Beerus forgot about the Seer's prediction for his love life. It didn't trouble him after he sat through the first coordination meeting after the prediction was made. He'd sat through it thinking how there was surely no way he'd ever feel anything but slightly amicable with a kai. He was on the best terms with Nish still, but they'd never got together outside of work since the first and only time they'd gone sweet shopping. South had always wormed her way out of spending time with Beerus, and he wondered if that was due to that disagreement over Planet Sarkay they'd had. In the end he'd stopped trying to get to know his kais; there didn't seem to be any point if they weren't interested.

That changed several meetings later when he met the new North Supreme Kai. It took Beerus a few hours to get over the fact that none of the other kais had informed him that one of his life-links had died while out on the job, but it was at the same time reassuring that Whis was right; he wasn't going to be dying via the link any time soon. The new kai at the table looked well-adjusted to her new position already – not nervous or worried in the slightest. And for a kai, she seemed rather intimidating to Beerus. Perhaps it was because she was taller than the others, and not as young as when they had started. Or maybe it was her blue hue paired with the white hair typical of kais that specifically made Beerus want to respect her. She certainly looked part-angel to him, even though he knew she wasn't.

He certainly didn't plan to pay any particular attention to this newcomer, but she wanted to get to know him.

"I'd like to spend just a little more time with you," she said after the meeting. "I'd like to learn about destroyers first-hand, and not rely on my friends' impressions of you."

Of course, he wasn't going to refuse; it was nice to have someone interested in his work, especially considering its nature. And of course, he had a free, instant taxi for the day.

It was maybe an hour into his time alone with this kai – Enlil – that he realised this was a mistake. This was what the Seer had been talking about. Sure, he wasn't head over heels for this kai yet, but if it was going to be any of them, it was going to be this one. And god, she was actually really easy to get along with, very aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and – he was so fucked.

As he sat sharing some of his favourite dishes on Planet Ecir with her, he wondered where he went from here. Part of him wished he'd never asked the oracle fish for any elaboration on that particular prediction. He had to assume that whatever happened after today, that this was not going to be a one-off meeting with her. But if he was supposed to be the one who initiated the contact, then he just wouldn't. Just nullify the prediction. Not that he'd ever managed to prove the Seer wrong… So maybe she asked after him… He'd just say no! There was a first time for everything, and that included proving a fish wrong. How hard could it be?

Impossible.

He didn't want to spurn the only other proper friend he could have other than Whis. So naturally he'd agreed to show her more and more planets – places he had better knowledge of than the other kais because he spent his time actually enjoying what the planets had to offer, rather than just observing. And she was into that – being amongst the people.

They went out into the universe, and had fun, and everything was fresh and new to Beerus. All the while, he promised himself that this was nothing more than showing a colleague the ropes – kind of. But she made it difficult to keep it that way. She wasn't like Whis used to be at the start; she was happy to grab his hand and lead him over to the really good-smelling food stand, not afraid to hug him in thanks for their latest outing, and generally just more touchy-feely than he was used to from anyone that wasn't being paid to be near him.

Was it love, or had it just been too long since he'd made a new friend?

Was it love, or did he just think it was because the Seer had planted the thought in his mind?

Ooo

"You've been avoiding me," Whis noted one evening.

"What are you talking about?" Beerus asked. "If I was avoiding you, would I be here right now?"

"Obviously you can't completely avoid me, but recently you haven't been your usual self. You've not kissed me for over a month for a start."

"Oh? I didn't realise you'd been counting the days."

"As a concerned guardian, I must ask, is everything okay, my lord?" Whis wanted to reach out and take Beerus's hand, but for the first time in a long time it didn't feel right to do so. "And as your friend, I ask that you tell me the truth."

Beerus wanted to bury his head in his hands and tell Whis everything, but it was so hard. Because Whis wasn't just a guardian, and he wasn't just a friend. But he probably already knew, right? Whis was an excellent sleuth when required, not that he often needed the aid of his staff as he was perfectly capable of reading people and situations by himself. So if Whis already knew, then Beerus not speaking up about it was only going to make things worse.

"Whis, I…" He hadn't planned to say anything tonight. God, the words were about to tumble out unprepared. This could be messy. "Look, the Seer predicted I would fall in love with someone who wasn't you, and I… Well, you know, the Seer is pretty good at predicting things. Accurately. And yeah, maybe I'm a bit – uh – it's not serious or anything." Maybe that idea would fly if it was a mortal… "I'm just having a bit of fun? It's… I couldn't help it! I just… I still love you, Whis, but… I like her too?" He let out a groan. "I'm sorry, Whis."

The angel sat there listening, a small smile on his lips. "Thank you, my lord, for telling me."

"You're not…mad?"

"The Seer told me of this many years ago, so I've had a long time to come to terms with it. And, really, I am glad."

The question marks were almost visibly emitting from Beerus as he wondered how in the universe Whis could say that with a straight face.

