~o.O.o~
Tsunade couldn't recollect how she got to where she was, but here she was again. For the fifth time this week, she was laid on the bed, stripped bare, feeling the full extent of the sharp edges of the cold air prickling her porcelain skin. She attempted to move her body but, just like other times, she found herself bound.
Then he appeared from the darkness; the same mysterious man who has plagued her for the past week. His unkempt, silver hair shimmered under the soft glow of the cold moon that slithered through the slits of the louvred windows. He knelt in between her legs, skimmed his cold hands on her skin, and carefully pushed them apart.
Like before, he was silent and mysterious. The shadows painted his face and obscured any distinguishable features she could use to identify him. Despite the intrigue, he felt somewhat…. familiar.
She instinctively whimpered when she felt the tip of his member push into the opening of her womanhood, slipping in and out in teasing deliberation to make her wetter than she already was. Her hands found his toned upper torso and she caressed the contours of his body with unquestionable desire.
She wanted him. This man. This enigma.
As if hearing her thoughts, he bent down and entered her wet crevice in one smooth motion, promptly filling her intimate extremities up. She gasped with delight as he lit every single nerve-ending she had in her body into a wildfire, and she moaned when he began to dictate the pace of her punishment for being impatient.
It was as if her body was acquainted with his movements, his touches, to him; she was taut, arched and writhing in response to his ministrations. Her fingers laced with his hair, tousling it up, as he vandalised the skin of her neck with scandalous kisses. His teeth scraped on the surface and his tongue tasted the canvas of her skin as he pounded into her smothering, wet core.
He was not just fucking her. He was eating her alive with unfathomable hunger.
He pushed her legs further apart by her inner thighs and proceeded to rock inside her in deep, hard, and slow thrusts. She couldn't properly tell, but she felt it in her gut that he was staring straight at her as he slowly worked to get her undone. A low grunt exhaled from his lips when he thrust into her again, making her squirm and clench tighter around him.
"More," she pleaded.
Let me feel more of you.
Tsunade gasped when he suddenly changed gears and hooked both of her legs over his shoulders. And she swore she screamed her ecstasy as she felt his hardened member penetrate deeper into her cavern, but she couldn't hear herself. Her hands clung onto the pillows beneath her, hanging on for dear life as he rendered her into an incomprehensible mess, drugged with euphoria.
She was getting closer to release. Just a couple more, she wanted to beg.
Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop!
Just as her gratification was only a millimetre from her grasp, everything faded away.
RING! RING!
Tsunade's hand reflexively reached out and dismissed her alarm. Her eyes fluttered open and she drank in the familiar surroundings — her bedroom. Nothing was out of place, conspicuous, or suspicious. She peeked under the covers to confirm that she was — indeed — clothed. With a soft sigh, she came to the same conclusion as she sank back into bed.
It was all a dream.
There was a sudden shift beside her, and one strong arm locked around her waist, pulling her into the centre of the bed. "G'Morning." Her lover gruffly murmured against her ear.
"Good morning." She smiled and turned her head slightly to press a small kiss on her lover's face. She snuggled under the covers, relishing the heat that was emanating from him. Jiraiya was a burly man with thick, muscular arms that proved to be great assets for cuddling during the dead of winter. He was her bear, but just like a bear, he was a heavy sleeper.
"I've got to get up," she said, trying to peel his hand off her body. When his grip didn't ease up, she playfully slapped his arm to wake him up. "Jiraiya, I need to go."
"Stay," he whispered, tightening his hold around her waist. "We can stay like this the whole day."
"I would love to, but I've got training at the hospital."
"You're always working."
"Same goes for you, too. We're both busy people."
"That's why you need to stay here today. We can catch up." His hand slipped under her oversized t-shirt. "We can catch up like we used to." His lips were now curled into a mischievous grin.
Tsunade bit her bottom lip in contemplation. They haven't had sex in months because of their hectic schedules. Their days often ended with one of them arriving home when the other one was already asleep. Tsunade was the common offender since she worked long hours in the hospital. He was right – they did need to catch up. God knows that after the dream she just had she was aching to reconnect with him right now.
