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Bee-uty & the Beast

Kraen

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Chapter Fourteen

Hani didn't sleep well that night. She felt too guilty lying in her soft, warm bed, while Gai sat outside her room, enduring the elements. She must have woken up every half hour to check if he was still there and sure enough, he was there every time.

She would have offered him to stay in her room next to the fire, but she knew he would never accept her proposal, and feared his reaction if she did ask. He had just told her the night before to never touch him again; clearly he was trying to push her away (mentally and physically). And though she knew he didn't really mean a lot of what he had said last night, it was pretty obvious there was something about her presence that bothered him.

She had been sleeping on her side, snuggling with her pillow in a semi fetal position when a bright beam of sunlight roused Hani from her light slumber. She used her free hand to brush the hair from her face and moaned in exhaustion; it felt like she just had one of the worst nights of sleep in her life. She sat up on one of her elbows to peer over the foot of her bed. The lack of a shadow at her door told her Gai had moved on. 'He must have decided to go to bed. Thank goodness,' she thought.

She stretched an arm over her head and yawned. Figuring she could steal a few more minutes of sleep, she flopped down into her previous resting position; her hair falling back over her eyes. Just as she settled, she felt a warm, slightly calloused hand rub comfortingly at her exposed shoulder. She snuggled deeper into her pillow and moaned in approval. Wait, WHAT?!

In alarm, she twirled around to find Gai resting behind her, shirtless with the blankets pulled up to his navel. She gasped in shock and scrambled back away from him.

Gai lifted heavy eyelids, "Hmmm, morning," he said acting as if nothing was amiss.

Hani looked at him incredulously, "Gai, what the hell are you doing in my bed?!"

"Hmm? Oh, there was a servant who was eying me outside your door." He yawned, "I didn't want to look suspicious, so I came in here."

She looked at the door and back at Gai, "OK … but … why are you IN MY BED?"

'And half naked?!' she cried mentally.

He propped himself up on an elbow, "What's wrong? Should I not be here?'

Hani's brows furrowed as she rubbed at her temple. Something odd was going on here and she needed a minute to wrap her mind around it. First he says he doesn't want her to touch him, now he's lying in her bed and trying to snuggle?! She jumped slightly as he reached out and rubbed her back, "Come back to bed, Hani. It's cold without you." Her eyes twitched as she turned slowly to gape at the stranger in her bed. She put a hand to his forehead, he didn't have a fever. She felt her own -- she didn't have a fever either. Was he an imposter? Was he schizophrenic? Had she become schizophrenic?! He smiled at her as he slowly sat up against the pillows.

"What is going on here?" she asked rhetorically as she leaned forward to crawl out of bed.

Gai grabbed her arm and pulled her into him, "Where are you going?"

She froze as he held her against his chiseled body; every muscle hard as rock and covered by taught skin. It was at that moment she realized he was wearing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING under the blankets. She checked herself and sighed in relief. Thank the gods -- she was still wearing her nightgown.

'Wait', she wondered. "Gai, are you playing a prank on me?!" She felt him release his grip and move his hand to her hair where he brushed it to the side. He then leaned forward and nuzzled her neck; his coarse chest hair scratching her bare shoulders. "C-cause if you are, I'm n-not laughing," she said with a shaky voice. Her face flushed as his nuzzling turned into light kisses that traced her hairline.

"Does this not feel good?" he asked, his breath tickling her neck.

Yes, actually it felt very good. He seemed to know exactly how to make her body melt.

He ran the tip of his tongue from her shoulder to her jaw line leaving a moist, shining trail. A jolt of pleasure rushed down her spine and settled deep in her belly. She had to grab her mouth to keep from gasping too loudly.

While his lips worked on one side of her neck, he used his free hand to tease the other side; stroking her skin with a featherweight touch.

She flinched instinctually; her tickle-sense kicking into high gear. "Wha –" his kisses moved from her neck to behind her ear. She swallowed hard in an attempt at maintaining control, "Why … are you doing this?"

He moved his hand down her throat slowly; his roaming appendage getting dangerously close to other erogenous areas. "Because you want me to," he said simply as his fingers settled on the small dip at the base of her neck.

"When did I ever tell you—" she gasped as he started to nibble at the back of her ear. "When did I tell you … I wanted you to do this?"

He rubbed at her narrow, toned stomach, "You didn't. I could see it in how you looked at me." She felt him smile, "I know why you ran into the bathroom yesterday. Admit it, my body turned you on."

Hani blushed. Had she been that obvious?

"And I know you tried to peep on me in the shower."

'How did he know that?!' she thought frantically.

"Did you like what you saw?" he asked, pulling her in even closer.

Her cheeks were now completely flushed in embarrassment and the beginnings of arousal. She released a shaky breath as he used his tongue on the outline of her ear.

"It was very naughty of you to peep on me, Hani." He grinned mischievously, "I should punish you."

Her eyes widened. She was unsure if she liked where this was going. Regardless, things were moving way too fast for her.

She sat up, trying to free herself from his grasp. "Oda-will-be-here-soon—" she blurted, trying to find an escape route. He was just too damn fast for her.

He tightened his grip on her waist, and jerked her back between his legs. She fell backwards into his brawny chest with a 'thud'. Once she had landed, his hands immediately moved from her waist to her lightly covered bosoms. "Ah-han!" she gasped.

"I'm not done with you yet," he said, pressing his cheek against hers and watching his handiwork from over her shoulder as he lightly massaged the peaks of her large breasts. "I want to see this flower blossom."

