Santi wasn't surprised when Tim stepped into the bathroom.  She was a little surprised, though, when after a glance inside he left... surprised, and as she realized with some diamay, a little disappointed.  But he was back just a minute or two later, carrying in a towel; something she hadn't really thought she needed, even if she'd left her clothing outside of the bathroom.<br/><br/>Behind the partial concealment of the shower curtain, she gave a brief smile.  How strange it was that in a strange way he seemed protective of her.  After what he had done earlier, and what she had done in return... how strange indeed.<br/><br/>Somehow when he flopped down to stare at her through the shower curtain she was at once pleased and worried.  She was also surprised, at first, that he would do that, but she shook her head under the boiling water as she thought about it.  Tim's cute face... his overall demeanor... this was probably entirely innocent, and there was nothing behind it but him not wanting her to hurt herself.  His semi-patronizing, almost pouty tone reinforced her impression that he had no "ulterior motive" here.<br/><br/>"Ruin my skin?"  She shook her head and tilted her head back under the stream for a few seconds, letting the scalding water burn harmlessly into her eyelids.  "Come on, Tim.  You're like me.  You know that's not going to happen."  She stepped back, letting the heat burn pleasantly, and just as harmlessly, against her thorax; she curved her back, jutting her breasts up into the water.  "It's just... pain.  And not even that.  It's not pain, to me..." she trailed off and swallowed, deciding those words had been a little too much.  And yet.... "I'm sure you know what I mean.  We're the same, right?"<br/><br/>She turned to face him through the curtain for a moment.  She was aware that he could see her shape if not the details of her, and somehow the semi-concealment of the shower curtain made her vulnerability both less, and more, at least in her mind.  She looked at him for a moment, unable to clearly make out his shape either, before turning her back to the water.  She passed her hands through her hair in the stream.  "I don't need to turn it down.  So I won't."  She heard an almost childish tone to her own voice, and wondered about it.  "I'm gonna stay in here until this place runs out of hot water."