summary: Two bros chilling in a bath house, five feet apart 'cause they're not gay. No, for real, they're not. They're not even friends. Or whatever.
so uhh hey @kakushigotofanclub idk if you remember but last year you made this little saneoba post and i asked you if i could write a fic based off of it and you said yes and i said thanks and then i didn't. anyway i'm crawling back out of my cave now to tell you that IT'S DONE and i hope you like it a little bit <3
taglist: @giggly-squiggily @sticky-badger
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There is nothing weird about this. That's what Obanai continues to tell himself over and over, because there isn't. That's why there's a public bath house in every goddamn town and village in the country, because it's normal to take baths with other people, with strangers too, and right now there aren't even any strangers in this particular bath house, so it should feel even less weird. Only that it doesn't.
He has never seen Sanemi naked before, he realizes, and right after that realization he realizes that that's a ridiculous realization to have. He's never seen Sanemi naked before, really? Sanemi who runs around with his shirt unbuttoned down to his crotch, that Sanemi? It's not like Obanai has never seen him naked before, he now realizes, it's more like he has always made a very conscious effort to look away whenever it happened. And now Sanemi is taking his clothes off right in front of Obanai and there is nothing weird about that, except there is. Because he's making it weird.
“Are you staring at me?”
Sanemi doesn't sound annoyed or angry or even accusatory, but Obanai feels called out anyway. Called out on what exactly, he's not sure. He's not staring. Well, he is, but it's not like that. It's not.
“I'm not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Don't be ridiculous.”
Who's being ridiculous? Sanemi, who's getting naked in front of his comrade? In a bath house, where people are supposed to be naked and take baths? Or Obanai, who's in a bath house, where people are supposed to be naked and take baths, and refuses to get undressed? There's a very clear answer to that question and Obanai is unwilling to even think that answer. The question is phrased badly anyway. Is Sanemi ridiculous for parading his scars around, or is Obanai ridiculous for keeping his scars covered? That's better.
“I'm being ridiculous?” Sanemi sounds amused, whatever the heck is supposed to be funny about this situation.
“Very much.”
He's not being ridiculous, Sanemi is being ridiculous. Scars aren't meant to be paraded around. Scars aren't meant to be seen by anyone except one's own reflection, and even that is entirely optional. They're not meant to be seen, is the point, and Sanemi missed that point by twenty miles, almost as if he's doing it on purpose. As if he not only doesn't care but actively wants to show off. Ridiculous.
Sanemi just rolls his eyes and turns away, finally, to slide into the hot water. “Well, feel free to join me as soon as you're done staring.”
“I'm not staring.”
Ignoring Sanemi's following scoff, Obanai turns way from his friend- his comrade to take his own clothes off. Scars aren't meant to be seen, but clothes aren't meant to be bathed and God knows he needs this bath. It would be fine. Sanemi would look away if Obanai told him to. He would think it's stupid, but he would do it. That's what Obanai likes about Sanemi and he's pretty sure that Sanemi likes this about him too. Sanemi thinks it's stupid that he's ashamed of his scars and Obanai only knows that because Sanemi had a bit too much to drink once. Obanai thinks it's stupid that Sanemi is ashamed of not being able to write and Sanemi doesn't even know that Obanai knows about him being ashamed of not being able to write. Because they don't talk about this stuff and that might just be the best part of their friendship. Camaraderie.
Rinsing himself off the sweat and blood feels like heaven and the heat of the water seems to suck all of the tension out of his muscles. Obanai groans quietly, unable to keep this sound of contempt in. You never realize just how draining a fight was until you experience the slightest bit of comfort and notice how much your current state sucks and how much better it could be.
“I didn't know you could make that noise.”
Leave it to Sanemi to ruin a nice moment of relaxation. Obanai shoots him a glare, trying to ignore the spark of amusement in Sanemi's gaze. No, he didn't take off his bandages, so what? Why is that funny?
“Was there really a need to comment on it?”
“Sounded like you were getting off for a moment.”
“I was relaxing.” Obanai can't believe this guy. Insufferable. Heat rises to his cheeks and he glares back at Sanemi's stupid smug grin in an attempt not to let his embarrassment shine through too much. Thank God he didn't take his bandages off. “I was getting comfortable.”
“You look anything but comfortable.”
Gee, I wonder why.
Obanai bites his tongue and just sinks further into the water, careful to not let it go up all the way to his face. He will not entertain this tomfoolery any longer, absolutely not. And he won't look at Sanemi anymore either. He won't give him the satisfaction of even being regarded. Right, that will show him.
