[Open] It's getting hot in here

[showsnopiety]

Who: Caren and anyone visiting the hot springs!
When: Post dungeon, could be right after fail/success, could be days after
Where: Hot Springs of course
What: There's a hot springs, so now there's a hot springs episode.
Rating: Could be a p-13 and beyond because some people are only wearing towels in this place.





[Win or fail, everyone needed a reason and a way to relax. With the fall of the towers, there was all sorts of good things to come from it. Some would say it was the birds; and others would say it was the hot springs.

The large, large pools of heated water. Sure, they could be used as a way to get all steamed up (or even steam punk) but after all that hard work, everyone deserves a break!

Bring your swimsuits, your towels, your drinks and snacks-who knows, you should be able to find them in the bazaars, or even on Airy. It's time to soak in the heat!]

Comments

[acknowledges]

Here. [They're close enough to his stuff that it doesn't really matter. Naruto sticks the towel he's been wrapped up in into Bolin's hand, guiding it back to the guy's face just long enough to encourage a you take it from here reaction.

Because, perhaps contrary to this little display, Naruto is a little shy- he's chosen to stash his clothes and a properly sized towel in a fairly unpopular spot. At the very least he won't be flashing any more poor unsuspecting girls over here. If it's just another guy then it's no big deal. He bends down, snatching up the other piece of cloth and wrapping it steadily around his hips.]

You still didn't tell me what happened.

[sediments]

Happened when? [ Bolin responds, pressing the towel to his nose and apparently not realizing that his nose bleeding might be the subject of Naruto's inquiry.

Instead, his mind goes in a fantastically different direction. ]

Oh, you mean this scar? [ He gestures to the new addition of his left bicep. ] It's just—

[ And then it hits him, and he goes suddenly quiet, gaze slowly shifting downward until he's staring at Naruto's crotch. Slow realization that is rapidly turning into horror is evident on his face. ]

Don't give me the towel that was touching your dick?! [ He nearly screeches, whipping the towel off his face and at Naruto's chest. ] I put that on my face!!

[acknowledges]

I GAVE YOU THE OTHER SIDE!

[In Naruto's defense, this is not a big deal. He hasn't been rolling around in it, he hasn't been grinding up on it or drying himself off- this towel has spent more time on his head than it has anywhere else and if he'd given over his other one there'd be dirt on it, from where it's been left on the ground.]

Now you're getting your blood all over me!

[sediments]

So!! It was on your crotch and I put it on my face, that's like— like—

[ Okay, so he can't think of an appropriate comparison but he's still incredibly alarmed by this sequence of events. Why did he need Naruto's crotch towel?! Why wouldn't they have just gone to the exit!

He puts one hand on his hip, the other rubbing at the blood on the lower side of his face. ]

I'd take blood over crotch towels, you know.

[acknowledges]

It wasn't on my crotch!

[There it is, that blush that climbs down his face when he feels any emotion. Because he has terrible impulse control the volume of his voice has risen with each denial and this latest one can probably be heard by anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby.]

And pinch your nose before you bleed to death or something'attebayo!

[sediments]

[ Huffing angrily, Bolin pinches his nose as instructed. He manages to calm down eventually, though it's almost as though he can still feel the dick towel on his face and he shudders.

Then, he shoots Naruto a puzzled look. ]

I can't believe you're hanging out here naked. I though you were really shy?

[acknowledges]

[There are parts to this sentence that don't make sense to Naruto and the confusion is evident on his face. That he doesn't consider himself shy is chief among them.]

You're not supposed to wear clothes in a hot spring. [This is obvious? Or at least, he presumed it was obvious, and given the people he'd been sitting with he'd been in good company.] And I'm not naked right now I'm wearing the dirty towel.

[That part is an unhappy scowl. He's going to have to go wash himself before he gets back in now and there's Bolin, refusing to acknowledge that he just took one for the team because he's too concerned about a towel's history while he's bleeding out.]

[sediments]

[ There is absolutely no part of Bolin that is going to acknowledge that Naruto took one for the team, and he meets Naruto's scowl with a suspicious narrowing of his own eyes.

