How To Fall From Grace [MxM]

Step 28: Fall in love (pt. 1)

Frey knitted his eyebrows at his own reflection in the copper basin. The water was kind enough to blur out his scar, and it comforted him. Despite his efforts -encouraged by Marius- to embrace it as a neutral part of him lately, it had turned out to still bother him whenever he caught a glimpse of it, so he appreciated the water's effort.

And it didn't show how flushed his face was either.

They were going to take a bath together. Marius and him. It only made sense, seeing how it would take an enormous amount of work to prepare two baths instead of just one, and if they'd do it separately whoever got in last would likely be left with cold water.

It was fine, he declared while washing most of himself off with a sponge. He'd been seen without clothes before by those disgusting lords without much discomfort, and he'd helped Marius dry off his upper body, not to mention they shared a bed. Wearing sleepwear, sure, but still.

He wouldn't deny himself the shameless thoughts going through his mind though. Were they so wrong? So presumptuous? If anything, Marius had referred to such things on multiple occasions and they'd been so close that time in the stables before Carrigan interrupted them, so was Frey to blame for thinking about it? Even hoping for it? Going as far as to prepare for it, just in case?

Putting his bath oils away, he got up to dry his hair with a towel just as Marius suddenly pushed the door open with his shoulder to carry buckets of water inside.

"How many buckets do we need? Because this is gonna be torture, especially now that it's rain—"

He stopped mid sentence, and Frey looked back over his shoulder with a frown.

"Ever heard of knocking?"

Marius did not reply. Wide eyed and too stunned to speak, he couldn't tear his eyes from Frey, who eventually grew flustered.

"... What?" he finally asked with a disapproving look. So much for Marius not being embarrassed by nudity.

Marius blinked, snapping out of his awestruck state to finally open his mouth.

"Oh, uh... Nothing. Or, I guess I'm a little... Disappointed."

Frey stared back now, lowering the towel to tie it around his waist.

"Dis... appointed?" he asked, voice barely louder than a whisper, and Marius nodded.

"Yeah, with my imagination." Marius cocked his head with an impish grin. "It hasn't done you justice at all."

Heat still rose to Frey's cheeks, and he pouted.

"Don't scare me like that."

Marius scoffed, though still looking smug as he walked up to Frey.

"As if you ever doubted yourself."

"I would have blamed it on you having poor, commoner's taste." Frey folded his arms, but let Marius embrace him, only to shy away from the rain soaked shirt immediately after.

"I thought you were worried about catching colds," he reminded Marius, who nodded gravely before pulling the wet garment off over his head.

"Only fair, I guess, since you're not wearing clothes at all."

"Apparently your imagination requires as much."

"This part was pretty accurate though." Marius slowly slid his hand down over Frey's backside. "Your riding attire honestly leaves little up to imagination."

"It's very... fitted," Frey agreed, trying to keep his composure despite the caressing. "I'm rather certain Everleigh is doing it on purpose."

"Well, I'm not complaining." Marius gave him a flirtatious smile. "It's a good use of your— well, Lord Hargreaves' money."