I do not own Harukanaru Toki no Naka de, nor its characters, they are the property of Koei and Mizuno Tooko. If I did, there would be more shounen-ai potential between Yasuaki and Eisen.
Summer
It was a very hot day in Kyou, too hot to anything other than sit around and complain about the heat. That, or desperately try to find the best way to cool oneself.
Yasuaki overheard Tenma and Shimon talk about different treats they would have on hot days back in their world, lots of strange names like vanilla ice-cream and snow cones. Who knew people from that world ate snow? In the end, he decided what they were talking about was none of his business in the least, so he moved onwards.
Eisen waded into the spring he enjoyed visiting, standing in the water so it was up to his knees. It wasn't completely satisfactory, but it was something to try to ease the problems the heat were causing. He wasn't even wearing his robes. The spring was a private place that few knew about, so he had removed most garments except for the thin robe he wore underneath. Still, the heat was bothersome.
Yasuaki was still seeking his partner, when he recalled a time they had shared a pleasant conversation about places that made them feel at ease. "Ah, so that's where he is," he murmured as he turned to leave the grounds of the Tsuchimikado manor. He walked at a leisurely pace, even he was feeling bothered by the heat. He wasn't familiar with such sensations as it hadn't happened often in the past, but the heat made him feel lethargic and a little sick. He hoped Eisen wasn't suffering the same thing he was.
Eisen moved further into the water, soon, he was at chest-high depth. He could feel his body starting to cool more. Now that he'd found his remedy for dealing with such heat, he felt content. He ducked under the water to also get his head wet.
Yasuaki arrived at the spring, and while he saw most of Eisen's robes hanging on a low branch, there was no sign of his partner. He saw some bubbles in the water and wondered what would cause them if nobody was around. He didn't sense any ominous presences, so what was it?
Eisen felt he'd been under long enough and emerged from the water, taking in a gasp of air and then letting out a sigh, glad that he no longer felt so over-heated. He turned to check if his belongings were still there and saw he had company. "Yasuaki-dono, what brings you here?"
"Oh, there you are. I have been seeking you."
"Is something wrong?"
Yasuaki shook his head and stepped closer to the spring. "Not anymore. I was just hoping you had found a way to cope with the heat. It seems you have."
"Yes, this cool water is very refreshing." Eisen waded closer to the bank. "Yasuaki-dono, would you like to join me? I can see the heat is troubling you as well."
Yasuaki considered it. Eisen did appear very comfortable, the complete opposite of how he was feeling. "Very well, it sounds like a good idea."
"Don't come in wearing all of your clothes though, you might not feel the same level of comfort I'm feeling, you'll feel much colder and won't have anything dry to wear later. I don't want you to get sick..."
Yasuaki nodded and stepped over to the tree. He removed his robes, his trousers and his shoes, soon he was also in his under-robe. He had to admit that felt a bit more comfortable. He hung most of his clothes on a branch like Eisen had, setting his shoes at the base of the tree before moving towards the spring.
Eisen had tried not to, but he'd found himself watching Yasuaki get undressed. He wondered if Yasuaki felt uncomfortable about that. Then again, the onmyouji hadn't given any signs of being self-conscious. He moved back to the deeper waters, beckoning for the onmyouji to join him.
Yasuaki followed Eisen's example and waded into the deeper waters.
"Ah, you forgot about your hair! If you don't mind...I'll unbind it for you..." Eisen waded closer to Yasuaki and reached up to the odango bun Yasuaki had his hair tied into. "It would be troublesome for you if it were to get wet while still bound, it may get awfully tangled and hard to comb."
Yasuaki wouldn't have minded, but Eisen was so insistant about it, he gave in and allowed the monk to unbind his long, green hair.
Eisen worked on the tie carefully, making certain he didn't accidentally pull out any strands of the onmyouji's hair. Soon, he had it unbound and watched as the hair flowed down.
"Thank you."
The two stayed in the spring for a while, sharing a comfortable silence while keeping themselves cool. There were times either of them would duck under the water to wet their heads as well, but both felt content where they stayed. Both wondered if it was because of the location or the company.
