Nathan was really looking forward to taking a proper bath.
[How do you plan on getting in and out of the water on your own?] Axel asked him. [You still can't stand on your own.]
Nathan's face flushed as he came to the same realization. He'd have to be naked in front of Griffin. Again.
"Did you have to point that out?!" He panicked.
[Oh hush. You'd have noticed it eventually. I just told you to give you time to accept it.]
As Griffin carried him into the bath hut, Nathan looked around the space. It was small but clean with a bench to put his clothes next to the door and a hook to hang a towel from right next to the small tub. There was also a ledge with different cleaning products already set up. Below it, a small spigot to fill the tub.
Looking at the size of the tub, Nathan turned his gaze back to the man holding him, trying to imagine him fitting in it and started laughing.
"What's funny, Nate?" Griffin asked curiously.
"Nothing. Just imagining how small you must make that tub look." He kept laughing.
"Oh, really? Am I dressed in that image?" Griffin's voice dropped into a husky, seductive tone.
Nathan immediately quieted. "Umm… w-w-well… t-t-that…" He flushed brighter.
Griffin started laughing himself at the boy's flustered stuttering. "I'm just teasing, Nate. I'm going to go get the fire started to heat the water. You fill the tub and I'll be right back with a towel and clean clothes."
He set Nathan down on a small stool he hadn't noticed right away next to the tub.
After he'd exited the hut, Nathan turned his attention to the spigot. "Any chance you know how this works?" He asked Axel.
[Unfortunately no but we can figure it out.]
It took Nathan longer than he'd care to admit to figure out how to turn the spigot on and watched the water pour into the tub only to realize that it was just draining immediately. He'd forgotten to plug the drain.
When he tried to reach it, Nathan realized that he wouldn't be able to plug the drain from where he was sitting.
[Well, now's as good a time as any to try to stand on your own.]
"Should I really be trying to without Griffin. What if I fall? I could hurt myself and be be even more of a burden."
Axel paused. [Good point. But what are you going to do? He asked you to fill the tub while he was gone.]
Nathan just sighed as he turned the water off. "I'll just have to wait for him and apologize."
**********
After exiting the hut, Griffin made his way over to the stove that heated the stone tub and water.
[How is he supposed to get in and out of the tub on his own?] Kael asked.
Griffin thought about it as he got the fire going. "Oh. I guess I'll have to help him. Wait. Is that what he was blushing about?"
[I think so.] Kael paused before adding, [And I'm really curious on what image he was imagining.]
Griffin held back the sigh that wanted to escape him. "I'm trying not to think about that. Unless I want to have to deal with a problem."
Neither one spoke again until Griffin was back in the hut looking at a dejected Nathan and an empty tub.
"Nate? What's wrong? Could you not figure out how to turn the water on?" He walked over to the wolf.
Nate looked up at him, his eyes red. "I could. I couldn't reach the drain plug. I'm sorry," he looked down, breaking eye contact. "I might've been able to reach it if I tried to stand but I wasn't comfortable doing that without you nearby." His voice was wavering by the end, sounding like he was holding back tears.
"Hey," Griffin gently said to him, "it's okay. I understand." He reached over and plugged the drain before kneeling before the wolf. "There. Done. Why don't you turn the water on?"
Nathan rubbed his eyes before turning back to the spigot and turning it back on. As the tub filled, Griffin stayed where he was as he asked, "Do you want me to wait outside while you bathe?"