Simple Sipping

[Willoria]

Half the morning she had spent training, a small lunch on her own, time in a library, and as the sun began to set she was wrapping up a purchase at one of her favorite stores. Ever since Koyama's death she had picked up one of his old habits of collecting sake now that she was old enough to drink. Though as she walked down the street back towards the clan compound her mind wasn't actually on the case of sake she currently held in balance on her shoulder. Her mind was on the events of a few days before when she had run into Akari Kotaru as she turned in a mission. She had taken a few days to recuperate, not having realized even herself until later just how sore she was. By the next day bruises had come into color on her left upper thigh and her right shoulder.

It seemed the perfect time to restock some of her sake collection, but still all she could think about was how close she came to kissing Kotaru again. And echoing through her head was her own confession. "Still can't believe I said that..." she muttered to herself. 'I swear, only he could piss me off so much that I make that kind of confession. How do we fight so much if I feel this strongly for him?'

[Kao]

Not much had happened in the days since he met Ume. At least, not much had happened that Kotaru was willing to talk about. There were many changes happening in the village - some that had been made public while others were still held as secrets. To be honest, the bannin had barely been able to pay attention to his duties that week. He had told Ume he would figure things out, but he didn't exactly want to deal with it right now. Not only did he have to figure out how to tell Tatsuo that he was actually, truly interested in her, but he needed to get his blessing. Not only that, but wasn't sure how or if he would break things off with Maido - if there was anything to actually break off. The woman fascinated him, but she was terrifying in her own right. He had no idea how she would react to him wanting to be with someone else in a way that went beyond meaningless sex.

For the millionth time that week, he sighed. If anyone had told chuunin-Kotaru that he'd be in this predicament someday, he'd have laughed in their face. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he wandered the village, taking the extremely long way home after running a few errands. When he realized how close he was to the Akari clan compound he huffed and deliberately turned east, deciding he should head home. He lost himself in the scenery for a while, and when he snapped back to reality it was as if his thoughts had materialized right in front of him.

There was no mistaking Ume's specific hue of blue hair. He stopped to watch her as she made her way down the street, bouncing a bit as she carried a box in her arms. It was a strange change of pace to walk toward her instead of avoid her, and with a few quick paces he fell into step just behind her and mused, "I can't believe you said that either."

[Willoria]

Ume almost jumped, turning her head suddenly to see Kotaru walking with her and a blush creeping into her cheeks above her mask. "When did you get here?" she asked awkwardly, shuffling the box in her arms to redistribute the weight of it and carry it more carefully. "You know... getting along is kinda weird." she admitted quietly. "I'm not sure if I actually prefer it, but I definitely got used to you being an ass." she remarked, looking over at him briefly.

And a thought suddenly occurred to her. There had been a great deal of things that happened the day Kota had saved her back when, when he'd found her and helped her get clean and sober. But after the fact a lot of the things she had forgotten had slowly come back to her. "You know you still owe me, right?" she asked, looking at him again, her eyes practically sparkling due to the smirk hidden behind her maks. "You saw me naked."

[Kao]

"Just now, as far as you know." He tried to peek at her box, but her next comment caught him off guard. His brow jutted upward quizzically, and then his features scrunched in confusion. "I can go back to being a complete ass if it makes you more comfortable, Ume. But my heart probably won't be in it." He knew she was joking, but he in no way wanted to argue with Ume. They still had their moments when they were at each others' throats, but it wasn't something he needed right now. He was in a good mood for once, no pent up anger that needed to be released.

'I need a different kind of release but that's neither here nor there.'

Of course Ume would bring that up right as he was trying to think about something other than sex. His neck flushed a deep red and he pursed his lips. "Owe you what? I didn't do it on purpose. You just undressed right in front of me and I only looked a little."

[Willoria]

Ume suddenly stopped in her tracks, if he was still behind her at all it was entirely possible he'd run into her. She turned her head to look at him a moment, amusement clear in her eyes as she continued to smirk under her mask. "You know a lot of my memories of that day came back... pretty sure I can count three times and none of them all that 'little'." she quipped. Though after a moment of looking at him a more serious expression crossed her face and she couldn't help sighing. "I was always surprised you helped me so much you know..." she said quietly.

