Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Gentle Reassurances ❯ One-Shot

Title: Gentle Reassurances

Gaiden side-story to "Fateful Encounters"

Author: Enigma

Series: Saiyuki

Written: November, 2002

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: (Kenren x Tenpou)

Category: Yaoi, Romance, Angst, Lemon, Language. AU-OOC. Giftfic.

Archive: mediaminer.org [author: "E-sama the Llama"]

Warnings: yaoi, romance, angst, lemon, crude language matching the characterization of the series, references to violence, touch of sap. AU-OOC. Giftfic for the GojyoxHakkaiML. [1]

Spoilers: Since this story is based on the episode pertaining to Kenren and Tenpou's conflict with Li Touten, there are definite spoilers for it. Please note, this is based on the anime and not the manga, hence there are certain differences in description and characterization.

Disclaimer: "Saiyuki" is the property of Kazuya Minekura, et al. This unauthorized work of unpaid fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Lemon Disclaimer: Please note that in the Real World, "safe" sex should be practiced at all times. However, this is an "Enigma Yaoi Romance Lemon" and all bishounen in question are hence magically protected against the dangers of sexually transmissible diseases, therefore they can skip the condoms -- and they know it!

Advisory: Whenever dialogue is written in all lowercase letters, it is to be read as if it is spoken very softly, possibly in a whisper, a gasp, or a sexy breathless moan.

Notes: Kenren and Tenpou need to reassure one another that nothing which is truly important between them has changed as a result of Li Touten's foul deeds. But will the marshal allow the general an opportunity to show him what they ordinarily don't allow themselves to say, or will lingering concerns about injuries keep them apart?

*****

A bespectacled man with long brown hair stood scowling at a bookcase trying to reclaim his usual pleasant smile before turning to face the crimson-haired soldier who was the source of many worries as well as great joy.

Finding it easier to offer his partner an expression of truthful disbelief rather than one of feigned happiness, Tenpou turned and said, "Honestly, Kenren, you can't possibly expect me to believe that, now can you?" He could not easily accept his lover's word for it that he was no longer in pain from recent injuries and the very idea that they might pursue an intimate rendezvous at that point seemed absurd to him.

Leaning against the edge of the desk in the celestial strategist's messy library, Kenren smirked back at him and replied with false innocence, "Why not, Tenpou? You know how fast I heal, baby."

Kenren pushed off from the solid wood surface and surprised himself by how well he concealed a wince of pain as recently broken ribs shifted uncomfortably. The open front of his uniform coat did very little to conceal the bandages that encircled his torso and his death's-head emblem didn't help either, yet he found them inconsequential compared to the suddenly turned back of a white lab coat as Tenpou refused to look at him.

Trying to conceal the depth of his own sense of frustration over their enforced celibacy, Tenpou answered wearily, "We've had this discussion for five nights in a row, general. Kindly do not bring it up again now."

A moue of disappointment crossed handsome features as Kenren sidled up behind his partner, wrapped one strong arm around the man's waist, then drew him close and whispered, "but if i don't keep asking you, ten-chan, how will i know when you're ready to say 'yes'? [2] i miss doing more in bed than sleeping, you know." To prove his sincerity, he nudged the cascade of brown hair aside and dropped a feather-light butterfly kiss to the back of the other man's neck and then nuzzled him sweetly.

"kenren…" Tenpou moaned softly, feeling his knees as well as his resistance weakening in response to the tender tease.

Outside in the sunshine drenched afternoon sky above the timeless world of Over Heaven, a small squadron of dazzlingly white cirrus clouds sailed majestically past as if to prove there was very little of consequence occurring at the moment anyway. Yet the bucolic quiet did not distract Tenpou whose thoughts had grown dark as he recalled exactly and precisely why he'd refused to have sex with his lover recently.

The hated visage of one of the most despicable of the bureaucrats that they both had to deal with came to mind and it was all Tenpou could do to keep from slamming a book back onto a shelf in recalled anger and pain.

Li Touten, a foul, dreadlock-wearing beast of a man, had taken offence when Kenren had offered to take Nataku's place on the battlefield in hopes that the young golden-eyed warrior might heal more fully as well get a chance to be with their mutual friend Son Goku. After playing up the chivalrous act as if it were gross insubordination, Li Touten had taken the opportunity to have Kenren beaten and flogged so severely that he was left with broken ribs and numerous serious lacerations.

