(Animage had a fanart contest for The Kiss. One of the winners was a Kenren x Tenpou pic. It inspired this fic, set before the arrival of Gokuu in Heaven.)
Kenren knocked at the door. No answer. As ever. Either Tenpou wasn't in or Tenpou wasn't... acknowledging.
He pushed the door open and walked in. "Yo-o-o," he said. No answer. Kenren cast a practised eye about the office. He picked his way through the piles of books stacked precariously on the floor like so many top-heavy cairns, skirted the edge of the desk, and peered round at the narrow space between it and the bookshelf. As expected, Tenpou was sitting on the floor, wedged between two piles, with a book perched on his knees and his myopic eyes close to the text. Kenren reached a long arm over and tapped him on the head.
"Anhh?- Ahh," Tenpou said, blinking up at him. "Taishou."
"Mh," Kenren agreed. "Me." He waved the dispatch at Tenpou. "From Goujun."
"Mmhh." Tenpou's glance slid past it without interest. "Put it on the desk." He went back to his book.
"Needs your seal on it."
"Mnh." Tenpou wasn't listening.
"And to be returned forthwith. Quote-unquote."
"Mm-mhh." Tenpou wasn't even pretending to listen.
"He wants a blow-job from you at precisely three o'clock pip-emma."
"Mh-hmm."
"Brush your teeth before you go."
"Mnh."
"Tenpou." Kenren leaned his weight on the desk for balance, stretched precariously, and put his hand over the page Tenpou was reading.
"Yes, yes," Tenpou said impatiently. "I'll get on to it at once." He stood up and laid the book face down on the desk to mark his place. "It's odd about war," he said, picking his way to the other side past Kenren, as if that wasn't a total non-sequitur. "War would seem to be a result of peace. Odd, isn't it? To create the circumstances that cause war in the first place, people need the leisure that peace provides. When every day is a struggle for existence, as in times of famine or plague, no-one has the energy to spare to seize another's territory or goods. And that's why the origins of war are always found at the higher levels, among the well-to-do and leisured. Those on the bottom don't have the time." Tenpou's face was alight with speculation as he rummaged vaguely about the desk top, moving files. Chances were, he'd forgotten what it was he was looking for.
"Your seal," Kenren said.
"What? Yes I know," Tenpou said, opening drawers at random. "It's here somewhere. But that raises the question of whether war isn't simply a pastime of the rich and ruling; and if it is, why don't they channel it into some more frivolous form- or, well, if not frivolous exactly then less lethal, like poetry competitions? Only what seems necessary is the actual physical combat aspect, even if those who wage war rarely take part-- Huh??!!"
Kenren had put his hand down Tenpou's shirtfront and hauled out the sealcase on its thin gold chain. Tenpou hmpf'd, opened the case, stamped the seal on its miniature inkpad, and applied it to Goujun's document. "So what's needed presumably is something that allows for physical exertion without the real threat of physical harm," he said as he put it back inside his shirt, "and that has some inherent reward attached to it- would the simple chance for self-assertion be enough, I wonder?" He eyed the dispatch absently. "Or would you need some more concrete reinforcement, like a trophy? Or is the essence in fact the subduing of one's opponent, however it may be done, and is that the satisfaction of war? In which case--"
Off again, Kenren thought. Tenpou's weakness. He thinks too much, and when he thinks he talks too much. Luckily there was a cure for that, and luckily Kenren had found out what it was.
He reached out and plucked Tenpou's glasses off his face. Tenpou stopped in mid-spate. The shrewd dark eyes were suddenly huge and unfocussed, blinking in surprise. Bereft of his spectacles, Tenpou's whole face looked soft- sensuous-- inviting. Kenren went hard at once, which was what the sight of this other Tenpou always did to him. It was like waving a flag or firing the gun that starts a whole new game beginning. He grinned.
"You want something that gives you physical exertion without the real threat of physical harm, there's this," he said, and leaned over to kiss Tenpou's lips, soft and inviting as his eyes, in the same minute as Tenpou's arms came round his neck and dragged him closer. And after that there was only the wetness of Tenpou's mouth and the warmth of his tongue and the little pants and gasps as they kissed and let go and kissed again. Bodies pressed together, groins close together, hardness trying to escape its confinement. A game, just how much can I stand before-- hands sliding down Tenpou's torso under his labcoat, down to his buttocks under too many layers of cloth-- before-- let go-- get him out of these only-- only he was still feeling Tenpou's devouring mouth on his own and it was still so good, their lips opening and closing together, and Tenpou's tongue winding against Kenren's. The great thing about Tenpou- he always wanted this just as much as Kenren did. No waiting, no pushing, no need for soft words and promises. Straight naked lust, on tap. Always nice when you and your commanding officer share the same point of view.
He edged Tenpou back against the desk, half-sitting, so he could raise one of Tenpou's legs and hook it over his own hip, to get closer to Tenpou's crotch: then pushed him backwards so he was just a little off balance and had to grab on harder to Kenren. Just a little make-believe here, a pretence of power, himself holding Tenpou prisoner and lifting his legs-- rearing over him fully dressed as if he were some studly orderly going to ravish his superior on his own desktop.
