When they got to the bathhouse, the two stood looking a little nervously at each other.
"You're really sure you don't want me to..." Zelgadis gestured at the door.
"No, no, I've just never undressed in front of a guy before." Lina said sheepishly.
Zel thought about it. "I'll just turn around then, and you can slip into the bath."
"Okay, that works." Lina agreed.
Zel turned his back to her, but he couldn't turn his ears off to the sound of the rustling of clothes, he couldn't stop imagining what her body must look like as she slipped into the water...
Lina could feel the arousal running rampant through Zel's mind, but she could also sense him trying to dampen it down. Damned chimera has the self-restraint of a whole monastery! she grumbled in her head. She looked around, then grinned
"Oh Zel," she called, "I forgot to get the soap, could you bring it to me?" She watched the cute pink blush work its way up his neck as he looked everywhere but at her, trying to find the soap. When he found it he brought it too her, keeping his eyes firmly trained on the floor.
"Here you are." He said as he handed it to her.
He started to back off, but Lina reached out and grabbed his ankle to stay him.
"Zel," she said gently, "if I hadn't wanted you to see me, I wouldn't have invited you to come in with me...would you wash my back for me maybe?" she offered.
The thing which most convinced Zel to stay right where he was, was the undercurrent of uncertainty he could sense from Lina. She might have been acting all coy and assured, but this was the first real chance she'd had to look at all the changes her body had undergone, and she was obviously nervous over what he thought of her.
"I'd love to." He said, slowly looking up, drinking in the sight of Lina in her full glory.
She was turned and half out of the water, droplets gleaming on her gold-toned skin, the garnet pebbles seeming almost to glow in the flickering lantern light like drops of blood. Her body was as beautiful and more than he'd imagined. Kneeling on the floor he took her shoulders in his hands and kissed her then tuned her around and pushed gently down until she was sitting down. Shifting his own position again to sit cross-legged behind her, he started to rub her shoulders.
To everyone else, their skin was as hard as rock, he knew, but with his greater strength he was able to dimple it just like normal skin. Knowing this, he knew that a good massage was not only possible, but would likely be quite welcome.
Zel kneaded at Lina's shoulders and she relaxed back into his hands with a sigh.
"That feels so good...how is it possible?" she wondered.
"Well, think about it this way: Our skin can't be completely rigid, or the moment we tried to move we'd shatter. It only seems rock hard to those without sufficient strength."
"Oh, well that makes sense I suppooosssse." Lina sighed as the tension seemed to drain out of her.
As the massage went on and Zel's hands never moved lower than her shoulders, Lina realized she was going to have to make the first move. She smiled as a plan began to form in her head.
Zelgadis twitched. Suddenly Lina was feeling...he couldn't quite identify the feeling, but it made him deeply nervous.
"Lina, what are you plotting?" he asked as he let go of her shoulders and started to back off.
He wasn't fast enough; Lina caught hold of him as he started to stand up and pulled him until he was close enough to the water that she could tip him in. He made a tremendous splash and, of course, every stitch of clothing he had on was soaked.
"Lina, what did you do that for?" he protested.
"I hardly think it's fair that I'm sitting here completely nude and you're still dressed." she pointed out.
Zel blushed. "Well, I haven't much choice now, do I?" he grumbled.
Lina could tell he wasn't really upset though.
He hauled himself, dripping, out of the water and shucked his sodden tunic, the slipped off his boots and tuned them upside down to dump the water out. Finally he peeled off his dripping pants, then slid into the water as well. By now, of course, Lina was blushing just as bright as he was, but that didn't stop her from enjoying the view. Zel had an absolutely magnificent physique; well muscled but slim, not bulky, and the pebbles which seemed so dull at first glance were actually reflecting the light slightly to catch her eye.
Zel blushed and looked away. "I'm...not exactly comfortable being stared at." he admitted.
Lina moved over to give him a big hug. "You'd better get used to it, Darling, 'cause I LIKE what I see." she whispered, blushing a little at her own boldness.
"I seem to remember someone asking me to wash her back, how would you feel about letting me do the rest of it too?" Zel asked in a low voice.
Lina didn't say a word - she was too stunned to speak - she simply handed him the soap in response. She wasn't sure what had broken through his self-restraint, but something she'd said or done obviously had.
Zel patted at the edge of the bath, and Lina sat up here, letting her legs dangle in the water. Zel sat behind her and soaped up a washcloth, then started at her shoulders. He ran the cloth down her left arm, then her right, caressingly smoothing it over her skin. He then reached around from behind and washed down her chest, starting with her collarbones, then sliding the soapy cloth over, around, and under each breast in turn. Through the soft, sudsy terrycloth he could feel her nipples rise to his touch, and through the new ability they had discovered, he could sense she was quite happy with the direction this was heading. He kept his hands at her breasts for a bit, then moved his washing attentions to her flat stomach, lovingly cleaning each pebble in turn.
