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To say that Una was concerned would have been an understatement. La'an was never late. In fact, she was annoyingly early most days. This was out of character for her. There was no way La’an would miss their date. Something must be wrong, she thought as she started to move swiftly towards La’an’s quarters.
Una hit the chime for the door once and then another time before confirming La’an’s location. Una struck the chime for the third time. Still no answer. She felt a spike of adrenaline rush through her, bringing up strings of incidents and mangled bodies found on uneventful days. She keyed in her code to unlock the door, bursting through them before they were fully open, and calling for La'an. Nothing. Una made a quick sweep of La'an's quarters and saw no sign of her. Her enhanced hearing picked up a faint sound coming from the bathroom. She moved closer to the door, listening carefully. Was that…music?
“La'an?” Una called out as she opened the bathroom door. She was met with a huge cloud of steam that smelled strongly of lavender. Soft music filled her ears as she looked around the room. The amount of steam hanging in the air was impressive.
“Una? Is that you?” La'an asked.
“Who else would barge into your bathroom? Are you ok? You missed our dinner date.” The thudding in her chest began to slow. La’an was alright. Well. Alright enough to be talking to her.
“...I…I did?” La'an squeaked.
“Yes, by half an hour.” Una made her way deeper into the room. She could just make out the shape of the tub when… Huh. There was La'an, neck-deep in bubbles, her hair pinned up in a messy bun, and her face damp from the steam rising off the fragrant water. This is new, Una thought, humming approvingly at the sight before her. She sat on the edge of the tub. She knew that she should be annoyed at being stood up, but there was something…endearing about seeing La’an with her guard so far down.
“Everything okay?” Una asked.
The water sloshed as La'an moved her hands slightly before answering, her eyes not meeting Una’s gaze.
“Y–yes. Everything is fine. I just…lost track of time.”
“You? You lost track of time? That's very unlike you.” Una coaxed, trying to get to what’s really going on.
“Yes…well. It happens, okay?” La'an muttered.
“Not to you. Are you sure you're okay?” Una moved forward and put a hand on La’an’s shoulder, punctuated by the sound of bubbles popping as she moved through them..
La'an shifted in the tub.
“Yes, I'm fine. I just got…distracted…by my bath.”
“Your bath? You were late for dinner…because you were taking a bath?” Una asked, amusement coloring her voice. Oh, this was better than she'd imagined. Maybe later she could tease her a bit about it, but now wasn't the right time.
La'an’s face turned red, most likely not from the temperature of her bath.
“Yes. It was a stressful day, so I took a bath to help me relax.” She grimaced. “I guess it worked a little too well.”
“I didn't realize you were into baths,” Una said softly.
“I've…I've only recently started taking them. They're quite nice. I enjoy them. More than I thought I would.” La'an clenched her jaw for a moment before continuing. “The warmth and…and the bubbles are soothing.”
“Yes, they are. I prefer baths. It's like receiving a full-body hug.” She reached out to move a few strands of hair stuck to La'an's forehead. “And after a day like today, I'm not surprised that you got lost in your bath.”
“It was a strenuous mission,” La'an agreed. She shifted slightly, then said, “I apologize for being late for dinner. I…” her voice drifted off as Una leaned in to kiss her forehead.
“It's ok, La’an. I'm glad you're taking care of yourself,” Una said gently. “It makes me happy that you're trying to prioritize self-care. You deserve it.”
La'an sighed softly.
“I really am trying,” she said quietly. She looked up at Una. “I'm sorry I messed up our evening.”
Una dipped her head to kiss La'an sweetly on the lips. She couldn't believe that she could kiss this remarkable woman any time she wanted to. How did I get so lucky, she asked herself.
“No more apologies. You didn't mess anything up. If anything, you've given me an idea,” Una replied with a mischievous expression.
La'an stared at her with a puzzled look. Una stood and slowly — very slowly — unzipped her skant, never breaking eye contact. Una smiled smugly as La’an’s eyes widened.
“Is there room for two in that tub?” she asked with an impish grin.
“There's only one way to find out, Chief,” she said, smiling.
Una made quick work of disrobing and slid into the tub behind La'an. The hot, silky water slowly warmed her skin as she submerged herself. Her hands landed on La’an’s stomach. Una loved La’an’s abs. They were slightly sculpted and still feminine, soft skin covering firm muscles. The sensory feedback from the heat of the water, the bubbles, and La'an's smooth skin sent a thrill through Una. There were so many sensations to process. La'an leaned back into her with a contented sigh. Her hands made their way to Una's thighs, softly caressing them with her thumbs. Una couldn't be sure what was warming her more—the bath water or the feel of La’an pressed up against her.
Una secretly loved these soft moments with La'an. They happened so infrequently. She fully intended to savor every second of it. She took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the bath and La'an. She dipped her head to kiss La'an's shoulder. Her skin was soft and warm against Una's lips.
“The music's a nice touch,” Una murmured into La'an's shoulder as Spanish guitar music played softly in the background. She felt La'an shudder under her lips.
“Th–thanks. It's…I don't know…comforting, I guess. Relaxing, maybe…”
Una's hands gently squeezed La'an’s middle. She was happy to hear that La'an was finding any amount of comfort and enjoyment in life. She'd had such a difficult life, with more than her share of battles and obstacles. She deserved softer things once in a while.
“Do you know how proud I am of you? I love seeing you take care of yourself.” Una kissed just behind La'an's ear. She couldn't seem to keep her lips off of La’an.
“It feels extravagant. I'm not sure if it's for me.”
Una snickered at this. La'an could be so adorably oblivious sometimes.
“La'an, sweetheart, you missed our dinner plans because you were enjoying your bath. I'd say they're your thing now.”
La'an squirmed slightly at that. Una could feel her jaw clenching. It was such a struggle to get La'an to enjoy a quiet moment. Her mind seemed to keep running in spite of itself.
“It's okay that you enjoy it. We all have something we indulge in from time to time. Those are the things that make life worth living.”
“Really? And what's your indulgence?” Una could hear the smirk on her face.
Una ran her hands slowly across La'an's abs, up her sides then back down to her stomach. She let her thumbs barely brush the underside of La'an's breasts. La'an trembled at the movement, which thrilled Una. She loved how responsive La'an was to her touch. She could coax a number of shivers, shudders, and sighs out of La'an with the lightest of touches. It was intoxicating.
“These quiet moments with you,” Una whispered. “When you set your armor aside and just…exist for a moment.”
“Really?” Una only hummed in response. “You don't think it makes me…weak? Vulnerable?”
Una knew that being anything but on high alert was difficult for La'an. She’d struggled with it for years. Una pressed her nose into La'an's soft hair and kissed her head.
“Not at all. In fact, the opposite is true. It takes great strength to relax and be still, even for a moment.” Una's thumbs moved again, lightly caressing La'an's warm skin. La'an sighed softly at her touch.
La'an's hands covered Una's as they continued their gentle movements, linking their fingers. She leaned her forehead against Una's jaw.
“Thank you,” La'an whispered.
“For what?”
“For encouraging me to try new things. And for joining me tonight.” She paused for a moment, before continuing. “Do…do you think we could…take a bath together again?” she asked hesitantly.
Una's heart soared at the idea. If sitting in a tub with La'an helped her to take a moment for herself… well, Una would just have to make that sacrifice, wouldn't she? The thought of being able to enjoy this activity habitually caused a small chuckle to bubble up. She dipped her head to kiss La'an, soaking up the moment a bit before answering.
“Of course, La'an. Anytime you want.”