But he is willing to make compromises for the sake of progress. ]

Thanks. [ He answers blithely. ] I'm sorry I whipped it at you. But anyway, you're pretty bold if you're hanging out in front of girls in the nude.

[ Does he have something to be confident about? Bolin hadn't been looking. ]

[acknowledges]

[Later, once he looks back on this, he'll recognize the injustice of Bolin looking positively on his act of heroism. As it stands, Naruto is an equally cooperative personality and if Bolin is willing to go with it then he can too.]

I already told you, you're not supposed to wear clothes in a hot spring.

[He's repeating himself because he's embarrassed. He doesn't think of himself as bold- at least, not that way.] And I didn't realize it was gonna be mixed either. Once it happened, I couldn't do anything to change it'attebayo.

[sediments]

You sure?

[ Maybe Bolin's feeling teasing considering that Naruto was trying to bully him earlier, but he gives the smaller boy a cautious look. ]

So you're not just some guy that secretly flashes girls?

[ The question comes out awkwardly loud, with Bolin not even being remotely smooth in his delivery. Not that it matters! Naruto is young and inexperienced anyway, so he'll be embarrassed regardless! ]

[acknowledges]

[Right on cue that blush is turning his face the color of a beet and makes his ears burn. It doesn't quite register that Bolin's voice is loud enough to carry because that's Naruto's default state of being, and his fingers curl into flustered fists at his sides.]

YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT'S SEEN MY JUNK!

[Until he flashes a princess by accident, anyway. It's okay Bolin-chan, you'll always be his first.]

[sediments]

[ It's unclear what exactly Naruto was hoping to achieve with that loud statement, but it certainly gets Bolin's jaw to drop, colour filling his own cheeks. ]

Don't just yell that?! [ Bolin's voice, even while shouting, doesn't have the booming quality (or the shrill quality) to warrant all caps. Mostly he just sounds distressed. ] People are going to think I'm sort of creep!

[ That goes around looking at people's junk!! ]

And I haven't seen it!! Why would you think I'd look?!

[acknowledges]

You checked me out the first time we met'attebayo.

[He's referring to the time Bolin had looked at his chest. The only reason Naruto's voice drops back from it's frighting proximity to the sound barrier is because he's scowling, and making sure his drying-off towel is secured tightly around his hips.

And then- a lightbulb moment.]

Oh.

Is that- is that why you had a bloody nose? Some girl caught you peeking?

[sediments]

[ Unfortunately, Bolin doesn't consider his glance at Naruto's chest as "checking him out" so he has no recollection of what the other boy might be talking about. He definitely doesn't remember staring at Naruto's crotch back then.

Because he's not in the habit of looking at dude's dicks?! ]

I did not! And— [ He shakes his head, trying to figure out how those two things are even related. ] Of course not?! [ Turning increasingly red. ] I just started bleeding! Maybe I overheated!

[acknowledges]

[Just give it time, Bolin. You'll warm up to it.

Naruto leans forward, clearly convinced and entirely too smug about it. Where he'd been shouting moments earlier, now his voice drops to a secretive murmur. Between his narrowed eyes and the curl of a smile on his mouth, his expression does remarkably little to convey confidentiality.]

I bet you did. Some cute girl got you overheated huh huh? Is it anybody I know?

[sediments]

You're wrong.

[ THEY'RE IN HOT SPRINGS. That's why he overheated. Why is Naruto even picking on him, they got along so well earlier?! ]

I'm not some little kid that gets excited just by seeing a girl. [ Untrue, naked women definitely fluster Bolin, but it's not sharing hour and he's not about to hand Naruto that information.

Instead, he narrows his eyes. ]

I'm not the virgin here after all.

[acknowledges]

[As they get to know one another better it'll become clear- but friendship with Naruto means abject honesty. If he has a thought it'll just fall right out of his mouth, but this sometimes brutal truthfulness is a quality he's quick to accept in return. Naruto doesn't open his mouth with the desire to hurt and he doesn't say the things he does with malicious intent. He's just rambunctious by nature, and a bit of teasing is par for the getting-along course.

