getting shouto to relax through frivolous pursuits episode 99

[yaoyoroshka]

While they were in the agreement that they didn’t need an extravagant apartment for when they move in together, Momo at least made sure the one they’ll be getting at least had a tub in the bathroom.

The reason is part-indulgence, part-practicality. (Or so Momo likes to tell herself.) The inclusion of a bathtub meant a larger bathroom area which in turn also meant more expensive rent, so she did feel a bit guilty wanting one. But then again, taking a relaxing bath after a long, stressful day of fighting villains is quite the consolation that Momo can’t bring herself to do without. Besides! Shouto himself can use it. It’s pragmatic and definitely not just for personal satisfaction, see!

That being the case, Shouto himself didn’t seem too picky with the interior so long as it’s in a location close enough to their respective agencies and that there’s a tatami room. Quite reasonable demands, if Momo does say so herself.

And thus, a modest apartment by the outskirts of central Tokyo was secured and their cohabitation has begun.

A week passes. Momo makes two discoveries: one, Shouto doesn’t take showers longer than fifteen minutes; two, despite not challenging her about it, he actually felt no need to use their bathtub at all. Quite confused at the concept of her taking an hour or more just lounging in it, in fact.

Shocked and a bit saddened at the idea of someone not experiencing the sheer bliss and relaxation a good soaking in a bathtub can do, Momo takes the matter into her own hands. “Tomorrow night, we’ll take a bath together before bed! A real bath,” she huffs, her mind already going through a list of preparations to be done.

Which leads to the current situation.

The bathtub is large enough for one person to stretch out comfortably but it does feel a bit cramped if two people were to do so. For now, they stay at the opposite sides of the tub as Momo hugs her knees to her chest, eyes closed as she smiles to herself. The candle lights, the soothing smell of lavender, the soft music, the warmth of the water coupled with the tickling sensation of the bubbles against her skin... Momo can't help but let out a dreamy sigh.

“See, isn’t this better than just a shower?”

[ooc: The layout is probably something like this! The light is set into a warm tone, dimmed but still enough to see around. Small scented candles are scattered about, some on the ledge of the tub itself (be careful not to bump against them). An old radio plays a soft, if a bit muted, tune. The bath is already full of bubbles. There’s also one floating rubber duck... which probably clashes with the romantic mood she’s going for. It's cute though.]

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[yaoyoroshka]

With her defenses sufficiently lowered, the sudden stream of bubbles appearing right in front of Momo's relaxed face is enough to make her jolt. A small pout follows, eyes narrowing just slightly at his direction.

"Adults shouldn't be playing with bath bubbles anymore, you know."

An obvious bluff-slash-diversion as she herself scoops out a handful of bubbles from her own side. Then a smile.

"That being the case though..."

Bubble ammunition successfully collected in her cupped hands, she leans forward, just level at Shouto's face, and blows them as well. Nevermind delicate, hopefully he closed his eyes in time for that barrage.

With a laugh, Momo continues, "...I'm not opposed to a counterattack."

[thermoregulate]

Whether he has his eyes open or closed doesn't keep the brightly amused grin from his expression with the way Momo reacts. Maybe even less so with the actions she takes in turn.

"I know." He gathers up more of the bubbles, a bit in each hand. If Momo isn't quick to evade, he'll get her from both sides of her face.

"—But this is my first, so I get to be the exception." One of his very firsts, at least. The last time he took a bubble bath was when he was a very young child. Momo can at least give him that much.

[yaoyoroshka]

Momo manages to lift a hand to cover one side of her face, but he'll land his mark quite nicely on the other side. With a splash of water to his direction, she submerges for a few seconds to wash it off her face. Of course when she surfaces, more bubbles just pile on top of her head. (She'll realize it eventually. Maybe.)

"Fine, I'll allow it," she says as if defeated, though she does look at him fondly. Truly, she doesn't mind; seeing him happy is always a treat. Her face then lights up at an idea.

"Oh! Do you want me to wash your hair for you? It can be another first."

Definitely not a ploy to just play with his hair.

[thermoregulate]

Shouto might have reached out to ruffle the bubbles on her head and into her hair if she didn't look so cute with them in place. Too bad he doesn't have his phone nearby. At one point in their relationship he apparently became the type to always want to take pictures, be it of their friends, the both of them, but especially of Momo, herself.

An idea for another time.

"Sure. I'd really like that." He's always loved it when she runs her fingers through his hair (as he does in turn). It's noticeably grown out a bit in the time since they began dating, even though he still doesn't do much with it.

He shifts a little. Should he just turn around, or. . .?

". . . How do you want me to sit?"

[yaoyoroshka]

Luck is on her side, it seems, because such a photo being saved on his phone would've made her melt on the spot.

His question is briefly met with a confused look before it catches up to Momo that maneuvering with two people in such limited space (and in a state of undress, too) isn't exactly the easiest to do.

