Shadowess: Well this is the first story I've submitted in a while. I had this story in my database for a while and I thought, hey why not. First Tin Man story I've written. Mature readers only. Set after the Eclipse. Enjoy.
Something in the Water
How many times did she have a bath and just wish endlessly for a shower to sooth her aching muscles? Three weeks after a whirlwind of jumping from the tower to Central City then to Finaqua, DG discovered that even though the witch was dead, the chaos certainly was not. Longcoats kept popping out of the shadows at the tower after the sun- correction- suns rose up. They had retreated at Azkadellia's scream to get them to leave.
Before they left, it took the combined efforts of Az and DG to get Ambrose's brain back in Glitch's body. The guy had been knocked out cold for a good week. Raw would check up on him every few hours while he was set in a stretcher for a couple resistance group members to carry back. Az kept by his side cause she knew what bad signs to watch out for.
During the whole time that they were on their way to Central City, DG's personality seemed to be continually locked away. Lavender scolded her when she did something normal and un-princess-like. Tutor was trying to teach her on the go, scolding her every time she made the slightest mistake. Cain barely left her side, appointing himself as her bodyguard.
It was frustrating, that she couldn't be herself like she was around Hank and Emily. Popsicle and Momster were missing in action after they passed by Milltown… The witch had took them when DG was at Northern Castle. DG was really scared for them. They may have been just 'nurture units' to everyone, but they were still her parents in her heart. Az said that as soon as she remembers what the witch had done with them, she would tell her right away.
That was another thing, Az couldn't remember everything that the witch did; she only got glimpses whenever the witch tapped in to her own magic. She was thankful that her sister wasn't in shock at the things that the witch did, but she knew that things were going to be rough the more that Az remembered.
When Glitch finally woke up, he was having a vivid argument with himself.. or rather Ambrose. It was amusing for the first while but another week in, they were switching back and forth. Ambrose was rude and smug, Glitch was happy and polite. Well, actually Ambrose was pretty polite around everyone except for DG, Cain, and Raw. There had been more than one time when DG wanted to slug him one.
By the third week, Glitch and Ambrose kinda became one, and he responded to both names. It was at this time that they went to Finaqua and the Queen stated that they were going to stay there for longer than a week. It made her sigh in relief but also dread it. DG was finally going to be able to rest but it was dreading all the political princess lessons she was going to be assaulted with.
So here she was, standing in the bathroom, looking at her bathtub, thinking how to get what she wanted. A shower was hard to make, there was a lack of water pressure in the building. Then it clicked. "A Jacuzzi." She spoke to her mirror in revelation.
There was a field trip that she went on with her classmates back in the final years of high school that they stayed in a fancy hotel. DG got to sit in a hot-tub that was in the pool area, and there was a Jacuzzi tub in the hotel room. It felt so good at the time. It made her feel very loosened up.
After nearly a month of madness, DG felt she actually deserved something besides a walk in the sunshine or under moonlight. She had been through enough practices with Toto now that she could call up her magic more easily. She would build it herself but that would involve having Glitch help her and she wanted to feel a little greedy for once. DG liked to build things herself but some things like this were more delicate.
Plus Mother would not appreciate her tearing out an entire bathroom to get such a luxury.
She looked to her target white large porcelain tub and tried to come up with the best way to approach this. "Let's see.. I need pipes, liners, a motor, a filter, strategic holes…" she muttered, listing off what was required to transform this ordinary tub in to something that could remedy her stress.
Drawing out her light, she directed it at the tub and weaved what she wanted, like a small orchestra that was conducted in her inner blue-print. She opened her eyes after her minds-eye was done with the magic, and viewed her work. The shape of the tub changed to be more rectangular, a solid curtain covered the mechanics that were behind it, holes were in patterned so that you could lay either way in the tub to get the water jets aimed at the back muscles and sides of legs.
DG felt quite proud of herself. "Now to see if you work." She turned on the water faucets and began to fill the tub. DG went in to her room and fetched a fluffy towel and her sleep garments. She made sure her door was locked, hearing familiar heavy footsteps of the guards outside her door. She let off a soft sigh. This was another thing she was not used to: having body guards every given moment.
It wasn't so bad when it was just her and Cain but ever since he appointed himself her personal guard and escort when not with Jeb… he treated the situation like a job.
The water filled about three-quarters of the tub before she turned off the faucets. DG checked the temperature of the water before closing her bathroom doors and removing her clothes. She was about to climb in but had a second thought…
What if the custom jets exploded while she was in the tub? She's never hear the end of it from Cain.
DG put her robe on and crossed her fingers as she reached for the button she installed on the side. She winced before hitting the button. A low rumbling drifted through the room as the water began to flow inside the tub. She looked at the tub in amazement, a grin reaching her face. She disrobed and stepped inside the tub.
Groaning in pleasure, she let herself lie back against the massaging jets that went to the entire length of her back on either side of her spine. Jets also shot along her sides and at her feet. The massaging feeling was wonderful.
She sat in that position; letting the water jets relieve her stress for a good 15 minutes. DG sighed at the reluctant thought that she better properly bathe before the water got too cool. DG shifted her position to sit up and reach the subtly scented shampoo that would keep her hair from…
DG gasped lightly as the water jets shot at the sensitive spot between her legs. She jerked away, her face heating up. She was not expecting that sensation. Her stomach muscles clenched as she looked over her shoulder at the jets under the water. She leaned back, this time on purpose to let the jets brush over the same spot again. With a heavy shudder, DG's mind felt like it turned in to mush. It felt so… good.
Her pulse jumped as her heart began to thump in her chest, her breathing getting heavier, the longer she stayed in that position towards the jets. A knot in her stomach was building faster. Her muscles clenched as she gave a gasp, shuddering as she pulled her body away from the jets. Realization of what she just did burnt her face and chest crimson.
She grabbed her shampoo at last and soaped her dampened curls. After the fastest minutes of her life, she was out of the tub, shut it off, and pulled the plug. She sat on the floor, leaning back against the tub, listening to the water drain. DG felt extremely loosened-up, especially in her back, but her legs were giving her an issue about function.
