damned_institute | Day 34: Men's Showers

Artemis Fowl was, yet again, exceedingly displeased to be naked.

As much as Haku insisted that since he had experienced public bathing before, this time would be easier, the feeling was not mutual. Artemis' body was his own personal business, as far as he was concerned, and no one else's. His only comfort was the fact that he was not hideously tattooed anymore with various and sundry insults branding him a moron.

Still, that did not stop him from taking a towel into the shower area once again, Nurse Hedgerow grudgingly allowing it. She could see no other way of getting the boy to bathe. He was as stubborn as ten teenage boys. And after that lecture on psychological torture through means of public humiliation...

The boy let the water run over his head, the towel clutched firmly around his body. And he thought. July. How was it July when it had been fall just a week previous? It was impossible, logically speaking. But what part of this place fit in with any sort of logic Artemis had ever encountered? No, if he didn't let go of the fact that things would be as insane as people claimed he was, he would lose his mind.

His fingers brushed the burn mark Caleb had given him for what seemed the fortieth time. ...He had to get himself together, or this would only be a small taste of what awaited him in the hallways.

[For Omi]

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"Yeah, yeah, I know. It only counts when it suits you," Kaoru mock-sulked.

He put a hand on his brother's shoulder and turned him round, grabbing some shower gel that promised to sooth and relax one. He wondered if it would counteract the perky shampoo. Would Hikaru be lost in a battle of perk versus soothingness? Time would tell. He squeezed some out onto his hand, snickering at the farty sound it made, and began to wash his brother's back. He couldn't help but appreciate his brother's body. Yeah, sure, they were identical, but still, this was his brother, not himself. He was reassured by the warmth and the twitch of muscles that his brother was alive. His eyes wandered to the marks left by the wounds Hikaru had obtained during his stay so far. Dammit, he wasn't supposed to be sad. He stepped closer and closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against Hikaru's neck, just for a moment. "This stuff smells too chemical," he said, as though it excused his behaviour. "I hope it doesn't spoil your skin." Hikaru had always had nice skin. Man, he felt tired again. He stepped away, patting his brother on the back to say he was done, and then began to wash his own body.

"And that's because I'm the oldest," Hikaru said with an air of finality. As far as he was concerned, the conversation was over and he'd won. Again. Because he was the oldest.

He closed his eyes as Kaoru started washing his back, allowing himself to enjoy the familiar sensation. Mm, that felt nice. Cheaply perfumed, yeah, but nice.

And the farty sound had been pretty entertaining. After all, they were fifteen year old boys.

Kaoru paused and leaned against him, which was enough to make Hikaru open one eye. "It might," he murmured. "It's cheap, so it'll probably dry out the skin a little..."

But then Kaoru had finished. Before his twin could protest, he grabbed his shoulders and turned around, squirting a glob of the farty floral soap into his own hand.

"My turn!"

Kaoru submitted. Because he was the youngest and knew Hikaru was too stubborn. Instead he just silently praised himself for being so grown up.

Kaoru tensed for a moment, though he wasn't sure why. He supposed his body felt like some big secret right now. But he forced himself to relax and closed his eyes. "You're only doing it so I get dry skin too," he muttered. Damn it...he was feeling sad again. He wanted to talk to somebody, but it couldn't be Hikaru, not yet. No, he'd just appreciate this moment and sought through things in his own head. Which was difficult when you were so used to having two.

"Poor Ed would probably have trouble doing this sort of thing for Tamaki, being so short and all. Maybe Mori should Milord advice on caring for Lovely items?"

Hikaru grinned. "Damn straight." Dry skin? Yeah, they could go with that. No, what he really wanted was the contact, the familiarity of washing his brother just like he had during bathtime while they were little. With the way Landel's tried to keep them separated most of the time, he wanted to savor their moments together as much as he could.

Even though something else happening a few showers away was pretty damn distracting. "Hey...I hate to interrupt, but check out Romeo and Julius over there." He pointed at a couple of boys who looked like they were getting down and dirty, but...didn't seem to be enjoying it very much. In fact, the taller boy was standing perfectly still, looking like he wanted to find the nearest cave to crawl into, while the other boy was on his knees in an extremely compromising position, but looking oddly clinical about it.

"Their form is terrible."

Kaoru snapped out of his owns thoughts and looked to what had caught his brother's attention. He pulled an expression of disgust. "They're doing it all wrong. If you're going to pretend you're not enjoying it, you've gotta struggle more than that.... And is the other guy supposed to be seme or uke?"
He turned a dark look towards his brother. "They mock us. And they do it for free." Kaoru wasn't going to drop that insult anytime soon, no.

"I have no idea," Hikaru mused. "He's certainly going for the submissive role, but he's the manlier-looking of the two." The twins had more muscle mass than the skinny kid, who was now apologizing profusely to the nurse that had come over to break up the little show.

Good things never lasted.

Hikaru looked at his brother and sighed. "All right. Kaoru, I'm sorry I made that joke about us only working for money. But that doesn't matter now." He grinned. "We've got another job to do." Oh, Tamaki hadn't been forgotten. He was just on the back burner until they could deal with their newest victims.

"Not forgiven entirely," Kaoru said, though he finally leaned against his brother, "but I call a truce. After all, what sort of Hitachiin twin would I be if I turned down a job like this?"

Hikaru linked arms with his brother. "A truce works just fine for right now." After all, Ed and Tamaki were talking in a corner, and the stage appeared to be set for the greatest of Hikaru's Landel's pranks thus far. They also had the two young lovers to contend with, and he already had a plan for that.

"No brother of mine, that's for sure," he said lightly. "We should make use of the bulletin board for this one. Little public service announcement, maybe. Nice and flowery and full of fake legalese?"

"I miss that place!" Kaoru laughed. "Sounds like a plan." And what could go wrong on a bulletin board?

Kaoru;s gaze wandered towards Tamaki.... "Hi-hika...ru....listen." His body was shaking. He was sure Ed had just said something abo- Kaoru bit down hard on his lip and hid his face on his brother's chest. This was priceless! "Oh god," he gasped through the laughter. "Don't look at them, he'll know it was us!" He wasn't taking credit, he just wasn't letting his brother take all the blame.

Day 34: Men's Showers

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