What the War God Saw

Author: lillypuff

LiveJournal: http://lillypuff.livejournal.com

Characters From: Saiyuki Gaiden

Pairing(s): Goujun x Kenren x Tenpou (x Homura)
Rating: NC-17

Word Count: 6,466

Warnings: threesome, voyeurism and a bit of naughty language

Summary: The only cure for boredom is curiosity, and for the latter, there is no cure…
Disclaimer: They still don't belong to me. *woe*

Random Notes: Written for Hellion Goddess @ the Yuletide Smut Gift exchange for the prompt of Goujun/Kenren (and Homura and/or Tenpou) - Voyeurism, Goujun's other forms slipping out or stimulated by sex. My eternal thanks to karuune for the fantastic (and last minute) beta job!

Kenren was freezing. If there was one time of the year that he hated being down below, winter was it. And yet, here they were, snow falling all around him while Tenpou remained hunched over in front of the wooden door that stood before them.

"Come on, Tenpou," Kenren managed through chattering teeth as he tried to get the blood flowing in his arms again, "I'm freezing my ass off over here. How much longer?"

"Just a second," Tenpou replied, his voice steady, concentrated. "It's been awhile since I've done…ah, there we go."

The soft metallic click that followed was like music to Kenren's ears and his body warmed slightly at the mere thought of being indoors once more. Somehow he managed to keep himself from pushing past Tenpou and barging straight into the building.

"Finally," Kenren murmured once Tenpou had reverted to his full height and had gently opened the wooden door. Quickly, the general shuffled inside, his body immediately trying to soak up the heat around him. "You're slipping, you know."

From behind him, Tenpou snorted. "Yes, well, it's been some years since I last had to pick a lock."

Kenren rolled his eyes and surveyed the dimly lit building, his skin tingling when his eyes settled upon the large pool of water in the center of the room. In the low light he could just make out the steam rising from the surface as it tempted him to soak in it's warmth, fully clothed or not.

"This was your idea, you know," Kenren gently reminded as he turned back to look at Tenpou, who had wisely shut the bath house door.

"Indeed it was," Tenpou replied as he walked slowly along one of the walls, "but I suggested it only because you were complaining that we never have any privacy at the army bath house."

"We don't."

"Well, now we do," Tenpou chimed, a smile in his voice, before the lights in the bath house became slightly brighter. "I give to you, one bath house. Empty, quiet, private, and only a small, select list of guests invited."

"Speaking of, do you think he will show?" Kenren asked as he made his way to the edge of the pool, removing his gloves as he went. When he dipped his hand into the water, he had to fight the urge to dive right in.

"I'm quite sure he will," Tenpou replied, and Kenren smiled when the marshal's reflection appeared behind him.

"If for no other reason then to drag us back up and lecture us about being good little soldiers?"

"Exactly."

For a moment, Kenren stared silently at their reflections on the glassy water, then he began to chuckle. "I wonder what the villagers would think if they happened upon a few kami snogging in their bath house?"

"I would think they'd be honored. I imagine it doesn't happen very often."

Kenren laughed and stood so he could face Tenpou. "So, should we kill some time before our honored guest arrives?"

There was a slight pause, as if the general were waiting for a response, though he knew he didn't need one. When Tenpou smiled crookedly, Kenren inched closer to the marshal and slid one hand behind Tenpou's head, tangling his fingers in his shoulder length hair. Without missing a beat, Tenpou sighed pleasantly and slipped a hand down to Kenren's hip.

When their lips finally met, gently, but not too gently, Kenren suddenly felt himself become a whole lot warmer.

*****

The bath house had not been hard to find; in fact, it had been easy to locate, but Goujun guessed that map-making was just one of those skills that one picked up when they spent as much time poring over old maps as Tenpou did.

The dragon king supposed he should have been surprised, worried or angry when the directions indicated that he should make his way down below, or when they led him to the edge of a quiet little village, but he wasn't. He'd spent too much time with the marshal and the general lately, and he had become jaded to that which should be surprising and unexpected.

