[LOG] Cave Painting (Shinji, Lilia)

[griptapetensai]

Characters: Liliadent Krauser, Ibu Shinji
Location: The island caves
Time: After the Water has gone all Juicy
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Shinji and Lilia decide to do some painting.


Shinji put down the mesh bag he was holding, the cans inside clinking together, and wiped his forehead off. “Fruit juice or coconut milk?” he asked Lilia, stepping over to the coolest part of the cave where their food and drink was kept. Even with his hair up, the tropical sun was too hot for his tastes. But it would be worth it to get to have his friend teach him to paint on the sheets and blankets they were using as wall hangings. He started to bend over, then straightened, making a face as he pulled some of the brushes they’d found out of his waistband.

Normally, at this hour, Liliadent might have still been asleep. Pulling night shifts like he did, daytime usually found the blond curled up and in a deep slumber. But lately, he had been waking up earlier. Mostly because his cavemate had returned. He liked to be awake long enough to greet the other man. Silly though it might be, he just didn’t feel right not doing that, especially with all the trouble the other had gone through for him so far. He’s always woken up to good food or ointment for his strange rash from the spider or many other things. Today was even more different.

He was up because he had made a silly request of paints. He didn’t expect for Shinji to do it. He’d even offered to come with and get them. It had been a very nice little trip. It was strange to go back on that boat again, but there were still quite a few things that they could use off of it. He carried his own bags, his own hair braided up and twisted into a messy bun to keep it off his neck. “Please to be sitting down and resting. I will get it.” He placed his own paint cans down and hurried towards where their own private supplies of liquid refreshment was. He liked being useful, even if it was just pouring a drink for a friend. “You can set the paints out in color order if you want...” He suggested, wanting his cavemate to rest a little. It had been very very warm out after all.

Nodding, Shinji took off his shoes at the edge of the area rugs, then sat down on the couch they had scavenged from the ship. He had helped the other apply sunscreen before they’d gone out earlier, but considering the other stayed up late to watch for signs of rescue at night and wasn’t usually up during the day...he took to the heat quite well. At least, compared to Shinji. It was probably a good thing, though. Stretching out his legs, he pulled the bags over to him and started pulling the cans of paint out of them. “Are we doing abstracts, landscapes, movie posters, portraits...? I think I’d prefer something that isn’t a scene of the beach, though,” he said, his smile peeking out again. Honestly, he smiled more around Lilia than he remembered doing...well, ever. The German man was just the kind of person you smiled around and wanted to do things for, he figured. He knew he certainly did.

He quickly got some of the cups they’d salvaged and poured drinks for the both of them. As he did, he considered just what they could paint. He honestly hadn’t thought that far. It had been a whim. A whim to make the blankets seem a bit more welcoming. Now that he thought about it, he wondered what they could draw. Shinji was right about not having a beach in their art. If they wanted to see the ocean, all they had to do was step outside. Liliadent was sure that once they got back to Japan, he wouldn’t want to see the beach for a long time.

He brought full cups back and handed one over before sitting next to the other man, still thinking, hands wrapped delicately around the cup. “I...do not know.” He admitted. “Abstracts might work as I am not a good artist. But it might be nice to draw things we like. Places? I could draw places from my home in Germany. You could draw things from Japan...” He shrugged a little. “Or we can just start and see what we come up with, yes?” Because they had a lot to work with. They could draw a lot of things.

Shinji nodded and sipped his drink. He never thought he would come to miss water, but though it had only been a day or so, he already did. “I’m okay with some things,” he admitted. “Like buildings and stuff. Hm...” He looked at the wall opposite them, with its blanket covering. “Would you like a Japanese style garden, Lilia?” He looked down at the paint cans. There had been an amazing array of colors, but that was no surprise considering that Atobe’s ship had been far from bland and boring. “Do you think it easier to paint them hanging from the wall, out of the sand, or flat on the ground where they’re...flat?” he asked. He was really enjoying this entire idea. Making something for Li...to brighten up their cave was a wonderful plan.

“A garden?” He thought about it. He loved flowers. Always had. “I would like that. I could draw a European garden too. Next to it.” Or what would maybe pass as one if they squinted and turned their heads just right. He stood and walked over to one of the cloths, claiming it as his with a small touch. “And I think hanging up. Because then we would not be crawling all over wet paint.” He turned back and claimed a paintbrush and a can of blue paint. “I will start here.” A open can and a dip of a brush and bright ble started covering the top of the sheet, as high as he could reach; the start of a pretty clear blue sky.

“All right.” Shinji watched as Lilia started painting. Hm. He grabbed a small table and brought it over between their cloths and draped it with an extra sheet. Then he took a stool from in front of the couch and placed it right in front of his cloth, so he could stand on it. “That’s better.” After putting a selection of blue paints onto the table, he dipped his own brush into one and started his own painting as well.

He smiled a little, watching the other out of the corner of his eye. The stool made Shinji taller than him. It was interesting to have to look up to someone. Not that he wanted the other know he was peeking at him through his bangs. He also didn’t want Shinji to know the devious thought that floated into his head. Instead of voicing it, he playfully moved his arm slightly and got his own shade of blue on Shinji’s sheet with a small laugh. “I feel like a caveman.” He giggled and the blue smear became a really odd looking cloud.

