blueeyedflyboy (blueeyedflyboy) wrote in strangergamesrp, @ 2012-12-24 00:40:00 |
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Entry tags: | balfour vallet, namikaze minato |
[Log] Comfort tea
Who: Namikaze Minato and Balfour Vallet
When: 12 December
Where: Balfour’s room
What: Minato visits Balfour to bring him tea and finds himself a bit of comfort, too.
Warnings: Stubbornness, cuteness, denial, emotional breakdown that does not happen, the usual.
Open or Closed: Closed
Observable: Nope.
It had been a very stressful week, so far. Balfour had just come back from the dead to find the infirmary full of ill people who were all at various stages of this strange, mysterious disease. There was little to do except to relieve their symptoms, and so many of them were so far gone that even that didn’t help. Izumo was sick. Itachi was sick. Balfour hadn’t seen any of his other friends around, so that either meant they had holed up in their rooms being sick or they were avoiding the sick.
That much alone was stressful, but on top of running himself practically ragged in the infirmary trying to help the patients there, but he had heard through the grapevine that there had been a string of disappearances, and among those, Shisui was one of them.
Which didn’t bode well for Itachi, that much Balfour knew.
However, when he went to make brownies for the younger male, some punk had switched the salt and sugar, which had ruined the treats.
Discarding them, Balfour stormed off to his room. That was the last straw. He needed time alone, time to gather his thoughts and reign in his emotions because currently, he was about to break apart at the seams.
But not until he was in his room. Not until he was alone.
Minato rarely ever got sick. Once when he was eight he spent an entire day in bed, frustrated and bored and extremely drained. And then again when he was fourteen. Jiraiya-sensei had used a technique on him that knocked him out and he woke up in his sensei’s bed, fevered and annoyed. There wasn’t anyone here. No time to waste lying in bed. And too many people sick already, too many people taking care of other people, and he was not going to be burden to anyone.
Especially not Genma.
He’d meant to visit Balfour sooner. Meant to offer him something comforting with everything going wrong. And then he’d heard what had happened. Itachi had returned so he’d held out hope Balfour would, too. Not that he wanted anyone to be trapped here. But trapped was better than dead, right?
He might be a little overdressed for visiting someone in their room, but it was colder than usual, to him at least, and he’d pulled on a couple of extra layers of shirts and his gloves before leaving his own room, bag of various tea’s he found in the kitchen, each one containing some kind of herbal ingredient that was good for soothing nerves and easing symptoms. Just in case Balfour had gotten sick, too. He knocked and waited patiently.
Balfour, once in his room, had buried his face in his favorite pillow and had just let the tension, stress, and general fuck-all of the week wash over him. Which, in less purple words, meant he was crying like a baby when Minato knocked.
Fuck. He sat up quickly, rubbing his sleeve over his face.
“J-just a minute!” he called, darting into the bathroom and quickly washing his face. Bastion fucking hell, couldn’t a man get a minute to de-stress?
Quickly scrubbing his face with the towel to dry it, he hurried over and slung open the door, half-heartedly glaring at whomever it might be. He didn’t even think he’d be able to not glare for Izumo or Itachi.
So it really didn’t matter that it was Minato.
He sighed, rubbing a hand over his splotchy face, looking at the blonde with blood-shot eyes with pure exhaustion.
“Can I help you?” he asked, resigned.
“Balfour?” Minato asked slowly, eyes roaming over Balfour’s face, the slump of his shoulders, looking so exhausted and defeated, especially in tone of voice and expression. Apparently he’d come just in time. He had no idea his friend was such a mess. He could understand it, but losing control was not really an option during war so he couldn’t say he’d experienced it himself. But Minato was patient to a point and sympathetic of the need to release everything a person builds up inside during difficult times.
“May I come in?” he asked after a moment, resolved to do whatever he could to ease some of the pain his friend seemed to be in. “I can make tea and I really don’t mind if you continue what you were doing before I so rudely interrupted.”
Balfour gave Minato a very blank look, shook his head, rubbed at his face again, and stepped aside.
“Yeah, sure, come in. I’ve got to get a shower, though. I pulled a long shift and...”
And he choked up right there. He decided that instead of talking about it, looking for fresh clothing was a better option. And gloves because he didn’t want to be without his gloves right now.
“Come on in.”