She grabbed at his hands, but didn't try to remove them. "Gai," she said breathlessly, her body starting to rock slightly with his rhythm. "We shouldn't --"

He pressed his lips against her ear, "Shhh." He moved his mouth down and nibbled at her neck like a vampire tenderizing his meal, "You don't want me to stop," he told her; his deep baritone voice making her eardrums vibrate. "You want this."

She moaned in response and crossed her legs tighter; his stimulation starting to get the best of her.

He too brought his legs closer together, ensnaring her even more, "Tell me to stop, Hani and I will." But the firm pressure she felt against her buttocks told her he really didn't want things to end.

She whimpered slightly, feeling torn between her duty as a willow warrior with the rules that forbid her from partaking in sexual acts for pleasure and her needs as a woman who was very much in her sexual prime. She just couldn't believe how turned on she was getting from so little stimulation; did he really have this kind of effect on her? Was she really this attracted to him? She felt like a naïve, virginal teenager again. She was always the one who was in control of these types of encounters, even if she didn't appear to be. But here, Gai was completely dominating her and at the same time set on pleasuring her … she would be lying if she said it wasn't extremely arousing.

"Gai …" she said, her better half trying to regain the rest of her senses. She felt one of his hands finger at the strap of her nightgown and slide under the thin fabric – flesh on flesh. "Gai!" she said again, in a pleading voice. But whether she was begging for him to stop or continue, one couldn't tell.

She bit her lip, trying to break from her trance. Her body was aching far too much and she knew if his hands and their delicious massage continued she would no longer be able to hold herself back. "Gai, please!" she cried.

"Hani?!" came a loud voice followed by a rough shake.

Hani sat bolt upright in bed; nearly head-butting the man standing over her. She was gasping for air like a person who had almost drowned. She grabbed her heart and after a few deep breaths, looked to her side where Gai had been just moments before and found the bed unoccupied. She yanked the covers back and clawed at the vacant spot – it was cold and empty. She breathed a HUGE sigh of relief. "Thank the GODS!" she said, wiping her brow and flopping back into the pillows. It had all been just a dream. A very vivid encounter, yes – but a dream nonetheless.

"Thank the gods for what?"

Hani snapped her head in the direction of the voice. "GAI!" she squealed, scrambling to the other side of the bed away from him.

Gai, who was standing at her side, jumped in return, surprised by her outburst. "What? What'd I do?!"

Still breathing hard, her eyes quickly scanned him. He was fully dressed, looked exhausted from staying up all night and even had a fair amount of morning stubble. She lifted the covers – she was still dressed too. It really was just a dream, she was safe.

"Why were you calling my name?" he said in a voice that held a lilt of concern and hoarseness from a lack of sleep.

OK, maybe she wasn't entirely safe.

Her eyes doubled in size. He HEARD her?! She was saying all of that OUT LOUD?! OH KAMI, WHY?! She pulled the covers over her face, trying to hide her beet-red cheeks. "Oh gods … w-what did you hear?" she asked, afraid of his answer.

He sat on the bed next to her, rubbing his weary face; the morning light burning his eyes, "You were saying my name and moan … ing." He paused, his tired mind taking a minute for everything to sink in.

She winced. Is it possible to die from embarrassment? She was half tempted to grab a kunai and end her suffering right there. After he didn't speak for a minute, she pulled back the covers enough to peer over the top of them.

Gai looked into her troubled eyes and everything suddenly became clear to him. He blushed slightly, "Oh." Gai could be dense at times, but he wasn't a clueless moron.

She pulled the covers down and sat up, "Gai, I'm so sorry, I didn't—"

He held up his hand. "It's alright, Hani. Your dreams are none of my business, even if I'm a part of them."

Her face still held an expression of dread.

He grinned sheepishly. "The gods know we can't control our dreams," he said, trying to make her feel better.

'I'm not entirely innocent myself,' he thought inwardly.

She covered her face with a hand and mumbled an apology over and over again -- still mortified at what had happened.

"Hani, really … it's alright," he said, concern for his partner building.

"No it's not!" she said, burying her face deeper into her hands, "All I've done is make you mad at me."

Gai furrowed his brows.

"I've never had so much trouble getting along with someone before, but with you … I always seem to be messing things up." Her voice shook as she remembered the chaos of the night before, "Why else would you never want me to touch you again?"

Gai flinched visibly, "I didn't mean it, Hani – I was just upset with what had happened at the banquet." He hesitated slightly before reaching out to her and brushing the hair from her face, "I'm not mad."

"Yes you are, you're pissed – you just don't know it yet," she said with a shaky breath.

He chuckled at her and her emotional suffering. Tenten got the same way at times when she was overly stressed – it was a woman's trait that Gai found endearing. For most men, it just irritated them, but to Gai, it reminded him how passionate women could be.

He wrapped an arm around her; slowly bringing her head to his chest – much gentler than when they had first met. She didn't put up a fight or resist his caress – this told him how much she really did need a shoulder to cry on. All this time he had been beating himself up about the villagers when right next to him, Hani had been suffering her own trials: from dealing with a new mission partner, training him, impersonating a concubine, having more than one surprise get thrust into her face at the last minute, being poisoned, getting manhandled and then nearly raped. He mentally scolded himself, how could he have been so selfish?

He stroked her hair, trying to still her trembling body, "I'm sorry, Hani."

