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Bee-uty & the Beast
Kraen
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Chapter Fifteen
Gai wasn't able to fall back to sleep that morning. For one, he had slept so heavily during his nap, he felt as though he had slept for days. Secondly, the dream he just had was currently gnawing at his mind.
He grabbed one of the extra pillows on the bed and hugged it close to him. He buried his face against it and peered at his room from over the white fluff. Normally, Gai would jump from his bed and run to the nearest gym to exercise and take his mind of his troubles. But now ... Gai knew running from the things that were troubling him would only make it worse.
Gai's friends could see the real reason Gai was so "enthusiastic". It was more than just a "natural" behavior for the man, in some ways, it was forced. They knew Gai always pushed himself too hard in training and missions so he could prevent his mind from dwelling on anything that brought him negative emotions.
Maybe it was the fact there were so few women in Konoha who actually spent time with Gai outside of work. Gai couldn't blame them ... in some ways he used his overenthusiastic attitude to push them away -- that way, he wouldn't be able to become too attached to any of them and thus, suffer another loss like he had with Rin. Tenten was different though. She was like a daughter to him and he was very protective of her. But at least Tenten was by his side on missions and not away where Gai couldn't keep an eye on her.
It wasn't that Gai didn't care about any of the woman in the village. He cared about Tsunade-sama, Shizune, Kurenai, Anko and others ... but they where his comrades; his teammates. He would fight honorably by their side, and mourn them if anything happened to them. But he wouldn't lose sleep at night if they were out on a mission. He knew what they were capable of and he wouldn't trouble himself with "what if's". It was just safer to keep them all at bay.
He squeezed the pillow tighter.
But last night, as Gai went searching for Hani, his mind was FULL of "what if's". What if she's lost? What if there was an attack? What if someone found them out? What if she was in danger? Those thoughts circled his mind over and over as he stormed through the mansion looking for her. It was only by sheer luck that he felt a small abnormal flicker of chakra coming from the location of the garden. Gai knew instantly it was Hani -- though he had only known her for a few days, he had already become accustomed to her chakra vibration --a low, faint buzz that often made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
Gai balled his hands into fists.
When he had found Hani and those men in the Garden, he wanted so much to break every bone in those imposter monks' bodies and tear them limb-from-limb. No woman should be raped and having never witnessed it before, Gai nearly lost complete control of himself when he finally did. It was no small miracle those men were still alive today.
But the worst part about last night was ... how Hani had cowered from him. She had been scared of him and he could see that in how she had pulled away when he reached out to her. Gai was sure Hani had seen her fair share of ninja abilities, so Gai had probably done nothing she hadn't already seen before -- therefore, she must have been shocked by his behavior.
Gai cringed.
Speaking of his behavior -- how could he have treated Hani the way he had last night? Calling her that horrible name.
Gai sighed and rubbed at his eyes.
He was so ashamed. If any of his friends back in Konoha had heard him call her that, they would have promptly picked themselves off the ground and popped him in the face. And to be honest, he would have done the same. His father would kill him if he knew what he had said. And his mother ...
Gai shuddered.
He tried to think back on the events of the night and what on earth would put a word like that in his vocabulary. There was the banquet -- which was a complete disaster. Hani being poisoned -- that couldn't be it. Was it ... when he saw her with Makoto?
Gai flopped over on his side, taking the blankets with him.
He always had a problem with jealously. Whether it be personal achievements, recognition or someone having something he didn't. Gai knew it was an immature personality quirk, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't suppress that side of him completely. However, it did work as an excellent driving force in pushing him to improve himself. But on the other hand, it usually just backfired. And seeing Makoto getting Hani's attention like that, well, instead of being mad at Makoto, he took it out on Hani.
He shook his head.
It wasn't just that. Hani ... dare he say it? Hani scared him -- terrified him. With little-to-no effort she could manipulate him into doing anything she wanted and that worried him greatly. It wasn't like she was a foe who had more strength than Gai. If that was the case, he would just go and train more. But with Hani, her techniques attacked his greatest weakness. If his friends knew what that weakness was, he wouldn't be able to look them in the face again. Sex deprived? That was just too humiliating. He could just see Kakashi's little eye crinkle over the top of his smutty novel, or Asuma's half-hidden grin peaking around the side of his cigarette. Then Genma would open his big mouth, say something inappropriate and everything would go to pot from that point on. His friends would NEVER let it drop.
Like the animals he summoned, Gai grabbed the blankets and pulled them over his head, shielding him from those unsettling thoughts.
But, was it so terrible to have a woman as beautiful as Hani seducing him? It's not like it happened to him often ... or ever, for that matter. Gai thought back on his last "interaction" with Anko and as per usual, shuddered at the thought. She hadn't seduced Gai -- no, she took what she wanted. She had approached him at the Flying Shuriken after one of the events of the chuunin exams. Anko wasn't one for flowery speech, so she got her point across in only a few, vulgar words. If Kakashi hadn't planted his foot in Gai's rear, the Green Beast would probably have avoided the woman all together. Anko was too forward of a woman for his tastes. And Gai wasn't too keen on having his masculinity constantly challenged by a woman who took offense to being treated tenderly. Gai revered women, and when he made any attempt at cherishing Anko's body, she took it as a sign of weakness and made him pay dearly for it. Gai couldn't get out of her apartment fast enough.
And Shizune? Well, Gai would rather not think about that. His latest dream only reminded him that Shizune didn't want him specifically, she just wanted SOMEONE.
Gai pulled down the covers and rolled over on his back. He then placed his hands behind his head and started to do ab crunches. He was just reaching his 100 crunch mark when he realized he was doing it again ... using exercise to take his mind off his troubles. He flopped back against his bed and panted slightly, his body chilled from sweat and the cool fall air. He folded an arm across his face and buried his eyes into the crook of the limb -- avoiding that which bothered him, would only make things worse down the road. He needed to face this like a man and sort his thoughts out.
