Valentine

Fandom : Sailor Moon (Dark Kingdom)
Characters : Zoisite / Kunzite
Rating : none

Setting : Season 1, in the "slightly alternate universe" of my epic fic "Wipe Out" : after Queen Beryl executed Zoisite, Kunzite managed to use the Ginzuishô to revive him. To save him, and because Queen Beryl had caused more damages to Metallia's cause than the Senshi themselves, he even decides to desert and leaves with Zoisite. They hide on Earth, but the Ginzuishô didn't only resurrect Zoisite, it also exorcised him from Metallia's power, turning him back into the human he was before, Shiro. He also lost the memory of all the time happened since his transformation as a Tennou… including his affair with Kunzite. Which puts the Ice King in a strange position.

Shiro did not look thrilled by the restaurant's façade, "Diner Chic".

"What's wrong?", asked Kunzite.

"This place is more elegant than the previous ones we ate at, lord Kunzite. Don't you think they are more likely to notice that I am not from this century? There must be rules and codes that I don't know of…".

He didn't mention that even in the time he was born in, he wasn't used to attend places as sophisticated. He had patiently extracted what little formal education he had from each master he had served, knowing that in feudal Japan, it was as important for your rank as your military skills. But he had always been reminded that he was a lowly mixed-blood.

Kunzite shrugged off his concern.

"Be confident in your training. Your Japanese sound as modern now that their own. This will be one last test for your adjustment."

A graceful waitress welcomed them and guided them to a table for two. His discomfort raised some more. Even if the westernised style the restaurant aimed for was not familiar to him, there were too many tables occupied by couples. And their own held the same candles and roses as those.

The waitress left them to choose from the menus, after a last coy smile to Shiro, and he hid his embarrassment behind the menu. It happened way too often. In this time where few men had full-time servants and no need for page boys, he was usually perceived as lord Kunzite's young lover. Obviously they looked too different to be blood relatives, but surely there could be more explanations to two men going out together? Work relations or else?

Yet people seem to automatically draw that conclusions. It wouldn't embarrass Shiro for himself, if he hadn't feared that it betrayed his secret feelings for Kunzite, and how this one might react to it.

It had taken long enough for him to establish a bond of professional trust with his war lord, who was used to people plotting to take over him. And Shiro had also heard stories whispered at night of what happened to fools trying to use their charms on the Tennou to climb ranks. There was a reason why the Ice King had earned that name, and it wasn't just for his pale eyes and white hair.

At the table behind Kunzite, a young man popped out a small gift box to his date. The girl's eyes widened and she let out a typical cute squeal.

Shiro shrank on his seat some more and looked away, but couples at the other tables seemed engaged in similarly mushy scenes.

"Is there anything wrong with the menu?", asked Kunzite.

Shiro shivered and nodded.

"No, lord Kunzite. Although I don't know any of those meals."

The Tennou knew that his young companion had grown quite fond of this type of food, when he had been patrolling on Earth after their awakening by the Queen. That's why he had picked this restaurant. Even if he didn't remember any of it, hopefully he would still enjoy the food.

Though if Kunzite had been more confident that the loss of Shiro's memory hadn't affected his tastes, he would have thought of a more pressing domain in which to check this out…

But he couldn't find a way of telling him the truth. That would have meant revealing him how he had lied to turn his loyalty into something more. Even if he had eventually been caught by his own lies, he doubted that the ill-tempered sakura could forgive him that.

"It doesn't seem to be what bothers you".

Shiro looked up from his menu. He didn't remember lord Kunzite to be so observant of his human soldiers. Yet he had been fairly lucky to be noticed by him and made into a member of his personal guard. It had also spared him the unrequited attention from some older soldiers.

He didn't even know why Kunzite bothered with having him around since he had deserted. His only talent was for killing, and since the country was no longer at war, there was no need for it.

"Isn't there a lot of couples in this restaurant?"

Kunzite looked around and only then seemed to notice. He picked the rose on their table and read the card tied to it.

"It's not the restaurant. It's the date. February 14th. A modern celebration for lovers, the occasion for them to reveal their flame, by the look of it."

Shiro felt himself blushing.

"Oh. That must be why… I guess the waitress mistook us for a couple too."

A distinct pause followed.

"Is that a problem?", asked Kunzite in an all too neutral tone.

Shiro blinked, uncertain of what answer might be the less dangerous for him.

"No, not for me, but… Even if they don't know that you are a Tennou and Metallia's most powerful child, I am only…"

Kunzite absorbed himself in the reading of the menu and answered without looking at him, in the same dispassionate voice.

"There is no man that shouldn't flattered to have you by his side."

Shiro remained stunned for a few seconds, while his body seemed to burn. He wasn't really sure of what Kunzite had meant. Or rather, if he had meant something else than telling him off for thinking that the Tennou cared at all about what lowly humans thought of him.

Still contemplating the menu, Kunzite filled up the silence that was getting uncomfortable.

"So, do you know what you want?"

Shiro's impulsive nature took over.

"I want you."

He started cursing himself in silence as his mouth formed the words. He barely stood to keep facing Kunzite, but he couldn't look away either until the sentence would fall.

Kunzite looked up slowly, his tanned face showing a frustrating lack of reaction. Shiro expected to be blasted by an energy blow. Like in slow motion, he watched him opening his mouth.

"Don't you want to eat first?"

Shiro stopped cringing. The last word floated in his brain as if it didn't make sense.

"'First'?", he repeated.

Kunzite broke into a sly smile.

He handed the rose over to Shiro.

"Maybe this Valentine day isn't a joke after all".

- - - - - the end - - - - -