Warnings: lime, language
"I'm sick of men and relationships!" Aoi declared, a bottle of sake in hand. Kankuro, who sat next to her also starting his first sake, nodded.
"Same with women," he said. "It's always about emotions, and always my fault, I'm always the bastard who won't call. Damn, it's not like I tell them I want to have something else!"
"Damn right," the woman scoffed. "And because every other woman in Suna seems to be like that men just assume I want a steady relationship and start a family. No way, José!" She shook her head and took another sip from her bottle.
"I mean," she continued then, "men have the reputation of being complete pigs and only after one thing, yet all I get are idiots who haven't even heard the phrase 'screwing around'!"
"And they all find their way to the only woman who doesn't want anything but a little fun," Kankuro pointed out and chuckled. "We should start pairing them up with the girls I've gone out with."
"Sometimes I wonder, you know," Aoi said thoughtfully after acknowledging the shinobi's business idea with a smile, "whether they only see in me a woman to bear their children. You know; they don't even wanna hear about sex for weeks, and then they just want it once. Am I just not hot enough or what?"
"That can't be the case. You are hot; I'd bang you any day."
Aoi smiled in thanks. Some other girl might have gotten upset by such comment, but not her. The way it was delivered only spoke of sincerity, and it was Kankuro's way to emphasis his opinion.
"I just got a stupid idea," Kankuro said after a moment's silence.
"Shoot," she encouraged him. He seemed to be thinking before continuing.
"Why don't you come to my place? Spend the night. You want a man who wants nothing more, and I want a girl who wants nothing more. It would be perfect. No love, just a good time. What do you say?"
"I don't know," Aoi mused, her tone making it clear she didn't resent the idea. "People might consider that immoral, don't you think? Me, I can take all the talks, but you're Lord Kazekage's brother."
"My reputation is tarnished anyway," Kankuro answered, waving his hand impatiently. "Besides, it would be no one's business but ours. I assume you don't kiss and tell."
"Nah, you're right," she said. A smirk appeared to her lips. "Why not?"
She placed her half-empty bottle on the counter and hopped down from the tall stool.
"Lead the way, my good man!"
Chuckling, Kankuro dropped down to the floor himself and bowed dramatically at the woman, who now wore an exaggerated fateful expression.
"Of course, ma'am. This way."
The way to Kankuro's apartment was filled with a rather ponderous silence.
"Do you think this is gonna be awkward?" Aoi asked, as Kankuro fumbled with the lock on his door. "After all, we've known for quite a while, and I haven't been drinking all that much. And neither have you, unless you started without me, you son of a bitch."
"I dare say I've drank less than you," he answered, straightening his back, "which was actually quite a waste of good money, seeing as I left my bottle half full. Now, in you go; ladies first."
Aoi entered the two-room flat and waited for Kankuro to close the door behind them. After completing the surprisingly complicated task, the man turned to face her.
"So," he said, staring into her brown eyes. Aoi fidgeted a little.
"Okay, this is already awkwa-"
She wasn't allowed to finish. Kankuro laid his lips on hers in a lustful and demanding kiss. Aoi was game in seconds. The kisses soon turned into a full-blown make-out feast, and not long after they we're tearing at each other's clothes, desperate to get closer to the other and feel the hot skin under their hands. Kankuro's hand run up and down Aoi's back, the other hand keeping her in the kiss by neck. She grunted unamusedly, trying to lift his shirt to get to his chest and stomach. He grinned against her lips, then departed ever so slightly the get the offensive piece of clothing off. The second his torso was bare, Aoi's hands traced the muscles of his toned chest. Her fingers run down his front and, before he had time to comprehend it, they disappeared into his pants. He gasped in surprise and attacked her neck with kisses. Their breath was getting heavy and warm.
"Here," he whispered, breath hitching to his throat as her hand moved slowly, and pushed her onto his bed, that occupied the room attached to the doorway.
