Title : Seedless Lychee
Summary : Reishin is likened to a succulent lychee.
Time-Fit : After Sweet Titbit.
Disclaimer : I do not own the characters. They and Saiunkoku Monogatari belong to Sai Yukino.
Rating : PG13 for theme
Genre : Humour
Warning : Yaoi, mild - nothing happens on-screen
Pairing : Kijin/Reishin
Notes : This is the sequel to Sweet Titbit.
italics = thoughts
Shuei's brows rose. He attempted to speak, forgetting that he had food in his mouth, and ended up choking.
Koyu thumped Shuei's back.
"And who's the one always telling me to not talk with my mouth full?"
"LYCHEES!"
Shuei croaked, gesturing wildly at the generous platter of succulent red fruits that Reishin just brought to the table.
"How did you come by these, Lord Reishin? I pestered General Haku all of today, and got nothing, not even one measly fruit!"
"It's a gift from General Haku, Shuei."
Reishin's colour rose, just a little.
Kijin chuckled, crossed his arms upon his manly chest, and said nothing. That earned him a LOOK from his lover.
Shuei's eyes went from one to the other. He nudged Koyu, asking in a loud whisper,
"Do you know anything about this, son-of-Lord-Reishin?"
Koyu, his large eyes fixed unwaveringly upon his now-fully-blushing parent, shook his head in slow-motion.
"WHAT? Stop staring at me, Koyu! You too, Shuei!"
Shuei laughed.
"Sorry, Lord Reishin. It's just that General Haku was so fed up with everyone asking him for the lychees he brought back from his trip to the southern provinces, that he's announced that no one's getting any lychees, not unless they can beat him at a duel, or satisfy him in bed!"
Reishin dropped the lychee he was holding.
"He said WHAT?"
He stared at the offending small fruit rolling along the dining table.
"Oh my god! Now the whole of Kyo thinks I satisfied him in bed!"
He turned to his lover, and stomped his foot.
"Ki-jin!"
Kijin, silent till now, burst out laughing.
"And how do you expect me to salvage your reputation? Hmmm … I guess I could lie that I beat General Haku at a duel?"
"Not a good idea, Lord Kijin, unless you are prepared to fight him for real, when he hears about it!"
Shuei cocked his head to one side, considering.
"Better to just say YOU satisfied him in bed, Lord Kijin!"
Kijin roared. Even Koyu laughed. Reishin, however, was refusing to be entertained.
"Me? Satisfy General Haku? Not likely, Shuei. When General Haku presented his gift, it was not my face he was gazing at with that silly grin of his, and it was not my figure that was likened to a succulent seedless lychee!"
Shuei whistled.
"Good grief! That statement alone is enough cause to duel him in earnest, Lord Kijin! If you do nothing, you'll lose your reputation as The-Insanely-Jealous-Lover-of-Lord-Reishin!"
Kijin laughed good-naturedly.
"He's harmless, Shuei."
Reishin brandished his fan at his lover.
"Stop it. General Haku is happily married, to a WOMAN. Besides, he addresses me as 'old-timer'! How is that amorous?"
"Actually, it's rather cute. Even romantic."
Koyu smiled absently.
He started when he noticed everyone staring at him.
"I mean, acknowledging the age difference in such a way … that's sweet."
Shuei teased gently.
"So why is it that you, who are seven years younger, never address me as 'old-timer'?"
Koyu grinned, shrugging.
"Doesn't suit you."
"Watch it, Koyu. You really don't want to imply that 'old-timer' suits Reishin!"
Kijin chuckled, shaking an admonishing finger at Koyu.
"But I do agree with you, Koyu, General Haku calling Reishin that is cute."
Reishin gave a squeal of frustration.
"You are embellishing things, Kijin! General Haku calls BOTH of us 'old-timers'! As for his gifts of food, he always brings enough for both of us! If left to you to interpret things, just about every man, gay or straight, has the hots for me!"
Kijin laughed. He caught, and held onto, Reishin's madly waving hand.
"True. I can't help extrapolating from my own desires."
He gave the hand a tug, pulling Reishin against his chest.