When Goujun's long, graceful strides brought him before the bath house door, he paused, tilted his head up towards the heavens, and sighed as the snow drifted down in white puffs that matched the color of his scaled skin. He was no fan of the cold, but his dragon pride wouldn't allow him to shiver, even if there was no one around to see it.

He would have stood there longer, but his silent contemplation was disturbed by a faint laugh, and an even quieter moan. Idly, Goujun hoped that the building held heat better then it did sound.

For a second, Goujun contemplated knocking, but they had no secrets. He knew what he had been invited for, and he knew what to expect. He also knew that he liked them this way, whatever trouble it might eventually bring them.

Instead of knocking politely, as he'd be inclined to do if this were the door to the marshal's quarters, Goujun gathered up all his pride and stood tall, fully prepared to storm in as if he owned the place.

If he knew nothing else, Goujun knew that it was best not to let them think they had him wrapped around their fingers.

*****

Kenren, now without the meager protection from the elements provided by his mostly-unbuttoned uniform coat, felt the sting of the cold wind that entered the bath house the second the door was opened. Goose bumps dotted Kenren's exposed upper body, though he wasn't sure if it was from the cold or from the sight of Goujun storming into the bath house. He was loathe to admit it, even to himself, but Goujun could be a scary bastard when he wanted to be.

Startled by the dragon's entrance, Kenren took one step back from Tenpou, who had been busy nibbling at his left nipple like it was a fine piece of cheese whose every bite was to be savored. Lucky for him, Tenpou was better at keeping control of his nerves, else he may have lost the nipple completely to Goujun's outraged entrance, and even though the dragon had seen him fully naked on many occasions, Kenren suddenly felt like he should cover himself up.

For several seconds, both he and Tenpou stared at their commanding officer, and Goujun simply stared back. Behind the dragon, the door clicked shut of its own accord. Patiently, Kenren waited for all hell to break loose, but when Goujun spoke, the anger he'd expected simply wasn't there.

"What, may I ask, is going on here?"

Tenpou, who was also devoid of clothing from the waist up, opened his mouth to speak, but Kenren cut him off by pulling him close, as if he could be a living shield should things take a turn for the worse.

Silently, Kenren rested his chin on Tenpou's shoulder and loosely wrapped his arms around the marshal's waist, letting his fingers trace Tenpou's front side in whatever manner pleased them.

"It's called foreplay, Goujun," Kenren remarked casually as he nuzzled the base of Tenpou's neck and slipped one hand down behind the waistline of Tenpou's khakis. "I thought we'd already gone over this."

Goujun, with all of his composure to thank for it, didn't even flinch and Kenren was disappointed that he couldn't get a mildly aroused growl out of the dragon king. When Goujun began to close the distance between them, Kenren stood his ground, still tracing patterns over Tenpou's chest with one hand, and groping the marshal's growing erection with the other. He could feel Tenpou's heart pounding in his chest, and it matched his own.

"Do I have to remind you that excursions by military personnel to the world below are strictly forbidden without official orders?" Goujun's voice was rough, less composed than when he first spoke, and Kenren smiled before nibbling and kissing his way up to Tenpou's ear.

"Does he need to remind us?" Kenren purred, loud enough for Goujun to hear. As he spoke, he could feel Tenpou's muscles twitch under his hands and against his chest.

"It would appear that he does," Tenpou replied, and Kenren felt the marshal lean back against him, as if he were trying to jump into his skin, though not from fear of the dragon, Kenren was certain.

"Or perhaps," Kenren continued, still speaking softly into Tenpou's ear, "our commander is just upset that we started without him." Slowly, Kenren turned his attention back to Goujun, who had covered most of the space that had separated them. "And if that's the case, Goujun, please accept my apology. It's quite difficult to keep my hands to myself when in the presence of the marshal."

