A Thousand More

[Kao]

“We’re still on lockdown! No exceptions, not even for you!” The special jounin, tall and lean, clenched his fists as he repeated the standing orders that had been drilled into his head for a week straight. Despite the brave delivery his knees were shaking, and his entire lower body was starting to go numb. He was normally fearless and confident, a true soldier who wouldn’t balk in the face of an enemy. But the man that stood before him wasn’t an enemy. This man was a superior, and he far outclassed a mere guard. Maybe it was thanks to a genjutsu that his heart sprinted in his chest and sweat poured down his skin, making his blond hair stick to his cheeks and the back of his neck. For Lord Akari Kotaru, such a technique would have been child’s play.

“And who gave that order?” The bannin’s voice was low and steady, but the venom that laced his words made it clear that he was hanging onto the very last vestiges of his already limited patience. The guard gulped. It had barely been forty-eight hours since the Konoha feint, and the village was still reeling from the event. Plans had been scrapped and reworked and scrapped again. Hundreds of villagers were already demanding to know the status of their loved ones who were sent ahead, past the walls. Chaos wasn’t quite the word, but everyone was on edge.

Very few were more tense and agitated than Kotaru. He had wanted blood - had craved it. The rules of engagement shouldn’t have mattered when Takamori Saigo of all people was right in front of him practically within spitting distance of Iwagakure’s walls. But he had to think of what was best for the village, even if he would have rather rained down fire and agony on everyone who even dared to breathe near him.

“Th-the Tsuchikage.”

“AND ME! Now open the FUCKING PORTAL!”

The guard looked as if he would vomit, but he stood firm. “My orders were clear, I ca-” He barely had time for his eyes to widen in surprise as a long, dark red tendril lifted him off his feet and then sent him flying across the room. He hit the wall with a sickening crunch and slid to the floor in a crumpled heap. Unmoving. Kotaru’s eyes drifted to the petite woman who had been pretending that she wasn’t cowering several feet behind the other guard. Without a word she bowed her head and rushed over to the panel opposite of Kotaru, and in less than a minute the space-time portal that was connected to a network leading to Kirigakure no Sato was ready for use.

—————————————————————————————

Kotaru had no idea where she was. It was much harder to locate someone in a foreign village and without his resources, especially in one that wasn’t known for its hospitality. But it didn’t matter; he walked through the village in the district where her old apartment was, sifting through the array of smells. It was no easy task. The strong aroma of sea salt and the thick mist and somewhat dampened his senses, but he managed to pick up the faint scent he was searching for. He followed it for a long while, ignoring the curious glances and stares he received as he meandered through the area. Just before the sun dipped below the horizon the bannin approached a modestly sized house. Kotaru practically ran up the short walkway and paused for the briefest moment before rapping his knuckles against the wooden door. Without realizing it he held his breath, waiting for someone to answer.

JutsuShow

Hellhound's Pursuit
S-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: [Perception] Concentration
The user is able to sift through scents and separate them even through heavy smells, such as smoke and decay. The user can identify and track individuals within 160 meters of his position by smell alone.

[Amy]

“You know he’s going to be okay, right?”

Kiyo rolled her eyes up at Ken who had come to lean against the doorway. He was looking down at her where she was curled into the corner of the couch, an empty wine glass balanced on her knee. “Yes, I know that but it’s not the same thing as…” Her hand spun in the air, an attempt to conjure the word she was looking for. “It’s just not the same as knowing. You know what I mean?”

Ken’s brow dropped, his head shaking back and forth slowly. “No, I don’t know. You either know or you don’t.”

“He’s a man, Kiyo,” Momo called out from the kitchen where she was working on solving the empty wine glass problem. “I understand though.”

“But it doesn’t make any sense!” Ken exclaimed, louder, to make sure his wife heard him. “You can’t know but not know.”

Momo entered the living room, her head shaking sadly back and forth. “Her head knows he’s going to be okay. It’s her heart that doesn’t know. And do you know why that is, Ken?”

“Momo, enough,” Kiyo said, snatching the wine bottle from her friend’s hand.

“It’s because,” Momo continued, ignoring her friend’s pleas. She collapsed on the couch next to Kiyo, nearly spilling the wine all over her own couch. “It’s because Kiyo is desperately in l-“

A solid knock on the door interrupted her. Kiyo mumbled a thanks to the heavens before trying to extract herself from the hug her very affectionate friend had pulled her into. Ken just shook his head at her though, pushing off the doorway.

“I’ve got it. Don’t think we’re expecting anyone else tonight.”

Kiyo sighed, patting Momo’s head gently as she nuzzled against her. She had been staying full time with her parents since coming back to Kiri temporarily. Despite her initial protests, as expected, they were more than happy to have her back for a little while. She had moved out to live with her brother when she was still a teenager and they missed her, missed having her around. She had been trying to take advantage of being back though, spending as much time with Momo and Izumi as possible. It helped to distract her from all of the what ifs constantly trying to swirl around her head.

Fear and worry weren’t the only things she needed to be distracted from though. She missed Kota. She knew that she would but they had been apart before, in the beginning of their relationship, and that had been fine. She had missed him then, and it had been hard, but now it felt like it was eating her alive. It had only been a few months since she moved to Iwa but there was no denying that it felt like that was where she belonged. Then again, she thought with a sigh, she was pretty sure she just belonged wherever Kota was.

