Disclaimer : I don't own Saiunkoku Monogatari. It belongs to Sai Yukino.
Rating : PG13
Genre : Humour/Friendship
Warnings : Yaoi, mild
Pairings : Shuei/Koyu
Word Count : 1321

Summary: "Shuei! You can't walk around the palace in pyjamas!"

Time-fit : Between chapters 2 and 3 of Twin Irises.

Notes :
(1) The sequel to this fic is Scholarly Body
(2) Written in response to LJ Saiun_Challenge prompt "Secret Desires".

italics= thoughts

Ryuki and Koyu turned to look at the unfamiliar sight of Shuei striding into the Archives in full armour.

"I apologize, Your Highness. The military exercise over-ran schedule, and I would have been late if I had stopped to change."

Ryuki shrugged, grinning.
"It's not a problem, Shuei. You look just as good in armour as you do in court robes."

Koyu started. It was as if Ryuki had voiced HIS thoughts! This was the first time that Koyu had seen Shuei in armour, and it was not good for his breathing. Forcing himself to breathe properly, Koyu berated himself.
Honestly!
Getting all flustered by an army General in uniform.
I'm a top civil servant, not a silly teenage girl!
Damn! I surely CAN'T be blushing!

Fortunately, Shuei was talking to Ryuki and didn't seem to notice.

Koyu shut his eyes to cut off the distraction. He needed to replace that overly-stimulating sight with something else. The first, and most natural, thing to pop into his mind's eye was ... Shuei, in his usual court robes.

The bold white and dark brown geometric design of his collar could only be carried off by a man with Shuei's chiselled aristocratic features, and of course, his confident carriage. The broad collar dipped, criss-crossing at mid-chest. When Shuei moved, the folds parted momentarily, exposing the inner white shirt, and sometimes, providing a glimpse of a muscled chest.

That chest, the way Shuei's robes hung from his broad shoulders, and his cinched waist in spite of the many-layered robes, all hinted at a magnificent physique. Koyu had many a times lamented how wrapped up his object of fancy was in his court robes. He couldn't even make out Shuei's arms in those voluminuous long sleeves.

"ARMS!"

Shuei, who had just taken off his armguard, stared at Koyu, then at his own arms.
"What about my arms?"

Getting no response from Koyu, Shuei proceeded to strip off his armour.

Koyu stood, transfixed, as the layers came off. There, in front of him, was Shuei clad only in a close-fitting shirt and pants.

Just. One. Layer.

And in the hot summer afternoon, that single layer of fabric had become stuck to Shuei's lithesome body in ... all sorts of inappropriate places!

"Shuei! You can't walk around the palace in pyjamas!"

Shuei blinked.
"These are hardly pyjamas, Koyu."

"I know that! But they are no better than pyjamas!"

Ryuki interrupted.
"It's alright, Koyu. I gave him permission. It's too hot to remain in armour."

Koyu bit his lip.
"They're not decent, Your Highness."

"Why not? Shuei's not showing any skin."

Struggling to formulate an answer, Koyu finally blurted,
"There aren't enough layers!"

Ryuki and Shuei burst out laughing.

"Really, Koyu, do you expect everyone to walk around looking like ... like ..."

"Cabbages."
Ryuki suggested.

Shuei laughed.

Ryuki didn't. He watched as Koyu turned to glare at Shuei. He watched as Koyu's signature death-glare wavered. He watched as Koyu's gaze wandered and lingered over Shuei's body.
I don't believe this! Koyu's checking Shuei out!
Not enough layers indeed, Li Koyu.
Poor Koyu.
He can't last the afternoon like this.

"Shuei."

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Maybe you should return to camp to change."

"Koyu's just being prudish, I'm perfectly decent!"

"Just do it, Shuei. Your pyjamas are disrupting my lesson."

Ryuki waited till Shuei had left the Archives.
"His body IS very beautiful, isn't it?"

Koyu sputtered.
"H-h-how?"

"Your overly-large eyes, they betray you, magnifying every glance."

Covering his flaming face with his hands, Koyu mumbled,
"Shuei ... did he ..."