After a few long deep breaths to slow her heart-rate, DG was able to stand and began to dry herself off. She dressed and looked in the mirror to begin to tame her hair and noticed that a blush was stained on her face.
Her eyes went to the bathtub, discovering that it had… other uses.
Needless to say, her dreams were rather pleasant as they consisted of a certain man she knew who wore a fedora...
DG was in the library with her sister, reading up on a few spells that Tutor was neglecting on telling her about. It's been a week since DG had changed her bathtub in to something extraordinary, and she could feel it already doing wonders for her mind and body after just the first few days.
No longer did she feel restless at the end of the day or excessively stressed during the annoying 'etiquette' lessons. Raw had approached her the other day and told her straight out, "DG less stressed. Raw wonder how."
DG just gave him a smile. "Must be the hot baths. The water is nice here."
Raw had given her a look that wondered if he really knew what she did to her bathtub, but he never mentioned it again.
Azkadellia lifted her head out of a thick book and groaned a bit, her hands moving up to rub her neck. "I don't know how you can sit in one position for hours without getting stiff, Deeg…" Az spoke, trying to rub the knots out of her neck and shoulders.
"Well I like reading so I relax when I do." DG closed her book. She got up and went over to Az, feeling her neck. "Man, you are stressed!"
"I'm aware of that." Az sighed.
DG grinned and took her sisters hand. "I have just the thing for you. Maybe a half-hour in a Jacuzzi tub will help you relax those tense muscles."
"A ja-what?" Az looked at her sister oddly as she was led out of the library.
"It's hard to explain. I modified my bathtub to be one. It is great." DG went over to her room and pulled Az in, locking the door and heading to in to the washroom.
"DG, what did you do to your bathtub." Az looked at it warily.
"I told you. It's now a Jacuzzi tub. It has water jets that massage your muscles." DG started up the water. "And I am going to have you try it out, and if you want, I will change yours to how you want."
"But…" Az started.
"No buts. This is a personalized version of a hot-tub. Now you get in this tub and I will be in my room to make sure no one disturbs you." The tub was quickly filled up and DG turned on the jets. "The jets keep the water hotter for a longer time too." DG smiled and went to doorway. "Enjoy, my sister."
Az was left alone in the bathroom and disrobed. If she didn't like it, she could simply just get out. She stepped cautiously in and laid back. She sighed immediately at the jets doing their work on her muscles.
DG heard the audible sigh and smiled to herself. She went to her couch and flopped down, pulling up her sketch pad and a charcoal pencil, planning out how to modify Az's bathtub to focus on her shoulders and neck.
Close to an hour later, the low rumbling ceased from the bathroom and the sound of water draining reached her ears. DG stood up and went to the bathroom door and knocked on it lightly. "How are you feeling, sis? Do you need an extra towel or anything?"
"I'm good…" Az sounded very relaxed.
DG waited a few minutes before the bathroom door opened to show a very zoned Az. DG smiled and went to her. "Feel better, I take it?"
Az smiled and sighed. "That was… definitely needed."
"I can make your bathtub in to your own personalized Jacuzzi. Where does stress build the most for you?" DG linked her arm with her sister as she led them out to the hallway and down to Az's room.
"In the shoulders and neck really."
"I can help with that. Also, those jets can actually help you out with other things for stress…" DG grinned wickedly at Az's curious expression.
Wyatt Cain knew something was going on. Both DG and Az were giggling to each other and had dazed expressions on them each morning this past week. He did not like being uninformed, especially when it came to DG. He knew that she was upset over the sudden change in her life, but she stopped speaking with him when they got to Finaqua. Cain knew that it was also partly because the Queen kept him busy with the training of the guards since their arrival. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but none of the days felt right when he couldn't see DG and talk with her about the strange things about her home as she grew.
She got him out of that suit, she made him smile, she made him forget, but most importantly; DG saved his heart. He was grieving for the loss of Adora until they arrived at Central City. He managed to talk with Jeb over what happened and felt that Adora had grieved for him before moving on, in the exact way that they had once talked about when Jeb was still in diapers.
Adora found someone who made her feel lighter after him. Even better, the said man helped Jeb become the youngest yet most responsible man in leading the Resistance group against the witch. Wyatt Cain couldn't have asked for more, since he was so proud of this boy.
"Cain miss DG." Raw startled him out of his thoughts.
"I've been busy, ya." Cain glanced at the Viewer.
"DG miss Cain. DG was stressed. Found solution." Raw mentioned.
Cain raised an eyebrow. "She found something to swing her stick at?" he always joked about the stick swinging towards the projection, but he never wanted to forget it.
"DG mentioned bath water. Raw not notice how. Azkadellia now relaxed. DG shared." Raw looked at Cain. "Cain go ask. Relieve stress."
Cain raised both eyebrows, drawing a blank at what it is that DG could have come up with that could relieve her stress so easily. "I'll ask her later. Thanks, furball." He nodded to Raw, leaving to continue his duties in training those slacking guards, and ask them if they hear anything concerning the water of the area.
The afternoon passed by and the suns were setting. Cain had asked all the guards around if there was anything unusual about the water in the area, but he got nothing that could remotely explain the princess' behaviors. Then he asked one of the maids that cleaned the bathrooms.
She noticed something weird about DG's bathroom, that the tub had extra holes in it and that it was shaped differently, and that Azkadellia's bathtub took on a similar form a week after. Cain knew that was the connection.
He made his way to DG's room and dismissed the guards to take a break while he investigated. He knocked on the door. No response. The guards had confirmed that DG had gone in to retire. He knocked again, louder. Still nothing but…
There was a low rumbling sound coming from within her room, a noise that did not sound like anything that was down in the headcase's lab. "Princess, open up." He called in.
He heard a muffled sound inside but didn't hear much else. He checked the door knob and found that it was not locked. He frowned at this. He told her to lock the door every single time she went in her room even if she had guards at the door. Cain stepped inside and locked the door behind him. "Princess?" he looked around her room. She was not in the bed, nor the couch, but there were a set of her sleep-wear sitting atop her bed.
A baggy shirt and shorts, that were short enough to be undergarments, sat there. He shook his head, wondering if all girls of the Otherside slept in such strange attire.