“Uh, Kiyo,” Ken called out hesitantly from the other room. She was immediately on her feet, Momo collapsing onto the couch once her weight was no longer being supported by Kiyo. “I think it’s for you.”

It only took a fraction of a second for Kiyo to appear in the entryway behind Ken, a serious look on her face. A serious look that quickly melted away as she took in the figure standing just outside the house.

“Kota?” Her voice was full of surprise.

“Kota!?” Momo cried loudly from the living room, followed by the sound of her crashing onto the floor.

Kiyo dashed forward, placing one hand on Kota’s chest to urge him a step back from the door as she followed after him, pulling the front door closed behind her. A solid thud followed immediately after which was then followed by a drunken whine and the jiggling of the doorknob. She did her best to take in what was happening while also keeping the door behind her closed, the sounds of Ken trying to convince his intoxicated wife to get away from the door slowly fading into the distance.

“What happened?” She asked, worry lacing her words. It was much too soon for him to be back, not unless something had happened. She placed her hands gently on his forearms, trying to read the look in his eyes. She was so happy to see him that her heart felt like it might explode. And while he looked happy, maybe relieved, to see her, there was something else in his gaze. The something that made her ask what happened before she could think of anything else to say. The something that kept her from tackling him to the ground, making sure he knew exactly how happy she was to see him.

A shriek and another crash came from behind the closed door, Kiyo reaching back quickly to grab the doorknob again as she winced.

“We should get out of here.” It wasn’t a question. “Do you want to get a hotel here or…” She tilted her head at him, searching his face carefully, trying to figure out what he needed. “Do you want to go home?”

[Kao]

"Ki-" Kotaru blinked in surprise when Kiyo abruptly forced him to take several steps back from the doorway. Reflexively he rested his hands on her waist. His confusion lifted when someone inside the house apparently ran into the door and had forgotten how to use a doorknob. Barely able to focus on what was going on behind her, the bannin pulled her closer. She had said something, hadn't she? Kotaru stared into her eyes, gaze drifting down to her lips and back up again. A single second seemed to stretch into minutes when he looked at her. For a blissful moment he forgot about everything that bothered him, everything that made him so angry that he could literally explode. Only when something crashed inside the house was he able to emerge from his brief stupor, the feeling much like a overstretched rubber band snapping back into place. Kotaru belatedly registered what she'd asked and then parted his lips to answer.

Nothing came out. He tried again, swallowing thickly, but he couldn't form the words. Tension slowly eased out of his shoulders as he breathed deeply and focused on her, but the stiffness resettled in his hands which caused them to drop down to his sides. Kotaru's fists clenched momentarily, his brows furrowed deeply. Every part of him, except for his eyes, betrayed the unresolved anger and frustration that he held inside him. Eventually the tumultuous blend of relief and anger would fill them again, but for now his gaze was soft. Tender.

Kotaru bit his bottom lip for a few seconds. "I don't know." He didn't want to go back to Iwa. Responsibilities and repercussions loomed there. "A hotel might be nice, but-" It was just a temporary escape. With a soft sigh he turned, motioning away from the house with a tilt of his head. "I'll decide as we go."

For a long time he didn't talk. It only took a few minutes of walking through the village's busy, mist-choked streets for him to decide against getting a hotel. "Let's just go home." And then he was quiet again.

Kotaru concentrated on retracing his steps so that he could find the space-time hub, trying to follow what he thought was a more direct route than the one he took earlier. At some point he took Kiyo's hand, interlacing their fingers together and squeezing as he navigated the unfamiliar streets by smell and vaguely familiar landmarks. Bit by bit he pieced together what he wanted to say, how he wanted to explain the farce of a "battle" that she had been so worried about. The pair approached an unassuming building, ascended the stone steps that led to the foyer, and turned down a long corridor.

"Nothing happened," he grumbled, finally answering her first question. "Everything back home is fine. Peachy, even."

[Amy]

Kiyo had never minded the crowded streets of Kiri. Usually, she was happy to be in the mix, talking loudly over everyone else, bumping shoulders with people who were focused on their own lives, their own friends. So it was strange to her, that for the first time, she found herself desperately annoyed with all of it. She just wanted to talk to Kota, for it to be just the two of them, somewhere quiet. Something was clearly going on as he either wasn’t capable or wasn’t trying to hide it from her. There was no doubt that he was happy to see her, he hadn’t been able to hide that either when they had first seen each other on the front steps of Momo’s house. But whatever else he was going through was preventing that from being the prevailing emotion. She didn’t try to chat him out of his mood this time as they walked the streets of Kiri. Instead, she just squeezed his hand back, making sure he knew she was there as they walked up the steps of the building.