Surprisingly, Goujun had refused to intervene and stop the physical abuse which had left one of his immortal warriors in great agony, yet the regal, draconic officer did indeed make the effort to set the general free before any of his wounds could become grossly infected. Immortality did not mean freedom from physical suffering any more so than it meant invulnerability and under the right--or is it the wrong?--conditions even a celestial warrior could meet his death.

Badly bloodied and clearly in ill-health, Kenren had made his way back to Tenpou's library seeking succor not only for his injuries but also for his wounded pride after being relieved of command of his division. His lover, however, had enlisted the aid of a certain young earth spirit and before Kenren knew what was happening, Goku had him tied rather efficiently to a straight-backed chair and therefore rendered incapable of preventing Tenpou from seeking justice.

Baffled by the unexpected bindings, Kenren had argued with Tenpou and had insisted he be set free when it became obvious that the incensed marshal intended to confront Li Touten directly.

Tenpou wouldn't hear of it, of course, and if it hadn't been for Goku's timely intervention, it was very likely he might have been treated far worse than he was by the man who insultingly referred to Tenpou as Kenren's wife. Being kicked in the face hadn't hurt half as much as hearing words about the nature of what should have been a private relationship falling from the lips of such a boorish creature.

In the end, both Tenpou and Kenren found themselves standing before the distinctly annoyed presence of Konzen wearing bandages and feeling as if they ought to be resting even as they asked for his assistance in having Kenren reinstated in the ranks of the Western Army. Unfortunately, the incensed blond had been blinded by his anger with them for placing his young charge Goku into an untenable situation and had dismissed them without offering any aid. [3]

Several days had passed since their audience with Konzen and since there'd been no change in Kenren's military status, he'd been remaining as close to Tenpou as possible, resting when he felt he needed it and pestering his partner for sex almost all of the rest of the time. In truth, he was concerned that Li Touten might seek to further harm his beloved marshal and he wanted to protect him if possible. There was just something dangerous in the fact that the disgusting beast had held Tenpou's chin the way that he had while commenting on the man's unquestioned albeit masculine beauty.

Leaning against the slightly shorter man more heavily and drawing Tenpou's attention back to the present, Kenren responded to the soft gasping of his name by asking tenderly, "yes, ten-chan? is there something i can do for you?"

"general," Tenpou moaned in a mix of threat and growing need, "shouldn't you be laying down now?"

"only if you're next to me, marshal," Kenren teased back in a whisper that sent tiny brown hairs flitting playfully against Tenpou's neck as he amended, "and naked, that is. yes, if you were in bed, next to me, naked, disheveled and pleasantly sated, then i would definitely need to be laying down."

A tremble they both felt ran down the brunette's spine and Kenren could practically taste victory in the air as Tenpou begged softly, "no, please, kenren. you are not healed enough for that." The brush of his buttocks against hardening flesh trapped in black leather pants preceded the hopeful addition of, "or are you?"

Kenren renewed his seduction by reaching up and lifting the heavy fall of cocoa-hued hair from his partner's neck, pulling it gently aside so as to allow himself access to silken skin that he then nibbled on sensuously before replying, "sure i am, sweetheart. as long as we take it slow, i ought to be up for anything you want me to give you."

"oh?" Tenpou gasped softly and pressed back seeking more of the teasing probing against his backside even as his neck became pleasantly moist. With a soft moan as it was made clear by an unsubtle thrust of narrow hips in confirmation, he asked, "are you sure you want to be seme, kenren? perhaps if i was the one on top it would be easier?"

"who says i want to be on top, baby? why not side by side? or rather," the hand that had been holding the lengthy hair aside drifted lower and caressed the growing bulge in Tenpou's slacks, fondling him as he explained, "front to back would be nice, don't you think?"

No longer capable of denying what they both so clearly wanted, Tenpou moaned in anticipation and then turned to face his partner as he said more loudly and in final warning, "Yes, general, that would indeed be most pleasant. However, if there is so little as a modicum of pain, we cease, understand?"

