only a man lookin' for a dream

KOA

Oh, Soh: so good, so pure. As you reflect on the hope of friendship, would it scandalize you to know that Koa's eyes are drifting to your coral lips, his boyish mind wondering if they taste as sweet as he recalls? "Deal," he murmurs, trying not to look too closely at the heat that blooms inside his chest. It's only a flicker, but it lingers like mist, the warm umbra of an emotion he long thought he had overcome.

"Deal" Blinking bemusedly at their interlaced fingers, Koa feels another layer of tension melt away. "What about whiskey in the tea?" he questions teasingly, ignoring the distant wail of sirens that warn him he's stumbling into dangerous grounds. Flirtation is just around the corner, and we all know where that leads.

But he makes no move to unwind their fingers, too tired and desperate for security to do anything but follow where she leads. "I would probably kill someone for a shower," Koa confesses with a chuckle, aware, for the first time, of what a mess he must appear.

Let me go, I don't wanna be your hero
I don't wanna be a big man
Just wanna fight with everyone else

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to say goodbye

Perhaps it would surprise Koa that Soh was determinedly ignoring the flutter in her chest at the feel of his fingers laced with hers, and that it wouldn't take much convincing for her to remind him exactly what she tasted like. But that would probably be a monumentally stupid mistake, given the tenuous friendship that they seemed to be starting back up, and so she settled on just tugging him along. "Now we're talking," she agreed, grinning back at him over her shoulder.

But they apparently had a pit stop to make first, and she paused to recalculate. She could offer him her room at the inn, but that felt too... personal, somehow, and she didn't think he'd accept. But from her time spent in the Greatwood all those seasons ago... "I know a place," she said, leading the way down a side street at a leisurely pace. Glancing at him sidelong, she challenged, "How do you feel about bathhouses?" And how would he feel about being accompanied to one?

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to die

Sohalia

KOA

Her grin is like sunlight on a cloudy day, breaking through his lingering reserve and setting him alight. Oh. Oh no, no, this is bad. The ground they stand on is too tenuous, their bond too fragile, newly built. The last thing he needs is to complicate it, to fuck things up thinking with his dick. Young and dumb implies older and wiser; Koa repeats that to himself, wraps it like clingwrap around his mind.

A nice cold shower is what he needs - but not, it seems, what he's going to get. Koa's eyebrow quirks at the mention of a bathouse, because the last time they'd taken a swim together Soh'd been distinctly the more modest of them, and by the end of the day... nope, don't think about that. "Sounds great to me," he answers mildly, tilting his head at her blonde locks as he follows her through the streets.

"But uh... you know those are usually public, right? And, y'know. Nude?" Something a soldier like him has few problems with, but could be a rather rude surprise.

Let me go, I don't wanna be your hero
I don't wanna be a big man
Just wanna fight with everyone else

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to say goodbye

Oh, but Koa, older and wiser implied that time had passed, and the dragoon was not the only one for whom that was true. In fact, Sohalia was feeling considerably less modest these days, if her recent adventures were any indication. Besides, she was in a remarkably good mood at this particular moment in time, buoyed by the shifting mood of the young man beside her. 

So at his comment, she threw her head back and laughed, golden hair shimmering in the sunlight. ”Yes, Koa, I do know how bathhouses work,” she teased. ”To get clean, one does typically need to be nude.” As for being public… oh, Koa, if only you knew. Then, her eyes twinkling with mischief, she added in a mock serious tone, ”I can wait outside if you’d be uncomfortable.” And then, mostly to mess with him, she winked.

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to die

Sohalia

KOA

If her grin caught him off-guard her laugh is even worse; it cuts through him like molten lava, like cinnamon, like a drug. Too distracted to realize how goofily he's smiling, Koa raises his eyebrow higher as she defends herself. "Okay, okay!" he starts to counter, but the shift of her tone makes him pause. He's about to retort something suitably witty and charming - and then she fucking winks, her silver eye sparkling, and Koa to stare, agape, as heat flushes darkly over his cheeks.

Who even is this girl?

With his free arm Koa lifts his hand up, letting it hover near her head. "I'm so sorry, miss, but have you seen my friend Sohalia? About yea tall, blonde, blushes when you so much as glance her way?" From the chastest of kisses to winking over bathhouses... maybe they've both changed more than he thought.

Let me go, I don't wanna be your hero
I don't wanna be a big man
Just wanna fight with everyone else

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to say goodbye

If there was one thing her heart was not prepared for, it was Koa's smile. She wasn't sure she'd ever made him smile quite that goofily, even when they were semi-together (or whatever they were), and the effect it had on her was instantaneous. Her gaze flickered to his mouth for the briefest moment before settling back on his eyes.

And then, gods bless him, he blushed. She knew better than to tease him, but she'd done it anyway, and she could feel herself walking dangerously, perilously close to the edge of a cliff that she wasn't sure she'd be able to climb up if she jumped off a second time.

He recovered quickly, lifting a hand and blushing as he called her out. "Yeah, yeah," she said, laughing as she swatted halfheartedly at his raised hand. "I wasn't that bad." Except she was. She had been exactly that bad. She'd changed a lot in the time they'd spent apart, and she wasn't yet sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to die

Sohalia

KOA

Ah, but now she's the one blushing, and he's no longer on the back foot. "Not that bad," Koa rumbles in agreement, heat flashing briefly in his copper eyes. He shouldn't be doing this, shouldn't tempt heartache again; but it's oh so easy to fall into the comfortable pattern of flirting, especially when Soh seems to have grown so beautifully bold in the years between. Besides, the devil on his shoulder reminds him, it's not like it means anything. This isn't young hearts beating in hope of the future.

She's made it clear she doesn't see a future with him. So why not have some fun right now?

Because you're a coward, you godsdamned simp.

Letting go of Sohalia's hand, he shoves his deep into his pockets, affecting nonchalance. "So how far off is this bathouse?" Koa wonders as casually as he can possibly manage, hoping his expression reads I'm easy breezy, and not Someone please help me, feelings are hard.

Though if he winds up bathing alongside Soh, hard feelings will be the least of his concerns.

Let me go, I don't wanna be your hero
I don't wanna be a big man
Just wanna fight with everyone else

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to say goodbye

Her hand felt cold when he released it, and she ran it through her hair so that she could ignore the faint sting of rejection. It was silly, she knew, to think of it that way; nothing had happened between them before, and after everything she had no doubts that it would stay that way. He probably didn’t even want her - and she couldn’t blame him, not after the way she’d treated him.

Still, she’d said her piece and he’d seemingly accepted her apology, which was a far cry from previous meetings. So for a moment, she was wonderfully, blissfully happy. The feeling was strangely foreign these days, for all that Koa thought she’d managed to stay warm in the face of a cold, cold world. She wanted to hang onto it for as long as she could, and if that meant that Koa could be happy too, well, all the better.

”It’s just here,” she said as they approached a large bathhouse built into a massive tree trunk. Soh looked up at Koa impishly. ”So… am I in or out?” she asked. She’d meant it when she’d said the ball was in his court, and perhaps it was stupid of her to tempt fate, but a part of her wanted to see what he’d do. And if he took it as a challenge… well, she’d let the dice fall where they may.

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to die

Sohalia

KOA

Koa is... if not quite happy, at least comfortably numb. Sure the threat of The Family still looks over them like a violet thunderhead, and Noe's condition remains no closer to cured. And maybe there's still some lingering heartache when he thinks of the rejections and failures he's suffered, a deep, yawning loneliness in the edge of soul.

But for they've agreed to pretend that none of it matters, and sometimes 

He's never seen a bathouse in a tree before, though at this point he really shouldn't be surprised. Inspecting the establishment(?) with curiosity (and perhaps a little apprehension - this will, after all, involve going inside a plant), he doesn't quite catch Soh's question at first.

"Hmm? Oh." Glancing sidelong at the blonde Koa shrugs his shoulders, mischief shining in his eyes. "Far be it from me to make that decision for you." How did they saying go? Her body, her choice.

Though if the choice were entirely his that pale body would be splayed beneath him, every curve highlighted by a subtle sheen of sweat---

Woah there, himbo. Reign it right on in.

"Besides, I've never taken a bath in a tree before. I might need you to show me the ropes." He's already started walking onward, as though he might somehow outpace his lascivious thoughts. Pulling open the door to the bathouse, Koa gives Soh a playful bow. "After you, my Luminary." Part of him is still convinced she'll chicken out before things get too scandalous.

Another part is vibrating with eagerness to see how far this goes.

Let me go, I don't wanna be your hero
I don't wanna be a big man
Just wanna fight with everyone else

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to say goodbye

Soh’s watched as Koa sketched a bow, and a part of her heart twisted painfully at the playfulness with which he did it. Was this how things might have been all along, if she hadn’t screwed things up so royally? She’d missed Koa’s wit and charm, she realized, more than she’d even allowed herself to admit, and that in and of itself was enough to almost give her pause before walking into the bathhouse. Before she made any more decisions that would be impossible for her to undo.

Almost, but not quite.

She walked in with her head held high and immediately regretted it. The bathhouse was larger than it appeared from the outside, with multiple large baths scattered throughout. Several fae and human travelers lounged in various pools, and though their nakedness was mostly hidden beneath the water, she still found herself averting her gaze, a faint blush on her cheeks, under the pretense of scanning for their own, hopefully unshared pool.

There was a bath in the back, smaller than the others, beneath a skylight of sorts carved into the tree. A variety of soaps and scrubs were arrayed neatly on a ledge nearby. All in all, it was about as private as one could get in a pubic bathhouse, and she made a beeline for it, forcing herself to walk as confidently as she could muster - never mind that her pulse was suddenly thrumming in her throat. How far was Koa willing to go? How far was she?

”I think there are changing rooms over there,” she said, pointing, and was proud when her voice didn’t catch or break, even if her cheeks had remained a lovely shade of pink ever since walking in. ”There should be towels in there, and a place to leave your clothes.”

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to die

Sohalia

KOA

Koa is no stranger to nudity, having all but grown up in the Nest. Soldiers don't have much time for modesty; it's easy to numb oneself to bodies, when you're accustomed to seeing them as tools. No, any awkwardness he feels can be credited wholly to Soh, who walks in like an absolute queen only to all but immediately cringe away. Koa chuckles as he follows, thoroughly amused. It seems she isn't entirely changed, newfound brazenness aside.

The bath she selects is small and private, secluded even, causing Koa to raise a brow. "Cozy," is his only comment, and he's grateful for the heat of the bathouse which masks the flush upon his cheeks. It will be very difficult to ignore Soh's proximity, but if she's game then so is he. Stubborn and competitive, Koa isn't one to back down from a challenge, especially when a pretty girl is involved.

Stepping behind the curtain obediently, Koa quickly strips off his bedraggled clothes. When he emerges it's wearing two small towels only - one draped across his shoulders, the other wrapped around his waist The rest of his muscled body is already shiny with condensation, the slanting beams of the skylight highlighting muscled curves. He leans on a pillar as he waits for Sohalia, one eyebrow raised and a smirk on his lips. He'll give her one last chance to set a tone of (relative) modesty before entering the bath - with or without the tiny towel, based on what she does first.

Let me go, I don't wanna be your hero
I don't wanna be a big man
Just wanna fight with everyone else

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to say goodbye

If we’re being entirely honest, this was not the direction that Soh had imagined her afternoon taking. Not that she was complaining, exactly - but after her recent dalliances, she wasn’t entirely sure that her decision-making skills were intact after her near-brush with death in the tundra. So as Koa stepped behind a curtain and Soh mimicked the motion, she had to pause and take stock of the situation. If she got in the bath with Koa - a very hot Koa who she was undeniably attracted to - what would happen next? And was she prepared for the implications of that?

But even as she wavered, she also knew that life was incredibly, unfairly short - and hers had almost been cut even shorter by one swipe of the yeti’s claws. If she died tomorrow, would she regret what she hadn’t done today?

And besides that, there was no indication that Koa felt anything for her other than perhaps a newly budding friendship. Maybe she was just getting carried away.

She emerged from behind the curtain with a towel wrapped around her body. It barely brushed her thighs, leaving little to the imagination, but it made her feel marginally less exposed. Koa was already waiting for her. Her gaze raked over his exposed skin before she could stop herself, heating her gaze before she quickly looked away. He looked just as incredible as she remembered.

She walked to the edge of the pool, determined to go through with her admittedly poorly-thought-out idea, but when she got there, she hesitated, one hand on the towel that she’d been preparing to drop to the ground. Oddly enough, it wasn’t even the nakedness that bothered her (well, maybe a little), nor her proximity to Koa - it was her scars, which would be fully revealed and which she had yet to come to terms with. She wasn’t sure she could handle it if Koa looked at her in disgust and pity, so she wavered at the edge of the pool, suddenly unsure of how to proceed.

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to die

Sohalia

KOA

Koa's eyes, too, drift down Soh's body, tracing curves and supple skin before he can think to look away. Dimly he remembers the last time he saw her in a similar level of undress, back when everything had been simpler, when he'd believed they had a chance. It's a bittersweet thought, the wound no longer fresh or painful; more a dull ache of longing he exhales as a sigh.

Gentleman though he may try to be, no good manner can keep him from watching as she turns away from him, nor from noticing line of an ass cheek peeking out from under the edge of the towel. Nope, nope, time to put his thoughts elsewhere, to catalogue his boxing matches methodically, anything to keep the blood from pooling down beneath his waist.

Soh stops at the edge of the water, and for a brief flash he thinks she's really going to do it, to strip away that flimsy towel and leave her body bare. Excitement bubbles past his attempts to suppress it... except that then she hesitates, uncertainty written in her form. All at once Koa's emotions shift; boyish lust turns to chagrin, the excitement of a challenge fading away to embarrassment and warmth. He may not know why Sohalia's faltered, but he knows that he doesn't want to push her. To make her uncomfortable is the last thing he wants.

So, bad as ever with his words, Koa tries to use his actions to convey his support. Pushing off the wall where he's been reclining, he strides toward the pool with a guileless grin. Without an ounce of hesitation Koa steps into the water, his towel still in place. Forget the stupid challenge; he wants her to be comfortable, and if it will help for him to lead by maintaining modesty, then that's what he will do.

Let me go, I don't wanna be your hero
I don't wanna be a big man
Just wanna fight with everyone else

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to say goodbye

Soh stayed frozen with indecision until footsteps sounded behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Koa coming towards the pool with a boyish grin. Without removing his towel, he stepped into the water, leaving Soh to follow, and she felt a rush of warmth that had nothing to do with lust and everything to do with an emotion that she refused to name. Koa had always been nothing if not gentlemanly, and this act, as simple as it was, was enough to make her swoon.

Shaking her head, she followed him into the water, sighing softly at the warmth of the pool against her nearly-bare skin. The towel floated as she slipped in, but she didn’t allow it to unravel completely until she had submerged up to her shoulders. There was a ledge beneath the water, along the edge of the bath, and Soh slid onto it. Her hair was piled loosely atop her head, but a few tendrils had escaped and clung to her neck. She leaned her head back against the side of the pool, staring up at the ceiling, feeling suddenly morose. She’d been having such a good time, only to have it stolen away by haunting memories that refused to allow her to escape.

”Thanks,” she said softly after a moment, silver gaze lowering from the ceiling to catch Koa’s. There was still a flush to her cheeks, but her gaze was nothing but grateful, even as she was dimly aware that there was nothing but a short expanse of water and a dwindling reserve of self-control between them..

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to die

Sohalia