Eld was too busy avoiding Etsu's gaze out of his own embarrassment to notice that she was staring at him. He'd spent too many years as skinny and weak, and despite his recent training he lacked much confidence in his own attractiveness. Even had he noticed Etsu looking him over, he would have attributed it to something else.

Once they arrived, Eld respectively turned away as Etsu undressed even though he'd be seeing her in essentially her underwear anyway. He busied himself gathering things to place near the bath instead: soap, shampoo, washcloths and towels, and so on. However, as quiet as she was when she spoke it drew his attention back to her, and it was Eld's turn to catch himself staring. He could now see clearly what he'd suspected from the couple of glimpses he'd received previously: Etsu was quite well developed for her age. In fact, it was rather difficult to believe she'd only just had her first period.

He quickly looked away, his blush deepening, but there was no avoiding looking at her as he helped her get into the tub. And there was no denying she was attractive, either. Hard to believe she's two years younger than me... He felt immediately bad about thinking something like that, and tried to push it from his mind...rather unsuccessfully.

Climbing into the tub himself, he submerged himself up to his neck. It wasn't especially large, though it could fit two or three people fairly comfortably (though not leaving much room to move around). Despite the odd situation, he quickly relaxed. He enjoyed being clean, and he enjoyed baths immensely, and for a little while he was just content to soak. He figured the best way to deal with the situation for the moment was not to give it much mind; they'd be in just as little clothing if they decided to go swimming, he rationalized, so as long as he just did his own thing there wasn't anything to be worried over.

It was a pretty effective argument, and he was soon comfortable enough to rise out of the water and begin soaping up the upper half of his body. Cleanliness was ever important to him, and so he was quite meticulous in the process. "Here," he said, making sure the soap dish was within reach of her as well.

Just as Eld failed to notice that Etsu had been staring at him, Etsu failed to see that he had been staring at her--and for the same exact reason. She had been too preoccupied staring at the floor to notice him, indulging thoughts of shame for her body. She didn't think that she looked attractive at all, but then again, she lacked anyone to suggest the possibility. Left only to her own judgments alone, she came to self demeaning conclusions. In the tub, the girl sat with her body submerged up to her lips, her legs were lifted so her knees could be at chest level, and her eyes were focused upon the water immediately before her face.

Etsu was quiet, just like Eld, staring into the water rather than making an attempt to socialize. Every so often, though, she started to notice Eld--or his legs, rather. Trailing her eyes from Eld's foot to his calf, Etsu started to realize that he had well toned muscles all over; his legs were just as toned as the rest of his body, if not just a bit more. Once she got to his thighs, which were half-visible by his trunks riding up a little after he had sat down, Etsu realized that she was staring again and quickly averted her eyes. Fortunately, Eld had again not noticed.

I am on my period--is it all right to be in water . . . ?

She shifted her legs uncomfortably, rubbing her thighs together. It was fine, though. The discomfort was all but gone while she was sitting in the warm bath. She had changed her pad earlier, too--so that was another base that was covered. All in all, she was fine in that department. While she was lost in thought, Eld had sat up in the water, catching the girl's attention. Her thoughts were interrupted immediately and she stared up at Eld.

Earlier, she had caught herself staring at Eld's body--she caught herself doing it again, too, but didn't look away this time. Unconsciously, she had sat up enough so she was instead submerged only to her chin, which coincidentally allowed her a much better vantage point. Eld, when soaping down his body, not only lacked his arms over his chest--now allowing Etsu to see the definition in his pectorals--he flat out revealed his muscles in motion. Casual motion, but motion nonetheless. The young Reaper's eyes were transfixed upon his arms, stomach, and chest, watching how individual muscles tensed and curved in use. He was . . . really, really strong--she could tell that much, and it reminded her of the time when they fell off of Eld's favorite hill, when she held onto him and he held her tightly against him.

This time, Etsu failed to remind herself to look away--and she was clearly admiring him, too, likely to not realize she was caught staring unless Eld brought attention to that fact. He was attractive--very much so, and the first boy she had seen dressed this little. No matter how not used to socializing--and socializing with boys especially--or how much she wanted this to just be a bath, Etsu was starting to develop a wish to feel him holding her tightly against him again--a desire that was understood by her, causing her to blush even more than before.

