and the sky of the sky

Summary: Here is the deepest secret nobody knows. Minato, Kushina, and things that remain unsaid. OneShot.

Warning: After "Bleed to White" and the Ino-Shikamaru two-shot I wrote (and haven't posted yet) there was need for something fluffy. And, mind you, for something pointless. 25 minutes-challenge, re-worked trice.

Set: Story-unrelated

Disclaimer: Standards apply. Title from the poem by e.e. cummings, "i carry your heart with me".

"What do you think about her?"

Kushina's voice broke through Minato's reverie. The blond shinobi started, only now realizing he had been staring quite rudely. And, mind him, worst was that he had been staring at someone else, apparently.

"About whom?" He asked back, trying to stall.

Impatiently, Kushina rearranged her weapons pouch for what had to be the third time that evening. Days spent waiting for a confrontation, by nature, were long and boring. And exhausting, if you had to run reconnaissance and do diplomacy and long-range fighting all at once. Minato felt like he had been drained of every bit of power he had had. For that reason, he hadn't actually been staring at anyone. His thoughts had drifted, and his gaze, apparently, had, as well.

"Don't act stupid, moron. I saw the way you were staring after Nazumi-chan."

Minato almost choked. "What?" A threatening look. "I haven't stared!" He protested and even in his ears it sounded weak.

"Yeah, yeah." Surprisingly, Kushina waved his statement aside. "So?"

"So what?"

"What do you think of her?"

"Nazumi-san?"

"Yes."

"She's… nice."

Kushina snorted. "Lame."

"What am I supposed to say?" He answered, half amused and half desperate. Conversations with Kushina always were like this: rapid-fire of back and forth, weirdness and pointlessness included. Except when she was upset or angry, then he preferred to lay low.

"She has nice hair," Kushina pointed out. "And she's good with children." A frown crossed her face. Minato gazed across the field filled with tents and shinobi, some of them still children, waiting to go to war, and shared her sentiment. "She's a good cook. She smiles a lot. And she blushes whenever you come near her."

Uncomfortable, Minato got up and walked a few steps, pretending to check on whatever. (There was nothing to check on, hence part of his restlessness.) Kushina waited until he returned, strangely patient, and continued. (Reversed roles, him restless, her patient.)

"She's funny, too, and great to talk to. Maybe you should ask her out for a date."

Now, he really laughed, short and incredulous. "Kushina – a date? In the middle of a battle field, in the middle of a war?"

"You know," she shrugged. "When it's over. When we're back home."

"So," Minato decided to retaliate, "What about you and Shikaku?"

Kushina blushed to the roots of her hair, her face taking on an impressive shade of red that almost reached the color of her hair. "There's absolutely nothing between me and Shikaku!" She yelled at him, her eyes throwing daggers. "He's far too old!"

Minato chuckled. "That's why you punched him the last time the two of you met." He purposefully ignored her statement on age. Shikaku was only two years his senior.

"I punched him because he was making Yoshino angry!" Kushina practically growled. "It had nothing to do with me!" She looked like she was going to tackle him every second now.

"I get it!" Minato lifted both hands in a gesture of defense, still grinning. "There's nothing between you and Nara."

Kushina huffed, her eyes still blazing. "He's a lazy bastard. I have no idea what Yoshino sees in him. She'll have to be the one to ask him to marry her, since he won't ever in this lifetime."

Leaning back against the tree, she looked up into the sky. Instead of following her eyes, Minato looked at her: her green eyes, her beautiful hair, the strong, expressive lines of her face. His mouth felt dry. He swallowed.

What do you think about her?

Kushina's voice replayed in his mind. Her question had been innocent enough, at least innocent for her standards. Kushina probably was the only girl in Konoha who seemed to be absolutely disinterested in things like dating and boyfriends. And though he was glad she was – at least she wouldn't be going out with someone like Keiichi Inuzuka, who had repeatedly lamented on her refusal to date him. He was a great guy but somewhat overly enthusiastic when it came to relationships, and Minato was quite sure he and Kushina wouldn't go well together, even if both of them had a quite... enthusiastic... character. At the same time, he wished…

Hitting himself over the head mentally, the shinobi forced back all thoughts of that kind. Kushina was barely seventeen, three years younger than him. And they were currently fighting a war. And…

And, if he spent more time thinking about it, he would probably find one thousand reasons why he should ask, why he should try to find out what she thought. So he buried all thoughts once more, carefully, one after another, and swallowed again. Green eyes turned to him, deep and clear, and he forced himself to remain immobile.

"Minato. What…" Kushina's voice trailed away, her eyes still fixed on the sky. The shade of red that had colored her cheeks hadn't yet faded away entirely.

"What?"

"Never mind." She shook her head and grinned. It seemed different than her usual smile, but he couldn't point out what exactly was different. "You think the weather will be fine tomorrow?"

"Probably, judging by the sky."

"It's really pretty tonight."

"… It is."

She was still looking up at it. That way, she didn't see he wasn't even paying attention to what was above him. After a while, she looked down again and smiled wistfully. "Is there some water left?"

Minato handed her the field bottle with a small smile.

"Thanks."

Kushina felt his hand brush hers as she took it.

The water tasted sweet.