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"Darling”
Shunsui felt small, insistent arms either side of him, gently shaking in an effort to persuade him out of sleep and back to reality. He kept his eyes closed, breathing deep and tempered; hoping to give the impression it wasn’t working.
The bell had chimed seven not so long ago, dragging him groggily back to the waking world thinking it a most undignified way to wake up and wondering why on earth it had today. His body, cramped and aching from a poor night’s sleep, complained that it was still too early. That no-one got up at this hour, not even for work. He normally slept through the chimes. Instead, preferring to lay in late; quite often only stirring once someone came knocking at the door to his quarters. It gave him barely enough time to wash and dress before the morning duties commenced.
However, the one who normally came looking for him had been lying beside him;one arm thrown casually across his chest in what had been a deep sleep. That was, until she’d seen fit to disentangle herself from twisted blankets and half worn night clothes, the awkward jumble of arms and legs they’d become. That was probably what had woken him. Her sudden absence, the removal of her scent, the press of her lithe little body against his. It was something he’d noticed bit by bit. His whole being protesting at the removal of the woman, wishing she’d stayed for a bit. They were both due on duty in a few hours but there was still time to linger. Her office would be empty and his first duty of the day was a Captain’s meeting not due to start until noon.
He’d heard her moving about as he’d lain there, trying to acclimatize himself to the earliness of the hour. The pad of bare feet, door closing as she headed to the bathroom, general thumps and patter of one getting ready for the day. It sent his nerves jangling, ears over sensitive. He noted too how quickly she’d made herself at home in his quarters her things intermingled with his on dressers and desks. Her clothes placed neatly with his on the chair. He liked it in a strange way, it seemed right. Far from the imposition it should have been. All the while he kept his eyes shut, a few bars of icy white light streaming through the blind he hadn’t closed properly the night before. Knowing opening them now would leave him blinded and blinking against the gaudy magnificence of a brand new day.
Before they’d become a couple; he’d always had happy visions of lie ins with Nanao on days off. On duty days too now that he thought it about it. No matter what the day; he could think of nothing better than to lie beside her and squander the morning away doing nothing in particular. In his mind, there would be breakfasts in bed for special occasions or on days when he felt like spoiling her, idle conversation too, pillow talk perhaps. In some his better imaginings, these lazy mornings folded into early afternoons if he knew they wouldn’t be missed. It was,if he were honest, a bit of a disappointment to find her so mismatched to him in this respect. Nanao apparently having other ideas of how best to spent the first hours of a new day. Maybe it was something he'd have to convert her to, get her to see the other side of the coin. The fantasy too good to let go of without a fight.
The night before had left him tired as well, in need of a lie in. It wasn’t until you shared a bed with someone that you realized what kind of sleeper you were. He’d never slept so lightly in his life. Nanao was restless when she slept. Always fidgety not once keeping still. Even her mouth moving every so often as if she were dissecting the day gone by and making plans for the one ahead. Every so often the gentle shifts of her body as she tossed and turned disturbed his slumber. Not by much but for long enough to want to check on her, turning to his side just to make sure all was well before the night claimed him once more and he delved back into dreams of his own. He drifted off into a deeper sleep just before morning only for all this to wake him, much to his frustration. He felt like he’d not slept in weeks, head heavy, brain refusing to get up into gear. The day stretching out in front of him already seeming far too long.
He’d heard her yawn a few times since she’d been up too. Elegant, hardly audible sighs, suggesting perhaps she hadn’t slept well either. It could be early rising was force of habit to her; a routine was quickly formed and adhered to with little need for thought. It was a common enough issue, especially in organisations such as this. In his experience though, it did no harm to break from habits every once in a while.
“Shunsui”
She was trying a different tact now. Still shaking but changing from her preferred endearment to his name in the hope of raising a response. Hoping the change of phrase would catch his attention. As strategies went, this one was quite underhand for the likes of Nanao.
He’d have to open his eyes in a moment. The pretext was becoming more and more apparent the longer she carried on. Her actions had become even more insistent, to the point where ignoring them was no longer an option.Her body was a hairs breadth away from him; any closer and he’d give himself away completely. His body was oh so painfully alert to her proximity, his breathing no longer the deep even sighs of one at rest , the giveaways of a person awakened. Her presence was tangible to him. Easily close enough to reach and close the gap between them, he thought.
He was hit with an idea and instinctively fumbled for her. Still refusing to open his eyes, his reflexes, sense of perception were only slightly thrown off by the lack of sight and muggy head. Striking lucky, his arms clutched her around the waist and pulled her on top of him, leaving her sprawled across his abdomen.