Hani was an ally, not an enemy; therefore it wasn't a horrible thing her abilities took advantage of his weaknesses. Arguably, the same thing could be said in comparing Gai to her. He could crush boulders with his fists -- he doubted Hani could even crack a walnut with both hands.
Hani was an undeniably beautiful, sexy woman with a body that would make a man change his religion. So, why would she even look at him twice? Sure, he had enough confidence to think he was a decent looking man, with a strong, manly brow, a built body and a sparkling smile. But Hani also had that natural charisma -- a je ne sais quois that Gai lacked. She could easily be the life of the party; Gai's eccentric personality made him more the "village idiot" -- he wasn't unaware in how others viewed him, he just didn't really care.
Gai couldn't help but smirk.
He would KILL to see the look on his friend's faces if they saw him with a woman of Hani's beauty. Especially that cool-fool Kakashi!
Gai rubbed his eyes with the back of his forearm.
But hadn't Hani dreamt about him that very morning? Gai's face instantly flushed as he thought back on the sight of her. He wasn't entirely truthful when he had told her she was saying his name -- she had done a bit more than that, and though Gai couldn't see what all was going on under the covers; he had a good enough imagination to fill in the blanks.
Her back arched; caressing her own breasts; soft cries of pleasure echoing throughout the room ...
Gai quickly snapped his hands behind his head and started to do full sit-ups. Yeah, this was one of those times when avoiding these types of thoughts would be for the best.
She moaned softly as she tilted her head and exposed her neck.
"Grrr!" growled Gai after the 200th sit-up. He was no better off than when he had started.
"Gai ..." he heard her say in a deep throaty moan.
He spun onto his stomach and started to do pushups at a blazing speed.
She bit her lip as her body rocked to some unheard rhythm.
Gai clenched at the bed sheets. 100 pushups.
She tented her brows and gently caressed her own body, "Gai ..."
He skewed his eyes shut and started to count reps through gritted teeth. "150, 151, 152 ..."
"Gai, please!" she called in a lust-filled, almost pained voice.
It was too much for him. Gai's knees immediately bulked and he collapsed into the mattress where he buried his face and gnawed at the sheets. Like a lonely, feral beast, Gai released a deep, throaty groan that made his own eardrums throb.
This was going to take more than a few calisthenics to cure.
--//--
The white noise of 'swish swish' from Hani's traditional tabi socks filled the hallway as she dragged her feet across the floor to the shoji doors of their wing. She was so damn tired and hungry -- and the chakra she had spent in using her rejuvenation poison on Gai had left her with even less energy. Sure, she could have just given him a soldier pill, but those things were the equivalent of drinking 20 cups of coffee at a single time. Those pills also had the nasty side effect of causing the person to crash a few hours later -- Gai would be no better off in the end. And to be honest, Hani didn't think she could handle a Gai who was that hopped up on caffeine; not now, not ever.
She shuddered at the mere thought.
With slow, languid movements, Hani brought one hand to her mouth to cover a yawn and used her other to push open the door. Unfortunately, the act of yawning brought tears to her eyes and made her vision too blurry to notice the fat obstacle that lay just inside the doorway. Weighing about a quarter of the weight of Hani, Muta acted as the perfect mobile tripping stone.
"Gah!" she cried as she tumbled over the creature and plummeted to the floor. Fortunately, Hani was agile enough to trip and not hurt the animal, and to also fall correctly and not take any injury. But there was no amount of grace that would save her battered ego.
Stomach to the grown, feet in the air; Hani lifted her head and blew sharply at the hair that had fallen into her eyes. "Damnit, ya Fat Bastard!" she shouted, shaking a fist at the creature. "Watch where you're going!" she scowled.
Muta glared back as if to say, "I should say the same thing to you, Missy." With a flick of his tail, he turned and trotted out of the wing through the now open door.
Hani glared after him for a few seconds before she sat up on her knees and brushed herself off. The good thing about having a big rack was that it acted as great cushioning. She planted her hands on her rear and leaned backward as far as she could. But sometimes, cushioning just wasn't worth all the backache.
She picked herself up slowly; her bodying feeling so heavy. She moved to the wall and used it for support as she ambled along the walkway to Gai's room. She had promised to wake him up and she figured four hours of sleep, along with her rejuvenation poison would be more than enough. That poison would put the recipient in such a deep sleep, it was like sleeping three times longer than what they actually had and thus, their body would recover more efficiently. She thanked Grandma Bumble for that technique, having developed it after she retired as a Willow Warrior and became a medic.
Once Hani had reached Gai's door, she hesitated in opening it. She was still fairly embarrassed about what had happened that morning and waking him meant facing that little voice living in the back of her mind -- the one that took delight in telling her to act on her forbidden sexual impulses. She shook her head -- she would have to face him eventually, so she just needed to suck it up and be the professional that she was.
She was a little more careful about entering his room than she was while entering the wing. Fortunately, there were no Mutas around to trip her up -- oh that would have been terrible if she had fallen into Gai's room. She really would crawl into a hole and die at that point.
Even though it was midday, Gai's room was still fairly dark. To better light her way, Hani left his door open and walked quietly to the bed. He was laying half on his side, half on his belly with the blankets coiled around him at the waist. She tried to not think what he could be wearing under the blankets or the fact that he was currently shirtless. 'Be ... a professional,' she told herself inwardly.
"Gai," she said, leaning over him. "Gai, it's time to wake up."
He didn't move.
She sighed, "Guh-ai, it's time to get up."
Still no reaction.
She put a hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly, "Gai, lunch will be ready soon -- you need to get up."
Nothing.
She leaned back and ran her hands down her face in consideration of her options. She knew the rejuvenation poison shouldn't be affecting him any longer -- especially with his fast metabolism. He was still breathing and had been warm to the touch. His hair looked like it had been wet and dried while in bed, so he at least had enough energy to come to his room and take a shower. 'Hmm,' she thought.