"My lord, as much as it pleases me that you and I have such a strong bond, I would not like to stunt your growth in this area by being the sole object of your affections. While you are a god and it is not necessary for you to form such relationships, I believe it would be beneficial for you to dabble in such things so that you can better understand mortals and their attachments."

"But –"

"Although you were once mortal, you will find that in time you will begin to forget certain aspects."

"No, I meant, I have you…"

Whis nodded. "Yes, and our relationship is becoming…" The word 'stale' came to mind. "A normal feature of our lives. It no longer has the romantic vibe it first had. We really have become the old couple I spoke about. So, with that in mind, it's good for you to feel love's bite again, fresh, with someone new."

"Aren't you…jealous?" He didn't want to ask the question, but he couldn't beat around the bush with this one. He needed to know. "Whis, please, tell me your feelings."

"Since when have I come across as a jealous man? Honestly, my lord, I thought you knew me well enough by now."

Beerus shrugged. "I've seen the way you look at me when I get an extra potato on my plate."

"You can fall in love all you like, and in the end, when whoever that is eventually tires or expires, I shall be here waiting for you. You've already said you still love me, so why should I be jealous? I view this as a break – a holiday – and when things return to how they were, it'll feel fresh again."

It wasn't a satisfying answer to Beerus. He wanted Whis to be jealous deep down. If Whis had admitted that, then he would know that what Whis felt was real. But this situation only served as a reminder that Whis had done this before; he knew not to be overly attached to his destroyer. Beerus was just another one that would eventually move on. He thought this conversation would hurt Whis, but it ended up hurting him more. Best not to dwell on it, he decided.

"So, tell me about her," Whis said. "This kai who's far more interesting than the rest. And don't leave out any details – I love a good bit of gossip!"

"Huh? You're not going to go comparing notes with your siblings, are you?" Beerus asked. "Wait – it's not…frowned upon to…to do anything like this, is it?"

"Much like with angels and destroyers, there are no rules with kais and destroyers. However, I still suggest you maintain an air of secrecy. It's just better for everyone if you at least pretend you're trying to keep it under wraps."

Beerus sighed in relief. "Well, let me tell you about Enlil."

Ooo

"So, how long's it gonna last?" Beerus asked. "This whole being in love thing?"

The Seer shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'll be able to have a guess once it's started."

Beerus sat up from his slouched position. "Do oracle fish lose their powers over time, or have you just not been paying attention?"

Another shrug. "I think I'm the first immortal oracle, so who knows? What've I missed?"

He buried his face in his hands. "I guess it's finally time to find out what oracle fish tastes like."

"What?! No, no! I –" She concentrated hard. "No, it's still ages in the future!"

"You said a few thousand years! And it's been a few thousand years, and this kai is –" he faltered, "She's very… I like her!"

"Well, she's not the one I foresaw."

That stopped Beerus in his tracks. Not the one? There's another one? "What do you mean by that? Do you actually see stuff? What does this other kai look like, then?"

He wanted to squeeze the air out of her when she shrugged again. "I don't know. Shorter than you."

Beerus took a moment to pause and think. "I know you can see more. You knew what we looked like before you met us, and you even described my planet. So give me details."

"I'm just a fish!" she cried. "Whoever this person is is too far in the future for me to see. I could see you because you were my immediate future. But this person… I can just see them with you, and they're probably shorter."

"Probably? You seemed certain a moment ago."

"I mean, maybe they aren't? Maybe the image I'm getting is of them sitting or crouching? I don't know! I can't resolve it!"

Beerus tapped his chin. "I see. But you know it isn't Enlil you saw, because otherwise you'd be able to see this person?"

"Yes."

"You know, I've been driving myself round the bend with your prediction and whether –" He huffed. "Forget it. It's not worth moaning to you."

"You like her though, so what's the problem if my prediction was actually further in the future?"

"After living with us for millennia, you should be able to answer that for yourself." He got up. "Don't ever mention this prediction to me again. No more predictions involving romance unless I specifically ask, understand?"

"Y-yes, Lord Beerus!" She sighed in relief, glad that today was not the day she'd be destroyed. For that was the only thing she knew she'd never be able to predict.

Ooo

Things with Enlil came to an end with time. She grew into her role as Supreme Kai, becoming more and more like the others with each visit - less interested in participating in mortal affairs, preferring to watch them. She even went as far to say that Beerus was meddling too much when he was masquerading as a god among the people of Planet Esuom. That's when he knew things were coming to an end for them.

But it wasn't just their outings – even back home, she seemed to lose interest in him now she knew pretty much everything a kai needs to know about a destroyer. He feared he'd let her know a little too much about himself, because she was almost Whis-like in the way she knew exactly how to please and displease him. And so she knew how to draw out the end for them both, with less frequent visits until one day they stopped, but he didn't notice until he realised he was at a coordination meeting and hadn't seen her since the previous one.

How easily she'd let him down… He was thankful for that, and glad it was over. It had sure been a bit strange to know one kai far more intimately than the other four. For the past few meetings he'd made sure to interact with her as little as possible lest it become obvious to the other kais. Did they know? He hoped to never find out.

