Felix gingerly touches his neck, feeling the damp skin beneath his fingertips. Again, he's had worse, but... ]
If it'll make you feel better, then go ahead. [ He won't stop Dimitri from caring for him, especially when it is his fault.
But without further delay, Felix strips off the rest of his clothes and leaves them unceremoniously in a pile by the foot of the tub. Being the smaller of the two, he goes ahead and gets settled in first. Not that he'll admit it out loud, but... his body really is exhausted, from both the long day of travel and the sparring. The warm water is soothing, leaving him sighing in content.
But before he sinks beneath the water entirely like he's honestly tempted to, he looks to Dimitri, ready to shift as necessary to accommodate him. ]
[Dimitri's clothes join Felix's and he's slow to sink in to the bath water behind Felix, lest it rise too fast and overflow. Once he, too, is settled, Dimitri grabs for the hair products stationed next to the tub.]
I'll wash your hair.
[Not a request, but Felix is free to tell him to fuck off.]
[And so he does. Dimitri lathers the shampoo into Felix's hair with all the gentleness and care he can muster. Massaging Felix's scalp to really get it into his roots is somehow soothing for him too. He sighs, and realizes he could get lost in this.
When it's peaceful, perhaps Felix can stay with him for longer periods of time and their days can be filled with this.
He presses a kiss (not a bite) to Felix's shoulder when he's done.] Close your eyes so I can rinse.
[Which he will do once Felix gives him the go ahead.]
[ Obediently, Felix closes his eyes with a small hum. He can't help but think similar thoughts - about how relaxing it is to do something as simple as bathe with Dimitri, and that he looks forward to that day in the (hopefully) not to distant future when they can indulge in more moments like this.
Once all the shampoo is washed out of his hair, Felix carefully turns to face Dimitri. ] It's your turn. [ He makes a grabbing motion for the bottle of shampoo. But before he gets too far, he reaches a hand toward his face. ]
... I'll take this off. [ He brushes his thumb over the eye-patch, and waits for Dimitri's explicit permission to proceed. It's... not something Felix draws attention to often, preferring to ignore it lest he brings it up himself, but, well. It'll be easier to wash his hair with the straps out of the way. ]
... Go ahead. [This isn't the first time Felix will have seen the mess under his eyepatch, so Dimitri isn't so shaken. He does still feel the need to warn Felix, as he has every time before, that it's not pretty. Not in the slightest.] It's still rather unsightly, I'm sorry.
[It's something he's used to be deeply ashamed of, when he'd first been pulled out of his mania. It served as a reminder for a time when he'd truly cared nothing for the people around him, the people he killed, and himself. Especially himself.
(He'd gotten injured. It became infected and the illness and pain that followed was too much, too distracting. He didn't have time to be hindered by such a thing. He'd gouged it out himself.)
Dimitri (the healers. Mercedes) had made efforts to pretty it up since then, but it had been years. Medicine and scar creams could even out some of the discoloration but like Dimitri had said, it's still rather unsightly.
He lets Felix remove it nonetheless. He doesn't bow his head in shame like had had the first time; he keeps level with Felix own beautiful eyes, and waits for him to continue.]
[ Felix says nothing in response to his apology - Dimitri gives him the okay, and he quietly removes the eyepatch as simply as he would any other article of clothing.
It'd been shocking, the first time he saw the scars. The amount of (self-)mutilation hidden beneath that simple black eyepatch. But while he won't say he's used to it (he's only seen those particular scars a few times, after all) he's able to keep the swell of emotion at bay as he looks him in the eye.
Felix cups his face in his hands, murmurs a soft ] Don't apologize. [ and presses a soft, tender kiss to his brow before pulling his hair back from his face and lathering the shampoo into his hair. ]
[Dimitri melts under Felix's kiss and under his touch. To think that hands capable of wielding a sword the way Felix does are also capable of being so gentle. Comforting. He moves with Felix's hands as they lather, limp and pliant, and stills when Felix finally rinses his hair free of suds.
They wash each other's backs. Each other's bodies. Truly more domestic than Dimitri (or anyone really) thought possible. And true to his word, Dimitri cleans up Felix's neck. He scrubs away the dried blood and presses a kiss over the puncture wounds. He'll dress it later, whenever they get out of the tub. Whenever that is... because he's quite comfortable as they are now.] There. Almost good as new.
[ Felix, too, is in no rush to get out of the bath. Normally not one for sitting still, he settles between his legs like he belongs there, humming soft and content as Dimitri kisses his neck. ] Almost.
[ But he really isn't too concerned about that now. Instead, he turns to face his king and tucks into his neck in turn. He presses a kiss to the spot he bit before before shifting down lower. ] Okay? [ His question's punctuated with the scrape of his teeth over his collarbone. ]
[ Felix had only planned to leave a single mark - one decent sized bruise on his collarbone before settling against Dimitri's chest until the water cools and they're wrinkly as prunes. But that whine convinces him otherwise.
