For those looking for a rather romantically inclined dumpster-fire, let you be assured, the emotional turmoil will be followed by the intimacies one expects from a story with an atypical couple on the brink of romantic tensions overboiling.

Plus… it is a hot spring…basically I'm just "warming" up.

Chapter 2: Steam Heat

"Elias… how do I put this…"

"I can sense you are tense. Do you want me to change back into my normal self? Would that help? I cannot help but think something is wrong…"

"I-" Chise took a breath. It didn't matter how he looked. It was words she was struggling for. "Normally on a Honeymoon human couples…enjoy each other's presence privately…"

"So what we are doing…"

"Yes, but specifically privately…"

"Why do I get the sense there is something you are dancing around Chise?"

"A consummation of their marriage."

"Ah, such as mating? If you are uncomfortable or not ready for such things Chise I will never force you to do such a thing. As a matter of fact, we are to be relaxing, so I think it would be best you witness a hot spring for your first time."

Chise was surprised by his forthcomingness. One thought had appeared to her that hadn't. She was likely the virgin in this situation…or perhaps not. At times he was like a child…and seemed to have never had anyone show him those kinds of affections. "Have you?"

"I have been to a hot spring before. It was not this one, which makes me wonder why Lindel never told me about this…"

Chise bit her lip. Although that was not what she was asking, she decided it was enough. She moved to a nearby closet and noticed the shelves were empty. She looked around a bit stumped.

"What is the matter?"

"There are no towels…I'll go get us some. Surely the owner forgot to restock them."

"Do you remember from which we came?"

"Of course. I'll be back Elias."

Elias remained in the room. He had not considered the thought of mating with Chise as of yet. He had never gotten so close with anyone to mate, however, knew about it fully well. What was more was he might hurt her, given his being. He looked to the steam outside from the waters.

At the least they could relax.

When Chise returned, she came with a heaping pile of white folded towels. The owner seemed severely surprised she had forgotten to fill their room and seemed to provide a plentiful amount of them.

She finally opened the door to the room, barely able to see over the stack and placed them on the bed. "Elias? I have some. I'll just get changed; do you want me to do anything for you before I go in the spring?"

She looked up and found that he wasn't on the bed. She noticed a few other drawers were open. Perhaps he too had gone to get something that wasn't in the room?

She peaked into the bathroom, and noticed it had a large tub along. Still no Elias. Surely, he left for something?

She decided now was a good time to get unchanged. She closed the door and promptly used a fresh towel to wrap around her body.

She peeked out of the bathroom door, and still no sign of Elias. Silently relieved – she wasn't quite sure she was ready to show herself to him in a towel, she left for the door to outside. The warm steam of the spring quickly dewed her skin as she entered the outside. If one looked down past the rock wall that surrounded the long bath that seemed to wrap around the corner, the view was breathtaking. You could only see it from the windows, but as she got closer to the pool it was clear the stones created a wall for a private dwelling.

She dipped into the water and felt the hot water fizzle against her skin.

She couldn't help but feel relaxed. She let out, perhaps an exaggerated, but long-winded sigh and closed her eyes, sitting up against the edge of the pool.

She noticed the water was rippling a bit.

Perhaps a bit more.

Was there a wind? Or was … was something moving in the water?

She opened her eyes to the sight of a pair of red eyes coming towards her.

"ELIAS?"

"Hello Chise. You were taking a while so I figured I would begin to enjoy the spring a bit first."

"I-Uhm…" She reached for the towel near the edge of the pool.

"If it makes you feel more comfortable, I will not look below the water's surface. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable. I simply assumed because we are sharing this pool, we were to go in it together."

Chise realized if she used her towel, she wouldn't have a dry one, but quickly wrapped herself in it. She also cued in that he had changed into his regular form, his skull face more familiar. His body…rather nude and chiseled in the way a soot coloured human body would look, skimming the surface of the water.

Luckily everything else was below.

"I can get out if you would like."

"Wait…do you have a towel?"

"After you left, I found one in the bathroom cupboard. I still have it on around my waist."

Upon the realization he had not come in completely nude, she realized her own fault.

