Page 128 of A Soul to Touch

“Really? It’s that bad that you would suggest having a bath?”

She couldn’t believe it! His tail almost always curled between his legs the moment she suggested it.

“You rubbed it all over me, so I need to have one with you. Otherwise, it will not matter.”

“You know night is falling, right?”

“I will be there with you.”

Mayumi looked up at the pink and purple dusking sky, just seeing it through his fur and the trees.I’ve never had a bath outside at night.

The smile that curled her lips was weak and solemn.I guess it would be fun.

Faunus hated the way the bathwater appeared calm and inviting. He hated the way the cloudless sky made it appear black, as if it was endless, boundless, and immeasurable.

He hated the way it swallowed up Mayumi in its abysmal depths. She was so small, so delicate, as she carefully chose which natural rock step she would take to get deeper.

The naked beauty of her slowly slipping in, even as she steppedintothe stars, wasn’t enough to distract him from how easily he could lose her.

Her hair became a black floating wisp against the dark pool when her neck reached the surface. His muscles swelled in fearful anticipation of having to dive into the water and save her from drowning, as he had many times.

I should not have suggested this.

At least throughout the day, he could see the bottom of her spring bathtub.

He knew it wasn’t that deep. He knew the water only surpassed the bottom of his ribcage if he stood in the middle. It did nothing to ease him.

“Mayumi,” he begged.

This wouldn’t be enough to completely rid her of the scent ofmanyothers, but he would accept it. He would accept what tainted his fur if she would just come out of the water and onto the safety of land.

Her smile was small, yet so gentle, as she turned to him and offered her hand.

“Come on, Faunus,” she sweetly cooed. “Since you used that water spell, it kind of feels like you.”

Her words caused his head to tilt slightly. “Feels like me?”

He couldn’t possibly be compared to such a remorseless, unforgiving element. At least he heldsomeregret for taking life – some.

“Well,” she said as she looked down at it. “It feels the same temperature as you, and Iswearit even smells a little like you. And it reminds me of the colour of your fur... it even tickles a little.”

This wasn’t the first time he’d used his blood to fill this bathtub, even though it cost him a lot of it to do so. Currently, there were drops of purple liquid dripping off a few of his fingers and staining the snow beneath him.

But it was the first time she’d made such a remark about it.

Her hand bounced lightly, beckoning him to come closer and take it. His orbs shifted to a reddish-pink in shame when he realised she was only saying it because he was obviously more hesitant than usual.

Faunus reached down to take her hand so he could pull her out.

However, the second before their palms made contact, her face turned upwards to the sky. “This is really beautiful. I’m not stupid enough to take a bath outside at night, but I’ve always wanted to.”

Such heartfelt and longing words made the power of her pulling strength much stronger than his own, his heart lost to her awe.

All the fur and spikes covering him puffed out in repulsion when his pawed foot slipped inside the pool of darkness. The rest of him followed Mayumi’s lead as she brought him in deeper.

Faunus despised this next part, especially since she softly pushed him into the lowest recess, and the water gobbled him up all the way to his chest. He preferred to sit on the other, shallower side.

His claws scraped and dug into the rock to steady himself as the heel of his feet slipped out from under him so he could be seated. His legs were wide to account for their long length in the relatively small but deep bath.

---