Her voice was muffled by her hands, "Why?"

"I've been blind at how this mission was getting to you." He rested his cheek on the top of her head and sighed, "I'm the leader of this mission and I've been hung up on myself – not even thinking about how all of this could be affecting you."

She pulled away to look at him, "I'm more worried about you, Gai." She scanned his red, tired eyes with her red, emotion filled ones. "I can see how this mission is tearing your heart out."

Gai took a deep breath and looked off into the distance as he spoke, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I've pulled myself through harsher times before." He snapped his head back as he felt her tug at the collar of his kimono.

"You shouldn't have to do it alone," she said with tented brows. "I'm not going to say, 'I know what you are going through', because I don't. And I'm not going to pretend like I do either. But--" she fidgeted nervously with his clothing. "If you need someone to talk to … I'm here to listen."

He tilted his head as he observed her – she suddenly seemed unable to look him in the eye. "A-and … I'm truly sorry if I've done anything to upset you or make you uncomfortable." She took her hand way from him and clung to her blanket, "I'm just a 'touchy/feely' type – I have to remind myself that other people are not the same way." It didn't occur to her that Gai, who was now holding her, might be the touch/feely type too.

She skewed her eyes shut and shook her head, "And I'm REALLY sorry about this morning, I don't know what came over me."

He chuckled, "How bad could it have been?"

She cringed. That was an excellent question. To her, it was bad that she had the dream at all, let alone, enjoyed it – immensely and secretly wished it hadn't stopped or been interrupted. It was even worse that Gai was the first man she had ever dreamt of before – she had been on missions with other male ninja and had gotten along well enough with them, but she never had any attraction to them. In fact, she couldn't think of one person in the last decade she had actually been attracted to. In a sense, she was kind of asexual – trained so thoroughly in the arts of sexual contact, it had lost a great deal of its mysticism and appeal to her. Sex to her was a tool … a weapon in her arsenal that she used to accomplish her missions – not partake in for enjoyment. If there was any taboo in the Hachi Clan, it was to have sex for the pleasure of it. To an outsider it may seem cruel to limit a woman's life in that way, but on the other hand, it made perfect sense. If you became emotionally attached to a man, you couldn't do your mission, period. You can't seduce someone when your heart belonged to another. In addition, it just wasn't fair to the man either – knowing or not knowing that the woman he cared for was in the arms of another. And though sex wasn't always the first step in the formation of intimate feelings, it certainly was a cornerstone.

She blushed, "It was … umm, vivid."

Gai grinned and winked at her, "Judging by the enthusiastic sounds you had made, it was also quite enjoyable."

Hani made a pained noise as she buried her face in her hands again.

"I'm sorry," he chuckled. He brushed the hair from her face once more; it seemed to fall there when she was embarrassed, "I shouldn't be teasing you." He placed a gentle finger to her chin and turned her face to his, "If anything, I should be flattered."

Out of embarrassment, she instinctually lifted her shoulders, trying to tuck her chin to her chest. She wished her hair would fall in her face again, to hide the redness in her cheeks. She looked to the side, not able to make eye contact with him.

He watched her face for a few seconds, smiling at how innocent and youthful she looked – definitely a different appearance from her usual seductress air. He admired her flawless, slightly tanned skin and her large, catlike eyes. Even though they were only a couple years different in age, Hani looked like she could be a whole decade younger than himself. "Are you ashamed?" he asked as he noticed her bite her lower lip.

"A little," she said with her eyes still downturned.

He bent his head till he was able to look into her violet eyes. "Don't be." He removed his finger once they had locked eyes and he was confident she wouldn't look away. With a charming smile, he laid a hand behind her and leaned into it; bringing his face just inches from hers. "If it helps you feel any better, I've dreamt about you," he whispered – something Hani thought the often loud shinobi was incapable of doing. He didn't know for sure why he was telling her about his dream, but he felt like he owed her one after completely bumbling things the night before.

She lifted her shoulders and tucked her chin again, "Really?"

His grin widened, "Yep – the morning you had snuck into my bed."

She blinked as she remembered that morning just two days ago. She had played a prank on him by crawling soundlessly into his arms and completely freaking him out when he had woken. The event was still funny to her and she couldn't help but smile as she thought back on his reaction. It hadn't occurred to her till that moment that when Gai had embraced her affectionately in his sleep, he was also dreaming about her. "I … I had no idea."

He tilted his head to the side, "I didn't do the greatest job at hiding it, but I don't think I had made it obvious either."

"Is that why you were so upset?" she asked, with doe-like eyes.

He tented his brows and smiled at her; she was acting just too damn cute for his overly emotional self. It took all of his willpower to not grapple the delicate blossom into a powerful bear hug, "I guess so."

She dropped her eyes again, "I'm sorry."

His sighed in defeat. "I'm not telling you this so you will apologize," he laughed.

"I'm sorry … again," she winced. "Sorry," she flinched. "Dang it, I did it again!"

He smiled, "You know – it's said that saying you're sorry is a sign of weakness."

She gave him another doe-eyed look, "But I always thought it took strength to say you were sorry."

He grinned at her, "I'm glad we can agree on something." He rolled his neck painfully; wincing slightly at the various cracks and pops that issued forth. It was seriously stiff and sore from a night of sitting stationary in the cold.

"Are you alright?" asked Hani.

