DAY 37: MEN'S SHOWERS (4th Shift)

[mazoku-king.livejournal.com]

There had been an awkward air left between him and Tyki after their conversation. Yuuri knew he wasn't the best at explaining much of anything, and for the tenth time he wondered why Murata wasn't here to answer the difficult questions for him. Everyone had been herded out of the cafeteria after that, and Yuuri had simply followed along in confusion as he headed towards the showers.

Yuuri still hadn't seen Wolfram yet and the young Maou was wondering if the blonde Mazoku was alright. Stretching his head up higher, Yuuri attempted to look over the heads of the other patients around him in an attempt to catch sight of Wolfram. Unfortunately, though, he was unsuccessful.

"Where are you, Wolfram?" He muttered to himself while stepping under the shower's spray. Maybe a shower would help clear his mind.

[Waiting for Wolfram]

Comments

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

Artemis paused for a moment, then continued the slow, rhythmic scrubbing. "How is it that we're so alike?"

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

Haku chuckled at that. "Perhaps we are the same person?"

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

Artemis laughed as well, "I highly doubt that. You are far more graceful than I could ever hope to be."

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

"Well, I've had training," Haku pointed out with an amused smile. "I was 'groomed' to be graceful and and you were 'groomed' to be a business man. Different set of lessons."

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

"But you take the parts of the world I never experienced in such stride. Even the parts I've been in and you don't understand you take in stride. I only trip all over myself."

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

Haku smiled and shook his head, careful not to move too much and disturb Artemis. "It only takes a few painful moments to learn to take things in stride."

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

Artemis frowned, not quite understanding. "What do you mean?"

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

Haku smiled. "Well, if I stumble over something unexpected, I might wind up hurt by something else unexpected that I wasn't watching for." He bit his lip in thought.

"I'm not sure that made much sense."

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

Artemis nodded, "I think I understand." It sounded like a 'I didn't need/want to know' situation. The boy moved to a different part of Haku's back, thinking this was becoming more of a massage, really. "Just so you know, I'll watch for anything when I'm talking with you."

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

Haku chuckled. "That sounds like a good idea."

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

Artemis smiled, "No, really, I will. I understand that there are things I shouldn't say and things that I really don't--"

He pulled the washcloth off of Haku's back for a moment. He hadn't noticed it before, but up close, it was more than noticeable. Artemis stared at the patch of scarred tissue on Haku's back. Ironic. In the category of things he didn't want to know...

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

Haku frowned and tilted his head towards his friend. "Artemis?" He'd stopped speaking and moving... Haku was slightly concerned.

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

Artemis didn't speak for a few seconds. But his fingers slowly rose to the scar and gently touched it. As though maybe it would disappear if he brushed it away. Like sand, or a dream.

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

Haku knew the spot Artemis was touching and a small smile came to his lips. "There is a matching one here," he said, bringing up his hand to touch the front of his chest.

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

Artemis' hand started shaking. He wasn't sure what he should say. What could he say?

"There are people in here," he said. The connection was made much more easily in his head. He was simply vocalizing the end of his decision making process.

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

Haku blinked and frowned in thought. "Yes. It's a public bath, there are usually people around."

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

Artemis struggled to find the other links in the chain. They seemed so far apart in his mind.

"I can't hold you."

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

Haku smiled. So that was it.

"No, but after this is dinner," he pointed out.

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

"It's too far," Artemis muttered, gently tracing the outline of the scar as though to memorize it. Such a scar shouldn't even be possible...

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

Haku flexed his shoulders for a moment. "That tickles," he said, mostly to distract Artemis from the scar that seemed to upset him so much.

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

"You can feel it?" Artemis asked, dragging his fingers over it curiously.

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

Haku flexed his back again. "I can feel the edges, yes." Really, was Artemis sure he wanted to get into this here, in the showers?

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

Artemis was mesmerized by Haku's back--both the scar and the muscles moving beneath the skin. He'd never had the chance to properly admire such a thing before. Everyone he worked with was always clothed head to toe.

"I thought all of the nerves would be dead," Artemis confessed, beginning to wash Haku's shoulders.

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

"The scar itself is," Haku said. "The edges around it though are slightly more sensitive then the rest of my back and chest." He smiled slightly, a morbid thought entering his mind, but he did not voice it.

Since his heart was long gone, who's heart now beat in his chest?

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

"Well that's understandable," Artemis said, still gently washing Haku. He wasn't paying attention to what he was doing, though, and kept washing the same place.

He didn't want to think about it, but the information was still fresh in his head. Still turning over again and again.