A/N: Hello! I do apologize for the weird delay in posting lately. While I've been lucky to work, I have two jobs, one tutoring gig, and still have class and homework on top of everything. But not to worry, I have no plans with orphaning this work and it will be fully finished by this year. Have a great weekend ahead! I'm rooting for you 3

Chapter Six

When Natsuki's eyes began to cross the next day, she stood and stretched. The blunette had been working since nine in the morning, it was now almost two in the afternoon. A break was definitely in order. Trekking across the room, Natsuki peeked inside of the study to find Shizuru sitting center with groups of pages around her in a circle. A woman orbited by her creations. A rogue breeze shuffled the pages in the room causing the pages to quiver, seeming to quake with fear as a hand came around to snatch up a page and assault its verbal contents with purple ink. Natsuki watched on as Shizuru began to mumble to herself, eyes darting from side to side. Natsuki noticed how those eyes carried the bruises under her eyes the same color of her pen. Those same hands the blunette kissed just last night were dry, and if it wasn't for the piece of paper in Shizuru's hand that Natsuki wouldn't have known that those hands were slightly shaking as well.

"Permission to enter," Natsuki asked softly.

"Permission granted."

Natsuki tiptoed into the room. Natsuki's hand slowly covered Shizuru's, sliding the page out from it's hesitating grip. "Why don't we take a break?"

"I'm fine."

The quick dismissal set Natsuki's teeth on edge.

"Shizuru," Natsuki started with more force in tone, "we should really take-"

"I said I'm fine."

Natsuki huffed and stormed down to the kitchen, leaving Shizuru with her pen and papers. The blunette growled as she raided the mayo jar, and continued to berate idiotic writers who normally wouldn't forget their limits and should take a break when someone says so. Washing down the creamy contents of the jar with good ol' fashioned water, Natsuki set a pot on the stove, pushed back her hair, and took measured steps toward Shizuru's study. "Alright," Natsuki opened the doors wide, "you're coming with me."

"Wha- Stop! I'm almost done! Will you quit it?"

Shizuru hissed and spat, doing her best to keep from digging her nails into Natsuki's arms while trying to step back into her editing ring. "Natsuki! Okay, I'll come down in a moment…NO!"

Natsuki smirked when she hoisted the older woman over her shoulder. Feeling proud of herself, Natsuki gave Shizuru a quick swat on the enticing kimono clad bottom for good measure. Shizuru was squirming both to get down and to keep from getting turned on. Back down in the kitchen, Natsuki dropped a put out Shizuru into a nearby chair.

Shizuru couldn't help the petulant glare and the crossing of her arms when she huffed, "Well, aren't you happy with yourself?"

"I'm glad you noticed."

Natsuki set cups out for tea and some bread for the women to share. While passing Shizuru her portion, their hands brushed up against each other causing each other to shiver.

"Look, I know you like the room the way it is, but c'mon. You're hands can't work in near freezing conditions, it's not practical!"

"It's a good thing I have an assistant like you to help warm them up."

Shizuru's eyes smiled over the cup of tea. Natsuki grinned as she took a bite of anpan with a touch of mayo. Shizuru hoped that the mug covered her scrunched up nose while Natsuki chewed with a sigh. "So, how far have we gotten through the second draft anyway?"

"Well," Shizuru started, itching to go back to her study. "We're almost a quarter of the way through. If we keep up these pace we should be done in about a month or so. Is the research matching up with the written material still?"

Natsuki nodded after washing down her snack with a cool can of beer.

"Then we might be finished a little bit sooner, so long as there aren't any big hiccups."

The two fell into a comfortable silence, until Shizuru couldn't handle not being in her study a second longer. "Thank you for the food…and the break."

As Shizuru rose from the table, Natsuki caught the older woman's left hand. "Not so fast."

Shizuru hesitated but went to sit back down slowly, sitting with her knees away from the table.

"When's the last time you properly slept?"

"Last night."

Natsuki shook her head with a wry frown over her lips. "You said that too fast and I know you've been in the study for hours because I had to pee last night and you were still there. Seriously, when was the last time you slept at all?"

Shizuru mashed her lips between her teeth. They stared into each other's eyes until Shizuru drooped her head to stare at her lap. The tan head mumbled, "I dunno. Monday, maybe?"

"Monday? For the love of- Shizuru today is Thursday!"

Shizuru managed to pull her arm from Natsuki's grasp, but with the way Natsuki hovered over the table, the older woman knew she wouldn't be able to get passed her beautiful assistant to get back to work. "I know you're work is important to you, but as your assistant, I'm telling you, you need to sleep. Now."

Shizuru sighed and rose, trying to get to the doorway, but Natsuki stood firm between the author and her study. "I know I'm paying you to be my assistant, but I'm fine. And I'll be fine as soon as I finish this last chapter. I'll go to sleep when I've finished with it. Okay?"

Natsuki narrowed her emerald eyes at the author before her. The tan headed woman smiled, but the bruises couldn't carry the weight to Shizuru's eyes. If that didn't tell Natsuki anything, the way Shizuru teetered off balance every so often did. "No."

"Oh come on! I've only got about ten pages left to get through to finish the chapter. That will take me thirty, forty minutes tops. I promise, promise, okay? To go to sleep after I finish."

"Why can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"Because, I can't."

"What?"

Natsuki blinked as Shizuru dropped her head into her palms. Shizuru scrunched the hair hair that managed to fall into her hands along with her face until the stinging sensation on her scalp threatened hair loss.

"Shizuru…?"

"I can't leave it unfinished. Please. Let me finish."

The small voice that curled out from between Shizuru's fingers made Natsuki gently tug the older woman close. Natsuki pet the tan hair draping Shizuru's back and made note that it had gotten considerably oily. Despite Shizuru's current state of uncleanliness though, Natsuki thought that Shizuru still smelled like the world after rain.

Shizuru's body relaxed into Natsuki's hold, greedy for the warmth the younger woman always seemed to carry, but Shizuru's mind tried to think of ways to get back to the study.

"Shizuru, I'll let you finish the chapter. On the condition, that I stay with you and take you to bed when you're done."

"I'm not a child," Shizuru pouted.

"Then don't make me treat you like one."

Although Shizuru didn't say a word, she felt her lips curve at the floating thought that entered her mind.

Ikezu.