Chapter Seventeen
Tanabata
Hanabi – 24
Konohamaru – 25
Hanabi fastened the yukata around Himawari's waist before turning the girl to the mirror, grinning over her shoulder as she squealed in delight. "Just perfect, Hima."
"Thank you!" Himawari exclaimed with clapping hands, twirling as she looked at herself in the mirror. A beautiful pink flower design ran the length of the otherwise white cloth, and Himawari was ecstatic with it. Suddenly, the little girl stopped and gestured to her aunt. "What about you, big sister?"
Hanabi frowned, looking away. "Oh, I don't know if I'm going to go…" Since quitting Anbu some months ago, she had become fairly withdrawn from village events, as well as her friends.
And Konohamaru. Seeing him at the festival would be painful. They hadn't hashed out what had happened in the forest yet. Leaving her with that set of kunai told her it was her move this time. While he was kind enough to give her an opening in the form of returning half of the set, she found herself in a state of dread whenever she thought of confronting him. She wasn't sure if she would ever want to. Even if she missed him.
"What?!" Himawari exclaimed, stomping her feet on top of Hanabi's as she clutched her robe, causing her to let out a little cry of pain, heels digging into her toes. With a dramatic whine, "you have to go!"
"Himawari!" Hinata called gently from the other room.
"It's fine!" Hanabi called back before looking down at the girl who mooned her eyes up at her in a desperate attempt to convince her. With a glare, she plucked the girl up from under her armpits, causing a little squeak. Those eyes were a little too irresistible. A gruff of annoyance left her as she put her back down, sighing "I suppose I could run down to the compound to get a yukata…"
"Yay!" Himawari shrieked, wrapping her arms around the older Hyūga's legs. "Can I come with? Please? Please?"
"Let's ask mama first." Hanabi nudged the girl towards the kitchen where Hinata was fussing over an annoyed-looking Boruto.
"Mom, it's fine like this! I'm supposed to meet Shikadai and Inojin!"
"Just one more thing." Hinata drew the boy back, tucking a flower into the boy's ear. He groaned. "Perfect!"
"Mama!" Himawari skidded in front of her brother, causing him to stumble backward. "I wanna go with big sister to the compound! She's going to the festival with us!"
"Oh!" Hinata looked up happily at her younger sister, to which Hanabi shrugged. "If it's alright with her, of course."
"Yeah, c'mon." Hanabi waved Himawari over as Boruto collected his things, preparing to bolt off.
"When you get there, will you meet us on the street where the dancing will take place? You, too, Boruto!" Hinata called after the boy as he tried to sneak out. Hanabi nodded as she grasped Himawari's hand and led her out behind Boruto.
"Walk with us, Boruto," Hanabi called before he could go leaping away. Boruto looked over his shoulder and heaved an exaggerated sigh.
"Ya big sis?" Boruto lightened his pace to stride next to them, hands shoved in his robe sleeves.
"Make sure to meet us at the street in an hour, won't you?" Hanabi tried to ask kindly, but there was authority behind her tone. "Don't make your mother worry about you again."
"I'll be there!" Boruto shouted defensively, raising his hands.
"Don't make mommy sad!" Himawari squeaked, pointing an accusing finger up at the boy. He rolled his eyes.
"Jeeze, you guys!" he grumbled as he began jogging further up the trail.
"Bye big brother!"
"See you in an hour, baby brother!" Hanabi called in a sing-song voice, causing the boy to close in as he sped up and out of sight. Himawari let out a giggle as she beamed up at Hanabi. It was infectious, and despite her gloomy mood, she had to return her smile.
"Is grandpa gonna go?" she asked, swinging her legs high.
"Don't think so."
Hanabi engaged the little girl in chatter as they drew closer to the compound until they were greeted at the gates by guards. Himawari giggled again. "I like it when they bow to me."
"Little brat," Hanabi teased, patting the top of her head lightly.
"That's mean!" Himawari huffed, folding her arms just as a long pair of arms swept her up. "Hey!"
"Little lady!" Natsu cooed, bringing the girl in close. Himawari wrapped around her while giggling. She was always much more receptive to Hyūga affection, and it was clear Natsu had missed caring for someone. "You must bring her here more often, Lady Hanabi."
"I'll try." Hanabi chuckled, leaving the older Hyūga to tend to her little niece while she made way for her part of the compound. Once she officially retired from Anbu, her father surprised her by granting her, her own unit. It was like a little apartment, hers. Perhaps it was guilt on his part. Whatever the reason, she was glad to have it. She breathed a sigh as she slid the door behind her closed, kicking off her sandals before going to her room. She rummaged through her closet until she found a red yukata from her teenage years. She wondered if it would be long enough.
Thankfully, it fit just right, reminding her she had shot up in height in a span of just a couple of years. She pulled her hair over her shoulder and twisted it in her hand, debating. She pulled a nice orange clip from her vanity and pulled her hair into a messy bun, deciding she didn't want to give Himawari something to tug on when she called for her attention. She returned to find several Hyūga all doting on Himawari, including Tadashi, who straightened up upon her arrival. Something about seeing her old guard crouched down to be eye-level with her niece, speaking sweetly to her, made her feel a little lighter inside.
"Lady Hanabi." He nodded toward her and she gave him a smile. "You're certain you won't need an escort?"
"Not if my father will let me go alone," she teased back, happy to be at ease with the man, now.
"I'm sure you'll find someone to accompany you while you're there," he furthered the tease and she frowned.
"What's that—"
"Yeah, ME!" Himawari interrupted freely, forcefully taking Hanabi's hand. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"
"Patience, dear Hima!" Natsu chided gently as Hanabi simply rolled her eyes.
"S'fine, let's just get on with it, shall we?" Hanabi swung Himawari's hand as she tugged her out the door. "Goodbye Natsu! Tadashi." She said his name with a little malice.
He had to be talking about Konohamaru.
If his words ended up being fortuitous, she'd have to come back and give him a piece of her mind.
An amusing thought, nonetheless. Tadashi receiving a scolding from Hanabi.
Hanabi zoned out as Himawari went on about something or another, finding herself unable to focus on the girl with all of the hustle and bustle around her. Several hundreds of people, many of them genin, worked to get the festival set up for its first day, pots with bamboo littering every corner, tanzaku strips hung from every limb, orizuru being set on every surface. "Oooh—that one!" Himawari stopped in front of a stall with a little old woman. "That one is pretty!"
Hanabi inspected over the girl's shoulder a purple origami crane, that looked so meticulously put together that it might come to life. The old woman smiled at Himawari. "Would you like it?"
"Oh, yes please!" Himawari squealed, holding her hand out to receive the little bird. "Thank you thank you thank you!"
"Of course." The old woman nodded at her, looking up at Hanabi. "Would you like one as well?"
"Huh? Oh, no." Hanabi shook her hands. "No, thank you."
"Here." The woman pushed an origami star toward her. "We celebrate star-crossed lovers such as yourself on this day."
