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“Shall we take a bath together, Yonaga-san?” asks Yuuma, late one night.
They’ve just finished their shower- usually, this is when they would head to bed. But it’s a weekend tomorrow, and Yuuma is smiling so eagerly.
Yonaga doesn’t have the heart to refuse, even if he is a bit sleepy.
“Sure,” says Yonaga, “But why all of a sudden?”
“It’s been getting colder,” Yuuma explains, pouting a little. “And we’ve never taken a bath together.”
“We take showers all the time, yeah?”
“That’s different,” insists Yuuma with a pout, and well, who is Yonaga to argue?
So they plug up the bath, and turn the faucet until water pours out in a torrent. Luckily, they both prefer it fairly hot- Yonaga wouldn’t be a fan of steeping in lukewarm water.
(He would’ve tolerated it though, for Yuuma.)
Yonaga slips into the bath first, carefully sitting himself down in inch-high water as the faucet splashes on. Yuuma comes in next, happily plopping himself down between Yonaga’s legs.
They wait for the tub to fill, Yuuma resting happily against Yonaga’s chest. The air feels a little chilly, but the water is hot, and Yuuma warm. Gradually, water fills the tub, steam fills the room, and Yuuma turns off the faucet with a creak.
Yuuma leans right back against Yonaga, the water rippling as he moves. It’s finally properly warm in the bathtub, and it’s even warmer with Yuuma so bright and happy in his arms.
“You smell so nice, Yonaga-san!” Yuuma chirps. His hand reaches up to caress Yonaga’s face.
The heat of the bath helps hide the blush on Yonaga’s cheeks. “Obviously. We just showered.”
“You still smell nice,” insists Yuuma, and Yonaga flushes harder.
“Well- I guess- so do you,” mumbles Yonaga, eyes flicking to the side.
Before they moved in together, Yuuma apparently used the same simple soap for everything- shampooing his hair, washing his hands, cleaning his body… the very thought makes Yonaga shudder. It’s a miracle that Yuuma’s hair is still as smooth as it is.
Now though, they tend to shower together more often than not, and so Yuuma’s learnt to at least use shampoo. And, well, the rose-scented shampoo that Yonaga has always bought for himself…
Of course it makes Yuuma smell nice, especially with his head tucked right under Yonaga’s chin.
“Thank you,” Yuuma says with no shame.
“Mm.”
Yuuma’s hand slips back down, and they sit quietly for a little while, enjoying the water. In all honesty, Yonaga has never been one for baths before. But-
“Baths aren’t so bad, huh?” comments Yonaga.
Eyes blink up at him. “Why would they be bad?”
“I never said they were bad, it’s just, well-” Yonaga coughs. “It takes a while to fill up, doesn’t it? And by the time the tub’s full, you’re all done showering, and maybe you don’t even wanna take a bath anymore.”
“I understand completely!” Yuuma exclaims, a stubborn glint to his eyes. “But I refuse to leave something half-finished. I’ll take the bath even if it’s gone lukewarm!”
Yonaga snorts. “That sounds like you.”
“Thank you, Yonaga-san!”
“I wasn’t compli-” Yonaga pauses, and smiles wryly. “Well, maybe I was.”
Yuuma smiles up at him with a beaming gaze, and Yonaga can’t help but return the smile, his eyes going soft.
“But yeah,” continues Yonaga, a little quieter now. “Heard they were bad for your skin too, so well- figured it wasn’t worth the bother.” He feels his face growing warmer again. “Sitting here with you though… it’s pretty nice.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Yuuma says cheerily. In the water, Yonaga feels Yuuma’s hand flit over his arm, tracing over a scar. He continues- “Yonaga-san.”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Yonaga, face burning a red brighter than imaginable, jerks back against the edge of the tub, water splashing. “Wh-Wha-Where did that come from?!”
“I just wanted to say it!” chirps Yuuma, his hand shifting down to squeeze Yonaga’s. “I wanted to make sure you knew.”
“…I already did, geez,” mumbles Yonaga.
“And I wanted you to know,” Yuuma continues, “that’s why you’re perfect.”
“Mm?!”
“I love you,” Yuuma chirps again, “And that’s precisely why you’ll always be perfect to me, forever.” He snuggles his head back into Yonaga’s chest, wet hair pressing against bare skin. “There’s no one more beautiful than you, Yonaga-san. You don’t need to worry over your looks.”
“You- I don’t-”
Yonaga pauses for a moment, because his entire routine did start because he worried over his looks. He knew he was plain at best- and as an awkward highschooler desperate for a date, he had been desperate enough to try anything to seem cooler.
But he had realized soon enough that no one cared about how soft his skin was. By then though, he had gotten used to his routine, and well-
He liked it. So he continued, for himself, because he wanted to. And somewhere along the line, he had just stopped caring so much about his average looks.
(In truth, he had started caring again recently, though for different reasons. The scars he had worn so proudly as a rookie eliminator began to grate on him- that he was marred so worthlessly for the sake of a public that couldn’t care less.
But Yuuma had burst into his life with all the warmth of the sun rising from the east, and he realized none of that mattered. He didn’t need recognition to be a hero- and he didn’t need validation for his scars to be worth it, every single one.)
So Yonaga truly doesn’t worry over his looks, not anymore.
(Because of Yuuma, of course- but because of himself as well.)
“I know that,” Yonaga says, more confident this time. “Don’t worry, Yuuma.”
Yuuma brightens immediately. “I’m glad!”
“And-” Yonaga clears his throat, then- “I love you too. More than anything.”
The confidence to yell I love Yuunagi Yuuma is something he’s already worked up once, which makes things a little easier. That’s why he always does his best to work up that courage again and again, no matter how badly his face burns every time.
(Because Yuuma deserves to know he’s loved back just as much.)
Yuuma’s smile shines brilliantly.
“I love you more than anything, Yonaga-san,” Yuuma shoots back.
He melts right back into Yonaga, and Yonaga- happy, comfortable, and so very, very, warm-
-melts right back.