The rumbling he faintly heard outside the door was louder in her room, and seemed to come from the bathroom. The door was cracked open and the lights were on. He went towards it and knocked on the door. "Princess?"
DG was sitting in her tub, her hair dunked under the water to banish the bubbles. The water was really hot this time because she wanted to rinse off the nasty feeling that the eyes of the 'nobles' and 'lords' left on her. She was definitely feeling the effects of the water jets soothing away her tension and stress.
She lifted her head up and felt a heavy weight through her skull. She groaned, realizing that she made the water too hot, making her feel extremely sluggish. She pushed herself forward, bringing her knees up, and rested her head on them, feeling blood pound in her ears. Her lower back was pressed up against some jets, making her sigh and her eyes droop. This tub was an addiction. That is fact.
Cain heard a groan from inside the bathroom. "DG? Are you ok in there?" he heard nothing beyond the rumbling. His mind began to jump to thoughts that she was passed out and could be hurt and unable to call for out. He put his hand on the door and pushed it open. "Kid?"
DG swore she heard someone at the door and turned her head to look. There was someone at the door, and through her blurry eyes, she could make out a familiar long coat and her favorite hat. Coat plus hat must mean, "Wyatt…?" she whispered. She was confused. Why would he be in here? Did she fall asleep?
Cain swallowed hard, feeling his ears burn. DG was sitting inside the tub, knees to her chest, hair soaked with the ends splayed out across the water surface. The water had a skim of bubbles on the surface, covering her just below the chest. The water was moving, and the rumbling sound was definitely coming from the tub. Cain's mind would be demanding what she did to the bathtub but in present time, all thoughts were gone from his head other than burning the image of her half-lidded blue eyes gazing up at him while her pale skin was blushed pink.
"Sorry." He managed to force out and turned himself away. Yet he couldn't bring himself to leave the bathroom. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, alarm bells were ringing to retreat. But he just. Couldn't. Move.
"What for?" For being the image in her mind when she used the jets to relieve other areas of her besides her back? DG rubbed her eyes, mind groggy from her secret pleasure. "I should get up…"
"No!" Cain startled.
"Oh, ok." DG craned her neck back and looked at him. Her eyes trailed from his had, down his broad shoulders -noting to herself on how stiff they looked, down his back, down his exposed pant legs, and back up. "Aren't you hot?"
Cain bit his tongue to stop from responding. She once told him what 'hot' meant in Otherside terms besides the temperature when referring to a person. This was trouble. She was trouble. He had to get away.
"Your coat's going to make you sweat if you stay in here too long. Hot water makes air humid, etcetera and all that." DG moved to reposition herself, pressing her chest to the tub and spreading her legs out, letting her arms rest up on the side. Wasn't the best idea with the man of your fantasies and haunting your dreams not five feet away from you; DG let out a gasp and a moan when one of the side-wall jets shot at her. Right there.
Whipping his head around, he saw DG with her head on her arms. "DG?" He swallowed his pride and turned full around and went up to her, kneeling down at her head and put his hand on her arm. If the water was too hot, she could pass out in it.
DG raised her head at the cool touch on her arm, looking directly in to the ice blue eyes of Wyatt Cain. This had to be a dream. She might be drowning in the over-hot bathtub but right now, she did not want to wake up. "Hi…" she whispered, not breaking eye contact.
Wyatt stared in to her eyes for a moment, his mouth full of fuzz. He refused to look down at the space between her arms and her neck. He kept looking in to her eyes. "We need to get you out of the bath, kid."
DG just tilted her head at him, processing the words in her head. She blinked slowly then nodded. "Towel's on the sink." She reached over to the switch of the Jacuzzi and pressed it, turning off the tub. The jets ceased and DG whimpered at the loss of the sensation when the water began to still. She reached down under the faucet and pulled the plug on the drain.
Cain stood upright and retrieved the large fluffy towel that sat on the sink. He went back over to DG, who still sat in the tub, not moving away from her spot against the side. Her skin was still flushed pink, and her face was a bit redder. He figured from embarrassment. "Okay, princess." He flapped out the towel to its full width and draped it over her back.
She felt the towel and moved to wrap it around her. She glanced up at Cain and wondered why his face was getting redder. DG clutched the towel closed at her chest and used her other arm to steady herself as she attempted to stand. She moved her leg and put her weight on it to get her other one up. Her foot gave way, slipping. DG let out an uncharacteristic yelp in surprise, knowing that she was going to land funny in the tub, but a pair of hands grabbed her upper arms, stopping her slip.
"Easy, kid." Cain told her, holding her up by the arms.
DG looked down at her legs. "My legs are numb."
"Alright. Keep your towel on." Cain moved one arm under both of hers and reached down to hook his other arm under her knees. With ease, he lifted her up.
A wave of disorientation and a sudden darkness trying to engulf her vision, DG swooped both of her arms up behind Cain's neck, and pressed her face in to the crook of his neck and shoulders. His cooler flesh felt heavenly against her near blistering skin, it also made her blood pump a little harder. She breathed him in and sighed against his skin, her mind still unsure if this was dream or reality.
Cain nearly tripped when he felt her breath against his neck, followed by a light moan from her. He brought DG out of the humid bathroom and brought her towards the bed. He set her down, sitting on the blankets.
"Princess, what did you do to the bathtub?" He asked her as soon as she opened her eyes at him.
"Oh, I turned it in to a Jacuzzi tub." DG said, moving one of his cool hands from her shoulder to her face, leaning in to it. How was it that he could be so cool under pressure and in body temperature?
"A ja-what…?" Cain's throat felt dry as he watched and felt DG nuzzled her face in to his hand.
"Jacuzzi is a kind of tub that has water jets that massages knots out of muscles in the back and legs. An Otherside relaxing thing…" DG turned over his hand to cool the other side of her face. "You're nice and cool…"
A lightbulb lit up in Wyatt's mind in realization. "Too warm, darlin'?" He reached his other hand up and brushed a damp strand of hair behind her ear.
She nodded against his hand, looking up at his eyes. "Water was too hot." DG's eyes drifted down from his eyes to his lips. "You look warm but stay cool… What's your secret?"
