Chapter Text
The question hung between you, fragile and weighted. For a moment, you thought you'd crossed a line, but then his expression changed— a flash of something almost predatory before settling into smug confidence.
"Of course," he replied, one eyebrow arched in amusement. "You haven't?"
Heat bloomed across your cheeks, and you looked away toward the valley below. "When exactly would I have had the opportunity?" You retorted, gesturing vaguely at the temple lights. "Eligible suitors don’t exactly surround me. Just the clergy and visiting dignitaries three times my age— which, gross."
His chuckle was low and warm, stirring something in your stomach. "Fair point… though, you have quite the curiosity," Tobirama mused, his voice dropping to a husky timbre that sent fresh shivers across your skin. "Is this what they teach priestesses to ponder during their devotions?"
The teasing light in his eyes made your cheeks burn hotter, but you refused to back down. You have faced Madara's flames and Izuna's lightning; you could certainly handle Tobirama's mockery.
Your chin lifted defiantly, even as your heart hammered against your ribs. "I'm still human, despite what the Divine might believe. Besides, I want to have my first kiss before I turn into an old hag."
Tobirama studied you with intense eyes, his expression unreadable. "I think you have a long time until then," he scoffed lightly, shifting slightly to face you. "Though I'm not sure I'm the best person for this particular... ritual."
"Why not?" You challenged, leaning closer against him. "Would you prefer I ask Izuna?" You asked with a dark gleam in your gaze, playing on his weakness.
Something dangerous flashed in his crimson eyes—possessive, perhaps jealousy— before he reeled it back in. "That would be unwise," he said shortly.
"Then who better than you?" Your voice was barely above a whisper now, your eyes drawn to his lips as if magnetized to them.
He studied you for a long moment, the silence stretching between you as he slowed his breathing. "Very well."
Your heart stuttered. "Very well?"
"I'll indulge you, brat.”
Before you can smile dumbly, Tobirama moved with the deliberate precision that characterized everything he did. His hand came up to cup your cheek, thumb brushing lightly against your skin as he leaned forward. You closed your eyes instinctively, heart hammering against your ribs as his breath mingled with yours.
When his lips finally touched yours, time seemed to slow. The initial contact was feather-light against your mouth, making your breath catch. Then he pressed forward with deliberate care, his warmth melting into you. His lips were unexpectedly soft, moving against yours with patient exploration. Each subtle shift sent tendrils of heat spiraling down your spine, pooling low in your belly. You tasted a hint of green tea on his lips as his hand slid from your cheek to cradle the nape of your neck, fingers threading through your hair, drawing you closer as the kiss threatened to deepen from innocent to something far more intoxicating.
But then he pulled away.
The kiss was brief, mostly chaste, and it left you absolutely breathless.
Your eyes fluttered open to find him watching you, his expression unreadable in the moonlight.
"Oh," you breathed, the single word encompassing a universe of new sensations.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a small smile. "Satisfactory?"
"I— yes," you stammered, suddenly shy beneath his steady gaze. "Thank you for the... demonstration."
His smile widened fractionally. "I am happy to help."
"What about your first kiss?" You asked, trying to mask your lingering breathlessness. "Was it out of pity as well?"
Tobirama's expression shifted, his eyes focusing on something distant beyond the valley. "Unremarkable," he said simply. "A kunoichi from an allied clan. It was during a celebration after a successful joint mission."
"Unremarkable?" You pressed, leaning toward him with renewed curiosity. "That's all you're going to share? Was she pretty? Did you like her? Did you kiss her again?" The questions tumbled from your lips before you could stop them, your natural inquisitiveness breaking through your momentary shyness.
Tobirama regarded you with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "You ask too many questions," he murmured with a sigh. His voice held no criticism, only a fond observation that made you pout. "Some things are better left in the past, Alessia."
"That's not an answer," you pointed out, nudging his shoulder with yours.
He sighed again, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward. "We should head back before they send a search party for you. Gods know what the Divine would do if she knew I'd spirited you away to a cliff’s edge in the middle of the night."
You frowned but couldn't argue with his logic. Your mother would indeed be furious if she discovered your nighttime excursion with the warrior— especially after her constant warnings to give him space.
Tobirama rose to his feet with grace, extending his hand down to you. "Come," he said, his voice gentler than you were accustomed to hearing. "The path back will be treacherous in this darkness."
You placed your hand in his, allowing him to pull you upright with effortless strength. His fingers were rough but warm around yours, and he didn't immediately release your hand once you were standing. Instead, he studied your face in the moonlight, a dark heat reflecting in his crimson eyes.
"This way," you said softly, reluctantly pulling your hand from his to lead the way back toward the forest path. The night had grown colder during your time on the cliff, frost crystallizing on the pine needles that carpeted the forest floor. Your breath formed clouds in the air as you carefully picked your way down the trail.