Jiraiya grinded himself against her rear to ensure that she knew he was already fully erect and raring to fuck her. Her legs rubbed together as she felt a dull ache in between them. She was getting wet just thinking about him hard inside her; his greedy hand around her breast wasn't making it easy for her to swallow her lust.
Is this why she has been having lucid sex dreams? Was she that sex-deprived?
"Can you feel how hard I am for you, Tsunade?" Her whimper made Jiraya's grin grow wider. He knew how to make her careen over the edge; he kissed and licked her neck as his fingers teased her pebbled nipple. "You're already horny, baby, and your pussy is soaking wet. So, don't go, alright? There'll be other training days. Who cares if you miss this one?"
Tsunade bit into her knuckles to contain herself. She wanted this — Jiraiya — badly, but she couldn't find it in herself to neglect her duties. She has always prided herself as a diligent doctor. Whether or not that was a blessing or a curse, she didn't know, but she has started to believe that it was more the latter. Her work ethic was cock-blocking her from enjoying the sweet fruits of sex, and that rubbed her the wrong way.
"N-No," she weakly protested, "I've got to go to work."
"Don't leave me like this, Princess." He pleaded in that whiny voice that always grated her.
"Jiraiya!" She sternly snapped, looking over her shoulder to glare at him.
"Alright, alright." His hands retreated from her, and he sat up on the bed. "You could try to put in some effort every now and then, you know? We barely have time for each other as it is."
Tsunade scooted to the edge of the bed with her back facing him. She didn't want to look over her shoulder again because she already knew that he was pouting. Her shoulders sagged in defeat. She was weary of having the same fight every other week; it was always a clash between Jiraiya and her job. She loved both, and as much as she wanted to equally invest her time between the two, she knew that it was impossible.
"I'll see you tonight," she said, locking her hair into a loose bun. She walked over to her wardrobe, retrieved her uniform, and absent-mindedly checked for wrinkles to dampen the painful silence. After a few painful seconds, she sighed and turned back to her quiet lover. "Tell me what's on your mind, Jira…"
"You always do this; you make promises that we'll see each other later tonight. But we both know that's bullshit."
"Well, what do you want me to do?" Tsunade snapped, throwing her hands up in the air in disbelief. "Do you want me to quit my job so we can spend all day rolling around in bed? Is that it?"
"Of course not! Do not put words in my mouth because I did not say that. I just want you to find time for us. For the past few months, it has always been hospital this, hospital that. I just want to spend time with my girlfriend, that's all."
"I want that, too! But, as of now, we can't! You're busy, I'm busy. We both agreed that we'll put our careers first until we reach a comfortable space. And we're getting there! We just need a little more patience." She leaned against her wardrobe and huffed. "I also want you to understand how important this job is to me."
"Oh, trust me, I already know how much you care about this fucking job. You value it more than me." Although Jiraiya didn't raise the tone of his voice, his words were clipped and sharpened like razors. It was a petty attempt to hurt her and cut into her heart. But it worked.
"Oh, don't be like this, Jiraiya!" she said after him, but he had already ripped the sheets off him and stormed out of the room. Her shoulders sagged in weariness, and she released an exasperated sigh, wishing the day had not yet started.
Tsunade looked at the time and realised that she was already ten minutes behind schedule. If she wanted to beat traffic, she needed to be out of the apartment in 40 minutes. Despite this, she hesitated, and the urge to make up with Jiraiya almost overwhelmed her. Somehow, she managed to push herself into their en-suite.
Despite being a couple of minutes late for her training, Tsunade was excused for her tardiness by her colleagues since it was uncharacteristic of her. But when probed for the reason for her delay, she fabricated the truth with a mellow lie — she didn't beat the traffic. It was better than explaining to them that her relationship with the International Best Seller of the scandalous (pornographic) Icha Icha Paradise series was sexless and causing a strain in their dynamic. Because isn't that ironic? She was thankful when they didn't care to ask again.
Her 7-hour-long training was gruelling and intense, but it provided her with the stimuli she needed to forget about her problems waiting for her at home. She finished at 2 and hurriedly drove into the city for her lunch date with Orochimaru.
She was late for that meeting, too.
