Note: You guys this is totally how I take baths, no shame
Crow picked the slaver's former barracks to bunk down in. It was a good choice, really; Judy was a little bit happier because it meant she could take a bath. She needed a bath real bad, she was starting to smell like the rear end of Crow's pack Brahmin. Oh, yeah, that's attractive. She groaned to herself.
Crow hummed to himself in a low tone as Judy craned her neck up at the little bathroom area and tried to figure out how to get into it. She could go along the ruined top floor, there was a small ledge, but it was in no way or fashion going to hold her weight. She grumbled a curse or two. She could try to climb up to it another way, but her strength was poor and she'd probably end up falling and break her neck.
Crap. That meant her only option was to have Crow help her up there... and she really didn't know if she should trust the man, given his previous attitude. She crossed her arms and pouted a little.
"Something the matter?" he asked, looking over a shoulder.
"Nothing, really..." She sighed. "Can you help me get up there?" She jerked a thumb up to the bathtub.
"Certainly," he said, and they climbed the stairs partway. Crow knelt down and put his hands out in a cupped gesture, and she put her foot backwards into it. He boosted her up to the bath area, a little quicker than she'd expected.
Well, now I know he's strong, she told herself, if he can hold my weight. She landed flat on her chest on the small area of jutting floor. Sheesh! "You coulda gone a little slower," she called down to him, grumpily.
"My apologies," he said, with a smile.
"Yeah, I'm sure," she grumbled, leaning over the edge of the floor.
"Do you need any other assistance?" he asked, raising a dark eyebrow at her. His eyes were not on her face.
"No!" She scooted back from the edge and glanced around the bathtub. "No, thank you."
"I will be in the kitchenette, when you want to get down," he said, as he walked back down the stairs.
Judy closed her eyes in frustration. She hadn't thought about that, would have to have him help her down, too. Darnit, why?
A quick inspection of her outfit and the various layers of caked-on dirt around her collarbone reminded her why. Judy poked her head around the privacy screen to check if Crow really was in the kitchen and sighed in relief to see him moving around in the darkness at the back of the barracks. She ran water in the tub and quickly stripped and hopped in.
Baths were something Judy always loved―water in general, really―because it felt like there was nothing to her when she let herself float in the tub. She soaked for a few minutes, playing in the water like she used to as a kid, turning on her stomach and squishing herself into the bottom of the tub. She could pretend she wasn't a large girl, but a busty mermaid or a pirate wench with curves that looked amazing. Not the lumpy sack of produce she normally felt like.
The water started to turn dingy too soon for her liking. Judy pulled herself out and drained it, then inspected herself briefly. She was not going to be able to squeeze herself into the leather armor―no matter how modified it was to fit her frame―while she was sopping wet. After the tub drained she sat back down in it and curled her knees up to her chest, leaning her forehead down.
She could hear Crow moving around downstairs and smelled something amazing, a truly decent meal. Guess you have to learn to cook if you enjoy eating? She could cook just enough to keep herself alive. But Crow did seem the kind of guy who might use everything he could find to spice up his meals, if only because he had that tribal nomad flair about him.
She tried to remember what she knew about him; someone had mentioned something to her once about Oasis. His name fit, if he really was from Oasis. And that weird thing he had about "the spirits". She didn't know what was up with that one.
Judy let herself relax in the warm room, felt herself starting to fall asleep. The cold ceramic of the tub woke her up abruptly as she fell against it, causing her to yelp in surprise.
"Do you need help, Judy?" Crow asked, from the bottom of the stairs.
"Cold tub," she said, in reply. "Don't you dare come up here! I don't have anything to dry off with!"
Mmmm! Why did you tell him that! Her face burned.
"I might have an outfit you can borrow, if you'd like to clean yours," he said, speculatively. "I promise I won't dock your payment for using it. Would you like that?"
...Darnit, it would be great to have a clean set of leathers and undershirt before going home. Not to mention it would be rude not to accept the offer. She still felt terrible for taking down two of Crow's trade stops.
Judy sighed in defeat. "Yes, I would love that," she said, somewhat disappointed in herself. But being comfortable, with her figure, in the wastes? Pssh. Wasn't exactly easy to come by.
Crow tossed a pile of clothing up onto the ledge and moved back down the stairs. "When you're dressed, would you care to join me in a meal?"
"Um." She glanced down, out of the tub, at the clothes on the floor. "I guess?" she asked, more than said.
"Very good," he replied.
Judy investigated the clothing and realized it was a merc charmer outfit, and her face flooded with so much blood she thought her head was going to explode. Oh! She would look terrible in it. Just―absolutely terrible.
Guess I should be polite and accept the offer of clothes, she groaned. Even if I'll look like someone tried to stuff a sausage in a straw.
"Crow, are you going to use the tub?" she yelled out, squeezing herself into the skirt and pulling the suit top together over her stomach. Made her feel a little better that it fit decently without breaking the zipper. Her chest still spilled out alarmingly over the low collar, and she had to put the belt away because she wouldn't even need to bother with it.
"I may," he said, sounding far away.
"I was gonna put my other clothes in to soak," she said. "I can wipe down my leather but the shirt needs detergent."
"Are you decent, Judy dear?" He was suddenly a lot closer.
