A/N: I'm going with Ichiraku as Teuchi and Ayame's last name. I've done some extensive searching, and can't find one for them.
The reference to lightening comes from personal experience. It can happen with someone you don't necessarily know very well but have a strong attraction to...

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anyone/thing in this story (except a few random OC's)

Chapter: 1

Ichiraku Teuchi closed the door and ran a tired hand across his brow. It had been a busy day. Even Tsunade-sama had sent for a bowl of tonkatsu ramen. One could even call it a good day. One would call it a good day, at least until that Suna shinobi showed up. Teuchi snorted as he sat down in his favorite chair. Him with his hood and that kabuki paint, trying so hard to distract Ayame from her work. They say his specialty is chakra controlled puppets, well, Ayame is no puppet to be controlled!

Teuchi was used to shinobi flirting with his daughter. Even Uzumaki Naruto tried it once or twice, but this time...this time was different. Ayame was responding to the desert rat's attention, and Teuchi was not pleased. He'd heard the stories of the drunken Sand Nin stumbing around Konoha at all hours, encouraging the local shinobi to follow his example. Threatening his students at the academy. Frankly, he'd been surprised that the Hokage hadn't taken more action against him for that, but he was the Kazekage's brother. The alliance with Suna was important. That fact didn't impress Teuchi, he was not going to allow his daughter to be alone with that boy, nor would he allow her to be a pawn in a political relations game.

"No, no, no, I promised you I would raise her right." he yawned. The ramen cook drifted off to sleep where he sat, a picture of his dead wife in his hands. Ayame, meanwhile, was in her room humming and smiling.

It had been a busy day, but a really good day. Especially when Kankuro-san showed up for lunch. He told the funniest stories about his students and about life in Suna. Not for the first time, she wondered what he actually looked like without the hood and paint. Maybe one day she'd ask what color his hair was. He was really such a nice, funny person. A bit like Uzumaki Naruto, just nowhere near as hyper. She was glad he was adjusting to life in Konoha, it must be hard being away from everyone and everything he knew, but after a few months he seemd to settle in. Ichiraku Ayame drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face, looking forward to the next day.

o-o-o

The next afternoon, Sabaku no Kankuro sat at his desk watching his students as they copied down notes about the different hand signs. They weren't so bad really, his students. Of course that might have something to do with the fact that he no longer came to work with a hangover. They could thank Ayame for that, he smiled. The kids seemed to notice him doing that alot more lately. Not the smirk he wore when he threatened to lock them up in Kuroari, but a genuine smile. He remembered the first day he'd gone without threatening them, they had asked him what was wrong and he'd smiled. Ayame was a big part of the reason behind that too. Although meeting with a furious Hokage and getting a letter from an enraged Temari helped. When given the option of shaping up and getting to stay in Konoha where he could see Ayame everyday, or going home and facing Gaara and Temari, Kankuro had opted to behave.

His stomach rumbled as he looked at the clock. Five more minutes and then he was free! He got up and crossed the room to the door.

"Okay," he addressed the class. "If you've got this copied down you can go. Remember that the difference between tora and hitsuji may be slight, but mixing them up will negatively affect your outcome in a battle."

A few faces colored as the students gathered their things.

"Those two were difficult for me too, so I speak from experience."

Matsumoto Haruki looked at his sensei wide eyed. Seeing that Kankuro wasn't joking, he smiled. Kankuro smiled back.

"Practice them tonight, I want to see improvement tomorrow."

The students nodded as they left class. When the final straggler made his way outside, Kankuro gathered up his own papers and made his way to the ramen bar. He was going to order the largest bowl possible and eat it slowly. He wasn't planning on meeting anyone today, so he could take his time and devote all his attention to Ayame under her father's watchful glare.

He knew that Ichiraku Teuchi disapproved of his fondness for Ayame. He reasoned that the Ramen Cook had probably heard about his drunken episodes. He'd also probably heard about his reputation with some of Konoha's "friendlier" ladies. He shook his head, there was nothing he could do about it now. He hoped that in time Teuchi would come to see an improvement in him, and chalk up those first months of stupidity to youthful indiscretion.

"Bah," he smirked, now he sounded like Gaara's buddy Lee. Youthful this, youthful that. "The sweet bloom of youthful indiscretion!" He laughed to himself as he caught sight of his destination. There was Ayame, and yep, there's Teuchi. Already with the glare. Kankuro raised his hand in greeting to Teuchi who turned his head as the Sand Nin parted the curtains and sat down.

o-o-o

Ayame didn't have to look up from the vegetables she was chopping to know, she felt a lightening bolt go up her spine. It had been that way since the first time he'd come to the ramen stand with a smirk upon his lips and eyes full of mischief. How long ago was that now? Lately she didn't even have to see him, just his being close caused electricity to flow through her body. That, and her father's "harumph" confirmed for her that Sabaku no Kankuro had arrived.

"Konnichiwa Kankuro-san" she said barely looking up from her vegetables. "Are you hungry?"

"Famished," he replied trying to catch her eye.

She finally relented and looked up. Black eyes met brown and for an instant she was breathless. She wanted to push back the hood and finally see the color of his hair. Did he have blonde hair like his sister, red like his brother, or something else entirely? She checked the urge like everyother time and instead smiled.

"Do you know what you'd like to have, or do you need a moment?"

He grinned. Did she realize how loaded a question that was?

"Hai, I'd like the largest bowl of black pepper beef ramen you have."

Teuchi wanted to vomit watching the two interact.

"Otou-san, " Ayame turned to her father, but Teuchi cut her off.

"I heard," he grunted. It was proof of Teuchi's pride in his reputation as a world class ramen cook that his hand didn't "slip" and over pepper the dish. Especially when he noticed that Kankuro was speaking so softly that Ayame had to stop what she was doing and practically lean over the counter to hear him. He watched them laughing together and how Ayame's eyes sparkled when she looked at the desert rat. She looked just like her mother.

"Ayame!" The girl visibly jumped. "The vegetables will not chop themselves!"

"Hai Otou-san," she replied and went back to work.

"Here," Teuchi growled setting the bowl a bit too roughly in front of the shinobi. Broth splattered on his shirt.

Teuchi saw the eyes darken for a moment, but the boy said nothing except "Arigatou Teuchi-san. Your reputation is well earned, I know this will be excellent."

Teuchi grunted and went back to cooking. Of course the food would be excellent. His ramen was well known throughout the Hidden Villages, he didn't need the approval of some spoiled desert rat. He had all the approval he could ever want from every shinobi here in Konoha, and none of them covered their face in paint or wore hoods. Well, except for that Aburame kid, and he never really came by, so he didn't count.

Ayame peeked over at Kankuro while she chopped. Her father was ruder than normal today. He met her eyes and smiled, she smiled back and then resumed her chopping. There was that lightening again!