Her heels echoed after her hurried footsteps as she paced along the pavement of the bustling city. She had to jostle past a couple of strangers before she finally arrived at her rendezvous with Orochimaru.
"Hey, Oro." Tsunade greeted with a meek smile as she took her seat adjacent to his. She opened the menu before she marvelled at the outside terrace that was located near a canal in the heart of the city. It adopted an edgy nautical aesthetic to it, which made the restaurant even more exquisite. Orochimaru sure knew how to pick them.
"You're a bit late, Tsunade," he nonchalantly observed, reaching for his glass of water.
"I'm really sorry. My training took longer than expected and there was traffic on the main road because of roadworks." She felt exhausted just by recounting it. "I'm wondering how long it will take me to get back to the hospital at this point."
Orochimaru frowned. "You have to go back?"
"Yeah. One of the doctors in our ward can't make it because he fell down the ladder and broke his leg. Long story short, I offered to fill in for him."
"You like to keep busy, don't you?"
He wanted to liken her habits to that of a workaholic, but he was more subtle about it. It's not like Tsunade could refute the accusation because it was true; she liked occupying herself throughout the day because idling about made her think too much. Thoughts such as 'when will Jiraiya propose?', 'am I too old to get pregnant?', and 'am I truly happy?' often haunted the crevices of her mind when lax. And she didn't have the luxury to wallow over them lest she wanted to have an existential crisis.
"It's the only thing that's keeping me sane."
"Are you having trouble in paradise?" Orochimaru was naturally perceptive. He has a knack for weaving pieces together without needing a lot of cues. Tsunade liked that about him because it saved her from materialising the words she has been avoiding for weeks — perhaps, months.
She pinched the bridge of her nose and inhaled before letting out a prolonged exhale in an effort to decompress. "We have been fighting about work…. again. Jiraiya keeps insisting that I find time for the both of us and, ideally, I would love to accommodate him, but I just can't do that! My schedule is full; we even had to reschedule this lunch four times because of my hectic shifts!"
"I can't blame him if he just wants to spend time with you."
"I understand that, too! But he needs to be more empathetic to my circumstance; I can't just abandon my work for him all the time. I'll get fired for that! I was supportive when he made it as a writer! I didn't complain when he didn't come home for a couple of weeks because he had a book tour. So, I don't understand why he can't comprehend how important my job is to me."
A waitress approached them with the same scripted jovial smile every single staff wore to ensure they secured their tip. "Have you decided on what you're having?" she lightly asked Tsunade, with the pencil nib already pressed on her pad of paper.
Tsunade glanced back at the menu to quickly determine what she wanted to have. As she hummed and ummed, Orochimaru took a calculated sip of his water to hide his amusement. To quickly determine anything was not in her speciality, especially when she's put on the spot. The waitress' facial muscles started to strain as she maintained her faux smile as best as she could in the prolonged period Tsunade deliberated.
"I'll just have your chicken special," answered Tsunade, closing the menu and passing it over to the waitress.
Relieved, the waitress nodded. "Of course. So the chicken special has sautéed kale with anchovies, fennel seeds, pickles and hazelnuts. Are you allergic to anything?" She recited the dish in perfect execution, hitting all the right notes.
"No allergies."
After scribbling, she glanced up to ask, "And what drink will you be having, ma'am?"
"Just water with a lemon wedge, please."
"I'll bring your orders together. It'll take about 20 minutes for them to arrive. In the meantime, I'll get you that glass of water."
"Thank you."
Orochimaru shook his head after the waitress excused herself. "Do you even know what you ordered?"
"Of course! I ordered…. chicken breast with…...whatever crap she said."
"Anchovies, fennel seeds, pickles and hazelnuts," he repeated flawlessly. "You don't even like anchovies, and you especially hate pickles."
"Well, I wanted to try something new," she replied. "What's wrong with that?"
"Everything. You trying something 'new' is always disastrous, especially when we both know that you're already regretting ordering this dish."
"Maybe this might taste nice," she said, trying hard to convince herself more than she was convincing her companion.
"Your funeral."
"So, how have you been? I'd imagine being a shrink has made you half-insane."
"You can't become insane when you already are one," he deadpanned, smirking at her apparent disdain. He has had the pleasure of eliciting that sort of reaction from the blonde for almost three decades, and it still amused him as much as it bemused her.
