Work Text:
“You look… awful. ” Kokichi began the moment Shuichi walked into their dorm. It was true - the boy was disheveled and neither of them would be surprised if he collapsed at that very moment.
“Wow, thanks…” He sighed, settling down his bag and removing his shoes. The detective wanted to give himself at least a bit of comfort, something to relieve the tension in his body. Worn down, exhausted, and with the world’s worst migraine. That’s what he was. It didn’t help that the ever-lasting pain in his heart had flared up again, leaving him useless for moments at a time as he attempted to alleviate that awfully familiar agony.
“You’re welcome!~” A hum was heard as Kokichi moved closer, meeting Shuichi at the doorstop. They shifted their weight from their heels to their toes, swinging back and forth. “ Seriously , who knew that hair could be dry and oily at the same time? You’re making scientific breakthroughs here, Shumai!”
“Just… shut it, please. You’re going to give me even worse of a headache,” He complained, pinching the skin between his eyes. Kokichi noticed the way his fingertips dug into his eyelids, attempting to quell the pain. “Do we have any ibuprofen?”
“Hmmm.. nope, I don’t think so. Thoughhhh~” They droned, delaying their proposition. “I have a better idea!”
“A better…?”
“Yup!~” The leader grinned, moving closer as their tone dropped. “Since your hair is so filthy, I thought I could help you out”
“Help me out, how , exactly?” He pushed, wanting clarification.
“You’re smart, you can guess…” They allowed a few moments of silence, leaving the other to ponder. “I think you need a bath, guided by your’s truly~”
“Wh-” The detective immediately flustered, taken off guard by the words the other spoke and the nonchalant behaviour they exhibited.
“Ewww!!! Gross!! Getting all embarrassed makes this seem weird.”
With a sigh of resignation, they bounced back, making a distance between the two. It was clear Shuichi wasn’t up to it, so they’d drop it for now.
“N-no, no, I wasn’t thinking of it like… that . It just took me off guard, that’s all. Uhm, also, I don’t really get why you’re offering to help me when I could just easily do it myself..”
“I-is
this
your way of saying you hate me? Wow.. and I thought we had something. You won’t even let me give you a lil’ scrubdown?” Ouma sniffled, fake tears taunting their eyes. “Oh- Orrrrr, are you worried I’m going to drown you or something?~ Well, it’s a reasonable worry! I was actually offering this so I could kill you and inherit all your riches.”
“Inheriting my riches? But that’s for relatives, no?”
“Hmmm… darn it, yeah. Maybe I’ll just make you say your wedding vows before I push you under! See, problem solved!”
“That!-” He exclaimed in embarrassment, dipping his head. “N-nevermind.”
Shuichi bit down on his lip, waiting for his flusteredness to die down. Kokichi noticed his attempts, and saved him the furthered torture of brining it up.
“Sooo~” Are you going to take me up on that offer, or leave yourself looking like a lost puppy”
“I, uhm, sure. Okay.” Shuichi nodded, much to the other’s surprise.
“Wait, really ? So I do get to marry you, alright!!”
“You know that’s not what I was talking about. I mean, I wouldn’t mind you helping me out - I don’t completely trust myself not to pass out bathing.”
“O-kay! Guess I’m not bewedding my beloved just yet.” They grinned, bouncing down the corridor, still facing the other. It’d be awkward, but Shuichi needed a good wash. As charming as his dedication to his job was, he could afford to loosen up a bit : there was hardly a second anymore he didn’t spend being proactive. It was studies, then work, then some personal project, then cleaning, then studying again. Everyday, he never got the opportunity to properly rest and it was clearly weighing on him.
In a few short moments, Kokichi pressed their weight against the bathroom door and it swung open. They planted themself on the lid of the toilet and waited for the other - the damn slowpoke - to enter.
“Would the water still be heated? It’s not the warmest out..”
“Mhm. I had a shower, like, half an hour back, and it was scalding. So you’ll be all good! Chase your dreams of becoming a boiled dumpling, Shumai!”
“A bath that’s ‘scalding’ doesn’t sound any better than one that’s freezing,” Shuichi muttered, leaning against the pale wall. “... sorry, what was that last bit!?”
“Nnnothing! I just said you’d make a lovely smoothie if I threw you in a blender <3.”