Shinji gave his new blue cloud a suspicious look, narrowing his eyes as he looked over at the pale hand painting on his sheet. “If you were a caveman, wouldn’t you be wearing furs and dragging some poor woman around by the hair? Which sounds dreadfully uncomfortable, to be honest,” he said. He reached over and put two quick dots and a curve on that hand, making a blue happy face. Lilia’s giggle quickly turned his suspicious look into a smile, however. It was a beautiful sound.

Deadpan, Liliadent answered, “I do not like furs. I do not mind eating meat,” He loved sausage after all, “but it is wrong to wear them. I also do not wear leather. I had a big fight with my label about it, but I won in the end. Plus...” He started and then realized what he might had just said to Shinji. He didn’t want the other to think he was weird all of the sudden. He didn’t want Shinji to be awkward around him for admitting that he would rather drag a boy than a girl. To cover his sudden stop, he muttered. “with my looks, I would be the one dragged, yes?” He finished his sentence lamely.

He was about to say more to cover even more when his friend painted on his hand. His eyes narrowed a little though his small laugh didn’t stop. So that’s how it was going to be. His brush moved again, to smear blue down Shinji’s arm.

“Pff. You have the looks, but then so do I...and you’re stronger,” Shinji pointed out. The blood rushed to his face as he realized that he had said that out loud. The line of blue down his arm was a welcome distraction. “Oh, you went there.” He dabbed blue paint onto the end of Lilia’s nose.

He nose scrunched up a little at the wet dab. So that was how Shinji was going to be. His eyes narrowed a little and he reached for another color. Yellow this time. For a sun in his own painting. Only when he returned, he didn’t paint on the sheet at all. He reached right over and started to paint the sun, right on Shinji’s cheek. His grin didn’t stop, nor did his laugh. As he beautified his friend with cadmium, Liliadent couldn’t help but think that they’d be getting a lot less paint on their respective sheets. But honestly, he didn’t care anymore. This was just as fun.

Shinji waited until Lilia was done, then hopped down off his stool, went over to the other paints and picked up a small selection and then brought them back. Pulling out a fresh brush, he dipped it into the brown paint, then started making lines coming up the other’s neck from his shirt. “Since you have enlightened me, perhaps I need to branch out,” he said with a sly grin. Heck with the blankets, this was even more fun. He wondered if he could get the other to take his shirt off for a better effect.

Liliadent made a face. He had never ever understood Japanese puns. Ever. They were utterly beyond his language comprehension. He knew deep down that Shinji had made a pun. He knew that it was supposed to be funny, but for the life of him, he just didn’t get the word play. He wished he did...so he could laugh along with the other and not stand there making the most perplexed face he could whist little brown lines started to form on him.

He ultimately gave up trying to understand what was just said and why it was supposed to be humorous and instead focused on the more important thing at hand. Playful revenge. He tried to keep the paint away from their clothing though. Clothing was hard to get here and he wanted to make sure the things they had stayed relatively nice. So he just focused on bare arms, mixing a bit of red with his yellow to make a garish orange that turned into a rather Picasso-like flower on Shinji’s other arm. He then glanced down and saw the green. Without thinking, he dipped a finger tip into it and used that to smear the stem and leaves on his newest creation.

“You think orange is my color?” Shinji asked as he looked down at the art forming on his arms. Forgoing his own brushes, he dipped his fingers into the pink and started forming sakura blossoms on the branches he had already painted on Lilia’s arms. Spring was totally the blond’s season, in Shinji’s opinion. He looked into Lilia’s eyes and blushed as he realized he’d said that out loud.

He shook his head a little. He still thought that the other looked good in red. Maybe he could put a red rose somewhere on the other. But Liliadent knew the meaning behind such a rose, even one that would be so badly drawn. The idea was just very embarrassing, thought at the same time, he wondered how his friend would react if he did get a rose from him. He was going to think more on that when the other’s inner monologue became an outer one.

He supposed he was a spring. And if he was a spring... “And you are a summer.” He answered back, using his fashion knowhow. “Warm and enjoyable.” He concluded, finding a new color to smear on on Shinji. “Perfect for dates and roses.” He hoped that the red blob looked enough like a rose.

Shinji had no doubt that his cheeks were as red as the paint Lilia was using on him. Roses were fairly universal in their meaning, he’d heard. He wondered what it meant that the other was painting one on his arm. “I...I like dates,” he said quietly. “And roses.” His finger dipped into the paint again and a rose started to take shape among the sakura petals on Lilia’s arm as well. The red stood out against the pink. It suited the German very well, actually.

He bit his lip. He wasn’t sure exactly when it had happened but his feelings for the beautiful blond man weren’t simply those of friendship. But he would not dream of compromising that friendship, not unless he knew for certain that his...other feelings would be welcome. He concentrated on drawing the red petals on that soft skin under his fingers.

“Well, I have not forgotten.” They still had their outing when they got back. He just hoped the other wouldn’t be sick of seeing him by the time they got back. Honestly, Liliadent thought that of all the people on the island, he would miss Shinji the most when they got home and he had to go back to Germany. He sometimes wondered if he could take the other with him, for at least a small vacation. Which made him wonder how the shorter boy would react to such a personal invitation. It wasn’t something he would offer to just any friend. It was only to a special person that he cared for deeply.

“I will bring you flowers and tell you their meanings when we do go.” He stated and trailed his hand away, frowning slightly to try and find a new stretch of Shinji to draw upon.

