[Posted: June 1st, 2019]


It was obvious that he was waiting for Ivan to make a move, and
for some reason, that expectant and coy face watching his every
movement made Ivan uncharacteristically nervous.


The Queen of Bath Scenes strikes again.
June 2nd (tomorrow as of this posting) is RusPru day! Yay! Happy 6/2 everyone! And happy Pride as well to my fellow queers!

Content warning(s): Romance. Sexual content.


Another week passed and the tension in the cabin had subsided a bit. For the first few nights, Ivan's sleep was racked with nightmares. Along with the night terrors, he wasn't eating nearly as much as he needed too, and that worried Gilbert a lot. His lips were becoming cracked and dry, he followed Gilbert around like a lost puppy constantly, and he barely spoke even when spoken to.

Gilbert knew Ivan pretty well and knew that he hated being trapped inside; after hearing what he went through up until recently, it was understandable that staying inside made him uneasy. Even though the situation was much different, he was still living in the shadow of his old master and even if he was with Gilbert now, he still felt his influence even if he said he was fine. He had so much fear of the people coming for him that he didn't want to leave; he made sure doors were always locked and curtains were drawn shut all day, but staying inside was also driving him crazy.

Not wanting Ivan to fall into an unhealthy cycle, Gilbert did what he did every morning and brought Ivan breakfast in bed. He placed the tray over Ivan's legs and smiled.

"Come on, eat. I even got you some fruit," Gilbert said as he sat beside Ivan.

Ivan glanced to the food with little expression and then to Gilbert. "You don't have to do this every morning..."

"You don't eat if I don't do this," Gilbert retorted and then sighed. "Just please eat, you're losing weight again and I'm getting worried."

"I'm sorry..."

Gilbert watched as Ivan picked up his fork and began to eat slowly. It was painful to watch as if all of Ivan's playful energy had been sucked out of him. Gilbert had just gotten his smile back and now it was gone again — he was back at square one, except it might have been worse this time.

About halfway through eating the food Ivan stopped and pushed his plate forward; a sign that he was done. Gilbert was sad that he didn't finish his food but was thankful that Ivan ate any of it at all. He placed the tray on the floor and then leaned against the headboard.

"How about we go for a walk today?" Gilbert asked. Ordinarily, he wouldn't have asked and would rather stay inside for safety reasons, but even he was bothered by the lack of sunlight and staying inside all day. Some expression finally came to Ivan's face, although it was a mix of surprise and fear.

"What? Are you sure? What if someone's waiting out there?"

Gilbert sighed and tilted his head up. "I know you're scared, and I get it, I'm scared too. But I'm more mad than anything. I'm infuriated," Gilbert growled and closed his eyes.

Ivan had only heard that tone in his voice once before so he was taken aback by it.

"They're not even close to us and we're so scared we don't even leave the house? Fucking ridiculous. I'm mad that they have such a hold over us, it pisses me off!" Gilbert fumed for a few seconds but then calmed down and glanced over to Ivan. "Please, go on a walk with me?"

Ivan saw that Gilbert was pleading for him to say yes even though every inch of his being was telling him not to go. "Alright, I'll go."

Gilbert let out a relieved sigh and leaned against Ivan's shoulder. Ivan smiled slightly at the gesture and wondered what Gilbert was thinking; he suddenly seemed so content.

The warmth of Ivan's body was familiar and comforting, and a feeling he hadn't had for days. They slept in the same bed every night but something was wrong and it no longer had the same warmth. Gilbert knew why, though, and he was fine with it. He didn't want to rush Ivan or push him in any way, and it felt weird to feel anything but an intense protectiveness over Ivan lately. Although it was hard for Gilbert; he was new to romance and sex and had it on his mind a lot, but he didn't want Ivan to know that.

After basking in the warmth for a minute, Gilbert got up and dressed in some warmer clothing. It was early December and the chilly winds were settling in as the winter covered the ground with snow, so dressing in warm clothing was a necessity.

Gilbert went to the bedside, knelt down, and then pulled on something that made a light grinding sound on the wood floor. He lifted his weapons out place them on the bed while Ivan watched curiously. Gilbert had been keeping his weapons nearby in case of an emergency, always within reach of the bed.

"You should get ready too," Gilbert told Ivan as he tied his weapon straps onto himself.

Ivan slid out of bed and went to his side of the dresser, as they had started to share the drawers now. Gilbert's attention was captured by Ivan only in his underwear and he paused for just a few seconds to admire his built body before continuing.