“Balfour.” Minato set the bag of tea down and placed a hand on Balfour’s back, the way he’d touched Tomas that day in the forest, careful comfort, taken or ignored if his friend chose to. A shower was probably a good idea for Balfour, but crying alone in a shower wasn’t very comforting.
“I’ve heard you’ve been carrying quite a burden on your shoulders. You know...it’s okay if you ask for help when you need it. A team can’t function if only one person is doing all the work.”
He believed in his words even if he often found himself doing exactly what Balfour was doing now. But it was okay for him to do it, he didn’t like seeing others in pain when there was help to be found in the good people around them.
Balfour offered one of his empty smiles, closing his eyes for a moment before stepping a half an inch further away from Minato.
“What team?” he asked. And it was a good question. There wasn’t actually a ‘team,’ per se, where he was concerned. Just him taking care of his friends whether they liked it or not--and usually not was the case. The only ‘team’ was that of his co-workers, and they were under way too much stress, too.
“This illness is really swamping everyone right now. Maria just had to watch a little girl die. I think I’m doing a little better, at least, than she is.” And she deserved to break down more than he did, in his opinion.
“I’ll be out in just a few, though. I’m afraid I came straight in and crashed and didn’t get a shower.” And his brownies were ruined so there would be no comforting Itachi. He wibbled a little, thinking about that, and stepped back a step.
“You mind...making that tea...?”
Oh please make him some tea, Minato.
“No. I don’t mind.” Minato smiled softly, pulling his hand back casually. He wouldn’t attempt to explain better his team reference because Balfour was right. There was no team. It was a sharp reminder of how far from home and all things familiar he was. And that nothing had really changed. Except he didn’t have anyone he was particularly close to. Unless he counted Genma and even then he wasn’t sure how close they were.
“Try to relax and don’t think too much. Tea will be nice and hot when you return.”
The least he could do was offer the man his company even if he didn’t want his comfort.
Another sigh and Balfour offered a tiny, true smile to Minato.
“Thank you,” he whispered, slipping away to get his clothes and hop in the shower for a bit. The water was nice and warm, just the perfect temperature that Izumo would set it at.
And when he got out, he felt a little better, a lot less disgusting, but he was still insanely drained and still just wanted to cry. But he couldn’t with Minato in his room, so the sooner he did what the man wanted, the sooner he could be alone again.
He sank down in front of his bedside table when he came out, lowering his head to his knees and sighing quietly.
“What can I do for you?” he asked softly.
“Drink some tea.” Minato smirked a little. He was starting to realize Balfour didn’t know how to accept help from others. Or wasn’t expecting it and completely oblivious when someone did offer help. It was kind of cute. He offered the man a nice hot cup of tea with mint and lemongrass. he hoped Balfour liked it. He found it interesting and calming. “I didn’t come here for anything other than to see how you were doing and to offer something nice and hot to soothe your worries.”
Balfour was confused. Why was Minato helping him? Taking care of him? That wasn’t how things were supposed to go!
He blinked at the man, then shifted his legs a little as he reached out for the tea, sipping at it. Oh it was good. His eyes closed and his head tilted back.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “You don’t have to do this, you know? Despite whatever rumors Itachi’s been spreading, I can take care of myself.”
He chuckled, that thought bringing a smile to his lips. Of course Itachi had had to catch him when he was hurt that one time.
“Shisui’s gone, did you know? I’m...worried about him. Itachi. I’m waiting to see if he’ll come back, but the way he just... It’s said he disappeared. What if he doesn’t come back?”
“Then we believe he went home where he belongs and is happy.” What else could they do? Worry themselves ragged over the boy when there was no way to know for sure. Not until he knew more about the scientists who claimed to be helping, caring hosts for all who accidentally were brought here and held captive.
“And Itachi...has people like you to worry about him so I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Minato sighed, moving to sit across from Balfour and sipping his own tea. The lemongrass was nice and refreshing. “But you can’t worry about him when you aren’t doing too well yourself. When did you sleep last? Or eat?”
He understood why Balfour was so exhausted. Someone had to help and Balfour was a good man, a good person, perfect for the job. But even the helpers needed help.
“If Shisui went home...” That meant Itachi’s worst nightmare--that Balfour knew of--had come true. Shisui was dead, dead for good, and there was no saving him, no regeneration, nothing.
“I haven’t seen Itachi recently other than in passing while I was at work. He was sneezing. I... I need to check on him soon.”
As for when he had last slept and ate? “Before my last shift. About...fourteen hours ago, I think. I tried to make brownies, but someone switched the sugar and salt. I had to throw them out.”