With a victorious smile on his lips, Kenren mock-saluted the man who certainly outranked him on the battlefield yet so often yielded to him willingly in bed and agreed to his terms saying, "Yes sir, marshal, sir!" He took the edge off his playful words by leaning down and gathering Tenpou's lips unto his own, kissing him deeply yet with a tenderness they rarely allowed themselves time for.

With an approving sigh, Tenpou responded more than favorably and for a timeless moment they were lost in the mutual exploration of one another's mouth.

Despite the fact that they had been lovers for as long as either could recall, neither of the two celestial warriors were ordinarily inclined to such a slow seduction and they were even less inclined to pursue each other sexually with much gentleness. Their lovemaking was often a rough and tumble affair slipped into otherwise busy and occasionally opposing schedules. While the strategist spent hours on end secluded in his library, carelessly smoking cigarette after cigarette as he read, the man who preferred to be in the midst of the action typically spent his time training his soldiers or enjoying a good flask of wine.

Physical mergers between them were fairly equal matches and either man could take the dominant role at any given point. This afternoon, however, Kenren felt quite strongly that he was the one who needed to be in control and that he wanted to use their time in bed together to offer unspoken reassurance to Tenpou that nothing had changed between them because of Li Touten's unwanted interference.

When the passionate kiss finally ended, Kenren gently stroked Tenpou's cheek where a yellowing bruise was the last evidence of the fact that he had been cruelly kicked in the face while already restrained. Then, as his smile was replaced by a determined frown, he promised softly, "i swear if that bastard ever so much as touches you again…" His words trailed away as an unwanted hint of pain entered green eyes and they both knew there was precious little they could do about Li Touten's reign as long as things remained as they were.

"hush," Tenpou urged equally quietly. "do not tempt fate with such careless words, kenren."

Forcing dark thoughts aside with more than a little effort, Kenren gestured towards the doorway that led to Tenpou's bedroom and he suggested in a more normal tone, "Why don't we go take my mind off it then, baby?"

Nodding and accepting the gift of allowing the subject to be dropped, Tenpou agreed then led the way wordlessly. They entered a room which was filled with radiant sunshine, beams of which danced across the bed and its generous mound of pillows by the headboard.

While Kenren went into the bathing area to retrieve a small jar that had been neglected recently, Tenpou wisely decided to remove the bedspread that he knew was hard to clean after acts of passion, then set it aside with a small hint of a frown furrowing his brows.

Stepping back into the room and immediately noticing the look of displeasure on his partner's face, Kenren asked, "What's the matter, Ten-chan? Change your mind on me or something?"
"No, no, it's nothing like that, Kenren," the marshal responded with a sigh and then went about the task of undressing himself by shrugging off his lab coat before pulling off the necktie he always left hanging loosely around his throat. Shaking his head slightly, he explained, "It's just that Goku's terribly sad that he can't see Nataku. I wish there was something we could do about that."

Looking at the man who was unselfconsciously unbuttoning his shirt and revealing too pale flesh that needed more sunshine, Kenren recommended, "Why don't we take the kids on a picnic, baby? [4] I'm sure Nataku can slip away from his keepers sometime like he used to do and we can head out to the fields for a day." He laughed lightly and then joined in the less than erotic act of merely getting out of unwanted clothing and said, "Hell, we can even invite grumpy old 'Lord Konzen' to join us if you want. He could use a day in the fresh air as much as the rest of us, it seems to me."

Flashing his partner a grateful smile even as he set aside his long-sleeved shirt and then reached for the closure of his pants, Tenpou answered, "That would be pleasant. I doubt he will agree to join us, but it would make Goku happy if we asked him."

"Then that's all there is to it, baby," Kenren stated with every intention of making the plan come to fruition within the next few days if possible.

The general's long black coat had been dropped negligently over the back of a chair during the course of the conversation. As he shucked off the black leather uniform pants he'd worn out of force of habit more than anything else, he noted his lover had beaten him in the race and was already nude. The marshal had turned from him to set aside his pants and if asked, Kenren would've had to admit the view he was enjoying at that moment was indeed quite pleasant.

