Chapter 2

The red rays of the sun entered through the window to signal morning and Li Dian laid in bed, still tired after a fitful sleep. He continued to run scenarios through his head, telling Jin the truth, but they all ended badly. No matter the circumstance or how close they got in his imagination, even his dream Jin was angry about the lies. It left a bad taste in his mouth.

When he finally got out of bed the sun had long since risen and the real Yue Jin had been out working on the farm for hours. Still sore from the trudge through the woods he arched his back for a satisfying stretch before heading outside to look for his 'farmer' friend.

Uncomfortable in his used clothes he realized he needed a bath. His hair was so long and shaggy the black locks hung in front of his eyes. His beard was so long he scratched it automatically. No wonder Jin had been so easily fooled by the disguise. The truth was, in the wilderness Dian never found a point to groom himself like he use to and the cold was easier to deal with, especially with the beard.

For the time being it made the lie easier...

With most of the hard work complete, Jin decided to chop some wood that had been getting out of hand behind the house. A fresh stack in the house would have been good for cold nights. The chopping became almost like a rhythm over time, one log after the next, each blow of the axe a swift punishing closure. Crack. Thump. The wood split with a tear and the axe thudded into the tree stump below. The two halves flew to the ground and struck with a satisfying clunk. His body was still strong from the fighting and it made heavy labor on the farm much easier. He had time to set one last log to be cut before he noticed the figure coming around the corner. With the axe still in one hand he had to stop and take in the unusual scene.

Dian had followed the sound around the corner but he looked like a man that had just stepped out of the shadows as if seeing the sun for the first time in his life. Jin tried to hold in his laughter but the other man was oblivious either way.

The disheveled General was distracted and he remembered all over again why he had been so enchanted with the brunette in the first place. He had a very sensual beauty beneath the scared exterior, attracting attention without intending to. Dian watched him take off his hat, running a hand through the chestnut strands and wiping the moisture away. He could see beads of sweat run across the bronze skin, down into the thin shirt guarding him from the sun. A meal for the eyes and he had no idea of the torment he was inflicting.

Greeting his 'new' friend with a smile, Jin waved him closer. "You're finally up. Did you sleep well?"

Nodding politely, Dian rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes. Thank you." He couldn't tell him no without admitting his dreams had been plagued by those brown eyes.

"Did you remember anything?"

"Not really." He continued to talk to avoid any further questions about his memory. He hadn't thought up any additional clever lies. "Do you think I could try that?" He pointed at the axe.

Jin looked down at the nearly forgotten weapon in his hand. "What, chopping wood?"

He nodded. "Maybe it will jog my memory." He tried not to smile, feeling a bit sly about his words. It was beginning to feel like a game instead of a lie.

Handing over the axe the brunette couldn't see any problem with the request. It was when the other man stood beside him that he paused. The way he had to look up at the stranger made a shiver run down his spine. He was taller than he expected, a height he was familiar with... Fingers brushed against his, bringing him back to life as the axe was removed from his hand. Almost too quickly Jin backed away to put some distance between them.

Dian noticed the pause but he tried to ignore it, unable to do anything about it just yet. Instead he focused his attention on the log and began to cut. His skills were still sharp because he never gave up fighting. The weight of the axe was next to nothing in comparison to the mass of his wheeled halberd. He imagined cutting the logs must be similar to cutting clouds it felt so easy. He struggled to keep his mouth shut knowing any quirky comments would give him away.

Yue Jin gapped at the first swing. He had expected a man found in the woods unconscious to be feeble. A ridiculous thought obviously. For the first time he noticed the taut muscular arms and wondered what physique was under the dirt-covered clothes. The ease of Dian's skill movements made Jin nervous. The denial that seemed so easy before started to strain against the memories trying to break down his walls. He tried to lighten the mood. "And I thought you'd be exhausted."

The axe thudded loudly into the stump, sending the split log tumbling to the ground. "Nope. I am physically fit." A glimmer of his personality escaped as he flexed his bicep. He grabbed another log.

A little more softly Jin asked, "You're not a farmer, are you?"