And he wasn’t happy about that.
“I can go check on Itachi for you while you rest.” Not that Itachi wanted him poking his nose into his business or anything. Especially since he’d promised him that if he couldn’t look after Shisui, Minato would. And now Shisui was gone and he still hadn’t found a way for all of them to escape. Most of them. He wondered if Balfour would be one of the ones who would choose to stay if given the chance to leave.
He hadn’t been able to protect Shisui for itachi. What made him think he could protect anyone? He held his cup in both hands, stealing the warmth from it and watching Balfour.
“When you’re feeling better you can try again. And I can always hunt down the fool who ruined your brownies for you. I’m good at tracking.” he smiled a little, trying to cheer Balfour up any way he could. “And intimidating. Not so much at other things.”
“I’d...rather check on Itachi myself. I plan on doing so soon, actually.” After he slept a little bit and maybe ate. He would try the brownies again, but not if he didn’t have enough time between shifts. His main priority was Itachi right now. And then Izumo. After that, then Genma was to be checked on. He didn’t think Genma would be doing too badly, though. The man seemed to be built like an ox.
“Thank you, but no,” he said softly. “There’s no real reason for you to intimidate someone just because of a prank. I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. Did you hear about the pipes? Someone threw explosives down the toilets a couple days ago.”
“I heard.” Minato took a longer drink of his tea and decided he needed more so he went to get the pot and filled his cup before offering to refill Balfour’s. “Seems we have a mischievous prankster in the building.”
He could find out who, but that didn’t seem to be making anyone any happier and maybe they needed some distraction from the sickness.
“Is there anything at all I can do for you? Bring you something to eat? Make a different kind of tea?”
“No, thank you. it’s fine,” he said softly, waving his hand dismissively and sipping at his tea, sighing again. He glanced at Minato, then around at his room. It was a mess, his pillows scattered helter-skelter all over his bed and half on his floor, a couple of them sliding behind his bed. His books were knocked over a little, out of order as well, and his brownie drawer? It was just as pitifully empty as it had been when he had died.
“I really appreciate the tea,” he said softly, looking down at the mug in his hands, swiping a gloved thumb across the white porcelain. “Thank you.”
His eyes closed and he bit his lip hard, shaking his head a little bit. No. No crying. No breaking down. He had to be strong stay strong if he didn’t, who could depend on him?
“Is...is there anything I can do for you? I’m afraid I’m out of brownies. I’m surprised a certain ninja hasn’t already come demanding them.”
Another chuckle, this time weak. Itachi hadn’t really had the chance. Balfour had been working fourteen to eighteen hour shifts all week, partially because he had to help and partially because...well, to be honest, he wasn’t quite ready to deal with being freshly back from the dead. He figured he could bury the weirdness under a pile of work, and so far, it was working.
He hadn’t been counting on the rest of the stress, though.
“I don’t need anything, thank you.” Minato said softly, replacing the pot and going to sit down next to Balfour this time. Just in case. The man didn’t seem to want any physical kind of comfort if his earlier reaction was any indication. But sometimes people just needed to be near someone. So until Balfour clearly had decided he didn’t want Minato there he would sit quietly and listen, offer whatever comfort he could.
“I’ll leave you the bag of tea. There’s...several different flavors, mostly herbs that are good for you.”
“Well, you chose wisely with the minty one,” he said softly. “Considering how our first meeting went, though, I’m not surprised you remembered.”
Actually, he was, but he was trying to give Minato more credit than that. The man was a nice guy, and he was obviously patient enough to try and take care of him even when he didn’t want to be taken care of.
He flopped to the side, leaning against Minato heavily. Okay, he could admit that he probably did need the company and the comfort, even if he didn’t want to be taken care of.
Minato looked over at Balfour, leaning heavily against him, with a surprised kind of smirk and leaned back a bit, letting Balfour know he wouldn’t budge, he could lean on him all he needed. The man deserved a moment to just deflate. Or even sleep.
“I can be observant when necessary.” he teased, taking another drink of his tea and letting the heat soothe his throat and warm him from the inside. “I can even remember important details. Like favorite tea. Mint being sweet enough on it’s own to not require sugar.”
He’d actually forgotten his own sugar cubes because he really wasn’t feeling well enough to miss them at the moment.
“I’m also a good listener. If you need to talk.”
