A Kitsune Story

Chapter 7

"Ugh," Naruto/Miyo grunted as she let Sasuke down on the futon with a plop. "You know, sakazukigoto isn't an excuse to get drunk."

"Sorry," Sasuke murmured, looking up at her with a flushed face. "I... didn't mean to."

It was, perhaps, an inevitable mistake. He had paid for good sake befitting the ritual but had no experience drinking. After the ritual, Naruto/Miyo was more interested in the food and so was slow to refill her cup. Sasuke, conversely, didn't eat much and kept refilling his.

"Hm," Naruto/Miyo gently peeled off his haori and took it over to hang on a hook. "Do I really make you so nervous?" She was sorry she hadn't noticed at the time, but looking back it was easy to recognize.

"A little," Sasuke confessed.

Returning to kneel in front of him, Naruto/Miyo smiled. "Then I'll take it as a compliment and not scold you further."

"Heh. I'm... glad you picked that one," Sasuke smiled but then rubbed his face.

Naruto/Miyo glanced down at the yellow and pink yukata Sasuke had bought her. It was a plain garment for a women of status befitting a clan leader. But buying even a komon wasn't possible to do on short notice in this town. "It pleases you?" she asked, looking back up at him.

Sasuke nodded.

"Then I am glad I chose it. It's certainly more comfortable than letting these bounce free," she commented, grasping the wide pink obi and adjusting it under her chest.

Quickly, Sasuke looked away. His sake-flushed cheeks darkened.

Naruto/Miyo laughed lightly, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth as she knew was proper for a woman. "Sasuke-dono, you introduced me as your wife. You should be able to look at me without embarrassment."

"If you're my wife, why are you addressing me with 'dono,'" Sasuke mumbled. He dropped his hands to the futon and rested his weight on them, looking down at his own lap.

"Ah, right. I should call you Sasuke, again?" She had noticed. Except for using 'sama' before he recognized his childhood friend, Sasuke had not used any honorifics with her.

"Please."

Naruto/Miyo smiled and then leaned forward to start to untie his hakama.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Sasuke blocked her hand and leaned back.

"You aren't going to sleep like that, are you?"

"Uh, no, I guess..."

"Then let me do my duty as your wife, even if you are too shy to do your duty as husband yet," Naruto/Miyo teased.

Sasuke went bright red again.

Giggling, Naruto/Miyo scooted forward on her knees and then untied the hakama. She helped Sasuke out of it and then his kimono, removing hidden weapons as she did. He insisted on slipping the knife under his pillow, but he allowed her to take the rest away.

Relieved of his outer layers, Sasuke flopped back without bothering to fix the disheveled nagajuban. He let out a heavy breath and closed his eyes. Assuming he was falling asleep, Naruto/Miyo tried to be quiet while she took care of his clothes and weapons.

She removed her own outer clothes next, taking care to adjust the white undergarments so that she was still covered. It seemed to matter to Sasuke. Rather than trying to extract the blanket from under Sasuke, she simply moved her pillow and blanket over to his futon.

"Naruto..." Sasuke murmured as she cuddled up against his side, covering him with her blanket.

"Miyo," she corrected him because it would be bad if he called her by two different names in front of others.