A few minutes later they were both dressed in their heavy winter clothing, Gilbert attached his bow to his back, clipped his quiver to the belt on his hip, and then retrieved something else from under the bed — a simple hunting dagger, which he then connected to his other hip.

Gilbert looked at Ivan and studied him for a second, while also still admiring him dressed in his slacks and a black turtleneck. Just as Ivan was pulling his tan trench coat over his body he saw Gilbert staring.

"What?" he asked, but Gilbert just shook his head quickly like he was in a daze.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking."

'About what?' Ivan wanted to ask, but he simply said 'okay' and followed Gilbert outside.

.

The walk was uncomfortable. Not because of the cold weather pricking at their skin or snow that made it slightly more difficult to walk, but because Ivan was walking about three feet behind Gilbert who had his bow in hand, free one hovering over his hip quiver, ready to act at a moment's notice.

It was a sad sight to see Gilbert so tense and it made Ivan frown. He knew how protective Gilbert was; he was just as protective as Ivan was of him, but Ivan never got as tense as he did. Gilbert walked so stiffly, almost hunched over like he was prepared for anything. As much as Ivan appreciated it, it hurt him to see Gilbert like so stressed, and that the walk they were on was being ruined by the very thing Gilbert was pissed off about.

Picking up his pace, Ivan stepped beside Gilbert and slid his hand into Gilbert's free one. The touch made Gilbert flinch since he was so focused.

"I'm sorry," Ivan apologize. Gilbert then realized the solemn expression on Ivan's face and he calmed his nerves a bit. "It's just... You wanted to go for a walk, but I feel like we're not together. I feel like you're escorting me."

Gilbert realized then that he was being rude. "I'm sorry," he said and then sighed. "I'm just a little on edge."

"And you have every right to be," Ivan validated him and squeezed his hand, "but you were so angry because this is taking over our life. We see each other every day but I feel like we haven't really talked in days."

Gilbert turned his head to the side, ashamed that Ivan was feeling so neglected due to his increasingly protective nature. Ironic how constant protection led to one's solitude. 'Maybe I'm just like my parents,' he wondered and it made him feel angry, bitter, and sad.

Ivan suddenly stopped and pulled on Gilbert's hand enough to make him spin around quickly. "Let's go somewhere, just us," Ivan spoke urgently and with conviction. "Is there somewhere we can be alone but still be outside?"

Gilbert went wide-eyed. It was obvious that alone, one-on-one time was important for Ivan, and the last thing he wanted was for Ivan to feel trapped and guarded like he used to be. He didn't want any of those feelings coming back to Ivan — not again.

His expression changed, albeit subtly, from surprised to one of pondering, thinking. He turned and started walking, hand still in Ivan's, and Ivan could feel him gently squeeze his hand as he strolled forward.

"Well...there is a place not too far from here..." Gilbert started.

"Oh?" Ivan sounded hopeful as he walked slightly faster and waited eagerly for Gilbert to continue.

Gilbert saw his excitement and he felt that warmth again — familiar and loving, like how it was before. "About an hour walk southwest of here there's a cave system inside the mountains that are filled with dozens of pools. Hot springs."

Ivan's face lit up. "I want to go!"

Gilbert laughed. "Are you sure? Aren't you scared?"

Ivan quickly went in front of Gilbert and grabbed his other hand even though he was still holding his bow. "I am, but...I don't want it to come between us. I don't want my past interfering with this." Gilbert saw Ivan's cheeks redden as he softly kissed his knuckles, and he felt himself flush slightly as well.

"Alright... We'll go, but—" Ivan's face lit up and he reached forward to pull Gilbert into a hug, but Gilbert put up his hands. "Whoa there, hold on. I know it's a pain but I have to clear it with Lud first."

Ivan frowned and so did his ears. "So we're not going."

Gilbert chuckled. "Give him more credit, you're lucky he didn't kill you for all the bitemarks you left on me."

Ivan flushed darker. "H-He knows about that?"

Gilbert smiled and nodded almost proudly. "Saw them on my neck a while ago."

"So he knows...about us..."

"I'm sure he has an idea, but I didn't tell him any details though."

Ivan looked so flustered.

"What's wrong? You usually don't get this embarrassed."

"Just feels strange... Gotta stay on the big brother's good side."

"Hey!" Gilbert pulled away and put his hands on his hips. "I'm the older one!"