Cain chuckled a bit. "It takes quite a bit for my boiling blood to reach the surface."
"Like?" DG questioned.
"You driving me crazy, for one."
DG pouted. "I don't mean to drive you nuts. It's part of my Otherside quirks." She claimed. DG started to move to grab her sleep shirt but the towel brushed against her sensitive core. Her skin heated up again, accelerating her heart rate.
"Kid, you should step outside or get changed. You're really warm."
DG put held his hand against her face, hoping to calm herself. "But you're cool." She muttered, trailing his palm to her neck, sighing blissfully.
Cain reached over and grabbed her shirt. "Come on kid, you'll feel better when you're in cooler clothes." He shook out the shirt. "Arms up."
Oh how he immediately regretted those words. DG raised both of her arms up, releasing Cain's hand, but also releasing her towel. Logic managed to retain in his mind of that he could get thrown in to the dungeon for looking at the princess naked. He shut his eyes before the towel fell away completely. His ears were burning with embarrassment and heat. DG put her arms up through the sleeves of the shirt and leaned forward when Cain did not move, resulting in her breath ghosting over his face at the close proximity.
DG pulled the shirt down over herself. In all her fantasies, it would be at this point that Cain would loose control with her, but he had his eyes shut tight, refusing to look at her. Her heart sank for a moment as her body quickly cooled. She grabbed her shorts and pulled them on under the towel before dropping the towel away.
"Okay, I'm covered.." DG's tone was lower, but not with the same heat-induced-lusty voice as before.
Opening his eyes, he saw DG's face. She was looking away from him. His instincts told him that this was not right and something was definitely wrong. "Deeg?"
"Can you pass me my hairbrush? I don't trust my legs to walk without blacking out…" she reached to her hair and her fingers got caught in a tangle. Her throat felt tight, she began to scold herself for thinking of Wyatt Cain in such a haze, and mentally slapped herself for thinking that Wyatt Cain could think similar thoughts about her.
He watched her for a moment before standing and walking over to the vanity desk, where a hair brush and a few hair clasps sat. He picked up the brush and went over to her, holding the brush out to her. She took it from him and started working on her hair right away. Cain noticed that she was not looking at his face for a reason.
Cain sat down on the bed beside her. "This… Jacuzzi tub, is a relaxing device on the Otherside?" he started, hoping to get her talking.
"Yeah. I was trying to think of how to put in a shower, but the water pressure is not strong enough in this place." DG flinched as she yanked the brush through her unforgiving tangles.
"Stress was building up on you?" He remembered Raw said she was stressed. He saw her nod. "Why didn't you come get me then?"
DG swallowed hard and pulled harder on her hairbrush. "I didn't want to bother you, or anyone. You were all busy since we got to Finaqua."
"Just because we're busy with trying to re-establish the order of the O.Z doesn't mean that we don't want to make time for you." Cain reached up and tucked a drying curl behind her ear.
"..Do you want to try it?" DG asked him.
Cain blinked. Try what? Try to ravish her and make her boil yet cool her at the same time with his apparent cool hands? He banished the thought from his mind as he waited for her to elaborate.
"The Jacuzzi tub can massage your back and loosen your joints. You look really tense. I know you are training a new group of guards and I know that you need a break." DG clarified. She switched her brush to the other hand and worked on the other side of her scalp. "I can personalize your own bathtub like I did for Az."
"Did your time in the bath loosen you up?" Cain used his fingers to brush her untangled hair to the side then laid his hand flat against the back of her neck and shoulders, making her stop brushing. Her skin was still really warm.
DG shut her eyes, savoring the touch of his cool hand again. She leaned back a little in to his touch. His fingers moved around her neck and applied pressure in gentle circles. It sent delicious light shivers down her neck. Her head hung forward, allowing him better access, hoping he'd get the hint to not stop.
"Apparently those water jets don't reach your shoulders and neck." Cain observed, feeling small bundles of tension just where his hand was. Her skin was smooth and warm still. He could see small hairs rise on her upper arms and the exposed parts of her shoulders.
DG was in bliss for a few minutes until Cain removed the hand and the weight shifted on the bed. Her eyes peered down to the floor with the damp towel. She felt like a coward, not saying why she was stressed. She'd have to consider herself clinically insane if she thought about confessing that she had sexual fantasies about the man present in the room, who was almost twice her age.
"Come here, kid." Cain had grabbed one of her pillows and set it down on the foot of the bed. "Lay down on your stomach."
Wide blue eyes watched him. Again, her mind debated if she really was awake or asleep for the third consecutive time in under twenty minutes. A new record. Swallowing, DG rolled up on to her bed and spread herself down, crossing her arms under the pillow before resting her head on it. When she did, she saw Cain remove his jacket and toss it on to the back of her sofa chair. He placed his hat on it as well and even pulled off his boots. Her pulse began to race, not only from the disrobing, but getting a full view of the delectable ass that the man had with those sinfully delightful pants…
DG pressed her face in to the soft pillow, wishing her blush to go down. She could hear everyone scolding her now… 'It's unbecoming for a princess to stare at a man's backside.' But then she would think of some of the things that other people would say on the Otherside… 'He's got a nice ass? Where is the eye-candy? Whoo baby! That's a sweet ass!' Followed by a provocative wolf-whistle. This made her smile and snicker in to her pillow.
"What's going through your head now?" Cain took off his jacket, hat, and boots so that he would not get the bed dirty with his clothes. He rolled up his sleeves to his elbow and sat on the bed with one leg crossed under him and the other dangling over the edge. He knew this was selfish of him but he knew that DG needed something to loosen her muscles. He cracked his knuckles a bit to loosen his fingers.
"Just thought of something funny that is a big deal here but is funny on the Otherside." DG stated, lifting her face out of the pillow.
"Oh yeah? What would that be?" Cain raised an eyebrow.
"I'd rather not say." He looked so rugged.
Now this was different. Cain thought for a moment. "Fine, then you don't get a massage." He started lifting off the bed.
DG looked over her shoulder at him, propping up on her elbows. "You were going to give me a massage?" her eyes were wide, filled with surprise and sparkling with curiosity. That sparkle almost made him lean right up to her.
