They had been in each other's company for quite some time now. They were nine years old when they met. He was a Chuunin at 12, and she followed him a year later. Right now, they were 16.
Right now, he lie still in a room in Konoha's Hospital. He was foolish enough to take out a pack of cigarettes, some new brand he had fancied trying for some time now, but had been too lazy to go out and buy. They were a gift from their ex-sensei, some guy that even if he had spent three years around, couldn't remember most of his face for the most part. Though, that wasn't important. Also what wasn't important, was the reason why he was in the Hospital.
What was, on the otherhand, was the ability to find his lighter. With one unbroken and resting within a cast hand, he buried it in his elongated pants pocket, digging around for it before giving up. Grunting loudly, he simply kept it tightly between the rows of enamel, while looking at the ceiling with the brown as an autumn leaf colored eyes.
Suddenly, the door opened and there was his savior. She was his teammate, and by far, probably one of his closest friends. She was a smart, unrivaled in beauty, invincible with almost any form of Genjutsu yet she came to visit him. Sometimes he felt as if he didn't deserve her company, but paid it no mind. She seemed to be happy enough around him, otherwise, why would she bother coming back to him?
"Asuma-san! What were you thinking!" Her eyes seemed to be red for a different reason than usual, almost as if there were flames dancing within them. Not out of passion, but out of fury, so it seemed to him. "You could've killed us both! Didn't I tell you that those things would kill you!"
He slowly brought his eyes up towards her, holding the cigarette in his mouth. Apathetic towards her warnings of his own health, he raised an eyebrow. "But .. we're not dead, are we?" Almost grinning with stupidity, a sense of pride. He hadn't killed them, and he wouldn't let anyone remotely harm her. Though, she could certainly handle herself. She was a Chuunin for a reason, afterall.
"No, but we could've been."
"But we're not."
"We could have been."
"But we're not."
Silence was heavy and tense in that room, before she let out a frustrated sigh. Sometimes he could really work her nerves, and he knew it. Though he tried not to, he wanted her to think well of him. Afterall, he had the full intentions of making her his one day.
"Look, I realize that me taking out a pack of cigarettes, smoking one wasn't a good idea .."
"Do you know why that wasn't a good idea? Especially on a B-rank mission?"
"Because not only did you give away our hiding spot, you put both of our lives in danger."
"..." He said nothing, he knew of this already. What she was saying was old news he hadn't cared to hear. Instead, his attention began to drift outside the window. It wasn't done to spite her, it was just that he really didn't care to be screamed at for the moment.
"... Asuma-san. Look over at me." Leisurely, the eyes began to drift towards her. She could certainly hold his attention well. For any boy about his age, she was definitely on the menu for a great dream. "You know, if you were hurt more than you were, I would've been really upset and .. oh forget it!" A small, faint blush kissed her cheeks and she pulled something out of the pockets of her Chuunin vest and threw it near his bandaged and leveled legs, held-up only due to the injuries in both; and she started to move away out the door. Unfortunately, raising his upper body at the time would've provided much pain and tried as he might to grab it, he knew what the consequences would've been and quit there and then.
"Kurenai, look at me this time." Too bad for him, she hadn't heard. The flamebox lay still inbetween the legs and he grumbled at his misfortune. "This sucks."
A/N: I don't own Naruto, because if I did, it'd probably be a ninja porno theater or something of the caliber. Also, this was originally made for the 30Kisses community on LJ.