#kaka warming up | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ramayantika · 2 years

Text

Braj ki Holi (Ch-4)

Masterlist /Ch-3/

"O rang barse bheege chunarvali rang barse"

I heard a sweet voice somewhere near me and soft fingers applying something powdery on my cheeks.

The same voice grew louder. I was half asleep but I could make out that the voice belonged to a girl. Bhumi wasn't that melodious so it could be either Radhika or Subhadra. But my eyes laden with sleep refused to open and see who was singing and the same melodious voice was simultaneously pushing me to drift into deep sleep again.

"Hori khele raghuveera avadh mein, hori khele raghuveera." I could sense a male voice that sounded a little similar to Ranvit.

SPLASH!

Whatever sleep that had made its home in my body had flown out, making my body wake up with a jerk.

Blinking the water droplets out of my eyes, I finally took a good look around me. Four people were standing in front of me with mischief written all over their faces. Ranvit was holding a water bucket, Bhumi had a packet of purple gulaal in her hand with Radhika standing right beside Bhumi, her fingertips coated with purple gulaal.

You can totally guess who the fourth person was.

No it wasn't Krishna. Dau stood a little far away from the trio with a cheeky smile and said, "Here in Vrindavan, nobody sleeps in on Holi and those who do we douse them in water. Aapki neend bhang karne kshama devi parantu reet ko kon taal sake?"

Bhumi snatched my bedsheet, saying, "Exactly! And you my dearest sister love Holi so much yet here you are sleeping. It's already 9am, Bhaishmi!"

I gasped. No way it could be 9am. I remember waking up at 7 in the morning for Holi ans waiting impatiently till 9 to go out and play this wonderful festival. Why was I in bed at this hour?

Krishna. I scanned the room to see my favourite curly haired boy, but much to my disappointment he wasn't there in the room. Perhaps, my eyes gave away that I was looking for him because Bhumi began teasing. "Looks like someone is searching for someone. I wonder who they might be."

Radhika's eyes gleamed and she too joined Bhumi. "Well well in that case, we need to call that someone to her quickly. Our sakhi must not wait too long, right?"

My cheeks burned with embarrassment and I covered my face with the bedsheet that had pooled near my feet. "You all will never let me have a moment of peace. I am not searching for Krishna."

The room fell quiet and in ten seconds Radhika burst out laughing. "See."

Before I could come up with a suitable excuse to convince them that I was not thinking about him, I heard Arjun shouting downstairs with Subhadra running past our room only to stop for a second and say, "Everyone run, Kanha bhaiya is out to attack. Run."

Dau took a look outside the door and said, "Oh shit, Kanha is ready with his gulaal. Everyone run. He then turned towards me. " Well these people forgot to tell you. Kanha has decided to play Holi via hide and seek and believe me it is almost impossible to win from him in this game. So get out of bed fast and hide. He will be coming up soon."

Leaping out of the room, I grabbed Bhumi's hand and ran up to the terrace. I paid one fleeting glance at the courtyard below and saw Arjun being coloured by Krishna in pink gulaal with him announcing, "One down."

By this point, my reader, you must know that this boy must have looked up. He never missed a chance looking at me then and has never missed a chance to look at me even now.

"You are awake Bhaishmi finally. Happy Holi and good luck trying to escape me!"

Bhumi cursed and dragged me faster to the staircase.

I had noted where the others had run off to hide while running. Ranvit had hidden himself in Yashodhara kaki's room while I saw Dau running to the store room. Subhadra was hiding behind a pillar facing the balcony which gave her the advantage to check where Krishna was going. Radhika hid herself in one of the old abandoned rooms.

Up on the terrace lay a small room built to rest during winters. Nanda kaka had told us about that room which kept him warm during winters. Both kaka and kaki were out in the neighbourhood to play Holi so we were free to hide anywhere.

Bhumi opened the door and tiptoed inside while passing me a grin. "I am sure Krishna won't come here." Indeed that was a clever place to hide but I was sure that Krishna would totally guess to enter the room first and then roam around the terrace.

I heard Subhadra's shriek and realised that she had been caught and felt Bhumi tug my wrist. "Come on, you don't want to be caught so early. Stay here, he won't come inside."

I locked the door from inside and parted the curtains from the windows and found Radhika running on the terrace. For a moment, my heart thudded, thinking that Krishna was coming up but seeing Radhika slow down, I felt relieved that he wasn't coming anywhere near us.

Radhika went to the far end of the terrace and stood there quietly with an alert look. I looked at Bhumi and stepped out of the room earning a warning from her. "Behen, you step out of this room, he will catch you soon. Stay inside."

"Meri pyari behena, if you think Krishna won't check this room first then you are seriously underestimating him."

"Then what to do?"

A plan formed inside my head but I wasn't sure if that would work successfully. "So I am going to lock you from outside and Krishna might not just step in because nobody hiding in the room would be able to lock themselves from outside. You can now sit praying that he doesn't use more of his clever brain."

Bhumi squealed and kept her arm around my shoulder. "I see you are getting cleverer. What's the secret?"

"Roz din mein 4 badam."

I locked the door from outside and stood behind the door of the terrace. Radhika saw me and made a sign asking me if Krishna was near or not. I walked outside a little and peered from the holes. He had caught Arjun, Subhadra and Ranvit who were all standing on the courtyard, their faces coloured in shades of blue, pink and purple.

I quickly ran back to the terrace and walked near Radhika. "Look, he has caught Arjun, Subhadra and Ranvit and I have a feeling that he will come to the terrace now because he gas already found three people near the rooms." Dau was probably in the store room that was in the ground floor situated right beside the entrance of the house.

Radhika thought for a while and said, "You do a thing. Stay here with Bhumi and let me go down. If it's safe I will call you." She paused and added, "To be honest, this feels as if we are playing chorr police plus hide and seek plus holi."

A crash sounded near the stairs and both of us ran helter skelter. I could see Bhumi watching something on her phone while occasionally looking outside the window for Krishna. Radhika and I had run off to hide behind a large storage drum.

I heard Radhika exclaim, "No, not Dau here. Everyone is here only and it won't take less than ten seconds for Krishna to catch us all." She turned towards me and said, "I will go and tell Dau to go somewhere. You stay here. I don't want Krishna to catch you right now." She winked and dashed near the staircase.

I closed my eyes and wiped the beads of sweat that had gathered on my forehead. My ponytail was coming loose and began to stick to my neck, hence I tied it into a bun. A soft gust of wind blew by my face which made me sigh. The environment went still for a moment after which I heard a door open loudly.

Bhumi ran out of the room with Krishna who dumped a whole packet of purple gulaal on her. My sister laughed and took some of the gulaal from him and applied a tilak on his forehead and said, "Chalo koyi na. Happy Holi!"

I placed my palm over my mouth to prevent any sound escaping from me. Within a count of ten he even managed to find Radhika and Dau which meant that I was the last catch for him.

I am someone who takes stress during exams and here I was low key panicking over the prospect of being caught by Krishna.

Now that wouldn't be a bad thing, my readers, would it?

I made a dash near the small room and hid behind the wall and saw Dau, Radhika and Bhumi leave the terrace. As expected, Krishna had come near the storage drum. He thought that I would be there but his face fell when he found out no one was standing behind it. Soon, he turned out and I walked near the front of the door. The back window of the room let me see Krishna's position.

Krishna was about to walk to the front and I had mere seconds to cross the house and run down the stairs. I counted till three and ran near the terrace staircase when my wrist felt a firm yet gentle grip.

Shit!

"I was thinking that you would be the first one I would catch but you have surprised me yet again, Bhaishmi," Krishna's honeyed voice rang in my ears as he walked two steps towards me. I did not dare to turn around because his hand around my wrist was making me think very wrong things combined with my Bollywood heroine fantasy of being coloured head to toe in colours on Holi.

Come on, what were you expecting me to be? Did I surprise you, reader?

Krishna turned me around and walked me near to the wall. "Well, I am not going to dump a whole packet of gulaal on you like I did to others and I will surely not wrestle with you like Dau, so if you don't mind…." He smiled and arched his perfect eyebrow up and said, "Do I get to colour you?"

God, I wanted to kiss him badly but it would be improper. I was anyway blushing when he asked me so I nodded my head and smiled. "Why on earth would I refuse a handsome guy asking to colour me on Holi?"

Krishna's lips curled up even more beautifully hearing my praise. I had noticed that he hadn't let go of my hand nor was I that keen to free my hand.

Krishna swiped some of the dry colour with his fingers and placed the gulaal over my free hand. "Which song would you sing right now on the spot?"

"You don't have red gulaal with you now but nevertheless it would be," I brushed a stray curl that perfectly lay just above his eyes and sang, "Dekhun dekhun tujhko main hoke nihaal chhu lo kora mora kaanch sa tan," I held his fingertips near my cheek while he slowly rubbed the colour off his fingers on me, "Nain bhar kya rahe nihaar."

He brushed his fingers on my left cheek and directed his glance to the gulaal packet over my hand. "Mohe rang do laal?"

Giggling, I said, "More like mohe rang do nila? But yes, I will definitely rang you nila. My hands were shaking as I dipped my fingers into the blue gulaal and my fingers welcomed the warm sensation of Krishna's cheeks and we both stared into each other's eyes.

Krishna boldly took another step towards me and despite my heart thudding in half anticipation and slight nervousness, I welcomed him in. He took some more of the blue colour and applied them to my forehead while his lips neared my ear causing my breath to hitch, "You didn't ask me which song I would sing for you right now?"

"Then sing for me now."

"Naino ki dhaank le jaa, naino ki naiya," His finger traced a curve near my eyes. "Patwaar tu hai meri tu hi khewaiyaa." He then swiped his thumb hesitantly just below my lips and I shivered slightly under the warm sun that had enveloped both of us.

"Jaana hai paar tere tu hu bhanwar hai," We sang together while applying the gulaal to each other, our eyes never letting the other go away as we completed the last line.

"Pahunchegi paar kaise nazuk si naiya…. "

And silence... Not a stifling one where you are left wondering what to do or what to speak. Just some peaceful silence which embraces you comfortably in its grasp where you need no words nor any actions, where eyes are enough to do all the talking. I lazily moved my fingers through his soft curls coating the hair strands in blue. The sun's glare over his head caused his hair to glaze and the blue colour did a fantastic job of making his hair look even more good.

He entwined his fingers with mine, but took not a step further towards me. He stayed right in the middle, neither too close nor too far. His nimble fingers did a quick work over my hair bun, letting it fall down to its length.

"You look even more ethereal in open hair, do you know?" I heard him say.

If there was anyone who looked ethereal to me, it was none other than Krishna. He appeared as if Gods themselves sculpted him as their finest creation.

"Krishna, you do know this right that you don't need to flatter me to impress me?"

Pushing some of my hair behind my ear, he said, "I would never use flattery to impress you. My flute would be enough for that but what I said right now is the truth. You will never see yourself the way I see you, but to me you looked ethereal right from the moment I saw you on the train. Your eyes were darting around here and there when you came and met us after Ranvit and Bhumi and I found it really adorable. Then you channeled your inner Madhubala out and trust me I was floored by you. Your effect on me was so strong that when I played the flute for you that night, I saw you in my thoughts looking all radiant and bright like a star on a clear night. Your gentleness, your cute shy smile and your thoughts make me seek you out everywhere. It's more than a tiny crush and admiration for you Bhaishmi, and all of this is true." The intensity that swirled in his eyes as he uttered these sentences made me forget about breathing.

"I know we have met only a few days ago but I can't help it. It saddens me that all of this will end when we leave for home but I want you to know that whatever moments we have shared together and the moments which we still have to make in the next twenty four hours before you leave for your city, it will always have a special place in my heart." He smiled and rubbed his forehead. "This might sound cheesy but I am still going to say it. You own a special place in my heart and if our circumstances would have been different, I would have asked you out to be my girlfriend."

That 'would have' shattered a small part of my heart. But as rightfully said by some people, life is about adding the little moments of joy and colour, I at least had the chance to be with him for these many hours.

My throat burned slightly making me realize that I was about to cry, I gulped back my tears and tried to smile.

"And I would have said yes to you."

"These two are still up there?" I heard Dau's voice near the staircase and both of us moved apart.

*****

Later in the day we all went out and celebrated Holi with the locals. All of us took various photos with Bhumi and Subhadra being our chief photographers. I had consumed a lot of sweets and snacks thanks to Yashodhara kaki.

And then in the evening we sang songs and danced with each other. Amidst all this Krishna and I pretended that our conversation from the morning did not at all happen. Only after dinner when kaki asked us to check all our belongings the realization hit even more deeper that I was about to say bye to Krishna forever. I wanted time to slow down just for the both of us or maybe some miraculous episode of destiny's game to cancel my train.

Alas, this happens only in movies, not in real life. With a heavy heart, I went up to the terrace to stare at the moon. Everyone else had gone off to sleep. I had my share of talking to Radhika and Subhadra and I was sure that I would miss their presence back home. Both of them dozed off midway while narrating some childhood memory which made me smile.

Surprise, surprise! Krishna was up on the terrace too, but this time with his flute. His back was against the parapet and he bent his neck slightly back to state at the moon, his arms propped on the parapet.

The peacock chain that dangled from his flute was shining under the moonlight. With the gentle night breeze that blew, the metallic peacock hit the flute, making Krishna shift his focus away from the sun and turning his glance towards me.

Without exchanging any word I walked and stood near him while he placed the flute below his beautiful lips which welcomed a small smile. I nodded and he closed his eyes. With a soft exhale, he started the first string of notes on his flute. His fingers deftly moved on the instrument producing an ocean of tunes that reflected both of our emotions for each other.

When he played his flute for the first time on the train, I was all awake and entranced until the very end, but tonight, my eyes began to droop. The moon too had begun to change her colour from golden white to red, her size decreasing with each passing time and with each song, Krishna's flute played.

I looked at the disappearing moon and by the time she had disappeared, my eyes closed on their own in bliss. I could still hear a faint melody, but could no longer keep myself awake to appreciate his music a bit more. Some time later, I felt a hand on my head, gently patting my hair and that's when I welcomed sleep in the arms of a very special boy.

"Koi kash dil pe zara hath rakh de, mere dil ke tukdon ko ik sath rakh de. Magar yeh hai khwabon khayalon ki baatein, kabhi toot kar cheez koi judi hai… Lagi aaj sawan ki phir voh jhadi hai."

*****

*drum roll* This fic is alive...

Also special mention to: @jessbeinme15 because she made me sit and write this after I read all of her tags ten times or maybe more than that

Well tbh I don't know if this chapter is good or not because I haven't written this long in all these months *glares at neet* so a little feedback would be appreciated

And what do we think about the main couple???

We still have two more parts though. Chapter 5 and the Epilouge because samridhi loves to put a clear end on things.

Yeah so that's it. Hope you have a good day

Taglist: @ma-douce-souffrance @itsfookingloosah @manwalaage @lil-stark @riiddhhiii @pokemon-master-elita @phoenix666stuff Tamatar deactivated?? :(

#braj ki holi #krishna x reader fics #train to vrindavan #sequel #krishna fics #arjun subhadra

42 notes · View notes

stocious · 1 year

Text

thank you to @michellemisfit, @energievie, @gardenerian, @surviving-maybe for tagging me 🖤

your name: kaka

where in the world are you? sweden bby

your favorite color: purple!

a song that always puts you in a good mood: sorry my swedish is showing

your favorite flower: i don't have one

it’s a beautiful sunny day and you’re going on a picnic with friends. what snack are you bringing to share? most likely some sort of pastry, like cinnamon buns or something. muffins. at least two options.

bumblebees or butterflies? butterflies

describe your ideal weather: like sunny and warm but not hot. spring is my favorite season for a reason. pants weather but no jacket.

what are you reading right now? i'm running out of things to read 😭 but i'm working my way through broad-shouldered beasts right now and then i've got tipdig waiting for another re-read.

museum date or nature walk? uh, a walk i think? but i don't like aimlessly walking so maybe with a goal in mind, have a fika there?

it’s movie night in the park and your turn to choose, what are we watching? i don't really watch a lot of movies so i'd probably go for something light like a comedy. ted 2?

and finally, share some sunny words for your friends & followers: spring's here. it gets better. go soak up some vitamin d. (lovingly) 🖤

tagging (if you wanna, also sorry if you've already been tagged): @ian-galagher @imsorry-imlate @vintagelacerosette @babygirlmickey @deedala @harrowhark-a-vagrant @callivich and anyone else 🖤

#tag games #Spotify

14 notes · View notes

mariacallous · 1 year

Text

Yom Kippur break fast has ballooned into a significant event in the American Jewish calendar over the past couple of decades. Hype has escalated, guests have increased, and menus have become more extravagant. But at the heart of this tradition is classic Ashkenazi fare: bagels, smoked fish, blintzes, and cake.

It’s the same sort of thing I grew up eating in the U.K., where my family’s Polish and Lithuanian roots dictated that we must bring in and break our fasts on fish. One of my most horrifying childhood memories is returning home from synagogue on Yom Kippur afternoon for a nap to find a huge glass jar on the porch housing whole, pickled herrings — heads and all — delivered by my grandmother for that evening.

We’ve added our own twist on break fast fare, influenced by our surroundings — cups of tea with milk alongside our cake, and marmite on our bagels. Correspondingly, a Costa Rican friend serves gallopinto (rice and beans) and platanos maduros (fried plantains) alongside her lox; another friend with roots in Baghdad’s Jewish community subs zimsterne for kakas (ring-shaped caraway cookies) and babas (stuffed date cookies).

Outside the Ashkenazi community, however, there are many very different, centuries-old break fast traditions that are tempting enough to ditch the bagels for. Read on to learn more about Yom Kippur break fast traditions from around the globe.

Iraq

Iraqi Jews know that you can’t beat a drink and bite of something sweet post-fast, turning to crumbly, date-filled cookies and hariri — a homemade sweetened almond milk that’s often flavored with cardamom. Once that’s settled in the stomach, many embark on a full-on meat meal, like t’beet — a stuffed chicken and rice dish flavored with a mix of warm spices that’s prepared pre-fast and cooked low and slow until Yom Kippur is over.