"Huh?" Hanabi stepped back, feeling too exposed under this woman's gaze. She glanced at the star, made with red and blue paper. "Why would you say that about me?"
"You're a lovely young lady," the woman insisted, pushing it into her hands, "I'm sure you have someone admiring you."
"Okay, thank you." Hanabi decided to cut the interaction off before it went too long, accepting the star and tugging Himawari away.
"Do you think your lover is here, big sis?" Himawari asked and Hanabi suddenly felt a little too on display for her own niece. She tucked the star into the pocket of her hip.
"Dunno, Hima."
"I hope mine is!"
"Maybe they are." Hanabi sighed, guiding her towards the street where the dancing was about to begin. She activated her byakugan to briefly search for her sister and started walking toward her chakra network when she located her. Just before she could blink it away, she paused at the bright, tall one next to her. Not the one directly next to her, which was certainly Naruto's. The one that was just a little further off, carrying a tiny chakra network on his shoulders. Of course.
Why shouldn't it be this way? It always was. Cramming her frustration down, she dragged Himawari behind her to meet up with the three adults, plus one older child, Mirai.
"Oh, you look so nice!" Hinata chirped as she approached, holding her arms out to embrace Hanabi. She let a little smile slip as she returned the embrace despite just seeing each other less than an hour ago.
"Hey, Hanabi!" Naruto called, swinging his arm around her. "Good, you two are both here." He pointed at Konohamaru, but Hanabi didn't look. "Can you watch Himawari while we look for Boruto?"
"I'll get him," Hanabi interjected before Konohamaru could chime in. She still hadn't looked up at him. "I told him he better be here in an hour. I'd like to teach him a lesson about listening to his aunt."
"Oooh." Naruto chuckled, glancing between the two. "Yeah, sounds like a good idea."
Hanabi swiftly turned, feeling a little guilty about ignoring the little girl atop Konohamaru's shoulders, but to be fair, she was on top of Konohamaru's shoulders. She just couldn't make herself engage with him.
Immediately, she began striding through the crowd, byakugan activated as she searched for that now incredibly familiar growing chakra network. She wondered if it would be brighter than even Naruto's by the time he was fully grown. When she located it along with similar height networks, she bolted into a run to ensure he couldn't escape before he saw her. She hooked her elbow around his abdomen, earning a surprised yelp from the boy as he was thrown over her shoulder. "Agh! Big sis!"
"What did I tell you, Boruto?!" she snapped, stomping away from the other two boys with a struggling blond on her shoulder. "Your mother told you to be there in an hour. It's been an hour and five minutes. You think you can get away with that at the academy?!"
"Put me down!" Boruto exclaimed, kicking his feet. "This is so embarrassing…"
"Should've listened," she mumbled irritably. It wasn't the best day for Boruto to agitate her, so she knew she was being a little overdramatic with her nephew. She tossed him in front of Naruto who had his arms crossed disapprovingly.
"Aunt Hanabi knock some sense into you?" Naruto teased, roughing his hand over the boy's hair, who batted his hands away.
"Quiet now!" Hinata shushed them. "It's starting!"
Hanabi tilted her head towards the street as several hundred dancers began flowing down in beautiful costumes. The crowd naturally gathered in, obscuring the view of the two children left on the ground. Boruto groaned.
"I can't even see anything!"
Naruto shushed him as he pulled the boy up over his shoulders. Himawari began whining as well and Hanabi sighed, stepping in front of her sister to relieve her of the responsibility, and grabbed the girl, setting her on her shoulders as well.
"Yay!" Himawari whisper-shouted. "Hi Mirai!"
"Hi, Hima." Hanabi finally looked towards Konohamaru, who had been quiet the entire time, then looked up at Mirai who was offering the younger girl a soft smile.
"Look what I got, big brother," Himawari whispered, shoving the crane in front of their faces. Konohamaru smiled and Hanabi felt her heart flutter just a tad. That smile.
"Very pretty." Konohamaru sounded sincere as his eyes set back on Hanabi's, as if speaking to her. She swallowed, feeling herself falling again. Like every time.
"Yeah, and the lady gave big sister a star."
Hanabi coughed into her fist, averting her eyes.
"She said she'd find her star lover today!"
"She did, did she?"
"Star-crossed lover," Hanabi mumbled the correction, resisting the urge to tighten her grip on the girl's ankles.
"Awww." Mirai sighed, resting her chin on Konohamaru's head. "What about you, big brother?"
"Can we focus on the dancing?" Hanabi turned her attention away from the Sarutobi's, trying to feign interest in the dancing taking place in front of them.
"I bet we'll all find our lovers today!" Himawari kept the conversation going, and Hanabi wished she could drop the girl and walk away. "Or tomorrow!"
"Hey," Mirai called, grabbing Himawari's elbow and forcing Hanabi to scoot closer to Konohamaru. She raised her eyebrows as she tried to look up at the two little girls, Mirai with her hand cupped around Himawari's ear as she whispered some sort of secret into it. Himawari's squeal was unwelcome.
"Hima!" Hinata scolded quietly, which Hanabi was thankful for.
"What're you two whispering about, huh?" Konohamaru teased as he reached up to pinch Mirai's side.
"Nothin'!" Mirai smacked his hand while poking her tongue out. "Just telling Himawari I know who your lover is."
"If you guys don't stop talking, I'm putting you down," Hanabi grumbled, tugging Himawari's ankles to let her know she meant it.
"Okay, okay!" Himawari conceded, resting her hands on top of Hanabi's head.
Hanabi and Konohamaru stood side by side dutifully for the duration of the dance, elbows touching occasionally when the girls readjusted on top of them. She shot her eyes down at her side when she felt his fingers graze against her waist, knuckles brushing against the cotton of her yukata. His hand was inviting hers and she bit her lip, feeling like such a silly little girl that such a simple action could make her weak in the knees. She missed him, she couldn't deny it. She peeked up from his hand to his face, which was schooled to a look of indifference as he watched the dancers. With a gentle sigh, she let go of Himawari's right ankle and dangled the hand at her side, letting him slide his hand into hers.
The fact that she wanted to cry right now felt incredibly ridiculous. Hot tears threatened to fall as he squeezed her hand, blurring her vision of the beautiful dancers.
It's what she wanted so much in life. To be at a festival, doting on her niece and nephew, having her sister doting on her, and being with Konohamaru, publicly. Be allowed to hold hands like this, to rest against each other while they entertained the children in their lives, watched them enjoy the things she never got to. With him. She resented him because he caused her to fall so far in love with him. She loved him beyond reason.
So she squeezed his hand back, letting their fingers lace together under the cover of their sleeves and robes. She let out a shuddered sigh as his thumb caressed the webbing between her index finger and thumb, praying to whatever gods might be out there that no one catch them, especially not Himawari.
When cheering started to break out was when they tore their hands from each other, and her hand felt cold. Icy, even. The only way it felt warm was with his around it.
