Work Text:
Andrew was in the pre-wash stage of showering that he thought of as "dramatic soaking." Basically it involved standing under the shower head and letting the water soak him while maintaining a posture of Peak Weariness. It wasn't even an act most days.
The shower curtain rustled and Neil poked his head in, droplets of spray catching in his hair. He grinned at Andrew. It wasn't a leer, just Neil's standard look when he saw Andrew -- glee, happiness, contentment. Tonight there was also a hint of mischief.
"Honey, I'm home!" Neil chirped.
"Took you long enough," Andrew grumbled, moving towards the other end of the shower to let Neil in.
Neil slid between the curtain and the shower wall, stepping into the tub. He closed his eyes and hummed as the hot water hit his back.
"I could live in the shower," Neil murmured.
Andrew snorted and grabbed the shampoo bottle. "You'd shrivel up like a prune."
"Or maybe I'd turn into a magical water creature." Neil opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows. "You never know, Andrew."
"Hmm." Andrew eyed him. "I'm trying to imagine you with gills and a tail."
Neil turned in a circle, which was very nice. Neil Josten looked good 24/7 but he was especially appealing when he was soaking wet. Andrew looked away and focused on shampooing his hair.
They swapped places and Andrew rinsed while Neil put maybe a drop of shampoo in his hair. It was a habit from his years on the run -- use as little as possible, conserve resources, don't waste anything.
Showering together was another habit Neil had started. He cheekily told Andrew it was about saving water but that was a lie. Their combined shower time was probably longer than if they took separate showers.
The true motivation was that Neil wanted more time with him and it gave them a private bubble to be together in the midst of their hectic lives. Most of the time it was simply the two of them showering, catching up, and getting some skin to skin contact. Sometimes there was sex but not usually.
It had taken Andrew some time to warm up to the idea and to be comfortable with Neil seeing all of him. It was even longer before he could let Neil touch all of him. The showers were a safe way to explore without being inherently sexual. Neil could wash his back and that's all it was. And Neil, who maintained that he was absolutely on board with Andrew doing whatever to him (ridiculous, stupid, absurd), liked having Andrew wash him. He'd gotten spoiled in their first, emotionally charged shower together but Andrew had zero regrets.
Andrew finished rinsing his hair and moved to let Neil get under the spray. They moved around each other in a carefully coordinated dance until Andrew was standing in front of Neil, watching as Neil lowered his head so Andrew could rinse the minimal suds out of his auburn hair.
Running his hands through Neil's hair was incredibly relaxing. This was what got him hooked on shared showers. All the touching and caring and being cared for. He'd seen the term touch starved online but hadn't realized that's what he was until Neil.
They'd talked about it, eventually. Neil said he probably was the same but in his case he only wanted Andrew to touch him, no one else. There were other things that Neil considered to be "Andrew Only" activities and it still blew Andrew's mind that he was the one who made Neil feel that way.
Andrew moved on from rinsing Neil's hair to grabbing the neon orange loofah Neil favored and the body wash they shared. It was a nice grapefruit scent, not too strong, and with a faint sweet, clean smell. He got the loofah all lathered up and proceeded to give Neil a very thorough cleaning.
Neil chattered on about whatever was on his mind. As usual, it was Exy and the team. Andrew let the words wash over him, letting the comfort of the moment help him unwind. He finished scrubbing and let his hands wander over Neil's body, tracing muscle and bone and scars. He had every inch of Neil memorized but it was a landscape he loved to revisit.
Neil shivered and gave Andrew a look. It was the "are you starting something?" look. Andrew knew that whatever he said, Neil would be happy.
"No." Andrew said. He got up from where he'd been kneeling, paying probably too much attention to a scar on Neil's thigh. He gave Neil a quick kiss on the shoulder and proceeded to give himself a quick scrub. He offered Neil the wash cloth and Neil got his back for him. And, because Neil couldn't help himself, he kissed the side of Andrew's neck after he was done. Just a quick peck since they weren't getting into it right then. It still made Andrew flush and feel things.
After rinsing, Andrew held his hand out and Neil took it. Andrew pulled him in so they were pressed together, just managing to fit under the spray of water. Neil sighed contentedly and tucked his face into Andrew's neck. His hands were on Andrew's hips, Andrew's arms were wrapped firmly around Neil's waist.
"Naked hugs!" Neil said, his voice bright.
"You're so weird," Andrew said against the top of Neil's head.
"Mmm," Neil agreed. Or maybe just hummed.
Andrew smiled. If they kept this up for the next fifty or so years he figured he'd be alright. Naked hugs and shared showers with the man who would always treat him the way he wanted to be treated. He really couldn't ask for more.