He leaned back and used a hand to rub at his neck, "Yeah, I just need a hot shower, a warm meal and some sleep." He jerked his head to the side, forcing his neck to make a sickening 'crack' that echoed throughout her room. "Ah, finally," he sighed in relief. He noticed Hani's look of horror at the sounds his body was making. "Oh, I'm fine – this body's just seen a bit too much combat."

Hani turned to face him and raised her hands, "Would you like for me to rub your neck and shoulders? I'm pretty good with my hands."

He seriously considered her offer, "No, thank you. I think its best – for both of us, if you don't--"

She reached up, taking his thick neck in her delicate hands, "Please? I want to help."

He flinched at her sudden movement and cursed inwardly. If he hadn't been so exhausted, he might have caught her in time. He took her arms and was prepared to remove them, but she was right – she was really good with her hands.

"Rest assured, Gai. I'm only doing this because my partner needs my help. Don't read anything into it."

He closed his eyes, relishing her massage, "I wouldn't dream of it."

She couldn't help but grin at his response. She dug the tips of her fingers into his spine, applying gentle pressure to the connective tissue between each vertebra. She was even skilled enough to not once poke him with her long fingernails.

Now, Gai thought he was pretty good at massages, having to perform them on himself many times to prevent injury after training or combat – but Hani seemed to have it down to an art form. "Where did you learn this?" he asked with a heavy, relaxed jaw.

She smiled, "A few years ago, I worked undercover at a massage parlor for about a month. I learned a lot while I was there." She stood up on her knees and gently pulled his head towards her, "Here, rest your forehead on my shoulder."

Since he was now putty in her hands, he did as she asked.

"Let your neck fully relax – that way I can manipulate the muscles easier."

He took a deep breath and willed the tension from his muscles, placing the weight of his upper body on hers. She leaned back only slightly at the added weight, but she quickly righted herself. "Good, now take a few deep breaths."

He did as he was told, but at the same time he took the opportunity to take in her scent again. He had never noticed honeysuckle to be such a pleasant smell, but mixed with Hani's natural scent, it was damn near intoxicating. Usually his normally boiling-blood would be heated even more by their closeness, but he was far too exhausted to feel that way at that moment. Regardless, it would have been futile to work himself into a frenzy, it's not like he could do anything about it anyway.

All he wanted right now was to flop back into the pillows and sleep for a week.

"Do you want to lay back and take a nap?" she asked.

Damn, could this woman read his mind? "Hmm, that's a good idea," he said while trying to lift his head. "But I should probably sleep in my own room."

She stopped him from removing his head, "I'm almost done – do you want me to adjust your neck?"

He blinked, "You can do that?"

"Sure."

He shrugged, "Go ahead."

She closed her eyes and took an impossibly deep breath. She then released it slow and steadily. To Gai, it sounded like she was doing a breathing exercise, but if he could see her face, he would know instantly that wasn't the case. From her mouth came a very faint, pink mist that trailed out like the smoke of a cigarette.

Gai whiffed at the air, it suddenly smelt of roses.

When her breath had been fully exhaled, Hani placed her left hand on the left side of his jaw and then her other hand at the very back of his head. "Deep breath in," she said.

Gai complied, smelling even more of the rose scent.

"And out," she said tensing her arms.

Once the last bit of his breath had been released, her left hand jerked to the side and up, and her right hand jerked down. A clatter ran throughout his neck like a maraca getting thrown down a set of stairs.

Gai gasped in shock that in one swift motion she had realigned his very chaotic mess of a spine. He jerked his head up and grabbed his neck out of reflex. "Holy crap, Hani!" he shouted. After rubbing his neck to make sure everything was where it was suppose to be, he pumped a fist in the air, "That was AWESOME!"

She chuckled, "Glad I could help."

He rubbed his neck again, turning this way and that. "This is amazing … I don't think it's felt this good in years!" He moved his hand to his mouth quickly as a sudden and very deep yawn struck him. "Ahh, sorry," he said with watery eyes. "I felt really tired all of a sudden."

"Maybe adjusting your neck has relaxed your body enough to crave sleep, " she lied. She knew exactly why he suddenly felt so tired.

He yawned again, "Ugh … wow." He rubbed at his stubbled face, "I should probably get to my room before I pass out." He slid to the side of the bed and stood, his legs feeling a bit shaky.

"Do you need some help?" asked Hani, ready to catch him if he lost his balance.

He held a hand out to her, "Nonsense … Maito Gai has never needed help to walk anywhere in his life." He nodded to her, "Thank you for the adjustment." He yawned yet again, "Ahhnn, I don't mean to be rude by leaving suddenly. I just feel so tired."

She smiled, "I understand. Get some good sleep. I'll come and wake you in a few hours."

Gai winked at her and walked to her door. He couldn't help but grin over his shoulder as she called, "Sweet dreams."

Only after she had heard Gai's door shut behind him, had Hani spoken, "I'm sorry to have used that technique on you, Gai. But I guarantee you will have never slept heavier in your life and it will help you feel so much better when you wake."

--//--

A half hour later, Hani stood under her shower, letting the jets spray hot water over her head and shoulders. Her wet hair clung to her neck and face. She didn't care enough to move it; letting the wet strains block her vision.

She pressed her forehead into the tile of the shower and pawed at the wall. What a morning it had been. She slept horribly – she could only imagine the bags she had under her eyes. She had also dreamt a very naughty dream about her mission partner and got caught in the act. Some seductress she made – her mother was probably rolling around in her grave right now. And then she went and let Gai get so physically close to her – which only made things worst. In her dream, she had no sense of smell, which wasn't surprising as it wouldn't have been normal if she had. But with Gai setting so close to her just moments before, she had caught a good whiff of his delicious scent. The closest thing she could compare it to was sandalwood, with its earthy aroma and small traces of musk. She would have loved to know how he had tasted.