Shinji turned so that Lilia could reach his other side, if he wanted to. He was so looking forward to getting back to Japan. He had so much he wanted to show his friend. He’d made a list, of all the places that Lilia had mentioned, in fact. He really hoped that the other wasn’t tired of him by the time they got rescued. Maybe...maybe he should ask for that date now. Here. So that he could enjoy it with Lilia and no outside interruptions? Unless that would sound creepy. He didn’t want to be creepy. Not with Lilia. He added little blue flowers along the branches as well, not really aware of his actions as he mind raced and debated with itself.

“I would...like that,” Shinji finally said. His skin tingled a bit where the other’s hand had been. He felt a sudden desire to write haiku.

It was strange for Shinji to be silent for any stretch of time. Liliadent was actually sort of used to the other rambling on. The flow of words was actually a bit comforting even if sometimes he still did have troubles understanding everything that was being said. However, that small stretch of silence was comforting as well. He didn’t feel like filling that comfortable silence either and instead turned to his paints to start work on the unpainted side of his friend. This time, no flowers but what was supposed to be a caveman hunting...something. It all looked like a bunch of green scribbles.

Shinji thought silently for a long moment, looking down at the green scribbles appearing on his arm. Finally he dipped a brush into the red paint and wrote three lines in kanji on Lilia’s untouched arm.

‘Is this but a Dream,
This place, this time, this man, or
Perhaps it is Love?’

Lifting his brush when he was done, Shinji blinked, then closed his eyes for a moment. How much kanji did the German man know, he wondered. If the other asked...he would tell him what it said, he knew.

He looked down at the writing and his brow wrinkled. He was terrible at kanji. He had never gotten the hang of it at all. In fact, he could barely write his own name in it. Upside down, looking from above, it was impossible for him to even try and figure out what it said. But he supposed it was probably something very tattoo like. After all, he had seen other men who had all sorts of kanji down their arms. Usually meaning love or power or fire or whatever they said it meant because Liliadent honestly didn’t know. With that assumption cleanly in place he smiled a little and touched next to the words.

“I will be sad to wash this off.” Eventually he would have to. He couldn’t go around all the time all painted.

That meant...other people would see it. Shinji suddenly wasn’t so sure he wanted other people to see what he’d written. But hopefully they would not say anything. Or worse, find it inspiring and try to woo his...the German! He averted his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “Yeah. Your flowers too,” he said softly, looking down at the art adorning his arms. “I’ll be sorry to see them wash away.” Turning, he dipped his brush in the paint again and wrote on the blanket:

‘Flowers wilt away,
But paint can last forever.
Here I paint my love.’

There. That was less obvious and yet carried the same emotions that were welling up within him. He turned back and smiled at Lilia.

“Maybe I will go swimming. It will all come off then.” He considered. “If you want to come swimming too.” That way, they’d both be clean of the paint. It would be nice though, to find a lake instead of the ocean. The salt water did a number on his blond hair. But he knew they couldn’t sacrifice any good source of drinkable water. So the ocean would have to do.

He smiled back and then stared at the words on the sheet. Once more, he couldn’t puzzle the words out at all. Maybe, he’d grab one of the other men and ask them to translate it for him. He didn’t want Shinji to know just how far behind and stupid he was when it came to his struggle with the Japanese language. Which made him think of something else. Since Shinji was writing already.

“Shinji...could you show me?” He held up the brush and motioned to his own sheet. “An artist has to sign his work, yes? Could you show me how to write my name in those letters?”

“Swimming sounds good,” Shinji agreed. After a bit the paint would start to itch, so it was likely for the best. He wondered if maybe Fuji would take a picture of them first. Except the other would then see what he’d written on Lilia. His eyes narrowed for a moment. Fuji was unpredictable sometimes, even for a tensai. Maybe Shinji would just get a picture of his blond friend with his phone’s camera function. “The salt is a bit annoying, but we can rinse off with clean water from the stream afterward.”

Shinji thought for a moment. “Hm. I could show you the katakana for your name, but you probably already know that from school. What does your name mean? I could probably figure out the kanji that way,” he offered.

He lightly started to write his name the way he had been taught. His handwriting was pretty, but a bit childish, at least in Japanese. It was a struggle to write this way for him, especially with a paint brush and he didn’t want to make a mistake with the katakana and look like a fool in front of his friend. When he was done, what was supposed to be his name sat on his sheet. With the difficulty of putting a foreign name into Japanese, it came out to look like “Rabbit Shelter, ReRiDento”. He frowned at it even more. That was the other reason for his unfortunate nickname in middle school. Between Usa-chan and Iceman...he had prefered the later very much indeed. “This is what I was taught to write.” He informed. “But where I am from Liliadent means God’s Vow Takes Form.”

He looked to the other boy. “Your name, it means Truth, yes?” He didn’t know if that was how it was done, but if that was so, it would probably be much easier to write than his own.

It took Shinji several minutes of thinking before he dipped his brush again and wrote out what he thought the kanji for Lilia’s name would be. It contain the same symbol for, ‘truth’ that his did, in fact. He looked up at the blond. “That is how I would do it. And yes, part of my name means, ‘truth.’” On his own blanket he wrote his own name then. “See, we share a common symbol. I hope you don’t mind.”

He watched, blue eyes going wide. He had always thought Kanji was beautiful and though he didn’t understand a bit of it, he could see how pretty it was, written in the paint. He wanted even more to learn how to write that. He was sure he’d be secretly practicing, writing out the symbols in the sand until he got them all correct. Perhaps, he would try to write Shinji’s name as well...Since he had an example of it now.