When Tenpou turned around once more, he was greeted by a low wolfish whistle of approval and the fact that Kenren liked what he saw was clear in his eyes. Spreading his arms wide in invitation, the crimson-haired man welcomed the brunette into a warm embrace that allowed their heated lengths to rub together, stimulating them both even more than they already had been.

"Damn, baby," Kenren growled softly as he ran his hands down and around the curve of the other man's buttocks and then squeezed them gently, promisingly, as he stated, "your ass is beautiful, Ten-chan."

Reaching between their bodies and increasing the contact between their arousals by holding them together in both hands and massaging them until precum oozed from their tips, Tenpou responded with a gasp, "Aren't you the silver-tongued devil this afternoon, Kenren?"

Smirking delightedly while licking his lips, the general responded, "I can be if you want me to, baby. You know I always like snacking on you when I get a chance."

"No, I think not," Tenpou refused the offer of fellatio prior to intercourse. After one last firm squeeze of both eager erections in his hands, he released them and stepped back out of Kenren's grasp and pointed to the fully exposed sheets that beckoned them in the sunlight, saying, "Front to back, remember? I want you inside me, not the other way around."

Groaning desirously since he hadn't expected so blatant a request, Kenren agreed and moved to rearrange a few pillows while he replied, "Damn, baby, you read my mind." Settling himself onto the bed and ignoring the fact that the stark white of the sheets was unfortunately highlighting the equal whiteness of the bindings on his ribs, he added, "Come to bed, Ten-chan. Let me prove to you that I'm well enough for this."

"All right," Tenpou agreed without hesitation and did as he was bidden even as he set aside his glasses and then eased himself carefully onto the bed, encouraging the taller man to spoon against him, thereby bringing the foci of what they both wanted together.

Nestling the broad head of his cock between the twin rounds he'd enjoyed fondling briefly earlier, Kenren resumed his nibbling on Tenpou's neck in between assorted whispers of a tender yet mildly lewd nature. One of the general's hands was busy toying with a dusky nipple even as the other slipped and slid enticingly over the shorter man's cock then down to fondle his balls as well.

Ever tolerant and increasingly interested in reminding Kenren that he was more than welcome to take charge fully, Tenpou reached up with one hand and captured the back of his lover's neck before turning partially and kissing him briefly with a sweetness he rarely expressed. He then pulled away from the kiss which had successfully silenced the wordy mouth and whispered, "enjoy yourself, general." Lifting one leg and wrapping it backwards and around those of his bedmate, he wordlessly explained the invitation and then relaxed once more against the mattress.

"i plan to," Kenren moaned in reply and retrieved the jar of cream he'd set close by, opening it and filling the air with the scent of sandalwood which Tenpou was partial to. After expertly slicking the fingers of the hand which had left off its teasing of Tenpou's chest, he moved back enough to allow himself to ease first one and then two fingers deep inside the atypically submissive form in front of him.

Tenpou moaned appreciatively as he felt the fullness which was not as great as what he knew he would ultimately receive, yet said not a word. By remaining passive, the man who was used to being in command of all things in his world was conveying to his partner the fact that he still trusted him implicitly.

The reality that Kenren alone had ever been granted such complete and total liberty over Tenpou was not lost on the general. A sense of reassurance that nothing had been lost between them as a result of the rash words which led to his being violently abused grew in the crimson-haired man's heart and he wished that words like "I love you" weren't as foreign to his lips as they were.

Ordinarily, neither Kenren nor Tenpou tolerated such romanticized concepts as love and devotion to be spoken aloud since actions spoke far more loudly than words. Granted, there were no doubts these deep connections were what they shared, but they each had his own reasons never to put them in so many words.

While he contemplated whether or not to breech the subjects his heart was examining, however, something else took precedence and Kenren stated bluntly in a surprised tone, "Fuck, marshal, you're damned tight today." He twisted the twin digits within the passage to his lover's innermost secrets and scissored them slightly trying to stretch him as carefully as possible without taking too long to accomplish the task.

Chuckling since only Kenren could make so astute an observation in such crude language and yet cause his pulse to race all the same, Tenpou replied, "Of course I am, general. It has been over five days since we've lain together and before that, I had bested you at mahjong and thereby gained the dominant role for a time, or did you forget?"

