Chapter 7 - A Bath In Hell
"Like Christan's fiery attitude, Lady's constantly changing hair and the way Aquilia thinks I can't see through his illusions."
Everyone's heads whipped around as the stood up, turning to the corridor where Olivia stood with Miris. She was looking directly at Ainsley from where she was stood atop the two small steps that led to the bedroom wing. He knew instantly that he had screwed up. Christian dropped his gaze when she turned to him. He had also come to the same conclusion as Ainsley. Elnath opened his mouth to speak when Olivia raised her hand. She walked calmly over to Lady and Aquilian, a small smile on her face. She put a hand on each of their shoulders and just as they turned to look at her, their knees gave out and they dropped to the floor.
"If you wanted to look at my diary so bad, you should have just asked. I would have shown it to you. But it makes me wonder what else you decided to peak at while you were frolicking around in my room?"
"N-nothing, I swear! We found what we were looking for and left." Aris stuttered her words as she struggled to look up. Olivia watched her for a moment before letting them go.
"Sorry," She chuckled awkwardly at the rest of the unit members. "Seems like I went a little overboard." She rubbed the back of her neck before standing up. "I meant what I said though, if you wanted to look through my reports or relations diary, you can just ask." Olivia walked through to the kitchen the check on the oven, tying her hair into a messy ponytail as she went.
"No. No fucking way! You don't just get to walk away after whatever the FUCK that just was."
"Intimidation tactics. I've been learning since I was 5. I'm a small girl, Christian, I gotta have something to keep me from looking like the worlds easiest target." She giggled in his direction.
"That's terrifying."
"That's the point, Captain." She smirked at him.
"Try it on me."
"Really?" Olivia laughed at Christian's suggestion before turning back to face him. Ainsley got the familiar chill down his spine as she walked stalked towards Christian and once again placed a hand on his shoulder. It took a moment before his knees gave out though and she leaned over him with a smirk.
"It works better when you have something you're already nervous about. It only worked on you because you think I'm still mad about the book thing." She smiled at him before heading into the kitchen. Everyone seemed to buy the excuse except for Ainsley and that made Olivia nervous.
"I'm not, by the way. I'm not upset about the books. I'm mad that you thought it was ok to just break into my room, and I'm upset that you made assumptions about me before you even took five minutes to get to know anything about me." Aquilian scoffed.
"We know enough about you."
"Oh, really? How old am I?"
"What?"
"How. Old. Am. I?" She slowed down her speech as she looked him in the eye.
"I don't-"
"I'm 22. Let's try something less personal then. What's my management style?"
"This is ridiculous, I don't have to be here for this!"
"But you know so much about me. And you went to all that trouble to steal my notes, so this should come easy."
Aquilian gave her an exasperated look before throwing his hands in the air. Olivia sighed.
"Fine. Ask me one question between you that I swear answer honestly, right now. In exchange, at least have lunch with everyone."
"Why do you care so much about us staying here?"
"Because the old man trusted me to take care of you and you all to take care of me so that by the time he reaches the ground, he can go peacefully. And besides, I've taken quite a liking to you all." Her answer was blunt, but the meaning was clear. She wasn't here just because she had to be, and she wasn't going to leave just because of some flimsy reason like popularity.
By the time everyone had finished talking, it was time for Olivia to finish preparing the final parts of lunch. When she took the meat out of the oven, it was cooked near perfectly. Ainsley offered to carve it up and Olivia let him, deciding it would be best if her butter fingers stayed away from the knives. Olivia took an unlabelled jar out of her bag and sat it on the bench. When Elnath asked her about it, she explained that it was homemade apple sauce that she had premade. He nodded and asked her about gravy, and she explained to him that she was going to make it with the drippings out of the pan. He watched over her shoulder as she showed him the way to do it and even chuckled when she spilt flour everywhere. Christian and Miris set the table ready for the meal and Lady and Aquilian even helped plate the food. Everyone sat at the table and chatted among themselves.
After lunch, the unit got together to play a few easy games like Uno and Jenga. When it got later in the afternoon, everyone dispersed to start their night routines. In a base with only seven members, everyone was able to get ready relatively quickly. Everyone had a small on suite in their room that contained a sink, vanity, and toilet. A couple had small showers but because of the tiny size, most members still preferred the communal bathroom. The bathroom had a frosted glass divider down the middle and you accessed each side via two doors that connected to the bathroom entry room. One side held a large built in square bath that could fit up to four people and four large showers hung from the roof on the opposite side.
