Chapter 45
chapter Forty-three
"Then tell me what to do. Go. Sit. I'll get this ready." He'd already pulled the spigot out, and she watched him pump it a few times. She took over. It wasn't so much as hard, but she had to pump the thing a hundred times to get the bath half full.
"That's fine. I don't need it full. Just enough to wash."
"The water's freezing." Looking down at the tub she pulled her lip into her mouth. He only shrugged, clearly, he didn't care. Plunging her hands into the water, she called up her magic, but only enough for warmth to flow through her arms and into the tub. She should have been more nervous if something went wrong while she was using her magic. He wouldn't have the energy to stop her. Yet these last few days hand emboldened her to the power that had laid dormant inside her.
He smiled, going to the table and pouring a glass of wine. "You're getting good at that. Is you magic coming more easily now?"
"I've felt like I have a better handle on it since we were attacked in the woods. Like it's not looking for any excuse to get out anymore."
He looked surprised, "Huh maybe it builds up to that point if you don't release it? Maybe using a little here and there will be beneficial?"
"Maybe? I don't know. I just know that I like it. Being able to use my magic, I mean. It feels right." He nodded, drinking the wine down quickly, then poured himself a second glass. He offered her one too, and she accepted. "Okay, now, I'll go into the kitchen while you get in the bath. I'll come help wash your back if you'd like."
His blush told her he hadn't been expecting her to stay there with him while he bathed. "I'm not so sure this is a good idea."
"I'll undress you myself and force you into bed one way or the other. I told you, I won't leave until you've slept. I meant it." She held the wine but didn't take a sip.
He nodded, and she went into the kitchen keeping her back to him so she wouldn't see anything. The window looked out into the garden between his and Trey's house. Birna, Trey, Lenny, and Trish were all out there gathering baskets full of produce. She watched, smiling as Trish involved herself with them, she was even smiling. She heard the water splash around behind her and knew Damion was in the tub.
"I'm in. You may have over done the heat I feel like I'm boiling." Another couple splashes told her he was putting more water into it to help it cool down. Grabbing an empty pitcher, which is what Kirna had used to pour water over her the day before, she called to him.
"Ready?"
He groaned, "No I haven't had anyone watch over me in the bath since I was a stripling."
"I'm not watching over you, just here for whatever moral support you need. Want me to leave you alone?" She asked, turning to look toward the half wall. All she could see was him in the tub, his face between his knees. He didn't answer, so she carried the pitcher to the lip of the tub where Kirna had sat to help wash her hair.
Dipping the pitcher in the water, she poured it over his body slowly. She took down a soap bar, it was grey in color, but she had guessed it was his favorite because it was the sent that she loved smelling on him the whole time he was in Thambair, campfire and mint. Lathering the soap between her hands, she reached out, rubbing it along his back, shoulders, and arms. As she messages the soap into his neck, he eased into her, moaning.
"Is this what it's like? Having someone else bath you? I'm not going to lie, it feels amazing."
"You're so tense. Relax. Let me take care of you for a change." At her words, he leaned back, closing his eyes.
"I do trust you, with all that I have. I may not show it all the time, but I do." His words were quiet, but that was okay for now. "Trust is a hard, delicate thing for me. Really, Trey has been my rock for a long time. He always will be. Do you understand?" She felt him tense under her hands.
"I'm not trying to take his place." She said, pouring water into his hair. "I just want to make my own place by your side. Your brother is amazing. The more I talk with him, the more I love him. I just want you to love me back too." She lathered up his soap, letting her fingers message his scalp. They remained quiet for a time as he relaxed into her hands.
"I have fallen in love with you. You deserve to know that. I'm just I'm afraid that I guess I just think it's all a bit too complicated right now. There are so many other things we need to worry about. Your father, Ghost, us what are our goals for this next year? Planning a battle or trying to find him? What are we going to do if you are pregnant? What about everything my father has said, and how does this all relate to us? Where do we go from here?"
He said he loved her, was in love with her as she was him. That was all the validation she needed right now. "I think we should take it one moment at a time. Let's rest, and once you're mind is recharged, we'll regroup and figure out where to go from here. But we can't figure any of that out if you're too tired to process. Give yourself a break." She pulled him back to lean against the back of the tub.
"You're probably right. It would be better to be still and let my mind, our minds, rest. Do you think things will be clearer then?"
"Even if its not, you'll be better equipped to deal with it." He melted into her, allowing her hands to work their magic over him. "One step at a time." She let him close his eyes, but just for a moment. There was no way she would get him into bed if he fell asleep in the tub. "Are you clean enough to crawl into bed now."
"Yeah," he moved slowly as he pulled himself from the water. She handed him a towel, turning around as she blushed. He pulled on a pair of loose pants, letting her know when he was dressed. He lowered himself into the nest first. She followed, pressing his head against her breast as her fingers combed through his hair. She expected him to fight sleep, but he didn't. He was out as soon as she was beside him.
The first to wake, Volencia was warm and comfortable beside Damion as he held her in his sleep. The house was warm, the bed felt like it had swallowed them whole. She never wanted to leave, but her stomach was acting up and she needed to relieve herself in the worst way. Shimmying out of his grasp, she tried to make sure he didn't wake, but her stomach wasn't cooperating, and she panicked as she got out of the bed, her stomach heaving. She raced for the door but didn't make it as she wretched on the floor near the table.
Damion was beside her in an instant, holding her hair and rubbing her back. The afternoon sun hung in the sky, it's light filtering through the curtains, giving the room a blue tinge. "I'm so sorry." She sobbed, unsure what she should do with the mess all over the floor.
"Hey, it's okay. I can clean it up." He rubbed at his eyes before pulling her into his arms.
"I tried so hard not to wake you; it's only been a few hours. You need more rest."
He pulled her into his arms, setting her on the bed as he focused on cleaning up the mess. "It's fine. Better to wake a little groggy now and still be able to sleep tonight than wake up in the dead of night." He splashed some fresh water into a bucket and grabbed a cloth from a bin in the kitchen as he scrubbed at the wood floor. "It is good timing. I would like to take you for a walk before it gets dark. There's something I would love to show you. Come on over here and grab a bite before we leave. By the time we get back dinner will be underway. We're going to stay in tonight with the family. So it'll be a quiet night. At least that's what I'm going to go tell mom I'd like to do. I don't think she'll argue."
She slid into the chair at the table and took a few bites. She hated that her stomach was twisting the way it was, yet still demanded to be fed. She found that breads stayed down better than meats, but sweets tasted a hundred times better than they ever had. Damion did disappear for a few minutes, then changed while she munched. She did steal a glimpse while his back was turned and felt downright awful about it after.
"I do feel better now that I've rested. How are you feeling?" He stood behind her, rubbing her shoulders like she had done while he bathed.
She pouted, "Like I just threw up."
"You up for a quick walk? Or would you prefer to stay home for now?"
"We can take a walk. Will it be just us?" He agreed it would be, so she nodded. It wasn't that she didn't want to see the others, but after earlier, he was the only one she wanted to be with right now. Life had taken off with them since they got here, and the quiet was would be nice.