Well, I feel a little badly. This chapter has just been sitting around waiting to be posted. I completely forgot about it and never put it up... I apologize for that.
DBZ and it's characters belong to Akira Toriyama.
Upon reaching Kibito's room, Supreme Kai raps loudly on the door. The tall man answers within moments, a curious expression on his face. "Is something wrong, sir?"
"Will you help me make breakfast for Aurella?" The Kai asks, causing Kibito to chuckle.
"I assume that you found out what her breakfast is generally comprised of?"
"It is comprised of nothing is what it is comprised of!" He replies irritably. Kibito grins and follows his master as he turns towards the kitchen, muttering about scones. When they reach the kitchen, he stares at the stove, hands on his hips.
"Kibito! I don't know how to cook, but I do know this! Aurella deserves a decent breakfast!" He looks down at himself and his tone softens. "I don't want to be the reason why she is unhealthy or unhappy…" He clenches his fists. "So, today, I will switch roles with her! I will be the servant and she will be the master!" Kibito snorts. This isn't exactly how he had expected things to turn out, but it worked.
The Kai and his servant quickly set to work. Kibito shows him how to crack and scramble eggs. Supreme Kai strays away from the toaster after it scares him half to death when it pops up. In no time at all, they create an elaborate and delicious looking feast. Except for the toast. The toast is rather burnt.
"I hate toast." Supreme Kai glares at the blackened pieces of bread. Reaching down to throw them away, Kibito stops him.
"Leave it. It will make her laugh." And laugh she does. Hysterically. If she wasn't in bed, she would probably fall over.
The Kai sulks in the doorway as Kibito places the tray on Aurella's lap. He whispers something inaudible in her ear and she smirks. As Kibito leaves to clean up, Aurella begins munching on her breakfast.
"I appreciate you taking care of me like this. It's nice to not have to do anything." Her master perks slightly at this, but makes a sound much like "hmph" and turns his head, causing Aurella to smile. "Kibito did really well on these eggs." She says conversationally. "I think they're the best I've ever had." At this, Supreme Kai puffs up proudly.
"That must be because I made them." He says haughtily. Aurella feigns astonishment.
"You're kidding!" He grins, shaking his head. "Well, you should cook more often then." The Kai glows happily from the compliment. Aurella stifles a smile and continues eating. When she finishes her breakfast, Supreme Kai gathers everything onto the tray and takes it back to the kitchen. Aurella watches him go, wondering why he's making such a big deal out of the whole thing.
With a sigh, she kicks her legs over the side of the bed and stands up. Planning on getting dressed, Aurella is quickly interrupted by the return of her master.
"What are you doing?"
"I was going to get dressed…" She replies cautiously. He raises his eyebrows.
"Wouldn't you like a bath first?"
"But I took one last night…" She reminds him. He waves a dismissive hand at her.
"That doesn't count, because you were sick afterwards." He grabs her wrist and practically drags her out the door. "Come. You can use my bath."
"What?" She asks as she lets him drag her down the hall. "No, no. This really isn't necessary."
"Of course it is." He smiles at her over his shoulder, causing her to melt and halting any other arguments she had previously thought of using.
They reach his room and he leaves her to sit on his bed as he prepares the bath. As Aurella listens to the flow of water in the next room, she contemplates the bizarre way her day has begun. Her master had never treated her like this before and she was starting to wonder what was going on. She wasn't used to him doting on her like this.
In some ways, Aurella can't help but like it. It makes it seem as though he thinks of her as more than just his servant, which is something she had always dreamed of, but never thought actually possible. On the other hand, she feels strange and uneasy now that her schedule and life has been thrown off kilter. Though the Supreme Kai is fairly demanding, so much so that Aurella never has time to care for herself, she still enjoys it. She loves taking care of her master. It is her purpose in life and she dislikes being unable to fulfill it.
"It's ready!" Calls a cheerful Kai, interrupting her thoughts. He pokes his head out the door and looks at her quizzically. "What are you waiting for? Come!" He beckons her to him. With a sigh, Aurella stands, incapable of denying a direct order. As she walks in, a gasp escapes her lips. This is the first time she has seen the master bathroom and it is much more luxurious than she had expected.
The counters and floor are made of black marble stone and the bathtub is much bigger than the Kai's tub back home. The faucets are pure silver, as are the mirror frames. A large window next to the tub looks out onto the field. Aurella tries her best not to gape as she admires the extravagant room. Supreme Kai chuckles at her awe. He lets her admire the room for a few moments, then takes her hand and leads her to the tub. Aurella looks down into the water to see that the tub is filled to the brim with bubbles. Bubbles that had already began to overflow onto the floor.
He had made a mess and she would have to clean it up. Aurella tries not to cringe, as he was only being nice. Besides, it is the thought that counts. Supreme Kai turns away from her. "You get in. I won't look." Aurella blinks.
"Um… You're… planning to stay while I bathe?" She stares at the back of his head as though she can attain the answer that way.
"Of course. I'll wash your hair and scrub your back for you." A deep crimson blush spreads across Aurella's face.
"That is really, really not necessary."
"Of course it is! No, please get in." He waves her towards the bath, back still turned, and waits.
"Master, please. I do not feel comfortab—"
"Aurella. Get in." He orders. Aurella sighs, knowing she has lost this battle and that it is useless to try and argue. She quickly removes her robe and steps into the bath, sitting, and sinking as deeply as she can into the warm water. The bath is not quite as deep as she had hoped, so she sinks further in, so that the bubbles are up to her chin.
"I'm in." Aurella says squeakily, feeling very embarrassed. Supreme Kai turns around and smiles down at her.
"How is it?" He asks, picking up a bottle of shampoo.
"It's fine." She mutters, voice cracking. Is he really going to shampoo her hair? He approaches the tub and puts some in his hands. Apparently so…
The Kai begins to lather her hair. At first, Aurella just feels awkward, but the longer he massages her scalp, the more difficult it is to not enjoy it. A tiny moan escapes her lips as she leans her head into his hands. Supreme Kai freezes as the sound reaches his ears. His heartbeat quickens and that strange feeling returns to his stomach.
Unsure why he is reacting so strangely, Supreme Kai does his best to steady his breathing and his hands as he continues to shampoo Ella's hair. When he is finished, he grabs a pitcher of warm water that he had previously prepared. "Close your eyes, Ella." He warns. She does and he slowly pours the water over her head, rinsing her hair of the sudsy shampoo.
"Thank you." Says Aurella as soon as he is finished. She shoots him a dazzling smile, catching him off guard and causing him to blush.
"Y-you're welcome," He stammers. Aurella closes her eyes and leans her head against the edge of the bathtub, still smiling that incredible, never-before-seen smile. She seems to be feeling better, which makes the Kai glad, even though it caused an odd feeling in his abdomen. "Er... Shall I… scrub your back now?" He asks, unsure how to feel.
Aurella considers this a moment, screwing her eyes up tight, and tries to determine the best way to avoid the situation. Nothing comes to mind… Unable to think of a way out, she sighs. "Alright, go ahead…" She pulls her knees towards her chest, slowly sits up, and folds her arms around her legs. This way, he can reach her back, but the rest of her body remains unexposed.
The Kai swallows nervously and gives a shaky nod. Grabbing a cloth and a bar of soap, he begins gently scrubbing her back.