She blinked a few times before placing her palm on his forehead, being sure to negotiate gently through the thick bangs of his hair. She was surprised to find him a little flushed, and sweaty. She moved her hand to his neck and checked his pulse; it seemed a little quickened.
Could he be sick? Or worse ... having an allergic reaction to the poison? Hani took his shoulder and shook him a bit rougher, "Gai -- wake up!" He still didn't respond.
Now Hani was worried.
She quickly reached into her obi and pulled out a small leather pouch. She unzipped it, removed a small syringe from its folds and went about mixing an antidote. After one last flick of her finger at the tube to rid it of any bubbles, she took Gai's arm. "Ah wait ..." she said, reaching into her cleavage. She pulled out a small white envelope and opened it with the help of her teeth. She extracted from it a small wet-cloth and went about sterilizing Gai's arm at the injection site -- she didn't usually have to use such precautions as most people on the receiving end of her shots wouldn't live much longer anyway.
After tossing the gauze to the side, she returned the needle to his arm -- his veins were so prominent, she didn't even need to search for one. But before she could give him the injection, there was a flash of movement and before she knew it, something shot out, grabbed her wrist and yanked her over Gai's body; planting her firmly to the bed. Like a rodeo pro, Gai jumped on top of her legs and straddled her thighs -- her long kimono skirts acting as a makeshift binding. He then grabbed her wrists and pinned her hands against the bed on either side of her shoulders. With his weight on her legs and her arms trapped, she was completely disabled.
She cringed. "I'M-SO-SORRY, GAI!" she blurted in self defense. "YOU-WOULDN'T WAKE-UP-SO-I--" she froze as Gai's hearty laughter filled the room.
"RA HA HA HA!" He beamed at her, "A nice try, Hani. But your attempts at catching me off guard have been all for not!"
Hani gave him a flabbergasted look, "Huh?!"
Gai returned her confused look as he eyed the syringe she held tightly in her grip. Still holding her wrist, he brought her hand up to his face and twisted it, allowing him a better look at what she held. "Hani, what is this?"
Hani quickly looked between Gai's face and her hand. This probably looked really bad. "You wouldn't wake up, so I was worried you were poisoned." She maneuvered the syringe in her grip so he could better see the liquid, "It's just a general antidote. It wouldn't have harmed you."
He watched her from the corner of his eye.
She tented her brows, "I promise!"
After a few seconds, Gai smiled at her. "I trust you partner. Thank you for being cautious and concerned for my wellbeing!"
"Wait," said Hani as Gai carefully extracted the needle from her grip and placed it on the end table. "If you're not poisoned or sick, why didn't you respond when I tried to wake you?"
Still straddling her legs, Gai flashed her 'the nice guy pose'. "Because I wanted to see what kind of technique you used to wake me up!"
Hani blinked in disbelief, "What?!"
Gai cringed slightly. "Because of the deal we made --we had agreed that you wouldn't be able to catch me off guard again."
Hani's jaw dropped in shock, "You worried me for some stupid bet?!"
Gai was stunned. She was worried about him? "Hani, I--"
She turned her head away and crossed her arms, "Forget it."
Gai leaned down slightly, "I'm really sorry, Hani. If I had known you were worried, I wouldn't have pretended to be asleep."
It was her turn to glare at him from the corner of her eye. But she couldn't keep from grinning slightly as Gai gave her the true visual representation of the "puppy-dog look".
"Do you forgive me?"
She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Fine -- I forgive you."
Gai grinned in return, "Yosh!" But he just couldn't keep his mouth shut, "However, this still doesn't change the fact that I did win our bet." He promptly broke into a lame victory dance that even involved spirit fingers.
"Oh, would you just drop it alrea--" she nearly choked as she finally noticed his lower half. He was wearing what looked like a towel around his waist and it was no better than a loincloth. She could literally feel her face turn three shades of red.
He continued his dance, completely oblivious to how he was now traumatizing her on more than one level.
Hani folded an arm over her face to shield him from the sight of her growing embarrassment.
"Ah yes, the agony of defeat!" laughed Gai who was completely misreading her reaction.
She peered over the top of her arm, "Kami's Sake, Gai -- you're such a dork! Get off!"
She jumped as he suddenly dropped down, bringing his face just inches from hers. She put her hands on his shoulders defensively and prepared to push the man off in case he decided to do anything weird.
"You know what that means, right?" he asked with a grin.
Her eyes doubled in size.
He nodded, "Oh yes ... you must now refer to me as 'Senpai'."
She was as serious as a heart attack, "Never."
"But Hani-chan! You made a deal and you shook on it!"
She pursed her lips and shook her head. "Absolutely not -- I refuse! And don't call me that!"
He lifted his brows, "You can't be a deal breaker! It's not ninja-like!"
She gave him a look of disbelief, "Are you serious? Ninja break deals all the time!"
He shrugged, "I guess that's true. But I don't!"
She folded her arms and looked to the side, "Well ... maybe I do."
"Oh, not with me, you don't!" said Gai with a triumphant grin.
Feeling his smile, Hani jerked her head back at him, "What are you going to do?"
He held up a finger, "Question first ..."
She furrowed her brows at him, "What?"
"Your hair sticks -- they are weapons, are they not?"
She eyed him suspiciously, "Yeeesssss."
"May I see them?"
"No."
Gai's shoulders fell, "Please?"
Hani rolled her eyes again before reaching behind her head and extracting the sticks. She hesitated slightly before handing them over to him.
"Are these senbon?" asked Gai as he looked them over.
"Kind of," said Hani as she ran a few fingers through her hair to untangle it. "The tips are metal but the shafts are bamboo."
Gai's eyebrows furrowed as he noticed something unusual about the sticks. He brought one to his ear and shook it, "Is that liquid?"
