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[swordfucker]

Guren Ichinose | Red | #A5211F

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[passio]

[ guren is right not to return to that earlier moment between them, where the air was heavy with desire—dextera’s hopeful request here is something a little different, and his cheeks turn pink as he thinks about it. ]

Shampoo.

[ he writes this on guren’s hand like a schoolgirl writing a love note, without the decisive strokes he’s used to using.

he wants to take a bath… ]

[swordfucker]

[ He’s so cute and Guren’s heart can barely take it. He loves how he wrote that... ]

Oh, you want to use my shampoo? [ That’s... precious, and he probably could use a bath, relaxation wise as well as to clean up. ]

We can do that. Have you ever used shampoo before? [ If not... he’ll have to help to make sure nothing is wasted... He’s not sure if that’s fine or not, either. ]

[passio]

…probably.

[ which maybe doesn’t offer much confidence. if he has used shampoo before, he doesn’t remember it.

he realizes that guren will probably want to help him in some way, but… well. he doesn’t mind that as much as a modest man should. ]

[swordfucker]

...probably.

[ I love that Guren is more embarrassed about this than Dextera. ]

Then I’ll help you out, if you don’t mind me being in there. No offense, but I like that shampoo, so I’m trying to make it last.

[passio]

[ probably!

dextera squeezes guren’s hand, pressing his thumbs against his palm just to touch, and then nods as he pulls away. he was shy about stripping in front of guren before, but… there’s a new context, right?

and he could always just keep his underwear on if he had to. ]

I like it, too.

[swordfucker]

[ Okay, Guren laughs a little at that. ]

I’ll get the water set up. Come on.

[ he’ll lead him into the bathroom (which is shared with another bedroom so he’ll just go ahead and lock that side) and get stuff ready. Good old water that’s not running water... Eventually it’s set up, and Guren gestures to tell Dextera he can get in before he turns to grab the shampoo and some towels. ]

I wonder if Clark can make any shampoo, too. He made soap. Still, this stuff is straight out of a store, so it’s a little different.

[passio]

[ dextera thought he was fine with it, but the reality is that as soon as his coat is off, he gets shy about it—of course, right? he’s definitely not japanese, with far too much modesty about bathtime, though he does manage to peel out of his shirt without too much fuss.

his scar is there, the same as it was before, unable to be healed by death and rebirth. he glances from it, to guren’s face, but he doesn’t seem upset about the scar itself. it’s more like he’s just shy, and the scar is a reminder that he could potentially be getting naked. ]

This is enough.

[ if guren has to dunk him over the edge of the tub to wash his hair, then so be it. ]

[swordfucker]

[ Honestly, he feels a little bad. That’s not going to be relaxing!! So, he glances down and offers a towel forward. ]

How about I turn around and you wrap this around and get in? It’s not going to be comfortable if you’re half dressed.

[passio]

[ …he didn’t think about that!

so he’ll gladly take it, nodding like guren just had the best idea in the universe, and then he’s already stripping even before guren turns around. the bandages go, too—they’re cloth, and not actually covering any wounds, so he can put them right back on when he’s done.

the sound of him slipping into the water is sign enough that guren can turn around, but just in case, like before, he knocks on the edge of the bath.

hello! he’s like a stray dog that needs to be power-washed. ]

[swordfucker]

[ He loves this gremlin.

He turns around at the knock, moving over to set other towels nearby, and grabs the shampoo bottle with one hand, placing the other on Dextera’s head. ]

You really don’t seem like the kind of guy who’s shy when people see you doing certain things, you know. [ Like eating hearts or bones, for example... But Guren is grinning. He knows better. ]

Dunk your head. [ pat pat ]

[passio]

[ even dextera knows that getting naked isn’t socially acceptable, even if he is technically in the most socially acceptable place to be naked… in his—in guren’s house, in guren’s bathroom, actively sitting in water.

it’s honestly probably weirder that he’s not in the nude right now.

he takes a deep breath, and does as he’s told, submerging—maybe unnecessarily—most of his body to get his hair wet. it seems even darker when saturated with water, a black that shines nearly the same blue as his hex code. he comes back up soon, and shakes it out of his face. ]

…?

[swordfucker]

[ Guren pulled his dick out in front of three other dudes and had a pissing contest on the side of the road so really he’s no role model.

But shampoo he can do. Really, Dextera could do this himself, but if he’s helping anyway, he might as well just do it. So as soon as Dextera glances at him again, he puts a fair amount in his hand, moves the bottle aside, and leans over to massage it right in. Enjoy that clean smell!!!

He makes sure it’s in there good before he tilts his head a bit. ]

Okay, now just rinse it off. Your hair will feel a lot nicer after this, too.

