bakerstreet | Intimate Bath for the coldest evening

Intimate Bath for the coldest evening

the intimate bathing meme;

Grooming is an important part of many species' rituals. It keeps them clean, healthy, and content. And a good bath? It can change the whole tone of a day from terrible to relaxed and blissful.

But nudity is sometimes viewed as a weakness - and it is almost always sexualized - so bathing is often kept a private matter. If you do share these moments with someone, they're almost always a significant other or a sexual partner.

Like you're doing now.

Whether it be after a battle or after sex (or before sex, even), the two of you are going to get clean. Be sure to help each other out with that, won't you? After all, there are places on the back that just can't be reached...

HOW TO PLAY:

Comment with your character, your prefs, etc.
If there are other grooming-related practices or kinks you'd like to include, like shaving, hair washing, mention them!
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[Bucky waits outside of the drugstore for Dex. He's on lookout duty. Plus, he doesn't really want to deal with people right now. He's glad when Dex is quick, grabbing what he needs and then they head to the motel.

He puts his bag down near the door, glancing around. He's fine with anything really. It's all better than what he's used to, but this is pretty decent. He likes that it's warm.

He looks at Dex a bit hesitantly after that, though, but Dex gives him more of a command rather than a suggestion, so he'll follow it. He starts stripping down right then and there, little concern for his own privacy. He had none before, and those certain things are still deeply engrained in him. Programming

Once he's standing there completely nude he asks- ]

What are you going to do?

[Modesty was for people who weren't sharing close quarters on a daily basis. Dex had put as little thought into the matter of he and Bucky being naked around one another as he had showering next to other men when he'd been in the Army.

Granted, this was a little different as far as circumstances went, and he felt the slightest bit of a flush creep over his face. There was a certain intimacy that was going to come with washing Bucky's hair that wasn't around in other situations. He ignored it and focused on the task at hand, taking off his own clothes. He handed over the brush.]

See if you can get some of the knots and tangles out while I get the shower running.

[Dex went over to the small bathroom and got the shower running. After a frustratingly long period where nothing but cold water ran, the hot finally kicked in. He adjusted the temperature and called out to Bucky.]

Alright, come over here.

[ Bucky doesn't remember intimacy. Sometimes HYDRA treated him like a dog, like their toy, but that was far from any kind of intimacy. He's had hands on him, but they were always cruel. Nothing like the way Dex is offering now.

Although he's not really sure how this is going to go either- but Dex has treated him far better than anyone for a very long time, so... he trusts him.

He takes the brush from Dex, looking it over for a moment before he starts dragging it through his hair, none to softly, or carefully. Probably would've been better if Dex did this part too, because by the time he heads over the bathroom at Dex's command, there are small clumps of hair he ripped out, in the brush's bristles. ]

[Dex glanced up when he saw Bucky coming in and saw what a mess he was making of his hair. He sighed and shook his head.]

You're not going to have much hair left if you keep that up. Here, let me help.

[He took the brush away from Bucky and started brushing it out much more gently, making sure to go slow since he knew how Bucky could get a little twitchy over sudden movements. He narrated what he was doing so the other man would know for future reference.]

You start from the bottom and brush all the ends out. Then you work your way up until you're able to brush from the top to the bottom. That way you get the tangles out without ripping them all out forcefully. When you can run the brush through without hitting any snags, you're done.

[It wasn't easy given how long it had clearly been since Bucky had run anything through his hair. The tangles and greasy strands spoke for themselves. Dex wondered if the last time had been when he was still with HYDRA. When he was done, he nudged Bucky.]

Into the shower with you. Time for step two.

[ Bucky hesitates, but lets Dex take the brush from him. He's not sure if he wants to go through this whole brushing his hair ordeal again, but-- it's different when Dex does it.

It's gentle, the brush hitting snags but not ripping through the strands- slowly combing through it all. It's much better than what he was doing, and he pas attention to Dex's instructions.

When Dex seems to be done, he nudges Bucky, and so Bucky moves, getting into the shower without any protest. He does wonder if the water is going to be ice cold, though. ]

Can it be warm?

Yeah. Don't worry. I made sure it's warm.

[While he didn't know the reasoning behind it, he'd noticed Bucky showing a distinct dislike for the cold. Maybe one of the few concrete likes or dislikes he was capable of allowing himself to have as he still figured out just who he was. He wasn't so cruel as to make the man take a cold shower, not when there was hot water readily available.

Dex grabbed the bottles of shampoo and conditioner before entering the shower. Given how little Bucky seemed to know about person hygiene, he figured it was best if he went through all the steps slowly so he could pick up on what to do himself.]

For this part, you use the shampoo first. [He poured a decent amount into his hand, showing how much was there to Bucky.] Then you scrub it into your hair. Scalp first and then the rest until it suds up.