She let out a gasp of shock as he opened his eyes just in time to catch her flustered and unsure. Her hands placed on the wide planes of his chest to steady her-self, legs straddled either side of his flank. Cheeks flushed, a tad disheveled as a result of his imprecise actions. She was fully dressed but missing her glasses. Hair already swept up and away from her face, more or less ready to leave for another day at the grindstone.
“Let me go!”
He offered her a languid grin
“Good morning Nanao,my love, sleep well?”
She looked decidedly unimpressed, her pretty mouth a thin line, eyes narrowing. It was an alluring picture, he decided.
“ You need to let me go. I’m going to be late”
“For what?” he asked, drawing a blank at any business so urgent it necessitated a seven am rising.
“The office” she announced, noncommittal, as if this was the most normal thing in the world to her. She had to be kidding.
“You’re not going yet?!” he questioned, “The sun’s barely over the horizon, why don’t you come back to bed for a while?”
“The morning briefing starts at ten, I have work to do before that, I was waking you up to say goodbye”
“It’s seven-thirty at most and you don’t have that much to do. Come, lie down,” he patted the space beside him “I’ll fetch you some tea, breakfast too, if you want it.”
Nanao looked down at the spot beside him, a little wistful, torn between her options perhaps. The room was cold, no heating had come on yet and they both knew the bed was warm. It would be a lot warmer with the two of them there.
“I’ll get breakfast at the office and by the time I get there it’ll be nearly eight. I really can’t, not today.” She sounded almost apologetic
“but you want to though, don’t you?” he teased, not wanting to let he uncertain resolve slip by unnoticed
“That’s beside the point”
Another yawn escaped. He examined her now they were at closer quarters, he saw the sag in her shoulders, the circles under her eyes, exhaustion exuding from her.
“So sleepy for one with so much to do.” He cooed, stroking her lower back feeling the bumps of her spine “you’ll do better if you rest for a while longer”
“I can’t”
“Yes, you can”
He felt her shift trying to move off his lap, he held on hoping to buy time.
“Bet I can convince you”
“Not today, sorry”
"You’re not even going to let me try?”
He arranged his features into a mock disappointment, knowing she’d see right through him.
“I can’t” she pleaded
“All you have to do is lay down here and let me hold you”
“It’s not that simple”
“Isn't it?” it seemed like the simplest thing in the world to him. She was a difficult one to convince, not that the fact was anything new to him.
"You want the squad to function don't you?"
Rhetorical question. She was grasping at straws now, knowing perfectly well the squad would hardly self combust without them. Querying why she was so intent on leaving, would do no good, he thought. Although he wanted to, in all honesty a little hurt she was so adamant in going. If anything asking would only make her more determined. He decided to play along for the moment silently considering what options he had to get her to stay,it didn't take long to come up with an idea.
“Well, if that’s the case; I won’t keep you, although I do need you to stay put for just a little while longer”
“Why?”
He rose up to a sitting position, hands remaining around her waist,
“Because when you rise so early I miss you”
The arms he’d wrapped round her waist got to work. One hand snaked up to take her wrist lifting her arm up and away from him. She watched him cautiously, her hand easing into his. With his thumb, he gently rubbed the skin on the back of her hand rotating in small circles, maintaining his gaze on her, her expression changing to one of confusion.
“I miss these…” he began, voice a sensual burr,
He planted a kiss on each finger. The contact slightly more than a peck, taking time to loiter on the pad of each taking in the details, the minute differences between them. He moved from there to the back of her hand, lips brushing against it leaving a wet outline of where he’d been. His spare hand seamlessly pushed at the fabric of her sleeve, rucking up and away, bunching it at the elbow. He progressed further this time, now resting on the pulse point at her wrist.
Nanao remained motionless; he felt the joints of her arm lock up, the muscles taught immovable. Her skin was sensitive, the stubble on his upper lip prickled against it, the warmth he’d placed there sending her heart racing; he could feel the bump of it across his mouth. It enticed the smallest of gasps from her. Shunsui smiled, involuntarily, not a part of the half formed plan if you could even call it a plan. Yet unable to resist such a wonderful sound; the sensation causing more tickling. She squirmed no longer able to keep steady.
“and I miss reactions like that,” he murmured into her wrist
She stared at him a little open mouthed, indigo eyes looking down at his bent head. Shunsui could feel the weight of her gaze upon him. He kept focused on the skin of her inner arm, placing softer, more rapid kisses there. Her skin was divine, smelling of soap and perfume, the warm flesh like the most luxurious of velvets against him; encouraging him further.
He lifted his head a fraction; just enough to catch her eye,
“Do you want me to show you all the things I miss about you when you go away lovely Nanao-chan?”
