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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[ 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.]

[Dex tilted his head a little towards Bucky, letting him work the conditioner into his hair.]

If I can't trust you, I can't trust anybody.

[Dex had trusted the wrong people in the past before and thought because of that his sense of had been shattered for good because of how many times he'd been betrayed. But being around Bucky had managed to repair some of that. They were all each other had, which meant Dex had formed a bond with him quickly. Maybe he shouldn't have, for he feared it was just another symptom of his BPD. But he couldn't help it. The bond between him and Bucky was real and he wouldn't trade it for anything now.

He grinned in an amused fashion when Bucky suggested they take showers all the time.]

That would require actually having money. Plan on getting a job?

[ Bucky gives a small nod at that. He feels the same. There's no one else he trusts more. Dex has helped him out and has treated him with more kindness than he ever remembers having.

He tilts his head a little at the question, eyebrows furrowing. ]

I could- if we stayed in one place. But that's... dangerous.

Yeah. Better to keep moving.

[Much as Dex would have liked to put down some roots, he knew it was better for him and Bucky to stay one step ahead of HYDRA. Things would turn ugly if they caught to the pair, especially if they tried to use the trigger words on Bucky.]

Maybe you can just stand on street corners and panhandle. You make for a very cute beggar.

[Especially considering he had the air of a sad, stray dog that had been kicked too many times by his former masters.]

Yeah. Better to keep moving.

[It's all he's ever known. Going from one place to the next. He doesn''t remember ever having a home, or roots. His home was HYDRA, but... it makes him sick to even think of it like that.]

A cute beggar?

[He doesn't know what Dex means by that.]

How did you make quick cash tonight?

Nothing! Forget I said anything.

[Dex said a little too quickly. This would mean having to explain some of the feelings he had for Bucky and he wasn't ready to do that, especially given how Bucky was still in the process of figuring out who he was. Dex was afraid he'd be set back if Dex confessed he was falling for him.]

Some games of pool. I'm good at that, darts, anything that requires accuracy using my hands.

I won't know what you mean unless you tell me.

[And he realizes he wants to learn these new things- like tonight, with combing and washing his hair. Dex knows a lot about the world that Bucky hasn't been a part of for so long.]

Maybe we can do more of that? I'm good at accuracy too.

I'll tell you later.

[Hopefully by then Bucky would have forgotten that Dex had said anything at all. He did smile at the thought of being able to shoot a few games of pool with Bucky, to be able to pretend to be normal just for a few hours.]

I'd like that a lot.

[His eyes held Bucky's gaze for a while, allowing himself to feel happy for once without worrying about paying a cost for it later on.]

I'll need to teach you how to shave some other time.

Okay.

[Maybe he'll forget, or maybe he's the type of person, even in this state, where things stick with him.]

Good. When this money runs out we'll make more.

[And it'll be...fun. Something else Dex has been teaching him about. When he offers to teach him how to shave some other time, he trusts that it'll happen, then tugs Dex under the spray of water to wash the conditioner out. All of this feels so damn good.]

[Dex's eyes closed and he sighed in contentment at the feeling of the water flowing through his hair. That only he could have made this moment last forever. Being there feeling safe, with Bucky, and able to be happy for once were three things he so rarely felt all at once.

He wished they could have stayed in the shower forever, and considering the water pressure or temperature didn't seem to dropping anytime soon, he made sure to linger. But eventually exhaustion started to get the better of him. They also had a warm bed to take advantage of for once, so he finally asked Bucky:]

Ready to dry off?

[Bucky could linger here forever as well, it's so damn nice. For once, it feels like a normal kinda life. The two of them here together, safe and happy. It's such a simple thing, but it means everything.

he sighs softly when Dex asks if he's ready, and he nods.]

Yeah. I'm ready.

[Dex turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. He turned to Bucky, giving him a final piece of advice on his hair.]

Squeeze out some of the water that's still in your hair while you're still in there. It'll keep it from dripping all over the place and help it to dry out a little faster.

[Dex grabbed a towel off the rack and then offered one to Bucky as well. He was in a very good mood after such an experience.]

Okay.

[He nods, kinda like a puppy following its master, taking the towel and doing exactly as he says. He still needs that sometimes. It's still so damn hard for him to make decisions, choices. Sometimes a little direction just makes him feel better.

He squeezes the water out of the long strands out bit by bit with the towel, being more careful with it this time than when he first started brushing it. All of this has clearly loosened him up some. ]

[Dex dried off quickly, not willing to submit himself to the chill in the air that inevitably came after stepping out of a warm shower. Afterwards, he went off back into the bedroom.

Dex looked with distaste at the dirty clothes that he'd put on the ground. Fortunately, he had some spare ones to sleep in, but he made a note to get some cheap new pieces when he could. They had to travel light by necessity but he figured a few more T-shirts, pairs of underwear, and some sweatpants were stuff he could still easily fit into a single duffel bag.

Of course, he could have just slept naked, but given Bucky would be right next to him that was not an option he was willing to entertain for more than thirty seconds. He pulled out his spare shirt and pulled his jeans back on before turning the bed down. Then he pulled out a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste.]

Don't forget to brush your teeth.

[He reminded Bucky. That had been one of the first things he'd taught the former assassin. Showers and hair care were optional when they were on the move but he wasn't going to stand being in the company of someone with dog breath.]

[ Bucky leaves the towel around his shoulders once he dries off, then follows Dex to the bedroom too. He shivers a bit, eager to get back in clothes again as well. The shower was so nice and warm and he doesn't want to be cold.

He finds his own clothes, pulling them on, then gives Dex a nod and grabs his toothbrush as well, heading back to the bathroom to brush his teeth, just like Dex taught him to do. He feels a thousand times better already.

They're going to have to do this more often. ]

[Dex finished up the rest of his nighttime routine and then headed to the bed, thankful to for once have an actual real mattress, sheets, and pillows to sleep on instead of being on the ground. This was a luxury they'd have to indulge in more often.

As he watched Bucky get ready for bed, e noted how much calmer the other man seemed, some of the tension and natural wariness that constantly followed him around finally having let up just a little bit. Dex found he was happy to know that he was the reason for that, having shown Bucky the simple pleasure of a hot shower and getting his hair washed. Though he was worried Bucky might become self-conscious if he pointed it out, Dex finally did decide to call attention to it as he slid into the bed next to Dex.]

You look a lot more relaxed than you have in a long time.

[ With his teeth brushed, he even think to grab the brush again and much more carefully, the way Dex just taught him, he runs the brush through his hair. It feels good. He feels calmer.

He usually sleeps on the floor, even when there's a mattress in the shitty, rundown places they've been staying at. He grabs a pillow, ready to set it on the floor, but then Dex comments on how relaxed he looks, and he hesitates, looking at him. ]

I.... [he stops to think about that a little longer before he nods. ] feel it. I feel more relaxed.

[Dex held Bucky's gaze for a long moment before he smiled.]

Sleep in the bed tonight.

[Dex said the words without even really thinking about them. He patted the mattress invitingly, trying to coax Bucky to lie down there next to him even though he knew Bucky preferred sleeping on the floor. But maybe the idea of continuing to relax sleeping in a real bed instead of being cold on the floor would appeal to him.]

[ He's considered it before. Sometimes. But it has never felt right. Now that Dex is suggestion it though... it feels like something he can consider. Also, it's hard to turn Dex down. He's found this to be true more often than not, these days. ]

Okay.

[He says quietly, then moves to just sit on the bed at first. The mattress dips a little with his weight, but it doesn't feel uncomfortable. SO he continues, sliding into the spot next to Dex, where he patted the mattress.]

Is this okay?

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