“I’m not sure I want to talk,” Balfour said softly, sounding exhausted once more. He frowned, sipping at his tea, then sighed again, biting his lip when he realized that he had sighed a lot already.
“Every time I think about it, I want to cry, and I don’t really want to cry right now.” He was sick of crying. He closed his eyes, pressing back against Minato just a bit.
“Maybe later.” Minato said softly, “I’m not going anywhere until you’re ready.”
He took a chance, hoping to not be rejected again, and shifted his arm, moving it to lightly wrap around Balfour, his hand against his arm. Hopefully Izumo didn’t mind, nor Balfour. But he couldn’t just sit here and not make an effort when his friend was clearly upset.
“I appreciate it,” he said softly, rubbing at an eye and then patting Minato’s knee awkwardly. The arm around him felt good, relaxing, so Balfour allowed himself to relax just a little more.
“Balfour. If you’re running around taking care of everyone else who is taking care of you?” Minato asked, as gently and politely as he could. Because he wanted Balfour to think about how much energy he puts into taking care of others and realize that it’s really okay to accept help from someone sometimes. “I’m sure if Izumo could be here he’d agree with me when I say you’re stubborn and you really should let yourself be pampered sometimes.”
Balfour huffed, rolling his eyes when Minato asked who was taking care of him. As far as he was concerned, he did a damn good job of taking care of himself. He wasn’t dead yet, and the one time he had died so far was due to his foolish thinking that dragons here could be pet.
And then Minato had to go and assume something about what Izumo would say and be so egregiously incorrect in it as well. He let out a barking sob/laugh, just one, shaking his head.
“Yeah, right. If I were feeling vulgar, I’d tell you exactly what he would say, but it wouldn’t be that.”
And Balfour knew it. Izumo would get his mind off of things, yes, but worry about how stubborn he was and suggest he let himself be pampered? No, he didn’t see his friend saying something like that.
He sniffed.
“Don’t worry. I take care of myself well enough. I didn’t die of exhaustion or anything. I died because of a foolish decision.”
And great, there goes the tears again. He rubbed at his face a little, his shoulders hitching.
Oh. Minato was under the impression Balfour and Izumo...and really he shouldn’t have said anything because he’d gotten that impression from Genma not Balfour. He was usually better about keeping secrets, not sharing information, not forgetting to keep his mouth shut and treading carefully. Apparently his lack of energy was making him careless and he felt bad for making a comment that would upset Balfour further.
He tightened his hug hold on his friend and refused to let him move away, he was going to help him through this.
“That must have been difficult. Dying and coming back. And I’m assuming you haven’t talked to anyone about it. Being stubborn and all.” he teased again, gently. “Balfour. You’re holding too much inside. I know you can take care of yourself, but there is nothing wrong with being taken care of either.”
Balfour laughed a bit at being called stubborn and patted Minato on the chest, shaking his head as he shifted a little closer.
“I understand why you thought we were more,” he said softly, stiffening his shoulders to make them stop shaking and taking deep breaths to ward off the tears. “We’ve always been just friends with benefits. He’s my closest friend, but...it’s nothing like that. I don’t even know why that was upsetting.”
Really, it didn’t make sense to him. He knew better than anyone else that what he had with Izumo was what he would always have unless he messed it up.
He’d rather talk about Izumo, however, than talk about how he felt after coming back from the dead. He was really trying to ignore that little fact aside from jokes.
“Maybe because you care about him.” Minato offered, taking a guess and risk by continuing to talk about Izumo. But it seemed to be something Balfour needed right now. “More than just friends with benefits?”
“No,” Balfour said softly. “No. It’s nothing like that. I care about him, I do, but as a best friend. I just... I want to make sure he’s happy and not sick and has someone to take care of him because...”
Because Genma was the only other person who seemed to care about Izumo.
“But no, it’s nothing more than friends.”
If you say so, Balfour. Minato is controlled enough to not allow the corners of his mouth to curl up into a smile. But he does hold the man a little tighter for a moment, a sort of hug. But what Balfour wanted for Izumo was nothing short of love. Strong friend love, pure romantic love, it didn’t matter. Love was love and you took it when it was offered because you didn’t know what tomorrow held.
“With benefits.” Minato added softly, thinking of Genma and Genma’s part in all of this. He wasn’t going to accidentally share that he knew little things from conversations though. And he wasn’t going to pretend he knew about things he really didn’t. Relationships were complicated things. But sometimes they were only as complicated as the people involved made them. “I’m sorry you’re having to deal with all of this on your own. Have you tried talking to Izumo?”