Ivan smiled and laughed, and what a beautiful sight it was. Gilbert blushed and pouted, then grabbed Ivan's hand and pulled him back towards the house. Ivan still giggled for several seconds afterward, but he was happy — his Gilbert was back.

.

"You want to go to the springs?" Ludwig raised a brow. His hands were busy winding fresh leather wrapping around the handle of one of his axes.

Ivan stood awkwardly behind Gilbert and out of the way, near the door; he couldn't stop thinking about how Ludwig knew what he did to Gilbert. The man had to know what else they did, too, right? What if Ludwig could hear them? The house was pretty small and Gilbert was fairly loud, which Ivan loved but now he was a bit embarrassed and awkward about it. He himself had let his voice go a few times and now it was all he could think about.

"Let's just say that we need some time to reconnect," Gilbert tried not to make it sound so suggestive but he failed and Ludwig raised a brow. "Don't give me that look," he grumbled, "it's been a long week."

"Right."

The two brothers stared at each other for a few seconds before Gibert finally sighed.

"Please Ludwig? We really need to get away, just for a bit."

Ludwig saw something in his brother's face; a look of desperation as he pleaded for his blessing to go. He knew something happened; Gilbert said that Ivan told him about his past but left out the details. Ludwig couldn't deny the bond the two had — there was something special there.

Ludwig let out a heavy sigh. "Fine, you can go. But try to be back in a few days or else I'll turn the forest upside down trying to find you."

"I'd expect nothing less," Gilbert commented.

Ludwig stood up, stepped between Ivan and Gilbert, and then looked to the Ivan.

"Take care of him," Ludwig told him, sternly but his eyes were soft.

"I always do!" Ivan answered loudly and awkwardly and then immediately looked at Gilbert for help to get out of the situation.

Gilbert growled in embarrassment and then pushed passed Ludwig to reach Ivan. "Come on, let's go!" Gilbert spoke loudly as he pulled Ivan out of the room.

Ludwig was left confused, but then he understood and he rubbed his temples. "What an idiot... He's perfect for my idiot brother though."

.

Gilbert took Ivan back to his room and began packing a bag with some clothing. Ivan packed some of his own into a separate bag. After a few minutes, Gilbert stepped over to the bed where Ivan was with his bag.

"Ready to go?" Ivan asked him.

"Almost. We'll grab another bag for food and drinks. We might be gone for a day or so."

"Right, we should pack well."

Gilbert smiled. "Yeah. Before we go, though..."

He then ducked down and crawled halfway under the bed—which Ivan was amused by watching him wiggle his way under it and chuckled—and then pulled out a long, fairly thin dark wood case and placed it on the bed.

Gilbert flipped the locks up and lifted the lid back. For a moment he ran his fingers lovingly over the lid as he looked down in admiration at what was in the case. The expression on his face was almost bittersweet. Curiosity got the better of him and Ivan peaked over. It was adorable and didn't go unnoticed as Gilbert waved him over.

"Come here, I have something to show you."

Ivan quickly went to Gilbert's side, and then looked in the case.

It was a sword. Short, only two feet long with an iron crossguard. The blade looked well-used but still fairly sharp, while the iron was worn completely smooth and looked scuffed and scratched.

"This belonged to my grandfather. Know how to use one?"

Ivan shook his head. "Not really."

Gilbert gripped the sword and then pulled it out of the case. He flipped it expertly so that the pointed tip was aimed up between the two of them.

"Swords aren't really used anymore, but it's simple. Just jam the pointy end in someone."

"Right," Ivan chuckled as he looked over the sword. "But... Gilbert, you know that my Master and all his guards have guns..."

Gilbert sighed in annoyance. "Yeah you told me, but we don't have guns; this is a simple hunting territory. But I still want you to have something to protect yourself with if you don't want to go full wolf."

The sentiment was endearing and Ivan smiled, but he then just gazed at Gilbert in thought. "Y'know, I think it's cute how you call it 'full wolf.'"

Gilbert stopped what he was doing when Ivan sounded so soft. "That's good... Right?"

Ivan chuckled. "It is. It makes me happy. It kind of normalizes the whole...experiment thing. Not that it's normal at all, but...it makes me feel like I'm still me even after what happened. The wolf is just a part of me now but I'm still me."

Gilbert rubbed at his neck. "Of course you're still you."

Ivan looked at him in surprise.

