“Remind me to bring him Jack tomorrow.” Saxon closed his eyes, allowing the heat of the water, the bubbles, and Rick to settle his soul. He hadn’t known how much he needed this until he had it.
“I will,” Rick cupped some water in his hand and poured it over Saxon’s t-shirt, just under his pec where the material was stuck to the wound. “Can you reach the faucet with your foot and add more water?”
“Yeah.” Saxon did as he asked. Baths were so much better when you could fully submerge in them. He ignored the slight sting as Rick eased the material out of the wound.
“It’s free.” Rick angled his head, trying to get a look at the cut, but the material obscured his view. “Did you clean it out?”
“Cas poured some stinging stuff on it, just after it happened.” Saxon sat up, turned off the water, and pulled his t-shirt off over his head. It dropped over the side of the bath with a plop. He lay back again onto Rick’s chest. “I vote we make this our first tradition.”
“Tradition?” He reached for the washcloth and soaked it in the water. “How do you mean?”
“Couples have traditions—right?” The warmth inside him had nothing to do with the bath and everything to do with the man he was cocooned in here with. He felt Rick nod against his cheek. “One of ours can be when we come back from a mission, we soak in the tub.”
“I love it.” Rick kissed his cheek softly then snorted. “Who’d have thought it, the two of us having traditions like this.”
“I much prefer this one to my momma’s cucumber fritters on a Sunday.” Saxon said, his voice heavy with sleep. All the left-over tension from the job was soaking away. Swirling with the bubbles around them was something—something he needed to do, and he was forgetting. Rick’s arms closed around him, holding him in place as they shuddered in horror at the thoughts of cucumber fritters.
Rick’s smile came from his toes. He felt it, all the way up to his heart. “Doofus.”
“But I’m your doofus,” Saxon told him. “And you love me.”
Cocky bastard was correct. “I do love you.”
“I love you, too.” Saxon kissed him gently, cupping the side of Rick’s face with his palm. Somehow, this kiss was more powerful, more profound than any they had had before. This kiss sealed everything. It was a promise of the future. Of traditions to be made. Of time to be spent with just the two of them, weaving hopes and dreams of what their future would look like.
When he pulled back, both needed to catch their breaths. Each kept their hands wrapped around the other’s neck. Holding on, stroking, and petting as they stared at each other.
“I need to get out or I’ll fall asleep.” Saxon winced. “I don’t want to break the mood, but sleep, I’ve forgotten what it is.”
“Up you go.” Rick helped him scoot forward, then get to his feet. Saxon pulled the plug on the water. Rick dragged the shower curtain around the bath so they could rinse off. For long minutes they stood under the falling water, holding each other. A soft kiss pressed to lips. A stroke on the sensitive skin behind an ear. Each touch building something between them that they probably didn’t have the energy for. But it didn’t matter, what did matter was that right here, right now, there was only them, together. The battles they faced were not over, the wars and missions would continue. But there was no doubt about it, the warriors had definitely fallen in love.