When the path narrowed around a familiar steep section, you felt his hand settle over your hip, a steadying presence as you navigated the uneven ground. The touch, though light, bore into your consciousness.
"Careful," he murmured, his breath warm against your ear. "The last thing we need is for you to break your neck on my watch."
You turned your head slightly, finding his face mere inches from yours. "I've walked this path a hundred times," you assured him, though you made no move to pull away from his touch.
"In the dark? On ice?" His eyebrow arched skeptically as he kept his hand at your waist, guiding you forward with gentle pressure.
You smiled and rolled your eyes, concentrating on each step, but your mind kept wandering back to the feel of his lips against yours, the gentle caress of his hand on your neck, or the current hand holding you below your waist. The distraction proved costly as your foot hit a patch of ice hidden beneath fallen leaves. The world tilted suddenly, your balance betraying you as you pitched forward with a startled gasp.
Strong arms caught you before you could fall, Tobirama's reflexes proving faster than gravity itself. You found yourself pressed against his chest, his arms encircling your waist with shielding firmness. His quick movement pulled you against him, your back to his chest, his breath hot against your neck.
"I've got you," he murmured, his voice low and reassuring in your ear. The world seemed to still around you, the forest silent save for your quickened breathing and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against your back.
When you regained your balance, Tobirama didn't immediately release you. Instead, his grip shifted, one arm releasing your waist while his other hand slid down to capture yours. His fingers interlaced with yours firmly, the heat of his palm seeping through your chilled skin.
"Perhaps I should ensure you make it back in one piece," he said, his tone light but his eyes serious in the moonlight.
You nodded, not trusting your voice as warmth spread from your joined hands through your entire body. His grip was strong but tender, his thumb occasionally brushing across your knuckles as you navigated the treacherous path together. The simple contact felt far more intimate after the kiss you had shared earlier. The more you thought about it, the faster your heart would beat, and you began to worry that he could hear it. You chew on your bottom lip to avoid smiling like an idiot, your shoulders brushing against his casually.
The remainder of the journey passed in comfortable silence, Tobirama's hand never leaving yours, even after the path widened and leveled out. The temple lights grew closer, red and golden beacons against the night sky. Only when you reached the outer gardens did you expect him to release you— yet his fingers remained firmly laced with yours.
"You don't have to hold my hand anymore," you hummed, though you made no move to pull away.
Tobirama glanced down at your joined hands, then back to your face. "Perhaps I want to," he replied simply, his usual stoicism softened by something that might have been affection.
Your heart trembled as you walked together through the sleeping gardens, past dormant flower beds and silent pavilions. The temple guardians nodded respectfully as you passed, their eyes betraying nothing at the sight of your clasped hands.
When you reached the corridor leading to your chambers, Tobirama slowed his pace, seeming reluctant to end your time together. The hallway was dimly lit by wooden lamps that cast a pale glow over the polished wooden floors. Your footsteps echoed softly as you approached your door.
"Well," you lilted, pausing before the familiar carved panels and turning to face your white-haired companion.
Tobirama nodded, his eyes never leaving your face as he finally, reluctantly, released your hand. "Thank you for tonight," he said, his voice low enough that only you could hear. "For the medicine, and... for the company."
"Thank you for the assistance," you replied with a soft smile, "and for not letting me tumble down the mountain."
A rare smile curved his lips, transforming his usually stern features into a striking young man. "That would have been a poor end to an otherwise pleasant evening."
Tobirama’s eyes softened as you peered up at him, and he looked as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
Something unspoken passed between you— a current of understanding that transcended the boundaries of what was allowed. Before you could second-guess yourself, you rose on your tiptoes and pressed your lips gently to his, your hands moving to his chest. Unlike the first kiss on the cliff, this one carried more purpose— a silent promise, a tender farewell.
Tobirama’s hand moved to cradle your face and the back of your neck once more, fingers threading into your hair as he matched your subtle intensity. You had to silence a whimper rising in your throat as the kiss deepened, feeling him fight against his own restraint. When you finally pulled away, his eyes remained fixed on yours, pupils dilated in the dim light, his thumb still tracing your lower lip as though he couldn't bear to break contact completely.
“Will you be leaving tomorrow?” You asked quietly, somberly knowing his answer.
“Yes,” he responded with a matched tone. “I suspect elder brother will have us depart once the medicine is ready.”
You knew the priestesses would be rotating shifts all night, yet wouldn’t be finished until late morning at the earliest, buying you a sliver of more time with Tobirama.
“Well, then I shall see you in the morning.” You quip before grabbing his hand once more with a gentle squeeze.
The Senju lowered his eyes, unable to disguise the longing that lay within them as his fingers lingered on yours, as you slowly pulled away. “Goodnight, Alessia.”