"I'm putting you down, now, Mirai," Konohamaru concluded, crouching down to his knees to let the girl off.
"Thank you!" Mirai sang as she hopped off. Hanabi couldn't help but look down at him on his knees, looking up at her with that adorable smirk he always seemed to sport, but despite it, his eyes had that warm look to them. That look that could make her blush all while feeling incredibly comfortable in his presence. Hands resting on his thighs, shoulders back, relaxed as his eyes bore into hers. As if he was kneeling to her in adoration. She took him in, simple dark blue yukata that suited him so well, a plain cloth headband tied around where his forehead protector would normally be.
She dropped her eyes when he raised out a hand. "Help me up?"
"Uhm, sure," Hanabi breathed, grasping his hand to pull him up, knowing full well he needed absolutely no help. She watched him as he rose to his full height and gods did she miss looking up at him. His soft features, his genuine smile, everything about it brought her a comfort she craved. She wasn't sure how long they stood like that, but it was evidently too long when Himawari tapped her head.
"Hey! What, are you guys having a staring competition?!" Himawari exclaimed, causing Hanabi to shake her head as if to stir awake, pulling her hand from his. "Can we do the tanzaku now?"
"We can go together," Mirai offered, eyes bouncing between the two adults, "since they can't seem to tear themselves away from each other."
"Uh—" Konohamaru choked out, glaring down at his cousin, now a lively 12-year-old who clearly had no problems calling them out. If it had been directed at literally anyone else, Hanabi would be impressed by the girl. But right now, she could only feel annoyed. "C'mon Mirai, watch it, would ya?"
"Just pointing out the obvious." Mirai shrugged, skipping away. Himawari scrambled above Hanabi and she quickly deposited the girl on the ground to jump after the older girl.
"I guess I'm gonna go to a tanzaku stand," Hanabi sighed towards Hinata, who was fussing over Boruto before he took off once more.
"With Konohamaru?" Hinata looked up with a little smirk and Hanabi pursed her lips, glaring at her shorter sister. "We'll catch up."
"Thank you," Hanabi spoke mockingly, turning towards Konohamaru who was gradually catching up to the girls, clearly slowing his pace to wait for her. With a little huff of breath, she went confidently forward.
"Nice festival," he mused, resting his hands on the back of his neck without looking at her.
She scoffed. "What a forced attempt at small talk."
He laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, I guess it was." He nudged her side playfully, bringing her back to happier memories as she pushed his hand away. He lifted a lazy finger towards her collarbone, smiling. "Still wear it…"
"O-oh—" She instinctively raised her hand to the aquamarine pendant around her neck. She felt herself redden slightly, realizing it had just become a daily routine to put it on in the morning since she quit Anbu. With a little nod, she responded "I do."
"I'm glad." His smile was soft before it turned mischievous. "Hima thinks you'll find your 'star lover' here. What do you think?"
She paused. Should she play along? "Maybe I will."
"Maybe it'll be that guy." She glanced up as he leaned in to whisper, pointing at a young man across the way. "I could introduce you? Be your wingman?"
"What about you?" Hanabi huffed, playing his game. She subtly raised her finger at a young woman. "She looks nice."
"She does look nice," he teased, and she sucked in her cheeks, unwilling to let him know that particular tease did indeed stir jealousy in her that she knew was his goal. "Maybe you could 'accidentally' bump me into her and introduce us?"
"Yeah, of course," she breathed, rolling her eyes. "Hey lady, you wanna be lovers with this big doofus?"
"Big doofus, huh?" he questioned. "Guess that's a fair assessment. Some people like a dumb, loveable guy. A big one."
"Oh—" She pursed her lips, turning to glare up at him. Her breath caught as she watched him bite his lower lip, his cheeks a little red. Was she making him flustered? Gods, how did he always do this to her? The anger, the worry, the pain; all of it felt like it was melting away within minutes of being with him. She hadn't had much time to build those walls back up around her heart, they were mere picket fences, and he was, without any effort at all, kicking them down. She pulled a finger up to her chin, scratching lightly as words fell out of her, "you're not dumb. You're…just…"
"I'm just?" he pressed. The way he leaned in a little closer, as if excited to hear what she was going to say, made her feel a bit bolder than normal.
"Cute," she concluded, watching his eyes go wide at her little compliment. She smirked, trying to control the red inevitably rushing to her face. "Cute because you're so clueless."
"I'm clueless…" he whispered, and she watched as his tongue trailed over his lips. It made her heart jump.
"And I just wanna…" she started, trying to push the words out before she faltered, "kiss you. Kiss that cute, clueless smile off your face."
"Whoa," he breathed, stopping in his tracks now. She stopped to meet him, scanning his face. He was blood red, lips parted as if air to his nose was restricted, eyes wide as they locked with hers. With the few moments she had to spare, she glanced around them, finding Mirai and Himawari off in the distance at a table, scribbling on their pieces of paper, and she made a split decision. She stepped forward and slid her hands into his, pulling him towards her as she tiptoed up to meet his lips. He was ready for her, leaning down to mold them against hers.
It was one of the few kisses they shared where both were coming at one another instead of just one instigating it. Though she supposed one could say she had instigated it with her charged words.
His hands squeezed hers as she fell back on the flats of her feet in an attempt to end the kiss, but he simply leaned down and held onto it a bit longer. She stepped backward, pulling her lips from his with a bashful smile. She took her right hand from his and pulled his knuckles with both hands to her lips, whispering against them, "tag."
"Big sis!"
Konohamaru's gaze couldn't be torn by anything at that moment.
She always kept him on his toes. If there was one person that could throw him off guard in the best possible way, it was her.
Those words. Then acting on it. In public.
Goddamnit he loved her. He loved her more than he could express. It hurt how much he loved her and everything she did to him. Hurt in a way that he both hated, yet craved. He hadn't expected to reconnect with her tonight. Did he hope they would? Yes, but never expected it. Taking her hand reignited every little emotion he had for her, every little tingle and jolt. Made him burn inside. He couldn't get over her, no matter how hard he tried or how much time passed. Even if they'd never truly been anything. She was everything.
Teasing…
Every instinct told him to sweep her off her feet and march her down to his apartment. Ignore any protest she might give and just take her for himself. Take her like he deserved, she deserved. At this point in his mind, she was his. After everything they'd been through, years of playing this game, he was done. No more games, no more pretending he was fine with it, no more letting her slip through his fingers again and again. It was just a matter of time and figuring out how to make it happen, successfully. Regardless, she was his. He was most certainly hers. Anytime she wanted him, she could have him. And he'd make sure she knew it before the night was over.
Alas, they were responsible for a set of kids, the rational part of his brain forcing its way over the hormonal part. Mirai would be fine, but Himawari was a little too young to be left alone. Plus, it would just be careless to leave two kids in the middle of a festival. But, Konohamaru could be patient. He'd been patient this long. He could be patient a little longer.
"Yes, Hima?" His eyes followed her as her hands left his, brushing her elbow against his as she passed him.
