(no subject)

[imthepilot]

[From here]

Bodhi leads Galen up to their rooms, setting the cat and the basket down. "How about we take a bath. And get you out of those ridiculous clothes."

Comments

[galen_erso]

"Yes," Galen says. "I have sand and scales in my chest hair."

[imthepilot]

"How did you manage to get scales in your chest hair. What were you doing with the mermaid?" Bodhi asks, helping him out of the robe. "I think we should burn this."

[galen_erso]

"I don't remember," Galen says, unhappily. "I don't even remember what a mermaid is. Yes, let's get rid of all that."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi helps him strip off the offending garment and dumps it in the waste bin. He brushes Galen off, checking his chest and back critically. "Maybe you fell in the water and it- whatever it is, tried to help." He doesn't mean to sound hopeful but it's better than some of the other options.

He steps back, trying to hide the thought by running the bath.

[galen_erso]

"It's still a mermaid, I'd assume," Galen says. "Even this slimy guy won't have found a way to mate with fish."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi tries to laugh but it sounds flat. He strips off and steps into the bath, holding his hands out for Galen to join him.

[galen_erso]

Galen takes his hand and steps in.

"I hate this guy I was," he murmurs into Bodhi's hair.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi wraps his arms around Galen, holding him close. "I think I do too." He takes a deep breath, drawing back to look Galen in the eye. "But you're not him. And nothing he did or didn't do is your fault."

[galen_erso]

There is a noise, suddenly, from the main room, and Myrrh comes running into the bathroom, spooked.

[imthepilot]

"Myrrh, what's wrong?" Bodhi causes waves in his haste to check on her.

[galen_erso]

The sound has stopped again, but Myrrh comes jumping onto the rim of the bathtub and balances, pacing up and down, chattering as if she had seen a provocative bird.

[imthepilot]

"Hey, hey. What is it, beautiful?" Bodhi gets out of the tub, careful not to splash her and dries off enough the pet her. "Show me what's wrong?"

[galen_erso]

She meows a plangent complaint and sidles over into the main room, stalking towards the garbage.

[imthepilot]

"You don't like the smell of that guy either?" he grabs a heavy spoon from the kitchen just in case, heading over to investigate the bin.

[galen_erso]

It bings.

[imthepilot]

Interesting. Bodhi puts down the spoon and pills the robe out, finding a phone in a pocket.

He tucked the rest back in the bag, tying it off so the smell doesn't upset Myrrh. Giving her a pat, he heads back to the bathroom, the earth phone in hand. "Galen. I think this was his."

[galen_erso]

"A datapad?" Galen says, lifting his head from the water.

[imthepilot]

"I think so. Or something similar." he doesn't play with it. It's Galen's to explore.

[galen_erso]

"Do you know how to use that? Turn it on?"

[imthepilot]

"Maybe that button on the side? I guess? Or the centre bottom one. It doesn't have many buttons so one of them must turn it on."

[galen_erso]

Galen looks at it.

"Perhaps not in the water, if it uses old-fashioned electricity," he muses.

[imthepilot]

"Good point." he takes the phone and puts it out of the way, climbing back in the bath with Galen.

Okay, he's dying to look and at the same time not. But holding his lover is more important.

[galen_erso]

Galen pulls him close, and nibbles at his shoulder.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi hums warmly and tilts his head, offering Galen his neck. "Love you."

[galen_erso]

"All of you," Galen murmurs, leaving the 'and I, you' unspoken this once. "I love all of you, always."