"Talk about sheer dumb luck right? You just happened to come along and find me... you helped me more than anyone else would have I think." Realizing she was on the verge of beginning a ramble the girl blushed and shifted the case in her hands, nodding down to it as she knew he was probably curious. "Remember how Koyama used to have all that fancy sake? I guess I picked up one of his habits... I collect good sake now. I was running low and figured I'd pick some up..."

[Kao]

Kotaru dd nearly run into her, his arms rushing forward so that neither them nor her box would go tumbling to the ground. He quickly righted himself as if nothing happened. The bannin then cleared his throat, suddenly feeling awkward and at a loss for words at her next comment. He was drawn to her from the start; of course he would help her. It seemed obvious now, like something that didn't need to be said. "Yeah, well. You always seemed like you needed it, one way or another." The response seemed insufficient, but thankfully she quickly changed the subject.

His expression soured. "Sake. Lovely. Piss of the gods." He looked away from the box and at her instead, silently wondering why people seemed to like alcohol so much. He had less than pleasant memories of his one and only encounter with the stuff. He shook his head and added, "You know what's better than sake? Coffee. Water. Mud water. Literally anything else." The two turned a corner, and he realized he wasn't entirely sure where they were headed, but he could only assume it was wherever she was living nowadays. "So, what, you're just gonna hole up at home and drink alone?" Even for him, that seemed lonely and bleak. Drinking seemed way less productive than reading or training.

[Willoria]

Ume couldn't help a laugh as they walked along and Kotaru reacted to what she was carrying. "Really? You do know its better when you don't get wasted off it right?" she remarked, laughing again as she remembered how he'd gotten sick. But her laughter slowly died down as he asked about her drinking alone at home and almost a sad smile crossed her lips, though he wouldn't see it save for the shift in her eyes as she looked at him. "I mean... what did you think I was doing the last few months?" she asked quietly, shrugging before she continued walking, continuing even into the clan compound.

She sighed and shrugged again, thinking about what else her nights could have been. "Half a day physical training, lunch, the last half research and study, grab a drink, go to bed, wake up and repeat." she explained as she walked. "I mean, when I'm not on missions that is what my life is, aside from Kantai I've had no one to talk to." she made her way towards a residential area in the compound, eventually coming to a small home. The house was hardly impressive, but it was enough. Ume would lead the way to the front door and unlock it, leading the way inside and through a small living room and back to a kitchen where she set the case of sake on the table. In the living room was a fireplace, but it seemed to hardly have nearly as many comforts as the home she had once shared with Koyama, and definitely no hot spring.

[Kao]

Kotaru frowned when he realized where they were going. He was so focused on Ume that he hadn't realized they were going in the direction he had been specifically avoiding. As soon as the compound came into view, he tensed. He'd barely heard her mention her activities for the past few months, and he barely noticed the shift in her demeanor. He was too busy staring straight ahead and avoiding eye contact with any Akari who passed. One or two of them were bold enough to look directly at him, and to each he shot a glare so deadly that it stopped them in their tracks until he was out of sight. Only after he crossed the threshold of her modest home did he even begin to relax again.

"Why do you even still live in this place? There's way better places to live in the village than this hellhole." he spat, crouching in front of the fireplace and lighting it with a tiny flame from the tip of his finger. Once the fire was going he sank into the couch, his expression still dark and agitated. He flicked his thumb and middle finger, igniting a small flame and then extinguishing it. The Akari repeated this motion several times to calm himself before adding, "Sounds boring, even for me. And I hope you don't plan on trying to get me to drink that shit cause the answer is no."

As he spoke he looked around the room. Kotaru was no interior decorator, but this place was sparsely decorated even for him. He looked at the girl, his brows furrowing as he started to realize how much she'd closed off from everyone. "Well, I'm not exactly chatty but it's better than talking to some animal-spirit-thing. Probably. You haven't had any actual fun? I mean, besides slaughtering people you technically weren't supposed to go after. Nothing?" She would hopefully pick up on what he really meant. Despite himself, he was morbidly curious about how far she had gone to distance herself from the thought of him.