“That… was
not
what you said-”
“We should get the bath started already! The water
will
go cold if you keep talking.” Kokichi smirked. “Awh, is conversation with me
that
enjoyable? Don’t worry, I might dissipate into steam when I touch water but I’ll still keep speaking to you regardless.”
“U-uhm… thank you?” He tried, not knowing what to make of Kokichi’s antics.
The detective lifted himself forward with his palms, before shortly crouching near the taps, twisting them.
“Ouma-kun?”
“That’s me, yup! What’d you want?”
“Is it okay if I, uhm, put that bubble mixture in here? Just for privacy.”
Kokichi paused for a moment, feigning thoughtfulness.
“Hmm.. I guess you can! It’s annoying I won’t be able to embarrass you as much as I could, but it’s a noble sacrifice. Look at me, being all hospitable~”
“T-thank you.” Shuichi dipped his head. Swiping the bottle off the counter, he dribbled a considerable amount into the small pool of water.
…
“Baths take way too long to fill up. We need, like, powerblast taps.”
“...The whole floor would just get soaked, if that was implemented.” Shuichi groaned.
In a few minutes’ time, the water had risen half full, and the bubbles were nearing the top. Saihara was never the biggest fan of bubbles : they felt strange on his skin and made it difficult to actually wash his hair. But if it was for the sake of his privacy, he had no issues.
“Alright, looks like it’s pretty full,” Kokichi hummed, ceasing the flow of the water. “I’ll step outside, so you get in and comfy, m’kay?”
“Y-yeah, alright. Thanks.” Shuichi nodded, only undressing once the room was clear. His chest adorned scars, though hardly noticeable. It really did make bathing so much easier, top surgery. As a result of the lessened dysphoria, he had more motivation to take care of himself.
A few minutes passed, and the detective was sat comfortably in the water, bubbles obfuscating everything below his mid-waist. His knees broke the surface : Shuichi was too tall to fit comfortably within the bath, so he had to make amends.
“You done?” A voice, Ouma’s, called from beyond the door.
“Ah- yeah, you can come in now.” He answered, gaze shifting to the purple-haired boy who’d now made a reappearance.
“Alllllright! Let’s get started, why don’t we? Your hair is still dry, you know. Best for you to dip it under before I take initiative!”
“I can.. I can do it myself, please.” Shuichi argued, dipping his head in the water below him, slicking blue hair with water.
He brought his head up after a few moments, hair in one wet clump, his bangs free from his face.
“Pfft- you have such a baby face!” Kokichi teased momentarily, “Just kidding! You look way too mature for our age. I’m jealous! <3”
“...Thank you?” The detective spoke hesitantly, unsure how to take the words. Was that their attempt at a compliment?
“You’re welcome, beloved!~” Ouma crooned, using the time in which Shuichi flustered to wet their hands with shampoo. Without warning, the cold substance hit his scalp, causing Saihara to flinch momentarily.
They worked it into his hair, taking care to cover the whole expanse of it. They were dedicated, okay? This was a mission, to get the detective to have somewhat decently washed hair.
“Are you gonna wash it out yourself, or do I need to get a cup and do it like a mum?”
“I.. uhm, I can do it myself, thanks for the offer.” He nodded, dipping his head under the water. Shampoo cleared out of his hair, dying the surrounding water slightly white, and more dusky. His hands lifted to run through his hair, but they were caught by the other’s own hands, clamped around his wrist.
“Nuh uh! It’s my turn now!” They grinned, lowering Shuichi’s hands to his sides and resuming what the other started. Gentle massages into his scalp, occasionally running through less-than-smooth hair.
“Head up, Saihara-chan! Time for conditioner. Après-shampooing, Spülung, condicionator, whatever you want to call it. Labels don’t matter when your hair is so matted it could host a family of 6 birds.”
“That’s not how it works, Ouma.” he sighed, straightening himself against the back of the tub. A few moments later, he felt a cold sensation on his head, a dollop of conditioner. Swift, soft fingers worked on his scalp, threading through his hair. It was oddly calming, and he found himself relaxing into the touch.
“Don’t get too comfy, I’m slowly replacing the water with boiling oil as we speak - my devious plan to make a shuichi stew is in motion!” or, in normal talk, ‘you should sit up so you keep your head above the water’. The detective obliged, gripping the sides of the bathtub and setting himself steady.
