Author's Note: The moment episode three introduced this pairing, my inner fangirl screamed "OTP!" Shortly after that, my inner law-abiding, non-pedophilic citizen screamed, "That's illegal!" So you can imagine how pleased I was when things went my way and Furon grew into his manbody (despite the hideous bear hair, when Furon became Furry). So, naturally, I had to write this short little fluff-fic. I'm glad I could get some unabashed fluff out before I wind up writing a dark Bleach fic. Either way, I hope other people like this pairing, since I'm sure I'm not the only one out there. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Grenadier nor any of its respective characters, settings, etc.

"Bridge Over Tea"
By Genetix Chiquita

Koto's stomach twisted and turned as she approached the arabesque doors. It had been at least fifteen minutes since he'd summoned her, but living in the palace was difficult getting used to. She still had egregious amounts of trouble finding her way through the many l halls that populated the labyrinthine floors of the castle. But of course she'd done the polite thing and told the servant that beckoned her she'd find her own way.

"Stupid," she muttered, looking nervously up at the gilded entranceway that marked his chambers. King Furon had an entire floor – nay, wing – to himself, and she felt silly for thinking her quarters were big.

Tremulously, she rapped on the door thrice, her knocks feather light and barely audible. She hoped against hope that he wouldn't answer the door. Ever since he'd miraculously grown – now he was even taller than she – she had no idea what to make of her feelings. Before they had just been a mottled mix of admiration and deification – now what were they?

Nervous hands clasped around her pendant, she was about to turn and go. She jumped when she heard, "Come in!" from the other side of the door.

His voice was different too, now. The high-pitched, boyish pre-pubescence was gone from his tone, replaced with something dark, rich and a little sultry.

"Stop it," she scolded herself under her breath. She gulped loudly before placing a timid hand on the door handle, trying desperately to quell her tremors. She swallowed the last of her fears and pushed the lavish door open, forced to lean her weight in order to move the luxurious golden monstrosity.

When she stepped inside and managed to close the door behind her, her wide eyes scanned the room. She supposed she was in the foyer ("A foyer for a bedroom?"), and even that was of impressive size. Kneading her hands into her robes, she glanced around and prayed she had misheard him. Perhaps he wasn't there at all?

Her hopes retreated when she heard footsteps, and Furon soon appeared in the hallway smiling. "I'm sorry, I should have been here to greet you."

As usual, she was at a complete loss for words. Something about the body he'd grown into constantly left her breathless in his presence. He was tall and trim with dulcet grey eyes and kind lips, as well as…

"Your hair," she mumbled, and then turned a deep pink. "Pardon my speech, Furon-sama."

To her surprise, he laughed kindly. "Not at all, Koto-san. I had hoped you would drop the formality, actually. After all, we are friends, aren't we?"

She nodded mutely for lack of anything better to do. "May I ask why you called me here?" she finally managed to say, and hoped she didn't look as meek as she sounded.

He ran a hand through his hair and frowned. "I've just gotten a haircut. I know it's silly, but I'm not sure what I think of it. I'd ask my advisors, but I know they would only tell me it's 'dashing' or 'handsome' or something of the sort. I was hoping you could tell me honestly?"

He looked at her earnestly and she felt something flutter. She mentally slapped herself and dipped her head in acquiescence. Stop it.

"Remember, tell me as a friend, not as my subject," he said. "I'll give you a moment to think it over while I fetch some tea. Please, follow this hall to the dining room. I'll be there shortly." He then disappeared back down the corridor, leaving her to stew in her thoughts.

Sighing and dragging her feet, Koto wondered how she had sunk so low. What were these feelings? Why did they pester her so inconveniently? She barely noticed when she stumbled into the dining room and sat down at the low table, feeling ethereal and quite beside herself.

Her jumbled thoughts were silenced when he stepped into the room with a tray, a pot of tea and two cups. "Servants always insist I not lift a finger over menial things like this," he said wistfully, sitting down opposite her, "but I quite enjoy making tea."

