SILVER ROMANCE
January 2002, revised December 2003
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes (12/03): I found this file buried in my documents folder, saved under a rather incongruous title. After opening it up, I discovered a lengthy story that I never really completed. I read through it, changing bits here and there and attempting to revise the ending (the ending was originally insanely complicated and a little too "Days of Our Lives").
This is a Zoisite/Kunzite romance story set in the Silver Millennium. Although the central relationship that develops in this is the one between our two lovely leading kings, this story also plays with the manga idea that the Shitennou were all married off to the Inner Senshi. It is also very much a "young kings at court" type of piece, so the language is a bit overly stylized in places and Zoisite is MUCH more of a crybaby than usual (cringe! I know!). I actually had a lot of fun re-reading this because the writing style is very different compared to what I do now (at least from my perspective), so going back and editing this was a real challenge as I tried desperately to adhere to the overall narrative style. This isn't one of my favorite (or better!) attempts, but it is a bit of a testament to my past so I didn't make any excessive changes to it; therefore, I hope it's an enjoyable story! Have fun!
-----
SILVER ROMANCE
Zoisite leaned against the railings, glad to catch a breath of fresh air from that miserable Christmas Eve party, and looked down into the courtyard, staring at the trees and the small pond that were now bathed in the soft nighttime glow.
Back in the dance hall, he was sure that although his betrothed Princess Ami might be wondering vaguely where he'd gone off to, she certainly wasn't missing his presence any. Which more or less equaled his respective feelings for her.
The young man sighed as a cool breeze lifted his bangs off his head. He tugged absent-mindedly at his uniform, unbuttoning the first few buttons so at least his neck and collarbone could catch a bit of cool air, too. These ridiculous things Queen Serenity made them wear! They certainly weren't comfortable, and in Zoisite's opinion, they were very unflattering as well. At least they were on him; Zoisite was much slimmer and more delicate looking than the other three kings, with a very beautiful face. His pretty face combined with his waist-length mane of curly copper-blonde hair made him look extremely feminine. He didn't exactly dislike the fact that he would have made a fantastic-looking woman; he just wished he were engaged to someone who would appreciate it.
At any rate, Zoisite thought ironically, he probably shouldn't be TOO surprised at the stupid ideas Queen Serenity came up with. She was the one who chose Lady Ami to be his bride, after all.
Two figures had suddenly appeared at the far edge of the courtyard, walking out from what looked like the lower dining hall. Zoisite's sharp eyes recognized them as Lord Kunzite and the Princess Minako of Venus. The Lady Minako was dressed in a very gauche orange-and-yellow sequined gown, with a tight, low-cut bodice and a poofy skirt that looked a little on the long side for her tiny figure. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a massive up-do and looked rather heavy.
Beside her, the icy Lord Kunzite stood with his typical expression: a completely unreadable face of stone. Zoisite couldn't help but stare at him; he'd always felt an attraction to the eldest of Mamoru's kings. Kunzite had absolutely gorgeous hair, in Zoisite's opinion; it was so smooth it looked like a sheet of glass, and it was a glossy platinum color. His eyes were a translucent sky-blue, which stood out shockingly in his tanned, well-chiseled face. Zoisite had often been unable to tear his eyes away from this man during meetings and such.
He now stared at the bumbling Minako beside him, who was having some difficulty walking in her ball gown and kept occasionally tripping over the hem, and he felt a stab of jealousy. How lucky Minako was, although she probably didn't even realize it. It made Zoisite sick, knowing that she got to be with someone as fabulous as Kunzite, while he was stuck living with the incredibly demure Ami, who never paid any attention to him at all and seemed to prefer pretending that he didn't even exist.
For a fleeting moment, watching them together, Zoisite had a rather funny mental picture in which HE was standing beside Kunzite instead of the Princess of Venus. Similarly, his own blonde hair was pulled into an up-do, except Zoisite fancied the style looked much better on him, and he was wearing a slimming sort of emerald-green ball gown that was much more tasteful than that thing Minako was currently sporting.
Suddenly, he heard Minako let out a small squeal and fall flat on her face. This was enough to jerk Zoisite out of his daydreaming, and remembering it, he blushed hard. He, wearing a dress ... that was ridiculous! He was a member of Mamoru's guard. He was supposed to be strong and manly.
Zoisite had to confess to himself that he NEVER felt particularly strong or manly.
Probably the only reason he'd been appointed such a high rank of honor was because of his wit and cunning. Zoisite (and the Queen) both knew that he was easily more intelligent than the rest of the kings, including Mamoru. He therefore made a valuable asset, despite his femininity.
Kunzite was helping Minako back to her feet, and Zoisite thought he looked very annoyed. Maybe he felt like Zoisite did, like Minako wasn't the right sort of girl for him just like Ami definitely did nothing for Zoisite.
Zoisite began to wonder whether the Queen had done very well at ALL when she picked suitors for her daughter's four best friends. Jadeite seemed to really fancy Lady Rei, but her fiery temper often sent the luckless King to meetings with visible burn marks. Nephrite and the Princess of Jupiter, while looking good together, hardly seemed to know the other existed. Lady Makoto was often seen either talking with other men of the court or tagging along after the "Prince" of Uranus, the Lady Haruka, whom she deeply admired.
Zoisite had to admit he couldn't really blame her; even HE found Haruka attractive, and he was hardly ever drawn to women.
Then there was Kunzite and Minako. Minako seemed to like Kunzite well enough; at the very least it was quite obvious she thought he was handsome. Well, who wouldn't? Zoisite thought. The king looked like a dream.
As for whether or not Kunzite liked Minako, Zoisite couldn't tell. The impassive king rarely showed any emotion regarding her. Right now, he looked slightly annoyed, which perked Zoisite's spirits. As long as Kunzite wasn't obviously head-over-heels about her, Zoisite felt his fantasies were at least slightly possible.
Zoisite's own relationship with Ami was a laugh. Ami constantly had her nose buried in a book or was otherwise busy. She was one of the smarter girls in the senshi guard, second probably only to Michiru of Neptune, who was nothing if not brilliant. Even Zoisite had to admit that Michiru was clever. Ami, unlike Zoisite and Michiru, had gained most of her knowledge from hard work and study, whereas the intelligence of the other two was much more inherent.
Michiru also has Haruka, Zoisite thought, and for a moment felt jealous of her. He found Haruka undeniably fascinating.
Minako was dragging Kunzite over to a little garden bench and setting him down on it. She planted a few eager kisses on him, and then giggled. Smiling, she patted his head and then sprang up, running back into the dance hall.
Kunzite made no motion to follow her. Instead, he sat for a few moments, gazing up at the stars, seemingly in deep thought about something. Finally, he rose, wiped Minako's bright red lipstick off his cheeks, and headed underneath the balcony Zoisite was standing on and out of sight.
Zoisite sighed and pushed his bangs back out of his eyes. He looked out at the clock across the courtyard and saw that it was ten minutes to midnight. Ami had probably already left the party without him and headed back to the quarters they shared. Probably she was still awake. Zoisite pictured her sitting in her chair, her dark blue hair slicked back stylishly, still clad in her sapphire-studded gown with a heavy volume lying open on her lap, a steamy mug of tea on the table beside her. He smiled at that; Ami certainly was dedicated to her work, and he had to admire that. He always admired people of ambition.
The little Princess of Mercury certainly was beautiful, Zoisite thought, even if she wasn't exactly his type. But Queen Serenity had given her to him for a reason, and he might as well learn to live with her and treat her well, even if there wasn't any love between them.
He sighed sadly at that, thinking of a long life ahead of him that would be empty of love.
"Shouldn't you be in bed, little one?"
Zoisite turned quickly, coming face to face with Lord Kunzite.
"I, uh," he stammered, unable to speak.
Kunzite neither smiled nor frowned. "I saw you up here, watching us."
Zoisite flushed bright red. "I didn't know. I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't meaning to watch. I only stepped out for a bit of fresh air and the two of you came out. I honestly wasn't spying on you."
"I never said you were."
"Then why did you bring it up?" Zoisite said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"You have such a temper, little one."
"Stop calling me that!" Zoisite yelled, this time rather frustrated. "I didn't come out here to be insulted by YOU."
The calm in Kunzite's voice was maddening. Zoisite felt himself grow hot with anger. He was also mad at himself for thinking this cold and conceited King was beautiful. He wanted to hit him, but he knew it wouldn't hurt the other man since he was twice Zoisite's size.
"Your temper could get you into a lot of trouble someday," Kunzite said coolly. "Besides, it's unbecoming for one of the Queen's guard to get so easily flustered."
With that, the tall man turned and walked through a door leading to the second floor dance hall.
Zoisite was furious. He turned back around and clenched the railing as hard as he could. He couldn't do it for too long, though, because it hurt his hands.
While he was rubbing them, another visitor made an appearance. It was the Princess of Uranus, Lady Haruka, who, as usual, was looking nothing like a lady. Her boyish sandy-blonde hair was slicked down for once, and she was wearing a very flattering guard uniform similar to the one Zoisite had on, although he had to admit that it looked a little better on her. The Princess was quite a bit taller than Zoisite (of course, she was quite a bit taller than nearly everyone, except for perhaps Kunzite, Nephrite, and Mamoru), and as she looked down at him, her teal eyes sparkled.
"Not having much luck in the dating department, are we, Zoi-chan?"
Zoisite absolutely hated it when she called him that, but for once he held his tongue (by gritting his teeth) and growled, "Haruka-san, you know I'm engaged."
"Yes, yes. To the little lady of Mercury, nonetheless. Pretty little girl, I think. Not my type, though. Not your type either, by the looks of it."
"Has she gone home?"
"Oh yes. She left some time ago. Actually, she asked Michiru to help her finish up some project of hers, so they went to our home a little while ago to work."
"Huh. I'm surprised you let Michiru-san out of your sight for this long."
Haruka laughed and leaned her arms against the railing. "Me too. Anyway, you're just jealous and you know it, Zoisaito-kun."
Zoisite straightened up, gazing out stonily into the courtyard. "That's not true, Haruka-san."
"Isn't it? I've seen the way you eye Kunzaito-san all the time. I've also watched how you look at Minako-chan, and that look is one of positive malice."
Zoisite grew pale and he turned to look at Haruka. "You can tell?"
Haruka shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about it. Probably the only people in the entire kingdom who would notice are Michiru and me, and that's simply because we tend to pay more attention. Minako-chan is oblivious to it, and Kunzaito-san probably is as well."
Zoisite sighed heavily. "I wish he weren't quite so oblivious to it."
"Well, you never know. I could be wrong. I noticed he was talking to you out here just a few minutes ago."
"I swear, if you don't stop spying on me ..."
Haruka smiled. "Me, spy? I never spy. I just pay vast amounts of attention to everything. You never know when information might come in handy."
The Princess of Uranus winked at the little King, turned on her heel, and marched back inside, leaving Zoisite on the balcony with his thoughts.
-----
It was Christmas morning.
Ami was up bright and early, dressing up in a short woolen skirt and heavy knit top. She hadn't been home the previous night when Zoisite had come in around one-thirty, and he had assumed she'd spent the night over at Michiru and Haruka's home. Now it was six o'clock and she was already dressed and ready to go, while Zoisite was still half asleep in bed. As he pulled his pillow over his head, he wondered if the girl ever slept at all.
Ami hurriedly tugged on a pair of dark blue shoes and glanced in the mirror, fluffing out her short hair with her fingertips. "Zoisaito-kun, we need to leave soon. Usagi-chan is having us meet in the palace to unwrap our Christmas gifts, and we're starting at six-thirty."
Zoisite yanked the pillow off his head and stared bleary-eyed at Ami. His hair was all over the place in a giant, curly mess. "Ami-chan," he croaked, "Where we you last night?"
