"…Whis?"

The angel was reclined in a chair, feet up on the table, while he ate through a box of chocolates with a glass of wine. If that sight wasn't odd enough, Beerus was witnessing a rare time when his attendant was relaxing in nothing but his maroon robe, sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

At the call of his name, Whis quickly sat up properly, making himself more presentable. "Yes, my lord?"

"Everything okay?" Should he be concerned? He pulled up a seat on the other side of the table.

Whis offered him the box, and Beerus accepted, curious as to what Whis had chosen for such an occasion – an assortment of dark chocolates. "Everything is progressing well."

"Good. I saw you had them in those weird suits today. A good way to slow Goku down."

"Isn't it just? I'm surprised you haven't sent them back home yet."

Beerus got up and began to make his way around the table. "Having Kibishin to entertain me has really helped."

"Why, it's been a few days now, hasn't it? Aren't you worried about him?"

Beerus took hold of Whis's shoulders and began to massage them. "He said he had something to do. Whatever it is supreme kais do."

"Maybe you should follow his example. Seems you two have been a bit too wrapped up in each other recently."

"It's been a few months. I've slept for longer. No harm done." Beerus stopped his ministrations. "Or was that some serious angel advice?"

"No, merely an observation. You did just sleep for four decades as well."

"Exactly, I've barely woken up. But let's not talk about me. I want to talk about you. What's all this?" Beerus gestured at the table. "Waiting until you think we're all asleep before cracking open the sweets?"

"My apologies, I didn't expect to get caught."

"No, I can see that." He pressed his thumbs into Whis's shoulder blades. "I hardly ever see you taking time for yourself like this. Sorry I ruined it, but you must tell me if anything's wrong."

Whis reached up to touch Beerus's hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, my lord, I appreciate your concern, but it's nothing. I'm just – for once – a little tired from training the saiyans."

"I can send them back if you're being too polite to tell them to fuck off."

"No, no. They won't be around to have fun with for much longer after all. I should enjoy them while I can. But for the first time in a long time I feel like I could actually sleep."

Beerus nodded. "Maybe you should. Come on, an hour or two won't hurt." He took Whis's hand and led him down the corridors.

Whis's room wasn't well-lived in. It was more a museum of things from across the universes, but it still had a bed squeezed in. A long Whis-sized bed, rather than Beerus's rather small round one. He pushed Whis down wordlessly and made sure his angel was comfortable before laying his head on his chest, curling into his side. It was the only way Whis would sleep; having his lord by his side. If Beerus were to get up and the weight on his chest lifted, he would wake immediately.

Ooo

"Well, that got rid of the saiyans," Beerus said with a grin, happy that for once the entire table of food was his.

"Yes, quite impeccable timing from Lord Champa."

"So you did want them gone?" Beerus asked.

"Well…87 minutes of resting my eyes wasn't as fulfilling as I'd hoped. But now we have this tournament to prepare for," Whis sighed.

"They're doing all the work. We just have to turn up. And I've given Goku charge of filling the team, which means we get to sit back and relax for five days!"

Whis hummed. "Didn't you say you were picking one of the members?"

"Ah yes, he'll arrive tomorrow at some point."

This time Whis hummed with concern. "Will he now? My lord… We don't get many visitors, so could it be…?"

"What? Monaka is going to be perfect. We don't have to go anywhere to recruit him, he just comes to us. I don't have time to find someone as strong as Goku! I might have known a guy some millennia ago, but not anymore!"

There was a slow nod from Whis and then he shrugged. "Well, if that's how you wish to play this game. You don't fancy asking the Supreme Kai if he has any suggestions? He might at least know someone with a little more presence to fit the role."

"Please. We've trained Monaka not to bat an eyelid at anything he sees when he arrives here. He's absolutely perfect to not flinch at any display of power from Goku. Kibishin doesn't hang around with mortals much, so I doubt he has any non-Earthling ideas. But I should invite him. Champa said he was inviting Fuwa and a few others."

"I'm sure we'll have quite a handful of spectators from Earth too. I hope they bring snacks."

Beerus's eyes seemed to sparkle at the prospect. "You're right. Anyway, let me use your staff to call Kibishin."

Whis materialised it and began to peer into it.

"Hey, I know how to use it." He reached for it.

"Of course, my lord."

Beerus took the staff and began to stalk the aquarium, eyeing up tomorrow's lunch as he waited for someone to answer his call. "Hey, Kibishin! Urgh, you!"

