Saturday January 16th, 2016

9:00 AM

Sachiko could not remember the last time she had been this excited for a date. She and Kisame had agreed to meet at the aquarium at eleven and she had changed her outfit four times since waking up. She hummed softly to the radio while fixing her hair and Sachiko couldn't help but think back on the last week. To her surprise she and Kisame had continued to text almost every day, and he had even asked the name of the upperclassmen that had stood her up originally. Not that Sachiko would have told him, while she was mad at Kakuzu; she wasn't the type of person to cause drama. Thinking of Kakuzu only served to bring their last encounter to mind.

Sachiko had been walking to the dining hall Wednesday for lunch when Kakuzu Kuchisake, the very man who stood her up on Monday, began walking beside her. He grunted in an attempt to gain her full attention. Still angry, she ignored him and continued on her way.

"I apologize for not meeting you; I noticed some discrepancies with my bank account." Kakuzu gave a brief explanation as they continued walking.

"I'm sorry to hear that! Was it a large amount?" Sachiko was shocked, she couldn't be angry at him for trying to sort out his bank account. Kakuzu nodded.

"Yes, $3.24 was missing from my account, but it's been straightened out. If you'd still like to treat me to that coffee, I'm free now."

"Excuse me?" Sachiko was flabbergasted. Not only was her time worth less than five dollars, but he seriously thought she was going to take him out?

"I had asked you if you'd like to get coffee after it was made clear to me that you were attracted to me, as such, you may take me to coffee." So her time was both worth less than five dollars, and he wasn't attracted to her in the first place. Sachiko didn't have much of an ego to begin with, but that just about killed whatever was there. Her phone buzzed just as tears were beginning to prickle in her eyes. Taking a quick look at the screen in order to compose herself, her heart gave a flutter. Kisame had texted her….a picture of a cupcake.

[Kisame] Bistro has good desserts today.

She and Kisame had been texting back and forth since Monday and she had never been quite so besotted. Sachiko smiled before looking back up.

"I'm sorry Kuchisake-san, but I've been invited on a date and cannot in good conscience go out with you." She began to walk away, ready to go grab one of those delicious looking cupcakes when that little gremlin of anger reared her head. Who was he to treat her like that? She turned her head and said as casually as she could, "He even paid for my coffee when you were a no show".

From there the week had both flown by and seemed to drag on forever. She and Kisame had texted back and forth, but hadn't been able to meet up again before their date. Her little interaction with Kakuzu meant missing Kisame at the popular dining hall on Campus called The Bistro, but she sent her own picture of a cupcake back to him with a smiley face and the explanation that maple was her favorite. From there they exchanged pictures of their everyday lives. Sachiko sent a photo of the snowman she and her friends made in reply to his of all his homework and was all smiles when he said that they should make one together sometime.

As she contemplated her outfit of soft white jeans and flowy seafoam top the door opened.

"Wow! You must really like this guy." Tenten announced as she came in and set her gym bag on the floor at the end of her bed. Tenten knew that Sachiko liked Kisame as he was about the only thing she talked about all week.

"Do I look okay? We agreed to meet at eleven so I need to catch the shuttle soon." Sachiko mumbled as she fussed and began to gather her things.

"You look so good that Gai-sensei would burst into tears of youth at the sight of you". Tenten assured her. "Lee and I are going out too, are you sure you don't want us to drop you off?" she questioned as she watched Sachiko dance around their room. This guy better live up to all the good things Tenten had been hearing about him. Tenten asked around the gym and got nothing but glowing reviews on how great of a guy Kisame was, which was a relief when you consider the kind of world he came from. A world that Sachiko obviously didn't know a thing about, and Tenten didn't blame Kisame for not telling her either; she had seen firsthand what Neji went through as member of the "oh so prestigious" Hyuga family. Not to be overprotective, but Sachiko didn't date much and was still pretty naïve when it came to guys. Tenten would never let anything happen to her. She'd rather see Sachiko with Kisame over Kakuzu any day of the week and honestly had no idea what she had seen in him in the first place.