Ami grabbed a brush and ribbon from the bureau and hurried over to Zoisite, sitting down on the corner of the bed and gently brushing his hair back. "I went over with Michiru-san to get some things done. She's so brilliant, you know. I really enjoy getting to work with her. Actually, we mostly just stayed up chatting about this and that, and Haruka-san came in around two thirty. She was a little drunk, though," Ami giggled. "Michiru-san scolded her, of course, but then Haruka-san just kept laughing at her and started playing with her hair and kissing her on the nose until finally Michiru-san just couldn't be cross with her anymore. Then we stayed up talking some more, until Haruka-san passed out with her head in Michiru-san's lap. By that time, it was just a little after five, so I came back here to get ready for the party this morning. I'll probably have to take a nap when we get home, though. There we go." She had finished brushing Zoisite's hair and had now tied it back in its usual ponytail.
"Thank you," Zoisite said, ruffling his fingers through his bangs. He looked at Ami for a moment. "They really are in love, aren't they?"
"Who? Haruka-san and Michiru-san? Yes, they certainly are," Ami said, pulling a few hairs from the brush.
Zoisite took a deep breath. "Ami-chan?"
"Yes?"
"Do you ... do you love me?"
Ami looked surprised, her blue eyes wide and staring. "Zoisaito-kun, you know I respect you. You're a very brilliant man. I'm very lucky to be betrothed to you."
"But do you love me?"
She looked nervous. "What do you mean?"
"You never stay here at night, or if you do you sleep in your chair out in the living room because you 'fell asleep while reading'. We scarcely ever talk, and in public, you always wander off and talk to Rei-chan or Michiru- san or one of your other friends and pretend I'm not even there."
"Well, we don't really know each other that well. After all, we were put together; we didn't decide it for ourselves. Of course we can't expect to be in love," Ami said rationally.
Zoisite sighed and leaned back against his pillow. "But doesn't that bother you, Ami-chan? Don't you ever look at Mamoru-sama and Usagi-chan, or Haruka- san and Michiru-san and wonder what it would be like to love someone like they do? Don't you want that?"
Ami looked baffled. "I-I suppose," she stammered, "But I don't know. I've never really thought about being in love with someone."
"No, no, you just like what can be explained in books," Zoisite said bitterly.
Ami looked hurt. Zoisite cleared his throat and blushed. "I'm sorry, Ami- chan. I didn't mean that."
Tentatively, he reached up and stroked her hair, and then softly traced her jaw line with his fingers. Ami relaxed for a moment, closing her eyes, and for a brief instant, it was silent except for her soft breathing.
Suddenly her eyes fluttered open and she stared down at Zoisite. She took his hand in hers and slowly pulled it away from her face.
"We're going to be late. We should go," she said hoarsely before getting up and walking quickly out of the room.
Zoisite sighed in disgust and flung back the covers, standing up and quickly tugging on some clothes.
So much for that, he thought angrily.
-----
Usagi was in an excitable state. She looked like a pink fluffy rabbit, her hair done up in its usual pigtails and her dress short and frilly like nearly everything else she wore. She and Minako were passing out the gifts, which were sitting beneath an enormous silver Christmas tree. Minako was clad in a much better outfit that the previous night: a short, black skirt and crimson blouse. In fact, all the men were noticing the improvement, including Kunzite, who raised an eyebrow as she bent down to pick up a large gift box.
Rei and Jadeite were sitting together, dressed in matching red-and-green Christmas outfits, which was probably Rei's idea of cute. Jadeite didn't look particularly thrilled to be wearing a set of fuzzy antlers, but he probably didn't dare to take them off with his temperamental wife-to-be so near him.
Kunzite was unwrapping a pair of fuzzy slippers, one of which was bright pink and a full three inches shorter than the other. Apparently Minako had made them, and she excitedly suggested that Kunzite try them on, pulling off his boots as she spoke.
"I made them myself, except I ran out of the dark thread, but Mako-chan lent me some of hers so I could finish the other. But then I ran out of that, too, and I didn't want to borrow any more, so I just made that one a little smaller. I think it will fit, though," Minako chattered, shoving Kunzite's left foot into the pink slipper. His normally impassive face suddenly bore a rather funny expression as he grimaced.
Suddenly, Haruka appeared in an immaculate white suit, with her lover Michiru close beside her, holding her hand. Michiru was the very picture of elegance in a shimmering white gown with something that looked like a rather expensive diamond necklace on her throat. Her aqua hair was pulled into a wavy ponytail, held up by a few jeweled hairpins.
"Good morning, all," Haruka said, "Sorry we're late."
Michiru winked at Ami, a wink that plainly said, "She was too busy throwing up into the toilet."
If Haruka was having a hangover, she definitely didn't look it. The Princess of Uranus was as poised and classy as ever, talking and joking with the other men and girls in the room. She gave little Hotaru of Saturn a hug, kissed Usagi on the forehead, and greeted Mamoru with a smile, striking up a conversation with him.
Michiru came and sat down beside Ami and Zoisite. "Good morning, Zoisaito- san," she said warmly, smiling at him.
"Good morning," Zoisite replied, nodding his head. Michiru simply radiated beauty and grace, with her shiny hair and soulful blue eyes. For a brief moment, Zoisite wondered how he compared to such beauty.
Michiru and Ami were now chatting together and ignoring Zoisite, as usual, so he excused himself and got up, milling around the room to see what else was going on.
Some people were still opening their presents. Usagi had just received a very pretty ring from Mamoru, and she squealed and hugged him around the neck. Mamoru turned quite blue before she finally released him and he smiled rather shakily at her as he slid the ring on her finger.
Zoisite bumped into Haruka suddenly, who grinned at him. "Merry Christmas, Zoi-chan," she said brightly, giving him a nod.
"And the same to you. Heard you got a little smashed last night after our chat."
"What, me? I wouldn't dream of doing something so juvenile," Haruka said haughtily. She then lowered her voice conspiratorially, "But just between you and me, thank the gods I have Michiru, who's good enough to hold my hair back and give me backrubs later."
Zoisite laughed. "You and Nephrite should hold a drinking contest. That would be interesting to watch."
"I could beat that fancy-haired king any day," Haruka said, waving her hand. "But Michiru wouldn't approve. Did you see the necklace I bought her?"
"It's beautiful," Zoisite breathed, "It looks wonderful on her, too."
Haruka grinned. "She loves it. I thought you'd notice, too. You're probably the only man in the Moon Kingdom who would notice, and I'm probably the only woman who wouldn't."
Zoisite laughed. "We're quite a pair, aren't we Haruka?"
"We are. If you had breasts, I'd probably even sleep with you."
"If you didn't have them, I'd consider you as well."
"Ah, but alas," Haruka said dramatically, "For we have both found our true loves already. So the passionate sex shall have to wait until one of them dies or we both change preferences."
"Well, you've certainly found your love, but I'm not so sure about mine," Zoisite said glumly. "Mine's probably nothing more than an unrequited crush."
"You never know unless you try, though," Haruka said wisely. She glanced over Zoisite's head. "Michiru wants me. I'll talk to you later, Zoi-chan." She walked past Zoisite, pausing for a brief moment to squeeze him on the shoulder, and then she left.
Zoisite felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Ami standing there, holding a small wrapped box in her hands.
"I-I didn't give you your gift yet," she said shyly, blushing madly. "Here you are."
Zoisite stared at her, his mouth hanging slightly open. Then he came to his senses and said, "Oh, Ami-chan ... I didn't even get you a gift."
Ami smiled. "It's all right. I know we hadn't really spoken of it. I wasn't expecting one from you, anyway."
Zoisite bit his lip and unwrapped the present to find an ivory hairbrush.
"I know how fond you are of your hair," Ami said, smiling gently. "I thought you'd like it."
"I-I do," Zoisite said. He looked into Ami's eyes and smiled warmly. "Thank you, Ami-chan. It's the nicest present I've ever received."
He pulled her into a tight hug.
-----
Later in the day, after Ami had gone back home to catch up on her sleep, Zoisite was walking around one of the castle courtyards when he found Kunzite, Nephrite, and Haruka talking about the Dark Kingdom.
"Basically, a slave of the Dark Kingdom loses his humanity and all of his worst qualities are amplified," Kunzite was explaining.
Haruka took a sip of wine and said, "Well, that would be interesting. So I would become a sex-crazed lesbian with an incurable passion for racing."
"I think he meant qualities like envy and greed when he said 'worst'," Nephrite said, pouring himself another glass.
"Well, according to Michiru, my sex-craving and racing ARE my worst qualities," Haruka said, grinning evilly.
Kunzite laughed. "I suppose then that I would become even colder than I already am. That's my worst quality, according to Minako-chan."
"Yes, when in doubt, turn to your spouse-to-be for a full psychological evaluation," Haruka said. "What about you, Nephrite-kun? Mako-chan have any complaints about you?"
"My drinking," Nephrite said as he took a gulp of wine. "And she always says she wishes I'd cut my hair. But apart from that, we really don't talk much."
"Ah. And you, Zoi-chan?" Haruka said.
Zoisite froze. He hadn't realized he was eavesdropping and standing in plain view of Haruka.
"Well," he said, thinking. "I suppose I'd be a temperamental, jealous bitch."
The group was rather silent.
"Um. I mean, bastard."
"You were a lot closer with the first one," Nephrite said, grinning into his glass.
Zoisite glared meanly at him. "At any rate, what brought all this up?"
Kunzite shrugged. "No reason, really. We've been noticing some unusual amounts of activity in the Dark Kingdom lately, like something is awakening. The Dark Kingdom is mostly a place of resident evil and negative energy, sort of the antithesis of the Moon Kingdom. It's never really been any threat, because the negative energy has always been kept fairly low and there aren't many creatures captured in it, but lately it's been pretty active. Queen Serenity noticed it some time ago, and Michiru-san and Ami- chan have been keeping an eye on it since."
Ami-chan. So that was why she'd been working more than usual, Zoisite thought.
"You don't ... think that anything could happen, do you?" Zoisite asked nervously.
"We don't know. Right now it's all speculation. I think the chances of the Dark Kingdom ever gaining enough energy to unleash a particularly worrisome attack are very small," Kunzite said, setting his glass down.
"There you go, nothing like a bit of optimism," Haruka said, raising her glass. "Cheers, Kunzaito-san."
Nephrite had slouched over in his seat, his hand still limply clutching his wine glass. Haruka looked at him curiously as she polished off another drink. "Looks like Nephrite-kun here has the same tolerance as Usagi-chan. Should we carry him home, Kunzaito-san? Or should we leave him here and pray that Mako-chan doesn't find him and beat the tar out of him while he's still unconscious?"
Kunzite grinned again. "Leave him. Makoto-chan is probably still celebrating with the other girls anyway, so I think he'll be safe."
Haruka smiled and picked up the bottle, chugging down the contents. When she finished, she wiped her mouth with her hand and belched. "Well, I must go find my Michiru. I think it's been at least three hours since I last basked in her radiant beauty."
And, staggering as she swaggered, Haruka headed drunkenly off, leaving Kunzite and Zoisite quite alone.
Kunzite was the first to say anything. "Well, well. Just you and me, Zoi- chan."
"Well, you, me, and the town drunk," Zoisite said, pointing at Nephrite's sleeping figure.
"True. Why don't we go someplace else, where we don't have to listen to him snore."
Kunzite headed off through the courtyard. Zoisite blinked at his retreating form before gathering up his courage and following him.
They walked into a different part of the immense yard, a nice place with several rose bushes. The ground here was littered with soft pink petals that had fallen from the cherry trees, and Zoisite stared around him. "Beautiful," he whispered, taking in every inch of the garden.
He gathered up an armful of the cherry blossoms and threw them into the air. They fell around him, a soft cloud of pink, and he laughed, stretching his arms out from his sides and twirling around. He felt so beautiful and free, surrounded by the brightly colored petals.
He then remembered that Kunzite was with him and he dropped his arms, snapping his head around and looking at his senior, who was watching him intently.
"S-sorry," Zoisite said.
Kunzite smiled. "For what?"
