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.
Since it was the most inappropriate moment and yet the most triggering one, Mingi remembered a certain mention San had dropped on Yunho a while ago while they had visited the lava lake. At once, both curiosity and hot mortification flooded Mingi's chest. He hemmed and hawed for a moment, too timid to ask when he knew Yunho would take it in a stride.
"So... I have a question."
Yunho blinked his eyes open, curiously staring at Mingi. Mingi's eyes mirrored his own intrigue. Once more, Mingi considered, but he collected all his courage to word it out loud. He knew Yunho wouldn't take his query with mockery.
"Go for it," Yunho assured him verbally once more, when Mingi still searched for words. His scratchy voice had softened in the humid room.
"A few days ago, when we were out at that lava lake with San... He mentioned your other piercings. I couldn't help but wonder."
Before Yunho had time to reply, Mingi rose his wet hands from the water in defence.
"I know this topic is sensitive! You are not obligated to reply. I was just curious!" Mingi regretted asking as soon as the question had left him. He whimpered, intense shame having him sink deeper into the water as if it could swallow him once more.
Yunho chuckled at him. His tail swished through the water, creating some movement between them.
"It's not the topic that is sensitive, it's the way that San posed it on me. There is a line between curiosity and intrusion. What did you want to know?" Quickly, he de-escalated the situation before Mingi could die from discomfort. Relieved, Mingi dipped his head out of the water again. Warm drops fell from his horns to his shoulders.
"I took my guesses already where there are, so... Doesn't that hurt horribly?" Mingi scratched behind his pointy ears.
Pondering, Yunho hummed.
"More than the one you have, yes. Although some would argue that the abstinence during the healing time is the worst pain," he snickered with a wink at Mingi. It eased the tension between them. When Mingi reached for the soap and mentioned for Yunho to turn around, the man obeyed without question. Careful of his swishing tail, Mingi stood up behind him to wash his hair for him.
"Do they hurt during... that?" No vulgar slang word that Mingi remembered from the streets belonged in this luxurious bathroom. Yunho leaned into his grip like a satisfied cat as Mingi spread out the soap in his hair.
"Not at all, no. It's pleasurable, for both me and the other person, as far as I heard."
For a moment, Mingi's heart froze over at the idea that Yunho could sleep with people. It made sense; their recent talk about relationships and suitors applied to sexual intercourse as well. And yet, the fierce jealousy that bubbled up in Mingi's chest was swallowed by icy shock.
Before an unusual wave of desire could follow, Mingi concentrated his entire soul on Yunho's hair. The demon remained oblivious of Mingi's struggle, his fingers playing with the edge of the pool.
"I take them out when they could be dangerous, too. For example, in battle, the risk that they rip off is just too big. So I use them less for decoration but for pleasure. Are you interested in getting one of those, too? I can show you in that case."
Mingi's head still swam with hearing Yunho talking about pleasure. The implications were too much for Mingi's fragile heart to handle.
"Oh no, definitely not. I'm happy with mine that I have for now, and I don't plan to go the full pain route." With a wooden bowl, Mingi scooped up some water to pour over Yunho's head. The prince sighed contently, closing his eyes.
"There are many other places you can pierce instead if you are ever curious for more, yes," Yunho agreed gravely. Glad that he was responsible about painful aspects, Mingi fully washed out his hair. Then he put the bowl down again.
Before Mingi could return to his place, Yunho already turned. He carefully sorted his long legs left and right of Mingi, his hooves scraped against the tiles. The water reached just above Mingi's navel, so Yunho cupped a hand to push enough water off that he could look at it. It healed nicely, and Mingi still turned it dutifully every morning. Even now, it shone prettily in the light that let the water movement reflect on the metal.
Shy, Mingi nibbled on his knuckle to stop any potential noises he could make with Yunho so close.
From below, Yunho glanced up at Mingi kindly with his soothing eyes.
"Want me to wash your hair?"