Quickly, Kenren slid his hand up Tenpou's chest to thumb one of the marshal's nipples, and combined with the grip he had on Tenpou's erection, Kenren got the groans of pleasure he'd been searching for, first from Tenpou, then from Goujun. Instantly, the remaining space that separated them from the dragon vanished, and Kenren could feel Goujun's quickening breath brush against his face.

"Apology accepted, Kenren," Goujun murmured, and before Kenren could make another remark, the general watched as the dragon leaned in and took Tenpou's lips in a rough kiss. Between them, Tenpou went completely rigid, and the general had to hand it to Goujun, he certainly knew what he was doing. If the dragon felt that some sort of punishment was necessary for their little soiree down below, then this was certainly it.

Unlike Tenpou, who often seemed content to watch for long stretches of time before joining in, Kenren always preferred to be actively involved. Not being able to touch, to feel, to taste could drive him mad, depending on his mood. Reluctantly, Kenren pulled away from his two companions, determined not to let Goujun get the best of him.

At first he stood a foot or two away and just watched, but the heat from the pool continued to call to him and he could no longer resist. Smiling, he rested his hands on his hips.

"Well, now that the gang's all here, shall we go for a swim?"

Slowly, Goujun pulled away from Tenpou and instead of responding, the dragon made a deep rumbling noise in the back of his throat, a sure sign that he was pleased by the idea.

*****

Homura had read somewhere that the only cure for boredom was curiosity and that the latter, there was no cure for. He supposed it went a long way towards explaining why he was currently hiding behind a makeshift privacy wall, peeking out with wide, surprised eyes at the scene taking place before him. Never in all his years would he have guessed that Kenren, Tenpou and Goujun were involved in such a way.

Kenren and Tenpou, sure. That was the worst kept secret in all of Tenkai, and when he initially saw them sneaking about the lower realms, he hadn't really shown much interest. It wasn't until he realized they were sneaking down below that he'd decided that they might be just the thing to cure his boredom. So he had followed, and when they came to the bath house after a decent walk and Tenpou had begun to work his rusty lock picking skills, Homura had slipped into the bath house, unseen, unheard and without need of a door. What was the point of being a war god if you didn't have a few tricks up your sleeve?

And so he'd watched, fully prepared to vamp should the two soldiers stumble upon his hiding spot, but he soon realized they were too involved in their banter and each other to notice the partition he'd hidden behind.

Both the marshal and the general were like cats; graceful, delicate, nimble. They touched each other with confidence, like they knew exactly what they were doing, and Homura guessed that if they'd been getting on like this for half the time the rumors had been flittering about, then they probably would know each other like the back of their own hands.

Every kiss was placed at just the right spot, every caress of muscles was sure and strong. Every article of clothing that was removed was taken off as if an afterthought, like they'd done it so many times they didn't even have to think about it anymore, and when Tenpou dipped his head to give attention to Kenren's nipple, and Kenren had laughed at first, Homura thought that there were a world of things he didn't know about the two officers. He would never have guessed that the general was ticklish. Especially not there.

Of course, the laughter didn't last long, and soon it morphed into a low, pleasant moan that made Homura's eyelids flutter at the sound of it. He wasn't sure that he'd ever heard someone sound so pleased before.

For a moment, Homura lost himself in the sounds the two soldiers made, but then the door was flying open and for the first time that night, Homura almost panicked. Almost. He had not expected that the honored guest Kenren had previously spoken of would be the high and mighty dragon king, and it worried him a bit. If anyone would be able to sniff him out, it would be Goujun, but Homura was too intrigued to leave at that point. He had to see what would happen next, because Goujun looked like he was ready to tear their hides for the breach of protocol.

But soon after his startling entrance, Homura realized Goujun was too wrapped up in them to notice anything else. He also started to wonder if maybe Goujun's anger was merely a show, like he wasn't going to let them pull him around as they pleased. He'd put up a fight, even if, in the end, he knew it wasn't a fight he could win. And it wasn't like he was really losing, when all things were said and done.