"The experiments didn't change your personality, you were a victim of your situation. You didn't want to do anything they made you do, so...you're still you."

"It didn't feel like that for a long time," Ivan said and sat on the bed. "I was used as a tool to hurt people and please others. I lost myself for a little bit, it still felt like home for a long time."

Gilbert sat beside him and placed his hand on his shoulder. "All that is over, you don't belong to anyone, and your home is wherever you want it to be." He paused. "Of course I wouldn't complain if your home was here. ... Y'know, with me."

A small shy blush showed on Gilbert's cheeks but Ivan knew he meant every word and it wasn't just to make him feel better. Ivan smiled at him. "Thank you."

Gilbert returned the smile and stood back up."Come on, if we leave soon we'll get there by evening."

.

Equipped with weapons and a large bag of food and their clothes, Gilbert and Ivan set out onto the road. Gilbert led him through the snow that hadn't been cleared off of the path near the cabin, but once they got out onto the main road the paths cleared up a bit and it became easier to walk. In the first ten minutes, Gilbert had coughed a few times and it worried Ivan; his cough sounded worse than usual.

"Gilbert, I can carry you if you want, I don't want you to strain yourself when you're getting sick."

Gilbert let out a loud laugh. "Relax, it sounds worse than it is, and the springs actually help my cough a lot. I usually come out here at least once during the winter."

"That's good, but I'd still rather carry you. We'll get there faster anyway."

Gilbert frowned. "Are you sure you're alright? Becoming a wolf again...?"

Ivan's face went emotionless for a split second before he smiled softly. "You don't have to worry about that, I don't mind my wolf form, actually I sometimes prefer it." Gilbert gave him a concerned and curious look; he remembered Ivan saying something similar once before, something about being more comfortable in his wolf form. It was something he didn't quite understand.

"Alright, you win. Let's get off the road."

They stepped off the path and found a cluster of trees and bushes for some privacy in case anyone came down the road.

"Alright, this should be good. I'll keep a lookout just in case."

Ivan smiled. "I'm not embarrassed by nudity, Gilbert," he said and began to strip.

"Yeah yeah I know, that's not what I'm worried about though."

Ivan knew what he meant, but didn't comment on it further. Gilbert turned slightly and opened the bag with Ivan's clothes in it, as Ivan stripped, Gilbert took his clothes and packed them inside while occasionally glancing back to the road.

Once Ivan's shirt came off and he was standing half-naked in light flurries that were falling, Gilbert forgot all about the road. How many times in the past week had he daydreamed about that body? About Ivan doing lewd things to him? He wasn't sure but he knew he was ashamed of it. He loved Ivan, but how attractive he was didn't help his bodily reactions.

Continuing to put Ivan's clothes away, he kept eyeing him. Ever since the night the men came for Ivan, they hadn't touched like they used to. It was only innocent kisses, hugs, and some cuddling at night, but Gilbert was so focused on protecting him and not giving in to his desires that he actively avoided most physical contact. In the end, he was not only ignoring his own needs, but Ivan's as well. He didn't even realize that Ivan sought out comfort through physical, often sexual, means, and he'd neglected that for days. As much as Gilbert didn't want to admit it, he was craving Ivan's touch again, just as Ivan craved his as well.

He really was a stupid man.

Standing there nude in the falling snow made Ivan look even more beautiful and sexy. It made Gilbert blush and being to fidget. Just as Ivan was about to transform, he noticed Gilbert fighting the urge to look at him, cheeks pink and fingers fumbling with the straps of his bag. Ivan grinned, stepped over to the shy man and grabbed his hand. With a swift movement, he leaned in and kissed Gilbert's pink cheek.

"You're adorable," he teased honestly.

Gilbert grunted and turned away from him. "Just transform."

There was a cold tone in Gilbert's voice that made Ivan's heart hurt some. He stepped back, slowly released Gilbert's hand, and transformed without a second word. The wolf faced away from Gilbert and immediately he knew that he'd screwed up; he was taking his self-irritation out on Ivan and that was the worst thing he could have done.

After adjusting with all the bags, Gilbert climbed onto Ivan's back and gently slid his fingers through his fur — It was the beginning of his apology. Even though Gilbert knew that Ivan couldn't speak while in wolf form, the ride to the caves was excruciatingly quiet. When Gilbert gave him directions for where to go, Ivan simply followed the instructions with no other acknowledgment. Feeling guilty and like he needed to fix the situation, Gilbert rested his body atop Ivan's and gently stroked his ears.

