status ongoing
prompt forget what I said on the last chapter; inspiration o' meter: nil
warnings language, slight fluff
pairings minato/kushina
disclaimer I don't own naruto
notice see? what did I say? six scenes per chapter. I suck, and this chapter sucks, too. last year of HS is so damn close! don't expect to meet kushina's parents. they're evil. and, uh, you're gonna hate me for the next chapter. now, read this piece of shit.
notice2 I don't know why I don't refer to music anymore. it makes me sad, though. there's gonna be some in the next chapter, if it's any consolation for you guys. I think this story's so far from the original idea. and there's no inoichi in this chapter. :(


7. Never Judge A Lady By Her Lover

"Love has a nasty tendency of complicating things."


The sound of a phone ringing incessantly awoke Minato from his peaceful little slumber many hours before he would originally rise. It was penetrating his already aching head, courtesy of last night's drinks. He buried his face under his blanket to block out the noise, but to no avail. It wasn't going to go away soon, Minato concluded and threw the blanket off of him.

Slowly and wearily, he dragged his feet towards the coffee table where the device was placed on and, after bumping on a few pieces of furniture, he finally reached his destination. With half-lidded eyes and a hangover induced brain, he picked up the device and pressed it against his ear.

Kushina rolled over on her back and lay there on her bed, staring blankly at the white ceiling. She had had a really relaxing sleep last night and she had Minato to thank for that. The man was still a kid, but he was adorable – not that she'd ever tell him that. In her thoughts, she barely heard the phone ringing in the living room.

She slipped from under the covers and made her way towards the living room to check up on her blond boyfriend, who she supposed was still passed out on her sofa, and answer the phone. She was almost certain that it was Mikoto, calling to tell her what first impression Minato had made and gossip about last night's events. That was exactly like something Mikoto would do.

But Kushina didn't expect to see Minato leaning against the wall with her phone against his ear and a puzzled expression on his face. Immediately, Kushina paled. With a brief glance towards the clock hanging on her wall, all her previous thoughts were erased. Mikoto would never call her so early on a Sunday, especially after knowing how many drinks they had consumed the previous night. There was only one person who always called her on Sunday mornings.

With a leap, she was standing next to him and she snatched the device out of his hands, much to his surprise. "Hello?"

"Kushina," came the stern voice of Kushina's mother on the other end of the line.

"Mom, I can explain," Kushina said with a hint of fear in her voice.

"Explain what exactly, Kushina? Who was it that answered your phone? And why did he answer it?"

Kushina rubbed her eyes. "Mom, would you please calm down?"

"No, I won't! Kushina, as your mother, I demand you to tell me who is that man who has the audacity to answer your phone!" she shrieked into the phone.

"It's Minato, he's–" Kushina started, but she was cut off.

"Minato? What kind of name is that? Who is he? Why is he answering your phone?"

The flame-haired woman took a deep breath. "Mom, just stop. He's my boyfriend, okay?"

There was a pregnant silence between the two women that made Kushina sweat under her pajamas. Her mother and she didn't have the closest relationship, mostly because of her mother's strict attitude and Kushina's untamed personality.

"Bring him over this Thursday."

That was definitely something Kushina didn't expect to hear. "What?"

She heard her snort. "You heard me. Be in time for the Thanksgiving dinner."

The line went dead and Kushina couldn't help but wonder what the hell had just happened. Did her mother just invite her and Minato to Boston for Thanksgiving? And since when did her parents care about her relationships? She honestly thought that they didn't give a damn. Obviously, she had been wrong.

Minato appeared from the bathroom a few moments later to find her staring blankly at the phone in her hands, deep in thought. He cleared his throat as subtly as he could and when she turned to look at him, he was wearing a sheepish look on his face.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, breaking the silence between them.

Kushina gave him an angry look. "You just had to answer the damn phone, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know it was your mother! I was half-asleep and I had a hangover, I thought I was in my apartment! I didn't want to cause you trouble," he apologized sincerely, raising his hands in front of him in defense.

Kushina opened her mouth to yell at him, but she closed it as soon as she did and put on a fake smile. "That's okay, Minato," she said sweetly. "It's fine, really."

Minato eyed her warily. A sweet Kushina was a dangerous one. "R–really?"

Kushina nodded. "Of course." Then, her expression hardened. "And you better start getting ready, 'cause we're going to Boston this Thursday," she said and walked past him.

"Wha–?" Minato stood there, mouth agape, watching her in utter confusion. He grabbed his aching head and wailed. His day had not started out well.


"I really can't believe it!"

Kushina almost jumped at her best friend's voice, causing her to draw a line on her painting. She frowned at the canvas and started scrubbing on the offending line. "What can't you believe exactly, Mikoto?"

Mikoto crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought you were like the ultimate feminist. I thought that you would be the last woman to let herself be controlled by a man."

Kushina raised an eyebrow at her friend. "The last man whom I let control me was my dad, and I was like, five then."

Mikoto's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't use sarcasm on me. I'm talking about Minato."

Kushina broke out in laughter, earning a raised eyebrow from her best friend. "Sorry, but even the thought of Minato controlling me is hilarious."

