Dome → Isaac Lahey

2.0 : bathwater

Isaac grasped the hem of my soaked shirt and pulls it over my head for me, setting it on the white marble bathroom counter. He bends down and wraps his fingers through the loops of my pants, pulling them down gently. He folds them, places them next to the shirt, and leans down to the bath behind me, turning the knob to make sure the water was warm enough for me. I lean back against the counter and watching him carefully. Once the water was his desired temperature, he placed the plug in the bath's hole, letting the water build up. He turned back to me, noticing the lasting frown on my face.

He walked to me, grabbing my face and planting a sweet kiss on my lips. My eyes shutter closed as I lean into the kiss the slightest bit, his hands moving to my back. He disconnects our lips for a second and leans it against my forehead.

"Can I.." He trails off, flicking the back connectors of my bra. I nod hesitantly and his fingers fumble with it for a few seconds before he's finally able to get it off. He tosses it to the side carelessly this time, taking a step back to admire me. I blush nervously, my hands going to cover myself.

"Don't," Isaac whispers, grabbing my hands and moving them away from my chest. "You're so beautiful."

He pecks my lips once more and reaches behind me to pick up my clothes on the counter. "Go ahead and get in, I'll be back in a few minutes."

With that, he leaves the room. I reach down and remove my underwear, tossing it to the side. Dipping my toes in, a shiver runs up my spine from the contrast of hot and cool between my body and the water. It takes a minute to adjust to once I submerge my body into the water all the way, but when I finally do, calmness begins to seep its way into my body. I close my eyes and lean my head back, my perpetual frown still etched on my face.

The bathroom door opens and in walks Isaac with one of my robes and a towel. He seemed to have stolen clothes from Piers' room and draped them over himself, my brother's familiar smell radiating off of the new, dry clothes. He sets the robe and towel both on the counter and sits on the edge of the tub, looking down at me sadly.

"You're still blaming yourself," He murmurs, rubbing his hand up and down my arm. "Stop that. You can't save everybody."

"I always used to tell you I wasn't important to anyone," I chuckle sadly, looking down at my legs in the clear water. "Nothing's changed. Regardless of what I am, what I can do, what my purpose is- I still fail at everything I do. I didn't find Erica in time, and now she's dead, because of me."

"No," Isaac retorts, reaching past my back to grab my shampoo. "She's dead because of the person who killed her, not you. You did everything you could, and that was enough."

My lips stay shut, not wanting to get too deep into this. I had never really engaged in a deep conversation about how I felt with Isaac- Just a few spills here and there, but nothing intense. I didn't plan on today being the first time. I felt as if I bothered him enough already, as clingy as I am, and no matter how many times he offered to listen to my thoughts, I always turned him down.

Isaac lathered his hands up with shampoo and began running it through my hair, massaging my scalp calmly. I hum, trying to push the thought of Erica out of my mind, and the thought of Isaac into it. He was trying to help me calm down, so I give in and lean into his touch, accepting his help.

When he was done, he helped me out of the tub, grabbing the towel to dry me off with. He moves it smoothly and gently across my skin, taking extra care of me. I told him that I could do it myself, but he insisted, and I wasn't going to deny myself the satisfaction of his hands roaming my body. He finishes and slips the robe over me, tying it and standing back with a dorky smile on his face.

"Thank you . ." I mutter, nervously scratching the back of my neck. "You didn't have to do that."

"You're taking this all the hardest." Isaac sighs, grabbing my thighs and lifting me up, letting me wrap my legs around his waist. "You deserve it, princess."

I grin lightly at the pet name, closing my eyes against his collarbone. His smooth, bobbed walking makes me feel as if I'm wading peacefully in the ocean without a care in the world. He sets me down on the edge of my bed but doesn't sit next to me. Instead, his attention is directed to my nightstand. He slowly walks to it, picking up a framed picture of my family and I.

He sits down next to me with it, running his fingers along the golden, etched edges.

"Is this them?" Isaac asks, looking up at me with concerned eyes.

I bite my lip and nod, staring down at the picture. It was from when I was little- The 4 of us were out in our front yard, me and Piers in the front and mom and dad in the back. I had a big gap in the midst of my huge smile, which was now gone, courtesy of my braces. Mom and dad looked so happy- They always were. Never once did they argue, they were seemingly the perfect couple. Then, that one night, a drunk driver forced his way into our lives and expelled all of that happiness.

"I don't think I'll ever be truly happy again," I whisper, catching his attention. "Not like I was."

He wraps an arm around me and pulls me close to him. "You've been through a lot, but that doesn't mean you can't find happiness. You have us now, your new home-"

"California never felt like home to me." I say sadly, looking down at my fumbling fingers. "I wasn't meant to be here. If it was never for that one fucking drunk, none of this would have happened."

"I know this sounds selfish," He sighs, grasping my hand tightly. "But if it was never for that, I never would have met you. You were willing to break a stranger out of jail, all because you cared about me so much. You were probably the only one who cared about me when all of that stuff with my dad was going on. You were all I had. I'm better now, though. You stood by me through all of this and we figured it out, we made it here. We can get through this too, with each other, because I don't plan on leaving you any time soon."

I sniff and wipe a tear away, looking up him gratefully. I grab the frame from his hands, running my hands over my father's face.

"M-My dad-" I start, my voice too shaky to continue. I take a second to compose myself before clearing my throat and continuing, "My dad would always tell me that moving on is the most important thing you can d-do, because no matter what happens, big or small, the world keeps turning, and you can't hold onto the past."

I look up at him with burning eyes, "I don't think I'll ever be able to move on."

"Carmen, your parents would be so proud of you right now. I'm sure they're watching over you every day, thinking about how amazing their little girl turned out to be." Isaac whispers, pulling me into his warm embrace. "What happened was a tragedy, but it shouldn't weigh you down forever. You're going to move on some day. It doesn't have to be today, or tomorrow, but one day, you'll be happy. And I can't wait to see that beautiful smile on your face when it happens."

He wipes the tears from my face and peppers me with kisses, making me giggle softly. I pull him away from me and rest my head against his. "Thank you." I mutter.

"Come on, let's get some sleep, we have a long day tomorrow." Isaac sighs. I huff and nod. He lays us down on the bed and lays on his side, expecting me to be the big spoon as always, but I turn him around and grab his arm to wrap around my torso instead.

"I think I want to be the little spoon. Just this once."