"Yes. Please don't squeeze them too tightly; it will break the vial inside."
"Ah, is it a poison?"
"No, venom."
At her words, Gai's grip on the weapons became much more careful. "Why venom?" he asked a bit aghast.
Hani smiled casually as she watched him gently place the sticks on the table next to the syringe. "Because some people can be immune to poison -- in that instance, venom is needed instead."
Gai pondered her statement, "But, can't someone become immune to venom?"
Hani shook her head, "No. Unlike poison, your body actually becomes more susceptible to venom the more you are exposed to it."
Gai folded his arms and skewed his eyes in thought -- the constipated look.
Hani stifled her laugh, "So, why did you want my hair sticks?"
Gai snapped out of his revere, "Oh, I didn't want anyone to get hurt."
"Hurt?"
He gave her a sly smile, "I still have to get you to consent to your side of the deal."
Hani folded her arms, "It's not going to happen, Gai. You should just give up now."
"I'm afraid I can't accept that," he said with a mischievous grin.
Hani eyed him. She wasn't too sure if she liked what he was thinking.
His expression didn't change as he lowered his right hand and brought it just inches from her waist. She watched in horror as he bent his fingers into a claw.
Her eyes widened, "You wouldn't dare!"
"Last chance, Hani -- and by the way, I already know you are ticklish," he said with a twinkle in his eye. Of course he knew. Ninja are always looking for weaknesses in their adversaries ... and in some cases, their allies.
She swallowed the lump in her throat; he was dead serious. Immediately Hani started scrambling like a mad woman -- doing anything just short of killing the man, to get him off of her. 'WHY DID I GIVE HIM MY HAIR STICKS?!' she cried mentally.
Gai clenched his thighs and tightened his hold on her with his legs -- she won't be going anywhere soon. "I guess I have no other choice," he said with a laugh as he sent his fingers into her side.
Hani bit her lip and tried to hold out as long as she could. She wrenched her body to the side and tried to roll over his hand, but that only seemed to make things worse. With one of her sides now exposed, Gai took the opening to add his other hand to the mix. His strong fingers poked and rubbed over her ribs -- it was too unbearable. She just couldn't hold out any longer and burst into laughter, all the while her body wriggling like a worm. "Stop! STOP!" she pleaded between desperate breaths. She grabbed at his arms and tried to push them away, but this only seemed to fuel him more. "STOOOP!"
Gai stilled his hand, "Do you give up?"
She gave him a defiant look. "HELL NO!"
He snatched her wrists and tried to restrain her. But Hani would have none of it. She bent her wrist and twisted her hand against his thumb -- the weakest part of his grip and with looping her fingers under his forearm she was able to free both of her hands. But having done his own fair share of grappling exercises, Gai was able to twist his hands around and seize her a second time. But yet again, she snaked out of his grip. Gai gritted his teeth as they went back and forth like this a few times, getting faster with each maneuver. Sure, he could hold her tight enough to keep her from squirming out, but that might hurt her.
After the fifth time her hands escaped, Hani surprised him. Instead of pulling out of his grip, she hooked his left thumb and forced it the wrong way. Gai bent his whole body towards his hurting hand. "A-ta-ta-tah!" he said, trying to keep her from injuring his digit.
Having his thumb in a secure lock and Gai at her mercy, Hani grinned as she steered his thumb under his arm and twisted it to the outside, rendering his strength useless. Gai leaned the opposite direction to keep his wrist from breaking. "MATTE!" he barked.
"Not unless you agree to stop!" she snapped back.
He clenched his jaw -- agree to stop and not achieve his goal? That just WASN'T Maito Gai! His taijutsu trained brain jumped into high gear as he ran through all the different moves he could use to get out of his current predicament. In only half an instant, he had come up with a short list of over 30 different options and had cut it down to one that wouldn't result in her getting hurt.
He jerked his free arm around behind him and reached under his own thigh. He immediately found what he was looking for and squeezed Hani's leg, just above her knee.
"GAH! YOU BASTARD!" she said, letting go of his thumb. She kicked her legs and pushed on his waist, but Hani just didn't have the strength to break from his hold.
Gai laughed, he could probably put one of his leg weights on her like a paperweight and effectively pin her for as long as he wanted. "I can do this all day, Hani-chan."
Hani's sides were seriously starting to hurt and her eyes were on the brink of tears. "STOP, I CAN'T BREATHE!" she begged.
He stopped again, letting her catch her breath. "Well? Are you going to call me 'Senpai'? Or am I going to have to tickle you till you wet yourself?"
She tilted her head back and filled her aching lungs. "Now THAT ... would be a bit much ... don't you think?" she said between pants. "Besides ... I don't think Hakanza would like it if we ruined ... his expensive bed."
He shrugged, "You have a point." With her laying flat against the bed and showing signs of exhaustion, Gai lowered himself down to her face. He was so close that their noses almost touched, "This will all be over if you just agree to keep your end of the bargain."
Still breathing hard, she glared deep into his dark eyes with their long lashes.
"Well?" he asked.
She clenched her jaw and rebelliously whipped her head to the side away from him.
He sighed, "I guess I'll just have to use that jutsu."
Her head whipped back, "What jutsu?"
He looked off into the distance like he was recalling some memory from long ago, "Just a technique that an interrogator friend told me about." Gai looked Hani in the eye and smirked, "He says it always works." Granted, Ibiki was drunk at the time, but Gai could only imagine how well it would work on someone as ticklish as Hani.
She glowered back at him, "I can handle torture."
Gai clicked his tongue, "Very well."
Hani froze as he turned his head and brought his face to her neck. Her breath hitched as she felt his moistened lips along with a stubbled chin touch her bare flesh. But any romantic thoughts she had were quickly dismissed as Gai pressed his mouth against her skin and blew -- effectively creating one of the most unflattering sounds a person could produce.
