Well... this is awkward. [Open to anyone who'd randomly walk into Minato's room; I get the feeling that's most of the school :P]

"Stop... Stop saying that. You... You've had your reasons. Reasons that're... That're easy to understand. Just... Stop it, 'Nato. You're fine the way you are."

He held her a little harder, breathed in her scent while his heart beat wildly in his chest. "Maybe but - but I still promised not to. That's.. that's not going to happen again."

"That's... Nice to hear." perhaps the weakest sniffle as emotions overwhelmed her and she hid her head in his shoulder.

"Please.. don't.. don't cry.. it's wrong when you cry.." He pulled her down to sit in his lap, rather awkward on the moving chair. "You shouldn't cry.."

"Can't help it... Sorry." another small sniffle. "Just... Just happy you're not pushing me away anymore. That's... That's all. I.. I kinda thought you'd never want to see me again."

"I... I kinda didn't," he admitted. "Because I thought it would be worse... worse than seeing you." He had to stop and swallow, wipe at his own eyes. "Well.. that was wrong. I just don't - can't handle things without you, ya know?"

"I... I know, 'Nato. 'Cuz... 'Cuz I feel the same." and then she drew back her head, looked him in the eyes, let her fingers slide through his wild hair.

He tried to grin up at her, but it became a weird sob instead. "I'm not.. It's not.. Damn. I dunno.. I just.. Just feel like we gotta make this work. Somehow. Ya know?"

She nodded. "And... And I'm willing to put an effort into it now. I.. I really didn't before. Didn't appreciate you as much as I should've."

"Ah. Well. I.. I was. I didn't notice. I was just - really happy you'd even look at me that way," he said in a low voice.

"... You deserve so much more than what I gave you before, 'Nato..." slowly, her hand slid to his front, resting at the middle of his chest. "I want to... Want to make it up to you. Be the girlfriend you deserve. Not the bitch I was."

"But.. but you're not, you're really not," he shook his head slowly. "You weren't. You - you tried to protect me, with, with the ch-child and all."

"I'm not just talking about everything with the child, Minato. I didn't treat you right before that, either."

"What.. you.. You didn't do anything wrong, you just.. There's nothing wrong with you," he insisted stubbornly.

"Oh come on. Everybody else saw it. You... You did everything. I... I did nothing. I kinda just... Used you. I never should've."

"Used me? What.. I don't get it. How? You.. well, the - you know, things went a bit fast in the beginning, but - but that was okay, really. I wanted that.."Minato looked up at her in puzzlement.

"Not just that, Minato. Iah. I kinda used you for the homework, too. 'S my fault your grades fell so drastically..."

"What - you - aw, come on. I - I was happy to help you. I - you were more important than..." he shut up and looked to the side. Maybe.. she was kind of right.

"Well.. E-either way... 'Nato... Will ya... D'ya accept my apology, 'ttebane?" biting her lip as she gently grabbed one of his hands.

He squeezed her hand gently, nodding. Not trusting his voice at the moment.

"... Thank Kami..." she muttered under her breath, and then she was kissing him again, like nothing else mattered in the world, tears on the verge of falling.

It didn't feel right. Not completely, and maybe not yet, because so much had gone wrong. But it felt so much better than anything had these past months, and he kissed her back greedily, like she was the very breath of his life. And maybe she was.

When they finally broke apart again, she was panting and sniffling ever so slightly. "... Love you. I-I never stopped... Couldn't... Can't... Without you..."

"Do - do you wanna.. Get married?"

... That was a bit sudden.

"Huh?" she said, halfway in surprise, halfway because she wasn't sure she'd heard him right.