[Willoria]

Ume laughed as Kotaru questioned her home. "Well I lived off compound with Koyama but that place just had too many memories... so I sold it. Without Koyama at my back it was hard to convince the clan that I could live off compound so I had to choose something here. It's small but its enough for me at least." Looking oddly out of place in the dining room was the back wall, clearly set up as a wine rack and chiller. She opened the case and started putting bottles away, glancing back as he started toying with flames and she was suddenly tempted to be an ass. She buried the thought for a moment and shrugged as she finished putting things away and walked over to the couch where Kota sat.

"Hard to have fun alone." she remarked quietly, shrugging herself out of her jacket as she hung it up on the back of the front door. As she did so, her back was bared, showing off the tattoo on the back of her neck and down her spine. She also removed her mask before turning back to Kotaru. "Honestly I thought I couldn't approach you... But yeah training has pretty much been my life. I don't fight the way I used to anymore. At all." she added as she sat down beside him, silently wondering if he'd even realized before that the knife she had thrown at him during their argument hadn't been a standard kunai.

[Kao]

"Give me five minutes with those wrinkly fuckers and you'll be able to live wherever you want." Only when the clinking of bottles stopped did Kotaru look up, and he was rewarded by the sight of Ume undressing. Somewhat undressing. The sight of her tattoo brought back memories of Rock Country once again, and he quickly attempted to bury them. Apparently she had continued her solitude since then, and he could reasonably assume that she hadn't been involved with anyone else.

The bannin adjusted his body when she sat next to him, turning so that he was facing her with his left leg resting on the couch. "You don't fight the way you used to? Gee, what a surprise Miss Sharpened-Tooth-Bloodthirtsy-Assassin. Do tell." As he spoke he pulled out what would have been a very familiar knife to Ume from his kunai holster. He casually spun the weapon between his fingers and continued, "Do you still try to kiss people to death? Or is that something you decided to stop doing since slicing throats is way easier and less...surprising."

[Willoria]

Ume shook her head at him as he pulled out one of her push daggers from his holster. "Oh how cute, you kept a memento." she teased. "Though I do love being reminded how I managed to scare the piss out of you with it, Mr. Big-Time-Bannin-Now." she added, rolling her eyes at him and laughing as he referenced her old kissing jutsu. She pointed to her shoulder where the scars remained from the plague that her techniques had originated from. "Just scars left, no more Plague, no more Ekirei." she told him, shrugging. "Though I am working on fabricating a poison that behaves similarly."

She could still remember clear as day his reaction when she had kissed him with that technique, back when he had managed to find her in the middle of nowhere in Rock Country. He had been so angry and silently she wondered if now he was just salty because it had been an attack rather than affection. "I do have a new jutsu that involves kissing... it's a genjutsu that illicits feelings of love from the target. If used on the right target it makes them think they're head over heels for me... but if rumor serves me right, it would never work on you." She had heard how good Kotaru had become at Genjutsu, and knew her abilities were far beneath his, too far beneath his to even think a C rank Genjutsu from her would have any affecct on him.

[Kao]

"I was not scared," he assured with narrowed eyes, though the slight smirk that started to form on his lips rendered the glare far from menacing. "Being caught off guard is not the same as being scared. Besides, you won't be able to catch me off guard with the same thing twice." He briefly wondered if Ume simply remembered the events of that day differently. He remembered being taken aback and then angry; the memory of being afraid wasn't there, and he was almost certain it was something she had misread while being under the influence.

He figured it wasn't worth mentioning, so he shrugged it off. "Ugh, rumors." Kotaru still wasn't used to being talked about on a large scale. It made him uncomfortable, to say the least. "You're absolutely right though. Something like that wouldn't work on me. But it doesn't sound like your fighting style has changed much. So you don't use the poison," he paused to run a finger over her scar, up and down the raised, firm skin, "but it sounds like you still like to kiss random people."

His eyes were firmly focused on her lips by then. "So does that mean that whenever someone kisses you they have to worry about being put under genjutsu?"