"Write down your wish!" He turned to find her leaning over the two girls, offering her a scrap of paper.
"You, too, Kono." Mirai waved him over and he finally felt blood rush back to his head, calming him. He nodded as he approached, taking the blue paper. He glanced at Hanabi's briefly before Himawari waved her hand in his face aggressively.
"No looking!" she commanded, shielding Hanabi's red paper from his view, having made up a rule in her head that people shouldn't look at each other's wishes. He chuckled, leaning over the table and grabbing a pen.
Her
He gingerly threaded a ribbon into the hole at the end of the paper and took it to the closest bamboo tree, stringing it up. He looked over his shoulder to find her repeating the act a bit farther away.
"What'd you wish for?" Mirai asked, glancing up at the paper. It was silly to pretend like they couldn't see, so he stepped out of the way, unaffected by her surprised expression. She looked up at him with wide eyes, eyebrows furrowed in concern. "You're really in love, huh?"
"Mind your business, kid," he teased, patting the top of her head roughly. She struck away his hands with a huff.
"Why don't you guys just be together?" she asked, turning to stand side by side with him as they watched Hanabi help Himawari hang hers up.
"Complicated," he answered, truthfully.
"Love isn't complicated."
"What a nice thought."
"You know what she wrote?"
"Like I said, mind your business."
"Freedom."
He paused.
Freedom.
"I'm hungry!" Himawari declared as they approached.
"I could go for some soumen," Mirai agreed, turning her attention from him. "I'll take you, Himawari."
"Can I go with Mirai? Please?" Himawari looked to Hanabi for approval, and he lowered his eyes at his little cousin. She was devious.
"I'll bring her back to Ms. Hinata," Mirai offered, slinging an arm around the younger girl. "I'm a genin!" She pointed at her forehead before shaking her head at the realization she didn't have the headband on right now. "I mean—you know. I can handle it! Give you guys a break from us."
"We don't really need a break," he tried to interject, only to be surprised at Hanabi's approval being spoken.
"Should be alright. Don't stray from Mirai, okay, Hima?" Hanabi crouched down to her niece, poking her nose. He watched her with wide eyes. "Be good."
"I will!" Himawari nodded, skipping away with Mirai in tow. Mirai looked over her shoulder to smirk at him and he squinted at her disapprovingly.
Mischievous little thing…
"Think there was anything underlying that?" Hanabi taunted as he slowly turned to her.
He inhaled a shaky breath. "There definitely was."
"Lucky me, I guess," she whispered, stepping towards him.
She couldn't be doing this. Not now, not after everything. She had to know his patience was thinning to nothing at all.
"Y'know, my eyesight is all better," she commented innocently, blinking those big, lavender orbs up at him. Eyes that he craved to see every morning, day, and night. Lustful, sleepy, surprised, happy, angry. Anything she'd give him. Right now, they were…heavy and if he didn't know any better, he'd even say dark. "I haven't seen your place since it was restored."
He scoffed, turning his head away from her as heat crept up his neck from her forwardness. No, this wasn't the Hanabi he was used to, but he couldn't deny the thrill rising in his chest. "Remind me about the last time you were at my place."
"I could tell you." She shrugged, turning away from him as she began a leisurely stroll. "Or I could just show you."
"Fuck," he whispered haggardly under his breath, incredibly grateful for the yukata he was wearing now because his erection would be clear as day in his normal uniform. He struggled to move, to bring himself next to her. Everything in him told him to grab her and carry her home, like it had earlier. But now, it was becoming harder and harder not to snap.
She was leading him to the Sarutobi neighborhood. She was really doing this, huh?
Swiftly, he scanned the area to make sure no one was around. It wasn't the most common occurrence, but it was the first day of the festival, and nearly everyone was there. Once he decidedly felt no other chakra pulses, he came up behind her and scooped her up by the arms and legs, carrying her as fast as his feet would take him to his door, ignoring her gasps of protest and hit to his chest.
"What if someone sees?! Konohamaru!"
"No one's gonna see," he breathed, eyes laser-focused in front of him. Unable to wiggle from his grasp, she let out a shaky sigh, and he was fumbling in his pocket for his key. With a little frustrated sound, he struggled to locate it, then focused some chakra in his palm and tore the lock open. "Screw it."
"Konohamaru!" she repeated the scolding, staring at the broken handle as he shoved them inside and slammed the door back shut with his foot. Immediately, he thrust her into the door and eagerly took her lips with his.
"You," he breathed, tearing away from her to find her shocked expression just as her hands came to rest on his chest, "you really like to rile me up, huh?"
"Rile you up?" she questioned with mock innocence and he let out a huff of frustration, completely sexual in nature, hands snaking behind her waist to pull her into him while he consumed her mouth. When he heard her hair clip scrape against the door behind her, he reached up to open it, letting her hair fall free as he tossed it haphazardly to the side. She gasped against him as that hand wandered into her yukata and slid over the bandages there.
"Are you really bandaged?" he grumbled in annoyance, pulling his lips to the corner of her mouth as he clawed at the material. Her giggle tickled his ears in the best and worst way possible. "Can't ever make things easy on me, huh?"
"How would that be fun?" She put a hand over her mouth to suppress her laugh, the other hand resting on his that was feverishly yanking at the bandages.
"Laugh while you can." He grasped her wrist to pull her hand away from her mouth and dove down to begin leaving trails of kisses over her neck, whispering darkly against her skin, "we'll see who's laughing when I'm done with you."
"Promise?" she breathed and her confidence was enough to make his head spin.
This was so unlike the other two times. He made sure to be tender and sweet, take care of her, make sure she was comfortable. But she was pushing them into a whole new direction, and he couldn't say he hated it. The only problem was how ridiculously hard he was becoming as he struggled to unravel the bandages and pull off the material. She didn't offer a sliver of help, seemingly getting some sick satisfaction out of watching him struggle.
After a few clumsy moments, he had her robes off, and he grabbed her from under the thighs, forcing her to clutch around his neck as he carried her to his bedroom, legs hooked around his hips. He slammed the door open with his foot and roughly dropped her on his bed, taking a moment to admire her nearly nude form as he pulled off his own yukata.
He hardly noticed her eyes lingering on him as well, wholly distracted by her beautiful form, but when he did notice, he couldn't help but tease her, "like what you see?"
Now he was the one blushing when she readily admitted it with a breathy yes. Her braveness to be so candid with him at this moment was incredibly sexy. He crawled over her, pushing her shoulder down as he nestled himself between her thighs. He slid his lips over the crook of her neck and gave a hard suck, which she returned with a swift smack on the back. "Hey! Don't you dare leave a mark!"
"What if I do, huh?" he whispered into her skin as he pushed his hips against hers, forcing her to feel how hard he was under the thin material of their underwear. A bashful gasp escaped her as his length dragged against her folds. "What if I want everyone to know this is mine?"
"Yours?" she choked out, digging her fingernails into his shoulder blades.
