The Boy in the Park
Chapter Sixty-One
Naruko fidgeted; she sat on a bench with an empty spot near her, watching as Shinku, who acted in place of his father, brought Yuhi Kurenai towards the altar.
Kakashi sensei had apparently barrelled into the intensive care unit too soon, and while slightly late had managed to get the rings in time.
Now, as Shinku sat down next to her after having 'delivered' his sister to the altar, Naruko kept her gaze low. She didn't know what to say. 'I'm sorry I acted like a spoiled brat' didn't seem to cut it, and she just couldn't stand not saying something to him.
Therefore, she fidgeted.
A few seconds of terse silence strolled by, as Baa-chan went on with the marriage words. Next to her, Sakura was drooling with her eyes glazed over, probably imagining herself in that position.
Aniki's hands rested on his lap, as his gaze was concentrated on the bride. Naruko bit her lips and then, slowly, brought her right hand forward. She stilled halfway through. Her hand was sweaty and probably calloused from the amount of kunai flung. In contrast, her Aniki's one was probably smooth and dry.
It was a minor thing, really, but she couldn't help but think it over once more.
The old hag was still droning on, her Aniki was still there by her side but…
She just wanted to grab his hand. It wasn't supposed to be difficult. She had done it so many times before, when she was five or so and pulled him along nearly everywhere around Konoha.
It wasn't supposed to be difficult!
She swallowed nervously, and then, finally, extended her hand fully.
She gripped onto it carefully, prying it slightly open to clasp it better.
Moving her thumb, she could feel his knuckles. She felt him move and froze. Well, of course he was going to react to her holding his hand, right?
Naruko watched him turn his gaze to her, raising his right eyebrow in curiosity. She made a small, hesitant and awkward smile. Her hand was sweating even more, her heart drummed in her chest.
He said nothing. She couldn't trust her throat to speak.
"And thus I declare you husband and wife," Baa-chan's voice came finally through. "Kiss and let's get to the booze now."
Naruko turned scarlet.
Shinku instead was simply perplexed. He suspected Naruko had to tell him something, but judging by how she was fidgeting and whatnot…
Did she have to go to the bathroom?
The kiss done, the groom and the bride left through the door of the temple. Soon there would be a buffet at the Yakiniku Q, but first the group would have to change back into the 'everyday' attire. The marriage was to remain a secret after all.
Naruko felt herself pulled upwards by Aniki's hand, and as she stood, she felt her heart give away. She felt woozy. She clamped down hard on the hand, stumbling and falling on the side only to be quickly caught by Shinku's arms.
"Hey, you all right?" he whispered as he held her.
She turned even redder.
He brought his forehead down to hers and when the two met, the only thing Naruko was seeing was the red of Aniki's eyes.
Steam left her ears as she watched Shinku's lips —too close to her own— curl into worry. "You're a bit warm, you sure you're up to the buffet? We can go home if you're feeling sick."
His hot breath on her face made her breathing ragged. "Ahn…Ah…I…"
There was a low growling sound.
Sakura's emerald eyes locked down furiously on Naruko.
Target Acquired.
She sped like a bullet, ready to slam on the ground Naruko, when her Shishou's hand firmly clasping on her shoulder stopped her.
"Now, now," Tsunade said. "You don't want to pay for the Nara shrine repairs, right?"
Sakura began to sweat bullets. "No, shishou?"
"Good!" Tsunade smiled. "Let's go hit the booze!"
Meanwhile, Shinku was still holding on to Naruko's shoulders. "Well, I suppose there's nothing to it then," he said. "We'll be going home," he added. "Wouldn't want whatever Naruko got to stick around."
Kakashi eye-smiled, "Of course, nobody likes being in the hospital, right?" the last part was said with a bit of an inflexion, as if to convey the words 'I sincerely hope you get the intensive care unit treatment'.
Naruko chuckled nervously, but said nothing as Aniki carried her outside. She hadn't slept much —and probably the fear for Aniki being kidnapped had sent her on an adrenaline spike— but now she just felt…light headed?
"Oh well, no other choice," Shinku exhaled.
"Kyah!" Naruko exclaimed as she felt herself lifted on Aniki's back. "A-Aniki!" she stuttered out.
