Genuine Care

Luca knelt behind her, the soap slippery in his hands. Aria's tank top clung to her damp skin, the corset discarded beside her. His fingers brushed the fabric's edge.

"Lift," he said.

She stiffened but raised her arms. Luca tugged the tank top up, exposing her bare back. Her spine curved like a bowstring, shoulder blades sharp under soapy trails.

The first touch made Aria flinch.

"Too cold?" Luca asked, hovering the damp cloth above her shoulder blade.

"Just... do it fast."

He pressed the rag to her skin, tracing the line of her corset. Water trickled down her back, cutting through the grime of two days without a proper wash. The soap foamed pink, releasing a calming lavender scent that even Luca could smell over the ocean brine.

[Aria's Sanity +2 (45 → 47/100)]

[Luca's Sanity +1 (40 → 41/100)]

[Affection +2 (Current: 48/100)]

He worked methodically—shoulders first, then down her spine. The soap fizzed louder wherever her skin was reddest, mending tiny cuts from claw hook splinters.

Aria shuddered. "Cold."

"Sorry." His thumbs pressed into a knot between her shoulders.

She hissed. "Harder."

He increased pressure, feeling the tension unravel under his palms. Her head dropped forward, damp hair brushing his wrists.

[Aria's Sanity +10 (53 → 63/100)]

[Luca's Sanity +5 (47 → 52/100)]

"Your turn," Aria muttered, snatching the soap.

Luca froze mid-wring. "What?"

"You think I'm letting you rub soap all over me and not returning the favor? Take off the shirt."

"Uh—"

"Rules still apply," Aria said, snatching the rag. "No funny business."

Luca peeled off his sweat-stiff band shirt, revealing a lean torso dotted with old acne scars. Aria's gaze flickered, then locked on his left pec.

"Turn around," she ordered.

The rag hit his back like a slap.

"Ow!"

"Stop squirming."

She scrubbed in aggressive circles, working shampoo-style suds into his shoulders. Luca hissed as she hit a knot of muscle.

"Relax," Aria muttered. "You're built like a pretzel."

"Easy for you to—ah!"

Her thumb dug into a pressure point near his spine. The pain melted into warmth, spreading through his ribcage.

[Luca's Sanity +3 (42 → 45/100)]

Aria paused. "Did that… feel good?"

"Kinda? Do it again."

She pressed harder, working her way down his back. The rag lay forgotten as her thumbs mapped the ridges of his shoulders. Luca's head drooped forward.

"You're all… crunchy here," Aria said, kneading a stubborn knot.

"Crunchy?"

"Like Pop Rocks under plastic wrap."

He chuckled. "That's disgusting."

"Your body, not my problem."

Her palms skimmed his waistband, pulling a jolt from Luca.

"Easy!" Aria snapped. "I'm not going lower."

[Affection +3 (Current: 51/100)]

The sun dipped lower, painting the deck gold. They'd migrated to the ship's lone bench, canteens nearly empty.

"Legs," Luca said.

Aria froze. "What?"

"The soap's still active. Your legs are covered in scrapes."

She glanced down. Bruises mottled her knees, sand crusted on her shins. The short skirt did nothing to protect her during late-night claw hook sessions.

"I'll do it myself," she said.

Luca raised his hands. "No argument here."

But the soap fizzed impatiently in her grip. When she rubbed it over her knee, the suds fizzed out instantly.

[Aria's Sanity +1 (63 → 64/100)]

"Useless," she muttered.

Luca glanced at the system notice. "It's not working because you're half-assing it. The description says 'thorough application'."

"Oh shut up—"

"Here." He grabbed a clean rag, dunking it in their last canteen. "At least let me clean the cuts."

Aria's jaw tightened, but she extended her leg. Luca's fingers wrapped around her ankle, steadying her calf on his knee. The rag swept over her shin, warm and rough.

[Affection +3 (52 → 55/100)]

Her toes curled as the cloth inched higher. Scratches littered her thighs—pale lines against sun-kissed skin. Luca's knuckles brushed the hem of her skirt.

"Stop," she said.

He froze. "Sorry."

"Just… do the other leg."

The second calf was easier. Luca worked faster, avoiding even accidental contact. But when he reached her knee, Aria's hand clamped over his.

"Higher."

He looked up. Her cheeks were crimson, but her grip didn't waver. "The worst cuts are… there."

Luca's throat dried. He pushed the skirt's fabric up an inch, exposing her upper thigh. Four jagged claw marks glared back—left by the merman days prior.

The soap fizzed violently as he dabbed it on.

"Hsss—!" Aria jerked.

"Hurts?"

"N-no. It's… tingly."

Pink light seeped into the wounds, stitching skin together. Luca's fingers trembled against her inner thigh.

[Aria's Sanity +15 (64 → 79/100)]

[Luca's Sanity +10 (52 → 62/100)]

[Affection +5 (55 → 60/100)]

Aria kicked him away the second the cuts vanished. "Done."

But Luca caught her ankle again. "You missed a spot."

A fresh scratch glistened below her knee. Without thinking, he pressed his lips to it—a habit from tending his little sister's scrapes back home.

Aria's leg tensed. "What the hell?"

Luca recoiled. "Sorry! Reflex—"

[Affection +10 (70 → 68/100)]

[60:59:13 Until Global Check]

[System Notice: Affection Milestone Reached!]

[70/100: Unlocked "Shared Warmth" Passive!]

[Effect: Sleeping near each other restores +5 Sanity/hour.]

They stared at the glowing numbers.

"That's… broken," Aria whispered.

Luca's ears burned. "I didn't mean to—"

"Do it again."

"What?"

She pointed to a fake scrape on her wrist. "Test it."

He kissed the unmarked skin.

[Affection +0]

"Hmm." Aria tilted her head. "Must require genuine care."

"Can we not exploit this?"

"Why?" She smirked, the first real smile he'd seen in days. "Scared of a few points?"

"Scre—"

THWACK!

A slimy tentacle thicker than a tree trunk slammed onto the deck. Barnacles studded its mottled purple flesh, and suckers oozed green mucus.

The moon vanished.