#gale in turn is the one responsible for bubble baths

[normal-thoughts-official]

they decide to take turns with the acts of service. gale makes a spreadsheet. wyll says that making the spreadsheet should count as gale's first act of service and therefore it's wyll's turn. they fight again

wyll and gale fight over who gets to open the door for the other person and genuinely get annoyed when they lose

[lendeah]

Bubbles and battle wounds

Prompt: Astarion comforts you after a bad day featuring a bathtub.

Pairing: Astarion x GN!Reader

Words: 1.3k

Tags: fluff, hurt/comfort.

The day had been brutal, filled with never-ending battles against a seemingly endless enemies. Karlach, Wyll, Gale and yourself had fought tirelessly, your bodies pushed to the brink of exhaustion and beyond. But even during such chaos, there was one failure that weighed heavily on your mind - the gnomes at the factory who died despite your best efforts. The guilt gnawed at you relentlessly as you stumbled back to the Elfsong Tabern, your body battered and bruised. You didn't even have the strength or will to say goodbye to the rest of your companions before heading to Astarion's bed. The elf lies stretched out on the bed, with his eyes glued to a book. Despite this, you know that he is still aware of your presence as he raises a brow.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Looks like someone's had quite the day," he says with a sly grin. "Do tell me all about it. Who did you fight? Did you put up a good fight?"

He slowly sits up on the bed, his gaze traveling up and down your body before finally resting on your face. His expression shifts from curiosity to concern as he takes in your appearance. Your legs tremble uncontrollably, a clear indication that something is seriously wrong.

“I-I need a bath,” you say, on the verge of tears.

He gets up from his bed and walks over to you, placing a hand on your arm to steady you with preoccupation etched on his face. "Of course, my dear. Let me help you," he says, his voice soothing and comforting.

You quietly make your way to the bathroom, and you feel like in a daze. Astarion's arm is securely wrapped around your waist as he supports your trembling body. Every step feels like a struggle, so you are grateful for his assistance. The room is small but cozy, with a large tub taking up most of the space. A faint smell of lavender fills the air, calming your nerves slightly.

Without a word, Astarion begins to run a bath for you, carefully adjusting the temperature to your liking. He then gestures for you to sit on the edge of the tub as he helps you out of your armor and clothes. He seems to be searching for any wounds on your body, but doesn't seem to find anything too serious. You feel vulnerable and exposed under his gaze, but also comforted by his familiar presence.

Once you are fully bare, you get into the bathtub, hugging your knees to your chest and sobbing slightly. He also undresses and gets in the tub behind you, having you between his legs. Your mind is filled with images of the battle you just fought, and the guilt and pain are overwhelming.

After a few seconds, you feel his hands on your back, gently massaging and washing away the dirt and grime from your skin. His touch is tender and soothing, making the tension in your body slowly melt away. You lean into his touch, grateful for his presence.

"Do you want to talk about it, my love?" he finally asks in a gentle voice, breaking the silence.

You shake your head, tears now falling freely down your face. "I couldn't save them," you say between sobs. "They trusted me and I couldn't save them."

He leans forward and wraps his arms around you from behind, pulling your body close to his chest. You feel his familiar cold and soft skin, slowly calming your racing heart. "It's not your fault," he whispers in your ear. "You did everything you could."

But you can't help but feel responsible. You had promised to protect them, and yet they fell in battle while you survived. It feels like a betrayal of their trust in you. You sigh, laying your head on your knees again. He starts massaging your hair and scalp and you feel the tension start to leave your body, as the water around you both turns brown with blood and grime.

"You don't always have to be strong for others," he whispers softly. "It's okay to let yourself grieve."

You nod slowly, letting out a shaky breath. The sobs come out in full force now, racking your body with each wave of pain and sadness. Astarion holds onto you tighter, whispering words of comfort as he lets you cry it out. Eventually, your tears run dry and you lay there spent and exhausted.

As Astarion continues massaging your scalp, he notices the water turning brown with grime and blood. He frowns slightly.

"Let me take care of this," he says softly before pouring some fresh water into the bathtub to replace the dirty water.