Olivia felt a tug on her shirt and turned her head away from Christian, who she had been talking to, to look down at Miris.
"I'm hungry, Livvy." Olivia smiled down at her.
"We're having take away tonight, so why don't you help me pick something from the menus in the kitchen draw and we will get it delivered to the compound? We will have to take the UTV to the gate though, so you'll need to put a jumper on." Miris nodded at her before skipping into the kitchen. Miris ended up deciding on pizza and pasta, so after taking a quick poll, Olivia phoned the shop and ordered. After receiving the total, Olivia hung up the phone.
"It'll be about half an hour." Olivia laughed at the little girl as she rolled her eyes back and exclaimed that she might die of hunger before then.
"Oh yeah, you're fading away to a shadow, I can tell." Olivia giggled with her before sneaking her a piece of left-over pork. Ainsley watched the pair with a smile playing on his lips. Christian sighed at him.
"Great. Now I have to try being nice at least some of the time." He smirked at his best friend before shaking his head.
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." Ainsley looked at him questioningly.
"Not only has the unit's resident baby completely taken to her, but my best friend has also gone and fallen head over heels." Christian chuckled as Ainsley smacked him over the head.
"I am not 'head over heels' for her. I just think the way she plays with Miris is attractive."
"Wow. I didn't think you'd just admit that out loud like that."
"I know how to be honest." Ainsley rolled his eyes at his companion.
The four of them continued to play Go Fish at the table for the next ten minutes before Olivia and Miris went to find her jacket. When they came back out, Ainsley handed her some cash and she tucked it into her pocket. Ainsley wrapped his long fingers around her slender ones.
"I take out the allocated amount in cash for things around the house like take away and uniform repairs etc, and I keep it in labelled envelopes in my room. I'll show you next time." Olivia nodded her head at him, the tips of her ears tinting red as he pulled her fingers to his lips before letting go of her.
"Me next! Me next!" Miris giggled as she held her little hand up to Ainsley. Ainsley dramatically bent down on one knee, one arm across his chest as he took her small hand in his.
"Of course, my Princess. I would never forget you!" He smiled down at her as she squealed.
"I'm a princess!" Olivia laughed at them before suddenly remembering the pizza. Lady caught the two just before they left and gave Olivia a list and a little bit of money and Miris grabbed Olivia's hand as they sped out of the compound. Miris laughed nearly the whole way to and from the gate. They made a couple of stops on their way back to the base and before long, they had laid everything out on the table.
"Great! You got all the booze!" Lady laughed as she grabbed a bottle of wine and a glass. One by one, the members grabbed their preferred drinks and Olivia opened Miris's juice box for her.
"Who drinks the Black Cruisers?" Aquilian shot Lady a confused look.
"Actually, I thought Olivia might like them? You seem to prefer sweeter things."
"Why Black's though?" Christian laughed.
"Because! Go big or go home! Right, Olivia?" Olivia looked apologetically at her.
"I'm actually not a big drinker." Ainsly chuckled behind his glass of whiskey and Olivia shot him a glare.
"Aww! Just not a fan?"
"More like a Two Can Sam." Olivia flicked Ainsley on the ear.
"You know what. I'm going to have one. Raspberry happens to be one of my favourite flavours." She pulled one of the bottles from the cardboard.
"Ógæfa." Warning laced his tone, so she figured he had just called her some kind of pet name.
"Don't worry, I'm only having the one." She rolled her eyes at him as he watched her.
"Jeez Ainsley! You're such a dad!" Lady laughed at the commanding officer before pouring another glass of wine.
Dinner was filled with laughter and Lady managed to sneak Olivia a second drink while Ainsley was distracted, which she had mindlessly accepted. Before long, everyone had had their fill and were heading off in separate directions. Elnath wanted to go out tomorrow morning, so he was off to bed and Lady Aris and Aquilian were discussing which game they were off to play. Olivia watched the pair with narrowed eyes.
"…What's up, Olivia?" Aquilian questioned her hesitantly. A few moments passed before Olivia answered him though.
"Are you two together or are you like, 'the gay best friend.' I'm having a hard time working this out."
Lady burst into laughter at the blunt question and nudged the stunned Aquilian.
"We're married." She chuckled out.
"Oh, ok." Olivia nodded, satisfied with the short answer. She took another sip of her drink before Ainsley appeared behind her, taking the drink from her hand. She leaned her head back into him when he grazed his knuckles along her cheek.
"Your hands are cold." She sighed into him.
"You're just warm, Sváss."