"AAAIIIIEEEE!!!" Hani's shriek echoed throughout the wing as the "raspberry" Gai gave her made her tickle-sense overload. She brought her head to her shoulder in an attempt to force the man off and even bucked, pushed, pried and kicked as hard as she could, but he was determined to keep his place. She turned her face into him, ignoring the ebon hair that fell over her eyes. With a small snarl, she bit his ear -- not hard enough to draw blood, but hard enough to make him think twice.
This only encouraged him to grip her tighter.
She was quickly losing hope in any possible escape. "STOP, I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE!" she cried.
He pulled back; his lips red from the 'jutsu'. "Well? Are you going to call me 'Senpai'?"
She stalled as long as she could, trying to catch her breath. "I ..."
"Yes?"
"I ..." she whispered.
He brought his ear to her mouth, "Yeeeeees?"
She took a deep breath and yelled directly into his ear, "NEV-ER!"
Gai jerked his head back painfully. "I LOVE this youthful defiance you have, Hani!" he said with a small fist pump. "But I will show you that I too, can be just as determined!" With that, he dove back into her neck and blew again. Hani laughed and wriggled uncontrollably. Her eyes were watering so badly she was literally crying -- having not tickle-cried since she was a small girl. When Gai's hand moved to her back, she instinctually arched it, pressing herself into him. Gods, this was true torture and on so many levels! She had to think of an escape plan soon or Gai really would tickle her till she wet herself.
So ... she grabbed for the first thing her agonized mind could wrap around.
Gai halted as he felt a small tug at the fabric around his waist. He was very still and very quiet, as if Hani was a bomb and he feared any sudden movements or sounds would set her off. With his face still pressed against her neck, he spoke. "Hani?" he said in a half whisper. "Let go of my towel."
Feeling like she had a small foothold, Hani grinned. "Not --," she panted. "Until you get off."
"If I try to move while you're holding it, then it might come off on its own."
"Well ... looks like you're in a real pickle now ... doesn't it?"
"Hani --"
"You're a Jounin, Gai. You should have thought of this beforehand." She yanked threateningly on the fabric, "What's it going to be?"
Gai swallowed hard, trying to think of a possible defense. If he went for her hand, she'd have the towel pulled off before he could stop her. If he removed himself from his current position then the towel, in its already loose state, would fall off anyway. He had no other choice ...
Gai's hand jerked to the side, followed by Hani's hand jerking up. Simultaneously, the towel was removed and Gai was able to yank the bed sheets over in time to completely shield himself from view.
But Hani was expecting this and took the opportunity to take advantage of Gai's distracted state. She kicked her knee up; her action promising Gai that if he didn't move fast enough, he was going to get a groin full.
He was off her in half an instant.
Finally free, Hani rolled to her side, spinning off the bed. Rooted, Gai could only watch her escape.
"It looks like the big "V" goes to me this time," said Hani as she brought her hands to her hips and flashed him a celebratory smile.
Gai pursed his lips and squinted at her. His plans were foiled ... his victory lost.
"Ohhh, don't be so sad," she said with a feigned sympathetic look. After brushing herself off and fixing her clothing, she straightened her shoulders and grinned at him. "I'll give you one chance--" she offered.
Gai's eyebrows rose.
Still holding her grin, Hani lifted the towel, "You can have this back ... IF you can catch me."
Gai couldn't stop the large toothy grin that slowly crept over his face.
Seeing his reaction, Hani gave a short, girly squeal before picking up the skirts of her kimono and darting from the room.
Being the beast that he was, Gai just couldn't sit there while his "prey" fled from him -- especially like that. Oh ... he was going to chase her alright.
Jumping from the bed and taking the sheets with him, Gai ran after her; tying his new attire like a makeshift toga. He was too preoccupied in the chase to worry about appearances. Besides, he never cared how ridiculous people thought he looked anyway.
It didn't take him long to find her -- it seemed she had actually slowed down to wait for him. But as soon as she saw his form burst through the open doorway, she made another girly shriek before turning to run across the courtyard.
Like a tiger about to attack its meal, Gai bounded barefoot across the wooden floor of the awning and jumped as soon as he had reached its edge. Hani looked over her shoulder just in time to see him pounce her; wrapping his arms around her waist and taking her to the ground. Hani was giggling before she felt the grass beneath her.
She twirled her arms around as Gai tried half-heartedly to grab the towel from her. After feigning his attempts and sporting a grin that stretched ear to ear, he took the opportunity to tickle her again. She pulled her arms into her sides and laughed hard, rocking back and forth, trying to break from the jovial torture he was dealing her.
"Have you had enough?" he laughed.
She struggled to speak, "KISS ... MY ASS!"
He laughed again, "That can be arranged." He wrapped one arm around her legs and grabbed at the back of her thigh.
"NUUUU!" she cried, kicking her legs and trying her hardest to break from his hold. Hani didn't have a tickle button ... she had a tickle switchboard. "OK, OK, O-KAY!" she shouted in desperation. "I GIVE UP!"
Not believing her, Gai left kept his hands at the ready. "Let's hear it then."
Hani used the back of her hand to brush her hair from her eyes and spoke with heavy pants that made her slightly lightheaded. "I will call you -- Senpai," the last of her words she nearly choked on.
Gai threw his arms into the air, "YATTA!!"
Hani crossed her arms, "Yeah, yeah ... congratulations ... Can I go now?"
Still smiling, Gai brought a finger to his mouth, "Hmmm, I'm thinking that I should take this opportunity to make you agree to more things."
Hani tented her brows and blushed deeply, "Like what?"
"Like agreeing to let me train you," he grinned.
She rolled her eyes, "Absolutely not!"
Gai formed claws with his hands again, "Are you a glutton for punishment?"