"Mhm," he mumbled, hand yanking at the bandages around her chest until her breasts fell out, "all of this." He hadn't really planned on going about it like this, but nothing could stop him at that moment. His mind was hazy, full of Hanabi.
"I'm not some sort of object, Konohama—ahh!" she gasped as he dug his teeth into the smooth flesh of her neck. As always, he had to wonder if it was healthy just how into her he was, but struggled to care. He didn't want to be right in the head if it meant he couldn't have this.
"No, you're not." He released her quickly, making sure not to actually leave a mark, as tempting as it was. "You're a gorgeous, evil woman."
"Evil!" She laughed between moans as he continued teasing her skin, digging his hips into hers. He smirked against her neck as he felt his boxers become damp against her, letting him know she was drenched. He caged her torso in with his elbows as he trailed his lips down to her chest.
"Only someone evil would do this to a man," he mumbled as he ground into her to make sure she knew, enveloping one of her nipples in his mouth.
"Then why would I be here, right now?" she managed to gasp out just as he sunk his teeth into the skin around her nipple. Her fingers shot into his hair, tangling, and pulling as she arched her back, shoving herself further against him.
"Because," he breathed as he trailed his lips to her other breast, "you're mine."
"Gods!" she whined as he ground her, forcing her body into the mattress, forcefully enough that the thin material of her panties began bunching, exposing her folds. He groaned at the feel of her bare lips against him and decided it was time to take her the way he wanted to before. He trailed his kisses down her stomach until he was met with the puffy, exposed lips and he hooked his fingers into the sides of the garment, yanking it down. She urgently tried to jerk him up before his lips could pull too close. "Konohamaru! It's—I just—"
"Please," he whispered, kissing against her inner thigh as he wrapped his elbows around her knees, "I wanna taste you."
"That's—!" she gasped in surprise, eyes blown wide as she stared down at him in disbelief. He could barely think straight as her scent and feel invaded his senses. Found it hard to reel himself in, knowing in the back of his mind he needed to be more patient with her. Knowing she wasn't as experienced, but the more wanton voice told him it was his job to teach her. To make her feel amazing in every way he knew possible. Not that it was any sort of burden on him or that he didn't want to take her with his mouth, gods he desperately did. But he wanted just as much to make her know how good he could make her feel.
"It'll feel good," he promised, kisses getting closer and closer to her heat. Through hooded eyelids, his eyes briefly made out a small scar on her right thigh, and he paused, reaching out to brush it lightly. He licked his lips before asking, "is this…?"
He flitted his eyes up to meet hers, her biting her lips together as she slowly nodded confirmation. Something about seeing that scar, the one she got from a shuriken because of him when they were young, in this specific moment, made his heart feel heavy. Cloudy mind clearing for a moment, he swept his thumb side to side over it. After a moment, he trailed his lips up to it and kissed it gently, a silent apology. It was so many years ago now…
Her grip on his hair loosened, fingers soothing as they curled gently around thick strands. He looked up at her again as she seemingly relaxed, and he froze, haze blearing his mind once more. What he'd give to have this image burned into his brain. Fully nude Hanabi Hyūga, sprawled out on his bed in the most perfect way imaginable, chest heaving, breasts bouncing as she struggled to breathe. Him with his mouth so very close to her sex, dripping with anticipation, holding onto her soft thighs with his calloused hands. It was so perfect, he couldn't be sure it was real. Whatever had transpired before this, he couldn't say at that moment. He snapped himself from his trance, asking, "can I?"
Reluctantly, she nodded and he let out a content sigh as he carefully dragged his tongue along her slit. The surprised moan she let out was reward enough, and he began drawing circles into her with his tongue, taking in her taste, her feel. It was glossy and slick, and it tasted like her. Every womanly scent she exuded, and he found himself reveling in it. He trailed his tongue up and down until he felt the hard nub of her clit, beautifully hooded as he felt her thighs clench around him.
He chuckled quietly when the pats of air from his lungs made her shiver and tighten harder on him, made worse as it tickled that space. He ended her suffering as he pushed the tip of his tongue directly over it, then enveloped it with his lips to suck. Her hips bucked into his mouth and it made even him groan with need, the feel of her desperate for him. He unhooked his arms to force her thighs apart as they instinctively tried to close.
"You're soaking, honey," he whispered against her clit, resuming drawing circles into it as she keened, fingers tightening in his hair. He barely noticed, all he could focus on was how soft she was against him.
"Gods, it's—" He heard her whine from above, "it's—just—it's dirty, Kono—"
He quickly cut her off as he slid a finger into her and resumed rubbing his tongue against her clit.
"Shhh," he shushed her, curling his finger against her inner walls. When he felt her hips push upwards and a high moan leave her, he knew he found whatever spot it was that she needed him and kept his pace there. He repositioned himself so one hand held one thigh and his elbow pushed down the other, not one to underestimate her strength to absolutely crush him even in his position. After a moment, he added another finger and smirked at a realization. "You're still so tight…but you feel a little more relaxed." He perked an eyebrow up at her as he lifted off of her, fingers continuing to pump in and out of her. He appreciated the sight of her writhing underneath him. "You haven't been thinking about me, have you?"
She furrowed her eyebrows at him, attempting to yell something angrily at him, only for a weak moan to leave her lips as his thumb began working on her clit. The act of weakness made him grin as he rested his body on top of hers, fingers working inside of her as he pushed her hair back, lips connecting with the shell of her ear. "Have you been getting yourself off thinking of me? Tell me, Hanabi."
"Quit that!" she panted, though her hips said otherwise as they lifted at his fingers.
"I haven't stopped thinking about you," he mumbled, his words going from teasing to comforting, lips planting lazy kisses over her neck, "every night, I think about you, having you."
"Kono—" she sighed, turning her head so their noses would brush, letting him slide his lips over hers, curling his fingers inside of her. When they pulled away, his eyes landed on her lips, watching her run her tongue over them.
"You taste amazing," he whispered, bringing her back in again. He gently pulled his fingers from inside of her and trailed them up her stomach. He reached up to grasp one of the hands tangled in his hair and guided it over the bulge in his boxers. He pulled away momentarily. "See what you do to me? Only you."
"Mmph—" she mumbled as his lips covered hers once more, releasing her hand and pleased to feel it stay there, rubbing experimentally up and down his shaft. It was almost ridiculous how excited he was—he'd been touched before but by her, it felt downright euphoric.
"Fuck," he managed to breathe out against the kiss, gently rocking his hips against her, "can I be inside you now?"
"Aah—" she whimpered, "y—yes, please—"
He chuckled at her little beg. When she looked up with a little pout as he removed his boxers, he winked at her teasingly. "Told you we'd see who was laughing."
"Stop teasing me," she huffed cutely, and it took everything he had not to press into the tease. He'd waited long enough, he had to be inside her.