"I'm sorry," he apologized and then buried his face into Ivan's fur, much like he did the night they met. Ivan gave a soft snort in reply and began to run faster — just the small gesture made Gilbert smile.

.

Running at such a quick pace allowed them to reach the caves faster. Gilbert slid off of Ivan's back, pet his fur, and then led him into the caves. It was warm and humid and smelled fresh inside. Ivan followed Gilbert though several tunnels before he stopped deep inside by a small pool of steaming water.

"We'll camp here," Gilbert said and then been to unpack their supplies. He heard Ivan transform and then start to rummage through his clothing, Gilbert looked over at the other kneeling to the ground innocently retrieving his clothes, and he squeezed his eyes shut when his groin pulsed with arousal. He hated how he was feeling.

After he dressed, Ivan helped start a small fire while Gilbert pulled out their foods of dried meats, fruits, and a bottle of the finest beer around. He set everything out on small plates and then leaned back to look at everything. It looked like a proper and cute picnic; something he usually only did once a year.

"Well, let's eat," Gilbert smiled a little and Ivan watched him pick up a piece of dried meat and hold it over the fire to warm it. He felt weird about what happened earlier and knew Gilbert was apologetic for what he did, but Ivan still didn't know why. Gilbert wasn't the best at opening up to people, not really.

"Gilbert, are you alright?" Ivan asked. He knew that something was off, and he only had an idea of what it was.

"I'm fine," Gilbert answered much too quickly for Ivan to believe it.

Ivan bit his lip and then spoke. "Earlier, you seemed upset that I kissed you..."

Gilbert lifted his gaze to Ivan and saw how sad he looked, and then sighed silently as pink dusted his cheeks. "I wasn't... I just... I don't want you to think I just..." he mumbled off and pinched some dried meat between his fingers. He then growled softly under his breath. "Come on, you saw how I looked, you knew what I was thinking..."

"I know," Ivan said. "But I'm not bothered by it. Actually...I'm really happy you're looking at me like that again."

Gilbert glanced up. "Really?"

"You haven't looked at me like that in nearly a week. I thought maybe after what happened, you didn't want to touch me again..."

"Oh no, no no no, that's not it at all!" Gilbert frantically crawled over to Ivan. "I just don't want to push you or make you feel like I'm trying to use you for anything and—"

Ivan covered his mouth with his hand, silencing Gilbert with a grunt. "I know you, Gilbert. I know you're not like that. I'm glad you know more about me now, but you don't have to hold back; I don't want you to hold back or keep your feelings in."

Gilbert blushed and furrowed his brow as he realized he'd once told the same words to Ivan.

"If you need anything, you only need to ask," Ivan said and let his hand fall from Gilbert's mouth, which now hung open slightly as he breathed. A million thoughts raced through Gilbert's head and his eyes darted all along the floor of the cave before finally landing back on Ivan.

"I want to take a bath with you..." Gilbert clenched his fists.

"Just a bath?"

Gilbert was silent for a moment. "You know I'm bad at saying these things..."

Ivan laughed softly and covered Gilbert's hand. "It's easier than you think. Just try it."

Gilbert pouted and looked thoroughly embarrassed. "I...I want..."

Ivan watched as Gilbert struggled; gritting his teeth through his embarrassment. It was endearing to see how much it affected him and Ivan squeezed his hand.

"Come on, you said it before. Just repeat after me," Ivan told him and Gilbert looked surprised. "I want to take a bath with you, and I want you to touch me." Ivan said it so easily without stuttering at all. Even if some color showed in Ivan's cheeks, Gilbert was a mess just repeating the sentence in his head. However, he composed himself and took a deep breath.

"...I want to take a bath with you... And I want to touch you."

Ivan's eyes widened. "Gilbert, that's...that's not what I..."

Gilbert turned his head away. "I know..." It then occurred to Ivan what Gilbert was saying. He sucked his lips in between his teeth and blushed, and then smiled happily.

"I love you so much," Ivan confessed and hugged Gilbert from the side, almost too abruptly and nearly made them both fall over.

Gilbert laughed and gently pushed on Ivan's shoulder. "Come on, let's take a bath."

As soon as he said the words, Ivan stood up as he grabbed the bottom edges of his shirt and lifted it over his head. Gilbert watched him at first with amusement but then seeing Ivan's muscles tense as he lifted his shirt made him stare, mouth going dry. Ivan reached for his pants but then noticed Gilbert gawking, still on the floor. It made him feel confident.