When he finally spoke, she stopped, pulling him to a stop with her. She stepped in front of him, her eyes still searching for the answer to what was wrong. Nothing happened he said. But she didn’t think it was the obvious answer it sounded like. “Peachy, huh” she repeated, her voice lighthearted but not teasing. “Normally I would say that sounds like a good thing but not the way you say it.” She squeezed his hand tighter, moving back to his side and letting them continue down the hallway. She noted that the guards looked more than a little disturbed to see Kota but more than that, the guards on the Iwa side seemed to be downright terrified. She shook her head slightly, a shiver racing down her spine as they stepped outside into the brisk night air. Her linen lounge clothes that were perfect for hot, humid Kiri offered her no protection against Iwa’s much harsher climate. That wasn’t what was in the forefront of her mind though. It was the fact that were finally, somewhat alone.

“Let’s not go back to my place yet,” she said, squeezing his hand firmly. “It’s going to be cold and there’s no food there.” Most of her time in Iwa had been spent getting situated in her new job and her new house and she had had little time to explore yet. It was much more vast there than Kiri ever felt. “I don’t know what you need right now,” she admitted, her exasperated tone giving away how much she hated to do so. She wanted to know exactly what he needed, what he wanted. But she didn’t and it was infuriating. “I’m not sure if you want to just be near me or if you want to talk or both or-” she paused slightly. “Or neither.” She doubted that was what he wanted but she couldn’t know for sure. “But,” she continued, her voice soft and full of affection. She lifted his hand to her mouth, kissing it gently. “If you tell me what you need, what you want, I’ll get it for you. Whatever it is. I’m very resourceful, you know.”

[Kao]

He could have kicked himself for not thinking to make sure Kiyo's home was warm and the kitchen fully stocked before retrieving her. Kotaru sighed sharply, the sound cutting through the chilled air. The tiny droplets of his breath hovered between them like a fleeting wisp of smoke, catching the fading light of the setting sun before dissipating. He was just as exasperated as her, if not more; the man had no idea what he needed besides being somewhere alone with Kiyo, away from prying eyes and looming responsibilities. Kotaru pulled her close, appreciating the way she hadn't hesitated to go with him back to Iwa and how her focus was immediately on helping him feel less restless and frustrated. Having someone so in tune with his mood without him having to even speak was a godsend.

Kotaru pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. In the next moment he channeled his chakra and created a dozen floating wisps of katon, directing them closer to Kiyo to keep her warm. "I just need you." As much as he wanted to bask in this moment and admire the way the flickering flames cast light and shadows on Kiyo’s beautiful skin, the two couldn’t stand in the middle of the street forever.

If her place was out of the question then there were only a few places he could think to take her. And within that short list of options, the bannin quickly eliminated all possibilities but one. There was only one place that made sense, where they could avoid the strain of dealing with other people when all either of them wanted was each other. Still, the thought made trepidation settle heavily in his stomach. The man leaned back and searched for something, anything within her gaze that would grant him the reassurance that he needed. It was a nearly impossible task for most to earn Kotaru’s trust, and an even more difficult one for him to allow himself to acknowledge that feeling. But the longer he looked into Kiyo’s eyes, the easier it was for him to believe that it was time to begin to fully let Kiyo in. He wanted her in his life and for her to experience everything with him - the good and the bad. His past, present, and future.

Kotaru smiled slightly, but he was unable to mask his sudden apprehension. ” Let’s go.”



During the twenty or so minute walk to their destination Kotaru tried to relax. He had taken off his jacket and draped it around Kiyo’s shoulders, shaking his head at the fact that she was once again underdressed for the weather. Her unpreparedness was entirely his fault this time, so Kotaru refrained from teasing her - at least, not too much - for showing so much skin. Despite his nerves he had managed to crack a smile as he pointed out a shop’s window display of early autumn fashion, suggesting she take a few pointers from the mannequins.

But once the couple were in a sparsely populated neighborhood standing in front of a tall stone wall, the bannin’s grip on Kiyo’s hand tightened slightly. His eyes lingered on the tiled, gabled gate, its bold architecture nearly on par with what would be expected for a daimyo’s residence. The large wooden doors were sealed shut and draped in shadows, an overt indication that guests were not welcome inside. Kotaru glanced at Kiyo before dropping her hand, and then he walked forward to place his palm on the door. In an instant a soft glow erupted from beneath his hand, spreading outward and expanding rapidly in a web-like pattern until it illuminated the entire gate. The light of the fuuinjutsu flickered out just as quickly as it had appeared, and the large double doors swung open. He looked back at her, clearing his throat as he motioned towards the grounds beyond the gate.

Within was a sprawling manicured garden complete with a large pond and rock garden, the entire area dotted with carefully pruned trees and shrubbery. Colorful koi swam lazily in the clear water, splashing lightly as they nudged each other at the surface for space. Stone pathways meandered through the garden, converging into a larger path that led to the main house. Kotaru led her through the grounds, fallen leaves crunching beneath the heels of his boots. Every so often he glanced at Kiyo, trying to read her expression as he led her to the main house. When he pushed open the door, he gestured a bit awkwardly inside.

He mumbled, almost sheepishly, “I live here.”

[Amy]

The urge to fill the silence as they walked didn’t leave Kiyo but she did manage to keep it at bay. Whatever it was he decided, wherever it was he decided to take them, it weighed heavily on him. His reluctance was clear and she knew that if she began babbling she was likely to second guess him and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Every time in the past that she had second guessed him it had been to her detriment. He had earned enough of her trust to be able to let go of the control that she loved to have because there was something, someone, she loved so much more now. It made it easy to let go. It made it easy to simply pull his jacket tighter around her shoulders, an all too familiar scent wrapping around her as his small orbs of fire warmed her. It made it easy for laughter to tumble from her lips at his suggestion that she reconsider her wardrobe choices. And it made it altogether too easy to squeeze his hand back, offering him what reassurance she could that he was making the correct choice. Because with them, as long as they were in it together, there were no wrong choices.