He was careful not to rub too lightly...he wasn't trying to tickle her, after all, and he thought that if they were sensitive enough to tickle, slightly harder pressure might just feel pretty nice. Judging by the gasps and soft moans, and the occasional purring sound Lina was making, he figured it did. When he was finished with her stomach, he worked the cloth massagingly down her back, tracing her spine to make her shiver, and once again carefully washing each pebble in turn. As he went he was keeping track of what felt nice, and what created the little flashes of extreme pleasure he could occasionally feel from her.
When he got to her hips, he didn't feel quite ready to take the next major step, so he slid the terrycloth and his hands down her thighs and slowly worked his way up them as he built up his courage.
Lina leaned back against him and parted her legs a little, then whispered "go ahead."
Easier in mind for having her permission, he slid the soapy cloth up between her legs. At this intimate contact Lina gasped in pleasure and leaned back completely into Zel, letting her legs slip open a little wider.
Zel washed her tenderly, examining with exploring fingers what he had not yet seen. The way she was leaning up against him put the tip of her ear in perfect range, so he kissed it a couple of times, the blew on it lightly. The arousal which had fairly swallowed Lina was having a definite and noticeable effect on him too, but he tried not to focus on that too much. Now was not the time for that yet...it would come late; now was for Lina, to try to build her confidence in the true beauty of her new form...and besides, it was almost nicer to know that he was giving her pleasure. Part of the reason he'd never tried to have any sort of physical relations was that he was afraid of how his weight and strength might hurt a woman, so to know that HE was the cause of so much pleasure for the woman he loved was a great boost to Zel.
Growing bolder, he slipped one finger up inside her.
Lina could feel his slight surprise and pride as his probing finger encountered her virgin barrier.
"Didn't want...anyone else..."she whispered breathily, "even though...knew you'd...p'rob'ly never..."
He stopped her with a kiss. "That was then, this is now." He said and kissed her again on the pebbles along the line of her jaw, letting his thumb slide up to brush over the highly sensitive little nub he had discovered. All this stimulation at once was too much for her and Lina arched against him, gasping and moaning in orgasmic pleasure.
When she came back to herself, one of the first things Lina noted was the obvious bulge at the small of her back.
"Time to rinse off." she said, and shakily slipped into the water. She turned around and tugged gently at Zel's ankle. "Come a little closer, would you?"
"What for?" he asked as he moved to sit on the edge of the bath.
"Give me a hand up, would you, I want to return the favour, but my legs are a little shaky still." Lina said with a grin.
Zel slid his hands under her arms and pulled her up so she was sitting on the edge of the bath as well. She leaned over and kissed him, then scooted around to sit behind him. Sudzing up the cloth again, she started with his back, working her way down his spine as he had hers, before washing up the rest of his back from side to side. Remembering how good it had felt for her, she paid special attention to the embedded pebbles.
Zel sighed happily...it was one thing to experience such pleasure filtered through Lina's mind, it was another feeling entirely when it was his own pleasure and undiluted.
Lina nuzzled at Zel's neck. "I love you SO much." she said as she washed each of his arms, then moved around to his chest. She lovingly traced the contours of his muscles, running the soapy cloth all over his well-defined chest. As she went lower and lower, Zel reached around behind him to pull her in closer to him, until her chin was resting on his shoulder and her chest was pressed up against his back. The low rumbling purring sound he was making vibrated through her as well, and she wriggled a little closer, if that was even possible, rubbing her breasts up against his soapy back. Once she was comfortable, Lina let her hands, with the soapy cloth, slide down to the base of his shaft, scrubbing at the twin pebbles there before wrapping one slick hand around it. The other hand and the cloth she slid a little lower to cup and gently wash and roll the eggs there between her fingers as she stroked up and down his manhood.
Zel moaned low in his throat and caught her hands. He'd waited long enough, and he knew through their bond that she had too. He slid into the water, pulling her in after him, then turned toward her and kissed her passionately, slipping his tongue into her mouth to twine with hers and massaging her pert breasts.
When the kiss broke off he whispered in her ear. "May I?" he asked her "Please..." she answered, "I've waited so long..."
Zel kissed her once on her forehead as she spread her legs wide, the he pushed slowly and steadily into her.
Lina could tell he was worried about hurting her, so she broadcast her arousal to him, allowing some of the impatience she felt trickle through. That was the last thing which tipped the scale, Zel pushed forward the rest of the way in one thrust, then began pumping himself in and out of her slick, tight passage. When he realized that the pebbles at his base were giving her pleasure by rubbing against the little pearl-like spot he'd discovered earlier, he began to grind his hips generously into hers, stimulating it as much as he could.
"Oh...Gods...Zel...that's...Ahh..." she moaned as he pulled her to him tightly. She kissed his neck as he pistoned above her, then he hit her sweet spot and she rode a wave of pleasure once again into insensibility.
It didn't take long for the echo of her pleasure to set him off, and Zel emptied himself inside her, then slumped blissfully against her.
Lina smiled as she regarded Zel's peaceful face so close to hers. "I've waited so long," she whispered, "but it was worth it for you."
"I'm glad." he whispered back, "I never wanted anyone but you." He wrapped his arms around her and they just held each other for awhile.