"Glad to know your humour is as special as ever."
"It's the only ageless aspect about me. These days, people are too far up their ass that they don't appreciate good humour."
"That's because your humour can come off as tactless to others, especially to those who aren't well-acquainted with your…. qualities." With a sigh, she continued. "It's a miracle that Kabuto hasn't grown tired of you yet. Then again, he's the only one who can keep up with your personality. So you better not fumble your relationship with that man."
There was a slight pause – too awkward and too heavy to be overlooked.
"About Kabuto…"
Tsunade's chest constricted in order to catch her deflated heart. "You didn't!" she shrieked, leaning forward. "Don't tell me you broke up with him."
Orochimaru's eyebrows raised dramatically. Nothing would have prepared him for his blonde companion's visceral reaction. "Of course not! I am not stupid to do such a thing."
"Then what is it?"
He pulled his chair closer to the table, leaned forward, and spared her only a few centimetres of easement. His dominant hand fished for something in his jacket blazer pocket, and he slid a distinguishable black velvet box over to the centre of the table. Tsunade's mouth was left slightly agape as shock sank into her body. Between Jiraiya and Orochimaru, he was the least likely to waive his personal autonomy in order to submit himself to someone wholly. Jiraiya was a romantic, but he was far too idealistic to take a sudden leap of fate to something that will bind him.
"I was wondering if you could be a witness to our ceremony. You know, in the Registration Office by 55th Avenue. Parents are normally the witnesses but well… you know…" They were both orphans and they both have estranged relationships with their adoptive parents after they confessed to being homosexuals.
Tsunade reached out and gently placed her hand over Orochimaru's. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Her friend was inherently placid and evoking a reaction from him was akin to wishing for lightning to strike twice – it was hopeless. But here he was, full of emotion; the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes deepened as the smile he had been trying to suppress surfaced unapologetically.
He was happy.
"So, when are you going to pop the question?" asked Tsunade, opening the box to inspect the engagement ring.
As expected, the ring was absent of superficial embellishments that would attract unwanted attention. Instead, it was a simplistic meteorite and titanium engagement ring – covert, unsuspecting, but deeply sentimental. It showed that Orochimaru truly appreciated Kabuto's unostentatious nature and tendency to not keep his heart on his sleeve. To any stranger, the ring was just another accessory, but to those who are dear to them, the ring was their symbol of love and commitment to one another.
"Tonight," answered Orochimaru. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. So, what do you think?"
Tsunade fiddled with the ring in her hands, tracing her finger on the soft engravement in metal, and she smiled softly. "You're a lucky fool, Oro. Kabuto will love this."
Despite her hubris nature to withdraw her conflicted emotions from seeing the ring, Orochimaru was quick to assess the dejection in her eyes and her downcast lips. "You know, Jiraiya may also be thinking of proposing to you soon."
She chuckled as she wiped the incoming tears that threatened the stability of her composure. When she passed the engagement box back to Orochimaru, she mustered up a small smile to ease the discomfort of her companion. "We're thirty-four years old, Orochimaru."
A short pause then a snort. "Since when did age define you? Marriage is only a legally sanctioned union – a piece of paper for the law. Being thirty-four, forty-two – or whatever – doesn't restrict your chances of getting married. Have you seen the leader of the Land of Lightning? The older geezer is pushing into his seventies with his fifth wife." He raised his glass at her before saying, "There's hope for everyone."
"If you only perceive marriage as a 'piece of paper for the law' you wouldn't be doing this."
"Well, sure, there are other factors that I considered. But these factors do not pertain to you… or Jiraiya." Orochimaru was forced to elaborate when she responded with a quizzical expression. "Heteronormative relationships have been the status quo since the dawn of time – you don't need to prove the legitimacy of your relationship. It's different in a same-sex relationship, and marriage is the way for my relationship to be formally recognised. I've grown weary of the scepticism and the scrutiny.
I'm not saying marriage between you and Jiraiya would mean less. I'm trying to tell you to lessen the weight of marriage in your consciousness. Your relationship with him is well established."
Tsunade's shoulders slumped forward, and she huffed. "That may be the case, but I…."