She knew, of course, where he had brought her when they arrived. There would be no explaining how she knew, not if he or anyone else asked her. It was something that simply echoed in her chest as he walked her through gate that opened to his touch. His essence was in the closed off feeling that had seeped into the very architecture of the home. But it was also in the carefully curated image that existed behind the wall. The beauty that had slipped in and made its home in the greenery that brightened the path, the life that swam in the pond. She knew that it was his because she felt at home there, the same way she felt at home wherever they existed together. Her expression hid nothing from him, not as they walked up the pathway and not as she stepped through the threshold, turning to face Kota before she spoke.

“That’s a little disappointing,” she said, a smile flitting across her face as she slipped her shoes off. There was hardly a pause before she spoke again, ensuring he would not have time to worry about what she would say next. “I thought maybe breaking and entering was how you relaxed.” She winked at him before turning and taking several more steps into the house. Her eyes slowly drifted around, taking in everything she could. It had never been a big deal that she hadn’t been invited over. She and Kota were both private people and she had simply assumed he had his own reasons for preferring to stay with her rather than coming here. The same way she assumed he had his own reasons for bringing her over now.

“I like it,” she finally said, turning back towards Kota, her hand reaching out towards him. Waiting expectantly for him to step inside and take it. “How about we save the tour for next time.” She would happily traverse through the entire house if that was what he cared to do. It was what she wanted to do. But he had already taken such a big step in bringing her there she did not want him to feel pressured to offer her more than he was ready to. When he took her hand she would pull him close, tilting her head back to kiss the underside of his jaw as softly as she could. “For now,” she whispered against his skin, her free hand shoving his jacket off of her shoulders and to the ground. The realization that they were finally alone was not lost on her. He had not made her wait long to see him again but it had been long enough. “Since you don’t drink, why don’t we find something else to take the edge off?” She stepped closer until her body was pressed against his. Kiyo pressed herself to her tiptoes dragging her lips along his jawline until they reached his ear.

“I’m quite talented when it comes to the art of massages,” she purred into his ear before pulling back, her eyes sparkling even in the dim light of the entryway. Still, her gaze hid nothing from him. It was anything he needed. Anything he wanted. It was just them, always.

[Kao]

Taking her hand was as easy as breathing. Kotaru stepped up from the entryway, leaving his boots sitting neatly next to Kiyo's shoes. He let loose a near silent sigh when her lips touched his skin, savoring the feeling. Her quip had put him more at ease, but her touch nearly melted him completely. His fingers dipped underneath the soft fabric of her linen shirt and pressed against the cool skin of her waist when she pressed herself against him. There were several ways Kiyo could take the edge off, as she so eloquently put it, and each was more salacious than the last.

And he desperately needed each and every one. Despite the fact that they were finally alone, the strain of the past several days was now merging with the apprehension from finally inviting her to his home. Kotaru swallowed thickly in an effort to recenter his thoughts and then murmured, "I'll be the judge of that, Kiyo dear." He dragged his hands upwards, thankful he didn't find a bra in the way when they found her breasts. His touch was gentle at first, his fingertips tracing the gentle contours. The subtle rise and fall of her chest was familiar and comforting, and - for now - matched his own slow and steady pace. "I've always wondered if you can use your hands as well as I do."

He kissed her deeply, not giving her the chance to give a playful remark, and kept kissing her while he led her a short ways down a hall to the nearest bedroom. The room was small, clearly what was meant to be a guest room of sorts. Kotaru used it to sleep whenever he was too tired to make his way to his actual bedroom on the second floor. The bed was plush freshly made up, the thick black comforter pulled taut over the mattress. Kotaru sat on the edge of the bed and immediately pulled Kiyo into his lap, his already thrumming heart picking up speed when he snatched his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side. "How do you want me?" The man tilted his head, feigning an innocent smile as he added, "For my massage, I mean."

[Amy]

He could have pulled her to knees right in the entryway and it wouldn’t have made any difference to her. It was all she could do to remind him at every opportunity that the only thing she cared about, the only one she cared about, was him. She cared nothing about those who had come before her, those who had expected more or different from him. The great Lord Akari by name. The man whose name alone sent chills through the hearts of weathered warriors. The man who could still an entire army with one icy cold glare. He was the man who had conquered his own clan and taken charge with not a single person brave enough or strong enough to stand against him. He was the man who stood, unfaltering at the right hand side of the Tsuchikage. For so many he was a beacon of strength, of hope, a pillar of everything that Iwagakure stood for.

But it made no difference to her because for Kiyo, the pretenses were dropped. For Kiyo, his eyes softened, letting her see the soul that existed behind the armor. For Kiyo, his body and heart softened, letting her hands drift wherever they saw fit, however they wanted. For Kiyo, his name was the only plea expected to cross her tongue.

