I knew there was trouble the minute I saw that rose on my door step.

"Kankuro, you better not be in there," I groaned as I stepped into my apartment. Sure enough, he was in the kitchen. Dinner was elegantly spread out on the table and he was just lighting the candles.

He blew out the match and smiled at me. "Welcome home Ritsuko."

"You really need to stop doing this," I scowled. I turned to put away my sword Chikara, but also so he wouldn't see me blush. As annoying as his attentions were, it was also a little flattering.

"Stop what?" He feigned innocence.

"Proposing to me every week. I'm not going to change my mind, so just accept it."

"What makes you think this is a proposal?" He countered. "It could just be a nice dinner prepared by a friend."

I walked over to the table and pulled out one of the beautifully arranged flowers on the table. I pointed out an engagement ring carefully placed in the center of the petals.

"Alright, you caught me," he laughed. "I knew I should have put it somewhere else this time. But surely you're not going to want all this food to go to waste?"

The aroma was delicious and my stomach rumbled. "Well, I suppose not."

He helped me into my seat and quickly gave me a kiss on the cheek. I swatted him away. "You're going to have to kick this habit of yours or else I'm gonna kick you up one side of Sunagakure and down the other!"

He grinned. "I'd believe you, if it wasn't for that little confession of yours in the hospital."

I blushed furiously. "You were never supposed to hear it either! I thought you were dying!"

Ever since I relocated to Sunagakure, Kankuro and I had always had a sort of rivalry. He didn't like the idea of a foreigner with mercenary ties working as a personal guard to his younger brother. He also made fun of Chikara, which sealed my opinion of his as scum. But somehow our relationship began to change from flat out resentment to grudging respect to genuine friendship.

And it probably would have stayed that way except for his near death experience after battling Sasori of the Red Sand when Gaara-sama was captured. He was still very weak after Sakura Haruno of Konoha healed him. Temari-san could not abide the thought of her brother alone in the hospital, but her duties did not allow her time to stay at his bedside. So she once asked me to take a turn. As I sat there by his side, silently watching as he slept, I realized then how special he had become to me. He had somehow started to fill the hole in my heart, one that had always been there. Impulsively, I drew close, holding his hand and stroked his hair. "You can't die Kankuro," I had whispered. "They need you, Gaara-sama and Temari-san. And…I need you too."

The next thing I knew he grabbed me by the arms and pulled me in for a kiss. Embarrassed beyond belief, I slapped him hard across the face and ran away. I never had the heart to tell Temari-san why I left my post early that night, but I suspect that Kankuro must have told her. For shortly after his recovery we were required to work together more, and there was nothing I could to change her mind to re-assign me. Kankuro and I were still good friends, but it was always obvious that he was hoping for more than that.

"Did you hear? Akatsuki has lost another member," Kankuro said between mouthfuls.

"Which one?"

"That shark guy, Kisame Hohigaki."

"Wasn't he already dead?" I asked, slightly puzzled.

"Nope, it was just a clone. Granted this is supposed to be top secret, Gaara told me himself. Turns out he was hiding in that big sword of his in an attempt to gain access to Killer B and Naruto. He was routed out and committed suicide."

I bowed my head in thought. Poor senpai, how could he have fallen so far? He had always been someone I admired. I will always be grateful for his taking me in and saving me from my family. Any yet…

Kankuro gently rested a hand on mine, stirring me from my reverie. "Are you crying?"

I wiped my eyes, indeed they were wet. "I guess I just feel sorry for him, that's all."

He pulled a face. "You pity an Akatsuki member?"

"I'll have you know he wasn't always a blood-thirsty villain, he used to be my senpai."

Kankuro dropped his chopsticks out of surprise, his mouth hanging open. "You mean, you used to know him?"

"Yep, lived with him too," I couldn't help adding in. It was fun to freak him out. "For six years."

He knew it and was no longer rising to the bait. He leaned forward, resting his head on his hands like a child eager for a tale. "So your mysterious past emerges at long last. Tell me this, why did you live with him? That is most unusual."

I wasn't ready to tell him about my family yet. "I was homeless, it couldn't be helped. He was an excellent teacher and a great guy. I have no idea why he joined Akatsuki and became the brute he is now."

"If you knew him so well then you might be able to solve a little mystery. Rumor has it he married one of his students. Do you know which one it was?"

That surprised me. "He married? I didn't know that. I must have left his apprenticeship before then."

"Or maybe he ate her," he teased. "You know how sharks are."

I bared my shark teeth at him. "Learn from his poor wife and get out while you still can!"

We both had a good laugh. Once dinner was over, I stood up to clear the table. "Thanks again for dinner Kankuro, but you really shouldn't trouble yourself with me. Your family has done too much for me already."

"I'm hardly acting out of charity," he sniffed. "I could never settle for someone out of pity."

I filled up the sink with soapy water and starting scrubbing plates. "You're an incredible guy, Kankuro. Being the Kazekage's brother sure makes you more popular, not to mention your excellent puppet abilities. And with cooking like this, you could easily win any girl you want."

He slipped his arms around my waist and held me close. "Except the girl I want."

A shiver ran up my spine. This was the most forward he had been since that night. I really should have put him in his place right then and there, but somehow I couldn't bring myself to pull away. I leaned against him, listening to his steady heartbeat. "Isn't that always the way of it," I mused. "We want what we can't have."

"What do you want?" He said near my ear.

"Some completeness," I confessed. "I've always felt like there is something missing. Something important that is just on the edge of my mind. I…I wish I knew what it was."

He carefully spun me round to face him, his arms still around me. "I used to feel that way, until I met you. You are one of a kind Ritsuko."

I looked into his tender face for a long time. Could that be it? Did I need love in my life? I had always tried to refrain from getting close to anyone. I had a hard time trusting anyone, but somehow Kankuro slipped through my defenses. And I did really care about him. So why? Why did I hesitate now?

He gently rested his forehead against mine. "I love you so much Ritsuko. And you're worth waiting for."

"It could be a while," I teased him. "A girl doesn't like to be caught."

He shook his head. "I'm not trying to catch you."

That surprised me. "Then…what is it that you want?"

His tone dropped to a whisper. "To set you free."

I held my breath. "Of what?"

"For all your bravado and bite, there is a part of your heart that is locked away. Why do you feel the need to hide? You're amazing just the way you are."

That touched me like no other thing he ever said. To be so wholly accepted by another who could love your weaknesses as well as your strengths was a liberating thought. I cradled his face in my hands and pulled him in for a long kiss.

"So does that mean we're engaged?" He asked impishly.

I laughed and gently pushed him away. "That's still a bit ambitious, but you're getting closer."

He grinned from ear to ear. "I'll take what I can get."