Page 133 of The Heart of Winter

SARIEL

Winter sat motionless for a long time, his eyes fixed on the stream. The cave was dark; only the dim light from our tiny fire allowed me to barely make out the pale shape of his body.

Finally, he stood and waded into the stream, dipping his hands into the water.

In the dim lighting, I saw him lean forward and wash his hair with the soap. I tried to memorize every little detail of his beautifully built body. When he arched back to rinse his hair, the water cascaded down his shoulders, long strands glistening in the faint glow of the fire.

"Why do you keep your hair long? It’s not exactly the typical look for a programmer."

"You don’t like it?"

I laughed. "Quite the opposite. You look like elven royalty."

He didn’t answer, just dried himself off, then tossed his boxers and socks into the water. From his jacket pocket, he pulled out a handful of sand and scrubbed the fabric vigorously. I watched him for a moment.

"You gonna hang those up to dry today?"

"Yeah."

"It’s dark already. You could trip…"

"The path to that ravine is straightforward. I’ll be fine."

"You’re not seriously going to wear shoes without socks, are you? You’ll tear up your feet."

"I have a spare pair of socks and boxers in my carry-on." His voice took on that clipped, pragmatic tone again.

"I should wash mine too," I mused. "I’ve got a spare set in my bag, along with a super useful tablet and some chargers…"

"I can wash your underwear, no problem."

I blinked at him. "I guess we both like to feel fresh. Nice to know."

He snorted, then pulled something that looked like a thin cotton turtleneck from his bag, and wrapped it around his wet hair.

"It’s good to keep the mind busy with something practical."

He reached for the clothes I’d carelessly tossed beside the mattress, and I felt stupid letting him do it for me, but with my leg still not fully functional, it would’ve been hard to help with all the tasks he was handling now.

"Well, I need to rinse off too."

"Sariel, you shouldn’t soak your leg in hot water. It looks worse than before. That was a mistake," he said, almost sternly.

That slight distance between us crept back in again. I didn’t like it.

"But my stomach is a mess."

"Wait till I’m done. I’ll help you."

He washed my socks and boxers in silence. I had no idea what to say, I felt like a helpless child.

For a moment, I just watched him. How long could he keep our hygiene at a level that made it feel like we were still living in a city? We only had one small bar of soap, a bottle of perfume, a few wipes, sand, and warm water. At some point, we’d have to make compromises.

Not wanting to ruin his mood, I stayed quiet. I could tell he was lost in thought.

When he finished, he stood up and walked over to me. In the darkness, I saw his outstretched hand. I took it, his grip was warm and strong, and he pulled me up. I think he wanted to lead me straight to the water’s edge, but I stopped him.

"Is everything okay, Winter? You’re so quiet."

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