Title: The Art of War
Author: Ohajiki
Rating: NC17
Pairing: Kenren x Tenpou


Summary:
Tenpou shares his bed with more than just Kenren


Warnings: M/M and gratuitous use of a book


The Art of War

Tenpou had many favourite books and liked to keep these very special books close to him for reference and general amusement purposes. Kenren knew this to be very true as they had a tendency to poke him in the ass whenever he stayed the night, which was becoming more and more usual. Once he had slept on top a collection of Greek Philosophy. A complete set of war diaries had imprisoned his legs. This was to say nothing of the scroll which had nearly wedged itself somewhere immodest. The only book in Tenpou's bed that he could see being of any use was the copy of the Kama Sutra beautifully bound in dark green with darker green flecks and even that had sought to chafe his nipples at one time or another.

However this book was the final straw.

Due to fortuitous circumstances, the first platoon had been granted the late afternoon and early evening completely off. With Goujun seeing to his territory in the Western Seas and everything that needed subjugating firmly stamped on and squashed into submission there was nothing for the Western Army to do. Except in the case of General Kenren who had one particular thing to do, and that thing was Field Marshall of the Western Seas, Tenpou.

Tenpou had been only too willing for a visitor that afternoon and even more willing for that visitor to bend him over his own desk and fuck him until he screamed for more all the while gagging his cries with his own orders. He was even more willing when Kenren suggested having food and sake delivered by some servants, and then spend a lazy evening getting drunk and eating good food. Once fed and sated again by a sake-fuelled amorous Kenren, they had both crashed out in Tenpou's large and exceedingly comfortable bed wrapped around each other like knots with the expectation of be well-rested and in a good mood ready for the return of both platoon and Dragon.

Except Kenren hadn't woken up that way.

He expected to be spooned snugly against Tenpou with his nose buried in the mop of dark hair, occasionally dropping kisses onto the back of his lover's neck. The back of Tenpou's neck was a particularly sensitive spot and he did it purely to have his lover jolt against him and shift his ass against Kenren's groin. Therefore Kenren's first thought had been to nestle in close and drop a kiss.

He kissed the nearest solid thing to him and licked it for good measure … getting a taste of old leather and musty paper.

"Aww come on!" he yelled, sitting up in the bed and jabbing his foot into another hardback by his feet. He fished out the foot-book and examined it with sleep-blurred eyes. It was bound in the dark green with darker green flecks and the title on the front proclaimed it to be the Kama Sutra. Ah the useful book. So what was the book he had just tried to eat? "Tenpou! No more! No books in this bed, ever. You hear me?"

There was a snuffle to his right and Tenpou rolled over from his comfortable sleeping place and wrapped his arms around the book Kenren had just sexually assaulted. A large hardback book, bound in dark red leather with the title embossed in gold: The Art of War. Tenpou now rested his head on it and the rest of his body sprawled haphazardly across the mattress. It looked like someone had dropped him from a height and he had tried to break his fall with the book. The idea amused Kenren but it didn't detract from the pact that there was still a book in the godsdamned bed.

"Tenpou, if you don't wake up, I'm burning the book." Threatened Kenren, jabbing the inert man lying next to him firmly in the ribs.

Tenpou made a mumbling noise and scratched his nose before snuggling down on the book. He waved a finger haphazardly.

"General Kenren, three things you need to know. One is that I am most definitely awake. Two is that this is not a book it's a guide for life. Finally three is that if you jab me in the ribs again I will shove you out of this window stark naked then send a messenger for the Jade Emperor to come and see you."

Kenren pouted and finally Tenpou raised his head off the leather pillow and blinked owlishly. He always looked a little bemused in the mornings that he found his glasses had been oh-so-helpfully removed for him. He looked down at the book and ran a hand across the faded cover before cradling it in his hands, his fingers teasing the soft leathery spine. Kenren found himself watching the stroking and to his astonishment – and annoyance – he experienced a mild case of jealousy.

"Don't know what's so great about that book anyway, that Kama Sutra of yours was so much better than this Art of War crap …" he huffed and reached for the open packet of cigarettes on the nightstand. One of the very first things that had put Tenpou firmly in Kenren's high regard was that the man smoked. More to the point, Tenpou had packets of cigarettes scattered about his living quarters and was quite happy to let Kenren smoke anywhere he wished as long as he set fire to as little as possible.