He nudged her thighs apart with his legs and before he got too far, he reached down to brush his fingertips against the necklace she still wore, heart swelling slightly at the sight of it, especially right now. He glanced from it to her face, finding her watching his fingers, and breathed, "you really don't know how happy it makes me that you still wear it."
"Well—well of course I do," she stuttered, turning her face from him in clear embarrassment of the predicament she was in, spread for him while he spoke sweet words. She admitted quietly, "I…love it…"
He grasped one of her hands and leaned down to gently kiss the backs of her fingers, watching as she bit her lip, her eyes trailing down his chest. Her fingers reached to brush against his abdomen. In a bare whisper he could barely hear, she told him to wait, and he did. He could feel her tracing a years-old scar, one he briefly wondered whether she realized was from their jōnin test mission. Her fingers wandered over the muscles there, as if memorizing the curves and points. He could almost see the pink in her cheeks deepening crimson by the second, thoroughly chewing her bottom lip. He found himself wanting to lean down and take that lip between his own teeth, but he held off just a little longer.
He let himself feel just a little smug at the way she was now checking him out from top to bottom. As much as he wanted to be inside her, he couldn't help but give her the chance to take him in just like he loved to take her in. He hooked his hands under her knees, pulling her open as her fingertips pressed into his hips, tugging him towards her as invitation. One hand reached down to position himself against her opening, rubbing the accumulated gloss up and down. He gently pushed the head between her folds and let what should've been an embarrassingly loud groan out, feeling all of the tension inside of him relax as he willed himself not to release too soon.
He wasn't lying. He thought of her every night. He'd had plenty of opportunities to be with other women, but she was all he wanted. Every time someone would try to engage with him romantically, all he could think of was Hanabi. It was always her.
Hanabi, Hanabi, Hanabi.
This damn woman would be the end of him.
"Hanabi, gods," he said haggardly as he dropped to his elbows, fully sheathing himself inside of her. "Is that okay?"
"Yeah," she responded breathily, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pulling him to bury his face in her hair, "keep going."
At her urgency, he pulled his hips back and thrust into her, long and slow, daring to see how far she could go now. When she squealed and her hips lifted to meet his, he knew she was ready. He braced himself above her and began relentlessly thrusting into her, desperate to fill her up. "You feel amazing."
She moaned agreement against his ear, and he could only give a breathy chuckle. The dirty talk would come more naturally later, for now, he was content with this. More than content, he was high off of it. When he felt one of her hands slide from his neck onto the pillow underneath her, grabbing at the fabric below tightly to muffle her mouth with it, he felt compelled to pull the hand down, so he did. He slid his hand over hers, lacing his fingers with hers, and pushed it back into the pillow, so that her moans came through clearly again. He wanted to make sure he could hear every single one; he was responsible for them, he deserved to hear them. The way she dug her nails into the skin of the back of his hand told him to keep it there, her other arm encouraging his weight to bear down on her, and he couldn't find anything wrong with that.
Feeling her wrap her legs around his torso, he felt himself tighten. Not wanting to come before she did, he slid his other hand down her stomach between them and searched for her clit. When she gasped as he felt her walls tighten around him, he knew he'd found it and began massaging it. He pulled his head up to take in her flushed face, closed eyes, parted lips. He brushed his lips against hers, whispering against them, "feel good, honey?" She nodded fervently in response. He leaned down to slide his lips over hers while rubbing deeper circles, savoring the way her moans felt slipping out of her mouth directly into his. He pulled away just enough that his lips grazed hers and he pushed further—he wanted to hear her. "Say it, Hanabi."
"Yes—yes—I feel—" she panted, her hips doing a circular motion against his fingers. He watched her intently as her words became jumbled, almost babbling; it was a beautiful sight. "Kono—I—fuck!"
The curse made his head feel dizzy. He had her literally cursing his name underneath him as he pleasured her. Life couldn't get much better than this. He felt her walls swell, fluttering around him and sucking him in with every thrust.
"Hanabi—oh—" he stuttered out her name now, feeling every bit of blood rushing between his legs as he felt his release painting her insides, his hand quickly retracting to steady himself. Then—
"K-Kono! Did you—" she gasped, nails digging in painfully. Ruthless clarity filled his senses immediately.
Wait.
Fuck.
Fuck.
She's not Anbu anymore. Is she still on protection?
He forced himself to leave her despite still feeling his release. "Damn!" he cursed, collapsing next to her, "I'm so sorry—I just—you're not…you're not on protection anymore, are you?"
"No," she whispered as she scooted up to sit, legs curling up against herself.
He groaned, hand covering his face. "Damnit, I'm such an idiot—I'm sorry, I—"
She shook her head, closing in. "Don't be sorry…it's my fault, too."
"It'll be fine." He tried to placate despite the fact his mind was now racing, rushing to his dresser to fish out a towel. She batted at his hands as he tried to clean her up. "Maybe—Maybe it won't—or I didn't—"
"Bathroom," she said, simply as she stood and picked up her things. He pointed at the only other door in the room and watched her disappear into it, and shame consumed him.
As quickly as he rose to new highs, he was shattered into new lows.
After cleaning herself up, she stared at herself in the mirror, bracing herself against the sink.
Sex didn't always end up in pregnancy, did it?
"Good gods…" she breathed, heaving long breaths as she glared at herself.
She dared him and he met that dare, full force. Now she'd have to deal with the consequences.
Slowly, she pulled the door open to find him fully dressed now, too, looking dead tired.
"We should go get the kids," she whispered, nudging her head to the side. He looked up at her with those big, sad eyes, and everything inside of her told her to comfort him. He was clearly tearing himself up about it.
"I'm so sorry, Hanabi," he mumbled, dragging his hands over his face as he got up. She moved to him and enveloped her arms around his torso, resting her head on his chest. She nudged his arms to wrap around her shoulders. "I'm really, really…"
"Shhh." Her turn to shush him. "It'll be alright. Don't worry about me, okay?"
"How can I not?" he said quietly against the top of her head, pulling a hand up to cup the back of it. "I'd never forgive myself if…if something happened that you didn't want."
"Who's to say I don't want it?" The words slipped out. She wasn't sure she regretted them when he stilled against her. "I'd only regret it when your inevitable death comes at the hands of my father."
His laugh was a mix of surprise and uneasiness. "Or Tadashi. I think I'd have to leave the village."
"There's nowhere you could go," she continued the tease, pulling back from him with a sad smile, "they'd find you."
"Yeah…" he whispered, pulling a hand up around her cheek. "Whatever happens, I'll be here. Okay?"
"Mm…" she hummed, leaning into his palm while letting her eyes flutter shut. "Why? Because I'm yours?"
"Because I'm yours," he corrected, causing her to pop her eyes open. "Whether you want me to be or not. I'm all yours."
"Kono…" she whispered, looking down guiltily.
"Let's not do what we did last time," he cut in before she could trail down dangerous thinking. "Let's get back."
"Yes," she agreed quickly, jaw flexing slightly at the loss of his hand, "yes, let's go."
