Silent Lips Are Dry
An Unforgivable Question
Minato panted heavily as he lay down on the soft mattress that made his bed. The covers were spread at his feet tangled in a mass of disorganized mess which partially fell all the way to the floor. The room was cold enough to require the need of such said quilt, but his body which was still sweaty, sticky and hot rejected the idea of wearing something other than the thin navy blue sheets of his bed. His hand reached out to search blindly, finally managing to get a feel of them but his grip didn't manage to clench tight enough grip on them. He could always use his elbows to sit up and look for the sheets, but his mind was protesting on that idea, for the less movement he put his body through, the less it would hurt tomorrow. A small giggle to his right made him turn his head. Smiling fondly, he found the object of his affection and the reason he was so, so tired but still, oh, so hard, looking down at him with an infatuated smile.
"What?" he asked, reaching out to take a lock of that soft and long red hair he'd always loved so much.
"Nothing," Kushina replied, smiling secretly.
Minato gave her a pointed look, knowing what happened when his girlfriend got that sort of look in her eyes. Her eyes would sparkle with that rare light only she possessed, the corner of her mouth would turn up slightly, making her full red lips even more desirable, and her skin would flush slightly, being rather noticeable for she turned as white a paper this time of year.
Unlike him, who was lying on his back his head turned towards her, she was leaning on her elbows, giving him a perfect view of her bare back down to the line of her hips which were currently covered by his blue sheets. She was looking down at him, with that look of hers and that smile that was only meant for him. He would have grabbed her by the waist and pulled her on top of him getting full access to that sweet mouth he'd become so addicted to, but his muscles would protest too much whenever he tried leaning more than twenty degrees anyone direction,. Twisting the lock of hair in one finger, he looked back at her with curiosity in his eyes.
"Done checking me out?" she asked, blushing slightly as shivers ran down her spine. It was incredible that such simple look would make her body feel so invaded, in a good way.
"You are beautiful." Minato gasped, reaching to take her hand.
Blushing hotly, Kushina demurred away from his grip. "Don't say that." she warned.
"Why not?" he asked, not ready to let her escape his grip. He needed to satisfy the inexplicable ache his body sent at their brief contact. He needed her. He needed to be able to take her again, or else this burning feeling was going to drive him mad.
"Because…" Kushina wined, bringing his hands to her lips. She wasn't about to go down so easily. If he wanted her, he was going to have to work for it.
"Come here." He begged her.
"No." Leaning as far away from him as possible, she stuck her tongue at him.
"Kushina!" Minato wined childishly. "I'll be cold."
Snorting with laughter Kushina said. "You can always get under the covers."
"It won't be as pleasant." Minato pouted
That made her smile. Leave it to Minato to make her feel so good with herself in such a short period of time. "Then stop being such a lazy asshole and you come here."
Pouting, this time Minato was the one who stuck his tongue out. It wasn't unusual for her to be like this with him; after all she had never been completely comfortable with the kind of public displays of affection, being in a relationship, brought. It wasn't that she tended to be awkward around when they kissed and hugged, and especially not in this department, after all she was Icha Icha Paradise incarnated when it came to them being together, but when it came to reassuring their love for each other verbally, she tended to get all nervous, avoid the subject and blush a lot. It was adorable and frustrating at the same time.
Reluctantly scooting over, Minato wrapped his arms firmly around her waist, making the sheet that had been blocking her body fall to the ground. Pulling her against his chest, Minato reached out to stroke her hair gently with his right hand, while the other wrapped itself around her waist. Sighing blissfully for the second time that night, Minato kissed the top of her head.
"You are burning up," Kushina murmured into his neck. "No wonder you are freezing."
Minato laughed at this. "It's your fault you know."
"What is?"
"That I'm burning – ow, what was that for?" Minato tried to look at her.
"For saying such things."
"But I didn't say anything!"
Laughing Kushina kissed his chin softly. "Have you noticed that your personality completely changes when we are together?"
"It does?" Minato asked, stunned by her question.
Did it really? If that was true he had never really noticed, other than he got a lot more over protective and concerned when she was around. But that was only natural, right? She was the kind that would charge head on without a proper plan or further back up. It would only be natural that h would concern himself over that. She was, after all, the reason for this drunken happy state he seemed to be in. If he wanted to keep it that way, it would be more than understandable that he would concern himself over her well being. It was his job as the boyfriend. But he didn't say that out loud, for he knew that Kushina would kick him out of bed if he did.
