Azama finished shortly thereafter, obviously more familiar with his own outfit than Caineghis could ever hope to be, and he led the two men past another curtain and into the men’s bath.

Immediately they were assaulted by a wall of thick steam and it took a moment for Caineghis to adjust to the drastic change in humidity, visibility, and temperature.

Azama remained unfazed by the steam as he pointed towards the two walls that ran along the length of the room; the one to their right had a half dozen or so windows with frosted glass, and the one on the left had a fresco that depicted several distant fishing boats beneath a sun setting on the ocean. Below each wall sat a long, tile-covered bath that extended the entire length of the long room. The light blue tile of the bath -which stood in stark contrast to the dark basalt stones that paved the floor in the center of the room- extend down and then across the floor before curling around a lip that protruded from the ground, forming a low, empty basin on the floor next to the bath.

“Along both walls are the bath part of the room. The general procedure is to take one of these stools and one of the buckets-”

Azama gestured to the stacks of wooden stools and wooden buckets that sat by the door they just came through.

“-draw water from the upper bath and bathe in the lower part, but since it’s late and we’ll probably be the last customers tonight, you can use the upper level to rinse off without worrying about getting in anybody else’s way.”

“Is that one of those things that you mentioned you shouldn’t be doing?” Greil asked, stifling a chuckle.

“Probably!” Azama laughed, “While it’ll make getting the soap out of your hair a breeze, Caineghis, it’s up to you if you want to do that.”

Caineghis thought back to how genuinely afraid for his life Azama had been just a few minutes before.

“I might like to come back here in the future.”

“That’s a smart answer. Nanase’s going to take a liking to you.”

He then gestured towards a pool of steaming-hot water that had filled a square hole in the center of the room. There was a wall on the other side of it from which pale green water lazily flowed out along a square spout and into the pool below, which was made of the same dark wood that formed a small platform around the edge of the pool.

“And while I’d personally recommend using the one outside, which you can get to by going through the door on the other side of the wall, that in the middle there is an indoor hot spring.”

The water was a foggy pale green, like someone had taken a lime and ground up the entire rind, and then done that over and over and over to the point where they’d be able to taint the entire spring.

“Is that what a hot spring is supposed to look like? The water is…”

“Oh, the color? Yeah, that’s normal. There are minerals in the water, and that and the heat are supposed to have rejuvenative effects on the body,” Azama shrugged, as nonchalant as ever, “But I wouldn’t recommend drinking it. Made that mistake once and…”

Azama’s face distorted in disgust at the memory.

“Bleh, I think the flavor is better left to the imagination. That’s about it so I’ll be leaving you two to your own devices, but if you need anything else explained, just let me know.”

Azama gave them a short half-wave, half-salute gesture and then grabbed a stool and bucket and made his way to the other end of the room.

Greil grabbed a set of his own, dropping his soap, shampoo, and the conditioner in the bucket as he turned to Caineghis.

“So…”

“So.”

“How do you want to do this?”

“I’m not cleaning my hair in the bath, especially when I don’t know how much I’m going shed this time.”

“I meant more along the lines if you wanted help with anything.”

“Oh,” Caineghis said softly, his eyes darting to Azama before he continued, “I could use some assistance with my hair, and with scrubbing my back, I suppose. It pains me to admit that I’m not as flexible as I used to be.”

Part of him wanted to do more.

Part of him wanted to ask for more.

Part of him wanted Greil’s hands to roam all the way across his body, to share himself with Greil to the greatest possible extent.

Part of him wanted to be anywhere but here.

And he ignored all those parts, especially the last.

“Oh, for a second I was afraid you were going to work me to the bone.”

Caineghis stepped around Greil to grab a bucket and stool.

“Then don’t make offers you don’t want to follow through on,” he said, turning his head back as he walked over towards the bath on the right, “next time I’ll be sure to get my money’s worth.”

He set the stool down, placed his towel and soap on the edge of the bath, and filled his bucket with water. The water was warm, but not quite hot enough for any wisps of steam to rise up off of it, though in a room already filled with steam he couldn’t be entirely sure.

He lifted the bucket and doused his flowing fire-red hair, filled the bucket again, and then sat down, facing the wall.

He felt Greil stare, and even if he didn’t feel his gaze, he would have known he had been staring.

“Are you going to stand there all night? These glorious locks won’t wash themselves.”

Greil sighed from over by the door, and then brought a stool over and sat down next to Caineghis. He placed his soaps and his towel up on the lip of the upper pool, just as Caineghis had, and filled his bucket.

“It’s just… been a while, you know?” he said, smiling.

“Mmm.”

“So. Would you like me to wash your hair, or skip straight to the conditioner?”

Caineghis thought for a moment.

“I washed it thoroughly this morning, so going right to the conditioner should be fine. Would you mind if we start with that?”

“Fine by me.”

Caineghis turned on his stool so he was facing away from Greil, and Greil moved into position behind him, dragging his own stool across the slick wet tile.

There was a moment before anything else happened.

