More Elisop Oneshots

Tea Bath

Following this extended stay in the Oletus manor, it was no surprise that some were beginning to get used to life within these four walls. It may have been a bit monotonous and the games could make things harder to endure, but overall, the dullness of the place was quickly imbued with everyone's routines, creating a semblance of illusion brimming with color.

Yet, in this pursuit of joy and patience, Aesop Carl struggled to find his way.

What he was feeling was difficult to express and he could only externalize a baseless irritation. The voices around him seemed louder than he would have liked, this was usually not an issue as he was able to withdraw into his own world of serenity but these last few days were just particularly anxiety-inducing.

Fortunately for the young embalmer, loneliness was no longer something he had to worry about thanks to the presence of the seer. Without him, he probably would have continued to shut himself off until eventually exploding, although he wasn't sure how. Eli noticed almost instantly what he was going through as well as he found solutions. Luckily, the brunet knew a lot about herbology, a skill he had developed before coming here when it was hard to make ends meet in his little country house.

Aesop was not quite enthusiastic about his proposition the first time to be honest. Eli insisted that he should trust him, adding that he wouldn't suggest anything that might make him uncomfortable, so the embalmer ended up feeling obliged to at least try.

Well... Even as a good Englishman, the idea of taking a bath infused with green tea leaves would never have crossed his mind.

He took a few moments to test the temperature of the water and admire its prehnite green color. The experience was as fascinating as the surface of a cup of tea that had just been poured, ready to be tasted.

Curiosity drove him to undress and he slowly entered the water to sit in the claw-foot tub.

For the first few seconds he felt as if all his blood vessels were boiling from the heat, but this strange sensation gradually went away and he was finally able to relax by leaning against the back of the tub.

He held his legs against his chest so he decided to stretch them out, his muscles relaxing at the wonderful feeling of freedom. He also extended his arms and found it captivating that his limbs floated so easily because of the density of his body, he felt like a lotus flower drifting along a river, waltzing on the currents of water created by the gentle waves he made as he gently tapped the wet expanse with the tip of his forefinger.

He tried to see how long he could hold his breath underwater but it proved to be more difficult than expected, perhaps because his mind was not completely calm despite his more rested physical form. The water also started to get into his nose so he quickly pulled his head out before he drowned in his bath, which would have been quite stupid.

Just at the right time he heard some noise coming from the room, probably the seer who was the only other person with a key to his room, the two men liked to switch between their respective spaces. Eli had had a late match but he still seemed to have bothered to visit.

Footsteps approached the bathroom door, followed by three knocks.

"It's me, Aesop, I'm coming in." The embalmer replied with a low inaudible whisper, his cheeks flushing slightly at the appearance of the familiar figure. "How are you feeling?" he asked with a gentle smile.

"...Good."

Amusingly, he was surprised when he answered to notice that he had forgotten the reasons that were troubling his mind so much just earlier in the day.

"Good then."

Eli chuckled as he moved closer to kiss the top of his head, not caring if he got wet. Aesop raised his chin to look him in the eye at the same time -he had already removed his blindfold- and the seer laughed again as he bent down to place a kiss on the other's lips.

The blue-eyed man looked around and stepped away briefly to bring a stool near the bathtub to sit on. He then grabbed a bottle of shampoo from the bathroom cabinet and poured some of the contents into the palm of his hands before beginning to massage the embalmer's scalp.

Aesop hadn't asked for anything but he appreciated the attention Eli was giving him.

There were only the two of them in this small room, immersed in silence and clouded by the detoxifying smell of tea.

Even after Eli rinsed his hair, they didn't say much, the other's presence being enough to replace words.

Aesop stayed in the water until it began to cool, and Eli wrapped him in a brand new, cotton-like soft towel as he got out of the tub.

"Thanks, Eli."

"No need to thank me, I would do anything for you."

The two men exchanged a laugh before moving closer once more to soak in deeper this bond between them.