He looked between the two and grinned, clapping a hand upon the other’s shoulder. “I do not minding at all, sharing a symbol with you! I like you so it is no problem for to share.” Though Liliadent was harboring doubts that it was just like anymore...

Shinji grinned back for a moment, happy that he had made Lilia happy as well. “Excellent. I am happy as I like you as well,” he said. That was an understatement on several levels he realized, but this was not the time to dwell on that. Not when Lilia’s blue eyes needed to be reflected in the sky of his painting. He looked back and forth between them and the paints until he found the right shade, then stepped back up onto the stool. “Now that we’ve signed them, I suppose we should paint them, yes?” he asked, laughing slightly.

A few broad swipes of the large brush later and Shinji nodded. Yes, that was perfect. A couple more and a little touch up here and there and he was ready for the next step. He took a finer brush, dipped it in the black and made an outline like a scroll around the haiku he had written earlier. “How’s that, so far?” he asked Lilia.

He laughed as well. A warm merry laugh. He had been enjoying painting on the other so much and learning how to write that he had forgotten that he had been trying to paint a garden on the sheet and not on his friend. He turned back to his sheet and glanced over now and then, trying to think of how he was going to paint his when Shinji’s was already looking so nice. “It looks good.” He moved to start painting what looked like a wall. A huge stone wall. Something ancient and German. Then he started doing the supposed to be roses up it. “It is nice. I like that sky color.” He found it sweet that Shinji had seemed to grown a fondness for that specific shade of blue.

Lilia’s laugh made Shinji grin more. It was so infectious. “I thought you might. I’ve become rather attached to it myself.” He admired the work that Lilia was doing on his own blanket. “Nice wall. I l-like your roses too. I think I’ll go for something...” More dark paint and a skyline of an ancient Japanese castle and temples formed along where the sky ended. The blanket was of a plain and boring oatmeal color, which he fully intended to make use of for the sand in a part of his garden. “East meets West in our cave. On so many different levels,” he said, continuing to smile. He went for the brown paint then and with more than one glance at Lilia’s arms, started to draw in the same branches on part of his canvas as he had on his friend’s skin. They jutted from the side as if there was a tree in the foreground just to the right of the ‘frame.’

He blinked. “The wall? It is a place from my hometown. Not from where I live. It is called The Kreuztor. It used to be part of a gate that protected the town. It is very old. I always thought it would look pretty with roses.” It was also a place that he liked to take his dates, when he was back in Germany. An ancient romantic castle gate. “So I thought I would put it into my garden. I cannot take you there, so I wanted to bring it here too you. I am just afraid that my art is not good enough to really do it justice.” Yet another place to take his friend, when they got off the island.

He looked to the other’s tree and got an idea. He took his own brown and started to do his own tree. A nice European boxelder, trying to match up his branches and full leaves with the pretty blooming sakura. “Shinji...” He asked softly. “What is your favorite flower?” Maybe he could draw it in his own huge impressionist canvas.

“Chrysanthemum,” Shinji said. “White ones mean, ‘truth,’” he said with a small smile. “Besides that it is the flower for the month I was born in, which is November.” He only painted in a couple of the sakura blossoms, up at the top of the blanket. He still needed to do some background work on the rest of the garden. He hopped off the stool and took a step back to think about what that should look like. Did he want to do a koi pond, perhaps, or just a nice sand pattern? “What about you, Lilia? What is your favorite? And do you like fish?”

He thought about it. “And the red one means ich leibe.” It was more to himself than to Shinji even as he was reaching for more red, in order to try and paint one. He hoped it looked enough like one to be familiar to Shinji. As he painted, he answered to the question. “I am born in February. I have two birth flowers. Violet and primrose. They mean faithfulness and young love.” He looked to Shinji with a small flush. “But that is not my favorite. It might seem a bit self-centered...but I really am liking the white lily.” Purity.

Liliadent finished his latest flower, once more looking over to his friend. “I like to eat them and look at them. If this was a vacation, I would definitely try to go out and snorkel.” But since this wasn’t a vacation, he didn’t really want to go out into the ocean for more than just a small swim.

Koi pond, definitely then, Shinji decided. With lilies around it. “How is that self-centered?” he asked, starting to rough out the space he was going to use for the pond. “There is nothing wrong with admiring and striving for purity,” he said. “To be considered pure of heart and intention is a good thing.” And it fit the blond German to a tee, Shinji felt. He stopped and painted the kanji for purity where he was planning to put the lilies later. “That means purity,” he offered. “Perhaps once we are back in Japan I can take you snorkeling? There are some nice spots off of Okinawa.”

He thought it was because the flower was part of his name. To say he liked it was like saying he liked his own name. But he was glad that Shinji didn’t think so. And he looked at the new word. Without hesitation, he wrote himself. His slightly elegant handwriting putting the German equivalent on his side. “So does this.” He snicked just a little and then reached down for green. “I think...maybe. I might be sick of islands for a while though. So maybe I can take you to Germany first...if you can be clearing it with your agent to be taken away to a foreign country for so long.”

Shinji looked at the word Lilia had written. “Oh, it’s very similar to your name written out like that, isn’t it? That’s very cool. Mine is so...unimpressive in romanji.” He gave the blond a skeptical look. “There is good snorkeling in Germany?” He then smiled to let the other know he was making a joke. A bad one, true, but a joke nonetheless. “It will depend on how upset with me the various directors who I had been planning to do things for are when we get back. I might be going immediately to work...or I might be out of work for a while, I don’t know. What about you? Is your agent going to be upset at your long absence?