"We talked about this last time. You can't just whip out a language that I don't understand." Ainsley shook his head at her before turning to Lady.
"Did you give her a second drink?" He narrowed his eyes at her.
"Possibly?" Lady grinned sheepishly.
Ainsley pinched the bridge of his nose before he chuckled lightly.
"There goes my plans for the night then." He huffed. The others looked at him with suspicious eyes. It would seem that the quiet and serious Commander was lightly inebriated.
"What do you mean? I thought we had plans tonight?" Olivia looked up at him with an incredulous expression. Those sitting at the table turned to look at the pair after the sudden announcement.
"We do, but if its anything like the last time, I think I might actually die from the stress."
"Don't be dramatic. I had a great time." She smirked up at him.
"What did you just call me, Darling?" Her cheeks flushed at his playful tone and the way he gently squeezed his hand that rested on her shoulder, right at the base of her neck.
"Nothing, never mind." He smirked at how quickly her face flushed. Everyone looked at the pair in disbelief. The two most serious people they knew were sitting at the dinner table, blatantly flirting. Miris pulled herself up onto Olivia's chair.
"What's up, baby? You ready for bed now?" Miris nodded her head.
"I wanna have a bath." Ainsley glanced over at Lady, who wobbled out of her seat.
"Sorry pumpkin, I don't think Lady can take you tonight, you might just have to have a shower." Miris shook her head.
"I wanna go with Livvy!" Olivia dramatically acted super shocked.
"Well then I think we best get going!" Olivia stood up and swung her around in a circle before lowering her down to the ground. Ainsley hooked his fingers into the belt loops on either side of Olivia's shorts, pulling her back into him.
"Ógæfa, do you really think that's a good idea?" He talked softly into her ear so that Miris wouldn't hear them.
"It's fine," She smiled over her shoulder at him. "I'm only a little giddy, I'll be fine for a short bath." She brushed her fingers across his hands, soothing his worry. Christian watched the two of them with an amused smile.
"Ain! You come too! Like we used to!" Christian spit out some of the drink he had just poured into his mouth as he laughed.
"Yeah, Ain! You go to!" He had tears in his eyes as he doubled over. The laughter becoming too much. Ainsley shot a glare his way before turning back to Miris and letting go of Olivia.
"It wouldn't be very appropriate for me to keep coming with you, princess, because you and Olivia are girls and I'm a boy. A boy who is a lot older than you." He tapped her on the nose.
"But it's fine if we say it's ok though, right?" Ainsley paused. How the hell would he explain this one.
"Well, sure, but you shouldn't say yes to just anybody, you know? Only people you really trust." Miris looked at him confused. Olivia stifled a laugh. Ainsley sighed.
"I'll explain it better one day."
"It's fine with you, right Livy?" Miris looked up at Olivia with big, bright eyes and Olivia found it difficult to refuse. She looked over at Ainsley before answering.
"Yeah, it's fine." She smiled sweetly at him as she bettered her eyelashes. "Let's go get your PJ's ready." Olivia chased after the small girl as she ran away, slowing in the doorway to sway her hips and wink at him. Ainsley rubbed his temples with his fingers.
"I'm going to fucking die. The strain is going to kill me." Christian snorted at him from his seat at the table.
"You want to fuck her so bad." Christan's bout of laughter reignited after the bold display. Ainsley sent an icy glare as he shifted on his feet, trying to alleviate the growing strain of his jeans.
Olivia helped Miris grab a set of pyjamas from her chest of draws before the pair padded across to the bathroom. Nearly everyone else had showered earlier, with the exception of them, Ainsley and Christian, so the bathroom was currently empty. The two girls stripped off and Olivia helped teach Miris how to wrap and tuck her towel around her body before tucking her hair up into a twisty bun to match her own. Olivia took out a couple of makeup wet wipes to remove the majority of her make up. Just as they were grabbing Miris's bath toys from her cubby, Ainsley walked through the door. He smiled at the small girl, her cat ears poked out on either side, and they twitched around excitedly.
"Look Ain! Livy taught me how to tie my towel! And she gave me a twisty bun, just like hers!" She twirled her little body in front of him and he laughed. Her towel was way too long and the hood on the back was flapping about. Ainsley stopped laughing when he looked over to Olivia though. The bun showed off her slender neck and shoulders and the towel clung loosely to her curves. He didn't know if her towel just wasn't as wide or what, but Olivia's towel just barely covered her properly and left her long legs exposed. The tightness in his jeans that he had managed to mostly calm was now back. Ainsley waved them into the bath while he got ready but noted Olivia's light sway. Miris poured bubbles into the bath and the girls turned on the massage jets until the water bubbled up. They giggled as they turned the jets off and hung their towels on the rail. Olivia climbed into the deep bath first before helping Miris in. The water was beautifully warm, and Olivia sunk down on the small seat edge, the bubbles hiding her nakedness. She tucked Miris up on a little stool on the opposite ledge that seemed the be designed for her.