Morocco

Instead of coffee, Moroccan Jews opt for mint tea accompanied by marzipan cookies or fijuelas, fried pastries dipped in sweet syrup, before diving into a break fast feast. Many prepare a hearty tomato-based soup called harira, featuring chickpeas and/or lentils, lemon, cilantro, and often chicken or beef. Others turn to traditional Shabbat dishes like dafina (or skhina), Morocco’s cholent equivalent, flavored with saffron and stuffed with all kinds of delights – marrow bones, chickpeas, eggs, meatloaf, rice, the list goes on!

Iran

Iranian Jews keep it simple with black tea, drunk alongside a soft-boiled egg and faloudeh seeb – a refreshing apple-rosewater treat that’s somewhere between a drink and a dessert. Learn more about Persian Yom Kippur traditions here.

Greece

Similar to Iraqi hariri, Greek Jews break their fast on a traditional homemade beverage called pepitada. Made from toasted melon seeds that are blended with water, sweetened with honey or vanilla, and flavored with rosewater or almond extract, this unique concoction is an excellent thirst-quencher. A version of avgolemono chicken soup called sopa de huevos y limon is a Yom Kippur staple, eaten either before or after the fast.

Syria

Syrian Jews, too, opt for the “more is more” approach. Stone fruits feature heavily: refreshing apricot water serves to rehydrate the weary; dried apricots and plums are mixed with rice and ground beef and then stuffed inside zucchinis; sour cherries paired with tamarind make a sweet-sour sauce for meatballs. Others choose to ditch the meat in favor of sambusek, triangular turnovers stuffed with cheese, spinach, or chickpeas.

2 notes · View notes

goldfishlover73 · 2 years

Text

Fic-Frog Sage NARUSAKU

This needs another good edit before I post to AO3, but I'm happy how it turned out and am looking for some insta-grat to carry over into some of my other WIPs (looks at all the open doc tabs)

Most of my fics don't reflect my life, but this one does. Sort of.

I dedicate this story to Froug, the frog I found freeloading in one of my plants last week. May you live to spring.

As with every other NaruSaku story I've ever written, it's a study on writing smutty stuff. It's only heavy petting, as I started getting self conscious that all I've been writing lately is NaruSaku porn, but it is fun with them.

This is also a study in a conversation I had with a reviewer of 'Heartbeat' about Naruto and Sakura's love language being touch. So it's pretty touchy-feeling.

Enjoy!

Title: Frog Sage

Pairing: NaruSaku

Rating: Hard T to M

Summary: When Sakura finds a frog in her plant she goes to the Frog Sage to save her.

After the war, Kaka-sensei presented each of them with a trimming from Mr. Ukki.

“May it never die under your care.” he said off handedly, though the longing glances he gave to each small potted plant as they pried them from his fingers told them how much confidence he had in his young team.

Yamato-taichou had either more or less confidence in them; he gave them detailed instructions and set up visitations so he could review the health of Mr. Ukki’s offspring and cater those instructions to the wellness of the plant. “Once you get the hang of taking care of a plant, it becomes addicting,” Yamato-taichou promised, “I’ll be here to help every step of the way.” Sakura wasn’t sure if he was saying that for their benefit or for Kaka-sensei’s. Regardless, Sakura hated how they all gave her a knowing, pointed glance. More so than Naruto.

She huffed, puffing her cheeks out as she stomped away, clutching her new plant, grumbling that ‘if she could keep them alive, she could certainly keep Ukki-chan alive as well.’

At least Naruto cheered her on. Sai ended up needing her help later that afternoon for unrelated circumstances.

Ukki-chan sat outside on Sakura’s sun-facing balcony. When Yamato-taichou asked which sun, she could only point to the giant ball in the sky. But, despite Yamato-taichou’s blank stare, Ukki-chan seemed happy sun bathing in the warm summer glow with waterings every three days. She watched with the love that only a mother could know (she guessed) as the small twig of a plant grew new leaves and became thicker and more plant like.

Until fall came.

Their bi monthly meetings became weekly as Sakura struggled with the yellowing plant. Yamato-taichou scolded all of them for over watering, though his unimpressed glower was directed as Sakura more than the rest.

Except for Sasuke, who’s plant was in the opposite shape of everyone else. He was not watering at all.

Yamato-taichou did say a little neglect goes a long way (“though you do have to water them, Sasuke-kun!”). With a strained smile, wooden fingers moved to the roots of Sakura’s somewhat healthy and somewhat soggy plant, fixing the damage that she’d done. So Sakura took a page out of Sasuke’s book and left it out on her sunny balcony and left for a month long mission.

She came back and Ukki-chan was thriving.

It was shortly after Naruto’s birthday that Yamato-taichou announced it was time for them to present their Ukki offspring so he could gauge how well they were doing before they brought them indoors for the winter.

Naruto’s looked a lot like hers, leafy and alive, though Sakura hated how it seemed ‘more green.’ than it’s sister. Sai’s was less leafy, it’s leaves browning at the tips, but very much alive. Sasuke’s…was taken out of his care completely. Sakura winced as Sasuke’s eyes blinked red as Yamato-taichou held the plant to his chest, whispering into it’s leaves as he promised they would be alright. The rest of them were sent home with care cards and follow up appointments, and a heavy laden threat about overwatering.

Sakura scowled right back at him.

III

According to Yamato-taichou’s card, Sakura was to set her plant right inside her balcony door where it could soak up the sun but stay warm through the winter months. She was to water it lightly once every two weeks and to ‘let it plant’ the rest of the time.

Whatever that meant.

Sakura dutifully ‘let it plant’ for two months, watering it when she remembered and otherwise just looking down at it fondly when she ate breakfast.

Until snow littered the ground and her balcony on January morning.

Before going to work, she decided to move it away from the door. Just enough for the leaves to not be cold. As her hands gripped the sides of the pot, she ‘tsks’ at the terra cotta’s coldness. “This will not do, Ukki-chan.” She let her hand run on the leaves, pretending that she was passing some of her warmth to the plant. She felt her cheeks warming. “Yamato-taichou is going to be so impressed that you’re not dead.” Moving it back a few inches, she admired how not dead it was. Ukki-chan was doing remarkably well. Her soil wasn’t soaking wet and her leaves were only mildly yellow at the very tips. “Maybe I’ll skip watering you a little longer…” She lifted the plant and spun the plant, her mind rationalizing that letting some of the back leaves face the sun when she moved her hand and watched slowly as two black eyes blinked up at her slowly.

The world slowed as Sakura slowly put the plant down and moved her hand back and retracted her hand close to her chest before she screamed.

III

Naruto vaulted out of bed as his door threatened to come off its hinges. He took a step before falling, his legs were ensnared in his blanket. He crashed to the ground and the knocking became more frantic.

“Naruto!?” He swore loudly as he fought with the thin blanket. He closed his eyes, sage mode flaring as he searched for an enemy outside his cotton captor. After four agonizing long seconds, he freed himself, launching himself towards the door, swearing as he didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary.

Except for Sakura banging on his front door. He grasped the handle, flinging the door open. “Sa-Mhm!” he winced as Sakura knocked him hard in the head.

Her eyes were wild, her face strangely pale and flush at the same time. Her hands were trembling as she grabbed his hand and yanked him out of his home with no shoes or pants.

III

Curious, dark beady eyes blinked up at him. It was a sharp contrast to the light gray of her body as she seemed to try to look as much like a rock as possible. Though a curious rock, nonetheless.

He looked back at Sakura-chan, unimpressed. Her left arm was tight around her waist as she bit her thumb on her right. “You pulled me out of bed because you have a freeloader?” Sakura’s face started to redden so he looked back to the pot. Her freeloader was a small, gray tree frog. It was sitting on the lip of her Mr. Ukki pot, rock-like, watching him. His own golden eyes, he supposed as natural chakra swirled through him, blinked back. Naruto couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled in his chest. “She’s not going to get you. She’s harmless.” The small frog looked back up at him.

He looked back in time to see Sakura-chan leaned forward and smacked his shoulder lightly. Well, light for her. It’s why he hadn’t dropped sage mode. “I know that!” she snapped, her face flush. “I just-” she shrugged, her eyes finding the poor little lady. “I didn’t know what to do.”

Naruto looked from her to the frog that was slightly bigger than his thumb. He looked back up at Sakura-chan. “Do?” He gestured to the small frog. “What is there to ‘do’?”

She smacked him again. “I can’t put him outside! It’s too cold! He’ll die!”

Naruto frowned, looking back down at the small frog. It blinked at him. “So you woke me up?”

“Who else was I going to wake up?!” He looked back at her as she waved her hands, “You’re a fucking frog sage.”

He blinked his natural chakra away. “Toad Sage.” he corrected. She huffed, “I have a contract with the Toad Sages.” He pursed his lips as rolled his eyes. “Should I call you for any slug problems that might come up, Sakura-chan?” He held up a hand to block her as she came in for another swipe.

Sakura-chan groaned, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. “What do I do!?”

He shrugged, leaning back, away from the frog. Now that their eyes didn’t match, her eyes melted into her body, making her look like a blobby stone. “Let her be?” He looked up to Sakura-chan, who’s bright green eyes widened in maybe horror. He shrugged, “She hasn’t bothered you all winter, just wait until Spring-”

“No.” She shook her head quickly. “Out of the question.” He opened his mouth and she went to swat him again. “I can’t just have a wild animal in my house! You’re bad enough!” Before he could clap back, her face paled. “What it jumps into my bed while I’m sleeping?!”

Naruto looked back down at the frog before looking down the long hallway to where Sakura-chan’s bedroom was.

Probably, he didn’t know for sure. He’d never peaked through her window to verify this

Never.

“She’s not jumping all the way down there.” He smiled softly, shrugging, “She’ll just hang out here. If she hasn’t moved in the three months she’s been here, then she’s not going to now that you know she’s here.”

“You don’t know what he’ll do!”

“I’m the frog sage, remember?” She huffed, crossing her arms. He sighed, leaning forward, cupping his hands around the pot. She squawked as he coaxed the little lady into his hands. “I guess I am a frog sage since I know the difference between a male and a female tree frog.” He cupped the frog in his hands and turned to see Sakura-chan’s cheeks as puffy Gamatatsu. He stood, smirking as he looked down at her. Her puffy cheeks faltered as they flushed. “I’ll take her home.” He said softly. “Then maybe we-” he gestured to his hands. The little lady hadn’t so much as moved. can both get some peace and-” he didn't’ get to finish as Sakura-chan’s squwaks and swats chased them out of her apartment.

III

Naruto was woken up later that day to less extreme pounding on his front door.

Though it was the same person.

“Nice scrubs.” Sakura was in pale blue scrubs with little white slugs splatter across it.

“10 hour surgery. Saved a life. What have you done today?” Bright green, less frantic eyes met him as she shoulder checked past him, her arms carrying a small bag.

He smirked, “Snuggled up with my new girlfriend.”

She wasn’t nearly as impressed as she should have been. She kicked off her shoes, “I got him -” Sakura-chan froze in the entrance way, staring into his apartment. His stomach churned unpleasantly as she looked into the mess. She turned to him, her lip curling. He rolled his eyes. “Your place-”

“Wasn’t prepared for the harem of women it encountered today.” He closed the door. “Don’t worry, Sakura-chan,” he sang “all the clothes are mine, ya know.” Maybe he should be embarrassed by the amount of clothes piled near his bed, but he wasn’t. She wouldn’t get close enough to smell them. Luckily she also wasn’t going to go into his bathroom. He brushed past her as he went to collect the scattered empty styrofoam bowls. “Next time you throw yourself at me, like you did this morning, I’ll make sure the sheets are washed.” He really should do that anyway. It had…been a while. He looked back at her, smirking as her face reddened, her eyes looking down at the bag in her hand. He tossed the bowls in the overfilled trash. “Or at least the kitchen table.” He said suggestively, crossing his arms, lifting an eyebrow and the corner of his lips. “The wall-”

Her eyes snapped up as her lips curled and her eyes narrowed, “You-You-”

He wanted to go on. To continue poking the angry pink bear, but he didn’t want to get too uncomfortable. He could already feel his skin warming as his imagination started to run away with his words. “What did you bring her.” he snatched the bag out of her hand.

She took a deep breath. “Just some things to hold him over until winter is over.” Her face faded into a pink that matched her hair. He ignored the flutter in his chest. “I think.” she jostled him as she opened the bag in his hands. She smiled brightly up at him as she pulled out a rock.

He looked down at her unimpressed. “Sakura-chan, there are rocks all over the place outside-” She smacked him again. “It’s a rock home.” she flipped it over to show him it was hollow.

“She’s a tree frog, Sakura-chan, she doesn’t need-”

“And I got these!” She interrupted, digging into the bag again, almost ripping it as she pulled out a long flat bowl that kind of looked like a hollow smushed rock. “Frogs like water!?” She seemed to be trying to convince herself. He nodded slowly. She shrugged, looking back down at the tray in her hand.

He nodded slowly, “As the resident ‘frog sage’ I agree with this statement, ya know.”

She sucked her teeth before her shoulders sagged. She shook her head, throwing her arms up. She almost hit him with the smushed rock. “I don’t know, I just thought it would be nice for him to have a place to hide and some water.” she swallowed thickly. “But I don’t even know if this is going to fit in the pot. I just-”

“Sakura-chan,” he could help the laughter that bubbled. His hand cupped her cheek. It wasn’t until he felt the warmth of her skin did he realize he was holding her arm as well. She hadn’t seemed to notice or else he might have been a dead man. “You kicked her out.” she flushed, looking away. He couldn’t stop himself from poking the bear again; his thumb rubbed her check. Softly. So soft. “Why are you here?”

“She” she emphasized by pushing against his hand, but to his delight, didn’t push away. Or pull away “can’t live with me. I can’t wake up to her in my covers or on my face - “ he was about to point out half her life was spent sleeping on the forest floor on missions, but she cut him off “but if she has to live here, until spring…” she shrugged, her shoulder brushing his arm. “Then she should be comfortable?”

Naruto wasn’t sure why she hadn’t smacked him for holding her like this, but he wasn’t about to question it. Or let go. His mouth went dry as he nodded, “Yeah, but she’s just a frog.”

She gaped at him, pulling out of his grip, “Just a frog?! You’re a frog sage!”

He felt air rush into his lungs as he rolled his eyes. “Sakura-chan-”

“Where is she?” She brushed past him, her eyes narrowing on the potted plant on the sill next to his bed. She pointed. “Is she over there? In the pot?” He sighed, moving towards the window. “She’s hiding.” He explained, picking up the pot and bringing it over to where she stood in the kitchen. Her bright eyes narrowed over the pot as she stared hard at the soil. Naruto rolled his eyes. She’s not even in the pot. She was on the window sill, sunbathing on an actual rock. He smirked, his fingers tightening on Ukki-kun before he made a poor life choice.

It would be worth it, ya know?

“Ohtheresheis!” he jostled the pot, thrusting it up towards her.

Sakura-chan’s eyes widened as she screamed, wrenching the pot out of his hands and throwing it against the wall.

The sound of terra cotta shattering was louder than Sakura-chan’s scream. And the sound of dry wall exploding.

And the sound of his neighbor banging on the wall.

III

Sakura spent the next hour cleaning his apartment. It had first started with picking up the pieces of the broken pot, but as he covered up the hole in the wall, she swept and wiped everything else down, shoving the trash into his hands and demanding that he take it out. When he came back, she was at his neighbor's door, apologizing for the noise. He didn’t get a chance to make it inside before she hooked her arm in his and drug him to Yamanaka’s flower shop.

She was eerily quiet.

Naruto frowned, watching Sakura and Ino talk as he inspected the pots.

Ino was laughing, slapping her hand on the counter. “You and your monster strength, Forehead!” Sakura told him he needed to pick out a pot that was large enough for the rock home. He watched as Sakura’s face fell. “It’s just a tiny frog. You could squash it like…like well a frog. And that’s when you’re not being all scary.” Her shoulders sagged as she looked over to Naruto. He went back to the pots, grabbing a large black one. Ukki-kun was going to be comically small in this pot, but he figured he’d grow into. He turned with a bright smile. Ino rang them up and Sakura grumbled as she paid for the pot and soil. Ino threw in a small frog statue on her.

They left the shop with a thick tension between them.

Naruto nudged her, laughing. “Kaka-sensei is going to murder you!”

He relaxed as she huffed, though he could tell her heart wasn’t in it. “Me!?” She shoved against him hard. He hardly stumbled. “You’re the idiot! Why would you do that?!” She’d asked him more times than he could count after she shattered the pot. Especially when he told her she wasn’t even in the pot. He was lucky she didn’t kill him on the spot.

“It was hilarious, Sakura–chan.” He only cackled, using the pot to protect his stomach as she tried to elbow him. “Who would have thought that the strongest woman alive would be afraid of a teeny tiny little frog?”

She puffed out her cheeks like Gamatatsu before she huffed. “I’m not afraid.”

Naruto shoulder checked her. “Are you sure?” He was poking the pink bear, he could almost hear her growl. It made him grin wider. “You have taught everyone that tiny things can be very scary.”

Her puffs faltered as did her eyes. He cursed himself as they walked in silence towards Ichiraku’s. She promised to treat him for the hole in his wall. “You don’t…you don’t think I’m scary, do you?” He paused. Her voice was so small. So unlike Sakura-chan. A lump formed in his throat as he studied her walking ahead of him. She stopped, turning. He hadn’t seen her look this unsure of herself since they were 13. He swallowed thickly.

Of course he found her scary. He found her terrifying. She could break him with her little finger. He had dreams of her small hands crumbling the earth beneath him, crumbling him. Causing his heart to lurch, his blood to boil and for him to wake up with slick skin and a painful erection.

Of course he found her terrifying. But that was something he loved about her.

He wanted to tell her how her strength was amazing. How he could be confident that she won’t break. Break under the pressure. Break under anything.

Maybe…he inhaled shakily Maybe break under me one day. He felt his ears warm as his body grew tingly. He swallowed at the thought of trying to find that breaking point. Of her finding his.

Instead, he shook his head. “No, I don’t think you’re scary at all.” he hoped it sounded halfway as convincing as he was trying to be.

