Hey lovers. R&R please, or else my muse won't help me write anything. You see, she takes reviews as payment, and no reviews, means no inspiration.

Disclaimer: I am poor and I own nothing

The water dripped lightly from the faucet after soft, small hands turned the knob to stop the rushing water. The girl slipped in the bathtub full of bubbles. It was a bit hot at first, but she quickly got use to it.

Esther leaned back in the tub and sighed. This was something she had been wanting to do all week. It had been such a hectic week, and it felt wonderful just to unwind. After a failed mission and plenty of scolding from Cardinal Sfoza, it was just what she needed.

She closed her eyes and cleared her mind, listening to the soft dripping of water. She was in no rush to even move.

It was amazing how she had made it through this week with some sanity left.

She and Abel had almost been kidnapped and killed. Although they got away, they had still let the poor man they had tried to protect from the Methuselah die. Esther felt horrible about it all week but now she felt as if she could finally forgive herself.

It was things like this that kept her sane. Well, as sane as someone would consider her.

She inhaled the sharp scent of the lavender soap she used to clean herself. Lavender was such a wonderful scent. It reminded her of spring, which she truly enjoyed. It was her favorite season of all.

She finished washing, humming quietly. Again, she leaned back and relaxed, savoring these few moments of peace.

Hopefully, the next few days wouldn't be as rough on her and-- wait. What was that? She felt something fuzzy on ther shoulder. Something with eight legs.. A muscle in her left cheek twitched as she slowy, horrified, turned her head to the side. Eight eyes stared back at her, and the thing scuttled a bit closer to her face.

"AHHHHHHHH!" She screeched at the top of her lungs and lunged out of the bath, desperately wiping off her shoulder. Out of all the things she had been through her entire life, those eight legged, devil-spawned creatures still frightened her the most. She grabbed a towel and ran out the door and into the hall.

She stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, paying no attention to the fact that she wasn't wearing anything but a small towel. Then she came to a comclusion; there was no way she was going back in there with that.. that thing roaming around. No way. She had to get someone to kill it.

.-o-o-o-o-.

"Abel? Are you there?" A soft, quivering voice questioned from the other side of his door.

"No." Came his sleepy reply.

"Abel! I need your help! It's.. there's a.. in my room.. ewww... and it.. it.." Abel opened the door and rubbed his foggy eyes. "Esther it's 4 in the morning." He whined, "I haven't had a decent nights sleep in-- Whaaa... What are you wearing?!" He blushed and turned away from her.

Realization dawned on her as she looked down. "Umm.. a towel.."

"Yes, I see that, but why?"

She blushed madly. "There's a spider in my room." Abel sighed and went to fetch a robe from his closet. When he returned, he wrapped it around her. "A spider? You come in a towel to my room at 4 am because you're a fraid of a spider?"

"Yes."

He sighed. "Alright. I suppose you want me to come and kill it?" She looked at him meekly. "Yes that would be wonderful." He couldn't help but smile. "Alright then, on a spider hunt we shall go!" He announced goofily. He reached down and removed his slipper, brandishing it in the air as if it were a sword. Esther giggled madly as he charged off to her rooms like a knight going to slay a dragon.

She followed him, but dared not go in her room, in fear the spider might jump on her head. "You know Esther," Abel said as he searched high and low for the arachnid, "Spiders are more afraid of you than you are of them. And most can't even hurt you."

He stood. "I can't find it anywhere Esther. It's probably not even still here. Just go back to sleep and--"

"NO! I am not sleeping with that demon still lurking about!" She practically shouted. He raised a brow. "Then where are you planning to sleep? In the hallway?"

She shook her head. "No, I'll sleep with you."

Abel's face turned redder than Esther's hair. A blush stained her features as well, realizing what she had said came out very wrong.

"No! No, I don't mean like that. I.. I meant that.. It's just.. I.." She gave up and bit her lower lip in thought.

She looked up when Abel placed his hands on her shoulders. "I know what you mean, it's ok. But here." He handed her a night gown and blushed a bit more. "At least get dressed."

She nodded and took her clothes to Abel's room, where she changed before he came in. When he did come in, he took a pillow from his bed. "Here, you sleep here. I'll sleep on the chair tonight."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded and sat back in said chair. Esther lied down on his bed, covering herself with the thick, warm blanket that was wrinkled up at the end of the bed. It smelled like Abel. Like clean linens and his shampoo. She looked over at his already sleeping form.

I wonder if he's cold..?

Probably. This room was a bit chilly...

She stood from his bed, bringing the blanket with her. If she gave it to him, she would get cold. But she couldn't let him sleep cold either.

Careful not to wake him, she gently sat on his lap, wrapping the sheet around both of them. She cuddled her head to his chest, listening to his soft breaths.

For some reason, this felt a lot better than taking that bath. Here, in his arms, she felt.. right. The week's stress seemed to melt right off of her as a wave of warmth and relaxation took over.

In less than 5 minutes, she was peacefully sleeping. Abel slightly opened one of his eyes and smiled, bringing his left arm to move across her back and hold her close to him. She was so sweet and beautiful.

He laughed silently.

Sweet, beautiful, and arachnaphobic.

You like? Review please. I love you :D