Kiyo wasted no time directing Kota to the exact position she wanted him in and for a while, she made good on her promise of a massage. She expertly found and kneaded every knot in his back, his neck, his shoulders, forcing him to become putty in her hands. But as time drifted on and the night grew thicker so did their desire. Soon, her hands were drifting softly across his skin. Soon, her lips were caressing him, kissing every bit of reddened, bruising skin they could reach. Soon, her bare chest was pressed against his back, a challenge whispered from her lips into his ear. Soon, they were a mess of legs and arms and need. Their individual stress and worry and anxiety of the past few weeks rose and met, melding together into a singular problem that they joined together against. Together, without words, they fought against everything that was other.

Only when the moon had risen high into the sky, the soft light flooding the room, did their two bodies lay unmoving, aside from their heaving chests. Shadows danced across the ceiling, Kiyo’s eyes passively following them. When she was younger she had found great joy in picking out shapes and animals from the shadows that danced across her walls, across her ceiling. Now, as pleasant as it was, there was no joy that compared to what she had lying next to her. Their legs intertwined as though it was pointless to decide whose body belonged to whom. Hip pressed to hip. For the first time in weeks, all felt right within the world. Within her heart.

“I missed you,” she said to the ceiling, brushing her damp hair off of her forehead. There had been a time when the thought of admitting such a thing would have been worse than torture itself. Admitting she missed someone seemed to be admitting she needed them to be happy. The thought made her smile and she said it again, sounding even more sure than she had the first time. “I missed you. Things are unbearably dull without you, I’ll have you know.”

She pulled herself onto her side so that she could look at him. So that she could appreciate him. It would be so easy to misunderstand him. To take the way he sometimes acted personally, to assume he was unhappy with her. With their relationship. In general. She wondered how many people before her had done just that. Maybe it was because she had been so deeply unhappy in her past that she understood. Maybe, she thought with another smile, it was why they were so perfect together. Maybe, it was why she loved him so much that her heart sang when she looked at him. Maybe, it was just him and maybe she thought that just him was perfect. Grumpiness and all.

“Tell me you missed me too,” she demanded, her voice light and playful. “Make it good enough and I’ll bring you a midnight snack.” Her stomach growled, as if on cue.

[Kao]

With a snort and smile he replied, "You don't even know where the kitchen is yet." His eyes had been closed ever since they had partially unentangled themselves from one another. For once he wasn't fighting sleep afterwards, and he was instead basking in the bliss that so often came with being anywhere near Kiyo. Part of him didn't know what to call it, the feeling that everything within the space of the dimly lit room was perfect so long as they were together. Love didn't seem big enough, grand enough to describe everything he felt. But it was definitely love for Kiyo that surrounded every cell in his body, that permeated his every thought and action since he'd met her.

He supposed he'd felt something akin to love before. In many ways those past relationships had been much, much closer to unhealthy obsessions. For one woman, Kotaru had engaged in all manner of evil, had killed and destroyed and had even flirted with the thought of abandoning everything he had ever known just to revel in her inhumanity. And for the other, it had begun with a betrayal and had ended with the biggest, most significant failure of his life. And in between its inception and conclusion, that relationship - "relationship" being a generous designation - had been overrun with dysfunction, strife, and fear. It had been traumatic and toxic. It had hurt far more than it had healed.

Kiyo made him feel nothing of the sort. Tired eyes opened and his gaze met hers, and suddenly his breath hitched. Nothing could compare to her. Nothing could compare to the peace he felt whenever she was next to him, whenever she looked at him and touched him. Kotaru was still every bit the same man he was before, but Kiyo added a new layer to him that he had never thought possible for someone like him. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, nor could he believe how beautiful she looked under the moonlight that poured through the windows. Then and there, Kotaru knew. He understood that he had known nothing of love until the moment he first laid eyes on her.

He raised his hand to cup her cheek and gently pulled her closer to kiss her. "I missed you too, Kiyo." His voice was low, still drenched with lust. "And I missed touching you. But not just that. I missed the quiet moments with you. The way you smile and laugh. I missed the way that honeysuckle soap you use smells on your skin." Because smelling it straight from the bottle wasn't nearly the same. With every word spoken his tone softened, and desire gave way to tenderness. He could go on and on, but if he laid out everything he had missed about her they would be there until the sun rose over the horizon. So instead he said simply, "I missed you and everything that comes with being with you."

Kotaru didn't want to leave the bed, but he also couldn't let Kiyo go hungry. So reluctantly he slid from the bed and sauntered over to his pants and put them back on. He left his shirt off, as a treat. "What are you hungry for? I'll bring you something from the kitchen."

[Amy]

It was intoxicating, listening to him tell her everything he missed about her. She heard him with more than her ears. Her heart and her soul, they listened to him just as closely. Memorizing the tone of his voice, the care and admiration that was wrapped around every single word. She would confess, if forced to, that she had once thought all of the lovey dovey couple stuff was fake. Just something people pretended to do, pretended to enjoy, so that others would see how happy they were. She didn’t think that way anymore. Not when she had half a mind to crawl back on top of Kota and pin him down until he listed every single thing he missed about her. And then, when he ran out of things she would take her turn and tell him how much she missed the cadence of his voice when he told her about his work day and the slight sighs of exhaustion that always punctuated his explanations. She would tell him that she missed walking out of her kitchen to find him lounging like a cat across her couch. She would tell him that she missed the way his skin always felt a couple degrees warmer than her own. She would let him in on the secret that she always missed him when they weren’t together, even if it was just for a single night.

