There weren't any intentions to write anymore 12K fics until this bunny kicked a brain cell somewhere and it took almost a year before I finally typed out this fic. The worse part is, most of the websites that I used to get info from are closed.

Before you start, 'tea ocean' is a tray just big enough to hold and serve the pair of cups during tea appreciation.

This piece is about how they fell in... *clears throat* ... become friends.

The Tai-Ho of Kei would usually be found nightly in the pavilion at the west of the Imperial Garden of Kinpa Palace at Kei-koku, despite his busy schedule. Be it the joy of returning life; the scent of blooming blossoms; the song of singing cicadas or the chill of falling snow, Keiki would always enjoy them with the serenity of the night and the fragrance of top-graded tea. Sometimes the full Moon would come to be his companion, other times she would just smile and keep her distance, or, she would just not turn up at all. Nonetheless, Keiki would still be in the pavilion sipping his tea and getting his mind off his heavy work load. This was his routine which he had not interrupted for years, except for the period before the enthronement of the scarlet haired Kei-Ou.

Now that Her Majesty was getting her hand in running the country rightly, Keiki had the time to be in the pavilion again to enjoy the peacefulness and his pot of aromatic brew. Least expected was he to be interrupted again from his time, by an oversized mouse intruding with some fabrics draping over one of its front paw. Leisurely taking a stroll among the flowery bushes in his animal form, Rakushun was surprised when he saw that the pavilion was occupied. Startled he may be, but he still remembered his manners when he saw that he had intruded the privacy of Kei Tai-Ho.

Purple eyes regarded the mannerly hanjuu who had greeted him with a slight bow. His brows had drawn a little closer, thinking that it was customary for one to bow to a court official, especially when he was the Tai-Ho; but since Her Majesty had banned it, he wondered about the hanjuu's reason. He could not remember did he ever display any acts of courage or such to this unexpected visitor, but it was not Keiki's nature to probe and he was used to people bowing to him since he was born. The one standing before him was an important guest of his country and as Tai-Ho; he had to show his hospitality. Since his tea session was the most convenient, he thought he should invite Rakushun to join him.

Shiny black beads seemed to be seriously considering the invitation. Polite as ever, he agreed to the invitation but he was not intending to sit through the session in his animal form. He was being told that it was improper to be in the palace in that manner. Secretly walking about in this form and at night was just to relief him from the awkwardness he had to put up with for the whole day. Keiki nodded to the request to be excused for a while before joining him in the pavilion. He started to make preparations for a fresh pot and never did he have an inquisitive mind to find out the reason behind Rakushun's need to be excused. Rakushun returned as a grey-haired scholar and Keiki recognised that the pieces of fabric he was carrying were his robes.

Settling himself opposite Keiki, Rakushun watched as white fingers methodically poured hot water into the small earthen pot, quickly covering it with its lid and emptied the water onto four cups set on two tea oceans. Keiki then slid in the tightly-rolled, spiral tea leaves with a tea funnel, filled the pot with hot water and again poured out the water into a small container. Rakushun, amazed by the grace of skillful fingers, looked up and smiled in admiration. Keiki nodded in acknowledgement and then carried on his tea brewing by filling the pot with hot water.

A pair of cups on a tea ocean was placed before Rakushun. Keiki filled the taller and narrower sniffing cup in his guest's tray and then in a similar cup in his. Rakushun transferred the golden amber tea into the shorter and wider drinking cup and brought the sniffing cup nearer; he was immediately delighted by the rich aroma emitting from the warm cup. Eager to have a taste of the astoundingly fragrant tea, he picked up the drinking cup and observed the clear liquid before he slurped it. A sweetly fruity taste spread in his mouth which reminded him of peaches and plums. He had not tasted such fineness before but the experience he had, summed up to fit something he had read about in one of his father's books about fine tea appreciation from growing to drinking it.

Conversation flowed from the rarity of Keiki's tea to how Rakushun had met Youko; from general social topics to private opinions. Keiki thought the unassuming hanjuu's insights would greatly assist Her Majesty and persuaded him to remain in Kinpa. Extremely flattered Rakushun was that he could feel his cheeks getting warmer. He had always, and liked to, share his opinions with his friends, happier if it helped them find their way when they were lost, but not once had he felt embarrassed like he was now. Rakushun had to decline Keiki's proposition like he had to Youko's; he was due to attend school in En-Koku in a couple of weeks. Keiki was somehow, disappointed by the turndown. They sipped their tea in silence. Keiki was almost fretting at not knowing what to say to resume their chat when Rakushun broke the ice. The esthetic pleasure continued despite the earlier disruption.

Keiki continued his nightly appreciation of his tea; Rakushun still sought nightly breathers during his stay in the palace, but they both had the same thing to look forward to. Time and again amidst their small talks, Keiki's regret that Rakushun was not able to stay and serve in Kinpa was promptly made known; he had wished so much that his proposal would just earn a nod. Rakushun, as much as he would like to stay, just could not agree. Except for, at the last night of their tea appreciation and seeing that it was his last chance to persuade a talent to serve Her Majesty, Keiki was exceptionally persistent. Rakushun, moved by the Tai-Ho's sincerity, gave his word that he would consider after he had completed his studies. Exultant still fell short in describing Keiki's joy upon hearing it.

The day Rakushun was dued to leave Kinpa, Youko was in low spirits having to part from her friend who had help her much since she set her foot into the world of the twelve kingdoms. Standing behind his queen silent as always, Keiki nodded slightly when Rakushun bided his goodbye. The night was quiet again when Keiki sat in the pavilion methodically brewing and slowly drinking his tea. The smiling Moon had quietly come to accompany him. Keiki realised that the Moon had not been showing herself until now. He regarded the thin silvery arc that liven up the heavy darkness with a strange, to him, sense of lost. Even his tea had tasted tannic that night.

~End~

The tea they were drinking is one of China's famous rare teas, Bi Luo Chun (碧螺春). It is really really really really good and as equally expensive. I've only got to drink it twice by far.

A little info:
Originally named 'Frighteningly Fragrant' (吓煞人香) by tea pickers, it grows in the cracks of Bi Luo peak (碧螺峰) on eastern Dongting Mountain of Lake Taihu (太湖洞庭东山). In Spring of 1699, when Emperor Kang Xi (康熙皇帝) was presented this tea, he was disdained when he learnt of its name. Feeling that such a name was too vulgar for this treasure, he ordered the unused leaves to be brought for his examination. Seeing that the silvery green tea leaves were rolled tightly in a spiral resembling a snail and it originated from Bi Luo peak and was only picked in Spring, thus the name 'Green Snail Spring' was declared.

The tea leaves are often shrouded in mist, thus they are especially moist and tender. Peach, apricot and plum trees are planted among the bushes. When these fruit trees bloom, the tender sprouts and tea buds absorb the aromas to be passed on to those who drink their infusion. This rare tea is made only once a year from the most tender shoots of the first Spring flush.