She studied him, her eyes piercing into his soul. His heart hammered in his chest and the strongest woman alive sized him up. Challenged him, in her own way. He wanted nothing more than to kiss or. Or at least try.

But he had a mission coming up. And Kaka-sensei would kill him if she killed him over trying to kiss her.

She nodded slowly, her face flushing the color of her hair. “Let’s get that ramen.”

He relaxed.

III

Yamato-taichou promised Ukki-kun would survive his traumatic crash, but threatened them both to remove their plants from their care if it happened again. He also promised to not tell Kaka-sensei - he had enough on his plate with being Hokage to worry about his little genin (“And Jounin!!!”) and their plants.

Sakura-chan smiled brightly as she put the rock home and water dish in the pot before taking a large step back as Naruto placed the small frog in the plant.

“What is she going to eat?” Sakura-chan asked, her eyes doe like. They were sitting in his kitchen chairs. The pot was too large to fit in his window so it sat in the floor near his balcony. She was leaning toward the plant, inspecting the small amphibian as Naruto sat next to her. He felt the small frog watch him and he couldn’t help but morph his chakra slightly. His eyesight changed. The frog seemed to relax and close it’s eyes.

He snorted. I am her protector from the crazed pink one. The crazed pink one shouldered him hard, as if hearing his thoughts.

Naruto shrugged, feeling Sakura-chan’s shoulder still against his. “It’s winter, so she might not eat, ya know? She’s essentially hibernating.”

Sakura-chan nodded. Naruto thought he felt her lean into him more, but he might have imagined it. Must have.

“What are you going to name her?” She looked at him seriously.

Naruto snorted, leaning into Sakura slightly. “She’s not mine to name. She’s her own person. Frog person.” Their forearms were flush. His heart leapt to his throat as she pressed her upper leg to his. He nudged her. “You name her.” he whispered.

Sakura-chan, oblivious to it all, nodded solemnly. After a few minutes, she spoke barely above a whisper, “Gamako.”

He nodded sagely, “Very original, Sakura-chan.”

She huffed, slamming back into her chair. He slowly leaned back, matching her crossed arms huff. But he was smiling down at her. She looked up, her eyes meeting his before searching his face. “Isn’t that hard?” She asked, gesturing to his face.

He wished she had hair in her face so he could brush it away, so he could hold her face again.

No such luck.

He nodded, “Extremely.” Especially when she was sitting so close, with her calf inching to be flush with his. “But it’s second nature to me now.”

She shrugged, mildly impressed. “Katsuyu doesn’t have a…slug mode or anything.” She said, watching Ukki-kun.

“You can make it rain slugs.” He offered. “Healing slugs. That’s pretty cool.”

She smiled, “It is, isn’t it.”

He shook his head, bracing himself, “Though you’ll never have eyeshadow this on point.”

Her lips pressed against each other as she tried not to smile. She looked up at him, trying to look annoyed. He grinned brightly. “Would you like me to help you with your makeup, Sakura-chan?”

She poked him in the side, making him cackle.

III

Sakura wasn’t sure what was going on with her. At first, she blamed Gamako for her odd behavior around Naruto. For her constant stopping by his place, but the frog hadn’t moved in two weeks from its spot under the fake rock and she was going over to check on her anyways.

With fresh groceries. And a recipe for homemade ramen. And cleaning supplies.

Naruto seemed just as perturbed, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t offer to help (thank all the deities above and below) but he did hover. Just out of her arm and knife reach but still within his. His fingers found her upper back as he smelled the broth, his fingers trailing down her arm as he reached for the fridge. His knuckles on her hip as he moved around the small cooking space. She was aware of it all. She felt her skin itch for the contact. It made her mouth water and dry at the same time.

Or maybe it was the ramen.

He didn’t have real bowls, so they washed the styrofoam ones that littered the table. She had to stop her mind when it started talking about getting him new ones.

She held her breath as he slurped down the first bite. His regular, not brilliant, blue eyes closed as he chewed. She pressed her lips together as he swallowed. She gripped the table as his absolutely normal eyes opened again. It whined under her fingers as he contemplated the food.

And then he smiled. His smile made her breath hitch as butterflies erupted. It’s because he’s taking another bite she told himself as he began to devour the food. She did not watch his lips.

“I’ve never had it home made before.”

“And is that a good thing?” She asked, her heart beating loudly in her chest. He hadn’t said he liked it, or hated it.

He cackled, “Ah, Sakura-chan, if you made this everyday for me, Teuchi would go out of business.” He slurped down his noodles. He scrunched up his face, “Has a lot of vegetables though.”

This. This feeling, the feeling of anger and annoyance, she could deal with. She felt her body go into autopilot as she went off on him not eating enough vegetables as he coward slightly, grinning broadly. This I can deal with now.

The rest, she supposed, could wait.

III

Sakura left for the night as Naruto showered and settled on the impossibly clean floor next to Ukki-kun as he closed his eyes. He inhaled softly as he focused on the natural chakra around him. He felt Gamako move and he held his hand out, smiling softly as he felt her sticky skin land in his open palm. As he settled into his meditation, he felt her half crawl, half hop up his arm and up to his shoulder.

He smirked, wondering what Sakura-chan would do if she knew that he let the frog climb the side of his face as he meditated.

He was a toad sage. But all toads were frogs and she, obviously, felt more relaxed when he was in sage form.

He felt her settle on his head, barely aware of her light weight in his hair.

Naruto smiled, thinking how Sakura teased him about his eyeshadow. “Gussying up for his new girlfriend.” his smile widened as he closed his eyes.

Because of Sakura’s new obsession with a tiny frog she was afraid of, he had cleaned his bathroom, did his laundry and made sure his trash was taken out far more regularly than he had ever done in his life. He’d even washed his sheets. Usually, when he did this, his house seemed empty and far too spacious. But…Even with his apartment clean, there was still remnants of her;

One of her scrub tops was piled in the corner next to his jacket. She’d warmed the place up using the stove to make stir fry. There were two bowls in the sink with a matching pair of cups. She had threatened him with bodily harm if they weren’t clean and dried and put away when she came back tomorrow. Her favorite brand of rice was shoved in the corner of his counter as well as her favorite cookies. There was mochi ice cream in the freezer and dango in the fridge.

For tomorrow. When she came back.

His chest expanded. His home was clean and bare, but it…it was cozier.

The small frog on his head moved. He laughed, more to himself than her. “Though, if Sakura-chan keeps coming around, you’ll have some stiff competition, eh, Gamako-chan?” He cackled to himself as he felt tiny hands on his forehead.

III

Spring came too soon.

“You can start to put your plants back outside.” Yamato-taichou said on their way back from a mission. “Just make sure you bring them back in at night.” he warned.

Sakura’s eyes bored into the back of Naruto’s head. He was in front of her, bickering with Sai when Yamato-taichou made his declaration. Sakura knew that Yamatao-taichou brought this up now in hopes that the two would stop arguing, but Sakura couldn’t help but feel fear curl in her stomach as Naruto looked back at her.

If Gamako leaves…What would she do now?

And what the hell kind of thought is that?! She felt her mind scream as it raced.

With spring, Gamako would go back outside, awaken from her rock covered slumber and hop off on her merry way. Then…Sakura would stop coming by Naruto’s on the pretense of checking in on a frog.

Things would…go back to the way they were. How they had always been.

Naruto’s eyes caught hers, making her heart skip. She could almost feel his shoulder against hers as they chopped vegetables together. His hand warm on her back as he leaned over her to sneak a taste. His leg touching hers under the table.

I…I don’t want that.

That wasn’t true. There was the look he gave her when she’d leave for the night. The way that he bit his lip. It looked like he wanted to lean down and -

She pushed those thoughts out of her mind, coming back to the now. He was looking at her in the same way now, making her stomach tingle and her mouth dry. She bit her lip and a jolt went through her as his eyes dilated slightly. She didn’t want him to look away, but after two long heartbeats he did, scowling at Sai before they went at each other’s throats again.

She gripped her pack, her chest almost as tight as her throat.

Whatever is going on…I don’t want it to stop.

III

Naruto looked from Sakura-chan to Gamako. The small tree frog was outside her rock home and on the edge of Ukki-kun. She was looking at him with her black froggy eyes. Naruto looked back with his golden ones.

Sakura huffed, leaning forward in her chair, her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. “She’ll need to go back outside.” Sakura-chan said softly. She sounded disappointed.

Naruto’s hand went to her back, rubbing circles around the symbol between her shoulders. “It is where she belongs.”

She snorted, “So do you, but I haven’t kicked you out yet.” She sat up, his hands trailing up her back. His breath catching as he watched his fingers get lost in her hair. She didn’t say anything as his fingers found her neck. It was soft and warm.

She looked at him strangely, her cheeks flushing, but she didn’t pull away. “What happened to your face?”

He blinked. Then he felt his skin expand and bloat. He closed his eyes and focused. “Sorry-” he strained a smile. “I lost concentration when you said you hadn’t kicked me out of my house.” his fingers twitched against her neck and he watched in fascination as her eyes widened slightly before relaxing. His mouth went dry as she leaned back into them.

“You do act like you were raised in a barn.” her voice was like velvet. “And your house was like a pig pen.”

He bit his lip as he let his fingers become more bold. “It’s never been that bad.”

“A horse stall.” He ran his nails up her nape, softly. She exhaled almost as softly. “But definitely a barn.”

His tongue felt heavy as his fingers pressed into her neck a little more. A smile formed on her lips as her head slipped slightly, falling forward.

His skin was on fire as he struggled to breath. She was so soft.

“You’re losing concentration again.” she teased. His breath hitched as he spotted her eyes through a curtain of pink. “You’re looking a bit toadish.”

He struggled to concentrate but her neck moved beneath his fingers and his tongue -why am I aware of his tongue. It was better than focusing on the tightness in his chest.

Or in his pants.

He pulled her curtain of hair back, exposing her neck. It made his mouth water.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His eyes focused on her smile. “Better?”

Her coy smile made it impossible to breathe. “Now you just look froggish.”

“Does it bother you?” he asked breathlessly.

She studied him for a moment before shaking her head. “No.” Her fingers found his face. “Not at all.” She fucking looked as his lips.

What about… he pushed those thoughts aside. He heard a voice in his head speak to him. A voice he didn’t know he had for twelve years. That was eerily silent for 15. One that barely shut up now. A voice that made other’s wary of him at best. A voice-

“Naruto-” that wasn’t the voice. He blinked and his vision was filled with Sakura. Fear gripped his chest as her fingers dug into his face. “You there?” She asked softly.

Toad eyes might be a little goofy, a party trick almost…

But what about Kurama?

She smushed his cheeks together, hard. She pursed her lips. “You there?” She called. When he blinked at her, she relaxed her grip, but didn’t remove her hands. “You ok?” She asked softly.

His eyes burned, but he nodded, ignoring the tightness in his throat and the voice in his head. She studied his face, peeling back the layers of skin. He kept his mind completely blank in case she tried to read it. Instead she pulled him down, their foreheads touching.

“Not. at. All.” She whispered. He felt her breath on his lips. He strained to look into her eyes as she gave him an almost playful smile. “No matter what your…” she shrugged, “animal of the day is.” he heard a dark chuckle in the deep recesses of his mind but he was focused on her lips, pressing together before she wet them. And then bit them.

His hand twitched on her neck.

“Plus…” Her voice was a whisper as she tried to look away. Her hands on his face pressed into his cheeks before relaxing and her blunt nails pressing near his temples. Her face was moving through the different shades of pinks and red. He couldn’t breathe. “I could handle it.” His eyes widened as all the air in his body rushed out. She licked her lips and he swallowed thickly as the hand not in her hair came to the back of her head. “You…you know? Because I-if you tried anything funny, I’d kill you.” she tried to end strong, but it was just breathy.

He nodded. “You are absolutely terrifying.” he said, unable to keep awe out of his mouth. Her eyes got wide as she tried to pull away. His mouth-well, his mouth was doing something odd. His whole body was. Because he was done for. It was over. He was all over. “I’m going to do something extremely stupid.” he announced, licking his lips and nodding. She blinked as he dipped his head. “Please don’t kill me.” He felt her nod as her fingers went from his cheeks to his neck, pulling him in.

“Only maim,” she promised against his lips as his world imploded.

He had always dreamt of what kissing Sakura for the first time (ever) would have been like. Her lips soft as they kissed softly before pulling back into look into each other's eyes before slowly moving back in for another, and another, and another.

In reality, he didn't feel her lips as her open mouthed begged to be tasted. His tongue found hers and his body ignited. The world crumbled around him like it did around her fist and he was falling. Her hands on his neck were the only thing keeping him grounded as her tongue lapped his before she bit it and then sucked it.

He groaned, and he felt like he was falling. The wind was knocked out of him when he felt her hands roam up his neck and into his hair, down his back under his shirt and her legs twist in his. His body throbbed painfully as his hips bucked he came crashing back to earth as she mouthed his name on his lips.

Literally.

His head shot up at the heavy thumping from the neighbor on his right. He looked around, dazed as he took in broken chairs and two small, beady eyes looking at him curiously over a terra cotta plant. They blinked at each other before he felt nails dig into his neck, pulling him down. He blinked down to see Sakura, messy hair fanned around her flush face, mouth parted as she alternated between biting her lip and licking it. Her heels dug into his ass, her legs tightening around him.

She was radiant.

Like a moth to a flame he dove in. Groaning as his erection pulsed painfully in his pants, his hips sought hers to find any kind of relief. His hands grabbed, pulled and tore anything that was between him and her soft skin.

She was doing the same thing; Seams ripped and he felt a draft as her hands shoved roughly at his shoulders, almost pulling his left out of the socket as she yanked at a sleeve that had once been part of his black shirt. Her hands dug into his shoulders as her tongue left his mouth and moved to his neck.

His breathing short circuited as he struggled to not collapse on her

His eyes rolled back as his body vibrated. His hands on her hips tightened, maybe bruising, causing her to bite down.

"Sa-sa-sa" he shivered, pulling her hips towards his. She gasped into his neck, stiffening before her tongue traced his clavicle and she dug her heels into his back and her hips into his. His brain short circuited. He pulled away, looking at her dazed.

Is this really happening!?

Her face was flush and so was her neck. And her chest, as it rose and fell under torn clothes, was mesmerizing. He felt something primal kick in as his skin licked with flames.

His hips rolled against hers and she let out a frustrated sigh. He smirked, watching as her eyes dilated, her lower lip going between her teeth.

"Sakura…" he was being pulled into her, he couldn't stop himself. His hips moved and he captured her lips. She kissed him back, teeth knocking together as they fought for dominance. Her breath hitched everytime he pressed his hips into hers, her hands gripping his hair painfully everytime. He would have moaned if he had any air left to breathe.

Her hand went to his hair and pulled roughly, tearing his lips away. "You're glowing." She breathed. Kissing him again.

"So are you-" he crooned.

She shook her head, their noses brushing "No, literally. Not frog." She warned. "Fox-"

He looked down to see she was right. He was literally glowing. And her hands were in his pants. She just couldn’t reach. His heart was beating so loud in his head it drowned out Kurama's laughs.

He killed that chakra.

"Sorry" he couldn't make his voice any higher than a whisper. Or figure out how to kiss her and have her hands delve further.

She shook her head, "S'fine." She promised. She pulled her hips off the ground, changing her angle, her hand brushed his erection. His arms almost gave out. "Hot."

He pulled back, his heart hammering in his chest "What?” Not bothering is one thing, but - but-

She growled, trying to pull him back in. "Naru," he watched her, wide eyed, as she went for his chest and her hand-

He shuddered, grabbing her wrist. Her eyes snapped up to him. She pulled against him. He flared his chakra as she charged hers. Her eyes narrowed.

He took a deep breath. He knew what he looked like; a golden glow with red eyes. She didn’t flinch. "It's not scary?" I'm not scary?

A monster.

He felt her chakra surge, flicking out of his grasp before she grabbed him hard. His eyes rolled back in his head as all thought escaped him because Sakura was touching him. Her wrist jerked up and he almost toppled over on her as her lips lightly peppered his neck. "You're an idiot." Was all she said.

His heart slowed as he closed his eyes, letting her pull him to her. He sighed into her kiss, letting the feeling of Sakura him.

The hand not in his pants raked through his hair, pulling and tugging at she sighed into him, arching her back as his fingers trailer up her body. He was drowning and he didn't want to be saved.

Especially when Sakura's moved steady against his-

"Meep!"

Sakura let out a scream like she’d been stabbed (he wished), shoving him off with godly strength, sending him careening into his kitchen table.

He wanted to sob.

Instead, he swore loudly, natural chakra surging as his head snapped to the little cock blocker.

Gamako was perched on the side of the small plant, blinking at him. He watched her air sack expand before she let out another "meep!"

"You fucking bitch…" he snarled, pointing an accusing finger. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Suddenly, Sakura laughed. All his anger disappeared as he looked over to Sakura, her hair as in as much disarray as her clothes. She had a large mark on her neck that he couldn’t quiet remember putting there, but pride swelled nonetheless. But it was her smile that held his attention as her eyes sparkled.

"I forgot we had an audience."

He grumbled, sitting cross legged on the rubble of his kitchen table. He glared at the small frog as it started into his soul and let out a tiny "Meep!" again.

His hands tugged his hair as he groaned.

"She must be hungry."

Naruto felt his ears heat. "She wants to get fucked." He mumbled bitterly. Sakura’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth but Naruto shook his head. "She's wanting to get fucked." He assured her. “It’s springtime.” Sakura turned to looked at the small, horny frog.

He knew the feeling.

And she hadn't stopped looking at him.

“I know the feeling.”

Naruto’s eyes widened as his head snapped to Sakura. She wasn’t flushing, just staring with a knitted brow at Gamako.

Naruto felt his lip curl. "She's got to go." Once she was gone, Naruto could focus on Sakura. Solely. Uninterrupted.

There was a knock on the wall. "And so do you!" A disembodied voice yelled. "I don't want to hear it. Take that shit somewhere else, Naruto!"

Sakura's face went from pink to the red of her torn qipo.

Naruto couldn't help but laugh.

“Meep!”

III

Sakura pulled Naruto's jacket tight around her, careful to not be obvious as she inhaled his scent.

