“That may be so,” Julien said, turning and drawing Karim in, “but this is as much for me as it is you, and you’ll let me have what I want.”
There were his twisty words again. Karim’s shoulders sank, giving up the fight immediately.
“Good boy,” Julien said, and reached for a fancy looking bottle on one of the built in shower ledges.
Luis was content to sit and watch. The room heated up like a sauna, and it was nice to sit with just his toes touching the water, watching them. Julien didn’t rush, took his time just as he had in the bedroom, washing Karim down with a violet scented soap, fingers massaging as he went.
Karim submitted to it, eyes closed and silent. He turned when requested, tilted his head back when Julien started on his hair. It was mesmerizing to watch how familiar the routine was. How easily Julien took the reins and took care of him.
This, even more than what had happened in the bedroom, touched him. It was a peek behind the curtain that Luis was certain no one else had ever seen.
Then Karim was clean and rinsed, and both of them turned to him.
“Think you can stand now?” Karim asked with a bit of cheek.
Luis would’ve rolled his eyes if he wasn’t so sleepy. “I could stand before,” he said, and slowly got to his feet. He wasn’t so steady on them though, so maybe Karim had a point.
It didn’t end up being a problem. Julien coaxed him in under the spray, between the two of them, and then there were two sets of hands sliding over him, keeping him up.
Karim’s chin set on Luis’s shoulder as Julien started with the soap. The violet was strong this close up, and Luis hummed in contentment.
“Sometimes I think this might be my favorite part,” Karim confessed into his ear.
Luis might agree. The water was just on the edge of too hot, and Julien’s hands as they started moving up and down his body were perfect. He relaxed as Julien pressed into muscles, as he worked soap up into his ticklish armpits, and down to between his fingers. He was thorough everywhere, sliding a hand gently over Luis’s soft cock and under, making sure everything got cleaned.
It wasn’t a sexual touch, and something about that made his throat catch. He’d never been touched, been taken care of like this. When he was turned for Julien to do his back, he pressed his forehead into Karim to hide his stinging eyes.
He wasn’t sad, this was just… a lot. The nicest kind of a lot.
Julien must have felt it in his back, because the hands started smoothing long strokes. “It’s okay,” Julien said softly. “Whatever you’re feeling right now, it’s okay.”
Luis hiccupped a breath. “I don’t know why…” he said against Karim’s skin. The man still had his hands on Luis’s hips for support, and they squeezed.
“You read about subspace and subdrop?” Julien asked.
Luis nodded instead of trying to force out another sticky word.
“It can be a lot, experiencing what you have,” Julien said. “And it’s all new. We can talk about it more tomorrow, but what you’re feeling, it’s okay. It’s all okay, Luis. We’ve got you.”
And maybe that was really what it was. That he’d never been as vulnerable as he was standing here in the shower with them. He’d never been so much himself as he was at their house, able to play his music and laugh and kiss them without consequence.
Vampires he’d been told all his life were the greatest threat to him had turned out to be some of his greatest supports. LikeCassie, they loved him for who he was. They treated him with kindness and respect, with thoughtful care.
When Julien finished washing his hair, his hands slowed and he stepped up to press the length of his body into Luis.
Luis sighed, leaning back against him. “Thank you,” he said, and it was about more than the shower.
“Caring for you is never something you need to thank me for,” Julien said, dropping a kiss to Luis’s shoulder.
A tear slipped down Luis’s cheek, but with the shower running, no one saw it.
“Karim, can you take him now? I need to wash my hair.”
“Of course,” Karim said. “C’mon, Jules takes a bit for his routine.”
Julien stepped away and Luis was guided out of the shower and onto a fluffy rug. Karim produced two towels and dried Luis down before himself. Luis felt slow, mute, and didn’t try to fight it.
Karim guided them to the sink where they brushed their teeth together in silence as the shower water ran. When that was finished, Karim took his hand to lead him back to the bedroom.
