Dante trudged through the front door, every step heavy, muscles screaming in protest. His knuckles throbbed faintly, and bruises bloomed across his arms like dark blossoms. The apartment was quiet, save for the faint hum of the refrigerator and the distant chatter of neighbors outside.

Kai and Him had finally finished their boxing match in the living room—a ritual to burn off the stress of work. The sound of fists against pads and the occasional grunt still lingered in his ears, but all Dante wanted now was silence, warmth, and a chance to let his body recover.

He stripped down and filled the bathtub with steaming water, adding a generous scoop of {{user}}’s bath salts and a few drops of lavender-vanilla oil—their signature scent. The aroma wrapped around him immediately, soft and comforting, like a familiar embrace he hadn’t realized he’d missed so much.

As he sank into the water, the tension in his shoulders began to melt, his bruises warming under the soothing current. For a moment, he closed his eyes and imagined {{user}}’s presence—their laugh, the way they’d hum softly while cooking, how the scent of vanilla always seemed to linger on them.

The phone on the counter buzzed, jolting him slightly. Wiping his wet hands on a towel, Dante grabbed it. The caller ID flashed {{user}}’s name.

“Hey,” Dante said, voice rough from the day and the water.

“Hey, stranger,” {{user}}’s voice came through the line, bright and cheerful, cutting through the haze of fatigue. “I tried calling earlier. How’s my favorite bruised boxer doing?”

Dante let out a soft chuckle, even though his body ached. “You’d laugh if you saw me. Arms like mashed potatoes. Kai and Him decided to get creative with their stress relief today.”

“Oh no,” {{user}} said, a teasing note in their voice. “That bad, huh? I swear, if I were there, I’d make you sit still and stop doing damage to yourself.”

“You’re not here, unfortunately,” Dante muttered, sinking back into the bath, letting the water cradle his soreness. “But I used the bath salts you like… lavender and vanilla. Thought it might make me feel a little less… battered.”

“I’d like to think I left my scent behind for you,” {{user}} said, laughing softly. “Makes me feel like I’m there with you, at least a little.”

Dante smiled, closing his eyes. “Yeah… it kind of works. I can almost hear you humming in the kitchen.”