Ah—[Oh okay, well. He was going to argue, but her hand is very small and her smile very bright, and it has been a very long time since anyone was this soft with him.
(It hasn't been that long, if he counts Shijie's fingers on his cheeks in that last moment, or if he counts a-Yuan's tiny fingers closing around his thumb just days before everything...before.)
He allows her to lead him to the bench, sitting as told and closing his eyes the same way he'd directed her. He's silent as she brings the cloth up, and though he can feel the stinging on his face lighten, his eyes are stinging even more now. He doesn't know when the tears had started to fall down his cheeks even with his eyes closed and he lets out a soft laugh in realization.]
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(It hasn't been that long, if he counts Shijie's fingers on his cheeks in that last moment, or if he counts a-Yuan's tiny fingers closing around his thumb just days before everything...before.)
He allows her to lead him to the bench, sitting as told and closing his eyes the same way he'd directed her. He's silent as she brings the cloth up, and though he can feel the stinging on his face lighten, his eyes are stinging even more now. He doesn't know when the tears had started to fall down his cheeks even with his eyes closed and he lets out a soft laugh in realization.]
Oh, don't mind that. It's just the spice.