"I forgot you were standing here," Zoisite confessed, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"So? You needn't apologize. You were beautiful."
Zoisite's jaw dropped and he stared at Kunzite with wide eyes. "I was?"
"Of course."
Zoisite didn't know what to say, so he blurted out the first thing that popped into his head. "But you're engaged, Kunzaito-sama!"
"So? You are as well. Do you think that my relationship with the Lady of Venus is any different from the one you have with Mercury?"
"But ... I've seen you kiss her!"
"Protocol, Zoisite-chan. Surely you understand rules. You're a high-ranking official. You know how to play the game as well as I do, if not better."
Zoisite sank to the ground, resting on the pile of cherry blossoms. "So you don't love her?"
"Not any more than you love Ami-chan."
Zoisite didn't speak.
"We weren't given love. We were given wives."
Zoisite suddenly burst out, "But if you were able to choose someone you love over the princess, who would it be?"
Kunzite actually looked surprised for a moment, but he quickly controlled his emotion. "I-I don't know, Zoisite-chan," he said shortly. "I probably wouldn't choose anyone. Loving can bring too much pain," he said in a soft voice. "And I think love can be too much of a weakness. It can control your whole life, your whole destiny."
Zoisite's throat grew tight. "But is there anything bad about that?"
"We're soldiers of the Moon Kingdom, Zoisite-chan. It's not our place to choose love over duty."
The younger king swallowed with difficulty. "You're not what I thought you were, Kunzaito-sama," he said in a strangled voice.
Kunzite raised an eyebrow. "What did you think I was?"
"I thought you were ... like me," Zoisite choked out, tears beginning to well in he eyes. "Forced to live a life without love, but not wanting to. I thought you wanted to escape that fate, like me, and choose a different destiny."
The older man sighed heavily and stared out across the lawn. "Is destiny really for us to decide, Zoisite-chan?"
"Why not? Why can't a person choose their own fate?"
Kunzite was silent for a moment, so Zoisite spoke up again.
"Besides ... you did say I was beautiful."
"And you are, little one. But I've always thought so."
"Did you?" Zoisite lifted his face, which had a crystal tear on each cheek.
Kunzite sank into the ground, facing him. He wiped the tears away with his thumbs and cupped the boy's chin in his hand. "Of course. How could I not? I remember the first day I met you. I couldn't take my eyes off you."
Zoisite giggled, remembering. "I thought you hated me and were trying to frighten me off by glaring at me," he said.
"Well, I think I'm often misinterpreted," Kunzite said ruefully. "I am the Ice King, after all."
"Why? You're so much more handsome when you smile," Zoisite said.
Kunzite smiled, and Zoisite noticed his cheeks looked a little pink.
"I didn't know I was your type, Kunzaito-sama," Zoisite said bashfully.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean ... well, just from watching you ... I always thought you preferred girls."
"I prefer true beauty," Kunzite corrected gently, and Zoisite blushed crimson.
"So," Zoisite began hesitantly. "What about changing destiny? Are you still against it?"
Kunzite leaned forward and kissed Zoisite on the mouth. He pulled away and Zoisite gasped, looking up at the king. Then he wrapped his arms around the big man's neck and allowed the older king to pull him close, wrapping his arms around his boyish waist as they kissed again, this time longer and more passionately.
When they pulled away, Kunzite looked into Zoisite's eyes and smiled, "Well, what do you think?"
-----
Kunzite pushed open the door and showed Zoisite inside. The boy gasped. The room was quite large and beautifully furnished, with a shiny wooden desk and a few soft chairs before a marble fireplace. Over in the corner, Zoisite noticed with a twinge of excitement, was a huge, four-poster bed.
Kunzite had pulled off his outer jacket and was hanging it on the coat rack, leaving him in only a tight-fitting shirt and trousers. He pushed his long hair behind his shoulders and smiled at the littler man. "Can I get you anything to drink?" he asked.
Zoisite shook his head and said, "Won't Minako-chan be coming home soon?"
"She will be, but this isn't our home. This is my study. It's furnished with a bed and a kitchen because I spend most of my nights here after working until late."
"So. You don't usually sleep with the princess?" Zoisite asked tentatively.
Kunzite shrugged. "I have before, but not in quite some time, if you're referring to the type of 'sleeping' that I think you are. At any rate, it's mostly to please her enough to shut her up. The girl can be obnoxious ... well, after all, she is rather young."
Zoisite blushed. "I-I'm only nineteen, Lord Kunzite."
Kunzite smiled as he tucked a bit of Zoisite's hair behind his ear. "What a difference a few years make," he said softly. Zoisite felt his heart melt.
"So, nothing to drink, then?" Kunzite said, switching gears.
"No, I'm fine," Zoisite said as the older king walked into the kitchen. He heard the pop of a cork and nervously he ran his fingertips along the surface of the desk.
Kunzite reappeared, a glass of wine in his hand. He sat down at his table and took a sip, and gestured to the other chair for Zoisite to come and join him.
The little man walked over and sat down, feeling almost dizzy to be in Kunzite's presence. He propped his chin up on his elbows and gazed at the older man as he asked, somewhat shyly, "So how long have you been attracted to me, my Lord?"
Kunzite set down his glass. "Ever since that first day, really. You are quite beautiful, you know."
Zoisite grinned happily and said, "More than Minako-chan?"
"I won't deny that Minako-chan is quite good-looking, but you are much more attractive."
They were silent for a few moments before Zoisite said, "May I try that?"
Kunzite handed over the glass. "You won't like it."
Zoisite ignored him and took a rather large gulp. Immediately, his eyes began to water and his throat felt as though it were on fire. He set the glass down and began coughing and choking, unable to breathe.
Kunzite laughed good-naturedly, but it only annoyed Zoisite, who couldn't catch his breath long enough to hurl an insult. He felt anger rise up hotly within him, and without thinking he grabbed the wine glass in front of him and hurled it at the older man.
His aim was somewhat poor due to his current fit of coughing, so it flew safely out of Kunzite's way and smashed against the wall, spilling wine down it, and Kunzite stopped laughing. He stared at Zoisite, looking rather stunned.
Zoisite's choking had ceased, and he immediately felt mortified. He turned beet red and moaned, "I'm so sorry, Kunzaito-sama! I-I don't know what got into me!"
Kunzite just blinked. "I think you're even more hazardous than Lady Rei, and I've heard a lot of stories about her from Jadeite," he said, surprised.
Zoisite looked at the table. Without any warning, he began to bawl, huge tears pouring down his face.
"There now, we can't have any of that. It was just an accident," Kunzite said in a gruff voice. "Come here, Zoisite."
Zoisite looked up, his eyes shining in his tearstained face.
"Come here, Zoisite," Kunzite said again in a firm voice.
Slowly, Zoisite got up from his chair and walked around the table to Kunzite, like a scorned puppy going to its master. Even though Kunzite was sitting and Zoisite was standing, the littler man only barely was at eye level with the other.
Kunzite reached out his arms and pulled Zoisite into his lap. Zoisite, who hadn't expected him to do this, found himself flinging his arms around Kunzite's neck and burying his face in his shoulders, and then promptly bursting into tears again.
Kunzite chuckled softly and stroked Zoisite's hair, pushing it away from his ear so he could speak into in, his lips touching Zoisite's ear as he whispered, "There, there. How am I supposed to sleep with you if you keep having emotional breakdowns on me?"
Zoisite pulled away from embracing the bigger man's neck and laughed between his tears. "Oh, Kunzaito-sama!" he gasped before kissing him.
-----
The next morning was the day after Christmas, and Zoisite awoke to find himself alone in Kunzite's bed. He was lying between the beige silk sheets, completely naked, with his hair cascading all around him in copper-colored curls. He stretched in the early morning sunlight, sighing happily.
Kunzite suddenly appeared from the kitchen and strode over to the bed. He was wearing a light gray robe and he crawled onto the bed next to Zoisite. "Morning," he said, kissing the younger man on the forehead.
"Hi," Zoisite murmured sleepily. "I think that was the best Christmas of my life."
Kunzite smiled as he played with Zoisite's hair. "Me, too."
"Do you think this will get weird at work?" Zoisite giggled.
"Nah. We'll just act the same as usual during the day, then come back here and have life-altering sex at night."
Zoisite grinned and threw a pillow at him. "Hey!" Kunzite said, leaning down over Zoisite and decorating the little man's neck with love bites. Zoisite giggled with pleasure, wrapping his legs around the big man and pulling his bathrobe open.
It would certainly be a miracle if they made it out of bed that morning, the little king thought, grinning.
-----
"Where were you last night?" Ami asked as her husband-to-be strolled in the door, looking exceptionally cheerful.
"You stayed at home for once?" Zoisite asked, tossing his rumpled jacket over a chair.
"Yes, I did, actually. I wondered where you went off to, though. You even left you present at the palace," Ami said, sounding a little hurt.
Zoisite remembered the pretty ivory brush, and felt guilty. "I'm sorry, Ami- chan. I didn't mean to forget it."
"If you don't like it, I can take it back."
"No, it's not that. I do like it. I just got a little sidetracked at the party and forgot it."
Ami's wide blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I asked everyone where you were. I was afraid you'd gone off drinking, when Haruka-san said she last saw you with Nephrite-sama and Kunzaito-sama. Did you? Is that why you didn't come home, because you were drunk?"
Zoisite sighed. "Ami-chan, you know I can't drink more than one glass without it making me pretty sick. Drinking isn't my idea of a good time. I was just talking with Kunzaito-sama, that's all."
"And what, you went and stayed with him and Minako-chan?"
"Yes. We ended up talking rather late and he invited me to stay at his home. That's all," Zoisite said, trying hard not to think about what really happened because the truth was far too erotic for him to think about while wearing such tight fitting pants.
"Huh. You stayed with them? I'm surprised you could sleep. From what Minako- chan tells me, they ... ah ... are rather 'occupied' most nights."
Zoisite felt a stab of jealousy. "Probably she embellishes."
Ami shrugged it off with a look that said "it's really none of our business," but Zoisite still felt uneasy. Even though he'd only been with Kunzite one night, the thought of sharing him certainly didn't appeal to him.
This really could get weird, Zoisite thought bitterly.
-----
The four kings and the Outer Senshi had been called to a special meeting that day, so Zoisite had to get dressed rather hurriedly and rush to Queen Serenity's throne room. He was a little off due to his antics the night before; in fact, he couldn't keep his mind off it. All the way to the main palace, as he buttoned his uniform coat while half-running through the marble halls, he kept thinking of Kunzite.
He was actually nervous about having to see him.
The hall he was currently jogging through widened here, into a grand hall with a few bits of gilded furniture. In the center of the room stood a vast marble fountain, three tiers high with a statue of a beautiful young girl with long hair done up in two pigtails (Zoisite could only assume it was supposed to represent Usagi-chan). He paused as he passed it, and then hurried over and peered over the edge to view his reflection within.
He looked a mess. His hair was in complete disarray; it had fallen out of the loose ponytail and now hung freely, making him look womanlier than ever. His uniform was wrinkled and creased in several places, which wasn't that surprising seeing as how it had spent last night crumpled on the floor where Kunzite had tossed it. But still ...
Zoisite sighed, trying to pull his masses of hair into a relatively neat ponytail, but it was absolutely futile without a comb. He suddenly felt like crying. A few tears leaked out onto his cheeks.
"I think there's quite enough water in this fountain without you adding to it."
Zoisite turned abruptly, quickly wiping his eyes with his hand, and came face to face with the beautiful Princess of Neptune. Michiru was smiling kindly, her big blue eyes warm with friendliness.
"Do you need a little help, Zoisaito-kun?" she asked politely.
Zoisite nodded tearfully, and Michiru let out a low chuckle as she gently pulled his hair back and ran her fingers through it. Zoisite was amazed at how good her touch felt, and instantly he felt himself relax. Her fingers combed through his hair, untangling it, and he was completely content under her sensitive touch.