“I do not know. I think it is the handwriting, yes? If you have good penmanship, anything can look good. I decided that I would have a nice signature so if I ever had any fans, I could give them something nice to treasure instead of a scribble that cannot understand.” Not that he signed a lot of autographs. Male models weren’t as popular as actors or musicians. “It is too bad I cannot paint as well as I can write.” True to his words, his painting was growing more colorful and more impressionistic by the moment.

He did up some...maybe that’s supposed to be grass... and frowned a little at the joke, unsure if Shinji was being serious about the question or not. “Only if you are wishing to get very cold. I do live next to the Rhine river if you wanted for to try it.” He sighed and put down his paintbrush to step back and see what was missing in the painting.

“My fashion house? They will be very angry with me. They will probably scold me harshly because I could have ruined my looks out here. I have a hard time reminding them I am not a porcelain doll. But depending on the season and the designers, they might have me on the runway or before camera within days of my return.” Which is why he hoped they’d be rescued in between seasons, so he could have a tiny little rest before the Fall fashions hit.

“I will have to practice my romanji penmanship then,” Shinji said. “If your fashion house is too angry, let me know? I will have words with them. I have many,” he said with a steel thread to his voice. Lilia was his friend, he would not have the other hurt, even emotionally. The rocks sketched out, he loaded up his brushes with yellow and orange and started making a few fish. Small ones in the back, and one large one near the front, looking out at the person looking at it. “I hope we do get some time to go sightseeing together before we have to go back to work,” he said, smiling at Lilia again.

He could hear the strength in that tone and he flushed just a little at the thought of being defended. Not that he wasn’t perfectly capable of doing it himself, but it was nice knowing that he had a friend who had his back. It made him smile from the heart knowing that Shinji would be so willing to tell a bunch of professional photographers and designers off.

That it mind, he realized what was missing from the picture. And though he was a terrible artist, he still started to add a small bench. And on that small bench, two figures. Something representing a man with dark hair and another, taller, with blond. As he painted, he nodded. “I certainly hope we can.”

Lilia’s smile was truly beautiful and it was putting his poor attempt at fish to shame. But Shinji persevered as he was never one to quit. While he may never rival that smile, he might certainly eventually compliment it. Adding some spots of yellow and a few lines of black to the orange fish, they started to actually look like koi. He switched to another brush and was putting in the darker blues and greens of the water when he saw the bench Lilia was putting in. “Oh...that’s us?” he asked without thinking. Flushing, he concentrated on his own brushwork. “I mean, it is very nice of you to include me.” He rather thought it was romantic, actually. At least, that’s how he wanted to interpret it. With a nod he decided to put the two of them in his painting as well.

He almost dropped his brush, a little out of surprise that Shinji could puzzle out who the figures were supposed to be and a little out of embarrassment. He wondered if it had been all right to do that. It wasn’t like his painting was terribly flattering, and he hoped his version of Shinji wasn’t clearly insulting to him. There was still time to paint over it if he hurried. But it seemed that Shinji wasn’t insulted or bothered and he relaxed and reached up to lightly play with his hair, like he did when he was a bit embarrassed. Twirling the golden lock around one finger. “You are okay with us like this?” He meant in the painting though a part of him might also mean for real, someday.

“Of course,” Shinji said with another smile. It vaguely occurred to him that he’d smiled more within this short time with Lilia than he likely had the entire rest of his life. There was just something about the other. “This is our home, these are our paintings, why shouldn’t we be in them, sitting together and admiring the view?” And maybe holding hands, he said to himself. “You are so cute when you do that,” he added, his mouth running away with him. He blushed again and turned back to painting his water, wishing his hair wasn’t pinned back so he could hide behind it.

It was a bad habit and something Liliadent didn’t actually know he did. So when the other mentioned it, he looked a little confused and stopped twisting the lock around his finger. “Do what?” He wondered out loud and let his hand drop. “I do not understand.” He seemed to not have problems with being called cute, at least not by Shinji. In fact, he didn’t mind it at all that the other thought so.

Bashfully, Shinji looked back over at Lilia. “Uhm, sometimes you twist your finger in your hair. It’s very...cute.” He quickly turned back to his painting again, switching to a white to put water lilies on his pond. “I...hope you don’t mind that I said that.” He glanced at the other out of the corner of his eye. So very cute. But in a masculine way. No matter how gorgeous the other was when he dressed up, or how ethereally beautiful in grungy clothes and paint on his nose, Shinji would never mistake him for anything other than what he was. He was Lilia...and that was exactly what Shinji wanted him to be. Not...that Shinji had any say in the matter, he told himself sternly. He was happy to have Lilia as a friend. Especially since the other was too good for him for anything more. Darn it. He sighed a little and shaded in his water lily.

“I do?” He honestly didn't know at all that he had that habit. But he supposed he should just believe Shinji because he didn’t think the other man would lie to him. So obviously, he did. He supposed because his hair was long, it was an easy habit to develop. And it was getting longer. If he didn’t take care of it, he might get to a point where it would really get in his way. He also realized that he was taking too long to answer the question. Rapidly, he muttered, “I do not mind at all...” He then turned back to his own canvas and considered what else to add, opting for more flowers for the garden, leaving the two of them on the bench alone and unedited.

Shinji breathed a sigh of relief when Lilia answered. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand as he stepped back to check out his progress. “Oh, hey, that’s not half bad! I mean, the proportions are a bit off, but the colors are nice. What do you think?” he asked Lilia.

