Zoisite was awake.

He had been so for about an hour by that time, waking up from a peaceful night of dreamless sleep to feel the gentle pressure of Kunzite's arms around his waist and the reassuring warmth of his body spreading down the length of his own. It was almost too wonderful to be real, and he didn't want to open his eyes. In fact... he hadn't yet. If he did he would be admitting that he was awake, and therefore would have to get up and release himself from the comfort of Kunzite's arms and get out of bed.

He sighed quietly, afraid of waking Kunzite, but nevertheless heard a gentle chuckle beside him. "So, you are awake," he heard Kunzite murmur. Zoisite opened his eyes to see Kunzite watching him with his own glittering eyes, and briefly wondered how long the latter had been awake.

"Shh, don't tell," he whispered, turning around to face Kunzite. A hot, searing pain immediately spread throughout his arm, and he winced as he remembered the knife wound.

Kunzite frowned, looking at it with narrowed eyes, and eased Zoisite back onto his side. "I could kill Nephrite for that," he growled, and Zoisite felt himself smile despite the pain. There was... protectiveness in that voice, anger at what Nephrite had done, and it made him feel warm all over. Kunzite brushed a few strands of hair from his face and smiled down at him.

"And how long have you been awake?" Zoisite asked.

"About as long as you have."

Zoisite blushed, thinking that perhaps Kunzite had been watching him sleep. It was a tantalizingly sweet little fantasy, but that was probably all it was. "Does this mean we have to get up?" he said, almost whining.

Kunzite smiled. "No, it doesn't."

Zoisite grinned and flipped one leg over Kunzite's hips, sitting up in order to straddle him.

Kunzite watched him with raised eyebrows. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked politely.

"What does it look like?"

"Zoisite, I am your superior officer."

"Has that ever stopped me before?" Zoisite asked lustfully, leaning forward to capture Kunzite's mouth. Despite his protests, Kunzite cupped the back of his head and responded hungrily, exploring Zoisite's mouth with his tongue. Zoisite was fully prepared to use some of the techniques Kunzite had used on him last night, and maybe even get a certain promise or confession out of oh-so-icy Kunzite-sama. He smiled at the thought, wondering briefly just how much self-control the General possessed.

Zoisite! Kunzite! Come to the throne room immediately!

Kunzite groaned angrily from beneath him, removing Zoisite gently from atop his hips. Zoisite scowled to himself, wanting with his entire being to kill the Bitch-Queen. Of all the inconvenient times...

"Get dressed Zoisite. She won't wait forever."

Zoisite rolled his eyes and got out of bed, slightly relieved that she hadn't called them later on, when it would have been even more inconvenient... maybe even embarrassing. "Does she do this a lot?" he asked Kunzite, stepping into his uniform pants and wincing as the burning in his shoulder grew worse. He noticed Kunzite watching him, his narrowed eyes fixed on the bandage, his expression sour, before he scowled and got dressed himself.

"It depends," Kunzite murmured quietly as he buttoned up his uniform hurriedly, "We've never had any reason for it before. There might have been an... emergency."

Zoisite nodded, suddenly chastised. They were soldiers, after all, and this was the entire point of all the training he had lived through. Although, he liked to think that his new relationship with Kunzite had been the goal... one which was now realized.

They teleported together, ending up in the back of the throne room, cast in darkness, a row of shadowed youma on either side of them, surrounding them like spectators. The Queen watched Zoisite and Kunzite with interest, not saying a word, but didn't look towards the other Generals when they arrived. Zoisite did, however, and did not fail to notice Nephrite's surprised expression when he saw them standing together. Jadeite only scowled. He was cold as usual, not really caring what went on between the three of them, simply wanting to be rid of them all.

They seemed to wait an eternity as the Queen continued to look at only him and Kunzite, and Zoisite started to fidget nervously. It was strange to see Queen Beryl after the conversion... almost as if she could see right into their souls, like she knew what was in their heads, what they were thinking. He wouldn't have been surprised if she did.

"Jadeite, come forward," they heard the Queen say, her voice breaking through the whispered silence but her eyes remaining fixed on them, and Jadeite stepped into the light, bowing to the Queen with his eyes downcast. Zoisite could almost hear his thoughts, his pride at being singled out from the others.

