Book IV: Avi Dragon

Shower Sight

"I'm trying to be honorable here, young lady."
   A husky chuckle was his only reply. He took a step closer. "That's not helping, y'know."
   Her laugh rumbled off the tiles in the shower. "Turn round so you can rinse the soap off. I can't see a thing right now, so it should be safe."
   "I know better than that. You've got dragon sense to work from."
   She straightened out of the spray, blinking water from her eyes. "I do?"
   He sighed. On one hand, he didn't want to give her another tool for mischief, but it also served to protect their lives, so she needed to know.
   He took the last step separating them, angled the shower head so it hit his back. It also dribbled water over their faces nonstop. :Yes, you do. Don't try to open your eyes. See what you can--well, "see" without them.: His eyes were open, so he saw her arching away from him.
   He shook his head, slinging water droplets in an arc around them. :Come here, I won't bite. It does us no good if you fall over.: He wrapped his arms around her, just below her bosom. Neither of them needed that distraction! :I don't know how you do it, but try to pretend your eyes are open, maybe? Look around. You know what the room looks like, so start there?:
   She grumbled about the whole thing, but it was a skill she'd need. She dropped her forehead to his sternum and tried to remember what the bathroom looked like. She imagined the wall behind her, and much to her surprise, an image formed! It was hazy at first, but she could See the knobs and faucet, and where the shampoo sat.
   She reached back to touch the shampoo, and it was right where she Saw it!
   He saw her touch the bottle. "What are you doing with the shampoo?" he asked warily.
   She snorted. "I was just making sure I really Saw it. You should probably wash your hair while you're in here, though."
   He put his hand over hers. "In a minute. Look at the rest of the room first. Maybe try to See the baby." He carried her hand to his chest, brought the other up beside it. "Focus."
   She found it hard to focus on anything but her hands on his bare chest, with his long fingers atop hers. There was another distraction below the waist, but she'd been actively ignoring it since she noticed its presence.
   She tried to fall back into the half trance, to See the room around them. She'd already established the wall behind her, so she Looked in front of her.
   Angel staggered backwards, gasping and blinking water out of her eyes. "Note to self," she said, shivering in his arms. "Don't try to look through someone."
   He didn't mean to laugh. He immediately apologized, but she waved it off, flapping one hand blindly. "'S'ok, I laugh at myself all the time. If I don't, other people will." She shuddered. "Laughter is far preferable to getting an eyeful of your husband's internal organs!"
   She was too shocked to realize what she'd said, but his chest got warm and bubbly when she called him her husband. He let a smile spread across his face, knowing she was too distracted to ask why. He didn't want to argue about something this personal. Not yet.
   "I think that's enough for now. Why don't you go ahead and dry off? I won't be long." Full of newlywed joy, he tapped her buttocks before releasing her.
   "I'm on the wrong side to get out, silly." Impish green eyes sparkled up at him as she slid past him, along the wall. She lightly circled his ribs for balance, shimmied with perhaps a little too much hip on the way by.
   Before she could escape, he scooped her close with a growl. "Y'know, it's awfully hard to be honorable when you do that." He waited a beat to let her make her getaway if she wanted, but she just twinkled up at him for a breath, until his mouth descended on hers.
   Coherent thought immediately fled.
   He didn't see her nab the bar of soap behind her. When his lips descended on hers, she almost forgot about it, pressed to his chest. After a few moments, or forever, she found enough clarity to move the soap against his lightly furred skin.
   It took a few more forever moments for him to notice what she was doing. He only withdrew far enough to object. "You don't have--"
   "Yes I do. The only reason I know we've done this before is her." Her head jerked toward baby in the room outside the bathroom door. "I want to do this right."
   He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in fascinating patterns.
   She washed everything, from his face to his toes, her touch gentle but firm. When she said she wanted to do things right, she meant she wanted him very, very clean. He was so clean when she finally stood up, his legs were trembling. He could barely breathe the humid air.
   "I trust you can wash your own hair?" she asked, one brow quirked.
   Without waiting for a reply, she got out and dried off.