"Want to start a family?"
The transparency between them was mostly beneficial but Tsunade held an iota of distaste at how easy she was to decipher by him. She has never outwardly admitted her desire to mother a child of her own to Orochimaru before, but she was sure that tiny inklings of her broody nature allowed him to collect the pieces for himself. As always, he finished her sentences and read her thoughts without as much as batting an eyelash.
"That's the plan," she confessed. "That's why I'm working so damn hard to secure a stable financial standing for the both of us. I can't believe he wanted to have children back then but isn't fond of the idea now. We're in a better place than we were five years ago so I can't understand why he's suddenly resisting."
Orochimaru ran his fingers through his thick, raven locks and sighed wearily on her behalf. "That fucking idiot."
"And with everything that's been happening between us – the petty fights, the restless nights, the constant miscommunications – I just can't see it getting better any time soon."
"Do you want to hear my two cents on this?"
"Please," she implored. Tsunade was truly desperate to find a resolution to her problems even if that meant beseeching Orochimaru's advice. God knows that this man was a wicked one, but she truly trusted his wisdom.
"I think your relationship is going nowhere because you're both resisting at polar ends – you're pulling to the right, and he's pulling to the left. This causes tension in the middle, which is the root of your problems."
"So, what should we do?"
"One of you will have to take the initiative to put down the rope and to let the other person pull without restraints."
She frowned, unsure if she should take that initiative. She had always subscribed to the belief that in order for a relationship to work compromises must be made on both sides.
"I know you're busy with your work. I also know how much you love your work," Orochimaru said emphatically, "but if you want to patch things up with Jiraiya, you need to put that love aside for a while and focus your heart on him. This will not only ease the tension, but it could also open up an opportunity for you to talk about your future together."
The part that understood Orochimaru ebbed in her heart, forcing her to look at the time on her watch. Jiraiya would have just come home from the gym, but that didn't mean he had time to spare for her whimsical attempt to rebuild their relationship. Also, there was that glaring problem. "I have to clock in soon."
"Miss it, Tsunade. It's not a crime to miss one day at the hospital, especially since it's not your shift. I know you committed to it, but I'm sure one of your simps at the hospital will gladly take the burden off your hands to be on your good side. Besides, this is for Jiraiya. You love him, don't you?"
"Of course I do!" she said in a peevish voice. "Do you even need to ask?"
"Then put him above your work. Show him how much you love him."
After a few moments of contemplation, she relented. "Alright, I will! I just need to make a quick phone call to inform the hospital that I can't make it. And after lunch, we're going shopping."
"What?"
"I need to pick up some new lingerie."
"Oh, I am not going to be part of your sexcapade with Jiraiya."
"You already are. You trapped yourself when you encouraged me to blow off work. So, buckle up, you're joining me whether you like it or not."
"Tsunade, I don't think–"
"Excuse me, I need to step outside for a bit." Tsunade quickly interjected, already shuffling out of her seat.
The moment she passed by him he clicked his tongue. "...Fuck."
"Hey, Orochimaru…"
"Hm?" He looked up from his plate and raised a brow. "What is it?"
"You interpret dreams, right?"
"That's one way of summarising my profession. As part of my therapy, I offer to perform psychoanalysis on my patients. I'm not one of those crazed oneirocritics you find on tourist beaches."
"Yeah, that. How accurate are your interpretations?"
"Well, before we do talk about dreams and such, we first have to discuss the stressors they may have in life. Once I have acquired all of the necessary insight I need, I will ask them about the possible dreams they may be having. I then try to link their dreams with the problems they are currently facing. The essence of psychoanalysis is to make the unconscious conscious – to release repressed emotions."
"Right…."
"We believe that in our waking hours, our desires are locked away because they are not aligned with our society's standards – this is the id. However, these desires can poison our dreams, because this is the only way they can be expressed. This results in the manifestation of particular behaviours that, on the surface, have unknown origins but are actually caused by these latent disturbances. So, if the patient can dig up that disturbance from within themselves, they will be able to address it. It's an intense but cathartic process."
"Okay…"
"Have you been having any odd dreams?"
Tsunade sheepishly looked away. "...You could say that."