[Once again, he was careful in his movements, going slowly and carefully as his fingers moved through Bucky's hair. The last thing he wanted was to trigger the man when he was in such a confined space with Dex.]

[He gives a nod that is meant to be a thanks, but the words don't quite make it out of him. Warm is good, then. He can deal with all of this if it's warm.

Getting in, he lets it wash over him and breathes a sigh of relief. It's nice. Feels good on his scarred up shoulder, too. He lets it wash over his head, watching what Dex does in the meantime, learning the different steps. It all gives a familiar tug in his brain, like this was something he really did know how to do long ago.

He doesn't hesitate as much these days when Dex reaches for him, so he just lets it happen, leaning in a little as Dex moves his fingers through his hair. He sucks in a quiet breath, gaze locking with Dex's for a moment.]

That feels... good.

[When Bucky locked eyes with Dex for a moment, Dex's mind and fingers both froze, realizing for the first time how they were sharing close quarters naked in a shower. There was no denying the ex-assassin was attractive. Dex would have been an idiot not to notice that even from their very first meeting.

But Bucky was only just now finding himself again and Dex didn't want to take advantage of that. If he read the signals wrong, it could mean the two of them separating, and he couldn't bear the thought of that. Better just to just ignore whatever his mind was pushing him towards. He could figure that out later. Finally, he remembered to finish getting the shampoo into Bucky's hair.]

Let that soak in for a while.

[With the build-up of grease in his hair, it wouldn't hurt to keep it in for a few minutes.]

[ He doesn't really realize Dex freezing up. He figures he's just taking his time. Bucky's always quiet too, going slow with everything, so he figures it's just that. Dex, taking his time. It feels nice.

It's rare that Bucky ever feels completely warm. It's always so hard for him to warm up. It feels like maybe some of that ice never left his skin and bones, but standing in this shower with Dex, he finally feels it.

The warmth- it's coming from Dex, and Bucky can't help but shift in a little closer to it, closing in Dex's personal space that much more. ]

Okay.

[He says quietly, letting his eyes flutter shut for a moment when Dex's fingers continue moving through his hair. He'd never close his eyes in this close proximity with anyone else either- but he trusts Dex. He knows he won't try to slit his throat, or use trigger words on him, or anything like that.

he feels safe.]

[Dex watched as Bucky drew even closer to him and sucked in a quick breath, watching as his eyes closed. The sniper knew what a big sign of trust that was given how many people had manipulated him over the course of his life, brainwashing him until he was barely allowed to have any thoughts of his own.

He removed his hands from Bucky's hair, rinsing them off in the hot stream of water. One hand came back over, his thumb running gently over the edge of Bucky's cheekbone. He shouldn't have been getting this physical with his friend. Dex already knew it wouldn't end well if he did. But he couldn't help it. Bucky had become a focal point in his world and Dex felt closer to him than almost anyone else who had been in his life.

Eventually, he remembered what they were doing in the shower to begin with, and he broke the silence.]

Now get under the spray and stay under there until the suds are washed out.

[ He can hear Dex's movements, slow and steady. Dex is always slow to move around him and he appreciates it more than the other can even know.

The touch to his cheek makes his eyes flutter open again, but he doesn't pull away. Instead he even leans into it a little, his body craving this kind of gentle touch more than anything. It almost brings tears to his eyes, but he's not supposed to cry, so he forces it all back down. Dex's hand feels nice- in his hair, on his face. He tries to figure out what it makes him feel inside, too- being touched like this.

But there are more instructions, so he nods, getting under the spray of water again. He forgets to close his eyes so the soap stings a little, making him squint his eyes closed after that. ]

[Whatever there was between them--and Dex wasn't entirely sure what it was to begin with--he figured it was best just to take things slow and let it all unfold naturally between them. Bucky was still finding out who he was as a person while Dex was picking up the pieces of what his life had once been at the same time. All he knew was, despite the amount of time spending with Bucky not being that long, he didn't want to leave the old soldier's side if he could help it.

Once he was satisfied Bucky had washed his hair out, he tapped him on his right shoulder.]

Now the conditioner.

[He poured a good amount into his hands and gently coated Bucky's hair in it.]

For this, you just want to run it through the middle and ends of your hair. You don't put any on the roots.

[Then he finished.]

Alright, keep that on for a few more minutes.

[ Bucky opens his eyes at the shoulder tap, moving out of the water once again, back into Dex's personal space. He doesn't know what it is either, but he likes it here, this close.

He looks at the conditioner, absolutely sure he's never used such a thing before, but if it feels as good as the shampoo and Dex's fingers back in his hair, he'll take it. Again he just listens, taking in the instructions as Dex works the conditioner into his hair. He sighs softly at how it feels, then nods. ]

I like this.

[He decides after a moment. It's a good decision he gets to make.]

