Color of Autumn

[Toshi]

Ribbon lightning arced through storm clouds in the night, followed soon after by the grumbling of thunder. Rain fell heavy and hard on the sleeping town below. A lavish hotel towered above many of the other buildings, its modern, window-dominated exterior flashing brightly against each strike of lightning. An orchestra of rain drops pattered against those windows, rolling down in great rivulets that formed gently cascading streams that raced their way along the glass and down to the ground.

Inside one of the rooms at this hotel the remains of a once roaring fire burned with a melancholic heat. Glowing embers shimmered with oranges and reds, casting a gently shifting light that seemed to nod sleepily to itself. Clothes had been discarded on the floor near that fire, as well as around a plush couch that stood only a few strides away. There were no signs of their owners, however. The luxurious hotel seemed completely devoid of any human disturbance, save the waning fire and a pot of soup still resting contently on a burner in the kitchenette.

That was, except for the two figures laying on a large four poster bed. Pale, petal-like butterflies flitted around the bedroom as their shapes shifted against each other.

Nara Tousha lay on his side, intertwined with Chiaki's shapely, bare form. They were facing each other in the room's nearly nonexistent orange glow, their bellies pressed together and their legs entangled so completely he wasn't sure where his body ended and hers began. Their bodies fit together like a key slotting into a lock and each subtle movement sent slow, aching ripples of pleasure through him. Tousha hoped Chiaki felt them as well.

The past few hours had been an intoxicating blur that Tousha cozily swathed himself in. Chiaki had set the pace, which he was thankful for, but she had teased him with a deliberate slowness that had nearly killed him. Tousha couldn't remember exactly when or how they'd left the couch and slipped into bed, but he certainly hadn't complained. Chiaki had made wonderful use of such freedom of movement.

The mattress they were laying on was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Silk sheets clung to their bodies like a second skin, and the Kunoichi's impossible smoothness had put the seasoned Shinobi in a state of mind numbing bliss that he wasn't ready to crawl out of in a hurry. The building could have been on fire and he would have asked about the size of the fire instead of hopping out of bed.

Tousha's hands moved under those sheets, caressing Chiaki's body slowly and diligently. Her breasts pressed into his naked chest as he pulled the Kunoichi even closer to him, craving her touch in any way possible. Tousha's mouth moved against hers slowly, savoring the taste of her lips and tongue. He didn't know how long it had been since they'd made love, but the Kage didn't show any signs of pulling away from the woman he held tenderly in his arms. Part of him desperately wanted to stay here forever with Chiaki. The rest of the world could sort out its own problems, he just wanted to keep cuddling with her until time came to a screeching halt.

It was the thrill of the evening talking, but he wasn't quite ready to ignore it yet.

He wound an arm under her body and his hand gently clutched where her slender neck met the base of her autumnal hair, his fingers tangling themselves in it. Tousha pulled away from the woman's lips for a moment and stared into her vibrant orange eyes, his expression tranquil. He gently played with her hair while his other hand grabbed her waist, pulling her hips closer. He sighed as another pang of pleasure made his body shiver under her touch. Chiaki's perfume filled his senses and made his head swim, making the night feel even more dream like.

"Thank you," he said, his low voice barely carrying over the rainfall against a nearby window.

It was all he could think to say. Having been on his own for so long and resigning himself to potentially never having another night like this one, Tousha couldn't express how thankful he was that Chiaki had been so kind and patient with him. So he laid there with her, staring into her eyes, hoping she could see through them and into the depths of his gratitude. It was a moment of pure vulnerability and he was happy to share it with the Kunoichi.

Lightning flashed somewhere outside, thunder rumbled, and the rain kept falling.

[Kanade]

Basking in the afterglow, the silicone Chiaki couldn’t stop her heart from pounding out a rhythm, as she felt her muscles tense again as he moved against still-sensitive areas of her body. She had the afterglow indicative of a night to remember, and if it weren’t for the heat coming off of Tousha, she felt as if she probably would have goosebumps besides. Every nerve felt like it was feeling the world for the first time, and that it was anticipating another touch, another caress, another shock of pleasure. It wasn’t just Tousha that had experienced slow bliss, the glacial speed which she had set had built up to a long standing, paralyzing peak, one which was hard to descend from, apparently.

