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Your generosity as a host will be remembered in legend.

[ He grins at her.

The bathroom is downright opulent, but he's come to realize that's how things are done here. The nice thing is, that means the tubs are intentionally made to comfortably fit two people. Which means Shaxx actually can mostly fit in them, and there's still room for the other person if they're friendly.

Which he and Wanda obviously are.

He sets the water running and sits on the edge of the tub with her, a little impressed by the massive array of bath products. ]

I don't even know where to start with this collection.

[The bathtub is one of Wanda's favorite things about this apartment. It's large and deep, so she can actually take a proper bath in it. It's one of the luxuries she's embraced since escaping dire poverty and there's a wide array of products lining the tub and neatly stored in a hanging caddy: shampoo and conditioner of course, body wash in several scents, a tin of body scrub, bubble baths, and another container with bath bombs.

There's really only room for them to sit because she has the caddy. Wanda leans into him, kicking her feet idly in the water.]

You've never had a bubble bath, have you? Or used a bath bomb?

[Yes, Shaxx, bath grenades are absolutely a thing...it's just a very different sort of 'explosion.']

We could use one, but after you wash my hair. The water won't be good for it.

...definitely no bubbles. And I've been told I'm not allowed to use grenades in the bath. [ By an entire stick in the mud. But if Wanda's going to make his day by giving him permission...

This is a lot of implied information for someone who is very much a 'scrape the blood off and take a five minute cold shower' kind of guy. ]

Why? What does it do to the water to render it unusable? [ And if it's not safe to use on your hair at that point, why the hell would you want it near the rest of you? ]

[She'd ask why he wanted to use a real grenade in the bath, except she'd fairly sure that she doesn't want to know.]

These are made for baths. But they have ingredients that might be bad to accidentally get in your eyes, or it might not be the best water to wash all of your hair in.

You'll see. After you wash my hair I'll let you put it in.

[ The answer for Shaxx and grenades is always, "But why wouldn't I?" ]

Huh. All right.

[ He looks thoroughly unconvinced, but he'll give it a try for her.

There's enough water in the bathtub now to be quite comfortable; he climbs into the tub and lifts her down settling her in front of him, between his legs. It's enough to raise the water level quite a bit, too. ]

Let's get your hair wet.

[She's sure he's going to love it - she's already got her eye on a particularly dramatic one for the occasion.

The tub is, to Wanda's delight, the perfect size for them both if they sit like this. It's nice to be encircled by him, and she breathes out a soft sigh of contentment.]

I can do that.

[She tips her head back and to the side a bit, scooping the water up onto the top of her head.]

There. [She calls the bottle of shampoo to her hand and offers it to him because no, she's not getting up. It's a nice floral scent.] Here's the shampoo when you're ready for it.

[ Shaxx does his best to help with the water scooping, without getting in the way. He slides a hand over her back and then laughs softly. ]

The water won't be going cold on us.

[ He takes the shampoo and squeezes slightly more than he'd use for himself into his hand. Then, starting with her scalp, he starts working the shampoo into her hair. He's very much taking his time and enjoying this, as odd as it seems. For someone with his large hands and generally brutal tendencies, he's very consciously gentle. ]

I really do like your hair.

No. We can stay as long as we want.

[The benefits of having a Ruby for a lover: portable heat source!

Wanda very quickly melts into his touch, the occasional soft sounds and sighs of contentment escaping her. He is incredibly skilled with his hands, despite the false impression one might get from his general Titan-ness.]

I like when you play with it. You are very good at this.

At least until we wrinkle like old clothes. [ He does know that's a thing that happens with prolonged damp. He still knows the value of dry socks.

He'd know he was doing something right even without the advantages of synchrony. And he's finding this very enjoyable in its own way. It's not often he has this particular effect on someone. ]

Didn't you know? I'm good at everything.

[ He swipes a bit of suds off her shoulder and places a quick kiss there. ]

Especially with your hands.

[This feels amazing, and Wanda's honestly not sure how much is what Shaxx is doing and how much is because Shaxx is doing it. It's probably some combination of the two heightened by synchrony...and her weakness for people playing with her hair.]

I mean it, some people who don't have very long hair don't know what to do with it.

[Source: Wanda's poor bald father couldn't braid hair to save his life...and Pietro was not much better. So Wanda had to go to her mother, or later, learn to do it on herself.]

[ He smirks. He does like having his talents so recognized. ]

I had to learn to do a lot of odd little things, when I ran my keep.

[ While defending a bunch of Ghostless had been his primary job, he hadn't been just their shield wall, even if he hadn't allowed himself to be friends with any of them. But he'd still awkwardly taken care of babies, and helped them with their clothing repairs, and even been cornered into learning to braid hair by two very demanding little girls. They hadn't been impressed by his suggestion that they cut their hair off like reasonable people. ]

[Wanda's imagination isn't far from the truth, then - never underestimate the power of little girls on a mission, and she's picturing a small army of them demanding he brush out their hair.]

I'm glad your muscle memory is so good.

[She can't help but wonder how often he gets to have soft moments like this. Not as often as he deserves, if she had to take a guess.

Her tone turns playful.]

But if you ever decide you want to practice, I volunteer.

[ He considers her hair thoughtfully as he finishes working the shampoo through. ]

Might still be able to remember how to do a five strand plait.