"You're neck and shoulders are stressed, and since you're a bit reluctant to talk, I guess you're tired so I can let you sleep."
Her eyes seemed to get wider, almost humanely impossibly so. "I'm not tired." She said quickly.
Cain sat back down. "Then what was amusing to you?"
"Well…" DG broke eye contact. "Just a thought about how I behave…"
"Oh?" Cain put a hand on her lower back atop her shirt.
DG could feel the coolness through her shirt. "And in relation to a certain part of anatomy…" she bit back a whimper as Cain's hand slowly moved up her back, not pulling on her shirt, but enough to trail the coolness up her spine, and send shivers down at the same time.
"You can tell me." Cain felt encouraged at seeing the goose-bumps rise up on her skin again.
"I damn your manipulation technique because it's working." DG grumbled in to her pillow. "It's 'unbecoming' of a princess to stare at a guy's ass here, yet you can looks at a guy's ass in Kansas and get encouraged to talk about how sexy it looks." She finally said.
Cain blinked then barked a short laugh. "Staring at my ass while I took off my jacket, princess?"
"Staring at your ass because it's hard not to stare with how your pants basically frame it." DG felt relief and greatly amused because Cain broke the tension. He also said 'ass', and it was the most sinful sound to hear him say that. She looked over her shoulder at him. "I saw the maids staring at your butt a few times, and they were ready to 'swoon'. And it must be a family trait cause they stare at Jeb's ass too."
Cain couldn't help but laugh again. The tension was definitely broken. "Jeb expressed his discomfort on that when he heard a group of maids giggling at him during the first week here." DG grinned and rested her head down again. Cain positioned himself closer to her shoulders. He carefully gathered her hair and set it off to the side, off her shoulders, then put his hands on her shoulders, pressing firmly and using his thumbs to push away the knots at the base of her neck.
DG moaned lightly. "That's nice…" Cain's hands applied a steady pressure and rhythm for a good time, making her melt in to her pillow. Apparently her mind was melting as well, since she once again believed that this was a dream. One of Cain's hands had the fingers arched and clawed down her back bone, making her arch and groan out his name. "Wyatt…"
Cain leaned down closer to DG and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her neck. He placed another on her neck, tasting her skin. Wyatt's mind was telling him to stop but a breathy sigh belayed that order. He pressed another kiss to her neck, getting closer to her ear.
DG turned her head to the side, cracking an eye open to peer over her shoulder to the blond-haired, crystal-blue-eyed man pressing delicious lips to her heated skin. She saw his face so close to hers and closed her eyes again when his nose brushed her cheek, and his lips nibbling – nibbling at her jaw. Out of her lips came a mew-like noise, light but very noticeable to Cain at the close proximity he was.
Whatever strength she had, it came from the secret reserves that were meant for her dreams alone. Her arms pushed her upwards, turned her body ever so slightly, just enough for her head to move and catch Cain's lips with her own. She felt him freeze but she pressed as close as she could to him, running her tongue along her own lips to taste his. He was pure Cain. The combination scent of gun-oil, gun powder, wood, open fields, and a hint of some husky light cologne was mixed with the ice water and slight tang taste of his lips was the only way to define him. She moaned lightly when his hand trailed up her back and rested on her the side of her neck, anchoring her in place while he kissed her back.
Cain hooked his other arm under DG's stomach and pulled her up away from the pillow, twisting her straight so that she would not strain her neck. All voices in his mind went silent, and all he could do was groan, feeling his own tensions melt. She felt remarkable up against him, despite the layers of clothes. He broke the kiss off and put his head at the junction of her neck, gently nipping at her pulse.
"DG…" he whispered. He got no response from the weight in his arms. "Deeg?"
He turned his head to see DG fast asleep, her arms draped around his shoulders, nose pressed lightly to his neck, and her breath tickling his skin with even breaths. Cain sighed against her skin, taking in her floral bath oil mixed with motor-oil scent. He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder before carefully laying her down on the mattress, head to the pillow he set before. Her skin was still quite warm so he did not move to drape covers over her. Yet Cain did not want her to get chill. He looked around and saw her robe hanging on the chair to her vanity.
He retrieved it and draped it over DG, who gave a soft sigh of content in her sleep. Cain brushed some hair out of DG's face and got off the bed. He put his boots and jacket back on and knelt over DG. He wanted to whisper something to her but he didn't want to disturb her sleep. Instead, he pressed a soft kiss to her exposed temple.
Cain propped his hat back atop his head before leaving her room to retire to his own.
DG stared down at the book in her lap with Glitch chattering away about something. Her mind was fogged about what occurred that morning and the evening prior. She woke up in her sleep clothes, her robe draped over her, and her head was laying on a pillow at the foot of the bed. She could smell the very alluring scent of Cain in her room, but her problem was that she didn't know what was real and what was dream.
She remembered laying in the tub, the heat and jets making her very warm and quite sleepy. Someone had come to the door. She was pretty sure it was Wyatt cause she was sure he helped her out of the Jacuzzi. Her cheeks began to burn when remembered she was carried by Wyatt out of the bathroom in only a towel. Then the image of her brushing his cool hands against her skin didn't help, not the trying to get her dressed right, and neither was the teasing for a massage, and actually getting on.
DG squirmed in her seat a bit, her blushing cheeks being felt down in the moistening spot between her legs. Surely she didn't… he couldn't have… did they…?
"O.Z to DG! Hellooooo." Glitch waved an hand infront of DG's face. "You glitching on me?"
DG snapped out of her little thing, a blush stained on her cheeks. "Sorry, Glitch. I think I need some air."
"I'll say. You look winded. I'll go get Cain to keep you company cause I'm in the middle of a breakthrough!" Glitch ran out the door with a skip in his step.
"Glitch! Wait… crap…" DG hung her head. He was gone. How was she going to face Cain without a blush staining her face?
Was that even real? Cain leaning down to kiss her skin after massaging her shoulders and neck…?
"Only one way to find out." DG began to figure her own plan and give the stressed Wyatt Cain something he could relax with.
