zitao sometimes pulls jongdae into the shower with him, even when he complains louder than running water. in winter misery loves company even more than usual, zitao forcing a freezing, jongdae into the cold rush from bathroom to bedroom. zitao runs a towel through disheveled blond hair and wishes it was ninety degrees all year round.

                it’s a sense of pride, jongdae claims, to the reason why he refuses to shower with anyone. “plus, you take too long to shampoo,” he would say to a pouting huang zitao.

                “but i’m lonely,” the younger cries, pulling a crew neck tee over damp hair.

                and jongdae knows he’s lost, knows when he kisses the mess of sandy locks still damp, that he would have to make sure loneliness was no longer an option.

                while still keeping his pride, of course.

                “i’m taking a shower real quick,” zitao stretches, extending his ligaments with grace. “and just saying, it’s really boring without someone else.”

                “i don’t think so,” jongdae’s expression softens as he kicks around the piles of laundry on the carpet, “i’ll take one after you.”

                when zitao steps into the shower jongdae makes his way across their apartment, sneaking over a panda plush fallen from the bed and glancing at the dirty dishes in the sink. throwing a stiff towel in the dryer, jongdae cranks the dial to a timed setting and leans to the hum of tossed fabric.

                a showerhead whistles to a stop above him as zitao steps out of the shower. jongdae clamors to grab the towel out of the dryer, satisfied with the heat of the cloth in his hands.

                he makes it to the bathroom just in time, a robed zitao feeling the goose bumps on his skin and caught up in his own world.

                “how was your shower?” jongdae greets, and zitao is kind of taken aback at how swiftly he unties his bathrobe. a towel is draped over bare skin, the warmth is comforting and unexpected and everything zitao loves.

                “is that warm enough?” jongdae kisses him for a mere moment on the lips, he’s being unusually romantic but something about zitao’s flushed cheeks make it worth it.

                “uh huh,” zitao smiles, breathing in cotton and jongdae on their way to the bedroom.

                zitao falls to the bed, still wrapped in his makeshift cocoon, but pulling jongdae down with him. they lay quiet and still, zitao’s hair products smelling of mint and lavender. “do you want me to lie here instead of shower?” jongdae asks with a laugh, caught in zitao’s embrace.

                “you’ll be smelly, but yeah, stay here,” zitao decides, and jongdae simply smirks.

                “jokes on you, zitao; now you’re smelly too.”

                resisting defeat, zitao breaks into another cheesy grin, “guess we’ll just have to take another shower together, huh?”

                jongdae groans.