Was she...blushing?
With her light skin it was easy to notice the subtle little changes in color, and it wasn't like her to trip over her words when she usually had such a quick wit. But her words were a little stilted, just for a second, before she recovered smoothly right back to her usual self. His eyes narrowed a little, puzzled. Huh. His first thought wasn't that it was the little kiss, because she'd kissed his hand, too. Instead he found himself backtracking over his words, wondering if he'd said something too weird—which also didn't make sense. If she wasn't put off by everything he'd said about shifting, then he couldn't imagine what could do it.
He also wasn't oblivious to her staring. But considering they were talking about shirts, he figured she was probably just sizing him up.
Odd.
But then she was off, and there was a brief, lingering moment of concern, that maybe he'd made the wrong call. Maybe he should have offered to go with her, or to go instead even if he'd be slower. It could be risky—but he quelled the thought.
No, she was a grown-ass woman who could likely kick his ass in a fistfight in human form. She knew how to handle herself. Why was he concerned about that now?
Well, no sense dwelling on it; they had a schedule to stick to, after all.
The bath was indeed wonderful, and though Cadmus felt a little guilty for it while Raizel was out working, he indulged a bit and took a little longer than he needed.
Okay, maybe a little too long.
The night had been stressful to say the least; hunting Raizel, learning it was her, trying to save her and then the both of them, all the murder attempts, and then when all was said and done his sleep had been interrupted by a murder-kiss. He'd been exhausted but the coffee had worked its magic—for a time.
As Cadmus soaked in the bath, the warm water soothing his sore muscles, he soon came back around the other side to something he'd never before experienced: the caffeine crash. He wasn't even aware of nodding off; he'd only leaned his head back against the rim and closed his eyes for a second. And yet some time later he came to again when the water got too cold and a twitch shook him, like falling in a dream and jerking awake just before the splat.
Sucking in a breath, heart racing, he looked around in confusion before it all came back.
Ah, shit.
He was pruney.
How much time had even passed?!
He rushed through the rest of his bath and came out of it clean and smelling of soap, his black hair plastered to his head and dripping onto his shoulders. Throwing on his breeches before he rushed out, he was relieved to see it was at least still light out. Thank gods. Slipping back into the room, he shut the door behind him.
And the tension melted.
Raizel was back, so it had to have been a bit, but it seemed he wasn't the only one who got hit with the crash. Alright, good, he didn't have to feel too guilty then.
For a moment he just stood there, watching her sleep, debating if he should wake her. She looked so peaceful, her face relaxed, the pain of earlier smoothed away...and he just couldn't do it. Raizel had gotten as little sleep as he had but between her grief and being betrayed and hunted and roughed up and threatened...yeah, she absolutely had a worse night than he had.
There was still a little light left. They could afford it. She deserved the rest, and it was probably better that they went in fresh; he could keep an eye on the time.
Settling down beside her facing the window, he stretched an arm across her middle, his face nestled against against her hair, and settled into his role as Light Watcher. He'd give her until dusk, he told himself. Enough time for the bath to have warm water again while giving her time to bathe.
Solid plan.