Nicholas, Ariel, and Benjamin, to actually supervise what was left of the division. Hell, he didn't even linger around after he did whatever task had been in mind, just skulk off to his tent and stay here, brooding.
'Just like I am now,' he mentally chided himself before movement from Acacia got his attention
...
He watched her as she came closer, her eyes boring into his, her deep burgundy against his steely grey as the silence grew heavy between them. He could almost feel a battle of wills starting, a silent push for him to finally react beyond clipped lines and mulishness. The way he was now, if it had been anyone else, his hackles would have risen, and the temptation to use dagger hidden in the back of his pants grew.
But not with her.
She'd probably react just as quick and disarm him anyways. He'd seen her training with Annabeth after all. Either way, after a solid minute, his own tiredness made him falter and he blinked. A ghost of a smirk almost made its way to her lips as he huffed. Then she finally moved, reaching for his hand, and almost startling him at that. It was only now that he realized she'd been leaning down even closer while his eyes had been locked with hers. He couldn't play off making his hands busy with something else and given how she took a firm hold on him, trying to snatch his hand away wouldn't do much at this point.
And honestly, the feel of her strong, callused hand so unlike the children or legacies of Aphrodite's linage, yet somehow still soft was more pleasant that he cared to admit.
With a slight tug she had him up and guided him to an empty tub. A perk of being the commander with his own private washing spot but he'd never made use of it. He watched her as she waved her hand with a mutter that sounded almost like she was humming under her breath.
He wasn't one with much affinity for using the mystic arts and Mist manipulation but even he could feel the saturation of magic as water collected almost soundlessly, filling the tub in seconds with clear, clean liquid. Another mutter and a sharp snap this time had the water swiftly bubbling and steaming, filling the tent with hot moisture.
"That looked rather easy," he commented as Acacia leaned down to test the water.
Normally the satyrs and other nature inclined like Demeter's kids needed more time or full incantations to command nature like that.
"The Wild is absurdly saturated here. It's practically begging to be used," Acacia answered easily, nodding as she removed her hand from the water. Turning to face him, she looked him up and down before asking, "So, do you need me to undress and bathe you or are you a big boy and can do it yourself?"
He didn't dignify that with an answer, instead a flat stare being his response. After another few seconds of staring passed before he snorted as he started tugging off his grimy shirt. He was about to go for his pants but then paused, looking at the silent yet observant demigoddess. Her eyes flickered down and back up before a smirk made its way onto her face.
"Something wrong?" she asked innocently, hands falling on her hips.
A familiar glint of amusement was shining in her eyes, but he'd grown used to it after the months spent training at her side.
"Are you just going to stand there?" he shot back.
Had this been any other time, under different circumstances, he might have wanted a scenario like this … or be a blushing mess. Acacia was easily one of the prettier of Aphrodite's linage in the army and with the time he'd spent training by her side, Allen could honestly say he liked her for more than her looks.
"Well, its not like we haven't seen a little something here and there," Acacia returned.
"That's not the same and you know it," he replied with a sigh even as he fought down the heat that wanted to bloom at his cheeks.
Athena and Annabeth had drilled them in getting ready at a moment's notice. From waking up and arming up to rapidly changing between damaged clothes and armor to fresh sets. No time to look for a spot for privacy in the large tents or run off to the showers. And given that either goddess could spring a change drill at any moment, plenty of demigods had been caught less than covered and had to deal with it.
He'd forever deny having caught an eyeful of Acacia as the demigoddess had gotten caught in the middle of a shower during a drill. He looked at her again and got a knowing smile as Acacia walked past him, pausing at his side.
"I'm getting you some food. You better be in that tube when I get back or I will bathe you like a child."
She trailed a finger under his chin as she said that as the sharpness of her nail pleasantly scraping the skin, before she was off, leaving him alone in the tent. He stared at the entrance for a good minute, just to be sure that she'd really gone. As extra precaution he went and pulled out a divider stowed close to the bed and set it up to block out the view from the entrance. Once down with that he finished stripping completely and slowly easing himself into the waters.
A mix of a groan and a hiss escaped him as his skin tingled, dirt and ash slowly falling off him. He just let himself lay his head against the edge, relishing in the warm water after so long. Almost absentmindedly he watched as the water went murky as all the grime was finally starting to come off. 'I really have been filthy,' he noted silently before trying to relax a little more. He almost felt like finally dozing off instead of washing until he heard the tent flap opening again making him nearly shoot up.
'I didn't think the mess hall was that close,' he mused, seeing her silhouette through the thin divider and the candlelight near his desk. Then again, he could be so out of it he just didn't notice the time passing. Either way, his attention quickly went to the demigoddess. He could make out her carrying something and going by the smell that followed, it was a hearty bowl of venison stew.
However, his attention shifted from how she set down the tray at his desk to her form approaching. The fact that he was naked made him reflexively sink lower into the water, hands hovering over his crotch. The presence of the divider was a thin comfort. Thankfully, the demigoddess stopped just at the divider and didn't go and lean around it.
"Getting clean in there?" she suddenly asked, a hint of teasing in her voice.
"… Yeah," he replied back after a moment.
Luckily, the tub had small shelf with the essentials next to it so the soap and washing towels were easily in reach.
"Good. Then try not to take too long, otherwise the soup will get cold," Acacia continued as he grabbed some soaps and a small wash towel.
"Got it," he sighed back as he started.
He wasn't sure but it looked like she nodded and turned around, walking back to the desk as he started cleaning off the dirt along his arms. For several minutes there was little more than the sound of dripping and sloshing as he tried to clean himself as thoroughly as he could. Some bits were particularly stubborn, and he nearly rubbed himself raw to get clean, but he didn't mind. By the time he felt he was more or less done the water was almost pitch dark with dirt, formerly dry blood, and all sorts of other debris in it.
He was standing with the water up to his knees wondering how to get the last of the used water off him before he heard movement. He almost dropped right back in as he craned his neck around to look. Acacia had approached again but she didn't go around the barrier as she asked, "Need clean water to rinse off?"
A part of him wondered how she knew that but instead he settled for answering, "Yeah. Could you fill a bucket with some fresh water?"
She hummed something and before he could say anything more, a mini cloud appeared just over his head. He only had a moment to glance at it before it rained. And not some light drizzle but a good old pouring. He spluttered as he got a face full of it before it stopped as quick as it came, leaving him somehow more soaked than before.