Hani pointed a reprimanding finger at him, "Hey, now that's not fair! I never made any deal that involved you training me." She crossed her arms again, "You tickle me for that and you're just being a bully."
Gai crossed his arms too. She had a good point -- he couldn't have his kind-hearted image being ruined by being labeled a bully.
Noticing her kimono was coming loose, Hani took the opportunity to fix her collar, "I agreed to the deal, may I go now -- or do I have to start tickling you?"
Gai chuckled, "Nonsense, I am not ticklish."
Hani lifted a brow, "I don't believe you."
He shook his head, "Never have been -- even at the dawn of my youth."
"I've never met a man who wasn't ticklish, Gai. At least, in one way or another."
Gai snorted, "Well, that's because you've never met me before."
Hani squinted her eyes at him.
"You don't believe me?" He held up his arms, "Try it! I guarantee you won't get a single giggle out of me."
She looked away, "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Nonsense!" bellowed Gai as he grabbed her wrists and brought her hands to his sides.
Hani reluctantly grabbed at his waist, much like he had done with her.
He didn't so much as flinch.
She added her fingernails in the mix as she moved her hands up to his ribs.
Still no response.
Hani was starting to think this man was numb from the brain down.
She moved her hands to the area just below his underarms. His smug expression didn't waver.
"It's just as I said. I am not tickl --" his words were silenced as he felt her hands move from under his arms to his pecks. Her hands were no longer claw-like but relaxed; her fingers slightly parted. He quietly watched her face as she ran her hands slowly down the length of his chest; his skin flushing under her gaze.
As her hands reached the peak of his stomach, he unconsciously flexed his abs. Hani's only reaction was a slight intake of breath. Gai couldn't help but grin slightly; proud she was pleased at the sight of his body -- something he had spent countless hours sculpting.
Hani's hands roamed over his now taut muscles; her fingertips sending sweet sensations throughout his body. He shuddered lightly, not because it tickled, but for an entirely different reason.
Her fingers lingered at the base of his stomach, her nails combing through the coarse hair that ran between his belly button and lower abdomen. Her other hand traced the outline of the sheet that was tied tightly around his waist.
The sound of Gai's quick intake of breath broke Hani from her trance. She jumped slightly as she realized what she was actually doing and quickly withdrew her hands from him. "Gods Gai, I'm so sorry. I-I don't know what came over me," She said as she folded her arms across her chest defensively. She turned away from him sharply -- she didn't want for him to see the blushed embarrassment that was now so clearly spread across her face.
Gai didn't say a word as he leaned forward and planted a hand against the ground beside her head. He used his other hand to take one of her wrists and pulled it towards him. He slid his thumb into her delicate palm, encouraging her fist to open. Hani turned and watched as he returned her hand to his waist, placing it firmly against his stomach. His action telling her, "I want you to touch me."
Her eyes widened in shock as he released her wrist and reached out to her, brushing the hair from her eyes. He then glided his fingertips softly over her temple; his thumb was softer still -- tracing the lining of her lower lip. Just the day before, Gai could barely hold a teacup without shattering it; now he was proving he could truly be gentle when his heart was in it.
Hani's breath quickened as Gai leaned into her slowly; closing the distance at an agonizing pace. Once his face came within inches of hers, he paused. Hani's eyebrows tented as she scanned his eyes, trying desperately to read every message his expression was conveying. It said one thing, "I want you."
Gai moved his fingertips from her temple down to her jaw line where he traced it with a featherweight touch. Hani closed her eyes and gasped, his teasing causing her tickle-sense to ignite again. She opened her eyes slowly, half thinking this to all be another damnable dream. But as Gai glided his fingers down her neck, she knew the sensations she was feeling were quite real.
Gai grinned at her. He was very much enjoying the sight of her like this. In a way, it empowered him somewhat. He had been so worried about her seducing him, but right now he clearly had the upper hand. But when Hani looked up into his eyes, her own slightly misty and overly dilated, Gai would have cut his own heart out for her if she had asked it of him.
He couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to feel her lips -- to taste her -- to share his breath with her. With a small, anxious gulp, he lowered his face to hers; afraid she would stop him at any moment. As their noses touched, he used his to gently steer her face to the side ever-so-slightly. She did as he instructed, accepting that he was the one who would be leading in this dance of theirs. And just as their lips were close enough to feel the other's heat, a sound cut through the courtyard that made the two shinobi freeze like a pair of sex-crazed teenagers caught in a parent's basement.
"A-Ahem."
Both Gai and Hani's eyes snapped open; who had snuck in without them even sensing it? In synch, their faces turned to the intruder.
Oda stood by the doorway to the wing; fidgeting nervously with a rolled up scroll. "M-Madam, I'm sorry for the interruption. But you commanded me to inform you the moment your plans were put into action."
Hani blinked in realization. "O-Oh!" she said as she started to sit up. Gai reluctantly moved out of her way.
Oda held out the scroll, "We started a few minutes ago. Makoto has been delegating things beautifully."
Hani brushed herself off as she walked to Oda and took the paperwork. Gai followed closely behind her. He furrowed his brows as she looked over her shoulder at the unrolled scroll; it was covered in a number chart, most of which made no sense to him.
"This looks good, Oda. Thank you."
"The pleasure is all ours, Madam. I believe you've saved us from a lot of conflict."
Gai looked between the two, "What's going on?"
Oda lifted an eyebrow, "You haven't told him?"
Hani gave an embarrassed chuckle, "I haven't really been given a chance to yet."
Gai furrowed his brows, "Tell me what?"
Hani rolled up the scroll and tapped it on her partner's shoulder. "Get dressed and I'll show you," she said with an impish smile.
--//--
"Sir, please accept my most sincere apologies," pleaded Oda. "After our last private discussion, it was my understanding you didn't want to be alone with the Madam Hani."
Gai mumbled something under his breath.