"I like how you look at me," Ivan said as he knelt down to Gilbert and cupped his cheek. "Can I strip you?"

Gilbert swallowed. "I was going to ask you to anyway."

"Are you sure about that?" Ivan teased but didn't expect Gilbert to swiftly push his hand away, snake his own hand around his neck and yank him closer, fingers gripping at the longer strands of ash-blond hair in the back.

"Yeah, I am." Gilbert teased him back, letting his lips hover just millimeters apart for a second or two before pushing him back in a playful manner. "Next time I get to strip you," Gilbert promised. He leaned back, bent his legs at the knee to form an arch, and waited.

It was obvious that he was waiting for Ivan to make a move, and for some reason, that expectant and coy face watching his every movement made Ivan uncharacteristically nervous. For as much experience as he had, he never truly had a real lover; one that made him feel so full of love and happiness. With Roman, it was only a base desire for comfort and escape — a basic need for human contact. Gilbert was all of that and more. He was Ivan's comfort, love, support, sex, encouragement, and growth.

Ivan felt his throat tighten as if he would cry, but as if knowing—or perhaps he was just impatient—Gilbert loosened his coat and scarf. There were still faint red marks on his neck; seeing them triggered memories and he felt himself blush. The memory sunk in and then he moved forward and began.

Gilbert was anxiously waiting for Ivan to pull his clothes off; he'd wanted it for a while and now that it was happening he was bursting at the seams with anticipation. Ivan lifted Gilbert's scarf over his head and threw it in the pile of his clothes, next he pulled Gilbert's shirt over his head and then slid his fingers down Gilbert's bare chest to his pants. As Gilbert breathed in his stomach went concave and his ribs jutted out.

"Skinny little thing, aren't you..." Ivan leaned down and kissed near his belly button.

"That an insult?" Gilbert laughed breathily.

"Just making an observation." Ivan ran his fingertips over the protrusions of Gilbert's ribs, then followed the shape of his waist down to his hips. With a quick movement, he popped the button on Gilbert's pants and gently tugged on them so they were barely on his hips.

From how the pale man looked, Ivan could only guess that he really liked this sort of foreplay, but Ivan really wanted him out of his clothes so he quickly unlaced his boots and tossed them into the pile as well. Reaching up he hooked his fingers under Gilbert's pants and underwear together and dragged them down his legs. He lifted each leg out separately and made a show of it as he did. A show that had Gilbert feeling a singular, very strong feeling.

"There. As beautiful as ever." Ivan crawled forward on all fours and stopped suspended his body above him.

At that moment Gilbert saw something new in Ivan's facial expression and body. It felt more intense — sexual. All he could think was that Ivan looked like he wanted to devour him right there, and he had a hard time finding any reason to resist that.

A sudden burst of nerves hit him and he looked away from Ivan's face. "We should get in the bath." Ivan recognized the fear immediately and pulled away. He held his hand out to help Gilbert up, and once Gilbert was standing, Ivan finished undressing.

Leaving Ivan behind, Gilbert went to the bath first and slowly dipped his legs in to test the water. He lowered himself in and then immediately Gilbert ducked under the water and sunk to the bottom.

Ivan felt around the edges of the pool to see if there were any ledges to sit on and he found a few jagged but passable seats. He sat, let the water rise up to his sternum, and let out a long sigh. The warm water was wonderfully relaxing.

After nearly a minute Gilbert was still under and that was longer than Ivan was comfortable with. Just as Ivan was about to push off of the small ledge, he felt hands slid against the sides of his thighs and froze him in place. The hands slipped up to his hips and sides so smoothly and as they reached his ribs, Gilbert's head emerged from the water right in front of him. He rose up higher and looked down at Ivan, hair slick and stuck flat to the shape of his head, water cascaded down his skin, dripped off his nose and trickled down his parted lips. Ivan was stunned — entranced. It was another one of those moments where Gilbert didn't look human; more like a nymph coming up from the depths to seduce him. Some droplets of water fell from Gilbert's chin as he tilted his head, and a small smile appeared on his lips; he was pleased to have Ivan in the position he was in, and what a beautiful sight it was to see Ivan blushing so prettily.

