Love-in-idleness

A/N: As of 17 December 2018, I have forgone the revisions and decided to make an alternate(?) version of this story with more complicated relationships and adults in adult™ (lol) and adulterous (see the wordplay there?) relationships.

Do take note that I am not in favor of such adulterous relationships and I find those quite childish (even if I have never been a relationship, healthy or otherwise, myself).

But I will finish my story with the original intended ending, although it might seem a little rushed (lol, because it is?). As such, the original chapters 1 and 2 will be reposted and the "revised" versions will work their way into the new story.

...I also have no intentions of revising the story for grammar/consistency because I just do not have the time.

Anyway, I hope all of you join me in the ride to another level of hell.

Thanks for reading.

"I'd like to think there is something for us better than this, but this isn't it."

Shikaku no Shikai is attracted to strong men.

To stronger men, if she were to be honest.

For most of her life, she had been regarded as the strongest member of their trio, Tori-Hana-Ken. Cheekily dubbed as the "steel-biter" by the one whom she regards as 'Torihime'-bird princess, her moniker goes not without reason because she could just very well have been chewing on steel wool since she was a child. Her tough, no-nonsense personality is made even sharper with her unparalleled skill in kenjutsu and her unmatched talent in bukijutsu. So, of course it would make sense as to why she is attracted to strong men. Men and women should be on par with each other, after all. She is attracted to strong men because she is a strong woman. Yes. It makes enough sense given her upbringing as an onna-bugeisha, and it gives some reason as to why she's currently contemplating her affairs with certain men.

Certain naked men lying beside her. He hoards the sheets to himself, covers his entire body up until the bridge of his nose. She's sitting upright, leaning against the headboard, and her elbows resting on bent knees. She watches the clock on the wall in front of her; it's late and they both have an early day tomorrow. She thinks to sleep, but how? Shall she simply lie down beside him? Offer him a warmth that she knows her cold body cannot give?

"Are you satisfied?"

His question disrupts the silence between them, and she looks at him then, sees him looking at her.

She frowns. Sighs. Doesn't know what to say.

He shifts on his side to face her, reaches a hand out from under the covers to-

"Don't." She punctuates with a force befitting the battlefield.

He breathes a quiet (relieved?) breath and turns away from her. This makes sense, she thinks, because there is no room for small, tender moments of intimacy. She exhales a quick breath and watches the clock again.

At dawn, they wake at the same time.

When he sees her slumbering form, he has half a heart to blanket her in the sheets that still radiate his warmth but she stops him before he could touch her:

"Don't."

-in the same sharp tone as last night. She sits up then, on the edge of the bed and stretches her arms, her neck, flexes her legs and stands up without so much as a greeting. The taut muscles of her back and the tattoo spiraling around her leg intimidate him in the harsh light. She cranes her head to look at him over her shoulder.

"You have to be somewhere."

She glances ever-so-minutely at the wall clock and he does the same. She frowns. He's going to be late, but he doesn't mind. He knows theywouldn't mind either. He looks to her then, looks for any signs, but there is none as she gathers the discarded clothing hanging from the armchair.

"They won't mind." He suggests as he returns to lie back down on the bed, closes his eyes and relaxes.

"What a bad example you set to the youth." He hears her distasteful words and if that wasn't his cue to get changed and leave…

"They're waiting." Her voice is nearer this time, but he doesn't move.

"I'm not leaving with you." She adds.

He answers, "I hope you have a nice day."

It was at that moment that she pulls the sheets from his body and dumps his clothes on him.

"I wish you the same, Hokage-sama." She states plainly.

It is when he hears this that he jolts awake only to see her disapproving expression.

"Please leave."

And when he does, it is as she preferred it, without a goodbye.