"I should hurry up and get out of here," Jin muttered to himself.
The water in the tub rippled as Alex shifted. Jin froze, his heart hammering against his ribs. Driven by pure impulse, he grabbed a bucket of water and dumped it over his head. Alex was already closing the distance behind him, but Jin abruptly stood up, keeping his back turned as he hurriedly reached for the tap.
Alex felt a pang of hurt at the blatant avoidance. "What's wrong with him?" he wondered. Watching Jin meticulously and nervously scrubbing his skin, Alex strode over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Jin flinched, his muscles locking up.
"Let me help you scrub your back," Alex said softly.
Jin remained silent. Still refusing to turn around, he hesitantly held out the scrubbing cloth.
Relief washed over Alex when Jin didn't protest. And he started scrubbing his body with deliberate slowness.
"Uhm... let me... help you too," Jin stammered.
Alex blinked, caught off guard by Jin's sudden shyness. He watched as Jin, covered in white foam, stepped toward a small bucket near the tub and grabbed Alex's cloth. Finally turning around, Jin shyly gestured for Alex to turn so he could return the favor.Alex turned around at Jin's gesture. The silence between them suddenly felt comfortable, filled only by the warmth of being so close to one another.
"Why don't you scrub my whole body for me?" Alex suggested playfully.
Jin smiled, shaking his head. "It's getting late, and the soap is already drying on my skin," he said.
Before he could step away, Alex swiftly spun around to face him, wrapping his arms securely around Jin's waist. A sharp gasp escaped Jin's lips at the sudden contact, his skin flushing hot everywhere their bodies met.
Jin raised his head, his gaze locking onto Alex's bright orange eyes, which were currently gleaming with mischief.
"Your scent is so hypnotizing, Jin," Alex murmured.
Jin's face burned deeply, and he looked down to hide his blush. "How am I supposed to scrub you if you're holding me like this?" he mumbled to the floor.
"Did you say something, Jin?" Alex teased.
Jin slowly pulled away from the embrace, reclaiming his space. "Let's finish bathing first. Then... you can cuddle me all you want," he said, trying to sound firm.
Alex stayed put, a soft look on his face as he watched Jin quietly resume scrubbing, humming a low tune to himself. Jin then reached for the bucket he had filled with water and began to step away, but Alex's hand shot out, gently catching his wrist.
"Where to? Is this—" Alex started, his voice cutting off with a hint of worry.
"I'm just getting the stool, calm down," Jin reassured him with a gentle smile.
He brought the small stool over, poured a bit of water to rinse it, and gestured for Alex to sit. Once Alex settled, Jin began pouring warm water over his shoulders, carefully washing away the remaining soap.
"After this, we are getting in the tub together. No excuses, okay?" Alex said, his voice dropping into a soft, undeniable tone of finality.
Jin froze for a split second at the words, but he quickly regained his composure, forcing a nervous smile onto his face.
"After you," Jin replied.
Then he poured water over his foam-covered body to wash away the slippery texture. He could still feel Alex staring at him, even with his back turned.
Afterwards, he turned around and saw that Alex was indeed still staring. "How long have you been staring?" Jin asked nervously, feeling his face heat up in a blush.
"It's only been for a few minutes," Alex replied calmly.
Jin brushed off his answer, approached the tub, and stepped inside. He sat on the opposite side of Alex, looking around for anything to make this moment end quickly.
Alex's brows furrowed from what he was seeing. He was about to speak up, but Jin quickly grabbed the heat gems and dropped them into the water. "The water is a little cooler than expected, right?" Jin said.
"Jin..." Alex softly called out.
"It's getting late, we should get out now," Jin said.
Alex didn't understand why Jin was so uncomfortable near him. "I really want to know why you're acting like this. Be frank with me," he told Jin.
"It's nothing about you, it's just... it feels awkward because we are frien—" The last word died in his throat when Alex shifted forward, holding his hand under the water.
Hurt bled through his words. "But I feel lonely and unsafe," Alex said.
Jin felt like a fool. He wanted to embrace the moment, but here he was, shying away from Alex. Minutes later lost in his thoughts, Jin was pulled back to reality when he was firmly hugged and almost lifted onto Alex's lap. Jin blushed deeply from the close contact.
"Goodness me, what am I going to do with this touchy version of Alex?"Jin wondered.
Just then, the water started getting much hotter than expected. Jin noticed and remembered the heat gems.
"Alex, wait a minute," Jin said, trying to break free from the hug.
"No," he said.
"But the water?" Jin asked.