After a morning run, Emerald and Pierce both need a shower.
As usual, Ava is still asleep and so her bathroom is off limits.
What's to be done?
WARNING:
It's Lime Time! It's Lime Time!
Gather all your friends, it's Lime Time!
It's Lime Time! It's Lime Time!
The only cure for sadness!
Emerald stretched as she and Pierce waited for the elevator to reach the third floor. For whatever reason, he had been the only one to come out and join her morning run, which was actually a bit of a relief. Ever since the Daemos had decided to start conserving their magic and using human methods of hygiene instead, their natural musk was beginning to become more noticeable when they needed to get cleaned up.
And Pierce was definitely in need of a shower right now.
"You are getting faster," he spoke up quietly, studying her openly.
"Hmm?"
"Your running." He gave her a small, encouraging grin. "Even from the short amount of time we've been here, I have seen your improvement."
Before Emerald could answer, the doors opened with a soft *ding* at their floor. She finished stretching and walked out, the former Daemos general close behind as she dug the key to the apartment out of her running bag. "You weren't so bad yourself. I can tell you're all getting used to the air here. Your pace is improving as well." She popped open the apartment door, waiting for Pierce to pass through before closing and locking it again behind him. "Anyways, we both definitely need a shower today. Let's see if Ava's awake yet."
A quick check of Ava's door revealed the shorter woman was still fast asleep and probably would be for the next few hours. Pierce watched as Emerald seemed to consider her options. "What do we do?"
The veteran sighed. "Well, we could wait for her to wake up but I really don't feel like leaving you marinating in sweat while I take my shower. I suppose you could use my bathroom and get cleaned up while I eat breakfast."
"I am not quite...comfortable taking a 'shower' by myself yet." For some reason, he refused to meet her gaze. "I would like it if you assist me again."
Emerald raised an eyebrow: this was something she hadn't been expecting. Pierce was one of the fastest learners among the Daemos, aside from (maybe) Rhys. He definitely knew what to do to get clean by himself. However, if he felt he needed a refresher course...
...she was more than willing to oblige.
After sending Pierce to pick up his Daemos clothes and shower supplies, Emerald retrieved her own change of clothes from her bedroom and folded them up on the bathroom counter. Since the Daemos were now responsible for keeping themselves clean, she'd gone out and bought each of them a small bin to hold their individual washcloths, soap, and 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner.
The veteran turned on the water in the shower, carefully turning the temperature up to what she could just barely withstand. She knew Pierce liked it hot and she wanted him to be as comfortable as possible to help him gain a bit more confidence in the process. Satisfied, she turned back and retrieved several towels from the cabinet.
"Where should I place my clothes?" a voice asked softly behind her, startling her slightly.
"Gah!" Emerald whirled around, relieved to see it was only Pierce. She let out a small chuckle. "I forgot how quiet you can be." She gestured to the counter. "You can put them next to mine. We'll drop our dirty clothes in a pile down here and I'll put them in the washer once we're done."
He nodded, carefully folding up his robes and putting them next to hers as she placed the towels near the shower.
They faced away from each other as they undressed, Pierce entering the shower first. Emerald tossed her own clothes into his pile, then took a deep breath and followed after him. "Is the temperature okay? I can turn it up a little if you want."
He shook his head, standing under the running water and closing his eyes. "It feels nice."
The veteran couldn't help but smile as she watched him. It seemed he felt comfortable enough around her to allow himself to lower his guard completely. With a slight twinge of regret, she softly tapped him on the arm. "We should probably get clean so the others don't wonder where you disappeared to."
Pierce seemed disappointed she had interrupted him. "Let them wonder," he murmured almost sulkily.
A laugh bubbled out before she could stop it. "Oh, don't be like that." She gently moved him to the side so she could get under the water, flinching slightly when it hit her skin. "Grab your washcloth and soap and let's get this show on the road."
"Are you alright?" His eyes narrowed as he studied her closely.
"Yeah. Just getting used to the water." She stepped back around him, letting him get back under the water. "Go ahead and get scrubbed up. I'll do the same and then we can move on to hair."
As they both focused on cleaning themselves, Emerald couldn't help but look over at him while he washed. Every inch of him was nothing but pure muscle, each movement making them ripple under his sienna skin. She turned away, feeling her face heating up slightly even as she felt something else stirring in her stomach. She shook her head, squeezing some soap onto her bath sponge and lathering up.
Pierce turned to face her, narrowing his eyes again as he focused on a particularly stubborn bit of dirt on his arm. The movement called her attention back to him, her gaze flitting lightly over his body until she noticed the three long scars across his chest. "How did you get those?"
He paused, following her gaze before looking back up. "Battles on Daemos."
"Do...you want to talk about them?"
He shook his head. "They are in the past and do not bother me."
Emerald locked eyes with him. "Are battles common on Daemos?"