It was several million years before there was a new kai at the table. The Grand Supreme Kai retired in favour of promoting the East kai to his position, and having the apprentice take the now-empty East chair. Immediately Beerus had pulled Whis up about this – why were kais allowed to retire? To which Whis kindly pointed out that Beerus hadn't aged a day compared to the kais he'd started off working alongside.

The Seer's prediction was forgotten by now, so when Beerus met the new East Supreme Kai, he didn't think anything of the fact he was slightly shorter than himself. Not that the prediction would ever remotely apply to this kai; Beerus didn't like him in the slightest. It was a shame that he was now the youngest kai, so Beerus wouldn't be seeing the back of him for many years to come.

Ooo

The new Supreme Kai of the East hadn't been in the post for long at all if Beerus remembered correctly, but this turn of events was more than welcome.

"Hey, Enlil," Beerus whispered for the kai to come aside. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why's there another new East?"

She looked back at the table with confusion. "Oh!" She laughed. "There was an incident with a witch not long after the last meeting. It's unfortunate, but it's only his appearance."

Beerus was a bit lost. "A witch? I didn't know there were witches powerful enough to enchant kais."

"Oh no, she took one of his potara," Enlil explained.

Of course, in the time he'd spent teaching Enlil about destroyers, she had also taught him something about Supreme Kais. Beerus nodded with fascination at the idea that a kai could be tricked so easily. Well, it was no loss – he never liked the guy anyway. This incident only proved that Beerus was right to think he was unfit to bear the title of supreme.

East became even more insufferable now he was physically old. And his aged voice grated on Beerus every time he spoke. Not only that, but now he was saying that Beerus should contribute more during the meetings! He gritted his teeth, not wanting to explode in front of the others, especially now he was on first-name terms with two of them.

Instead he grumbled to Whis on the way home. "I mean, what does he expect me to say? Obviously, I'll just destroy all the planets, doesn't matter to me! What if one of them has slightly more plants than the other? Or if the summer is 2 degrees hotter? Let's just get rid and he can start again and make more planets. I'm sure they'll be so much better."

Whis couldn't help but snigger. "I'm proud of you, my lord."

"Proud?!" Beerus scoffed. "Why?"

"Firstly, because you didn't lose your temper when he was pushing your buttons, but also because you're developing a very traditional destroyer trait; disliking new kais."

"Eh? What?" Beerus was confused. "What about Enlil?"

"She was not nearly as new to life as this new East Supreme Kai was when he started. I've watched my destroyers detest their new kais in the past. Once you live long enough, seeing someone so new and inexperienced is a real frustration, isn't it?"

"Ye- wait, are you…?" Beerus huffed. "So, you don't want me to die too soon because you feel the same way, right?"

"As I always tell you, my lord, I enjoy your company very much. But yes, the early days are always a struggle. Rather mind-numbing occasionally."

"You did well to hide it."

"Did I? I'm glad."

Ooo

Beerus dragged the sword across the Sacred World of the Kais, not caring for the way it clinked as it caught the rocks.

"Okay, you'll have to repeat that again," Grand said. "Just so I know I heard it correctly."

"Look, just keep this sword, okay?" Beerus spotted a suitable location and took off.

"Yes, yes, but just to be clear – East isn't coming back?"

Beerus motioned to the sword. "No, he's in here now."

"I see, and why exactly did you do that?"

They landed on top of a tall rock formation. "Because I never liked him, and we had a disagreement."

"Over what, exactly?"

Beerus ceremoniously plunged the sword into the rock and smiled down at it. "Nothing that concerns you. Just get yourself a new kai – a nice one this time."

"And why a sword?"

"Stole it from a passer-by."

Grand frowned and watched as Beerus took off again, not willing to explain any more. He gave the sword a tug, but it was well-wedged into the rock. Using a bit more force, he pulled again, but it was no use. Quickly, he flew after Beerus.

"I must ask, is it possible to free him?" Grand asked.

Beerus shrugged. "I hope not."

"Oh…" He guessed he should be lucky that East hadn't been destroyed on the spot for whatever argument has occurred. It was good to know that Beerus wouldn't kill a kai, even if there were four more. That made him wonder if a destroyer killing a kai would pull at the strings of the life-link in a way that automatically killed the destroyer. Why, if he was Grand Zeno, he sure would have put a clause in like that to punish insolence. "Say, Mr. Whis, may I have a word?" he asked as the angel came into view.

"No," Beerus said. "No grilling my attendant for information. Just forget about that asshole and get yourself a new one."

Grand folded his arms in defiance, but there was little he was willing to do. He wished the old Grand Supreme Kai was here… At least he had a slightly better handle on the destroyer. Not that Beerus had ever done anything quite like this. Oh, maybe Enlil – but Beerus was already gone in a flash of bright light.

He stood there, defeated. Still he called for his fellow kais; they had a sword to pull out.

A/N: If you've read one of my long BiruShin fics you'll know I had this idea that Beerus loved a kai before Shin, so like obviously I had to shoehorn that idea into this fic ."