You watch him silently as he steps back in, and resumes carefully washing your hair, his touch gentle and soothing. The newly warm water and the smell of soap lull you into a state of relaxation, and you close your eyes.

"You have beautiful hair," he comments, running his fingers through the strands.

You open your eyes and turn to look at him, surprised by his words. "Thank you," you say softly.

When he is finished, he pulls you back toward his chest, embracing you. He nuzzles his nose against your cheek affectionately before pulling back slightly to look into your eyes. "Even with bruises and blood, you manage to be the most captivating sight I've ever beheld," he says sincerely.

Turning around in his embrace, your arms instinctively wrap around his neck, pulling him closer as you hold on tightly, hugging him in response. Astarion's hands move from your hair to your back, caressing your skin gently. He leans in and presses a soft kiss against your shoulder, his lips lingering for a moment. "You truly are a wonder, my dear," he whispers, his voice filled with sincerity. "Even amid chaos and despair, your spirit remains unyielding. It's no wonder I am utterly infatuated with you."

His words wash over you like a balm, soothing the ache in your heart. With Astarion by your side, the weight of the world feels just a little lighter. Leaning against Astarion's chest, you let out a contented sigh. "Thank you," you whisper softly. "For being here."

His arms tighten around you, pulling you impossibly closer. "You don't have to carry it all alone," he murmurs against your ear. "Lean on me when you need to. I'll always be here to catch you."

A small smile tugs at the corners of your lips. You reach up and brush a strand of hair away from his face, your fingers lingering against his cheek. "You should lean into me too," you whisper, feeling a sense of hope blossoming within you.

He smiles softly before leaning closer and pressing his lips to yours. The kiss is gentle yet filled with unspoken emotions. You feel yourself melting into him, reveling in the warmth and safety he provides. Astarion brushes his fingers against your cheek before pulling away. "Let's get out of this grimy water," he says with a smirk, offering you a hand to help you stand up.

Astarion helps you out of the bathtub and wraps a soft towel around you before grabbing one for himself. You both dry off quickly and he leads you to the bed, where he hands you one of his clean shirts.

"Put this on," he says, handing it to you. "We can't have my dear hero looking like a ragamuffin."

You take the shirt from him with a smile, and slip it over your head, reveling in his lingering smell on the piece. Astarion watches you with a smile, clearly pleased with how you look in his clothes.

"Mmm, you're finally looking presentable," he purrs, raking his fingers through your damp hair. "Now, let's get some rest. We have a full day of scheming ahead of us."

You nod in agreement and climb onto the bed, snuggling into the soft blankets. Astarion joins you, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you close to him, as his fingers gently trace soothing circles on your back. As you drift off to sleep, you can't help but feel grateful for having Astarion by your side. Despite all the chaos and danger surrounding you both, he brings a sense of peace and comfort that you never knew was possible.

[galeorderbride]

Hiii!!

I discovered your account recently, and I'm a fan! This strengthens my love for Gale even more! I have a request, is it possible to use the following prompts :

3)Touching foreheads

7) Kissing scars

11)Sharing secrets

41)Washing each other hairs

52)Crying into their shoulder

60) sitting in their lap

i will probably ask for others prompt later ahah!

thanks you so much 🖤

Thank you for the request!! I’m stoked to know I’ve helped strengthen your love for everyone’s favourite rizzard lol. And send as many prompts as you like!

Your prompt awaits:

Rated: M (Gale and Tav sharing a bath, non descriptive nudity).

Gale x F!tav

Words: 1652

...

Wash my Troubles Away

Baths were always the way Tav chose to unwind after a stressful day. Before the nautiloid, and after, although she’d been seriously lacking in access. In all honesty, she was surprised it took this long for her to break down. Months on the road, toiling through endless swaths of blood, shit and tears with the onus on them to solve everyone’s problems. At first, Tav enjoyed helping, seeing new friends suffer a little bit less in such a difficult society. Once they reached Rivington, however, her patience ran drier than a dead fountain. 