"Why are you looking away?"
"I keep having the same dream." She hunched over the table to ensure absolute discretion with what she was about to say. "I've been dreaming about having sex with another man I don't even know!"
Orochimaru arched his eyebrow. "And in this dream, is it... consensual?"
"I think so. I mean, I never said 'no' nor did I feel like I was being forced. The thing that irks me the most is that I desire this stranger in those dreams. In all of my dreams not once did I protest, nor did I think it was wrong. And I can't help but feel guilty when I wake up next to Jiraiya.
W-What is this dream supposed to be telling me? Is it telling me that I am subconsciously looking for someone else? That I am not attracted to Jiraiya, anymore? Does this make me a bad person?"
"Relax, Tsunade. It doesn't make you a bad person. From the things you've told me, this dream could signify you wanting something new in the relationship. It could mean that you want to do something you have never done before with Jiraiya. This doesn't have to be in a sexual manner, by the way. It could be anything."
"That makes sense. Things have been stale between me and Jiraiya."
"This is just a textbook interpretation, Tsunade. Don't think what I'm saying is the solid truth." He took another bite of his steak, savouring the rich flavour that seeped out per bite. But he couldn't relish in the pleasure of his food when his companion grimaced at hers. "...You're not touching your food."
"...You're right – I hate trying new things."
Orochimaru huffed, pulling her plate away from her as he extended his own to her. "You're intolerable."
Tsunade rested her chin on the palm of her hand, smirking. "And yet…"
"I tolerate you regardless," he finished as he took a bite of her meal.
After a few hours of prowling the streets in the city for the perfect lingerie set, Tsunade finally arrived home. Since their bedroom window overlooked the parking spaces of their apartment complex, Tsunade parked in the street before to ensure that she can catch Jiraiya off guard. She looked at the lingerie and the sexy designer black stiletto heels she bought, already feeling giddy inside. She could just imagine the look on Jiraiya's face when she struts into his office in this scantily-clad outfit.
After all, the book that propelled Jiraiya onto the map contained scenes from their sex life. The infamous sex-in-an-open-balcony in the book was inspired by one of their lecherous adventures. They had initially come out onto the balcony to oversee the parade in the streets, but they didn't end up paying attention to it in the end. Instead, they created their own show for those fortunate enough to look up at the twelfth floor of the hotel they were staying in.
They had a streak of public affection at the start of their relationship but, recently, with their overwhelming workload and dedication to their respective fields, they had started to neglect their love for each other. Of course, Tsunade was aware of the growing distance between them, but they both agreed that they would grow together. This distance was supposed to be necessary for them to become who they wanted to be – Jiraiya to be a bestseller author, and Tsunade to be a vaunted surgeon in her field.
Today was the day they will build a bridge over the chasm between them. She was going to rock his world until his thoughts will be saturated with nothing but her. That way, he can get laid and have new inspirations for the upcoming sequel he was working on. If that wasn't a double-win for him, she didn't know what was.
She fastened her Burberry trench coat and hopped out of her car, carrying everything she had bought to make her lover's world go insane.
She tiptoed into her apartment and promptly made her way to the downstairs bathroom. The apartment was awfully quiet, she realised, but that was often the case when Jiraiya was consumed by his work. Maybe he had broken out of his writer's block?
She quietly locked the bathroom door behind her and divested herself from her clothes. After taking a quick shower, she lathered her cream canvas with lotion and sprayed her new perfume of jasmine and saffron on her collarbones. She then slipped into her strappy lace lingerie set and hooked her stockings onto her suspender belt.
Tsunade gazed at her sultry reflection, twirling around to admire her silhouette. The fabric left nothing to the imagination, but it was the scandalous accent she wanted. The bra pushed her breasts together, leaving just enough fabric to cover her nipples, and her thong invited scandal.
She was excited to show him this new outfit since he was always fond of her wearing lacy panties and strappy bras. She could just about imagine that slanted smirk he would always wear when he was feeling perverted. It has been months since Jiraiya had looked at her with such wanton desire, and she was craving his validation.
She fixed her hair and touched up on her makeup. But instead of her signature nude lipstick, she painted her lips in a daring dark berry colour. She was going to make damn sure to mark him tonight, to make him remember this day.