"Oh! Perhaps just... turn around? So that, ah... So I won't get distracted."

Hush, it's a valid concern. Anyhow, Momo reaches out for a shampoo bottle and turns it over in her hands for now as she waits for him to settle into a comfortable position. It's actually her shampoo, which has a more floral scent compared to his regular one, but it should fit the whole "self-indulgence" theme of this activity quite nicely.

[thermoregulate]

(There will always be other photos, Momo. Some possibly already exist.)

Her confusion doesn't even register with him. It's far as if they've never, well, been like this together, isn't it? Although she seems to still fluster more easily than he does (and it's incredibly cute).

Regardless, the tub is on the smaller size, and it's not as though Shouto has a slight frame.

There. He's adjusted well enough; knees bent, with his forearms resting on the edge of the tub, he relaxes back against her without much thought or reserve. Catching sight of the shampoo bottle, he smiles, teasing.

"I suppose I don't mind smelling like you." Really. It'll be nice. "I'm good, now."

[yaoyoroshka]

Teasing which she'll take at face value, smiling with satisfaction to herself.

"It does smell wonderful, doesn't it? And it can make your hair much softer, too! You can use it even when I'm not around, if you'd like."

While he probably doesn't have a strong inclination to have soft hair, still the idea of sharing mundane things like this does strike Momo as particularly charming. Makes the whole idea of living together feel much more real. It's the small things, really.

She works up a generous lather with her hands first before getting her fingers on his hair. With light pressure from her fingertips, she runs them through Shouto's scalp slowly to sufficiently get each strand covered. For a while, she doesn't talk, too concentrated at the task at hand. He may also feel his head slightly being tilted forward or to the side to accommodate her thoroughness. Soon, his evenly separated hair is turned into a mess of red, white, and bubbles.

As she continues, Momo clips some strands between her fingers and smooths them upwards. The bubbles make it easy for it to stay upright for a few seconds, from which she notices...

"Are you purposely growing this out or just too busy to get it trimmed?"

[thermoregulate]

Smaller, yet plenty significant. It's the first time in Shouto's life where he's truly coexisted alongside someone else. Spending time with his mother when he was very young was one thing, but in general it was almost as though his siblings lived elsewhere altogether. Apart from that, life at U.A.'s dorms was also different. They all lived together, but wasn't like what he and Momo have. This is much more personal; intimate, too, really.

(On that thought, one of these days they really should invite his mother over to see the place. They've just been far too busy.)

The silence while Momo tends to him continues to draw out. Her touch is soothing, and he's soon decided that this feels just as good as when Momo gives him a shoulder rub. Maybe even more so, considering how it could make him sleepy.

. . . Case in point: He doesn't initially realize that Momo is asking him a question.

"Mm?" Give him a moment or ten. He almost turns to look back at her. Instead he brings a hand up to feel for himself, although mostly he just reaches Momo's hand and the shampoo suds.

"Oh." Good question. "I've never given much thought to either of them."

"What do you think?" Personally he's not too bothered, but that's probably obvious now.

[yaoyoroshka]

Living together had been a huge adjustment on Momo's part as well, though perhaps moreso on the practical side of things. Having lived quite the sheltered life, her household management skills is still a work in progress. (Hopefully, when they finally invite his mother over, Momo's cooking will have improved enough to serve something a bit more fancy than the simple dishes she currently has in her repertoire.)

For now, Shouto's dazed response is met with a huff of laughter. Sometimes Momo can't help but think he's starting to take after their cats—that is, prone to dozing off once you start pampering them with touches and attention. Huh. Or perhaps it was the other way around? The idea amuses her, either way.

"I get to decide, then? Are you sure you won't regret it?"

Teasing, though she does feel a bit of pride knowing he entrusts her with both the important and trivial matters of his life. Momo's fingers continue to thread through his hair as she thinks out loud.

"Short hair does seem more convenient for hero work. You wouldn't want hair getting on your face while you're fighting. But then again, if it's long enough, you can always just tie it up to prevent that. I wouldn't mind doing it for you before we go to work during mornings. You are dating someone with extensive experience in tying ponytails, after all."

With that, she finger-combs his hair to the back to see if there's enough length to tie it up but,

"Hmm."

[thermoregulate]

Rei Todoroki is very possibly the last person who would critique someone. Especially not when it comes to Momo (and aside from Shouto, himself, of course). He likely would enjoy preparing their meal alongside Momo, as he similarly is steadily improving and gaining more experience and knowledge when it it comes to cooking. It's a shared feeling of accomplishment.

"You can. I trust you." A reply almost too earnest, despite catching the playful tone of Momo's words.

However she also has a point.

The longest point of Shouto's hair falls just a bit above his shoulders. It's enough to tie back into a short, low ponytail.

". . . I don't think I'd need any real styling, though." Momo can keep her signature up-do for herself, clearly.

