Relaxing warmth and splashes. Quiet water drops and occasional sighs. A feeling that almost resembled comfort and harmony found its way into two hearts.
Oliver kept his eyes shut and breathed in the humid air. It was troubling his breathing but he ignored it. The warmth of the water eased his mind and body, calming him down from the prior frantic hours. It helped him to shake off the coldness and pain that had suppressed him in their grip earlier. The loud yelling got replaced by occasional water sounds coming from gentle movements. This calamity was the definition of heaven for the blond and he let out a relieved sigh. His muscles relaxed at this even more and he sunk further into the water.
Fukase's heartbeat resonated in the blond's ears. Mixed with the warmth emitting from the redhead's body and the hot water from the bathtub, this felt like a rare occasion of complete harmony. Oliver felt comforted. This kind of sensation was uncommon; he tried to not do anything that could break it. Only occasionally, Oliver whimpered whenever Fukase stroke across his skin and pressed too hard on his already clearly visible bruises. They were partially swollen and still throbbing painfully. Quickly, Fukase would let go and place soft kisses on the wounds. Even though it was absurd, Oliver felt like this helped the healing process enormously.
Being treated so carefully flattered the blond and he enjoyed the gentle touches. His prior anger had worn off and instead turned to compassion. Looking at his lover, the same appeared to count for Fukase as well.
"I'm also sorry about this one," Fukase whispered and leaned down to place another kiss on Oliver's neck. Purple-blue bruises of the redhead's grip graced the fair skin. He continued with his procedure until he treated every little bruise and leaned back at the bathtub. His fingers found their way across Oliver face and hair, earning him another sigh of relief. Fukase bent his head to the side and bit his lip. He only got to look at his lover from behind, but the consequences of their argument were noticeable enough. It sent a dagger through his heart.
"You mustn't do something like that to me," Fukase sighed and rubbed his temples in distress. Worry and guilt were burning on his tongue, making it difficult for him to speak up. Oliver flinched at Fukase's words and opened his eyes. He noticed the fortress of peace and harmony to slowly crumble down to ashes. Oliver shifted uncomfortably.
"You know I wouldn't ever cheat on you. I was telling you the truth."
Oliver waited for another glib response, but there was only silence. Instead, Oliver felt the embrace around him tightening and pulling him closer to Fukase. The said one buried his head in Oliver's crook of the neck. There was a change of atmosphere, and the blond didn't know how to react to it. Something was going on with Fukase. He decided to not act out for now.
"Do you remember when I told you about my family?"
Oliver nodded in affirmation when actually recalling the numerous stories Fukase has revealed every now and then. He got goosebumps when thinking about it.
"My father once made me a promise that he would always be there for me."
Fukase spoke slowly and carefully as in narrating his lover a story. Oliver noticed this signal of Fukase to be lost in thoughts and deeply thinking about his wording. He didn't react immediately and gave his partner the time he needed. In the meantime, he simply nodded faintly and stroke across Fukase's hands. He received a few strokes across his chest in return.
"And no matter what happened, I trusted him and didn't lose hope that things will get better. One day, he was gone. And never returned. He left me with the rest of my family. I was so heartbroken."
Fukase's voice echoed in Oliver's ears as the words were not directed at him. Instead, it felt like he was not welcomed in that monologue right now. The tone of the redhead's voice was empty, carrying no kind of emotions. He expected Fukase to mourn over another traumatic happening he didn't recognize as one, but it sounded more like a narration of a newspaper article. No personal connection at all. Uneasiness crawled up Oliver's back as he was caught by another surprise again. Unpredictable events like these unsettled him; he didn't say anything.
