Title : Breakfast

Disclaimer : I don't own Saiunkoku Monogatari. It belongs to Sai Yukino.

Rating : T for theme only

Genre : Family/Friendship/Humour

Warnings : Yaoi, mild

Pairing : Koyu/Shuei, Reishin/Kijin

Summary : Reishin and Kijin, as houseguests, have breakfast with Koyu and a specially prepared Shuei.

Notes : This scene takes place the morning after The Melting Snow Party.

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Koyu glanced at Shuei, draped over the chair, awake, but barely conscious. He smiled indulgently, and continued to set the breakfast table. He needed to be ingenious about this, setting four places for a table meant for two. Koyu had suggested that a bigger table be brought in, but Shuei had resisted. Koyu smiled again. That is so Shuei, sentimental to a fault. Nothing can be changed in this greenhouse/bathroom sanctuary, not the furniture, not the plants.

In fact, Koyu was a little surprised, and more than a little moved, that Shuei had suggested hosting breakfast in the greenhouse "because Lord Shoka said that Lord Reishin loves flowers". Until Koyu, Shuei had invited no one into his sanctuary. Koyu looked at his sapped lover in affection. Shuei's head was thrown back, and his dark hair was hanging over the backrest of the chair. His indigo (what else!) silk robe was loosely secured.

In the second week of Koyu moving into the Ran manor, they had decided that getting dressed before breakfast was a futile exercise. More often than not, their court robes would end up strewn around the breakfast table, and they would have to start dressing all over again, uh, after.
Nothing other than eating is going to happen this morning! Not with Lord Reishin and Lord Kijin as houseguests!
Well, Shuei looks safely exhausted.
Koyu grinned.
In fact, it's a wonder he made it from the kitchen to here at all!

Koyu heard approaching footfalls.
"Shuei, they're here."

[Time lapse]

"Lord Kijin, would you like to start first?"

Kijin pulled his attention away from Reishin among the flowering shrubs.
"It's alright, Koyu. Besides, Shuei over there looks like he could do with a little more rest."

Shuei flushed, and made a valiant effort to sit upright, without the help of the backrest.

"And, Koyu, thank you for the regular shrimp dumplings. It was a welcome supper."

Koyu laughed.
"You're welcome, Lord Kijin. Shuei had told me that Lord Reishin and Lord Kijin would be needing sustenance."

"Indeed!"
Kijin chuckled.
"What did you do to this one here, Koyu?"
He placed his hand on Shuei's shoulder and gently pressed Shuei back against the backrest.
"You don't need to sit up right,Shuei,at least not until Reishin comes to the table."

"And what happens when Reishin comes to the table?"
Asked the said Reishin, pulling up a chair to sit down, smelling like a bouquet.

"What else, Dumpling? We eat."

"Right, I'm starving. Koyu? Why are you staring at me?"

Koyu blushed, and stammered.
"I... Lord Reishin, you have never... I mean, I have never seen Lord Reishin so... undressed."

Reishin's cheeks turned pink.
"I am no more or less undressed than the three of you!"

"Ahh … But the effect's different!"
Shuei's speech was a little slurred, not being fully awake.
"Lord Reishin, in that peach silk robe and all, you look totally woman."

Koyu looked at Shuei sharply. Then at Reishin, concerned that he might take offence.

Reishin turned red.
"This robe was provided by you! And anyway, Kijin's in the same colour too!"
Reishin drew the single-layer silk robe tighter around himself self-consciously. The effect of that, unintended of course, was to make him look even more feminine.

Shuei chuckled drowsily.
"Honestly, Lord Reishin, I still can't see the two of you as reversible."

Koyu gasped. Kijin laughed.

"I am perfectly functional!"

"Actually, Dumpling, I think you are rather dysfunctional."

Shuei laughed as he witnessed Reishin pout and give Kijin a side-long glare.

"You are doing a poor job of convincing Shuei of your manliness, Dumpling."
Laughing, Kijin turned to Shuei.
"Reishin can be very much a man when he wants to be, Shuei, I can vouch for it."

Grinning, Shuei held up his palms in a gesture of acceptance, and picked up his chopsticks to start on the dimsum.

"What Koyu means, Dumpling, is that he has never seen you in just a single-layer, wrap-around silk robe, and with unbound hair. You always did make sure that you were fully dressed before appearing in front of Koyu. And I'm sure Koyu hasn't forgotten the many reprimands from you for being 'not properly dressed'. Right, Koyu?"

" . . . . . ."

"Do you know why, Koyu? Rumours were rife that Reishin adopted you out of less than honourable intentions. See, you are too beautiful, that's the problem."

Koyu flushed, and protested noisily.
"I'm not beautiful!"

"Rrrright, I forgot."
Kijin said drily.

Reishin rolled his eyes.
"What on earth have you been doing, Shuei?"

"Huh? Me?"

"How is it that after all this time, Koyu is still in denial about his looks? It's your job to tell Koyu that he's beautiful! Kijin tells me that all the time, especially during se… eeoOWW!"

Reishin pouted at Kijin, massaging his freshly trod-on toes.

Shuei laughed.
"Koyu's not the same as you, Lord Reishin, he hates it!"

Reishin looked taken aback.
"He hates it? Then why are you doing it so often?"

"Huh? Lord Reishin, you just implied that I need to do it more often!"

"I did no such thing!"

Kijin cleared his throat.
"Dumpling, Shuei's referring to Koyu being told that he's beautiful. And Shuei, Reishin meant sex."

Koyu, already uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, lost his composure when Reishin turned towards him expectantly.
"WHAT?"

"Well, Koyu, does Shuei tell you you're beautiful during sex?"

Koyu sputtered.

"Are you trying to sabotage me again, Lord Reishin? If I did that, I'm not going to get any!"
Shuei protested.

Kijin laughed in appreciation.

[Time lapse]

Reishin, picking up a miniature steamed bun with his chopsticks, turned to ask Koyu.
"What's wrong with Shuei?"

Shuei had his nose in his plate.

Kijin laughed.
"He's just exhausted, Dumpling. I overheard a servant relate how busy Master Koyu was in the kitchen this morning, kneading Master Shuei in between batches of dough!"

The miniature bun fell from Reishin's raised chopsticks.
"Ack! Did you wash your hands, Koyu?"

"Don't be rude, Dumpling, we're houseguests."
Kijin picked up the fallen miniature bun and pressed it into Reishin's mouth, holding it there with his palm.
"Shut up and eat."

Above the cupped hand, Reishin's hazel eyes smouldered. He ate the bun, slowly and deliberately, off Kijin's palm, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Kijin. Kijin turned red from the neck up.

Shuei awoke to hear Koyu gasp. He lifted his face from his plate to see a red-faced Koyu busying himself re-arranging the plates of dimsum. He glanced at Reishin and Kijin. Shuei nudged Koyu. Koyu nodded.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Standing in the corridor outside the greenhouse, and holding a tray of dimsum, Koyu turned to Shuei. His pale grey eyes caught the morning sun, sparkling with mirth.
"So. Where do we go to eat breakfast?"

[The End]

Notes:

(1) Kijin's reference to regular shrimp dumplings is as opposed to the ones specially prepared for him at the party the night before.

(2) Shuei's comment that he still can't see Reishin and Kijin as reversible is a reference to events in Reishin's Spy.