Their journey back into town was quiet, then quickly filled with the sound of the festivities. She jumped at a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, Hanabi!" She turned to look down at her little teammate, fangs baring as her eyes glittered, bouncing between the two. Eiji sucked in her cheek as she raked an eye over Konohamaru. "And Konohamaru."
"Hello Eiji, Jun." Konohamaru gave a polite nod which got him a punch in the arm from Eiji. Jun opened his arms to embrace Hanabi, which she readily accepted.
"Hey," she murmured against him, feeling like she needed to collapse against him, but held herself up.
"You okay?" he whispered, clearly sensing something off about her. She nodded, pulling herself off him.
"I tried to catch you guys earlier, but you ran off," Eiji said, pointedly as she crossed her arms, leaning on one foot. "Gods, what is that smell?"
"Eiji…" Jun mumbled, reaching out to grab her hand, but she snatched it back as her eyes widened.
"Wait." She guffawed as she met Hanabi's wide eyes. "Wait a damn minute."
"That's enough!" Jun interjected, stepping in front of her. "How are you two enjoying the festival? Have you written out your wish yet? Those dancers were simply beautiful, weren't they, Hanabi?"
Hanabi felt relief wash over her as he hooked his elbow into hers and drew her away from Eiji who was staring daggers at her. She looked over her shoulder to find Konohamaru stuck, and almost felt bad for him. She'd much rather deal with Jun.
"Sure were," she finally responded, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Jun."
"Wanna talk?" he asked with raised eyebrows as he stopped a good distance away from the other two. "Are you okay…? You two didn't have a fight, did you?"
"No!" Hanabi gasped defensively, and Jun immediately softened.
"Just want to make sure."
"Are we that obvious?" she sighed, turning away from him. "I think…I'll need to visit you in a few weeks, though."
Silence draped over them as Hanabi refused to meet his gaze, knowing he knew damn well what she meant.
He wrapped his arms around her. "Of course."
She let him hold her like that a little longer before drawing herself from him. "You better go rescue Konohamaru."
"Yes, I believe I should." He chuckled, both of them turning to where Eiji was berating him.
"We've gotta go find our respective kids." Hanabi tried to draw Konohamaru away, but he was fully wrapped in an argument with her now.
"You never mind your own business, Inuzuka!" She winced at his brash tone.
"Neither do you, honorable grandson!" she spat back, stepping up to him, looking like a little gremlin compared to his towering height, but clearly unafraid. "You think you can talk to me like that, you got another thing coming!"
"Big words from such a runt—"
"You giant bastard!"
"Little psycho!"
"Oh I'm gonna fucking—"
"EIJI!"
"KONOHAMARU!"
The two stopped and shot their angry scowls at the other two. Hanabi sighed a breath of relief when Jun scooped Eiji over his shoulder effortlessly as if it was a common enough occurrence. To be fair, it was. Jun was often put in a position to carry Eiji away from a fight she thought she could win, fiery personality and all. Eiji shouted every curse in the book as Jun turned from Hanabi and Konohamaru.
"We'll see you later," he called behind him as Eiji pounded her fists against his back. Hanabi waved, then turned her glare to Konohamaru, crossing her arms disapprovingly.
"Getting into an argument with Eiji? Really? Doesn't that feel a little…I dunno, too much like our genin days?"
"She really knows how to press my buttons," he huffed, staring over her to watch Eiji's form struggling against Jun disappear. "She implied that I…that I y'know…"
"What?" she asked, tilting her head to force him to look at her.
"Took advantage of you."
Hanabi paused, frowning. She knew that was a sensitive subject for him. He had made that clear that first night they spent together, that it was the last thing he wanted. Her consent seemed to weigh on him heavily. She shook her head, placing a hand on his shoulder innocently in an attempt to appease him. "I'll talk to her, okay?"
"Please do," he mumbled, turning his head from her. "Eiji's a good person, she cares about you, that's abundantly clear….but goddamn. I've never had someone get under my skin so quickly."
"It's a natural talent," she attempted a joke and was relieved to see a pouty smile ghost his lips. "C'mon, we still need to find our troublesome two."
They spotted them at a takoyaki stand, picking through a shared plate. Konohamaru engaged first, "where's mine?"
"You guys took sooooooooo long," Himawari groaned in an exaggerated fashion.
"Oh, where did your clip go, Ms. Hanabi?" Mirai asked, tilting her head up at her questioningly. Hanabi's eyes went wide as she reached behind her, a visible blush taking over as she grasped at nothing. She looked over at Konohamaru who was doing a beautiful job of feigning indifference.
"Ran into one of her friends, she was complaining about her hair getting in her face." Konohamaru shrugged. "Hanabi was kind enough to let her borrow it."
"R—Right—" Hanabi cursed the unsureness of her tone. She wasn't quite sure when the roles reversed and Konohamaru became the more mature, composed one.
Himawari shook her head, clearly bored of the conversation. "Mommy was looking for you, big sister."
Hanabi watched as Konohamaru ordered a plate and then looked back at her niece. "She was, huh?"
"She asked if you could bring me home wayyyyy later because she's tired."
"Ah, she didn't say that." Mirai chuckled, looking back up at the two as Himawari glared at her ratting on her. "She asked if you could bring her home around 9."
"That's so early," Himawari huffed, crushing the paper plate between her fingers. Hanabi smiled, knowing the feeling.
"What time is it now?" She turned her head to Konohamaru who was receiving the plate. He deposited it into her hands before pulling up his sleeve to check his watch.
"About ten 'til 9."
Himawari whined. Konohamaru plucked a piece from the plate.
"Around 9, right?" Hanabi crouched in front of the girl. "We still have to go see the shadow puppets."
"Really?" Himawari squealed, lunging into her arms appreciatively. Hanabi giggled as she embraced her little niece, enjoying the relentless love the girl had for her, despite her irritation with her earlier. "Thank you thank you!"
"Well, it's going to start at 9, so we better go!" Mirai waved Himawari over and the little girl darted after her excitedly.
"Feeling a little rebellious?" Konohamaru teased behind her as she picked up the last ball of takoyaki and stuck it in her mouth. "We better hurry to catch up, huh?"
Hanabi let a smirk overtake her features. She promptly dropped the plate in the trash and winked at him. "Race you."
"What?"
Hanabi was already bolting off, catching up with the girls momentarily. She smiled as she heard him laugh behind her.
"Hey!" Mirai called as Hanabi cut in front of them, both girls dashing after her.
Hanabi let laughter bellow out of her as Himawari tripped over herself to catch up and snatched her hand, dragging the girl behind her. "You're so fast, big sister!"
"Not fast enough!" Konohamaru raced past her with Mirai on his back and Hanabi gaped at him.
"Cheater!" she cursed, swooping Himawari up over her shoulder to chase after him.
They all came crashing in front of a stage, little giggles leaving both of the girls as they tumbled and Hanabi found herself accidentally wedging Himawari between her front and Mirai's back, essentially dog piling.
