[Graded]Embers to Flames [M?]

[Niro]

Michi and Yukino had escaped the nightclub with their clothes barely on their bodies before he had taken her hand in his and led the way to his apartment. The pair cut through the nearly empty streets of Iwagakure at night before Michi entered an apartment complex and made his way to one of the elevators that led to his floor. It was hard to not jump her in the elevator with the scenes from earlier playing again and again in his mind. The soft ding of the machine couldn't come fast enough for the Fukusha before it finally rang. Showing her along to his door, which read 117, Michi fumbled with a pair of keys and pushed the door open.

Before he could even get it all the way shut, their antics started back up and the two fumbled through the dark apartment into his bedroom where their clothes were dispensed of once more. The subsequent rounds and exhaustion from the previous day had led Michi to a deep slumber as the sun finally broke through the mountain ranges and shone light through his bedroom window. The soft rays inched across the room and eventually fell on his face as he woke up and sat up, his eyes still heavy with sleep. The Fukusha blinked as he looked around the room, clothes still strewn about the floor in addition to the pile of clean but not yet put away clothes he had on a dresser along with a weapon polishing kit and some scrolls.

His apartment wasn't the smallest but it wasn't large either. One bedroom, one bath, and a kitchen thankfully roomy enough for him to navigate through when he did cook. The lounge of the apartment wasn't tidied either; the war fan Michi used on missions was tossed haphazardously in the middle of it and so were different pieces of his mission gear. The refrigerator was, thankfully, stocked as he had just recently went about purchasing groceries. Speaking of groceries, he could of swore he smelled food...

[Kao]

Yukino rose before the sun. Typically the woman slept in on her days off from work, but it wasn't a typical day. Her antics with Michi were exhausting, sure, but the woman found herself unable to sleep for very long. She had dozed off for two hours, maybe three, and eventually she found herself sitting in bed and watching Michi as he slept. She wasn't easily impressed, especially not where men and shinobi were concerned. But this man intrigued her. Perhaps it was the way his ruby scales had glistened in the dim light of the club. Or maybe it was the way he seemed so willing to follow her out of the cafe and down a dark alley into a darker club. Whatever it was, it made her hesitant to disappear without a word like she had done to a few others in the past.

Instead of leaving as he slept, she poked around in his apartment. It was a small place so her light investigation didn't last long. Yukino didn't bother to open the scrolls strewn across the dresser, but she did pick up his war fan and she gave it an experimental wave without opening it. Satisfied that he wasn't an obvious freak, she turned her attention to the kitchen and was pleased to find it was well stocked. Hungry and wearing only a large shirt she'd borrowed from his laundry pile, she started to cook. At first it was only enough for herself, but after a long pause she made enough for two. Eggs, bacon, rice, toast with jam, orange juice. It was simple but well prepared, and her stomach growled as she set the tiny table.

[Niro]

Taking stock of himself, Michi definitely felt sore. The light scratches and bites he had suffered throughout the night had quickly healed over with no mark for anyone with a keen to pick out. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and untangled himself from the thin blanket before lumbering over to the dresser. His hands groped at the piece of the furniture in the barely lit room until they found the knob of a drawer and he was able to procure himself clean, fresh boxers. Pulling the dark blue piece of clothing up his legs and letting the elastic snap onto his skin, Michi made his way to the barely opened door of the room and opened it gingerly.

He could hear the soft clattering of utensils and plates upon the small table centered in the just as small kitchen. Surprised Yukino was still here, Michi made his way across the small apartment and into the kitchen with a bemused smirk on his face. His eyes looked his over for a moment and felt his tongue rub against the back of his teeth as his mind thought back to last night for a moment before he cleared it. He pulled the opposite chair out and sat down, his green eyes roaming over the breakfast in front of him.

"I didn't really take you for the cooking type." Michi teased before picking up one of the utensils and picking at the meal in front of him.

[Kao]

"I'm usually not when I'm not at work," she admitted without immediately looking up, her attention on the food as she put the finishing touches on the eggs. After adding a little salt and pepper, the woman scraped them from the skillet onto two plates, taking care to give the one in front of Michi a slightly larger portion. She placed the pan into the sink to soak in soapy water and then sat next to the man, finally looking at him. He was handsome in the morning light, she noted. Yukino also had a glow about her, no doubt thanks to their sex-filled evening the previous day. "But I'm hungry, and you have more food here than I do at home. So don't get any ideas about me being all demure and domestic. It's a matter of convenience."

Silence washed over them briefly as they ate. It wasn't her best effort since she was missing a few of her usual spices and ingredients, and she would have preferred pancakes but she hadn't found any mix and she definitely wasn't going to make it from scratch. Still, it was quite good, and she smiled when she took a bite of the rice combined with the bacon. "Nice fan you've got in there," she commented, nodding toward the lounge where it laid in the middle of the room. "Is that your weapon of choice? Gotta say, I was moreso expecting a sword or two."