Absent-mindedly Dian answered. "Certainly not." He laughed and the sound seemed to penetrate the brunette's body. Thump. He carried on chopping.

Feeling self-conscious about being overly aware of his guest, Jin walked up to him and shoved his hat onto the dark hair, masking his face even more. "Dian." He tried the name out and swallowed the knot in his throat. "Let me draw you a bath. You still haven't cleaned up from yesterday."

Hesitantly Dian lifted his hand to touch the one still lingering on the hat. The second they touched Jin pulled away.

"I'll call you when it's ready." The brunette turned and raced towards the house. The sound of another log splitting followed.

Within the hour a hot bath was drawn and ready. Li Dian was more than happy to wash the filth away and relax in the warm water.

After cleaning up he reclined in the tub letting the water wash over his chest. It had been a while since he had a bath this nice. It was leagues better than a cool stream. Clean but uncomfortable. Pushing the wet hair out of his face he took a deep breath, inhaling the steam.

The peaceful atmosphere was shattered by a knock at the door. Jin's voice carried in, "How is it?"

Water slashed loudly as Dian sat up in the tub. "Uh, it's great! The water is nice and hot."

"Good." He cracked the door open. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Out of the bath and across the room in a split second, the dark haired man slammed against the door. It snapped shut. "No! Sorry. Uh, no, you can't." He stuttered, grasping for an excuse as he held the door closed, stark-naked. "I'm a- I'm ...shy." He felt foolish but the truth was, he'd been to the baths before with Jin and his battle scars wouldn't go unnoticed. A beard and scruffy hair couldn't erase the past. Plus he wouldn't be able to explain away his own stares the moment they were both naked.

Confused beyond words Jin just accepted the terrible explanation as the truth. "Oh. Okay. I apologize." He walked away feeling dazed.

Sighing in relief, Dian returned to the warm water feeling embarrassed and a bit chilly.

Finished cleaning up and given some clean clothes Dian entered the living room like a new man. He dried his hair to continue hiding his face and thanked Jin bashfully when they sat together. The brunette even made dinner while he had been in the bath.

They were quietly at first.

Taking a bite Dian decided to break the silence, unable to bare it any longer. "So you mentioned before... I look like an old friend."

In a good mood from cooking after the unusual bath confrontation, Jin smiled. "Well, he didn't have a beard." He let himself laugh at the thought.

"What happened? You're not friends anymore?" He pretended to chew longer just so he wouldn't have to talk before he got an answer.

Sighing, Jin tried to think of what to say but couldn't find the words. "It's not like that." His smile fell as he thought of Dian's smiling face, completely oblivious of the real man's eyes judging his reaction.

"You were in love with him?" Dian asked, unable to hold back. Finding out secret feelings while pretending to be someone else was addicting.

The brunette nearly choked on his food, sitting up straight in surprise. "Excuse me?"

Trying not to laugh Dian continued eating like he wasn't interested. If he didn't act nonchalant he would get excited before finding out what he wanted to know. "You didn't tell him?"

"You're just guessing." Jin ate a few bites feeling sheepish but cautious.

Things sounded promising. As calmly as possible Li Dian told the truth... some truth. "He was probably in love with you. I bet he's out there looking for you every single day. He'll never give up. Not if he loves you." He found the next bite difficult to swallow.

The other man turned red with embarrassment. "That sounds crazy." He didn't want to get his hopes up but those words pierced straight through his heart.

Unable to stop Dian teased again. "So, do you love him?" He had all but forgotten about his food. "Come on, tell me. Don't make me beg."

Suddenly Jin froze, his heart skipping a beat. The embarrassment vanished and he looked at the man beside him with wide eyes. "What did you just say?"

Nearly caught off guard the dark haired General averted his gaze. "Nothing." He just hoped Jin would let it go. He pretended to be interested in his food again.

Confused, torn, Jin thought he must have heard wrong. 'Don't make me beg'. Li Dian use to say that... He must have heard him wrong... He stood up, not hungry any longer. "I try not to think about the past.'

That was the last time he spoke before they went to bed.