A Third Life

Kunzite knew that something was wrong the second he opened the door. The train had been delayed, and so he had arrived a bit later than intended. Zoisite was no where to be seen amongst the other prostitutes in the lobby. A couple of them recognized him, however.

“Kunikiyo?” a blonde girl asked.

“Where's Izou?” he asked, using Zoisite's assumed name.

The girl looked back at the others, and another girl decided to answer, this one a red-head. “He's already been bought for the night,” she said.

Kunzite clenched his teeth, angry with himself for taking too long in getting there. He turned quickly and grabbed the door knob without another word.

“Wait!” The blonde stopped him, getting out of her seat to come over to him. “Do you really know him?” she asked.

Kunzite nodded, wondering what the point was of the questions.

“Izou probably won't be too long. These two are rather notorious for being fast.”

Two? Kunzite was beginning to see red.

“Please, Izou was really looking forward to seeing you. I felt so bad for him when they walked in.”

Kunzite had half a mind to go up those stairs and retrieve Zoisite himself, but logic stopped him. It wouldn't do either of them much good, not if Kunzite planned to get Zoisite out of the business legitimately. “I can wait here?” he asked.

The blonde nodded. “Just... look interested in one of us if someone else comes in.”

It made enough sense, and Kunzite made himself comfortable leaning against the wall.

---

It couldn't have been more than a half-hour later when he heard a door open upstairs. Immediately his eyes were on the stairs, wanting to get a good look at the men who had defiled his Zoisite.

The red-head was out of her seat quickly. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him over to the sofa. “Look interested in me, and don't look at them,” she instructed.

She had almost pulled him down on top of her. Kunzite managed to stabilize himself on the arm of the sofa, and continued to lean down over the girl. It was like a switch had been turned inside her, she went from completely normal and relaxed to a seductive vixen. Kunzite made sure than his long, white locks fell to cover his face from the two men as they walked past. He wouldn't see their faces either, which might be best.

When the door closed behind the men, Kunzite straightened up. “I'm going up there now,” he announced.

“Wait,” the same girl said. “At least give Izou a chance to clean up. I'm sure he'd hate for you to see him like that.”

“Like what?”

The red-head crossed her arms over her chest. “Before Izou came here, I was their girl of choice. I know what they're into, and if I had a lover coming to see me, I would want a chance to bath and change first.”

Kunzite wasn't sure if he wanted to know what they “were into”, but the question was out of his mouth before he could think about it further.

The girl appeared to think about that for a moment. “I'm not sure that I should say...” she said.

An older woman, the madam Kunzite had seen last night, joined the group then. She looked Kunzite up and down for a moment, and seemed to recognize him from the night before. “Are you here to see Izou?” she asked.

“I am.”

“I don't think he'll be seeing any more customers tonight, but I'm sure one of the other ladies-”

“I'm not a customer,” Kunzite interrupted. “I'm his... friend.”

The madam raised her eyebrow at this. “I don't like to see friends of my workers showing up at work,” she said.

“I thought he was done for the night,” Kunzite retorted.

He had her there, and she appeared fine with that. “Just give him a few minutes.”

The madam walked passed him then, and went over to the girls. “Is he OK?” one of them asked.

“He's fine, they were jackasses, but followed all the rules.”

Kunzite listened to the conversation, hoping to pick up some insight.

“It might not be a bad idea to start a rule of only one at a time,” one girl said.

The madam seemed to consider it. “The price tag we assign to such a thing pretty much takes care of that all on its own, with the exception of those two. They are on their last warning, and they know it.”

Sick of waiting much longer, Kunzite started up the stairs without waiting for permission. He didn't hear anyone call him to stop, and he probably wouldn't have anyway.

He went to the same room as before and knocked on the door. There was no answer and Kunzite couldn't hear anything from within. He tried the knob and found that the room was open. “Zoisite?” he asked quietly as he opened the door.

There was a sudden commotion over by the bed. It sounded like someone scampering under the sheets. “Don't come in!” Zoisite said, his voice partially muffled.

Kunzite paused and then slowly opened the door further. He saw that Zoisite was indeed huddled on the bed under one of the silk sheets. His body heaved as it looked like he was crying. The desire to hold Zoisite close to him and comfort him was too overpowering for Kunzite. He ignored Zoisite's pleas and walked in, closing the door behind him. “Zoisite...”

“Stay away, please.” He was crying, and his face was turned away from Kunzite.

There was a small voice in Kunzite's head that told him to respect Zoisite's wishes, but the need to bring Zoisite some kind of comfort was stronger. He walked over to the side of the bed Zoisite was facing and sat down. Zoisite immediately flipped over the other way.

“I don't want you to see me like this...” he said, muffled and quiet.

The way he was talking made Kunzite think that perhaps his memories were returning. He didn't say a word, but instead reached out and placed a hand on Zoisite's shoulder. He ran his hand down Zoisite's arm and then back up to his shoulder in gentle strokes.