[Niro]

"Between the café yesterday and breakfast this morning, you're not doing a very good job not making me think 'domestic.'" Michi teased after she set the plate down, his words poking fun at the girl. His eyes travelled over the plate of food and he could feel his taste buds begin to salivate in anticipation. After last night and the previous days construction work, Michi had been famished. The sandwich had been good but someone had stolen half of it last night. "Thank you." He spat out before grabbing a utensil and beginning to dig into the food in front of him.

Michis eyes darted over to the gunbai as she broke the silence. He gulped down what was in his mouth and thought it over for a moment. "Swords are fun but boring at the same time. You can only cut so many things before it gets...dull. Fan is a lot more fun and with the metal edge it can cut it you hit hard enough with it. I don't usually just leave it out but...yesterdays mission sucked and I really didn't care to tidy up before going out."

[Kao]

Yukino squinted when the man teased her about her domestic skills, and she paused her chewing to twist her lips into an unamused scowl. The expression didn't last long, however, since her attention quickly went back to the food in front of her. When he mentioned his preference for his gunbai over swords, her shoulders stiffened. In her days as an active shinobi she had similar sentiments, but of course her weapon of choice had been something quite different. Her iridescent eyes flickered to the beaded bracelet on her left wrist - she still wore it out of habit, not to mention it was a beautiful accessory - and she then self-consciously moved her hand and tucked it under the table.

The woman let out a near-whispered, "Oh, really?" in response, then hesitated while picking at her food. Normally she avoided talking about anything that revolved around the shinobi lifestyle. Training? How boring. Missions? She'd rather talk about sand. But with the talk of an unusual weapon thrown into the mix, she couldn't help but note her interest piqued slightly. After all, she had been proud of her own polearm, unique in its creation and its effect on her opponents. After mulling it over, she decided to continue the conversation. "I never liked swords either. They seem a bit...pedestrian." Beneath the table Yukino rubbed her finger absentmindedly over the beads as she spoke, and the cold, familiar metal sent a shiver up her arm. "Any genin can swing a sword around. But something like a polearm takes more practice and finesse. Easier to store after a mission after a mission, too." She smirked at Michi with her last comment before adding, "Missions are something I definitely don't miss. I almost never had the energy to have the kind of fun we had last night."

[Niro]

Michi wasn't blind or naive enough to not pick up on the pause in her body language when he mentioned missions or how her gaze shifted downward but he decided not to press the subject. It wasn't his place to dig too deep, she might eventually let him in on it or he might not even see her again after this morning. The Fukusha wasn't quite sure with the rather promiscuous way both of them had acted last night. He nodded with a mouth full of rice as she called swords pedestrian and went on about polearms.

"I admit, I'm not the greatest with it yet. I prefer my ninjutsu more so I mostly use it to block or crush something, I'll get better with it eventually. Sounds like you know your polearms though." Michi explained as his lips morphed into a small smirk. "Yeah, missions can definitely be...backbreaking. I don't have to worry about rent with the nice pay from some of them but you're right, they do not leave a lot of left in the tank for...extracurriculars."

"Speaking of extracurriculars, I think my sheets need a wash after last night. And so do our clothes, I'll throw in a load of laundry. Feel free to hang around until it's done so you're not walking around in the cold with just my shirt."

[Kao]

Calling their exploits “extracurriculars” was certainly one way to put it. Yukino rolled her eyes almost as if she was annoyed that he talked about it that way, but the smirk that touched her lips have her away. She’s quite enjoyed herself and it was written all over her face. If her expression wasn’t evidence enough, the way she had lingered the morning after and had cooked them both a meal all before engaging in small talk would absolutely be a perhaps obvious sign that she was interested in Michi. She looked him up and down as he talked, drinking in the sight of the scales that covered his body. ’Gods, that’s so sexy.’

He invited her to stay a bit longer, and Yukino wondered if that was simply an excuse to get her to spend more time with him. After all, she didn’t mind walking home a tiny bit disheveled. Another round in bed wasn’t off the table, but that was best saved for later. “I’m not bothered by the cold,” she said to reassure him, “but sure, I’ll let you have a turn at being domestic after a one night stand.” Yukino paused for a moment, turning her fork in her hands. “Though, I’m not against this being a regular thing.”

[Niro]

Michi scooped the rest of the food off the plate and into his mouth when he caught Yukino eyeing him up and down again. He wasn't used to be ogled so openly, even by women he had had one nights stands with before. They usually disappeared before the sun broke and he had no need to think of them further but something in the way she looked at him was different. A shiver ran up his spine at the realization and he stood up to place the now-empty plate in the sink. His long legs let him cross the distance in few strides before he ran warm soapy water over the ceramic plate and let it sit.

"If you'd like to help, feel free to grab the dishes." Michi teased with a short laugh as he turned and leaned against the counter. "Oh, really? I guess I could get used to it, breakfast wasn't too bad." He continued on before pushing off of the counter and walking past the kitchen table and her into the bedroom. Michi tossed their disgusting clothes onto the just-as-disgusting sheets and pulled them off the bed into a giant bundle. Holding it at arm's length, he walked back out of the bedroom and down the hallway before turning into another room where after a few seconds the sound of running water could be heard.