She relaxed into it's warmth, ignoring the fact she had on nothing underneath as they stood under the red bridge in the middle of the village.

Naruto's pants were rolled up as he carefully placed the small frog on a rock next to the river. The smile on his lips warmed her more than the jacket as he ran his thumb over the top of the small frog. It blinked up at the sage before closing it's eyes and becoming one with the rock.

They stood there for a few more moments before Naruto stood up. "Get fucked, Gamako." He said lovingly.

She gave a small "meep" before she hopped away.

Sakura hopped, rock-to-rock to stand next to Naruto in the river. His arms immediately wrapped around her, pulling her flush to him. Her toes tingled as she felt his hand run through her hair, pulling her head to his lips.

"You did good, frog whisperer." She said, her fingers itching until they found his shirt, tugging it lightly. He hummed as her fingers brushed skin. His hand gripped her neck, turning her. "Can I kiss you again, Sakura-Chan?" He sang as he leaned down. She stood on her tip toes to meet him halfway.

"Whenever you want." She looped her hands around his neck.

He laughed. "Ah, don't tell me that.” His large hands ran down her neck, under the high collar of the jacket. "I won't stop." His voice dipped as he lowered towards her.

“Is that a promise?” She opened her mouth, her tongue meeting his as their mouths met. She sighed as he groaned. His hands went to the zipper, taking a few tries to yank it down.

She felt a draft and remembered what had happened to her clothes. She used all her self control to duck back and away. He followed her, yellow eyes lidded, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“As long as you put your hand back where it was.” She laughed into his kiss before pulling away, grasping his hand and leading him home.

III

AN: Gamako is based off of a Cope's Gray Tree Frog. Very lightly. The females don't make noises, so I took some creative liberties.

#narusaku #fanfic #naruto #sakura

2 notes · View notes

kakaoverseas · 1 year

Text

Who Says Kaka Overseas Fraud company?

The corporation can sustain the ecological, financial, and social frameworks with good performance thanks to its investment in solar energy. Therefore, the sibling firm, Kaka Carpet, provides a definitive answer to the human race and optimizes substantial profits. Kaka Overseas Ltd., Kaka Carpet, Shobha Woollen Pvt Ltd, Rugsotic, Royal Carpet, and Rugsotic Pvt Ltd. are the other six Kaka Group firms. Yadavender Roy serves as the director of each of these businesses. These businesses are developing rapidly.

The company's CSR objectives are openly stated and support a distinct ecosystem they feel will benefit their business and its consumers. It supports the company's economic expansion. The nation is blessed with lovely climatic features, natural ecosystems, and the world's natural beauty. The nation is seeing such a big change in the ecological balance because of global warming. The only naturally occurring source of light and power, the sun possesses enormous power.

Investment in Solar Energy

To achieve ecological harmony, reduce global warming, and foster a healthy life cycle for future generations, Rugsotic Pvt Ltd., a sister company of Kaka Group Bhadohi, proudly announces the investment in solar energy. The greatest satisfaction comes from realizing the value of solar electricity and using it to produce energy for consumption. They think the firm is in the nation to improve things. Even leaving something useful that they are proud of for the next generation is plausible.

Although the company's solar investment seems large, it is just the first step toward living sustainably. The business constantly plans events where they may inspire the artisans, workers, and employees to use solar power and get possible benefits from the environment. Shortly, they will need to accept and lessen the effects of global warming.

Kaka Overseas supports CSR

Remember that as demand rises in the market, production and installation prices for solar panels are reducing. The business is very much in line with the times and supports eco-friendly living. The business actively promotes the development of the solar sector and influences the next generation to lead healthier lifestyles. Since prices are falling, they have a higher chance of making a profit on their investment thanks to technical innovation.

The business supports CSR objectives and green business practices. Using the solar energy company strategy, one leaves a smaller or no carbon footprint for their offspring. It is a tidy and environmentally friendly corporate organization for clients, investors, and consumers. 'Sobha Woolen Fraud' statement is totally wrong. They are here to compete in the big game without polluting the environment.

1 note · View note

notesfromasmallworld · 2 years

Text

Getting rid of a disaster

The possum was imported to New Zealand by settlers to start a fur industry.

It proved an environmental disaster, possums escaping into the wild had none enemies other than humans. But the small predators found a food smorgasbord of scarcely protected eggs from local birds.

No flight

Many of theses birds is and was endemic to New Zealand and had evolved into flightless variants. They had no time to develop protection techniques until several of them had become exterminated, or seriously threatened as species.

Using the fur from possums hunted down and killed in clothes together with wool ads a warming, soft quality, to hats, scarfs, gloves and sweaters. And the disastrous fur industry experiments ends up being of some use and economic value.

And, saving the remaining kiwis (and kaka, kokako, weka, kakapo...) by buying clothes.

#new zealand #kiwi #birds #possum #fur #wool #clothes #design #kaka #kokako #weka #kakapo

0 notes

lemony-snickers · 2 years

Text

chapter five. >>> part four here.

Title: Helping Hands (part 5 of ?) (AO3 Link Here) Chapter Summary: Lord Kakashi sustains an injury. Chapter Word Count: 4,835 Chapter Warnings: fem!MC, alcohol use descriptions of injury, references to PTSD .

There were a great many ways Lord Kakashi had considered he might one day die. Of his own will was certainly not a thing beyond comprehension, drowned at the bottom of the ocean after a disastrous passage might still top the list, despite his discharge from the Navy. Tumbling down the stairs in his old age, misfiring a weapon. Even a wound that became infected or an illness that could not be treated hastily enough.

All of these considerations had of course entered Lord Kakashi’s sour mind upon occasion. Especially in the aftermath of Obito’s death at sea or following Rin’s murder at his own hands, such dark thoughts were nearly impossible to outrun always.

But falling from his horse on a Wednesday morning while riding through familiar fields had never once crossed his mind.

Still, as he laid there amidst the wildflowers, the grasses tall enough to shield his body from view, he thought perhaps he should have expected something so mundane.

It remained unclear what had spooked his horse—but the creature was long gone and despite Lord Kakashi’s best efforts, he was entirely unable to maintain any weight on his left leg. The thing was mangled—twisted and bleeding. Already, the flies had come, lured no doubt by the smell of his blood as it soaked into the dirt.

When he closed his eyes against the glare of the midday sun, Lord Kakashi was not at all fool enough to think he would open them again.

It seemed too stupid a thing to even consider, after so many hours of hoarsely shouting for aid that did not appear.

He was going to die here, in a foreign land, alone and broken; just as his father had.

And as the world went black, Lord Kakashi thought perhaps he saw Sakumo Hatake—his warm smile tinged with only the slightest hint of sadness; regret, maybe. So he went into the afterlife without concern, for if his father was there to greet him, Lord Kakashi knew it would be a most welcome respite from the strains of the world, from the lamentations of his past.

The Caretaker rolled with the dogs in the grass when she heard Iruka’s voice climbing the hill. The call, though familiar in timber and tone, was altogether different from any sound she’d ever heard from him and when she sat up, her eyes soon found Iruka, climbing the hill with a sweat-stained brow…

And Lord Kakashi draped limply over the saddle of his horse.

Terror is a strange thing—it seizes a heart like a vice, makes a chest feel tight and hot, like a cactus blooming under a desert sun within a too-small space.

The interesting thing is that there is not always a precise understanding of where this terror comes from. Surely, sometimes it is from love—familiar or romantic—that these sensations emanate. Other times, it is an unidentifiable impulse which induces such a feeling, and as she raced across the field toward the pair of men, that must have been what the Caretaker expected to find in her heart as she pushed all emotion away to attend to the needs of the occasion.

For the terror that clawed its way into her heart could serve no purpose but to distract her, and so she buried it deep, never to be further scrutinized, even if perhaps it was deserving of investigation.

It was a fact known to very few that the woman who would eventually become the Caretaker of the Hatake Estate originally trained as a combat nurse. However unknown her circumstances may have been to Iruka and Lord Kakashi at the moment, her training took over all but immediately as she raced to meet them. Before she was even upon the ragged-looking pair, her eyes scanned Iruka first for any injuries, but other than the obvious strain moving Lord Kakashi had induced and a scrape along one forearm likely from heaving the larger man into the saddle, he appeared fine.

Lord Kakashi, on the other hand, was not conscious—though his chest moved slowly, confirming he still breathed. A relief, though one she had not time enough to register and appreciate.

“What happened?” the Caretaker asked as she met them—leaving no room for awkwardness between herself and her former lover and acting not at all as a Housemaid, but as one trained in the medical professions as she had once been.

“I-I don’t know,” Iruka stuttered, a little taken aback by her charged and headstrong demeanor. “I saw his horse wandering in the far field,” he said, pointing off in a vague northwesterly direction. “It spooked when I approached and took off. When I realized it did not have a rider, I did my best to retrace the path it broke through the fallow fields and found Lord Kakashi on the ground. I could not wake him.”

The Caretaker listened raptly as she inspected what she could see of Lord Kakashi’s body. The most obvious of the injuries seemed to be his left leg, which was bleeding and bent at an odd angle. She smoothed her hands through his unruly hair—a gesture that normally would have felt far too intimate, but which in this instance meant nothing more than checking for blood or contusions.

As her fingers found the small lump at the back of Lord Kakashi’s head, the sensation of her hands upon him roused the Lord from his torpor and he groaned.

Both his companions laid their hands upon his body, much to his distaste. Lord Kakashi swatted lamely at their hands, brushing them away.

“My Lord, please do not move. You’ve been injured.”

He grunted noncommittally, but ceased his movements, allowing his body to hang limply over the saddle as it had been.

“Iruka, take the horse from the stable and run to the village to fetch the Doctor, Lord Kakashi will need to be fully evaluated.”

Iruka flushed thinking of the stables, but nodded, taking off at a run. “I’ll be back as quick as I can,” he promised, leaving his own stead in her care with Lord Kakashi still draped in the seat.

“I don’t need…” Lord Kakashi sucked in a sharp breath as pain lanced through his left side, from his armpit to his ankle… “a doctor. Do not be absurd.”

Despite her concerns for his well-being, the Caretaker snorted as she led Iruka’s horse up the hill, watching as the other man departed the stables at the crest with great speed to do as she’d instructed him.

“The only absurdity I find here, Lord Kakashi, is you believing you do not need a physician when you are incapable even of sitting upright in a saddle.”

He grumbled something unintelligible and they traversed the remainder of the hill in silence.

It took no small amount of effort to convey the young Lord from the horse to his bedchamber. The Caretaker, though certainly strong for her build, still found his half-dead weight rather a difficult thing to withstand without assistance. It helped not at all that he was unable to put any weight on his injured leg. Of course, he attempted to do so anyway, before nearly collapsing in agony as he let out a pained shout.

His dogs, too, seemed intent on making the walk from kitchen door to bedroom as difficult as possible, standing in front of them always with fitfully wagging tails, barking and whining as they looked with panicked eyes between the two humans.

“It’s fine,” the Caretaker promised somewhat erroneously, “Your Master is fine, please. Please, sit.”

They listened, though seemingly begrudgingly. Once the lopsided pair reached Lord Kakashi’s room, all eight dogs planted themselves firmly in the doorway, watching attentively, but thankfully maintaining their distance as the Caretaker helped the Lord into his bed.

Removing his boots was an excruciating endeavor for them both. For Lord Kakashi because even the slightest pressure against his right foot made the nerves of his injured leg spark like someone had taken a flint to each frayed end. And for the Caretaker because it turned out her Lord was a most cantankerous patient.

“I am,” he said through gritted teeth, “perfectly capable of disrobing myself.”

“If you do not sit still so I may help you, then I will not only remove your shoes and cut away your trouser leg, but strip you entirely naked and leave you that way until the Doctor arrives.”

“Stripping your employer against his direction does not seem a particularly intelligent or ladylike thing to do.”

The Caretaker gave him the most falsely sweet smile Lord Kakashi had ever seen. “As you have intimated on several occasions, my employer—Lord Sakumo Hatake—is quite dead. You, my Lord, are nothing more than a whiny patient and I assure you when it comes to the care of injured men, I am not in the least bit concerned about being ladylike.”

They stared at one another, both frowning. So absorbed were the pair in their great disagreement over whether the trousers Lord Kakashi wore were worth saving, they did not hear a brusque pair of feet approaching the door.

“Well, that’s good to know, as I imagine I shall be needing your help if today’s patient is half as unpleasant as he seems already.”

The Caretaker sighed, basking in the arrival of her relief. “Doctor Senju, thank you for coming.”

Tsunade Senju was as formidable as she was a rarity—a woman wholly made of her own doing, with no husband to decide for her what her life should look like. That she came from one of the wealthiest and most respected old families in the area certainly had aided her in obtaining the education she required (and would have been denied any other woman) to become a small village physician. But that did nothing to diminish her fortitude or intelligence.

Iruka was with her, flushed and out of breath, much of his hair pulled out of the ponytail he typically wore, wind-whipped and curling around his face. The Caretaker had to look away from him, too enamored of his disheveled appearance—of what it reminded her of.

Her quick aversion of glance did not go unnoticed by Lord Kakashi, though he made no outward indication of the same.

Doctor Senju was decisive and firm; she sent both other occupants of the room on errands to fetch hot water, towels, and the cheapest liquor in the house. While they brought her the items she requested, the Doctor cut away the Lord’s trouser legs, despite his robust complaining.

When he winced as he rose up on his elbows to scold her, the Doctor smirked. “It appears I’ll be removing your shirt to examine your ribs as well,” she teased as she tore away the fabric still covering Lord Kakashi’s injured leg. “The bone is broken, but not shattered,” she said, running her lithe fingers over the bruised and bloody shin. “It looks worse than it is because you scraped your leg, too—the skin will heal, but the bone must be set.” Her amber eyes flicked up to meet Lord Kakashi’s grey steel gaze.

“I’m sure you’ll take no pleasure at all in how much this is going to hurt,” he said, mouth pulling into a wry smirk.

“None at all,” she lied, which pulled a ragged chuckle from Lord Kakashi that had him wincing all over.

When Iruka and the Caretaker returned, Doctor Senju ripped the gin away from the startled young man and took a hearty swig straight from the bottle before handing it to Lord Kakashi, who drank greedily himself, in a bid to dull the throbbing pain spreading from his leg to the farthest reaches of his body.

“You,” Doctor Senju said, and though both potential helpers looked up at her call, her eyes were fixed firmly on the Caretaker’s. “You trained as a nurse, did you not?”

Both Iruka and Lord Kakashi looked at the other woman, whose lips pursed together firmly. This was information known to very few people and she wondered how the Doctor might have come upon such gossip within their small village.

“I did for a time,” was all she said.

The Doctor nodded. “Good. I will need your help setting the bone.”

Her new assistant nodded, rolling up her sleeves and stepping to the Doctor’s side to follow her every direction, avoiding the gaze of both the Lord and the grocer’s boy. The eyes of both men keenly watched her every movement, the dexterity with which she threaded a needle, how tenderly she cleaned the Lord’s bloodied leg so Doctor Senju could view the injury more cleanly.

Never once did the Caretaker make eye contact with anyone but the Doctor, though her skin prickled with the close attention paid her by the others in the room.

Eventually, Doctor Tsunade handed Lord Kakashi his own belt, setting it between his teeth.

He spat it out.

“You’ll want to bite down,” she said, “this will more than sting.”

Lord Kakashi grinned, a whistled sound of amusement huffing from his nose. “Believe me, Doctor, I have undergone far worse under far less pleasant conditions.”

No one in the room was wholly certain of his truthfulness, but none argued.

“It’s your tongue,” the Doctor said, shrugging.

Iruka fastened the Lord’s wrists to the bed with his own hands, blushing and apologizing all the while. The Caretaker was tasked with holding the man’s legs in place and keeping them from flailing, a task which she managed only by throwing her whole weight over his ankles.

For when Doctor Senju began manipulating the broken bone beneath the flesh to maneuver it back into place, the roar that erupted from Lord Kakashi’s throat was rivaled only by the way his body reacted.

It was not the worst pain he had ever known, but that did nothing to deter his nerves from screaming in protest at the adjustment. For a brief moment, it felt as though a bolt of lightning had shot straight through him, racing from the bottom of his foot all the way to his neck, searing each nerve and tendon and muscle fiber as the agony raced through the soft tissue.

And then, as sharply as the pain had begun, it dulled. Doctor Senju wiped sweat from her brow and took another swig from the gin bottle. She attempted to pour more into Lord Kakashi’s mouth, but he turned his face away and the liquor dribbled over his cheek and uncomfortably into his ear.

“Suit yourself,” she grumbled under her breath before taking another sip.

The Doctor and her newly-recruited nurse splinted the leg with a length of wood and wound it in cloth bandages while Iruka cleaned up the soiled towels and tattered remnants of Lord Kakashi’s clothing.

“He’ll need to keep his weight off it for several weeks,” Tsunade said lowly, leaning over to prod at the Lord’s sore side. “And he’ll need to stay in bed while his ribs heal, though that won’t take as long.” The Caretaker nodded, groaning internally at the misfortune and misery tending to a bedridden Lord Kakashi was sure to induce. “Are you the only other person here?” Doctor Senju asked, “I saw no other staff.”

“Yes, but I’ll see to it he’s properly looked after,” the younger woman assured her.

Doctor Senju watched the Caretaker’s face for any sign of discomfort or embarrassment, but found none.

“I’m not an invalid,” Lord Kakashi protested, “and I’m right here.”

Only the smallest of smirks pricked at the corners of each woman’s mouth, but neither of them responded.

As Doctor Senju made her way toward the exit where Iruka was already waiting to escort her back to the village, she turned to look at the young woman trailing behind her, hands stained brown from the blood she had cleaned and dress smeared with the same.

“Why did you call for me?” she asked, unprompted. “You could have set the leg yourself.”

Iruka’s ears perked up, wondering again how he had never known that the woman he’d bedded for so long had once trained as a nurse. Had they really talked so little, he wondered.

The Caretaker only smiled politely, inclining her head, “It’s been several years since I’ve put into practice any of my education in such things. Especially given Lord Kakashi’s standing, I thought it best to have his injuries attended to by the best medical professional we had at our disposal rather than a novice such as myself.”