There was a long, drawn out moment as Greil reached over and picked up the conditioner from the side of the bath, a long, drawn out moment as he unscrewed the cap, which let out a soft ‘pop’, and a long, drawn out moment as he scooped some conditioner out.

If it weren’t for the massive amount of hair in the way, Caineghis was sure he would have been able to feel Greil’s breath on his back.

“It’s… oily. More than I would have expected. Would you like some for your beard?”

“Oh? That would be nice.”

Greil’s arm, holding the container of conditioner, emerged from the right side of Caineghis’ peripheral vision. He grabbed the jar, which was nearly empty, and the arm retracted out of view.

“Thanks. Are you goings to need more?”

“Probably not. I’ve already grabbed a king’s share, so-”

“One of these days your tongue is going to work you into a situation you can’t get out of.”

He hadn’t quite snapped at Greil, but he could feel the other man grow still.

He hadn’t meant to say that so firmly, but… he was tense, and the joke hadn’t gone well with his mood.

Caineghis didn’t wait for Greil to react and scooped what remained of the conditioner into his hand. After examining the viscous substance for a moment, he rubbed his hands together to evenly spread it out and massaged it into his facial hair.

“I’ll be more careful then. Is it alright if I start?”

“Go ahead.”

The long moment it took for Greil to process Caineghis’ consent, the long moment it took for Greil to decide how to start, the long moment it took for Greil to start running his hands through Caineghis’ hair, working his way up…

Those moments dragged out, and his hesitation laid bare the reality between them.

Greil was just as uncomfortable in this situation as Caineghis was.

Caineghis knew he could probably guess why, but he wouldn’t try to.

It would be for the same reasons as with him, but why delve deep into unpleasant lines of thought that wouldn’t lead anywhere worthwhile? Why make this trip any more awkward than it already was?

Greil’s hands continued to massage the conditioner into Caineghis’ hair, and Caineghis shut his eyes.

Even outside of Giffca’s watchful eye, Caineghis always made sure to maintain his appearance so there were no knots for Greil’s fingers to snag on, but there was still a lot of hair and he kept his fingers close together like a fine-toothed comb, so there was a slight tug that pulled his head back.

When was the last time he had allowed someone to do something like this?

To place himself into somebody else’s care and relax?

He and Giffca had been increasingly busy over the past four years, with Giffca spending more and more time outside of Zarzi to do things on his behalf, so… maybe five years ago?

When was the last time he and Greil had done something like this?

That must have been a little before when Mist had been born, when Ike was starting to grow older, and Caineghis had wanted Greil to spend more time with his family. He loved Mist and Ike as if they were his own children and would have loved to help Greil and Elena take care of them, but in the end Caineghis was preoccupied with Gallia and it fell on Greil, as their father, to raise them alongside their mother.

They still spent time together, but things like this? Things where-

“I think I’m done.”

Greil interrupted Caineghis’ reminiscing.

“I didn’t get the hair by your ears since you didn’t like being touched there, but other than that…”

Caineghis absently rubbed what little conditioner he had left on his hands into the area that Greil had avoided and turned back towards the raised pool of water and the mural that stood behind it.

“Thank you, Greil.”

“I’m glad to help.”

As he swapped the empty jar of conditioner for the soap that he had placed on the edge of the upper pool, Caineghis noted that it was an odd detail for Greil to have remembered after so long.

His body was still wet from when he had doused his hair earlier, so he got to work on washing it.

But it wasn’t that odd, was it?

It may have been over a decade and a half since it had last been relevant to Greil -and even longer since he had last brought it up- but hadn’t he himself just been dwelling on moments in their past? Was it really that unusual for Greil to have remembered something from long ago when it was relevant to what he had been experiencing?

But even it was something to expect, it confirmed what he had suspected.

Even if they had maintained their distance from each other both in Tellius and in Askr, it confirmed what he had suspected.

Even if they hadn’t said those few words to each other, not even once in the past twenty years, it confirmed what he had suspected.

Greil had never forgotten about him, just like he hadn’t forgotten about Greil.

“How’s Giffca?”

“He’s doing pretty good. Do you remember Skrimir?”

“Your rowdiest nephew?”

Caineghis laughed.

“The very same. We’ve decided he’s to be my successor when that day comes, so Giffca’s been spending time making sure he’ll be fit to lead. I don’t envy him, but Ranulf was there to help keep Skrimir in check during the campaign against Begnion.”

“Ranulf? Wow, that name takes me back! He really climbed the ranks, didn’t he?”

“Indeed! He even helped your son and Elincia quite a bit during Crimea’s repatriation. I couldn’t send Giffca until they reentered Crimea, but Ranulf acted on my behalf several times over their journey.”

“I’ll have to thank him if he’s ever summoned.”

Caineghis stopped soaping up his body.

Why would he wish that upon anyone?

“Did I say something wrong?”

Greil looked over towards him, having also stopped.

“It’s nothing,” he mumbled as he resumed washing his body.

Greil shrugged, and went back to bathing.

