decorator | a stolen fruit; a childish sin has taken root

'Shut up', huh? Jeez, you're so transparent sometimes.

[ Ah. That really does feel nice. It's a little funny to think that the Servant who was so frightening and full of seemingly inevitable violence when she first summoned him would be so...

Her eyes gradually slide all the way shut. She was already exhausted but this is lulling her into such a lovely doze it's impossible to resist. ]

If you felt like doing this kind of thing a little more often instead of picking on me, I really wouldn't mind at all.

[ though, let's be real. if this ever comes back around, it'll be on top of a whole lot of equally horrible bullying. ]

[ The point of aftercare is soothing after particularly intense bullying, is it not? Does the promise of the softest aftercare anyone's ever seen make one more receptive to looking like they fell down a flight of stairs? That's for Ai to find out... or decide on. ]

Yeah, well don't get used to it. One time deal.

[ So he ~~lies~~ says before picking up the nearby bucket, now filled with warm water, and dunking it over her head to wash the suds away. ]

Done. Now come on, if you're gonna sleep, at least have the courtesy to do it in my arms.

Right, right. [ In the voice of a girl who absolutely doesn't believe him. ] I'll make sure to enjoy it while it lasts, then.

[ And really, she has done. Every second of it, for all her fussing and complaining. Oberon must know it, too - he sees through her so easily there's no point in lying to him outside of ingrained habit. It's just like she'd said - everyone else wants her to be so clean and pretty. He's the only one she can trust to want her even when she's dirty.

With her skin finally clean, Ai wobbles back onto her feet - exhausted as she is, she's feeling refreshed enough to give him a little grin. ]

If I was still feeling mad at you, I'd make you carry me into the bath, you know. But I think I can manage.

[ The water's hot enough to sting, but the noise that comes out of her as she sinks into it is a long, heavy sigh of relief. She's been looking forward to this, okay? ]

Don't forget to leave room for me in there.

[ So he says before starting on rinsing himself off. He's covered in sweat, but at the very least he's not nearly as much of a mess as Ai. Less hair to wash, too. It's strange for him, a Servant, to be doing this at all... but that's the price of mana transfers as intense as theirs.

Still, whether it's on account of personal laziness... or haste to get in with her while the water is still warm, it doesn't take long for him to finish and make his way over himself. Whether it was satisfactory is another matter entirely, but... ]

...Alright, scoot over.

[ ...He'll be shoving himself right in behind her, now. ]

[ She makes no effort to hide the fact that she's watching him, but there's something almost innocently curious in her eyes as she does so over any other emotion. There again is that slightly off kilter feeling of seeing her Servant, picture perfect fairy tale villain that he is, doing something at mundane as rinsing his skin before climbing into the bath. Someone who didn't know any better could probably be tricked into thinking that what they were looking at was human.

She makes for him without complaint, settling back against him automatically once he's sat down. The water swills and laps at the rim of the bath, displaced by their combined presence, but it doesn't quite spill over. One last mess avoided, it seems. ]

It really has been such a strange day.

[ Her voice is soft. ]

It's been so... I don't know. Not normal, but... I just didn't exactly feel like your Master today, I guess. ... It was nice.

[ For what it's worth, a nice hot bath... isn't a terrible feeling. Especially not once Ai settles back against him once he's in, her scraped and bruised back settling against his chest. Having her in his lap like this should drive him crazy... but he got all of that out of his system already, so he's perfectly content simply having her close to him like this.

Under the water, his arms wrap around her waist, holding her close in what can only be described as utter affection. His hands are completely gentle, careful in the way they trace over her bruises and marks.

He's certainly not apologetic about them, but... ]

...What did you feel like, then?

... Mm. I'm not sure.

[ That's not a lie, at least. Whatever underscores her words is wavering, too fluid and transparent to pin down or put a name to. It's warm and glad and fond but it's nothing concrete that can be drawn out and identified.

But then, when has she ever been able to do that for her feelings? ]

It felt... normal, I think. Which is funny, right? This kind of normal isn't normal for me at all. If everything was how it was supposed to be, we wouldn't have even been allowed to stand next to each other on the beach. Forget holding hands or eating together or anything else we did. Idols don't do that.

[ 'Funny', she says, when her voice is so dry of mirth. ]

It just made me think... Maybe things really can work out, even when I'm not your Master anymore.

...

[ She's a greedy idol. She wants all the happiness in the world... and really, isn't that just the nature of humans? This is what he wanted for her. For her to wish for her own happiness again, so that he could bring her that happiness. Everything he's ever done... has always been for that star, and somehow, she became that star.

Yet when she speaks of their future... of a future together with her, not as Master and Servant, but as...

...

...He's careful not to squeeze too tight where her body is bruised, but he can't stop himself from doing it at all. His chest aches. This is already too much... far more than he should ever be allowed to have.