Recalling the wager he'd foolishly made to take the submissive position for a full week if Tenpou could beat him in a blind game of mahjong, Kenren had to chuckle, too, and admit, "Well, yeah, I kinda did. Who knew you could play so damned well without seeing the board?"

"I did, obviously," Tenpou replied and then pressed back against the fingers within him as he sighed softly and said, "but this feels too wonderful for words, Kenren. I dare say I won't gamble away our flexibility as partners that way ever again."

Dropping a kiss to the exposed and slightly damp neck before him, Kenren agreed, "Sounds like a good idea, baby." Deciding there'd been enough progress in loosening the tight ring of muscle to proceed, he eased his hand free added more redolent lubricant and then slowly, cautiously drove a trio of fingers back inside.

Verdant eyes slipped halfway shut as Tenpou whispered in a breathless voice, "ah, kenren…"

There was no verbal reply since Kenren was totally focused on completing his preparations and after investing enough time that the sun actually shifted in the sky, he decided his partner was ready to receive him. Withdrawal of the welcome invaders was met with a tiny almost silent growl of complaint that faded into an even quieter whine of need as he took the time to see to it the every inch of his not inconsiderable length was well lubricated.

For his part, Tenpou merely rested where he was, skin coated with a light sheen of perspiration that glistened attractively in a beam of sunlight that seemed intent on painting him in glowing hues. He was finding their time spent together intimately to be far more rewarding than he'd anticipated. A voice in his soul that would be more free to express itself when in another incarnation a half a millennium into the future was urging him to do the unthinkable and confess his love for the man who was about to fill him so perfectly.

The words which Hakkai would share with Gojyo on a certain September morning died on his lips, though, as he felt the globes of his ass being gently spread before a broad, rounded object began to nudge the slick, loosened rosette of muscle that was the only barrier between them. [5]

Blissfully unaware that his partner was having as much trouble staying within the unspoken rules of their relationship as he was, Kenren was utterly centered upon the act of claiming his partner, his every nerve ending singing as he very slowly pressed inwards.

When the broadest point of the bulbous tip of his arousal passed through the entrance, Tenpou's gasp of pleasure was Kenren's sign to move more quickly. With a single fluid thrust, he buried himself to the very root then froze, letting them both adjust to the mind-blowing feeling of being reunited fully.

Shuddering as frissons of pure joy raced through him, Tenpou moaned softly, "yes! gods, yes, kenren!"

"take it easy, ten-chan," Kenren cautioned gently. "don't peak too soon, baby."

Gasping and nodding with eyes tightly closed while willing his usual iron self-control into operation, Tenpou replied through clenched teeth, "i won't, but don't you make the same mistake, general."

"never, marshal," Kenren promised, fully intending to see to it that his partner's pleasure was complete before he himself succumbed.

Wrapping his arms around the man whose very being was vibrating because of his presence within him, Kenren pulled Tenpou to him tightly, marrying the damp skin of his back to his own bandaged chest never once experiencing any discomfort from the recently healed ribs. When the moment of too greatly heightened sensation passed and it became safe to move once more, he languidly shifted his hips, drawing back mere centimeters before returning ever so slightly more deeply than before.

While stroking the man in his arms deep inside, Kenren added tender caresses to whatever skin was convenient to his fingertips on the outside and he urged quietly, "feel it, baby. just let go and feel what I'm giving you, ten-chan."

Shivering once more as he allowed lust darkened emerald eyes to open and fall unseeingly on the azure sky outside the window, Tenpou responded encouragingly, "i feel it, kenren. give me more!"

While kissing his lover's neck hungrily, Kenren obeyed and strong hips picked up the pace of their lovemaking, pushing forward and back with increasing power and driving the man in his arms towards the limits of his ability to resist.

Tenpou's gasps and moans had fallen away as tension rose within him, the need for release practically something he could taste much as the thick, throbbing flesh within him became the only thing he was truly aware of. Suddenly, as Kenren shifted the angle of entry and rammed in harder than he'd dared to so far, his silence was broken and in an inarticulate cry of sheer bliss, Tenpou assured his partner that his aim was true.

Chuckling despite the intensity of the moment, Kenren teased the quivering, desperate man whose prostate he was molesting mercilessly, "i found it, didn't i, baby? that little treasure makes you feel so good, doesn't it?" The fact that he knew from experience that Tenpou could no longer form words at a time like this didn't stop him from punctuating each sentence with yet another stab at the incredible gland.

