The Second Lesson

Truth be told, Brit was growing tired. The fencing lesson had lasted far too long and she was starting to feel most weary. “Again,” Ethan directed. Touching his chest where his heart was located, he said, “Try to touch here, Brit.” Brit struggled to tag him but he moved too fast. He could read her thoughts. She wanted to stop, but continued only because Ethan had swatted her playfully with the broad side of his blade when she quit without his ending the lesson the last time. She could still hear his admonishment, “Next time, the lesson is over only when I say it is, Brit.” Seeing her memories, Ethan lowered his sword and motioned her to him. “You are developing speed in your parries, Brit. However, you lack conviction when you lunge. Enough for today, I think.”

Brit’s sweat was tinged pink upon close examination. She was tired. They returned to their resting place to obtain a few items and made their way south in the city to the public bath. Snow fell as they traipsed through the street. Once in the bath, Brit laid out fresh clothing before quickly removing her fencing garb and stripped down to a tanktop and shorts. Ethan followed suit down to his briefs. Both slipped in the warm water and Ethan rinsed the sweat from Brit’s skin with water by cupping his hand before pulling her back against him. Once she settled against him, Ethan reached for a sponge to drag over her skin as he went over the finer points of the fencing lesson.

In no time, the conversation left fencing and moved to the shared bath. With the moon lighting up the sky behind the clouds, and the snow fluttering to the ground, the bath looked like something resembling a set of a Ridley Scott movie. Brit chattered about the pleasures of hot water, when Ethan replied, “I like the idea of being in hot water with you.” Dipping the sponge again, he squeezed the warm water to flow over her neck, bite marks, and down her back while moving her ponytail aside to kiss her sweetly.

Brit’s relaxed body went rigid for a moment and she sat forward. Blinking, her eyes widened and she suddenly giggled. “That’s a joke, isn’t it? Being in hot water means being in mischief…er…trouble…and so you are saying hot water like a bath and maybe hot water like trouble even if I’m not really trouble.” Brit continued to ramble to process out the joke before giggling again. Letting her know that it was a joke, Ethan grinned pulling her back against him again. His fingers massaged her sides and arms. Brit continued to marvel about the words. She lisped, “I know a different joke.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Yes? Well, why do you not tell me about it then.”

Tapping her toes together happily, Brit said, “Okay. There was a skeleton once up on a time. And he goes to a bar. Like a bar like the Haven. And the bartender says, ‘So what will you have?’ And the skeleton says, ‘I’ll have a beer and a mop!’ And that is my joke!” Brit collapses into giggles and says, “I’ve never seen a skeleton walk or talk, but if it did, you know it would need a mop to drink beer! Or to drink anything. Even water! Because anything wet would go right through him!” Brit gestured animatedly and giggled more, which caused Ethan to grin with pure amusement. In her mind, she visualized the joke and continued to giggle. Ethan marveled at his wife’s growth to grasp and tell jokes, which was a recent ability.

Lathering up the sponge, Ethan washed Brit’s body. Handing her the sponge, he told her that she needed to wash her feet as he could not reach them. “All clean here though,” he said low before leaning and kissing the back of her neck. She leaned against his kiss before lifting her foot and tapping the top of his head with the top of her foot. Ethan blinked at her agility and was sure he could not do the same. Brit turned to wash his body in return and his vampire ego quickly forgot Brit’s flexibility as she spoiled him. “I do enjoy your touches always, Brit,” he whispered. “But these types of touches are definitely special.”

Brit washed him thoroughly. “I like touching you with these types of touches, Ethan,” she said before giving him a playful glance as she kissed the freshly washed chest to see whether it was soap-slippery. Both fell silent for a time. Only the sound of the water rippling as the sponge was dipped and squeezed was heard. After a while, Ethan looked to Brit as he heard her mind speak a single word, “Share.” Unable to deny her, Ethan drank from her in slow sips before breaking the skin on his lips to let her drink during kisses. He pulled her closer and heard her mind reach to him again with a single word. “Share.”

Tracing her lips with his fingernail, Ethan said softly, “You are my wife. The only one I love and treasure. You will learn that sometimes you can take what is rightfully yours without asking. Without words even.” His fingernails caressed her neck and stroked down her back. “Demand it like I do. You will learn that, just like in fencing, you have to take an aggressive stance from time to time.” His fingertips pressed her to him encouragingly as he whispered, “I am yours just as much as you are mine, Brit.” Just as in the fencing lesson, his body and words guided.