Nothing To Appreciate

"Don't just stare at me. Get undressed." Calix folded his jeans to his arm along with his shirt and varsity jacket; unabashed to stand naked in front of Klein.

Okay, he wasn't totally naked. Calix still had his briefs on, but it barely covered anything as it's a bikini type made of flimsy cheap fabric that outlined his bulging private parts. A patch of his pubic hair even peeked out of its garter.

"I don't mind you appreciating me so openly, but we're running out of time."

Annoyance at Calix's vaunting speech narrowed Klein's eyes. He stuffed his notebook back in his bag and made his way to the bathroom without asking for permission. "What's there to appreciate, exactly?"

Klein didn't wait for any retort and slammed the bathroom door shut. Resting his back against the flat surface, he rubbed his hands over his face to get rid of the embarrassment that seeped into every blood vessel in his cheeks.

Everything about Calix's physical appearance was worth appreciating; from his undercut hair dyed in platinum blond and prismatic eyes beneath his thick eyebrows, to his meaty thighs and calves that gave emphasis to his huge… feet. His well-toned physique seemed to have gone through rigorous exertions, but despite the multiple scars marring his sun-kissed skin, he was still undeniably attractive—by society's standard.

Klein had no plans of telling him that, though. He was just taking note of his physical appearance for the purpose of easy identification.

"Klein?"

A series of knocks jolted Klein away from the imprinted mental image of the young man on the other side of the door. He checked the doorknob to make sure it was locked and cursed under his breath to find it broken.

"Are you done undressing? Here's a clean towel you can use," Calix said.

"Do I really have to undress?"

"We need to wash our clothes and bathe. Then we have to apply a special oil to mask our scent. That way, a werewolf cannot trail us to our next stop."

"I thought you said it's a special powder?" Klein clarified, confused as to what kind of special products Calix was talking about.

"The special powder had to be mixed with the water you'd use for bathing. It's to get rid of your scent. After that, you'll have to lather your skin with a special oil to hide your scent even if you sweat later on. Is that clear?"

Klein rolled his eyes, still doubtful about the entire process. But since this wasn't his field of expertise, he just breathed out a relented sigh. "Yeah, it's clear. Hold on."

Calix's face came into view when Klein cracked the door to accept the towel from him. He flashed a toothy grin, but before he could speak again, Klein slammed the door in his face.

Klein hooked his bag on a nail lodged behind the door and undressed himself as fast as he could. He had only placed his clothes on a clothesline inside the bathroom when the door opened suddenly.

"Hey!"

"Oh, sorry. The doorknob is broken, so it opens at the slightest nudge."

Klein glared at Calix and covered himself with the towel. "Then don't touch it when someone is here."

"Stop acting like a girl. We're both guys here. There was nothing down there for me to appreciate." Calix closed the door to a slightly offended Klein.

'The nerve of this guy!'

"Oh, I almost forgot."

"What?!" Klein hollered as the door opened again.

Calix laughed at his ruffled expression and grabbed the clothes he put on the clothesline. "I'm just taking your clothes so I can wash them together with mine. It's to conserve water."

Klein's nose flared. "Anything else?"

"Here. Dissolve that in the water." Calix threw a bottle at him.

Caught off-guard, Klein extended both arms to catch the bottle. Despite having zero experience in any sports that required catching something with his hands, he caught the bottle and prevented it from hitting the tiled floor. But in turn, he dropped the towel, exposing himself fully to the amused guy standing in the doorway.

Calix whistled in amazement and smirked. "Nice catch."

The door clicked shut, at last, leaving Klein in the bathroom while clutching a bottle that contained a white powder. The veins on his forehead only popped in utter annoyance upon realizing what it was.

"An alum powder." Klein chuckled humorlessly. He stared at the door and his messenger bag. He still had the gun in his possession, and it tempted him to just cover his hands with gun powder instead.

Calix spoke about a special powder like it was something magical, but it's just a freaking alum powder. Fucking fantastic! But then, it was scientifically proven that an alum powder was an effective antibacterial to remove body odor, so he's going to accept it.

Crouching down, Klein picked up the green towel and prepared his bath on an old diesel container turned into a bucket. He shouldn't have gone here. Everything about this was absurd. Maybe he was still dreaming.

After a refreshing cold bath that told him he wasn't trapped in a dream, Klein stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped securely around his waist. He placed his bag on a chair and noticed that Calix was nowhere to be seen.

His nose twitched at the scent of burning incense. Scented candles were also set alight on the shelf, giving a strange vibe that swirled inside the room.

The front door opened and Calix entered; still half-naked, but his lower half had been covered with a pair of dark trousers. "Oh, you're done? Okay, I'm gonna take a bath too. Just make yourself at home and wait for me."

Klein trailed him with his eyes until he disappeared into the bathroom. He didn't know what to do, so he just sat down in the chair and waited.

It didn't take Calix long. Only after ten minutes since he entered the bathroom, he emerged back with a towel draped loosely around his hips, emphasizing his pelvis that Klein didn't want to stare at.

"Ah... That felt so good!" Calix combed his damp hair as if he's a model in a massage spa commercial.

Actually, with the floral scent of the incense, and the soft orange glow of the candles, the entire apartment suddenly screamed massage spa... with extra service.

Calix sent Klein an intense stare; the same one he's been giving him on the train and asked, "Should we start?"

Klein became painfully aware that the two of them only had towels around their body and it scared him to ask what they should start specifically, in case the question was taken the wrong way and he ended up surrendering something very precious to the wrong person at the wrong time.

'Well, I'm already eighteen,' Klein thought, then kicked himself for even considering whatever his mind was thinking. 'Get a grip! Think logically with your brain and not your virgin ass.'