The Past Life

Several months passed that were relatively uneventful. Much of the time now was spent preparing for winter as the temperature was beginning to drop. Food would have to be stored away and we would visit many of the nearby villages to offer any help we could to them. This year was not looking as though it would be as bad as some, and for that I was grateful.

The preparations had taken me away from my time with the piano. That and I was spending what time I could with the Master. There were many nights when we would be too tired to do much more than talk. I was happy that I was able to spend most of this day in the music room. The sun was almost ready to set when Kunzite burst in through the door.

“Zoisite! Have you seen the Master today?”

I stopped playing immediately. “Not since noon. What's happened?” I asked, standing and moving for the door.

“No one had seen him for the past few hours. We're trying to find him.”

It was not like the Master to simply vanish, and certainly not without telling someone. If Kunzite didn't know where he was, something must be wrong. I joined Kunzite and together we walked down the hall quickly, Kunzite filling me in on what had happened so far.

“I went to his chambers not long ago to give him the report on the preparations going on in Hosotani. Needless to say he wasn't there. I started asking around and could find no one who had seen him in the past few hours. So far, one of the servants, Sawada, was the last to see him heading down the north hall bordering the courtyard. That was four hours ago.”

I listened attentively. Nothing like this had happened in several years. Not since the Master was a child and didn't know any better. “What is the search plan?”

“Jadeite and Nephrite are systematically checking every hall, room, and passage in the north half of the palace while we will handle the south. Any servants or guards are being told to search as well and report to one of us the second they hear anything.”

We reached the south-east corner of the palace and began our search, starting with the top floor and working our way down. Many of the rooms we needed to search were the private quarters of those who lived in the palace. While I normally respected the privacy of others, this was a time which required haste and I could only give a quick knock before opening the door.

Thankfully, most of the private rooms were empty. I was require to wake some, and walked in on one couple at what could have been a better time. Upon hearing that the Prince was missing however, all were glad to be able to help in the search.

Kunzite and I finished searching the top floor of the palace in record time, but without finding the Master. We preceded to the next floor and continued our search.

I was starting to get worried at this point, as I'm sure Kunzite was as well. The Master would not leave the palace on his own without telling one of the Shitennou. So if he hadn't left on his own...

I pushed the thought aside and continued my search. The second floor was a failure as well, so we began on the ground level floor next. A servant informed us that Jadeite and Nephrite had completed their search of the north side of the palace and were currently working on the basement level. Many of the servants and guards where rechecking the floors as well.

I had just finished checking one the the hidden passages when I saw a side door to the courtyard open and my Master step inside, quietly closing the door behind him. My call out to him startled him and he seemed confused by my sudden line of questioning into his well being.

“You found him?” asked Kunzite, before the Master even had a chance to explain his disappearance.

“Yes, you can tell the others.”

Kunzite shot a look at our Master that demanded an explanation once the palace calmed down, but would leave it until later. “Master, where were you?” I asked, the worry I had been feeling was seeping into my voice. “No one had seen you for hours.”

“I just stepped outside for some air, that's all,” he explained. “As for the last few hours, I must have just been lucky in not being seen. I've been here the whole time.”

“Master, I... we were worried. I thought...”

“Don't tell me you had the whole palace looking for me.”

“It is standard protocol.”

“Great,” he said with a sigh. “I know I'm not going to hear the end of this from my father, or Kunzite.”

“For now we should let everyone know that you are fine, and you should probably stay with me for now as well,” I said.

Master agreed and we started making our way through the palace, informing most with our presence alone that Master Endymion was, in fact, safe. Jadeite and Nephrite showed relief at seeing the Master with their own eyes, as if hearing by word of mouth was not enough. “I'm glad to see that your are alright, Master,” Nephrite offered. Jadeite simply smiled and nodded.

“I'm sorry I worried you,” Master apologized. “I didn't mean to disappear like that.”

“Don't do it again any time soon,” came a voice from behind us. Kunzite was looking less relieved and more angry at the Master. “And your father wishes to speak to you.”

“I'll be there in a minute,” Master replied, sounding almost defeated. He turned back to me, but took note that Jadeite and Nephrite were still present. “Zoisite, would I... I'd like to have a word with you in private, could you stop by my room later?”

“I uh... do have some reports that I will need to finish first.” Master's short disappearance and the search for him would need to be documented. Kunzite would be reading over the reports in the morning and then we would discuss the situation. It would not go well for me if I didn't get my report finished in time.

“I see, I'll stop by your room later then.” With that he left, following Kunzite to see his father. Hopefully I could get my write up finished before he showed up.

I turned to head off to my chambers to get my work done, but instead caught Jadeite's gaze. Ever since he revealed what he knew to me, some situations had become awkward, even if they didn't need to be. In this case, however, he knew exactly what we had really been discussing, and we had done so right in front of him.

Jadeite looked away quickly and I did the same. There was nothing that could really be said. I knew that he felt uncomfortable, but I couldn't even apologize for it with Nephrite standing right there. “Um... did I miss something?” the latter asked.

“No. It's nothing,” Jadeite replied, “I'll see you later.” He walked down the hall quickly, eager to put some distance between us, I'm sure. Thankfully Nephrite did not comment further and I was able to get back to my room without any more trouble.

