| [May. 31st, 2009|07:52 pm] |
"I'm not crying," Natsumi protested automatically, pressing the back of her left hand briefly against her eyes. She'd been trying very hard to ignore the building prickly heat; her control couldn't have slipped. "I'm channeling chakra to improve my night-vision. It's just a little irritating."
Asuma nodded. The very edges of amusement lurked at the corners of his mouth, but he didn't laugh. One arm draped casually over his blanket-clad knees; the other hand curled in the soft ground-cover of pine needles, a supportive brace. Blood spotted the bandages wrapping his bruised ribs and side, but the pain that had creased his face a moment ago now only tightened his eyes.
He'd lost the blanket over his shoulders again.
"I'm starting to believe you don't want to stay dressed," she muttered, hitching closer. There was enough blanket trailing free behind his back to pull a corner over his shoulder again, and then over her shoulder as she tucked herself carefully against his injured side. "This is solely so you don't freeze, you know. Because I don't intend to cry, and you--"
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and pulled her in.
Natsumi's throat knotted closed. This time, she couldn't even pretend it was just over-used chakra burning in her eyes. She turned her head swiftly against his chest, before the tears could spill, and fought just for silence. |
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