An Imperfect Science | Ikemen Sengoku

Chapter 10

When Mitsuhide said that she just needed to know how to talk to Ieyasu, she had taken his advice to heart, and renewed her efforts to improve her Japanese. Unfortunately, Ieyasu had not gotten the same memo as her.

「Ieyasu, could I ju-」

「Go away. I don't have time for you.」

Every time she managed to corner him, he found some excuse – sometimes no excuse at all – to ignore her and avoid her.

「Ieyasu, can we talk?」

「Please leave me alone. Stop trying to be my friend.」

The only time he would interact with her was when he was performing his duties as her physician. Even then, he just flat out refused to make conversation that wasn't directly related to her health.

「Ieyasu, if I could just t-」

「No.」

「Why won't you talk to me?」

「Why do you keep trying?」

On most occasions when they did speak, he hardly looked at her, as if her mere presence in his company was an irritation that he couldn't tolerate. She wondered if he was annoyed that Mitsuhide had ditched her at his house.

And yet, when he did tend to her injuries, he did so with the same gentle touch that he'd employed the first time she met him. She knew that compassion existed under his prickly exterior because she'd been the beneficiary of it. But all her efforts to connect with that part of him seemed to be futile. It didn't seem to matter when or how she approached Ieyasu, or what she said, or how well she said it with her growing knowledge of his native language. Man, I'm such a disappointment, I can't even get one guy to talk to me.

They hadn't spoken in days when she awoke in the middle of the night, gasping for breath and her heart rate elevated, to warm arms holding her tightly and Ieyasu's calm voice in the darkness.

「Breathe, Ness. Slowly.」

"Ieya-"

She practically choked on her effort to get out one word. The vivid nightmare lingered, spreading panic through her body, and she struggled against his hold. What is he even doing here?

「Don't talk, just breathe.」

If it hadn't been for the lingering panic, she might have made some joke about how he didn't even want to talk to her now, in this moment. Instead, she did what he said and tried to breathe. She imagined calming breath flowing through her body.

Inhale. Hold. Exhale.

He didn't let go of her, even when her breathing began to settle, and the details of her nightmare began to slip away. She tried and failed to ignore the way it felt to have him embrace her in the dark. He was so warm. It was nice, to be comforted by him. It made her stomach flutter. Oh my god, brain, stop it! He's not trying to seduce you. He doesn't even like you.

She pushed him away before her stupid brain got any more stupid ideas. She could see only his outline in the light from the corridor, sitting cross-legged on her futon, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. He allowed her a minute of silence and calm before he spoke again.

「You didn't drink your tea.」

「No.」

「Why not?」

「It makes my head...」

She didn't know the right word to explain just exactly how awful the tea made her head feel, like it was filled with a morning fog rolling in from the ocean. She waved her good hand in an undulating motion that she hoped was sufficient. Ieyasu let out a sigh.