"Leon, want me to wash your back?" A voice called from the darkness breaking the seventeen year old's train of thought.
"No I'm fine. I can do it on my own." he responded simply.
"Goodness, don't hold back." The young girl, Lara, paused walking around the wall of the enclosed space, "When dad was around, I often washed his back." She propped open the swinging door.
Startled at her sudden intrusion, young Leon spoke quickly his voice raising ever so slightly, "No, It's really fine!" Too late. She stood in the doorway tying up the bottom of her clean skirt with the intention of not getting the hem of the cloth wet or dirty. They were a poor family so she had to keep in mind to not take what she had for granted, right? She looked up and let out an, "Oh."
Leon was staring at her as the two of them were engulfed in the light of the full moon. It was then that Lara noticed the scars snaking across the young traveler's chest and abdomen. There were so many. Each one more prominent that the last and she felt a strange sadness wash over her. How had she not noticed them when they had tended his wounds weeks ago. She gasped suddenly realizing that she was also staring and quickly turned away blushing a bright crimson. She clutched the hem of her skirt tightly, squirming beneath Leon's hard gaze.
"U-um, it'd help if your back was facing me." She stammered glancing back and forth between the boy in the tub and the frame of the door.
He looked down at himself and quickly turned his back to her crossing his legs and leaning forward as if embarrassed. She couldn't tell if he was blushing or not but Leon could definitely feel the heat rise in his cheeks and he tried to make himself as presentable as possible despite the fact that he was sitting naked, in a small wooden tub, with a young girl fidgeting behind his back. What was with this turn of events?
"Well, I'm going to wash your back now." She stated trying to keep the embarrassment out of her voice and came up behind him with a rag in her hand. She dipped it into the water and saw Leon stiffen slightly before wringing the wet rag out. He shifted as the warm water ran down his mottled back. More scars could be seen marring what should have been smooth skin. They spanned the planes of the seventeen year old's back. criss-crossing one another in strange shapes and intervals. She held back tears and stifled the need to ask questions. Now was not the time for that and she scolded herself for even thinking it could've been. If Leon wanted to tell her something, he would do it on his own time and under his own terms.
Lara smiled to herself before beginning to wash the dirt and grime off the young traveler's back. He had been working so hard these past couple days and it made her happy to think that he was slowly opening up to her and her small family. It was clear in the way he carried himself. Leon was recovering at an amazing pace.
"You've really helped us out these past couple of days." Lara smiled lightly, "We're really grateful."
"No, I'm the one who is thankful ."
Lara started and once again felt a blush caress her cheeks, "Um. If it's okay with you, Leon, you can stay here forever."
They sat in a comfortable silence as Lara continued to wash Leon's back all the while blushing to herself and though she couldn't see it she hoped with all her heart that the traveler in front of her was blushing too.