of course you are, sir." Serapter said, shifting his body so that the fireplace was to his left, and Zam was to his right. "What makes you say that?"
"I dunno." Zam let out a heavy sigh, pushing himself up from where he was laying down on his bed. "I don't feel like I'm strong."
It was a conversation the two had several times before. Zam, unsure about his masculinity, and Serapter, there to help affirm who Zam truly was. Serapter would admit, it did get tiring at times. But tonight was of the usual, a simple need that Serapter would meet.
"Sir, you are one of the strongest people I know." Serapter stood up as a blaze caught in the wood, a fire roaring to life beneath the mantel. He tossed the small wood he used into the fire, turning to face Zam completely.
"My friends, though—" Zam frowned, wrapping his arms around himself. "They say I'm not man enough."
"Just because I don't like to watch the hunt sometimes makes me not man enough." Zam puffed his cheeks, clearly annoyed at the words he spoke.
"That just means you're kind." Serapter replied. "It has no meaning on your masculinity, sir."
Zam closed his eyes, tilting his head back as his expression calmed.
The same song and dance, repeated like clockwork.
"You're right." Zam hummed. "Thank you."
Serapter bowed his head, and began to work on the bath.