Where You Belong

*****

Zoisite stood in the middle of the large bedroom, staring in disbelief at
all the luxurious items that were present in one place. He could hardly
believe that this was his room, or so the maid had upo upon showing
him inside. The small room at Beryl\'s palace had been the most space he had
ever been given to live in; he shuddered to remember the days when he had no
more than the bare floor to lie on.

The young man walked to the window and looked out at the magnificent garden
that sprawled out below. Numerous people were bustling about the courtyard:
knights, lords, ladies, servants. Zoisite desperately searched the crowds
with his eyes trying to find a certain ivory haired man.

\'Kunzite...\' Zoisite sighed sadly, suddenly feelingy aly alone and even a bit
afraid. He wanted his Master near him again, wanted to be in his arms again...

It had been the first time in his life that someone had been so kind to
Zoisite. Yet, even if Kunzite had been less than kind, there was something
so noble and magnificent about the Lord that Zoicite would still have been
captivated. Zoisite imagined what it would be like for his Master to finally
claim all his slave had to offer. He could almost feel Kunzite\'s pre pressed
to his own, his Master\'s hands gliding across his bare skin as they lay down
onto the bed.

A sudden thoughtke ike into Zoisite\'s fantasy--what if Kunzite did not want
him? He had been nothing but caring towards his slave, but then again, Kunzite
seemed to be the kind of man who was always kind to others, at least th
de
deserving of his kindness. Panic seized the young man and he began to pace
around the room. Did his Master find him repulsive? Of course such an honorable
man would think lowly of a slave, especially one who had been so ill-used! It
must have been awful for Kunzite to even dirty his hands by touching his skin when
he held him.

Zoisite dropped to his knees and hugged himself tightly. Perhaps there would be
some way to gain favor with the beautiful Lord? Even though Prince Endymion had
said he was no longer Kunzite\'s slave, he would not accept his freedom. He wanted
Kunzite to be his Master, as his heart belonged only to this man who had saved him.
There could not be another. Even though Zoisite, in the past, had laughed at the
notion of \'love at first sight\', there was no other way to describe how he had felt
when he first laid eyes on Kunzite. It was as though he was being drawn to Kunzite,
not out of gratitude or servitude, but something greater, something that could not
be named in mere words.

He knew it was too much to hope for that Kunzite could ever return his love as an
equal. At least if he remained his slave, his Master would grow fond of him and even
show him affection and tenderness. No matter what he had to do, Zoisite vowed to win
a place back at Kunzite\'s side and, once there, would do anything to remain by him.


*****

After he had finished talking with Endymion, Kunzite headed the the palace to find
Zoisite. He wanted to see how younyoung man was adjusting to his newfound freedom.
It would no doubt be awhile before Zoisite would feel comfortable enough to act
according to his own will and no one else\'s.

Kunzite looked forward to seeing Zoisite again. More than once the image of the naked
blonde had filled his mind as he attended to other matters. It would be heaven to be
able to touch that beauty, to hold him close. Yet Kunzite knew that such a thing was
not possible. The young slave had bthrothrough so much, abused by so many people who
had done Goddess knows what to that innocent body. Any physical advance on Kunzite\'s
part, no matter how honorable, would undoubtedly be seen as horrendous in Zoisite\'s eyes.
Even worse, he probably would willingly obey Kunzite\'s every whim, since he still held
the mindset of a slave.

The General sighed as he approached the door to Zoisite\'s room. \'No matter what, I\'ll
make him feel safe. I\'ll never do anything to the contrary, even if it kills me.\' Kunzite
knocked and waited for Zoisite\'s reply before entering. The young man was sitting on the
edge of the bed, long hair undone and falling about his face in waves. Kunzite paused for
a moment as he took in the beauty of this sight. \'Even if it kills me...\'

\"Zoisite, is this room to your liking?\" Kunzite asked in a slight shaky voice. \"Is there
anything you need?\"

Zoisite smiled as he rose from the bed and crossed the distance to where Kunzite stood.
He looked up and actually held Kunzite\'s gaze with his own, bright blue eyes half lidded.

\"I missed you, Master,\" Zoisite replied in a soft voice. \"What may I do for you?\"

Kunzite backed up a step, taken by surprise by the question. He quickly gathered his
composure and shook his head.

\"Zoisite, I am not your Master. Just as the Prince said, you are a free man.\"

Zoisite did not respond verbally, but instead stepped closer and gingerly reached out to
wrap his arms around the stunned General\'s waist. Again he dared to look into his Master\'s
eyes, trying to show him what he wanted because he would never ask.

\"I want whatever you want,\" Zoisite insisted. \"I am yours. Do with me whatever you will.\"

Kunzite untangled himself from the inviting arms and backed up even further.

\"Zoisite! Don\'t...I don\'t want...\"

Confusion and hurt were evident in Zoisis fas face. \"You don\'t...want me?\"

Kunzite wanted to shout \'yes, I do\', wanted to take the blond in his arms and kiss those
soft lips, but what he wanted did not matter. He would not take advantage of the situation.
Zoisite obviously felt he *had* to do whatever Kunzite would have wished.

\"No...I don\'t.\" The words stung Kunzite\'s heart as he spoke the lie. \"I am here as your
friend, as your advisor. There is much for you to learn in your new freedom.\"

\"Oh...\" Zoisite turned away, the tears already starting to fall. \'So I am disgusting to
him. How could I have hoped...\' \"I understand.\"

\"I will leave you for now, so you can prepare for dinner. A maid will come by to attend to
you and then will show you to the banquet room.\" Kunzite watched as Zoisite only nodded,
his back still towards him. \"Then I will see you at dinner.\" With these words, Kunzite left
the room in a hurry. He could barely breathe as he walked down the hallway; despite all of
the battles he had fought and all the enemies he had faced, this was the hardest thing he had
ever had to do.

When he heard the door close, Zoisite pressed his hands to his face and wept softly. It was
worse than he could ever imagine. He would have preferred that Kunzite had struck him
physically than to reject him, even though he could not blame the General.

Zoisite suddenly felt sick, a chill seizing his body as he collapsed onto the bed. He curled
onto his side and shivered, his eyes heavy with tears and a dull pain choking his heart. His
last thought before falling into a fitful sleep was that of Kunzite, and how he had lost him.

*****
.:tbc:.