When both Tenpou and Goujun had let out their pleased moans, Homura almost had to bite his own tongue to keep from echoing their sentiment, and when they met each other for a kiss, Homura felt his own cock grow stiff.

After a few seconds, and to his surprise, Homura watched Kenren pull away from the Tenpou-sandwich. At first, he seemed to be surveying the scene before him, and then that smile that was uniquely the general's flittered across his face, and Homura knew things were about to get even more interesting, for which he was grateful.

It didn't surprise Homura that everyone was wanting to go for a swim, else they would have pick a different place to meet, but what did surprise him was the way Tenpou and Kenren tended to Goujun, the way they began to undress him slowly, peeling off every layer of his royal getup, not touching his scaled, pale skin until he was completely undressed.

At first, Homura thought that they might be playing to Goujun's ego, but he soon realized that it was more like they were unwrapping an unexpected, well-appreciated gift. Like they knew that they should be honored to have him within reach. Which probably meant they were playing to the dragon's ego, even if only a little bit, and on their own terms.

Homura stared, unblinking, once Goujun was fully undressed. He'd never seen the dragon king in such a state before, and he had no intention of letting the experience go to waste.

Goujun's skin was sleek and shiny, and Homura couldn't help but wonder if that was natural, or a side effect of his aroused state, like nature's way of helping the dragon keep the attention of his mate. The dragon's scales seemed to pick up the light around them, and occasionally they twinkled with hints of pale pink and blue, like an opal.

It was an amazing sight to see, Goujun, standing tall and proud, his pale skin tight over firm muscles. Kenren behind the dragon, kissing abstract patterns over Goujun's back, the general's fingers working at Goujun's omnipresent braid while Tenpou gave attention to Goujun's chest, licking and nibbling at the dragon's nipples as he had once done to Kenren.

After a few moments, Kenren stepped away, likely to admire his handy work, and Homura, for the first time he could recall, saw what Goujun's hair looked like flowing gracefully against his pale back, its full length unhindered by the neat braid he usually wore.

For a few seconds, Kenren ran his fingers through the dragon's impossibly long hair, as if trying to get the wavy strands to hang straight, then he grinned and playfully slapped the dragon's rear.

"Go on, get in, I know you want to," Kenren crooned, and Goujun merely snorted in response as he walked away from the two soldiers.

Homura watched, entranced, as Goujun slipped gently into the waiting pool, the water lapping gently at his bare skin as if to say, hello, we've been waiting for you. For a moment, Goujun just stood there in the shallow water, as if soaking it in and then, one second he was there, and the next he was gone, as if the pool of water had swallowed him whole. In the back of his mind, Homura cursed his less-than-perfect vantage point, his angle not allowing him to see Goujun gliding below the glassy surface, as Kenren and Tenpou surely could.

Homura turned his attention back to where the two soldiers stood, Kenren now devoid of all his clothing, Tenpou still wearing his pants, though the belt had, at some point, found it's way to the floor. With a wink, Kenren turned away from Tenpou and walked to the pool, slipping in with far less grace then the dragon before him.

His eyes going back to Tenpou, Homura realized that much like himself, the marshal seemed content to watch whatever was to come next. He had kicked off his sandals and pulled off his socks, but seemed to be in no real hurry to remove his pants and join his two companions in the water…

A sudden, loud splash jerked Homura's attention back to the pool were he saw Goujun surface behind Kenren. They exchanged words, but Homura couldn't make them out over the lapping of the water, which now seemed so loud in the mostly empty bath house. Homura could, however, make out the moan that escaped Kenren's mouth before he turned around to kiss Goujun hard on the lips, resting his arms on the dragon's shoulders, as if trying to hold himself up to Goujun's height.

Homura could picture Kenren's legs below the glassy surface, wrapping themselves around Goujun's waist as the dragon's hands began to caress the general's back, until one found its way up Kenren's neck, tangling its clawed fingers in his short black hair, now less spiky then normal because of the warm water.