"How is Kunzite?" Michiru whispered softly.
Zoisite jumped a little at that, and said, "How should I know? Kunzaito- sama does not waste time talking to younger officers like me."
"Zoi-chan, I have eyes and ears."
He felt himself sweat a little. "Oh gods, is it that obvious?"
Michiru chuckled again. "Of course not. Haruka and I are given to seeing what the others do not. You shouldn't fear us for it, but let it be a reminder to you, Zoi-chan. Not everything private goes by unnoticed. In fact, few things do."
"Well, I already knew Haruka-san could see my affections for him, and it only makes sense that you should, too. You two are more like one person than two," Zoisite said thoughtfully, as Michiru tied his hair. "As long as the others don't find out. Especially the Inners."
Michiru walked to his front and began rebuttoning his uniform (in his haste, he'd gotten a few in the wrong holes). She looked at him with serious eyes. "Zoisite, if you keep this up, they will find out. It may take quite some time, but they're not as naïve as you may think."
Zoisite felt sick at hearing that, but he tried not to let it show. He straightened himself up (when he did so, he found he was just a little taller than Michiru, which pleased him) and said to the sea senshi, "Well, why should we keep it up? It's just an infatuation, really, nothing more. It won't last more than a few weeks and then everything will go back to the way it was. Kunzaito-sama and I have both had many lovers in the past, so why should this be any different for either of us? It's just something new, something different. Ami-chan can be such a bore, sometimes, you know."
Michiru was silent for a moment, as she finished his top buttons, and then she looked at him again. Zoisite felt uneasy beneath her penetrating gaze.
"Zoisite. I have a feeling this relationship will last much longer than either of you originally intended. But I also have a feeling that you won't regret a moment of it."
The young boy laughed shakily before confessing his biggest fear. "Well, maybe I do care for him more than I'm letting on. But Kunzaito-sama? He'd never care for me the same. Look at him. He's gorgeous, he's had so many lovers, and ... well, he's never really cared about any of them." Zoisite felt tears beginning to well in his eyes again and he took a deep breath and blinked several times to keep them from falling.
He felt a soft hand on his cheek that smelled faintly of the ocean. Michiru stroked him softly with her hand, tilting his face to look at her once more. Emerald eyes met sapphire ones, and Michiru said, "Look at Haruka, Zoi-chan. Gorgeous, talented, with more lovers and admirers than one could ever hope for or even want. And yet she fell for me anyway. Even the wildest of hearts can be tamed."
She kissed him on the cheek and smiled warmly. Then, grasping his hand, she said, "You look lovely, Zoisite. Come, let's go to this meeting and see the ones we desire so much to see." She giggled suddenly, reminding Zoisite of the Moon Princess herself, as she pulled the youngest of the kings along the hallway with her, to the Queen's throne room.
-----
"Kunzaito-sama, where were you last night?"
Minako was standing, hands on her hips, her face scrunched up in childish annoyance. The meeting had just ended and Nephrite and Kunzite, leaving the room first, had discovered the angry Venusian princess standing right outside the door.
Kunzite sighed heavily and said, "I told you this morning, I had to work late last night."
Zoisite, standing several people behind Kunzite, felt his face grow warm. Next to him, Michiru put her hand on his back to keep him walking toward the door.
Minako still looked very perturbed, but she had taken her hands off her hips at least. Kunzite wrapped his arms around the little girl and gave her a deep kiss. "I'm sorry, love. It won't happen again."
Minako flushed pink with pleasure and threw her arms around Kunzite's neck. Zoisite felt himself grow quite sick to his stomach with jealousy and bitterness.
"Can you make it up to me?" she asked eagerly, causing nearly everyone around them except Haruka to sweatdrop. Haruka, meanwhile, was winking at her own lover. "Why don't you ever ask ME that?" she whispered loudly, grinning.
Michiru rolled her eyes as the blonde snaked an arm around the smaller girl's waist.
Zoisite, meanwhile, had departed from the group, not feeling like staying around and watching Kunzite flirt. He felt partly furious and partly overwhelmingly dejected. He really didn't even know HOW he should feel.
The pretty young boy walked out of the palace doors and into one of the smaller gardens, taking refuge in a white gazebo with roses blooming all around it. He leaned against one of the columns, shoving his hands into his pockets, and began muttering conversations to himself, trying to sort his thoughts:
"Well, honestly, what did you expect? He's got a WIFE, you idiot. So do you, as a matter of fact. You ought to start doing your job as a husband instead of trying to seduce the most emotionless of the Moon Kingdom guard."
"He still shouldn't have flirted with Minako-chan in front of me, though, especially after last night."
"Last night. Hah. Last night was probably just like any other night to the ice king. Bet anything he's got a new girl or boy to play with every evening, just to keep himself amused."
"Did it really mean nothing to him? It meant something to me."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. I would have been pretty insulted if it hadn't."
Zoisite froze. That last statement hadn't been his!
He felt two strong arms encircle his waist and pull him against a hard chest. He felt warm breath on his neck and suddenly a pair of lips began to kiss him, ever so softly, starting at the lowest point of his neck just above the stiff uniform collar and moving slowly upward, until finally the lips reached his ear.
They whispered. "Of course it meant something to me. I'm surprised you doubted it."
A shiver of intense pleasure ran down Zoisite's spine. Once more he felt his eyes grow wet and he choked out, "I didn't know if anyone meant anything to you, Kunzaito-sama."
Kunzite turned the little man around so they were facing, and he looked Zoisite square in the eye.
"Do I need to prove it to you?"
-----
From then on, Zoisite spent nearly every night in Kunzite's office. It was glorious, waking up each morning in the big man's arms. He felt as though his heart would burst, it was so full of happiness and love for the older king.
Everyone noticed the huge change that had come over the little man. Suddenly, Zoisite was practically skipping from place to place, almost singing when talking, and constantly exhibiting a starry look in his green eyes. Ami frequently found her husband sitting out in their private garden beneath the cherry tree, just gazing contentedly up at the sky as all around him pink petals cascaded down in a soft cloud around him.
"He makes a better picture than a husband," Ami remarked one day while having Michiru and Setsuna over for tea.
Michiru put down her cup and stared through the window at the peaceful boy. Her blue eyes softened into a smile and she mused, "He really is beautiful though, isn't he?"
The next day, the elegant sea senshi brought her finest oil paints and a large piece of blank canvas to Ami and Zoisite's garden and painted for two hours as Zoisite sat beneath the tree, blissfully unaware of the rest of the universe.
"One of your better ones, I think," Haruka commented softly, so as not to shake Zoisite from his dream world.
"Even the greatest painter couldn't capture this beauty," Michiru commented, dipping her brush into a mix and adding streaks of sunlight to Zoisite's golden curls.
"I think you do a damn good job of it anyway," the wind senshi chuckled, petting her lover's silky hair.
One morning, in April, after several weeks of an excessively daydreamy husband, Ami said over breakfast, "Are you quite all right, Zoisite-kun?"
The young man snapped out of his thoughts and tried to focus on his wife. "Huh?"
"You've been so ... spaced out lately," Ami commented, stirring her tea.
"I'm sorry, Ami-chan," Zoisite said, but his eyes were glazing over with that happy look again. "I've just had some things on my mind lately."
Waiting until breakfast was finished and he could escape to see Kunzite was torture for Zoisite, but he had to endure it every morning. As soon as Ami had had her last bite, Zoisite bid her an abrupt "good morning" and hurried off to Kunzite's office.
He walked in and saw his lover sitting at his desk, writing. Happily, the young boy closed the door behind him and skipped across the room, planting himself in the big man's lap.
"Good morning!" he said cheerfully, kissing Kunzite deeply.
Kunzite broke the kiss. "Zoisite, we have to talk."
"We can do that soon. How about in fifteen minutes?" Zoisite said coyly, brushing Kunzite's hair back and leaning in for another kiss.
But Kunzite pushed him away. Gently, of course, but Zoisite was still quite taken aback ... and disappointed.
"Zoisite, we have to talk," he said again, looking at the younger boy sternly.
Zoisite nodded. "Of course, Kunzaito-sama. What's wrong?"
"Zoisite, we ..." Kunzite paused, looking pained. Zoisite felt his heart skip a beat.
"We have to end it."
The young boy felt as though the ground dropped out from beneath his feet. "What? Why? Kunzaito-sama, what happened?" he cried, hoping it wasn't true.
Kunzite looked more serious than Zoisite had ever seen him before. "Queen Serenity knows, Zoisite. I knew she would find out eventually, and it's happened. She doesn't really approve of us because we already have lovers. You have Ami-chan. I have Minako-chan."
Zoisite smiled. "But Kunzaito-sama, we don't love them. We love each other. Surely if we explain that to her, she'll understand. She understood Haruka- san and Michiru-san."
Kunzite took a deep breath.
"Zoisite, we have to end it. Period. If we continue this ..." Kunzite trailed off for a moment, brushing a lock of platinum hair out of his eyes. "If we continue this, sooner or later everyone will know. We've already taken so many chances, the Queen knows, and I'll be damned if Haruka-san and Michiru-san haven't known about it from the beginning. But sooner or later, it will get back to our wives. And beyond that ... well, this is clearly out of line for both of us, and I should have realized that sooner."
"Out of line?" Zoisite repeated blankly.
"Yes. We are senior officers of the Moon Kingdom. We are soldiers. Our job is to protect the kingdom and do what is required of us," Kunzite pushed himself back from the desk, standing and facing the younger boy. "We aren't allowed the luxury of love."
Zoisite felt both subdued and angry, and in the end anger won out. He glared fiercely at the taller man.
"Kunzaito-sama, do you remember last Christmas? That time in the garden, beneath the cherry tree? You asked if destiny was really something for us to decide, and I said I didn't understand what was so bad about changing the course of fate."
Kunzite was silent, his eyes downcast. His face looked completely stony.
Zoisite fought back hot tears, clenching his fists at his side. "Well, over the past few months I have thought long and hard about destiny, and about my options. I have two. I can bow to authority for the rest of my life, do whatever Queen Serenity and all the others above me demand of me, and spend my life following protocol and being dutiful. Or I can choose to have authority over myself and follow my heart."
He closed the gap between the older man and himself, taking one of Kunzite's big hands in his own little one.
"I've made my choice, Kunzaito-sama."
Kunzite's clear eyes flickered up at Zoisite, staring at him wonderingly. "But think about the consequences, Zoisite. It's a war. All of life is a war, and you spend your entire life constructing your armor so that you're prepared to defend yourself against the battles you'll inevitably have to fight."
He turned Zoisite's hand over in his and traced the lines in his pale palm. "Emotion, deep feelings ... these things put unfixable cracks in your armor. You find yourself with permanent battle scars. You could be left with pain in your heart that will never heal."
Zoisite shook his head, his blonde curls shimmering.
"What's a little scar? It's nothing more than a reminder that I once felt something."
Kunzite stared at him. For a moment, neither was able to speak.
"Consequences be damned, Kunzaito-sama," Zoisite said, allowing himself a devilish grin. "I want to be with you. I couldn't ever want anything more than you. I don't know how long we'll have together, or what exactly fate has in store for us. But until she shows up and starts choosing my life path for me, I'll make my own path. And I choose you."
His speech was abruptly cut short as the older king pulled him into an embrace and kissed him.
When he pulled away, Kunzite laughed gently and stroked the younger man's hair. "Zoisite, you'll be the end of me yet, I swear."
Zoisite smiled as innocently as possible. "At least you'll have a beautiful last view."
"The most beautiful view in creation. I'm lucky for that," Kunzite said, returning the smile. "And I'm lucky for your wisdom. The grandest of destinies would probably be meaningless without someone to share it with. And if that someone is exceptionally lovely, well, that never hurt either."
The younger boy giggled and put one hand forward. "Forever?" he asked, a little tentatively.
Kunzite took Zoisite's hand in his and turned it, kissing the palm lovingly.