"… You don't need to read that shit anyway, as Goujun keeps telling everyone, you're the best commander in Tenkai and have the respect of your troops yadda yadda yadda. It's obvious you are doing something right, so why bother reading someone else's take on it?" Kenren shook the box and found it empty. There was probably more in Tenpou's office but he would have to clean it to find them.

Tenpou shifted his body so he could rest the book on his knees. Once comfortable against the pillows, he opened it.

"Well, where do you think I gain some of my skills from? This is an indispensable book, Kenren, and can be applied to any situation."

Taken by the urge to prove that no, it couldn't be applied to ANY situation, Kenren leaned over. This proved an excellent tactic as he could see right down the gap in the sheets and Tenpou was wonderfully naked beneath. Getting close to Tenpou's ear, he gently blew across the tiny hairs there making the man shiver.

"Couldn't be applied to sex though could it?" he murmured, sliding his hand up Tenpou's thigh. The Marshal responded by curling two fingers across the yellowing page and turning it. It was frustrating "So you gotta get it outta the bed because I have another lesson in mind."

Tenpou slowly closed the book and turned to Kenren who was kissing the column of his neck. Kenren had laid down a challenge and naturally he would need to answer this. Besides, he had already thought of such situations long ago: the notes were already written in the margins. Shifting the book into the crook of one arm, Tenpou moved himself onto his knees and quickly straddled the General. With all the reverence of a priest he placed the book on Kenren's chest.

"I would appreciate the chance prove the contrary if I may, Kenren?" Tenpou moved his hips back and forth for emphasis and was pleased to feel Kenren's dick immediately rising for attention against him. He leaned over his lover and popped the top off the small jar by the bed. "Are you willing?"

Kenren grinned and lay back against the pillows putting his arms behind his head. Only Tenpou would be so effortlessly unconcerned with sex. Kenren considered himself the wild tear-the-clothes off rabid sex addict; Tenpou was the calculated ambiguous one – still a sex addict – but there was definitely more plotting involved with Tenpou. He seemed to relish the possibility of getting both physical and metaphorical twists and turns into every session they had.

"Suits me fine, but you still ain't gonna convince me." Laughed Kenren, waiting to see what Tenpou would do. Laying down challenges in the bedroom always created a certain frisson to their couplings.

Tenpou quirked an eyebrow, placed a finger to his lips and opened the book about halfway.

"If he is taking his ease, give him no rest." He said softly and launched into an attack, planting a furious kiss on Kenren and reached one hand around to his cock. He thrust his tongue against Kenren's teeth and demanded entrance that the man was only too happy to grant. Kenren moaned into the kiss and bucked up his hips. Tenpou deftly swept his fingers through the cream in the jar and slicked his lover, all the while continuing his harsh, open-mouthed kisses. When satisfied that Kenren was slick enough, Tenpou released him from the kiss and sat up. He pushed the book to one side and using both his hands he rolled Kenren's nipples slowly between his fingers and thumbs. The dark-haired man beneath him moaned and gyrated.


"Aww man that's hot." He groaned and reached out to grip Tenpou's hips and lift him up to slide down onto his willing cock. Tenpou ignored his actions, keeping his nipple-teasing constant even going so far as to shift further up Kenren's body to continue with his actions.

"Ponder and deliberate before you make a move, Kenren." He murmured, increasing the pressure behind his pinches. Tenpou's face fell into a familiar sly half-smile-half-smirk as he looked down at Kenren "Might I suggest you make some use of your hands and hold the book up for me at page fifty-two."

Going from a writhing, moaning wreck to just plain confused in less than a second proved to be a little too complicated for Kenren forcing Tenpou to pinch Kenren's nipples just that little bit harder to make his point clear. Kenren yelped, opened his eyes and gave a questioning look to the man on top of him. Tenpou was forced to re-iterate his previous statement.


"The book, Kenren, page fifty-two, if you please … I have another point to look up." He commanded.




Dumbfounded now because Tenpou had released his nipples – which he could feel his pulse throbbing through – and was methodically slicking up the fingers of his right hand. He shot Kenren a look which immediately had the General flicking to the requested page fifty two and lifting it on his chest for Tenpou to see. Tenpou looked over the text and as he did so, he slipped his fingers into himself.