Now shaking like a willow branch caught in a windstorm, Tenpou felt orgasm rushing towards him yet it needed help. Gladly, before he gave in to the burning desire to do it himself, Kenren reached down and took his weeping erection into a firm grasp, pumping it confidently in perfect rhythm with the motions of their united bodies.

With the final piece of the puzzle of pleasure firmly in place, both men raced in tandem to the edge and with synchronous exclamations of joy, completion hit them like an avalanche.

Jets of seed pulsed forth from Kenren's fist sending trails of sticky fluid to spray out upon the bed as well as Tenpou's chest. Deep inside the shorter of the two warriors, a similar tide was breaking as hot essence spewed more deeply than the taller man's flesh could go marking him in the most intimate of ways.

Caught in a moment of perfect harmony, the two celestials shuddered against one another and their souls performed the glorious dance that proclaimed them mated to one another in the only form that truly mattered. This was the perfection that Li Touten had dared to profane and it was this same perfection that it would take their future incarnations a great deal of effort to achieve.

After orgasm wended through them and then faded away, they were left panting for breath and more than a little wet in the best possible ways.

Easing himself from the tight clench of his lover's body and receiving a tiny groan of complaint as their union dissolved, Kenren wordlessly turned the man in his arms to face him. Offering him the most heart-meltingly sweet smile Tenpou could imagine, he asked in a tender voice, "How was that, baby?" He lifted his non-sticky hand and pushed a fall of chocolate-colored hair made heavy by sweat out of verdant eyes he wanted to gaze upon and added in a wondering tone, "You were amazing, Ten-chan."

His face mirroring the smile his partner wore without his even being aware of it, Tenpou replied, "It was perfect, Kenren." Placing one hand over the swath of bandages that traced over the recovering patient's ribs, he inquired worriedly, "But how are you feeling? Was there any pain?"

Shrugging slightly with an amused expression on his face, Kenren replied, "None that I noticed, baby, but frankly, a house could've fallen on me and I wouldn't have noticed that either." Cupping his bedmate's bruised cheek in one hand, he explained, "When we're like that, Tenpou, you're the only thing in my world. Nothing else matters."

The corners of deep green eyes crinkled as Tenpou smiled at his lover, pleased beyond his ability to express it that Kenren was as persistent as he was. Otherwise, the two of them might have missed the opportunity to have shared the glorious moment of total unity they'd just experienced.

With a relieved, grateful exhalation of breath, the marshal replied simply, "I feel the same way, Kenren." Lifting his head free of the warm palm that had cradled it so lovingly, he moved to drop a kiss to the other man's lips and then asked tiredly, "Well, are you satisfied now, general?"

Confused, Kenren glanced at the mess they'd made of the bed then answered, "More than I can say, marshal, but I thought you knew that already."

With a small yawn hidden behind one hand, Tenpou explained, "I meant in reference to what it would take for you to agree to get some rest this afternoon." With a small smile, he paraphrased Kenren's earlier requirements for such, saying, "I believe you insisted that I be beside you, naked, disheveled, and sated before you would retire to bed. Have I met your terms?"

Finding the way his partner's nose wrinkled slightly when he yawned far too cute for such a dangerous military man yet wanting it to never be otherwise, Kenren nodded and then pulled Tenpou close, encouraging him to arrange himself comfortably as he answered, "Absolutely. Better still, it would appear you are too sleepy yourself to get up and abandon me here, and that pretty much guarantees I'm not getting out of bed again for a good bit of time."

Shaking his head where it was already nestling into the strength of his partner's well-muscled shoulder, Tenpou insisted, "Ah, no. I will rest for a little while, but then I need to get back to work. There's a battle the humans fought a few centuries back that I want to finish analyzing."

Snorting softly in disbelief, Kenren commented, "If it happened 'a few centuries back', what's the rush to analyze it now, baby?" Before Tenpou could argue, he merely began stroking the tired strategist's back and amended gently, "Please let that wait, Tenpou. Stay with me now and just let me hold you for awhile."