"No, thanks though! I don't want to mess with your guys' plans. What do you think, this one or this one?" Sachiko questioned as she held up two bathing suits, one black and one purple but both one piece suits with skirts attached.

"The black one. It's January, why do you need a bathing suit?" Tenten asked as she watched her roommate put the bathing suit into her bag.

"I don't know, Kisame just told me to bring one." Sachiko replied as she checked her bag over. "Well, I'm all set. I'll see you later!" They hugged and Sachiko was already in the hall when Tenten poked her head out the door.

"You better text me when you get to the bus stop!"

"Yes mother!" Sachiko laughed as she opened the door to the stairs.

They lived on the third floor of the only all girls dorm on campus, close to campus security and a few minutes' walk from the campus shuttle. Sachiko walked past several buildings she had classes in, the library, the Starbucks she and Kisame had met in, two parking garages and a dining hall before coming to the shuttle pick up area. To the left of a bench was a small kiosk that housed the ticket machine. As a student she didn't have to pay for her ticket but she still had to scan her ID to be able to get a pass. This was a security measure the campus had installed several years ago when several other universities were noticing a rise in campus related crimes. There was a big blue button next to the kiosk, and another on the bus shuttle stop sign that would call campus security as well. She didn't have to take the shuttle back, but she did have to scan her ID to get back into her dorm, therefore her whereabouts could still be accounted for. This was one of the reasons Sachiko had applied to Konoha, and the only reason her father allowed her to attend. They took security and student safety seriously. No, if General Nekozawa had his way; his child, whom was the spitting image of his late wife, would be attending school on the military base where they lived.

Sachiko sent her promised text to Tenten and it was another ten minutes before the green and red colors of the Konoha Student Shuttle bus came into view. She took an extra moment to confirm the stop she needed to get off on before boarding the shuttle. The closest stop to the aquarium was just outside the bay area; from there she would have to walk a few blocks to reach her destination. Twelve stops, she reminded herself as she boarded. Sachiko smiled to the driver as she handed him her ticket and began scouting for a seat on the slightly crowded bus. Weekend rides were always crowded as students who didn't have cars had to get their weekly supplies. Sachiko felt so grateful for Lee in this instance. Gai-sensei sold Lee his old car a couple years ago and the three of them did their grocery shopping together ever since, with the stipulation that the three of them split the cost of his parking pass each year.

Sachiko made herself comfortable in a seat towards the back and listened to music while fiddling with her phone to keep occupied. She kept one headphone bud in her ear and tucked the other into her jacket out of the way. Her father drilled into her head to always be aware of her surroundings over the years, among other things. Sachiko looked out the window and wondered how this date was going to go with a gentle smile and as she did the city flew past, a labyrinth of life and concrete flowing all together in vibrant harmony. As the stops dwindled and her heart kicked up its tempo she began typing a message.

[Sachiko] On the shuttle, see you soon =)

It was ten thirty before Sachiko's stop finally came into sight. Gathering her stuff, Sachiko checked to make sure she had everything and stepped off the shuttle. As she left she was sure to tell the driver that she hoped he had a great day. Stepping onto the sidewalk she was startled when she saw Kisame standing next to the bus stop sign. He grinned at her and handed her a large Starbucks cup.

"Good morning. I think this is what you ordered last time." He greeted her. She took a sip and hummed her appreciation.

"This is so good, thank you!" Sachiko smiled up at him as they began walking to the bay. She tried to keep conversation flowing with Kisame but it was difficult when he cut through the crowd like a ship through water and she was tossed around in the tide. Seeing her struggle, Kisame wrapped his arm around her slight frame and brought her into him.

"I almost lost you there". Kisame joked as he grinned down to her. His smile was infectious and Sachiko found herself grinning up at him, equal parts embarrassed and impressed. She could feel through their jackets that he had muscles to spare.