His hand moves again, this time to lightly run his fingers through his hair, while considering Momo's comments. "I suppose I'll see how it goes. If it gets too long and in the way, then I'll cut it."

An idly amused thought follows—

"Would you ever cut your hair? Did you keep it shorter at all when you were a kid?"

[yaoyoroshka]

A small huff.

"A ponytail isn't 'styling', it's just... a ponytail."

Such logical argument. (Nevermind the fact that it might as well be part of her hero "brand" now.)

She takes a pause when the conversation suddenly turns to her, though, lips pursing for a second as she gives it some thought. Perhaps she'll put off the first question for a bit as the second one prompts nostalgic memories.

"I've kept my hair long as far as I can remember." Yes, ponytail included, once it was long enough. "Mother had such long hair as well and as a child, it made sense for me then to want to imitate her. Plus she also said... it would look pretty..."

Somehow that latter part comes out in a mumble. It does feel a bit silly now, but one can hardly blame a child who craved for compliments as if they're sweets. Which leads her back to his first question, though it's to be met with a question as well.

"If I had short hair, you won't think I'll look weird? Some guys have preferences for those sort of things, don't they?"

Though worded as if in general sense, clearly his preferences are the only ones being taken into account here.

[thermoregulate]

To someone like Shouto, who for all of his life hasn't done much to his hair apart from the basics of hygiene and combing, a ponytail is absolutely a style. Effortless as it may be.

He sits in silence while Momo continues. It's a known fact that he likes to hear about her family and childhood. Growing up isn't without its challenges, such as when factoring in relationships and environment, and while the Todoroki's never struggled in the financial sense, not much else can be said. He's sure it was different for any of their former classmates and fellow colleagues. Thankfully Shouto isn't and never has been the envious sort.

"She's right about that." Her mother's opinions. The slight dip in Momo's tone makes him smile (so cute). "You look very pretty."

The question feels a little odd, in a way. ". . . I dunno. Maybe?" There are some things that he still is borderline oblivious to. Case in point: varying preferences and the finer details that come along with them. Possibly since he's been with Momo for longer than any of their friends have dated for. Such things as hairstyle or length, or fashion sense, really isn't something Shouto has paid much attention to.

However, he's plenty biased all the same.

"Mm. I think you'd look very cute. Not weird." And he would enjoy running his fingers through it all the same.

"Actually. . ." He lightly hums and tips his head again. "Maybe I'll grow mine out a bit. Having you wash it like this is really nice. I feel spoiled."

That (very likely) is also an effect of Momo convincing him into taking a bath together.

[yaoyoroshka]

There's something endearing at the way the question on preferences confuse him. Momo's always thought that things like that just come naturally for guys—she's friends with Kaminari who's very vocal about that, after all. Despite the question not really being answered, though, she won't push it anymore. Besides, she got called pretty and cute. She's not really going to have room for doubt where his affections lie with how fondly he speaks of her.

"Growing your hair out to be spoiled, huh. Very sneaky." She gently flicks off the excess suds she's accumulated on his head. "And, to be fair, very effective. I really would like it if we can do this more..."

Though that was supposed to be just be a passing thought, saying it out loud does make her reflect on how far they've come. As individuals and with their relationship.

From behind him, Momo circles her arms around his torso so as to pull herself to him closer. She then rests her chin on his left shoulder, basking in the warmth of him for a few seconds before she continues.

"Taking baths together. Getting groceries. Having meals together. Sharing the same bed. Watching movies, even though I probably pick the most boring ones whenever it's my turn."

A small laugh at the last part, before she closes her eyes, snuggling comfortably by the crook of his neck.

"Thank you, for sharing all those things with me." She tilts her head just a bit to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Now before I get embarrassed with all that I just said, may I ask your help in washing my hair, too?"

[thermoregulate]

"I think I really would as well." Even if it takes actually making plans to take a bath together. They're so frequently busy with their respective agencies, jobs and other tasks that to a degree, they need to put the time aside. Keeping a schedule, so to speak. Although that can make it all sound so clinical and businesslike. There's something to be said about how enjoyable spontaneity can be.

He further settles back against Momo, head resting towards hers as he covers one of the arms she has around him.

"Why are you embarrassed?"

Her reasoning is more or less already known to him, but there's something that's equal parts earnest and curious, and a lilt to his tone that he's harmlessly teasing. And yet:

"All of those make me happy and thankful as well." His eyes slip shut, and while light, the smile that colors his expression is warm. "Would you still feel embarrassed if I spoke of such things, and how I feel? Or of the ways I love you, and how much I've learned from you."

There's far too much which could be said. So many emotions and parts of his heart that, for years before, Shouto only knew the words for or the vague concept of.

". . . But you still can ask, yes." He mirrors the kiss back upon her with a continued smile. "I'd be more than happy to." Too bad it will require shifting from their present, very comfortable position.