[ Is this why Guren touches his own all the time??? A mystery ]

[passio]

[ dextera closes his eyes as guren massages the shampoo in, and there’s something… familiar, about this. maybe when he was younger, people took care of him like this, too. there was no way that the two of them could fit in a tub this size, and someone probably needed to observe them for their health as well.

memories, memories. he doesn’t have nearly as many as he wishes he did, but he has to be grateful that all the ones he has of guren are in tact. maybe guren’s will come back, too.

he rinses out his hair, watching the bubbles drip into the water. when the water is just a little soapy like that, he can see his own reflection, and he reaches up to touch his hair. it is softer… it’s nice. it smells like guren now, or at least his hair. he smiles. ]

[swordfucker]

[God, he wants to kiss him.

It's in the way everything simple seems to please him. An appreciation for things that Guren had taken for granted, even in this place where they're lacking. The way his smile is so soft and simple, but it's enough to light up the whole room and tug at his heart along the way. Guren is completely drawn in, and he wants to pull this moment close and hold onto it desperately. He doesn't want anything but this.

And in a moment like this, even with the realization that he has so much more to deal with that he could never escape, it feels a little easier to deal with the rest, too. With an unbelievably fond smile of his own, he dips his hand into the water just enough to rinse it, and then brings his wet fingers to Dextera's cheek.]

If you want, I can leave so you can relax a little.

[He doesn't want to, but he's trying to keep himself from leaning in and just going for it.]

[passio]

[ dextera closes one eye, against guren’s wet fingers on his cheek—but he doesn’t shy away from it, since his face is already wet from the water dripping down. his hair is clean and soft, and his skin could probably use some soap as well, but the intricacies of bathing aren’t nearly as important as the way guren touches his cheek, right now. ]

…

[ he shakes his head. it was hard to talk when guren was on the other side of the door, with dextera only able to listen and knock in response, and as long as he’s got this towel around his waist, his modesty is preserved.

he takes guren’s hand, kissing his wrist, mouthing against the sensitive skin of his pulse. ]

Stay.

[swordfucker]

[His heart flutters with a kiss like that, but Guren is careful to keep his expression the same. He may be very open with Dextera, very soft and tender, but there are still subtle reactions that he prefers to hide. If he shared everything, it'd be too much.]

I'll stay.

[Simple, quiet. It's because he's so quiet that it's clear that he's thinking so much more, really.]

[passio]

[ dextera sees it, and he moves his lips to the center of guren’s palm before he pulls away from his hand. if there are things guren does—or doesn’t—want to talk about, he’s sure they’ll all come in time.

he drips some of the water over his shoulders, pushing it down his skin in the facsimile of actually trying to wash himself, though when it comes down to it he’s going to do the same thing he always does and purify his skin. death was a hard reset on everything anyway, but now that guren pointed out the barn smell once, he wants to be careful. ]

…

[ he looks over at guren. ]

Boring?

[swordfucker]

No.

[How could it ever be boring, sitting here, spending time with him? Guren shifts to just sit on the floor, shoulder against the bathtub so he can still see him enough for Dextera to sign at him. His arm rests on the edge of the tub, and eventually his head leans to rest on his arm.]

It's relaxing. Like being in there, just without the water.

[passio]

Get in?

[ that’s bold, and dextera realizes an offer is not exactly what he wanted to communicate. he shifts in the water, quickly, some of it spilling over the edge in his haste to turn and make sure guren can see his hands completely. ]

Do you want to? [ a pause. ] I can get out.

[swordfucker]

[DEX... Guren blinks at the sudden movements, shifting as some of that water spills on him and his bathroom floor.]

No, no, I don't want you to get out until you're done. [He's not trying to chase him out...!!]

[passio]

[ it’s just water!! it’s fine. it’s soapy water, but that is really even better, for floors like these. probably. ]

…

[ he nods, settling back down into the bath. he’s a little lower this time, which means his arms are sticking out at an odd angle to sign, but that’s just a testament to how much he wants to keep talking about nothing. ]

It’s warm.

[swordfucker]

...Good. I was worried it might have cooled down too much.

[He couldn't ask Yata or Fushimi for help with this one, that's embarrassing. But he managed.

Anyway, speaking of warm, his chest is warm with feelings! Goodness, this is so much mood whiplash, even with how many days it's been since Dextera came back.]

So you're a bath lover now, huh?

[passio]

[ it is a lot of mood whiplash, but that’s a good sign, isn’t it? things have turned around quickly—even when they get dark and painful, the two of them can find a way to bounce back. if dextera were by himself for any of this, as he forced himself to be when the werewolves came along, it would be much worse. ]

Bath liker.

[ a mild correction. ]

[swordfucker]

Bath liker.

[God that's dumb. He reaches into the water to flick some at Dextera with a grin.]

What do you want to do after this?

[passio]

Ah—!

[ if dextera weren’t so genuinely appreciative of the fact that guren ran this bath for him, he would flick water back. as it stands, though, he just raises his hand to block it with a little sound. ]

Dry off.

[ preemptively, leave him alone ]