She winced at her inner thoughts and banged her forehead against the wall once as punishment. She immediately cringed at the pain and rubbed the sore area sheepishly. "Ouch!" she cried.

She nursed her minor injury a few moments before returning her brow to the cold shower lining, "Ugh, what have you become, Hani?" She lifted her arm and pressed it into the wall; burying her face into her shoulder. 'You should be ashamed,' she thought. 'You've been trained to know better.'

She used her free arm to lift her hair to allow the shower access to her tense muscles. She shuddered slightly as thick water droplets trailed down her neck, chest and between her breasts.

"I want to see this flower blossom," rang his voice in her head. She brought her fingers to where he had kissed her, trying to remember the sensation – even though it had been just a dream, she had honestly believed it to be real before she had woken.

"You want this," he had told her … TOLD HER. He didn't ask -- he knew … because she knew. That part of her dream was right, regardless of whether or not she wanted to admit it. Your dreams can be more honest to you than you will ever consciously be to yourself. She could deny it all she wanted, but it would never change the fact that it was all true.

She ran her fingers down the wall -- claw-like; the grout chipping the paint on her nails. She now fully understood what the term "crawling the walls" meant. She pressed her face against the tile, baring her teeth in an almost animalistic fashion. The sense of pure carnal lust fumed deep in her belly. She had never felt it before – and she didn't like it one bit. She had been so close to the forbidden fruit and was kicked from the garden before she got a chance to taste its bittersweet flavor. "ARGH!" she fumed. She had been taught when in this state … take care of it yourself. There was something about "taking care of herself" that sullied these foreign feelings she had for Gai. In a part of her mind, it sounded as if Gai would only become a play thing to her fantasies and she felt that would make her no better than the scum she's dealt with in the past. But another part of her was desperate for some form of release. Anything to take her mind off of the damn urge that grew inside her like a festering wound.

"Damnit!" she cursed; pounding her fist into the wall. "Of all people … WHY HIM?!" She thought back on how he could be such a damn, clueless fool who was too loud, over the top, and had no fashion sense at all. But he had that damnable charming smile and that "look" that could make her face flush. And his body, OH GODS HIS BODY! She turned and pressed her back to the wall, hoping it would cool her desires.

But what was it about Gai that had caught her interest? Could it be his looks? His overall, ridiculously built physique which was unlike anything she had seen before? His chiseled, masculine features? His deep voice that made her eardrums tickle? Was it his strength and awesome power that had astonished her last night? Or could it be his naiveté attitude and the sparkle in his eyes? Living in a ninja village, Hani was surrounded by men who've seen their fair share of bloodshed and death – all of which shown as a constant reminder in their dark, often blank eyes. But Gai, regardless of all he's been through, still had a genuine smile on his face that Hani often found infectious. He WAS the silver lining to the clouds that loomed over the lives of those around him. His upbeat attitude and comical personality kept the hardships of living a ninja life at bay. Any man Hani had been with prior to her meeting Gai had always wanted to take something from her, but Gai clearly wanted to give of himself instead. He would personally take all the weight of the world and carry it on his back if he could. And it was that quality that made Hani feel attracted to him most of all. All that other stuff – were just perks.

She looked over her shoulder, imagining how he had been there in her dream and later how he had rested his forehead on that very same side. His body was so hardened, and she could tell while massaging his neck that her imagination hadn't been too far off in her dream when it came to depicting his body. She remembered the pressure she felt between her buttocks -- had that been accurate as well or over exaggerated? She secretly hoped it wasn't too far off.

But there was one thing about that dream that had bothered her more than the dream itself. It was the way he had acted. He seemed far too dominate and pushy for the real Gai. She couldn't imagine him ever threatening to "punish" her, regardless of it being sexual or not. Maybe that's what she was use to? A man who always tried to "take charge" – only once had she ever been with a man who was sensitive to her and shied away from the domination techniques – and he was the politician she had been hired as a concubine for. And though he was homosexual, he had spent one night with her "out of curiosity". He had been tender and kind – the only friendly person she had ever shared a bed with. Though he hadn't changed his sexual orientation after their encounter, it had cemented their friendship a bit more.

Now, she wasn't suggesting that Gai was homosexual, but he certainly was a tender-hearted individual when it came to others. And the Gai in her dreams definitely didn't link with the Gai in real life. She was a bit disappointed in herself that she would even imagine Gai like that. She felt guilty like she had betrayed the man in some way.

She moaned in discomfort as a new pain filled her belly and the large growl that followed confirmed its source. "Ugh, I'm starving!" she wined, grabbing her stomach. She hadn't eaten hardly anything the day before – the only thing being a bit of food that Yoyo had allowed reach her mouth and the small bits of dinner Umeko had nearly forced down her throat. She should have listened to that woman and eaten more; especially since she had plans for that morning that wouldn't allow her to attend breakfast. No, she had things to take care of and she needed to do it as soon as possible.

Determined, she grabbed the shower dial and turned it as far into cold as it would go. She braced herself as the sting of nearly freezing water washed over her. She huddled down into a ball trying to endure the torment as long as possible. She would just have to wash those thoughts and urges from her mind and body. Nothing that a good ice-cold shower couldn't handle … right?

