Flux

into the harbor in Donghe.
    He smiled and peeled off his clothing. He didn’t just drop into the water like Ennek had; he lowered himself in slowly instead. But still, there he was, voluntarily entering a body of water, and he wasn’t scared. The water couldn’t hurt him—not with Ennek there.
    Miner clung to the smooth edge of the pool. Ennek was right—the water was warm. Not as warm as a bath, but warmer than the ocean, even here, and it did feel wonderful. Refreshing. Ennek paddled up behind him and gripped the edge right next to him, then bent over and kissed Miner’s back, just over the brand mark. “Does it hurt?” he asked.
    “Not really. The skin feels a little tight, is all.”
    “It looks as if it’s healing well, at least.” Ennek tilted his head then to examined the cut Miner had received from the pirates. “And this is just an interesting scar now. Imagine! How many men can live to boast that they carry scars from battles with pirates?”
    “Well, everyone present, actually,” Miner responded, putting a hand in the water to trace a fingertip down the mark on Ennek’s stomach. “And I didn’t battle them, really. I just got captured.”
    “That’s a bad habit of yours—getting captured, I mean.”
    “Good thing you have a habit of saving me, then.”
    Ennek looked at him seriously. “And you save me in turn.”
    Miner was going to protest, but Ennek ducked under the water again and splashed around for a few moments, reminding Miner a bit of the sea lions that would swim with hopeful expectation around the returning fishing boats in Praesidium's bay. Miner submerged himself, too, still hanging onto the edge but getting his head fully wet. When he re-emerged, Ennek had heaved himself half out of the pool and was rummaging in the basket. He pulled out a round cake of soap and an odd item Miner couldn’t identify.
    “What’s that?”
    “It’s called…hmm. I don’t remember. But you use it to clean yourself, like a sponge or a brush. I saw a ship arrive once with several crates of these in the hold. The captain hoped to sell them to ladies as an exotic addition to their toiletry. I wonder if he succeeded.”
    He plopped fully back into the water and began to smooth the soap over Miner’s back. The soap smelled bright and sweet, like citrus, but with another ingredient that Miner couldn’t place. Miner remembered Ennek bathing him, back when Miner had been newly risen from Under and very weak. Even then Ennek’s kind, strong touch had been lovely, but he appreciated it more than ever now that Ennek was really his.
    When Miner was well and truly soapy, back and front, Ennek scrubbed him with the mysterious object. The thing was tough and slightly scratchy, and it felt good against his skin. Ennek avoided the brand though, kissing it twice more, as if he could heal it that way.
    After Miner felt as clean and well-scrubbed as he ever had in his life, all the salt and berry washed away, he took a turn cleaning Ennek. He even soaped Ennek’s long hair, and when he massaged the scalp with his fingertips, Ennek dropped his head back and closed his eyes and moaned very like he did when they were making love. Someday they’d have a home again, Miner vowed to himself, and that home would have a bathtub and he’d wash Ennek’s hair like this every night. He wondered if they made tubs big enough for two.
    It would have been pleasant to loll about in the water all day. Or maybe make love slowly and leisurely. But instead all they did once they were clean was hold each other a few minutes, Miner with his back against the edge of the pool and Ennek plastered to his front. Then Ennek sighed and moved away. “We should dry off, I suppose, and get dressed.”
    Not as pleasant an alternative as lovemaking, but necessary. They clambered out and discovered that the fabric Yuening had brought was actually two large towels, slightly threadbare but very soft, and two sets of trousers and tunics. “It must be very expensive for the family to continue clothing and feeding us like this,” Miner said as he rubbed the water from his head. “I wish we could repay them somehow.”
    “Maybe we can,” Ennek replied. He glanced up at the sky. “I’ll tell you tonight.”
    Miner dressed and then did a cursory wash of the clothes he had worn since Ennek rescued him. Ennek didn’t bother to clean the remains of his rags, but he gathered them up anyway, in case the scraps might be useful somehow. Miner