Chapter 26 — Touch & Look

"The person you love should be where you can calm your soul.

They should be your safest place to be yourself.

Life is hard enough.

That person should be your solace."

— Word Porn

"A Scorpio's eyes don't just look at you.

They pierce your soul and probe your innermost secrets."

— Astrology Answers

"Speaking of which, how about I have a look at that wound of yours. If you're lucky, it might be healed enough so you can take a bath," the human suggested.

At the mention of a chance to clean up Adam nodded his head eagerly. So far, he'd had to make do with a sponge and a few towels to clean himself up. The mention of a full bath was music to his ears.

So they went back inside where the girl checked his gash as she always did, nodding approvingly. "I think we can risk it," she decided after a final critical look. "The flesh seems to have come together enough. It might still sting a little, but other than that, the water shouldn't do any harm. Just be careful when you use shampoo. I don't know how it's going to react to it," she cautioned. "Apart from that, you're good to go."

"If you say so, doc."

Adam was shocked at the affectionate nickname that slipped his tongue, and the girl blushed beet red.

The pond she'd led him to was as if out of a fairytale. The water was surrounded by sharp but smooth rocks, and the shrubbery acted as perfect cover for whoever decided to take a swim. The water that streamed out the upper mountain and down the cliff was clean, and sparkled in the sunlight. Dipping a hand into the water, Adam noted with surprise that it was not cold, but lukewarm.

Carefully stripping out of his clothes, he wadded into the water before sitting down and relaxing. A small hiss escaped his lips as his wound came into contact with the liquid, but he soon got used to it, and it faded until it was nothing more than a dull sting. Closing his eyes, he let his body relax for the first time in months. He felt how all the tension left his muscles, and his shoulders sagged a couple of inches.

He prevailed a little like this, simply listening to the sounds around him and inhaling the scents that engulfed him. The girl had chosen wisely when she'd decided to stay in this part of the forest. It provided her with all the luxury she could possibly need.

The Faunus languidly reached for the bottle of shampoo that sat on the edge of a bigger rock, and chuckled as the smell of flowers wafted in his direction. Typical girl, he thought, amused.

It felt good to scrape all the dirt and sweat out of his hair and off his body, and he was mindful of the wound, just as she'd advised him. Dunking his head under, he felt his mind go blank — something that had never happened, since he was always brooding about something or on guard — as he washed out the shampoo.

Serena looked up to see the Faunus standing at the entrance of the cave, the sweatpants she'd bought him hanging loosely on his waist, and his chest bare. She felt the blood rush to her face as she took him in, and opted for instead looking at his face, and not his body.

Turned out that view didn't help her burning cheeks in cooling down. His hair was still dripping wet and quite dishevelled, hanging limply around his face instead of being spiked up. Meanwhile, One hand was lazily trying to towel said hair dry.

Oh sweet Heaven have mercy! she pleaded as she felt her eyes roam his entire figure. I know it's rude to stare, but damn!

Catching his eyes, she felt her heart leap and her head almost explode with all the blood up there. Trying to make this not any more embarrassing for herself, she spluttered for words before finally managing to squeak, "Have a nice bath?"

Oh God, no! Why'd I say that? Idiot, idiot! Inside, she was all but beating herself up for the comment.

His deep chuckle tore her from her self-destructive thoughts, and she blushed once more as she watched the amusement dance in his eyes. And why did the fire have to cast its light on him in such a way? Seriously, the light made his body seem even more toned than it already was.

If this was going to go on, Serena would have a heart attack.

Or a very strong nosebleed.

Either way, she hoped that it would kill her.

Adam could not help but chuckle at the girl's face. She looked absolutely mortified, yet she could not seem to keep her eyes from roaming his body.

On the one hand, it amused him to no end to see her face go up in flames and her mouth try to work out a coherent sentence.

On the other hand, it also made him become a little self-conscious. Sure, it was nice to be complimented in such a way — though he was pretty sure that the girl was ready to die on the spot right then and there just to end her embarrassment — but the relation he had with her was different than any he'd ever had with other women. For some reason, having her look at him like this made him feel almost… shy.

Not that he would show it. So he played the macho card. "Anything wrong?" he asked, the words practically coming out as a purr.

"N-No, not at all. Wh-Why do you ask?" the girl all but wheezed.

"You look a little red in the face." He pointed to her burning cheeks, tousling his hair with the other one. At the movement, her cheeks only flared brighter.

Then, suddenly, a coquettish smirk quirked her lips, and it was his turn to gulp nervously. Her eyes looked at him with an intensity he'd never experienced before, and he could now feel his own cheeks heating. Why did they have to be so impossibly blue? He could get lost in them if he wasn't careful.

"Oh, but it seems like you have the same problem. I hope you didn't catch a cold out there," she asserted. "That would be a real shame."

He almost chocked on his spit at that last sentence.

"Why don't you come here, and I dry that hair for you," she suggested, returning to her shy and caring self. "Because else, you'll really catch a cold."

He nodded his head dumbly, for once completely tongue-tied, slowly trudging over to her. He didn't as much look at her as at her eyes when the girl motioned for him to sit on her bed. Plopping onto the soft makeshift mattress, he gave up the towel in his one hand.

Serena gently took the cloth and started rubbing his head, dainty fingers mindful of the horns swallowed by his hair. As she stood in front of him, Adam could not help but note the faint smell that emanated from her. It reminded him of flowers, the forest, and, strangely, rain. He closed his eyes as he quietly inhaled, committing the scent to memory.

For a reason he could not pin-point, her smell relaxed him immensely, and the soft caresses of her hands made his mind shut down for once. Soon, he had all but leaned his head against her chest, his eyes closed, breathing slow and quiet.

Who knew that the touch of a human could feel this good.

ADDED 28/09/2017

Did I promise too much? Hopefully not.

Anyway, I deicded that some fluff and start of romance was in order, since I should slowly get this ship rolling. Plus, it makes the romance later work out better. That way, it won't be too abrupt. I mean, there has to be a base of attraction to each other in order for love to bloom, right?

Do review and tell me what you think of this chappy.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. All I do own are my OC and the idea and plot of the non-canon parts of the story.