A/N: Oh god oaifjdklsfnsff it's been a while, I know. I'm so sorry. You know the drill, school, loss of inspiration, writer's block blah blah blah.

Enjoy!

Kushina glared at the ringing phone with unwavering determination. Its shrill ring floated through the house relentlessly, but Kushina refused to pick it up. She was content with having a glaring contest with the silver and black house phone. No way in hell that phone was being picked up.

A slightly embarrassing voicemail of her parents picked up mentioning their mission trip and how "their little Kushie" was probably busy or at school. Mikoto left the tenth voicemail that day – more death threats. Kushina rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out as if Mikoto could see it through the phone.

"Why don't you just pick up?" Minato suggested from the kitchen table, eating as usual. Kushina had prepared him a mediocre dinner for one, not feeling up to anything special. She hadn't gone to school all week, instead of just the one-day suspension. Numerous sources of stress had brought her down and she barely had the energy to drag herself out of bed in the morning. If it wasn't for Minato, she wouldn't have left her bed or eaten.

"Shut up," Kushina muttered, her chin resting on her hands. She glanced at him from her spot on the couch where she was kneeling and leaning against the back cushions.

Minato simply turned the page in the newspaper, withholding a grin at her sour attitude.

Kushina watched his face as he concentrated on the black and white stacks of paper, his bright eyes flitting back and forth across the paper and his blonde brows knit together. His mouth moved as he silently mouthed some of the words. Occasionally, he would shovel large amounts of food into his mouth, his cheeks expanding like a squirrel's.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a quiet voice, rearranging her legs into a criss-cross position.

"Um, a cross word puzzle," His eyes didn't leave the newspaper.

"You aren't writing anything down," She pointed out, tilting her head slightly. "Normal people use a pen for-"

"I'm obviously not normal people," His tone was strange and for a moment Kushina wandered if she was being rude or annoying until he looked up at her with that dazzling grin of his. "But you're right, I should get a pen or something."

He stood up from his chair just as the phone began to ring again. Kushina turned her full attention back to the phone, fully prepared for another glaring contest. Two rings in Minato stepped in front of her, obscuring her vision of the ringing phone.

"Hey! Move out of-" Kushina's eyes widened as he reached behind him, eyes on her, clicked a button on the phone and brought it up to his hear. "No!"

"Uzumaki residence," He greeted, ignoring the Uzumaki's protests.

"Kushina? Kushina, what's wrong with your voice? Are you sick? Is that why you haven't been at school? Do I need to come take care of you? Is it Inoichi? Is it that blonde boy? Kushina, hello? Okay, I'm coming over there right now!"

"Give me the phone right now, you little rat," Kushina whispered furiously, trying to grab the phone from him. He leaned against the back of the couch, next to her head, and switched the phone to his left ear.

"I'm Kushina's cousin," Minato trapped Kushina's demanding hand in between his thigh and his own hand and began playing with her fingers as he spoke to the worried Mikoto. Kushina paused and stared at their hands, her heart beating just a little bit faster. "She hasn't been in the best condition lately, but I've been nursing her back to health. Our little Kushina should be back to school by Monday as healthy as a horse."

The topic of their conversation was hardly listening as she focused intently on what Minato was doing to her hands. How could a person be so skilled with just their hands? The fact that his hands on hers had such an impact made her wander what it would feel like to have his hands doing the same thing to other parts of her body.

"Why are you blushing so hard?" Minato's face was suddenly very close to hers.

"I-I, uh," She stuttered helplessly as he brought their intertwined hands up, his gaze leaving her eyes to their hands. Kushina watched in wander, fascinated by the simple beauty of a small, feminine had incase by a large, masculine one, their fingers dancing together with small, innocent rubs and prodding.

His fingers began slipping away and she ignored her initial reaction to grip his hand tighter so he wouldn't let go.

"I'm going to, uh, go find a pen," Kushina flopped down on the couch, dejected, confused and tired. She stared at the wall and listened to Minato's footsteps retreat down the hallway and come back moments later. "Why the long face?"

"Shut up," she muttered, rolling on her side so only the opposite wall could witness the pout she was sporting.

The mischievous blonde leaned over the back of the couch, trying to get a look at Kushina's face. "What?" He asked, his grin laced with cocky understanding, "Were you expecting more?"

"No," Kushina retorted tightly, curling into a comfortable sleeping position and closing her eyes as if that would stop Minato's teasing.

"Do you want more?" His voice was low and his breath tickled her ear.

Kushina's eyes shot open and heat stained her cheeks. She couldn't move or say anything. This was territory in which she had never tread. Sure, she had an occasional explicit dream and heard the boys in her group of 'friends' heated discussions of it, but this was something else.

"I'll take your silence as a yes."

Suddenly, Minato rolled over the back of the couch and on top of her, pinning her shoulders down so she was lying flat on her back. He brought her hands up and pinned them by either side of her head.

"What are you-" Kushina's words caught in her throat as she watched his face lower. His eyes half-lidded, his mouth slightly parted and his face inching closer and closer to hers.

Her heart felt like it was going to burst forth from her chest, it felt like the butterflies in her stomach were trying to tear themselves free from her abdomen, and she was pretty much positive that she was blushing from her neck to her ears. Kushina was this flustered and Minato hadn't really done anything. When Inoichi kissed her, the only feeling she had was a murderous rage. This time she felt like she was going to combust.

Their noses brushed and Kushina closed her eyes tightly in anticipation.

Minato couldn't help the snicker that escaped his lips. He broke into jovial laughter and Kushina's eyelids sprung open. She was prepared to get angry and unleash her fury on him, but his face hadn't moved away and it momentarily stunned her.

