Chapter 9Zen watched the people splashing around in the water in dismay. He’d hoped they’d be alone, but it was f*****g crowded. Fred had grown quieter the closer they came to the crowd and any hopes of fooling around in the water were slowly being crushed. “f*****g hell. Last time I was here, no one was bathing.” “And when was that?” “Eh…” Zen ran a hand through his hair. “…five or six years ago.” “And you were here during a heatwave?” Fred gave him a look that made Zen grin. “No, I was here in September. It was lovely.” Fred threw a towel on him. “Idiot.” Despite knowing Fred might protest, Zen pulled him closer and gave him a quick kiss. Fred looked past Zen’s shoulder at the people, his back stiff and his eyes guarded, but as the seconds went by, he started to relax more and mo