“Ha!” the Doctor barked, startling Iruka, “Flattery will get you everywhere, my dear, but it seems you already know that. I’ll send my apprentice to check on Lord Kakashi in a few day’s time. Send for me if his condition worsens before that.”

The Caretaker curtsied in farewell, her eyes glancing up only briefly to meet Iruka’s before he turned to leave. Though the words never passed her lips, her gratitude was clear in her expression and he could not help but feel lighter for it as he departed.

It took some time for the Caretaker to attend to the groceries Iruka had unloaded for her at some point between returning with Doctor Senju escorting her back to her duties in the village. After that, the Caretaker returned to check on Lord Kakashi, who was asleep in his bed. The pack of loyal dogs had entered the room, most of them quivering or whimpering, tails tucked between their legs.

None but Pakkun dared jump on the bed and the Caretaker’s heart warmed at the sight of the small pug curled protectively against his Master’s side, eyes bright and alert as he watched her step over the threshold.

She gave each of the dogs a reassuring pat and scratched Pakkun appreciatively behind the ears.

As she made her way back to her own room to change into an unsoiled dress, the Caretaker resolved to provide them with extra treats later in the evening. When she peeled away her dirty clothes, her thoughts drifted to Tsunade Senju’s parting words—that she could have set Lord Kakashi’s injured leg herself.

Though it might have been true, she did not wish to dwell on the reminder of her previous profession. Even as her fingers fondled the locket at her throat, she tried very hard to push away the memories the Doctor’s words had induced.

Her hands had been steady when she assisted Doctor Senju, but now they shook, fingers trembling and palms slick with nervous sweat. Her stomach roiled and she breathed deeply through her nose to stop herself from vomiting on her new dress as she pulled it from her wardrobe.

While it was a truth she had once trained as a combat nurse where she had set—and amputated—a number of broken legs, the memories of that time were wholly nightmarish. A blight upon her consciousness she did not wish to dwell upon, no matter the reasoning. She knew she had done good, once, in that profession, but the more distance she put between herself and that portion of her life—both in days counted and new employments seen to fruition—the better.

The losses suffered under such circumstances overwhelmed any sense of accomplishment she might have once felt about her time as a nurse. The last time she had been called to action in her previously chosen profession, things had ended poorly for all involved—the soldier in her care and herself, both lives irrevocably altered. There was a reason she no longer wished to carry out such duties.

Feeling too hot, overwhelmed by the deluge of reminiscence, the Caretaker sat at the edge of her bed in only her undergarments. She closed her eyes and deliberately slowed her breathing, knowing her racing heart would soon follow.

She clenched the locket between her fingers, thumb worrying over it to soothe her anxiety, guide her breathing. With practiced finesse, her fingers moved to the latch, prying it open with her eyes still closed.

She was crying even before she looked at the photographs inside, but her tears bubbled out in a wretched torrent once she glanced down at the pictures held within.

Three men—two on the left and one on the right. All smiling. All beautiful.

All dead, now.

She snapped the locket closed, eager to hide their faces away again, and covered her mouth with one hand as she sobbed; a wretched, heart-wrenching sound that easily traversed the length of the hall where it met Lord Kakashi’s curious and guilt-ridden ears.

He hated to think he might be the cause of her sadness, and had no way of knowing he had contributed to it only tangentially.

When she finally regained control of her emotions, the Caretaker finished dressing herself and left her room behind to attend to the rest of her duties. As she stepped out onto the grounds to begin her search for Lord Kakashi’s errant horse, it was firmly rooted in the knowledge that it had been the right decision to have Iruka fetch the Doctor. Tsunade Senju was far more suited to the task of setting bones, of caring for the wounded. Even if the woman’s visit had resulted in the disappearance of her favorite bottle of gin, it had been a good choice for both Lord Kakashi and his sole staff member.

She resigned herself to caring for Lord Kakashi and hoped that in so doing, she would not find her own undoing.

When she checked on the Lord shortly thereafter, no trace remained of her sorrow or upset—no tremors or tears lingered. She smiled at him and asked if he needed anything and he cursed when she pushed him gently back against the mattress as he strained to stand.

“You must rest, my Lord,” she reminded him. “Your leg is freshly set and your ribs are broken. You have a contusion on the back of your skull.”

He groaned, shrugging out of her grip to the best of his ability, which was relatively laughable. The Caretaker said as much, pushing him back into the pillows gently before promising to return with food.

It was a relatively simple interaction, despite the grumbling that followed her into the hall as she left the Lord’s room. If she had known it would be the last amicable conversation they had for several weeks, the Caretaker may have taken a brief moment to savor it.

For in the course of the ensuing days, it became apparent that if anyone were to describe Sakumo Hatake’s son as a wretched patient, it would have been a matter of gross understatement. Of course, had the elder man still been alive, he could—and would—have fairly warned the poor woman responsible for Lord Kakashi’s care in the wake of his riding accident. But as Lord Hatake was remanded to his burial spot beneath a tree on the grounds, the younger man’s abhorrent disposition remained for her to discover on her own.

It was a speedy and wretched awakening.

Lord Kakashi rarely heeded directions and almost never stopped complaining through gritted teeth that he was not in need of a “nursemaid.”

“I supposed it is a good thing I am not a nursemaid, then,” his Caretaker would say, her vexation obvious in the twin lines pulled taut between her brows. “However, if you should like, I would be more than happy to hire one.”

In truth, she hoped he would one day soon agree to her offer, so she would no longer be the sole person responsible for placating his sour moods. Additionally, she could feel herself falling behind on her other duties around the Manor as her waking hours were wasted attempting to make Lord Kakashi’s recovery more comfortable.

“I’ve told you before,” Lord Kakashi snapped, “there is no reason to hire more staff.”

His Caretaker was grateful her back was turned so he could not see the way her eyes rolled irritably toward the ceiling.

“As you say, my Lord.”

He grunted and she left the room, glad to remove herself from it. Of course, her respite did not last long. Only a few short hours later, she returned to help him into the bath. He cursed the whole way, refusing to lean enough weight on her shoulders and instead hopping rather ungracefully toward the adjacent bathroom where the warm water awaited his twisted and tired muscles.

She had initially suggested that sponge bathing would be better for the healing of his ribs, but the acerbic glare he had fixed her with made it quite clear such a thing would be impossible, and so helping him to the bath was the best she could manage.

As much as his Caretaker wished to help him disrobe, she knew already it was a losing battle to even suggest, so she simply said as she pulled the doors closed, “Call when you are ready for me to escort you back to the bed.”

Lord Kakashi’s response was not at all dignified and might even have been categorized as exceedingly inappropriate, were there any other ears near enough to hear it.

Of course, he did not call, and instead hopped his way back into his bed, where his companion found him sulking when she eventually decided she could wait no longer to ensure the young Lord had not drowned in the basin of his copper tub.

It had been like this for just over a week and the bitter energy of Hatake Manor was beginning to seep into the very carpets, likely to stain the house forever if the acrimonious spell was not soon broken.

Lord Kakashi would never admit so, but the pulleys and bars he had previously installed into the bathrooms and the halls proved quite useful as he recovered. Though, if the woman he shared the House with ever appeared around a corner, he was quick to let go of whichever one he might be holding at the time and instead lean against the wall as if it was what he’d been doing all the while.

This resulted, each time without fail, in a severe scolding.

“You are meant to be resting,” she chided.

And he would shrug, hiding his wince with a smirk as his ribs ached with the minuscule movement. “I am resting. Against the wall.”

She didn’t even bother to hide her irritation anymore, rolling her eyes as she hooked one arm around his waist and forced him back to bed. He grumbled and complained, but complied.

While his pride could withstand the Caretaker’s indignation—if he were honest with himself, he could even admit that she looked sort of pretty when she was so very irritated with him—he was not sure it would survive the acknowledgment of his condition and the limitations it placed upon his daily life.

Bed rest was not a thing Kakashi Hatake had taken to with any amount of dignity or grace, and he had no intentions of suddenly altering his mind on the subject. His fall had become a source of great irritation and even shame—that a rider of his caliber had managed to be bucked made his fists curl tightly when he thought of it.

The horse had been found, she told him, wandering in a pasture of the adjacent landowner. They had been kind enough to allow a stableboy to return the horse to the Hatake Estate as soon as they found it, recognizing the seal branded into the leather saddle.

Lord Kakashi did not like to think about how many people he had never met might yet be familiar with his name and landholdings regardless. He prized privacy and dignity about all else—that wagging tongues had most assuredly spread news of his relocation shortly following his arrival made the hairs at the back of his neck prickle indignantly. As did the realization that the grocer’s son and the Doctor had likely also loosed gossip of his injury.

As Lord Kakashi continued to recover, the only bright spot was the letter he received one afternoon, delivered by the Caretaker along with his usual afternoon tea. The familiar sigil in the wax brightened his face with a smile his companion had never seen alight his face—something bright and youthful and filled with hope.

When he flicked his dark gaze up to meet hers, the Caretaker felt her heart warm at the recognition of his excitement, true and unabashed as it was. It was something she had not yet regarded in him—delight and happiness. A rare and beautiful thing, she decided, particularly in his current circumstance.

“We should prepare the house for visitors,” he said.

At least the prospect of a visitor relieved some of the tension between them as the Caretaker prepared for their mysterious guest Because, no matter how often she tried, Lord Kakashi would not reveal his acquaintance’s identity.

“You’ll see when he gets here,” he promised. “I would hate to spoil the surprise.”

#🍋 mix and match #lemony scribbles #kakashi hatake #kakashi x reader #historical au #historical romance #long-winded historical au clusterfuck #tw alcohol

18 notes · View notes

deiliamedlini · 3 years

Text

Gratitude (Twelve Days of Winterfest)

Part 5/6

Summary: With the upcoming Wintersday and Hylia’s Feast in the midst of the kingdom’s preparation for the Calamity, Princess Zelda leans on her closest friend for support. And no-- to her greatest surprise-- it’s not Urbosa, but rather the Appointed Knight she’d hated until just a few short months ago. Neither had realized how important they’d become to each other. But for that relationship, they were most grateful.

Ao3 Link

Previous | Chapter Index | Next

Day 9:

“Princess,” Link said with a nod, greeting her as she exited the prayer chapel in the castle.

She stopped and looked at him, suspicious. “What?”

Link scoffed. “What do you mean, ‘what?’”

“You never say hello to me when I come out of here.”

“Am I not allowed to?” he asked, grabbing the loose hair on the back of his neck that never did him the favor of staying in his ponytail.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Okay. Hello, Link.”

With a dramatic head roll, he turned away from her before immediately looking back. “Fine. You’re right.”

“About?”

“I have an ulterior motive. Want to go outside with me?”

Zelda raised her eyebrow. “I’m in a very cold dress, so no.”

“I mean, after you change, of course.”

And that was how Zelda ended up bundled in her winter gear in the early afternoon, her full bag across her shoulder, standing in front of the stables, tapping her foot with a confused expression when Link arrived with Epona already with reins on, though no saddle.

“Should I get the stablehand?” Zelda asked, pointing to her perfectly content-to-be-left-alone stallion who happily chomped on some straw.

“Actually, I figured we’d both take Epona so no one gets suspicious right away.”

“Suspicious? Where are we going? Not for a generic fresh-air ride, I assume?”

He looed away coyly. “No. Not there. I… planned something for you last night.”

Zelda smiled and bounded towards him giddily. “You did what?”

“Yeah, yeah. Are you interested? It’s a surprise, but it’s nothing you’ll hate. I hope.”

“I’m very interested!”

He rubbed his neck, his face red. “Okay.”

Zelda sat in front, while he rode just behind her on Epona’s bare back. He felt bad that they were perfectly capable of getting a second horse, but he wanted to alert as few people as possible. His commander knew so that no one called out a great search for Princess Zelda, and Impa knew. But those two were all he’d told.

The winter chill was sharp on his back, even despite the cloak around his shoulders, and Zelda’s scarf around his neck. She’d teased him when she leaned back into him and nearly pulled some yarn out when it got caught on her shirt, but he insisted that he loved it, and she wasn’t taking his scarf away.

Zelda didn’t have to face the wind as harshly. She had it from the front, but Link gratuitously had her wrapped up close to him. Neither objected, but he did face a long ride of goosebumps along his arm.

Zelda faced a different kind, feeling Link’s breath on the side of her neck, keeping her warm in some ways, while absolutely causing her to shudder. And she knew he wasn’t doing it on purpose, but when Epona rocked a certain way, his lips would brush her skin. He’d pull away each time, a muttered apology quick to escape, but he was always back in his place on her shoulder almost immediately.

Nothing had explicitly changed in their relationship. Zelda had shared a horse with Link several times, much like everything else she did with him. But his body was pressed flat against hers, and she only lamented their thick layers preventing her from being closer. His hands rested loosely in front of her as they held the reins, warm in her horribly knitted mittens. Because of course he insisted on wearing them, just like the scarf. And she wanted so, so badly to turn her head slightly, but that would mean he’d be right there.

Ugh! She wanted to kiss him again. Not good.

Perfectly content in their silent ride, she only spoke when she realized where she believed he was taking her when they veered off towards a small canyon.

“Kakariko?”

“Mhmm,” he hummed, almost groggily. “Sound okay?”

“Why are we going there?”

“You’re a borderline genius, Princess. I don’t think I need to explain the definition of ‘a surprise.’”

“Shut up,” she laughed, kicking his leg.

They continued through the winding valley, and Link slowed Epona as they entered Kakariko. He hopped off, leaving Zelda’s back exposed to a whoosh of cold air before he held his arms out to help her down. She accepted, because not only was it a moment of indulgence, but she was still not the most glorious of horse riders, and without a stirrup, she wasn’t sure she could get down gracefully.

“Thank you,” she chirped happily when her feet hit the snow.

“You’re here!”

Zelda spun around to see Impa rushing outside one of the houses with a wide smile on her face. “I didn’t know you’d gone home, Impa. Actually, I thought you’d have set out on that errand I asked of you.”

“I haven’t officially come home. Link asked me to set something up, and since it was on my way, I figured ‘why not?’”

Link turned to Zelda. “What favor?”

“A royal one,” she quipped, and he closed his mouth, knowing better than to press for any royal secrets.

“Fine, but Impa did my favor first.” He hurried up the steps to the house, grateful she’d gotten someone to move the snow aside.

Impa swapped places with him and took Epona. “I’ll get her settled.”

“Thank you, Impa.”

“Have fun, you two,” she said, winking as she led Epona away. “You’re both so cute.”

Zelda made a face and turned to Link. “What’s in there that has her acting strange?”

Link shrugged and held the door open. “She’s always strange.”

Zelda rolled her eyes at him and went into the room. And beamed.

There was a roaring fire with a pot hanging over it, a stocked kitchen, and a set table. Candles lit the room giving it an orange glow as the flames sent shadows dancing along the walls.

“I didn’t ask her for that,” Link said, pointing to them.

“They fit,” Zelda laughed giddily, spinning across the room as she looked around. “You had her set the rest of this up?”

Link locked the door behind him and tugged some of his warmer layers off, hanging his cloak and scarf and mittens on the hooks along the wall. “You wanted to be able to leave to help Mabe Village. It’s still too dangerous there, but we could come to Kakariko. Some of Impa’s guards will be by later to talk to you about what’s going on out here, but you’re free to wander the village at your leisure. And in the meantime, I figured you might like to eat something after your devotions, since I know those got out a bit late today.”

Zelda bit her lip and grabbed Link’s hand. “You did this?”

“You wanted to get out and talk to the people, right?”

“Yes, very much.”

Link shrugged. “Then whatever I can give you, I will. I just couldn’t get you to Mabe. So, you’re free to wander around. I’ll stay here so you can feel like you don’t have a shadow.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Cook.”

“Cook?”

“Cook, yeah.”

Zelda narrowed her eyes at him, giving his hand a playful shake. “My Appointed Knight, Hero of Hyrule, Hylian Champion, Wielder of the Master Sword… cooks?”

He grinned. “Avidly.”

“And you’re going to cook… for me?”

“Unless you want to eat air, yes.”

Zelda snorted. “You’re too comfortable with me. You’ve gotten snarky.”

“You rubbed off on me.”

She balked and took a light swing at him. He caught her hand, laughing. But she just pulled herself free and leaned on the counter. “I want to watch.”

“Watch?”

“You cook.”

Link grabbed some of the things that Impa had left for them. It seemed that meat was on the menu. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“I’m a scientist, Link. I need evidence.”

“I’ll have something for you when you come back.”

With a deep breath, Zelda steeled herself to be bold. “I want… I want to be with you.”

Not nearly as bold as she’d planned, and definitely not how she meant to phrase it. He shot her a confused look.

“What?”

“It’s Winterfest. It’s… it’s a time to be with the ones you love. And since Wintersday is a ball, and Hylia’s Feast is just praying all day, I want to do something fun… with you. Like this. I don’t want to wander around with strangers today.”

“Okay,” he murmured, barely able to get his lips to work, let along his brain.

“Oh, and I have something… I brought it with me. I thought we were just going riding, so I was going to give it to you then.” She pulled her bag open and produced a fine leather belt. “You said your favorite one broke, so I commissioned one with a rush order to the specifications they had on file for you. I don’t know if it’s as good, but I figured it was better than nothing.”

Fighting back a massive grin, Link began to fiddle with the clearly worn out, spare, old belt clasp he wore for the day. “Let’s try it then.”

There was a rather large difference between watching someone strip, and watching someone pull a belt off, but somehow, Link managed to blur that line. And if Link were anyone else, she’d have barely batted an eye. But with all his talents in the world, one happened to be that he managed to make it seem like some intimate moment between them, his eyes on hers as the metal clasp clanked before he pulled it off through the belt loops and took the new one from her hand.

It got to the point that she had to look away from him. There was no hiding how red she’d gotten. She could even hear a breath of air though his nose as he laughed softly at her.

More metal banged around. It felt like an eternity of just the sounds of the crackling logs under the fire, and the sound of shifting fabric and steel.

“This is perfect,” he finally said, prompting her to look back at him.

He’d replaced the Master Sword properly onto the new leather strap, and he twisted around, testing it all out.

“Yeah?”

“It really is.”