"I have a task for you, Jadeite." The Queen gaze finally shifted to Jadeite, and Zoisite sighed with relief. "I feel a great disturbance, as though something has resurfaced from the Moon Kingdom. The Goddess Metallia must be resurrected as soon as possible. In order to do this, I will need energy... human energy."

Zoisite could see Jadeite tense as he stumbled over the meanings of this... did Beryl mean to kill him? To use him as a catalyst to bring the Goddess forth?

"Y-yes my Queen," he said, his voice failing him at first, but then growing stronger as he seemed to come to terms with this idea.

The Queen smiled at him, baring her fangs. "You will go to the Earth realm, where you will gather the energy from its inhabitants."

Jadeite visibly relaxed.

"But do not dare fail me, Jadeite, or you will be severely punished. We cannot afford to fail, not now, not when the Moon Kingdom is within our grasp..."

Jadeite chanced a glance at the Queen, who smiled at him coldly. "Go, Jadeite, and remember, don't fail me."

Jadeite teleported out without a backward glance, probably too stunned by this turn of events to protest. Zoisite knew that Jadeite did like the Earth realm, spent most of his time there in fact. He found it within himself to be happy for the blonde General, but couldn't help being even more happy that he was finally gone, at least for a little while.

"Kunzite," Beryl said, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him.

Zoisite looked up at the object of her scrutiny, confused, and then felt his face redden when he saw that the top button of Kunzite's uniform had been accidentally missed, revealing his collarbone. He was suddenly fearful... could Beryl know?

"Yes, my Queen?" he asked, not even glancing down, and Zoisite marveled at his icy calm. Nephrite's eyes turned toward them, suspicious.

"Please tell me why you have come to the throne room with your uniform in disarray." Her eyes were sly, challenging, and Zoisite found it difficult to look towards her, to tear his eyes away from Kunzite.

His face didn't even suffer a slight change, just remained in the same cool, detached expression. "Forgive me, your highness, but it was too tight. I did not aim to offend you."

The Queen nodded, her lips pursing, her eyes anything but convinced. Nephrite's eyes widened again, and then narrowed as realization passed over his features, only to be replaced by disgust. He knew.... He knew.

"On the contrary, Kunzite, my Generals are wont to do as they will, provided it does not interfere with the mission."

Zoisite could feel Beryl's gaze slide over him as she said this, but kept his eyes locked to the floor, afraid of giving something away with his expression. Nephrite looked positively seething with anger.

"You are dismissed," she said loudly, and Zoisite teleported hastily away, relieved beyond measure. If he had remained under that scrutiny much longer, the heat from her gaze would have melted him.

Kunzite appeared shortly after him, fingering the loose button in mute contemplation.

Zoisite grinned at him. "You realize you'll have to keep it like that from now on."

Kunzite grunted in assent, his eyes troubled. Zoisite waited for him to sit down on the bed before he sat behind him and massaged his shoulders helpfully.

"I think it's sexy," he murmured, sliding his fingers down into the space freed by the loose button. Kunzite chuckled, always a welcome sound in the lonely silence of the Dark Kingdom.

"Do you? Well, then, I should have done this earlier, shouldn't I?" His eyes were still focused elsewhere, and Zoisite rested his chin on Kunzite's shoulder, his gaze mournful.

"Something is bothering you," he determined, wrapping his arms around Kunzite's waist from behind.

Kunzite glanced at him, brows furrowed, then nodded. "Yes, something is."

Zoisite gave a frustrated sigh when he didn't say more, then figured himself lucky for getting that much out of him. It was never easy, prying answers from Kunzite, and their new intimacy did nothing to change that fact.

"Ah, well, lie down," he demanded.

Kunzite cast an icy glance behind him. "One of these days you are finally going to learn some respect, and when that day comes, hell will have frozen over."

Zoisite laughed. "My my, is that a joke I hear? Is this what happens when you're upset, Kunzite? You are a strange one. All right- how's this... please lie down, Kunzite-sama? On your stomach."

Kunzite laughed, shaking his head, and finally did as he was bade. Zoisite sat on his lower back, and started to gently massage the knots out of it. He worked the area on either side of the spine, pushing up with one thumb and down with the other. Kunzite sighed beneath him, then spared him a glance. "Where did you learn Shiatsu?" he asked huskily, sighing again. Zoisite frowned slightly, his fingers working swiftly over Kunzite's back with an artful practice. It seemed so familiar to him, so natural....

