"You may."
"I shall leave you to-Wait...what?" My body was turning towards the door before I registered her words.
"Yes. I have the soap with me too. I've been meaning to ask someone to get my back." Next thing I know, she is undoing her trousers. I am too stunned to do more than let my body move as I assist her with her breast band.
"I must admit, I thought you would throw me from the room." One of my hands held hers as I guided her to sit in the bath water.
"I trust you, Zevran. You have proven many times that I can." She leaned back, allowing me to hold a hand at the base of her skull while the other smoothed water into her hair. Just a wetting before she sat up. Grabbing a cloth and the soap, I sat on the edge of the bath and tried to contain my happiness. It was a strange feeling that I simply channeled into massaging while I scrubbed. Her head dropped forward to rest on her knees as she pulled them up to her chest.
"Of course, your skills with your hands are a bonus." Wren purred and I felt a wave of heat pass through me. Get ahold of yourself, Zevran. If I could get her to make more sounds like that, I would take any chance she gave me. Her back was full of tension that I worked to smooth out.
"Brasca." Slipped out as I met with yet another knot in her shoulder blade. Wren giggled.
"Perhaps I should have warned you."
"I am baffled you are able to move and walk with all of these tight muscles."
"You can give your hands a break while I turn around." Turn around? I gulped and took a deep breath. Make light of it.
"It is too bad I have none of my oils on me. They would have helped later on." My breath caught in my throat as she shifted to face me, emptying a pitcher of water over her shoulder. First one and then the other. Never have I avoided casually gazing upon a naked woman. To do so now would truly be a waste.
"I have a question." Wren's words caught me off guard but I righted myself.
"I might have the answer."
"Why is this bath so huge?" I chuckled and lightly grasped the ankle she gave me. She was setting her weight on her arms and completely exposing the expanse of her torso to me. Her nipples taut as the air in the room lacked the water's warmth. Well placed fire runes kept the waters at a comfortable temperature.
"I have a feeling they are for larger groups of people to bathe in together. Some fighters see the experience as one of bonding. It shows mutual trust, I suppose. Similar to what you are letting me do, right now." Then again, we were also in the Pearl. When we first started this way and I recalled where we were heading, I'd wanted to laugh. Of course, we would clean up the Pearl while we were here. Getting the people to like the Wardens would fall in our favor once the Landsmeet was in full session. Then we got free room and board, and discounted services should we want them.
"Why did you agree?" She was watching the cloth in my hand, but her curiosity was palpable.
"No man in their right mind would turn down such a rare opportunity. Never in my life have I seen such a vision as the one before me now." Somehow, I'd managed to wash both of her legs without kissing either. I released it and leaned forward, my elbows on my knees and my eyes level to hers. Wren didn't move and I couldn't reach her where she was.
"Wren, if you do not move closer, I will have to join you in the bath."
Would she let me continue or kick me out, after all? Strange anxiety boiled in me but dissipated as she scooted back, her eyes not leaving me. I smiled and moved forward slowly until we both sat cross-legged in the bath.
"Hermosa luna, may I continue?"
She shortened the space between us and locked eyes with me as she slid into my lap. Seeing Wren in motion stunned me to silence. When I came back, I took another deep breath and smoothed the wash cloth along her flesh again, repressing a moan as she tilted her neck back and to the side with her eyes still on me. Without intention, the Warden reduced me to an inexperienced boy when I wasn't doing more than bathing her.
"You're getting your clothes wet."
"There is much I would give for the preservation of this moment." I replied without missing a beat.
"Okay." Then she emptied the pitcher over both of us, laughter in her eyes. My shirt was uncomfortable now, though. Pulling it up and over my head, I smirked back at her..
"You're always surprising me. From the moment we met, you didn't kill me." Raising one of her hands to my lips, I felt her racing pulse. Oh?
No. This, I will not press. Even if I want to, I will not take more than she is willing to give. It would seem like I am taking advantage of her after the recent end of her relationship with Alistair.
"I couldn't make it so easy for you. You weren't even fighting your hardest that day. You're decent with a bow, but it is really not your thing." Her mirthful eyes were on my lips. Letting go of her hand, I tilted my head up.
"I do prefer a much more up close and personal approach." One more kiss wasn't too much for me to want, was it?
Her lips lightly brushed against mine before a knock struck the door. Brasca.
"Of course. Let me help you get dried off and dressed, hermosa luna." She accepted the hand I offered her and stepped out of the bath. My clothes were soaked but no worse for wear.
"Would you let me wash your hair next time? Leliana taught me to braid and I'm pretty decent at dainty things as long as I can focus." Wren was watching me as I dried her off as quickly as I could. As much as I wanted to take my time and savor it, we had none.
"Anytime you wish." I smiled, buckling her armor on one side while she managed the other.
"Speaking of time. I would also very much like to show you some less exerting ways to decimate your opponent, if you don't mind." As amazing as watching her use brute force and momentum for closer range attacks, I would like for her to learn how to better utilise the dagger in her boot.
"I will consider this. Thank you, Zev." She was eyeing her crossbow as she spoke. Hopefully thinking on my suggestion favorably to help keep her beloved weapon in good condition for longer. It was a shockingly durable device.
Then she turned to me, a tentative hand on my shoulder.
"If anything happens to me, my name is Laowren. Wren to my friends."