Zoisite's sobs began to subside, apparently Kunzite's presence had been useful. “Did they hurt you?” he asked quietly.

Zoisite shook his head. “You saw them?”

“No, I just heard from the girls.”

Gently, Kunzite tried to get Zoisite to roll over to face him, but he immediately fought back. Deciding to give up on that approach, Kunzite stood and noticed Zoisite peek behind him to see what was happening. “You would want to get cleaned up and changed, correct?” Kunzite asked. “I can find you a robe.”

Zoisite considered this for a moment and then nodded. “There's one hanging on the back of the bathroom door.”

Without another word, Kunzite went and fetched the article, returning to the other side of the bed. Zoisite did not turn away from him this time, and instead reached out and took the robe from Kunzite. In order to give Zoisite the privacy he wanted, Kunzite turned his back while Zoisite got out of bed and wrapped his small frame in the material. In the brief glimpse Kunzite had gotten, he had seen that Zoisite's hair was a mess, and partially obscuring his face. Also, he had been wearing a black wrist band, which buckled closed and have several metal loops and latches.

Boots clicked on the floor when Zoisite stood up and Kunzite dared a glance behind him. “I'll be in the bath,” Zoisite said quietly. He held his hand to block his face again from Kunzite's view, but Kunzite caught something else besides the tall leather boots that went up higher than the robe allowed him to see. Zoisite was also wearing a collar.

Kunzite clamped his teeth together and a low growl escaped him when the door closed behind Zoisite. Those men were very lucky that Kunzite had not seen their faces. He would have had half a mind to hunt them down and ripped out their hearts.

---

Kunzite listened outside the door while the shower ran. When Zoisite had first left, he took the time to clean up the bedding as Zoisite had the night before, pretending to have not noticed the thong thrown into the far corner.

As he waited now, he recalled that there was also a bath with the shower, so he knew that Zoisite would want to soak for a while after as well. Eventually the running water stopped and the sound of Zoisite stepping into the tub reached Kunzite.

He knocked lightly on the door. “May I come in?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Kunzite had already taken off his shoes, and he undid the buttons on his shirt, as the room was bound to be rather warm.

He found Zoisite leaning back in the tub, his eyes closed as he soaked up the warmth of the water. His hair hung in wet curls around his face. Kunzite sat on the side of the tub, noticing the lack of bubbles that Zoisite normally would have filled the water with. Too expensive, probably. “Better?” he asked.

Zoisite managed a small smile then, “Thank you.”

“Have you remembered anything?”

Zoisite looked surprised at the question, and then thoughtful. “No, but...”

Interested, Kunzite pushed forward. “But?”

“I went to the library earlier today and I looked up our names.”

So that was it, he had read about the past. “So then you know who we are.”

Zoisite turned quickly, almost splashing Kunzite with some of the water. “You're not telling me that I am that person!” he said, his voice high, almost frightened. “It said that I... that he... tried to kill...”

Zoisite's reaction surprised Kunzite. True, he had done some things in the Dark Kingdom that he wasn't proud of either, but at the same time, he understood his reasoning at the time. “You're not under Beryl's control any more,” Kunzite explained, “so no, you aren't the same person. From what I can see, you're much more like the person you were before then.”

“The Golden Kingdom?” Zoisite asked, recalling his history lesson.

“That's right,” Kunzite said, resting his hand on Zoisite's upper back. “I remember when I first met you. You were but a child, but I was so struck by your beauty.”

Zoisite looked away, a bit of a blush creeping onto his cheeks. His vanity had only existed in the Dark Kingdom, a result of the evil energy they had all been exposed to. The Zoisite of the Golden Kingdom had not been quite the same. “I am hardly a beauty when compared to Sailor Venus.”

So he knew that as well. Kunzite didn't particularly care for that piece of his past, the forced marriages between the Shitennou and the Sailor Senshi. “Nonsense. Compared to you, she is hardly worthy of her title.”

Zoisite looked shocked at this remark, and unable to make a comment on it. Kunzite knew that Zoisite loved hearing how beautiful he was, even if he was less obvious about it now. “What did those books have to say about us?” he asked, changing the subject somewhat.

“It said that we were supposed to marry the Sailor Senshi, but fought against it because we were... lovers.”

Kunzite smiled down at Zoisite, who was stealing tentative glances up at him. “Anything else?” he asked.

Zoisite shook his head. “It didn't really go into much detail about that. Just that we sided with Beryl and that had something to do with it.”

Kunzite nodded. “We started having trouble seeing eye to eye with Prince Endymion, and at the time, what Beryl had to say made sense. She told us that the Princess of the Moon had him under some kind of a spell, and that if we attacked the moon, he would start to see through that. We could break the spell he was under.”

Zoisite was silent for a while, and Kunzite let him be while he pondered. “Kunzaito-sama... what would happen if people found out that we were here? Everyone thinks that we're dead, and we're probably not well liked.”

