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The water was hot. It made his muscles unknot and relax, in the way no short rest ever could. Jotaro felt the warmth of the steam that filled the bath permeate through his tired eyelids and sore muscles, dissolving every bit of exhaustion in his body and carrying it away. There was a special something about these moments, where he could feel at ease. Though he could name it, he figured that this must be what his tense shoulders required, so he indulged into the warm water in the bathtub. It was a little small for him, but so were all the other ones he’d tried before. Nothing seemed to fit him in, given his size. Even so, this was enough for him.
Or maybe it wasn’t.
As he leaned his head back, he wondered what Rohan could be doing that kept him from joining Jotaro in the bath. It couldn’t possibly be so absorbing, but more often than not he’d been proven wrong. Where Rohan’s priorities lay, Jotaro found it hard to feel the same. It was in that moment that the door slid open, making Jotaro stray away from his thoughts.
“My drafts are finished for the night,” Rohan spoke first, took the lead of the conversation, as he did with anything else. His arms were folded upon his chest, the usual frown shadowing his otherwise youthful features. “You’re staying tonight, I presume.”
There was a sour something hidden between words; a mysterious taste that Jotaro assumed came from the fact that he arrived unannounced. He watched calmly as Rohan’s features softened, fixing his eyes on the tips of his hair that looked almost wet from the steam. “Join me,” Jotaro said at last.
He thought of the closeness, of the way Rohan’s body would feel against his own in this soaking bath. He also thought of the intimacy that remained implicit in the act, which set every feeling in motion and bewildered that selfish part of his nature. His heart raced within his breast.
Rohan seemed to contemplate the invitation, measuring his options. He shrugged after a moment, raising a brow at Jotaro, “This is my bath.”
“I can see that.” Jotaro signaled to the row of oils, soap and fine shampoo stocked meticulously on a shelf, the corner of his lips curving into a smile of slight amusement.
Rohan’s stare was severe, a touch cold even in the hot bath. If he wanted, he could leave Jotaro behind and resume his sketching or to keep himself busy with any other thing that wasn’t this. Instead, Rohan stayed. His face was unreadable for the subsequent seconds, which dragged on slowly through the passage of time. As Jotaro parted his lips to add something, Rohan raised a hand and let the silence unfold for another moment, then began to undo the buttons of his shirt.
Jotaro’s breath was caught in his throat, his eyes following the slow movement of Rohan’s hands as he let the fabric slide off his dignified shoulders and down to the floor. The pale skin of his chest spread beautifully on his body, almost like a marble statue standing graciously before him. He couldn’t keep his eyes off the thighs that were soon revealed as Rohan slipped out of his pants, all clothes pooled below his feet, forgotten and devoid of the warmth of his body.
Then Rohan came forward. He extended an arm to present his hand, in the way an aristocrat would, but this gesture suited him well. Jotaro took Rohan’s hand and guided him into the bath tub; saw the way his skin flushed at the mere touch of hot water as he submerged the tip of his toes, ankle and little below the knee. He couldn’t help leaning closer to rest his lips on the reddened skin and trail them up to the inner side of Rohan’s thigh. He heard a gasp coming from Rohan’s mouth.
“Is this what you had in mind when you said we should take a bath together?”
Jotaro touched the curve of Rohan’s hip with the back of his hand, sensing the shivers against his own skin, as though they belonged to him, “I have many other things in mind when it comes to us. This is only one of them.”
“Then show me the rest.”
Jotaro felt his heart race within his breast, “It can wait. For now, I want you here. I can make you want it, just as much.”
He noticed the slight hesitation in Rohan’s movements, as though unsure of how to act when presented with such intense emotions, his face flushing a little more each time and he was not certain whether this reaction came from his words or the steam that filled the space between their bodies. Jotaro hoped it was the first.
Rohan nestled on his chest and between spread legs, his body slowly absorbing the heat of the bath. Jotaro buried his nose in the strands of dark hair just below his jaw, inhaled the scent of coconut and fresh mint. The distance between their bodies had lessened to zero and he pressed his stomach against Rohan’s back, both pulses beating in unison as they gradually adapted to this intimate embrace.
“This bathtub can barely fit us. You’re too big.” Rohan said as he cradled a pool of water between his cupped hands, only to separate them again to let it cascade back into the bathtub.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Jotaro took a sponge from the side and poured a small amount of soap. When he placed it against Rohan’s shoulder, his touch became gentle and careful. These hands had crushed, broke and defeated more than they had healed, so this rhythm was strange to him, yet he didn’t stop. He stroked between Rohan’s shoulder-blades, the crook of his neck and shoulder and the back of his slender arms. Rohan accepted it quietly, flinched only when it tickled.
He lowered his face just enough to place a kiss on the back of Rohan’s nape. He was warm like summer, sweet with the scent of honey and apple and Jotaro thought of every time his lips had searched for Rohan’s mouth, so he could feel his own name vibrating into the kiss as Rohan moaned it for him. Rohan lowered his body just enough to get rid of what remained of the soap on his back and then leaned back against Jotaro’s chest.
“You’re not usually this gentle. Not with everyone.”
“Everyone is not you.”
This time, Rohan turned around.
His eyes studied Jotaro’s face, as though trying to solve a puzzle that he’d never seen before. But Jotaro knew this wasn’t the case. He’d shown this side to Rohan more than once, felt compelled to continue giving him this and only what was deserving of the mangaka. He tried to calculate the strength with which he touched Rohan, or this is how it was in the beginning. Now, his fingers moved on their own volition, always searching for Rohan’s presence. So it didn’t concern him when Rohan didn’t say anything or stared at him with such caution. Another smile appeared on his face, like it usually happened when Rohan was around.
“Figured you would be used to this by now. Should I stop?”
Rohan frowned, unamused. “I’ve never told you to stop before, so why would I do it now? Continue, you haven’t finished attending me.”
“Attending you.” Jotaro repeated.
“It can’t be called anything else.”
“It could. But you won’t say it. Have a hard time admitting it? I can give it a name for you.”
“What would you name it, then?”
“This.”
With a swift movement, Jotaro brought his thumb and forefinger to take Rohan’s chin, locking eyes with him for a moment before he joined their mouths together into a deep kiss. He felt Rohan tremble in his arms, liked the way the already heated water became almost unbearable as the temperature increased between them. Rohan’s lips parted and Jotaro knew it was alright to be a little more eager; he slid his tongue into Rohan’s mouth and got drunk off the humid, warm sensation he was wrapped into.
Rohan seemed to melt into the embrace, muscles giving in as Jotaro tightened his arm around his shoulders and allowed his other hand to grip at Rohan’s jaw, keeping him in place. A groan escaped him, felt his own breath collide heavily and hot against Rohan’s and he could taste the sweetness of the highest bliss.
When their mouths parted again, he could catch a glimpse of Rohan’s flustered face, green eyes gleaming with satisfaction. He wondered if Rohan liked it as much as he did.
“This doesn’t answer my question.”
“Ask again,” Jotaro replied, bending to press his lips against Rohan’s forehead, feeling his breath warm the spot as he whispered, “I have other names to show you.”