A/N: And again I'm writing an Oneshot when I should be doing something else. For those of you who are waiting for the sequel of 'Haunting pasts' – don't worry I've already started the first chapter.

So I hope this Oneshot isn't too bad because I've been half asleep when I wrote it.

Walking

They always walked together. Whether it was stormy or sunny – it didn't matter as long as they just kept walking. Mostly they didn't even talk. They just walked, side by side. It was funny how different it felt when she walked alone. And now that he had left on a mission she used to walk alone a lot. Maybe just out of habit. But she missed more than just someone's company – more important she missed him.

When they walked together they always heard comments like 'On a date?'. Especially from the copy-ninja. But she would never admit something like that, even if it were true – though it wasn't. But she didn't deny it either. She liked to pretend she didn't know the reason for that even though her heart kept telling her that underneath the underneath she truly loved him. But that's beside the point; as a ninja you have to be careful with your feelings.

However. She found herself standing at the west gate of Konoha at midnight, waiting for his return. Again she told herself that she didn't know why. She was a miserable liar.

Xxx

It was one of those days – or rather nights. And again she stood at the west gate, staring into the distance, when he finally came back. He looked dirty and tired – but it was himself. Although he looked like he had run out of cigarettes – he wasn't smoking.

"Asuma." She greeted him with a nod and an unsure smile.

"Oh, Kurenai. Didn't expect you to be here."

'What a greeting' she thought.

"Yeah, dunno why I'm here either. Maybe I just drank too much coffee and now I can't sleep." She really was a bad liar. Standing at the west gate at midnight because of too much coffee? Come on.

"But how was your mission?" She asked changing the subject.

"Everything went smooth, well almost everything." He answered as he quickly started brushing off the mud as if he just had noticed how dirty he was.

She raised an eyebrow in amusement before she said, "I guess we shouldn't just stand here. It's already quite late anyway."

He nodded seeming relieved that he came out of this awkward situation. "I'll walk you home, okay?"

She agreed.

As they walked Kurenai once again noticed the difference in their heights. Not only in their sizes but also in their appearance: she was small, her skin like porcelain – he was muscular and tanned. But they said that opposites attract. Maybe it was true. At least she really trusted him from the bottom of her heart and in the shinobi-world that meant something, didn't it?

All too soon they arrived at her apartment and she thanked him before going inside. It felt good to have seen him again though it had been too short for her liking. But after all she would see him tomorrow again.

Xxx

Asuma watched Kurenai disappearing into her apartment. He still wondered why she had been standing at the gate in the middle of the night. Though she must've thought the same when he had been standing there, waiting for her to return. He actually had missed her back then. He liked her, probably loved her – and he was sure that she felt the same. But he also knew that she wasn't ready to openly admit her feelings yet. She was too careful for that. And he wouldn't push her. If it were necessary he would be content to just walk with her for the next ten years. But maybe he wouldn't have to wait the long.

He arrived at his apartment. He might've been too lazy and tired to take a shower before going to bed. He really was tired. But it had been embarrassing enough that Kurenai had seen him, from tip to toe covered in mud and something he didn't even know what it was. And he wasn't sure if he wanted to know either. So unless he was clean again he would be constantly reminded of this embarrassment.

Xxx

In the next morning Asuma got up early. So he wrote his report and handed it to the chunin in the Hokage office. Afterwards it was still early in the morning, he had a free day and in one or two hours he would see Kurenai again. It would be a wonderful day. He knew that he shouldn't be so cheerful because it was nothing special – at least that's what he told himself. The truth was it was always something special.

Everything about Kurenai was special. The faint sound of her footsteps – at times he could swear that she was floating more than walking, the way her hair danced in the wind and the way she would blush whenever Kakashi made a stupid comment about them being together again. Not to mention that her laughter always sounded like the ringing of small bells to him.

So before he even noticed he had walked to her apartment, waiting for her to open the door. Lost in his thoughts he patiently waited.

Xxx

After a while – he had no idea how long he had been standing there – Kurenai came outside.

"Asuma" She said with a smile. "You should've knocked at the door."

He shrugged. "I just came here, so I hadn't the time to knock." Not quite the truth but that wasn't important. Without saying more they both started walking. There was no need for them to speak because they already knew what the other was going to say. Though maybe this time something different would happen. Maybe…

As a strategist Asuma liked to think things trough before he did something and while he had been waiting for Kurenai he had had enough time for doing so. And he had used this time. That she had been waiting for him in the middle of the night was the proof he needed: it was about time to take the next step.

"Kurenai?"

She looked at him curious.

"Would you let me invite you out to a dinner, today?"

Her steps briefly faltered. She certainly hadn't expected that question. Then she asked, "Wouldn't this be something like a date?"

He wasn't sure whether she had sounded curious, diffident or something he didn't know the right word for.

"I guess you could say so."

Her red eyes locked with his. Now they were only a shade darker than her cheeks. Feeling really anxious he awaited her answer. Would she agree? Or would she reject him? For a moment he whether he should deny that he had meant it as a date, maybe she would forget about that and continue as if nothing had happened. But then he felt her small hand close around his as she said with a shy smile.

"I would like to."

So again they walked through the streets of Konoha but this time hand in hand. And Kakashi however didn't make a comment – instead he smiled knowingly.

The End

A/N: So that's all. I hope it wasn't too bad.

So thanks to greenleaf.elve for her ff 'night walk' that inspired me to write this and thanks to everyone for reading.

Don't forget to leave me a nice little review :D

disappears in a poof of smoke