[Willoria]

Ume felt herself let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding when he ran a finger down her scar. She looked over and watched the motion, momentarily remembering the day he'd gone with her to the hospital for her check up. It almost made her chuckle, remembering what an ass he was about it, insisting he was only going for Tatsuo's sake and not because he was actually worried about her. But as Kota mentioned her kissing random people, she rolled her eyes and looked at him a moment. "You'd be surprised how easy it is to get a target to let their guard down by kissing them... men... and women." she said, smirking and shaking her head.

"I'd have to form the hand seals, I don't keep genjutsu active at all times, I'm not that talented yet." she said, giving him a significant look. "I think someone kissing you would have more to worry about in that department. You're apparently the fabled gen master in this clan these days." She couldn't help teasing him a bit about it, knowing full well he probably hated the attention.

[Kao]

Kotaru's brows shot upward at the sudden revelation, and his finger paused its traveling over Ume's skin. "Men and women? That doesn't sound like someone who hadn't been having fun." He was prepared to dig deeper, to find out just how much experimenting Ume had been doing with her genjutsu and beyond. But then she mentioned the clan and his mood momentarily soured.

The shinobi sucked his teeth and dropped his hand completely. With a sigh he tore his eyes away from her and rested his head against the back of the couch. "Yeah, well, when I kiss people it's never for genjutsu. That's not really my style. And I sure as hell don't care about what the clan says or thinks about what I do and how I do it." When he looked at her again it would be clear that he was annoyed, borderline agitated. "Do me a favor and don't mention the clan, alright? It's bad enough to even be in the compound."

With that he stood up and wandered over to the kitchen, taking the liberty of opening her refrigerator and a few cabinets. He wasn't searching for anything in particular; the movements served as a distraction so that he would simply simmer instead of growing into a full-on, angry boil. As she expected he did hate the attention, especially from clan members. He had grown in many ways, but his distaste and distrust for the Akari clan had not diminished in the slightest. Instead of dwelling on it, he changed the subject. "You mentioned me owing you for seeing you naked but if you ask me, you owe me a meal."

[Willoria]

Ume knew he'd take the bait when she mentioned men and women, and his response naturally made her laugh. "Sadly those kisses are hardly fun, and I really try to avoid having to do more than that to distract a target." she said, shaking her head as he went on to talk about the clan, and she couldn't help a frown. When he got up she didn't follow immediately, giving him a moment alone before he spoke up again. She finally got up from the couch and walked around it back through the small dining room and into the kitchen where he was. "You asking me to cook for you? How domestic." she teased, stepping over to the fridge and starting to get a few things out. Before long she had removed the cover from her stovetop, revealing the flat top grill she'd had added after she bought the house, turning it on to warm up.

She also took out a cutting board to start preparing a few veggies, setting aside a brown packet from the fridge that probably had meat within it. "I know you hate the clan, if anyone understands it, its me... can I ask a sensitive question?" She paused and looked at him a moment, pausing as she waited for his response, only if he nodded or told her to go ahead would she ask a question she was almost afraid to ask. "I'm in this clan too... and feel like I've been embracing their bullshit more and more lately and... maybe its stupid to ask but, do you trust me?"

[Kao]

Kotaru shrugged, stepping out of her way as she bustled around the kitchen. He picked up the packet, curious about what was inside, but it wasn't labeled and it wasn't transparent so he simply sat it back down and watch her start to chop up the vegetables. "Everyone needs some domestic skills. Mitsuo and mom taught me that. I don't know how I survived on instant ramen and takeout before then."

Once again she brought up the clan, and he felt his expression fall further. His gaze hardened, and the bannin leaned against the counter with his arms folded across his chest. "I don't like where this is going - you're talking about 'embracing the clan' and then immediately asking if I trust you. Why?" He loathed to admit it, but in some ways he had embraced the clan's culture as well. It was evident in the way he would answer the clan elders' beck and call, though he rarely responded to their summons nowadays. He hated them still, but he no longer had the itch to dismantle everything the clan stood for by slaughtering them in multitudes, shiin be damned.

"Where are you going with this, Ume? If you're asking if I'm concerned about you trying to take my shiin then the answer is no, I'm not."