Elder Kai groaned louder. "You! Hey, boy, someone's trying to call you!"

"Someone?! Don't pretend you don't -!" Beerus was yelling into the staff. "Shin?!" Everything stopped as Beerus stared hard into the staff, making sure his eyes weren't deceiving him.

"Hi, Lord Beerus," the kai said sheepishly.

Beerus seemed frozen in time as he just continued to stare, his brain trying to process how things had happened to lead to this moment. Shin just continued to smile awkwardly.

"What?" How? Why? When? So many questions. He began to walk – well, it more like storm – to his room, preferring to unleash whatever he was feeling in the comfort and privacy of his own room. He sat on his bed, letting the staff float freely in front of him. Pressing his hands together, he finally had his questions in order. "Since when were you no longer Kibishin?"

"It's been two days."

"And when were you planning to tell me?"

Shin ran a hand through his hair. "Um, soon. I wasn't sure how best to break it to you, so I've been thinking a lot about it. I guess this is it."

Beerus massaged his temples. "I mean, should I be having this discussion with you and Kibito?"

"I, uh, I don't know. Probably not. Kibito's a bit… He wasn't a big fan of being Kibitoshin."

"Right, but you were?" Beerus asked.

"Yes…and no. It was a mutual de-fuse if that's what you're asking."

"Uh-huh, why? I thought you were happy."

Shin looked away from the crystal ball he was using. "I don't know… I was. I thought I was. And then I wasn't? I'm sorry, Lord Beerus, but I can't accurately tell you why. Because I'm not Kibitoshin anymore. I remember most of my time as Kibitoshin, but the fine details like emotions are a bit harder to pin down. It's hazy."

"Great. That's just what I want to hear."

"I'm sorry. Lord Beerus…did you… Did you have feelings for Kibitoshin?"

"Obviously I had some. He was fun, good to look at…"

"Well, I just want you to know that all the feelings he had for you…are feelings I still have. Kibito has nothing to do with those feelings."

"Why didn't you tell me? I mean, about the decision to unfuse?"

Shin frowned. "Because I – we – we'd already decided, and I didn't want you to change our mind."

"So you remember that, but not the details about why?"

"I feel like Kibito has parts of those memories that would complete mine. Please, it's done now."

"Hey, you can always give him a potara again." Beerus wasn't sure if he was serious about the suggestion.

"No, we'd never willingly do that again."

There was silence, and Shin was the one to break it. "Why were you calling anyway?"

"Oh. Yeah, we're having a tournament – me and Champa – and I wondered if you wanted to come and watch. You're all invited." He didn't sound as enthusiastic as he'd planned when he started the call.

"Sounds fun! When is it?"

"In five days, Earth time. I'll get Whis to send over the details."

"…Beerus, are you okay? Have I really disappointed you?"

"I'll get over it. You know, sometimes you just find a good fuck buddy and it's great. And damn, I only got to fuck him once. Wasted potential." He laid back on the bed, gazing at the ceiling.

"I can't really relate to that sentiment, but if it's any consolation, I, um, I still… I would." Shin was turning red.

Beerus wasn't paying attention, too wrapped up in his own thoughts. Obviously it couldn't last forever, but he had at some point started to believe Kibishin would be his kai until the next one came along. Why did he start believing that? Hadn't Kibishin talked about unfusing before? He put his hand out and the staff returned to it.

"Hey – what are you -?" He had expected Shin to have cut the call rather than watch him mope. After all, the point of the call was over now, but instead he was faced with a half-naked kai.

"Beerus…I have to know… Will you – are you – going to leave me?"

"Uh…?" What kind of question was that? "As you've pointed out, you're not Kibishin. So how can I leave you if we never had anything?"

"But his feelings were my feelings! I told you this! I remember…"

Beerus sighed. This is why you didn't get involved with your kai. And more fool him for doing it while said kai was fused. "Look, why don't you come over and we can talk this out properly?" Not how he wanted to spend his first day saiyan-free, but it had to be done. "Come on, put your robe back on and get over here."

He noticed Shin rub his eyes and nod before the call was cut. Beerus put his face in his hands and groaned before going out to return Whis's staff.

"Everything okay, my lord?" Whis asked, having been eagerly awaiting Beerus's return.

Beerus shrugged. "It is what it is."

The sound of the doorbell rang throughout the castle.

"Oh! I thought Monaka wasn't coming until tomorrow?" Whis stood up quickly, about to zoom down to the door, but Beerus grabbed his wrist.