After a few seconds and not able to take any more torture, she quickly turned off her shower and grabbed for a large fluffy towel. Her body shook painfully as the cold took over her body's motor control. "Sweet geezus!" she said through a chattering jaw. She grabbed another towel and threw that one around her too; desperate to find and cling to any and all warmth.

She tiptoed across the bathroom's bamboo floor to her mirror and hissed, she looked like utter crap AND the transformation she had placed on herself to hide the bruises from last night's assault must have released in her cold shower. She had covered them up the moment Gai had left her room the night before; knowing the marks would act as a reminder for last night's chaos.

A Hachi woman, whose clan was vain enough to originally develop the advanced transformation technique that her Hokage now sported, let her own technique slip from something as small as a little cold water … like an amateur.

She rolled her eyes. She was just entirely fed up with herself that morning.

--//--

After Hani had taken the time to finish getting ready, the morning sun had just started to illuminate the courtyard garden. Oda would be arriving to wake them up soon and Hani wanted to let the servant know Gai was going to be sleeping in, and come hell or high water, she wasn't going to let anyone wake him before he got a decent amount of rest.

She stood outside her room for a few minutes, watching Gai's door. She wondered what had gone through his mind all night and especially what he thought after hearing her talking in her sleep that morning. She blushed. "How embarrassing," she said to herself, brushing her hair from her eyes. "He probably thinks I'm a weirdo now." But she tried to reassure herself that Gai had confessed to dreaming about her too. But at least he hadn't cried out her name. She slumped her shoulders; wanting nothing more than to crawl into the nearest hole and die.

The sound of a frantic cry caught Hani's attention. She turned to see a very lovesick Muta trotting down the walkway; fur and fat bouncing with a mew every second step. Once he reached her side, he dove into her legs, rubbing against her with great enthusiasm. "Someone's lonely," chuckled Hani. She bent down, wrapped her arms around him and tried to pick him up. "Damn, you're heavy!" she grunted – it was hard enough, with her already being plenty top heavy. She planted a foot to either side of him, "Heave!" she called as she lifted him with her legs. She laughed again as he wrapped his arms around her neck and purred into her ear. She scratched at his cheek as she carried him down the walkway. "Let's go find Oda, Big Guy."

But, just as Hani reached for the doorway to their wing, it opened; revealing the very man she was looking for. "Good morning, Madam," he said with a pleasant smile.

"Oh, I was just coming to find you," said Hani a bit relieved she wouldn't have to search this large, strange mansion for him. She gasped as Muta suddenly hissed, and then scrambled off of her in a flurry of fur and claws. He jumped to the ground with a loud 'thud' and scurried down the hallway away from them both. Hani blinked in surprise. "What's got into him?"

The servant grinned sheepishly, "That's probably because I've had to remove him from the kitchens one too many times. Needless to say, I haven't always been polite about it."

Hani furrowed her brows, "Oh."

"You wanted to see me, Madam?"

She blinked, "Oh yes. I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you?"

Oda tented his brows slightly, "What did you have in mind?" He couldn't help but sweat a little as she gave him a charming grin in return. Whatever it was, he knew it would take some convincing and he feared what tactics she would use to get him to comply.

--//--

Gai stripped out of his noble clothes, leaving them in a heap on the floor; he was too exhausted to care. They weren't his clothes anyway.

He stumbled towards the bathroom – he couldn't remember the last time he was ever this tired; even the time he ran to Konoha from Suna in only a day and a half without rest.

He winced as he flipped on the bathroom's light. In all honesty, he felt kind of drunk or at the very least, hung over. Cupping a hand over his eyes, he did the best he could to navigate to the shower. He took the side strap of his underwear – a fundoshi (traditional Japanese thong-like underwear), ripped it off and tossed it to the side. Why Hani had insisted he was authentic in EVERY detail of his wardrobe last night was beyond him. No one would see that part of him anyway … right? And not only was it uncomfortable, it took him nearly 15 minutes to try and figure out how to tie the damn thing – not wearing them very often himself. It wasn't until Hani had offered to do it for him that he went about tying it with a new found determination. How on earth did she know how to tie one of those things?

He leaned against a wall and lifted one leg, removing the harness that was velcroed around his ankle. He laid it gently on the ground next to him, ignoring the painful creaks issued by the floor at the ridiculously heavy weight contained in his leg equipment. He took off the other harness and sat it on top of the other – not immediately realizing the error in doing so. There was a loud creak, followed by a crash as his leg-weights collapsed through the soft bamboo floor. Using the wall for balance, he peered down the newly made hole, "Brilliant," he sighed. Without his chakra to balance the weight of his training equipment, most floors were unable to withstand the pressure.

He waved a dismissal hand; he would have to take care of it later. Right now, he just wanted to take a shower, brush his teeth and crawl into bed. And it was his goal to not fall asleep between points A, B or C.

He stepped into the shower and flipped on the dial. Grabbing the soap, he worked up a good lather and scrubbed his face and body in record time. He then used that same bar of soap on his head – he never used official "products" on his hair; like the rest of his body, his hair didn't need any special treatment.

He was almost done rinsing when the water suddenly turned extremely hot. With reflexes only a ninja could possess, he dove to the side, out of the water's path. 'Someone must be using all of the cold water,' he thought. Living in an old apartment building, he was use to unforeseen temperatures changes in his shower's water, but he had thought this mansion would have a better plumbing system than that.

