Cassidy gave a sweet smile and ran her fingers gently through Aena's hair. Aena didn't turn around, but she could feel the comforting pull of Cassidy's fingers as they parted the wet tresses.
Cassidy turned off the water and lathered shampoo into her hair, rubbing it in thoroughly. Aena closed her eyes and let her scalp be massaged. The rhythmic movement felt warm and protective like she could just succumb to the pleasant feeling forever.
Aena felt her muscles relax as she gave in. She couldn't remember the last time she had been washed like this. She had vague memories from when she was little, with her mother. There had been laughter. A synthetic duck. Splashing water. But that had been ages ago. It had been a long time since she had been pampered.
Feeling Cassidy's careful hands, Aena thought that it wasn't too bad to be pampered from time to time like this. She unconsciously smiled and started humming a tune.
Cassidy then washed her hair thoroughly with water, taking the thick, silver locks and rinsing them one by one. Aena had relatively long hair, so the task took a while. Cassidy had a tender touch, with the dexterity of a street magician, so Aena didn't feel any discomfort at all.
"What's that tune?" Cassidy suddenly asked.
Aena stopped humming. "Ah?" She opened her mouth in surprise at the remark, "Oh, that?" She tilted her head to the side and tried to recall. She realized that she didn't actually know the name or origin.
"I actually don't know," Aena said, turning on the stool to face Cassidy. "My mother used to hum it a lot when she was working, and it just kind of stuck, I guess."
Aena scratched her cheek.
"Your mother?" Cassidy asked inquiringly.
"Ah, yes." Aena clammed up, and twisted her body back around, patting her shoulder to indicate for Cassidy to continue.
Cassidy did what she was signaled, resuming her task quietly. After Aena's hair was clean, reached to the side and grabbed a sponge.
She squeezed some soap onto it and turned back to Aena. She started to wash Aena's neck and back. Since Cassidy was on her knees the whole time and Aena was positioned on the stool, she could feel Cassidy's breath on her neck as she sat there tensely.
She didn't want to move; she was a statue frozen in time, hoping helplessly for the moment to last forever. No, it would be more correct to say she was too scared to move. If she moved, would this moment be over? How would this change? How would their relationship change?
Like many things in life, Aena didn't know. The steam in the shower seemed like her thoughts—fleeting, ephemeral, with nowhere to go, confined to this room.
Aena felt Cassidy's fingers slide along her skin. She shivered. Cassidy stopped, her fingers stopping their path along her back. She wrapped her fingers around Aena's shoulders and leaned forward.
"Something wrong?" She whispered, her mouth inches from Aena's ears.
Aena flinched.
"Stop it!" Aena said, shoving Cassidy away lightly. Cassidy giggled, a high, tittering noise like a fairy's voice. Aena couldn't help but be captivated by that elegant sound. If the Siren's were real, this is what she imagined them to sound like.
Cassidy held her hand over her mouth, a cute action in Aena's eyes.
"Alright," she promised, a smile still in her eyes.
She kneeled back down and picked up one of Aena's arms, running her fingers down the length of it.
"I noticed this before, but you really do have flawless skin, don't you?" She began meticulously scrubbing. "They're beautiful."
"Um," Aena really didn't know how to accept such praise. Especially from Cassidy. Her gaze flitted across Cassidy's toned muscles and well-defined abs. She swallowed. "I think you have a… nice body too."
She blushed. She really was bad at giving compliments.
Cassidy smiled, stars shining in her eyes.
"Thanks. Want a touch?" She grinned. Aena looked away, scowling.
Cassidy then continued to wash each of Aena's arms carefully, as if she was inspecting goods to be put on trade.
When Cassidy moved her hand to Aena's stomach, Aena sucked in a breath in surprise. Cassidy hovered her hand there, but seeing how Aena didn't object, she began washing that part too.
Cassidy was slow and meticulous, moving her delicate fingers in lazy circles on her midriff, slowly drawing upwards.
Aena felt a tightness in her chest as Cassidy's fingers brushed past her breast.
"I can wash that myself!" she exclaimed, grabbing Cassidy's hand. Cassidy gave her a look that said don't-be-foolish and continued with her work.
Aena clenched her hands, but let Cassidy continue. She felt her heart beat a fierce rhythm, like a standing army was beating its war drums, pushing blood to every corner of her body.
Aena bit her lip as Cassidy carefully massaged her skin, spreading on soap before rinsing it off. Cassidy caressed her clavicle, her slender fingers then sliding outwards to her shoulders.
After Cassidy was done with her front, she stood up and moved to in front of Aena, kneeling there.
"Huh?" Aena let out a gasp of surprise. "Why'd you move?" She closed her legs in embarrassment.
Cassidy gave her an inquisitive look.
"To wash your lower body?"
Aena gulped and looked into Cassidy's resolute eyes. She folded her hands in her lap.
"Okay."
Cassidy cleaned Aena's butt, thighs, calves, and feet, all the while Aena pressed her legs together. After putting down Aena's clean foot, Cassidy looked up at Aena expectantly. Aena stared back dazedly.
Cassidy didn't say anything, just tapped Aena's knees. Aena didn't move. Cassidy just put some strength in her fingers, and pried Aena's legs open.
She slid them across her inner thigh, her dexterous hands massaging the soap in smoothly.
Aena trembled. She wasn't normally ticklish, but this felt different. Cassidy's hands felt… good. She wondered if Cassidy had learned this from somewhere. Her actions seemed almost familiar.
Cassidy's fingers advanced painfully slow until they finally reached the apex, the spot between her thighs. Like before, Cassidy carefully washed it, although her fingers seemed more delicate.
Aena felt something ignite deep within her stomach, one she knew she shouldn't feel.
She bit her lip hard, suppressing a noise in her throat. She didn't know what she was holding back, but she didn't want to find out.
"Hey," The feeling was interrupted by Cassidy's voice. Aena tilted her head upwards to find Cassidy standing over her. It seemed like Cassidy had already stopped a while ago.
"You alright?"
Aena blinked. And blinked another time. She felt disoriented. The pounding in her head was too loud, Cassidy's face was too close, the heat was too intense.
"You look red," Cassidy said worriedly, touching Aena's shoulder lightly.
Aena jolted back from the action, her head a mess. She suddenly stood upright, but the colors and lights whirled around her.
She placed one hand on her forehead, using the other to support herself against the wall. Cassidy moved to support her, but Aena held up a hand.
"I'm alright."
She said that, but even she knew that it was a lie.