Work Text:
Azul sat on the closed lid of the toilet, knees pulled up to his chest. His arms were wrapped around his legs, pulling them tight to his body. The room was warm. The water running from the faucet into the bathtub created a nice background noise to fill the comfortable silence.
Warmth made itself home in his chest, right over his three hearts. Making its way through his limbs, from the top of his head to the bottom of his toes. Being here, just existing with Minhaj, made him inexplicably happy.
He didn't have to put on a mask or act in any sort of way. He could just be him, and Minhaj liked it. He liked Azul for him.
The mer turned his attention to the tub.
It was a quarter full; Minhaj was kneeling next to the filling basin, holding his hand under the water coming from the faucet. Its temperature was surely warm enough to soothe their muscles and relax them both completely.
A soft smile made its way onto his face. Azul unfolded his legs and quietly stepped off the toilet. He closed the small distance between them, placing his hand on the back of Minhah's neck and squeezing lightly.
Trailing his hand up and into the prince's hair. The mer scratched at the other's scalp, coming to push the hair away from his face. Minhaj leaned back into his hand. Angling his head so it was resting on Azul's stomach.
Minhaj looked back at him. His eyes were soft, and his face contorted in pleasure. Azul bent at the waist and connected their lips.
Pressing softly against the other, their lips moved in sync.
Pulling away after a moment, Azul moved to shut the faucet off; the bath was full. He dipped his hand in the water and melted a bit. It was the perfect temperature.
He stepped back from the tub, turning around to sink. Slipping his shirt off, he folded it neatly and placed it on the marble counter. He could feel Minhajs’ eyes on him with every action he took. Arms wrapped around his waist from behind, and Minhaj plastered himself to the mer’s back.
Azul laughed lightly as he held the arms around him. “Come on, get undressed. I've been waiting for this all day”. A kiss was pressed into his bare shoulder, over one of his moles, and the pressure against his back disappeared.
He quickly discarded the rest of his clothes. His pants and underwear, folded just as neatly, were stacked on top of his shirt.
Walking over to the tub, he carefully stepped inside. The water was warm against his legs, and he lowered himself down so it covered his body up to his chest. He situated himself in the center of the tub, waiting for Minhaj to enter so he could lean back into him.
Turning to watch as Minhaj pulled his pants off, his back flexed as he moved. The muscles moved over one another, and Azul felt the urge to touch. Run his hands over moving muscles, feel the way they shifted under his touch, and when Minhaj moved.
His staring continued until Minhaj was fully naked and had turned around. The man looked down at him in the tub and calmly hurried over, a soft smile plastered on his face.
Stepping into the tub himself, the prince sat down behind Azul. The mer turned his back to him and positioned himself so they were back to chest. Azul let himself relax into the man behind him. Arm encircled the octopus's waist and pulled him closer. He let his head drop back and tilted it into Minhaj's neck. Nosing into the skin, he pressed kisses up and down his throat.
Minhaj sighed and leaned his head against Azuls. Pressing a light kiss into his hair as he stroked his fingers across the octopus's pale skin. A shiver ran through Azul’s body, the fingers causing a tickling sensation.
“This is nice,” Azul spoke into Minhaj’s neck, rubbing his head into the other’s shoulder. He took one of the princes’ hands into his. Holding it so they were palm to palm, the back of Minhaj’s hand facing him. The octopus gently pressed kiss after kiss to the skin on the back of his hand.
Kissing from his fingertips down to his wrist, Minhaj pressed his head down onto his. He felt an arm leave him and could see it moving to pick up the shampoo bottle. The popping of a cap reached his ears, and the hand in his extracted itself. “Let me wash your hair”. It was spoken against the side of his head, and he felt incredibly warm. Like he was floating.
He nodded and shifted forward, creating enough space between them for Minhaj to wash his hair.
The air was warm, and the silence was comforting as Minhaj washed his hair. Blunt nails scratched at his scalp, and Azul could feel the minimal tension remaining released from his muscles. It was a fragile tranquility that he would give anything for.
The quiet moments together, the mer cherished more than he could say. It was special to him to be able to just relax and not have to worry about appearances.
He knew it was the same for Minhaj. The man was frustratingly patient and kind to him. Azul had to learn how to talk about his feelings rather quickly when their relationship began. Minhaj was having none of it; the way he pushed people away. Azul wanted it; he wanted it bad, so he learned.
And he is forever grateful he did. He wasn't perfect, but he had gotten better. Communication was very important after all.