"Don't play stupid, Kushina," Mikoto warned her. "You slept with him, did you not?"

Kushina's laughter was cut down immediately. "Where'd you hear that?"

Mikoto put her hands up in exasperation. "It doesn't matter where I heard it from, Kushina! The thing is that it's true. I can't believe it! How did you let a man talk you into something you didn't want?"

Kushina shook her head in order to clear her thoughts. She placed her palms on Mikoto's shoulders. "Okay, just shut up and hear me out for a sec, will you?" Mikoto huffed but nodded. "Now, here's the thing; I didn't sleep with him because he made me do it. I did it because I felt like it. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes…" she said slowly.

Kushina nodded. "Good. Now get any ideas out of your head because I'm still the number one feminist in town," she said and removed her hands from Mikoto's shoulders, reaching out for her brush again.

Mikoto sighed. "I still can't believe you didn't tell me, though. I'm your best friend, Kushina. I thought we were supposed to tell everything to each other."

Kushina hung her head. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't feel ready to do it. My relationship with Minato is still way too fresh and I want to know where it goes before I can say anything for sure. Call me stupid, but I just felt like keeping that detail for myself."

Mikoto's lips curved in a sympathetic smile. "It's okay. I'm sorry for the scene. I just want you to know that I'm here for you, no matter what you want to share. I won't judge you, Kushina."

Kushina smiled weakly. "Thank you," she said and went back to her painting as Mikoto did the same with a smile.

However, Kushina was emitting a dangerous aura, which was definitely bad news for a certain Namikaze.


Kushina entered the shared office of Daily Notion with a swagger and walked towards Minato's desk. Now, if Minato was anyone else than himself, the blonde and cheerful man he was, he would have understood that the way Kushina walked screamed trouble.

But he didn't and he smiled instead, standing up from his seat. "Kushina? What a surprise! What are you–"

"What am I to you?" Kushina said coldly, coming to stand right in front of his desk.

"Huh?" Minato questioned.

Kushina cursed at his blondeness. "Am I just a fling, a one-night-stand, a weekend lover, or do you have deeper feelings for me, like love me or something?" she asked, momentarily forgetting his confession of a couple of nights ago.

"Do we really have to have this conversation here? This is where I work," Minato said uneasily. He may have never cared about what people thought, but this was getting old. He was tired of the people close to him barging inside his workplace and embarrassing him by talking about personal affairs in the presence of his coworkers. Besides, these were his last days in the paper and he felt obliged to finish some of his work before quitting. Come Monday, he would be working with Inoichi on the radio station.

"Answer me, Namikaze, or I will cause a stir," Kushina warned him. Her eyes shined dangerously. "You know I can."

Minato sighed in defeat. There was no way he could ever win an argument with this woman. Uzumakis were so boneheaded. "Fine. I love you, but I don't get what does this have to do with your visit of sorts."

Kushina crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "Well, here's what I think. If you loved me, as you say, you wouldn't freaking inform the entire world that we had sex!"

Minato ignored the all-too-familiar stares they were getting from his colleagues. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I was to keep it a sealed secret. And I only told Inoichi. 'Tis not my fault he's a gossip."

Kushina gave him an incredulous look. "Inoichi? You told Inoichi freakin' Yamanaka that we had sex?" She laughed sarcastically. "So that's what you do when you love someone? You let the entire world know that you've slept with them?"

Minato had had enough by that moment. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"You're ruining my reputation as a feminist, that's what got into me!" she exclaimed. "By spreading the word, you made me look like a... a toy in the hands of a man! You can't do that!"

His features softened. "I had no such intention, honestly. Besides, everyone knows we're together already, so they suspect that we sleep together. So what's the difference with them actually knowing it?" he asked.

Kushina stared at him intensely for a moment, before she sighed and dropped her shoulders. "You're right. I'm sorry, Minato. I'm just being paranoid. You know, with the trip to my parents and all…"

She was surprised when Minato hugged her, albeit briefly. "'Tis okay. I understand. How about we meet at my place tonight and talk about it?" Seeing the distrustful look she was giving him, he added, "I'll bring ramen."

Kushina laughed despite herself. "You got yourself a deal, Namikaze."

Minato smiled and sat back down on his seat as Kushina made her way to the exit. "And for the record, I didn't tell him. He kind of figured it out," Minato called after her.

Kushina glared at him over her shoulder. "Of course he did. Not everyone is a prude like you, Minato."


Minato was sweating nervously as he watched Kushina drum her fingers rhythmically on her upper arm with a thoughtful expression on her face. It was the 25th of November, namely Thanksgiving, aka the day they were going to travel all the way up to Boston to meet Kushina's parents. The thought itself wasn't very comforting, but Minato was an optimist.

"Where'd you find a car?"

"It's Inoichi's," he replied, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice.

"It's not," Kushina said firmly, shifting her gaze towards him. "Inoichi doesn't do shit if not for money and I doubt that you bribed him. Whose is it?"

Minato pressed his lips together. "Yeah, um, well, you see…"

Kushina shook her head and opened the door to the passenger's seat. "So, you're driving us to my parents' house with a stolen car and you're still hoping to make a good impression? Praise be to your courage, Minato."

