A/N: at the end. Except that I apologize for any issues~ been a while and need to get back into the swing of things. Too many mojitos…
Ibiki had been walking through this same market for almost his entire adult life. He lived on one end of it, and in order to get to his office in a timely fashion at ANBU he had to traverse the large and bustling crowds. Most days he rarely gave it much thought. He moved silently through the throngs, and would only occasionally stop if he was going to buy something to take to work or possibly bring sustenance home for later. Beyond that he had no real need to give too much thought to what was going on around him. As a nin, however, he was forever cognizant of his surroundings, and as such he wasn't one to walk around as if in a total fog. His sharp and lethal mind was highly tuned to anything out of the ordinary. This market though and its denizens were just background noise that he would sift through his various mental filters. Nothing more.
Except for today.
Today was different. With his first step into the throng his senses perked up. Today he seemed to be paying a bit more attention to the sights and sounds of the market. Today he walked a bit slower and watched what was going on around him with a renewed interest. The sounds of the market were just as loud and raucous as usual. The venders calling out to one another and prospective clients in greetings or potential sales blended together in a constant rising and lowering of orderly disorder. Rarely was there ever dissension among them. For the most part it was laughter and friendly bantering or chiding. What really got his attention were the colors. For the first time the vivid hues of the various stall's canopies moving gently in the breeze caught his eye. The bright and occasionally mismatched clothing of the artists selling their talent was particularly appealing. A group of people that before made very little to no impact on his life now had mass appeal.
All because of last night.
Last night was still fresh and vibrant in his mind. It was so fresh and vivid that he felt that he could still taste the woman's sweet lips on his own. His hands curled involuntarily against his sides as if they were physically stopping themselves from replaying last night's journey across a lush, warm frontier of woman. A woman who had been on his mind continually since they had parted ways a mere twelve hours earlier.
Suddenly looking around the market his sharp eyes scanned the crowd for a possible sighting of her. He had no reason to suspect that she would be there. She had said nothing to him about having to go there in the morning, but for some reason he just felt as if in some way she would be there. It was like a tangible taste in his mouth. It was the sort of feeling that a predator had when seeking out a prey that he knew to be in hiding close by. He saw nothing, but every intuit that he had was on alert because on a primal level he knew that for some reason she was there.
Scanning the crowd as he slowly walked with an eager but professional eye he kept moving like a shark; never stopping, never hesitating. Knowing that somewhere in the bustling crowd she was there (and unknowingly waiting just for him) kept Ibiki constantly on the move. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he found her, and with some sort of divine luck it wasn't too long before he came across the object of his secret desire.
Ayumu.
She was suddenly before him as if he had been pulled there by blind instinct. The crowd between them seemed to part as if to give him an unobstructed pathway to each other. Her back was to him as she haggled with a vendor over some silk scarves. Just watching her examining the colorful material caused his groin to tighten. The unbidden thought arose of how he could use them on her as silken cords to tie her to his bed gave him a dark pleasure that he knew he would one day satisfy for both their enjoyment.
She was wearing a dress made up of a cacophony of jewel tones, and on any other woman they would have looked gaudy or ridiculous. But on her they looked perfect. Her dark brown, curly hair was haphazardly held up in the back by large combs that allowed errant curls to escape. A few lifted gracefully as the wind caught at them, and Ibiki couldn't help but wonder what they would feel like drifting across his neck as she leaned over him in bed- naked of course- as she whispered something naughty into his ear. The dress hugged her generous curves and his mouth became suddenly dry as he envisioned how it was hugging her front as well.
He didn't have long to speculate because like a fawn suddenly catching the scent of a dangerous marauder close by her body visibly stiffened. Slowly her head moved from left to right as if trying to find the cause of her discomfort. Not seeing anything other than other vendors Ayumu slowly turned around until she was looking right at him.
Ayumu's eyes widened in surprise, and even from his relative distance he could see the sharp surprise in her amber eyes. Her mouth opened in a surprised 'o' and the hand holding the scarf went to her breast in a primitive gesture of protection.
Like anything like a silk scarf could ever stop him.