The moment was soft, Kokichi gently attending to the other’s hair. He didn’t flinch as his head was gently pushed below the water, and the previously matted hair was now smooth…ish to the touch. Nothing a brush couldn’t get rid of.
“Heyyy, Saihara? Do you want to wash your body or should I?” Kokichi questioned, unsure of the other’s boundaries. Was it weird, to be fine with doing that? They just wanted Shuichi to be clean and feel nice. Bleughk, that sounded sappy - but it was true. If their beloved wanted to wash himself, that was fine by them. If he wanted Ouma to do it, also fine by them.
“Aa… If you want to, but i’m fine with-”
“Good! It’s decided then!” Kokichi grinned, stuffing their hand into the cabinet and retrieving some body wash. Dispensing a generous amount onto their hand, they massaged it into the other’s skin. Two palms rested on the other’s back, wrapping around his sides and kneading into his flesh.
“Wait, wait, Ouma. I- uhm, sorry, I think I want to do this myself. It’s embarrassing, that's all.” He admitted, and Kokichi immediately retracted their hands.
“Awh, I’ve been rejected
again
. Cruel of you, really!~” They yelped. “But I'm only kidding. I’ll meet you in our bedroom, don’t drown!
And with that, they brought themself to a stand and left. It didn’t take long for Shuichi to rub the substance into himself, and wash it off. Cautiously, he left the tub, reaching down to pull the drain. Unlike Kokichi, Shuichi rarely took baths. When he did, he always made sure to drain the water ; Kokichi wasn’t so considerate.
A towel was soon dragged off the hook by Shuichi and wrapped around his body, covering almost its entirety. His hair fell limply against his forehead, sticking to his face. His hair always stuck together in thick lines when wet, falling flat. The strands later separated as they dried, always framing his face in the same way.
The door to the bedroom was already open, and so Shuichi walked in without caution. Kokichi was distracted, their attention elsewhere. The detective wasn’t sure what they were doing, but he didn’t care to ask, instead backing himself into a closet and changing into fresh clothes, pajamas. Shortly after, he stepped out, almost immediately tumbling onto the bed.
“Someone’s tired” The shorter teased, their gaze diverting from their phone - Shuichi now realised they were messaging DICE - and instead focusing on their roommate.
“I can’t exactly say I’m not,” the detective sighed, “Infidelity cases almost always end in shouting, it’s tiring to deal with that.”
“Mhm, I would imagine. My thousands of subordinates get into fights alllllll the time. They’re so rowdy! Lucky for them they have a benevolent leader who stops disagreements seamlessly!” Kokichi lied. In all honesty, the members of DICE - 9, excluding theirself - got along relatively well. They were as close as siblings, to the point it was easier to just tell people that’s what they were. Any arguments were petty and easily shut down ; if a larger one were to occur there was no doubt it’d be dealt with ASAP.
“Is that so?” Shuichi laughed gently, adjusting himself under the covers.
“Are you doubting me?” Kokichi teasingly retorted with their own question.
“You make it hard not to.” The detective replied. Kokichi, if nothing else, was a liar. Both Saihara and Ouma knew this well.
“Fair enough!~” They ultimately decided to respond, sitting back and resting their head against a pillow. “Sooo, are you planning on sleeping now, or what?”
“I- uhm, I was planning on reading a bit first. I sleep easier if I tire my mind first.” Kokichi nodded along as the other spoke.
“Whatever you say, detective. You know, I actually just beat the Guinness world record for most sleepless nights, so I’m tuckered out. Na-night!” They spoke, and promptly pulled the other into a side-hug of sorts, their head resting on his chest.
“Wh- Ouma!!!” He yelped, flinching - but not enough to disturb Kokichi.
The shorter behaved as though nothing had happened, feigning sleep. They held back a giggle as the other relaxed, giving into their embrace. Kokichi could feel the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and they could hear the beating of his heart. Irregular and sporadic, as caused by his heart condition.
“...” Shuichi bit his lip, meditating on what to do next.
“Good night, uhm, and thank you.” He whispered, his voice soft and delicate, as if raising it would tear Kokichi in two. His hand gently lifted to the other’s head, hesitantly threading his unsteady hands through the black hair.