After slipping into her heels, she covered her scandalous outfit with her trench coat and teetered out to the living room. She paused mid-step when her heel clacked harder on the wooden floor than she would have liked, and hoped she didn't cause enough disturbance to arouse Jiraiya's suspicion. But as she continued her way to the staircase, she discovered a bouquet of roses next to a black box on the coffee table. She gasped at the sterling reflection of the diamond necklace that was inside. Over two dozen round diamonds were elegantly clustered together and encased by an 18-carat white gold metal. It must have cost Jiraiya a hefty sum of money.
Was he going to surprise me tonight? She smiled and hurriedly locked the necklace around her neck. Well, I could just surprise him right now. He was no stranger in giving her jewellery to wear during their intimate moments. It was that sense of ownership over her that aroused him. The necklaces and earrings he often lavished her with were a reminder that she was his to love, protect, and fuck. She validated it by adorning his gifts in public and in private when they made love.
Once she made it up the stairs, she peeked into his office and hoped she would catch him behind his desk. That way, it would be easy to kneel in front of him and give him a blowjob. But she found the premises to be empty. She leaned against the doorframe and frowned. Ever since Jiraiya quit his job as a college English Literature professor, he worked primarily from home, and so the image of him hunched over the desk, tapping away at his keyboard was prominent in her mind.
The thought of him completing tasks besides burying himself in books and manuscripts often elapsed her mind that she couldn't envision him doing anything else besides that. Her eyes traced over to the typewriter in the corner of the room. Jiraiya was old-fashioned when it came to writing and would often choose a typewriter over his desktop as a result. He told her that he preferred the clunky and mechanical feel of the keys against his finger strokes instead of the modern tactile keys.
That's when she knew that the vintage typewriter was the perfect gift for him when she saw it behind the window of an antique shop. There was something about punching at the keys and hearing the iron hammer pound at the black inky ribbon to mark the crisp white paper, that made the experience of writing more encapsulating according to her lover. And Jiraiya used that same typewriter to finish his most successful book.
The apartment was quiet. Cavernous. Its emptiness unnerved Tsunade. Maybe he was catching his sleep in their bedroom, so he could wait for my arrival at midnight? Her heart sank at the thought, feeling potent guilt bubble up in her throat.
She wanted to apologise to him for her total disregard for his feelings and well-being. She wanted to make love to him as many times as she could tonight in compensation.
When she opened their bedroom door, she caught Jiraiya sitting on the edge of the bed, donned in nothing but his jogging pants. His head snapped up when she entered, but he didn't express that warm smile he would always give her when she surprised him. Instead, he looked rather displeased and wary that she was home so soon. "Honey, I thought you had work."
"I did." She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back down on the bed, so she could straddle his lap. "But then I remembered how much I loved you." She locked her arms around his neck and drew him in for a passionate kiss, one that they haven't had in months. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and overwhelmed his senses when she dominated him. He tasted of wine and cigarettes, which was odd. Not only was it the middle of the day, but Jiraiya rarely smoked.
I will ask him about it later.
"I'm sorry about this morning, my love," she whispered as she rested her forehead against his. "I know that we haven't been connecting these past few months and that you're trying really hard to find moments for us. I truly appreciate it."
He cradled her face and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry about it, Princess. I understand that you love your work. I'm also sorry for being selfish."
Tsunade placed her finger on his lips, promptly shushing him so she could execute her plan to woo her lover off his feet.
"To show you just how much I love you, I decided to give you a surprise," she said, slowly unfastening her trench coat to reveal her matching lingerie underneath. In a sensual movement, she rolled the coat off her shoulders so he could marvel at her body. "All lace. Just the way you like it," she whispered.
His eyes were wide as saucers and his mouth hung low as if his jaw had been disconnected from his initial shock. He laughed in disbelief, shaking his head slightly, "I don't know what to say," he finally spoke. "But wow. You're so sexy, Princess."
She smirked mischievously, drinking in his boyish expression. "And I'm all yours, Jira." She tried to kiss him again, but he was quick to draw away this time.
"This necklace…" Jiraiya traced his fingers over it. "W-Where did you get it?"