“I like it like this. The man needs more friends, anyway, as far as I’m concerned,” Balfour said softly, stubborn in that thought. “And I don’t want it to be more. It’s for the best that we’re just friends with benefits.”
And Balfour really was trying to back off, if even a bit, but recent events made that kind of hard.
Slowly, Balfour sat up a bit, rubbing at his face and shaking his head.
“As long as he’s happy. And...he has been somewhat happy, anyway.”
“What about your happiness?” Minato asked, not yet pulling his arm away, but letting Balfour move away if he wanted. But it wasn’t his place to ask or push and he really honestly didn’t have any clue anymore of what he was doing on any level with anyone or anything. He just cared too damn much about things, about other people, about what was right.
He pushed those thoughts away, all of them, even the ones they led to he wouldn’t allow himself to have. There was no point in having them.
“As long as he’s happy.” Minato agreed, deciding he and Balfour weren’t very different. Balfour did everything to make others happy, including denying himself the things he needed or wanted.
“I’m happy when I can make other people happy,” he said softly, nodding a little bit to himself. Itachi, Izumo, Genma, Tomas, Minato, even Bee for the few minutes they had met... They meant a lot to him. He was willing to go out on a limb for most of his friends and even cut off a limb for a couple of them.
“It’s...how I like to live my life, you know? I have a lot to make up for.”
Boy wasn’t that the truth?
“Don’t we all.” Minato said softly. But again he pushed those thoughts away and released Balfour, reaching for their tea cups instead. He didn’t ask this time. He simply refilled them both because he was sure cold tea wasn’t as enjoyable. he left Balfour there for only a moment though and returned to his side with hot tea in hand, offering Balfour his cup.
“But we can’t make people happy when we’re exhausted to the point of collapsing into a heap of tears.” he said, placing a hand on Balfour’s back the way he had earlier, just a comforting touch to let him know he was still here for him.
“Well, shifts are shifts when it comes to work, and with this illness spreading the way it has, it’s not going to let up any time soon,” Balfour said softly, taking a large swig of his tea and flopping back against the table, staring into the middle distance.
“I guess I’m just exhausted. I usually don’t break down like that. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. We all have to break down sometime, right?” Minato offered him a warm smile and pressed his tea cup against his skin. So warm. “Do you feel a little better for it?” he asked, taking a long drink from his cup and stretching his legs out in front of him, resting one over the other.
“Yeah.”
No, actually, he didn’t feel much better at all, not even after having allowed himself to break down like that. However, Balfour knew he had to be strong again, knew he had to gather his wits about him once more. He took a deep breath, finished his tea, and shifted.
“I do. I still probably need a nap, but before that, there are things I should do.”
Like making more brownies.
“I’d argue with you and say nap first, but who can argue with so much determination.” Minato smiled, almost laughing, but it was interrupted with a tickling cough he couldn’t ignore or fight. But more tea made it go away and he continued smiling at Balfour. “Is there anything I can do to help with those things?”
Balfour frowned when Minato coughed, shifting to press his wrist against the man’s forehead.
“You’re sick, too, aren’t you?” he asked softly. “You shouldn’t be here trying to take care of me. Come on, off to bed with you.”
With a grunt, Balfour rose to his feet, taking a deep breath once he was up to clear the darkness from his vision.
“I’ll make you sleep in my bed if you don’t go to your own.”
“Balfour. I’m fine. It was just a tickle.” Minato protested gently, looking up at him with concern when he saw him hesitate to breath deep. The poor man was exhausted. He got to his feet a little more slowly than he would normally, but he could stand and walk and help still. “I’m not sleeping. In my bed or yours. You need more rest than I do and I want to help.”
“You can help by resting. The fewer people we have ill enough to be in the infirmary, the better off the healers and medics are,” he said softly. “So you need to rest.”
He should have realized that Minato was sick, too.
“True. But I’m not going to infirmary, because I’m fine. I will concede to leave you alone to get things done and rest if you promise to rest properly and tell me at least one thing I can do to help.”
Minato didn’t spend his entire life training to let a simple illness take him down. But he didn’t want Balfour exerting more energy worrying about him when he was already so worried about everything else. “More tea? Help making brownies? Clean your room?”
Okay maybe he was feeling a bit not himself at the moment because he sounded a little silly even to himself. He could drink more tea to fix that. Tea fixed everything.
