one_long_mission | It's so pretty...

He wasn't all that concerned about the cold, but more than appreciates the gesture all the same, bringing his other hand up to secure the blanket around his shoulder. His other hand falls rather awkwardly to the ground behind her, not sure if he should try to wrap it around her waist or not. This had rapidly accelerated into looking an awful lot like that thing Itachi was talking about earlier. ...What had they been talking about? It seemed safest to move back to their other topic.

"Have you found any decent ramen in this town, yet?"

She was slightly leaned against him, worried that she will tug away the blanket. She tilted her head (which made it lean against his shoulder) as she huffed:"No. I only found cup ramen. No one makes ramen like Ichiraku, dattebane." Yes, that was a pout. Small one. And she subsided another urge to giggle and snuggle in more closely to him. Because... it felt really nice sitting like this...

It might just be his own pride and a desire to prove himself to her, but he murmurs, "I can make ramen, you know. I've taught myself how to cook... a lot of things, since I was a child." There's a long pause, then he finally lets his arm come up, just gently wrapping around her waist in a slight pressure. "It's better than cup ramen, at least."

She instantly looked up at him:"Are you serious!? I never learned how to cook ramen! Can you teach me, dattebane?" Yes, those are pleading, puppy eyes. She never had anyone to show her how to do it so yeah...
The hand made her blush a little but she didn't mind it. Nartuo felt so cozy like this that she could sit like this forever and probably fall asleep on Neji.

He's a little taken aback by her fervor. "It's... only noodles and broth and seasoning. And salt," he adds, almost as an afterthought and trying not to let his lips curve in distaste. It's surprisingly easy to keep his light expression when she's pressed in against him like this. "A lot of salt."

He glances to her and freezes at those eyes, his own flush darkening once again. It takes a long moment before he tears those eyes of his away from hers and glances back toward the sky with a 'hmph' through his nose. "I suppose I could, yes."

She huffed:"It's easy for you to say. I never cooked dattebane," she mumbled. But when he said he will help her, she cheered softly and leaned back against him, looking at the sky as well.

"I taught myself," he repeats, swallowing hard as he's acutely aware of her leaning in more against him. He can just lightly touch the ends of her hair from here, and he shifts his grip, just enough to lightly stroke a few of those brightly colored strands, and her back in the process. "You must remind me, and some time, I will cook for you."

Naruto grinned even more:"You-you will? Really dattebane?" She smiled:"That would be really nice, thank you." It would... just as that hand felt nice against her back. It was so... calming for some reason.

"You think so?" He can't stop another small smile from quirking his lips, his fingers gently tracing a small circle against her back and side. She didn't seem to be moving away just yet, so perhaps something like this was alright. "It would be my honor."

Was this an alright time to ask? It just felt so peaceful between them, even if he was tense from her being so close. "May I ask you something?"

She smiled, glancing at the sky briefly, before turning head to look at him:"Hmm? Of course you can ask me dattebane. I don't bite," she grinned, chuckling softly.

His voice is quiet as he glances to her, then looks back to the sky. "...Perhaps it is not important," he says after a pause, his fingers stilling against her back.

She frowned and turned head completely to look at him:"Of course it is! Even small things are important dattebane. So ask."

She was far closer than propriety would allow right now, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away, even as he busied himself memorizing each small detail of her face. Then his eyes slide away. "It is foolish. I should not have brought it up," he continues, glancing toward the sky. "I believe the fireworks should be starting shortly."

She stares at him for several moments before looking away, sighing. She could try and push him to ask her but then the mood would be ruined, all the cheerfulness and happiness gone. She didn't want that.

She smiled and looked up as well:"Yeah. It should, dattebane."

He's a little disappointed in himself that he hadn't asked, but really, it would be stupid. He was likely reading far too much into what seemed to be a simple gesture, after all. Instead, his fingers go back to gently combing through the ends of her hair, carefully, ready to stop the moment she tensed up or showed any kind of displeasure. "...I really do like your hair," he says finally without looking at her. "It suits you."

She had to giggle at that and look up at him:"You kind of said that dattebane, but thank you." She smiled and reached out to touch his bangs and move them behind his ear. "Your hair is really nice too, 'tebbane," she murmured.

He goes still, not certain if he should be offended by her laugh. Before he could reach a decision, her hand in in his hair and brushing past his ear. A man of less control might have shivered; as it was, he couldn't completely control his dark flush. "It is very plain," he manages after a long moment, eyes sliding to watch her hand. "Hinata-sama's is much finer."

She didn't mean to offend. She found it kind of cute that he repeated himself. She repeats herself all the time.
The bangs didn't seem to want to stay where she put them so she kept on repeating the attempt to make them stay there. She shook her head:"I think it's really nice to touch," she smiled.

There's a reason his bangs are always out the way they are; even if he tried to keep them back, they simply wouldn't stay. Eventually, he'd grown accustomed to them being there, though telling Naruto such would mean she would take her hand away, and he wasn't possessed of quite as much control as that. Instead, his hand rises against her back, just gently touching his fingertips to the hair covering the back of her neck. "...Thank you," he says finally, for lack of anything better. "I do not mind, should you choose to do so."

Because it was always a good idea to make something like that clear, right?

"Any time," she continued to smile and look him directly in the eyes. Her hand fell aside as she continued to watch him. She didn't mind the hand:"No, I don't mind," was somewhere between whisper and talking.

His lips threaten to quirk into another smirk at the idea that she might be enjoying his touch to her hair, but it's buried beneath the nervousness of actually being in so close to a person without combat... especially when that person was Naruto. Experimentally, he brushes his fingertips against the back of her neck as if by accident, keeping his eyes on hers, ready to read the smallest gesture with his eyes.

Another tinge of rosy color across her cheeks appeared at the touch, as her eyes fell half-lidded, and she had the urge to shudder a bit, but not because she was cold. No... she couldn't really explain this feeling. Not at this current moment that is.

There was no mistaking that reaction as one of enjoyment and pleasure, and his eyes stay on her own half-lidded ones as he does it again, only a cursory effort made to brush through her hair as his fingers trail along her neck. Her skin was soft in this place, perhaps surprisingly so for someone who was trained as a kunoichi. Then again, what was he expecting, the same kind of callouses as were on both of their hands? Ridiculous.

It was addicting, touching her skin like this, and somehow, he couldn't bring himself to pull back just yet.

If Neji even tried to pull away, she would probably ask to do it again. She leaned her head on his shoulder fully and closed her eyes, enjoying the touch of the fingers completely.

His cheeks darken again when she rests against him, but he doesn't try to dislodge her. Instead, he continues to stroke his fingers gently along the back of her neck, half-worried that he might lull her to sleep like this.

...It would be a simple matter to lean down and press his lips to the top of her head, but he couldn't bring himself to do so, not yet. Not when he still couldn't predict how she would respond. A pause, his fingers tracing light circles against the back of her neck, before he murmurs as a quiet question, "...Why did you kiss me, before?"

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject