Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Time ❯ Weird ( Chapter 10 )

 

Tenpou and Kenren followed Konzen along the path, no one speaking much.  The lines of Konzen's body spoke volumes to anyone who knew him well, he was tense and worried.  Trying to avoid looking tense and worried but somehow failing to even Kenren's mind.  It seemed as though they'd walked forever when they came upon a small house nestled among the trees.  Konzen didn't bother knocking and just walked in; the other two followed him cautiously, all of them kicking off their shoes just inside the door.

 

They found Shi-ne in the kitchen, washing the blood out of a cloth she was holding.  She glanced over her shoulder and shook her head.

 

“He's in my room.  I thought he'd be more comfortable.  I'd say take him to the healers but I doubt any of them would help him.  Fortunately, he heals faster than the rest of us.  He's asleep but you can go check on him if you want,” she said to Konzen.

 

He nodded and left the room.  Tenpou tried not to dwell on the question of why Konzen knew the way to her bedroom without being told because it made him feel queasy. 

 

“Is there anything we can do, Shi?” Kenren asked, looking and feeling a little helpless and not liking the feeling at all.

 

She finished wringing the cloth out and turned around.  “No.  Not right now.  I think I've done all that can be done. You're welcome to stay if you want.  There are extra futons in the hall closet.  It's the second door on your left,” she said. 

 

“Yeah, I think we do want to stay,” Kenren said. 

 

He vacated the room to find the futons and left Tenpou standing in Shi-ne's kitchen with nothing else to do but look at her.  She was still wearing the dress but it was now dusty and torn in a few places from the fight.  A bruise was starting to form along her jaw and there was a streak of dried blood on her chin from where she'd tried unsuccessfully to wipe it away.

 

“You're hurt too,” he said.

 

“Not badly,” she said.

 

“It looks like you've been bleeding. I'd say that was hurt enough.”

 

She sighed heavily then started scrubbing at her chin with the cloth she was holding and missing most of the blood.

 

He walked over to her and took the cloth out of her hands.  “Here, let me. You're missing most of it,” he said, tilting her face toward the light with one hand while carefully wiping the blood away with the other.  “There, all clean.” 

 

“Uh, thanks,” she said, looking a little confused as to why he didn't immediately try to get as far from her as possible. 

 

He probably should move back, he thought.  But he made no effort to step away from her.  One hand was still touching the side of her face, his thumb running along her cheek almost of it's own volition.  Her skin felt just like he thought it would, soft and warm.  He had the sudden and intense desire to know what it tasted like and found himself leaning his head toward hers.  It was Shi-ne who backed up a little, breaking both the contact and the moment.  She looked confused and more than a little like a spooked colt, suddenly wary and watching him from those odd blue/grey eyes she had.

 

“Hey, Shi,” Kenren called from the hallway.  “I found the futons. Where do you want them?”

 

“Gods, you lackwit, not so loud,” she mumbled, edging around Tenpou and making her way to the hall.  She directed him to the library, since it was the one with the most floor space and room enough to put the futons down then went to find Konzen.

 

She entered her bedroom to find Konzen sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling the covers over Goku.  She couldn't quite read the expression on his face but she knew he wasn't happy about the situation.

 

“Konzen?” she whispered.

 

“Go ahead and talk, you know he sleeps like the dead,” Konzen said, getting up and crossing the room to her.  “What's wrong with you?  You look like you just heard they made Nataku's father Emperor.”

 

“That is beyond not funny.  It's just . . . did you notice Tenpou acting weird tonight?”

 

“Weirder than Tenpou usually acts?” Konzen said with a shrug. 

 

“Much weirder.  I mean, he usually tries to keep a two meter distance at all times from me but tonight it's like he's trying to get closer to me. He actually touched me willingly a few minutes ago. And he keeps staring at me. It's just so bizarre.”

 

“Maybe he figured out you're a female,” Konzen suggested.

 

“Maybe he's trying to figure out who I mugged for the dress,” Shi said sarcastically.  “This morning he said he'd miss me like he'd miss malaria and now all of a sudden . . . this weirdness.  It isn't normal for someone to do that kind of turn around in a matter of hours.  Stop laughing, damn it!  This isn't funny, Konzen.  It's really creeping me out.”

 

“Shi, men are attracted to someone on looks first.  It's stupid but it's just one of those things.  You look really good tonight, so he probably sees something he likes in you.”  <i>FINALLY!</i>

 

“Konzen, he's known I'm female since the dawn of forever and he doesn't seem to like me. Plus, this isn't me,” she said, looking down at herself.  “It's a temporary illusion.  If this is what he wants then he doesn't want me.  He's never wanted me so I don't see why that would change so drastically just because I wore a dress for one night.”

 

***

 

Tenpou helped Kenren lay out the futons and was looking around the library while he went to ask Shi where extra bed linens were.  He marveled slightly at the floor to ceiling bookcases stuffed with every genre of book imaginable and the books had still overflowed to the small tables set near the windows.  What seemed to draw his attention most though was not the volumes upon volumes of printed words but the piano set in one corner of the room.  He wandered over to it, having no idea what to do with a piano considering he was no where near musically inclined but wondering if Shi knew how to play it.  He plunked a few keys and decided she must know how to play considering there was a worn quality to the keys and it was well tuned.  He glanced up to the piece of sheet music on the stand and stared at it for a moment then reached out to get a closer look.  Far from being the pre-printed variety, it was handwritten.  The notes, even though he couldn't read music, seemed complex and would no doubt be a tremendous pain in the ass to play.  But what caught his attention was the lyrics written in Shi's hand across the paper.

 

<i>I don't know why it's so hard for me

To tell you the feelings in my heart.

Seems like every time I find

Just the right words to say

I breathe and then the moment's gone.

And oh, how I've wanted you

And oh, how I've needed you

And oh, how I've wanted you,

My love.</i>

 

He stared at the top sheet for a little while longer, quelling the urge to go find Shi and ask if she'd play it.  He wanted to know who she'd written it for. He had the feeling that it was something intensely private and maybe he shouldn't have been looking at it. He put the music back on the stand and had just come around the piano when Kenren and Konzen walked into the library.

 

“How is he?” Tenpou asked, trying not to look guilty.

 

“He'll heal.  It just looks really bad right now.  Shi's got him bundled up in her bed, which means she probably won't get any sleep tonight.  He sleeps all over the place.”

 

Tenpou rubbed the back of his neck, finding it very strange that he was suddenly jealous of Goku's sleeping place for the night.