Summary: The experience of waking up beside your lover for the first time. Chapter 5, Katsu's P.O.V. while Tae poses for him... nude.
Disclaimer: RuroKen © Watsuki-sensei. Don't bother me.
The paintbrush slowly absorbs the thick, dark liquid. Bringing it out to the surface, a large drop falls back into the pot. My hands carefully handle its wooden, thin body and, looking at the textured rice paper, then at my model, then at the paper again, I run the wet point of the paintbrush over the surface, leaving a long, sensual path of black Indian ink on it. One, two, three more strokes, and a female form begins to appear.
I watch my model, then skim through what I have done in the paper so far. Sighing, I smash it in a ball, then throw it over my shoulder; it falls on top of a small mound of other paper balls, under which once I could see my garbage basket.
"She's moved again, the restless little one." I mumble to myself, while she stretches once again in her sleep. But this time, when she stops... when she stops, it's the most wonderful thing I've ever seen. She lies with her back on the futon and her hips twisted to one side; her legs lay to the same direction her face is turned to. Her both arms are sprawled over the futon, by her sides, and her round breasts reign supreme on her chest like two appetising fruits. "Kirei", I think, and get back to work before it's too late.
It's been a few months since she first posed for me. It all began when my bills started to accumulate and I needed to get back to my old way of making ends meet - painting. I made a few sketches, but nothing seemed good enough to make a living with while the newspaper sells were down. One day, I went to the Akabeko and took a better look of her. I'd seen her before, but I haven't noticed her beauty till that day. "She'd be a great model", I thought, and my hands moved by themselves to my drawing tools.
When she noticed I was watching her serving the dishes, she blushed and smiled. It wasn't hard to notice she had a crush on me-- and she had a beautiful smile. That same night I asked her to be my model for a few drawings; at first she refused, but then I talked her on visiting me the next day - "just for once", I said. She came, and after that "once" she came here everyday. The newspaper was selling normally, the nishiki-e were a success - I didn't need her to pose for me anymore, but it was like an addiction, to see her elegantly sitting, feminine, delicate, serene.
I grew to enjoy her presence more and more each day, to the point of rather wanting to be with her than alone. I got used to smile more, laugh more; life seemed more pleasant. I felt fine with myself while painting her. I had found something that had been lost since Sagara-taichou was killed... thanks to her. She became extremely dear to me, someone I'd like to be with until the day of my death. (I'm getting soft lately. I just hope Sano doesn't find out about this new side of mine, or the baka yarou'll tease me to no end...)
And last night, oh, last night... she was so delicious in that grey kimono, I had to pull her closer and catch her lips with mine. When I let her go, she was speechless - actually, breathless - and it looked like she was going to slap me and run away. Instead, when I apologised, she smiled and whispered "it's fine, I liked it". We spent the entire afternoon kissing, touching, caressing each other; and when the night came we made love, savagely at first, then calmly when we were already sure of the path our relationship had - has - taken.
She breathes in and threatens to move again, but it doesn't matter anymore. The painting's finished; when she opens her eyes, she finds me doing the last few details.
"Oh my... you didn't!..." She exclaims, a playful smile on her face.
"Yes, ma'am, I did." I answer, grinning. "Come here, see for yourself."
She wraps herself with the sheets and walks timidly in my direction, kneeling by my side. "Gods..." she whispers, her mouth hanging open, "... it's... beautiful."
"It's you", I breathe on her ear.
"You aren't planning on selling this, are you?" she says, giving me a mocking glare.
"Nah..." I put the paintbrushes and papers aside and pull her by the waistline. "This one is for my eyes only."
Author's Notes: I think this is rather short -_-'' Well at least it looks nice. At first I was unsure whether Katsu was going to be on his yukata or nude - but my "beta-reader", Misao-chan, said he was going to pick the wrong paintbrush and it wouldn't be nice >D. So I gave up and didn't even mention his clothes (or lack of, that is) on the fic. (And no, Misao-chan, Tae's not wearing "Le Cœur de la Mèr"!)
And once again, I made an illustration - yeah, hentai - but this time just of Tae-san. It's the way I imagined her to be lying, when he paints her at long last. Her breasts are quite rounder than usual, but... ^_^ Misao-chan offered to scan the drawings; think I'm gonna accept, though I want to make a clean copy and perhaps even put some colour into them before giving them to her. I illustrated K+K and S+M also.
Speaking of S+M... ta-da!! They'll show up next chapter! (Finally, I couldn't wait to write this.) Just a hint - it'll be Megumi's P.O.V.!
Love, Prudence-chan
On 31/10/2002 (during Bio class, while drooling over my unbelievably hot teacher.)