I huffed as Sakaki's massive frame pushed me off the futon. With a whimper, I looked around and spotted Akisame sitting near-by, reading a book. I grabbed the blanket and crawled over to him, slipping under his hands and between his arms to curl up in his lap.
He chuckled and shrugged off his shirt so I could cuddle against his bare skin.
"What was wrong with Sakaki?" he asked.
"He's a bed hog," I grumbled, winding my arms around his waist. Akisame wrapped and arm around my shoulders and held me to him, glancing over to where Sakaki had sprawled out on the futon, snoring loudly. He nudged the other man with his foot.
"Huh, wha-?" Sakaki grumbled, sitting up, bleary eyed.
"You can go to bed, Sakaki," Akisame said. "I'll take over."
"Hmmm, yeah, okay," he muttered and got up, trudging out of the room. I shivered a bit and Akisame pulled me closer, wrapping the blanket around me and resting his cheek on my heated forehead. I whined and cuddled into him more, letting my own kimono fall open so I could press my bare skin against his, gaining more warmth from him without the layer of fabric as a barrier. He hummed and adjusted me in his lap, pulling my body flush against his, the powerful muscles of his arms tensing.
"What are you reading?" I asked, hiding my face in his neck.
"The Art of War," he replied.
"Hmmm," I hummed.
"Would you like me to read it to you?" he asked. I nodded my head, sighing in content against his skin.
"Please," I asked, moving my hand up to rest on his chest. He rubbed my shoulder, giving me a brief squeeze.
"The Sun Tzu is addressed to the general, the person who wields power in the midst of contention and conflict," he began. "He is the sage commander, an extraordinary example of human skill and wisdom. He speaks with authority, is effective, resourceful, in tune with larger patterns. He commands the battlefield. In this essay, from a consideration of his individual qualities and their interconnectedness, we begin to build an image of this wisdom as it is embodied in a human being. The text hints at this portrait but never completes it for us. We first describe his being, then show how his qualities manifest in a number of ways, including daring and deception."
I nuzzled into his neck, sighing in content.
"Your voice is soothing," I said, half asleep.
"Thank you," he replied. I blushed when I realized I had blurted that out.
"Please keep reading," I begged.
"This description is not based on a historical figure of ancient China. Instead, we seek to personify an idealized wisdom, making what might otherwise seem distant and unreachable relevant to our everyday life. Doing so enables us to identify genuine examples of people who manifest this wisdom and can transmit it to others."
I tightened my grip on him, letting sleep wash over me.
DHMB: I know, the chapters are short, but I usually post a couple a time. I do this for various reasons, the main being the strange formatting on . It tends to get messed up a lot so rather than having to constantly go back and fit it, I'd rather post scenes as individual chapters. Lazy, I know, but especially with all the construction this place seems to be undergoing, I find it easer.
If you enjoy, review and as for more. I post quicker when I get reviews. I also sometimes tend to forget to update so a message in my inbox always has me posting! XD tee hee!