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“We need to wash you, geez.”
Safe for a moment from any peeping toms, Ryuko stripped Senketsu off before he could complain.
He'd been making dissatisfied grumbles recently, whenever she'd needed to remove him. It figured, she knew he hated being washed.
She dived swiftly into her jacket and pulled on some jogging trousers Mako's mother had loaned her. She had just finished zipping up the jacket when-
“Oh! Sorry Ryuko, I didn't realise you were in here-!”
Ryuko shut the door in Mr Mankanshoku's face as firmly yet inoffensively as possible.
“They never give up,” she sighed, draping Senketsu over her arm and pressing him against her, unconsciously. “Come on.”
She was careful to make sure that the water was warm before submerging him into it, and gentle with her scrubbing. She liked that she could do this for him, because the alternative-
“I prefer this to when that woman washes me.”
Senketsu's voice, unmuffled by the water, arrived in her head sounding slightly peeved.
She laughed, and tweaked his skirt in reproach. He was in a mood today, but she couldn't help but feel a little smug that he preferred her ministrations. They had grown much closer recently.
“They're being very good to us, you should stop being such a baby.”
“She's rough, Ryuko!” Senketsu whined.
She didn't reply, but chuckled softly under her breath.
“You baby.”
“Will you iron me when we're done?”
There was a pause, as Ryuko pretended to work slightly at a dirty mark just below his eye.
“I always do, don't I?” She replied eventually, wondering why the question had seemed so heavy this time, seeming to suck all the air out of the room. He'd sounded so eager.
“I know, but...” He let the sentence trail off as she lifted him from the water, wringing him as gently as she could.
“I spoil you,” she said in an offhand way, slotting him onto a hanger briefly so she could fetch the iron.
He didn't reply, but she smiled anyway.
-
She'd never had cause to use an iron before Senketsu came along, Ryuko thought idly, but thanks to him, she knew she was now getting top marks.
That being said...
Her face coloured and she hissed at him.
“Could you quit it?”
He ceased the indulgent and frankly lewd noises he'd been making, and blinked.
“Why did you stop?” He asked plaintively. He clearly hadn't heard her.
“Because you were making such a racket!” She scolded, starting again in a new spot.
“No-one can hear me, Ryuk- Ahhhh!” He sighed blissfully, in a voice which seemed to send her stomach through the floor. The whole exercise suddenly seemed too intimate.
“Except me, you jerk!” She snapped, finishing off the last area and placing the iron back onto its stand, where it hissed and fizzed. She switched it off. She'd empty it later when it had cooled down.
“Ryuko.”
She glanced down at him.
“What is it?”
“I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
“Oh, shut up,” she said lightly, “you're just a huge pervert like any other guy, I get it.”
She used the moment of indignation she'd caused as a distraction to pick him up from the board.
“What?” She asked playfully. “Are you gonna tell me I'm wrong?”
“I am not like that.” He sounded hurt. “I just wanted you to know how much I was enjoying myself. You are very good at ironing me.”
“Well, I guess it's the least I can do,” she answered, slightly flustered. “I wouldn't be where I am without you, after all.”
She hooked him onto a hanger and hung it from a nearby door.
“I wouldn't be here without you, either,” he said quietly.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. We're totally co-dependent and it's as sad as hell,” Ryuko shot back, accidentally coming off sounding a lot harsher than she'd intended in her embarrassment. Something was totally off between them today.
He pointedly didn't reply, so she sighed.
“Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. We're friends, OK?” She knew that no one else got to see this kinder side of her. She wasn't sure what that meant.
“So you said before,” he replied, a touch coldly, then appeared to rally himself. “Yes, we are.”
She realised she had half unzipped her jacket before noticing, and turned, slightly wrong-footed.
“Uh, did you want me to wear you for the rest of the day?”
He blinked at her.
“You don't usually ask.” He said.
She huffed.
“I just thought I would!”
“There is no need to,” he continued calmly, “as the answer will always be the same.”
“Yes?”
“Always yes.” He said firmly, voice pitched deep and serious.
She finished unzipping the jacket, hands oddly shaky, and after checking the coast was clear, shrugged out of it, kicking off the loose trousers.
This was weird. Why was it weird? She'd put him on dozens of times before, without even thinking about it.
She walked over and placed her hand on his collar to take him off the hanger, but for some reason she paused, her hand running lightly over the fibres.
“Ryuko?” He asked, looking at her.
“Does something seem weird to you?” She burst out, suddenly incapable of internalising any longer.
“You don't normally risk standing in just your underwear for this long,” he answered, reasonably, “but I don't think you mean that.”
She took him down and put him on, every movement seeming oddly deliberate and awkward, as if she'd never done it before, cloth sliding roughly and raising goosebumps. When she was done, she brushed at his skirt idly with her gloved hand.
“You are right.” He said, and she jumped slightly, realising she'd been zoning out.
“Huh?”
“Something is different. I am not sure what it is.”
She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding with a whoosh.
“Shit, yeah. I knew it.”
She was out of her depth here, and she knew it. Problems that could be punched aside or kicked through, those were her forté. His too, really. This kind of thing left her stumped and irritated. She felt oddly disquieted and low.
“Ryuko.”
She was about to answer when he constricted around her like he had before, the wave running down her body.
“Ah!” She yelped in surprise. But the immediate effect after the shock wore off was of warmth. Like someone had put their arms around her.
“Could you... do that again?” She asked, her voice quiet. “It's like a hug.” She blushed, realising how childish she sounded.
He didn't answer, but did as she asked, only slightly more firmly, and although she had been expecting it, she was powerless to stop a small grunt of pleasure escaping her.
