Awareness laps at Charlie when he feels a tug against his scalp. "Ow," he says it automatically but it doesn't hurt. Not really. The brush glides gently, so gently through his hair. It hasn't been this long since... Fuck here it comes.
Hands all over him. One attendant is combing the mats out of his hair. Another is picking dirt and dried blood out from underneath the fingernails of his left hand. Still another is buffing callouses from his right foot. It tickles. He wants to pull away. He wants to kick and thrash and take that nail pick and jam it in someone's throat but he doesn't want to go back to his pit. His muscles are loose and pliant from the warm bath they'd soaked him in and his skin is clean. Clean! It feels so good to be clean. It feels good to be touched too, even if he doesn't want it. His body likes it. He has to hold on to this for as long as he can. This too shall pass. He can let go of his thoughts and just let his body feel good for a while.
Hands pull him backwards by shoulder and he follows easily. Lips press to the crown of his head right at his freshly parted hairline. A song is being hummed. Hmm hmm-mmm hmm hmm-mm hmm hm-mmm. Oh he knows this one. He joins in, "my bonny lies over the sea." Ugh his voice feels thick from disuse. He clears his throat and tries again. This time the other voice joins in the lyrics.
"My bonnie lies over the ocean. Oh bring back my bonnie to me."
"My bonnie lies over the ocean. Oh bring back my bonnie to me."
His chin is tipped up and the other man is staring into his eyes upside down, searching his face. Collins smiles slightly. He abandons the hair brush on the bed and wraps his arms around Charlie, pulling him back against his chest. Collins kisses Charlie on the cheek, his whiskers prickle against Charlie's bare skin. Collins must have shaved him. Charlie sighs in contentment. He could live in this moment forever. This too shall pass, his thoughts warn. But that doesn't matter right now. Right now he's here and Collins is here and he's at peace.
He's a little less at peace when he looks down at himself and realizes Collins has him in a frilly blue dress complete with white stockings and white shoes with delicate leather straps and tiny silver buckles.