“You need to rest and stay away from others. I don’t know if you’re sick with what’s going around or something simpler, but we don’t...we haven’t found a cure, yet.”
Balfour yawned, glancing around his room when Minato offered to clean it, and went pale. Bastion. He hadn’t realized he’d let it get that bad.
“I need to do that. Sugar...would be nice? Actual sugar so that the brownies don’t come out disgusting”
Because he didn’t feel right asking for anything else.
“It’s nothing.” Just a tickle. Minato finished his tea and set his cup down thinking he should wash it, but he really needed to go find sugar so balfour could make his brownies. Kushina loved to cook for people, it made her happy, so he understood very well the need to make brownies.
“I’ll be back with sugar just for you and then do as the doctor ordered, sit quietly and read in my room.” Not that he was sick or anything, but if staying out of the way helped Balfour that’s what he would do. He’d stay out of everyone’s way and still accomplish the things he needed to to get them all out of here. He was used to it so he didn’t let it bother him. “If you’re asleep when I get back I’ll leave the sugar somewhere safe.”
“Nothing nothing nothing. Stop denying it,” Balfour grumbled, rubbing at his face and shaking his head. “But, yeah, sugar. Sugar for brownies so I can go talk to I--” He cut himself off, frowning. No. That was a secret. Maybe?
He flopped down on his bed. He was too tired for this right now.
“Comfort food.”
Turning, he pulled his pillows up onto his bed and piled them in their proper corner, grabbing his blue fuzzy pillow and pulling it against his chest.
He was about to pass out.
“Comfort food.” Minato smiled, watching Balfour for a moment and thinking he really wanted to go home to some comfort food. He must really be sick and tired himself because he didn’t cry easily, but his eyes burned enough to make them water so he busied himself with at least cleaning up the tea before he left to get sugar.
Balfour sighed, blinked at Minato as he began to clean the tea settings, and that was the last thing he saw before he he crashed out completely, curling up in a little ball with his back against the pile of pillows, face in the fuzzy one in his arms.
This was how he normally slept.
A little bit later, he blinked awake, having heard something, sitting up and looking around, rubbing at one eye.
Minato was trying to be quiet about returning and leaving the sugar, but he felt light headed and off balance and once the note had been written and paced by the bag he found himself simply staring around the room, uncertain of what to do now. He could go train for a bit, meditate and have some tea in the greenhouse, work on the seal he and Genma were trying to break to free him.
It all sounded like good idea’s and yet he couldn’t muster the energy to move until he took a few deep breaths and rubbed at his face. This was ridiculous. He never got sick, not like this. Twice. he could count them on his fingers.
“I’m not sick.” he whispered to himself, a command, denial, whatever it was to make his body obey.
“Yes, you are,” Balfour whispered, looking at Minato for a moment, yawning, and sitting up completely. “You should get some rest or you’re going to get worse. Come on, the bed’s big enough for two.”
Minato turned to stare at Balfour and couldn’t deny to himself that going back to his room, alone, feeling like this, was a bad idea that he suddenly really wanted to avoid. But climbing into Balfour’s bed seemed selfish. The man needed his rest because there were other more important people he could be helping once he rested.
But he found himself moving closer anyways, hesitating, rubbing his face again and turning away. “Thanks for the tea, Balfour.”
Silently, Balfour reached out and grabbed Minato’s hand, giving it a gentle tug, a clear invitation.
“I’ve once fit three. I’m sure two average sized men won’t be anything,” he said softly. “You need as much rest as I do.”
“Don’t tell Genma or Kushina. Okay.” Minato said, trying for teasing and finding himself unable to as he slowly turned and gave in, accepting Balfour’s invitation and carefully climbing in next to the man. Just for a little bit he thought, just until he could think clearly again. And he didn’t mean don’t tell Genma or Kushina because he thought this was a bad thing, being in Balfour's bed. But he wasn’t used to being weak like this and it mattered too much what Genma thought of him and Kushina had a jealous streak and a fist of fury and he’s not sure why he was even thinking of this anymore.
“I won’t. Don’t worry. I’m good with secrets,” Balfour said softly, curling up around his pillow again and scooting in just a touch too close next to Minato, letting out a deep breath. Much better.. Now he could be sure Minato was sleeping, too.
Minato, seeking out more warmth, curled into the only source he could feel, his arm moving to keep it close even as he wondered why Genma had red hair and was beating Balfour over the head with a bag of sugar.