Chapter 29: More Self-Care

“My intense focus at work,” Harper said softly. She started washing his arms, slowly moving the soapy light blue shower puff over his upper arm. When she moved the soapy light blue shower puff upward to his upper arms, the shower puff and her fingers brushed against his armpits. Oliver let out a surprised laugh as her fingers found the sensitive skin under his arms, his body jerking slightly in response to the unexpected tickling. His icy blue eyes snapped open, catching the playful glint in her blue green eyes as she worked the light blue shower puff over his biceps and forearms. “Hey now, no fair using my won ticklish spot against me,” he protested good–naturedly, though his laugh made the words less convincing. “I am supposed to be relaxing here.” His arms flexed instinctively under her touch, muscles contracting in response to both the tickling and the way her hands felt against his skin. The warm water sloshed gently around them both. “You are enjoying this too much,” he accused with a grin, leaning forward slightly to try catching her hands. “Making me squirm while I am supposed to be enjoying this nice bath.”

“Hey, I was just trying to do my job here,” Harper said playfully, “Would you like to wash you own arm pits?” she offered him the light blue shower puff. Oliver’s grin widened at her playful tone, his icy blue eyes sparkling with amusement as he took the light blue shower puff from her hands. “Oh, so now I am doing the work? I think I prefer when you are in charge.” He began washing his own underarms with the light blue shower puff, his movements deliberate. “Let me wash your back now,” he suggested softly, his voice taking on a more serious tone. He dipped the light blue shower puff in the warm water and then reapplied the shower gel to it. Harper turned around in the tub, so her back was to him, and she moved her slightly wet auburn hair out of the way, giving him clear access to her back. Oliver’s breath caught at the sight of her back presented to him so trustingly, the curve of her spine and the delicate line of her neck. He took a moment to appreciate the view before taking the light blue shower puff and moving it across her back, his movements became more reverent. “Beautiful,” he murmured his voice barely above a whisper. “Every part of you is perfect.” The warm water streamed down her back as he began washing gently, starting at the base of her neck and working his way down. His hands moved slowly and deliberately, using the soapy light blue shower puff to massage away any tension her found along the way. “You are so tense here,” Oliver noted softly, his fingers pressing into a particularly tight spot between her shoulder blades. “Working too hard at the office?” his other hand came up to brush aside wet strands of hair that had fallen back into pace, exposing more skin for him to kiss or touch as desired.

“We both work too hard. I can’t remember the last time I have a relaxing warm bath,” Harper says, her voice relaxed. Oliver’s hands paused their movement, his thumbs continuing to press gently into her shoulders as he processed her words. A flicker of guilt crossed his features, visible even in the steamy bathroom air. “You are right,” he admitted quietly, his voice carrying a rare note of vulnerability. “We both work ourselves to death. I am the one who sets those expectations, pushing everyone in the company to meet unrealistic deadlines.” His free hand reached out to wrap around her waist underwater, pulling her closer. The warm water surrounded them both as he rested his chin on her shoulder. “I see you burning the candle at both ends every day– staying late to finish reports, coming in early to prep for meetings…” Oliver’s lips brushed against the shell of her ear as he spoke. “I would do it whether you expected it or not. I like working, more than other things.” Harper admits softly. “Normally, I find baths boring, but this is not boring at all,” she adds quickly. Oliver’s arms tightened around her waist, a soft sigh escaping him. “You are too dedicated. It is one of the things I admire about you but also the thing I worry about sometimes.” His voice was low, close to her ear. “I don’t want you burning out because of my expectations.” He sat back, removing his chin from her shoulders and his hands resumed their gentle washing, moving from her shoulders down to her lower back. The soapy light blue shower puff glided smoothy over her skin, creating a pleasant friction against the warm water. “This is not boring because it is not just a bath,” he murmured. “It is us taking care of each other. That makes all the difference.”

“You are one to talk. You overwork yourself all the time,” Harper says, turning slightly to look into his icy blue eyes. “You have no idea how many times I came into the office to see you looking like you slept there and wanted to scold you.” Oliver’s expression softened at her admission, a rare hint of vulnerability flashing in his icy blue eyes. He leaned back slightly, giving her more room to turn and face him fully in the tub. The water lapped gently around their joined bodies as he studied her face. “You wanted to scold me?” he repeated with a small smile. “I can only imagine how that would have gone. You probably would have lectured me about proper sleep hygiene and the importance of boundaries.” His hands moved to rest on her hips underwater, thumbs tracing slow circles along the curve of her waist. The steam from the bath seemed to intensify around them, creating an intimate cocoon where only their conversation mattered. “I am glad you never did,” he admitted quietly. “Most people just tiptoe around me when I am in one of my moods. But you… you would have actually called me out on my shit.” Harper turned around completely and declared, “I really wanted to and now I definitely will. From now on we will take care of each other.” She then leaned forward to kiss him.