The two continued their kisses, Kenren eventually working his way down Goujun's neck, the dragon having done the same until his mouth rested at the base of Kenren's. He licked one spot a couple times, then to Homura's surprise, bit down with far more force then anyone else would probably ever dare. The sound that escaped Kenren's lips at that moment was a mix of pleasure and pain, and if Homura had been uncertain about Kenren's likes, he certainly wasn't anymore.

Homura's cock twitched from the moan, and again when Tenpou groaned at the scene playing out before their eyes. Absentmindedly, the war god slid a hand down to his aching erection and caressed it through the fabric of his pants.

When Goujun suddenly pulled away from Kenren, Homura got the feeling that he was doing it more out of restraint than anything else. He could see in the way that Goujun's eyes seemed to glow that the dragon wanted more then just a quick taste.

Seemingly unfazed by the dragon's love bite, Kenren maneuvered behind Goujun once more, apparently having a thing for the dragon's back side, fine as it was, though Homura couldn't help but wonder if he was missing something.

Curiously, Homura watched as Kenren lavished attention on Goujun's shoulders and neck, his fingers combing through Goujun's long, silky hair before one hand dropped below the surface of the water. Judging from the look on Goujun's face, Homura guessed Kenren had decided to take Goujun's erection in hand; and Goujun was enjoying every second of it, his eyelids closed tight, his sharp teeth worrying at his bottom lip enough to draw a bit of blood, or ichor, or whatever it was that flowed through the dragon's veins.

Seemingly pleased with the dragon's response, Kenren worked his lips down Goujun's back until Homura could only see the top of Kenren's head and his free hand, which he'd moved to Goujun's shoulder to massage it as if he were merely giving the dragon a back rub.

From there, things seemed to happen rather quickly. Goujun's low, scratchy breathing sped up, coming out in great, long breaths, and Homura thought the dragon was close to hitting his peak, at least until Kenren pushed himself away from the dragon, floundered for a moment, then seemed to decide that ducking below the water might be a good idea. In the corner of his vision, Homura saw Tenpou tense up, though in anticipation or worry, he wasn't sure.

Homura scanned the surface of the water for signs of the general, but Kenren was nowhere to be seen. Only Goujun remained, shaking slightly, his eyelids and teeth clenched tightly against something that Homura was certain was not an orgasm.

For a brief moment, all was eerily silent, and then a deep growl escaped from Goujun's lips before he too disappeared beneath the surface of the water. It was then that Kenren burst forth from the water a few feet away and exchanged a startled look with Tenpou, who merely shrugged.

After that, all eyes remained focused on the spot where Goujun had gone under, the water turning and bubbling as if something were taking place below the surface. Homura didn't dare to breathe as they waited, too afraid that his shaky breath would be heard in the silence, and just as he was starting to wonder if perhaps Goujun was just going to sit at the bottom of the pool for awhile, the dragon king began to surface once more, slowly, almost eerily.

Water poured in streams from Goujun's long hair. It was an impressive sight, but not nearly as impressive as the wings that were unfolding from Goujun's back, dripping water as they expanded. If Goujun's skin had an opalescent quality to them, then his wings had it tenfold. Every reflection of light from the water's surface made streaks of blue and pink and purple glow over the pale and delicate skin of the dragon's wings.

Homura stared, slack-jawed and wide-eyed as Goujun stretched his wings, like one would stretch their arms and legs after a long, deep sleep. The dragon inspected first one, then the other, as if he hadn't seen them for quite some time. Apparently satisfied with their appearance, Goujun tucked his wings close to his body, the trailing edges cutting through the water like it was no denser then air.

The dragon was truly in his element, and Homura watched as he glided steadily and surely through the water to where Kenren was waiting, his wide eyes filled with lust, appreciation and more then a little bit of awe for his dragon companion.