"Forever. I promise."
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes (12/03): I found this file buried in my documents folder, saved under a rather incongruous title. After opening it up, I discovered a lengthy story that I never really completed. I read through it, changing bits here and there and attempting to revise the ending (the ending was originally insanely complicated and a little too "Days of Our Lives").
This is a Zoisite/Kunzite romance story set in the Silver Millennium. Although the central relationship that develops in this is the one between our two lovely leading kings, this story also plays with the manga idea that the Shitennou were all married off to the Inner Senshi. It is also very much a "young kings at court" type of piece, so the language is a bit overly stylized in places and Zoisite is MUCH more of a crybaby than usual (cringe! I know!). I actually had a lot of fun re-reading this because the writing style is very different compared to what I do now (at least from my perspective), so going back and editing this was a real challenge as I tried desperately to adhere to the overall narrative style. This isn't one of my favorite (or better!) attempts, but it is a bit of a testament to my past so I didn't make any excessive changes to it; therefore, I hope it's an enjoyable story! Have fun!
-----
SILVER ROMANCE
Zoisite leaned against the railings, glad to catch a breath of fresh air from that miserable Christmas Eve party, and looked down into the courtyard, staring at the trees and the small pond that were now bathed in the soft nighttime glow.
Back in the dance hall, he was sure that although his betrothed Princess Ami might be wondering vaguely where he'd gone off to, she certainly wasn't missing his presence any. Which more or less equaled his respective feelings for her.
The young man sighed as a cool breeze lifted his bangs off his head. He tugged absent-mindedly at his uniform, unbuttoning the first few buttons so at least his neck and collarbone could catch a bit of cool air, too. These ridiculous things Queen Serenity made them wear! They certainly weren't comfortable, and in Zoisite's opinion, they were very unflattering as well. At least they were on him; Zoisite was much slimmer and more delicate looking than the other three kings, with a very beautiful face. His pretty face combined with his waist-length mane of curly copper-blonde hair made him look extremely feminine. He didn't exactly dislike the fact that he would have made a fantastic-looking woman; he just wished he were engaged to someone who would appreciate it.
At any rate, Zoisite thought ironically, he probably shouldn't be TOO surprised at the stupid ideas Queen Serenity came up with. She was the one who chose Lady Ami to be his bride, after all.
Two figures had suddenly appeared at the far edge of the courtyard, walking out from what looked like the lower dining hall. Zoisite's sharp eyes recognized them as Lord Kunzite and the Princess Minako of Venus. The Lady Minako was dressed in a very gauche orange-and-yellow sequined gown, with a tight, low-cut bodice and a poofy skirt that looked a little on the long side for her tiny figure. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a massive up-do and looked rather heavy.
Beside her, the icy Lord Kunzite stood with his typical expression: a completely unreadable face of stone. Zoisite couldn't help but stare at him; he'd always felt an attraction to the eldest of Mamoru's kings. Kunzite had absolutely gorgeous hair, in Zoisite's opinion; it was so smooth it looked like a sheet of glass, and it was a glossy platinum color. His eyes were a translucent sky-blue, which stood out shockingly in his tanned, well-chiseled face. Zoisite had often been unable to tear his eyes away from this man during meetings and such.
He now stared at the bumbling Minako beside him, who was having some difficulty walking in her ball gown and kept occasionally tripping over the hem, and he felt a stab of jealousy. How lucky Minako was, although she probably didn't even realize it. It made Zoisite sick, knowing that she got to be with someone as fabulous as Kunzite, while he was stuck living with the incredibly demure Ami, who never paid any attention to him at all and seemed to prefer pretending that he didn't even exist.
For a fleeting moment, watching them together, Zoisite had a rather funny mental picture in which HE was standing beside Kunzite instead of the Princess of Venus. Similarly, his own blonde hair was pulled into an up-do, except Zoisite fancied the style looked much better on him, and he was wearing a slimming sort of emerald-green ball gown that was much more tasteful than that thing Minako was currently sporting.
Suddenly, he heard Minako let out a small squeal and fall flat on her face. This was enough to jerk Zoisite out of his daydreaming, and remembering it, he blushed hard. He, wearing a dress ... that was ridiculous! He was a member of Mamoru's guard. He was supposed to be strong and manly.
Zoisite had to confess to himself that he NEVER felt particularly strong or manly.
Probably the only reason he'd been appointed such a high rank of honor was because of his wit and cunning. Zoisite (and the Queen) both knew that he was easily more intelligent than the rest of the kings, including Mamoru. He therefore made a valuable asset, despite his femininity.
Kunzite was helping Minako back to her feet, and Zoisite thought he looked very annoyed. Maybe he felt like Zoisite did, like Minako wasn't the right sort of girl for him just like Ami definitely did nothing for Zoisite.
Zoisite began to wonder whether the Queen had done very well at ALL when she picked suitors for her daughter's four best friends. Jadeite seemed to really fancy Lady Rei, but her fiery temper often sent the luckless King to meetings with visible burn marks. Nephrite and the Princess of Jupiter, while looking good together, hardly seemed to know the other existed. Lady Makoto was often seen either talking with other men of the court or tagging along after the "Prince" of Uranus, the Lady Haruka, whom she deeply admired.
Zoisite had to admit he couldn't really blame her; even HE found Haruka attractive, and he was hardly ever drawn to women.
Then there was Kunzite and Minako. Minako seemed to like Kunzite well enough; at the very least it was quite obvious she thought he was handsome. Well, who wouldn't? Zoisite thought. The king looked like a dream.
As for whether or not Kunzite liked Minako, Zoisite couldn't tell. The impassive king rarely showed any emotion regarding her. Right now, he looked slightly annoyed, which perked Zoisite's spirits. As long as Kunzite wasn't obviously head-over-heels about her, Zoisite felt his fantasies were at least slightly possible.
Zoisite's own relationship with Ami was a laugh. Ami constantly had her nose buried in a book or was otherwise busy. She was one of the smarter girls in the senshi guard, second probably only to Michiru of Neptune, who was nothing if not brilliant. Even Zoisite had to admit that Michiru was clever. Ami, unlike Zoisite and Michiru, had gained most of her knowledge from hard work and study, whereas the intelligence of the other two was much more inherent.
Michiru also has Haruka, Zoisite thought, and for a moment felt jealous of her. He found Haruka undeniably fascinating.
Minako was dragging Kunzite over to a little garden bench and setting him down on it. She planted a few eager kisses on him, and then giggled. Smiling, she patted his head and then sprang up, running back into the dance hall.
Kunzite made no motion to follow her. Instead, he sat for a few moments, gazing up at the stars, seemingly in deep thought about something. Finally, he rose, wiped Minako's bright red lipstick off his cheeks, and headed underneath the balcony Zoisite was standing on and out of sight.
Zoisite sighed and pushed his bangs back out of his eyes. He looked out at the clock across the courtyard and saw that it was ten minutes to midnight. Ami had probably already left the party without him and headed back to the quarters they shared. Probably she was still awake. Zoisite pictured her sitting in her chair, her dark blue hair slicked back stylishly, still clad in her sapphire-studded gown with a heavy volume lying open on her lap, a steamy mug of tea on the table beside her. He smiled at that; Ami certainly was dedicated to her work, and he had to admire that. He always admired people of ambition.
The little Princess of Mercury certainly was beautiful, Zoisite thought, even if she wasn't exactly his type. But Queen Serenity had given her to him for a reason, and he might as well learn to live with her and treat her well, even if there wasn't any love between them.
He sighed sadly at that, thinking of a long life ahead of him that would be empty of love.
"Shouldn't you be in bed, little one?"
Zoisite turned quickly, coming face to face with Lord Kunzite.
"I, uh," he stammered, unable to speak.
Kunzite neither smiled nor frowned. "I saw you up here, watching us."
Zoisite flushed bright red. "I didn't know. I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't meaning to watch. I only stepped out for a bit of fresh air and the two of you came out. I honestly wasn't spying on you."
"I never said you were."
"Then why did you bring it up?" Zoisite said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"You have such a temper, little one."
"Stop calling me that!" Zoisite yelled, this time rather frustrated. "I didn't come out here to be insulted by YOU."
The calm in Kunzite's voice was maddening. Zoisite felt himself grow hot with anger. He was also mad at himself for thinking this cold and conceited King was beautiful. He wanted to hit him, but he knew it wouldn't hurt the other man since he was twice Zoisite's size.
"Your temper could get you into a lot of trouble someday," Kunzite said coolly. "Besides, it's unbecoming for one of the Queen's guard to get so easily flustered."
With that, the tall man turned and walked through a door leading to the second floor dance hall.
Zoisite was furious. He turned back around and clenched the railing as hard as he could. He couldn't do it for too long, though, because it hurt his hands.
While he was rubbing them, another visitor made an appearance. It was the Princess of Uranus, Lady Haruka, who, as usual, was looking nothing like a lady. Her boyish sandy-blonde hair was slicked down for once, and she was wearing a very flattering guard uniform similar to the one Zoisite had on, although he had to admit that it looked a little better on her. The Princess was quite a bit taller than Zoisite (of course, she was quite a bit taller than nearly everyone, except for perhaps Kunzite, Nephrite, and Mamoru), and as she looked down at him, her teal eyes sparkled.
"Not having much luck in the dating department, are we, Zoi-chan?"
Zoisite absolutely hated it when she called him that, but for once he held his tongue (by gritting his teeth) and growled, "Haruka-san, you know I'm engaged."
"Yes, yes. To the little lady of Mercury, nonetheless. Pretty little girl, I think. Not my type, though. Not your type either, by the looks of it."
"Has she gone home?"
"Oh yes. She left some time ago. Actually, she asked Michiru to help her finish up some project of hers, so they went to our home a little while ago to work."
"Huh. I'm surprised you let Michiru-san out of your sight for this long."
Haruka laughed and leaned her arms against the railing. "Me too. Anyway, you're just jealous and you know it, Zoisaito-kun."
Zoisite straightened up, gazing out stonily into the courtyard. "That's not true, Haruka-san."
"Isn't it? I've seen the way you eye Kunzaito-san all the time. I've also watched how you look at Minako-chan, and that look is one of positive malice."
Zoisite grew pale and he turned to look at Haruka. "You can tell?"
Haruka shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about it. Probably the only people in the entire kingdom who would notice are Michiru and me, and that's simply because we tend to pay more attention. Minako-chan is oblivious to it, and Kunzaito-san probably is as well."
Zoisite sighed heavily. "I wish he weren't quite so oblivious to it."
"Well, you never know. I could be wrong. I noticed he was talking to you out here just a few minutes ago."
"I swear, if you don't stop spying on me ..."
Haruka smiled. "Me, spy? I never spy. I just pay vast amounts of attention to everything. You never know when information might come in handy."
The Princess of Uranus winked at the little King, turned on her heel, and marched back inside, leaving Zoisite on the balcony with his thoughts.
-----
It was Christmas morning.
Ami was up bright and early, dressing up in a short woolen skirt and heavy knit top. She hadn't been home the previous night when Zoisite had come in around one-thirty, and he had assumed she'd spent the night over at Michiru and Haruka's home. Now it was six o'clock and she was already dressed and ready to go, while Zoisite was still half asleep in bed. As he pulled his pillow over his head, he wondered if the girl ever slept at all.
Ami hurriedly tugged on a pair of dark blue shoes and glanced in the mirror, fluffing out her short hair with her fingertips. "Zoisaito-kun, we need to leave soon. Usagi-chan is having us meet in the palace to unwrap our Christmas gifts, and we're starting at six-thirty."
Zoisite yanked the pillow off his head and stared bleary-eyed at Ami. His hair was all over the place in a giant, curly mess. "Ami-chan," he croaked, "Where we you last night?"