But fortunately, the water didn't take long to correct itself and Gai was finally able to finish his wash. He turned off the water, toweled himself down and went about brushing his teeth. Regardless of how tired he was, he never skipped this crucial step. A smile could speak volumes about a person's character, and he didn't want his even remotely tarnished.

After he was done in the bathroom, he turned off the light and walked with heavy steps to the bed. But before he collapsed, he used his remaining strength to reach between the mattresses and pull out his extra pair of nunchucks. He wanted to SLEEP and not be disturbed by something poking him in the side uncomfortably. He tossed the weapon on the floor and crawled onto the bed; using his hands to turn down the covers. He didn't bother with clothing; the towel he had wrapped securely around his waist wasn't going anywhere.

He buried his face deep into his pillows. "Mhmmmm …" he moaned in relief. Mission successful – he had made it to his bed before he passed out. And sleep didn't wait long before it overtook him. He had fallen asleep so fast, it almost felt like he was actually falling.

At first, Gai didn't dream. He was sleeping so heavily, he was nearly dead to the world. A rhino could be literally tap dancing in his room and he wouldn't have even stirred. But after a little over an hour, Gai's eyes stared to twitch under closed eyelids and his subconscious mind did its best to break the news to him as gently as possible …

--//--

He was sitting at a table in a bar called, "The Flying Shuriken". His jounin friends often frequented this place after hours; remising about missions, students and anything else on the grapevine. And Gai noticed, as he looked around, that there was quite a crowd gathered that night.

He looked at his table guest and was somewhat surprised to see the dark hair and clothing of the Hokage's Assistant Shizune sitting at his side. "And I couldn't believe she had done that –" said Shizune out of frustration. "I mean, she is the Hokage and you would think she would be wise enough to know better."

Gai furrowed his brows. This was just like the last time him and Shizune had hooked up. They had been at a birthday party at the Flying Shuriken, sharing a drink and Shizune was lamenting about something Hokage Tsunade had done that day. He looked at the empty bottle in front of her. It was after the third bottle had been drained that he and Shizune had left the bar. He winced slightly, remembering what had happened next. He had offered to walk her home after noticing her heavy stagger. They made it only halfway before she jumped him and yanked him into an alleyway. It had been rough and clumsy … Gai would have preferred they shared their intimate encounter in a less public and more appropriate place, but Shizune, who was in a very inebriated state, was very insistent. And when a woman yanks you into the dark, kissing you and trying to tear your clothes of … it's hard to think like a gentleman, especially when he himself had downed a few drinks that night.

Gai leaned over and peered through the crowd. It really was just like that night, with the exception of one thing. The party had been for one person, Kakashi Hatake and of course, the birthday boy hadn't even shown up that night. It didn't surprise any of his friends, they had actually expected for him to be absent. They didn't mind because they always used any excuse to get together and share a few drinks.

But in this dream, Kakashi was in attendance. Gai could see his unmistakable silver hair and slumped form. Gai leaned over a bit more to better see through the crowd. Kakashi was leaning against the wall and talking to someone. Who, Gai couldn't immediately tell. But the familiar blonde hair and short, slight frame gave him a good idea who she was.

"And then she had the audacity to tell me to 'shut up'. Could you believe that?' chimed Shizune after a long swig of her drink. Gai looked at the woman to his side and then reached behind him, grabbing the arm of Genma Shiranui; he pulled the man down to his level.

"Gah, Gai! What the hell?" called the special jounin as he almost spilt his drink.

"Genma," asked Gai. "Do you owe me a favor?"

Genma considered his friend's words for a moment, "No, I don't think so."

Gai stood, yanking the senbon sucker into his seat, "Then I owe you one."

Genma looked at Shizune and grinned, "Mmmm, not a problem."

Gai could hear Shizune in the background continuing to speak. She apparently didn't care who her company was, as long as someone just listened to her.

After negotiating through the crowd a few steps and getting closer to his silver-haired target, a curvaceous form stepped into his path. He looked down into the grinning face of Anko Mitarashi. "Hello, Gai-kun," she said, slightly licking her lips.

He gave her a half smile, "Good evening, Anko."

She placed two fingers on his chest and walked them up to his collar, "I'm off duty tonight. I was wondering if you would like to go with me and …" she took a step into him and pressed herself against his body. "Play a little 'hide the kunai'?"

Knowing how literal the woman could be, Gai cringed. He reached up, taking her shoulders and moving her off to the side. "I'm sorry, Anko. Maybe some other time." He walked past her, his mind set on his goal of reaching his rival and confirming what he dreaded.

"Hey! Don't walk away from me!" shouted Anko. "Fine!" she said to the back of Gai's head, "I can have any man here!" She looked around, "Hey, Iruka! Wait Umino! Why are you running? Get back here!"

Gai walked through the crowd like a man on a mission. The closer he got, the more he was sure the woman Kakashi was talking to was Hani. He knew she wasn't at the real party – so why was she here in his dream? He froze as Kakashi bent forward, pulled his mask down only slightly and whispered something into Hani's ear. She held her hand to her mouth and giggled at him in return.

Gai could feel his blood boil at the sight of them together. He clenched both his jaw and fist as images of the two filled his mind. He moved forward again, increasing his pace with each step. He was only a few feet away from Kakashi and Hani when he planted his left foot and sent a rock hard punch into the side of Kakashi's face. "Bastard!" shouted Gai.

