63My muse is being obstinate, so I took a break from Original Sin. Unfortunately, Minato and Naruto weren't happy with that at all, so they bugged me until I relented and decided to write a few drabbles about the months before Original Sin. I'm playing around with PoVs again, so maybe it gets a bit weird sometimes, but oh well. It's the purpose of these drabbles to give the reader a better idea about what Naruto's and Minato's relationship is like.
I'm horrible at thinking up titles, so I took a line from the song "In a Manner of Speaking" by Nouvelle Vague. Beautiful song, and it fits my mood.
Summary: Don't forget to breathe.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
A step forward, careful to bend the knees at the right angle, center your gravity at the bottom of your spine, shoulders straight, arms relaxed.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
The right arm goes up, make sure to keep your wrist straight and tense, shift your weight from the back foot to the other.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Bring your left arm up in a block, pay attention to your hip-you tend to leave it unguarded-and don't forget to brace yourself, keep your legs relaxed enough for a quick dodge.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Two steps back, mind the shifting center of gravity, keep your arms up, shoulders straight- his hands on your waist.
Breathe in. Breathe-
Warm breath against your ear as he shifts your stance a little, his voice quiet in the still morning air. "Don't straighten your back too much, or you'll lose some of your mobility."
Breathe-
His hands trailing down over your thighs and you can feel yourself tremble, afraid that he'll hear your pounding heart and know that it's not because of the kata. "Keep your knees farther apart, it'll give you a firmer stance."
Breathe-
Fingertips ghosting over your clothed knees and like a puppet you follow his instructions, dazed by the feeling of his chest against your back. You catch his scent through the lingering smell of your sweat.
Breathe-
"That's it." A quick squeeze to your shoulder and he walks back to his resting spot against a tree, a proud, oblivious smile on his face.
Breathe-
"You're doing well. You'll have the kata down soon."
-out.