"Should I depart? Has this form caused you more grief? Should I become human again?"

"No…I just didn't expect to be in the nude with you…uhm… Wont you need another to dry off too now?"

"Yes, I suppose I will rely on you're to get me one. Perhaps I did not think this through. I suppose I would make more of a mess…" Elias began to realize that she was nearly nude and felt a strange reaction from it. He suddenly felt the urge to turn away. "Perhaps… I should let you be."

He turned away.

"Ah." Chise realized that perhaps too he was feeling awkward for now she was the obliviously perverted one who had entered in no clothes. "I have my towel…I shouldn't have just come in." She tightened it around her body in the water. If she was the one who had to make a wet mess in their hotel then she's simply clean that water later.

"I suppose I did not realize I was … overstepping." Elias slowly turned around. "Tell me why you look so beautiful to me in a dress and yet, again you continue to look as beauty is every day since then with or without that dress."

Chise suddenly felt her cheeks warm and looked to him. He had politely turned away. He was innocent in his intentions, and she knew he meant nothing sneaky by going in here with her. "Perhaps that is love Elias. That is why I married you."

"Do I look then like beauty to you?" He knew he cared for her, but he wanted to be sure he was feeling as she did. He wanted to understand what this was as much as he could, so he could be a perfect husband.

Her eyes couldn't help but move over his inhuman dark skin, his tall stature, and his lean muscular body. For some he might be monstrous, but for her, he was home.

"Yes, like that." She looked amorously at him.

"May I come closer to you? I want to come closer to you for some reason."

"Yes." She nodded. She felt her back untense.

More rigidly than she expected he moved closer to her and sat down on the ledge beside her against the wall.

"So."

Chise suddenly felt a wave of laughter. Perhaps it was the awkwardness. Perhaps it was the irony that she was not the only one struggling with these intimate moments.

"What? Was something I said funny?"

"No, no, it's just me." She smiled and wiped away a tear of laughter. "I was so worried about what being alone would be like with you, that I didn't think that you might be worried about this too."

"Ah, so you mean this feeling I have to get closer to you and my inability to know what to do next…is what you are feeling as well?"

"Yes Elias. And it's perfectly normal. I was so worried about what you would think of me, I forgot that it was you."

"And what am I?"

"Well I don't think you would judge me for being awkward about…"

"Our honeymoon? Or-"

"Yes, basically."

"I will refrain from judging you. I will always firstly try to communicate. As is my oath. I will refrain from overstepping, even if my impulses are telling me otherwise."

She reached up and softly kissed the side of his cheek. "Thank you."

"You know, I cannot do what humans do during our Honeymoon. I am afraid I would just hurt you."

She suddenly realized what he was saying.

"But if you would like, I will put all my effort in maintaining that human form so perhaps I can try for you, to some extent. The one reason I will always be warry of being married to you is that I may do something I don't mean to."

"We will figure it out…as we go… I do trust you, Elias."

"Perhaps that sword you had before…" He looked thoughtfully to himself.

"For what?"

"Well if we did decide to mate, you would have to have it nearby. I don't know how I could act… It is already hard not to embrace you with you beside me Chise."

"I want you to embrace me, but I want to know that we'll work to this together."

"You look a little red Chise, perhaps we should return inside...too much of the spring can cause humans to faint from the heat."

Chise nodded and carefully raised herself from the pool to go retrieve more towels.

When she returned Elias was already out of the pool, his dark muscular horned body with only a small white towel covering his...his...

She quickly threw the towel out the door and rushed into the bathroom.

Since when was her head in such a place as this with Elias? She left the bathroom and nearly stepped into him.

"Here, I found these. You are to use them after you get out to allow your skin to cool down." She handed her a robe. He had returned into his human self.

She nodded.

"While you change, I will see if I can get us some food. You must be hungry by now."

She nodded again, and returned to the bathroom.

She shook her head. Even Elias in the robe made her blush. She had seen Elias as a monster, but never quite in that form so almost nude.

When she returned to their room, her head spun. She laid down on the bed and took a breather.

Perhaps Ruth was right. Perhaps she wasn't perfectly ready for what being married had in store.