Giving her a smug smile that reached his eyes he walked slowly toward her. Never once did his eyes ever leave hers. They pinned her to the spot and left her with no will to move. Stopping a few feet away from her he just looked down at her silently. He said nothing. He did nothing. He just waited.
Blinking suddenly and clearing her throat Ayumu stuttered out a squeaky greeting.
"I-I-Ibiki! What are you doing here?"
Ibiki raised an eye brow indolently and walking nearer slowly reached a large hand out to delicately touch the scarf that she had clutched to her like a soft shield.
"Very beautiful choice, Ayumu," he said lowly. He let the cloth drift leisurely through his fingers, and still never once letting his eyes break contact with hers.
Ibiki watched as Ayumu's mouth worked but no words or sound came out. Her face, however, turned three shades of crimson. Her cheeks became flushed and slowly, treacherously the redness drifted down her neck onto her chest. Heat was coming off of her in palpable waves. Riding on those waves was the undeniable scent of her attraction. It pervaded every part of him as it hit like a molten wall of pheromones. His nostrils flared in order to inhale as much of her sweet scent as he could. His mouth watered slightly as if his taste buds could sense an impending banquet. His body tightened in anticipation of what he knew at some point he would partake in.
It took everything that he had not to forcefully grab her and sling her over his shoulder, and take her back to his den in order to claim her as his very own. Knowing that something of that kind of drastic measure would most probably at this juncture of their relationship be off-putting he beat down the primitive urge.
"Soft and silky like its owner," Ibiki said giving the scarf a gentle tug.
Ayumu kept it grasped tightly against her chest. She still had said nothing more, and her eyes had never left Ibiki's face. She watched him continually as if searching for something. Suddenly she broke the silence with an almost bashful look to the ground.
"Oh, I didn't buy this. It is a bit too much out of my price limit-"
Moving slowly closer toward her he stopped in order to reach around behind her. Turning to see what he was doing Ayumu's eyes widened in surprise as she saw that his hand held out money to the salesman. With no bartering or bickering Ibiki paid out full price for the silk. Without thinking twice Ayumu caught Ibiki's hand just as the seller was going to take the money.
"No, Ibiki, I can't allow you to do that! It is way too costly," she said firmly.
Ibiki grinned at her. Her words may have been prim, proper, and firm, but the covetous look that she gave the scarf was hard not to miss. Gently pushing her hand aside he continued to pay for the item. Seeing that the sale might get thwarted again the shop owner greedily snatched the money and gave Ibiki his change.
Before anything more could be said Ibiki gently wrapped the scarf around her neck, and placing his hand on her lower back gently moved her away. Never moving his hand from her Ibiki steered her toward a small group of trees that would offer shade from the growing heat, but more importantly a bit of privacy as well for as of yet there was no one gathered under the shady bowers. And if he had anything to say about it no one would want to intrude on their privacy and come over. His reputation as a dark and intimidating man could be put to use for many purposes.
Almost as if in a trance Ayumu let the large man guide her to where he would. It was as if she had no say in the matter. Her feet followed his orders as if powered by him alone. Standing under a dark tree she watched in growing wonder as he took his heavy coat off and placed it on the ground at the base of the tree. Holding her hand for balance he motioned for her to sit down upon it. She never even questioned the idea of possibly saying 'no'. Composing her skirt beneath her she daintily as possible tried to situate herself comfortably.
Biting her bottom lip she pondered for a moment asking him to join her on the proffered cloth as it just didn't seem fair that he should have to sit on the cold ground. It was his coat after all, but the coat only covered so much ground. If she scooted over to allow him access as well they would almost be on top of each other. That thought brought another flush to her cheeks that she knew would be visible. Yet any thoughts of impropriety and impertinence flew out the window as she remembered what they had been doing the night before on her office couch. She had been practically in his lap then, and further more she had allowed his mouth to have intimate access to her own. So it would appear that wondering if she would now be crossing any barriers a moot point.
Looking up to offer him a spot next to her the words died on her lips. Ibiki was looking down at her with an expression that combined fondness and arrogance in a perfect blend. It was as if he knew exactly what she had been thinking, and thought it all terribly amusing.