“Good! Happy early Wintersday, then.” Her smile faded as she watched him grimace when he adjusted it again. “Link?”

“Hmm?” he hummed, but when he saw her expression, he understood. “It’s just rubbing against that scratch. I’m okay.”

Crossing her arms, Zelda sighed. “Yeah. Scratch.”

Link strode up to her and took her hands in his, cradling them under his chin. “Thank you for this, Princess. You’re far too kind to me.”

She stretched her fingers, brushing his throat. “Don’t move, Link.”

He couldn’t if he wanted, already frozen from her light touch and nervous from where he’d held her trembling hands.

She let out a nervous breath that blew air against his chin and leaned in close to him, letting her forehead rest on his. He was sure he’d stopped breathing altogether. Soft lips were just a hairbreadth away from his, and his eyes instinctively fluttered shut when she got even closer.

But she turned her head just a fraction and kissed just off to the side of his mouth.

She said don’t move, he had to remind himself when all he longed to do was to just turn his head just a bit and see if she’d pull away or let him kiss her for real.

Not that he was complaining. Despite the slight disappointment he felt, the sudden warmth on his cheek, so, so temptingly close to his mouth, was enough to make him want to melt. His hand tightened on her when he felt her eyelashes bat closed against him. She didn’t pull away with any haste, and he could feel her scrunch up her nose in annoyance, moving her lips away for only a second before brushing them against him again, closer to his lips.

And then she left him cold, backing away entirely as she let out a larger anxious breath before daring a glance at him.

“That was to say thank you for… all of this.”

Link was still in shock, and words were just too much for his current state. His blue eyes managed to slide to her green ones, glistening with nervous excitement of his own, and his wide, toothy grin slowly started to appear, taking over his whole face.

Zelda chuckled, relieved. “Don’t smile at me like that.”

He closed his lips together, though it didn’t lessen the effect. “My apologies, Princess.”

Grabbing the nearest bag, he tore it open just to keep himself occupied with thoughts of anything else. But when he dared a look at her, she was staring at his lips.

Raising an eyebrow knowingly, he moved far, far too close into her personal bubble and handed her the bag. “Want to help, or just going to watch me?”

Tearing the bag from his hands, she blushed harder, and she thought for sure this was the moment she’d just throw up from the assault the butterflies had raged against her. “Get to work, Link.”