[Willoria]

Ume finished cutting up a few vegetables before throwing them on the grill with a little oil and a sizzle. The brown packet she finally opened to reveal a couple of steaks, sprinkling a little salt and pepper on either side before setting them on the grill as well and shaking her head as Kota spoke of shiin. "I don't really have a why I guess... just you hate the clan so much, and I'm in this clan too, sometimes I wonder if that means you don't trust me." she sighed as she watched the food cook for a moment, glancing at Kotaru. "Besides, you known I'm not the type to just take a shiin at random, that hasn't changed. I only take them from the ones dumb enough to attack me first."

She took a moment to shift the vegetables around to make sure it cooked evenly, flipping the steaks for the same reason before she turned back to look at Kotaru again. "Hell, Koyama had to tell me at least three times when he was dying to take his phasmashiin..." words trailed off a moment as she chewed on her lip, one hand coming up to touch the red crystal on her necklace briefly. "Stupid question I guess, I'm sorry." She shook her head again and turned back to the food, getting a couple plates out of the cupboard to plate it up and holding both out to Kotaru, clearly expecting him to take them to the table.

[Kao]

The smell of the sizzling meat made Kota's mouth water, and he swallowed thickly and did his best to focus on their conversation. It was clear to him that her loss still pained her, but all he could do was try to distract her; she certainly needed it. He shrugged off her apology and responded, "It's fine. Good to know that part about you hasn't changed. So sure, as far as clan antics go, I do." In the minutes that passed, he watched her cook the meat to what looked like near perfection, and by the time she pulled down the plates his stomach had growled audibly several times. He practically snatched the plates and bounded over to the dining table.

"You worry too much. As long as you're not after my shiin then you don't have anything to worry about with me." Never one to wait when it came to a meal, Kotaru sat down and immediately started eating. It was pretty good, he had to admit, especially since he hadn't eaten since that morning. After scarfing down about a third of the meal he glanced up and asked, "Oh, bring the drinks over, I forgot to grab them."

The shinobi ate more of the food, and if Ume didn't hurry he'd be nearly done by the time she made it to the table. "This isn't bad. You're a better cook than I thought you'd be. All you gotta master now is cleaning and you'll be ready for the housewife life. Unfortunately there's usually no murder involved in that, so you might get a little bored."

[Willoria]

As Kotaru snatched up the plates, Ume turned and grabbed a couple of glasses out of the cupboard, pouring two things into each glass before bringing them to the table, laughing as it seemed to occur to Kota at the same time that he hadn't gotten a drink. She set one in front of him and sat down with her own, laughing as he made a comment about her being a housewife. "I don't think I could ever be just a housewife... gotta get my bloodwork in the field at least once in awhile." she said, starting to enjoy her own food and sip the drink she'd made. Curious to see if he'd notice the change in flavor she had made Kotaru the same thing, it was mostly fruit juice with a bit of vodka. Not enough to get anyone drunk, but his only time drinking had gotten him so sick he abhorred it, she wanted to see how he'd react if he actually had a good experience with it.

"Don't tell me you often imagine me as a housewife with a gaggle of brats that I have to literally keep from eating each other... that might be a bit weird."

[Kao]

"And I didn't think we'd be in the same room together for this long without being at each other's throats, but here we are." He took a swig of the juice, and then loudly smacked his lips a few times. He gave the glass a questionable look, the downed some more of the beverage. It tasted weird, unlike any juice he'd had before. He suddenly had a thought, "You better not have given me old juice, Ume. This tastes kinda weird." But it was still palpable, so he downed half of it and attacked the steak once more.

"No, no," he answered with a snort, "can't say I've ever pictured you ask a housewife with kids. I don't really think about things like that much." After every other bite he'd take a drink of juice, and by the time he got down to the last of the steak he had run out. He gave Ume a sly look and then took her drink and finished it off. As the liquid settled in his stomach, he grimaced. "Fuck, Ume, that juice tastes almost rancid. Like it leaves a burning sensation in my mouth a-"

He paused, blinking several times before shooting an accusatory glare at the kunoichi. He raised the empty glass to his nose and inhaled. When a faint yet sharp smell hit his nostrils, Kota frowned. "Ume, you didn't."

