Catgirls And Dungeons (Yuri)-Chapter 23: Scars

"Alright, all done!" Eris chirps, pulling back after one last gentle swipe across my back. "Thanks for letting me scrub your back! That was fun!"

"Wait! It's over already? Noooo!" I wail, pouting in disappointment. The warmth, the soothing sensation of her hands—it all felt way too good to end already!

Eris tilts her head, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Hmm... your back is already spotless," she muses, then pauses, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Or... do you want me to clean the front too?"

"Hmmph! No thanks!" I huff, snatching the towel from her hands, my face instantly heating up. My heart skips a beat at her teasing, but I quickly brush it off, scowling at her playful smirk. "It's my turn now!" I declare, trying to sound confident.

Eris giggles, and before I know it, I've already moved behind her, gently nudging her onto the stool.

"Yay!" she cheers, settling down eagerly. She stretches her arms and rolls her shoulders like she's warming up for a workout, her excitement making me chuckle.

"Alright, get ready," I say, inhaling deeply. "I'm gonna give you the best hair wash ever!"

But even as I say that, my heart is pounding—not just from excitement, but from nerves too.

Because, in my previous life... I've never washed a girl's hair before.

What if she realizes I have no idea what I'm doing?!

Aaaah!!! That would be so embarrassing!

But... it's just washing hair, right? How hard can it be?

I mentally run through the steps. Wet the hair, apply shampoo, massage gently (not too rough, don't mess this up!), clean her ears, rinse the shampoo, apply conditioner, then rinse again... and finally, a nice back scrub.

Yeah! That should do it.

I've got this!

"Hehe, I can't wait!" Eris giggles softly, completely oblivious to my internal panic.

I reach out hesitantly, my fingers brushing through her long, midnight-black hair. It cascades down her back in soft, silky waves, though it's a bit tangled and slightly oily from the day's adventures.

Maintaining hair like this must be a challenge, I think to myself.

But then... as I gently move her hair aside, revealing the bare skin of her back beneath it—

I freeze.

The playful mood vanishes in an instant.

A sudden wave of shock and horror crashes over me, knocking the breath from my lungs. My chest tightens, like an invisible hand is gripping my heart, squeezing too hard.

"E-Eris..." I stammer, my voice barely a whisper as my hand hovers uncertainly above her back. "These... these are..."

Scars.

Big, long, jagged scars—deep and merciless—carved into her skin.

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I feel her body tense beneath my fingertips.

Slowly, Eris turns her head, just enough to glance at me from the corner of her eye. Her playful expression is gone, replaced by something quieter... something guarded.

"Oh..." she murmurs, almost too softly to hear.

Her voice is fragile, carrying something heavy—something buried deep.

"I'm sorry..." she continues, her lips barely moving. "Did I... scare you?"

There's a hesitance in her tone, as if she's bracing herself for my reaction.

Like she's afraid of what I might say.

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Like she's used to people looking at her scars and recoiling.

Like she expects me to look at her... differently.

But all I can feel right now is a lump forming in my throat.

Because those scars—they don't scare me.

They hurt me.

They make my heart ache in ways I don't understand.

"No, not at all," I whisper, my voice barely audible over the soft ripples of bathwater. My heart tightens as I gently turn her back around. Then, slowly—almost fearfully—I let my trembling fingers trace the jagged lines of the scars, feeling the rough, uneven texture beneath my touch.

My heart twists painfully. These scars... they're horrifying, like the aftermath of a beast's claws, something too massive to be natural. A bear? No... not even a bear could do this.

Just what did this to her?

"Was it... from the dungeon?" I ask, my voice fragile, weighed down by the sheer thought of the pain she must have endured.

"Yeah," she replies softly. "I was a little careless... and, well, the beast got me."

My fingers move over the ridges of her scars again, and I feel a familiar sting gathering in my eyes.

A little careless? No. This isn't from a small mistake. This is survival.

And suddenly, she speaks again—her voice quieter this time, laced with something brittle. "It's ugly, isn't it?"

She doesn't look at me when she says it.

Her gaze flickers away, as if she's too ashamed to face me.

The question feels like a dagger to my heart.

"No... it's not ugly!" I blurt out, my voice nearly cracking as emotion wells up inside me.

Damn it.

Why does it hurt so much? Why does it feel like her pain is seeping into me, clawing at my chest?

I want to wrap my arms around her. To hold her and chase away whatever thoughts are making her doubt herself like this.

But we're both naked.

So instead, I do the only thing I can—I place my palm gently against her back, against those scars.

"Even with these... you're still beautiful. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen," I murmur, my voice trembling.

Eris's breath catches.

For a second, her lips part slightly, as if she wants to say something. Then, slowly, a soft smile blooms across her face.

"Felicia..." she whispers.

But I can't let it go.

I need to know.

"But... was it... painful?" I ask, my voice cracking, my throat tightening as tears threaten to spill.

Eris pauses.

For a moment, I think she won't answer. Her lips press together like she's weighing her words carefully. But then, with a light shrug, she speaks.

"Nah... I passed out when it happened. Didn't feel a thing."

She says it too casually.

And I know—she's lying.

She did feel it.

She felt everything.

"No, you're lying," I murmur, my voice unsteady, my fists clenching beneath the water.

She hesitated.

She hesitated before she spoke.

Eris lets out a quiet chuckle, but it sounds hollow. "Hey, it doesn't matter, does it?" she says with a small, bittersweet smile. "I'm still alive, right? That's what counts."

I freeze.

Her words catch me off guard.

She's right.

At the end of the day, Eris is still here.

She's still breathing.

She's still smiling.

And that's what matters.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady the whirlwind inside me. The lump in my throat doesn't go away, but I choose to let it be.

I won't press her.

I won't ask about the scars anymore.

I'll let them fade into the background—as if they never existed.

I force a smile, nudging her playfully. "Alright, now turn around and lower your head!" I command, shifting the mood. "I'm going to wash your hair!"

"Yay!" Eris chirps, turning obediently.

I scoop some shampoo into my hands, rubbing it between my fingers before carefully working it into her hair. I try my best to be as gentle as possible, my fingers gliding over her scalp, massaging softly.

As I work the shampoo through her dark strands, I can't help but notice—

Her hair is just long enough to cover her back.

To hide her scars completely.

As if she doesn't want anyone to see them.

As if she's self-conscious about them.

No... maybe I'm overthinking it.

I shake my head, pushing the thought aside, and focus on the task at hand.

For the first time today, we stop talking.

Yet, the silence isn't awkward.