She was surprised to hear him make a similar sound.
“I'm sorry,” he said immediately, sounding a little breathless. “You feel so good.”
She gasped, her face burning.
“Wh-what?! You feel me all the time! Why is this any different?”
“I don't know.” He replied honestly. “But you said that something seemed different today.”
She sank to her knees and sat, scratching her head.
“I'm no good at this.” She admitted finally. “I've never been good with words.”
“Actions are certainly a strength of yours.”
She laid back on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Their bond was strong, she knew that, but he couldn't read her mind. She wanted him to hug her again and feel him tight against her. She flushed.
In response to her accelerated heartbeat, no doubt, she felt him fidget slightly.
“Ryuko..?” He began.
“Do it again,” she cut in, suddenly urgent, throwing caution to the wind.
He pulled tight, but this time he did it all over - instead of as a wave, and she jerked and twitched until he released her.
She turned her head to look him in the eye.
“Yes,” he said, sounding darkly amused, “I see. I can feel it too.”
“This is crazy,” Ryuko groaned, as he squeezed her tight yet again.
“Most things we do are,” he countered, and she flicked at his collar.
“Stop sounding so -ahhh!- so calm about it!”
His response to that was a deep groan, but she could feel that he was weakening. He had very little energy of his own in this form, and it was running out.
“Ryuko-” he said, his calm disintegrating.
She knew what he wanted. She didn't ask if he was sure.
She reached over and pulled the release pin on his glove. It was reckless. Stupid. And it was what they both wanted more than anything right now. To hell with the consequences.
Saying that, even as she felt her sane mind taking a step backwards, she was grateful that he minimised the impact of their synchronisation. She really didn't want to explain herself to the Mankanshokus while standing in the wreckage of their house.
Out of habit more than anything, she mouthed his name as he snapped into place around her. What was new was him muttering her own name back to her. She sighed as the steam cleared, suddenly utterly relaxed and feeling wanton and daring, her pulse thudding from the adrenaline.
Arching her back, she slid a finger into the tight waistband of his skirt, the fabric no longer soft but shiny and rigid.
“Can you feel that?” She muttered, aware that although his voice was muted to others, hers was not.
“Yes,” he replied, “it feels good. You feel good.”
She was unable to stop a laugh escaping, but so that he didn't get offended, swiftly followed it up with:
“Oh man, what are we doing?”
“Whatever we want,” he answered, and from the tone of his voice she knew he'd taken no offence to her laughter. He sounded pleased and relaxed.
“Mmmmm,” she hummed, all the tension leaving her as he massaged her shoulders firmly. “We are so never getting anything done from now on.”
“I can control myself if you can.” He replied, his voice like warm water all over her.
“Ugh.” She griped good-naturedly, and pulled his attention back to her by tugging hard on one of his suspenders. He yelped, then growled.
“Ryuko.”
Her response was a breathy laugh, cut off as he experimented with different things, tightening in some areas, twisting slightly in others. To her amazement, he was able to force her arms up and above her head. She let him, with only a token wriggle of protest.
“Hey,” she managed, a few moments later, even as he appeared to be losing himself in stroking waves up and down her legs, “I can't touch you.”
“Y-you are,” he replied, voice shaking. And she understood, but still...
“With my hands, I mea-”
She stopped talking, and flexed her hands experimentally. He had her arms pinned firmly above her head, but if she moved her wrists...
Her hands touched, and she began to stroke them against each other, pleased when she heard him rumble in satisfaction. He was all around her, his gloves covered her hands. He could feel it.
They learned each other quickly, as they always had. It wasn't long before he'd zoned in on all her tells and found her sensitive spots, pressing inside and rippling against her, stealing her breath.
He released her arms, and she couldn't tell if it was intentional or not, but she took immediate advantage, stroking one hand up his wing-like shoulder and bringing the other to her lips. He paused, shuddering.
“Ryuko,” he murmured.
“Hmm?” She replied, biting gently at her wrist, and at him, covering it.
“Please... do not stop.”
“Ha!” She snorted. As if she would, now she knew he liked it.
She was finding it more difficult, however, the closer she got. And she was gripped with an irrational panic. No, she couldn't yet, she needed to-
“I'm – I'm gonna-” she whispered, and hissed as he sent another wave downwards, around her, inside her.
It hit her unexpectedly, the sudden seizing of her muscles and then the relief, the pleasure that followed it. It was familiar and yet totally new, making her toes curl.
Perhaps the best part of all was hearing Senketsu's amazed yelp. He obviously hadn't had a clue what was going to happen. Why would he?
In fact, as she breathed deeply and calmed, basking in the sensations, he was still making odd whimpering sounds, squeezing her weakly and twitching.
“Hey,” she said finally, when he didn't seem to be stopping, “are you OK?” She stroked gently below his eye, where she'd worked out he was sensitive. He blinked the eye open and looked at her.
She felt his previously tight hold on her loosen as he shifted back into his low-powered form with a shuddering sound.
“I get it,” she said, hooking a thumb into his waistband and continuing to stroke the same spot under his eye soothingly, “it's a lot.”
They lay in silence for a few minutes, Ryuko stroking his skirt, his collar, all over, in an attempt to calm him.
“I was worried I wouldn't be able to do anything for you,” she admittedly finally. “Guess I didn't need to, huh?”
“Ryuko.” His voice was soft.
“Yeah, yeah,” she said, blushing, but smiling.
There was a brief pause, and then he spoke.
“You were right, 'though.”
“Huh? What about?” She sat up and attempted to straighten him around her.
“Getting anything done will be a challenge from now on.”
She turned to look him in the eye, and he winked at her.