"If you are so certain I'm imagining things, then it really doesn't matter that General Haku gave you lychees, does it? Gossip will always be gossip. Rumours are already afloat about General Haku's recent habit of pleasuring you, albeit gastronomically, even before the lychees."
Reishin mumbled into Kijin's chest.
"But his announcement … "
"I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it. Shuei said General Haku was irritated when he said that. He was just ranting."
Shuei watched as Kijin soothed Reishin's ruffled nerves. He wondered if Kijin might be too laid-back about the whole thing. He frowned, deliberating on whether he should say anything.
Koyu slipped his hand into Shuei's, and whispered in his ear.
"What's wrong? You think there's more to this?"
At Shuei's solemn nod, Koyu squeezed Shuei's hand, and smiled encouragingly.
"Then say it."
Shuei braced himself.
"Lord Kijin, Lord Reishin, I have something to say about General Haku."
Having gotten their attention, Shuei continued.
"I work with him, so, we do talk, sometimes. He's neither happily-married, nor unhappily-married. It was an arranged marriage, and fortunately, they do get along. He beds her twice a week. Apart from that, he's free to find his own entertainment, just so long he doesn't take live-in concubines."
Shuei frowned.
"What I'm trying to say is, General Haku may not be as 'safe' as you think, Lord Kijin. My initial reaction was that it was nothing, because I know for a fact that General Haku's extra-marital activities have always been with women. But then …"
Shrugging, Shuei concluded,
"I've never ever looked at a man before either, until I met Koyu."
Kijin laughed uproariously.
"So … the men of the Hong house have the ability to turn straight men gay?"
Koyu interrupted.
"Lord Kijin, Shuei is being serious."
"I know, Koyu, and thank you, Shuei. In truth, that succulent seedless lychee statement freaked me out. I accosted General Haku in the corridor this afternoon."
Reishin gasped. "You did what?"
"It's alright, Dumpling. We were very civil, even friendly."
"So what did General Haku say, Lord Kijin?"
Koyu's tone was worried.
"Well, Koyu, it turns out Shuei is right. Following in YOUR footsteps, your adoptive father has upset a whole life-time of self-awareness! That night, when General Haku came to apologize for dragging Reishin and I through a corruption hearing, he saw Reishin blush … and that was it."
Reishin paled. Koyu frowned. Shuei sighed.
"Oi, you three, it's not a funeral! General Haku is not in love with Reishin! He's just, well … in lust, and he knows the difference. He gave me his word he had no intention to act on that either. He pointed out, very reasonably, that he's making a point to speak to Reishin ONLY when I'm present. He assures me he's harmless, and I believe him. He asked to continue feeding his succulent seedless lychee, and I gave my blessing."
The long silence was finally broken by Koyu.
"There's no such thing as a seedless lychee. Some lychees have very tiny seeds, just a sliver, yes, but there are no seedless lychees."
Kijin laughed.
"Trust you to be the one to point that out, Koyu! General Haku said that's exactly what Reishin was to him, unattainable perfection, just like the seedless lychee."
Reishin hissed.
"You … he's not serious, is he?"
"Half-serious, I think. But don't worry about it, Reishin. General Haku is a practical man, and he said he has already tried out his new orientation, and is now happily bisexual, all thanks to you."
"Oh god, how am I supposed to behave when I next see him?"
Laughing, Kijin suggested,
"Just blush, Dumpling. It was your blush that corrupted a straight man, afterall."
And blush Reishin did, turning as red as the lychees on the dining table.
[The next day]
Kijin, his bowl of sweet beancurd and lychee turning cold from neglect, watched as Reishin ate each mouthful of the dessert … oh-so-deliberately. The porcelain spoon teasing those tender lips, slipping in partially, and as it pulled out, the tip of a very pink tongue licking at the spoon delicately.
He looked across at Haku.
Poor devil.
He looks like he's about to come in his pants!
Stop tormenting the man, Reishin!
Done with his dessert, Reishin stood up, stretched daintily, and ran his hands down the sides of his waist. Hands resting lightly on his hips, he pivoted to face Haku.
"Do I look fat?"
Kijin, used to his lover's mercurial moods and strange mental leaps, still managed to be taken aback. He could only imagine what Haku must be going through, faced with a question that is endearing in its intimacy, but frightening in its inappropriateness! He waited for Haku's response, which took a long time coming.