For a moment, the two stared at each other, Kenren maybe wanting to take in all that he could, or maybe waiting for a sign from Goujun that it was alright to continue. Homura thought it might be a bit of both.

The war god clenched his jaw as the seconds ticked by, fumbling with the zipper of his pants as the anticipation grew, for him and for everyone else involved, to be sure. He practically sighed with relief when Kenren closed the gap between himself and the dragon.

The general brought his lips to Goujun's ear, his tongue flicking out to lick along the pointed edge as he slid his hands up Goujun's chest and over his shoulders, his ultimate goal obvious when he rested his hands behind Goujun and began to caress the strong bones that formed the leading edge of the dragon's wings. Goujun responded by slowly stretching his wings out behind him, water trickling off them as they expanded to their full, impressive span.

There was something in the way that Kenren's fingers traced the lines of Goujun's wings, something in the way the general lightly dragged his nails down the fine membrane, that made Homura think this was not the first time Kenren had seen Goujun in such a state. He seemed to know exactly where to caress, and exactly how to make the dragon purr and nuzzle his face against Kenren's shoulder, as if he were a cat being scratched in his favorite place.

Slowly, Goujun traced patterns on Kenren's back with claws that left the general's skin red and irritated, not soft enough to tickle, not hard enough to draw blood, until he slid his hands below the surface, lifting Kenren up slightly so they could see eye to eye. One hand eventually returning to its work on Kenren's back, the other staying below the surface of the water.

Homura could picture what was going on below the water's surface, how Goujun's clawed finger might be teasing at Kenren's tight muscles until it finally found its way inside him, slowly working him loose so that he could slip in another, and maybe even a third.

Homura and Kenren went stiff at the same time. Kenren at the feel of being penetrated, Homura at the sight of the general's back muscles going taught under his wet and irritated flesh, and the way Kenren's head fell back in pleasure, a delicate moan escaping from his parted lips. Without taking his eyes off of the two in the water, Homura fumbled with his own pants to free his erection from its confines, delighted by the warm touch of the bath house air against his sensitive skin.

Cock in hand, Homura turned to look at Tenpou, who still showed some measure of self control, far more then the war god could at the moment, but he could see how much Tenpou wanted to join them as he paced the edge of the pool nearest to his two companions. Eventually he kneeled at the edge, his Khakis soaking up the water that had managed to splash out, as he motioned for Goujun to come to him. The dragon seemed happy to oblige.

Carrying Kenren's weight, Goujun drifted effortlessly over to the pool's edge, where he practically backed Kenren to the wall, the general's head resting back on the lip of the pool, between Tenpou's knees. Slowly, Tenpou bent forward to kiss Kenren's lips, then down his jaw line and neck before looking up at Goujun and smiling.

Homura began to stroke himself steadily as the dragon returned Tenpou's grin, baring teeth that also seemed to shimmer in the reflections coming from the water's surface. When Tenpou righted himself, Kenren scooted up a bit and braced himself with his arms outstretched along the pool's edge. When the general gasped, Homura knew that Goujun had replaced his slender fingers with his cock, and the war god was frustrated that he couldn't actually see the dragon slide into Kenren as the general's legs wrapped tight around Goujun's midsection and one of his hands reached behind him, search for the familiar feel of Tenpou. When Tenpou leaned forward slightly, Kenren managed to snake the wandering hand behind the marshal's neck.

For a moment, Goujun and Kenren stared at each other again, as if making sure that all was right, and then Goujun began to thrust into Kenren, slow and steady at first, then faster when the sound of Kenren's moans seemed to practically beg for the dragon to speed up.

Homura stroked himself faster, squeezing harder on every stroke as he watched Goujun thrust into Kenren, the general's grip tightening on the edge of the pool with one hand and deeper into Tenpou's hair with the other, which didn't seem to bother the marshal the slightest bit. In fact, it seemed to make Tenpou's pleased grin broader with every passing second, until he leaned down close to Kenren once more, their lips crashing together, teeth undoubtedly clinking against each other in their haste.