She startled and dropped the torn hose she was trying to fit onto her legs. "Not quite," she stammered. He was making her feel very uncomfortable.
"I'm coming up," he said, and she heard him pull himself up onto the ledge without effort.
Judy dropped the hose and pulled on her boots very quickly. "I said, not―"
"My goodness," he breathed out, as he came around the edge of the screen. "You look stunning."
She couldn't meet his eyes. It was too embarrassing. Her face was flushed with blood and it showed all the way to the ample flesh of her heaving chest, heavy movement which she had absolutely no control over in this moment. Crow smiled gently, and she pushed past him to the edge of the floor. "I―" she swallowed, nervously. "I'm going back down."
"Here," he said, coming up behind her and reaching around her back, lifting her up by her shoulders, then sliding his hands along her arms until she gently touched the lower floor. Felt like her heart would fly out of her chest and beat itself off the walls of the barracks, just from his touch.
"Th-th―" She breathed out, slowly. "Thank you," she whispered.
"My pleasure," he said, and disappeared over the edge of the floor.
Judy sat on the bottom of the stairs and tried to calm her heartbeat down to a more healthy tempo. Good Lord. She was going to die of embarrassment before the night was through.
Crow apparently felt it necessary for both of them to wash their clothing, and asked her to pass him up an outfit and a box of detergent, if she could find one. Judy pulled some clothing from the Brahmin's pack, and scared up some Washo for him to use. Crow was nearly naked as she handed up the stuff, her head turned away in embarrassment.
Oh, it only got worse. Because of how she'd had to stuff herself into the bra of the charmer jacket, her breasts were only a few tugs away from popping out. As she handed up the box of detergent she could feel the skin moving and quickly moved her other hand out to catch and cover herself. She fled back to the kitchen, afterward, and sat on the floor with her cheeks permanently reddened.
I bet Christine Kendall never had that kind of problem. Judy sighed and covered her face with both hands, resting her elbows on her knees. God, she'd almost flashed him―
He'd probably like that, some voice in the back of her mind said. Judy gaped at her own thoughts and reminded herself that it was not a good idea to start something she didn't feel comfortable finishing... even if... even if he was so strong and handsome and...
And ohmygod he came back to the kitchen area without a shirt on and she didn't think she would ever be able to stop blushing, much less make it through the night. Trapped in an empty building with a half-naked man? Ohmygod.
She moved to the table and chairs near the stairs, and tried not to look at him too often. Felt bad for it, but... well, he'd ogled her more than once. He couldn't argue with that kind of payback. It wasn't like she could help it, right? ...Right?
"Thought that would make you feel better," he said, calmly, as he divvied up the cooking pot onto two plates.
He'd noticed! "Wh-what?" she sputtered, glancing up at him.
"I don't understand why you feel your appearance is so unattractive," and this time he was looking right at her with that baffling smile. "I think you look lovely in that outfit. I am sorry that it caused you a minor embarrassment, though."
She said the first thing that came to mind. "Minor!?" Her eyes rolled and she got defensive again. "Flashing someone is not a minor―" Her mouth snapped shut and she breathed in and out forcefully, dropping her eyes to the plate he was now holding out to her.
"Least I can do is offer a lady something to eat," he said, again in that calm voice.
Judy took the plate and pecked at it, sullenly. She was hungry as heck but her stomach was bubbling like a pit of molten lava. "Thank you," she did manage to squeak out.
Crow finished his with gusto and put the plate to the side, considering the bath area above her head. She felt it when his eyes dropped to her head, and put her fork down. "There's some time before one of us has to go up and get the clothes out," he said.
"It usually takes me about five minutes to soak 'em clean," she replied, trying to shrug.
Crow chuckled a little. "You don't really want me to help you climb up there again, wearing that outfit, do you?"
Judy gasped out loud. She pushed the plate out of the way and laid her arms on the table, mashing her face into the fabric of her jacket. "Oh," she gulped. He would be able to see right up her skirt!
"Tell me, Judy... why is it so unusual for a man to be physically attracted to you?" he asked. His tone of voice was surprised and a little concerned.
"It's never happened," she whispered, and hoped he wouldn't hear.
"That's certainly not true," he was saying.
"It is, so," she breathed out, stress playing through her voice.
"I've been trying very hard to prove you wrong," he pointed out. "You've been fighting it all afternoon. How do you know it hasn't happened if you won't give it a chance?"
"It's―" she sighed, and rubbed her nose on her sleeve. "Scary," she muttered.
"If you let me, I could show you," he suggested, softly. "I promise you won't get hurt. And if you don't want the attention..." He paused for a moment. "You simply say 'no more'."
"Are you―" she bolted upright. "What the heck―"
"Have you ever had sex before, Judy?" he asked, his eyes serious as she met them. She bit her lip, looking away. Her face was still a wildfire of emotion. Crow smiled and nodded, absently looking over at her plate. "I thought as much."
"It's not anything special," she muttered.
"We'll see," he murmured, auspiciously. "Come. We will know how you really feel in a few minutes."
Judy shuddered, as Crow extended a hand to her and... she took it. Darn him and his handsome face and his friendly smile and his strong muscles and that easy-going personality... She'd never felt so... wanting, before.
Oh, God, what was she doing?