“Another time perhaps”
The tone was cool; with anyone else he would have taken it as an insult. The look didn’t quite match it, a flicker of surrender in plain sight telling him all he needed to know
“But another time will be too late, you’re going now and I want you to know how much I’m going to miss you when you’re gone”
The statement was pure self-indulgence; he didn’t care. Flattery wasn’t something that usually worked on Nanao but he was willing to give it a try this time, to see if he could widen that crack in her resolve.
He’d reached the ruched material of her sleeve and mumbled under his breath, eyebrow quirked as if he was questioning himself. Her current state of dress was keeping him from his purpose. Fingers experimentally tugged first at the sleeve and when whatever success he was looking for evaded him; the material tied tightly, uncooperative in the way he wanted, he changed tact, raising his head and sliding the kosode from the opening at her collar. Drawing near enough to lavish attention upon her neck, mouthing over her collar bone and crossed over to her shoulder once the troublesome garment was loose and out of his way.
He felt her shudder as they reconnected, his mouth open teeth drawing against the skin. Not enough to leave a mark, but sufficient to remind her how much she liked it when he did that, offering the suggestion of what they could do, a taste of what might come should she give in. She bit her lip, heat tilting back a fraction, fighting back some small sound of pleasure. A stifled moan just about escaping anyway. He could feel her body responding to him. Her hands curled against his chest, hips grinding down onto him sending a bolt of desire coursing through his soul.
“Come back to bed Nanao” he encouraged, hands pushing the material further down as he caught her off guard, lost in the momentum of his actions.
Nanao shook her head; he knew she was trying to regroup konwing full well she'd find herself back beside him faster than she could blink if she allowed him any further.
“I have three hours before-" another excuse tried to find its way out of her, sounding more half hearted this time,
“That’s long enough.” he interrupted, “I’m not going anywhere before nine, perhaps even later if you’ll allow me. You’re free to do as you wish but I need to let you know just what I’m going to miss while you’re not beside me”
He tugged at her clothes again feeling the material surrender its position, coming away from her body, now gaping at the front. He was treated to a view of her exposed chest, the curves of her breasts, faint indents of muscles across the flats of her stomach. He drunk it in, wanting to compliment her on how beautiful she was thinking better of it. She scowled, pulling the garment closed as much as she could, and he tutted indulgently.
“Undoing all of my hard work, Nanao-chan, that’s not very nice”
“I didn’t get dressed just for you to undress me again, now let me go before I’m late”
“I can’t let you go, not when I have so much still to miss…”
He traced the seams of the kosode, idly rethinking his plans. The tip of his finger bumped against warm skin every so often, increasing his longing for the woman straddled across his lap.
“If you got up and came with me, I’d be with you and you’d not have to miss me at all”
He chuckled,
“True enough, but where’s the fun in that?”
She opened her mouth to retort and he hushed her; another kiss finding its mark, this time close to her heart which was now pounding. He resisted the urge to linger, enjoying the reactions he was deriving from her, knowing he still had a point to hit home and that her co-operation was fleeting.
As he continued trailing kisses methodically down her breastbone, the feel of her uniform not quite as satisfying as her skin had been, his pace became more lethargic. A bare faced defiance of her protestations of lateness. She held steady, letting him work, relaxing a little more with every touch. He ran out of room to continue and paused, hearing a sharp intake of breath escape her as his head lay on the upper half of her torso lacking space to move any further down, a change in position needed.
He scooted forward, veering in to her, catching her off guard. The look on her face told him she’d not been expecting him to move from where he was. He needed to be closer for the next bit to work. Capturing her once more in a loving embrace and pressing her to him, normally being quite happy to leave things at that had it not been for this half-baked idea; he placed a hand on her lower back and leaned further forward. Enough for the center of gravity between them to shift, toppling them into the mattress.
He stared down at the figure now beneath him, a look of triumph spreading across his face. She a little startled at this latest development.
“Well, now that you're laying down; doesn't it seem a shame to get back up again?” he asked, as she lay there, to his relief, showing no indication of trying to get away.
She wriggled underneath him, trying to find purchase on his sleeping robe, eventually grabbing at the opening and pulling him down towards her, enticing his lips into a short but electrifying kiss tenderly breaking away as he went to gather her up, thinking he'd finally won her over. He let a click of disappointment escape him.
“I need to go. Can we call this goodbye for now?” she was moving to the edge worming her way out from where she’d just found herself, so much for relief, he thought.
“I’m not finished showing you what I’ll miss. You’re going to have to humor me for a while longer”
She halted, apparently sold on the idea, wanting him to finish what he'd started. He traced a finger down the front of her body moving over the arch of her chest, the supine of her stomach down towards the curve of her pelvis, dipping his head to plant more kisses following the path the digit laid out for him. He stopped at the firm surface of her hip, feeling her coil under his touch hotly anticipating what was to come.