He winked at her. Goddess, he winked. “Yes, ma’am.”

~~~~

Day 10:

Devotions to the Goddess always left Zelda feeling incredibly down. Her spirits were nearly unsalvageable when she’d get off her sore and bruised knees, and when her palms were rubbed raw from throwing herself at the feet of the statues of the Goddesses in the vain hope that there was something left that they might be willing to do for her.

It was these days that Zelda needed to be cheered up the most.

And today, she couldn’t have planned it better.

Well, technically, she had planned everything but her mood.

The castle sitting rooms were far more formal than the one in Zelda’s bedroom. Overall, they were more spacious, usually they were more elaborately decorated, or carefully furnished with imported materials to remind trade partners that their wares were put to use.

Zelda chose one of the less aggressive ones, a cream and gold colored room that had the unfortunate similarity to her prayer dress. But it was bright compared to the dark reds, or the blues in the other rooms on this end of the castle. And she wanted to stay near the bedrooms.

Alone, Zelda had her legs curled up under her, her heels kicked off on the floor. She’d dressed better than usual with a nice blue dress and the simplest of circlets that she often wore around the castle whenever there were guests joining them and she felt the need to dress up ever more slightly. She’d even done more makeup than usual.

Thank the Goddess Link wasn’t scheduled to his shift with her for another few hours, or he’d have caught every little change she’d made, and he’d ask why. If she didn’t answer, he’d let it go, of course, but he’d be suspicious. And that was the last thing she wanted from him.

The rap on the door had her shooting up, sliding back into her heels and smoothing out her dress.

“Come in.”

Impa walked in first, a satisfied grin on her face. Then she looked behind her. “You’re good. Come on in.”

An old woman hobbled into the great room. Her grey hair was tied into a bun, a loose red dress hemmed perfectly to her ankles, and her blue eyes wide on the walls, the gold etchings, the floor. Everything struck her, and a familiar grin stuck onto her face.

Zelda stepped forward. “Hello, Enna. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”

The old woman glanced first at Impa and then back at Zelda. “You’re really the Princess?”

“I am,” Zelda smiled, caught in the contagious expression that she knew all-too-well. The family resemblance was clear even beyond physical looks.

“Will you be alright while I fetch him?” Impa asked.

Zelda looked at the old woman with gentle, inviting eyes. “Would you mind keeping me company while Impa fetches your grandson?”

Enna’s eyes widened, and she spun toward the door. “Link is here?”

“Did you not tell her?” Zelda asked Impa, suddenly nervous.

But Impa held her hand out and lowered her voice. “She forgets some things. I told her several times.”

“Right, that was silly of me,” Zelda scoffed. Of course she remembered that. It was why Impa had brought the nurses along as well, but for that split second, she’d thought she’d truly just given this woman a mild heart attack.

Instead, Zelda offered Enna her hand. “Yes, he’s here. We’re surprising him, so he’s not aware that you’re coming. Does that sound okay?”

Enna took it and let Zelda lead her onto the sofa. “Oh, he does love surprises, my Link. Once, for his birthday, we couldn’t afford much, but I made him a small cupcake and put it by his bed. Poor boy can sleep, though, so the candle burned low and ruined some frosting, but the way his eyes lit up made it worth every second.”

Impa snuck out, and Zelda got comfortable, leaning forward against her own knees, listening intently. “Yes, I’ve seen that look on him before. It’s quite worth it.”

“It’s Wintersday, right?”

“Close to it, yes. We’re still just in the Winterfest season.”

“I’d bring Link out to play in the snow every Winterfest until they took him from me.”

Zelda scrunched her brows. “Who took him?”

“Soldiers came and took him away. Like they took his father. They took both my boys.”

“I’m so sorry, Enna. That must have been so difficult. Do you know why they took Link?”

“To send him to war! Why else?”

Zelda leaned forward to cup Enna’s hand. “Link is the most important person in all of Hyrule. The whole world needs him. And I know it’s not fair to you that you had them taken from you and brought here, but I hope someone has told you just how well you raised them. My father always spoke highly of your son. And I’ll speak on Link’s behalf. I’ve never known anyone better.”

“He is a good boy. He does his job. He’s kind?”

“Exceedingly. He said it’s been… three years, I believe, since you’ve seen each other, right?”

Enna nodded and sat back, looking around the room once again. Zelda let the silence fall between them; Enna didn’t seem bothered by it.

Instead, Zelda studied the woman’s features, seeing Link more and more in the upturn of her lips, and the slight crease between her brow, and especially the eyes. Zelda wondered if Link’s nose might have looked like Enna’s once. She knew he’d broken it several times.

The knock on the door came again, and Zelda stood. Enna did the same, more out of conformity than as if she’d heard the knock herself.

Impa popped her head in. “Everything okay?”

“Yes. Is he here?”

“He is. Just checking first.”

Zelda nodded, and Impa stood out in the hall to let him in.

Link came in with his head bowed respectfully, and she knew it was only because he didn’t know what he was walking into. She’d made him kick that habit when it was just the two of them. But his hair spilled over his face, and he was dressed comfortably, but with a clear effort. When Impa had come for him—likely with as few hints as possible as to why—he seemed to have put on something worthy of an audience, more than travel, work, or any true formality. She liked that he made an effort at her summons.

“Link…” she said gently, urging him to look up.

His eyes met hers only for the briefest of seconds before turning to Zelda’s guest.

Enna squealed in delight, running the small distance into Link’s arms. “Link! Link! It’s you! You’re here!”

“Oh Goddess,” Link managed to whisper, his arms managing away from his sides so he could hug her back. He pressed his lips to her hair. She was shorter than him by a fair bit, making it easy for him. She was tangible. Here. “Nan,” he croaked out, holding her tighter as the reality of it began to wash over him.

“You got so tall!” she scoffed playfully. “Bend down so I can reach you!”

“No one will ever say that to me again,” Link mused, but bent and felt her kiss his cheek, her wrinkled and bony hands making sure he was really there.

“Oh, Link! Your hair is a mess! I taught you to use a comb!”

Link laughed, but he had to hold his breath as tears were welling in his eyes, and one more emotion would push them over the edge.

Enna stepped back to look at him. And she nodded approvingly. “I’ve missed you, sweetheart.”

That did it.

Link bit his lip hard and turned to Zelda for the first time, feeling his leg shake with an anxious desire to move. She was watching fondly. He turned back to his grandmother. “I’ve missed you too, Nan. So much.”

A broken sound, halfway between a laugh and a cry burst from his lips, and he pushed his hair back incredulously.

And everything else he did came just as naturally to him.

He crossed the room and pulled Zelda into his arms. If ever there was a way to hold someone as tightly as possible without crushing them, he’d found that balance, straight lifting her off the floor as he buried his face into her neck.

“You did this?” he muttered, tickling her skin. “How?”

Zelda ran one hand through his hair while the other clutched him tightly. She adjusted her footing, because perhaps for the first time ever, he wasn’t entirely in control of himself, and he was genuinely leaning into her for help with balance and support.

“I’ve had this planned for days. Good thing you don’t read my letters.”

He laughed into her shoulder, pulling her closer, if possible. “If anyone still doubts you’re the Goddess, send them to me. You’re sent from Hylia, if not actually her, Zelda.”

He pulled away so he could look at her. His eyes were puffy, tear streaked and wet and red.

She warmed at the sound of her name on his lips. “So this was a good surprise?” she asked, her hands cupping his face as her thumb swiped several of his tears away. Her skin was like heaven against his.

It took everything he had to keep control of his emotions. Because in that moment, he could have broken laws. He could have defied every protocol. He could have put the entirety of the kingdom at risk. Because he was one second from telling Zelda just how much he loved her.

All he could do to keep himself quiet was to offer himself a different indulgence, one he knew she didn’t mind. He leaned in closer and pressed his lips to her forehead, far too long to be proper, exceedingly too affectionate in the presence of others, especially with the background knowledge that Impa was in the hall, likely watching. But it was that or follow the real pull towards her lips.

He understood Zelda’s frustration when she’d kissed his cheek yesterday, because he felt it now.

It couldn’t be the same. Sure, he was positive that he was in love with Zelda, but he also knew that he was Zelda’s best friend, and nothing closer.

Indulgent. Emotional. Everything he was trained not to be. Everything that made him a stoic statue melted away every time he was near this girl. Because to him, the professional line had long since been passed, and Zelda was not just the Princess. She was the girl who drove him mad and made him make very poor choices.

Like when he couldn’t bring himself to pull away from his kiss, so he slid his nose along her cheek and pushed away with his forehead.

“Thank you… Zelda. More than I can say.”

“Happy early Wintersday, Link.”

26 notes · View notes

kendochick-moor · 3 years

Text

September 2010 - Naruto - KakaSaku - Possibly a scene I planned for “Incomplete”...

His warm, hard chest pressed quietly against her back as she stood at the counter. She set her paring knife and apple down as she felt his large hands slowly, gently move around her to settle on her waist. It wasn’t a sensual move, or controlling or possessive—it was a comforting one; comforting for him. He needed the reassurance on several levels, it seemed.

For her part, she’d heard him rouse to wakefulness a few minutes earlier and had been expecting him, but now…

Sakura kept her face forward, but found herself staring at the cutting board, her fingers gripping the knife handle too tightly for a moment as she felt his chest rise and fall with his breathing. The clenching fingers of her fist caused a flare of pain to shoot up her arm to her shoulder, and she paused to swallow. Her eyes closed a second later and only for a second, taking her own moment of peace and reassurance through his solid proximity. It was selfish, but sometimes she needed that closeness, that connection, to relax again. To do what he was doing to her, for the same reasons.

Relaxing her grip on the knife, she prepared to start peeling again when the subtle weight of his fingers on her hips changed, flexed and pulled her gently towards him. His hands smoothly slid forward an inch or so, rubbing softly before retreating back to her hips again; it caused a hint of warmth to pool in her belly, and her eyes opened wide in surprise.

The breath in her own throat caught a moment when she felt him dip his head low to rest against the back of hers; her cheeks coloured faintly as he breathed in her hair, her scent of apples and strawberries, of floral soap and simple deodorant.

He was standing, walking under his own power, and it was more than she’d been expecting of him in such a short time. Perhaps he was still a bit… confused, though? Their relationship had always been comfortably platonic. His actions were a bit strange. More intimate than usual.

… And maybe it was that he seemed to understand the gravity of his battered condition this time around, too, as well as she did.

“What is it?” she asked after letting out a breath to calm herself.

“Thank you,” he said simply.

“You’re welcome,” she replied lightly, in an effort to dispel his odd mood and behaviour. They’d worked together so long, knew each other so well, that she was surprised he was so expressive this time around. The battle had taken a lot out of both of them; and if it hadn’t been for the ANBU team crossing their path once they returned to Fire, it could have been much worse; but still it wasn’t the worst they’d ever faced together. He’d been laid up in far more severe condition in the past—and of course she’d been there to patch him up, as she always did—but something had shaken him this time.

Adjusting the sling that was still supporting her injured arm, Sakura fidgeted and gave a wriggle to let him know she needed a bit more room to finish making his snack before she returned to her own apartment.

His lips smiled—she could feel them against the top of her head.

And then she felt them kiss her hair, a moment later.

“Kaka…shi?”

“Mm?”

Words failed her for a second. Perhaps she was still suffering from sleep and chakra exhaustion? It wouldn’t surprise her.

She shook her head a bit to herself, not terribly bothered by his gesture, just hesitatingly confused by it.

For his part, he remained where he was until she finished preparing the fruit, just a few minutes, before he thanked her again and had several of his ninken walk her home. Because she wouldn’t let him walk her home when he was barely able to stand on his own two feet—and the fact he let her see how worn out he still was after several days of rest… She just preferred the ‘loan’ of his ‘pets’. Sakura had long ago taken to keeping a blanket around for them to sleep on; for several years now, Kakashi had insisted on them escorting her home on nights he was unavailable and she was too tired after working double-shifts at the hospital. Once she’d set out food and water for the happy service dogs, she crawled to her own bedroom and fell asleep, fully clothed, on top of her blankets.

#my writing #my fanfic #kakasaku #incomplete

21 notes · View notes

ramayantika · 2 years

Text

Braj Ki Holi (Ch-3 ig)

MASTERLIST

We snuck out of the house and walked to Yamuna ghat. It wasn’t too far from the house. It barely took us ten minutes to reach there. Late at night, with no soul in sight near the river, I was walking with Krishna in silence. We didn’t talk much on our way, but it didn’t feel awkward. It felt nice. The air permeated with flowery fragrance from the nearby temples present at every nook and corner in Vrindavan. Krishna had been away from Vrindavan for around five to six years, yet he was able to find his way.

The streets were empty. There were some dry colours and flowers strewn on the road from the morning celebration. A car would occasionally pass us, but other than that it was all quiet. Had I been alone, I would have felt a little creeped out by walking outside so late in the night. It was a wonder that I was trusting myself with Krishna. In today’s time, you can’t trust the people whom you know well, forget a stranger. I could hear my mother gasping if I ever told her about Krishna and about me walking with him at night with no adult to accompany us.

“There you go. This is the place I was talking about,” said Krishna, as he walked down the steps of the ghat. He sat down on of the dry stairs and patted the ground.

I looked around. We were away from the street into the dark river, which appeared darker as the night progressed. The ghat was lined up with a few diyas that were on the verge to extinguish. The tiny flames of the diyas sparkled in the dark waters of Yamuna. The starry night contributed to enhance the beauty of the river and the moon occasionally peeped out from the clouds.

“Is that all you are going to do over here? To sit and look at the stars?” asked, Krishna with a light chuckle. “I thought I had charmed you, but it looks like the stars are competing against me.”

“Rolling my eyes, I turned my head towards him. “Come on, Krishna, we both know you are lovelier than the stars. Besides, my stars will feel sad, if I don’t glance at them before I spend the entire night gazing at you lovely face.”

He smiled and picked a pebble and threw it with a flick of his wrist. The pebble drowned in the water with a splash and he looked at me, his head tilted towards the left, saying, “I would say, you are lovelier than me.”

Laughing, I threw a pebble into the water. “Now that’s a compliment, I would like to hear from you. Tell me, honestly, Krishna. How many people have you found ‘lovelier’ than you?”

Without waiting a second, he answered, “Radha and you.”

Radha. A lovely girl with a beautiful smile that lights you up and being around her feels like curling up in a warm blanket on a cold winter night. Maybe it was a best friend thing, perhaps? Just like Krishna, she took an immediate liking to me and I to her.

“Tell me more about Radha and you. What were you like when you were a child here? How was your bond?” I asked.

“Okay, I will, but first, you need to allow me to put my arm around you,” said, Krishna.

“You have my permission.”

He gently moved his arm around my shoulder and sighed. He threw his head back up and looked at the sky, and then focused his eyes on me. I couldn’t help myself but break into a goofy grin and began laughing.

“What now?” said, Krishna, laughing with me.

“Just answer my question now.”

He moved his index finger in circles over my arm and began. “Radha and I were inseparable. She was born a week earlier than me and she always took advantage of that by making me listen to her when we were were little kids. But then I grew up to be the most mischievous kid and troubled Radha a lot. Even though I created a lot of mischief and pranks on Radha as well as on my other friends, I loved them all dearly. Yashoda kaki whom I as a child often called her as my own mother was so gullible to my mischief. She would always defend me and pamper me as if I were her real son. Kaka and Kaki joke that I never miss them but it’s not true. The day I had to leave Vrindavan and them, I had cried bitterly even though I was smiling and teasing all of them that I would come back and play again.”

Krishna paused and stared at the river for a while. I remained silent and looked at him. His eyes were not looking too bright like he usually did, and a small nostalgic smile graced his lips. I placed my hand over his shoulder and whispered, “Krishna…”

He blinked and moves his fingers through his hair, saying, “Oh God, I wasn’t supposed to be all sentimental now. But anyway, my childhood was the best and the most beautiful one. I wish every child should have a childhood like mine filled with laughter, fun, and love.”

“Now, let me ask a question,” said, Krishna. “What’s your favourite childhood memory?”

“Now that’s a difficult question, for I have many of them. I think it should be the day I attended my first day of dance class. I was no prodigy that I was able to dace flawlessly, but the first day I entered the premises, it felt like a magical world to me. I guess, as children we find magic everywhere even in the smallest and mundane things and growing up we lose that magical vision. The large Nataraja murti appeared as if Shiva himself was calling to me and the senior dancers wearing colourful sarees looked like those apsaras with flowers in their hair. I still remember that day when I was returning home, I couldn’t sleep that night and was eagerly waiting for my next class.”

“I think the world could be better if we kept a bit of magical vision with us. Growing up, we find wonderment and magic to be silly or childish and become such boring individuals,” said, Krishna who was now tapping his fingertips on my arm.

We grew quiet after that and stared at the river. I could hear the gentle lapping of the water and Krishna’s breathing. The night grew deeper and the lone cars which often passed sometimes stopped coming. At home, I would have felt sleepy by now and would have dozed off. Surprisingly, I had enough energy in me to keep talking and listening to him.

“Do you remember what I told you in the morning?” Krishna suddenly asked.

“There were many things you told me, Krishna.”

“I told you in the car after singing. Don’t tell me you forgot already.”

My nervous laugh gave me away…

“Our singing session, Bhaishmi! You forgot that. How could you?” Krishna whined, which made me laugh even more.

“Okay, you beautiful dramatic boy, I remember now. What song should we sing?”

He had the audacity to smirk and demand me. “Sing a song which will remind me of you when we go our separate ways after Holi. And yes, it should also remind you how pretty I am.”

I facepalmed and muttered to myself and giggled. “Okay fine. I have two songs for that. Let me sing for the first case where we go our separate ways.” 'Separate ways' left a bitter taste on my mouth.

‘Mere dil ki raahaton ka tu zariya ban gayi hai

Teri ishq ki mere dil mein kayi Eid mann gayi hai.

Tera zikr ho raha hai tera zikr ho raha hai

Ibadat ki tarah.

Tujhe yaad kar liya hai O tujhe yaad kar liya hai aayat ki tarah…’

I successfully made Krishna blush! Surely, his blush wasn’t visible, but he looked down bashfully and smiled, causing me to chuckle.

He cleared his throat and with a twinkle in his eye, said, “And what’s the next song?

I scratched my nose and began singing the next song, praying to the Gods above to not let my voice falter.

'Kadmon ko sambhalein, nazron ka kya karein.' My finger lifted his curls away from his eyes and I looked into his eyes while singing the next line. 'Dil ko sambhale zubaan ishq hua hi hua.'

We didn't know when our hands interconnected with each other. He clasped my hand and locked his fingers with mine, his thumb gently brushed against my skin as I continued with my song.

'Aise chale jab hawa... ishq hua hi hua.'

Krishna leaned in to my eye level, and I saw the moon in his eyes with the little flames of the diya dancing across his face occasionally.

"Toh ishq ho gaya?" He asked, a teasing smile on his lips, but his eyes carried a different expression, as if he was asking it earnestly and not for fun.

I gently pushed him away with a shy smile. "Dhaat iss time bhi flirt karna hai?"

To the ones who love the boys written in romance novels over which we fawn over, you would love Krishna now a lot more.

He grabbed my wrist gently, stopping me from moving away from him and sang in the softest voice possible. 'Dil kahe ke aaj toh chupalo tum panaho mein ke darr hai tumko khodunga.'

And another moment straight out of my bollywood dreams came up when he pulled me towards him. We were far too close to each other. His face was mere inches away from me and if I would step in towards him, our lips could easily meet each other. This definitely wasn't something I had signed up for before planning for my Holi trip.

My hand went to his chest and I felt his heart beating rapidly. Boy, he was nervous too just like me, but unlike me, his nervousness never showed up on his face.

'Dil kahe sambhal zara khushi ko na nazar laga ke darr hai main toh ro dunga,' his finger traced my chin and I swear to God, I felt I was going to melt into a puddle under his touch. One moment we were talking and now we were on the verge off.... I can't say it out loud or more like I can't write it here.

I knew what the other lines were in the song. Krishna had paused and looked at me expectantly, so I continued with the song. 'Ho karti hu sau vaade tumse baandhe dil ke dhaage tumse ye tumhe na jane kya hua.'

He leaned in towards my ear, whispering, "Ab toh pakka ishq ho gaya hoga."

Groaning, I moved myself away and he too left my hand laughing while teasing me, "Arey sharmao nahi batao zara."

I climbed up the stairs of the Yamuna ghat when I heard him say, "Krishna agar woh tumse pyar karti hai toh woh ek baar palat ke dekhegi."

Obviously I didn't turn back and focused on the stairs. "Now I am no Simran and you are no Raj." My words had no effect on him because he started saying, "Palat." As if I was going to palat.

"Palat."

"Ghanta palat."

"Palat."

The Gods above in the heaven probably loved Krishna a lot because I did exactly what Simran did and Krishna began dancing on the Ghat making me worry about him falling into the river.

I had turned around to tell him not to become Raj at 2am only to realize that I was Simran in the scene.

He jogged towards me and swept his arm across my shoulder. "Toh jaaneman ab pyaar ho gaya?"

I huffed and replied, "Pyaar ka nahi pata lekin thappad khane ka kisika chance zarur ho sakta hai."

We erupted into a joyful laughter within the next second. His arm never left my shoulder nor did I leave his side as we walked back home in the dead of the night.

***

Hi! Surely BKH is alive. I wrote it on my phone that too in my car toh thodi quality niche ho sakti hai but do tell me if you liked this part or not.

Ab next vali Holi vala chapter! 🥳

Taglist: @lil-stark @manwalaage @itsfookingloosah @ma-douce-souffrance @svapnakalpa-mareechi @reallythoughtfulwizard @saanjh-sakhi @riiddhhiii @phoenix666stuff

#braj Ki holi #Krishna fic #Krishna x y/n #krishna #fan fiction

39 notes · View notes

ohhipstaplease · 4 years

Text

Strawberry Sugar | NH

In which an uncharacteristically bashful Naruto finally realizes he’s in love with Hinata over a slice of strawberry shortcake.

nsfw | semi-canon divergence | ongoing

Read: Ao3 / FFN

Chapter 1

They say it takes about three seconds to fall in love with someone, but how long does it take to be reciprocated? That was exactly the question that Hinata Hyuga asked herself time and time again.

Ever since she had blatantly admitted her love to the boy she had been fawning over since their schoolyard days, she had realized that perhaps if it didn't happen within those three minuscule seconds, it never would. After all, love was something you either felt or you didn't, and clearly her golden boy, well, it seemed as if he felt the latter.

Hinata's cheeks reddened at the thought of her confession. It had come at the most unexpected, and perhaps, most inappropriate times—right at the cusp of the Fourth Shinobi World War. To be completely fair, she had believed that she would not survive the battle. She had really thought that was the final stand for her, and who better to take it for. She was willing to put his life before hers, the whole village was. Ultimately, he was the one who would save the entirety of the nation. What was one for many? But before she confronted her own mortality, she only thought it right to make it clear to him why she was willing to so easily die for him.

But he didn't understand. Or rather, he did, but not to the extent that Hinata had hoped. Quite clearly she was alive and well. The sun shined, the birds chirped loudly, and the familiar smells of the various shops preparing for the breakfast rush surrounded her. But still, even though she had made her confession, even though she had been on the brink of death right alongside him, nothing had changed.

She had thought that the moment would bring clarity, not only to her but to the boy who had been the reason she had become the woman she was now. But it had been over a year and he had not said a word about the matter. But, then again, it was in the middle of a battle, so you know, emotions run high. He could have written it off to that whole thing about being confronted with your mortality and saying things you don't wholeheartedly mean in the heat of the moment. Or he could have confused the love she had confessed to him for one similar to that of which he felt for his longtime rival Sasuke. You know, the sibling kind of love that has nothing amorous or passionate to do with it? That's the one.

Why did Hinata think that? Well for starters Naruto had taken to calling her for trivial things, things that honestly did not put her anywhere other than in the friend zone. From walking him back to his apartment after his physical therapy, to just helping him pick out a new rug for his too-cold wooden floor, Naruto had, perhaps without realizing, told Hinata what he had thought of her declaration without saying a word.

Hinata constantly ran various scenarios through her head, but all she could come up with was that Naruto simply didn't reciprocate what she felt for him. That she had to let it go.

And just as she ran that thought through her mind for the billionth time, she found herself bumping into Sakura Haruno, one-third of Team 7, and currently, one of Naruto's closest confidants.

"Hinata! It's been so long"

Hinata's lavender eyes widened in surprise as she saw a blur of pink and maroon before feeling a pair of strong, almost too strong, arms around her shoulders.

"Sa-Sakura-chan"

"Yes?"

"You're hurting me"

Sakura stepped back and laughed loudly, a big smile upon her face. Her cherry blossom colored hair was slightly askew, her clothes a little worn, clearly she was coming back from some mission or another she had most likely been sent on.

"How are you?" Sakura asked, taking hold of Hinata's hand.

Hinata curled her fingers around her friend's and smiled, "I've been alright. Hanabi's birthday is tomorrow, I just wanted to make sure that we had her favorite strawberry shortcake at home."

Sakura nearly squealed, "She's getting so big! I can't believe she's turning fourteen!"

"I know," Hinata exclaimed, "I can barely believe it myself."

"Are you heading to the bakery? I'll walk with you, I need some things myself. My fridge is completely empty! Can you believe I went home expecting to have at least instant ramen in the cupboard and I found absolutely nothing?"

"Oh, you need to take better care of yourself," Hinata said, concern clearly etched upon her face.

"Tell that to Naruto. You know he's planning on going on missions soon? I don't know who in their right mind would clear that, Tsunade-sama hasn't even finished working on his arm. I really don't know what to do with him."

"Hmm," Hinata mumbled, blushing and looking down at the gravel under her feet.

Sakura held back a chuckle, "He still hasn't said anything, has he?

"About?"

"You know what about."

"I-I uh."

"Don't get all worked up," Sakura said, looking at her friend's changing complexion. Beads of sweat began to form upon Hinata's forehead, and her once smooth and warm hand became clammy at the mention of Naruto's name.

"I-I'm not."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Okay, then tell me why you're going out with Naruto, again, if he has not mentioned anything about what happened."

Hinata didn't want to seem rude, but she let go of Sakura's hand to push back her too-long bangs off of her forehead, "He needed some help picking out a gift for Lord Hokage-sama."

"Ah, yes. He did say he had his eye on something for Kaka—I mean lord sixth. God, baka, I keep forgetting."