"Pants," Tenpou said, between kisses. "Off."
"Mmhh," he said, because he was kind of enjoying the feeling, Tenpou still dressed underneath him and wanting to be naked and himself holding Tenpou hard in his arms and wanting to be naked too- in fact, his cock insisting on being naked too, and soon- and the pleasure of denying all of them what they wanted for just another minute. Tenpou's other leg encircled Kenren's waist, holding him equally prisoner-- and then Tenpou's heels drubbed gently on Kenren's buttocks, sending shock waves right through the top of his head so that he nearly came in his pants.
"Oi!!" he bellowed, and caught the dark purposeful look in Tenpou's eyes, the one that meant no more waiting. "Alright," he gasped, "alright- 'f that's what you want--" He pulled Tenpou to his feet and tore Tenpou's trousers open and pulled them off him, socks and geta and all. Got the skirts of his own black coat out of the way and his own pants down.
"How--" he managed.
"Usual--" Tenpou said. Same as, he meant. He started to turn around and Kenren completed the motion for him, pushing him onto the desktop, flipping the stupid lab coat out of the way. Kenren fished in his pocket for the little vial he kept there now- there was never any finding it if he left it in Tenpou's desk- and got the gloppy stuff onto his hands and onto his aching cock. Slid a greasy finger into Tenpou between the pale buttocks and wiggled it a little. Always great to see how much Tenpou liked that, to watch the hard little mounds wriggling around his finger because he couldn't see that happening when he was in there himself. Tenpou was making '-ngh-' noises and pushing back against Kenren's hand. It was getting too much for Kenren, and if he played with Tenpou like this much longer he'd hear about it afterwards. Might even find himself with extra ceremonial duty, just 'ever so unfortunately that's how the duty rosters went this week Kenren ahaha'-- Hell, have mercy on both of them. He took out his hand and followed it with himself and the blissful feeling of Tenpou's hot insides all round him. Stopped there for a moment, collecting himself, making sure everything was OK with them both. No complaints from Tenpou, and certainly none from himself. Hot and marvellous, Tenpou's body around his cock-- that everything-wonderful-and-nothing-ever-wrong-again feel. If I ever go, I want to go like this. Inside him. Well, inside somebody, but him for choice.
Tenpou's hips shoved at him, telling him to start. So he started. And after that there weren't any more words, any more anything, just the long slow easy ride in and out of Tenpou's tightness, his stroke in matching Tenpou's thrust out, the clutch of Tenpou's ass around his cock matching the clutch of his own hand around Tenpou's cock, easy together him and me, watching Tenpou's dark hair flying as Tenpou's head arched backwards until everything went ballistic and Kenren's sight was whirling with orgasm.
He came to, flushed and gasping, found himself still holding on to Tenpou from behind, found Tenpou still hard in his hand.
"Unnhh," he said. "Unh- here-" with his voice still out of control. He buried his face a minute in Tenpou's hair, hair that smelled rankly of Tenpou-sweat and not at all like shampoo. Kenren never knew if that was a turn-on or not, that Tenpou's hair always smelled sharply and greasily just like himself. Tenpou turned his head and Kenren craned to kiss him from behind, mouths just meeting in that awkward embrace, like a brief clasp of friendly hands on parting, you your way and I mine. Tenpou turned beneath him, leaning back against the edge of the desk, and pulled Kenren to him full-face for a full-mouth kiss. Never knew a kisser like Tenpou- he could do this all day, Kenren thought, as his mouth moved on Tenpou's and his half-forgotten hand moved over Tenpou down below. Not too hard, cause Tenpou's skin wouldn't take it, not without lube and sometimes not even then. So this was just a bit of consolation until the next act, until--
Tenpou pushed Kenren away from him a little. Eyes closed, face palely flushed and sweating, chest heaving. OK. Now was it. Kenren knelt and got his tongue around Tenpou's cock. It wasn't something he really cared for, himself, with women *or* men, but hell- it was politeness if nothing else. Tenpou let him screw him, and Tenpou liked that too, sure, but there had to be a bit of give and take here. And tell the truth, he was always a bit nervous in case Tenpou got the idea into his head of screwing him, which was exactly the sort of weird notion Tenpou might come up with. So it was kind of in his interests to keep Tenpou happy, even if the sour taste of Tenpou's cock and the acrid smell of his groin was sort of off-putting. Wouldn't mind so much after a bath, maybe. Might suggest that to him as he got most of Tenpou into his mouth, squeezing the length of it with lip-blunted teeth. Tenpou's fingers were digging into Kenren's shoulders and his body was stiffening with excitement. Soon, please, because keeping his teeth covered like this got painful pretty fast. He sucked his mouth and tongue hard around Tenpou as Tenpou started moving a little, forward and back into Kenren's mouth, and Tenpou's gasps grew deeper. Lick, lick, harder and harder, over the split head, as Tenpou's fingers became painful in Kenren's flesh and Tenpou's satisfying groans above him grew louder anhh anhh aanhh Kon...zen anhhh!...
