Nux finds himself once again waking up in Capable's bed. It's taken him a while to figure out exactly where he was, having never seen the inside of the wives' vault before. Only Capable comes around during the day, but sometimes at night he wakes to the sounds of the girls' sleep. He cannot see them in the dark but he knows the sound of them from when they rested beside him in the war rig. It seems like so long ago now that he is back here. He knows Capable is close by, likely curled up with Dag in her bunk. Despite the intimacy of their baths, Capable has never shared this bed with him. He thinks perhaps she doesn't want the others to see them together, and he knows it isn't right for one of the favored to be seen with the likes of him. He is content to hold a small part of her that none of the rest can have, and convinces himself that it is enough. Soothed by the gentle breathing that surrounds him, he falls back asleep.
It is daylight when he wakes again. His wounds have started to heal, and he feels he'll be able to walk and run and fight again soon. He idly plucks at his stitches, wondering if they can be taken out, and what kind of scars they'll leave. The faces he had given Larry and Barry have washed away with the rest of his warpaint, and he could no longer feel the pressure of them on his windpipe. Capable had given him a transfusion from her own veins when he was still too weak to protest. He wasn't worthy of her blood, but having a part of her in him had made him feel better in a way even a high-octane blood bag couldn't. It had only been a few days within the safety of the former wives' vault, but he was already looking better than even the healthiest War Boy down in the catacombs. Furiosa and Toast had only recently set about removing the toxic scrap metal and weapons they suspected were the source of the blood poisoning, and it would be a long time to see whether it would lessen the sickness. Capable herself was in charge of keeping the war boys from spending too much time covered in war paint or inhaling guzzoline fumes, but it was hard to convince them to mind their own health when they still lived in hopes of dying valiantly in battle.
The woman herself walks into the room as Nux is thinking about her. Thinking about Capable is only slightly less dangerous than thinking about himself, and what he will do now that he has been once again turned from the gates of Valhalla.
"Bath, yes?" Nux wonders hopefully at the sight of her.
"No bath today, your wounds are mostly healed and we need to save water."
Nux's face falls, devastated.
"I know the water feels nice, but we need it for the plants." Capable chuckles, mistaking his disappointment.
"It's not the bath, it's just…" Nux is realizing that getting better means he will no longer have Capable to himself, that he will not be able to touch her as did in their shared baths. He isn't sure how he'll go back to having her so close but still out of his reach again. But he knows he cannot ask for more than she's already given him.
Thankfully Capable realizes he is not mourning the loss of the bath or his idleness. She tries to come up with words to reassure him that she will not abandoning him, but worries that he is not ready to accept them. Anyway, actions speak where words may fail. She leans down to press a gentle kiss to his lips, silencing his unhappy thoughts. He responds immediately, threading his fingers into her hair and deepening the kiss. This was the first time Capable had touched him in the room she shared with the others, where any of them could walk in and see them. It was unlikely that any of them would leave their new duties and return to the vault, but the fact that Capable did not seem to worry about the risk set his mind a little more at ease. After several minutes she finally pulls back, disentangling his hands from her hair but not moving away from him.
"So no bath today, but I do need to apply this salve. Normally I'd do it while you're unconscious but since you're nearly healed it shouldn't hurt to do it now." She wanted to keep kissing him but this took precedence. She reaches down to grab the supplies from under the bed and pulls out a small jar that smells like motor oil to Nux but somehow sweeter. It's not a bad smell, though he is apt to find everything about Capable to be lovely and pleasant.
She gently warms the salve up in her hands before smoothing it across his left arm, where a rather nasty cut was finally closing up. Larry and Barry are also covered in the thick substance - she knows it might not do any good but it certainly couldn't hurt - as she works her way down to the scrapes across his chest. Nux relaxes into the sensation as Capable makes him shiny and chrome with the slick balm. The hurt isn't much and the salve leaves a delightful tingling sensation in its wake. Finally she reaches his abdomen and meets where the sheets still cover him. Quickly and efficiently she pulls the sheets back, reminding Nux that he wears nothing beneath. Capable has seen him unclothed several times, and she had obviously done this for him before, but it was different being awake and under her intense scrutiny as she seeks out each vulnerable spot on him. Capable tries to keep her ministrations somewhat clinical, to keep not only him but also herself from getting distracted. But he is distracting. Despite his wild appearance at their first meeting, her eyes had always been drawn to him. And now after all they had been through, and having him cleaned up and lying subdued on her own bed, it was difficult for Capable to resist sneaking in a few unnecessary caresses. Nux has never been so content and yet completely wound up in all his memory. Slowly she guides him to turn over so she can get the worst of the burns that cover his back, massaging the cool balm gently into where his skin still feels so fevered.
