"Sorry to trouble you," Nina murmured softly, lowering her head, her voice carrying a hint of shyness.
"It's… it's nothing."
Odian snapped back to his senses, the tips of his ears burning as his heartbeat quickened even further.
He composed himself with effort and turned his face slightly aside, not daring to stare.
Stepping forward, he crouched behind her and drew in a steadying breath before forcing his gaze back to that stretch of pale skin that had so thoroughly unsettled him.
"There's still a little blood on your back," he said gently. "Let me clean it off first."
"Alright." Nina's cheeks flushed faintly.
They were already at this point. It would feel better to have it properly cleaned anyway.
Odian wrung out the hide cloth in the basin. As he moved closer, his hand trembled slightly.
He steadied himself, his face still tinged red, and began wiping her back with meticulous care, his touch feather-light—like he was handling a priceless treasure.
