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“What a day… I am just beat… Hey, maybe I can try one of the bath bombs Colette gave me for Christmas…! Besides, after the day I just had, I could use a hot bath…”
Craig was off galavanting Nightingale Forest with the Geckos in a camping trip, so Shen had the bathroom to himself. That meant Shen could take as long as he wanted without anyone complaining.
He took off his outfit and put on a bathrobe. After putting the dirty clothes into his laundry basket, he grabbed the bath bomb, a glass, and the bottle of honey whiskey from his birthday a while back. It was not easy to hide from the Resident Advisor. Luckily though, he trusted him.
He started running the hot water in the bathtub. He’s heard Craig complain that the tub was too small for him, but Craig wasn’t exactly the average size for a mouse. A lot of things are too small for him.
After everything was set up and in its proper place, Shen simply closed the door. Craig wasn’t gonna be back until morning, so why lock the door? Nobody was gonna be coming in, right?
Once the tub was filled up, the bath bomb was dropped into the water with a small splash. Immediately, colors spread through the bath, a mixture of pastel pink, blue and yellow. It smelled like orchids and other such flowery scents. It was also glittery, par for the course for Colette. She adored glitter, much to Violet’s annoyance.
The bath was ready, and his refreshments were out beside the tub. Shen slipped off the robe, feeling the cold air of the bathroom hit his now bare skin. He hung the garment on the hook on the door, and before he could freeze to death, gently slid into the bathtub. Once he felt the comforting heat of the bathwater, he sighed in satisfaction. This was just what he needed…
“Thank you, Colette…” He said softly.
Before he had met Colette, he’d never really taken a bath before. He’d been in onsens before, but they’d never really been his thing… Colette taught him all about the art of bathing in the most drama-queen fashion possible.
Shen still mostly took showers, but on days like this, he thought a bath was perfectly appropriate.
Now that he was properly settled in, Shen leaned over slightly out of the tub and poured himself a glass of liquor. He did fill up the glass fairly generously, but it wasn’t like he was gonna drink it all in one go.
He brought the glass to his lips and took a sip before setting it down on a little portable table in the bath, to keep any objects he brought into the bath dry.
“If only I had some ice…” He thought. “Oh well, I’ll survive.”
Shen didn’t keep a clock in the bathroom, so he had no idea how much time had passed while he was bathing. He only kept track of time via how many glasses of whiskey he had. He had just finished his second half-full glass when he heard something. The room’s door opening.
Shen shrugged it off. It could just be Craig getting something, or one of the Geckos retrieving something for him, it could be the RA just doing a check… Whoever it was, surely they wouldn’t come into the—
Immediately, he regretted voicing that thought, because he heard the bathroom’s door knob twist, and the door creak open.
“Hellooo, anyone in here?”
“Hey, what are you doing?!”
Vic turned his head towards Shen, and he made a casual smile, like he just popped into the living room for a visit. “Hi Shen.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Shen was completely flushed, hoping to god that Vic couldn’t see below the belt from there.
“Oh come now, don’t be such a prude,” Vic’s smile widened. “I was bound to see you naked sometime. Anyways, did I leave my toothbrush in here?”
“How am I supposed to know?! Now get out!” Shen cried.
“Hey, there it is! I knew I left it in here.”
Vic plucked out a black electric toothbrush from the holder and examined it. “Looks good. Thanks. By the way…”
He looked Shen up and down. Then with a cheeky grin said, “You look kinda hot without your clothes on.”
“GET OUT!”
“Woah!” Vic narrowly avoided getting socked in the face by a soaking wet rag, the cloth hitting the wall with a slap. “Okay okay! I’m going! Nice taste in liquor by the way.”
With one last smirk, Vic left the bathroom and shut the door. Shen could hear him leave the dorm.
In that moment, Shen wanted nothing more than to sink into his bath and drown.