"No, I don't think so. A word of advise, Koyu, since I believe this is all rather new for you. With huge eyes like yours, you really should restrict oggling to when no third party is present."

Ryuki set down the book he was holding.
"So then, Tutor Li, if I keep mum, do I get the afternoon off?"

Koyu lifted his face slowly from his hands.
"Blackmail, Your Highness?"

[One hour later]

Ryuki paused in his writing.
"Ahhh ... welcome back, cabbage."

Grinning, Shuei observed,
"Your Highness looks too happy, given that you are in the middle of writing up your assignment."

"Oh, as emperor, nothing beats discovering an incorruptable court official."
Ryuki sang out happily, waving his writing brush in the direction of Koyu.

Shuei studied the scene - Ryuki smirking, Koyu gnawing his lower lip raw.
Why is Koyu so nervous?
His lip is getting red ... and so damn kissable!
Good grief! Concentrate!

"Did Your Highness think otherwise? Koyu's honest to a fault. He can't even make himself pay lip service ..."
His lip is starting to swell.
It looks painful.
Oh god. Let me kiss it all better.

"... service ... to service those lips ..."
Shuei stopped short, aghast at what he just heard himself say.

Shuei stole a glance at Koyu. He seemed oblivious. Shuei grinned sheepishly at Ryuki.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, what was I saying?"

Ryuki waved a hand.
"It's not important. See, Shuei, even righteous men who will never stoop to corruption can still crumble when blackmailed."

"Your Highness atttempted to blackmail Koyu?"

Nodding happily, Ryuki announced in a loud sing-song voice,
"And failed. So it leaves me free to reveal Koyu's secret."

"Wait! I don't want to hear ..."

"Koyu likes men!"

The air left Koyu's body in a hissing sigh; and so too the tension. Koyu buckled a little, steadying himself on the edge of Ryuki's desk.

Looking on, Shuei's chest swelled with what felt suspiciously like pride. He laughed at himself.
Well ... even if not pride, certainly respect!
Koyu's relief is palpable.
That was obviously not the revelation he feared.
It was that important to him, and yet he didn't compromise his principles.
No wonder His Highness is so pleased.

Koyu, eyes closed and face flushed, drew in a long shuddering breath through slightly parted lips. The tremor passed down the length of Koyu's body, making his silk tunic ripple.

Pulse racing, Shuei came to the awkward realization that his heart wasn't the only organ that was over-reacting. He glanced down furtively to check if it showed.
Thank goodness for these elaborate court robes!
Ah-haha, Koyu was right after all, that was certainly not enough layers!

Shuei looked up from his supposedly surreptitious self-examination, and right into a pair of amused amber eyes.

The honey-blonde brows lifted, and the royal lips formed the word VOYEUR soundlessly.

Flushing, Shuei glared daggers at his sovereign-friend who knew about his interest in Koyu and yet had no qualms about embarrassing him.
"Is that all you have on Koyu, Your Highness? That he likes men? Assistant Secretary Li Koyu announces every year, when he's inundated with marriage proposals, that he doesn't like women. Three-quarters of the civil service are convinced that he must be gay. That's a really lame threat, Your Highness."

"Of course that's not the threat, Shuei, and you know it. His Highness has decided to spare me."
Koyu snorted derisively, crossing his arms.

Shuei turned to look at his good friend. Koyu had recovered fully. He was his usual self, his manner brusque, his eyes defiant, his lips, still red and swollen, set in a firm line. Shuei was momentarily lost for words, trying to reconcile this with the vulnerable Koyu earlier.

Ryuki laughed.
"It's way better than a threat, Shuei. Rumours and speculations aside, isn't it better to know that Li Koyu likes men, and not just dislikes women? Ah ... I meant, of course, for those people for whom this information is important. Now, please excuse me, I have to finish my assignment."

Silently seething at Ryuki's thinly veiled reference to himself, Shuei nonetheless realized the wisdom behind the words.

Leaning against Ryuki's desk, Shuei arranged his many-layered court robes elaborately. He turned to face Koyu, just two feet away, and fluttered his long dark lashes.
"So, Li Koyu, I heard you like men?"

[The End]