Wyatt Cain was making his way to Glitch's lab, following after the scatterbrained inventor. The zipperhead had glitched when he got to his office and just said that he was to bring him to the lab. He had no idea why. Cain kept his head low. He had a difficult time sleeping last night, his mind wandering to what he had done to DG the night prior.
How warm she felt against his hands, how she looked at him in slight daze, how she smelled and tasted at his lips… he shook his head, banishing the thought. That line of thinking kept him awake all night and it distracted his focus on his work.
"Oh hi DG!" Glitch's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Hey Glitch. Hey Cain." DG smiled brightly. "Thanks for getting him for me."
"Oh right! That's what I was doing. You gonna be ok, doll?" Glitch asked.
"I'll be fine." DG grabbed Cain's hand. "Come on, Cain, I wanna give you something." She proceeded to pull him along down the hallway. Cain didn't say anything but heaved a sigh and let her tug him along. DG turned and looked to him. "What's wrong? Long day?"
"I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." Cain pinched the bridge of his nose. The look that DG gave him almost made him confess that he wanted to stay with her last night but refrained. "I guess stress is catching up with me."
"Well I think what I have for you can help you get to sleep easier." DG sent him a smile. She was wearing a light blue blouse with dark brown pants that flared out from her legs.
It was only after a few minutes of walking that Cain realized that they were heading to his room. "Kid, where are we going?" he questioned just to be sure.
"I can't give you your gift if we're not in your room." DG said.
"Do I get a hint?" Cain pressed.
"Nope." DG smiled.
DG pulled him in to his room and sat him down on his couch. "Now stay there. This will only take a minute." DG went to his bathroom and shut the door behind her.
It was then that Cain realized something. She was changing his bathtub in to one of those Jacuzzi tubs. Cain felt a wave of concern but also felt very touched by her considerate gift. He remembered that DG's tub sported 12 holes. He wondered if all tubs had that number of holes. Instantly, he heard water running, which meant that his tub was filing. He raised an eyebrow. Did she expect him to bathe? Now?
DG opened the door to the bathroom and was grinning. "Come on. I don't know how hot you like the water." DG was rolling up her sleeves.
What was she thinking…? Cain got up and went to the bathroom. He put his hand under faucet and adjusted the hot-cold temp accordingly. Cain discovered that his bath tub had changed drastically. On either end were eight holes, side by side from the bottom up, then three holes alone each long wall, giving a grand total of twenty-two holes plus the drain hole and a filter screen over the drain. There were also two switches near the faucet; one that looked like a dial, the other was a button.
"I need you to hop in to make sure that the jets are in the right places for you." DG went to his cupboard and fished out a towel, setting it on his sink edge. "I'll be in your other room reading a book. Let me know if you need anything ok?"
"Deeg, are you feeling alright?" Cain asked her.
"Hm? Ya, why?"
"Why the sudden need to give me a Jacuzzi tub?"
DG went up to Cain and looked him in the eyes. "So you coming down to help me out of my tub was not a dream." She watched his facial reaction.
Cain kept his jaw firmly shut, telling himself not to think of what happened last night. Ultimately he failed, his ears turning pink. "You put the water too hot, and told me that you turned your tub in to a Jacuzzi tub."
DG nodded and patted his chest. "Start stripping cause your bath water is full." She turned off the faucets and directed his attention to the switches. "When you're sitting, press the button to start the jets, and you can turn to the dial from gentle to hard. I recommend hard to start with."
Cain just stood there, opening and closing his mouth a few time with no words coming out. He was at a loss of what to say to this situation. DG went up to him and patted his chest.
"Enjoy." With that, DG departed from his bathroom and shut the door behind her.
Cain looked at the steamy water in the tub and back at the door. He swallowed hard and sighed. "Might as well…" He began to strip, taking off his fedora, jacket, gun holster, vest, shirt, boots, socks, and… He paused, checking the door. He didn't want DG peeking in at catching sight of him stripping down. Especially after her comments about his ass last night…
He waited a moment and dropped his pants. He stepped out of them and rolled up his clothes up on the chair and off to the side so that they would not risk getting wet. Cain stepped in to the hot water and looked at the switches. Biting down his pride and hint of fear in the back of his head that this could explode with him in the tub, he pressed the switch.
A rumble emerged, similar to that he heard last night from DG's bath tub. The water flowed and the jets starting moving, softly. He turned the dial as instructed by DG and the water jets began to pound through the water. Cain leaned back against the jets and shut his eyes, letting out a groan. He never thought a water massage could be so… good.
Cain lifted his arms up and set them on the sides of the tub, letting the jets do their work on his back. His head laid back against the edge as he just zoned.
DG was looking through a book that she found on Cain's desk. It was about the strategic art of war. Wasn't really interesting but it had a lot of diagrams of weaponry and other machines. Didn't see any tanks though. It continued to surprise DG on how technology was set back to WWI yet at the same time there were machines that didn't exist anywhere in the USA. Same with magic. It was like she suddenly began to believe everything in those Harry Potter films as far as magic went was real. Only the execution was different.
DG looked around at Cain's domain. It was pretty straight, not much clutter. A few nick-nacks here and there… including a small horse carving hidden within the shade of his lamp. This made DG smile sadly with a tender pull at her heart. He was such a sweet man. Each time she recalled something about their journey together about him, a wave of emotion would wash through her. DG wanted to know more about him, even tried asking him about what he did growing up and his time with Adora.
Sadly, he didn't talk much and often switched the tracks to being about her. Tonight, this would be about Cain. After his bath, she would give him a massage and encourage Wyatt that it's okay to talk to her about his past. It was at the thought of the massage that she realized something she forgot.
DG mentally slapped herself. "Aw man." She weaved some magic in the air and produced a waterproof inflatable pillow. She made one for Az that morning when she said something about her neck getting stiff from the edge of the tub. DG opened the plastic end, like those water-wings she had as a kid, and inflated the dark blue sea-shell pillow.
Getting to her feet, DG went over to the bathroom door and went to grab the door handle. She gulped down her nerves and opened the door. It wasn't like he was going to abruptly stand up in the tub.
