(self-insert) draft for dream novel: benkei
Title: Entrust
Series: Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3
Rating: PG, perhaps PG-13 due to Benkei suggestive implications. Or, since we're dealing with a video game, and I deal with video games all day, how about T for Teen XD
Comment: In progress since 25 September, finally finished, but unbeta'd. Another story for the eventual dream-novel series, so technically the pairing here is self + Benkei. Implied romance, but mostly just soft and sweet. Happy birthday, Benkei-san. ^^
She wasn't quite sure how they'd ended up in this situation again, sitting together on her bed one warm spring evening. Benkei certainly had to have talked her into it somehow, and once she reflected upon it she wondered at her inability -- no, maybe just lack of desire, she amended -- to keep herself from ending up alone with him like this. It had been happening more and more frequently in the recent months, and if she was certain of anything she was certain it was no mere coincidence, but rather by his design. Not the safest arrangement, she thought wryly, considering this man had personally orchestrated and implemented revolution, chaos, massacre, and betrayal in the midst of a war without so much as batting an eyelash. Still, had she been asked, she would have confessed that despite her initial wariness (and some subsequent learnings that served only to firmly reinforce her suspicions)... she had come to trust him.
And from the looks of things, he had come to trust her as well.
At this particular moment in time, Benkei was quiet, not that that was exactly unusual; now that she'd be able to get to know him better, Sara understood that Benkei-san, while very good at making polite small talk and enchanting sweet talk both (not to mention thinly veiled innuendo), preferred the companionable quiet to inane conversation. Not that this prevented him from indulging in the enjoyment of making her blush or catching her off her guard, a game familiar to them both by this time.
Tonight she'd managed to surprise him, though, with an unusual request. It had taken her many nights, and many hours tonight just to gather up the courage to ask him, and it took even more courage to keep from fleeing in embarrassment once he'd smiled in a very flattering way and welcomed her to do as she wished. She'd been supremely nervous upon getting physically close to him, close enough to sense his heat and catch his scent -- a deep subtle pattern of earthy tones as complex and fascinating as any cologne she'd ever encountered in her own world, threaded through with undertones both sweet and bitter from the herbs and other medicines he worked in every day. But as she reached up to free his long ponytail from its tie, she found herself growing paradoxically more comfortable in their intimacy.
And she had a passing thought wondering what the others would have said if they knew that she was sitting on her bed tonight with Benkei, running her brush through his hair.
It was a little odd, and she began to wonder what he was feeling, since he hadn't spoken since she'd started. "...is this all right, Benkei-san?" she asked hesitantly, unable to bear the silence any longer.
She could hear him smile, voice surprisingly languid and surprisingly gentle. "It's more than all right, Sara-san... please do continue. I very much appreciate the touch of your hands."
Glad that he couldn't see her blush, she continued to run the brush over his hair until it shone like gold. The rhythm was relaxing to her, and judging from the way his shoulders had lost some of their tension, relaxing to him, too. When she'd smoothed out the unruly waves she proceeded to part them in three and began to carefully plait the golden strands.
After a little while, he added conversationally, "It would be the first time that someone has done this for me."
"Where I grew up, usually only girls have such long hair so I've never done it for a guy before..."
"Is it different?"
It couldn't be anything but different with you, she almost said, but answered instead with a smile, "A little. But not in a bad way."
"I'm glad."
They fell again into silence, but the small exchange was all it took to reassure her. At last she got to the end of the neatly completed braid, and tied off the end with a sense of satisfaction. "There we are! All finished."
He turned his head to glance over his shoulder, and smiled. "Thank you."
"No, thank you, for letting me, Benkei-san... I enjoyed it."
A soft chuckle. "As did I."
She looked him directly in the eye, studying him openly for a moment. He tilted his head at her inquiringly.
"I think it looks good on you," she said, and meant it.
His smile widened and he looked genuinely pleased as he turned to face her properly. "You will have to teach me how to do it sometime, so that I might return the favor." Now she knew as well as he did that she'd seen him making long plaits of dried grasses and medicinal herbs for storage, so the "teaching" wasn't about the braiding. But she took the invitation as it stood, and nodded.
"I'd be happy to let you... practice on me?" she ventured cautiously, wondering if he would take the opening to turn the offer into something suggestive. The light in his eyes sparkled knowingly, but his response was unexpectedly neutral.
"If I may?"
She offered him the brush, which he accepted, and then turned around to let him do the brushing. There was a moment longer than she expected before she felt his fingers caress her hair softly, affectionately. "You entrust yourself to me so readily and so completely... why?" he asked in a wistful voice, before applying the first brushstrokes to her hair.
"In hopes you'll do the same for me, Benkei-san."
The brush paused briefly, then resumed its gentle rhythm.
"I see." Another beat, and an almost audible smile.
