(8)Midsummer bath

He blinked quickly thinking back to their conversation and turned his attention back to their conversation. "I should be around…17? Years old. My last birthday was this winter."

The two looked at each other and then Guan Chen spoke,

"I'm 25 years old, my birthday is in the fall."

Qiu Feng narrowed his eyes and placed his chin on his legs, a bit lazy. He had almost completely relaxed.

"Would you mind if i helped with you hair?"

Qiu Feng asked a bit suddenly.

"In my memories sometimes there would be servants washing my hair, in fact, when i first woke up and moved this heavy thing here i struggled with my long hair."

He laughed, "I wanted to cut it all off, there were knots and tangles everywhere." He paused and studied Guan Chen's face again,

"If you don't mind i could help?"

He looked at Guan Chen, a bit hopeful but also wary, ready to take back his offer if he needed.

Guan Chen paused and brought a hand to his head. When he lived by himself and with his parent except when he was young he never had anyone help wash his hair. After living as an assassin he had to play several rich roles and experienced having servants wash his hair and body.

He had a rather good impression of Qiu Feng and didn't mind the young mans actions to get closer to him.

Turning around he faced his back towards the young man, unconsciously unguarded. Patiently guiding Guan Chen's head down he scooped water over his head and slowly moved his finger through his hair.

Originally he thought that Guan Chen would be touch averse and wouldn't be very talkative or willing to interact with him. But it seemed fine now, perhaps he had thought too much, after all the man was originally an assassin. That mentality was probably their somewhere, although he didn't seem to be in that headspace often around him.

Guan Chen stiffened when he felt Qiu Fengs finishers touch his head but he tried to relax. The cool water rushing through his hair and scalp made him unintentionally relax a bit. As he calmed down he became more aware of Qiu Feng's fingers moving through his hair. They were gentle and moving slowly, bit by bit untangling his hair.

"Too bad i don't have any soaps or anything like it, our hair would be much easier to wash."

"Humm mm mhmm ham mm mnum~"

Qiu Fengs soft humming and the gentle pull of his hair made Guan Chen relax completely.

"What song are you singing? It sounds nice."

Qiu Feng was startled, "Now that you ask, i wonder where it came from. I remember that it was a song about a pair of men who became lovers..and that originally it was played by a guqin and later a flute was added."

He sighed, still focused on running his fingers through Guan Chen's hair.

His thoughts wandered again,

'I'm so glad Guan Chen is here. I hope we can stay like this for a long time. As long as he's happy i'll be happy too.'

He focused back on their conversation and answer gently,

"I don't really remember the rest, it was probably from a long time ago."

It was silent the rest of the hair washing. When Qiu Feng finished Guan Chen paused before asking,

"Would you mind if i did you hair too? I'm not sure if i'd do a good job though."

Qiu Feng smiled and even though Guan Chen was turned around he could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yes! I would love you to."

Turning around and letting Guan Chen take control of his hair he was a bit stiff.

'I wonder if it's just the idea of being naked around someone else…After all it was important too keep your distance in my old world.'

Suddenly Guan Chen asked a question, his voice low and close to Qiu Feng's ear,

"What are you thinking about?"

"Well bathing is,"He paused a bit unsure weather he should ask, "you don't bathe naked with other people…right?"

He paused again,

"I mean is seeing other people naked…wrong? Or something like that?"

Guan Chen couldn't help himself and began to laugh.

"Well yes, it's common etiquette to not see other people regardless of gender, naked. But we are alone and it's just us so it's fine."

In his mind he thought back to the conversation he had had with the young man when he had said he had lost his memories and was very unfamiliar with the world around him. He had picked up on several things that exposed the fact that the young man didn't know anything, and bathing with others naked was definitely a big give away.

'I'm worried for him, how could he survive without someone being there to tell him these type of things?'

The bath finished soon after and they returned to their regular routine. The next few weeks passed quickly, absorbed in their own world the two cleaned, ate, and bathed together. As the only two people there they talked often or sometimes not at all. As summers heat came to its peak the two lay on the wooden pathway, outside Qiu Fengs room half in the shade.

Pillows and a few blankets had been layed out and with the slow pace of their world and the heat they decided to take a break. Lazing around Guan Chen accidentally fell asleep, the heat had finally gotten to him.

When he awoke he heard a faint mumbling coming from his side, sleepily glancing over he was unconsciously very relaxed. These past few week he spent with Qiu Feng he had a very high sense of familiarity of the others body. Therefore even though he had woke abruptly and in the past he would have immediately been alert once his body sensed it was Qiu Feng he relaxed.

'I wonder…how long this peace will last?'

It seemed this thought was like a catalyst. Soon trouble came, violent, angry and in the form of Wing Liu.