"Yeah," Kushina laughed making him shiver, her breath tickling his neck. "You get clumsier and dorkier when I'm around. You don't seem able to concentrate long enough on something and tend to smile a lot. It's kind of annoying actually that smile of yours I mean."
"I thought you liked my smile." Minato pointed out, tracing the curve of her hips.
"I love it, but when it's its normal twisted thing."
"I have a different one?"
"Yes. You get this weird upright twisted grin on your face whenever I'm near, different from your polite patient one."
Minato laughed at this. "I didn't know you were so observant."
Kushina pinched his hip again. "Off course I am. It's you after all."
Smiling at that Minato rolled them over, pinning Kushina down on the bed. "Is that so?" he asked.
"Yes." Kushina smiled back.
Grinning he kissed her cheek, earning an approving sight from her. His lips then found their way down to the line of her jaw, stopping only a half an inch away from her mouth. Minato felt Kushina relax at this, closing her eyes and expecting him to kiss her again and start over the game they've been at ever since she got home earlier that night, but instead of giving into his body's desire, Minato chose to trace his lips and butterfly kissed his way down to her neck where he found a soft spot between her collar bone and her chin.
"Minato…" Kushina gasped opening her eyes. Trying to push him away from her, she called again, this time more firmly. "Minato!"
Smiling he pinned her arms down, biting softly on the tender skin. "Hm?" he asked.
"Minato…don't-don't, oh, Minato!" Kushina tried in vain to gain her voice, fighting through the obvious pleasure his lips were giving her.
"Whut?" he murmured against her skin.
"Minato!" Kushina gasped once again. "Don't you dare – ugh – don't you dare leave a mark!"
Stopping momentarily from that spot, he moved his lips to trace small kisses under her chin. "Why not?"
"You know why," Kushina fought half heartedly against his grip.
"No one will notice," he moved his face to look into her eyes. "You hair is long enough to cover them."
"I hate wearing my hair down on missions and you know it." Kushina warned.
Pouting Minato was about to suggest a second option when he was rolled onto his back, his wrist pinned down on the mattress. Kushina had rolled over him, her legs straddling his stomach. She grinned devilishly down at him.
"How about I leave a mark on your neck instead?" Kushina asked, leaning down to grasp his tender flesh between her teeth.
"Kushina – oh…" Minato's words were lost in his lips when her mouth started working on that specific tender spot Kushina knew he loved. Escaping from her grasp, Minato took her hands in his and intertwined their fingers, leaning his head away to give her more access to that delicious part of his neck she was biting. Silently thanking his standard Konoha uniform for having a high neck that covered his neck, Minato fought the pleasure her lips brought and asked something he'd been meaning to for a while now. "Kushina, will you marry me?"
The nibbling sensation on his neck stopped. He felt as she gently let go of his hands and sat up slightly, giving her access to look at him straight in the eyes. "What?" she asked, obviously hoping her ears were playing with her.
"Will you marry me?" he asked again, this time more firmly, having full control of his five senses.
Blinking in confusion and shock Kushina opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to come up with an answer. She was obviously confused and awestruck, since this was the last thing she had expected him to say.
"What?" she asked once again, this time her eyes filling with furry.
Afraid that she would lean away and escape him, Minato sat up leaning against the back of his bed. Cupping her face in his hand, he looked deeply into her eyes, repeating the words he had feared yet anticipated. "Will you, Uzumaki Kushina, marry me, Namikaze Minato?"
This time she asked another question. "Why?" she asked, a scowl gripping her once relaxed features.
"Because I love you." It was so simple, how could she ask?
"No," Kushina shocked her head. "Why?"
Confusion rose to Minato's eyes. "Why not?" he asked, not really grasping her concept.
"Minato, you are the Fourth Hokage."
"So?"
"What do you mean so?" Kushina narrowed her eyes in anger. "You are the Fourth Hokage."
That meant nothing to him. "Is this one of your jokes that you do that I don't get?" he asked, trying to get a more specific answer to why she was suddenly so mad.
Snarling in anger, Kushina snaked his hands away from her face, leaning away from him. Standing up from bed, she grabbed his blue sheets to cover her naked body. How dare he ask her something like that? Especially after all they'd done. Searching for her scattered cloths, she turned her back to him.
"What's wrong?" Minato asked, edging toward her.
"I'm leaving." Kushina stated, finding her pants.