Ami grabbed a brush and ribbon from the bureau and hurried over to Zoisite, sitting down on the corner of the bed and gently brushing his hair back. "I went over with Michiru-san to get some things done. She's so brilliant, you know. I really enjoy getting to work with her. Actually, we mostly just stayed up chatting about this and that, and Haruka-san came in around two thirty. She was a little drunk, though," Ami giggled. "Michiru-san scolded her, of course, but then Haruka-san just kept laughing at her and started playing with her hair and kissing her on the nose until finally Michiru-san just couldn't be cross with her anymore. Then we stayed up talking some more, until Haruka-san passed out with her head in Michiru-san's lap. By that time, it was just a little after five, so I came back here to get ready for the party this morning. I'll probably have to take a nap when we get home, though. There we go." She had finished brushing Zoisite's hair and had now tied it back in its usual ponytail.
"Thank you," Zoisite said, ruffling his fingers through his bangs. He looked at Ami for a moment. "They really are in love, aren't they?"
"Who? Haruka-san and Michiru-san? Yes, they certainly are," Ami said, pulling a few hairs from the brush.
Zoisite took a deep breath. "Ami-chan?"
"Yes?"
"Do you ... do you love me?"
Ami looked surprised, her blue eyes wide and staring. "Zoisaito-kun, you know I respect you. You're a very brilliant man. I'm very lucky to be betrothed to you."
"But do you love me?"
She looked nervous. "What do you mean?"
"You never stay here at night, or if you do you sleep in your chair out in the living room because you 'fell asleep while reading'. We scarcely ever talk, and in public, you always wander off and talk to Rei-chan or Michiru- san or one of your other friends and pretend I'm not even there."
"Well, we don't really know each other that well. After all, we were put together; we didn't decide it for ourselves. Of course we can't expect to be in love," Ami said rationally.
Zoisite sighed and leaned back against his pillow. "But doesn't that bother you, Ami-chan? Don't you ever look at Mamoru-sama and Usagi-chan, or Haruka- san and Michiru-san and wonder what it would be like to love someone like they do? Don't you want that?"
Ami looked baffled. "I-I suppose," she stammered, "But I don't know. I've never really thought about being in love with someone."
"No, no, you just like what can be explained in books," Zoisite said bitterly.
Ami looked hurt. Zoisite cleared his throat and blushed. "I'm sorry, Ami- chan. I didn't mean that."
Tentatively, he reached up and stroked her hair, and then softly traced her jaw line with his fingers. Ami relaxed for a moment, closing her eyes, and for a brief instant, it was silent except for her soft breathing.
Suddenly her eyes fluttered open and she stared down at Zoisite. She took his hand in hers and slowly pulled it away from her face.
"We're going to be late. We should go," she said hoarsely before getting up and walking quickly out of the room.
Zoisite sighed in disgust and flung back the covers, standing up and quickly tugging on some clothes.
So much for that, he thought angrily.
-----
Usagi was in an excitable state. She looked like a pink fluffy rabbit, her hair done up in its usual pigtails and her dress short and frilly like nearly everything else she wore. She and Minako were passing out the gifts, which were sitting beneath an enormous silver Christmas tree. Minako was clad in a much better outfit that the previous night: a short, black skirt and crimson blouse. In fact, all the men were noticing the improvement, including Kunzite, who raised an eyebrow as she bent down to pick up a large gift box.
Rei and Jadeite were sitting together, dressed in matching red-and-green Christmas outfits, which was probably Rei's idea of cute. Jadeite didn't look particularly thrilled to be wearing a set of fuzzy antlers, but he probably didn't dare to take them off with his temperamental wife-to-be so near him.
Kunzite was unwrapping a pair of fuzzy slippers, one of which was bright pink and a full three inches shorter than the other. Apparently Minako had made them, and she excitedly suggested that Kunzite try them on, pulling off his boots as she spoke.
"I made them myself, except I ran out of the dark thread, but Mako-chan lent me some of hers so I could finish the other. But then I ran out of that, too, and I didn't want to borrow any more, so I just made that one a little smaller. I think it will fit, though," Minako chattered, shoving Kunzite's left foot into the pink slipper. His normally impassive face suddenly bore a rather funny expression as he grimaced.
Suddenly, Haruka appeared in an immaculate white suit, with her lover Michiru close beside her, holding her hand. Michiru was the very picture of elegance in a shimmering white gown with something that looked like a rather expensive diamond necklace on her throat. Her aqua hair was pulled into a wavy ponytail, held up by a few jeweled hairpins.
"Good morning, all," Haruka said, "Sorry we're late."
Michiru winked at Ami, a wink that plainly said, "She was too busy throwing up into the toilet."
If Haruka was having a hangover, she definitely didn't look it. The Princess of Uranus was as poised and classy as ever, talking and joking with the other men and girls in the room. She gave little Hotaru of Saturn a hug, kissed Usagi on the forehead, and greeted Mamoru with a smile, striking up a conversation with him.
Michiru came and sat down beside Ami and Zoisite. "Good morning, Zoisaito- san," she said warmly, smiling at him.
"Good morning," Zoisite replied, nodding his head. Michiru simply radiated beauty and grace, with her shiny hair and soulful blue eyes. For a brief moment, Zoisite wondered how he compared to such beauty.
Michiru and Ami were now chatting together and ignoring Zoisite, as usual, so he excused himself and got up, milling around the room to see what else was going on.
Some people were still opening their presents. Usagi had just received a very pretty ring from Mamoru, and she squealed and hugged him around the neck. Mamoru turned quite blue before she finally released him and he smiled rather shakily at her as he slid the ring on her finger.
Zoisite bumped into Haruka suddenly, who grinned at him. "Merry Christmas, Zoi-chan," she said brightly, giving him a nod.
"And the same to you. Heard you got a little smashed last night after our chat."
"What, me? I wouldn't dream of doing something so juvenile," Haruka said haughtily. She then lowered her voice conspiratorially, "But just between you and me, thank the gods I have Michiru, who's good enough to hold my hair back and give me backrubs later."
Zoisite laughed. "You and Nephrite should hold a drinking contest. That would be interesting to watch."
"I could beat that fancy-haired king any day," Haruka said, waving her hand. "But Michiru wouldn't approve. Did you see the necklace I bought her?"
"It's beautiful," Zoisite breathed, "It looks wonderful on her, too."
Haruka grinned. "She loves it. I thought you'd notice, too. You're probably the only man in the Moon Kingdom who would notice, and I'm probably the only woman who wouldn't."
Zoisite laughed. "We're quite a pair, aren't we Haruka?"
"We are. If you had breasts, I'd probably even sleep with you."
"If you didn't have them, I'd consider you as well."
"Ah, but alas," Haruka said dramatically, "For we have both found our true loves already. So the passionate sex shall have to wait until one of them dies or we both change preferences."
"Well, you've certainly found your love, but I'm not so sure about mine," Zoisite said glumly. "Mine's probably nothing more than an unrequited crush."
"You never know unless you try, though," Haruka said wisely. She glanced over Zoisite's head. "Michiru wants me. I'll talk to you later, Zoi-chan." She walked past Zoisite, pausing for a brief moment to squeeze him on the shoulder, and then she left.
Zoisite felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Ami standing there, holding a small wrapped box in her hands.
"I-I didn't give you your gift yet," she said shyly, blushing madly. "Here you are."
Zoisite stared at her, his mouth hanging slightly open. Then he came to his senses and said, "Oh, Ami-chan ... I didn't even get you a gift."
Ami smiled. "It's all right. I know we hadn't really spoken of it. I wasn't expecting one from you, anyway."
Zoisite bit his lip and unwrapped the present to find an ivory hairbrush.
"I know how fond you are of your hair," Ami said, smiling gently. "I thought you'd like it."
"I-I do," Zoisite said. He looked into Ami's eyes and smiled warmly. "Thank you, Ami-chan. It's the nicest present I've ever received."
He pulled her into a tight hug.
-----
Later in the day, after Ami had gone back home to catch up on her sleep, Zoisite was walking around one of the castle courtyards when he found Kunzite, Nephrite, and Haruka talking about the Dark Kingdom.
"Basically, a slave of the Dark Kingdom loses his humanity and all of his worst qualities are amplified," Kunzite was explaining.
Haruka took a sip of wine and said, "Well, that would be interesting. So I would become a sex-crazed lesbian with an incurable passion for racing."
"I think he meant qualities like envy and greed when he said 'worst'," Nephrite said, pouring himself another glass.
"Well, according to Michiru, my sex-craving and racing ARE my worst qualities," Haruka said, grinning evilly.
Kunzite laughed. "I suppose then that I would become even colder than I already am. That's my worst quality, according to Minako-chan."
"Yes, when in doubt, turn to your spouse-to-be for a full psychological evaluation," Haruka said. "What about you, Nephrite-kun? Mako-chan have any complaints about you?"
"My drinking," Nephrite said as he took a gulp of wine. "And she always says she wishes I'd cut my hair. But apart from that, we really don't talk much."
"Ah. And you, Zoi-chan?" Haruka said.
Zoisite froze. He hadn't realized he was eavesdropping and standing in plain view of Haruka.
"Well," he said, thinking. "I suppose I'd be a temperamental, jealous bitch."
The group was rather silent.
"Um. I mean, bastard."
"You were a lot closer with the first one," Nephrite said, grinning into his glass.
Zoisite glared meanly at him. "At any rate, what brought all this up?"
Kunzite shrugged. "No reason, really. We've been noticing some unusual amounts of activity in the Dark Kingdom lately, like something is awakening. The Dark Kingdom is mostly a place of resident evil and negative energy, sort of the antithesis of the Moon Kingdom. It's never really been any threat, because the negative energy has always been kept fairly low and there aren't many creatures captured in it, but lately it's been pretty active. Queen Serenity noticed it some time ago, and Michiru-san and Ami- chan have been keeping an eye on it since."
Ami-chan. So that was why she'd been working more than usual, Zoisite thought.
"You don't ... think that anything could happen, do you?" Zoisite asked nervously.
"We don't know. Right now it's all speculation. I think the chances of the Dark Kingdom ever gaining enough energy to unleash a particularly worrisome attack are very small," Kunzite said, setting his glass down.
"There you go, nothing like a bit of optimism," Haruka said, raising her glass. "Cheers, Kunzaito-san."
Nephrite had slouched over in his seat, his hand still limply clutching his wine glass. Haruka looked at him curiously as she polished off another drink. "Looks like Nephrite-kun here has the same tolerance as Usagi-chan. Should we carry him home, Kunzaito-san? Or should we leave him here and pray that Mako-chan doesn't find him and beat the tar out of him while he's still unconscious?"
Kunzite grinned again. "Leave him. Makoto-chan is probably still celebrating with the other girls anyway, so I think he'll be safe."
Haruka smiled and picked up the bottle, chugging down the contents. When she finished, she wiped her mouth with her hand and belched. "Well, I must go find my Michiru. I think it's been at least three hours since I last basked in her radiant beauty."
And, staggering as she swaggered, Haruka headed drunkenly off, leaving Kunzite and Zoisite quite alone.
Kunzite was the first to say anything. "Well, well. Just you and me, Zoi- chan."
"Well, you, me, and the town drunk," Zoisite said, pointing at Nephrite's sleeping figure.
"True. Why don't we go someplace else, where we don't have to listen to him snore."
Kunzite headed off through the courtyard. Zoisite blinked at his retreating form before gathering up his courage and following him.
They walked into a different part of the immense yard, a nice place with several rose bushes. The ground here was littered with soft pink petals that had fallen from the cherry trees, and Zoisite stared around him. "Beautiful," he whispered, taking in every inch of the garden.
He gathered up an armful of the cherry blossoms and threw them into the air. They fell around him, a soft cloud of pink, and he laughed, stretching his arms out from his sides and twirling around. He felt so beautiful and free, surrounded by the brightly colored petals.
He then remembered that Kunzite was with him and he dropped his arms, snapping his head around and looking at his senior, who was watching him intently.
"S-sorry," Zoisite said.
Kunzite smiled. "For what?"
