Chapter 8: Cleanse

Paige was leaning onto the bathroom doorframe and was trying hard not to look directly at the shower curtains.

The screen was a slight green, but not enough to hide the toned contours of his body. Her eyes made their way to them over and over again for longer than the appropriate casual glimpse necessary to tell if he was still there and the sight urged her to step closer. Realizing what she was thinking about, she blinked, blushed and pressed her feet down the floor forcefully, as if that could've made her stay in place. She had to get herself together mentally too, otherwise she'd be orbing into the shower cubicle any second now, next to the man who's looks made her sigh in exasperation when he was Phoebe's boyfriend too, and not just because she didn't have any boyfriend at all at the time. To stop herself staring, she closed her eyes, but it didn't help all that much. The fact that she was seeing him in a different light these days had nothing to do with the lust that took over her when she was imagining the water snaking glistering paths down the smooth hills of his body...She will need a shower after this herself, a cold one! By the way, where was the steam, could Cole be using cold water for some reason?

Cole leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes, not noticing that he'd touched the tap with his side and turned it a little, making ice cold water spray on him as dense as a rain shower. Could've been scorching hot at the same rate, he couldn't be harmed by it, so he wouldn't have noticed, but at least this was the temperature that was more appropriate for his frozen soul. So many times he had his hopes up before, let himself be powered by his natural optimism, be blinded by a so called world of good, that turned out to be not so good after all. The hope that Paige implanted in him did flicker in the background, but couldn't prevail over his overpowering feelings of careworn apathy. He slowly slid down into the far corner of the shower. He was out the way of the cold water directly pouring on his head, but he remained frozen inside. With all this power he possessed, he didn't have control over anything that mattered.

Paige, in alert mode, considered her options. She'd noticed the lack of movement from Cole and the air getting colder, but how could she go and peek around a curtains as if she was at a peep show? She didn't have a choice though. Cole didn't respond to her calling, she had to make a fool out of herself. Cause Cole had either shimmered away a long time ago, or he'll be able to laugh at her for her concerns, or desire to take a look. She stopped wavering however the moment she got a glimpse at him from the side.

He was staring ahead with his face blank, his arms were wrapped around himself and Paige could not tell if he was shaking because of the cold or because he was crying or whether the droplets on his face came from the shower or were tears.

She didn't know how it was even possible, but he scared her with his appearance more than ever. This time though he wasn't afraid of him, but for him. There was no hesitation in her movements, thoughts coincided with actions as she leaped behind the curtains herself to turn the tap to a more pleasant setting and kneel down next to him, just like out on the balcony and wrap her arms around him, not minding her clothes getting wet in the process. "Do you hear me? Hello? Oh, you great useless thing, come on, let's heat you up." Her hands secure around his waist, she hauled him to his feet and helped him stand in the warming stream of water, completely forgetting even that there was no chance of hypothermia in his case, all she wanted was to make him more comfortable.

Cole leaned his head on hers, slowly reviving by the feel of a human body next to him so close. His hands came up around her, light as a feather at first, but holding her close more purposefully later. He rubbed his hands over her back, neck and her back side, running smoothly down the slick fabric of her dress. It felt good being allowed to hold someone, so he pressed even closer. Unconsciously, his hands found her bare skin, his cheek the side of her face, his thigh slid in between her legs.

Paige only held back for a moment, her mind trying to whirl around what the right thing in the situation was, but when his lips found hers all reason shattered to pieces and the reaction of the flesh prevailed, while quietly praying neither of them will come to their senses and stop. With no obstacles of any kind in the way, her hands replied to the caress with exploring themselves, her breath became deep and drawn out when his mouth moved to her earlobe, trailed down her neck and his tongue licked the warm water off her shoulders. She leaned her head back, making sure he understood the road was clear, then unzipped her dress.

He splayed his hands out fully on her sides for a moment, as if taking in, measuring up the view, then pulled her back in his arms, his body now nice and warm against hers, heating from the inside, radiating all over his body, starting at his groins. He was kissing her with so much liveliness that she lost equilibrium and had to support herself on the wall to steady herself.

"I only got sidetracked a little," Leo reported, orbing in, following his charge's, Paige's signature over town to where exactly he would find her.

Tbc