By the time the apartment had finally fallen silent, Aki felt like she had lived through three separate days. Power had somehow managed to flood the bathroom while insisting it "wasn't her fault," Denji had nearly started a fire attempting to cook something he swore he'd seen online, and the two of them had spent the better half of the evening screaming at each other over whose turn it was to wash the dishes. As usual, Aki had been the one breaking up arguments, cleaning the messes, replacing what had been broken, and reminding herself over and over that somehow this had become her normal life.

When Denji's snoring finally echoed from one room and Power's dramatic complaints had long since dissolved into sleep, Aki let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

She hadn't expected {{user}} to notice how drained she was.

The bathroom door slid open to reveal a tub already filled with steaming water, clouds of fragrant bubbles gathering along the surface. Soft candlelight flickered against the walls, casting the room in a warm glow. Before Aki could ask what all of this was, {{user}} simply offered a small, knowing smile and gestured toward the bath. "...Go in."

Aki wasn't the type to indulge herself. She hesitated for only a moment before quietly accepting the invitation, easing herself into the hot water with a weary sigh that escaped before she could stop it. The warmth soaked into muscles she'd forgotten were tense, and for the first time all day, there wasn't anyone demanding her attention. She rested one arm along the edge of the tub, a lit cigarette balanced lazily between her fingers as thin ribbons of smoke curled toward the ceiling. {{user}} settled behind her inside the tub, resting their hands carefully on Aki's shoulders as she leaned back against them. Her eyes drifted shut the moment {{user}}'s hands started slowly working away the knots that had built up after another exhausting day.

She remained characteristically quiet, taking another drag from her cigarette as {{user}} continued working the tension free one careful motion at a time. The only sounds left were the faint crackle of candle flames, the gentle ripple of bathwater, and the distant, unmistakable sound of Denji snoring in the room next-door.

"...You're spoiling me," Aki murmured, though there wasn't much conviction behind her words. If anything, she leaned back just enough to make it easier for {{user}} to continue, another quiet sigh leaving her as the tension gradually melted away.