Chiaki cuddled against Tousha under the sheets, feeling the relative roughness of his skin, each line spelled a secret story that he hadn’t told her, was part of a life she hadn’t heard of yet, and knew of a different pain that he had experienced. She had not seen that part of scars before she had given up her humanity, but since becoming the way she was, she had learned that the scars that people carried, the bumps, lumps and wrinkles all were a part of who they were.

Chiaki, however, was a blank slate, made all the more enigmatic because of the way that she had obliterated all traces of her former scars, lumps, bumps, and impurities. She felt rather dumb, laying there with all the experience in the world, having tossed away a good way to show someone all of the feats of her past. She ran a perfectly smooth finger along his shoulder as she thought, after the fact, about this. He brought her chin up to meet his mouth with hers, and her worries were forgotten, for a time.

It was only in the clarity after that she had seen how beautiful his imperfections were, and wondered what he thought of her completely unblemished self. It was fear, fear hiding behind power and perfection. Much like other women hid their scars and impurities with make-up Chiaki had done away with them entirely, had done away with them so completely that she had thrown being human completely out of the door.

“I should be the one thanking you.” She nuzzled into him, closing her eyes and hearing the beating of his human heart, feeling the warmth of his hard and muscled body enveloping her uncanny softness. She had made this body well, with all of the bells and whistles of the human anatomy. It was practically indiscernible from the real thing, except that it was too perfect.

“You brought back the woman that I want to be, and helped me remember who I was.” She said earnestly. After all, what had she done besides bury Kyoukan, Chiaki since becoming a Chuunin? It was here, on this night, that she had truly started to face the woman that she had been, that she never would get to be again. It made her ache for all of the things she had left behind, not least of all starting a family.

She moved, straddling his leg she slid up, pressing herself against his leg until her hips met his, and she squeezed herself as hard as she could into him, giving him an earnest and dear hug as if he were going to disappear or slip away if she didn't hold on as tightly as she could. Chiaki had felt more human and less like a weapon, a kunoichi, the last twenty four hours than she had in a very long time. She opened her eyes and looked into his, the gratitude showing there, clear as newly blown glass. She relaxed a bit, biting her lower lip in shame as she realized that he was totally present, and that she had been distracted. Centering herself with a slow, deep breath she rubbed her smooth cheek against his rough one.

A forked tongue of lightning licked the sky, sending a shout of triumph across the sky as she leaned in and gently bit his earlobe again

[Toshi]

As Chiaki spoke, Tousha's dark eyes softened. His arms wrapped around her tightly, pulling her even deeper into the hug she was gifting him. For a handful of breaths it felt as though the world had stopped spinning, and that time itself was allowing them a brief respite from its inevitable passing. Tousha nestled his face into her long, soft hair and kissed her forehead, moved beyond words that their evening together had helped her find a part of herself she thought lost.

Lightning flashed outside again, bathing the hotel's bedroom in harsh light. Tousha felt Chiaki move in his arms, her teeth finding their way to his earlobe again. Tousha flushed, trying to restrain a surprised moan but failing miserably. His hand slid to the back of her head, urging Chiaki to take advantage of his weakness to her heart's content. He rolled himself onto his back, carrying the Kunoichi with him so that she was laying on top of him. His other hand slid down Chiaki's low back and the curve of her hips, his nails mischievously scratching at her perfect skin, and guided one of her legs to straddle his midsection.

"That's not fair," he whispered, but didn't show any signs of stopping the woman from touching him however she pleased.

While she nibbled at his earlobe Tousha's fingers caressed the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, hoping to level the playing field if even by a little. He sighed, every muscle in his body relenting to the Kunoichi and her underhanded tactics. It wasn't the first time she'd resorted to such measures that evening and he doubted this would be the last.

The former Lord Hokage could only lay there and suffer through Chiaki's relentless assault.