The water that sprayed from the shower head wasn’t hot. Even when Cas turned the temperature all the way up, it didn’t heat up more than a little above lukewarm, but it still felt good against his bruised skin. Having finished scrubbing himself clean, he stood with his eyes closed as the stream cascaded down his shoulders and back, enjoying the relaxing sensation of the water. He wasn’t sure when he would be able to take a shower again since he and Iris had already been set back once by her ex-boyfriend, and they’d only been on the run for a day and a half. So, he took advantage of Maisie’s while he had the chance, letting the steady stream wash away his tension at least for today.

Once he decided he’d stayed in the bathroom long enough—and reminded himself that he shouldn’t use up all of his hostess’s warm water supply—he turned the shower off and climbed out. Just one look in the mirror showed him that he was looking much better than before. His body was still bruised, but all the blood was gone and his hair was no longer a filthy, matted mess. Relieved, he dried himself off with the towel Maisie had given him and tested the clothes. The jeans she’d left were a hair too tight around his waist, but he could button them completely, so they were wearable. The same went for the shirt. It was a little snugger than he was used to, but it didn’t restrict his movement and was actually somewhat flattering on his broad frame, so he was content with it.

[color=#b97703][i]I went from ‘homeless’ to ‘gym rat,’[/i][/color] he thought amusedly as he studied his reflection again. The way the top fit him reminded him of the muscle shirts some guys wore when they worked out. He wasn’t very surprised that the clothes were tight though. If food was as scarce in Tongsen as Iris had claimed, Maisie’s father probably hadn’t been a very big man. He was just glad that the shirt and jeans were large enough to fit him.

While he was still in the bathroom, he took a moment to check on the bandages wrapped around his left arm. The dressing had gotten thoroughly soaked during his shower and had pulled awkwardly away from his skin. It didn’t look very effective anymore, and he touched the edge of it gently, wondering if Maisie had anything he could use to patch his wound up again. Leaving the wet cloth in place didn’t seem very sanitary, and he was still concerned about the injury becoming infected.

Running his fingers through his still-dripping hair to straighten it, he collected his old clothes from the floor and stepped out of the bathroom to rejoin the others in the others. [color=#b97703]“Hey, Maisie, do you have—”[/color] he started and then stopped abruptly when he caught sight of the position the two women were in. Apparently, whatever had been bothering Iris had boiled over while he’d been in the shower. [color=#b97703][i]Well, this is uncomfortable,[/i][/color] he shifted his weight, regretting opening his mouth before he’d stepped into the living room.

[color=#b97703]“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,”[/color] he backpedaled, hoping his appearance hadn’t ruined the moment. Even though Iris hadn’t been willing to open up to him, it was obvious that she had needed to talk to someone, and Maisie was listening. Unfortunately, he’d already drawn attention to himself, so he fumbled through the rest of his request: [color=#b97703]“I just, um… I was wondering if you had anything I could use to rewrap this?”[/color] He gestured to the wet binding around his arm. [color=#b97703]“I can do it in the bedroom if you two still need some space.”[/color]