His focus is solely on Dimitri as he follows the line of his bone, leaving mark after mark in the wake of his mouth. They're uneven, irregular, scattered across the front of his chest - a big and bold reminder for Dimitri's eye only that Felix is right here with him. ]
Felix... [Dimitri's fingers flex at Felix's back, gripping at nothing, as Felix marks his way across his chest. The marks will serve as the perfect reminder that Felix is there - Felix will just have to give him a refresher when it comes time for him to leave for his territory again.
He doesn't need to think about that right now. He only needs to focus on Felix in his arms. The tension leaves Dimitri's body and he sags.] That's good. I'm okay.
[ As Dimitri draws back, Felix gently brushes his thumb over a couple of the marks. They should, hopefully, linger for a while - but he'll give him a fresh set before he leaves, if Dimitri does the same in return.
For now, though, he leans in to kiss him, soft and sweet. ] Yeah. You're okay. [ They're okay. And though he may not always be there physically for Dimitri, his heart is forever his. ]
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Felix gingerly touches his neck, feeling the damp skin beneath his fingertips. Again, he's had worse, but... ]
If it'll make you feel better, then go ahead. [ He won't stop Dimitri from caring for him, especially when it is his fault.
But without further delay, Felix strips off the rest of his clothes and leaves them unceremoniously in a pile by the foot of the tub. Being the smaller of the two, he goes ahead and gets settled in first. Not that he'll admit it out loud, but... his body really is exhausted, from both the long day of travel and the sparring. The warm water is soothing, leaving him sighing in content.
But before he sinks beneath the water entirely like he's honestly tempted to, he looks to Dimitri, ready to shift as necessary to accommodate him. ]
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I'll wash your hair.
[Not a request, but Felix is free to tell him to fuck off.]
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Go ahead. I won't stop you.
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When it's peaceful, perhaps Felix can stay with him for longer periods of time and their days can be filled with this.
He presses a kiss (not a bite) to Felix's shoulder when he's done.] Close your eyes so I can rinse.
[Which he will do once Felix gives him the go ahead.]
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Once all the shampoo is washed out of his hair, Felix carefully turns to face Dimitri. ] It's your turn. [ He makes a grabbing motion for the bottle of shampoo. But before he gets too far, he reaches a hand toward his face. ]
... I'll take this off. [ He brushes his thumb over the eye-patch, and waits for Dimitri's explicit permission to proceed. It's... not something Felix draws attention to often, preferring to ignore it lest he brings it up himself, but, well. It'll be easier to wash his hair with the straps out of the way. ]
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[It's something he's used to be deeply ashamed of, when he'd first been pulled out of his mania. It served as a reminder for a time when he'd truly cared nothing for the people around him, the people he killed, and himself. Especially himself.
(He'd gotten injured. It became infected and the illness and pain that followed was too much, too distracting. He didn't have time to be hindered by such a thing. He'd gouged it out himself.)
Dimitri (the healers. Mercedes) had made efforts to pretty it up since then, but it had been years. Medicine and scar creams could even out some of the discoloration but like Dimitri had said, it's still rather unsightly.
He lets Felix remove it nonetheless. He doesn't bow his head in shame like had had the first time; he keeps level with Felix own beautiful eyes, and waits for him to continue.]
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It'd been shocking, the first time he saw the scars. The amount of (self-)mutilation hidden beneath that simple black eyepatch. But while he won't say he's used to it (he's only seen those particular scars a few times, after all) he's able to keep the swell of emotion at bay as he looks him in the eye.
Felix cups his face in his hands, murmurs a soft ] Don't apologize. [ and presses a soft, tender kiss to his brow before pulling his hair back from his face and lathering the shampoo into his hair. ]
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They wash each other's backs. Each other's bodies. Truly more domestic than Dimitri (or anyone really) thought possible. And true to his word, Dimitri cleans up Felix's neck. He scrubs away the dried blood and presses a kiss over the puncture wounds. He'll dress it later, whenever they get out of the tub. Whenever that is... because he's quite comfortable as they are now.] There. Almost good as new.
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[ But he really isn't too concerned about that now. Instead, he turns to face his king and tucks into his neck in turn. He presses a kiss to the spot he bit before before shifting down lower. ] Okay? [ His question's punctuated with the scrape of his teeth over his collarbone. ]
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Please. [It comes out as a whine and Dimitri doesn't even care to be ashamed. He's touch-starved, hungry, and has been longing for Felix for days.]
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His focus is solely on Dimitri as he follows the line of his bone, leaving mark after mark in the wake of his mouth. They're uneven, irregular, scattered across the front of his chest - a big and bold reminder for Dimitri's eye only that Felix is right here with him. ]
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He doesn't need to think about that right now. He only needs to focus on Felix in his arms. The tension leaves Dimitri's body and he sags.] That's good. I'm okay.
[Dimitri pulls back, hands on Felix's shoulders.]
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For now, though, he leans in to kiss him, soft and sweet. ] Yeah. You're okay. [ They're okay. And though he may not always be there physically for Dimitri, his heart is forever his. ]