"I forgot you were standing here," Zoisite confessed, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"So? You needn't apologize. You were beautiful."
Zoisite's jaw dropped and he stared at Kunzite with wide eyes. "I was?"
"Of course."
Zoisite didn't know what to say, so he blurted out the first thing that popped into his head. "But you're engaged, Kunzaito-sama!"
"So? You are as well. Do you think that my relationship with the Lady of Venus is any different from the one you have with Mercury?"
"But ... I've seen you kiss her!"
"Protocol, Zoisite-chan. Surely you understand rules. You're a high-ranking official. You know how to play the game as well as I do, if not better."
Zoisite sank to the ground, resting on the pile of cherry blossoms. "So you don't love her?"
"Not any more than you love Ami-chan."
Zoisite didn't speak.
"We weren't given love. We were given wives."
Zoisite suddenly burst out, "But if you were able to choose someone you love over the princess, who would it be?"
Kunzite actually looked surprised for a moment, but he quickly controlled his emotion. "I-I don't know, Zoisite-chan," he said shortly. "I probably wouldn't choose anyone. Loving can bring too much pain," he said in a soft voice. "And I think love can be too much of a weakness. It can control your whole life, your whole destiny."
Zoisite's throat grew tight. "But is there anything bad about that?"
"We're soldiers of the Moon Kingdom, Zoisite-chan. It's not our place to choose love over duty."
The younger king swallowed with difficulty. "You're not what I thought you were, Kunzaito-sama," he said in a strangled voice.
Kunzite raised an eyebrow. "What did you think I was?"
"I thought you were ... like me," Zoisite choked out, tears beginning to well in he eyes. "Forced to live a life without love, but not wanting to. I thought you wanted to escape that fate, like me, and choose a different destiny."
The older man sighed heavily and stared out across the lawn. "Is destiny really for us to decide, Zoisite-chan?"
"Why not? Why can't a person choose their own fate?"
Kunzite was silent for a moment, so Zoisite spoke up again.
"Besides ... you did say I was beautiful."
"And you are, little one. But I've always thought so."
"Did you?" Zoisite lifted his face, which had a crystal tear on each cheek.
Kunzite sank into the ground, facing him. He wiped the tears away with his thumbs and cupped the boy's chin in his hand. "Of course. How could I not? I remember the first day I met you. I couldn't take my eyes off you."
Zoisite giggled, remembering. "I thought you hated me and were trying to frighten me off by glaring at me," he said.
"Well, I think I'm often misinterpreted," Kunzite said ruefully. "I am the Ice King, after all."
"Why? You're so much more handsome when you smile," Zoisite said.
Kunzite smiled, and Zoisite noticed his cheeks looked a little pink.
"I didn't know I was your type, Kunzaito-sama," Zoisite said bashfully.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean ... well, just from watching you ... I always thought you preferred girls."
"I prefer true beauty," Kunzite corrected gently, and Zoisite blushed crimson.
"So," Zoisite began hesitantly. "What about changing destiny? Are you still against it?"
Kunzite leaned forward and kissed Zoisite on the mouth. He pulled away and Zoisite gasped, looking up at the king. Then he wrapped his arms around the big man's neck and allowed the older king to pull him close, wrapping his arms around his boyish waist as they kissed again, this time longer and more passionately.
When they pulled away, Kunzite looked into Zoisite's eyes and smiled, "Well, what do you think?"
-----
Kunzite pushed open the door and showed Zoisite inside. The boy gasped. The room was quite large and beautifully furnished, with a shiny wooden desk and a few soft chairs before a marble fireplace. Over in the corner, Zoisite noticed with a twinge of excitement, was a huge, four-poster bed.
Kunzite had pulled off his outer jacket and was hanging it on the coat rack, leaving him in only a tight-fitting shirt and trousers. He pushed his long hair behind his shoulders and smiled at the littler man. "Can I get you anything to drink?" he asked.
Zoisite shook his head and said, "Won't Minako-chan be coming home soon?"
"She will be, but this isn't our home. This is my study. It's furnished with a bed and a kitchen because I spend most of my nights here after working until late."
"So. You don't usually sleep with the princess?" Zoisite asked tentatively.
Kunzite shrugged. "I have before, but not in quite some time, if you're referring to the type of 'sleeping' that I think you are. At any rate, it's mostly to please her enough to shut her up. The girl can be obnoxious ... well, after all, she is rather young."
Zoisite blushed. "I-I'm only nineteen, Lord Kunzite."
Kunzite smiled as he tucked a bit of Zoisite's hair behind his ear. "What a difference a few years make," he said softly. Zoisite felt his heart melt.
"So, nothing to drink, then?" Kunzite said, switching gears.
"No, I'm fine," Zoisite said as the older king walked into the kitchen. He heard the pop of a cork and nervously he ran his fingertips along the surface of the desk.
Kunzite reappeared, a glass of wine in his hand. He sat down at his table and took a sip, and gestured to the other chair for Zoisite to come and join him.
The little man walked over and sat down, feeling almost dizzy to be in Kunzite's presence. He propped his chin up on his elbows and gazed at the older man as he asked, somewhat shyly, "So how long have you been attracted to me, my Lord?"
Kunzite set down his glass. "Ever since that first day, really. You are quite beautiful, you know."
Zoisite grinned happily and said, "More than Minako-chan?"
"I won't deny that Minako-chan is quite good-looking, but you are much more attractive."
They were silent for a few moments before Zoisite said, "May I try that?"
Kunzite handed over the glass. "You won't like it."
Zoisite ignored him and took a rather large gulp. Immediately, his eyes began to water and his throat felt as though it were on fire. He set the glass down and began coughing and choking, unable to breathe.
Kunzite laughed good-naturedly, but it only annoyed Zoisite, who couldn't catch his breath long enough to hurl an insult. He felt anger rise up hotly within him, and without thinking he grabbed the wine glass in front of him and hurled it at the older man.
His aim was somewhat poor due to his current fit of coughing, so it flew safely out of Kunzite's way and smashed against the wall, spilling wine down it, and Kunzite stopped laughing. He stared at Zoisite, looking rather stunned.
Zoisite's choking had ceased, and he immediately felt mortified. He turned beet red and moaned, "I'm so sorry, Kunzaito-sama! I-I don't know what got into me!"
Kunzite just blinked. "I think you're even more hazardous than Lady Rei, and I've heard a lot of stories about her from Jadeite," he said, surprised.
Zoisite looked at the table. Without any warning, he began to bawl, huge tears pouring down his face.
"There now, we can't have any of that. It was just an accident," Kunzite said in a gruff voice. "Come here, Zoisite."
Zoisite looked up, his eyes shining in his tearstained face.
"Come here, Zoisite," Kunzite said again in a firm voice.
Slowly, Zoisite got up from his chair and walked around the table to Kunzite, like a scorned puppy going to its master. Even though Kunzite was sitting and Zoisite was standing, the littler man only barely was at eye level with the other.
Kunzite reached out his arms and pulled Zoisite into his lap. Zoisite, who hadn't expected him to do this, found himself flinging his arms around Kunzite's neck and burying his face in his shoulders, and then promptly bursting into tears again.
Kunzite chuckled softly and stroked Zoisite's hair, pushing it away from his ear so he could speak into in, his lips touching Zoisite's ear as he whispered, "There, there. How am I supposed to sleep with you if you keep having emotional breakdowns on me?"
Zoisite pulled away from embracing the bigger man's neck and laughed between his tears. "Oh, Kunzaito-sama!" he gasped before kissing him.
-----
The next morning was the day after Christmas, and Zoisite awoke to find himself alone in Kunzite's bed. He was lying between the beige silk sheets, completely naked, with his hair cascading all around him in copper-colored curls. He stretched in the early morning sunlight, sighing happily.
Kunzite suddenly appeared from the kitchen and strode over to the bed. He was wearing a light gray robe and he crawled onto the bed next to Zoisite. "Morning," he said, kissing the younger man on the forehead.
"Hi," Zoisite murmured sleepily. "I think that was the best Christmas of my life."
Kunzite smiled as he played with Zoisite's hair. "Me, too."
"Do you think this will get weird at work?" Zoisite giggled.
"Nah. We'll just act the same as usual during the day, then come back here and have life-altering sex at night."
Zoisite grinned and threw a pillow at him. "Hey!" Kunzite said, leaning down over Zoisite and decorating the little man's neck with love bites. Zoisite giggled with pleasure, wrapping his legs around the big man and pulling his bathrobe open.
It would certainly be a miracle if they made it out of bed that morning, the little king thought, grinning.
-----
"Where were you last night?" Ami asked as her husband-to-be strolled in the door, looking exceptionally cheerful.
"You stayed at home for once?" Zoisite asked, tossing his rumpled jacket over a chair.
"Yes, I did, actually. I wondered where you went off to, though. You even left you present at the palace," Ami said, sounding a little hurt.
Zoisite remembered the pretty ivory brush, and felt guilty. "I'm sorry, Ami- chan. I didn't mean to forget it."
"If you don't like it, I can take it back."
"No, it's not that. I do like it. I just got a little sidetracked at the party and forgot it."
Ami's wide blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I asked everyone where you were. I was afraid you'd gone off drinking, when Haruka-san said she last saw you with Nephrite-sama and Kunzaito-sama. Did you? Is that why you didn't come home, because you were drunk?"
Zoisite sighed. "Ami-chan, you know I can't drink more than one glass without it making me pretty sick. Drinking isn't my idea of a good time. I was just talking with Kunzaito-sama, that's all."
"And what, you went and stayed with him and Minako-chan?"
"Yes. We ended up talking rather late and he invited me to stay at his home. That's all," Zoisite said, trying hard not to think about what really happened because the truth was far too erotic for him to think about while wearing such tight fitting pants.
"Huh. You stayed with them? I'm surprised you could sleep. From what Minako- chan tells me, they ... ah ... are rather 'occupied' most nights."
Zoisite felt a stab of jealousy. "Probably she embellishes."
Ami shrugged it off with a look that said "it's really none of our business," but Zoisite still felt uneasy. Even though he'd only been with Kunzite one night, the thought of sharing him certainly didn't appeal to him.
This really could get weird, Zoisite thought bitterly.
-----
The four kings and the Outer Senshi had been called to a special meeting that day, so Zoisite had to get dressed rather hurriedly and rush to Queen Serenity's throne room. He was a little off due to his antics the night before; in fact, he couldn't keep his mind off it. All the way to the main palace, as he buttoned his uniform coat while half-running through the marble halls, he kept thinking of Kunzite.
He was actually nervous about having to see him.
The hall he was currently jogging through widened here, into a grand hall with a few bits of gilded furniture. In the center of the room stood a vast marble fountain, three tiers high with a statue of a beautiful young girl with long hair done up in two pigtails (Zoisite could only assume it was supposed to represent Usagi-chan). He paused as he passed it, and then hurried over and peered over the edge to view his reflection within.
He looked a mess. His hair was in complete disarray; it had fallen out of the loose ponytail and now hung freely, making him look womanlier than ever. His uniform was wrinkled and creased in several places, which wasn't that surprising seeing as how it had spent last night crumpled on the floor where Kunzite had tossed it. But still ...
Zoisite sighed, trying to pull his masses of hair into a relatively neat ponytail, but it was absolutely futile without a comb. He suddenly felt like crying. A few tears leaked out onto his cheeks.
"I think there's quite enough water in this fountain without you adding to it."
Zoisite turned abruptly, quickly wiping his eyes with his hand, and came face to face with the beautiful Princess of Neptune. Michiru was smiling kindly, her big blue eyes warm with friendliness.
"Do you need a little help, Zoisaito-kun?" she asked politely.
Zoisite nodded tearfully, and Michiru let out a low chuckle as she gently pulled his hair back and ran her fingers through it. Zoisite was amazed at how good her touch felt, and instantly he felt himself relax. Her fingers combed through his hair, untangling it, and he was completely content under her sensitive touch.
