Aida
“So what happens when you kiss someone healthy?”
Aida froze and very nearly dropped the empty water pail she had just picked up from its corner beside her work table. She could feel the blush traveling across her face all the way to the tips of her ears.
Part of her had known the question was coming as soon as she began her explanation of her talent. Irritating as he was, Toma also was bright and quick to work things out. Of course he would ask. This was far from the first time she had been asked the same thing. And while she was always a little embarrassed about it, she never responded in quite this way before.
Her stomach felt like she had a family of butterflies trying to flap their way out.
Probably because you’ve never been asked by a man who looks like THAT, you twit. She thought to herself. Also, you were fantasizing about kissing HIM just now. Serves you right.
She cleared her throat and focused back on what she had been doing before Toma’s question stopped her in her tracks. FOCUS!
“Never mind, hero boy. We have more important things to talk about.” She hoped her voice sounded relatively normal, “Like how you look like you are about to pass out again. Which is probably exactly what you need to do. But before I let you sit, lay on, or frankly touch anything I own, you really need to scrape off several layers of filth.” Aida used the bucket in her hands to gesture toward the back door. “There’s a small hot spring in the back behind the garden. Or the waterfall in front. Take your pick.”
She turned to a shelf and started rummaging among the contents, glad to be able to do something with that might give her another moment or two to compose herself. What the hell was wrong with her??
Soon she unearthed what she was looking for: a bar of soap. She dropped it into the bucket along with a clean rag, then turned back to Toma and held the bucket out to him.
Toma just stared at her for a long moment, those emerald eyes traveling over her face. Taking in her obvious embarrassment, Aida had no doubt. She just hoped he didn’t notice the considerable lust she was feeling along with it. For a terrible instant, she thought he was going to pursue the subject of the kiss thing.
Instead, he cocked his eyebrow at her in an expression she was becoming entirely too familiar with. It was invariably followed by something irritating coming out of his mouth. “A bath in a hot spring sounds like a perfect idea. Except for one thing: You should come with me.” Aida glared at him. He chuckled “You aren’t in much better shape than I am, you know. How long had you been down in that cell before I got there anyway?”
It was hard to argue with that, Aida realized abruptly, looking down at what was left of her own clothing. When Magnus had found her collecting herbs in the forest, she had been wearing a white cotton top embroidered with pretty flowers and sturdy leather trousers. The garments were a total loss, because she was covered in just as much grime as he was. Less blood, perhaps, but more rat droppings. Gods, she hadn’t even considered how appalling she probably looked. Here she was daydreaming about him, and looking like a nightmare the whole time. Before she knew it, that damn blush was back with a vengeance. How does he keep doing that to her? It was like he knew exactly what to say to make her uncomfortable around him.
Gods, he was annoying.
“Good point,” Aida admitted. Before he had a chance to make whatever smartass suggestion she just KNEW he had ready, she grabbed a second bar of soap from the shelf, and stalked to the front door. “Enjoy your bath.” She said gruffly “There should be some clothes that will fit you in the chest under the stairs. If I catch you anywhere near that waterfall, I will put you back the way I found you.” She grabbed a cloak from a hook, pulled the door open and fled.
Toma
Toma sank into the warm water and groaned.
He would never have admitted it to that crazy woman, but she had been right. He was exhausted by all the escaping and running for their lives they had done this morning, and his body was definitely communicating its displeasure loud and clear. The water felt so good, a lesser man might have wept. Yeah, who was he kidding? He would have himself if he hadn’t been distracted by wondering what the hell had happened in that house just now.
He absently scrubbed soap into his braids as he considered Aida for what felt like the umpteenth time. Something was definitely up with her. She had started acting like a frightened kitten all of a sudden. She had gotten jumpy and nervous and irritable. So what had happened to ruffle her feathers? Had he done something?
He couldn’t deny he enjoyed teasing her. Bantering with her was fun. Listening to her sharp tongue produce responses to him was almost as much fun as when he scored a hit and made her blush.
Almost.
Watching her cheeks flush like that…did things to him. He was pretty sure he could come up with other ways to make her pale skin turn that rosy pink, ways that had nothing to do with embarrassment or irritation. He had some uses in mind for her tongue too. He felt himself growing hard under the water as he imagined how she might look under him; all flushed and panting and wanting him.
Yeah, this was starting to get ridiculous. He was a grown ass adult, not a horny kid. A woman blushing should absolutely not have this kind of effect on him.
Come to think of it, she had started blushing pretty hard about the same time she had started acting weird. He’d been enjoying the sight so much, he hadn’t thought much about what caused it. They had been talking about her medicines. Nothing blush-worthy so far. Then she explained why she made them and how her magic worked. Still seemed pretty sa…
Wait.
She changed the subject when he had asked about kissing someone healthy. She hadn’t answered him.
That had to be it.
Toma frowned to himself. He still didn’t know what made her respond like that, but his gut told him that question held the key to figuring it out. And he had learned long ago to always trust his gut.
Clean at last, he climbed out of the spring with a tiny twinge of regret. That water had felt really good.
He dried himself with a towel he had found in the chest Aida had directed him to, then put on the clothing he had found there as well. The loose shirt and trousers were worn, a little threadbare, but clean and comfortable enough. His battered old boots sat beside the door to the house, near his pile of discarded rags. He would have to address the shoe problem later, he supposed. For the time being, he had more important things to think about.
He wanted to find Aida.
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