Kon. Zen?
Kenren's eyes froze in his head. Kenren's tongue stopped moving. Then he blinked, and sucked, and thought Konzen, huh? Konzen. OK. Konzen as Tenpou quivered in his mouth and let loose the hot saltiness across Kenren's tongue. Tenpou pulled him up almost at once for, what else, another kiss while the aftershocks of orgasm were happening in his body. Kenren kissed him back, and held him, because it always took Tenpou a long time to get back to himself after he'd come. It was like the feeling shorted his circuits for much longer than it did most people's, including Kenren's own. Wonder if he enjoys it more than me, Kenren thought in obscure envy.
Tenpou stopped shaking and drew a deep breath. Detached himself from Kenren and ran hands through his sweaty hair.
"Annh," he said in satisfaction. "That was good. That was good. What did you do with my glasses?"
Kenren picked them off the desk and handed them over. Tenpou put them on, blinked cheerfully at Kenren, and reached to get his pants. Kenren tidied himself up, pulled his cigarettes out of his coat pocket, and lit up. A moment later Tenpou came over to get a light from his cigarette. They leaned against the desk, smoking in silence.
"Konzen?" Kenren asked, watching the blue smoke.
"What about him?" Tenpou said idly.
"You were yelling his name back there."
"Anh."
Silence.
"You got something going with him?"
More silence.
"No," Tenpou said, as if there was more to come, only whatever it was he didn't say it.
"Want to?" Kenren asked after a bit.
He could sense Tenpou's frown. Feel Tenpou's silence stubborn at his side.
"Just asking," Kenren said to the air. "Don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm just the guy screws your butt. Doesn't mean I'm entitled to know what goes on in your head. Right?" He turned and gave Tenpou a smile.
"Taishou..." Tenpou said, mouth a flat line.
"Mh. That's me. Also called Kenren, 'case you'd forgotten." He looked at Tenpou's expression, shut up tight and not-pleased. Fine, that's how it is. He took a last drag on his cigarette, dropped it on the floor and stepped on it. Picked the dispatch off the desk table and walked across the room.
"Kenren," Tenpou said when he was halfway to the door.
"Mnh? What?" Kenren didn't turn.
"If Konzen disappeared from heaven tomorrow, who is there who'd care? Who would even notice? He's alone. No-one dares come near him. He won't *let* anyone near him. He has no pleasures, no friends, no purpose in life. No-one dies up here, but Konzen does a very good imitation of a dead man, I'd say."
"Yeah?" Kenren said, looking over at him finally. "Well, you wanna do something about that, you do it."
"I'd like to, yes," Tenpou said. "I feel for him. But he wouldn't let me. It would take a magician who can walk through walls to pierce through his aloneness, and I've never been that. But it's a pity."
"Yeah, it is. He has *such* a nice ass on him."
Tenpou didn't smile. He looked at Kenren from under his eyebrows in that closed way Kenren hated. "It's a pity no-one will ever do for him what you did for me," he said.
Kenren went brilliantly red. He stared at Tenpou, speechless, feeling an odd pang in his heart. Asshole. Hadda make him say it, didn't you? Prove you care about me - cut your heart open so's I can have a look at the insides. Shit, and what do I do now to make it OK again?
He opened his mouth, opened his mouth again, and finally found what he wanted to say on the third try. "Your adjutant is a fucking asshole, you know that?" he told Tenpou, conversationally. "And you're twenty times too good for me. And I'm really sorry for being a fucking asshole. Just to get all that said and on the record, OK, so we both know it's true?"
Tenpou drew a deep breath and let it all out. "The apologies are mine. I'm not being fair to you." He drew on his forgotten cigarette, letting his gaze drop to the floor. "People who put walls around themselves and write 'Come and free me' on the outside have no right to say afterwards 'How dare you come walking through my nice wall when I wanted to be left alone.' Bear with me, Taish--. Kenren. I've never had someone here with me before. I'll get used to it eventually." He smiled, a little ruefully. "I won't be the first virgin you've mmh opened up. We yell, but we're grateful."
Shit, Kenren thought, between pain and a giddy sort of exhilaration. Shit. You couldn't beat Tenpou. When he gave in, he handed you your victory with both hands and a smile, like a bunch of red roses in a silver cup.
Kenren went back to him. He took Tenpou's other hand in both his own and held it, folded in a loose fist, against his face. Kissed the pale skin and the nicotine stained fingers, and heard Tenpou draw a ragged breath.
"Kenren," Tenpou said. "Kenren, if you keep doing that--"
"Mnh?" Kenren asked, lips on the slightly grimy skin above Tenpou's warm pulse.
"I'll have to kiss you again--"
"Mmhhh."
"And if I do--" He stopped because Kenren's mouth was on his own.
"Work can always wait," Kenren assured him, and that was the last thing he said for a very long time.
| MJJ | Oct 2001 |