[Willoria]

Ume shook her head as Kotaru accused her of giving him old juice. "It's the same thing I'm drinking, Kota, its not bad." she assured him, shaking her head at the face he made and continuing to eat her food. She was glad to see him laugh at the idea of her as a housewife though, a bit relieved that he didn't see her that way. When he gave her a sly look she didn't realize what he was doing at first, until he'd already reached for her drink and finished it. She lifted her hand to say something, but being too late she drew her lips together into a tight line and instead rest her chin on her hand and looked at him as he finally put the pieces together.

"Uh... I, um.... I thought a chance at a good experience without overdoing it would help you see you could just enjoy it like any other drink.... You, uh, you weren't supposed to chug mine too." The girl was blushing furiously as she admitted what she did to the drink, chewing lightly on her lower lip as she waited for what she felt was going to be an inevitable blow up.

[Kao]

The Akari sighed, burying his face in his hand for a moment as she tried to explain herself. He looked up with his eyes narrowed, pointing an accusatory finger in her direction and inhaling in preparation for a tirade. Then he sighed yet again - heavily, wearily - and dropped his hand flat on the table. Kotaru brought his opposite hand up to his temple and propped his elbow on the table, staring blankly at the empty glass. The seconds bled into a full minute of silence; the bannin was truly at a loss for words.

Finally he mumbled, "Not cool, Ume. I didn't wanna drink." He stood up, and the sensation was as though his body was on a delay. He felt himself stand quickly, but his body seemed it was moving much slower than he was used to. "Fuck. I'm-" The lightweight looked down at Ume, clearly displeased with her. At the very least she didn't seem smug about it, so his already diminishing agitation receded almost completely. "I'm gonna go pee."

Without asking for directions he wandered off, hating the feeling of his body's coordination being thrown off. "Two drinks. Two. Fuck me, I even don't-" He opened a door, finding a bedroom instead of a bathroom. "Shit where's the fuckin..." With more grumbling he kept looking, and when he finally found the bathroom he hardly closed the door behind him. After doing his business he made his way back to her, a red flush already creeping into his cheeks.

"You're sneaky. Sneaky sneaky. I see why you're a kissing assassing. Assassin." He was already feeling it, and he hated it. So Kotaru scowled, waiting on her to offer a way to fix the situation and appease him.

[Willoria]

Ume grimaced at his words, hating the way she suddenly felt about herself. She pointed the direction of the bathroom though she realized he didn't see, and while he was away she stayed where she was at the table, her head in her hands until she heard him coming back. 'He was supposed to drink it like a normal person, just one, and with the food he would have been fine... how was I to expect this?' Still cursing herself mentally she started picking up the dishes and cleaning up without finishing her plate and dropping dishes in the sink as he started talking again.

She walked over and, if he let her, she'd help him to the couch before getting him something else to drink and sitting beside him. "I'm sorry I... that was fucking stupid of me." she said, not realizing that as she spoke she had kept one of her hands on one of his, still chewing nervously on her lip.

[Kao]

He let her lead him to the couch, his scowl unmoving despite her clearly beating herself up about it. Kotaru sank into the couch with a groan, barely noticing the drink she set nearby. 'Probably more alcohol. Tryin' to get me all liquored up,' he thought with a huff, and he wiggled his body around as he tried to get comfortable. Finally he settled on stretching out on the couch, laying his head on the arm and looking down to belatedly see her hand on his and the way she bit her lip. He knew that look from a mile away.

After letting time pass, perhaps enough to let her squirm, he finally spoke again. "You better not cry, 'sassin. " he warned, though his tone was uncharacteristically calm. "And you're gonna chew a hole in your lips and I don't know how to fix that best I can do is plug up the hole with skin from the back of your hand or something I dunno." He patted his chest with his free hand and then held it to his side. "Here. Into my bosom. You can't get me liiightly smashed and then cry about it. You're s'posed to be a deadly, sneakingy 'sassin. No mercy, no regrets." The words spilled out messily as the effects of the alcohol took a stronger hold. If she took longer than a second he would pat his chest again.

Kotaru grunted as he shifted his body slightly, raising his leg at an angle as he put his hand atop her head, ruffling her hair a bit. "It's not the stupidest thing you've ever done so don't worry 'bout it."