"...I will try."
Series: Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3
Rating: PG, perhaps PG-13 due to Benkei suggestive implications. Or, since we're dealing with a video game, and I deal with video games all day, how about T for Teen XD
Comment: In progress since 25 September, finally finished, but unbeta'd. Another story for the eventual dream-novel series, so technically the pairing here is self + Benkei. Implied romance, but mostly just soft and sweet. Happy birthday, Benkei-san. ^^
She wasn't quite sure how they'd ended up in this situation again, sitting together on her bed one warm spring evening. Benkei certainly had to have talked her into it somehow, and once she reflected upon it she wondered at her inability -- no, maybe just lack of desire, she amended -- to keep herself from ending up alone with him like this. It had been happening more and more frequently in the recent months, and if she was certain of anything she was certain it was no mere coincidence, but rather by his design. Not the safest arrangement, she thought wryly, considering this man had personally orchestrated and implemented revolution, chaos, massacre, and betrayal in the midst of a war without so much as batting an eyelash. Still, had she been asked, she would have confessed that despite her initial wariness (and some subsequent learnings that served only to firmly reinforce her suspicions)... she had come to trust him.
And from the looks of things, he had come to trust her as well.
At this particular moment in time, Benkei was quiet, not that that was exactly unusual; now that she'd be able to get to know him better, Sara understood that Benkei-san, while very good at making polite small talk and enchanting sweet talk both (not to mention thinly veiled innuendo), preferred the companionable quiet to inane conversation. Not that this prevented him from indulging in the enjoyment of making her blush or catching her off her guard, a game familiar to them both by this time.
Tonight she'd managed to surprise him, though, with an unusual request. It had taken her many nights, and many hours tonight just to gather up the courage to ask him, and it took even more courage to keep from fleeing in embarrassment once he'd smiled in a very flattering way and welcomed her to do as she wished. She'd been supremely nervous upon getting physically close to him, close enough to sense his heat and catch his scent -- a deep subtle pattern of earthy tones as complex and fascinating as any cologne she'd ever encountered in her own world, threaded through with undertones both sweet and bitter from the herbs and other medicines he worked in every day. But as she reached up to free his long ponytail from its tie, she found herself growing paradoxically more comfortable in their intimacy.
And she had a passing thought wondering what the others would have said if they knew that she was sitting on her bed tonight with Benkei, running her brush through his hair.
It was a little odd, and she began to wonder what he was feeling, since he hadn't spoken since she'd started. "...is this all right, Benkei-san?" she asked hesitantly, unable to bear the silence any longer.
She could hear him smile, voice surprisingly languid and surprisingly gentle. "It's more than all right, Sara-san... please do continue. I very much appreciate the touch of your hands."
Glad that he couldn't see her blush, she continued to run the brush over his hair until it shone like gold. The rhythm was relaxing to her, and judging from the way his shoulders had lost some of their tension, relaxing to him, too. When she'd smoothed out the unruly waves she proceeded to part them in three and began to carefully plait the golden strands.
After a little while, he added conversationally, "It would be the first time that someone has done this for me."
"Where I grew up, usually only girls have such long hair so I've never done it for a guy before..."
"Is it different?"
It couldn't be anything but different with you, she almost said, but answered instead with a smile, "A little. But not in a bad way."
"I'm glad."
They fell again into silence, but the small exchange was all it took to reassure her. At last she got to the end of the neatly completed braid, and tied off the end with a sense of satisfaction. "There we are! All finished."
He turned his head to glance over his shoulder, and smiled. "Thank you."
"No, thank you, for letting me, Benkei-san... I enjoyed it."
A soft chuckle. "As did I."
She looked him directly in the eye, studying him openly for a moment. He tilted his head at her inquiringly.
"I think it looks good on you," she said, and meant it.
His smile widened and he looked genuinely pleased as he turned to face her properly. "You will have to teach me how to do it sometime, so that I might return the favor." Now she knew as well as he did that she'd seen him making long plaits of dried grasses and medicinal herbs for storage, so the "teaching" wasn't about the braiding. But she took the invitation as it stood, and nodded.
"I'd be happy to let you... practice on me?" she ventured cautiously, wondering if he would take the opening to turn the offer into something suggestive. The light in his eyes sparkled knowingly, but his response was unexpectedly neutral.
"If I may?"
She offered him the brush, which he accepted, and then turned around to let him do the brushing. There was a moment longer than she expected before she felt his fingers caress her hair softly, affectionately. "You entrust yourself to me so readily and so completely... why?" he asked in a wistful voice, before applying the first brushstrokes to her hair.
"In hopes you'll do the same for me, Benkei-san."
The brush paused briefly, then resumed its gentle rhythm.
"I see." Another beat, and an almost audible smile.
"...I will try."