"I don't know," he replied with a shrug, continuing down his spine and then back up. Kunzite was tense, very tense, and Zoisite had no doubt that the cause of that stress was Beryl herself, rather than any Moon Kingdom Princess waking up from an 'eternal sleep'.

Kunzite's breathing began to slow, becoming deep and even, and Zoisite smiled to himself as he realized that he had done it, but had no idea how he had done it. It seemed to come from some deep well of his subconscious. Maybe the first Zoisite knew how to do this? I've never heard of Shiatsu before. Sounds vaguely... eastern.

Zoisite leaned forward and kissed the back of Kunzite's neck, letting his fingers gently linger on his sides, caressing absently. "Is that better?" he murmured, lessening his weight upon Kunzite just enough so that Kunzite could roll over underneath him. Kunzite grinned lazily, moving almost like a cat, and pulled Zoisite's face down to his own to kiss him in reply, before Zoisite rolled off of him and let Kunzite bury him in his arms. There was no place he liked better than the safety of that embrace, and he was still quite astonished that it was there for him in the first place. Just how long have I been waiting for him to touch me this way?

Ever since I met him.

"Kunzite-sama..." Zoisite murmured sleepily, shivering slightly under the gentle touch of Kunzite's teasing fingers stroking his back. "If Jadeite is away on this mission, and there is no more training to be done, then what will we do all day?" His words were almost impish in quality, and this fact did not go unnoticed on Kunzite, as he raised his eyebrows in curiosity at his tone. Zoisite nuzzled closer to him, breathing in deeply the light, musky scent of him, of Kunzite, finally his after all this time. Or, more accurately, he is in possession of me. I have never been in such thrall in my life...

At the moment, that didn't seem like such a bad thing.

"Oh, you think to get off that easily, do you?" Kunzite answered, not seeming to have any idea of the struggle that was going on beneath Zoisite's guileful demeanor, although Zoisite had no doubt that Kunzite knew exactly what he was thinking.

"And why shouldn't I? I have, after all, been a very attentive student, wouldn't you agree?"

Kunzite said nothing, but there was no mistaking the gentle affection in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe, the beautiful but cold-hearted General had feelings for him after all.

Zoisite tossed fitfully in his sleep. There was something wrong...

Zoisite...

That voice again! Zoisite hears it, but cannot find the source. It is so familiar...

Zoisite, how good to see you again.

He is at the lake again, and this time, he sees a young black haired woman sitting on the log by the petal encrusted water, every so often throwing in a stone to watch it skip. She is dressed... strangely, in some sort of elaborate gown, but he has never seen her before in his life. Her hair is bound in a loose braid, and her eyes are twinkling with humor.

She looks up at him, sees him...

Ah, there you are. Come here.

She beckons for him, and Zoisite knows that the voice is hers, but does not see her lips move. He can, however, almost hear the words in her eyes, hear them in her very movements. It is impossible to ignore, and he does as the raven haired woman bids.

He sits down next to her, eyeing her warily, unsure of what to expect. She casts him a rueful glance and continues her tossing for a few moments, seemingly forgetting Zoisite's presence.

"Who are you?" he hears himself say.

She fixes her intense black eyes on him, her expression only betraying a bit of humor. She then grabs at a bit of Zoisite's hair, twisting it around her finger in an air of contemplation, as if she is examining it for flaws. She then smiles gently.

You are very beautiful, Zoisite. Yes, very beautiful.

Zoisite eyes her incredulously, not sure of what to say or do. This is very strange, but as he listens to the voice more and more he begins to recognize it.

"... That voice...you! You were the one that kept torturing me! Kept giving me those horrible dreams!" he accused her, anger twisting his voice into something terrible.

She laughs softly, a gentle, lilting laugh that nevertheless frightens him despite its innocence purity. It is almost as if there is something hidden in it...

Yes, well, I had to get your attention somehow. The others didn't seem to have the problems that you were causing me, refusing to embrace me for so long. I was actually very... proud. You are powerful, and beautiful, and you are one of our greatest assets. I was beginning to think that you wouldn't be worth it, but... you renewed my faith in you with your recent... exploits.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She eyes him warily, tilting her head to the side in contemplation.