[Willoria]

Ume fell quiet, still silently beating herself up, until Kotaru spoke again and she giggled slightly at the way he spoke and what he called her. "Bosom huh? Good to know you're still funny when you're drunk." she said shifting a bit before laying down on the couch with him, resting her head against his chest. "Definitely not the dumbest thing I've done." she admitted, sighing against him though her next breath she realized she could still smell the hint of mint on him.

As she shifted a bit to get comfortable she couldn't help a grimace, the bruise on her shoulder bothering her as she snuggled up against him. "...you're comfortable." she admitted quietly, finding herself surprisingly at ease laying against him like this. The sound of his heartbeat in her ear combined with his scent helped her relax. As she fell quiet though and lay there, a thought came to her mind causing her to blink for a moment in confusion.

"Did this turn into a date?"

[Kao]

"Just now realizing that? You made me dinner and got me all liquored up. It's been a date for a while now." He hummed and placed a hand on her lower back, lightly running his fingertips up and down her bare skin. He lay there for a while in silence, nearly drifting off to sleep. He was comfortable for a while, but then he started feeling as though he was overheating. "'Scuuuuuse me," he slurred, sitting up so they were both upright to pull his shirt over his head. "It's hot, sorry."

With that he settled back into the couch, looking up at her as his hands settled on her hips. If she tried to lie back on his chest he would gently keep her upright, just so he could keep looking at her from this angle. Kotaru watched her as his hands wandered down her sides then up again, curving around her back and beneath the fabric of her revealing top. "You okay with that? That it's a basically - that it's a date. Cause if not then you'll be in an awkward position in mmm...fouuuuur seconds." The shinobi tried to keep his eyes on her face. Truly, he did. But her breasts were practically in his face.

Before she could answer he rolled his hips, in case she didn't understand exactly what he meant. She wouldn't be able to miss him stiffening against her, or the long look he gave her while licking his lips. "Hmmmm?"

[Willoria]

Ume giggled a bit as Kota admitted it being a date. She felt his fingertips on her spine and shifted a bit, giggling under her breath as she realized it tickled. But a moment later he was trying to sit up and she let him as he removed his shirt. As he lay back down, she shifted to lay on him again but he didn't quite let her, causing her to give him a curious look. She rest one hand on his abdomen, running her fingertips along the lines of muscle beneath his skin as he spoke and she chuckled again. "Yeah I'm okay with that." she said quietly.

It wasn't long before she was rolling her eyes though as he made all the more obvious what he meant. "You're drunk, Kota." she said quietly, chuckling. "I might've been the one who got you there but I'm not gonna be dumb a second time and jump you while you're drunk." she said, shaking her head as she looked down at him. The temptation to kiss him hit her and she couldn't help sighing as she thought about it. She almost said a certain name, and chuckled as she remembered how he said last time it was a boner killer, so instead, "Our best shot at this thing is to not do anything..." She shook her head. "If you were sober I don't think you'd be letting me this close much less more."

[Kao]

"Noooo, no don't be mean. I'm not drunk you can't get me drunk and be mean." Kotaru was practically whining, seemingly not understanding why she was turning him down. He knew she liked him - loved him - and wanted him enough to invite him to her place. Cook for him and then feel bad for letting him drink too much when he didn't want to. He huffed and looked up at the ceiling, staring up at the white paint. She was right, of course, even though it was annoying to have his words thrown back at him.

"You ain't as right as you think you are though. Yanno the other day? - when you thought I'd back off when you stood close to me. If I'ere sober we'd still end up here. Maybe not as fast though." He glanced down toward her fingers, still tracing the lines of his muscles, then rolled his hips once more in case she needed reminding of his stiffened state. "If you don't want me, then you can get up at any time. But I'd rather you stay and take off that scrap of fabric you pretend's a shirt." Kotaru gave her ass a squeeze then placed his hands behind his head. Still looking up at the ceiling he waited for her response, mentally preparing for her to turn him down again.

"Soooo?"

[Willoria]

Ume giggled as he accused her of being mean and whining at her. Shifting her weight she lifted a leg over him so that she was straddling him, but probably not the way he wanted her to. She shifted up to actually sit on his lower abdomen and smirk at him. "Mr. Big-Bad-Bannin begging me for some huh?" she teased, shaking her head at him as she leaned down and whispered in his ear. "It's not that I don't want you, Kota... I just want every chance we can have at doing this right and not screwing our lives up."

