Chapter 43: Pillow Talk

[Scene: Zoi's bedroom. Kunzite beckons Zoi over and then draws him close]

Kunzite: Why don't you sit with me? [pulls Zoi onto his lap and strokes his hair] How is your heart?

Zoi: [whispers] You tell me, I'm sure you can hear it pounding from there.

Kunzite: Don't worry. The walls become soundproof whenever I'm in here. [pets Zoi's hair while he trembles] My poor darling….Your father didn't mean any of those things he said to you. He's just in shock right now.

Zoi: He's right, you know. I can't be trusted. There's no excuse for the way I've been acting.

Kunzite: [Cradles Zoi in his arms like a child] You mustn't blame yourself, this is all my fault. I'm a selfish creature. I want you all to myself.

[Kunzite kisses Zoi on the forehead, and works his way down to his lips. Zoi doesn't want it to end, but he doesn't want his father bursting into his room at an inopportune time either, just because he didn't hear the shower running.]

Zoi: Give me a minute. I told my dad I was on the way to take a shower.

Kunzite: Certainly. [releases Zoi from his lap]

Zoi: [points at Kunzite] Stay.

Kunzite: [salutes] Yes, sir.

[Zoi grabs a thermal undershirt and some flannel sleep pants and goes into the bathroom to shower. He can hear a football game on the TV downstairs, but he slams the bathroom door closed in case his father is listening anyway.]

[He takes a long hot shower, smelling all the shampoos and guessing which Kunzite might like the most. He's eager to get back to Kunzite, but he's also nervous about not knowing what comes next. He's hoping the water will calm his nerves, but all he can think about is that Kunzite is about ten feet away while he's naked.]

[Eventually he starts to run out of hot water. He shuts off the shower, towels himself off and then dresses in his sleepwear. To his dismay, there are three moth holes in the back of the shirt he hadn't noticed before. He wishes he still had the fancy black mulberry silk pajamas his stepfather brought him back from Milan, and that his mother accidently ruined by pouring bleach on them. *]

[*it wasn't an accident]

[He towels off his hair as best he can and then runs the shower comb through it as he walks down the stair.]

Zoi: Dad?

Chief Midori: [looks up from the game he's watching and eyes Zoi's wet hair with a surprised look] Yes, son?

Zoi: I'm sorry I got upset. I know skipping school is wrong, and it's making me defensive. From now on, I promise I won't ditch school anymore.

Chief Midori: We'll talk about it in the morning. [turns his full attention back to the game.]

[Zoi watches his father for a minute with a sorrowful expression on his face.]

Zoi: Night, Dad.

Chief Midori: Night, son.

[Zoi goes back in his room. Kunzite hadn't moved at all.]

Kunzite: [looks Zoi's outfit over] Very nice.

[Zoi grimaces]

Kunzite: I mean it. That looks good on you.

Zoi: Thanks.

[Zoi sits crosslegged next to Kunzite on the bed. Kunzite runs his finger through Zoi's wet hair and wherever he touches it, it becomes dry and shiny.]

Zoi: Sorry to keep you waiting. I needed to convince my Dad I'm not sneaking out. Apparently I looked a little overexcited.

[Kunzite takes Zoi's face in his hands]

Kunzite: You do look a little warm actually. [Kisses him tenderly]

Zoi: [places his hands on Kunzite's shoulders] It seems…much easier for you now. To be close to me.

Kunzite: Does it seem that way to you? [brushes Zoi's now dry hair away so he can kiss the hollow under his ear.]

Zoi: Much, much easier.

Kunzite: Hmmm…

Zoi: So I was wondering… [Kunzite looks at him after kissing his jawline] …why is that you think?

Kunzite: [kisses Zoi's neck] Mind over matter.

[Kunzite finds the three moth holes in the back of Zoi's shirt and brushes his fingers against his skin. Zoi gasps and pulls away from him suddenly and Kunzite freezes]

Kunzite: Did I do something wrong?

Zoi: No, just the opposite. You're driving me wild.

Kunzite: Really?

Zoi: Would you like some applause?

Kunzite: [grins] I'm just pleasantly surprised. I never imagined anything like this. I never believed I'd enjoy kissing anyone this much. And then to find, even though it is contrary to everything I am, that you're actually willing to be with alone me…to let me kiss you like this… and actually enjoy it the way I do…

Zoi: You're very good at it. You're good at everything.

Kunzite: True.

[Zoi laughs]

Zoi: But how can it be easier now?

Kunzite: It's not easy. You see, I wasn't sure I was strong enough… [takes Zoi's hand and presses it to his face] I thought I might be… overcome. [Breathes in the scent of Zoi's wrist] Until I made up my mind that I was strong enough, that there was no possibility that I would… that I could ever…get too carried away.

Zoi: [lowers his lashes at him] So there is no possibility you will get too carried away?

Kunzite: Mind over matter.

Zoi: Easy for you to say.

[Kunzite laughs an evil laugh, then becomes abruptly serious]

Kunzite: I'm trying. If it gets to be too much, I can always leave… then it will be harder tomorrow. I am trying to build up a tolerance for your beauty.

Zoi: Then don't ever go away from me again.

Kunzite: That suits me. Bring on the shackles. I am your prisoner.

[Despite his words he grips Zoi's wrists in his hands and laughs a maniacal little laugh. Zoi notices he's been laughing like a madman a lot this evening.]

Zoi: You seem much less reserved than normal… I've never seen you like this before.

Kunzite: Isn't this what it's supposed to be like? The glory of first love, and all that? It's incredible, isn't it. The different between how it is depicted in popular media, and how it really is?

Zoi: Very different. More intense than I could have imagined.

Kunzite: For example. The emotion of romantic jealousy. It always seemed pointless to me, when you could just kill off all your rivals. Still, I thought I understood that one pretty clearly. But it shocked me…

Zoi: [Startled to hear Kunzite's admission] You've been jealous of someone?

Kunzite: Do you remember the day Chiba asked you to the dance? I was surprised at the flare of intense fury I felt. I didn't recognize what it was at first. Never before had I desired anyone's death with such keen anticipation.

Zoi: You wanted to kill Mamoru? Just because he invited me to a dance?

Kunzite: Not because of the dance. It was because I thought he had already claimed you. You see, the moment after you told me you were gay, it suddenly dawned on me that the two of you were a couple.

Zoi: Me and Mamoru? A couple? That's so funny.

Kunzite: He gave you a rose, remember? You kept it in your locker. He sat with you at lunch, and from the territorial way he kept glaring at me whenever I looked at you, I thought the two of you had already picked out the names for your Romanian orphan babies.

Zoi: [giggles] Kunzite. We are just friends.

Kunzite: I tried not to care. I knew I had no right to care, but all I could think of was him climbing on top of you and sweating like an animal. I knew he wanted to. After all, who wouldn't? Then you refused to go out with him. Why? Was it simply for your friend Usagi's sake? Or did you have someone else you liked? I had to know. And then the line started forming.

[Zoi scowls]

Kunzite: I waited, unreasonably anxious to hear what you would say to them, to watch your expression. I couldn't deny the relief I felt seeing the annoyance on your face. But I assumed, since all your suitors were reasonably attractive people, and you showed no interest in dating any of them, it just meant that you had someone special back in Phoenix. That's why I came in here that first night. To search your room while you were sleeping, to find out who this little prick was so I could terrorize him to within an inch of his life.

[Zoi bursts into giggles]

Kunzite: I searched half the night, between watching you writhe in your sleep, your innocent angel's face dispelling any murderous thoughts that came to me.

[Kunzite looks away demurely]

Kunzite: And then, as you were sleeping, you said my name.