[ Really it's just remembering a lot of numbers. It's probably somewhere in the depths of his brain, tucked between a couple of Shakespeare's histories. Once he's made it his business to learn something, he never forgets it.

It was an odd thing, to have such moments when he wasn't focused entirely on battle, but sometimes duty can take an unexpected form. ]

[Wanda makes another soft, pleased sound - his hands running through her hair feel so good.]

Well, we need to make sure that your memories stay sharp.

[It's probably a lot easier when you can see what you're doing. And she would proudly wear that braid even if it comes out a little lopsided, though she doubts it. Shaxx is a man of many, sometimes unexpected talents, and it's been well-established how talented his hands are.]

I don't think your hair is long enough to make any good braids but I can give you a scalp massage.

Let's rinse your hair out.

[ Which is a thing he also gladly helps with, gently easing his fingers through any potential tangles. ]

I must have a better memory than Saint because I don't headbutt everything.

[ He chuckles softly. ]

I keep meaning to shave it all off. Less of a problem now, I guess. I still wear my helmet all the time, but it matters less if I have a bit of hair tickling my ear.

[Wanda shifts forward so that she can properly lean back this time, supported by her powers.]

It's your hair, but I think it looks good.

[And it's nice to run her hands through or clutch at. She'd certainly miss it, but of course it's his hair and his choice.

Once her hair feels properly rinsed out, Wanda shifts back to a seated position. Time for the conditioner. She uses her powers to summon the bottle to her hand and turns to hand it to Shaxx. Her eyes roam appreciatively over his wet body and she grins and leans up to kiss his cheek.]

This goes on the bottom half only and needs to sit for a few minutes. We can look at the bath bombs while we wait.

[ He makes a bemused little hum. He certainly knows he's attractive, but it's always been about his muscles and body. It's always strange to be reminded he has a face and... hair, in this case, another thing that's normally hidden. ]

If you like it, then I'll keep it.

[ It seems like a small thing to do for someone else, really. It's not like his hair actually bothers him--if it did he would have shaved his head long ago.

He grins back at her and takes the bottle. The directions on the use are simple enough to follow. Just a small amount, which he gently works into the bottom half of her hair. ]

Show me your water explosives.

My hero.

[She grins. He has a very nice face too! And a nice smile, and kind eyes, and--

--don't get Wanda started, she'll go on for a while.

Wanda sighs happily as he runs the conditioner through her hair. It's a quicker process, but one still very much appreciated.]

I have many kinds. Maybe too many, but I can never buy just one or two.

[She summons the container to her hand and opens it carefully - imagine if she accidentally dropped it and all the bath bombs went in at once. While she's sure Shaxx would love the resulting color explosion, she'd really rather not, thanks. There are some that are clearly floral, others that are just brightly colored, and some that look like they were inspired by the four gems.]

Do you have a color preference? Or something you want to smell like?

I try to be. [ He's teasing. What he wants, always, is to be Wanda's supportive friend. ]

So you collect them... [ As someone who collects guns, he can understand it.

Shaxx pulls the container a bit closer to him so he can poke through it. Finally he picks out one that's bright red--it's a color he likes, and has something of a spicy scent. ]

This one?

[Shaxx is the best thing that's happened to her since she came here, and that's not an exaggeration in the slightest.]

Not exactly. You can't reuse them.

[Although they're such a luxury item that sometimes she does struggle with actually using them. Even something so small as this was completely out of the reach of the Wanda of a few years ago.]

You can drop it into the bath once we wash the conditioner out of my hair. [The grin is evident in her voice.] Just try not to blink too much.

That still counts as a collection.

[ The transient nature of life, etc. Collecting ammunition versus guns.

He sets the orange sphere carefully where it won't fall into the bath, then slides his hands slowly around her sides to rest low on her stomach. He leans down to delicately kiss her shoulder. ]

You tell me when it's ready to be washed out.

Mmmmmm... [She shivers in obvious pleasure.] It needs another minute or two, I think. But I'm sure we can find something to do while we wait.

Can I do anything for you?

I think so.

[ He rests his chin lightly on her shoulder, hands moving slowly across her stomach, coming up to cup her breasts as he murmurs in her ear: ]

I have drunk the water of life from my beloved’s lips.
I have drunk the wine of spirit from the cup of unity.
I know neither disbelief nor belief.
I have tied belief and disbelief with the knot of love.

You can be as you are.

[And she is so very weak for that - she turns her head to kiss his temple before relaxing and letting her cheek rest against him. She has no idea what that is or where it's from, only that it's beautiful and that it's probably not Shakespeare. She shivers again, and it's the combined approach that has her nipples stiffening under his hands again.

She murmurs something appreciative when he finishes before fully surrendering to the sync with a conscious effort to open herself as much as possible to him. All of her love and admiration and trust, her softness and fierceness, even the parts of herself that she's not very proud of - the very shape of her soul is on display for him to peruse if he wishes, her own powers reaching to embrace his mind and draw him closer. If he wants her as she is...well, here is all of her.]

[ He makes a low murmur, his eyes slipping half shut as he sinks fully into that synchrony, his head tilting to rest lightly against hers. His fingers move in light, slow caresses with his attention elsewhere.

He has never expected perfection of anyone--not even himself, a very rare thing amongst his fellows--and the imperfections are part of the whole of her, what builds Wanda to be who she is. He can have no objection, no desire but to see her released from the chains others have placed on her, so that she can be herself wholly. ]

There is such Light to you.

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