Chapter Seven

With proper breaks, sleep and scheduled meals, the two women had a few more chapters left before the second revision had been completed all in three weeks time. As Shizuru looked up at the time to find that it was nearly dinnertime, she decided it was the night to break the news.

"Mmm smells good."

"I thought you might be tired of soup and decided to make some gyudon."

They ate companionably, small talk about their project and outside of it, second helpings, although Natsuki had a smaller bowl for thirds and sat together, bellies content, while the pot boiled more water for tea.

Natsuki brought Shizuru her cup, and Shizuru holding the still scalding cup, took in a deep breath and spoke when Natsuki finally sat down. "Thank you. Erm, Natsuki, I have an announcement to make. We're almost done with the second revision-"

"I know! How cool is that? I was meaning to ask you what we do for the third revision. That's the final one before you turn it in to your publisher, right?"

"Well, yes, I'm getting to that. The final revision I go to a cabin in the mountains beside a hot spring-"

"I like that, though I'm not going to lie, that sounds a bit excessive, but a good time in the mountains sounds nice. When do we leave? So I can get my pack ready."

"Natsuki. I go the cabin. Alone. You stay here to watch Kiyohime while I'm gone."

"Oh."

Shizuru was glad for the cup's heat burning her hands, when Natsuki's shoulders drooped forward. The silence stretched between them until it threatened to snap. Natsuki cleared her throat when her voice didn't come out the first time. "That makes sense. Does…Do all of your assistants stay here for the final revision?"

"Yes."

Shizuru, no matter how many assistants she had gone through, all of the countless little flings she had with them, it was always the same. The final revision had to be done alone so they all knew that this was goodbye. Natsuki hummed and took a sip of her tea. Shizuru wanted to take a sip of her own, but found that her hands weren't quite responsive. The stinging tingle along the underside of her hands made it hard to release her grip around the cup, like the upper layer of skin melted into the ceramic.

"I hope…there's no hard feelings."

"Oh no, none at all. None at all."

Natsuki's eyebrow jumped, and the brunette sighed heavily, but Shizuru waited for a good moment to drink her tea. When she could finally drink it, it was lukewarm. Natsuki left to place her dishes in the sink and spoke with her back turned to hide the excess water in her eyes, "We should turn the heater on, it's getting quite chilly, isn't it?"

…

The days leading up to Shizuru's departure were busy. Shizuru scrambled between ticking off her packing list while also making sure Kiyohime and Natsuki had enough stored for the bitter winter that was on its way. The temperature dropped several degrees within hours of each other, and both women knew that they needed to truly prepare for the cold that was about to set in. Shizuru also made sure to pack two sturdy axes, during her last revision the author's ax broke while chopping wood for her never-ending fire and was forced to do much of her revision in the hot spring. While it was decidedly comfortable, the older woman still woed over the lost chapter of her last book that got ruined by the water and was indiscernible by the publishers, so they had to cut it.

Natsuki sat in front of the only television set in the house, thankful for the kotatsu when a cold draft came in from Shizuru's brief stint outside.

"Temperatures are dropping to historical lows. There are several blizzard and wind advisories in place in several northern cities. Please consideration travel cancellation due to weather conditions in the near future."

"Hm," Shizuru shimmied under the kotatsu for a quick warm up. "Looks like I'll be moving up my schedule. The weather's getting worse and if I'm going to be stranded anywhere, it's better in the house in the woods."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Natsuki wasn't all that happy imagining Shizuru in the middle of nowhere, alone, in a place destined for a snow in. "Is that truly wise?"

"Natsuki," Natsuki blinked at hearing the matter-of- factness in the tan headed woman's tone. "If I die in those mountains, I know that my work will still be finished. That's all that really matters to me. And Kiyohime, of course; but in the event of my death, I know you would take it upon yourself to find her a good home."

Natsuki moved from the kotatsu to set her plates in the sink. "Why do you have so much faith in my actions?" The brunette called out from the kitchen. "I could very well choose not to do any of the things you readily see me doing."

"Your pride and unending sense of perfectionism prevents you from not completing a task set before you."

Natsuki smiled, but hmphed as she came to sit back down with more tea. "What makes you think I haven't changed?"

"You being here is proof enough."

Natsuki couldn't hold back the eye roll when Shizuru's teeth peeked through the wry side grin. "Alright. I'll give you that."

…

Natsuki tossed and kicked her bed sheets. The feelings of hot needles pricking across her neck and shoulders wouldn't allow the blunette to fall asleep. The blunette decided that sleeping could wait anyway. It was time to start job hunting again. At least this time, Natsuki wasn't completely flat on her ass. Shizuru paid really well, so well, that Natsuki could go back to the city and open her own repair garage. Taking her laptop into bed, Natsuki felt her eyebrow twitch incessantly. The emerald green eyed woman growled slightly as her hand went to massage the offended part of flesh. Articles of boring news, celebrity scandals, and mindless entertaining videos later, Natsuki's eyes crept over to the digital clock on her bed side and saw that it read 1:43am.

What am I doing?

Natsuki sighed as she shut her laptop. The younger woman knew herself well enough to know when she was comfortable. Emerald eyes trailed to the room beside hers. A lot has changed since high school, Shizuru had changed too. Natsuki's arms wrapped around her body, shielding herself from the past. The prickling grew stronger, her breath became shallow, sweat gathered at her temples and armpits, Natsuki shut her eyes and swallowed down the nausea. "She's not like that anymore."

Natsuki jolted from the sound of her own croak.

The blunette licked chapping lips and repeated, "She's not like that anymore."

Natsuki's body relaxed each muscle one at a time. Counting from ten backwards, Natsuki forced herself to think of everything Shizuru had done to make this job feel welcome and safe. When her heart stopped racing, Natsuki laid on her back, suddenly exhausted. "She's not like that anymore and you know it. You saw her cry. It's obvious she's struggling with keeping her distance while also trying to keep her feelings from growing. Will you not give her another chance?"

The silence of the house was interrupted by the measured ticking of a clock downstairs. What if Shizuru doesn't want to take another chance?

Natsuki shook awake when a harsh wind caused the house to creak and something began to flap violently outside. If the sound of something being beaten by the wind wasn't bad already, the howl of the wind caused Natsuki's hair to raise. "That does it."

Throwing her sheets aside and stomping her feet all the way down to Shizuru's room, Natsuki opened the sliding door wide. "Natsuki? What is it?"

"I don't care what you've done in the past. I'm going with you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm going with you to the mountains for the final revision."

"What do you mean what I've done in the past?" Shizuru's eyes became distant and guarded.

"With other assistants. I'm coming with you. This winter storm seems like its going to be pretty bad and I don't want you out there alone. I don't care how many times you've done it."

"Ah," Shizuru's hands eased out of their tight grip around the blanket, "I suppose you're right. I'll alter the arrangements later today."

Natsuki nodded and hummed with satisfaction, but still wiped a hand over her forehead, the younger woman noted with a grimace that she should really be careful with voicing her thoughts out loud.

A/N: YO! :D It's good to see you. I hope your week is going well. Let's make it to the weekend together. I'm rooting for you!