The star is in his hands, in his arms, sitting between his legs with nothing separating them except skin. It is miracle enough that the star he's always chased now rests in his hands... so is it hubris of him to wish to continue holding onto this star even longer?

He recognizes the hypocrisy in urging her to greedily wish for everything... happiness as an idol, as a mother, as a Master while he himself can't bring himself to do the same, but... ]

Ai, I...

[ If he holds this star for too long... will it stay with him, or will he burn up as if caught in an insect trap? ]

...I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[ ...all he can do is fight for her, and that's what he'll continue doing no matter what. Whether her greed is enough to give form to a miracle... that'll just have to remain to be seen. ]

[ It's new, that odd, wounded note in his voice. She hadn't ever heard it from him before they'd properly looked at each other but now it leaks out of him sometimes and she wonders if she's supposed to hear it. For a long moment, Ai doesn't say anything at all but then her voice unfurls into a fond sigh and she tips her head to rest it against the side of his neck. ]

It's a good thing, too. It's not like I could go back for a redo now that I'm like this. Aah, I'll never be able to wear a swimsuit again...

[ She's playing with him, but gently. If only to ease that unfamiliar waver to his voice. ]

I'm gonna have to stay home and laze around enjoying the air conditioning and eating ice cream. Maybe next summer I'll be able to wear something cute. So long as you behave.

[ She says it so casually but you really can't take the words next summer as anything but a tentative promise.

For all that she insists she can't keep them for him, she can't quite stop making promises. ]

[ She's a fool... a damn fool. Doesn't she know that the more promises she makes, the more it'll hurt if she can't keep them? ]

Hah...

[ ...Fine. That's fine, isn't it? They hurt each other, yet they love each other, right? Just look at her... he's her Servant and yet he's practically beaten the hell out of her with all those bruises. The inherent hilarity of that statement isn't lost on him... by human standards that statement has all sorts of things wrong with it.

But it works for them... in it's own, weird, fucked up way... it works. ]

Well, you can always wear them for me...

Nope. Not a chance. You just proved you can't be trusted. Maybe I'll wear one of those full body wetsuits people have for scuba diving and give you a real challenge.

[ But she's smiling even as it seems like she's scolding him and it's audible in her voice, too. ]

Jeez, though. I really didn't think you'd be a swimsuit guy. Or at least, not as much as you were. Maybe I would've gone with the scuba diving gear from the start if I had.

[ She huffs out a laugh. ]

Then again, I don't even really know what kind of things you like. Apart from picking on me, I guess.

[ Ai, you could wear anything and still look good. Hell, he might actually succeed at that challenge... finding a way to do the same thing to her in a diving wetsuit, that is. It might require ruining the wetsuit by cutting open holes for access, though... ]

Ehhhhh? You know what I like, and now you take it from me? Now who's the mean one?

[ ~~Still him, actually.~~ He kisses her neck from behind... not biting, of course. His kisses are gentle, but still teasing her all the same. ]

Well... you could always try different things here in the comfort of our own home. See what drives me crazy?

[ ~~Come in a bunny suit, watch his spirit core shatter on the spot.~~ ]

[ She lets out a groan, exasperation and protest in one. ]

There's no way you're already thinking like that. Didn't you get more than your fill today already? Forget glutton, they don't have a word strong enough for whatever you are.

[ And yet, she's laughing still. ]

But maybe if you're not so badly behaved, I'll... consider it. But it won't be anytime soon.

[ She looks up at him and makes a show of puffing out her cheeks. Pout pout, huff huff, just look at how totally mad she definitely isn't. ]

I'm already wondering about how I'm gonna make it to bed when my legs are so shaky. It might turn out that you really do have to carry me.

[ what happened to being banished to the living room...... ]

[ Aftercare is a wonderous, miraculous thing... made her forget all about how many people probably heard her begging for more through the walls. Which Oberon will be... conveniently not reminding her about. The bed is nice and warm, he'd like to be there, actually. ]

I'll be on my best behavior, then...

[ Well, with Oberon, what counts as "good behavior" is... a criteria that inherently has to be a little lax, now doesn't it? ]

I suppose I did go overboard... fine. I'll heal them, but...

[ His hands rest gingerly on her bruises. ]

...let me leave them, just for a bit.

[ He meant it when he said she looked beautiful with them, as fucked up as that objectively is. ]

[ ... His voice went all soft again. Not in the same way as before, but enough to make something in her chest twinge a bit. She's been fussing more or less none stop from the moment he kissed her today, hasn't she?

... After a moment, she lets out another sign. ]

You don't have to get rid of them.

[ She absolutely shouldn't be letting him get away with this but... come on. What else is she supposed to do when he's suddenly so gentle? Sure, he's a total handful but he's her handful. ]

Just... be a little more gentle with me tonight and tomorrow. Like you're being right now.