“Shinji you have paint o...” He wasn’t fast enough and there, across the other’s forehead was a nice messy smear of the orange across the other’s face. He didn’t finish the words and instead broke out into more laughter. It had been fun to paint all over is friend but this was different. Much different. This Shinji had done to himself. He started to giggle which turned into a full bodied laugh.

“Orange.” He announced, still laughing and pointing at his own forehead. He then tried to pay attention to the other’s artwork, but his eyes kept being drawn to the orange smear. He finally had to close his eyes and focus only on the artwork. “It’s good. You paint so well. You have many hidden talents.” Unlike him, whose painting looked so bad. “Maybe in your next movie role, you can be playing a famous romantic painter.”

It was impossible to see something on your own forehead, but that did not mean Shinji didn’t try. Finally he just shook his head at his own silliness and wiped his forehead off on the back of the blanket he was painting on. Really, how did he get into these situations? He gave Lilia a rueful look. “I supposed it was karma getting me for the blue on your nose,” he said. He looked between the two paintings. “Our styles are different, I will give you that, but I like yours. I think you are just standing too close and only seeing blotches of paint. From back here, it looks...really nice.” He couldn’t remember the name of the Western Art Movement that did paintings like Lilia’s, but the results were rather pleasing.

He smiled a little and shook his head. “I painted on you too.” He pointed out. He then stepped back and tilted his head a little, trying to see what Shinji saw. Liliadent thought it looked terrible still. But if Shinji said he liked it, then he wouldn’t be too hard on himself anymore.

He backed up a little more to take the both of them in at once. He smiled. “This makes our cave look even better. More like home.” Home. Their home. A warm, lively, happy place.

Shinji nodded as he grunted affirmatively. “It would be best with a cat, but I like it.” In fact, he dipped his brush in the paint again and put a steel blue furred cat sunning itself on one of the large rocks that decorated his garden. “Do you like cats?” he asked wistfully.

He watched the other painting a cat and considered fetching some water so they could clean off in the cave, but decided against it. The ocean was just a little ways away and would be better for getting the paint off without using up their valuable fresh water supply. “Cats? Yes. They can be very sweet creatures. I did not have pets at home because I could never be home to look after them.” Sometimes though, he thought it might be nice to have a pet. A nice big dog or a sweet little cat or maybe even a rabbit. They were cute too. But he couldn’t take care of any of those. Even the injured bird he had taken in was outside the cave and only really there until it was healthy enough to fly away.

“They can be,” Shinji agreed. “I have a Korat named Aoi-chan. My agent is taking care of him for me right now, but I know he misses me. Usually he travels with me, unless I have to go out of the country. I suppose when you are crossing all sorts of borders, it is much harder to do that, in Europe,” he asked. “Aoi-chan has steel blue fur, just like this,” he pointed at the painting. “He’s very affectionate. I’m positive he will like you,” Shinji added.

Shinji stepped back again. It was almost done. A couple of lines to define the sand, another rock or two, some longer lilies around the pond and a bench with two people on it. With a nod and a smile he started on the finishing bits. “This is a lot of fun, thank you for suggesting it!” He painted Lilia looking out at the pond and himself...looking at Lilia. Or past him at the trees, if you wanted to see it that way.

He had never heard of that sort of cat before. But he thought that by the picture, it would have been a very pretty cat. One day, maybe he would get to meet the feline. “I hoping so.” He muttered and started to put the lids back on the paints they weren’t using anymore. Maybe later, when they were bored again, they could paint another set for their walls. When he looked back up, there was Shinji’s rendering of the two of them. He blushed slightly and murmured, “Bitte. I am glad this was fun for you.” He started to put away the paints Shinji had been using too. “Let me put this away and then we can be swimming to clean the paint off.”

“Good idea.” He made a face at the thought of trying to wash off with the Inui Juice that their water currently was. “You be a good swimmer?” he asked, practicing his German. He picked up all the brushes and wrapped them in a plastic bag. He’d rinse them in the ocean. After all the Juice flowing into it via the streams, a little paint wasn’t going to hurt anything. “Aoi-chan actually likes swimming, but he’s an unusual cat. Korats are from Thailand and are related to the Siamese,” Shinji said.

He grinned at hearing his native tongue. He would tell it was the German they taught in schools. He would have to remember to be careful about his soft Bavarian dialect when he attempted to talk to Shinji in that language. Still, he answered back, at ease and eager to talk to anyone in his own language. “Yes. I am. My town is right on the Rhine river. We swim in it sometimes. If we watch for the tides and undertows, we should be fine. I don’t think we’ll have to worry in the ocean. I’m not planning on swimming that far out.”

He grinned at Shinji as he started out of the cave. “Then he is like his master in many ways. Unusual but very friendly...” And beautiful. If the paint was any indication.

“Unusual...in a good way?” Shinji asked, following Lilia out of the cave. He wouldn’t mind if his new friend thought him unusual, as long as it was the kind of unusual that Lilia liked. He caught up the bag of, “Washing” things as they headed out. Shampoo, soap, a couple of scrub brushes, fresh clothes, dirty clothes for washing, towels for drying, that sort of thing. Might as well do some chores while cleaning up, after all.

He slowed and quickly grabbed up the other side of the bag, so that they could both carry it. He wasn’t going to let Shinji do all the chores. Liliadent believed that the work should be equal as possible. He would help where and how he could. His side of the bag in hand, he continued forward, a small laugh in his voice. “Unusual good. I promise.” In a way he most definitely liked.