The offer was about to get rescinded just on that principle alone, but Ayumu wasn't one to take offense for someone being smarter than herself. If anything she couldn't help but find it amusing as well.
"Well? You aren't going to just stand there looming over me like the Angel of Death, are you? Have a seat," she said wryly as she gamely patted a spot next to herself.
With a deep chuckle Ibiki sat down and leaned back on the tree's trunk. His placement by her side now offered another quandary for Ayumu. If she wanted to sit side by side she would have to sit back against the tree as well, but that would without a doubt put her practically in his arms, and something that she knew was intentional on his part. She was not comfortable enough to do that with him in public. However, she couldn't carry a conversation with him having her back to him either. That would be just plain rude. So with a sigh and hopefully a plan to thwart his own she turned slightly at the waist and placed a hand behind her. That way she could neither offend him nor offer any gossip for possible intruders. Looking at Ibiki's face she saw him smile slightly at her final option. With a slightly triumphant grin on her own face she smiled back. Neither blinked as they seemed to watch each other closely.
Ayumu wasn't quite sure what she was looking for as she had never been very good at staring contests, so she broke the contact by looking down at her scarf and letting the delicate material run through her fingers.
"Seriously, Ibiki, you didn't have to do this. I can't accept such a gift. It was way too generous of you."
Ayumu let her eyes coyly wander back to Ibiki's face. What she saw there made her take a short, audible, intake of breath. His eyes were so incredibly dark and fathomless. They gave nothing away. They neither blinked nor wandered away from staring at her own eyes. Ayumu felt that if she leaned forward slightly she would probably be able to see her own reflection gazing back at herself from their obsidian depths.
"I am not a generous man, Ayumu," Ibiki said quietly. "I've never done anything without a reason. I say and do things in order to ensure that the results are to my benefit. I have neither the time nor the patience to do otherwise. My job as a nin and as an interrogator dictate that it be so."
Inside Ibiki hardened himself. He hadn't wanted to tell her the whole truth about himself yet. He wanted to maybe ease her into it. But at the same time he didn't want there to be any obfuscations either. He wanted her to know, and from the very beginning, that he was not a man like all the others. His life and profession had set him slightly apart. Ibiki wanted her to walk toward him with her eyes wide open. He just hoped that she was as strong as he knew her to be. She was something precious that he did not want to lose. He didn't want to pressure her but he couldn't afford to wait too long.
Ayumu's eyes widened at the bald truth just given. It was so brutally frank that it bordered on the bizarre.
"Are you telling me that you have never, and not even once, ever done anything humanitarian?"
A corner of Ibiki's mouth twitched as if trying to suppress a laugh. "No. Well, I might have held open a door for someone or allowed someone to get in front of me in a line once or twice, but in general? No."
The silence before them was pregnant. Ayumu seemed to be waiting for the punch-line while Ibiki was just letting it all sink in.
"No, seriously, Ibiki, you must be judging yourself too harshly. I can't see you just walking through life taking what you please, and without a care in the world for anyone other than yourself."
Ayumu gave him a look that Ibiki thought must have been perfected from dealing with her students. It was a look as if she was waiting for the truth with a tight lid on her patience.
"That is pretty much exactly what I have done, Ayumu," Ibiki said plainly. His following silence dared her to refute it.
Looking down at the scarf around her neck Ayumu felt as if it suddenly weighed a hundred pounds. It felt like the proverbial millstone around her neck. Her mouth became dry and her heart started to pound at the possibilities that the cloth seemed to represent.
Yet somehow, and for some reason she couldn't bring herself to rip it off. Even after he had so bluntly told her that his gift really wasn't a gift. By taking this expensive scrap of silk she had without words acknowledged that he held a mark of hers, and it was very obvious that a man like himself always called in his markers.