"It seems like you're my hero yet again, Kisame." She praised him and could have sworn his cheeks colored just slightly. From there they chit chatted the rest of the way to the aquarium, Kisame told her of the exhibits that he was most excited to see and she confessed that she didn't do too much reading on what was instore for them so as to not ruin the wonder and surprise but was impressed on what she saw on the animal rehabilitation program. This led to a rather excited discussion about animals in the wild versus captivity.

"You're really knowledgeable, why you didn't enroll in KU's marine biology program?" Kisame inquired as they came to the doors of The Greater Konoha Aquarium.

"I really love animals, and I love documentaries and everything, but, this sounds silly saying it out loud. Computers and other tech just kinda speak to me, you know? I love the challenge of figuring them out." She admitted.

"No, I totally get it. That's how I feel when I get in the water, it just kind of, I dunno, fits." Kisame looked around the room, avoiding eye contact for a moment as he gathered his wits. "Stay here for a sec, okay?" He asked. Sachiko nodded and watched him walk to the desk. Realizing that she really didn't want to be interrupted during her date she reached for her phone to silence it. Pulling it out of her bag, Sachiko saw a text from Lee.

[Lee] IS HE BEING A GENTLEMAN?! ARE YOU HAVING A GOOD TIME?! IT IS NOT UNYOUTHFUL IF YOU NEED US TO COME GET YOU. JUS

The message was cut off.

[Lee] This is Tenten, I have confiscated Lee's phone so he doesn't blow yours up. An update every once in a while would be nice. See you when you come home.

Sachiko laughed softly and replied.

[Sachiko] he's being a perfect gentleman. He met me at the bus stop and had a latte waiting for me. I'm silencing my phone, movie night when I get home? Tell Lee I said thank you for being such a great friend, have a great day!

She smiled as she slipped the now silenced phone into her bag.

"Everything okay?" Kisame questioned as he walked back to her.

"Yep! Just my roommate. So where shall we start?"

Thus began a fun afternoon of touring the tanks, pointing out different fish and marveling at the graceful way they moved. They took turns reading the information cards to each other as they made their way to the main tank.

"Look at that beauty. I was so excited when I found out about this guy. There aren't many in captivity because they're hard to take care of." Kisame said as he gazed up at a truly enormous shark.

"That's a whale shark!" Sachiko exclaimed in wonder.

"Yeah, we should come back later when the animals have acclimated more; there has been talk about a swimming experience in the main tank." Kisame tore his eyes away from the shark to look down at her. "Ready for the reason for the bathing suit?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yep, I was pretty stumped when you said to bring it." Sachiko told him as he took her hand.

"This way." Kisame took her to the elevator and pressed the bottom button. He then covered her eyes. She was just getting used to the warmth of his hand on her face, and feeling the gentle movement of her hair from his even breaths. The elevator dinged and Kisame slowly led her out, treating her like delicate finery with his every movement. Sachiko's senses were met with the sound of water and smell of the ocean and it was another savored moment before he uncovered her eyes and whispered in her ear. "Surprise."

They were in the area of aquarium that backed the water. Sachiko looked all around the room, seeing dolphins swimming in a large pool on one side of the room, a beluga whale in another pool, and another pool on the far side of the room she could not identify.

"Kisame, are we allowed to be here?" She inquired in amazement.

"I pulled some strings. C'mon, we're going to get to feed and swim with the dolphins." He took her hand again and led her to the locker rooms. An older man met them and greeted Kisame with a firm hand shake.

"You two go get changed and then we'll grab the wetsuits." He said, and then turned to Sachiko. "I'd put your hair up girlie, it is still January, it won't do you any good walking around with wet hair."