Thankfully, they found the Elfsong, where a private bathroom awaited. As soon as the fee was paid, Tav thought about taking a bath—craved it. A space to calm her muscles and cry out her troubles without drawing attention. 

Hot water flowed against her naked back, bubbling with lavender oil and sudsy soap, emanating the scent of vanilla and oat. Tav tucked her legs to her chest, curling into a ball of frustration and embarrassment as she couldn’t stop crying. Tav needed more resilience than this. Facing the end of the world required stalwart bravery, and she was having a meltdown over finding gold for a bank manager. How in the hells was she supposed to take down a giant brain? 

Meanwhile, everyone else had no problem being selfish. A toy maker set explosives in his own products, totally willing to kill children to save his own skin. Idiots tying up Volo just because he was talking about the things they wanted to ignore. Ironhand gnomes masking abusive bigotry with a shining cause. Tav was tired of everyone’s bullshit, making excuses for themselves, taking zero responsibility when she had no other option but to face problems head on. 

Her self pity was interrupted by a knock at the bathroom door. The sound of a lilted, erudite voice coming through the wood: 

“Mind if I come in, love?” 

Gale appeared in the doorway after Tav agreed he could enter. Holding fresh towels and a wicker basket of different bath products, looking brand new as if he’d just returned from an apothecary. Tav splashed water in her face to mask the puffiness of her eyes, as if her detail oriented wizard would ever let a thing like that get past him. 

“You seem like you could use some company. And so far, I’ve been very skilled and…calming you down, so to speak. I fetched some products from Bonecloak’s, all your favourite scents. Jasmine, pomegranate, aloe vera. If you’d prefer to be alone, know you won’t offend me. I just wanted to give you these so you know someone is thinking about you,” he said. 

Tav turned her head, grinning as best she could, easier because of his presence. Since their romance had begun, he was the only one virtually incapable of annoying her. He always knew what to say, always understood the right words or actions to keep her grounded. No one had been such a positive force in her life, and every morning, no matter how terrible, she thanked the stars for finding that unstable portal. 

“I’m not enviable company at the moment, but yours, would surely heal my weary heart,” Tav replied. 

Gale smiled, “No matter how you’re feeling, there is no one in the realms I’d rather spend my time with.” 

Times like this were when Tav didn’t believe she deserved his sweetness. Doting on her out of an adoration she couldn’t figure out. He placed the bottles on a tiny stool beside the tub, undressing so he could join her in a warm, sudsy water, snapping his fingers with a little magic to heat it back to ideal temperature. He made use of the large, circular space as he sunk in behind her, enveloping her in a comforting embrace as she rested her back onto his chest. Little hairs tickled her skin, causing her to chuckle for the first time all day. 

Careful movements of his fingertips massaging her scalp sent shivers down Tav’s spine. Scents of pomegranate and jasmine soothed her sinuses, letting the hot water pour down her head, through strands of clean hair. Tension from her muscles seemed to dissolve with each considerate touch, Gale’s hands created to caress her skin. When he finished, he wrapped his arms around her, rocking her back and forth as they both watched the window ahead. A clear night gifted them glimmering stars, a cool breeze whistling out of a crack in the insulation. Tav leaned back, resting her head in the crux of Gale’s shoulder as she closed her eyes. A few, stray tears fell from her eyes, overwhelmed by the sudden comfort of her magical lover lifting her through the ache of evening. 

Gale didn’t press her for reasons, didn’t rush to solve the problem when he noticed her tears. He just held her, waited in solidarity until she was ready, happy to let her sink into his life force to refresh her own. 

“I’m sorry,” she finally said with a tearful chuckle, “You must think I’m ridiculous. Crying for no reason like this.” 

“Well, my love, your mind may be telling you that there is no reason, but that doesn’t mean it’s true. With all our travels, all the weight on your shoulders, you have every reason to cry. You’re more resilient than you think, I’d have crumbled long ago,” he said. 

Tav looked up at him, in utter admiration for his thoughtfulness, his beauty, everything. If she could, she’d sing his praises for a thousand years, to make up for all the times Mystra never did. Or anyone else who didn’t care to see the magnificence of him. 

