"You really should clean more often Tenpou, this is ridiculous." I grunted as I set another stack of books onto the table. The whole place was about halfway clean minus the great amounts of dust that the clutter had accumulated over time. I'd agreed to help him rearrange some things the week before and Goku had decided to tag along. For some unknown reason though Konzen came too which I found strange. He was currently wearing a bandana over his head and was dusting around the many shelves.
I didn't have my veil on, there was no point around these guys anymore and it made me feel wonderful. Goku would come up to me and stare every now and again. When I asked why he just said he was glad I didn't wear that cloth over my face.
"How did I get dragged into this?" Konzen complained.
"As I remember you came voluntarily. Goku just wanted to accompany me." I stated, sticking my tongue out at the rather dusty blond. He sneered.
"That monkey wouldn't shut up until I came along but why in the hell am I stuck cleaning your room?" Konzen did this a lot lately. I'd speak to him but then he'd start talking to someone else. I wondered if had anything to do with the festival a while ago or maybe...was it my face? Tenpou chuckled.
"Hey Ten-chan! Where is Ken-nii?" Goku asked.
"He was going to help but got called away to the main chamber for military purposes." I stopped what I was doing to look at the man now once again smoking cigarette.
"It wouldn't have anything to do with Nataku again would it?" I asked, making sure that Goku didn't hear. Tenpou puffed out a billow of smoke, the smile leaving his face.
"I'm afraid so. The ones called were under his command alone." I raised an eyebrow at his answer. Again with this mess. What were the uppers playing at.
"Isn't he still getting medical treament?" Konzen wondered. The Marshal nodded.
"Yes but you know the higher ups have never really cared about that. He is their "killing puppet" after all." I frowned looking over at Goku who was trying to get some of the books to go on the higher shelves. He sure had chosen a troublesome friend that was for sure.
"You think they'll send him out again in his condition? Not very wise of them." I muttered.
"Yes well sadly they only care about culling the threat to heaven. The main goal of the army is supposed to be the binding of gods or people with a harmful influence here, to subdue and imprison all who would do evil when in fact all they end up doing is fighting threats to the upper world and it's way of life. However, Nataku Taishi is different. He doesn't follow the same rules as the army and can completely eliminate any threat if ordered it. We aren't allowed to kill, none of heavens people can. The child Nataku is the only one authorized to do so. It's just another way for the higher ups to keep themselves from being unclean." Tenpou took another puff of his cigarette.
"Doesn't make it any less shameful, sending a child to murder anyone who opposes their rule. They are worse than the heretics they so despise." I gazed over at Goku who was happily humming some tune or another. The way my words were said it might seem to others that I was being cruel but in truth I meant that people like Goku were above the heavenly host simply because he was not like them.
"True, but I'd keep that to yourself Kaguya, there are dangerous people who might use such an opinion against you." It was good advice and I nodded to Tenpou in agreement.
"Hey Ten-chan!" Said child appeared, presenting a book before us.
"Yes Goku?" His smile was back. Goku had that power sometimes.
"Can I borrow this book for a little while pretty please?" I read the title he was holding up and chuckled. Tenpou and I had been attempting to teach him to read and write for some time but to no avail. Then I remembered how much he liked food and everything clicked into place.
"Of course." Tenpou responded. The kid looked happier than ever but Konzen looked suspicious.
"You have an interest in reading?" He asked. Goku nodded.
"Ten-chan and Kaguya taught me! This one's about flying meat buns!" I giggled when the blond slapped his palm to his forehead.
"It's not so bad, at least he's grasped reading and writing pretty well. He's a fast learner if he's interested in the subject." I quipped trying to get the man to pay attention to me. Instead he turned his head.
"You have a ton of books here right?" He asked the Marshal who nodded.
"Oh yes, its a hobby of mine to collect everything from philosophy to popular things."
"Whatever it is, pick me out something nice to read next time I come over." He grunted.
"Gladly." Tenpou took another puff of his cigarette before putting it out in the recently cleaned ashtray. My eyes met his and he looked apologetic.
"I'm going back, come on Goku." Konzen said impatiently. He ignored me as usual and began to walk off. The young boy though came to my side and pulled on my kimono.
"You coming too?" He asked. I shook my head.
"Not just yet, I need to talk to Ten-chan for a little bit. I'll be back in time to play with you later though okay?" I told him. He nodded and trotted off. Once both of them were gone I turned to my greatest ally. Tenpou looked serious now.
"There are a few things we must discuss if you have time." He spoke. I nodded.
"Go ahead, I have some light subjects to cover as well as the matter of Kenren of which I suppose you also wish to talk about." I sat down on the ground upon a spot cleared of papers. Tenpou sat across from me, lighting up another cigarette. The stress was getting to him, it was obvious enough. With everything happening and the movements of the upper court we were all a little on edge.
"It's about that boy Nataku. You said once that Goku had befriended him." He said. I nodded.