But there would be time for that later. For now, she crawled after him as he slid off the bed, collapsing onto her stomach as he stood. Her feet lifted into the air, swinging lazily back and forth while she hungrily watched him. Her eyes followed his every movement as he pulled his pants on, appreciating every curve of his body as they made their way up to his own. She smiled without shame, tilting her head slightly to the side. “Dumplings?” Her head tilted to the other side, a breath of laughter falling from her lips. “Anything sounds suitable right now, honestly, I’m starving. I’d be happy with noodles, a box of cookies, and a glass of wine.” As silly as the options she gave him were, she sounded absolutely sincere. Curious as to what he would come back with, Kiyo rolled over and sat up on the edge of the bed, stretching her arms high over her head before hopping to her feet. She glanced around the room and quickly found her clothes half kicked under the bed. The black lace panties were quickly pulled on, followed by her shirt that she left unbuttoned. In her partially dressed state, Kiyo wandered around the room.

She chose to believe that the room they were in was not his actual bedroom. It was more than pleasant enough. Comfortable. But there wasn’t a shred of Kota that existed in it beyond the general aesthetics of the room. A quick glance in the closet would have answered her question for good but that felt intrusive so she resisted the urge, instead making her way over to the window. She rested her shoulder against the frame first, followed by her head. It was a beautiful night, the moon visible from where she stood. It cast its warm, soft light over not only her skin but the portions of the garden that she watched.

If she was being honest, she felt like she could stay there forever. She had only been in as much of the house as it took to get from the front door to the guest room but it was enough. It was enough to understand why Kota hadn’t brought her there before. There weren’t words for it, not ones that could find at least, but there was the sense of it that surrounded her. Her mother had always said that houses would talk to you if you listened hard enough and she had always told her mother she was crazy for thinking that. But damned if Kiyo didn’t think the house was talking to her just a little bit.

Kiyo laughed to herself, shifting her weight and crossing her arms around her stomach. Or, maybe, she thought to herself, her brain was still just a bit addled from all of the sex.

[Kao]

Chuckling to himself, Kotaru stepped out of the room and into the unlit hallway. Once he was in the kitchen he yawned loudly, and he cracked his neck as he opened the refrigerator. There was plenty inside by the way of ingredients, but he wasn't in the mood to cook. He was more relaxed than before, but not enough to make an actual meal. After grabbing a bottle of juice - he, of course, had no alcohol in the house - he rummaged through the half-empty pantry for something they could both enjoy. But as he pulled an unopened bag of cookies from a shelf, he paused.

An overwhelming tide of thoughts suddenly surged. All at once he thought about how he needed to restock the pantry, how he needed to arrange a few other housekeeping tasks. He needed one of his subordinates to adjust the security fuuin on the gates so that Kiyo could visit whenever she wanted. While he was at it he needed to review his subordinates' reports, the ones that were constantly flooding in due to the aftermath of the war. There was so much to do.

When he returned to the room a while later a shadow had returned to his expression. In one hand Kotaru carried a tray with two glasses of juice and a pair of steaming bowls of instant ramen topped with pork, a boiled egg, and green onions. In the other hand was a box of his favorite brand of lemon cookies that he hoped she liked, but if not, more for him. He set the tray down on the nightstand, using it to push aside the lamp to make room, then offered Kiyo a bowl.

"I lied earlier." He held his bowl in his hand, but thought better of it and put it down again and instead laid down. "Everything is not peachy. I'm so fucking pissed, Kiyo." With a loud sigh he grabbed a pillow just to have something to squeeze while he told Kiyo everything that had happened since the day she left for Kiri. He emphasized how much he'd hated staying in Iwa instead of going to Suna as originally planned, and that he was ready to break some Konoha necks. But even that had been thwarted by the feint and he had been fuming ever since.

"And you'd think the village would be relieved we weren't attacked, but no! They're just finding new ways to piss me off like questioning me about my own orders." Kotaru's passionate ranting didn't come often since there were only two people Kotaru openly complained to. But now that he had Kiyo, that number had risen to three. He looked over to her, his brow furrowed and lips twisted dangerously close to a pout. "I need a vacation. This is bullshit."

[Amy]

‘Of course everything isn’t peachy’ was what Kiyo wanted to say. Did he think that she was so easily fooled? Probably not, but sometimes it was easier to pretend that everything was peachy. Kiyo knew a thing or two about that so it was easy for her to let him pretend at least for a little while. She had been debating on whether or not to try to bring the topic back up and risk him spiraling back down into his anger. It was a non-issue though as he decided to bring it back up himself. She accepted the bowl of ramen gratefully, inhaling the aromatic steam, and appreciating the warmth of the bowl in her hands.