When Kenren let go of the edge of the pool and snaked a hand down to his erection, Goujun practically slapped it away, and instead took it in his own hand. The dragon's thrusts may have been hard and fast, but the way he slowly and meticulously stroked Kenren drove Homura crazy. He tried to match the pace, but he couldn't. He wanted faster, as Kenren surely did.

"Fuck, Goujun, don't be such an ass," Kenren groaned once he'd pulled away from Tenpou's lips, "just fuckin' do it, if you're gonna…"

Kenren's eyes suddenly went wide, and all remaining words died on his tongue as Goujun sped up his strokes, Kenren writhing and reaching up to Tenpou with the hand not already tangled in the marshal's hair. For a brief second, Homura thought Kenren might pull Tenpou into the water with them, but then his own orgasm began to creep up on him, and all his thoughts turned elsewhere.

He didn't want to close his eyes, but he couldn't help it. Instead he tried to focus on the sounds the three were making; Kenren in the throes of ecstasy, Goujun's growls of pleasure and Tenpou's much quieter, but still audible purrs. It seemed to do the trick.

Homura came, biting down on one of the knuckles on his free hand to keep from crying out, only seconds before Kenren. Twitching and shaking, Homura opened his eyes the best he could, watching as Kenren writhed on Goujun's cock, his breath catching in his throat as the general's already irritated back pushed hard against the concrete edge of the pool. For the second time that night, Kenren seemed on the verge of pulling Tenpou into the pool with them, and this time the marshal had to brace himself to keep from toppling in.

When Goujun leaned in to kiss his way up Kenren's chest, the general went limp against the wall of the pool and Homura went with him. Carefully, he leaned against the partition that hid him from view and tried to get a hold of his ragged breath and twitchy muscles.

When he heard a splash, he assumed it was Tenpou finally joining his companions in the water, but instead of repositioning himself so he could watch, Homura closed his eyes and listened. Given the recent display, it wasn't hard for him imagine what was happening between Tenpou and Goujun.

As he listened, Homura couldn't help but wonder how this all had started, it piqued his curiosity to know how the dragon fit into the scheme of things. Was he just a plaything, or something more?

Tenpou's moans went from soft and quiet to more pronounced and eager as Homura thought about beginnings, and not just for the three heavenly beings in the pool behind him, and he felt something flutter in his stomach when Tenpou eventually hit his peak, his gasps and moans followed by the growls of a well-pleasured dragon.

Homura was sort of disappointed that the evening seemed to be coming to a close, but he knew that everything that had a beginning must also have an end. Carefully, he righted himself and slid his limp cock back into his pants, then peeked around the partition for one last look.

He could see Tenpou clinging loosely around Goujun's neck, and Kenren, who had apparently regained his composure enough to return to his companions' sides, resting his forehead gently against Tenpou's back, his hand slowly caressing the lines of the marshal's spine. Partially surrounding the two soldiers were Goujun's wings, still shining in the reflections of light from the pool's glassy surface.

Despite the fact that both Tenpou and Kenren seemed exhausted, Goujun seemed oddly alert and it was only seconds later that Homura realized that the dragon king of the west knew they were not alone.

*****

"What is it, Goujun?" Tenpou asked, looking up at the dragon who still held him loosely against his body.

"We are not alone." The words from Goujun's lips were slow and drawn out, as if he were trying to recall that part of him that made him seem more like a man instead of a dragon.

"One of the villagers?" Kenren asked, looking back over his shoulder as he maneuvered to Goujun's side. Tenpou decided it was best to do the same and he reluctantly slipped out of the dragon's arms.

"No. His scent is not human. It is familiar…" Goujun took a step forward and flicked the air with his tongue, then, with only a growl as a warning, he unfolded his wings, as if using them to shield his companions from sight, or in the worst scenario, harm.