"Me too," she told him dumbly, and then wondered why she even bothered. The fact that they both liked to make tea didn't make them friends, after all. He called that sort of thing menial, while she called it work. Two worlds apart, her mind whispered.

"So?" he asked her, pouring her a cup of tea and placing it in front of her. She drank it dolefully, hoping to drown her sorrows in the sweet nectar. "What do you think?"

She glanced up, desperately trying to avoid his eyes, and wondered what to say. His hair was about the same length as before, but rather than the precisely cut bangs and bob, he now sported a somewhat shaggy hairstyle. His bangs went hither thither and there was no real style to it, but she thought it suited him in a very handsome, roguish way. She knew that wasn't how a king should look, yet she was entirely mesmerized knowing that was how a man should look.

She took another sip of her tea and mumbled, "I like it."

"Pardon?" he prodded, looking up as he dumped a generous amount of sugar into his tea.

She smiled at that, and managed the courage to tell him, "It looks good." She then remembered the honesty promise, and punctuated the statement with a sheepish, "Very good."

Then, for the first time in her life, she saw him blush a little bit. Her eyes widened as his gaze avoided hers, instead glancing into the steaming tea in his cup, as he mumbled, "Thank you."

Entirely overcome with puzzlement and curiosity, as well as a tinge of concern, she asked, "Furon-sama?"

Furon looked up and smiled kindly, though she could still see a bit of red tinting his cheeks. "Please, call me Furon-san."

Koto nodded, though she still wasn't sure what was the matter. A few moments of uncomfortable silence ticked by until she found her voice and asked, "Does my friendship really matter so much to you?"

He looked up, eyes deviating from the picturesque sunset outside his window, and regarded her strangely. "Of course it does," he said, and sounded slightly dejected. "Does not mine to you?"

Again her face pinkened, and she couldn't avoid his stare no matter how much her mind and body willed her to. "I… I've never really considered us friends. I mean, you are the king and I'm only a worker at a bath house. And now I live here and… and it's all so strange and sudden." Her fingers clasped harshly around her pendant, nervously rolling it in her hand with shaking white knuckles.

He seemed to consider this a moment, setting his tea cup down. The slight clack of porcelain against mahogany seemed to echo in Koto's head, enunciating the silence. Finally, he spoke, "Forgive me, Koto-san. I hadn't thought of how this might affect you. I thought only of my own happiness. My deepest apologies."

Despite his sincerity, Koto felt like she'd been kicked in the face by her own stupidity. "No, not at all!" she assured wildly, arms flailing. "I like it here, I really do! And you should think of your own happiness more often, really!" She thought of all that he'd sacrificed for his kingdom and a deep sadness settled in her stomach. "I only want your happiness…"

"No," he said, and looked at her earnestly. "That will not do."

At his words, her eyes stung with tears. "But…"

"Because," he continued, "I only want your happiness. Not as my subject, nor a citizen of my kingdom, but as my friend. And if my friendship does not make you happy, then I will not keep you against your will."

His voice was so full of melancholy that she could think of nothing to say. Instead she set her tea down, stood, crossed the room, and kneeled. He was about to ask her to stand back up when she wrapped her arms around him, fighting back unwanted tears. "I am happy," she told him. "I am happy right now, here with you."

Blinking slowly, it took Furon a moment to react. His lips settled in a calm smile as he raised his hands to wrap around her own. "And I am happy," he said softly, nuzzling into the crook of her arm, "right now, here in your arms."

He felt her face turn hot with embarrassment, and the warmth mingled pleasantly with the beating of her heart. He felt a droplet of water splash into his wrist, and then another lightly hitting his forearm, and motioned to wipe away her happy tears. Her grip loosened as he turned to face her, dragging his thumb softly across her cheek and erasing the crystalline droplets.

"Stay by my side?" he whispered, pulling her gently into his arms. Her head rested lightly on his shoulder, timid breath tickling the nape of his neck. "Koto-chan?"

"Always," she told him, intertwining her fingers with his own. "… Furon-san."