Minato frowned and slipped in the driver's seat. "I didn't steal it."

Kushina rolled her eyes. "Whatever. But since we're on the subject, why do you have a driver's license even though you don't have a car?"

He smirked. "That's for me to know and for you to find out, Uzumaki."

Kushina secured her seatbelt and shot him a sultry look. "Shut up and drive, Namikaze."

Minato obliged and started the engine, setting route for Boston to meet his could-be in-laws. A shiver ran down his spine. Man, life was a bitch.


About half an hour into the road trip, Kushina decided it was good time to give Minato a head's up for what he would be facing in a few hours. Her parents weren't the most normal of people, or the easiest to get along with either, and he needed to know how to deal with them properly, without embarrassing himself.

She was certain that they would disapprove of him. Her father was a renowned cardiologist, retired for the last two years, and her mother used to be a nurse before she met him. They had made quite a fuss over her decision to not follow her ancestors' footprints and become a doctor herself, so she could only imagine what commotion Minato's appearance would cause, with his job and ambitions. But they had been the ones to initiate the meeting, so it was only fair that they dealt with the consequences. Kushina even allowed herself a small smirk at the thought of pissing her parents off a little more.

But then the thought that they might stop funding her studies crossed her mind, effectively erasing any plans she may had to annoy her parents to the utmost. Kushina groaned mentally; her life sucked.

"Are you nervous?"

She turned abruptly at Minato's question. "About what?"

He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. Kushina didn't know why someone who didn't own a car would have a driver's license in the first place. And the damned Namikaze wasn't telling her. "Me meeting your parents."

"Well, I have every right to be," she replied with a sigh.

"Oh, come on. They can't be that bad."

"Oh, they are, trust me." She wrinkled her nose. "Look, Minato. I'm sorry for all this. I wasn't planning to ever introduce them to you."

Minato raised an eyebrow at the statement. "Why not? Don't you think that what we have could evolve into something, I don't know, serious?"

Kushina looked surprised and slightly offended. "Of course I do! It's just that… Never mind, you'll understand when you meet them. My parents are…" She paused, searching for the right word.

"Unique?"

Kushina gave him a pointed look. "Weird's more like it."

He laughed and turned his attention back towards the road. "So, tell me a little about them."

"Well, the Uzumakis have a family tradition of becoming doctors. And, being naturally stubborn people, they despise anyone that declines from that. Thus, they are not really happy that I'm studying art, instead of medicine. So, don't mention the guitar, unless you're forced to."

"Alright. Anything else?"

"If my dad asks you what you do for a living, by all means, don't tell him that you work with Inoichi," she warned. "Inoichi's name is taboo around here. Tell him that you still work in the newspaper."

"Why do they dislike him?" Minato asked.

"You know Inoichi, Minato. Do you think anyone in a pseudo-aristocratic family would think well of him? He's the black sheep of his clan and while they don't really have a problem with it, the Uzumakis do. Our families have been friends since forever. The Yamanakas are more open-minded that my family, so they don't really care about his job. Mine, on the other hand…"

Minato reached over to place his hand on hers. "Hey, don't worry. It's gonna be fine. How bad could it go?" he asked rhetorically.

Kushina smiled uneasily. You have no idea, Minato. You have no idea.


Three hours later, the young couple was standing in front of a two-story house with a large yard, in Weymouth, Boston. Minato had to admit though, despite all of Kushina's jabs about their vicious personalities, that her parents had taste. The house was well-kept and the garden was simply gorgeous. He had a feeling that he would like those people – after all, he liked all people – but Kushina's words kept playing in his head.

They walked up to the front porch slowly. Kushina took her time trying to prepare herself and Minato for the upcoming meeting with her parents, but there didn't seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. She knew that, even if they had a whole year to prepare themselves for this inevitable meeting, she was now ready as she ever would be.

Damn you, Minato, she thought with a frown. If Minato hadn't picked up her phone that morning, they wouldn't be in this uncomfortable situation at the moment. In all truth, Kushina never really planned to introduce her parents to Minato. Even if they eventually got married, she still would feign their death, just to make sure that he didn't have to withstand their critical eye and interrogation. Because she knew for a fact that they would interrogate him.

Kushina blinked in shock. Marriage? Where had that come from? Shaking her head and pushing that thought aside, she turned towards the man walking next to her, who was currently admiring her mother's gardenias in awe. Leave it to Minato to concentrate on such trivial things when he was a step away from his doom.

"Are you ready for this?" she asked him worriedly.

Minato flashed her his famous grin and Kushina was glad that she had fallen in love with such a man. "Let's go get 'em."

Kushina couldn't contain the happiness and confidence he had provided her with at that moment and she took his face in her hands, effectively locking her lips with his. Minato smiled into the kiss and snaked his arms around her in an attempt to bring her closer.

Their heated embrace was interrupted soon though, by a door opening and a loud gasp. The two adults pulled away abruptly, with equal blushes on their faces at the realization of being caught while making-out. Minato lowered his gaze to the ground and scratched the back of his head uneasily, while Kushina forced a small smile on her lips.

"Hey, mom."