A/N: A shorter chapter today, but we're starting to see the ball rolling~
Chapter Five
The two women had breakfast in separate rooms the next morning. Shizuru busied herself in cleaning the disaster of her study, both to salvage as many documents as she could and to keep away from the blunette. Later that afternoon, however, Shizuru mistakenly left her study door open after grabbing a hair dryer from the restroom. Natsuki took it upon herself to bring up a bottle of tea and casual conversation. "So," Shizuru's shoulders jumped to her ears for a brief moment before turning to see Natsuki's offering, "The rain didn't damage any other parts of the house. Why just the study?"
Shizuru took a sip of the tea, "Thank you for the tea. That was refreshing, thank you."
"And with the way that you rushed to get everything out, it looked methodical. Like it happens all the time."
Shizuru squeezed her calf muscles as Natsuki began to venture in the room, inspecting the still damp tiles of the room. The blunette used a different shampoo and body wash and the scent of plum blossom made Shizuru feel warm, the scent beckoned to be taken in directly from the delicate sweep of Natsuki's neck. Shizuru's lower stomach tickled, her nipples began to rub against the fabric of her clothes, yet her hands balled to fists and her calves were beginning to cramp. "It's such an easy fix, why haven't you fixed the tile yet?"
Shizuru lifted her eyes over a particularly bad spot in the ceiling. "Because…" Shizuru took in a deep breath, then went back to work. "I've felt the most creative in this part of the house. And I'm afraid that if I change anything, my muse will fly away."
Natsuki squinted her eyes at Shizuru's back. Natsuki always knew that the older woman was superstitious in her own way, but the answer still left her unsatisfied. "Whatever. You're the creative in this house anyway. I'm going out for a ride. Will you need anything before or while I'm out?"
"Ah, yes, if you could...bring more ribbon for my typewriter. I'm almost out. I'll get you the type and the directions to my vendor. Mmm. I think it's downstairs. I'll be right back."
Natsuki felt the other woman whisk away downstairs. Emerald eyes tried to take in every inch of "creative juju", but only saw aged and rotted wood in an otherwise perfect home. The draft that rolled in from the open window curled around Natsuki's body causing the blunette to shiver. The longer Natsuki remained in the study, the more she felt that it was more like a self- imposed prison than a creative space.
"I found it."
Shizuru tried to catch her breath as she handed Natsuki the piece of memo paper. "Right. I shouldn't be too long. I'll be back by dinner latest."
"Have a safe trip."
Both women lingered in the doorway, eyes locking then darting away. "Thanks." Natsuki brushed past Shizuru, and the small spark burst into a violent flame inside of them. Shizuru scurried inside of her study before Natsuki could turn around and do something about it.
…
The two women's work relationship found its rhythm in the few weeks that followed after. Shizuru had become comfortable enough to give Natsuki more challenges pertaining to the book's research and Natsuki had busied herself into the work that there wasn't time to think about the frustration of being with the now reclusive ruby- eyed woman. Before they knew it, the first draft had finally been completed.
Natsuki thought that she would've felt a greater sense of finality when Shizuru announced that the first draft had been completed. Instead, the pit of her stomach lurched, and her hands became cold and numb.
"I will be meeting with my editor in a cafe closer to the more touristy part of town this Wednesday. I will have my own ride, and these meetings can sometimes run really long. So, if I'm not back by the afternoon, don't wait for me."
"What happens now?"
Shizuru's hand full of food stopped midway in its accent. "Er, well, I still have the second and third draft to finish before I submit the final manuscript for publishing."
Natsuki hoped that the relief that flooded her insides wasn't visible on the outside. Shizuru continued to eat to hide the smirk on her face, unfortunately for the blunette, Shizuru found the younger woman easy to read.
Wednesday came, and Shizuru found herself basking in the morning sun while waiting for Reito to arrive. "Shizuru, darling, as early as ever."
"Reito, the most on-time man I've ever met."
"So," Reito started after ordering a coffee and breakfast, "who is she?"
"I don't follow."
"Don't lie to me behind that measured sip of tea. Spill."
Shizuru pursed her lips to the side. "There really is no fooling you, is there?"
"With the way you were having trouble keeping me updated AND telling me to stay away from the house, no, there really isn't."
Shizuru sighed and waited for the waiter to leave Reito's breakfast behind when she told him everything.
"We're not talking about the Natsuki Kuga, are we?"
"The one and the same."
Reito's air came out as a short puff when he let his body fall back into the cafe's chair. "How is she?"
"The same."
"...And how are you?"
"...The same."
Reito leaned forward slowly, then took his time steepling his fingers together on propped elbows. "Neither of you have talked about it then?"
Shizuru shook her head.
"And I don't intend to. I was hoping to finish this novel and send her on her way in the next few weeks."
Reito hummed and took out his set of reading glasses from his breast pocket. "As your editor, I agree that that is the best course of action. As your friend, however, I was hoping you knew better."
Shizuru pulled out the manuscript from her tote bag and plopped it onto the table between them. "Don't take it out of me! I still have the power to ruin what you're trying to put out into the world, you know?"
"Not while I still have you're pictures from the time we went to Cabo."
Reito's face twisted into a sneer while it burned brightly in Shizuru's direction.
"Touché."
A/N: HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR WEEK EVERYONE! Remember, I'm rooting for you 3