"Yes and I think they are very fond of one another. He's been trying to get in to see Nataku for some time but he's always turned away. I have a good feeling that Li Touten doesn't want them interacting." I told him. He raised an eyebrow.
"Because he fears their friendship?" He asked. I shook my head.
"At first I thought so. After that stunt at the festival Goku hasn't been able to get close to our dear war prince. He is a bad influence no doubt but I don't think it's just that." I took the cigarette from Tenpous fingers and took a long drag from it. The sweet flavor invaded my throat and nostrils. I'd only smoked a few times but all this mess was making me think it should become a habit.
"A threat then, not even we know how powerful Goku is. There are none like him nor have there been any since. He is a miracle of nature and I shudder to think what he is without that diadem." At least someone shared my fears. I loved Goku really, he was practically my son but there was always that something beneath the surface that I couldn't see. Tenpou was that way, an air of danger beneath the facade of safety.
"I think he believes Goku is a threat to the title of war god." I saw his eyes spark at my words.
"That would make sense. They've been pushing for Nataku so long that the appearance of our little friend throws a wrench into things." He muttered.
"Kenren isn't helping matters either. If it wasn't for you and I I'm sure he'd have been fired by now. He's throwing his own stall on things." I knew how Kenren felt really. He disapproved of the way the higher beings were running things so he acted out which wasn't helping.
"He told me yesterday they planned to run Nataku into the ground. He's still injured and they called this meeting today." Oh crap.
"You don't think he'll do anything stupid do you? He could get into all sorts of trouble and not the good kind, the actual physical kind." I worried a great deal about my General friend. He and I were close but he was such a perv it got in the way sometimes.
"I don't know. He might not be back tonight." So he was expecting something to happen.
"What should I do about Goku then? I doubt I can do anything for the super idiot until he is released if indeed he ran his mouth." I asked.
"In my opinion it would be best to keep an eye on Goku. I suppose you approve of the friendship?" He wondered. I nodded.
"Oh yes, I still think good things will come from such a relationship. If it's making the assholes at the Jade palace nervous then I'm all for it." I grinned. Tenpou chuckled.
"I have to agree, pull some strings if you have to be get Goku to see Nataku. As for Kenren...I'll try my best to deal with him." He smiled.
"Agreed and if you need me to come over and kick his ass let me know. Someone has to." I huffed. The conversation wasn't over though, I still wanted to ask his opinion on the matter of Konzen, but how to go about it.
"On another note, do you have any idea why Konzen is ignoring me? He hasn't said two words to me since the festival a while back." I watched Tenpou cough up some of the smoke in his lungs. He'd inhaled the wrong way. I patted his back to help him out.
"You haven't noticed?" He looked at me like I had three heads.
"Noticed what exactly?" I raised an eyebrow. He shook his head.
"If you don't know it's not my place to say but just know he'll say something eventually." I was so confused but I didn't press the matter. Maybe I'd just ask Konzen myself. I made to leave but not before placing the veil back on.
"Kaguya?" He made me turn around.
"Yes?"
"You'll tell me if you have problems won't you?" I know what he meant even if he didn't tell me. He was talking about my family, my position, everything. I didn't care about most things anymore. Since serving under Kanzeon I was more concerned with the happiness and joy of my friends. That year of finding a husband would come to a close and now I feared marriage more than I ever thought I would. It would mean no longer seeing my dearest friends.
"You'll be the first to know."
!
!
!
I walked down the hall passing by the medical bay where a woman stood guard over Nataku's room. She looked nice enough but I could tell her that was an act. When I got home (yes Konzen's palace was home) I was greeted by Goku.
"Kaguya look! I made this one for you!" He handed me a lovely made piece of origami. It was a monkey.
"Oh Goku I love it!" I took it from him. The little piece of paper was green with little silver swirly patterns. He reached up and yanked the tail making it's legs move like it was jumping.
"Someone had been practicing." The compliment made him beam with happiness. I gave him his thank you kiss on the temple and he ran off. Goku had been making me a lot of things lately for that reason alone. He was a greedy little kid but I didn't mind. I took off my diadem and veil when I was sure I was safe in the grouping of three rooms where I spent most of my time. Konzen was sitting behind his desk looking intently at one of the documents in front of him. Somehow I figured he had been on that one page for a while. There was a large amount of paperwork stacked in the unfinished pile and he'd had a while...none were in the closed out pile.
"I'm back." I called. He grunted in reply. That was it, something in me snapped. I walked over to the desk and slammed my hands down on the golden surface. He actually jumped a bit.
"What the hell is your problem?" I hissed. He actually looked up, his violet eyes meeting mine.
"Oh wow he knows I exist. You got a reason for being such an ass when I've done nothing but try to be your friend? If you were going to do this you shouldn't have said you were going to trust me." I growled. His gaze didn't leave mine but he still said nothing. While disappointed I wasn't about to show it. Instead I let out a breath and broke the eye contact, making my way to my room.