Not long after moving the soap dish, he noticed that Etsu hadn't moved yet at all. When he looked over at her, he noticed that she was watching him rather intently. It was...odd. He'd never had someone look at him quite like that before, and he found himself both flattered and embarrassed.

"H-Hey, don't just watch me," he said, attempting to snap her out of it. "You have to wash too, you know." It occurred to him that her hygiene habits might not be any better than her eating ones.

Finishing with his upper body, he dunked himself back down into the water to wash off the soap. Standing up again, he put one foot up on the edge of the bath so he could scrub his leg, though this time he kept an eye on Etsu to see if she would begin washing herself or just continue to stare.

--don't just watch me--

She hadn't realized that she was staring until Eld spoke to her--calling her out on it, actually. Etsu's face turned a bright red immediately; she looked away as quickly as possible and sat there, silent for a moment. She had been caught staring. Thousands of thoughts ran through the girl's mind at once and further embarrassed her. This wasn't something she was used to . . . at all. Being around people was hard, she couldn't maintain a decent conversation, and she had trouble speaking her mind even with someone she was comfortable with--and now there was an extremely attractive boy in front of her, well over half naked. She couldn't keep her eyes off of him, either; it was horrible. Etsu didn't know what to do.

So she dipped herself into the water, quickly retaliating against her embarrassment like she did with blankets over her head, submerging herself in the water completely. Bubbles rose to the top every so often; she was only under for about twenty seconds, though. Out of necessity alone, she poked her head back out of the water, looking up to Eld again . . . only to catch herself staring again, taking a deep breath, shutting her eyes tightly, and going back under.

The second time she came up, she was able to look away, enough so she could speak: ". . . gomenasai . . ."

Etsu's bathing habits were just as bad as her eating habits, too. She paid very little attention to the soap and shampoo, possibly never using them in her life, or perhaps using slightly different styles of the product.

Eld found himself staring now, though for a decidedly different reason. When Etsu went under the water, it was odd enough that he actually stopped what he was doing to watch. He was reminded of her habit of pulling up the covers over her head: it seemed that when she was especially embarrassed, her first response was to hide. There was something childish and endearing about it, but in this situation it didn't really work. Though there was a little soap in the water, it was still mostly clear, and though she was probably closing her eyes he could still see her.

Even stranger was that she came up, began staring again, and resubmerged herself. The implication is that she couldn't keep her eyes off of him...and he wasn't really sure what to do about that. He had to wash, so he couldn't exactly just cover himself up.

"D-Don't worry about it, it's not a big deal," he said after she apologized. He didn't know that it was her first time seeing a shirtless guy up close, which certainly would have explained it. He did notice that she still wasn't touching the soap. "Uh...you do need to wash yourself, though." Hopefully, it would give her something to focus on other than him.

"O-oh . . . yo-you are right . . ." the girl whispered.

Etsu was still embarrassed as hell, though. She was blushing like crazy and couldn't stop it; it was just as hard as not looking at Eld--which was in itself nearly impossible. Etsu doubted she was going to find someone that was nearly as attractive, even though this was the first boy she had seen like this. But she quickly shook the thought off, trying to deny that she was attracted to him, and reassuring herself that they were only taking a bath together--that it was nothing more, and that she shouldn't be causing unnecessary problems for him right now, considering his current social problems.

So, Etsu, still looking away, put one hand upon the edge of the tub, using it to balance herself as she repositioned her body so she could sit upright with most of her body out of the water. This exposed her body again, now completely drenched. Her sarashi, although thick enough cloth that it couldn't be seen through, was clinging to her body a lot more skin-tight than before and her hair--seemingly darker when it was wet--was down and pushed behind her ears; no stray strands rebelled anymore. She sat awkwardly upon her knees so the water would be at waist level.

Just a bath. Just a bath. Just a bath. There is nothing wrong with this.

Breathing it, the girl shut her eyes and reached for the soap, applying it to her body. The sarashi made it a bit awkward, but she did at one point still apply soap to the cleavage that the sarashi did not cover. Etsu wasn't as meticulous with it as Eld, and it seemed that she was just doing this because Eld wanted her to--but she gave it an attempt, and tried to soap up her body with detail, even if she was spotty at times--and physically incapable of soaping up her back. Etsu even tried at one point, failing miserably. She was unaware of the possibility that she could be stared at, too; considering her predisposition of her body, Etsu didn't think that anyone was going to admire her when she was like this.

Seeing that Etsu finally listened to him, he began to resume his own washing. He didn't pay much heed, until he suddenly realized that he'd actually been watching her for a good minute. He blinked for a moment, realizing he must have zoned out, but now that he was paying attention he couldn't help but notice that his gaze kept drifting over to her...at one point catching as she soaped up what was visible of her chest.

He snapped his head away again. Aw, dammit...me too? I should be better than this... He knew it was male instinct, but after he called Etsu on staring at him he figured it would be pretty bad for her to catch him doing the same.

He managed to rein his gaze in fairly well; though he couldn't help but glance at her every so often, he at least wasn't outright staring. At one point, seeing her struggle to reach her back, he blurted out, "Would you like me to wash your back?" He just couldn't stop himself from trying to be helpful, even in this situation. Of course, if she said no he'd understand, but the pattern recognition part of his brain was telling him that she'd probably accept, and that furthermore every time he'd touched a girl's bare back thus far, it had been the beginning of...well, odd events, to say the least.

Eld had a lot more tact than Etsu. He was able to hide the fact that he had been staring at her, made easy by the fact that she was trying so hard not to stare at him that she was consciously avoiding him--his eyes, his body, everything. She didn't want to be caught doing that again. Eld gave it away when he asked about her back, though. Etsu almost jumped out of the water in surprise, just causing a small splash as she quickly repositioned herself.

He was watching . . .?

It was the only logical conclusion she could make--the only way Eld would know that she needed help washing her back. This made her blush a bit--but not much, and not as if she felt embarrassed at the idea that someone was admiring her, but for the exact opposite: she blushed out of shame, then submerging herself in the water up to her chin in order to rinse the soap off . . . and hide her shame a bit.

. . . he was probably disappointed . . .

Following this conclusion, she was able to fully realize that Eld had asked if she'd like him to wash her back. She didn't know why, but the notion seemed . . . intimate. Etsu's first instinct was to say "no"and cling to her statement that they were only taking a bath together and nothing more--but as time had gone on, that value had deteriorated quite a bit. It was a part of bathing, though--he would just be helping her wash her back, right? She couldn't reach it, anyways . . . not that Etsu was particularly intent to be fully clean in the first place--but still, it was just part of bathing. In her mind, she justified it as that, but the fact that it just felt like an intimate concept stuck. Strangely, part of her was kind of hoping for that intimacy.

". . . I-I wour-rd r-rike that . . ." she whispered with great heistation, now willing to move to where ever Eld directed her to make it easier on the both of them.

At first, with Etsu's reaction of hiding again, he thought she would say no: he didn't catch that it was shame, not embarrassment, that drove her reaction, and he thought he might have crossed a line in her mind. So he was fairly surprised when she responded affirmatively, causing him to wonder what had been going through her head.

"O-Okay, stand up and turn around then." This would not only give him access to her back, but she'd be able to steady herself on the edge of the bath.

As he soaped up his hands, he began to wonder if this was such a good idea. Like Etsu, despite the fact that it shouldn't be anything more that just helping her get clean, he couldn't help but feel the action was slightly intimate. But as he didn't know that his thoughts echoed her own, he concluded he was just being silly for thinking it.

When Etsu complied, he'd take a moment to compose himself (and felt a little bad that he even needed to in the first place) before beginning to lightly rub the soap on her back.

Doing as Eld said, Etsu grabbed the edges of the bathtub and pulled herself up. On her bad leg, she still needed a certain amount of support. There had been a few times when she absentmindedly walked on it without support (which could only mean that she was pretty close to being all right), but those where unconscious acts. The girl turned so her back would be facing Eld and closed her eyes. Anticipating this was hellish.

Regardless of how much she said in her mind to suggest reasons why this was a bad idea, when Etsu first felt Eld's hands upon her naked back, she let out a surprised gasp--a pleasant surprise. Shortly thereafter, she let out a content sigh, relaxing. This wasn't a massage, but it still felt like one to her. Better, actually. This was intimate, there was no denying it. The girl's anxiety built pressure in her body; she couldn't help it, but her spirit had built up a bit. As always, her emotions could just be felt by touching her when she had a well of spiritual energy within her. In this case, there were quite a few. Regret, worry, and discomfort were extremely minor, toppled by happiness--and hope. Her spirit calmed eventually, as Eld gently rubbing the soap into her back soothed her enough to quell her anxiety.

It is just a bath . . . just a bath . . .

Excluding Emma and Rebbecca, there were three important girls in Eld's life--Sarah, Mayako, and Etsu. Though Etsu didn't realize it--and usually denied it when she did realize, she was technically in the same boat as the other two. Notably, Eld had managed to get all three girls into situations where he could touch their bare backs, and all with good (or bad, depending on situation and perspective) results. The difference with her, though, was that she hadn't known Eld for longer than two weeks. While there was a certain deal of attachment for Eld, time alone kept her letting this become more than a bath, even if there was part of her hoping for it to get a little out of hand. But she'd never been in a situation like this and never had that hope before; she couldn't pinpoint it and started to believe that it was immoral and wrong.

"Because . . . peopr-re that are not coupr-re . . . shour-rd not do more than this . . ." Etsu whispered her thoughts aloud, her voice smaller than ever before, barely audible even when Eld was standing behind her.

It was a determination that could easily be broken; all Eld had to do was move his hands to her lower back, touch her hips, or accidentally move his hands across her belly. Were he to do any of these, the girl would be putty in his hands, having a difficult time standing, needing help to do so, and altogether losing every feeling of discomfort and anxiety, replaced completely by confusion, disorientation, and a drive that she couldn't describe--but one that didn't want Eld to let go of her . . .

Eld was surprised to find that he could tell what she was feeling as he washed her back. This was the second time this had occurred, prompted by physical contact between them. He wondered if that was normal for shinigami, and if Etsu could feel his emotions as well. But while he could tell how she felt, why she felt it was still lost on him: there was nothing out of the ordinary, so he didn't think much of it. And as she relaxed, that sense faded away again.

He continued to be meticulous even while cleaning another: his own mild anxiety over the act had faded more quickly than Etsu's, as it wasn't terribly different from giving someone a massage. Again, there was part of his brain that reminded him of where similar situations had led, but he ignored it; he'd only known Etsu for a short while, and moreover her personality made it far less likely that she would behave similar to the other girls.

"Hmm?" he asked, not quite catching what she'd whispered, but it was unlikely she'd respond as his hands moved to soap up her lower back, at which point it seemed to him like she'd suddenly lost her balance. "Ah!" Reacting quickly, he grabbed her around the waist with one arm and just under her chest with another to steady, holding her tightly against him to prevent her from falling, unaware that it would probably only worsen her condition.

"A-Are you all right?" he asked worriedly, lowering his voice since he was practically speaking into her ear.

Etsu had become weak at the knees at the very moment that Eld touched her bare lower back with his hands. She had trembled all over, then when her knees gave out on her, she fell back into Eld, feeling the skin of her back against the skin of his chest. And almost immediately, he had one arm wrapped around her diaphragm and the other around her waist, holding her in place so she wouldn't fall.

"Er-rd . . . kun . . ." Etsu whispered in surprise, her eyes wide.

He has his arm around me--skin . . . against skin. A boy is this close to me. Eld is really this close to me.

She couldn't move; all she could do was stand there, leaning back into Eld for support. Etsu's knees were still like jello; she would not have been able to stand up if Eld let go of her then. So . . . he'd have to keep supporting her. And the way he whispered into her ear just felt . . . intimate, loving almost--like a man whispering into his beloved's ear. For some time, Etsu didn't move, just stared ahead in shock. This was the closest she had ever been to a boy, both emotionally and physically. She didn't want him to let go, either; the closeness was not disdained like she would have otherwise guessed, which greatly confused Etsu. So many times in the past, she had acted distant and borderline cold just to get a boy to cease attempts to court her, but now . . . when Eld wasn't even trying to court her, she didn't want him to let go of her and deny the closeness, even if it was only physical to him. It didn't make any sense to the Reaper at all, but it was how she felt.

It was likely that Eld was going to feel her heart pounding, especially with her back up against his chest. She had started to breath deeper, too, anxiety now taking hold of her. But unlike what she thought she'd have done--saying that she's all right and promptly sitting down to hide, Etsu shakily raised her hands and placed them upon Eld's, gently holding his arms in place and ensuring that he'd continue to hold her like this. With her hands upon his, her fingers threatened to coil around his, something which would have only happened if he let them. Etsu said nothing, though, she just closed her eyes halfway, staring at the water below. Still, were Eld to let her go, she would have fallen.

He had been washing her back, an action that while it carried a slight connotation of intimacy wasn't one that was terribly difficult to overlook. He'd caught her as a reaction, simply out of concern of her falling. She still didn't seem ready to stand, but as she placed her hands over his he realized the situation had shifted. He had held her similarly a few times before to help her stand or keep her balance, but with the skin to skin contact it seemed completely different. He could feel the warmth of her body, a warmth separate from the bath they were in. He felt her heartbeat-faster than normal, and as he took in her reaction more his own began to pick up as well. Unconsciously he moved his hands slightly to let her fingers coil around his.

Confusion began to set in; he knew he could lower her to have a seat in the bath, but that wasn't what she wanted, and he realized that it wasn't he wanted either. He had suspected that she developed a bit of a crush on him, but what he hadn't considered was that he might have developed some feelings for her as well. He was unsure of what to do next-she'd made it clear earlier that she didn't want this to be anything but a bath, but now she clearly desired him to continue holding her, and not just because she was having difficulty standing. He was used to trusting his own good judgment, but lately it hadn't proved to be all that good at all, especially as these situations kept occurring.

"Etsu...?" he whispered. He'd been in similar situations with the other two girls, and with wildly different results-he was at a loss of what to do, so for the moment he just continued to hold her.

She felt her fingers slide between Eld's . . . they were holding hands, and he was holding her. The knowledge of this quickened the girl's breathing. This was the furthest she had ever been with a boy, and she couldn't explain why she wasn't trying to push him away--or why she wanted him this close. It was perfect. This was where she wanted to be. And again, he whispered into her ear. This ran a shiver down her spine, but far from an unpleasant feeling. With the way he held her, whispering in her ear just made it that much more intimate. It felt good, both relaxing and contenting, no matter how anxious it made her. With the growing anxiety came her emotions, too: again, Eld would feel empathy just by touching her, this time feeling no semblance of discomfort. Just happiness . . . and worry. Concern, not for herself, but for others.

". . . it is fine if . . ." Etsu whispered between quick breaths, ". . . if we are just . . . r-rike this . . .?"

I do not want to be a bother. I do not . . . want to take Eld away from his friends and family. So . . . I do not have the right for more than this. I would be taking him away from Vaerbond or Takamine, before he ever leaves this village. I do not want to do that--I do not have the right. But I . . .

". . . if it . . . if it is stir-rr bath, but . . . but we are cr-rose . . . r-rike this . . .--wo-wour-rd it be fine . . .?"

This was all she wanted. Anything more would be too much, and while she would be worried otherwise that Eld might not want to do anything more than this with her (she would have assumed this to be fact, as well, were it not for other concerns), she was worried about Mayako and Sarah. The two girls had feelings for Eld, as well--and Etsu had realized it over time, while watching their actions. They probably wanted to be more than friends with Eld, as was their right as far as Etsu was concerned. She didn't want to get in their way, but . . . this was too nice to pass up.