#i wrote this in the bath and now im all wrinkly waaa

[zoieru]

⊹⁺☽ In the bath with ~

Little babbles where you have a bath(or wash) with hsr men hehe. SFW. CW: so... mydei's is based around the idea I had that he has a phobia of baths because of that as a child. I have no evidence, just m'noggin. I have not included descriptions of that explicitly, so that anyone who wants to remain blissfully ignorant can and can still enjoy it. If you do want to know, however... google his backstory, and I apologise in advance. 1.4k.

Jiaoqiu ⊹ Blade ⊹ Mydei

Jiaoqiu ⊹

"You know, I can tell that you're doing something devious with my tail," he hummed, voice lilted with a touch of suspicion, but it was mostly an affectionate little statement as he played with bubbles in his slender fingers. His left ear twitched subtly to emphasise his words, as if to glean more information on what exactly it was you were doing.

He wasn't wrong, you were currently in the process of making little shapes out of his long pinkish tail fur that floated between you as you faced eachother sat in the tub. What were you supposed to do, it was sat there floating all lonely between your entwined legs, just begging to be petted and played with.

A little cheeky smirk touched your lips as you continued, eyes watching the bubbles fade into the strands as you expertly fashioned spikes along the length of the tail, much to his...well, he didn't seem upset about it.

"Mmh, I wasn't doing it because I thought you wouldn't see yknow. I am aware you have nerves in your tail," you mused, a tease mixed in with a gentle reassurance that you would never just do something because you knew he couldn't see you.

"it's not the feeling that set me off to your antics," he stated, a smug note to his melodic tone. "It was the mischievous silence as you concentrated on whatever you were doing with it. You should really work on your convincing stealth."

"I wasn't trying to be stealthy," you echoed, letting out a little chuckle before stealing some of your materials for your masterpiece, the bubbles, and planting them in a cute little pile between his ears. He froze for a second, ears twitching downwards, and then scrunched his nose with a chuckle. "You are insufferable, I'm afraid," he said, almost regrettably, before taking a piece of the bubble pile and perfectly accurately placing some on the tip of your nose. He was getting better at that.

A smug little smile touched his lips with a satisfied and cheeky tilt of his head, eyelashes dewy and long across his cheeks. "I'm getting better at that."

Blade ⊹

"But then I'll be able to do your back," you suggested. The feeling of soft skin against the ripples of his scarred one was so familiar, by now, the water moistening you both to the point you almost melded together, head tucked into his neck and chest, side against him as you sat/lay between his legs. Your fingers drifted over one of the ones across his shoulder, the darkened skin, the jagged outline, achingly beautiful as it shone softly in the dim warm light of the bathroom.

"I want you here," he said, tone still blunt, gruff, but with a subtle softening of the edges reserved for the quiet moments of serenity like this one. As if to punctuate his point, his hand that wasn't toying with a piece of your hair dancing in the water squeezed your hip slightly.

"I'll still be here, just behind you. You can still feel me, what's the problem?" You hummed up at him, head lifting slightly so you could meet his eyes, now also softened a touch by the bath, the steam, dewy eyelashes half hiding his half lidded sleepy gaze.

His red irises flicked to you, with no change in expression. "Here. Like...in front of me. I can't hold you behind me, can I, I don't have arms that rotate 360°." He was sort of snarky, a bit grumpy sounding, which did not at all match, and only provide an endearing complement to, the slightly wet cat look of his cute self sat behind you in the water.

You sighed, eyeing him with affectionate skepticism. It was frustratingly cute that he was so stubborn about you moving a few inches behind him to wash his back. You knew he liked it too, he was just being difficult, wanted to hold you. Your heart melted a bit.

"I'll be quick, you like it."

"Why does a back need to be washed anyway."

"Bla-"

"I mean washed washed, like by hand and thoroughly. It's a back. Just stay here."

You felt a chuckle bubble to your throat, but popped it for a moment since you actually wanted this and laughing was not going to help this grumpy cat situation.

"Blade. It doesn't, sure, we can say that. But I wanna. I like doing it," you stated, firmly, tilting your head to assess his response. He was still eyeing you with that slightly indignant but slightly affectionate glare of his that you knew meant you might have gotten through to him with that last part. "That good enough for you?"

He huffed, before his dark eyebrow cocked a bit and he rolled his eyes. "Fine. Just...quick."

A smile. Gotcha. It would have made you feel a little bad to use the 'I want to' card, but it was the honest truth, and it was something he knew he wanted, just didn't wanna ask for.

You slid behind him, the water sloshing gently around you, as his hands slid along your skin as if attempting somewhat to hold you with him as you moved. You settled, legs either side of his hips, and ran your fingers along that inky hair to move it over his shoulder, revealing the littered stripes across his beautiful back. As you started to run your fingers across the muscles, he let out an audible sigh, body almost physically melting beneath you. Hehe, got you.

Mydei ⊹

Mydeimos did not like baths. Now, it would have been fun to make some sort of cat joke, a gentle tease about him screeching in the water, claws out, jumping out and running. That was if you didn't know his past. You had wondered why he avoided walking through the stone paths through the public baths of Okhema the best he could, and when going through keeping his eyes on his destination, attention unwavering.

Musings that popped to mind were either the cat thing, or that he was somehow uncomfortable with people being somewhat declothed, but that didn't sound right since he walked around with the near entirety of his chest out. When the truth was revealed to you, you felt sick for hours, ending up resigning to your quarters not able to focus on much but... that until the intensity numbed.

Showers, however, he could deal with. He had to wash, after all, sometimes. And if it wasn't some fountain of some kind, or just a cloth wash, showers would do the job and leave him mostly unscathed and unscared.

His showers were minimal until you came along. He blinked and shifted his gaze when you signalled that you knew and instantly showed unconditional understanding and support for his position against baths, but couldn't deny the warmth that bloomed in his chest.

So here you were, under the gentle water, pitter pattering on mostly his form as you stood against eachother, his warm skin up against yours.

"You look... cute, with your hair wet like this," he said lowly, the word rolling out of his lips almost foreign but sweet.

You chuckled, raising an eyebrow up at him as his large hands ran down your back, smothering bubbly gel into your softened skin. "Cute? Did you learn that from me?" You teased gently.

"Why, is it just reserved for 'cute girls' to use the word cute?" He retorted, his inner sass never dampened by even the soft affection that you shared in the steam. It was endearing to say the least, as was the smirk that tickled the corners of his lips as he looked down at you.

"No. It's cute hearing you say I'm cute." Your fingers idly traced the crimson lines across his chest, catching the droplets that formed on the tanned skin. His hands paused his ministrations for a moment, and expression of either being terribly unimpressed or slightly stumped, before continuing and shaking his head.

"I take back my words."

"What?! Why?"

"Cute seems to have too many meanings. What's the point of using a word that can be used for whatever?"

You huffed with a chuckle, both amused and exasperated. Half way through celebrating your victory for him adopting some of your language he squandered it. Though a victory it still was, since the seed was planted.

"Mph, fine. But I'll sleep well knowing that you think I'm cute," you murmured, planting a soft kiss on his sternum. His fingers, almost involuntarily, squeezed your sides as you did.

"You always sleep well in my arms," he stated, a gentle reinstating of his status after the cute debacle, but also a proud little reassurance that he looked after you, that you were safe, with him. Including from a bath.