"They come and go."
The pause lasted longer this time. "Do they hurt?"
"Not anymore." Pierce's eyes flicked down to her stomach. "What about yours?"
"Ah." Out of habit, Emerald dragged the sponge over her scar, effectively hiding it under a layer of bubbles. "Accident from when I was still in the military. It...changed a lot of things in my life, to be honest."
He leaned a little closer, drawing her attention back to his face. "Does it hurt you?"
"Physically or emotionally?" She breathed out a small huff when he didn't answer. "It used to, but now it's completely numb." Another gentle push against his arm. "Please excuse me. I need to rinse off."
Pierce nodded and moved aside, noticing again how she flinched again when the water touched her skin. 'It's too hot for her,' he thought, watching as her skin visibly reddened the longer she stayed. She tilted her head back, eyes closed as she let her hair get wet, and the Daemos allowed his eyes to roam freely down her body. He observed just how athletic her build was: she was nothing but lean muscle and finely toned skin. His eyes continued to wander until -
"Hey, you awake in there?" Emerald lightly waved her hand in front of his face. "It's your turn to wash your hair. Go ahead and trade places with me."
The Daemos was keenly aware of her body as they pressed past each other. He swallowed thickly, trying to focus on the task at hand, which was washing his hair. He leaned back, allowing the water to flow over his head and down to the skin of his scalp. After several attempts to refocus himself, Pierce opened his eyes in frustration. "Emerald? May I ask for your assistance?"
"Hmm?" The human turned to him, her fingers running through the ends of her hair as she finished massaging in her conditioner. "What's wrong?"
"Could you please help me?" He held out the bottle towards her. "I am...unsure of the process with this new soap you bought."
"Oh. Yeah, I can do that." Emerald took the bottle, deftly squeezing some of the liquid out and closing it back up. She paused, staring into his eyes. "Um, are you going to turn around so I can get to your hair?"
Pierce shook his head. "I would like to keep facing you, if that is alright."
She huffed out a light laugh. "If you want to. I'll do my best to make sure you don't get any soap in your eyes." She stood slightly on her tiptoes, carefully massaging the shampoo into his hair. Her face was barely half a foot from his, breath hitting his face gently as she leaned in close.
The tension was almost palpable. Emerald took a deep breath, picking up the scent of Pierce's musk even under the new smell of the Old Spice body wash he'd just used. Even as she continued to rub the shampoo into his hair, she found herself leaning in closer to his face.
"Would...would it be okay if I kissed you?" she whispered, her eyes flicking from his eyes to his lips. "Properly this time?"
"You wish to caress me?" he answered huskily, eyes dark with arousal.
The word made her pause for a moment. "I've gathered that 'caress' is something you Daemos only like to do if no one else is around to see it." She glanced off to the side to indicate their current situation. "No one is going to find us in here, if that's what you're worried about."
Pierce studied her, even as the water rinsed the soap from his hair. The heat of the water seemed to make her lips appear fuller than he remembered, her cheeks slightly flushed as she waited for him to make the first move.
It was at that moment he made his decision. Pierce brought her in gently for a hug, cupping her cheek softly in his hand as he caressed her lips. Their bodies pressed closely together, every breath awakening new sensations in him.
Emerald's response was immediate: she leaned her body into his almost aggressively, her hands winding their way through his hair as she returned his kiss vigorously. Almost subconsciously, she began to slowly grind her hips against his, even as her fingers found their way up to his horns -
She was shocked to find herself suddenly forced against the wall of the shower, her arms pinned over her head and Pierce's forehead resting against hers. Pierce was panting, his breaths unsteady even as he stared intensely into her eyes.
"I-I guess I should be more careful around your horns," the veteran gasped. Even though her new position was slightly uncomfortable, she understood the Daemos wasn't acting out of aggression. "I'm sorry if I hurt you when I grabbed you like that."
Pierce shook his head fiercely. "N-no," he answered, loosening his grip on her wrists. "It's just...grabbing horns is a very private thing. I felt some...very strong urges when you did that." He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply as he rested his head against her shoulder.
Emerald let out a breathy chuckle. "Yeah, I can see that."
The Daemos seemed to notice their position properly as he opened his eyes. "Forgive me, Dame Emerald!" he blurted out, a look of horror plastered across his face. He straightened up, almost falling backwards as he tried to put some distance between their bodies. At the same time, he let go of her arms -
- only for Emerald to wrap them around his neck, pulling him back in close. "Maybe I don't want you to stop," she murmured into his ear, placing a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth. Her left hand wandered down to his chest, gently tracing the scars on his skin even as her hips began moving again.
Pierce took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he leaned his forehead against hers. "A-are you sure? I do not know if I will be able to - "
Emerald cut him off with another kiss, her hands going back to his hair. "Why don't we find out?" she whispered huskily against his lips.
The Daemos was all too eager to comply.