He also isn't embarrassed about being a virgin, so Bolin's barb doesn't quite hit the mark. While he's certainly shy about having to admit that he's had one entire kiss in his life... and it's been with a guy- he isn't ashamed to lack experience in the bedroom. He's been doing other things, and none of his peers are dating either. They're shinobi- they have more important stuff to focus on right now.]

Jeeze how many naked girls have you seen?

[sediments]

[ Well. Bolin frowns. He's not shy about sex, not the way his brother is, but that doesn't mean that he speaks openly about all his experiences; he'd learned some discretion in the past couple of years. It doesn't feel right to talk about Opal like that when she's not even here. ]

Anyway. [ He sidesteps unsubtly. [ That's not what happened. What kind of guy do you take me for?

[acknowledges]

I don't know what kinda guy you are, [There's Naruto- as always just a little too truthful. His expression adopts the same frown Bolin wears and he takes the obvious sidestep to mean "alot."] you made me sound like some kinda weirdo for going to the springs the way you're supposed to.

Here. [And just like that, it's forgive and forget. Naruto bends down just long enough to snatch his container of water. He's as used to bringing supplies as he is to trying not to use them.]

If it was the heat you should try an' cool off.

[sediments]

[ For his part, Bolin's not sure if he's ready to forgive Naruto for all of his truancies during their short meeting. And to think! They'd made such a coordinated team last time!

He doesn't sulk as he takes the water, putting it to his lips without even bothering with "oh, you shouldn't have"s, and taking a few deep gulps before sighing. There's certainly no replacement for water, and Bolin will gladly take the offering after how much the springs had dried him out.

Relaxed, he hands the water back. ]

Thanks. I'll probably head out now.

[acknowledges]

Bolin. [The thing is, this up and down is part of who he is. Naruto moves quickly- he embrace experiences even when he isn't sure what they are, even when he has no understanding of the consequences or details. Everything he does, he does by jumping in with both feet. If it's occurred to him that Bolin might think badly of him for this interaction it's impossible to tell. Naruto has been thought badly of so many times before that he doesn't flinch for the sting.

He pauses instead when the water is passed back, and Naruto's hand catches atop of Bolin's own- a gesture meant to still him. To force him to pause, even just for a minute.]

Are you sure you're okay?

[sediments]

[ The contact is enough to get Bolin to still. Mostly in surprise, because Bolin is a casual; carefree, and the sudden seriousness to Naruto's tone catches him off guard.

He just smiles, the younger sibling in him pleased to hear the concern. ]

Yeah, I'm fine. [ He raises an eyebrow. ] Did you think I got into a fight?

[acknowledges]

[The moment shifts, tilting them from one point to another, and Naruto lets him go only when he's sure that he has Bolin's attention. He watches the guy's face, the set of his shoulders and the way he holds his gaze- and accepts the answer for what it is. He can either believe that Bolin will tell him the truth or not, and he's had no reason to doubt him so far.

His head shakes.]

We just fought another dragon'attebayo. And I tried to smash your face last time.

[sediments]

[ Letting his wrist drop, Bolin settles it on his hip, looking at ease despite his sorry state earlier. He's surprised that Naruto's so casual about his... little tantrum though, he'd seemed fairly bothered about it before. ]

Yeah, I remember. [ His other hand goes to his jaw, as if remember how the younger boy had clocked him last time. ] I'm not sure if you're trying to say I get into fights easily or something, but I didn't really expect you flipping out last time!

[ Squaring his shoulders a little, he puts on a confident face. ]

I don't usually let myself get beat up.

[acknowledges]

[It doesn't feel casual to Naruto, it feels like the acceptance of fact. He's hurt the people he cares about by losing control before- by not being more aware of himself, and by letting fear and anger deafen the beating of his heart. To know that it happened again, after everything he'd done to overcome it back home, had been a heavy blow. But he'd also been able to meet that part of himself face to face- and the only way to overcome it had been to embrace it. Naruto doesn't know why this is something he has to struggle with again, but it's part of him just the same. If he doesn't try and understand it, then he'll end up hurting people like Bolin all over again.

At least this way he can take responsibility for what he's done.

He takes a swallow of water himself, rubbing his mouth in the crook of one elbow as his brows crease. It's part skepticism and part curiosity.]

How do you keep yourself from getting beat up in a fight? That's what fighting is.