"I feared you were entranced or under her spell." Oda shrugged, "I'm not well versed in the abilities of a ninja -- please forgive my impertinence."
Gai shook his head and sighed, "It's not your fault, Oda. You were only looking out for my wellbeing."
There was a moment of silence between the two men as they negotiated through the mansion's corridors.
"So ... if you don't mind me asking. How was --"
"Wouldn't know, Oda!" snapped Gai a little harsher than he had meant to.
The servant cringed, "My apologies again, Sir."
The two didn't speak again till Oda had brought Gai to a door that lead outside. Gai shot Oda a questioning look. "You will see in a moment Sir."
Gai grabbed the sides of his haori to keep them from blowing open from the fall wind gusts. Fortunately, his hair, which was now slicked back with an incredible amount of styling goo didn't so much as budge.
"Over there Sir," said Oda as he pointed across the yard to two figures standing at the edge of a small outcropping.
Gai had to squint to see who they were. One was obviously Hani -- her small frame unmistakable. And the armor of the other belayed him to be none other than Makoto. The captain was pointing to various areas in the outlying fields. Gai could see Hani nod in understanding at everything the man said.
Out of the corner of his ever watchful eye, Makoto caught sight of Gai and Oda approaching. He smiled at them and then turned to Hani who was looking the other way and hadn't noticed them yet. He leaned forward and said something to her, which made her head snap towards him. The captain nodded in Gai's direction to indicate what he was talking about and Hani did a double take over her shoulder. Her reaction, coupled with whatever he had said seemed to bring Makoto a great deal of humor as he threw his head back and laughed.
Once Gai had finally reached them, Makoto was wiping a laughter tear from his eye and Hani was doing her best to pretend like she wasn't embarrassed.
"What's going on here?" asked Gai as he looked between the two.
Makoto gave Gai a painful slap on the shoulder, "You see that building?"
Gai squinted off into the distance. "Which building?"
The captain pointed to the road that lead from the mansion to the village and followed it to a large building halfway between the two points. "That building."
Gai nodded.
"That's Hakanza's storehouse."
Gai squinted more. It looked like the doors were open and a long line of villagers were being handed small satchels by the house guard.
"What's going on?" asked Gai.
Makoto grinned, "We're giving the villagers some of the storehouse food."
Gai's jaw dropped, "B-But I thought Hakanza refused to release that food."
Oda nodded in agreement. "He did, but ..." he smiled at Hani who was standing quietly at their side. "We were able to find a loophole."
Gai looked at Oda, "Loophole?"
Makoto nodded, "Hani had come to Oda and me this morning asking to see the storehouse books. This determined girl pored over those papers for a good two hours at least."
"She was able to find a substantial underestimation in our numbers. We actually had a great deal more in the storehouse than what was originally recorded," added Oda.
"Won't Hakanza get mad?" asked Gai, looking between the two men.
Makoto smiled and shook his head, "He won't miss what he didn't know he had."
Gai turned to Hani who was giving him a sheepish grin in return. "I thought it was worth a shot, so I took the chance."
He gave her a look of astonishment, "How did you ..."
She smiled, "Let's just say I have a friend who is a politician ... and he taught me a thing or two in accounting."
Gai's expression didn't change.
She tented her brows and shrugged, "I just wanted you feel better."
Gai couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed the woman, picking her off the ground and squeezed her in a monstrous bear hug.
"GAH!" she cried.
"THANK YOU HANI!" he said, tears of joy streaming down his face.
Hani squirmed in his grip, "Damnit, ya Big Oaf! When are you going to learn to hug like a normal person?! PUT ME DOWN!"
He pressed his tear streaked faced against hers, "How are you not caught up in this beautiful moment, Hani-chan?!"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" she roared. It took all of her willpower to not head-butt the man, "ARGH, I HATE YOU!"
"I know you don't mean that," sniffed Gai as he squeezed her tighter. Now all they needed was a beach and a sunset.
Makoto and even Oda couldn't help but chuckle at the odd pair.
But all revelry was broken as a loud growl broke through the group. Gai froze -- that sound had come from Hani. He looked down at her, "Are you alright?"
He was answered by another growl -- this one was loud enough to make a nin-dog cower. "Ungh!" cringed Hani as her belly cramped.
"Gods, Hani! Is that your stomach?!" asked Gai as he gently lowered her.
Hani rubbed at her sore tummy, "So hungry."
Oda nodded in understanding. "It's no surprise. Both of you ate hardly anything yesterday and you have yet to do so today."
"Well hell," chuckled Makoto. "I'm feeling a bit peckish myself. Let's go get some lunch!"
Hani's ears perked up, "Food?"
Gai took her by the arm and lead her towards the mansion, "Yes Hani, let's go get you some food."
--//--
Gai and Hani waited patiently outside the dining room -- Oda was such a damned perfectionist; he wouldn't let them enter till everything in the room was flawless. Hani was so hungry, she'd eat off the floor at this point.
Her partner eyed her. "You should have eaten breakfast this morning," he said with a small push of his elbow against her side.
She elbowed him back, "OK, dad."
"I'm only looking out for your health," he said pushing against her again.
"I was only looking out for your sanity," she elbowed him a bit harder.
He elbowed a bit harder than she had, "Don't be difficult."
She put her shoulder into it this time, "Don't be ungrateful."
They exchanged a quick glance before getting into a small elbowing match back and forth. Gai got in the last shot in as he elbowed her a bit harder than he should have and threw her off balance. Fortunately, he was quick enough to catch her sleeve and pull her back into place.
"Phew!" said Hani as she righted herself. "Good save!" She turned on him and gave him a hard smack on the shoulder, "And don't do that again!"
"You started it."
"I started it?! You hit me first!"
"Well, you are being irresponsible! What good is a ninja when she is exhausted and half-starved?"
"Better than a ninja in his room, sleeping the day away!"