"Why?"
"Because…!" Kushina turned to him with such speed; Minato merely had time to lean away from her accusatory finger. "Because…" her voiced faded.
"What does me being the Fourth Hokage have to do with anything?" Minato asked, taking her hand in his and pulling her against him in a comforting hug. "If you are that worried about your safety, we can get you some body guards or something."
"Is not that, you idiot." Kushina murmured into his chest.
"Then?"
"It's just that…it's just that…" Kushina's resolve wavered at that. How could she phrase the terrible insecure thoughts she'd been having ever since he rose to such position? When he'd still been a Jonin it hadn't been a problem, since they had been equals and their relationship hadn't been frowned upon, but ever since he rose to Hokage… "You deserve so much better." She finally whispered.
Minato's shoulders stiffen. "What?" he asked, leaning away from her.
"You deserve someone better." She said, more firmly this time. "Someone who–"
"Kushina," Minato warned his voice cold. "Don't you dare finish that sentence."
This made her temper rise. "Why? Because you say so?"
"Yes."
Scowling she escaped from his grip. "I'm leaving." She decided, finally scooping to grab her shirt.
"No, you are staying here." Minato grabbed her wrist firmly, forcing her to look at him. He wasn't about to let her escape in one of her legendary huffs. "We are going to talk about this."
"There's nothing to talk about." Kushina counter back, trying to free herself from his grasp.
"Why? Why won't you tell me the real reason?" Minato demanded.
"I've already told you why!"
"No you haven't! You just came up with the silliest most confusing excuse." His grip tightened. "Tell me why. I deserve to know."
"Minato," Kushina winced. "You are hurting me."
"Tell me, and I'll let you go."
"I've already told you."
"No! Give me a good enough reason!"
The anger in his voice made Kushina stop her struggles. Looking over at him, she discovered that she not only hurt his pride, she had hurt him deeply. His heart had been broken by that mere syllable. The pain in his face was evident. He wasn't suffering because she'd said no; he was suffering because he was afraid that he would lose her. And that, she realized, was something he feared more than death.
"Well?" he demanded, his grip faltering a little.
Feeling the blood starting to rush back to her hand, Kushina turned back to him. "Because if you let yourself love me that way, you won't throw yourself in front of the village when it's in danger, you'll throw yourself in front of me. It's part of your job to give up on everything for the village."
Minato sank back down on the bed letting her words sink in. So that's what she meant. She was worried that by being with her, he would neglect his duties as Hokage. Ever since she'd learned that Whirlpool was destroyed during the war, she had learned to cherish and love the Village like it was her own, fighting to protect it like no one had, growing worried by the growing war and celebrating joyfully when the negotiations between Iwagakure and Konoha had finally ceased the ongoing bloodshed. Reaching out for her once more, Minato sat Kushina in his lap, hugging her waist securely.
"If the time comes when the village and you are in trouble, I'll put my life on the line to protect you both. You mean the most to me, but it's my duty as Hokage to put my life on the line for the well being of this Village. I won't neglect my duties as Hokage or as a husband." Kissing her cheek gently he added. "I can promise you that much."
Leaning against his touch, Kushina asked. "What about the councilors?"
"What about them?"
"Won't they be mad that you are getting married?"
Raising and eyebrow, Minato looked at her. "Sandaime was married while he was still in office. I don't think they have the right to get mad over something so trivial."
"Sandaime got married before he was made Hokage. It's not like he'll be forced to get a divorce."
Laughing Minato pulled her back to bed, making a bid deal about getting those awful sheets off her shoulders, since they were blocking his view. "Yeah well they'll have to deal."
Smiling at that, Kushina tried to pull the covers back up. "Didn't you say you were cold?" she asked, nibbling his chin.
"I am." Minato smiled, pulling on the sheets. "That's why I brought you over, so you could warm me up."
"Really?" Kushina teased moving her mouth over to the edge of his jaw. "What do you have in mind?"
"First, you need to take those sheets off. They are in my way." Minato leaned back to look at her in the eyes. "But before we do anything else…Uzumaki Kushina, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife and making me the happiest guy in the world?"
Laughing at this Kushina said. "No. Not yet."
Minato pouted. "You know I'm not going to give up until you say yes."
Shaking her head, Kushina smiled mischievously, pulling Minato down below her, taking those bother some sheets off her body, for they were blocking her from the thing she wanted the most.