Saiyuki Gaiden (Tenpou/Kenren)

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Title: Void
Author/Artist: mistressrenet
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Mild references to spoilers
Summary: Tenpou gets ready to let go.
A/N: Hope I did justice to the prompt-- "Tenpou/Kenren on a desk - 'The creature in the sky/Got sucked in a hole/Now there's a hole in the sky"



The first time they had sex was on Tenpou's desk. Over Tenpou's desk, really.

It was a hot day, and Kenren had been sweating; Tenpou remembered, clear as crystal, licking a long sweaty streak down his shoulder.

"You should fuck me here every time," Kenren said, and it was the first time Tenpou had considered doing it again.

Kenren takes a gun. They have crossed a line they cannot cross, but somehow, this feels like a decision, something irretrievable.

Tenpou catches his eyes for a moment, and he sees his own determination reflected in Kenren's face.

The sakura trees were losing petals like Kanzeon shed clothing. Tenpou picked one out of his sake cup.

"Ken-nii-chan!" Goku's voice was as bright as a burst of sun. "Look, I want to show you this!"

Tenpou took another sip of sake and watched the man sitting next to him as much as the bright flurry of action. Konzen was lighter, now, and more weighted down at once. He had found some kind of purpose, Tenpou supposed.

Tenpou wondered if he had found his, as well, and what, exactly, it might be.

He knows Goyjun as well as the back of his hand, and a frisson of anxiety touches him. Don't stick your neck out, he thinks, though it's as meaningless as fighting the rain.

Running is the most exhilirating thing he has ever done.

This is madness.

This, at last, is freedom.

The last time they had sex-- will it be the last time, then?-- Tenpou was the one laid across the desk, and he wondered, with his paperweight pressing against his ribs and the quill of a Western feather pen brushing his cheek, if he should clean the top off once in a while.

"Damn," Kenren said. "You smell good today."

All Tenpou can smell now is blood.

Life in heaven was timeless, unchanging, ceaselessly dull.

And then Kenren had come, and Nataku, and then Goku's golden eyes, hopelessly naive and burning through him with too much knowledge all at once...

He had never run before. But he'd never had anything to protect before, either.

Dying holds no fear; if anything, the prospect of novelty intrigues him.

But he cannot imagine life without the sight of Kenren's face.

Comments

[marksykins.livejournal.com]

Oh, oh, you did such a good job with the prompt. I had no idea what to expect when I threw the random song lyric in there, but this is so lovely. I love the hint at the reincarnation you put at the end there, too. Really great.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! I was hoping you weren't expecting the lyrics to be literal, heh. So very glad you enjoyed.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Guh, the last line is just wonderful and has so much impact. I loved it all though (desk sex!!) and the construction is very effective.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you!

[devikun.livejournal.com]

Oh. Oh, that's just amazing and sexy and Nihilisticly beautiful all at once. I love the way of all of them, Tenpou is the one who really needs saving - from himself and his own ennui - and how by merely existing, the others have already managed to do exactly that. Such a great fic!! (and guh, Kenren is the sexiest bastard...

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! Hell yes he is.

[akuchan-47.livejournal.com]

This was just amazing all the way through, and that last line made my heart clench. Absolutely wonderful!

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[baka-gaijin.livejournal.com]

Oh. Ouch! You did a great job. So much emotion in so few words. Gaiden fics are always so sad because there is that underlying knowledge that it will end for all of them.

~ contented sigh ~

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! And yes, the ending is...yeah.

[lirren.livejournal.com]

Oh, god. That was so gorgeous. And it made my heart completely twist.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you so much.

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's beautiful. I can't quote particular lines or I'd be C&Ping the whole thing, but I loved how they all give each other purpose.

I love the bittersweet nature of Gaiden as well; the endings are sad, but we *know* they'll be abck; it's mroe as if they're just going away for a little while.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

It's like a five hundred year vacation! In hell. Seriously, thank you so very much.

[veleda-k.livejournal.com]

...Gah. That was hot, and lovely, and so wonderful. You've captured Tenpou spot on.

Running is the most exhilirating thing he has ever done.

This is madness.

This, at last, is freedom.

You know, it's lines like this that make me realize that I can't be too sad about the end of Gaiden. The boys are so much better off where they are now, even with the angst and traumatic pasts.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

You're right; they are. Kanezon's line about watching the people below live is really true.

[andmydog.livejournal.com]

♥

x

∞

=

XD

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

♥

Thank you!

So good

[lizzy61.livejournal.com]

This was wonderful -- sad and yet somewhat hopeful. "..wondered... if he should clean the top off once in a while." Somehow I doubt it will happen with Tenpou's desk :)

Re: So good

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Me too! Thanks so much.

[threewalls]

I can't think I've read many stories where death is presented as such a hopeful, freeing thing, but in Gaiden, that tone makes perfect sense. I love the snatches of Tenpou's memories woven with now, the sense of history they give to Tenpou's feelings for Kenren, the way that there's the past, present and future all evoked.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

[i-am-zan.livejournal.com]

I think everyone has more or less said what I want to. Damn me for my limited vocabulary.

Beautiful, melacholic yet hopeful at the same time.

Count and counterpoint fitted it so well. An amazing piece of writing.

If I had to pick out favourite lines I wuold have to block the whole thing and 'C&P' ed it! I will just stick this in my memories!

Gorgeousnees epitomised!

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you!

[psycho-shoelace.livejournal.com]

Wow. Very much so!

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[toxictattoo.livejournal.com]

I loved this. The interspersing of italics with regular really helped set the desperate mood.

Dying holds no fear; if anything, the prospect of novelty intrigues him.

Unf!

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much!

[new-kate.livejournal.com]

*flails* so much love. So gorgeous. Ah, Tenpou, this is just so wonderfully him.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Awww, thank you.

[sinestrated.livejournal.com]

I love all your work. You have such a wonderful way with words.

I'm so jealous. -_-;;

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

I'm blushing; thank you!

[emungere.livejournal.com]

Awesome. Especially the last line. *sniff* ♥

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you!

[kubaru-suki.livejournal.com]

Oh jesus. That was just painful and beautiful. I couldn't feel too bad as they were running (because, hell, as Tenpou says it's freedom) but the last line just killed me.