Gai turned to her and opened his mouth to defend himself, but nothing came out. She had a good point.
Hani folded her arms and gave him a haughty smile, "That's what I thought."
Gai returned the look, "You shouldn't be so disrespectful to your Senpai, Hani-chan."
Hani flinched at his statement and balled her hands into fists. "Don't call me that!"
He patted her head, "There, there, Hani-chan. I'll stop picking on you." Goading her was just too easy.
She lowered her fists to her sides and shot him a warning look.
"I'm sorry, I should be more sensitive to your feelings," he said with a feigned look of apology.
She eyed him for a few moments before crossing her arms and turning away from him.
"But you still should have eaten breakfast, Hani-chan," he said with a small grin.
"THAT'S IT!" roared Hani.
Hearing the commotion, Oda quickly ran to the doors and threw them open. He blinked in surprise as he found Gai standing nonchalantly with one hand resting on his hip and the other planted firmly on Hani's forehead, effortlessly keeping the flailing woman at bay.
"Lunch ready?" asked Gai like nothing was amiss.
Hani halted her attack, "Food?"
The servant looked between the two, "Uh yes, please sit."
"Where's Makoto?" asked Gai as he took his seat.
"He'll be along shortly. He's trying to get someone to watch his sons."
Hani's eyes widened. She reached her hands out to Oda in an almost pleading gesture, "For Kami's Sake, Oda. Please bring me food quickly before Yoyo eats it all!"
"Haha!" laughed Makoto as he walked into the room briskly. "That won't be necessary. Umeko is with them right now."
Hani sighed in relief, "Thank goodness."
The captain removed his sword and placed it to the side of the table before taking his seat. "Phew!" he said, wiping his brow. "Lots of hustle and bustle today!"
Hani gave him a sheepish look, "Sorry to spring all this work on you, Makoto."
He waved a hand at her, "Pffft! Forget it. It's nice to have a change of pace around here."
Gai leaned over so a servant could place a tray of food in front of him. "You're not busy being captain of the guard in such a big mansion like this?"
Both men ignored Hani's squeal of delight as food was placed before her.
"Oh it was busy at first, but you get into a routine, you know. The most exciting thing I see around here anymore is training some new young blood how to keep his place."
"So, I guess you don't have time for sparing this afternoon then?" asked Gai between bites.
Makoto washed his food down with a long drink of his tea, "I can always make time for sparing!"
Gai pounded the table in excitement, "Yosh!"
Both men turned to Hani who was now patting her mouth with a napkin; her plate was completely clean. Gai and Makoto shared a look -- they could have sworn she had a full plate just moments ago.
"You know, M'Lord," said Makoto as he went about finishing off his own plate. "I was wondering what technique you used when last we fought."
Gai tried to use his tongue to free a bit of food from his teeth, "Which part?"
"Your throws, they were not like typical Aikido moves I've seen before."
"That's because it wasn't Aikido."
"Really? Then what was it?"
"Jujutsu."
"Huh," said Makoto. "I should have known that."
Gai nodded, "It can be very effective, regardless on your opponent being armed or not."
A small movement out of the corner of their eyes caught their attention. They turned to Hani who was sitting quietly, her head slightly drooped and her eyes barely able to stay open.
The two men exchanged a small grin. "Hani, why don't you go take a nap," said Gai. Knowing the exhausted woman would want nothing more.
She snapped to attention. "No, I'm fine," she said with a smile.
"Are you sure?"
She reached for her tea and nodded, "Mhmm."
Gai and Makoto shared a knowing look before returning to their conversation.
"I've only been trained in a few jujutsu moves. Do you think you could teach me some more this evening?"
Gai smiled, "Sure. You're a fast learner." He considered things for a few moments, "How about you bring your boys along too?"
Makoto beamed back at him, "Really?"
"Sure!" laughed Gai. "The more pupils, the merrier!" He jumped slightly at the sound of a loud "clunk".
"Oh goodness, I'm sorry!" said Hani as she picked up her overturned teacup and used her napkin to wipe at the spilt liquid.
Both men added their own napkins in an attempt to help.
"Hani," said Gai as he took her hand gently. "You're exhausted. Go ... get some sleep."
"I'm fine," she said a bit more sternly. "I'm just a little tired from having such a full stomach. That's all."
Gai looked to Makoto who gave him a sympathetic look in return -- he knew all too well the depths of a woman's determination.
Gai moved his hand to her shoulder and rubbed it. Hani tilted her head to the side and sighed in gratitude. "Hani, do you have any weapons hidden on your person that I should know about?"
She shot him a glare, "Why?" The last time he asked her that, he tickle-tortured her.
He rubbed her shoulder a bit harder; noting the numerous knots and tension in her muscles.
Hani felt like she was quickly turning to putty in his hands.
"Do you have any hidden weapons in your clothes?"
She gave him a hazy look, "Of course."
He smiled at her, "Thank you." Then, with a strong pinch to her shoulder, Hani cringed slightly before collapsing unconscious. Gai grabbed the collar of her kimono and held up her limp form.
"Whoa!" said Makoto as he instinctually reached out to catch her. "What the hell just happened?"
Still holding her, Gai stood, moved to her side and picked up her up effortlessly. "She's fine. I just pinched one of her nerves."
"That's an awesome trick!" smiled Makoto. "Could you teach me that one later today too?"
Gai chuckled as he bettered his hold on the woman, "Maybe."
"You need some help?"
"Nah, she weighs next to nothing."
Makoto gave him an ornery grin, "So you ... uh ... going to take advantage of the situation?"
Gai shot the captain a no nonsense look before leaving, "No."
Makoto threw his hands up in defeat and laughed as Gai left the room, "I'm just joking! Just joking!" Truth be told, he wouldn't either, but that didn't stop him from wanting to tease the man. But on the other hand, he wouldn't blame Gai for trying.
--
Thank you, for reading!