"No, just succulent."
Way to go, General Haku!
Kijin smiled behind his wooden mask, secretly pleased.
"Thank you. But I WILL become fat, if you keep feeding me sweet titbits, General Haku."
Kijin stopped breathing.
That's one hell of a way to reject a man, Reishin!
Haku looked stunned. Flushing, he stood up hurriedly.
"My apologies, Lord Reishin. I get the message. Good day."
Haku turned to leave.
"Wait."
Reishin tapped his closed fan lightly on Haku's arm.
"Did you just say 'Lord Reishin'? Whatever happened to 'old-timer'?"
Lifting his fan off Haku's arm, Reishin used it to trace Haku's bearded jaw line teasingly.
"I prefer 'old-timer'. Or perhaps 'lychee'. What do you think, young man?"
Suddenly, Kijin relaxed. He could guess where Reishin was going, he knew what Reishin was thinking. But obviously poor Haku didn't. Kijin sat back to watch events play out, ignoring the almost-desperate glance Haku just threw his way.
Just blush, Dumpling.
Kijin laughed at himself. After all these years together, did he REALLY think Reishin would sit back, blush, and be totally passive? He's going to have to apologize for under-estimating his Dumpling!
Even that may not be enough. Kijin realized that his being witness to Haku's dressing-down was ominous. It was Reishin's way of telling him his come-uppance was pending.
"You don't own me, Ko Kijin! Not now, not ever!"
Those words, shouted in agitation during their first ever fight, reminded Kijin just how much he HASN'T learnt.
He didn't own Reishin, he knew that. And yet, he and Haku had blithely "negotiated" as though Reishin were not his own man. His crime was all the worse for giving Haku "permission" to continue his attentions towards Reishin.
Yes, indeed, I'm going to get it from Reishin.
Kijin felt a flutter in his abdomen. He wasn't certain if he was afraid or aroused, probably both! He smiled ruefully, realizing that Haku must be similarly conflicted.
Bringing his attention back, Kijin looked at Haku - top-ranking General, rugged, bearded, six-foot worth of hard muscles, and quaking in his military boots.
"I … I think 'lychee' sounds good."
Reishin laughed. Or rather, he tinkled.
Kijin smiled. His Dumpling was pleased. Haku had passed.
"So it does! Here's the deal. Just one sweet titbit a week, please, I need to maintain my … succulent figure."
"Now, sit, General."
Reishin prodded Haku back into the chair with his fan.
"You don't need to hide behind the excuse of feeding me. Just drop by anytime you want."
Leaning over Haku in his chair, Reishin, brows arched mockingly, smiled down at him.
"I'll blush for you, General, every time you call me 'lychee'."
Haku, red in the face and grinning like an idiot, whispered the magic word. On cue, Reishin's cheeks turned pink. And his smile softened.
Haku's grin slipped. His mouth hung open.
Kijin watched, part amused, part concerned. He didn't think Haku, or even Reishin himself, noticed the subtle change. Twice, Reishin had addressed Haku as "General", dropping his name. To Kijin, that sounded a whole lot warmer than "General Haku". He knew his lover well enough. Once Reishin accepted someone as a friend, his warmth would seep through his prickly exterior.
And Haku was responding to that warmth. That warmth, combined with Reishin's beauty and innate coquettishness, was a heady concoction.
Be careful, "General".
I think you are falling for your unattainable seedless lychee.
Kijin shrugged, picking up his bowl of beancurd and lychees.
Or, perhaps, as Reishin would insist, my perspective is seriously skewed.
[The End]
Notes:
(1) The lychee is native to China, and grows in tropical or subtropical climate.
(2) A popular historical anecdote on the lychee is how the first Tang emperor doted on his favourite concubine Yang Guifei by having her favourite fruit delivered by pony express all the way from the south of China to the capital city in the north. Today, there's a premium grade of lychees called "Guifei Lychee".
(3) The "seedless" lychee is so called by some people to refer to lychees that have very tiny seeds. Such seeds are called "Chicken Tongue" seeds .
(4) Lychees with beancurd in a light syrup is a popular Chinese dessert. But I've only ever eaten this dessert with canned lychees.