Her fingers traced up his collarbone, around the mark the orb left that paved a path to his wonderful neck. A forced tattoo sunk into the surface of his skin, binding him to his well intentioned folly. Their foreheads touched as Gale lowered his head, wishing desperately that he could hold every

 part of her at the same time. Mage hands and mirror images weren’t enough, it had to be him. 

“Can I tell you something I’ve never told anyone before?” He asked, words hanging on between their breaths, lips hovering over each other but never quite meeting. 

“Hmm, you’ve already told me about Mystra. And that you haven't spoken to anyone in over a year until me. Oh, and that you get excited when you see me bloody after a fight. What else could there possibly be?” She asked, flirtatiously smiling at him with her eyelids batting just the way he liked. The smirk he made when he saw it was irresistible. 

Gale chuckled, “This one is far less serious, but might be what you need to hear in this moment.” 

They adjusted slightly, Gale sitting up as he pulled his arm out of the water. Just above his elbow was a superficial scar, raised tissue blending in with the rest of his skin. An uneven line travelling up his arm, about three inches long. Wherever he got it from, it had to be years ago. 

“People don’t notice this scar much anymore, not with the giant black circle on my chest. But people used to. I’d tell them it was from a kitchen knife,” he said, “But…really I accidentally set fire to my neighbour’s rose bushes when I was a child. I was trying to conjure, and the fire got away from me. Singed my arm in the process.” 

Tav turned, scooching further onto his lap as she examined his arm. She couldn’t help but laugh, “That’s your secret? Ruining a bush?” 

“Not just any bush. A rose bush. One of the most beautiful I’d ever seen. I’d pass by those roses every day, stare at them for a minute or two. Just to see something be so effortlessly perfect in its imperfection. They simply grew that way, and then I destroyed them. All I could do was cry, sob over how I tarnished something so innocent and pretty for my own sake. I don’t talk about it because…well, it’s silly, but it’s the worst thing I’ve ever felt. It’s stayed with me my entire life, and the burn scar only serves as a beacon for it,” he explained. 

“Even worse than what happened with Mystra?” She asked, grazing her fingertips across the uneven line of the scar. Eyes stuck to the mark as if it was the last thing she’d ever see. 

Gale hesitated, taking a heart wrenching pause. Tav noticed his eyes staring ahead, fixated on the window. A heavy, unsaid energy hung over him.  

“It was the catalyst. For everything. Had I not set fire to that bush, Elminster never would’ve found me. And then I’d never have attracted Mystra’s attention. A boring existence…but maybe a better one,” he said, voice trailing along the waves of his melancholic thoughts. 

Instead of responding, giving him a treatise on how he didn’t need to feel guilty anymore and burning a flower bush wasn’t a definer of his total character, she pressed her lips against the burn scar. Counting her kisses for every year of remorse he felt since setting that fire ball. Ever since their first night together, he slowly began to shed that overconfident veneer, more comfortable to show her the parts of him that hurt, the deep cuts that both of them wished they could bury. 

“Seems we both have a guilt problem,” Tav said. “Come here.” 

Tav moved to straddle his lap, taking the ceramic bowl and filling it with the warm, soapy water. Gale rested on her shoulder, as if on impulse, while she poured the liquid down the long strands of chestnut hair. Running her shampooed hands across his scalp, satisfied every time she heard his happy moans against the scratch of her nails. After rinsing, she kissed the top of his head. 

“Thank you for telling me a secret,” she said, “I’ll tell you one of mine tomorrow.”

[yourdailyangel]

This was a random idea so bear with me❤️

(MINORS DO NOT READ!!!!!!!!)

✋🏼🚫18+🚫✋🏼

❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️

🌹🖤A first night🖤🌹

🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹

DRESS BELOW IS FOR REFERENCE!

°Astarion won't lie to you. He loves seeing you wear pretty much anything and everything.

°But this? Oh gods...

°There you stood, looking like a goddess (even more so) wearing something new you brought in the last city you visited.