Kiyo settled herself back against the headboard, her legs stretched out in front of her, her feet crossed at the ankles, and she just listened. It didn’t take long for her to understand where his mood was coming from but she continued to give him her almost undivided attention, split only by the food he had prepared for her. She punctuated her own silence with short exclamations of surprise, confirmation, or downright shock. She had been worried that someone Kota cared about had been hurt or worse, killed. Or that Iwa had lost something important, some land or information or something along those lines. What he told her, what he explained, was so far beyond the realm of anything that Kiyo could have come up with. It was simply so convoluted. As happy as she was that Kota had never been in danger, she understood why he was so upset.

“Whoever thought they should question you when you’re like this should get a raise. Or at least a commendation for their bravery,” Kiyo laughed. She stared curiously at the glass of juice before realization hit her. She made a mental note to gift Kota some alcohol to keep in his house if he planned on inviting her over more often. She set the now half-empty cup down next to her empty bowl before turning onto her side, facing Kota.

“So take one,” she said as her fingers pressed against the wrinkles between his eyes, smoothing them out, following the curve of his brow. “When’s the last time you had a vacation?” Kiyo furrowed her own brow dramatically. “Come to think of it, have you ever had a vacation? I’m a little suspicious that the answer is no. It would explain a lot.” Her fingers continued trailing a path down Kota’s face as she relaxed the look on her face. She never got tired of touching any part of him.

“There are plenty of places in Water Country you could go to for a vacation. Tons of islands, lots of sand, high temperatures, and big crowds with lots of partying and drinking and-” Kiyo couldn’t keep it up for long, soon unable to speak around her laughter. “Kidding.” She brushed his hair off his forehead before planting a soft, slow kiss right in the center. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out how you wanted them to. It’s bullshit.” She repeated his sentiment. “What kind of vacation do you want?”

[Kao]

Kotaru rolled his eyes as she laughed, though a small smile spread over his lips at the sound of her amusement. Sure, they could find humor in it now, but they both knew that drawing his ire was nowhere near a laughing matter in the moment. Fortunately for that shinobi, Kotaru had better things to do than think of a fitting punishment for the insubordination - though being thrown across the room was probably punishment enough. The man sighed contentedly when Kiyo pressed her fingers to his forehead. At first he allowed his brows to relax beneath her touch, but when she implied he'd never had a vacation they furrowed once more. "Of course I've had vacations, Kiyo," came a mumbled rebuttal, and he twisted his face as she went on to describe what he could only imagine would be a less than ideal vacation spot.

Instead of answering right away, Kotaru lifted his hand to rest on the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss. He kissed her slow and long and deep, as if he wanted nothing else in the world. He would have pulled her beneath him and pressed his lips against more sensitive dips and curves for the second time that night, but instead he finally pulled back and met her gaze with a thoughtful look. "Somewhere warm and pretty. Not unreasonably hot,' he emphasized with a raised eyebrow, "but warm enough where you have no choice but to walk around in a bikini. I can handle a club and drunk crowds every once in a while for you if you wear a bikini."

He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "And I'll endure a party scene if you promise to take me somewhere nice after." The bannin gently pulled her close so she could lie down next to him, and once she did he hooked one leg over hers so they were again a tangled mess of limbs. With a satisfied sigh he pressed his face into her chest. "The location and specifics don't matter as long as you're there." An incredibly romantic and slightly cheesy sentiment, but he meant every word.

[Amy]

“All this time and I finally find out the key to getting you to a club is to wear a bikini. I should have known,” Kiyo shook her head, unable to clear the smile off of her face. Her lips still tingled from their kiss and just like with every other time, she did her best to categorize the sensation. Each moment they shared together was something to be cherished, to be remembered. Kiyo hoped that the times would never stop, that there would never be an end to the new memories they were making together. It was a hope that she had been reluctant to let take root. She had been downright stubborn about it, trying to uproot it every time she realized what was happening. Eventually, she had been forced to accept that she didn’t get a say in the matter and so she stopped fighting it. But she never stopped committing their life together to memory, etching them onto her heart so that she could never forget.

Her lips found the top of his head as he nestled himself against her chest. She wondered if he could hear the things her heart was saying about him with every beat. “I know a few places that we can go, then,” her voice was low, not quite a whisper. She kissed each of his charming horns equally as soft before laying her head down next to his. “I came across them when I was traveling all the time. Before I had a reason to stay.” Her hands drifted over his warm skin and Kiyo couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the feeling that it would never be enough. No amount of time with Kota would be enough. No amount of physical contact, conversations, laughter, meals, anything and everything would ever be enough. She was always going to want more. She was always going to need more.

She slid down, their legs still intertwined, until she could look into Kota’s eyes. Her hands slid between them, splayed out across his chest so that she could feel his own heart beating. “I’ll take you to the nicest of places if you endure a party just for me. Anywhere you want to go, anywhere you can think of. I’ll spoil you until you’re sick of it.”

He had to know, right? Kiyo was sure that he must. She had known for a while. Her friends had figured it out right away. Even her mom had given her a look when she had asked and gotten an answer to how things were going in Iwa. So surely, Kota must know. But what if he didn’t? They had fought before she left for Kiri. Sure, they had made up first, but the fight had still happened. What if things had turned out differently? What if the worst had happened? She would have had to spend the rest of life wondering if he knew. She would have had to spend the rest of her life regretting what had never been said all because of fear.

