Work Text:
Are you home?
[fish boi] yeeeah cutie im just taking a bath :D
No worries! I’m going to rest here for a bit. But I won’t trouble you!
A moment later, my phone rings.
“Are you okay?” Rafayel immediately asks. I can hear water sloshing as he moves. “Are you hurt?”
I sigh. “It’s just been a long day. Wanted to be where I felt safe - which just so happens to be your home, unfortunately.”
There’s a long pause, and I hear Rafayel settle again. “Lots of Wanderers?” he asks gently.
“And missions. And paperwork, ugh,” I complain tiredly. “But don’t worry about me. Please. Enjoy your bath.”
“Come join me.”
I start. “I - what?”
“You can keep me company, if you want. There’s some cushions for you to sit on.”
He hangs up, not giving me a chance to reply. Rising from the floor, I carefully step over the array of sketches littering the space, making my way through to his bedroom and the ensuite bathroom.
I knock, and tentatively open the door. Rafayel is already looking at me, a bright, expectant smile on his face - which instantly fades the moment I step into the room.
“Oh, cutie,” he sighs.
There’s still grazes on my face, a bandaged cut on my arm, and scorch marks across my pants. I don’t have to look in the mirror to know that my hair is a wild mess too.
I start to relax just at the sight of him, the tension falling from my shoulders as if his mere presence is taking that weight for me. “Hey.”
I wince as I kneel down beside him, and from the way he inhales, I know he notices. I lean against the edge of the tub and rest my head on my elbow, closing my eyes. A moment later, Rafayel’s fingers begin to comb through my hair.
“It’s good to see you,” he says quietly.
I smile, leaning into his touch. “Likewise.”
We settle into a comfortable silence. But not for long.
“Come join me,” Rafayel says again.
“Hmm?”
Already drifting, I blearily look up at him, and he smiles. “Come on. You deserve to be pampered too.”
I shake my head. “This is your personal time,” I mumble.
“Puh-lease. What’s mine is yours.” He presses a soft kiss to my hair. “Come on,” he murmurs. “Aren’t your muscles sore? The hot water will help.”
They are. And I know he’s right.
“If you don’t mind,” I say hesitantly.
Rafayel smiles gently. “Of course not.” He glances up. “You can change behind the screen, if you want.”
I shake my head. “There’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”
“Yeah, buuuut … you’re still allowed your privacy.” Rafayel suddenly claps a hand over his eyes. “Promise I’m not looking.”
Smiling fondly, I reach out and ruffle his hair, then lean in to press a kiss to his temple.
Rafayel preens, humming happily.
When my clothes are in an unceremonious pile on the floor, I clear my throat. “Alright. I’m coming in.”
“You got it, cutie,” Rafayel says, lifting his free hand and holding it steady for me so that I can grasp it for balance.
Carefully stepping into the tub, I sit down amidst the bubbles in the V of his legs and lean back against him. Rafayel’s arms immediately wrap around me, warm and protective as he presses a kiss to my hair.
“Better?” he murmurs.
The heat from the water already seeping into my muscles, I hum in reply.
As Rafayel reaches for the body wash, I grab one of the poufs off of the nearby table and pass it to him. “Please?” I ask quietly.
He smiles and takes it from me, leaning in to kiss me softly. “Of course.”
I turn back around, and a moment later his hands press against my back, massaging in the soap - before gently scrubbing at the layer of sweat and grime I’ve accumulated over the day.
I groan, suddenly realising. “I’m gonna dirty the water.”
“We’re not spending forever in here.”
“You would if you could.”
“Hell nah. Throw me into the sea, please.”
I can’t help but giggle tiredly.
“Laugh all you want, but I need the ocean air!” Rafayel wails dramatically. “And waves! And salt!”
“You’re salty enough for the two of us.”
Rafayel teasingly flicks the side of my head. “You got me there.”
His hands feel like home as they move across my skin. He knows every inch of me, every dip and line and curve memorised in a way that only Rafayel can.
“I’d like to wash your hair,” Rafayel says. “If that’s okay.”
Suddenly too tired to speak, I nod.
My eyes are still closed, but I hear Rafayel rummaging about on the table that rests beside the tub. There’s a gentle splash, and one of his hands moves to shield my eyes.
“Just in case,” he murmurs.
A cupful of warm water gracefully cascades over the back of my head a moment later, then again, and again.
With a satisfied hum, Rafayel moves again; there’s the snap of a bottle lid, and both his hands are suddenly in my hair, gently massaging the shampoo in.
I sigh quietly, my head rolling back a little as my eyelids flutter.
“That feel good, cutie?” Rafayel asks, a smile audible in his voice.
“Mhmm.”
After another round of water, he carefully combs the conditioner through my hair, his long fingers working through the tangles and knots. With every wince, Rafayel offers a sincere, murmured apology.
“Almost done,” he tells me.
I mumble something, and he leans in, pressing a kiss to my ear. “What was that, darling?”
I lean into his touch. “I don’t want you to stop.”
This time, his lips press against my cheek. “Perhaps I’ll offer my salon services more often.”
“Please do.”
A warm chuckle. “As you wish, Miss Bodyguard.”
He shields my eyes, and water falls through my hair once more.
Rafayel begins to hum quietly, a soft, soothing melody that washes over me and soothes the last of the anxieties and stresses from the day. My mind drifts away like a boat at sea as the song caresses my ears, my heart, cradling me like a cocoon, like a warm blanket; like … like …
o-o-o-o-o
I don’t remember falling asleep, but when I wake up, I’m curled up on Rafayel’s bed in a fluffy bathrobe, my damp hair carefully wrapped in a towel.
He lounges beside me, sketching in his notebook, the quiet scratch of his pencil on the paper making me smile softly.
Glancing at me, Rafayel smiles, reaching out to brush his fingers across my cheek. “We stayed in as long as we could,” he tells me. “The water was getting cold - and your fingers were turning into prunes.”
I playfully swat at him, and he laughs. “You didn’t try to wake me up?”
“Cutie, you conked out so hard I had to check your pulse. I even considered giving you the kiss of life!”
“Like that would’ve been a hard task for you,” I retort, grinning when he winks at me.
We settle into a comfortable quiet again. Rafayel starts to hum, his pencil drifting across the page.
He’s a siren, and I’m enchanted once more.
“Can I sleep a little longer?” I ask.
“Of course. I’ll wake you when dinner’s ready.”
He starts to move, but I grab his hand. “Want to get takeout instead?”
Rafayel’s expression twists in mock horror. “You dare to insult the chef in his own house?” he teases. “You’re bold, Miss Bodyguard.”
“I’ll take my chances.” I lean in and kiss his cheek. “Especially if it means more time for you to stay and cuddle.”
Tossing his sketchbook aside, Rafayel smiles, his eyes softening. “Like I’d refuse an offer like that.”
He pulls me forward into his arms, and I curl up against him, listening to the beating of his heart beneath my ear. I sigh contentedly, relaxing fully into his warmth.
Rafayel presses a kiss to my temple. “Get some rest. I’ll order some food for later.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Enveloped in his embrace, I’m asleep before I hear the soft words he utters next.
“Sleep well … my beloved bride.”