Capable gives into the urge to pepper small kisses down his spine, taking care to avoid where his skin is still so raw. As she makes her way back up, Nux turns his head to draw her into a grateful kiss. Finding the angle awkward to maintain, he turns over on his back once again, once again plunging his fingers into the wild red curls that always tempt him. She is glorious above him. Capable moves to hold herself more fully above him, hesitant to put her full weight on him but wanting to tough as much of him as she can. She draws her lips down to kiss along the sharp line of his jaw, once again finding the spot behind his ear that makes him whimper unashamedly. Reaching the junction of neck and shoulder, she chances a small nip, and earns a surprised moan from the boy beneath her. Slowly she increases the pressure of her bite until Nux is shuddering in her arms, gripping her hair more tightly than he might have dared had he not been so distracted. She delivers small licks to the site to sooth any lingering hurt, and his grisp slackens. Her hands sneak down his chest to pluck at his nipples, and the way he arches into her hands makes her own buds tighten in response.
She tries to pull off her own top without breaking contact, but finds she needs to sit up fully to do so. When she looks back down at him Nux is certainly a sight. His lips are shiny red and his back is still slightly arched toward her, but her eyes zero in on the small bite at the base of his neck. It wasn't very deep and it will fade quickly, but for now it stands to remind her that the former war boy is her's. She smiles at the thought and wiggles out of her pants while she has room to do so. He gazes up in the same wonder as the first time he saw her undress, the same look he gives her any time she shows him a kindness he never expected from anyone. It's a heady look, and it makes her feel powerful and so defenseless all at once. Nux finally reaches up to smooth his hands up her thighs, grasping her hips to pull her weight down onto his abdomen. He simply holds her there, not pressing for anything more. For someone so willing to rush impulsively into danger, he has always been patient and careful with her. She realizes she trusts him as much as any of her sisters, trusting him with her heart the same way she trusted Furiosa to bring her to freedom. She also trusts him with her body, and allows herself to want what she never has before.
Capable shifts backwards, allowing her wetness to slide across the underside of him where he lies hard against his belly. Nux nearly jackknifes up in pleasure, mouthing at any part of her chest he can reach. She allows him to nuzzle into her for a bit as the both enjoy her small movements back and forth, but eventually she presses him to lie back. With one hand on his chest to hold her steady she reaches back to guide him to her entrance. Nux's eyes widen, grasping her hips to hold her in place.
"You're sure? With me?" He never believed she would desire this with him.
"Yes, I want this. With you, only you." Capable smiles and pulls his hands off her hips to thread his fingers with her own. She slowly slides down, until he is fully seated inside her. Nux's eyes are tightly shut and his fingers grip her own almost painfully, but he does not move. She allows herself to enjoy the sensation of him simply filling her, as well as his consideration for her comfort. Nux is nearly vibrating out of his skin with the desire to move within her, and Capable finds him once again trembling beneath her.
"So shiny, so perfect, so…" Nonsense endearments spill from his lips as it becomes increasingly harder to hold himself still.
She decides to stop torturing him, and herself as well, and begins to slowly move her hips. He seems to reach even more deeply into her even though she can't believe it's possible. Nux's limbs still twitch without his permission, but he allows her to set the pace. Even when she releases his hands so that she can lean over for a hungry kiss, he merely places them lightly back on her hips. Capable once again reveals in choosing him, this man who treats her as something precious and powerful, willingly surrendering to her guidance. This makes it much easier to allow him to help guide their rhythm. She reaches back to press his hands more firmly into her hips, hoping he'll understand her intentions. He seems to get it, and manages to gently encourage a faster pace after a few awkward starts.
As their pace quickens, it becomes harder and harder to keep kissing without bumping noses and teeth, so Capable sits back up. If she thought the view from on top was alluring before, is is nothing compared to Nux in the throws of passion. He struggles to keep his eyes open and a grin off his face, and it should look goofy, but somehow it manages to be the sexiest thing Capable has ever seen. He looks as if he is enduring some kind of exquisite torture, which isn't too far from the truth. Nux knows he will not last much longer and begins snapping his hips upwards, matching the rhythm of her hips. But soon after this he begins to lose his rhythm, and finally grasps Capable tightly against him as he finds release inside her, sounding completely broken. She smiles down at him as he struggles to regain his breath and settle his trembling limbs.
Nux finally opens his eyes fully, and grins so widely she is almost afraid she has finally broken him. But his smile drops when he notices she is still wound tight above him. His face betrays both his shame and determination in turn, as he sets out to bring her to completion as well. Reaching down to where their bodies are joined, he places a calloused thumb against where she is most sensitive. She jolts forward at the sensation, and he moans a little from the overstimulation, but is worth it to watch her eyes flutter shut and hear her small moans. He slowly circles his thumb, adding more pressure with her encouragement. He sits up quickly, placing his free hand in her hair and swallowing up her moans with his kiss. Her own fingers reach up to dig into his shoulders, and it is not longer before she shudders her own release. Their kisses slow until they finally pull back to smile shyly at each other, both reluctant to let go of one another. They remain joined together with Capable curled up in Nux's lap for as long as they can before exhaustion finally overtakes them. Nux lies back and Capable makes herself comfortable at his side.
"You're staying, yes? Here?" Her eyes have already fallen shut but Nux is not yet accustomed to hope.
"This bed's mine." She teases back sleepily. Somehow Nux gets the message that he has been claimed as her's as well. Belonging may be almost as foreign a feeling as hope, but he has found both with this girl.
Sometime in the middle of the night, Nux hears one of the other girls (Cheedo, he thinks) mutter a fond "Finally!"