"It's not Monaka. God this is awkward if he's ringing the fucking doorbell." Beerus began grumbling to himself as he made his way down the corridors. He tried to compose himself along the way, not sure he was ready to have whatever conversation he'd been offering over the phone. He pulled the door open with a "Hey."

"Lord Beerus." Shin inclined his head awkwardly, unsure where he stood now he was no longer Kibitoshin.

"You could at least act like you were part of him."

"Sorry, I… He would have been just as awkward if he thought he'd annoyed you."

"He would have had a sheepish grin on his face, maybe even pulling on his hair to occupy his hands."

Shin nodded. "I don't have the luxury of that. As for the grin, I already tried that when I answered your call. Perhaps you were too mad to notice."

Of course he'd seen it. He couldn't forget the moment he saw Shin's face in the staff's orb. It was a silent walk up to the living area.

"The rest is yours," Beerus said to Whis, motioning to the feast he was no longer in the mood for. With Shin in tow he walked through to the sofa. "Well, have a seat."

Shin hadn't chosen quick enough clearly. Did he sit on the sofa with Beerus? Or was a separate chair better? He chose the sofa, leaving a decent distance between them. Neither looked at each other as the silence hung in the air. Both were busy trying to come up with an opening line, they both wanted to be the first to gain the upper hand, but at the same time perhaps leaving it to the other would stop them from tripping up.

Beerus finally formulated his question. "Do you want to continue where we left off? And I pretend you're a shorter, less outgoing Kibishin?"

"I want to continue, but we should both recognise I'm a different person."

"Then why are you sitting so far away?"

Shin shuffled closer. "You're scary sometimes, you know."

"Kibishin didn't seem to think so."

"No, but we knew you wouldn't lay a finger on us if you were mad."

Beerus glanced over at Shin. "Then why do you act like I would?"

"Because this is different. You've never been mad at me."

"I'm not mad," Beerus said, trying to sound convincing. "Just disappointed. What did the old man say about it?"

"He was disappointed in our use of the dragon balls, as well as 'wasting' the power of the potara. A typical lecture followed, but it's nicer to be lectured as two people."

"Speaking of which, I know you said it earlier, but just to be clear, I shouldn't mention this to Kibito ever?"

"This? Oh." Shin shook his head. "We've already decided there are certain things that happened as Kibitoshin that we won't be talking about with each other."

"Jeez, that's awkward."

"Quite. I think it was the main contributing factor to Kibitoshin's breakdown."

"Won't it be really fucking weird when Kibito finds out…? I mean, if we continue to… If things work out?" Beerus didn't want to phrase it as if he was agreeing to anything.

"Maybe. But he knows now – about my feelings for you. I doubt it will come as a surprise."

"Are they really the same?" Beerus asked. "Your feelings?"

"Yes," Shin whispered. "I've just had all the shyness and anxiety dumped back on me is all. Kibitoshin tended to act and think a few seconds later. It was nice to live like that, but maybe this is better."

"Well, like Kibishin, I want you to make the first move."

Shin pouted as he looked up at Beerus. Why should he have expected anything else? He scooted closer once more so that their legs touched, and he was able to easily take Beerus's hand in his own.

"This is a bit…tamer than expected."

"Shut up, I'm building up to it."

Beerus sniggered. "Wait, weren't you the one undressing over our call earlier? What was that all ab-"

Shin's lips shut him up, small hands resting on his shoulders. It had been quite a novelty to have a bigger kai again, but he did like that Shin was smaller than him.

"Well, what was that –?" Shin stopped him once more. "Are you just going to keep kissing me so I can't ask –"

"Yes."

"Fine. Whatever it was about, it's going to take time to build up to it again."

"I thought you were into that?" Shin asked.

"I was into that hunk of a kai you and Kibito made. I was thinking maybe I should have paid more attention to Kibito. He's quite beefy, right?"

"Please don't make Kibito uncomfortable."

"I'm just saying. Kibishin certainly didn't get that figure from you." He prodded Shin's arm. "Anyway, if Kibishin were here, I would have been discussing this tournament and who I think Goku's going to pick, so let's do that. Feel free to stay in my lap while we do so."

Ooo

Beerus moved to expose his neck to the hand that was giving him attention. Oh? Behind the ears as well? Why, thank you, Whis.

No, wait. This isn't Whis. For starters, Whis didn't sit like this on the sofa with him ever. He could feel the body next to him, and it certainly wasn't his angel, nor did it smell like him. Yet, why should he open his eyes and put an end to this attention? He was enjoying himself after all. Casually he reached out and pulled the person towards him, still feigning sleep, burying his face into their chest.