Kenren snorted in annoyance by Goujun's sudden protectiveness and Tenpou assumed that was most likely because he couldn't see what the hell was going on anymore. Goujun's wings may have been like a thin membrane compared to the rest of the scales and skin on the dragon, but they were by no means see-through.

Gently, Tenpou pushed aside the wing that was stretched out in front of him and took a few steps forward, Kenren doing the same on the other side of the dragon. Behind him, he could still feel the gentle twitching of the outstretched wing.

"Show yourself, Homura-taishi," Goujun practically spat out, and while it was almost unintelligible growls coming from the dragon, Tenpou caught the important part.

He blinked hard. Once. Twice. Then a third time when Homura appeared from behind his hiding place. There was a certain sort of arrogance in the way the war god moved, like he thought he had a right to be there. It reminded him a bit of Goujun and Tenpou wondered if Kenren had come to the same realization. He probably had.

"I'm impressed, Goujun-sama. That is quite the nose you have." Homura was all flash and smiles, like he'd been watching a game of poker instead of spying on three soldiers going about their business in false secrecy. That he had been caught seemed only to amuse him further. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

Tenpou watched Homura leave after that, his companions surely just as stunned as he, for no one made a sound as Homura walked out the door that he obviously hadn't come in through, like he was giving them a chance to do or say something, anything, but it wasn't until the door clicked closed that Tenpou finally turned around to face his fellows.

Kenren's eyes were flickering from the door to Goujun, as if he were wondering which would explode first. Goujun was even easier to read for the dragon had no qualms with showing someone exactly how he felt, and even though his wings were folding back into nothingness, the red in his eyes still sparkled bright with anger. Tenpou could just imagine the things Goujun would do to the war god if he weren't bound by Tenkai's laws, just like the rest of them.

"Uh…" Kenren began when the silence was starting to become unbearable, probably feeling that it was his job to crack wise and ease the tension, but it appeared that he couldn't think of anything witty to say. To Tenpou he looked like he was too busy trying to figure out if he should feel honored or disgusted that Homura had been spying on them. "I think, next time…"

"Next time, we should use my private baths," Goujun interrupted with less of a growl hanging around his voice, a sure sign that his transformation back into his usual self was almost complete. Well, at least the usual self that they were accustomed to seeing.

"I think that is an excellent idea," Tenpou replied, smiling. Beside him, Kenren nodded in agreement before ducking below the surface of the water. Seconds later, Tenpou followed after.

*****

The snow was still falling when the sun peeked over the horizon. In the village, lights were beginning to pour out of windows as the villagers began to stir from their beds.

At the bath house, the jimmied door was in the process of being discovered by Mr. Lee, the attendant, who was muttering under his breath about youngsters who couldn't keep it in their pants and how he'd tear their hides if he ever discovered who had broken into his bath house in the middle of the night.

Tired and still sleepy, Mr. Lee walked around the bath house, surveying it for any damage. His back ached from another restless night spent on his lumpy mattress and his head pounded from the lack of sleep. It was going to be one of those days, he could already feel it.

The bath house didn't take long to look over, there didn't appear to be any other damage, other then the door, but just as he was about to call his survey complete he spotted something glistening at the edge of the pool.

Expecting it to be a piece of jewelry left behind in what may have been a hasty retreat, the attendant hobbled over to where it lay, picking it up with wide eyes when he realized it wasn't jewelry at all. Instead, what lay in his hand was a small scale, perhaps from a snake or lizard, though he knew of no creature in the area that had such pale armor to protect itself, and certainly not one whose scales would shine and glimmer like an opal when rotated in the light.

For awhile Mr. Lee stood staring at his hand, entranced by the pale yet somehow colorful scale that sat there innocently. When he finally blinked, he realized his headache had dissipated slightly and his back seemed more obliged to exist peacefully with the rest of his body.

Smiling, he slipped the scale into the pocket of his pants and began to ready the bath house for another busy winter day. As he started to sweep the floor, Mr. Lee began to think that perhaps it wouldn't be such a lousy day after all.

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