Page 129 of A Soul to Touch

As he always did despite feeling the bottom, he held on for dear life.

She laid herself on his lap, which she didn’t always do, and made herself comfortable on top of him.

Then she grabbed the bottle nearby, poured herself a glass of liquid that caused his nose to sting, and took a sip. She’d already informed him that she wanted to drink that alcoholic concoction. They both just hoped the water would help to ease the scent of it on her.

What was one more? He’d prefer it over her smelling like a hundred humans – which was how she currently smelled.

Faunus braced his feet against the bottom and finally curled his arms around her so he could feel she was safe.

Despite his unease, he carefully listened out around them. The forest was quiet; not even a forest mouse scuttled or an owl hooted.

The water lapped at his fur, warm and relaxing even against his own aversion to this. She was right, it did feel like hisown warm temperature, and he was sure the furnace beneath them would fight against the frost surrounding them to keep it comfortable.

He eventually braved moving in it so he could brush the back of his claw against her soft cheekbone. Red flashed in his orbs. They’d been consistently white since the moment the water started rising.

Mayumi pressed a finger to the end of his snout with a cute little glare.

“Don’t,” she warned. “I’ll be really mad at you if you ruin this. You already healed my face.”

His long inhale was followed by a huff of annoyance.

He didn’t understand why she would allow someone to hit her and let them live. He hadn’t understood it when she’d been fighting those human men either.

The only reason he hadn’t hunted them down and slaughtered them was that she’d been stained with blood. She would have been hunted by Demons had he left her alone then.

He knew he could’ve snuck his way in over the wall of that puny little human village and found the woman who had harmed his female, covering his snout so he wasn’t able to smell her blood before he clawed her throat open. Then he would’ve exited the village all before the sun had even finished setting.

Would he have been seen? Probably. But Faunus wasveryswift and agile. He was sure he could have figured out a way in and out without going into a rage.

Honestly... he wouldn’t have cared. He wanted to destroy every scent that had been clinging to her. Any scent that could possibly touch her again in the future – even if it was as innocent as a rub to her shoulder.

He lifted his head to look up at the stars when he knew his sight had gone a dark green, hiding it from her.

He heard her swallow deeply before she reached for the bottle again, and he ignored it as he looked skyward. He stared for a long while when a collection of sparkling dots grabbed his attention.

“I have always wondered what is beyond,” he said quietly.

“Why?” she asked once she was comfortable again. “I’ve always found it pointless to wonder about things I can’t see or touch. All I know is that the sky is a vast amount of nothingness.”

A small billow of wind fluttered the dry fur around his neck and cooled his face, highlighting the silence that fell upon them.

“Sorry,” she mumbled. “I probably should have just shut up and let you talk.”

He was a little relieved she’d stopped him. “It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not,” she lightly bit as she grabbed his ram-horn and forced him to look down at her. He was thankful his sight was back to its usual yellow. “Talk, Faunus. I want to know why you want to know what’s beyond the stars.”

He shook his head with a chuckle. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t think humans would consider my thoughts peaceful.”

From what he’d gathered so far, she wanted to enjoy the bath for its rarity. He was sure his words would have been dispiriting.

“There is another side of the tub I can go sit on,” she threatened.

A spike of anxiety struck him, and his claws dug into her a little. He thought if she were to leave his lap, he might bolt out of the water – and that would ruin this for her.

“Speak.”

With a sigh parting his fangs, he turned his snout upwards to stare at the stars again.

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