He gets approximately one moment of peace and quiet, then the water moves and laps against him and Obanai furrows his brows. That better not be what he thinks it's about to become.
“Iguro.”
No.
“Look at me, Snake Boy.”
No.
“Hey, Kanroji!”
No, because here's the worst thing: he knows it's bullshit. He knows he's being fooled, but on the off chance he's not... Obanai can't even fathom his own reaction before he turns around to look towards the entrance, then he turns back to glare at Sanemi who's a lot closer than he was thirty seconds ago and smirking at him like a dick.
“I hate you.”
“No, you don't.”
No, he doesn't. But he doesn't say it out loud. Because they just don't talk about this kind of stuff.
Obanai leans away until his back hits the edge of the bath tub and narrows his eyes at Sanemi. “What do you want?”
Sanemi narrows his eyes back at him in a way that has Obanai perking up a little and then tilts his head in a way that has Obanai sure that Sanemi is just messing with him on purpose. “You're staring at me.” Just for fun.
“Because you're all up in my face!”
“You were staring earlier.”
“I told you I wasn't- why do you care?”
Sanemi grins and Obanai feels ready to strangle someone. Sanemi doesn't care. Of course Sanemi doesn't care, why would he care? He can't button his shirt to save his life, of course he doesn't care if anyone stares at him while he's naked. He would probably fight demons naked if Oyakata-sama allowed him. There's something about that complete lack of shame that's very admirable and Obanai hates that he recognizes that.
“You're childish.”
Something akin to hurt flashes through Sanemi's eyes and Obanai is sure that he wouldn't have caught it if Sanemi hadn't been so close to him in the first place. It's a strange sight, one he isn't sure he has seen before, and before he can take a closer look, Sanemi pulls back and turns away. Obanai watches him go underwater briefly and emerge, shaking his head like a dog.
“You're not supposed to do that.”
“Bite me, Obanai.”
Oh, okay.
Obanai's gaze lingers on a water droplet running down Sanemi's back and getting caught in the slightly different texture of a particularly big scar for a moment. As the droplet runs further down Sanemi's back, Obanai's gaze lingers on the scar and the way it stretches when Sanemi reaches over his shoulder to rub his shoulder blade, subsequently moving the skin on his back. It looks like a slash, or maybe a scratch from a claw. One of the less smoothly healed off injuries.
Slowly, Obanai moves closer, now watching the water lap against Sanemi's spine. Sanemi's hand stills the rubbing and for a moment, his nails dig into his skin, then he lets his arm fall down his side again and doesn't even flinch when Obanai grazes his fingertips of the prints Sanemi's nails left behind. They're nothing against the many scars all over his back, but they feel more severe. Maybe because Obanai feels like he caused them himself. Maybe because they're proof of the effort it costs Sanemi to trust him to do this. Though that's not a bad thing, not entirely, that their trust is costing him effort. Obanai likes the thought that Sanemi is putting effort into their friendship quite a bit. Camaraderie.
Suddenly, he feels sorry for calling Sanemi childish just for messing around. That's also not a bad thing, feeling comfortable enough to be foolish. Obanai never sees Sanemi fool around with anyone else.
His fingers now graze the big scar and that doesn't make Sanemi wince either, even though it probably hurts, at least a little bit. Even though Obanai touches the scar like it's nothing. To Sanemi, it probably is. Admirable, in a way.
Obanai's hand goes up to his own face, then he leans forward and Sanemi jumps away with a yelp, whipping around. “What the fuck?!”
Obanai examines the mark his teeth left in Sanemi's shoulder with a pleased look on his face.
“I bit you.”
Having Sanemi stare at his face when he doesn't have his mouth covered feels strange in a way he can't entirely put his finger on, but he doesn't do anything about it. He knows that Sanemi will scoff-laugh and say something jerky in a moment. He wants Sanemi to see him laugh too.
Three seconds of silent looking – looking, not staring – then Sanemi scoff-laughs and shakes his head. “You're ridiculous.”
“Yeah.” Obanai smiles and allows Sanemi's gaze to linger for a moment longer before he pulls his bandages back up. “Maybe a little.”
That might just be the best part of their camaraderie. Friendship. Whatever.
- obanai is kind of blind bc his right eye is a typical gorgon-type eye and his left is more human, and they both work differently enough that it causes a lot of blurriness and distortion in his vision, so his snakes help him navigate
- sanemi and genya are western-type dragons, meaning they actually have wings that are capable of flight (as opposed to akaza, who is an eastern-type). sanemi doesnt fly often, he rarely had the chance as a kid and is a little afraid of heights