Shinji smiled at Lilia. “I like unusual good.” Chores were so much more fun with a friend. He was so lucky to have met Lilia. He didn’t even mind, much, being shipwrecked with the other by his side. “To me, you are unusual, and very good, as well,” he said as they walked down toward the beach.

The walk to the beach was short. Anyone they passed, he waved to in a friendly manner, forgetting that he had paint all over him at the moment. And that Shinji did too. It wouldn’t matter soon. The sea would wash it all away. In fact, he was sure they should probably go for a swim before the chores. Less likely to get paint all over the clothing they were trying to wash out. So when they reached the shoreline, Liliadent put his side of the bag down and bent over to roll his pants up a little bit so that he could head knee deep into the water after kicking his shoes off. As always, it was nice and cool. Getting another keen idea, he leaned down and scooped up some water. “Shinji!” He called out and then threw the water towards the other man, trying to splash him.

Dropping his side of the bag as well, Shinji was mid-stretch when the water caught him. Blinking to clear his vision, he saw Lilia standing in the water. “Oh, you want to go there, do you?” he said with a mock growl. He grinned and splashed into the water after his friend, with the intent of soaking him back. Which, of course, his brain informed him was silly; they had come here to wash up, after all, which would involve getting wet. He informed his brain it was a spoilsport and sent a double handful of water careening back at the blond man. “Ha!”

He did not make the sound that came out of his mouth. The little yelp when the water came right back at him. He knew he deserved it, just like with the paint, but it still surprised him. He raised his arm to protect his face only to get drenched anyway. He dripped and dipped his hand again. “I am going to get you!” He announced, trying to be serious. However, he couldn’t keep his face straight. The smiling wouldn’t stop.

“You’re on!” Shinji said back, his own smile unflagging at the noise Lilia made. He dodged, unsuccessfully and set more water back toward his friend. He went to one knee in the shallow water, trying to duck, which of course got him more wet.

It was hard to run in water, he found. Legs kicked up the surf as he went, heading towards his friend. It was too shallow to try and drunk him, and really, Liliadent wouldn’t do such a dangerous thing. Shinji might accidentally swallow water if he did and Liliadent would be beside himself and never ever forgive himself for almost killing his friend. He didn’t get close because his foot caught in the sand and the German pitched forward, belly flopping in the water and sending a giant wave Shinji’s way.

Shinji wouldn’t have laughed at Lilia tripping...even if he hadn’t been sputtering at being hit by a wave of water. “Okay, okay, you win,” he was finally able to say. “Are you okay?” He moved forward as he spoke to help the blond up. “Can you breathe? Did you swallow any water?” He was now soaked from head to foot and undoubtedly looked like something his cat had drug in, whereas Lilia looked as good as ever. Although still painted.

It hurt a little, but it hurt his pride more. He looked up from the surf, soaked to the skin. He accepted the help up and tried without success to wring out his clothing. He tried to make it look like he had totally meant to do that when it was obvious it had just been an accident. “I am fine,” he answered. He smiled a little at him. He pulled up his shirt. His stomach wasn’t all that red. He was glad for that. He dropped his shirt. “At least this way, we can easier to get the paint off.”

“True,” Shinji agreed, glad that his friend was okay. And looked so very good wet. “Now that we are all wet, we just need the soap, right?” He headed back onto the dry sand for the bag and started pulling things out; pile of laundry, soap, scrub brushes, towels, dry clothes. “Here,” he said, handing Lilia a washcloth and some soap. “I can help with the paint on your face, if you like,” he offered. “I was the one that put it there, after all.”

He accepted the items and then obediently closed his eyes and leaned a little towards Shinji. “Please.” He murmured, “I doubt I would be getting it all.” He then waited, eyes closed, breath held just slightly.

Shinji wet the washcloth and lathered some soap onto it. It lathered very oddly in salt water. He did his best however, then hovered for a moment with his hand, covered by the washcloth, over Lilia’s face. He took a deep breath, then started gently rubbing at the paint on the other’s nose. “Sunmason. I should have thought more clearly about how we were going to get cleaned off when I got paint on you,” he said. “I hope the saltwater doesn’t harm your skin as I’m rubbing it.”

He kept his eyes closed and reached out to lightly touch the other’s hand with his. “Nein...Nein. It is okay. It is like....” He struggled for a moment to think of the right word. When he couldn’t, he sighed and attempted to find something close to the word. “A spa scrub. The salt will get all the dead skin and dirt away with the paint and make my skin even softer than before.” At least he hoped so. So long as he didn’t stay outside in the daytime too long and didn’t get too sunburned, he would be fine.

Patiently, he waited until he thought that the other was done, then he peeked. No soap in his eyes. “The seawater will help clean you as well.”

“If you wouldn’t mind helping?” Shinji asked, handing him the washcloth. He smiled at Lilia, then shut his eyes and tilted his head up toward the other. He was glad that Lilia had such a positive attitude about things. A spa scrub; what a good way to think of this! Although...he didn’t want to keep the other out too long. All that beautiful skin was prone to sunburn and Shinji would feel guilty if he caused the other pain like that.

He stood a moment, looking at the man. A part of him considered how easy it would be right now to do something bold like steal a kiss. But he would never do that. He couldn’t. He just...couldn’t. Swallowing, he carefully started to remove his artwork from the other. Gentle hands careful just as Shinji had been with him. Once he finished, he chuckled a little. “You look better without the paint.” He decided and then handed back the cloth in order to go back to shore and start their washing. If he did it quickly, he wouldn’t have to worry about the sunburn.

