“I didn’t want to,” he told her. He didn’t really feel how cold the water was to her and was partly surprised by her reaction. “I want to wash up first, then I’ll fill the bath again.”

With her pushing away from him, Noah’s hands were free to reach up onto the overhead shelf to grab a sponge. He dipped it into the pool of water around them and went about going over his skin with it. He was quiet in his action, clearly still thoughtful as he cleaned himself. When he was done he reached down to the depths of the tub and pulled the plug, starting it to drain. A quarter of it was drained before he plugged it up again, then sliding out of the tub, forsaking the steps in favor of his long legs. After the spout was extended again and the heated basin opened, the hot water flowed back into the tub. It was nearly filled again before the water stopped, the heated basin being empty entirely now.

Noah started to fill the heated water holder with cool water, making sure none of it would flow down into the tub by retracting the spout from the tub and closing it off entirely. With the heater water filled he went back towards the bath, the air in the room wicking away the water on his skin and giving him a distinct chill. There were goosebumps on his skin before he submerged himself in the now warm tub again. The quick contrast was more than welcome, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he settled back into the tub with Elann.

Noah sunk his head under the surface of the water, coming back to the surface and wiping off his face. The curls in his hair had been pulled out by the weight of the water and his strands lay atop his head smooth and lax, slowly springing back as his hair dried.

“Is that better?” he asked of her.