Cain didn't hear the door open. He didn't open his eyes to see someone in the bathroom. He didn't bite back the groan when he thought he imagined DG's scent surrounding him. Cain did jump at the touch on his arm, making his eyes snap open, his body immediately reacting to grab the arm and then body of the person who had touched him. He also heard the familiar yelp of DG within said grip.
Cain immediately let her go, his face flushed pink and his ears burning red. "Ozma, kid! Don't do that to me!" he settled back down in the tub, very aware of his naked state, bending his legs to lean on his knees. "What are you doing in here?"
With nice wet arm marks around her torso, DG cleared her head of how nice he felt against his naked chest to form a decent sentence. "I forgot to bring you a bath pillow… so you don't get a knot in your neck from the edge of the tub." She held up the pillow.
"Thanks." Wyatt avoided looking at her eyes, instead opting to look at the pillow, which was in the odd shape of a sea shell.
DG could not help but let her eyes rake over his skin, seeing all the little scars and all the muscles that were always hidden under his shirt and jacket. She reached out and touched his shoulder. He tensed under her touch. She frowned at this. "Wyatt, you need to relax. Lay back. I won't peek."
"I recall you getting a nice view of my ass yesterday." Cain mumbled.
Oh how it made her heart pound a little harder when he swore like that. "There ya go! Loosen up that tongue and you'll be relaxed in your head too." She grinned.
"You keep getting stranger by the day, DG." Cain chuckled.
"I'm glad I amuse you. Now lay back or I'll climb in there to push you back cause I sure as hell can't pull you back." She emphasized her point by tugging on his shoulder. With great reluctance, Cain leaned back and rested his head on the pillow that DG set under his head and neck. "There." She brushed her fingers along the side of his head, through the fine hairs, just above his ear.
Cain wasn't sure if it was the hot water, the water jets, DG's presence, her scent, or her fingers absently stroking his hair, but he felt almost completely at ease. If it were not for the fact that he was stark naked under the fine bubbles of water, he'd call it heaven. His eyes shut as his brain fogged for a moment as he felt both of her hands on either side of his head, stroking in a slow lazed rhythm.
DG smiled to herself when she saw Wyatt's tensed hands on the edge of the tub relax. She drew some circles to his temples and made a loop along the shell of his ears, and down to his jaw. She blinked as she brushed her fingers along his jaw and down his neck to his shoulders. His skin was still cool despite being in hot bathwater!
With curiosity eating at her, she let her fingers dance on his shoulders for a bit, before inching down his chest, feeling a small matte of chest hairs there matched his blond hair, almost invisible if not for the moisture on him. As DG ventured her hands down, she found that his skin got warmer the closer to his heart. She realized what she was doing when she was close enough to hear Wyatt give off a wistful sigh. DG blushed and let one hand stay on his chest while the other trailed up to stroke through his hair.
Her heart fluttered when she felt Wyatt nuzzle against her hand. DG leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the shell of his ear. "How do you feel?" she whispered, just above the noise of the jets.
"Mmm.. good…" he groaned out.
With that kind of encouragement, DG kissed the shell of his ear again. Then bellow his ear. Then to his jaw, which felt a little scratchy against her lips from his apparent 5'o'clock shadow, but she did not mind the sensation at all. She kissed him along his jaw again before moving down to his throat, to which she reaped a groan from him.
Just with the few kisses she'd given him, the hand that was stroking the blond hair was now on his shoulder, and it was beginning to feel… warm. DG moved her other hand from Cain's chest and trailed it to his shoulder and down his arm, pausing at his forearm. She was kneeling, pressed against the tub, and was nuzzling her nose against his throat, taking in his scent.
Cain's mind spun. One tiny voice was telling him to ask her to leave, that a princess should not be doing such things to a man who was not even courting her. The other voice was telling him to either turn his head and kiss her or to grab her again and pull her in to the tub. He was receiving a sensory overload from the bath and her.
Her scent was driving him nuts, and the heat from the water seemed to heighten it. Her fingers and hands left delicious hot trails against his skin. Then her lips; oh her lips. Cain knew that he was greatly aroused by her actions; by DG. His control was slipping.
Cain moaned when her lips lightly nipped at the junction between his neck and shoulder. He gripped the edge of the tub again. DG noticed this and raised her head up to his ear again. She wanted to whisper something but couldn't think of anything romantically clever. Instead she kissed his ear again, moving her lips slowly to his jaw, then his cheek, and finally…
Cain shifted in the tub and turned his head, taking her lips with his own. He moved his arm around to catch the back of her neck, tangling in to her dark curls. He kissed her feverishly when she kissed him back. He didn't care that he was probably splashing water in the tub. He didn't care that the bath pillow fell in to the water when he sat up, shifting to his knees. Cain faced the edge of the tub and hissed against DG's lips when one of the water jets shot at his stiff lower regions.
DG moved with Cain to go to the long side of the tub, one arm moving over his shoulders and the other under his arm, pressing her body up to his. She heard him hiss and opened her eyes to see his blue ones looking in to hers, filled with heat and passion. She noted that they were a slightly darker shade of blue at that moment.
"Wyatt…" she breathed out, trying to put a sentence together. "You want out or me in?" she kissed his lips again, softly, urging out an answer.
Cain groaned as he was brushed with the water jets again, one hand on DG's neck, the other gripping the edge of the tub to prevent himself from slipping in case his knees failed him. He breathed hard as he brushed his lips over hers, down to her jaw, and nuzzled his nose underneath her jaw line to her neck.
"Too many clothes, princess." He kissed the front of her neck, moving his hand away from her hair to her shirt. Starting at the top, he flicked each little blue button open.
DG let the shirt fall off her shoulders and tossed to towards his own clothes. She stood up on her feet and pushed her pants down. Cain groaned when he saw her undergarments and peculiar partial corset with straps. They matched in color, a similar shade of blue to the shirt she had wore. Cain's arm went around her waist, kissing her flat stomach. DG groaned, putting her hands on his shoulders.
"Come on, climb in…" Cain whispered.
"I'm still in clothes." DG told him.
