Why Are We (Best) Friends?

Ducks

Bubble Bath
August 14th, 2018.

"Five? Normally you're sated by three," Patton said incredulously.

Sloshing water over the tub's edge, their knees knocked together. Patton and Remus's bones had become saturated with warm water, and the bubbles were seeping in now too.

"I got worked up badly."

"But five!—" Patton's rasping voice broke into a cough. Remus reached out on impulse to touch his throat as if to soothe. It at least brought comfort as Patton pressed into the heat of his palm. The action encouraged Remus to curl his fingers, but he didn't dare apply any pressure. Turning relaxed and pliable, the full, bowling ball weight of Patton's head fell trustingly in his grip. Even his eyes slipped closed, the little puppy.

(Poor, touch starved thing, taking every morsel of affection so hungrily like it could cure years of neglect.)

"I'm sorry," he sincerely said, "I shouldn't of— I, I never should have asked this of you." Gaze settling on the froth of bubbles steadily dissolving in the water, his hand fell away.

Only for Patton to catch it. He brought Remus's hand to his lips, kissing the back like a gentleman. He shook his head fondly. "I know I can say no. Stop worrying."

"Yeah, but still, Moonshine. I should restrain myself more—"

Sparing his tender throat, Patton abandoned his voice in favour of booping Remus's nose. That shut him up. He choked on a surprised laugh, tossing his head back. Wanting to giggle himself, Patton just smiled at him while his stomach clenched. When Remus stopped laughing, he winced and rubbed the back of his neck.

Patton tugged Remus forward by his hand still clasped in his, and positioned him with his back to his chest. Deft hands delicately came to hold Remus's neck, just beneath his jaw. His thumbs threaded into the baby hairs at his nape. (The brief thought of being strangled to death, his body left floating in the bathtub framed as a tragic, accidental drowning crossed his mind. Remus had the compulsion to blurt it out, yet ground his teeth.) Tilting his head just so... Click-ck! And the other way... Cra-a-ack. Air trapped between the segments popped like thunder. Shivers ran through him, soothing the kink in his neck, but consequently triggering a different kink (one he didn't even know he had until right then). "God, I didn't realise I needed that," he sighed appreciatively.

Migrating, Patton settled one hand on Remus's ribs flexing from the aftershocks of his boisterous, rumbling laughter. Patton could feel Remus's scurrying rabbit heart. De-dum, de-dum— de-de-de-dum, dum. De-dum. Remus's rabbit heart hopped beneath his palm. Loud, rough, and wild, it nudged at Patton affectionately. His heart had always beaten a little faster, a little harder. A little more passionate than it should, leading it to stumble and hiccup occasionally. Every beat, his heart plucked his muscles like the strings of a viola, each pizzicato note a jolt singing through his body. In contrast, the base of his lungs took short yet deep breaths. Wisps of curly, deep cinnamon seasoned, caramel chest hair grasped and coiled around Patton's fingertips.

Then, trying to coax out another laugh, Patton ruffled his hair.

And white powder clinging on got displaced from Remus's fringe, sprinkling the water and suds.

Patton gasped, "That's why!" (The "I should've known" went unsaid.) Being so used to seeing that streak of silver, Patton had forgotten entirely how and why it was there in the first place.