Summer giggled at his groan, finding a corner to prop her back against and looking at the length of him stretched out across the little tiles. She splashed a little wave up his chest and reached to turn the hot water up a little higher.
“Enjoying the view?” he murmured softly and wriggled his toes in the water, looking entranced as the waves formed by her moments caused water to slop over his chest. “And having fun too, are we?” he added on with a smirk, wriggling down and closing his eyes, relaxing completely.
“Mmmm. Don’t drown,” she commented. It would take a while for the huge tub to fill completely, but she was perfectly content to sit there in the slowly rising water and watch him from under lowered eyelashes. In a little while, maybe, he could help her wash, which would probably turn into something that needed another wash afterward, and that was fine too. The lowering sun turned the light through the frosted window golden and glorious, and she basked in it.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you, ever again,” she promised. “Never.” They held each other like that for a long, still moment while the universe spun around them and the roar of the water falling drowned out all other sounds. “So much, Isaac,” she whispered. “So /much/.” Very gently, she disengaged from him and stepped down into the rising water to take off her bathing suit. “Come on.”
“I trust you,” he stated simply and dug his blunt human nails into her back, pressing his face to her shoulder and simply breathing in her scent, smiling tenderly as they held each other. But as the moment passed and they pulled back, the smile never left his face as he clambered into the bath beside her, groaning in contentment as the warm water lapped over his thighs.
Summer giggled at his groan, finding a corner to prop her back against and looking at the length of him stretched out across the little tiles. She splashed a little wave up his chest and reached to turn the hot water up a little higher.
Her answering smile was quiet and gentle. “I guess so.” She tugged him in close by the hand and climbed up on the wide edge of the tub to be at his height. “I like that you’re easier in yourself now. Not so tied up. Not so much pain.”
Eyeing her fondly and ensuring that she didn’t wobble or fall over, Isaac easily stepped forwards and snaked his arms around her waist, trying to convince himself that it was only to keep her upright. “I love you,” he mumbled and then cuddled close to her, fingers splaying out across her spine. “That’s because I’ve got no-one to hurt me now, only love me.”
“I won’t let anyone hurt you, ever again,” she promised. “Never.” They held each other like that for a long, still moment while the universe spun around them and the roar of the water falling drowned out all other sounds. “So much, Isaac,” she whispered. “So /much/.” Very gently, she disengaged from him and stepped down into the rising water to take off her bathing suit. “Come on.”
“Well /mine/ certainly won’t! Not if you want to lie down in it, anyway.” She found the stopper and started filling the tub, then perched on the edge and eyed him up and down slowly. It was a shame he didn’t realise how glorious he was nude, all long muscles and height and those merry eyes and curls. “You seem so much happier now,” she mused softly.
“You can lie on top of me, I don’t mind,” he offered up with a playful little smirk, before his eyes widened further at her scrutiny, cheeks staining scarlet as he fought the urge to cover himself up. “What are you looking at?” he murmured nervously, before he smiled and reached out for her hand. “I guess that’s what love does to you, huh?”
Her answering smile was quiet and gentle. “I guess so.” She tugged him in close by the hand and climbed up on the wide edge of the tub to be at his height. “I like that you’re easier in yourself now. Not so tied up. Not so much pain.”
“I would be lonely without you.” Summer paused to find a clip in her bag, and pinned her braid on top of her head before skipping out to the hall bathroom. She stood in the doorway, hands on hips, to survey the giant bathtub (was it really a tub when it was that big, she wondered), before climbing in to find the drain stopper.
A brilliant smile settled on his face at her words, and he automatically reached out give her braid a playful little tug, before trotting after her. Settling behind her back once more to place his hand on top of hers, he rested his chin on her shoulder and followed her fixated gaze. “I never thought I’d find a tub to accommodate my height,” he pointed out with comically wide eyes, before moving to close the door and then lean back against the counter.
“Well /mine/ certainly won’t! Not if you want to lie down in it, anyway.” She found the stopper and started filling the tub, then perched on the edge and eyed him up and down slowly. It was a shame he didn’t realise how glorious he was nude, all long muscles and height and those merry eyes and curls. “You seem so much happier now,” she mused softly.
“Pffffft.” That was all the response either of those remarks deserved, and all they got. Then she raised an eyebrow. “Not content with making me messy, you’re going to get it all over the sheets too?” She poked him again and squirmed out of the bed. “And I’m all over salt. Bath?”
“I like making you messy.” He smirked and then wriggled as her fingers met his sides and he launched out of the bed with an almost feline grace to his actions. “Can we share?”
“I would be lonely without you.” Summer paused to find a clip in her bag, and pinned her braid on top of her head before skipping out to the hall bathroom. She stood in the doorway, hands on hips, to survey the giant bathtub (was it really a tub when it was that big, she wondered), before climbing in to find the drain stopper.
“There are poses?” she giggled. “Are you going to try to be all sexy? Are you going to do Blue Steel? I want pictures of /you/, not some idealised pretense, you dork.” She leaned over to kiss his pout.
“Yeah — you know like the fake kissing and hands on the hips stuff?” He rolled over onto his stomach, before grinning against her lips and laughing. “Me? All awkwardness and angles?”
“Pffffft.” That was all the response either of those remarks deserved, and all they got. Then she raised an eyebrow. “Not content with making me messy, you’re going to get it all over the sheets too?” She poked him again and squirmed out of the bed. “And I’m all over salt. Bath?”
“It’s a different kind of memory,” she pointed out, “I want to remember these exact moments.” She lowered her eyelashes, studying him through them. “I’m trying to picture you modelling, and it’s not working.” She grinned.
He squirmed and then doubled over with laughter, stretching out alongside her and feigning a pout. “Oh, really now? Well, I’ll show you! I can do all the right poses and everything, I mean — how hard can it be?!”
“There are poses?” she giggled. “Are you going to try to be all sexy? Are you going to do Blue Steel? I want pictures of /you/, not some idealised pretense, you dork.” She leaned over to kiss his pout.
“Because,” she said softly, rolling over enough to look him in the face, “I want to remember. What you look like right now, with that smile, the one I know means you’re pretending to be innocent but plotting something. You in the water, your hair all stuck down over your eyes, or sleeping, or just everything. I want to be sure I remember.”
“You’re not likely to forget because I’m not planning on going anywhere, but…I really think that’s the sweetest thing that anybody has ever said to me…” he whispered then, expression softening as he regarded her fondly, reaching out to brush his fingers across her cheeks. “Plus,” he added on then with a crooked little smile, “It might be kind of fun to be a model!”
“It’s a different kind of memory,” she pointed out, “I want to remember these exact moments.” She lowered her eyelashes, studying him through them. “I’m trying to picture you modelling, and it’s not working.” She grinned.
She huffed a laugh, embarrassed. “For this trip, it’s your camera, and as long as you don’t break it or ruin it you can do what you want. And I get to take some pictures of you.”
“Well, you’re supposed to take photographs of amazing, beautiful things, right? So of course I want to take photos of you,” he stated with an angelic little smile, before he blushed and lifted his shoulders up in a helpless shrug. “Okay…but why?”
“Because,” she said softly, rolling over enough to look him in the face, “I want to remember. What you look like right now, with that smile, the one I know means you’re pretending to be innocent but plotting something. You in the water, your hair all stuck down over your eyes, or sleeping, or just everything. I want to be sure I remember.”