“How could I let you go now, when I’d miss all of this?”
He knew what she was expecting and he gazed down at the tie on her hakama. Deliberately provocative, allowing her to think whatever she wanted. He slipped further down and rested hands on the very tops of her thighs. Starting as close to her waist as he dared, his lips caressed against her inside leg. Moving lower and lower across the cloth, using the spare hand to trace the curves of her other leg. A quiet whimper escaped her, breath quickening, hips bucking, gripping at his shoulders.
“You tease” she admonished, voice higher than normal,
“You said you didn’t have time for a lie in. If that’s the case you wouldn’t have time for other things either. I wouldn’t dream of keeping you from your work”
“If that were true, you’d have let me go ten minutes ago”
“Can I help it that I don’t want you to leave me alone and longing for you?”
He was almost at her ankles now and gripped her foot, feeling her squirm as he touched the underside. He hadn’t known she was ticklish. Hiding a smirk, his mind mapped out the possible uses for this latest tidbit knowing it needed further exploration. He dabbled along the archway feeling her jolt under the sensation before pressing the lightest of kisses there, her whole body twitching, she trying not to laugh.
“S-stop it” she giggled
“This is something new. I need to make sure I remember that you’re ticklish”
“If you don’t I’ll, I’ll-“
She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence the words heavy with promise all the same, her protestations amusing the hell of out him.
"Or you'll..." he coaxed, wanting her to finish, his mind racing through all the exquisite possibilities the end of that sentence could bring
" I'll.." she floundered, "well you best not try to find out"
he chuckled
“Of all the threats I’ve ever had levied in my direction, that one has to be the sweetest Nanao-chan. I think I’m going to hold you to it”
He was onto her toes, giving them the same treatment as her fingers. Wondering if he should move onto the next foot and back up, knowing there were parts of her he hadn't paid nearly enough attention to.
Lost in his thoughts, he began again switching over moving up the other side of her body quickly reaching the dip of her pelvis. Just below her naval ,he felt her move their bodies colliding, she lowering herself so her head was in line with his shoulder. Fingers pushed into the middle of his back, her body twisting forcing him onto his side sending them back where they’d started before she’d risen. For a moment they stilled, he trying to take in what had just happened before springing back into action, Rolling toward her with the idea of using the same trick to get them back to where he wanted her.
"I wasn’t done yet” he exclaimed, lips pouting, like a child deprived of a favorite plaything.
“Stop” The word didn’t invite negotiation, he tried anyway,
“I told you I can’t, you’ll be gone soon”
“Ok,” she tugged at the tie holding her hair up, letting it fall with a cool swish, locks fanning out behind her. “How about if I stayed for half an hour or so?"
"So does that mean I win?" he asked
She sighed, slightly exasperated, a smile travelling across her features nevertheless
"Yes, If you have to put it like that. Thirty minutes no more"
It was a deal he could get on board with and he watched her slip out of her clothes. Hakama and kosode left on the floor as some dreary after thought and slipped back under the blankets.
"Told you I could convince you" he was smug, it probably showed not that he cared anymore
"No-one likes a sore winner. Besides It's only for a little bit"
She was back where she belonged, as far as he was concerned, and as she lay down he crushed her small frame to him. All that was missed before returned and he paused for a moment enjoying re-familiarizing himself with her. Reminding himself how good she felt against him, how her scent intoxicated, the way her presence set him at ease. Nanao curled into dip of his body created by lying on his side, a perfect fit. Her fingers dabbled across his skin, sending shock waves down his spine. This was exactly what he had in mind, no better way to start the day. There was no way he was letting her go anytime soon.
"And anyway, I can't let you get away with tickling me. Thirty minutes is plenty for me to get my own back "
She didn't look up, her hands trailing across his torso, drifting lower. The proposition was inviting, he couldn't deny that and any other time he wouldn't have to be asked twice. However right now, he had something else in mind, a simpler pleasure.
"That can wait. For now, just let me hold you."
She complied humming in agreement, snuggling deeper down into the embrace, completely flush to his abdomen.
"I offered you tea earlier, would you like some?" seeing as he had her to himself for a while longer, he could at least keep to the offer he'd made of some refreshment
She considered his offer for a few moments,
"No," the answer was measured as if she'd given such a throwaway question proper thought "If you made me tea you'd have to get up"
"I don't mind"
"I mind. I miss you when you're gone" she kissed his forearm the first bit of him she could reach from where she was,
There was no choice then, he was here for the morning. Holding her tight for as a long as she would allow. It would never do for her to miss him.