Swimming with dolphins was just as fun as it sounds. The dolphins were playful, swimming around them, splashing occasionally, and were very excited when Kisame swam over to the edge of the pool and got a bucket of fish. Kisame tossed fish to the dolphins and Sachiko laughed at their antics, watching them glide through the water and do flips to put on a small show for the couple. Once all the fish were gone the dolphins began swimming around them again, slowly pushing them together until Kisame held Sachiko in his arms. She smiled up at him and he returned it with a toothy grin of his own. She shivered, from the prolonged time in the cold water, or the warmth of Kisame's arms around her she didn't know.

"Ready to get out?" He asked her as he pulled her closer and rubbed his hands up and down her arms before taking a hand and blowing on her fingertips. Sachiko nodded and he pulled her to ladder before helping her out. Kisame grabbed them both towels, going the extra step to wrap hers around her shoulders before they began the walk to the changing rooms again, his hand never leaving hers which caused the butterflies in her stomach to warm her from the inside out.

After changing back into their clothes the two of them explored the rest of the aquarium, especially enjoying the petting pool. Sachiko giggled as the rays tickled her fingers. The feeling of their smooth bodies was unlike anything else she had ever felt. Between the petting pool and the penguins, she wasn't really sure what her favorite part of the actual aquarium was. Of course swimming with the dolphins was her favorite part of the day so far, right before the feeling of Kisame's hand in hers. It was a tossup really if she was being honest with herself. She mused quietly as they made their way back to the entrance of aquarium that this was the most fun she had ever had on a date.

"Are you hungry?" Kisame inquired as he broke their comfortable silence. Sachiko's stomach growled in answer and her cheeks turned to a rosy shade of pink. Kisame laughed and they darkened even more. "Glad I'm not the only one. I know a great pizza place around here, is that okay with you?"

"I love pizza." She replied. And it was true; she seemed to split a pizza with Tenten every other week. Kisame just smiled and wrapped his arm around her as they walked to the door. Sachiko was surprised to see that the sky was beginning to darken. Just how long had they been in the aquarium?

They walked for about ten minutes before reaching a small mom and pop Italian place. On the way they had deciding on half meat lovers and half cheese. They sat down with their drinks, blue Gatorade for Kisame and an orange Fanta for Sachiko, as they discussed varying topics such as family and their classes. It was interesting to know that they were both only children. Kisame was very close to his two cousins while Sachiko explained that she didn't know her extended family very well because she had moved around a lot due to her father's job. The conversation continued while they ate but was paused when she giggled at the tomato sauce on Kisame's cheek. He retaliated by swiping his finger across the offending stain and bopping her nose with said digit.

In all, dinner was very enjoyable, their continued communication throughout the week making them more comfortable with each other to the point where there wasn't that lull of awkward first date talk. It was almost as enjoyable as being encompassed in Kisame's warmth as he drew her back into his side as they walked back to the shuttle station.

"It's been such a great day, I'd hate for it to be messed up by losing you in the crowds now." He offered his unneeded explanation. Sachiko just shrugged.

"Plus, you're really warm." She said and smiled up at him while leaning closer. He was really warm and she was grateful as her jacket, while cute wasn't the warmest thing she owned. They walked in silence after that, seemingly in a happy bubble; only for that happy bubble to pop as they got within sight of the shuttle stop to see it pulling away from the curb.

"Oh no!" Sachiko groaned. "I'll have to catch the next one."

"What time is it? I'll wait for the next one with you." Kisame pulled out his phone and cursed.

"What's the matter?" She questioned.

"It's just past six; that was the last shuttle. Shit. I'm sorry Sachiko; I should have kept an eye on the time. Listen, it's dark and I'm parked right around the corner. Can I drive you back to campus?" Kisame asked her as he ran his hand into his hair. His face was contorted in clear frustration, obviously angry with himself.

"Would you? I'm sorry Kisame, I was the one who should have been keeping track of the time, but we were having so much fun!" She touched his arm to show her sincerity that she didn't blame him for the situation they were in. He took her hand and led her to the parking garage he'd left his truck in. He walked them to a large blue truck and she just stared at it wondering how the heck she was going to get into the cab. It must have been written all over her face because Kisame laughed.

