Page 52 of The Butterfly Killer

"Stop pouting." Roman hit him lightly on the back of the head.

He seethed as he turned his glare at Roman who stood close by in case he decided to run away again. Marcus thought about it. He was already tired though and he really didn't want to hurt his leg anymore than it was.

He thought horrible things as he grabbed the hem of his shirt and yanked it over his head. He let it drop to the floor beside his feet. His chest heaved as he stared at the water, trying his best to ignore Roman's eyes that were focused on him. He didn't dare think about what the man was thinking. His thoughts fought to show him gruesome details of his own looming death, but he closed his eyes and shook his head when they started to come on.

He kept his eyes closed as he unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down his thighs. He stepped out of them. The cold air of the room brushed against his heated skin from wrestling Roman. He clenched and unclenched his fists. Roman's gaze on his almost naked body made him feel sick.

He couldn't stand it anymore.

It's like jumping headfirst into a pool. Once it's over, it isn't so bad.

His soothing words didn't really help. Still, his stomach tightened with this anxiety that was worse than fear and worse than the irritation Roman brought out in him.

But he took the plunge. He grabbed the waistband of his boxers and pushed those down too. He kicked them to the side, opening his eyes again to watch them land between him and Roman.

Don'tlookinhiseyes. Don'tlookinhiseyes.

He looked up and locked eyes with Roman.

He looked away just as fast. He took a step into the tub. The second his toes touched the hot water, he felt like melting. The soothing warmth of the water made him wish the tub was bigenough to hold more liquid and support him. He also wished he was back home to have his own bath in peace.

He pushed that thought aside and tried to look on the bright side. He inwardly cringed at the idea, but even though he wasn't an optimistic person, he didn't want to give up. The worst thing he could do was give up on himself.

He cringed again, this time it showed on his face, but he pretended it was just his muscles hurting from having to lower himself to his knees.

He submerged himself as far as he could. The water stopped above his lap. It was too clear to hide his privates, but he figured it didn't matter. They were both guys and it wasn't like this was a normal occurrence that demanded any kind of decency.

He watched the water ripple. His reflection was distorted. He didn't want to see it anyway. There was a dark mass to the side he recognized to be Roman. It was even more distorted than his own reflection.

He scooped his hand through the water and splashed it up his chest. The warmth lasted for a second before it cooled to an uncomfortable temperature. He shivered as goosebumps rose over his skin.

He was very much aware of Roman watching him, but he tried his best to pretend he was alone. Though kneeling in the tub with his sore leg wasn't the most comfortable position, he did enjoy the water on his skin. He lowered more, wishing the tub was bigger not just for his body's sake but also because he wanted to submerge in it completely.

He gazed down into the water, watching the ripples as he scrubbed over his arms.

He jerked back when something touched his hair. He slammed his arm into Roman's and knocked the bottle he'd been holding onto the ground.

Roman gave Marcus a dull look.

Marcus growled. "Don't touch me."

Roman picked up the soap bottle. The liquid had spilled onto the wood floor. Roman wiped it up with his fingers and held the soap on them as he raised his hand to Marcus.

Marcus moved back as the hand came closer to his hair.

"You need soap if you're going to be fully clean."

Marcus looked at the soap bottle. He glared up at Roman and held out his own hand. "I can do it myself."

Roman slowly handed the bottle over to him. Marcus clutched it with shaking hands as he squirted some soap in his palm. He let the bottle fall on the ground outside of the tub. He hissed as he raised his arms above his head to wash his hair. He barely got any soap on the strands before he had to clutch the side of the tub.

He panted as he waited for the pain to subside. "Are you getting off on this, freak?"

Roman picked up the bottle once more. He squirted a good amount into his hand, sat the bottle down, and started to wash Marcus's hair. He got no complaint from Marcus as he did so only because Marcus knew he wouldn't be able to do it on his own like he said he could.

His cheeks burned as Roman's firm massage felt good on his scalp. He gripped the edge of the tub with a tight grip.

"Tilt your head back," Roman coaxed.

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