Shades of Time

Oh, you have had it, Tenpou, Shi thought murderously while dangling over his shoulder. But some small part of her heart that she’d previously thought had died a cold and lonely death was celebrating. He had come for her. She knew it as well as she knew her own name. That didn’t mean she was just going to play nice and go along with whatever he wanted after all he’d put her thorough.



See me coming

Down the road

I'm coming down for you

Standing by the end of the line

Whatcha gonna do?



Tenpou got the shock of his life, literally, when he made it to the beach. He had been too complacent, thinking he had things under control with Shi tossed over one shoulder and not paying attention when her hand wrapped around the hilt of the sword at his hip. He did notice something amiss when a hard shock sent him to his knees in the soft sand, almost causing him to drop Shi.



As it was, she managed to get free of him, staggering a bit before she got her footing. Then she did what any self respecting woman would who’d been embarrassed in front of an entire town of people, she drew back and slugged him in the solar plexus so hard it sent him sliding backward in the sand.



“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”



Tenpou looked up at her and wheezed, “Trying . . . to catch . . . my breath.”



Shi threw up her hands in exasperation and started to walk off only to realize her heels had managed to sink into the sand. She sighed and flopped down to take them off, glaring at Tenpou from the corner of her eye.



“What’s this all about, Tenpou. You obviously came here for a reason. Other than humiliating me in front of the entire town, that is,” she said.



He sighed and slid over to sit next to her. “I did. But for the life of me I’m not sure how to start explaining.”



“Just tell me what started all of this.”



“I couldn’t find you.”



Shi frowned and glanced over at him. He had his legs drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped around his legs and his chin was resting on his knees. For some reason even though he was in a full military uniform the way he was sitting made him look much younger. It was decidedly odd to see Tenpou, who was brilliant and powerful acting like Goku or Nataku in moments when they felt they really needed to tell her something but weren’t sure of what her reaction would be or how much trouble they’d be in.



“Okay, why did you need to see me?”



“I just . . . wanted to,” he said, shrugging and knowing it was the lamest thing in the world to say to her just then.



“Enough to doubtlessly drive Konzen up every last wall in Heaven, scare most of the villagers here out of their minds and embarrass the living crap out of me? I think you’d damn well better have a decent explanation for this nonsense. What’s really going on in your head, Tenpou?”



He looked up at the stars shining over the water and thought they were never this bright, even in Heaven. “I wish I knew, Shi,” he said with a heavy sigh. Time to take the bull by the horns he supposed. “I’m not good with people. I’m good with handling troops and with my friends but not good with people in general. People don’t want to be around me usually unless it’s because they want something. You were always there for no apparent reason. You destroyed my office, turned my nicely ordered life upside down and it drove me insane because I could never figure out why. But then you weren’t there and everything felt so wrong. Gods, I’m screwing this up!” He turned his head to look at her fully. “Do you still like me, Shi? Even a little.”



“You’re still alive after what you just pulled aren’t you,” Shi said, deliberately misunderstanding him.



“That isn’t what I mean. I mean . . . I hoped that maybe . . . Gods damn it! Why can’t I talk to you? I command an entire division of Heaven’s army for gods’ sake! I’ve given reports to the Emperor, spoken in front of thousands and I can’t get out three words to you without my brain going on vacation.”



“Tenpou, just spit it out.”



“I would if I knew how to do that and avoid you killing me or beating me to a bloody pulp for being an idiot for a century. I like you. Gods, that sounds so lame. I miss you if you’re away from me for more than a few hours. I love the sound of your voice. I love listening you and Goku playing in my office. I love to hear you sing when you think you’re alone. I love watching you move, whether it’s fighting or dancing when you think no one is watching. Waking up and seeing you first thing in the morning, even though you were injured at the time, was one of the best mornings of my life.”



“What does that actually mean to you, Tenpou? And why the hell did you wait until now to tell me all of this? I’m supposed to believe you’ve suddenly done a 180 after you made it really clear you weren’t interested for a hundred years. Gods, a hundred years, what was I thinking?”



“Goddamnit, Shi, I know I fucked up with you. Not just a couple of times but constantly. I get that. If I could go back and change it I would but I can’t. I know you’ve given me a million chances but I’m asking for just one more.”



“A chance at what exactly?” she said, looking at him suspiciously.



“A chance to see if there can be an us.”


***
The song used in this chapter is I Wanna Be Your Man by L.A. Guns. I don't own it either and make no cash from using it.