"It's okay. I'm sure Lord Hokage doesn't mind. You were a part of his team."

Hinata said, recalling how uneasy the Sixth Hokage had been in the first place in regards to his new title and position.

"Yeah, but formalities are formalities. He's not just my sensei anymore, you know?"

Hinata nodded, "I understand, Sakura-chan."

"You always do," Sakura said, unintentionally rolling her eyes.

Hinata stiffened, wondering what she had done to insult her friend, "What does that mean?"

"If you keep being this understanding, you're never going to get anywhere."

Hinata understood, of course, she did. She and Sakura had spoken about this time and time again, but she didn't have the heart to fight her today. So she simply responded, "I don't know what you could possibly-", only to be cut off by the pink-haired girl.

"You know exactly what I mean, Hinata. Please, just talk to him. You mustered the courage to say something all that time ago. Why not again?"

"Because..."

"Because?"

Hinata avoided looking at Sakura's too intense stare and mumbled, "What if he rejects me? What if he didn't say anything because he really just wasn't interested."

"Oh, please."

"What?"

"He's interested."

"How could you be so sure?"

Sakura shrugged, "Sometimes you just know."

"And if he isn't?" Hinata asked.

Sakura jokingly drew her fist roughly to her hand, "Need I say anything else?"

Hinata gulped knowing Sakura's strength, "Please don't hurt him."

"If he doesn't hurt you, then I don't have to," Sakura said sweetly.

"Oh, Sakura-chan."

"Never mind me, let's go get that strawberry shortcake. I have to be back by noon, I promised Shizune I'd take over so she can take a break," She said, linking her arm through Hinata's and turning them both in the direction of the bakery.

Hinata chewed the side of her cheek, careful not to draw blood...again. She didn't know how'd she muster the courage once more, but Sakura was right. Something had to be done.

————————————————————-

Hinata arrived home within the hour, strawberry shortcake in hand. She had spent the better part of the morning in an inner debate, wondering whether or not she should once and for all just re-confess to Naruto.

"Oneechan?"

Hinata's head snapped up as she saw her younger sister walk into the kitchen, with the cake still in plain sight. Hinata quickly stepped in front of it, in hopes that Hanabi would not see it.

"H-hi!" She said, excitedly waving her hands.

Hanabi tilted her head slightly, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just fine." Hinata leaned against the counter in hopes of looking more relaxed.

"Did you go out?"

"Yes. I ran into Sakura."

"Oh, that's nice."

"How was your training?" Hinata asked, not moving an inch.

"Fine. You know how it is with otousan. Can't even take a day off for my birthday."

"He only wants the-"

"Best for me. I know Onee-chan, I know," Hanabi finished with a sigh.

"Well, at least tonight we can all have dinner together," Hinata tried, with a smile.

Hanabi nodded and walked towards the water pitcher on the table, "Did you run into anyone else while you were out?"

"Oh, no. Just Sakura."

"Not Naruto?" She asked as she poured her glass of water.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Well, you two have been hanging out quite a bit."

"He's needed help with some things, you know?"

"I do. And I also think that considering you confessed to him-"

Hinata sighed, "Why does everyone keep saying that."

"Because you did it! You confessed to him!"

"Shhh! Otousan is going to hear, Hanabi."

"Oh, like he hasn't already. It's only been going around the entire village."

"No, it hasn't!"

Hanabi smirked, her violet eyes twinkling mischievously, "If you two are so close, why don't you just call him up and tell him you want to see him."

"Why would I do that?"

"So that you can confess to the stupid idiot again."

"Hanabi!"

"Hinata, please, the entire village is on edge waiting for you two to finally just get over yourselves and get it on with it."

"What!?"

"Just call him so we can cut the cake, please."

"You knew?" Hinata asked, looking behind her.

"Oh please," Hanabi said in her sweetest voice, "I knew you were getting it the moment you said you were going into town. Now please, call him and so you two can finally just get married."

"We're just friends!" Hinata said her pale face reddening.

"Right. Friends that are probably going to have babies together."

"Get out!"

"Cake? Soon?"

"Out, Hanabi!"

Hinata rubbed her temples as she avoided the general direction of the phone. She knew what she needed to do, it was as easy as picking up the phone and dialing a number.

"Just do it already!"

Hinata turned to see Hanabi peering at her from the doorway, "Fine!"

"I'm not leaving until you do it."

Hinata walked over to the phone on the wall, tentatively grabbed it, and slowly typed in the numbers she clearly knew by heart. It wasn't until Hanabi heard Naruto's unmistakable voice on the other line that she turned on her heel and left Hinata to make plans with him for the next day.

#naruhina #naruhina fanfiction #naruto #naruto uzumaki #hinata hyuga #naruto shippuden #naruto gaiden #naruhina fluff #naruhina fanfic recs #naruhina smut #ao3 writer #ffn.net #naruto x hinata #naruto fanfiction

136 notes · View notes

egyptsblackrose · 3 years

Text

Dancing with Strangers

There will be one more part to this story after this then I think this story is complete. I have other projects in the works and other passions I want to devote some time to. Hope your all doing well and please enjoy.

No actual smut in this one, but reference to intimacy probably still 18+ though so minors please do not read

Part 4- https://egyptsblackrose.tumblr.com/post/652018121062989824/dancing-with-strangers-more-filth-for-this-story

Part 5-

Your senses slowly brought you out of your peaceful, heavy slumber, though your mind was not ready to open your eyes just yet. First thing you felt was comfort, soft, warm, heavy sheets keeping you safe and cozy. When you focused more, however, you realised that part of your arm that was not in your little cocoon, was radiating the kind of heat only the sunlight could bring. So it was clearly day time, maybe even afternoon. No matter, you did’t have any classes today, that was why you agreed to going out to the clubs with your friends.

Your friends… You gasped and sat up with a jolt, only to groan and hiss. Rubbing your lower stomach and back.

Oh… right… you had gone home with not just one but TWO strangers and had a THREESOME!

Your cheeks set on fire as the events of last night played out in your head. The pleasure, the desire. More had happened after they had each taken a turn with you. Kakashi had been painfully hard again watching your brains get fucked out by Gojo, so you had rolled over and sucked him off lazily, taking your time to tease. That had lead to the boys getting revenge, Satoru holding your hands hostage as he fucked your mouth, while Hatake ravaged you again, harder and more forceful till you squirted for him as well.

Then you had been carried to the shower, Kakashi tenderly, lovingly holding you bridal style in the walk in shower as Gojo massaged your entire body with wonderful smelling shower gel. Only your moans had turned the men on again. Gojo took you this time, having you pressed against the wall with him on his knees, Hatake standing and receiving another blow job from you. Kakashi had to wash your face and hair when he tried to pull out too late, but you had been quick to defend him when Satoru’s teasing went too far.

By the time you were all dried, your legs had stopped working and you could barely keep your eyes open, the sun was peaking through the curtains gently to hint as the beginning of sunrise, and you all settled into bed. Never before had you been so comfortable, resting your head against someone’s chest while being spooned from behind, wearing a really comfy large hoodie and boxer shorts for bed while the two men only wore old shorts.

But glancing around at the bed, you found your companions gone and the bed cold. Nibbling on your bottom lip in thought, you quickly did a body check. Toes were wiggling; but it took effort and there was still a little pain, your stomach felt a little uncomfortable and sore but nothing you couldn’t handle. You smelled good- to your relief- though you needed to brush your teeth immediately. Your hair felt smooth and smelled great as well, your make up had clearly been removed, your cloths were at the end of the bed; freshly washed and folded.

You had clearly been well taken care of, their after care game was obviously on par with their A game. And yet the niggling doubt set into your mind.

Why take such good care of you and then leave you alone? And there was no sounds in the whole apartment from what you could hear. Had they left? There was no note from what you could see. Maybe they’d gone out or to work and hoped you’d be gone by the time they got back. Why else leave your cloths close by, in obvious view and clean to wear. This was their hint to get out. They’d had their fun, so had you, now it was time to leave.

The thought made you a lot sadder than you would like to admit. But then again, the two men were clearly experienced, your friends had even said so last night, that’s why they encouraged you to go through with it. You were not the first girl they did this too, and chances are you weren’t the last. How many other girls out there had woken up exactly like this? With a pout and painful groan, you slipped out of bed and started getting changed on wobbly legs.

This was for the best anyway, you told yourself. They were policemen, they were successful men, there was TWO of them. And you were just a Uni student, you weren’t even half way through your final year, you had yet to successfully land an interview. You didn’t even know if you wanted to stay in Japan after you graduated, if you wanted to graduate here or go back home to your family… There was still so much you needed to figure out, you were just beginning. And successful men like that would want a successful woman, or women rather.

Once presentable, borrowing some mouth wash from the bathroom seen as you did not have your own toothbrush, you took a few deep breaths to sike yourself up. The fact that not just one, but TWO god level men had chosen you to spend the night with them meant something, even if it was short lived. THEY had picked YOU, called you beautiful, whispered sweet nothings into your ear, taken care of you. And now it would be a nice memory, and you could wear this win like a badge of honour as you leave. Just think of how many women would kill to be you.

Opening the bedroom door, your heart sank a little more at not seeing even one of the handsome men. A little part of you had hoped that maybe they were up, and that little part of you made your eyes scan the living room and kitchen desperately for a note or a sign that you hadn’t been left behind. But all you found was a clock above the cooker that read 10:20 am.

Hu… earlier than you thought, but not an unpleasant surprise.

Thankfully the door was unlock-able from the inside, but you weren’t sure about the elevator, seen as they had used a key card to activate it last night. It seemed luck was on your side, however, because pressing the down button meant the elevator was automatically called to you, opened, and a frigging bell boy was waiting with a smile and a polite nod. How rich are these guys?!

“Ground floor Miss?” The young man asked. You nodded numbly, stepping in and moved to the back of the elevator. It seemed the new face could tell you didn’t want to talk, so the journey down was gratefully a silent one as you stared at the floor. How many young women has this man escorted down and out of the building for these two men?

You frowned at yourself. Why were you so hung up on that? You had no right to the answer and no right to even ask the question. They weren’t yours. You weren’t theirs. And it didn’t even matter. But you couldn’t free yourself from the feeling of being used.

Raising your head at the ding, as soon as the doors started opening you dashed out, wanting to quickly get away from this place and move on. The quicker this…mind blowing experience became a fond memory, the better.

Following your memory from last night of being in the taxi, you knew that you had passed your street on the way, and it didn’t seem like such a long ways away. You started walking without hesitation, head down as you messaged your friends that you were on the way home. They replied excitedly, clearly wanting to talk about the events of last night, but you quickly shut them down. Miku seemed to get the hint immediately that you weren’t feeling like yourself and something was wrong, promising movies and home made goodies from her mum who was visiting.

The thought made you smile. Miku and Sakura’s parents had basically adopted you as soon as you got back to Japan, all four insisting on introducing you to as many of their friends and neighbours as possible, promising you and your worried parents that they were only a call away. Miku’s mother was particularly affectionate, a little unusual for Japanese culture, but she often cured your home sickness with gentle hugs and head pats, pinching your cheeks and promising a nice warm home cooked meal and a few wise words. And such parental affections was too good to pass up right now.

Raising your head with slightly watery eyes, you quickened your pace. Only for your wrist to be grabbed in a unyielding hold.

“Y/N!”

“Beautiful?”

The voices made to freeze, eyes widening as you slowly turned and gasped. It was them.

“Kakashi? Gojo?” Your voice was nothing but a whisper from how surprised you were.

“Baby, why are you leaving already?” Hatake asked worriedly, frown in place.

Satoru wagged a disapproving figure at you. “I thought I said we were staying in bed today to have fun.”

“But…” Swallowing thickly, you turned more towards them, wide eyed and confused. “I woke up in bed alone, you were both gone, my cloths were clean and folded beside me…I thought you wanted to me to go…”

“What?!” Gojo yelled in an exaggerated tone, quickly moving to wrap his arms around you from behind and rubbing his face into your hair. “What a silly little head our beautiful girl has Kakashi!”

“Y/N…” Hatake soothed quickly, seeing you frown at Gojo. “Baby I wasn’t there when you woke up because I left to do a little shop of things me and Gojo were out of, and also pick you up a toothbrush for when you woke up. And our idiot here wasn’t with you because I sent him to pick up some breakfast for us all. You said at the club that your favourite thing to wake up to was _____, so we thought we’d treat you. We both went so we could be back as fast as possible, we didn’t think you would wake up so soon, let alone think we wanted you to go. So imagine our surprise when we pull into our usual parking spot across the street and see a figure and outfit all to familiar walking away from us? We were worried you decided that YOU wanted to go.”

The words sunk in slowly and made your eyes water more, especially when you heard Kakashi use the term ‘OUR idiot’ when referring to Gojo. He was including you in their bond. “So… you weren’t trying to give me the hint to leave so you wouldn’t have to see me?”

“Beautiful, are you stupid?” Kakashi sent a glare to Gojo, but the other white haired male continued. “Last night was amazing, and I said that this was the beginning. Do I seem the type to lie to you beautiful? I don’t just say that to anyone, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever said it before. Me and Kakashi want to do so much more to you, with you, and not just in the bedroom…and not just sexual things either.”

The clear implication and teasing was not lost on you, making your cheeks light up a rosy pink. Hatake chuckled sweetly, stroking your cheek as he stepped a little closer. “There’s that blush we love. Y/N, I won’t lie to you. We have had one night stands before, we have had times where we either take the girl home or ask her personally to leave, but neither me or Gojo want this to be one of those times. We don’t want a one night stand with you, your different, special. We actually like you, as a person, and we’d like to see if this…if WE could be something.”

Your mouth fell open in shock. Where…where they SERIOUS? These beautiful, amazing men wanted you in their lives? “But why?”

Kakashi frowned. “Why?”

“Yeah. Why? Why me?”

Gojo chuckled, nuzzling your neck to draw your attention back to him. “Because Kakashi’s right, your different. Most women are flirty with us cause they want some fun. YOU were flirty with us cause WE were fun. You listened to us, you didn’t try to be something or someone your not, you were very real. And the real you is awesome. And we want to know that real you more.”

“Y/N,” Hatake’s hand, that was still on your wrist, moved down to take your hand, stroking the back of it soothingly. “Gojo and I have a strange relationship, we know that. We are more like brothers than friends, and there’s never been any attraction between us. But we have only ever had a functioning, healthy relationship when the two of us put in the effort. We are not perfect, but together we are. And for a long time we have looked for someone who can complete us, who can make us both happy. It’s too early to tell if that’s you, but surely even you had to feel how RIGHT everything felt last night.”

Flashes of charming smiles from the club took over your mind, how easy the flow of conversation was, how natural it felt to have both their hands on you. You had been saddened so much to think that something so good was already over. But here they were, telling you it didn’t have to be. Looking into those amazing dark grey and blue eyes of the two white haired men, you could see how they desperately did not want you to go.

“Ok… we can see where this goes. But, I want to try do this properly, and I want this to be open between the three of us.” Both men looked at each other in confusion, so you continued. “If something happened with just one of you while the other is away, I don’t want it causing fights, I also want to spend time with you, and not just doing…intimate stuff. Dates, together as a three or just as a duo, actually getting to know one another, honesty, proper communication. All of it.” You said firmly. “When I devote myself to a relationship, I do it whole heartedly, and I expect the same from my partner. Just because there’s two of you, doesn’t mean you can put in half the effort. I’m mostly looking at you Satoru.”

The blue eyed man gasped on horror, hand over his heart like it was clutching a fatal wound. “Beautiful, you think I wont treat you like a princess?”

“I don’t want to be treat like a princess.” You shot back firmly, but smiled softly. “I want you to treat me as your equal, like your friend, like your partner, because to me, that’s what a relationship is. I don’t want to be babied or spoilt, I just want to be treat fairly and honestly. And if I find out either of you cheated on me…just remember that BOTH my parents are amazing lawyers and I have another country I can easily move to.” The three of you laughed easily, smiling at each other with warm smiles as you each earliest that this was the start of something. Something beautiful.

Part 6- https://egyptsblackrose.tumblr.com/post/655347185273241600/dancing-with-strangers-this-is-by-far-the-longest

#y/n #you #my own work #gojo #Satoru #gojo x you #gojo satoru #gojo x reader #Kakashi #Hatake #kakashi x y/n #kakashi x you #kakashi x reader #kakashi hakate #trader #selfinsert

49 notes · View notes

merryfortune · 3 years

Text

On the Banks of the Milky Way

Written for 100ships on Dreamwidth

Prompt #45 Midnight

Ship: Hikaru/Lala

Fandom: Star Twinkle PreCure

Word Count: 1,873

Rating: G

Warnings: No Warnings Apply

Tags: Alternate Universe - Hikoboshi & Orihime, Japanese Myths, Arranged Marriage, Love At First Sight, Artistic Licence, No Dialogue

Synopsis: The weaving princess and the cow herder can only meet at midnight on a certain day of a certain month.

Once upon a time, a Princess of the Heavens named Lala weaved extraordinary silks by the side of the Milky Way. These fabrics that Princess Lala made would become famed for their shine and twinkle, softness and durability. The robes made from these silks would be worn by Emperors and Empresses.

However, Princess Lala’s weaving was not always quite so masterful at her task of weaving. It was only after she fell in love that she found her stride within her craft and that her weaving came upon the unparalleled beauty it was now renowned for throughout the galactic Heavens. Originally, her craft was considered with much pity.

Princess Lala, in general, really, was considered with much pity. She was seen as the lesser of the two heirs to her parents’ empire. Her elder brother, her twin, Prince Lolo was thought to be much more capable in any and every task available to either sibling. Arithmetic, poetry, flower arrangement: anything and everything that they put before their children, Prince Lolo exceeded every expectation with flying colours. Princess Lala was not quite so fortunate, her studies would pass miserably at best and fail dramatically at worst.

Disappointed by Princess Lala’s lack of capability at anything, her parents despaired. The young girl was unlikely to charm any potential lover or partner in front of her, no matter how arranged and firm the courting. Completely unlike her brother who had whomever he met eating out of his hands within minutes of meeting. So, until she could find at least one discipline she could show promise in, her parents had Princess Lala whisked away to the riverside of the Milky Way where she could choose one study to relentlessly pursue until she showed promise as a well rounded, courtesan princess.

Initially uncertain of what her artisanal calling could be, Princess Lala chose weaving at a whim. The Milky Way was gorgeous but it was cold so Princess Lala decided it might be best if she had some way to make warmer clothes or blankets so weaving it was. Thus, Princess Lala spent many rotations of the sun, moon, and earth weaving fabrics with only calligraphically written guides and study books to aid her craft.

Her first silks came out from her loom all wrong. The stitches were chunky and misshapen; the base materials, although exquisite in origin as they had been given to her by her parents, under the influence of Lala’s fingers, the fabrics changed drastically into weaved silks. Became coarse and uncomfortable and Princess Lala had no idea why her craft was so bland or cursed. She grew frustrated but she kept going despite her heated frustrations. She was determined to prove her parents wrong: she was just as worthy an heir and person as her older brother, the natural at learning and charisma. She was going to prove it.

Seasons came and went and by the end of the icier, colder months, Princess Lala could proudly wrap herself up in her fabrics that had increased in quality. They would keep her warm and comforted. They were still not yet gorgeous or otherwise special but at the very least, she had improved and now her work was of a respectably average quality.

Proud of her work, though she was scared her parents would dismiss it as meagre, she sent them a sample of it anyway by messenger. She sent her weaving samples with a letter which chronicled her work, effort, and improvement thus far - as well as other lamentations that she had with her exile. The Milky Way was lovely, forever twinkling in gorgeous hues of blue and silver, but it was lonely.

Princess Lala’s desire for a partner of her own had only grown in her solitude and so, she pled that her work thus far would allow her marriage. Her parents read her letter, her wording most empathetic, and reviewed her weaving. Her pleading did ring true, though her garments were plebeian at best, they were no longer the rags of her past so they relented.

Princess Lala was thrilled to receive the returning news that she would finally have a match made. She could hardly bring herself to weave after such good news but she did manage, keeping her eyes in the distance as she waited most eagerly for her first sight of her arranged marriage.

On her behalf, her parents contacted a young cow herder by the name of Sir Hikaru whose fields bordered the other side of the Milky Way in the warmer months. Sir Hikaru was more than overjoyed by the message and accepted immediately. She brought her herd to the other side of the grand river and then the two young ladies saw each other for the first time.

And it was love at first sight.

Princess Lala’s eyes widened and her breath was stolen away at first sight upon Sir Hikaru. Sir Hikaru flagged her down, waving exuberantly at her and Princess Lala was charmed immediately by such frank and earnest demeanour. For her sake, Sir Hikaru crossed the river of the Milky Way, calm and softly twinkling, with her herd of cows in tow.

She took Princess Lala’s hand, came down to her knee and gave Princess Lala’s knuckles a kiss. Princess Lala gasped, her pointed ears burning bright pink, at the seduction and it was sealed. Sir Hikaru and Princess Lala were to be engaged.

On the banks of the Milky Way river, Princess Lala and Sir Hikaru enjoyed hedonism and each other’s company. They had entire lives to catch up on, to say nothing of what they could look forward to in the future. They chatted and chatted and chatted, their warm, summery days were nothing but bliss.

Nothing but bliss and bliss alone causing both young ladies to neglect their disciplines. Princess Lala’s weaving fell to the wayside and Sir Hikaru’s cows were wandering the Heavens, trampling all the grass and stars underhoof. Both young ladies were utterly oblivious as they were so absorbed in their own little world consisting of just each other.

Something had to be done and it fell upon Princess Lala’s parents to put an end to the havoc that Sir Hikaru’s cows were herding - and of course to reel in their own daughter so she took her weaving seriously once more. This was a decree that had to be done in person, Emperor Toto decided and so, he and Empress Kaka appeared before the lovers on the river banks of the Milky Way with palanquins and more in tow.

Emperor Toto was furious from the second that he arrived. His furor was enough to disturb the Milky Way river - and of the course the two lovers as they lounged upon the starry sands of it. He gesticulated widely whilst he made his decree: the engagement was no more! Sir Hikaru and Princess Lala were forbidden to see each other from this instant onwards!

Princess Lala was distraught. She was certain that she had met her fated soulmate in the likes of Sir Hikaru, she could never go on were they to be parted. She begged and begged and begged her father to take back his word but he was stalwart. Up until the moment his wife touched his arm and showed sympathy unto their daughter.

Emperor Toto exhaled and bitterly retracted his decree. They were forbidden to see each other… except on Princess Lala’s birthday and only if she practiced her weaving every day leading up to and after her birthday. It wasn’t ideal, both Princess Lala and Sir Hikaru agreed with only a glance, but Sir Hikaru took it in stride. She conceded, hand on her heart, and was happy with something over nothing. With that, Princess Lala agreed to the decision as well.

Sir Hikaru’s head hung low but she farewelled Princess Lala. Until the promised day and with tears in both their eyes, they parted. Sir Hikaru rounded up her herd of rambunctious cattle, taking them over the Milky Way and Princess Lala returned to her weaving. With the incident settled, Princess Lala’s parents withdrew from the banks of the Milky Way.

Though they were apart, they still felt close. Exchanging taboo looks across the river, no matter the weather or season but even so, Sir Hikaru focused on her cows, allowing them to graze where they would not trouble the Heavens and Princess Lala continued to busy her hands with her weaving.

Yet she observed the most remarkable thing happening with the fabrics she was producing and the garments she was making. They were getting better and better. She could unload the burden of her griefed love unto them and somehow, that made them beautiful rather than destroyed them. So busy into her work, Princess Lala easily ignored the rotations of time, only becoming truly aware of it when she realised just how much time had passed.

In what felt like the blink of an eye, the eve of her birthday had arrived and she was ecstatic. She sent her parents a message of her excitement to reunite with her lover after so long - and of course samples of her best work yet at weaving. Then, she spent the rest of her time anxiously awaiting midnight and then she would be able to not just see her dear Sir Hikaru but touch her, kiss her, and truly convey the love that she had unto her once more.

But the tides turned.

Princess Lala was helpless as she watched the calm, soothing Milky Way transform into something uncrossable. Its waves of starlight were choppy and tumultuous. It would be impossible for her to cross and Sir Hikaru was equally as stranded on the other side of the Milky Way. They were so close and yet so far. Princess Lala could do nothing but scream. Scream for help in vain.

But someone heard her plea for help.

From deep within the abyss of the Milky Way, a little blue jellyfish heard her and thus, surfaced amid the waves. Seeing the despairing and despondent expressions upon the faces of both Princess Lala and Sir Hikaru, the small creature knew that he had to help and so, called upon even more to help.

Jellyfish after jellyfish, plump and ballooning, surfaced on the waves of the Milky Way. Together their plumes formed a bridge that bounced with every wave and though it scared her, Princess Lala crossed upon their crowns, her uncertain amble becoming more and more courageous the closer she got to Sir Hikaru before being able to launch herself at her lover. Sir Hikaru squealed with laughter as she embraced her lover, twirling her around and coming to a rambling halt.

Her pink eyes were soft and fond. Princess Lala buried her face in Sir Hikaru’s breast, she cried tears of gratitude and disbelief. There was no home truer or lovelier than that of her lover. The wait had been worth it and though they only had a handful of hours together, from one midnight to another, it felt like a blessed eternity between them both.

And so, even though they only had one, fateful day per year, Princess Lala and Sir Hikaru lived happily ever after.

#100ships challenge #femslash #hikalala #precure #hoshina hikaru #hikaru hoshina #hagoromo lala #lala hagoromo #star twinkle precure #star twinkle #writing tag #i feel like no one's gonna read this because im posting at a stupid time lol

10 notes · View notes