“Thank you,” Shinji said, feeling a little sad, but not sure why. Perhaps...perhaps he had been hoping that Lilia would kiss him? He shook his head ruefully and folded the washcloth before following the other to where their laundry was. As if Lilia would want to kiss him. “Would you prefer to wash or rinse?” he asked the other. “Oh, wait, if we both wash, then we’ll have help wringing the clothes out before and after rinsing! Much easier!” He grinned at Lilia. “I like this plan, how about you?”

He was already starting on the clothing, kneeling in the surf when the other spoke. He looked up, hair falling over his shoulders. Once again, he put the wash down to pull a small ribbon out to tie it back. “It is a good plan. I have saved a spot here for you.” He pointed to the little bit of water next to him and then bent to start on clothing again. “And I will never take for granted washing machines again.” Or hot showers and air conditioning. Or chocolate...or a lot of things really.

“I definitely agree. I will never complain about having to do the wash again...once we are home and I am simply separating my colors, putting them in a machine with some soap and turning it on. Even hanging my laundry and then folding and putting it away later will be no problem!” Shinji declared, kneeling down next to Lilia. “Thank you for saving a spot for me,” he said, ignoring the wide expanse of beach available. He didn’t mind being close to Lilia one bit. “At least we don’t have to worry about mixing colors,” he added with a smile. “Ocean doesn’t give a care about that sort of thing, does it?”

He grinned and lightly bumped his shoulder into Shinji’s playfully. “I will always save you a spot.” He declared before turning his attention back to their shared chores. It might be a bit rough on his hands but he was sure a manicure once they got home would fix anything he did out here. Besides, he wasn’t a hand model so he didn’t really care that much if he broke a nail or if his hands got a little mistreated. Cleaning and taking care of what little they had was far more important than anything else.

“This is true. The ocean does not care about a lot of things.” Or maybe it did. If they hadn’t been stranded, Liliadent would never had had this much time with Shinji. They might have hung out on the boat a little longer, but he doubted they would have ever gotten this close. He had to thank whatever had ended them up here for this stolen moment in time even if he also deeply wished for them to find a way to get back home.

Helping Lilia wash clothes, something he would normally find tedious, was actually quite relaxing and enjoyable. Shinji poured his heart into his scrubbing and wringing, especially of his friend’s clothes. The ocean, this trip, was what brought them together. As friends, of course, he mentally clarified. “After this, I’m thinking we should make use of that hand lotion I grabbed from the storage cave,” he said, looking over at Lilia’s hands. He appreciated their strength and that Lilia was so willing to pitch in and help wherever and whenever he was needed, but Shinji wanted to make sure the other didn’t suffer because of it. Maybe he’d even offer a hand massage.

He nodded, glad that Shinji had such foresight. He was sure the other needed it too. The shorter man did far more work than Liliadent did. Something he wanted badly to rectify. But he needed to keep watch for ships at night. And guard the cave his friend was sleeping in. Keeping Shinji safe at night was a priority. “Yes. I am thinking you are right.” He finished wringing out the rest of the water, muscles bulging just slightly with the effort, using his strength to make them extra dry. “I can put them up outside on a line to make them dry more in the sunlight.” He suggested, putting all of the clean laundry in the basket.

“That would be very helpful,” Shinji said, smiling at his friend. He had enjoyed the play of muscles as Lilia had wrung out the cloth. “We need a way to keep them from falling off the line, though.” He thought a moment, then raised a finger as an idea came to him. “Small bits, about so long,” he indicated with his fingers, “and so big around. I’ll cut notches in them and make clothespins!” He stood up and stretched a bit. “Want to come look with me? After being crouched down like that, a walk sounds nice,” Shinji said, extending a hand to help Lilia stand as well. “We can put the basket at the foot of the path going up to our cave, I’m sure no one will bother it.”

He stood and picked up the basket, this time, all on his own. That way, Shinji could start looking for things to make clothespins out of. “I will carry this and once it is safe, I will happily help you look.” Another wonderful short beach walk and mini adventure with Shinji. The day was really turning out wonderful, yet again.

Shinji took the lead, feeling a little put out that the basket was taking up both of Lilia’s hands. On the one hand, Lilia did look good when he was lifting heavy objects, like the basket of water-laden clothes; on the other, his hand felt lonely. He gave himself a stern talking to about that. Lilia’s hand was not his to hold whenever he felt like it. The other man had every right to not hold his. However, his hand still felt sad. He turned and smiled at Lilia, walking backward along the sand. It was safe to do so until they reached the rocky part, after all. “Maybe we can find something special for dinner tonight too? I understand there are sweet potatoes about.”

He didn’t know about that, but he didn’t often go exploring. Probably because he was a bit afraid of doing so alone. He might get lost and never find his way back. Or he might end up in some scary place. So he stayed close. But with Shinji with him, maybe he would venture out more. “I will go if I can be going with you.” He decided.

“Excellent,” Shinji said. “I understand they grow in vines and look somewhat like ivy. Oh, but we might want another basket for carrying them. Why don’t we drop off our cleanish clothes and then go out?” He felt rather dumb for not figuring out the logistics earlier. Hopefully Lilia wouldn’t think less of him for it. He was looking forward to going for a wa...exploring a bit with his friend.