[ One of her hands settles on top of his. ]

Keep taking care of me like this.

[ His eyes widen... and his expression softens into a smile he knows she can't quite see with him behind her like this. ]

...If you say so.

[ He holds her close and starts to press his lips along her neck, peppering her with kisses and moving closer to her lips... but he's so gentle, kissing her just for the sake of kissing her and not in a way that gets them both riled up.

Partially done out of consideration... but let's face it, mostly because he's still tapped out. He would be all too willing to do her here in the bath, wouldn't he? ]

[ A little laugh bubbles out of her - surprised, but warm and fond, too. ]

Pfff- ah, well, I guess that works too.

[ She angles her head just so that when he moves up to her face she can lean in and close the space between them with a proper kiss. She's holding her tongue just barely because the last thing she needs is to provoke him even more than she already has today... but he really is cute sometimes.

Not quite cute enough that she's totally forgiven him. But still. ]

You still owe me something sweet to eat, too. Maybe tomorrow I'll laze around in bed and you can go pick up some snacks.

[ It's nice... just a nice, warm kiss. No aggressive making out, just his lips against hers. He's seriously not looking to start another round... he just wants to hold her, caress the places that he bruised the deepest and make sure she feels how much he loves her.

...the places where she's most badly bruised happen to be her thighs and chest, though. ]

Yeah, yeah... I'll get you something sweet. You just fall into the bliss of my lifestyle, then.

Somehow, when you call it 'bliss', it's a little hard to believe you. I'll just have to try it and see for myself.

[ It's a little strange to have his hands so gentle touching all the places he was so determined to bruise just a few hours before... the skin's still achingly tender even with him being as careful as he is, but she certainly doesn't want him to stop. It's rare that he ever touches her like this without things... escalating, after all. ]

You'd be in big trouble if it turned out I really liked it, though. Who'd clean up after your mess all the time if it wasn't for me?

[ His hands are all over her thighs and chest, but not for the sake of turning either of them on... definitely rare. ]

Well, I certainly won't, so I suppose we'll just fall into slovenliness together.

[ His hands gently cup her chest... he'd really been mean to them, hadn't he? Pulling them, biting them, pinching them, squeezing them... granted it got her screaming in a good way, so it's not like he feels bad enough to not do it again, but for now... this can be one of the few times he's gentle with them.

...they're also just, really nice to hold, turns out. ]

...You said these were "delicate", huh?

[ . . . ]

This feels like a trap.

[ Does he think she just... forgot what he was doing with his hands not even two hours ago?? There's a reason she's so bruised and tender and he's right here in the bath with his hands all over her again.

... But he really is being gentle this time. So it's probably fine to answer honestly. ]

Girls are delicate all over, you know. Not that you'd think it with the way you treat me. But those are extra delicate.

[ She's never been one of those girls who's particularly sensitive there, but... well, it obviously works well enough for the sort of thing Oberon likes doing with them. ]

Well, what can I say? Don't you find it satisfying when you damage something delicate?

[ You'd think around this point he'd do some teasing and give her a harsh squeeze or something, but... no. He holds them gently a little more before moving down to caress the rest of her as well. ]

Well... I can treat them gently for now. Maybe.

[ Liar, he's already been doing that. It's like he's trying to soothe her poor, battered body, even now. ]

[ A breath flutters out of her, halfway between a sigh and a laugh. ]

Nope. Not me. I'm a good girl. If I break something delicate, I apologise and charge the repairs to Strawberry Productions.

[ Despite the joke, her voice is unfurling into something warm and loose and floaty. She'd been lulled partway into a doze when he'd been washing her hair and now they're actually in the bath, the combination of the warm water and his hands carefully stroking over her skin has her all but melting against him.

It really is a dangerous combination. Her eyes keep fluttering, but she won't let herself fully drift off quite yet. She's enjoying the moment too much for it to end quite yet. ]

Is that why you have so much fun messing me up like this? Damaging something delicate?

Hah... a good girl? Please...

[ He smiles a smile that she can't see as she begins to drift off. Seriously, falling asleep in the bath... does she expect him to wake her up when they need to get out? Or is getting her into bed and all the subsequent steps that lead to that up to him now?

Ah well, he did decide to pamper her tonight, didn't he? She can doze in the warm water for as long as she wants. ]

I'm the only one willing to dirty you, aren't I? What do you think?

Is that so? Hm...

[ said in the slightly thoughtful voice of someone who's just gotten a very mean idea. ]

I guess anybody delicate enough would do, then... so long as they wanted you to do it. Maybe it didn't have to be me... Or maybe I'm not that special.

[ She shoots him a sly, challenging little smile over her shoulder. ]

Or am I wrong?

[ she's really gonna make him use his words for this, huh... ]

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