"Sorry, I just really want to touch you..." Gilbert apologized but he doubted Ivan cared with or without the apology. Ivan breathed out and sat up straight against the stone behind him. He couldn't believe how aroused he was just from hearing Gilbert say that. All the pent up desire was making its way to the surface now.

"See? It's—" he swallowed roughly, "—not hard to say..." Ivan muttered, completely enthralled with Gilbert's allure. Gilbert chuckled as he brought a wet hand up to Ivan's forehead and slicked his bangs back, allowing him to see Ivan's beauty more clearly.

"I guess it's not... Still gives me butterflies," he admitted.

Ivan gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'm glad, I don't want you to lose those butterflies. Although I do like this sexy water nymph thing you've got going on."

Gilbert blushed; he didn't intend for Ivan to view it in such a way, but when he realized that Ivan was very much into that idea, he felt the urge to continue the fantasy. With one fluid movement, Gilbert closed the distance between them, slipped between Ivan's legs, wrapped his arms around his shoulders, and then kissed him.

It was deep from the start. Gilbert tilted his head and moaned as if he'd been starving for it — and he was. Ivan could taste the spring water slicking Gilbert's lips, the mix of which was sweet and wet and made Ivan want more. As if knowing and with an effortless movement, Gilbert slipped his tongue into Ivan's mouth and rubbed the two muscles together, allowing Ivan to fully taste the sweetness of himself mixed with water. Ivan finally let out a deep moan and gripped Gilbert's waist under the water.

Gilbert pulled back just slightly and breathed against Ivan's lips. "You sure you're okay with this...?" he asked as he touched Ivan's face. Ivan wrapped his arms around him and held him close. Their slick skin slipped against each other and both of them gasped softly in response.

"I'm sure. You don't have to worry about me anymore, I mean it this time."

Gilbert blushed and glanced off to the side. "I don't want you to think I have no self-control, or like I'm forcing you."

Ivan sighed and studied Gilbert's face; the man was so worried about hurting him but Gilbert didn't understand. "I would never think that. I wouldn't do any of this if I was uncomfortable." He cupped Gilbert's cheek. "I promise, I'm fine."

Gilbert gave a crooked grin and then hugged him. It was much sweeter and gentle than Ivan expected. "Hey, for now...can we just hug...?" Gilbert rested his head against Ivan's shoulder.

"That sounds perfect." Ivan returned the hug and embraced Gilbert tightly.

Ten minutes easily passed as they embraced with light touching and sweet kisses on their cheeks, their skin beginning to prune and wrinkle. It was pure bliss to just soak in the warmth of the spring and in each other's arms; they could feel the love radiating from the other, the softness of their slippery skin against one another.

However, as much as Gilbert loved the sweet feeling of being embraced, he had another growing desire that he knew Ivan shared. Since he was the one to suggest that they just hug, it was only fitting that Gilbert should be the one to break the innocent embrace. Slowly he tilted his head inward and kissed up from Ivan's neck to his jaw and then the corner of his mouth where he breathed in, lost in the man's scent and presence. Their lips connected and Gilbert wrapped his arms around Ivan's neck, chests pressed together and slipped wetly, while Ivan held Gilbert's hips and squeezed at his skin. Low and hungry, Ivan started to grunt as Gilbert led the kiss. He wanted to take over and give in to his natural instinct to have control. He wanted to give Gilbert more — something new. As he pulled away from the kiss Gilbert chased him desperately still wanting to make out with him. In response, Ivan placed a single finger over Gilbert's lips to tame him and then spoke.

"I want to taste more of you," he whispered.

"What do you mean?" Gilbert half mumbled as he leaned in for another kiss.

Ivan dodged it. He suddenly lifted Gilbert up by the waist with ease and then placed him on the edge of the spring. He gazed up at him with a sweet smile—cheeks a nice rosy red—with purpose on his face that made Gilbert's mind race. Gilbert was dripping wet and was incredibly sexy with his hair still slicked back with water and droplets cascading down his body. Although Gilbert looked very confused, Ivan still appreciated how utterly attractive he was. He splayed his fingers out on Gilbert's stomach, slipping his hand down his skin towards his growing erection.

"This...is what I mean..."


I don't know if anyone can tell but I'm having a great time writing this fic.

Author's notes/thoughts:
-There will come a day where I stop writing gratuitous bath scenes, but today is not that day.
-Over-romanticized smut and romance is my specialty apparently.
-Gilbert about to get that succ

Thanks for reading!
Remember to leave a comment if you enjoyed! Thank you!