"How is Kunzite?" Michiru whispered softly.
Zoisite jumped a little at that, and said, "How should I know? Kunzaito- sama does not waste time talking to younger officers like me."
"Zoi-chan, I have eyes and ears."
He felt himself sweat a little. "Oh gods, is it that obvious?"
Michiru chuckled again. "Of course not. Haruka and I are given to seeing what the others do not. You shouldn't fear us for it, but let it be a reminder to you, Zoi-chan. Not everything private goes by unnoticed. In fact, few things do."
"Well, I already knew Haruka-san could see my affections for him, and it only makes sense that you should, too. You two are more like one person than two," Zoisite said thoughtfully, as Michiru tied his hair. "As long as the others don't find out. Especially the Inners."
Michiru walked to his front and began rebuttoning his uniform (in his haste, he'd gotten a few in the wrong holes). She looked at him with serious eyes. "Zoisite, if you keep this up, they will find out. It may take quite some time, but they're not as naïve as you may think."
Zoisite felt sick at hearing that, but he tried not to let it show. He straightened himself up (when he did so, he found he was just a little taller than Michiru, which pleased him) and said to the sea senshi, "Well, why should we keep it up? It's just an infatuation, really, nothing more. It won't last more than a few weeks and then everything will go back to the way it was. Kunzaito-sama and I have both had many lovers in the past, so why should this be any different for either of us? It's just something new, something different. Ami-chan can be such a bore, sometimes, you know."
Michiru was silent for a moment, as she finished his top buttons, and then she looked at him again. Zoisite felt uneasy beneath her penetrating gaze.
"Zoisite. I have a feeling this relationship will last much longer than either of you originally intended. But I also have a feeling that you won't regret a moment of it."
The young boy laughed shakily before confessing his biggest fear. "Well, maybe I do care for him more than I'm letting on. But Kunzaito-sama? He'd never care for me the same. Look at him. He's gorgeous, he's had so many lovers, and ... well, he's never really cared about any of them." Zoisite felt tears beginning to well in his eyes again and he took a deep breath and blinked several times to keep them from falling.
He felt a soft hand on his cheek that smelled faintly of the ocean. Michiru stroked him softly with her hand, tilting his face to look at her once more. Emerald eyes met sapphire ones, and Michiru said, "Look at Haruka, Zoi-chan. Gorgeous, talented, with more lovers and admirers than one could ever hope for or even want. And yet she fell for me anyway. Even the wildest of hearts can be tamed."
She kissed him on the cheek and smiled warmly. Then, grasping his hand, she said, "You look lovely, Zoisite. Come, let's go to this meeting and see the ones we desire so much to see." She giggled suddenly, reminding Zoisite of the Moon Princess herself, as she pulled the youngest of the kings along the hallway with her, to the Queen's throne room.
-----
"Kunzaito-sama, where were you last night?"
Minako was standing, hands on her hips, her face scrunched up in childish annoyance. The meeting had just ended and Nephrite and Kunzite, leaving the room first, had discovered the angry Venusian princess standing right outside the door.
Kunzite sighed heavily and said, "I told you this morning, I had to work late last night."
Zoisite, standing several people behind Kunzite, felt his face grow warm. Next to him, Michiru put her hand on his back to keep him walking toward the door.
Minako still looked very perturbed, but she had taken her hands off her hips at least. Kunzite wrapped his arms around the little girl and gave her a deep kiss. "I'm sorry, love. It won't happen again."
Minako flushed pink with pleasure and threw her arms around Kunzite's neck. Zoisite felt himself grow quite sick to his stomach with jealousy and bitterness.
"Can you make it up to me?" she asked eagerly, causing nearly everyone around them except Haruka to sweatdrop. Haruka, meanwhile, was winking at her own lover. "Why don't you ever ask ME that?" she whispered loudly, grinning.
Michiru rolled her eyes as the blonde snaked an arm around the smaller girl's waist.
Zoisite, meanwhile, had departed from the group, not feeling like staying around and watching Kunzite flirt. He felt partly furious and partly overwhelmingly dejected. He really didn't even know HOW he should feel.
The pretty young boy walked out of the palace doors and into one of the smaller gardens, taking refuge in a white gazebo with roses blooming all around it. He leaned against one of the columns, shoving his hands into his pockets, and began muttering conversations to himself, trying to sort his thoughts:
"Well, honestly, what did you expect? He's got a WIFE, you idiot. So do you, as a matter of fact. You ought to start doing your job as a husband instead of trying to seduce the most emotionless of the Moon Kingdom guard."
"He still shouldn't have flirted with Minako-chan in front of me, though, especially after last night."
"Last night. Hah. Last night was probably just like any other night to the ice king. Bet anything he's got a new girl or boy to play with every evening, just to keep himself amused."
"Did it really mean nothing to him? It meant something to me."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. I would have been pretty insulted if it hadn't."
Zoisite froze. That last statement hadn't been his!
He felt two strong arms encircle his waist and pull him against a hard chest. He felt warm breath on his neck and suddenly a pair of lips began to kiss him, ever so softly, starting at the lowest point of his neck just above the stiff uniform collar and moving slowly upward, until finally the lips reached his ear.
They whispered. "Of course it meant something to me. I'm surprised you doubted it."
A shiver of intense pleasure ran down Zoisite's spine. Once more he felt his eyes grow wet and he choked out, "I didn't know if anyone meant anything to you, Kunzaito-sama."
Kunzite turned the little man around so they were facing, and he looked Zoisite square in the eye.
"Do I need to prove it to you?"
-----
From then on, Zoisite spent nearly every night in Kunzite's office. It was glorious, waking up each morning in the big man's arms. He felt as though his heart would burst, it was so full of happiness and love for the older king.
Everyone noticed the huge change that had come over the little man. Suddenly, Zoisite was practically skipping from place to place, almost singing when talking, and constantly exhibiting a starry look in his green eyes. Ami frequently found her husband sitting out in their private garden beneath the cherry tree, just gazing contentedly up at the sky as all around him pink petals cascaded down in a soft cloud around him.
"He makes a better picture than a husband," Ami remarked one day while having Michiru and Setsuna over for tea.
Michiru put down her cup and stared through the window at the peaceful boy. Her blue eyes softened into a smile and she mused, "He really is beautiful though, isn't he?"
The next day, the elegant sea senshi brought her finest oil paints and a large piece of blank canvas to Ami and Zoisite's garden and painted for two hours as Zoisite sat beneath the tree, blissfully unaware of the rest of the universe.
"One of your better ones, I think," Haruka commented softly, so as not to shake Zoisite from his dream world.
"Even the greatest painter couldn't capture this beauty," Michiru commented, dipping her brush into a mix and adding streaks of sunlight to Zoisite's golden curls.
"I think you do a damn good job of it anyway," the wind senshi chuckled, petting her lover's silky hair.
One morning, in April, after several weeks of an excessively daydreamy husband, Ami said over breakfast, "Are you quite all right, Zoisite-kun?"
The young man snapped out of his thoughts and tried to focus on his wife. "Huh?"
"You've been so ... spaced out lately," Ami commented, stirring her tea.
"I'm sorry, Ami-chan," Zoisite said, but his eyes were glazing over with that happy look again. "I've just had some things on my mind lately."
Waiting until breakfast was finished and he could escape to see Kunzite was torture for Zoisite, but he had to endure it every morning. As soon as Ami had had her last bite, Zoisite bid her an abrupt "good morning" and hurried off to Kunzite's office.
He walked in and saw his lover sitting at his desk, writing. Happily, the young boy closed the door behind him and skipped across the room, planting himself in the big man's lap.
"Good morning!" he said cheerfully, kissing Kunzite deeply.
Kunzite broke the kiss. "Zoisite, we have to talk."
"We can do that soon. How about in fifteen minutes?" Zoisite said coyly, brushing Kunzite's hair back and leaning in for another kiss.
But Kunzite pushed him away. Gently, of course, but Zoisite was still quite taken aback ... and disappointed.
"Zoisite, we have to talk," he said again, looking at the younger boy sternly.
Zoisite nodded. "Of course, Kunzaito-sama. What's wrong?"
"Zoisite, we ..." Kunzite paused, looking pained. Zoisite felt his heart skip a beat.
"We have to end it."
The young boy felt as though the ground dropped out from beneath his feet. "What? Why? Kunzaito-sama, what happened?" he cried, hoping it wasn't true.
Kunzite looked more serious than Zoisite had ever seen him before. "Queen Serenity knows, Zoisite. I knew she would find out eventually, and it's happened. She doesn't really approve of us because we already have lovers. You have Ami-chan. I have Minako-chan."
Zoisite smiled. "But Kunzaito-sama, we don't love them. We love each other. Surely if we explain that to her, she'll understand. She understood Haruka- san and Michiru-san."
Kunzite took a deep breath.
"Zoisite, we have to end it. Period. If we continue this ..." Kunzite trailed off for a moment, brushing a lock of platinum hair out of his eyes. "If we continue this, sooner or later everyone will know. We've already taken so many chances, the Queen knows, and I'll be damned if Haruka-san and Michiru-san haven't known about it from the beginning. But sooner or later, it will get back to our wives. And beyond that ... well, this is clearly out of line for both of us, and I should have realized that sooner."
"Out of line?" Zoisite repeated blankly.
"Yes. We are senior officers of the Moon Kingdom. We are soldiers. Our job is to protect the kingdom and do what is required of us," Kunzite pushed himself back from the desk, standing and facing the younger boy. "We aren't allowed the luxury of love."
Zoisite felt both subdued and angry, and in the end anger won out. He glared fiercely at the taller man.
"Kunzaito-sama, do you remember last Christmas? That time in the garden, beneath the cherry tree? You asked if destiny was really something for us to decide, and I said I didn't understand what was so bad about changing the course of fate."
Kunzite was silent, his eyes downcast. His face looked completely stony.
Zoisite fought back hot tears, clenching his fists at his side. "Well, over the past few months I have thought long and hard about destiny, and about my options. I have two. I can bow to authority for the rest of my life, do whatever Queen Serenity and all the others above me demand of me, and spend my life following protocol and being dutiful. Or I can choose to have authority over myself and follow my heart."
He closed the gap between the older man and himself, taking one of Kunzite's big hands in his own little one.
"I've made my choice, Kunzaito-sama."
Kunzite's clear eyes flickered up at Zoisite, staring at him wonderingly. "But think about the consequences, Zoisite. It's a war. All of life is a war, and you spend your entire life constructing your armor so that you're prepared to defend yourself against the battles you'll inevitably have to fight."
He turned Zoisite's hand over in his and traced the lines in his pale palm. "Emotion, deep feelings ... these things put unfixable cracks in your armor. You find yourself with permanent battle scars. You could be left with pain in your heart that will never heal."
Zoisite shook his head, his blonde curls shimmering.
"What's a little scar? It's nothing more than a reminder that I once felt something."
Kunzite stared at him. For a moment, neither was able to speak.
"Consequences be damned, Kunzaito-sama," Zoisite said, allowing himself a devilish grin. "I want to be with you. I couldn't ever want anything more than you. I don't know how long we'll have together, or what exactly fate has in store for us. But until she shows up and starts choosing my life path for me, I'll make my own path. And I choose you."
His speech was abruptly cut short as the older king pulled him into an embrace and kissed him.
When he pulled away, Kunzite laughed gently and stroked the younger man's hair. "Zoisite, you'll be the end of me yet, I swear."
Zoisite smiled as innocently as possible. "At least you'll have a beautiful last view."
"The most beautiful view in creation. I'm lucky for that," Kunzite said, returning the smile. "And I'm lucky for your wisdom. The grandest of destinies would probably be meaningless without someone to share it with. And if that someone is exceptionally lovely, well, that never hurt either."
The younger boy giggled and put one hand forward. "Forever?" he asked, a little tentatively.
Kunzite took Zoisite's hand in his and turned it, kissing the palm lovingly.
"Forever. I promise."