"Forget it." I muttered under my breath. I was about to enter my room when something caught my wrist. His hand was warm and solid against my bare flesh. He kept a tight grip on me as I tried to pull away.
"What?" I hissed in malice. It happened so fast I almost didn't react. He yanked me into his chest, knocking me off balance for a moment. He held tight to my wrists and leaned his face down to my level. When his lips collided with mine I froze. Was he….? But this as Konzen right? What was happening? The desperate press of those soft lips proved that this was real. My heart was beating out of my chest and I had no idea what to do. If I wanted to be honest with myself I had imagined this so many times. The stress of watching the upper realm was weighing on me so I'd sort of back seated romance but the way he felt...gods. He was about to pull away and my mind finally kicked in. I freed my arms and wrapped them around his neck, pressing my entire body against his. He obviously hadn't expected it from the way he tensed up.
This was a dream, one that sent my head into the clouds. When air became necessary he broke and we took quick inhales of breath before joining again. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist as he pushed me up against the door. This could turn naughty so quickly and to be honest I didn't care. This was so unlike him. Konzen was a temperamental man who seemed to care little and love even less. He didn't even like Goku, at least not out loud. I didn't take him as someone to take action like this. If he did love anyone he probably would have kept it a secret until the day he died. And yet here he was, pressing me up against the wood with a passionate force I never thought he had in him. One of his hands made for the doorknob, opening my room without breaking away from me. He closed the door behind us and ran me into the edge of the bed. I fell back, breaking away from him. He stared at me with a hunger I'd never seen in his eyes before.
"Konzen..." I whispered. He crawled onto the mattress after me, hovering over me. The halo of golden hair framed his face as he stared down at me.
"Shut up, don't make me regret this." He grunted. Now that was more like him. The force of his next kiss was almost blinding. I held his face in my hands rubbing the warm skin beneath my fingertips. At first I was worried about what this meant but the longer we stayed this way the more my worries disappeared.
The way he moved against me, the ways his hands explored me with a sort of rough passion that was so him. Everything in the world melted away when he kissed me. He was my life and I had not realized it until now. Kanzeon was right, there was no one else. His fingers released the sash that held my kimono in place. He reached into the confines of the silk. Those large warm hands caressed my bare skin leaving me breathless.
"Konzen! Hey Konzen!" It was Goku calling out for his master. Said blond didn't break away from me. He was pressing against me even more urgently now knowing that we had so little time left. There was a knock on the door. Poor innocent little Goku was looking for us.
"Kaguya! Have you seen Konzen?" The door started to open and I panicked. I pushed the man I wanted nothing more than to continue kissing away. I fixed my kimono enough to look presentable before catching the door in one stride. Goku's golden eyes watched me with curiosity.
"You okay?" He asked innocently. I nodded.
"I'm sorry Goku, I meant to tell you Konzen left a little while ago. He said something about going to see Kanzeon." I lied. It felt strange to lie to Goku but he believed me.
"Oh...should I wait for him?" I wanted to tell him, I hated lieing but then again the kid was probably too innocent to understand even if I told the truth. I shook my head.
"No, he might be a while. Go on to sleep, I'm sure he'll be back in the morning." I smiled.
"I'm glad you guys are talking again." He grinned, hugging me tightly around the middle. I patted his head, pressing my lips to his hair.
"Me too sweetheart, me too. You get some rest okay?" I whispered into his hair. He nodded in agreement before running over to Konzen's room. When the door closed I managed to let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. When I looked up I saw that he seemed to have calmed down a bit. The moment was gone.
"I know you don't want to talk about it. You can leave if you need to." I told him. For a moment we said nothing. I sighed, pulling out the pins that held up my hair. The snow white locks flowed down my back. I ruffled out the loose waves. Then I heard Konzen cross the room. He opened up the window and for the first time someone saw how I looked in the moonlight. Like my father I glowed in the light of the night. Here in heaven the moon was closer and much brighter than it was in the lower world. He stood in front of the window, his hair illuminated beautifully. His eyes looked like pools of lavender.
"I'm attracted to you, it's pretty simple." His gravelly voice gave a certain finality to it.
"Why me though? I get that I'm pretty but I know you. You hate everyone on principle especially women." I pried. He sighed.
"Do I have to actually give you a reason?" Konzen looked very uncomfortable so it was only a matter of time before he exploded into a temper tantrum. It was how he dealt with discomfort. So I did something that might make it worse. I stepped into him, taking strands of his ponytail between my fingers. He froze.
"No, you don't have to but I would like to know if this is a one time thing or not. I don't want to get my hopes up." I whispered. He took my hand and gently kissed the knuckles.
"I'd like it happen more than once." His voice was unsure. He was in unmarked territory here. Neither of us had encountered something like this before so it was better to take it slow.
"Alright, we'll take it at your pace." I whispered. This time I leaned up and initiated the kiss to which he didn't pull away. If this was a dream I didn't want it to end.