'Ainsley must have had it made.'
The man himself appeared a moment later and Olivia distracted Miris with toys while he hung up his towel and stepped into the bath. He sat on the bench next to Olivia, sliding his arm across her back to steady her. She relaxed enough to lean on his side as she watched Miris splash her buckets in the water and bubbles. Olivia leaned forward to wash Miris's bolognaise stained face and when she had finished, sat back at Ainsley's side. Her hand brushed down his hip and thigh, accidently sliding along his hardening length. He let out a soft growl and grabbed her wrist.
"I'm sorry! It was an accident." Olivia whispered up at him. Miris seemed to have forgotten all about them as she played loudly with her toys.
"It's fine, darling, just stop wiggling around." He huffed out a small laugh and Olivia felt her ears start to burn. She closed her eyes and leaned back into his shoulder.
"I'm tired now, Livvy." Miris rubbed her eyes and her splashing stopped. Ainsley pulled his arm back from around Olivia and she groaned. Ainsley helped Miris off the seat and she paddled the short distance to Olivia. Olivia helped her climb out of the pool before following after her. Ainsley shamelessly watched her as she did. His eyes roamed her body as he sat in the steaming water. He watched the way her smooth curves accentuated when she squatted down and the way her breast jiggled lightly. He watched as water danced down her smooth skin and dripped to the floor. She threw Ainsley's towel towards the bath, her face flushed red at his staring. Ainsley made his way out of the bath and wrapped the towel around his waist. It did little to hide his erection but at least it wasn't completely out there. Just as Olivia managed to get the towel around herself, the door opened and Christian stepped in. His hair was wet, but he was in clean clothes, he must have just had a shower. He had a smug look on his face and Olivia could practically feel the blizzard coming from behind her as Ainsley asked what he wanted.
"I'll put Miss to bed tonight, I promised I'd read her those new books we brought the other day."
Miris's eyes lit up at the mention of the books and she practically dragged Olivia out the door to get dressed. Only after they left, did Christian let out the laugh he had been holding in.
"I thought I'd come to rescue you. Looks like I came at the right time." He had practically doubled over in laughter.
"It's not funny, man. I thought I'd be fine with Miris in here, but I don't think I've ever been this pent up in my fucking life!" Ainsley growled out the response, his mood slowly worsening.
"So make the move. Geez. Anyone with eyes could see she's not going to say no."
"I won't do it while she's drunk, Christian. Not the first time. That would just be cruel to both of us."
"She's had one and a half man. She can't be that drunk. And you can't keep holding back like this, either. You know as well as I do that it's not in your nature to be so subservient."
"I'm not being subservient. I genuinely think it's cute when she thinks she can boss me around. So, I let it go. To an extent." He smirked to himself.
"Just enjoy your free time together tonight. We go back to work in the morning, remember?" In the next second, Olivia bounced back into the room, wearing one of Ainsley's shirts that she found in his cubby. She staggered a bit as she walked forward, and Ainsley raised an eyebrow at her.
"She's ready." She smiled at Christian. "And thanks for the present." She winked at him before shifting her gaze to Ainsley. Christian grinned at her.
"Ehh. I just wanted to see you not being perfect for five minutes." Ainsley barked out his name when he realised that he had brought the other half of her drink to her.
"That's my que." Christian turned on his heel and went to collect Miris, closing the door behind him.
Olivia swayed lightly where she was standing before reaching out to Ainsley. He helped steady her and she leaned into him. His body was still wet, so now the shirt was too and she was pressing up against him. He couldn't take it anymore.
"Bath or bed, Darling?" She looked up at him through her eyelashes, her face was flushed, and her breath was hot against his skin. She smoothed her hands over his chest and up, over his shoulders before hooking her arms around his neck. He groaned, the sound vibrated in his chest. It was low and Olivia's nipples hardened at the sound. Ainsley's hands drifted down to the hem of the shirt and he slid his fingers under it, resting his hands low on her hips. He leaned down and let on hand slide down to her thigh before pausing.
"Ógæfa," His grip on her hip and thigh tightened. "Why don't you have your underwear on?" She pulled back to look at him.