— murmured, his voice low and teasing. "though i think my good fortune extends beyond just the view."

his hand, warm and sure, dipped into the water, fingers grazing the smooth skin of her inner thigh before drifting higher, dancing closer to her core.

remus couldn't help but chuckle at tonks's evident annoyance, her prim response only serving to fuel his mischievous streak. he moved toward the tub, approaching from behind where she lounged, a picture of relaxation in the steamy water.

"i suppose i did luck out, in a manner of speaking," he —

— could feel his own flush rising, a pleasant warmth that had nothing to do with the steam. when she finally naked before him, remus couldn't help but whistle softly.

"beautiful," he breathed, his eyes dark with admiration. "you really are a work of art, you know that?"

— resist such a tempting display, 𝑛𝑦𝑚𝑝𝘩𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑎," he murmured, leaning against the sink as he watched her undress. "you know i'm always happy to be an... appreciative audience."

remus's gaze lingered on the creamy expanse of tonks's skin as she revealed it, inch by tantalizing inch. he —

remus chuckled at tonks's scolding, finding her reaction quite endearing. he followed her into the bathroom, his eyes drinking in the sight of her peeling off her clothes. the room grew warm as steam swirled around them, but it was nothing compared to the heat building in remus's chest.

"hard to —

— his thumb brushing against the curve of her hip. he knew he was teasing her, but seeing the flush creep up her neck was a reward in itself. "and who knows," he added softly, his eyes meeting hers, "what else might get washed away in such a relaxing atmosphere."

— deductions. the steam swirled around them, a cozy cocoon.

“i merely meant,” he continued, his voice a low rumble, “that a good, long soak would be quite… cleansing for your weary bones. perhaps wash away some of the day’s stresses?” he punctuated the last word with a gentle squeeze of her back, —

remus’s grin widened, a touch of mock innocence playing on his lips. he tilted his head, feigning surprise. “a dirty pun? whatever do you mean, my dearest nymphadora?”

he watched her, a smile tugging at his own mouth. she was far too clever for him sometimes, but today, he relished her —

— lavender and chamomile. "but really, a bath will work wonders for relaxing you."

as he spoke, remus gently turned her toward the bathroom, his hand resting low on the small of her back. "come on, let's get you soaking."

remus chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he leaned down to murmur against her ear, "guilty as charged." he nuzzled her neck playfully, his fingers tracing idle patterns on her hip. the warm steam from the bath wafted out and surrounded them, carrying the sweet scent of —

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&&. @oflycanthropy.bsky.social.

— turning on the water.

"then perhaps a warm bath will help," he suggested, his lips twitching into a small, although warm smile before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"i'll go turn on the water," he added, taking a step back before turning around and heading into the bathroom, placing the plug into the bathtub and —

— poured himself into it, holding nothing back, letting Tonks feel the depth of his devotion.

— over. "I don't deserve you," he admitted softly, the words heavy with conviction. "I don't deserve any of this. But I promise I'll spend every day trying to be worthy of it, of you."

Remus sealed his vow with another kiss, slow and deep and full of all the love he had to give. He —

— and a dangerous present. He had never thought himself worthy of this kind of happiness, this kind of love. But Tonks saw him, truly saw him, and she still chose him. She still wanted him, flaws and all.

He cupped her face in his hands, thumbs brushing away the tears that finally spilled —