"Ah here it is … Sun Tzu said:  In war, the general receives his commands from his commanding officer …" Withdrawing his fingers, Tenpou shifted his hips and started to impale himself on Kenren's wanting cock. Kenren could feel Tenpou's body shift, part and welcome him in and – as always – it was breathtaking. His ass met Kenren's balls and Tenpou continued "… and having concentrated his forces, the General must blend and harmonise the different elements before …" Tenpou bucked and Kenren moaned. "… pitching his camp. Understand, General?"

"Understood, Marshall." As soon as Tenpou's eyes started to close, Kenren moved quickly. He shifted the book and sat up, pulling Tenpou close and bucking upwards. Books were all well and good but Tenpou couldn't expect him to just lie back and listen to philosophy all day, not when there was a Tenpou to fuck. He withdrew, thrust back and felt Tenpou's arms settle around his neck, mouth near to his ear.

"Now comes tactical manoeuvring." He murmured, before commencing an arrhythmic motion that had Kenren gripping at his ass to try and maintain a steady rhythm. He heard Tenpou's chuckle. "The difficulty of tactical manoeuvring consists in turning the devious." He moved his hips in a series of shallow, elliptical movements. "… into the direct." He slammed down on Kenren's cock and the man bit down on his neck.

The Art of War hit the floor and the two men fell into a familiar rhythm borne from months of sleeping together. Tenpou kept varying his movements whilst gripping Kenren's shoulders, still murmuring various snippets which Kenren couldn't quite hear. Kenren also was plunging his hands into Tenpou's hair, pulling it, teasing it and stroking his hands down his lovers back to grip at the firm muscle of Tenpou's ass. As Tenpou's breaths became distinctly staccato; Kenren thrust harder, determined to make them come together.

How Tenpou still had his mind on philosophy he didn't know.

"Ahhh … and Kenren … energy maybe likened to the bending of a … oh! Of a crossbow … that is … that is … harder, General!" he threw his head back and Kenren sank his nails into his lover's perfect ass. Tenpou rode him without mercy and he had to spread his legs to accommodate the force. Tenpou was still talking though so he hadn't quite hit the right spot. "The onrush of a conquering force … is like the bursting…" the rest of his sentence was cut off by an almost animalistic howl of pleasure from Tenpou as he succumbed to pleasure, gripping Kenren's shoulders and painting their chests and stomachs with his release.

The built up pressure surrounded Kenren and he came, inside the shuddering man on top of him. Tenpou flopped onto him, naked and sticky, almost purring with satisfaction. Kenren lazily traced a finger through the sweat on Tenpou's back, he couldn't resist. Making sure Tenpou was pinned against him he finished the quote,

"Is like the bursting of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep … yeah I think I just did that." He felt Tenpou stiffen a little in his arms.

"Kenren …"

"Yeah I know, I read it and now you're never gonna mention it again … if it gets out I've read books I'll never live it down, it's bad enough I have to sleep with them and now I'm starting to read them."

Tenpou tickled a certain area on Kenren's side which made the General squirm and release his pinning hold. Tenpou then rolled off his lover and rummaged under another pile of books on the nightstand, bringing up a full packet of cigarettes with a lighter attached to it with a straining elastic band. Sliding off the cellophane, he tapped out two cigarettes and handed one over, flicking up the lighter as he did so. Kenren took a welcoming drag.

"Don't worry Kenren … as the book tells us 'All warfare is based on deception', so your reputation is safe." He exhaled a cloud of silvery smoke and rummaged for the book. "Besides it needs to come out of the bed anyway, Goujun asked to borrow it after I extolled its virtues, although I should to erase the comments in the margins first, they really aren't suitable for a commanding officer to see." He looked out of the window where footsteps below indicated that many were up and about. "I suppose we should get up for morning drills and I can drop this in on the way."

With little complaining and as few book-stacks toppled over, both men rose from the bed and shared a lazy shower. They dressed in the comfortable silence of years of familiarity with Kenren finding Tenpou's slippers under yet another stack of books. After dismissing the eager yet dim-witted young messenger sent to fetch Tenpou, they made their way to Goujun's office, Kenren dawdling with his cigarette and Tenpou fiddling with the book in his hands.

Upon finding the Dragon King absent, Tenpou placed the book in the centre of the desk and went to leave. As they left Kenren looked back at the book. It was a large hardback, bound in leather. Beautifully bound in dark green leather with darker green flecks. Oh shit. Wrong book. Oh well. The Dragon would probably enjoy that more and besides, Kenren really needed to re-read the Art of War himself for those notes in the margins.

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