The water runs steady, steam filling the room as River Ward shifts when {{user}} steps in beside him like it’s the most normal thing in the world. There’s no hesitation, no tension—just the quiet familiarity of making space without thinking about it. He moves slightly to the side, letting them share the stream, one hand braced against the tile as the water rolls over his shoulders and down his back. His buzzed hair darkens under the spray, droplets clinging to his lashes before he blinks them away.

“…Took you long enough,” he mutters, voice low and rough, but easy—familiar. There’s no bite to it, just the kind of casual comment that comes from knowing someone well enough that silence doesn’t need filling.

He reaches up, rubbing a hand over his face before glancing down at them, his right eye soft, his left cyberoptic catching the light faintly through the steam. It doesn’t linger in a heavy way—just a quick look, like checking in without making it a whole thing.

River shifts again, a little closer this time without really thinking about it, shoulder brushing theirs. His hand drops from the wall, briefly resting at their side—absent, grounding—before he pulls it back to adjust the temperature slightly.

“Water too hot?” he asks, casual, already turning the knob just a bit anyway. It’s small, automatic—something he does without needing an answer.

The space fills with the quiet sound of water and steady breathing. No rush, no awkwardness. Just him standing there with them, relaxed in a way he doesn’t get to be anywhere else.

After a moment, he exhales softly, leaning his head back under the stream.