Tongue Tied

Six

Whether it be from the mild heat, the anxiety, or both, Sae felt disgusting and incredibly aware of it the second they stepped into the house. He lifted the hem of his shirt to his face to wipe the sweat he was sure was dripping off of it, but found the sensation to be rough and the fabric to come away dry. Still, something needed to be done.

"I'm going to shower," Sae announced. He hadn't put any effort into making it sound any type of way, but wondered if it felt harsh, and if him and Shidou were fighting or not. "So, you can just."

"Can I come?"

Sae turned towards him. Shidou wasn't grinning anymore, but he didn't seem pissed. He watched his face for a little while, trying to figure out whether or not he might be. But his blank face didn't offer him anything. Sae wished he could replay the question to get some clues.

When he couldn't, he thought it over more logistically. It wasn't really the thought of them showering together that bothered him. He was used to it. The matter of this apartment's shower, however, was the issue. It was a single showerhead that hung over the claw foot tub, encased in a clear plastic shower curtain that he'd never bothered to replace. Translation: the space was small, even for the one of him. It would be a tight fit.

Not that it deterred him enough to say no.

"Sure."

Sae wasn't an idiot. He was well aware of the fact that Shidou wanted to fuck him. He was also painfully aware of the fact that, despite some anxiety or confusion, he might be okay with that. But none of that sparked up, even as they stood in this confined space, completely naked. The shower was more comical than anything else.

Sae had long gotten used to the shower's idiosyncrasies. It stooped a little low, the temperature was sensitive, and the shelves that held his products were a little rickety. They'd been in the shower no longer than two minutes, and Shidou had managed to knock an entire shelf over and hit his head three times.

"Stop laughing!"

Sae was pretty sure he was just faking being mad, which was good, because he wouldn't have been able to stop laughing if he tried. It was just so ridiculous, and the last smack had left quite the red welt on Shidou's forehead.

"You're lucky your laugh is so cute," Shidou said. "This thing is a death trap."

"You get used to it," Sae said, by means of consolation. He meant the shower, not his laugh, but he was pretty sure that came across.

Shidou ran a hand over his face, shaking his head a little, but when it came away, there were black smears running down his cheeks and palm. His eyes squeezed tightly shut. "Fuck! I always forget about that."

"About what?"

Sae looked up at him, finding those smears of black eyeliner falling down his face. It was a strange sight. He looked like one of those sad clown paintings, kind of. It did sort of look like he was crying. Sae wouldn't help but wonder what Shidou looked like when he cried, and then hoped he'd never have to find out.

Although, he figured, he might have to one day. If they happened to be doing what he thought they were doing.

"Hey, pretty boy." Shidou held out a hand. "Hand me the soap, would you?"

Sae didn't say anything. He just turned, found his face wash, and put a couple pumps into the open palm. Shidou hissed and shook his hand off like he'd spat in it.

"What the fuck was that?" Shidou ran his hand under the water. Maybe he really had thought he'd spat in it. Did he seriously not know about face wash? "I said the soap."