His rival flew through the air and burst head first through the wall. Gai didn't stop to speak or even look at Hani. Instead, he pushed through the hole Kakashi had made and stepped into the street looking for the man's form.

"Shit, Gai!" called Kakashi from a dust cloud. The man struggled to stand. "What's the meaning of this?" He pulled down his mask and pressed a gloved hand to his bleeding cheek.

In a flash, Gai pounced; pushing his rival against the wall of the neighboring building. He pinned the man down with an elbow to his chest. "YOU CAN'T HAVE HER, KAKASHI!" he shouted.

Kakashi winced at the assault. "What are you talking about?" he choked out.

Gai did his best to reign in his anger, "Hani, you can't have her! Not HER! NOT AGAIN!"

Realizing what his friend was referring to, Kakashi furrowed his brows, "She isn't Rin, Gai!"

Gai pressed harder on the man's chest at the mentioning of that very painful name, "You have NO RIGHT to speak of her!"

Kakashi grabbed Gai's vest and yanked on it, "How many times do I have to tell you, HER DEATH WASN'T MY FAULT!"

Gai felt tears build at the corner of his eyes, "She loved you Kakashi! She loved you and you pushed her away!" He gritted his teeth, "It was because of YOU she took that damn mission! She wanted to prove to you that she was strong!"

Kakashi looked away.

"Damnit, don't you turn away!" shouted Gai with a painful jab of his elbow.

Kakashi still didn't make eye contact. "You're not mad at me, Gai," he said with a sorrow filled voice. "You're mad at yourself …" and with that, the image of Kakashi shifted to that of a younger Gai, no older than a chuunin. The boy looked unimaginably sad, with shining tear streaks down his face and red puffy eyes.

Gai immediately released his hold on the boy and stepped back a few feet. He watched the younger image of himself with wide, fearful eyes.

"It's all your fault!" cried the boy, wiping at his eyes. "If you had only told her how you really felt, and protected her like you vowed -- Rin would still be alive!"

The older Gai took another step back.

"You blame Kakashi because you can't stand to blame yourself!"

Gai tried to cover his ears, "No!"

"You knew that mission was too much for her, but you let her go!"

"NO!" shouted Gai, tears falling down his face.

"I love her, Gai-sensei!" came a cheerful voice to his side.

Gai jerked around; looking into the large, innocent eyes of his favorite pupil.

"Sakura-chan is sooo beautiful and smart and talented and …" Lee continued to list all the things he loved about the pink-haired girl.

Gai blinked back his tears. The boy reminded him so much of himself – even the innocent love the boy had for the girl in his rival's team.

He had cared so much for Rin … falling in love with the girl when he first laid eyes on her. He was always so mad at Kakashi for continually ignoring the girl. It was at that time Gai declared Kakashi as his eternal rival and vowed to win Rin's heart from the silver-haired boy. But it wasn't until years later, when they were all chuunin that Rin's life had been taken. When Rin died, so did the only true love Gai had known and he had always secretly blamed himself for her death.

He raised his forearm up to his face and wept.

Hani wasn't anything like Rin. They were completely different, down to their looks, personality and disposition. But somehow, something about Hani poked at the leftover embers of love he once had in his heart.

"Gai?" came a comforting voice.

He slowly lowered his arm and looked down to see two bright, violet eyes looking up at him. He was no longer in the village road outside the bar. He was in Hani's room and they were sitting together like they had earlier that morning.

"Gai, you don't have to do this on your own," she said, reaching out and using a soft touch to wipe at the tears on his cheek. He grabbed her hand instinctually and pulled it away. But she wouldn't be deterred and used her other hand instead. "You've done too much on your own, Gai." She wiped away the last tear, "Please, let me help."

"I shouldn't have let her go," said Gai, not bothering to explain who he was referring to.

"She was a young woman who had made her own decisions, Gai," said Hani who slid forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You respected her wishes – you can't blame all unfortunate circumstances on yourself."

"She'd still be alive if I had only –"

"The world would be a very different place if everyone "had only" done something." She leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong with Rin … but --" she squeezed him tighter. "You would be wrong if you let the pain in your past, determine your future."

He looked down at her.

"You know I'm not Rin, but … I needed you last night and you were there … you saved me."

Suddenly feeling very protective of her, Gai wrapped his large arms around her very petite frame. "I will never let anyone hurt you."

"I know … and what does that tell you about how you feel for the real Hani?" she asked.

He sighed very heavily; remembering this was all just a dream.

The Dream Hani nuzzled his neck, "Don't let me go, Gai."

He squeezed her tighter.

"Don't let me go," she said again as she kissed him under the chin.

He cradled her head and sighed, "I won't."

She slid her hands under his kimono and pressed them against his flesh, "Don't let me go."

He pressed his lips against her temple, "I won't."

She pushed away from him suddenly. He looked down at her in surprise but his face immediately fell as he noticed her expression.

She was giving him a pained, sorrow-filled look, "Don't let me go …"

--//--

Gai reached out to her, but instead of grabbing her, he felt only empty space. He opened his eyes to see his outstretched arms and the ceiling of his bedroom. He sat up and looked around his bed frantically, hoping to find the woman he had just left behind, lying somewhere amidst the covers – even if she was just playing a prank.

His heart sank as he realized he was in that bed alone. He fell back against his pillow with an audible 'thud'. There was no way in hell he was going to be able to look at Hani the same way again.

--

Thank you, for reading!