Curled Horns

15. Bathing

Following behind Yunho into his room, Mingi cleaned off his hooves with a brush at the door. He still felt like dirt would drop off from him, but it was the best he could do. His smell of horses, on the other hand, he couldn't get rid of so easily.

On his way into the bathroom, Yunho already unbuttoned his shirt. It slipped from his shoulders smoothly and he bunched it up in his hands to throw at the basket meant for dirty clothes. It landed inside perfectly.

While Mingi fetched Yunho's soaps and sponges, the man swiftly undressed fully to sink into the steaming bath. When the hot water met his tense muscles, he groaned, but soon his face evened out in bliss. For a moment, he slacked. Mingi admired his lax features as he scooped his bath salt into the steaming tub.

When Yunho opened his eyes again, he looked right at Mingi. For a moment, he pondered the words he would say next, but they left his lips, anyway.

"Why don't you join me inside? We're both dirty and you deserve a nice bath after all that."

Mingi nearly tipped the jar with salt over. Hastily, he scrambled to catch it. With mild alarm, Yunho watched.

Mingi cradled the glass object close to his chest as he sorted his thoughts.

Sharing Yunho's bath? Without clothes? Just the two of them?

Mingi had his fair share of communal baths before. And yet, Yunho's offer hovering in the foggy air at this intimate moment had Mingi's mind reel.

His nervous eyes slid over the condensed glass, the darkness settling over the lands outside while the volcano provided a source of light day and night. Their realm didn't have a sun like the human one. And yet, Mingi feared he would get caught doing something forbidden with Yunho.

Was is that forbidden though? Knowing how sociable Yunho was and since he had offered?

Mingi took a painfully long time to reply, but Yunho didn't make it awkward. He waited, ready to apologise if Mingi told him he intruded.

When Mingi nodded after an eternity, Yunho rewarded him with a bright grin.

"Right, why not..."

Mingi's hands shook as he brought the salt back to its place. As his fingers fiddled with the laces on his shirt and pants, Yunho politely directed his attention at the bubbles between his hands.

Before Mingi could get overwhelmed by embarrassment over being naked in front of the prince, he entered his first hoof into the water. Hot, it surrounded him, pulling the aches right out of his muscles. It smelled deliciously of fragrant herbs and wildflowers.

Mingi sunk opposite Yunho with a shiver of satisfaction. Wet, the tuft of hair on his tail floated between them on the surface. Mingi poked at it as if a rat had died in the water.

"Feels great, right?" Yunho said as soon as Mingi had got comfortable. His dreamy sigh was all the answer that Yunho needed.

"Just what I needed after that long day. Is your migraine gone finally?"

Loosely, they relaxed in the hot water around them.

"It is. Thank you for sticking around. I had a fun time thanks to you."

When Mingi waved it off, water sprayed from his claws everywhere. Embarrassed, he sunk further down until he could bury his chin in the water and pretend he was busy washing himself.

For a while, neither of them had any reason to talk, as they just soaked their skin in the warm water. Mingi's every muscle turned into a squishy goo until he felt like nothing more but a weightless mass in the pool. Yunho sat opposite of him, spread out comfortably with his arms resting on the edge of the pool behind him and his legs spread.