As she lay there, on her back, trousers and bra still on, hair mussled, eyes glazed and mouth panting, a feeling passed through Kankuro and a word danced around in his brain. Mine. He grunted in pleasure. Yes, his, all his. Without another thought he climbed onto her, kissing up her stomach to her collarbone, to her jaw, to her lips. She moaned in a pleased manner and lifted her hips against his. Kankuro's world darkened and he was swept away in a torrent of pleasure, that wouldn't ease its hold until many hours later.
In the early hours of dawn the exhausted couple lay snuggled up against one another, barely awake. The first rays of morning light were seeping through the curtains.
"Thank you," Kankuro sighed, examining Aoi's face, in which eyes were half closed and a small smile played on the corners of the lips.
"I think I should thank you," she said with a laugh. "It was your idea, and it was what you promised; no love, just a good time."
"Yeah. No love…" Kankuro muttered turning to his back and looking at the ceiling. Aoi followed suit, her head leaning against his chest.
"I don't get why the other girls complain," she said. "You were so… Gentle. Considerate."
Kankuro shrugged.
"Not always. Just with you, it actually seems."
"Really?" she asked, turning to look at him. "Why's that?"
"I don't know. Maybe because you're my friend."
"Oh, yeah…" Aoi mumbled, turning her eyes from him. "Friend…"
"But I have to say I envy every single guy you've done," he said. "I'm at a loss of words, you know."
She glanced at him, and if he had been looking at her at that moment, he surely would've noticed the glimpse of hope that shone clearly through all other emotions.
"Really, now?"
"Yup. What time is it?"
"If your clock is right, it's four thirty."
"Oh. Maybe we should sleep a bit."
"Yeah. Maybe I should head home." She made no move to go.
"Who said that? You're already in a bed. I say we sleep a few hours and then go grab some breakfast at Takuya's, hmm?"
"Sounds actually really good. What's with you and good ideas lately?" she teased, grinning at him.
"Just the usual story – I sold my soul for the devil in exchange of brains. A good deal, I might add."
"I wouldn't go as far as calling that good."
"Why not? It got you into my bed, didn't it?"
"But not anyone else, which it would've done if those brains were working properly."
"These brains recognize quality, you know."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Now shut up, so I can sleep."
"Good morning, Shiro," Aoi greeted and winked at the young boy serving them in their regular place, Takuya's. The poor boy blushed furiously, tried to mumble an answer but stuttered so helplessly he had to flee the scene. Aoi giggled and Kankuro smirked.
"He's too young for you," he commented. "He's what, seventeen? You need a real man."
"Is that so?" she asked, a fake innocent look on her face. "Why, what on earth could you mean?"
"Nothing much," Kankuro grinned.
Aoi felt something rubbing against her leg. She raised an eyebrow at Kankuro, who was sipping his coffee while looking out of the window to her right. When he offered no answer to her non-verbal question, she moved her leg, tracing the thing she still felt against it. She grinned ever so slightly. It was a leg alright, and it ended to Kankuro's side of the table.
Suddenly Kankuro put down his cup and rose from his seat.
"Whelp, I gotta run. I promised to help Gaara at the office today. I'll go pay up at the counter, so you just have a nice, long breakfast. I'll pop by this evening. See ya!"
"…See ya," Aoi replied, astonished.
After finishing her breakfast she was about to leave, when Shiro came running to her.
"Your friend told me to give this to you when you were leaving," he said, blushing and trying to look anywhere but Aoi.
"Thank you," she smiled and took the note the boy was holding out for her. The teenager fled again, and she unfolded the paper while exiting the coffee shop. It was written in Kankuro's messy handwriting and read as this:
"The boy knows now he can't have you. I'll make sure that the word gets around to other emotion-filled males as well – they need to know that you don't want them. They also need to know that were they ever to approach you in any romantic way, they'd get their asses kicked by yours truly. Because you're mine."
A wide smile broke to Aoi's face. Yes, she may have thought love and romance were unnecessary and troublesome. She still partially thought so. But where love and possessiveness went hand in hand, she could take it. Especially if Kankuro was any part of it.
Epilogue:
Eight months later they stood at the altar, grinning madly at each other and saying "I do" at their respective moments.