She did however turn her head and kiss him lightly on the lips, even allowing the kiss to deepen as her tongue snaked out to his lips briefly before she sat up again.

"Seriously though, you should probably sleep off this drink." she told him, shaking her head. "You can sleep in my bed if you want, but you're not getting laid, Kota."

[Kao]

Ume didn't know just how close Kotaru had come to risking it all by snatching off her clothes right then and there. When she shifted upwards she had rubbed against his manhood and he found himself throwing his head back and stifling a moan. Not once had he ever begged for sex, but given his inebriated state coupled with her refusal it was certainly headed in that direction. The bannin parted his lips to tell her that yes, he supposed he was begging, but her insistence that they wait proved to be a brick wall that he couldn't scale.

But fortunately he was rewarded with a kiss that quickly deepened, and for the briefest moment he thought she might have changed her mind. He was sorely disappointed when that wasn't the case. Sighing - again - he slowly sat up and repositioned the both of them so that she was sitting on the couch cushion instead of straddling him. He leaned forward, his features twisting into a look of disappointment and annoyance. "If you say so," he breathed, unable to hide his dissatisfaction.

Kotaru wasn't quite ready to head to bed alone and with balls bluer than a summer sky, so he pulled her closer and rested his head in the warm space between her neck and shoulder. The sweet scent of lavender was strong there, and a low hum rumbled in his chest. He sat with a leg on either side of her, and even though it was torturous and uncomfortable for him the bannin didn't try again to persuade her. "Damn responsible 'sassin...." The longer he sat there, the more he had to fight his eyes from fluttering shut.

[Willoria]

As he leaned forward towards her and made clear he wasn't happy with being turned down, Ume couldn't help a smile. She found an odd satisfaction in watching him want her, even though she hated turning him down. She wanted him just as badly, but she was stone sober and wasn't willing to risk ruining Kotaru's friendship with Tatsuo just for a night with her. Even if it became more than that, she wanted to do all she could to make sure she didn't wind up destroying him in the process. But the entire thing was amusing to her for several reasons. "Well we learned one thing about you tonight..." she said quietly. "You're a horny drunk." she added with a bit of a laugh.

Turning to look at him she could flat see how tired he was, smiling at him as she reached over and gently caressed his cheek briefly. "Sleep." she told him quietly. "You need the rest." she added. 'If he falls asleep here maybe I can get him to the bedroom to finish sleeping it off... can't imagine this couch is comfortable enough for the whole night.'

[Kao]

If Kotaru had the energy he would have told her that him being horny wasn't something that only happened when he was drunk. But he only managed two small hums in response, and he turned his head enough to press his lips against her neck. His fingers ran through her hair, slowly and gently, and he twirled a thick blue lock around his finger before letting it fall back to her shoulders. The urge to feel every inch of her was still nearly more than he could take and that ache below the belt was difficult to ignore, but he managed it somehow.

The battle against sleep was becoming utterly one sided. In the middle of gently sucking the delicate skin of her neck he dropped his hands and yawned, deciding to close his eyes for several blissful seconds. The seconds turned to minutes, and Kotaru's breathing became slower and deeper. It wouldn't take long for Ume to realize he had fallen asleep there in her arms. If she tried to move him, he would wake up just enough to move his own legs so she wouldn't have to literally carry him from one room to another. No matter where she decided to let him sleep, he wouldn't want to let her go. She would need to practically pry herself out of his arms and once she did they would slowly fan out, searching for her warmth and the feel of soft skin.

[Willoria]

Ume inclined her head towards him, sighing quietly as she felt his lips against her neck, a smile working its way across her lips as she heard his breathing shift. She had to resist the urge to laugh, worried about fully waking him up. But she knew the couch wasn't the most comfortable place, and so eventually she coaxed him up in his mostly-asleep state and led him back to her bedroom. She helped him into the bed and climbed in with him when she realized he wasn't letting her go any time soon.

She stayed clothed, laying beside him with her head on his chest only moments later. She closed her eyes, eventually letting sleep take her as well, to the sound of Kotaru's heartbeat.