No, I suppose you wouldn't. None of them seem to remember. A fleeting sadness comes over her features then, but she covers it up with another gentle chuckle.

I was proud to see how well you utilized your -- beauty. Very skillful, if I do say so myself. You seem to have learned that seduction can be a very powerful ally, a weapon to be used, one more potent than any other. You can make people do what you desire, use them for your own gains and then abandon them in sorrow when they are no longer needed.

Zoisite glares at her, suddenly very angry. He had never used anyone! Well... he had used Nephrite, there was no denying that. But... Nephrite had wanted him, and it gave him some solace to think that Nephrite had at one time enjoyed his companionship.

I know what you are thinking, beautiful one. But you did use Nephrite, and then you abandoned him. He lies awake at night, his own jealousy and anger eating away at him. At one time, it would have killed him to lose you to Kunzite, but now, all he feels is anger... and hatred towards you.

"Why?"

Her eyes twinkle mischievously. Please, Zoisite, I can't reveal all of my secrets now, can I? Where would be the fun in that?

"Tell me why you've been giving me the warnings, about Endymion. Tell me how you know-" He stops as she holds up one delicate hand, motioning for silence.

What, that he's going to kill you? Easy... I know your mind. I know exactly what you'll do and I know that you'll fail.

"Is that so?" Zoisite becomes truly angry now, unsure of whether to trust this strange apparition or to run screaming from it. At the moment, the latter seems perfectly reasonable.

Indeed. I know everything about you, Zoisite. I am part of you, after all.

"Why have you brought me here, to this place. What is it you want to tell me?"

Something very important, Zoisite. I want to be reawakened, I want to be able to help my children escape this place and reclaim Earth as their own. In order to do this, you have to find something.

"Y-You're... Metallia?" he asks, gasping in surprise.

She smiles, but ignores his astonished query and continues to talk in a calm, measured voice. There is no denying it, Zoisite. I am a part of you. I was a part of you when you almost killed Nephrite... and when you killed your father. I was a part of you when over a thousand years ago you joined your lover in his fight against Serenity. You hadn't wanted to fight, then... but Kunzite was a visionary, and you hated to leave him to fight alone.

"Kunzite... how can that be? And my father... you made me kill my own father? That was you?" Zoisite is becoming hysterical, his breath coming more quickly, tears springing into his eyes. The things he is hearing are too much for him to bear.

Calm down, lovely one. It was for your own good, you know that as well as I do. If you hadn't done it, you would still be at home, caring for your brat sister and waiting for your drunken lecherous father to come home and beat you! You would never have met Kunzite ...

At this, Zoisite calms, his breathing a bit more relaxed. Metallia nods encouragingly.

Zoisite, you must find the Ginzuishou.

Zoisite stares at her in confusion. "Ginzuishou? What is that? I don't know what you mean..."

The silver crystal. If you find this object for the Queen, you will be an essential asset to her, I promise you that. She won't dare harm you. This object alone can free me, and when that is done, all of this will be a memory, and you and Kunzite can live 'happily ever after'. Her voice is slightly sardonic at these last words, but Zoisite doesn't notice. He is already thinking ahead.

"But why me? Why are you telling me all of this?"

I like you, Zoisite. You remind me of myself, Metallia chides jokingly. She stands up to throw one last stone into the water, then looks back down at Zoisite, who is lost in his own thoughts.

Zoisite.

"Hm?" he asks, looking up at the tone.

Wake up!

Zoisite sat bolt upright in bed, Kunzite's arm falling to his lap as he did so. Kunzite's eyes snapped open at this movement, and he sat up as well, watching Zoisite's frantic breathing with a worried expression. The latter's breathing calmed as he felt the cool, caressing touch of Kunzite's fingers at the base of his spine.

"Another nightmare?" he murmured soothingly.

Zoisite glanced at him, unnerved at the sight of him. Kunzite looked strange... almost ethereal in the relative darkness of the chamber. Zoisite fleetingly remembered how he had looked at the lake on Earth, with the moonlight shining off his features, almost like some angelic statue. It made Zoisite feel even more alone.

"Um, yes..." he whispered, trying to calm himself down. He would be no good to Kunzite like this... and he wanted to prove once and for all that he was no weakling, that he was worthy of Kunzite's affection. Kunzite was watching him with something like pity in his eyes, and for a moment that infuriated him, made him want to hurt Kunzite.