Pure mirth was displayed plainly on his countenance. His suntanned cheeks were stained a fetching shade of pink, his eyes closed and the most beautiful sound she had ever heard was coming from him.

The joyful laugh made her feel airy and her embarrassment was pushed to the back of her mind.

His laugh really was contagious and without meaning to, she began laughing, too.

Kushina took a deep breath, gripped the strap of her book bag tightly and glared at the door in front of her.

After her one-day suspension and additional two skipped days, she felt the need to clear the air with Principal Sarutobi. Especially about her supposed mental disease that Minato had so kindly diagnosed her with.

Adjusting her green skirt and tugging on the hem of her pale yellow school sweater vest, she knocked lightly on the thick wooden door.

A moment passed before the principal's fatherly voice floated through the door, "Come in!"

She twisted the silver knob and stepped into the warm office. "Good morning, Sarutobi-sensei," Kushina greeted, closing the door behind her.

"Ah! My special little Kushina!" He threw his arms up in recognition, "What can I do for you this morning?"

"Actually, I'd like to explain my absences and my, um, disease," Kushina stood awkwardly, playing with her fingers.

"Yes, yes, of course!" He motioned to the seat in front of his desk, "Take a seat." She did, setting down her book bag and placing her hands in her lap. "Your absences have been excused, so-"

"What? Why?" Kushina asked, bewildered.

"I'm sure your darling cousin told you why, dear," He winked, flipping through a folder of papers she was assuming was hers.

"Sarutobi-sensei, I think there has been a misunderstanding-"

"Nonsense! I understand everything perfectly clear!"

"No, but-"

"Kushina," He interrupted calmly, lacing his fingers together and leaning forward, "I understand you may be a tad bit confused by all that's going on around you and I know it's tough, so I'll do everything in my power to make this high school experience the best you could ever wish for. I've noticed you don't exactly get along well with your peers, so…"

Kushina was done listening to his speech. She stood swiftly, snatching her backpack up.

"What's wrong, Kushina?" Sarutobi seemed genuinely concerned.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I do not have down syndrome, autism or any other mental retardation that my cousin has convinced you that I have. I am a perfectly, normal, sane girl. Frankly, I'm insulted and I'm leaving," And with that, Kushina turned and stormed out of the principal's office, slamming the door shut with a little too much force.

The chagrinned redhead walked swiftly through the crowded hallway, keeping her head low to avoid anybody who might question her about Minato. Unfortunately, she remembered as she entered her next class, Mikoto had a schedule nearly identical to hers.

"Explain," Mikoto demanded as soon as Kushina's bottom was in her chair.

"About what?" Kushina feigned innocence, taking her class supplies out and placing them on her desk.

"Everything!" She scooted her desk closer to Kushina's, "Who was he? Why did you run? Is he cuter up close? Why haven't you been at school this whole week? What-"

"He's my cousin, I didn't want to attract too much attention and I didn't feel good," She explained in one rushed, run-on sentence.

Mikoto frowned and settled back in her seat, completely unsatisfied with her best friend's answer. She would ask more, but the teacher began class.

Before Kushina realized, class was over and everyone was gathering their belongings and leaving the classroom.

"Haruno and I will meet you at the courtyard," Mikoto informed Kushina as they walked to their next class.

"Huh?"

"For our group project? We can do it at your house, right?"

Kushina was only half-listening, still consumed by her daydreams, "Uh, yeah, sure. Hey, I'll catch you later," She waved to Mikoto and they separated ways.

Kushina was panicking. Internally, of course. Though she wouldn't be surprised if she suddenly broke out into a cold sweat.

Walking with her best friend and the love of her life to her home where her supposed cousin and cause of utter confusion was dwelling was certainly a fair reason for panic.

She really should have paid more attention to her teacher and Mikoto. If she had been, she could have demanded to change partners or maybe called Minato beforehand and told him to leave the house for a while. But, nope.

Mikoto tugged at Kushina's collar to stop her from walking further from her house. "Uh, this is your house, Kush."

Kushina looked up at the familiar house and blinked. "Right, um, let's go."

Haruno was awfully quiet, almost as if he wasn't there. Practically the only movement or sound he had made the whole trek home was tugging his navy beanie over his short pink locks and sniffing slightly.

The suspense in the air was so thick Kushina felt like she could stick her tongue out and taste it in the air. She wondered if she was the only one who felt it. She fished around in her backpack, moving around items to stall. Slowly taking out her keys, Mikoto gave her a look, which Kushina stuck her tongue out at.

Taking a deep breath and steeling herself, Kushina stuck the key in, turned it and shoved the door open before she lost her nerve.

The front of the house was empty, not one pillow or plate out of place. It felt deserted. Kushina wanted to announce that she was home, but refrained. If there was any small chance that Haruno didn't know about Minato, she wanted to keep it that way.

Dropping her book bag on the floor next to the door and slipping out of her shoes, she felt a little relieved. Maybe Minato had gone out or-

"Kushina, are you home?" A familiar voice called, from the hallway.

She froze and felt Haruno and Mikoto pause in the act of taking off their shoes.

Gulping, she prayed that he would stay at the back of the house.

But apparently, luck was not on Kushina's side today.

She fully realized this as Minato came sauntering out of the hallway, still dripping from a shower and a damp towel around his hips.

Kushina almost groaned, "Oh, God."

A/N: It was short, I know. I just got my inspiration back and my writing is a little rusty, but I have more in store for this story. And I have so much to explain. I'll try to get it all explained eventually.

Thank you for all of your reviews and I'm glad you like the story so far! :3