"You're crushing meeeee!" Himawari squeaked despite her glee.
"Sorry!" Hanabi breathed with laughter as she peeled herself up, pulling both girls up by their forearms, leaving Konohamaru to dust himself off.
"Tie!" Himawari declared.
Mirai set her hands on her hips. "No, we technically got here first!"
"Because you cheated," Hanabi pointed out, raising her eyebrows at Konohamaru.
"You're gonna debate the ethics of a little race at a Tanabata festival? With a twelve-year-old?" he asked incredulously, shaking his head.
"Darn right!" Hanabi stomped her foot, which Himawari mirrored.
"Yeah, alright," Konohamaru teased as he patted her head patronizingly.
"Hands off, you big doofus." She hit at his hands.
"I thought I was big, dumb, and loveable?" he questioned and she paused.
"Loveable? Yeah, right," Mirai joined the tease, oblivious to their shared little secret.
Hanabi straightened herself out as she brushed at her yukata, humming as he stepped behind her. "Alright you three, quiet down."
"You're giving orders now?" His lips were right up against her ear, and she shoved her shoulder at him, but not without looking over it to flash him a spirited smile.
"Yep, so you better listen up," she teased quietly as the two girls settled in front of them. She bit her lip as she watched his cheeks go pink.
"I like it when you tell me what to do."
Damnit, he really knew how to push her.
She repressed a shudder as he rested his chin on her shoulder, an innocent enough gesture outwardly, but just enough intimacy to make her content with it. His hands ghosted around her middle briefly before he seemingly caught himself, instead locking them behind him. But gods, did she want him enveloped around her like he was about to.
As the show finished up, he was quick to leave her shoulder and start leading them out. Mirai put her hand in Konohamaru's, the other in Himawari's, who connected hers to Hanabi's, and something about ushering children through the crowd of people made Hanabi feel at peace. Maybe she could get used to this.
She shoved that thought down, as it started drawing up memories of his adorable doting on her niece and nephew when they were just babies. A memory she cherished, but couldn't think about right now.
Not with all that could happen…
Not if I'm…
"C'mon, Hima," Hanabi called as they exited the crowd.
"Can't we walk with them?" she huffed, the little bundle of energy she was. How she was still going, Hanabi wasn't sure.
Hanabi giggled, letting Konohamaru take over. "Your house is just right here, Hima. Wouldn't make sense."
"But—"
"Maybe we'll see each other tomorrow?" he offered, kneeling in front of the girl. She grumbled incoherently under her breath, pouting. He chuckled as he pressed a kiss on her forehead and Hanabi's heart swelled at how easy it was for him to interact with her niece. He was so unbelievably good with them, it burned her up in a way that felt so right. "I'll come get you if your old man won't bring you."
"Promise?" she asked, hopefully as she looked up at him. Hanabi couldn't help but drink in the sight.
"Pinky promise," he held out his pinky to her and she enthusiastically hooked hers into it, both of them kissing their own thumbs before releasing. Hanabi's eyes followed him as he rose up. "Maybe I'll see you, too?"
Mirai snickered next to them, earning a glare from the two adults before Hanabi shrugged, trying to look indifferent. "Maybe."
He smirked down at her before letting Mirai tug him away, noting that her mom would probably come searching for her soon. "See two of my favorite ladies soon!"
"I'm gagging," Mirai complained as she stomped away. "What about me and mom? And aunt Moriko?"
"I have a lot of favorite ladies," he teased as he walked backward, seemingly unable to peel his eyes from her and it made her blush. He winked. "Maybe one more than others."
"Go!" Hanabi snapped, even if she didn't really want him to. He flashed her that cocky grin he'd been giving her for nearly 15 years, but somehow, it still made her heart melt to mush.
"Big sis?" Himawari questioned as Konohamaru turned around, definitively ending their interaction.
"Yep, let's go."
She kept her promise to 'visit' Jun later that month, and he was already prepared for her.
Something inside of her turned over when he revealed that the pregnancy test was negative.
She couldn't have been wishing for anything different, could she?
No.
Absolutely not.
"That's…good news." She nodded, hopping off the little bedside before he caught her hand. She looked up at him questioningly.
"I know this is going to feel awkward because we're teammates and friends, but if you're going to…continue your…affairs—" She leaned away from him at the turn of phrase. "—you should be protected."
"Yep, you were right. This is awkward."
"Unless you don't want to be…protected?"
"Aah—Jun!" Hanabi tore her hand from his. "Don't be gross!"
"Hanabi, we're in our twenties," he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "We're not little kids who can pretend this doesn't happen. And I'm a medic. It wouldn't be right if I just let you go like this."
"Oh…" she muttered, turning away from him to fold her arms uncomfortably. "I know, I know…"
"I can get you anything you want, right now," he offered and she inhaled a shaky breath. "Something more long-term, maybe?"
"Goddamnit," she groaned, slapping her hands over her face. "You guys were not supposed to know about this anyway! How did I end up on a team with a damn medic?"
"You're testy, today," he commented with expectant eyebrows. She shot him a look. "You can come back later, if you want."
"No—no…fine. Fine." She huffed. "Fine!"
She let him walk her through her options before choosing something.
It was only right.
She had let herself fall into an incredibly silly fantasy.
One where her father and the council would have no choice but to accept them.
But that was immature. Beyond immature. It was morally reprehensible, to be honest, to count on having a kid to fix whatever this was.
As she grew older, she found it harder and harder to accept her station in life.
She wasn't sure how to tell Konohamaru.
He'd be relieved, right?
"Everything…alright?" he asked as she shoved her way into his home, letting him shut the newly repaired door behind her.
"Yep. Everything's great," she responded tightly, turning to face him but not meeting his eyes. "Negative. We're all good."
"Oh."
She forced herself to look up. She couldn't really gauge his reaction.
"That's good."
"Just thought you should know," she said, trying to brush past him. He caught her elbow and she sighed, annoyed that she already felt guilty. "I have to go, Konohamaru."
"I'll let you," he responded, a twinge of sadness behind his words, "but don't be a ghost, okay?"
"Hmm…" she hummed, tapping her foot impatiently. She finally looked up at him, wishing his eyes weren't so easy to feel lost in. "Give me some time."
"Absolutely," he responded readily, peeling his fingers off of her. "Yeah. Of course."
"Thanks." She sucked in her lips momentarily before stepping towards him, leaning up to press an innocent kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you later."
"Okay."
She regretted the hurt in his voice but left anyway.
She sought him out the next day to finally give him one half of the pair of wooden kunai he'd gotten her.
She knew what she was doing when she did it, too, because his greedy, passionate love consumed her once again as he took her in his apartment. And she let him. She encouraged him. Against every instinct to guard herself, she was weak with him. Weak in a way she craved. Just…safe.
And suddenly, she found herself in that apartment monthly. Then weekly. Then daily.
She had to figure out how to make this work.
Or she'd go insane.