°A red silk dress, it has cutouts on the sides teasing your curves ever so slightly.

°A low back further showing off your figure.

°Gale was trying to speak with him but gods damn y/n you look... heavenly.

°So many thoughts raced through his mind.

°How pretty you would look under him with that on.

°He's so lost in the thought he didn't noticed you walked over to him

°"Astarion?" "hello?"

°He looks at you wanting to speak but can't.. even your voice.. so soft and tender

°"I-I'm sorry darling I was... In my thoughts"

°He gives a quick soft smile

°"oh well I was just asking if you think I looked okay?" You gave a shy chuckle

°Gods you just think you look "okay?"

°He furrowed his brows a bit "y/n... You look heavenly"

°he wishes he could show you just how beautiful you look but unfortunately there's others around so he must wait..

°You giggle and run towards karlach to speak with her before turning in.

°Once everyone has turned in and you've both nestled into your shared bed he still can't get the thoughts out of his mind, so he's restless.

°"Astarion?" You whispered "yes darling?" "Are you..okay?"

°He didn't know how to reply honestly.

°"Y-yes I'm fine my love"

°Suddenly you pull him closer to you, his now half on top of you.

°"Darling i-"

°"Please astarion I want you to please"

°Gods damn it y/n you didn't have to beg him like that.. your words laced with pureness but also.. love and desire

°He's weak for it and you most importantly

°"Are you sure my love? We haven't done.. IT yet"

°You give a nod and a quick kiss "I'm sure Astarion"

°He kisses you back softly while moving to be fully on top of you.

°he gently slides your underwear down, "Your soaked pup"

°The heat slowly rises to your cheeks. You didn't know how badly you've actually needed this moment until now

°He kisses down your body making sure to show attention to every little detail

°"Are you sure you're ready my love?"

°He waits for your response, his gaze is soft but filled with love "Yes I'm sure" you bite the corner of your lip waiting to feel the stretch.

°He slides in fairly easy considering it's your first time.

°"Are you okay darling?" He doesn't move waiting for you to adjust and respond

°"Y-Yes" it feels amazing even with the slight sting

°"Don't worry y/n I'll take care of you" his words are almost a gentle whisper, you wrap your arms around his neck placing your hands throughout his hair

°He starts moving back and forth slowly, giving you a bit more time to fully adjust to it.

°"Astarion..." His name falling from your lips is now his favorite sound, he looks down at you, your hair sprawled out your face content with pleasure.

°"Faster astarion" you beg him but he only chuckles, "needy are we? What's the magic word darling?" He kisses your neck slowly making his way up to your lips

°"P-please" "Good girl"

°His movements quicken but still very much enjoyable

°"Cum for me darling"

°And those words did their magic you felt a wave of pure pleasure wash over you.

°He chuckles softly, giving you a finale kiss before collapsing beside you.

°"Do you need anything my love?" He runs his head to face you, scanning your features to see if there's any pain.

°"A nice bubble bath would be nice and more kisses"

°"One warm bath and more kisses coming up"

°And with that he helps you clean up and carries you to bed where you both snuggle into each other content.

[bluezey]

Bathtime and Chill

Wade relaxes with a long soak in the bathtub.

Just wanted to do a fluff one.  Writing smut is fun, and I do like writing smut, ngl.  (And I keep the smut on A03). But relationships aren’t all about sex, and Ember and Wade are a great romantic couple.  I also wanted to show off some headcanons of mine that Wade loves to soak in long baths, and Ember likes to smoke.

Wade closed the apartment door behind him.  He leaned his back against the door, closed his eyes and sighed.  He slouched down so much his legs gave way into a puddle on the floor.

It’s been a rough week at work, but being a city inspector isn’t easy.  He hasn’t done anything incredulously wrong such as get washed into drain pipes or accidentally cause a cement explosion that encased half a dozen construction workers in concrete.  But seeing people react to getting citations is stressful enough on his emotional heart.  The responses for tickets are usually people angrily shouting curse words or verbal threats at him, or just crying about how they can’t pay the fines for one reason or another.  Wade wishes there was something he could do, but not every fine or ticket can be pled away to his supervisor.  At least that’s what his supervisor says, and this new one is more hot headed than Gale.  But what else can he do?  It’s his job, and he wants to keep this one, and provide for his and Ember’s lives in the city.