"Hold on or you'll fall," he said sternly, shaking his head slightly. When her arms moved to circle his neck, he began to walk once more.
"Really," he mumbled, "You'll shave off years from my lifespan if you keep this up."
"Sorry," she murmured back sheepishly, pushing her face against the centre of his shoulders. She gave a hesitant sniff and relaxed. Aniki smelled as usual of a mixture of spices —for cooking— leather —the books' covers— and ink. The last one was for homework he had to correct at home, she supposed.
"It's all right," he replied. "So, want to talk about the mission now?"
She stilled, tensing on his back for a moment. "Ah…it's stupid," she whispered. "Really stupid."
"Oh, now…can't be that bad, right?"
"Yes, 'ttebayo," she muttered. "I acted like an idiot. I…I should probably go back to the Academy or something like that. Just…the Akatsuki are scary strong, and…people died or were wounded and I was scared, so…"
"It's all right," Shinku said. "Being scared that is, it's perfectly normal. Shinobi face difficult trials, they enter tough fights and they always risk dying. Civilians in a shinobi village suffer from the same risks, but it's their choice. You can't let fear cloud your judgment on the field now, Naruko."
"It's not that," Naruko grumbled. "I wasn't scared for me."
"Hey now," he chuckled. "You aren't this scared for Sakura or your sensei, are you? And I can take care of myself, Naruko."
"But…"
"No buts," he said then, rolling his eyes. "Stop worrying so much. Your Aniki isn't going anywhere anytime soon."
"I should have left you alone on that bench," she muttered weakly. "If I had, then you wouldn't be risking your life."
"Risking my life? Nah," he chuckled. "I'm not risking my life. I'm doing what I want to do, taking care of a troublesome little sister among other things."
"Are you ever going to get angry at me?" Naruko muttered.
"Uhm…" Shinku thought it over. "Probably never."
"Too good to be true," she mumbled. "What if one day I wake up, and you're no longer there? What if it's just a dream?"
"Well, in that case," he chuckled. "I'll hope you'll remember me fondly, but still go on with life."
"Why?"
"The past cannot be changed, but it is up to us to decide for our future. To close ourselves to what surrounds us…it's to ignore what is there. You can't do that. Maybe you feel that I'm important to you but, in the end, I'm just your brother. You have friends, teachers, and other people around you that care for you too."
Her grip on his neck tightened like a vice.
"No," she said. "You're my Aniki, my precious bond. You'll always, always be important to me."
"Even if I baby you?"
"Uh-uh," she meekly said, with her face warm.
"Even if I coddle you?"
"Yes."
"Even if I accidentally read your diary?"
"Y—Wait. WHAT!?"
Shinku laughed then, grabbing onto Naruko's legs strongly to avoid her falling down.
"Ah-han! You thought you had hidden it well, didn't you? But an older brother will always find the diary of his younger sister! It's a rule of life!"
"Y-You!" Naruko stuttered out, "You didn't read it, right!?"
"I might have skimmed a few pages," he chuckled. "So…who's the guy you like?"
Naruko turned a deeply shade of red.
Steam erupted from her every pore.
"I-I d-don't h-have one! A guy I like I mean! I don't have one! I haven't written about one!"
"I'm yanking your chain," he chuckled. "I wouldn't read your diary anyway," he commented.
"Ramen swear?"
"Uhm…ramen swear entails?"
"You don't eat ramen for one week if you break it."
"A veritable torture," he chuckled. "Right! Speaking of ramen…how many did you eat recently?"
Naruko closed her eyes firmly and made her 'fakest' snoring she could muster.
"Ehi!" Shinku exclaimed, only to receive no response. "Very well!" he muttered. "I'll cure your cold, you just wait." He chuckled darkly. "A leek up your a—"
Naruko just smiled as Aniki kept on ranting about strange and funny ways to cure the cold. She was fine now.
She was holding Aniki close and he was holding her up, they were walking back home in peace and with no one interfering or interrupting. It was…
It was beautiful.
She really hoped such a moment could last forever.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't.
Author's notes
Feel the power of the dark side of the Fluff.
I nearly felt like wringing my hands out at the written part with the 'holding hands'.
Damn. Damn my muse!