Her hands slid up Kota’s chest and wrapped around the base of his neck. He would be able to feel the slight tremor in her fingertips as she gently held onto him. The expression on her face was full of apprehension and anticipation and something else. Something she didn’t think she could hold back for even a second longer.

“You know I love you, right?”

[Kao]

The feel of her lips against his horns sent shivers down his spine and all the way to his fingertips. Kotaru was thrust back to the memory of their first meeting in that dimly lit back room of the izakaya, where reason had given way to desire. At the time he wouldn’t have dreamed that a chance meeting would bring him here, in the warm arms of a woman he now couldn’t imagine his life without. But he did dream. Despite his initial reservations and the ghosts that haunted him, he had dared to imagine, had dared to hope. He had dared to open himself up to real love.

When she slid down so they were face to face his half lidded eyes widened slightly, the drowsiness that had started to settle within them immediately draining away. Time slowed to a halt for just a moment as his heart fluttered, and Kotaru found himself hoping she could feel that physical reaction as she rested her hand against his chest. The white light of the moon emerged from behind a cloud and poured into the room, softening the hard lines of his face. Kotaru could sense something shift ever so slightly within her, could feel the trembling of her hand as they held each other’s gazes. His brow wrinkled in concern as both their hearts skipped a beat in unison.

Her words hit him like a physical blow from a powerful wave. Instead of losing his footing in the torrent of emotions that swirled in and around him, Kotaru found he was bolstered by Kiyo’s presence. Not even the trepidation that had floated up into her gaze could make him feel unsteady or uneasy. The man leaned his head back, looking at her with nothing less than an endless sea of affection behind his eyes.

“You love me?” he whispered, his voice trailing off and trembling at the end despite himself. He’d heard those words before and his fractured heart had refused to reciprocate. He had been determined to never allow himself to feel the weight of those words ever again. But here she was, this miracle of a woman who somehow wasn’t daunted by the walls he had built. Kiyo hadn’t been deterred by his reputation, by the cruel and heartless titles that he had proudly and meticulously earned. Kotaru pursed his lips tightly as he stared at the woman who had chosen to stay.

Kotaru searched her face as a fleeting thought came to the surface. She might take it back, or say she meant it in a different way than he hoped. Or maybe he had even imagined it completely. Even with all his progress there was an instant where he shielded his heart and the fragments of his soul from further damage. But in the next a laugh broke from him, resonant and full of joyous relief, as those walls crumbled completely. The bannin took her hand and brought it to his lips, placing the gentlest kiss against her knuckles.

“I suspected.” He let out a playful chuckle, eyes still shining. “The real question, Kiyo...” he swallowed, preparing himself to say what he had never once uttered before, to anyone, “is do you know that I love you?”

[Amy]

A dozen terrible thoughts had bombarded her as soon as the words left her mouth and they only got worse when Kota repeated them back to her.

Maybe it hadn’t been the right moment. Kota had just finished telling her how hard of a time he had been having, how frustrated he was. That might not be a good time to hear something like I love you for the first time. Or maybe it wasn’t the right place. She had always thought it would be said somewhere special for the first time. Over the table at a nice restaurant, walking hand in hand, or something similar. It was what she had been imagining during those lonely nights while she had been back in Kiri. Or, the worst of them all. Maybe she had read too much into things. Maybe things didn’t seem as serious to him as they did to her. They never spoke much about the status of their relationship because they always just seemed like they were on the same page. But what if she had been wrong?

His laughter evaporated every terrible thought that was filling her head, as though they were no sturdier than a heavy morning fog. And she supposed, as she laughed along with him, they weren’t. Because she knew better. Nothing about the two of them had ever been difficult. Not from the moment she had looked up from a shattered glass and been completely disarmed by the piercing green eyes that stared back at her. The only thing that had ever tried to get in their way was themselves. Old hurts, grief, and fear had tried and failed to create a wedge between them. Together, they had forged through. Together, they had looked at everything of the past and decided that for once, it should stay there. Because what they had now wasn’t the past. It was something new, beautiful, and absolutely perfect. And it was all theirs.

She didn’t try to stop the few stray tears that fell from the corners of her eyes because they were tears of joy. “Yes. I do.” Kiyo knew that there was only one other time in her life that she would say those words with more conviction than she said them in that moment. “How could I not? You show me all the time.” After all, it was what had made her brave enough to say it out loud. His love for her was in everything he did. Every consideration he showed her. Every time he bought her something, big or small, that just showed that she was on his mind. It was the way he stayed, when they fought. It was in the very air they breathed.

Kiyo sat up slowly and gently pushed Kota onto his back so that she could straddle his hips. She sat upright, her unbuttoned shirt hanging loosely from the crooks of her elbows, her skin awash in the pale light of the moon. When she looked down at Kota, her features were soft and full of the love that flowed between them. “I think we could both stand to hear it out loud every once in a while though.”

She leaned forward slowly, her hands pressing into the bed on either side of his head. Her lips brushed against his, soft as a feather. “I love you, Kota.” Somehow, her voice got even quieter as she continued speaking. “I love you exactly as you are.”

And then she kissed him, knowing that the action could never adequately express how deeply her love for him ran. It didn’t matter though, because she had the rest of her life to keep trying.