Biting her bottom lip with consternation she tried to wonder why exactly she couldn't let it go. It wasn't because she coveted the luxurious trinket. Not at all. She had looked at it only because the bright colors had caught her eye and she knew quality work when she saw it. In fact, she hadn't even thought of the piece for herself. When she saw the exquisite scarf her thoughts had immediately gone to her best friend, Hiroshi. He could pull off the vibrantly hued accessory with such aplomb as only a truly gorgeous gay man could. She would have only looked OK wearing it, but Hiroshi would have looked sublime with it on. So when Ibiki had interrupted her perusal and bought it out from under her before she could have any kind of say in the matter she had been stunned speechless. Now, she found herself on the verge of possibly being beholden to a man over it.
"There is absolutely no way that I will have sex with you for this scarf," she suddenly blurted out.
Slowly, very slowly an eyebrow rose sardonically before a deep, dark, chuckle rose from Ibiki's chest. With a feral grin that sent shivers through her Ayumu blanched at her coarse and suddenly possibly incorrect assessment.
"I should certainly hope not. Or, at least not this early in our association. But later? Maybe, if I am lucky…"
Ayumu turned scarlet at her wrong assumption. Not for the first time had she blurted out the foremost thing that came to mind, and certainly not for the first time had she stuffed a foot in her mouth. This was a first, however, for her to have managed to stuff both her feet (and possibly one of his as well) into that gaping hole beneath her nose. Her stomach started to churn over the horrible gaffe that she had committed.
Breakfast felt like it was coming back to bid her another good morning.
Ayumu wished once again that a hole in the ground would open up and swallow her whole. Maybe the death would be just painful enough to take some of her time off that she would spend in Purgatory for having such a stupid mouth constantly at her disposal.
Of course a man like Ibiki wouldn't want to have sex with her. What was she thinking? Men like him (Nin) rarely went for civilians like her. Oh, she knew (and had seen in bars) women that had purposefully sought out nins for sexual bragging rights. What had Hiroshi called them? Nin Bunnies? Kunai Lickers? Or was it Shuriken Sluts? Well, whatever it was it was something not too polite. Either way it was obvious that she was none of them so of course he wouldn't think that she was worth the time.
For a man like him time was everything, and most probably in short supply. Which made her wonder exactly what was he doing here? Getting a good chuckle if nothing else, and all at her expense. Just the idea made her blood start to churn. In order to cover up her monumental screw-up Ayumu automatically got a head full of righteous indignation. With a pugnacious tilt of her chin and a narrowing of her eyes Ayumu girded her loins for a verbal tussle. The small voice of reason that was swiftly being locked in a back corner room of her brain madly tried to tell her to shut the hell up before she made too large of an ass of herself. However, her embarrassment was gaining strength, and in order to have full creative license to do as it pleased common sense had to take a hike.
It suddenly became an out-of-body experience for her.
"Please know Morino-san (and her jaw clenched as she saw his eye brow raise again at the obviously snarky tone of voice)that I am not some cheap and easy floozy who will do your bidding just because you are some kind of important nin. I know that my behavior last night (and Ayumu had the grace to blush) might have seemed somewhat forward, but that was only because I was weak with hunger! Normally I have a much better sense of direction," she said primly. "Maybe things aren't exactly as they might seem."
Placing her hands on her lap she stared Ibiki dead in the eyes, and never let her gaze waiver.
Folding his arms across his chest Ibiki studied the woman next to him. She truly was an interesting conundrum. On one hand she was warm, slightly naïve, and oh so delectably submissive. His hands just ached to move all over her curvaceous frame. On the other hand she was temperamental, fractious, and more than slightly skewed. His hands ached as well thinking about her in that way, but this time to slap her ass in order for her to know who really had the upper hand.
Either way it would be a win-win situation for him.
Ibiki cocked his head to the side and gazed at her contemplatively.
"Would you really like to know what I think?"
Ayumu bit her bottom lip expectantly. The deep and silky tone of his voice set her hackles to rising in warning. She never professed to know what other people were thinking. Ayumu certainly wasn't a simpleton. Far from it. It was just that Ayumu could never really read people. She took people at their word, and knowing if they were shining her on or not was certainly not in her repertoire of talents. This man however was way out of her league. He was a nin, for heaven's sake. Most probably he was out of pretty much everyone's league. What went on in his labyrinth of a brain was as mysterious as the workings of the universe. So even if he did tell her the truth she wouldn't know it if it slapped her full on the face. He was a locked room where she had been told not to enter at all costs. But at the same time she had been given a key to open the door if she so desired. Nothing good could come from opening it except an end to her curiosity. It was all just too confusing. Or, was she just confusing herself by making something simple into something complex?
