Most people thought of peace as quiet and space to themselves. Huo Linghun had quiet and space to himself for his whole life. Maybe it had been peaceful in a way. Now his days were filled with the sound of curious questions, playful banter, uneven footsteps beside his. His space was no longer his alone- it now included the tug of a gentle hand grabbing his clothes, the press of a shoulder against him, the cloud-like feeling of a soft tail brushing over his.

And he had never been more at peace in his life.

He smiled when Xiao Xin arrived to sit beside him on the bench, his fist closed and his expression bright as he exclaimed, "I caught a caterpillar!" He opened his hand to reveal his find to Huo Linghun.

Huo Linghun studied it closely "That is a very nice, um... pile of dirt," he said.

"Well, I thought I caught a caterpillar," Xiao Xin said, tilting his hand to let the dirt fall from his palm. It trickled down onto Huo Linghun's pant leg.

He didn't mind at all.

He was still smiling as he watched Xiao Xin return to the edge of the bamboo clearing to search for caterpillars, tripping over a bent bamboo stalk in the process. When he got up he turned around and tripped over the same bamboo stalk on his way back to Huo Linghun, where he grabbed his hand and led him over to show him at a cool rock.

Yes, this was peace, Huo Linghun thought. The happiness of someone he loved, the touch of his hand on his, the sound of his voice as he shared the things he liked with him. There could never be too much peace; Huo Linghun wanted more and more of it.