Hidebound

Chapter ThirtySix

I woke up to the bed moving as Hex rolls out of it. I don't even have to open my eyes to note that it's still sometime during the night. My mind is foggy and still very much asleep as I follow him around the bedroom with my ears.

I don't take much notice, thinking that he's going outside to call his mother as he usually does but when I hear the bathroom door to my left swing open instead of the bedroom door I squint my eyes open. He hadn't turned on the bathroom light but I can see his silhouette moving through the dark and through the tiny gap left in the doorway.

He has no idea that he had aroused my conscious but it was my curiosity that fully woke me as I wonder what he's doing. I rub my eyes to stop the tired sting as I hear rustling before the shower turns on.

"What the hell?" I whisper to myself as I sit up slightly. I still can't see much as Hex had decided to shower in the dark. I run my hand over the bed, feeling the sheets that are still warm from where he lay.

The water pattern changes as it hits the shower floor when Hex moves around.

I debate if I should go in there and see if he's alright. Usually its not a good sign when he gets up during the night, whether that is from bad conversations with his mother or memories from his past.

I make the decision to stand and peak my head inside the bathroom. My feet are cold as I pad along the carpeted floor in only Hex's shirt, my hand pushing the bathroom door open silently.

I can see better in here, the light from the moon shines through the skylight and reflects the white tiles that decorate the bathroom. The room is oddly cold when I expected it to be warm from the steam; I look over at the mirror only to find it clear of steam too.

Hex's back is to me, shining in the moonlight. Water trickles down his tattoos and over his muscles. He hangs his head back as he looks upward and wets his hair. His hair had grown quite a bit and it really shows while wet as it reaches just above his shoulders.

I resist the urge to tsk when I see he hadn't bothered to keep his bangage dry as water drips from it. At least he had kept it on.

I enter further, closing the door behind me silently. Hex turns as he hears the door click closed, he wipes water from his eyes.

"Did I wake you?" he whispers and turns to face me. His hands grab above the glass door as he stands behind it. Whenever he does that stance I get reminded of the time I first saw him in his cell at Hellbound.

I say nothing as I observe him. He appears okay, I can't see his face well but his voice doesn't sound shaky or croaky like that of someone who would be upset.

His eyes move down as my wedding ring shines in the moonlight when I move my hands down to grab the bottom of the shirt I wear. I pull it up over my head and drop it onto the floor beside me. Hex's tongue licks his bottom lip as he his eyes roam my body, taking in the naked skin that he hadn't known had only been covered by his shirt.

The cold air washes over my skin and leaves goosebumps behind.

"Come here" he keeps his voice quiet even though we now live alone and can't wake anyone. His voice causes a shiver to run down my back and I take a step in his direction.

He opens the shower door for me, his wet arm raining water onto me. I gasp and take a shocked step back.

"It's cold" I exclaim. The water of the shower is ice cold and now the lack of steam all makes sense. Why is he showering in cold water?

Hex says nothing but curves his fingers inward as a means to silently tell me to come inside. I trust him and step inside, keeping close to the wall as to keep away from the water. Hex closes the shower door behind me, droplets raining onto me as he turns and faces back to the shower head.