There was no doubt now that it was Shin. Of course he had been almost certain it was his kai if it wasn't Whis. Who else would be able to get in here and not be thrown out by his angel?

"You been here long?" he whispered once he had had his fill of attention.

"About 20 minutes maybe?"

"What did you want?"

"We used to just hang out. Thought we could do that again."

He had nothing else to do, so why not entertain his other half? He reached up and flicked the potara that caught the light just right from that angle. "What if we fused?"

Shin's face said it all. "…No…"

"It'd be pretty weird, huh?"

"I don't even know where to start. Of all the people in the universe, surely the worst fusion would be between the Supreme Kai and God of Destruction?"

"Why? Because they'd be too powerful? Or maybe because now you'd double your workload by being one person with two jobs?"

"We're such opposites, it would never work. Have you ever been fused? I mean, if Kibito and I couldn't hack it, I doubt we could."

Beerus dug through his memories. "Yeah, I've fused a couple of times – not with potara though. If you live as long as Whis and I, you'll find you get bored and try these things."

"I'm extremely curious, but at the same time I don't want to think about that."

"It was fucking fantastic. The raw power I felt in those moments…what a thrill! But Whis pulled out before I could do anything fun. And, uh, then we did it again once I'd made some promises."

"Well, I'll just put it out there that I've no interest in even the temporary way. I think it's best we remain separate eternally."

Beerus shrugged. "Suits me. It's not like you'd boost my power much, just give me a few extra skills. So, what are we doing while we hang out today?"

"So you didn't have anything to do? I'm not intruding?"

"Well, I was napping. That was going to be my day."

"Sorry for waking you. Please continue." He began to remove himself from Beerus, but the destroyer held him close.

"Why do you like me?" A question he'd never really got the answer to, and certainly something he'd rather have answered by Shin than Kibishin.

"Don't you see yourself as desirable?" Shin had been prepared to dodge this question for some time now.

"Of course I do. I just never took you for one to fall for someone based solely on looks. Or at least, I didn't think you'd be one to continue thinking of someone like that when you found out they're an asshole."

"You're not an asshole," Shin said. "Well, maybe sometimes. But you're actually kind and caring, quite funny too! Don't make that face! What's wrong with a few compliments?"

"If you think this about me, what are other people thinking? Urgh, not even Whis says nice things like that with sincerity."

"Because he knows you don't want to hear it. So I'll have to be the one to say it."

"Maybe I should make you give me some examples…" Beerus mused. "But I reckon you've already planned ahead."

"Oh, yes. Would you like me to recall my favourite times?"

Beerus looked into his eager face and believed that he wasn't lying. "No, you're fine. I might just throw up at my own past actions."

"Gods must have such qualities, even if they are destroyers. It's what puts you above mortals when you choose the better path. Don't worry, others might not have noticed, but they might not have been watching you as long as I have."

"Been spying on me too?"

Shin shook his head quickly. "No more than I should as supreme kai."

"You know, I have an angel watching over me. I don't need you as well."

"Whis will only go so far. I had to learn that the hard way."

Beerus grimaced, knowing exactly what Shin was referring to. He hated bringing up anything Buu-related. The fact he failed to aid his kai twice made him feel guilt he'd never admit to anyone. "Yeah, alright." Best just to let him have this one and move on. "So, tell me, what makes me a sexy bastard in your eyes?"

"Are you just looking for me to stroke your ego?" Shin asked with a cock of the head. "Or perhaps something more…physical?"

Beerus grabbed the hand Shin had placed on his stomach. "Just my ego, if you would."

"What? Can I not caress your beautiful muscles? You must have worked so hard on your body. And the first time I saw your brother just made me appreciate you all the more."

He loosened his grip, letting Shin slide his hand up and down his abdomen.

"I think I've just really got a thing for strong-looking people. People who can pick me up with one hand and keep me safe with the other."

Beerus refrained from saying anything lest he say the wrong thing. Now was not the time to suggest Shin might have some issues.

"And to have that in a life-link? Perfect. We only really used to see each other at coordination meetings, but I used to feel safest during those times. Now I get to feel like that a lot more!" Shin nuzzled into Beerus's chest. "It's wonderful."

"Are you sure you're not just…in love with the idea of being safe?"

"Oh? Did you still need those examples of why you in particular are the object of my affections, and not someone like Kibito or Whis?"

"No, no, I'm good."