She gladly took of her clothes and dived into the bathtub, filled with almost hot water. But after a while, when she was just enjoying in, she frowned. Aedyn could be healthy physically, but there was still something poisoning his thoughts of himself. She despised herself at past, but got over it, because she found, it hadn't brought her anything good.
She hoped for a while, that Aedyn is not alone there, waiting for her, keeping hurting himself with bad thoughts.
It was strange, how she was growing more and ore caring for him. Kraeos was right, they really had a lot in common. That made her feel more uncomfortable, so she finished her bath rather quickly and took a robe. It felt good to be in clean clothes again...she hesitated for a while, but then she washed all her laundry and took it with her. there surely will be a place, where she could hang it to dry it.
And dressed in that robe, she returned to Aedyn.

When she came out, he had the small headpiece in his hand; his forehead bare even when he went into his clothing. He was turning it over in his hand when she came out, looking at it distantly, almost nostalgically. He remembered those days, when he wore it, how he had changed it when Kraeos became the Leader. Symbolically, he'd passed it on to Kraeos; Kraeos was saying, through this gift, that he was not ashamed of Aedyn... that he still saw the powerful Leader he once was. He hadn't noticed her, yet, but his expression was a bit sad, troubled.

"Aedyn? You look lost again...what has happened?" she sat next to him.

He jumped slightly at first, but not really visably, before tucking the small headpiece back into his robes. "Nothing... Just thinking." He said, quietly.

"Gloomy thoughts, am I right?" she asked softly.

"Mmh... I guess." He said. "Kraeos brought me this... I know why he did it too, he's trying to tell me he's not ashamed of me." He brought out the headpiece, "What's more, he put the symbol here... the symbol of the Pantheon Leader. I know what he's trying to say, he's trying to make me feel better about this whole mess." He shook his head. "Kraeos is... he's a very good God, gentle, caring... He's surpassed me by far. Why would he want to accept me back after what I've become?"

"I can't guess, what he is thinking, but you know Kraeos better than me. Why don't you try to look at yourself with his eyes?" she suggested quietly. Her first impulse was to take Aedyns hand, but she had no courage for doing it yet.

"I should, I brought him into the Cosmos... even if he was unexpected. He is my first, and only offspring." He gave a slight chuckle. "Oh from the moment I woke up after his energy split from mine... I knew the boy was gonna be trouble." The memory brought that slight, distant smile back. "He'd...gotten bored while I recovered, and had filled my mouth up with different objects around the room, and when I opened my eyes, and there he was, staring at me expectantly... There were pencils, pens, a feather, a few marbles... he'd even stuck a flower in my nose." He rolled his eyes. "That boy, I swear... His first weeks were spent with me chasing him around trying to keep him out of trouble. He was so curious about EVERYTHING...sometimes I miss those days, when he'd look up to me as a trainer and teacher... He may drive me insane, and he may be many billions of years old now, but sometimes it feels like just yesterday that I passed my position of Leader down to him."

"He still sees you like that, I think. Otherwise - would he give you back your headpiece?" The urge to touch his hand became stronger and more noticeable.

"Mh... He's done so well, though. I can feel his influence all around here, he's so powerful now." He did feel a bit alone - more then a bit alone, but was too proud to admit it, instead, he just tucked the headpiece back into his robes.

She couldn't resist anymore. The way he stared somehow distantly and sadly somewhere in front of him. What am I thinking? What I can offer him? She doubted in her mind, but this could not prevent her from putting her palm on his hand, lightly as a feather.

He looked at her hand, a very small part of him almost pulling away; but he didn't. He just looked up at her, his hand warm and the energy coursing through him touching her as well. He was doing a lot better after Kraeos helped him; and he was doing his best to try to keep the hatred at bay... He really needed to let himself recover, keep himself from becoming ill. His eyes met hers once again, and he definately saw himself there, a human but... No, more. No, she wasn't just a human. She was Laya - as he was Aedyn. It was not like a God and Mortal staring at eachother - but two people.