"In the living room. I know you were going to surprise me, but I wanted to wear it for you now. What do you think? Does it look good on me?" She asked, purposely flaunting her voluptuous lace-clad chest which was adorned with opulent jewellery.
"Yeah, it looks stunning on you..." His fingers lingered southwards and traced the contour of her breasts, grinning. "Why don't we take this to another room? To my office, maybe?"
Tsunade frowned. "Why?"
She had half-expected Jiraiya to bury his face into her tits, or at least touch her up – something to show her that he desired her. What she didn't expect was to be shimmied off his lap when she was this turned on by him.
"To have a little fantasy going on," answered Jiraiya with a devilish twinkle in his eyes. "You know, a bit of role-playing? We could pretend that you're a dirty secretary and I'm your boss. Doesn't that sound sexy?" He grabbed her by her ass before he pulled her in for a rougher kiss. "We can fuck on my desk, on my chair, against the window where people can see us. It's hotter."
So, he wants to dilute our love-making to a cheap production porno?
"Okay…" she replied, half-smiling. "Whatever you want."
"You mean it?"
"Yes.."
"Then…?" he grinned softly, slipping his hand into the back of her panties. "Will you do what we've talked about before?"
"Jira…" she looked away for a moment before conceding upon feeling his finger tease the entrance of her asshole. She shuddered at his eagerness. "Fine… but if it gets too painful, you need to promise that you will stop."
"I promise." He kissed her shoulder. "You go ahead, Princess. I need to get ready."
"Get ready? Jiraiya, come on. Just come with me."
"No, no. Let me get ready. I need to fit the role I'm about to play."
"Okay, fine. I'll just get the condoms and the lube."
But she was quickly apprehended when she tried to walk to the other side of the bed.
"I'll go get it. Just go."
"Why are you acting so weird?"
"I-I'm not."
"I'm just getting condoms. Relax." She pushed past him and walked over to her bedside table. She has always been surprisingly strong that Jiraiya's grip would often underestimate her brute strength. This was one of those times.
Jiraiya palmed his face and sighed. "Tsuna…listen…."
Tsunade didn't hear what he had to say afterwards because the harsh pounding of her heart against her ribcage overwhelmed her senses to the point that she didn't know if she was standing upright anymore.
Her smile slowly waned as she absorbed the scene before her: scattered pieces of clothing on her side of the room that didn't belong to her. She bent to lift an unfamiliar white lace material – thin, cheap, worn panties – off the floor. It dangled mockingly on her fingers. Her vision narrowed and blurred as she tried to make sense of what she was holding and what it could mean.
This couldn't be happening, she said to herself. These aren't real. Disgust finally settled in; she released it from her fingers and watched it fall on the floor with the other heaps of clothing that weren't hers: a pair of jeans that were exaggeratedly ripped, a shirt of a rock-and-roll band she wasn't familiar with, and a mismatched bra that was a B-cup at most. Most definitely not hers.
Even though the pieces of the puzzle were right in front of her, she couldn't piece them together. Or, rather, she refused to. She had the urge to vomit the repugnance that was making her ill out of her system. But that was swallowed up by the tumult of mayhem that sang from the depths of her wounded heart, fuelling her extremities with flames of fury that won't be doused by half-hearted apologies and explanations. Despite desiring to hit her lover until he was bruised to her satisfaction, she remained in complete denial amidst the pool of deceit.
Everything has to be a mistake! That pair of underwear was actually hers. No, they were too cheap. The jeans and t-shirt were from her highschool days, and Jiraiya must have…. She was never a fan of rock-and-roll.
So, what was left? Did Jiraiya have a confession? Did he like wearing panties and bras while she was out? It has to be something else besides the soft whisper her mind was chanting to her constrained heart.
She clenched her jaw as she slowly turned to her lover. "W-What…" Tears clouded her eyes and her words ran dry in her throat. "Jira, please…"
Please tell me that what I'm seeing is a mistake. Tell me that, and I'll believe you.
"Tsunade, I'm sorry."
The look of remorse – of guilt – on Jiraiya's face confirmed everything Tsunade was trying to deny.
He cheated.
And her heart burst into flames.