Back in the present, he could feel fingers carding deftly through the ends of his hair. The vanilla scent of his conditioner permeated the air, adding an extra note to the already pleasant scent. He loved the smell of vanilla.
Ever since he came on land, perfumes and colognes had intrigued him. He had an amazing sense of smell, as most mer-man did, and all the new scents were rather intrusive at first. But a few of them he had learned to tolerate, then love.
Mainly those he wore, and those of his lover. He quite likes vanilla and occasionally coconut. Most of his colognes were a mix of vanilla and earthy scents. His lover liked jasmine and sandalwood. Azul had come to love Jasmine particularly.
The scent of it never failed to calm him. It reminded him of being in Minhaj’s arms, of lying his head on his chest, or pushing his face into his neck to smell him. It was comforting.
Fingers trailed down his back, and Azul could feel the bumps raise on his arms. A face pressed into his shoulder, and his skin prickled at his beloved's facial hair. Azul bent forward, trying to escape the feeling. “You need to shave.”
Minhaj grumbled and hooked his chin on Azul's shoulder, “I shaved like two days ago.”
“Well, you need to again,” Azul twisted to shoot his beloved a playful glare. “You have a 5 o'clock shadow, love”
Cupping his beloved rumpled face, Azul bumped their foreheads together. “I can do it for you, if you wish.”
“Yeah?”
Azul hummed an affirmative and poked Minhaj’s shoulder, gesturing for the man to turn around so he could wash his hair. Quickly, Azul dipped his head back and washed the conditioner out. Trailing his fingers down his beloved's back, the mer grabbed the shampoo.
Squirting some into his palm, he got to work. It was simple work, repetitive in motion, but never dull.
It passed quickly. The two rounds of shampoo and one round of conditioner were done in the blink of an eye. Azul was stepping out of the tub and having a towel wrapped around him before he knew it.
The towel was incredibly soft on his skin, and he wanted to burrow into it. Turning around, Azul watched as Minhaj dried himself off and stepped into a pair of fresh boxers. He could ogle all he wanted; Minhaj was his after all.
“Sit on the toilet, I’ll grab the stuff,” Azul pointed at the toilet as he spoke. Wrapping the towel around his waist, before walking over to the sink to grab Minhaj’s razor and the shaving cream.
Minhaj complied without a word. Sitting down and watching as Azul got the supplies together. A small bowl of water and a rag were set next to him, and a cold hand cupped his jaw.
Guided to look up, Azul brushed the hair out of his face and behind his ear.
He gazed at the mer as he began to work. A wet cloth was gently dragged across the lower half of his face, then a layer of shaver cream applied over it.
A raver was held in gentle hands as it dragged across his jaw, near his ear.
Azul worked across his face, from left to right. Minhaj stared as he did so. His alibi's pretty face the center of his vision.
Every so often a kiss was placed on his face between traces of the raver. His temple, his nose, his forehead, the corner of his lips. Azul avoided fully kissing lips and Minhaj wished he wasn't.
After every pass, the razor was wiped on the towel, the hair wiped from the blade.
Azul placed the razor down on the side, and wet a new towel. Wiping it across his face, ridding him of any left over hair or shaving cream.
Blue eyes, swirling like the ocean, met his own and he felt like he was drowning. Drowning in a perfect way, like he could breathe through the water invading his lungs.
Smiling up at Azul, Minhaj kissed the air. “Kiss?”
“I have been kissing you” Azul bent down to kiss his temple again, moving around his face and down his neck.
“On the lips, ya albi”
Azul chuckled and cupped his jaw with one hand, bending down lightly to press their lips together.
Warm lips pressed against his. Minhaj tilted his head to the side and slotted their lips together. A tongue traced his bottom lip, before Azul pulled away.
A hand pressed against his chest, right over his heart. Leaning back against the cold porcelain, Minhaj trailed his fingers up and down Azul's sides.
From the dips in his hips, to the bottom of his ribs.
He could fill Azul's skin prickled under his touch, the raised skin pressing against his finger tips.
Hands carded through his hair, pushing it back from his face more, then letting it fall back. Azul leaned down and forward to connect their foreheads.
Pressing them together lightly, he pressed a peck to the tip of his nose.
Smiling softly, Minhaj pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Contentment filled him.
Soon they would eat dinner and change for bed. Lay in each other's arms and talk before finally resting for the day. It would be peaceful, just as it was now.