"Need a lift, shorty?" He chortled.

"I'm at a perfectly average height, it's not my fault you're the size of a tree." She sassed back before sighing. "Please?"

Kisame laughed before opening the door to the passenger side and lifting her by the waist carefully into the seat. Sachiko felt the tingles rush up and down her spine at being handled so carefully by this man. He was full of contradictions and she found herself liking him even more with every moment they spent together. He was huge but made her feel delicate and cared for all day. His face wasn't the conventional definition of handsome but he was the sweetest guy she had ever been on a date with. He was considerate and made sure she was having a good time. That's not to say he wasn't handsome to her though, Sachiko thought he was very handsome, she had never been much for pretty boys anyway.

Sachiko pulled out her phone and sent a text to Tenten as Kisame rounded the front of the truck.

[Sachiko] Missed the shuttle, Kisame is dropping me off.

He got in and started up the truck and they both relished in the blast of heat that came through the dash before the Country Music Top 40 came on the radio and Sachiko smiled happily.

"I love this song!" she exclaimed as she began to hum along. What she missed was Kisame's pleased smile as she turned to grab her seatbelt.

"It's a good song; I'm liking his new album." Kisame replied as he turned the radio down a few notches. "Where would you like me to drop you off?"

"Um, the parking garage next to The Bistro, if that's okay with you?" Sachiko offered.

"If that's what you want. Might want to text that roommate of yours." And with that they were on the road back to school. Sachiko did let Tenten know where she'd be and got the confirmation that she would meet her in the garage so they could walk together. She and Lee were picking up supplies for their movie night and would be getting back about the same time anyway.

"She's going to meet me there, she and another friend of ours are going to watch a movie and they're getting supplies." Sachiko said with a smile. The rest of the ride back to school was filled with a comfortable almost – silence as she would randomly catch herself hum along to the radio and Kisame would tap the steering wheel to the beat. The city was a whirl of lights as they passed by, illuminating their faces every few seconds as they made their way closer to their destination. Before they were ready, Kisame pulled into the parking garage and put the truck in park.

"Uh, I know the night didn't exactly end as planned, but would you want to do this again sometime?" Kisame inquired as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I had a great time! I'd love to do this again." Sachiko assured him. Her phone buzzed in her hand and a quick peek showed that her friends were here.

"I'll text you?" He meant to make it sound more like a statement than a question.

"I'd like that." She replied. Gathering her courage, Sachiko leaned over the center console and planted a quick kiss to his cheek before gathering her stuff and literally hopping from his truck. She walked quickly to the door where Tenten and Lee were waiting and paused in the doorway of the exit to wave at him. She linked arms with Tenten as they began the walk down the sidewalk.

"Did you have a good time? Was he a gentleman? You didn't text us!" Lee was almost frantic with his questioning.

"Yes, and yes. He's great! I'll tell you all about it over ice cream. What movie did you guys pick?" Sachiko's smile could stop traffic.

"It's Lee's turn to pick, so we'll be watching This Means War, again." Tenten sighed. This caused Lee to defend his current favorite romantic comedy all the way to the lounge on the third floor where they claimed the TV for themselves. Not many people stayed in on a Saturday night, so they usually got to use the larger room for their movie nights. Tenten and Sachiko grabbed all the pillows and blankets from their room and the three friends made them cozy as Sachiko told them all about her date as the movie played. She was just about to reach for her pint of ice cream when her phone went off, causing Lee to shush the device.

"No phones during movie night!" he scolded.

"Just a peak?" Sachiko begged. Lee nodded and she pressed the home button to illuminate the screen.

[Kisame] Sweet dreams.

Sachiko sighed dreamily and fell back against the pillows.

"I hope this works out. I really like him you guys."