"Well, perhaps an afternoon away from my work would be best for both of us," Tenpou agreed hesitantly then yielded fully, letting his eyes drift shut after one last, lingering gaze at the man who was the physical embodiment of his soul's eternal partner.

After pulling the lighter man onto himself more fully since his ribs weren't bothering him and the pleasurable weight of his bedmate had been absent from him for far too long, Kenren then sighed softly and took a risk greater than he had five days previously by asking, "marshal?"

Half-asleep already due to the pleasant lassitude of post-coital haziness, Tenpou replied equally softly, "what?"

"i love you."

There was a long moment of silence. Then, even as the sting of possible rejection touched Kenren's heart, the reply came.

"i know."

Another period of extended silence elapsed and then in the softest voice imaginable, the same gentle tenor broke the quiet once more.

"and i love you, too."

Now Kenren and Tenpou both knew no more words were needed between them.

Gentle reassurances had been offered and accepted yet in the end, something far more wondrous had passed between them as well. Whether or not they would be granted the peace to explore whatever new possibilities the exchange of tender avowals of love might allow was unknown, but even if they didn't, in five hundred short years they would be granted the opportunity to do so. The eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth had marked benefits for souls such as theirs and being able to join together anew over and over was its greatest blessing.

~Owari~

Author's Notes:

[1] This fic is dedicated to the brand new and entirely wonderful GojyoxHakkaiML! For all those who love to see these two glorious bishounen in any of their varied incarnations joined together in love, friendship, or even just a good old-fashioned roll in the proverbial hay, you can't beat it and I encourage anyone who is interested to come and join the fun! Check out the list's main page at: http://asia.groups.yahoo.com/group/GojyoxHakkaiML/

[2] Please note that I generally avoid gratuitous fanboy Japanese as much as possible, but the cute nickname Tenpou receives in the anime is simply irresistible. The thought of Gojyo/Kenren's talented seiyuu Hirata Hiroaki huskily murmuring "ten-chan" reminds me of Fujiwara Keiji who performed the role of Enjoji in the "Kizuna" OVAs when he sexily whispers, "ran-chan" to Ranmaru in bed. Also, regarding most of the other endearments Kenren uses, they are based on my characterization of Gojyo in the "Encounters Arc" and I hope they sound as natural falling from his lips as they do from those of our favorite half-breed.

[3] This lemony story diverges from the anime timeline almost immediately after Tenpou and Kenren's audience with Konzen who was, in my humble opinion, fairly dense to have missed the significance of their wounds right from the very start.

[4] The suggestion Kenren makes about taking Goku and Nataku on a picnic are in reference to another short Gaiden tale my muses are considering telling. Would anyone like to read it if I find the time to write it?

[5] The comment about Hakkai's avowals of love for Gojyo is, of course, a reference to "Happy Birthday, Baby" which is available for your hentai reading pleasure at mediaminer.org. Please keep in mind these two stories are indeed part of the same continuity, but in all honesty, I'm a little baffled how to explain the connection between this lemony celebration and that one in simple "Book 1", "Book 2" notation at this point.

[6] For all those of you who thought I could no longer write a one-shot, how'd I do? Frankly, I wasn't so sure I could do it either, but I needed to keep this short so I could get back to torturing Weiss assassins in "Neutral Territory" as well as trying to compose book 3 of the "Encounters Arc".

[7] My muses are straight out of classical Greek mythology yet they seem to enjoy working with presumably Chinese bishounen quite a bit. Erato, my lemon and romance muse, is the one predominantly responsible for this piece and she's been playing with this idea ever since she added that dream sequence to "Fateful Encounters" way back in August. Melpomene, my angst muse, is totally enraptured by the Gaiden era since it's just too damned angst-laden for words! She especially liked implying some shadowy future evil Li Touten might perpetrate against Tenpou, but I'll try to not let her write any of it. Calliope, my muse of epics and arcs, wants credit for the fact that this web of stories is growing.

[8] There are over 100 very nice people who theoretically receive roughly bimonthly updates from me as to what is new at fanfiction.net, mediaminer.org, GW Addiction, and other authorized archives for Llama-fics. If you wish to join, please feel free to sign up at EnigmaFanficUpdates-subscribe@yahoogroups.com!