The question had come up in Kunzite's mind more than once. “I don't know, but I can tell you that King Endymion knows that were here.”

“He does?”

“He helped me find you.”

Zoisite appeared to remember the man from the night before. “I see.”

“Why don't you come home with me tonight?” Kunzite asked, finally proposing the question that he had been dying to do. “You're finished for the night, right?”

Zoisite's face brightened at the prospect. “Can I?” he asked.

“I'd love it if you could.”

Kunzite got out of the way when Zoisite stood to get out of the bath. Kunzite found and handed him a towel, but not before taking in his nude form. 'This is not the time,' Kunzite reminded himself. Not right after what had just happened. “Will there be any problems with your boss?”

Zoisite shook his head. “I made more than double for her tonight. I could take two nights off if I wanted.”

“Then why don't you?” Kunzite asked.

Zoisite smiled. “I'll pack my things!”

---

Kunzite waited patiently while Zoisite explained to the madam that he was going to spend the next couple of days with “Kunikiyo”. She was less than supportive to say the least, and Kunzite could understand why. Who wouldn't want to protect one of their more successful workers? In addition, Zoisite drew in certain customers that would otherwise not be interested. And now he was saying that he was going to run off with this random man, who for all intents and purposes he didn't really know. How would she know that he was going to return?

As Zoisite continued to have difficulty in convincing her to let him go, Kunzite stepped in. “I'll leave you my contact information if you need to reach him,” he offered, “so long as I have your word that no one else will see it.”

The older woman looked at him sceptically. “No offence, but how do I know that you are not giving me a fake address?”

Kunzite retrieved his business card. “This has my cell phone number on it. You are welcome to call it now to test it.”

Not leaving anything to chance, the woman picked up her phone and dialled the number. Kunzite's phone rang in response, and she seemed satisfied with that at least.

“Izou tells me that he's made enough for two nights, so I assume that's not the problem,” Kunzite pushed further. Zoisite had remained quiet when he had stepped in, seemingly thankful for the help, and impressed that he was winning the madam over.

“We've had problems in the past with men attempting to take our workers home for themselves. Izou especially has had problems. How do I know that you don't intend to forcibly keep Izou from returning here?”

Kunzite studied the woman, determining just how much she needed to know. “I know him from before he came here, before his memory problems began. We were close,” he emphasised the word, and wrapped his arm around Izou to make his point. “I would never force him to do something that he didn't want to do, nor would I stop him from doing what he wanted. If he wants to continue working here, I won't stop him.”

Kunzite knew that she wouldn't like the idea of a man from Zoisite's past just walking in and sweeping him off his feet and out of her business, but legally she had no way to keep him here. Technically speaking, prostitution was legal, slavery was not.

The woman reached into a purse and produced a few bills. “Your half for the job this evening,” she said, handing the money over. “You'll be back in two days time?”

Zoisite nodded. “I will.”

“Good.” She gave Kunzite one last look over before excusing herself. As she left, Kunzite could feel Zoisite relax.

“Shall we go?”

Zoisite smiled up at him and nodded excitedly. “I can't wait to see where you live.”

---

The house Kunzite lived in wasn't exactly huge, but it seemed that Zoisite found it comparable to the Crystal Palace. While Zoisite looked around, Kunzite took his small bag to the bedroom. He didn't bring much as he didn't own much. Tomorrow he would take Zoisite out to get some decent clothing, some real food, and show him around the area a bit. He fully intended to seduce Zoisite into staying with him, in a variety of ways.

The elderly couple that had found Kunzite two years ago had decided to retire from the business and move away. Kunzite had in turn purchased their home and shop for a small price. He laughed when he thought about how he had been a high ranking official in both of his past lives, and now he was a simple commoner, running a gift shop. In truth, he wanted nothing more out of this life that to have Zoisite by his side. He was sick of having to put his partner in second after duty and obligation. This time, it would only be a simple life, quiet and simple.

“Kunzaito-sama!” Zoisite came running down the hall. “I can't believe that you live in such an amazing place! It's wonderful!”

“It's nothing fantastic, compared to where we lived in the past.”

Zoisite stuck his lip out in a pout. “I don't remember the past.”

Kunzite walked over to the window and looked out over the city. They were a few floors up, and had a clear view of the palace. “It doesn't make sense that I am the only one who remembers...”

Zoisite joined him at the window, but looked up at his face instead of outside. “The only one?”

“Neither Jadeite nor Nephrite have their memories either.”

“You found them as well?”

Kunzite nodded. “When I was looking for you, I found them first.”

There was a period of silence. While Kunzite was certainly happy to be in the position that he was now, he did want answers. King Endymion had none, and so who or what was responsible for resurrecting them?

“So what happens now?”

Kunzite turned away from the palace and looked back down at Zoisite, his bright emerald eyes looking up at him as though Kunzite had all the answers in the world. “We go one with our lives,” he said. He reached out and brushed his fingers over Zoisite's cheek. “Now that I've found you, I don't need anything else.”