I wasn't even half-way finished my report when I heard a knock at my door. My Master must have come straight here after speaking with his father. I set my quill pen down and asked him to enter, which he did quickly. Even more quickly did he make his way over to me and press his lips to mine.

He wrapped his arms around me and I could feel the heat radiating from his body. More so now that it was beginning to cool with the approaching winter. I opened my eyes and caught sight of the papers littering my desk, telling me that I did not have time for this. Master too wouldn't have the time, I realized as his lips grazed a hot trail down my neck. “Master... Kunzite and Jadeite will be looking for you...” I breathed.

“I spoke to Kunzite,” he replied, releasing the hooks on my collar. “I told him that I would be turning in a bit late tonight. We have some time.”

I gave the papers one more look before deciding to ignore them. I could always finish my report afterwards, couldn't I? At that particular moment, getting out of my uniform and into my bed seemed to be a much more pressing issue.

My bed... Master and I had been together many times, but never in my room. My bed was smaller, the room less luxurious, but that didn't seem to bother him any. “I'm sorry,” I said as we quickly rid ourselves of our clothing, “it's not what you are used to.”

As soon as I had discarded the last article of my uniform, Master grabbed my wrist and gently pulled me to him, wrapping his other arm around my back, holding me close. “It's not the room I am interested in,” he said softly, releasing my wrist to tilt my chin up. “It's you.”

As he brought his mouth down to mine, I couldn't help but remember the conversation I had overheard between him and Kusaka-san. When I learned that he, in fact, loved me. Even though it was wrong, it felt right now to be with him, especially now that I knew he felt the same way I did.

We fell onto the bed together and I rolled on top of him, straddling his thighs. I broke our kiss to move lower, but he stopped me. “Zoi...”

“Master?” I looked down into his dark brown eyes. My hair fell around my face and my Master raised a hand to brush some of it aside.

“I want you to know that this is more to me that just... excuse my language, but more than just a quick lay. I do care about you.”

I was surprised that he would say so much, and didn't know what I should be saying in response. A quiet, “Master...” was all I could manage.

“I do,” he continued, “and I don't want to do anything that might hurt you in any way. Please know that.”

I didn't really understand at that point what he was talking about, but I nodded all the same. Why would he be worried about hurting me?

He smiled, appearing happy that I understood. He pulled me back down and kissed me again, this time slipping his tongue inside my mouth.

As I hungrily returned the embrace, I slipped my hand between us and ran it over his chest and stomach. He moaned into my mouth when my fingers brushed over his erection and then gasped when they wrapped around it.

“Are you in a hurry?” he asked, bringing two of his fingers to my lips. I smiled slightly as I took his fingers into my mouth, and watched his expression as he enjoyed this sensation.

“Perhaps, a little,” I said when he pulled his fingers back and then reached behind me. It always felt so good to have him touch me and then slip inside me, but I kept myself quiet. It had become a habit.

After Master felt that I had been adequately prepared, he helped guide me as I positioned myself over him. I bit down on my lip as he slowly slid inside me. “Are you alright?” he asked, mistaking my expression for one of discomfort.

“Just fine,” I reassured him. Too prove my point, I began to move my hips and felt him slide in and out of me.

I forced myself to keep my eyes open and looked down at my Master. His eyes were closed and his head was tilted back. His lips were slightly parted and his breathing was heavy. I moved slow at first, but as I picked up speed, his expression began to change. At first it was simply one of pleasure and enjoyment, but soon it was that of a man chasing after sometime, determined to reach a goal.

His fingers dug into my hips and he began thrusting upward to meet my downward motion. The first time he did this, it surprised me and I made a short cry of pleasure, but as soon as I heard my own voice I clamped my lips tightly shut.

Master opened his eyes and sat up, wrapping one arm around my lower back. I brought my own arms around him as if desperate to keep him close to me. The new friction I felt caused by our two bodies rubbing together brought me closer to my climax.

“You know...” Master began, his sentence broken by our movement together, “there is no one... who might hear us... outside... your door...”

He used the arm he had around me to help lift me when I raised my hips and then pushed me down again. “Master?” I asked, hoping for some clarification about what he wanted from me, trying my best to concentrate on his words.

With his free hand, he reached between us and ran it over me while I did my best to keep the same rhythm. “You don't have to be silent,” he breathed next to my ear.

My fingers dug into his back. The feeling of him driving into me while my length was also receiving a firm stroke finally became to much for me. I threw my head back and a soft cry escaped my lips as I felt my release. I held him tightly as the sensation slowly began to pass. “Mas... ter...”

My whole body wanted to relax, but I forced it to keep going. Master was doing most of the work now, and by the way he was franticly thrusting into me, I could tell that it wouldn't be much longer now.

He took a sharp breath when he came, pulling my body close to his until the waves of bliss subsided. He felt back onto the pillows and I lay down on top of him, my head on his chest while be both waited for our breath to return. I listened to his heart beat racing at first, but gradually slowing to its resting pace.

He ran his fingers through my hair and all the way down my back, then he brought both arms around me and held me lightly. I could feel myself drifting off to sleep in his embrace and was barely aware of him laying me back on the bed and pulling a blanket over top of me before leaving.