At least tomorrow is his day off, and he knows the perfect way to relax his overworked nerves.  Besides a good cry, of course.

Wade made a beeline straight into the hall bathroom and to the bathtub.  It was a big bathtub, big enough for two people to soak in it with room to spare.  Though Wade uses it, Ember unfortunately can’t bathe, as she is a fire person.  Ember mentioned something about how fire people don’t need to bathe as they usually burn off whatever dirt they have on their body.  Water people like Wade do something similar: they filter any debris out of their system.  While they don’t need to bathe, a good shower or bath can speed up the filtration process.  Also, bathing is a great pastime for water people.

Especially for Wade.  He finds it so relaxing that he could spend hours just soaking in the tub.

Wade almost has it down to a science.  He starts by running the bathwater, not too hot, not too cold, just perfectly warm.  He turns on the smart speakers to play some music he likes:  usually something soothing such as rainfall or classic piano, basically some white noise involving calm music or the sound of water, or both.  As the bath begins to gradually fill, he begins to prep the water with bubbles, soaps, oils and such.  By the end of it all, the tub is basically a soothing smelling concoction full of bubbles and water.

With everything prepped, Wade took off his shirt and hung it neatly on the back of the door.  Then, he dimmed the bathroom lights til he could barely see through the ambience.  He then stood by the tub and started by gently placing one foot into the water, as if he was testing it to see if it’s perfect.  It usually is perfect, but sometimes a little more bubbles or oil couldn’t hurt.  He then slowly steps into the tub, then sits into the water.  He usually fills the tub up to his chest, that’s as deep as they go without overflowing.  Overflowing is not a big issue in a water apartment, but it kinda is when he’s sharing an apartment with a fire woman.

Wade leaned back and took a big sigh of relief as he closed his eyes and laid in the tub.  By this point he literally sinks into the water.  Literally literally.  He literally loses his humanoid form and his water becomes one with the bath water.  Wade closed his eyes and took deep breaths, feeling his chest fill with air with every inhale, and his water mingle with the bath from the chest down.  He listens to the music, smells the sweet scent of oils, and feels the occasional tickling tingle of the bubbles.

After a while Wade gradually sinks lower into the tub, each time becoming more and more relaxed, and more and more at one with the bubbly soapy water.  Before long just his shoulders are above the water surface, then his head, then his whole body is submerged.  At this point, his body is barely a set of eyes floating under the layer of bubbles, as his whole body has become the bath water.  Even he can’t tell where the bath ends and his water begins.  And it’s one of the most relaxing feelings he’s ever experienced in this elemental world.

Time passes before he barely hears the sound of the bathroom door opening, though he can feel the hall light pour into the dim room.  He opened his eyes, stinging a bit as he tried to peer through the layer of bubbles floating on the surface.  He can barely make out the silhouette of Ember as she entered the bathroom and turned up the lights.

Wade reforms from the shoulders up as he rises from the water.  He squints his eyes from the bright light, but blinks them open as they adjust.  He could then make out Ember amusingly catching the sight of Wade soaking in the tub.  “Did I interrupt your me time?” she asked.

“Not really.  Maybe a little,” Wade admitted.  He then caught sight of a cigarette pursed between Ember’s fiery lips.  “Uh, Em?” he asked, pointing to his lips.

“Hm? Oh.  Sorry,” Ember plucked the cigarette from her lips and dashed it out into the sink like it was an ashtray.  She remembered that Wade wasn’t a fan of her habit, but forgot that she still had a lit cigarette in her mouth as she entered the apartment from the balcony.  The balcony is the only place they decided she could smoke.

“I’m still surprised that your parents never caught you smoking,” Wade commented, remembering how Ember admitted that Bernie and Cinder didn’t like their daughter smoking cigarettes either.