No, that's her, that isn't me!

He felt a sudden, irresistible hunger as he continued to stare at Kunzite, a deep desire overriding the fear he had felt moments before. Smiling slyly, he leaned forward with the grace of a cat and pinned Kunzite's shoulders with his hands. Kunzite raised his eyebrows.

"Feeling a little inadequate, are we?" Kunzite asked him gruffly, causing Zoisite to blush, and then giggle.

Zoisite suddenly felt... giddy, bold, as Kunzite watched him with hooded eyes, the hunger in them undeniable. He felt powerful and beautiful and completely in control, even though the fact that this was Kunzite beneath him was utterly intimidating, not to mention maddening in the extreme. He was astonished that he wasn't trembling wildly from desire, wasn't rendered weak and helpless from his own longing. Encouraged by this, he smiled slightly and with infinite grace and charm leaned toward Kunzite slowly, lingeringly, teasing his lips with his own. Zoisite's tongue plunged into that beautiful mouth, so cruel in months before but now softening and widening to his touch, and teasingly brushed the soft inner lining of his upper lip, only to pull away and repeat the action with more insistence.

Kunzite groaned beneath him, his hands sliding up Zoisite's torso to bury themselves in his wealth of hair, lingering only momentarily before pulling the golden strands gently with his fingers in a way that made Zoisite shiver. He realized the mouth which he had claimed so possessively, giving a small gasp at the amount of passion that was running through his veins, made even greater by the memory of the night before, the memory of the complete ecstasy of Kunzite's flesh against his own. Impatiently, he fumbled with the buttons on Kunzite's uniform, his mouth returning again and again to it's previous destination, then finally moving further downward to suck in a bit of flesh from his neck and, smiling, bit him gently.

Kunzite chuckled. "That must have been some dream..." he murmured in his seductive, husky, almost velvety voice.

Zoisite gave him a furtive smile, slightly overwhelmed by the desire in him. He suddenly realized what he wanted; not to pamper Kunzite like a pet but to be completely conquered by him, taken and made part of his own flesh so that they could never be parted. Leaning forward, he whispered something slightly scandalous in Kunzite's ear.

Kunzite grinned, picking Zoisite up as if he weighed nothing and placing him gently on his stomach beneath him. Zoisite moaned, a mixture of impatience and longing, his desire almost painful. Kunzite leaned over him, running his icy hands across Zoisite's lower back and brushing his shoulders with his lips. The bed beneath Zoisite was causing a lovely friction as he writhed against it, but Kunzite slipped one arm under his abdomen to lift him up onto his knees, and he whimpered, the apprehension of waiting for Kunzite to enter him making him tremble.

Kunzite gently entered Zoisite from behind, stopping just short of being completely sheathed to pull back and thrust even deeper into him. Zoisite yelped, astonished as Kunzite's hand gripped his own length within his strong fingers, causing him to plunge into that tight fist as Kunzite thrust into him from behind. He gripped the bars of the headboard desperately, his head thrown back, his eyes shut tightly. A small hiss escaped his lips as Kunzite thrust into him again, the pressure of the arm bracing him to Kunzite's cool flesh just as maddening as the hand that clutched him so tightly underneath. As Kunzite moved faster within him, his skin grew warmer, feverish as it had done before, cries of the utmost ecstasy tearing from his throat. Zoisite clenched his teeth as he came, his fists tightening on the headboard, and Kunzite gave one last groan before withdrawing from him and pulling him back down with him onto the bed, and into his arms. They were both breathing heavily, Kunzite stroking his hair as though it were treasure as Zoisite felt his eyes close, sleep threatening to take over.

I love you, Kunzite-sama...

"Does this mean I'm not just a one-night distraction, Kunzite-sama?" he satisfied himself with saying instead. Kunzite chuckled sleepily, his arms tightening ever so slightly around his waist, his hands still stroking his hair, brushing it away from his dampened face.

"Let me put it this way, pretty one; if anyone touches you after this night, it will be me."

Placated with this hesitant but vague answer, Zoisite relaxed into his embrace and closed his eyes to sleep.

I am a part of you...

Zoisite shrugged the memory away and relaxed into Kunzite's arms, not caring about what was part of him and what wasn't. This was all that mattered. This was all that would ever matter to him.

Then why did it hurt him not to be able to say those three trivial words?