Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Time ❯ WTF ( Chapter 26 )

 

Tenpou stood staring openmouthed in the doorway of Kenren's office. He had been distracted and was so used to just walking in that he hadn't registered the more “interesting” noises coming from behind the door. When he'd opened the door the last thing he'd expected to see was a half naked Major Thies, head hanging backward off of the desk, looking at him upside down and as though he had lost all reason. Or Kenren leaning over her with the same expression on his face.

 

“Uh, Tenpou,” Kenren ventured.

 

He snapped out of his stupor somewhat. “Yes?”

 

“Can it wait?”

 

“Uh . . . . Oh! Yes. Certainly,” he said, backing out of the doorway and closing the portal behind him.

 

They both sighed.

 

“Bets on how long it will take for Shi to know about this?” Kenren said.

 

“Depends. How long does it usually take to walk from here to her office? And what are we betting?”

 

“Less than ten minutes once he gets over the shock,” Kenren said, grinning down at her. “As for what to bet . . . I'm sure I can come up with something.”

 

“I'd imagine you can.”

 

***

 

Tenpou wandered back to his office in a daze. That had been . . . odd, he thought. Sitting down behind his desk and lighting a cigarette before leaning back to think for a moment. He'd certainly never had any indication that Kenren was interested in Shi's second in command. Maybe it was a recent development and he'd been too involved in his own thoughts as usual to notice.

 

He found himself on his feet and headed toward Shi's office before he realized that she probably wasn't there. The day was gorgeous, warm without being too hot, so logic dictated that she had probably absconded with Goku and Nataku to their favorite picnic spot. Fortunately, he knew where it was considering he'd been with Konzen on several of the great Goku hunts.

 

***

 

Shi smiled a little as she propped herself up on an elbow to look at the boys sleeping next to her on the picnic blanket. Goku was, of course, all over the place while Nataku had curled himself into an almost perfect ball of boy. Nataku's hair was down and had managed to wrap around Goku almost as though a living entity unto itself. Shi put an arm around both boys and pulled them close to her. Much as she hated to admit it, she saw changes happening in Nataku, especially when he was around his father for very long and that worried her immensely. He seemed somehow harder and more touch shy than he had ever been and she had to wonder what happened in those dark spaces when she couldn't be there to protect him because he wasn't her child. She leaned down and kissed the top of Nataku's head.

 

“I'm so worried about you, little one. I'm worried about what will happen to you if your father succeeds in taking you over completely.”

 

***

 

Tenpou swore under his breath as he stepped into the underbrush and it snapped loudly. He peered around to the open space near the waterfall to find Shi, Nataku and Goku curled up on a picnic blanket napping. At least the boys were napping and Shi was feigning sleep because he was certain she had come awake at his step into the underbrush near the clearing.

 

Shi had actually been awake from the time he'd gotten within five hundred yards of them. It was rare that she slept deeply anywhere even in Heaven but her home. She had first registered someone moving in their direction then when he'd gotten close enough had picked up his energy signature which she knew as well as she knew her own. It was rather odd for Tenpou to come looking for Goku instead of Konzen. Perhaps Konzen had been buried in paperwork again and sent Tenpou instead. Still odd but not wholly unheard of.

 

She gave the boys a squeeze before rolling to her feet and walking over to where Tenpou still stood just inside the treeline.