“They kinda did.  They did find a pack on my nightstand once,” Ember admitted as she sat on a metal stool in the bathroom.  She then turned on a small dehumidifier to remove some of the humidity in the room, so the air was more tolerable for her.  “I usually smoked when they were asleep.  Didn’t have to worry about hiding the scent of smoke when everything in the building is burning.”

“Hey,” Wade exclaimed a bit as he caught Ember trying to remove the humidity from the room.  Of course he knows Ember is more comfortable in a dry environment, but he just got the air in here perfect without the need of his oil diffuser.

“Oh, sorry.  Hold on.”  Ember left the room for a moment.  She returned with two wine glasses and two bottles of alcohol.  One was a bubbly wine cooler for Wade, and one was a hot cider for her.  After pouring a glass for her and a glass for Wade, she dimmed the lights and closed the bathroom door.  Now the room was mainly lit by the light of Ember’s body.  “Does that make up for it?” she asked.

Wade took a moment to watch as Ember’s light reflected off the bath water and Wade’s water, painting the walls with the golden rippling hues dancing gracefully on the walls.  “So much better.  I love when your fire does that.”

“I know what my water guy likes.”  Ember clinked her glass against Wade’s and they both took a sip of their drinks.  She watched as Wade sank back into the tub until he was shoulders deep.

“Of course, it’s funny,” Ember thought aloud before taking another sip of her hot cider. “Some of our fire traditions do include smoking a hookah.”

Shocked and curious, Wade sat up from the bath until he was chest high above the water.  Ember had to lean back a little to avoid getting splashed.  “Your parents let you smoke one of those?”

“Yeah, but only on some of our very traditional fire holidays,” Ember commented.  “Hey, I have it in the bedroom closet somewhere.  You wanna try it?”

“No thanks,” Wade replied, laying back down in the tub.

“Okay, but I’m breaking it out next month for a traditional smoke,” she told Wade.  “You’re still welcome to try.”

“Would that be bad taste for a water guy to participate in a fire holiday?” Wade asked.  “Like, some cultural appropriation thing?”

“Hm, I dunno,” Ember thought aloud.  “I don’t see a problem with it, but I wouldn’t want to offend my culture.”

“I wouldn’t want to offend your culture either,” Wade added.

Ember shrugged.  “I’ll ask my parents, next time I call them.”

Wade sighed and watched the golden ripples of Ember’ light dance across the ceiling.  He sank back deep enough into the tub that he disappeared under the bubbles again.  “I’m so glad you joined me,” Wade thought aloud as he felt his water become a part of the bath again.  “Sometimes, when I’m enjoying a good soak, I wish you could join me, somehow.”

“I just felt like checking in on you.”  Ember leaned over carefully and gently blew some of her hot breath on the bubbles, causing them to pop.  She then caught sight of her reflection in the exposed water surface, before seeing two eyes and a smile emerge and look right up at her.  The two shared a laugh, with Wade’s laugh causing the bath water to ripple, and cause the golden ripples on the walls to dance even vibrantly.

Ember leaned back in her metal stool, took another sip of her cider then grinned.  “Hey, though I can’t join you in the tub, it’s still kinda fun hanging out with you.”  She swirled the drink in her glass a little as she thought aloud, “Maybe next time, if you want company during one of your soaks, you let me know.”

Wade smiled big, a happy tear or two leaked from his eyes and into the bath water.  “Yeah, of course.”  He then added, “but you still can’t smoke in the apartment.”

Ember rolled her eyes, “Fine.”  She glanced back over at Wade and asked, “Can I play some music I like then?”

Wade nodded, or what appeared like nodding.  “That’s fair.”

Ember asked the smart speakers to play fireside jazz.  The speakers were now playing the sounds of a crackling fireplace and smooth jazz.  Ember poured another glass of hot cider, leaned back, enjoyed the music, and watched as Wade closed his eyes and basically disappeared into the bubble bath.

Once realizing that Wade fell asleep in the bath, Ember silently cracked open the bathroom door, lit a cigarette, took a deep inhale, and blew the cigarette smoke out the door and into the hallway.