It wasn’t nothing, but he was starting to get ridiculous.

He should stop performing needless detective work, he should stop holding Greil under a magnifying glass, trying to analyze his every action, his every word.

Caineghis finished applying soap to the areas of his body that he could reach, so he turned to Greil.

“I can wash your back while you finish up.”

“Thanks.”

Greil turned away from Caineghis, and Caineghis got to work on his back.

Greil was his own person, someone with his own wants, needs, and values.

Nothing would change if he let things remain as they were.

But did he want things to change?

“Do you enjoy being here? In Askr?”

Greil bent forward to wash his legs, and Caineghis leaned further towards him to keep his back within reach.

“I guess? It’s nice to have steady work, and even nicer that that work is relatively safe. I’m with my family, and we don’t have much to worry about so... yeah, you could say I do enjoy being here.”

He leaned back up and turned his head back to Caineghis.

“I’m done if you’re ready to switch.”

“Mhmm.”

They swapped positions, and after Caineghis pulled his hair off of his back and over his shoulder, Greil got to work.

“How about you?”

Caineghis thought for a moment, though it was more to reconfirm his stance with himself than to find a stance to hold.

“No. Not at all. I’m not fond of being forced to participate in things against my will, much less being forced to fight for some cause I have no stake in.”

As Greil’s scrubbing slowed to a near stop, it became certain that he had picked up on the subtext of that sentence.

“…I hadn’t been thinking, sorry. That was out of line of me to ask.”

“No, it’s quite alright. I haven’t had anyone to vent my frustrations to.”

Greil remained silent as he finished Caineghis’ back.

It was the kind of silence where it felt like he wanted to say something.

Perhaps he felt Caineghis was mad at him? He was a little miffed at how Greil could have asked something so careless, but he understood that Greil hadn’t meant any harm. It didn’t make up for his faux-pas completely, but… since it was Greil, was willing to let the rest go if Greil did too.

Maybe he was debating the value of insisting on apologizing again.

Maybe he was thinking of a way to help the situation.

Maybe he was reliving, relishing in a memory of his past, as his hands drew closer and closer to the patch of velvet fur that surrounded the area where Caineghis’ stubby, vestigial tail emerged from the base of his back and rested upon-

Maybe he shouldn’t complete that line of thought.

“It feels like you want to say something,” Caineghis said, trying to get his mind focused on literally anything else.

“…Maybe we can speak to Kiran about it? They’ve been reasonable about-“

“I don’t see the point,” he interrupted, “They continue to summon more and more people here, without any regard for what their wishes may be.”

Caineghis let out a grunt.

“Heroes this, heroes that! All Askr cares about is accomplishments and might, it doesn’t care about the very real people behind them, and Kiran allows themselves to be the driving cog in that machine. They are contract-bound to protect Askr, yes, but no part of their contract requires them to continue to pull people into this conflict.”

“…Yeah. I… wasn’t thinking.”

Of course he wasn’t.

Again.

Greil finished, and they both got up.

As Caineghis filled his bucket, it felt heavier than before.

Was he physically tired? Or emotionally drained? Had the heat been getting to him? Or perhaps the humidity?

Greil followed suit, and they began to rinse themselves off.

The water was as warm as before, and the soap flowed freely off of their bodies. The used water splashed on the blue tiles below them, before settling down and running towards a drain in the wall to their side. The conditioner was a bit more tenacious, but after a few rinses it too gave up its grip on his hair and allowed itself to be washed down the drain.

He took his hair and brought it back over his shoulder, where he gently wrung the water out of it. It took some time, but once it was all out, Caineghis was immediately able to feel the difference it made.

It was as smooth as silk, maybe even smoother. Even with the moisture that remained it felt lighter than before, and as he brought it back behind his head he noted that he’d want to get more of this ‘conditioner’ at some point.

A glance over at Greil confirmed that he was already done drying off, so he grabbed his towel and wiped down his body, hastily wrapped it around his waist, tossed everything that remained on the edge of the pool into his bucket and picked it up along with his stool.

“Are you ready?” Greil asked.

Caineghis nodded, and they proceeded to the other side of the wall on the far side of the room.

Against the other side of that wall was an area to stack the used stools, another area to place the used buckets, and a few small baskets fastened higher up on the wall, where a sign instructed them to put any containers and used bars of soap.

Directly across from there was door with a patterned curtain, just like the one they had gone through to enter this room. Next to the door was a posting which detailed proper etiquette for bathing in a hot spring, and there was a light breeze blowing through the space beneath the curtain, so, despite their unfamiliarity with the repeating circular symbol on the curtain, it wasn’t difficult to deduce that this was the entrance to the hot spring Azama had told them about.

Caineghis noted that there was only one stool and only one bucket on the ground.

“It seems Azama already went ahead.”

“Looks like it.”

They sorted their items into the proper places and proceeded beyond the curtain into the cool night air.

They were as close as they could be as they passed through the door, but Caineghis couldn’t help but feel like they had never been further apart.