[That got Dex to honestly smile as he gazed at Bucky. He knew how important it was to Bucky to be able to be allowed to make his own decisions, to decide if he liked or disliked something that affected him, after a lifetime of being told what to do or think by others.]

I know what you mean. A good shower always relaxes me too.

[He didn't move away, content to have Bucky there right close up to him as the water rivulets ran down both of their bodies. He thought for a moment of leaning in and kissing him but decided against it. This was enough for him, at least for right now.]

[ He likes it when Dex smiles, too. It always eases up some of the tension inside of him that seems to constantly be there. ]

Yeah- it's relaxing.

[And quiet, private, just the two of them alone in this small little world for a moment. He wonders if that's a strange thing to think, but even if it is, it doesn't change that he feels it.

He doesn't that part out loud but he does say this- ]

I like it when you touch me, too.

I'm glad you like that.

[Dex felt something flutter around inside for a few moments when Bucky said he liked being touched by him. He couldn't help but reach up, cupping his hand against his stubbled cheek.]

I'm gonna have to make sure we stay in places with warm running water more often then.

[He made a mental note to teach Bucky the basic process of shaving too as he rested his hand there.]

[ Bucky smiles a little- another rare thing- but he feels so relaxed in this moment that it comes easier. He lets out another slow, steady sigh and leans his cheek into Dex's hand. ]

Warm, yeah. It's so warm.

[He worries his lip between his teeth for a moment, looking at Dex.]

Can I wash your hair too?

[Dex brightened up when Bucky asked if he could wash his hair, running his thumb back and forth slowly over his cheek as he did so.]

Sure thing.

[He felt relaxed in a way he hadn't in a very long time being here in this moment with Bucky. The voices in his head seemed far away and like they might never come back when he was this happy.]

[ He still has the conditioner in his hair, but Dex said a few minutes, so he doesn't wash it out just yet. He also doesn't want to move away from the hand at his cheek, but he does want to wash Dex's hair when he says he can.

He smiles a little, reluctantly moving away after a moment, and picks up the shampoo bottle, pouring some in his hand. He follows Dex's instructions, lifting his hands to Dex's hair and starts massaging it in, nice and slow. It's different in Dex's much shorter hair, but it still feels nice. ]

This feels good too. Your hair has no knots.

[It had been a long time since Dex let anyone touch him in such an intimate setting. But he trusted Bucky. Maybe more than he should have given the former soldier's mindset. But in a moment like this, he felt relaxed and calm, his own broken pieces seeming to fit together a little bit more than he was used to. His eyes closed as Bucky washed his hair and it produced a hum of pleasure from Dex]

It could use a trim though.

[It had gotten a little longer in their time on the run than he liked. There just hadn't been a good moment to save up money and go to the nearest barber.]

[ He's not sure why, but that makes him smile. Kinda like a normal thing, a normal person. Two people just sharing space and... getting closer. He likes it. ]

I like it.

I think you look good.

[Dex opened eyes so he could see the expression on Bucky's face when he said that. It was the second time he'd expressed an opinion on something during the time they'd been in the shower together. Dex noted that the physical closeness and calming nature of what they were doing seemed to have helped exacerbate whatever it was in Bucky's head that helped him think for himself. He'd remember that for the future.]

....Maybe I'll put off a haircut for a little bit longer then.

[ Dex is probably right. There's a certain thing about all of this- the closeness, the calmness, the quiet aspect of it all- it helps incredibly. Harshness and abuse is what drew him into himself, but this gentleness is what draws him back out. ]

I wouldn't let anyone next to your head with a scissor anyway.

[He tugs Dex with him to pull them both in the water, letting the conditioner wash out of his own hair, and pushing his fingers through Dex's to get the shampoo out.]

I don't think I'd trust anyone behind me with a sharp object except you.

[Though he still wasn't going to be doing that anytime soon. Considering he was sure Bucky had never cut anyone's hair before, Dex wasn't sure he'd have any hair left if he asked his friend to trim his, given what had happened when he tried to brush his own hair.

With a groan of contentment, Dex let Bucky wash the shampoo out of his hair. It felt nice letting someone else touch him, especially someone he felt he could let his guard down with.]

You'd trust me with that?

[Genuine surprise. He knows what a fucked up thing he is. What a monster. He can't forget the blood on his hands and just how quickly he could kill with both of them. He's not even thinking about the part where he doesn't remember how to do so.

Bucky makes sure to get all the soap out of Dex's hair, then his own, before he moves them back out and grabs the conditioner for Dex's hair as well. Again, he follows Dex's directions on how much to put, and his hands are back in the other man's here. He could get used to this.]

We should do this all the time.

[At least he's now learned and encouraged to stay clean. Dex did good with this one.]

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sorry i got so stuck on that winter soldier thread i forgot about these D:

It's all good! I'm having a blast with that one too!

<3

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