Mingi had given up reminding Yunho that half of his actions didn't match their positions. He long knew that the prince cared little about regulations. What he received, he also wanted to give back.
A puddle at his nobleness, Mingi nodded. He sat with his back to Yunho in a similar fashion as the other man had just done. Wet, his tail brushed against Yunho's thigh when the man stood behind him. Keenly aware that the man was taller than him and the water likely dipped lower on his stomach, Mingi gulped. His eyes were trained on the wall even as Yunho gently buried his hands in Mingi's hair and massaged the soap in. The pressure of his nimble fingers had Mingi's eyes slip shut in a moment. He wanted to purr when a shiver racked down his spine. Yunho pulled all stress from him. With slow movements, he spread the fragrant soap.
Mingi's head nearly sunk on his chest, too comfortable. It took him all his willpower to keep it up.
Reminded of the day Yunho had touched his horns, Mingi sighed dreamily. He wished Yunho would get the same idea and touch his horns for him, too. He knew he had Mingi's consent.
As if he had heard his thoughts, Yunho's fingers promptly curled around Mingi's horns. A surprised whimper fell from Mingi, but it twisted into a drawn sigh of pleasure.
The slide of Yunho's fingers on Mingi's horns was slick. Aided by the soap, he cleaned off the curled appendages with all the patience in the world. Just like last time, the little drops of golden nectar that carried Mingi's desire for him collected in a basin in his stomach. It warmed to a pleasant coil that had Mingi's nether regions react with faint interest.
Too far gone to care, Mingi leaned into Yunho's touch. Rather than just washing him, Yunho took great care of pulling more pleased moans from Mingi. He listened to them as if they were his favourite melody.
When Yunho hit another special spot, Mingi's body jerked as if zapped by a bolt of lightning. His tail splashed in the water, jolted by the movement. Shaky, Mingi wrapped it around Yunho's thigh. The prince chuckled above him, charmed by his pliant reactions. His dark voice forced another shudder through Mingi.
Yunho reaching for the bowl of water was nearly a disappointment for Mingi. And yet, the man didn't stop. His fingers caressed Mingi's hair and horns through the process of washing them off, not leaving him without a touch. Greedy, Mingi nuzzled into him.
As if playful, Yunho's finger found the sensitive spot behind Mingi's left ear he had never known he had once more. Mingi tightened his hands on the rim of the pool.
"Yunho," he breathed the other man's name.
Abruptly, all touches stopped. Mingi still breathed heavily, not daring to turn, for he knew that his arousal had found its way to his midst and showed in his half-hard length. Delirious with bliss, Mingi waited, every breath stuttering in his lungs.
Water splashed around them when Yunho suddenly reached for Mingi. He picked him up around his waist, turning him in the process as he sat him down on the edge of the tub. Trembling, Mingi held onto his arms, barely able to maintain himself upright as their eyes met.
Yunho's eyes were dark. Dark with lust and promises.
Breathless, they looked at each other. Yunho studied Mingi's face, glancing between his eyes and his parted lips. His gaze had Mingi shiver. Trembling thighs pinched together when Mingi couldn't withstand those eyes on him. So heavy and wanting.
For a moment longer, the air crackled between them. The room seemed hotter than before, the steam showing in their breaths. There wasn't much space between them, their bodies just shy of touching.
Nervously, Yunho's tail swished behind him in slow, hypnotic movements.
When Yunho reached out to stroke a thumb over Mingi's cheek, the servant's eyes nearly fluttered shut once more. Despite the tense coil in his belly, Mingi relaxed into Yunho's warm touch. Mingi wanted to turn his head and press a kiss to those beautiful fingers, but he never got to.
"Let's go to eat," Yunho mumbled. His voice rumbled in his chest with tender admiration. It wasn't a question, but Mingi didn't feel rejected.
Shaky, Mingi nodded. When the two of them stood up to get dressed, they didn't dare look at each other.