I need a lullaby, a kiss goodnight; angel, sweet love of my life. Oh, I need this.

The room was nearly silent, save for the sound of relaxed breathing and the occasional rustle of bed sheets. The calm breathing belonged to him and the rustling belonged to her, who couldn't seem to find a way to get comfortable until she partly settled onto his chest, head on his shoulder and in the crook of his neck.

No, this wasn't comfortable either. It was proving difficult to use another person as a body pillow when that second party was asleep. She let out a sigh before rolling over onto her back, pulling the covers up to her own chest. How annoying.

The calm breathing was replaced with a chuckle.

Her gaze immediately moved to the man on the other side of the bed, her cheeks turning as red as the lines down his own. He was on his side now, front angled towards her and head propped up on an elbow. "If you wanted to cuddle, you could have just woken me up, Tsunade." A playful grin played upon his lips and his eyes crinkled shut in that way they always do-

"I don't know what you're talking about." She played off, abruptly sitting up and turning her face away from him. He chuckled again and crept a hand across her stomach before snaking it around her waist entirely. He pulled her towards him and leaned his head upon her shoulder. Eventually, she had to look at him and when she did, he stole a kiss. Oh, how she wished all her mornings were like that.

She found herself alone just then, the other half of her bed empty and the only light in the room seeped in through the cracks in her window. For about the thousandth time that week, Tsunade felt a warm liquid run down onto her cheeks.

That was how it should have been, she gathered. All those years spent in denial, she should have just accepted him - everything might have turned out different.

Different as in she could have had Jiraiya on the other side of that bed next to her.

I'm a slow dying flower, frost killing hour; the sweet turning sour and untouchable.


A/N: jiratsu is my favorite pairing, i swear. (人´∀`*)- so here's something kind of inspired by a natalie merchant song called my skin.