"In. Now." Cain growled against her stomach and pulled her so that she bumped against the tub. A little voice in the back of Cain's mind told him to stop because of the too hot water clouding his judgement that he was not courting her properly, but it was not yelling at him loud enough over the noise of the Jacuzzi. DG lifted one leg over the wall of the tub, stepping in to the water as Cain's hands kept her balanced by her hips. Her undergarments were instantly soaked as she lowered herself between his legs.
DG's breathy moan echoed in his ears as she leaned over him, putting her lips to his throat over the pulse point as his hands moved up her hips, spreading the hot water over her.
DG hummed an Otherside tune as she made her way down the hall, smiling at all the guards she went by. A few of them looked confused but that only made her smile more. As she rounded a corner, she bumped in to Ahamo, her Father.
"Oh! Sorry, spitfire." he put his hands on her shoulders to stabalize each other.
"Hey, it's okay. I wasn't paying attention." DG smiled up at him.
"Well you're in much better spirit lately." he noted her bright smile. "I was getting worried about you for a while, even Cain had expressed his worry the other day." he saw her smile grow but her cheeks tinted red.
"I'm doing great. Much better." she looked around to see if any guards were listening in. None were. She whispered to him. "You know Jacuzzi's, Dad?"
"Yeah, they're bathroom-size hot tubs. Why?"
"I turned my bathtub in to one. It's an amazing stress reliever." she grinned.
Ahamo's eyes lit up with revelation. "So that's what's been going on with you and Azkadellia. Well I'm glad that you're keeping yourself and your sister in better spirits. You better tell Cain before he finds out and demands what you did to the bathtub." he raised an eyebrow at her grin growing.
"I showed him last night. I gave him one. Do you want me to do yours and Mother's?" DG offered.
"I have no problem with it, but you better ask Lavender first or she might think it's a device that Ambrose came up with." he told her.
"Right. Is she busy now?"
"She's in her study reading reports. I'll be out in my hut working." he gave his youngest daughter a kiss atop her forehead before starting to walk away. He stopped and turned around calling to DG. "Hold on, there's something else. You're all smiles when you're not telling me something." he remembered the little gifts that DG and Az would leave in his hut and they didn't say anything until after he found it and thanked them. They both had grins plastered to their faces at something that they knew but no one else did.
She looked over at him, her smile still bright. "Must be something in the water." DG called before heading towards her Mother's study. Something like Wyatt Cain.
Ahamo got to the front of the palace before he caught sight of Mr. Cain. He seemed crossed. Ahamo believed their family to be indebted to Cain for helping end the witch's reign and continuing to provide security for his family. The Tin Man asked for so little in return except to have privileges to spend time with his son. Ahamo may be the Consort but he was still a regular Nebraska man. Maybe he could help with what was bothering the man. "Mr. Cain." he called, catching the man's attention.
"Your highness." Cain turned to him and bowed his head in respect. Cain could have the worst luck sometimes...
"Take a walk with me." Ahamo put a hand on Cain's shoulder. Cain didn't say anything but walked with Ahamo outside the doors and past the guards. Once they were out of ear reach, he looked at Cain. "You looked like you were about to split apart and argue with yourself. Something bothering you?"
Cain paused in his steps, making Ahamo pause too. "Highness?" Cain should have known better that the Consort could pick up on things. That's where DG got it from.
"Come on, Cain. I'm just me outside of the palace. A slipper from Omaha, Nebraska." He shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't grow up with royalty, I can't be a full-time Consort. I'll forget who I am." he motioned Cain to follow him to his little cabin that he had rebuilt as soon as they came to Finaqua. "I'm the kind of guy who is always willing to lend an ear to fellow man when I get the sense that something is bothering them."
"Right.." Cain let out a slow breath. "I was concerned about how to address Her Majesty and His Highness in regards to Princess DG..."
"You can drop the formalities for now, Cain. Is this about DG's bathtub conversion?" Ahamo guessed.
Cain cleared his throat. "No sir. This is about DG herself." He had Ahamo looking at him with patient eyes. "Now, uh..." he rubbed the back of his neck. "I realize that you are DG's father, and that we've both had our experiences and..." he let out a sigh and figured to bite the bullet and face the firing squad. He looked Ahamo in the eye and squared his jaw. "I would like your permission to court your daughter." Wow, he hadn't said that for a few decades.
Cain watched Ahamo's expression do an incredibly convincing imitation of a fish. Cain could feel his shoulders tense, ready to feel the wrath of the Consort. Ahamo had one initial thought, forefront, and that was that no man that was close to his own age would be dating his daughter. Then the Consort, the political thinker and strategist took control in weighting the benefits of someone as qualified as Wyatt Cain to be a suitor for DG. He ceased his fish imitation and straightened his posture. "I appreciate you asking me this, Wyatt. Old fashioned on the Otherside. But even though DG was born here, she was not raised here, as you know. I will talk to Lavender-Eyes about this but you have to ask DG yourself if she wants to date you and you have her come to me. When I became a Slipper, time's were changing that little girls didn't want their boyfriend's to ask permission from their daddy's to date them." he let out breath. "This is just courting. If you become more serious with DG and want to be her suitor, you'd have to speak with both myself and Lavender in an official thing."
"I understand, sir."
Ahamo put his hand on Cain's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I love my daughters very much, Wyatt. It pains me to see either of them in any sort of pain or suffering. If you hurt my lil' spitfire, I will give you reason to fear both daylight and darkness."
"If I should even think of hurting DG, I would have you throw me in to a tin suit along side Zero." Cain vowed.
Ahamo watched Cain's fierce emotion before patting his shoulder. "Come on, I'll give you a tour of my art cabin." He turned and resumed their trek along the path around the lake. It certainly turned out to be another beautiful day, with the way that the suns glistened off the water... He chuckled to himself at DG's words earlier. There definitely must be something in the water.
Shadowess: I know what you're thinking. 'What? You skipped out on the best part!' Well too bad! I'm leaving it up to your imagination on what happens in the tub. Did they have sex or did Cain leave DG's princesshood in tact? To be honest, I started writing it but I felt like it was turning in to a porno... So I scrapped it. Then the whole scene with Ahamo was born. I had been thinking of saying that Ahamo's Otherside name was going to be 'Ted' after the actor, but that'd just be too much. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Reviews are loved but not forced!