Yet he was just so tempting…
Ayumu nodded as she placed the key into the key hole. "Alright, I'll bite. What is it that you are thinking?"
A low grumble of satisfaction could be felt more than heard, and Ayumu shivered as she felt the key in her hand open the locked door.
"From the moment that I saw you I thought that you were the most enticing woman that I had ever seen. All five of my senses perked up, and I couldn't help but move toward you. All five of my senses demanded that their curiosity be indulged. It sounds trite and cliché, and before last night I would have laughed at anyone who would have said something like that. But there I was thinking it. Needing it. Wanting it. Craving it. Craving you."
Ayumu stared at Ibiki as if hypnotized. She was like a stunned bunny entranced by an oncoming stampede, and one where she was directly in its path.
Ibiki reached out a finger and delicately traced her bottom lip.
"And when I got my first taste? All I could think about was when I would get more. I started scheming, plotting, and planning right then and there how we would meet up again. Oh, I know that we talked about getting together, but I could see the squirrely look in your eye from the very beginning. Almost as if you were trying to weasel your way out of something."
Ayumu's gaze slide to the side as she tried to remember exactly how the night had ended. She had been in such a jumbled state that after leaving her office and the impromptu make-out session things afterward seemed somewhat of a blur.
Ibiki pointed an accusatory finger at her. "Yeah, that is the very same look that I am talking about," he said chuckling. Ayumu gave a pout reminiscent of a five year old getting scolded for behaving badly. Yet there was nothing immature about her.
"I was just embarrassed, that's all," she said quietly. "One minute I was raiding a buffet and the next I was canoodling with you in my office while everyone downstairs was being professional. Not one of my more shining moments."
Ayumu gave Ibiki a slanted frown with such soulfully repentant eyes that would have done one of students proud.
Ibiki's eyes narrowed. "There was nothing unprofessional about what we did," he said tersely. "Hell, in my job that doesn't even make the grade under unprofessional conduct."
Unable to give anything more than a slight upward curl of one side of her mouth Ayumu nodded once and stayed silent.
Ibiki shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, no one was the wiser, I am sure. We walked back in separately and kept a slight distance between us for the rest of the night."
Ibiki had been slightly disgruntled at having to let her go, and even if it had only been temporarily. He had made sure to always keep her under his surveillance, and more than once he had warned away with his eyes a man or two that he had thought was getting too close to her. She had never known it, but he made damn sure that his message had been received loud and clear by the recipients.
All through the rest of the evening his gaze never wandered far from her form. He watched over her as if she needed protection, but more importantly he just liked watching her. Period. Ibiki swore that he could smell her unique scent even when across the room. His body was tense and in tune to her own. It was a new experience for him. Never before had a woman made such an impact on him. He could only imagine what it would be like the first time that he had her spread out beneath him. And he knew without a shred of doubt that that was exactly how they would eventually end up. Maybe not anytime soon, but much sooner than she probably thought. Even now just thinking about it caused his body to tighten and come alive. Not wanting to frighten her he casually raised the leg closest to her in order to shield his rapidly growing interest.
Needing to have something to appease his growing frustration Ibiki slowly raised a hand to her jaw and turned her face toward him. Leaning forward slowly and deliberately in order to give her a chance to break away if she really needed to he brought him mouth down to hers.
With triumph singing through him at her compliance he took a gentle swipe with his tongue over her closed lips in order to seek entrance. Showing no hesitation Ayumu opened beneath him, and that was all Ibiki needed to move forward. Losing himself within the kiss he deepened the contact until he felt her shiver. It was then and only then that he pulled her flush against him and dug his hands in her hair. Cursing the black gloves that he wore he pulled his hands away and tugged them off, and all the while not breaking oral contact. Only when a hand went back into her hair and the other firmly against her waist did he allow himself to groan into her mouth.
It was just as he had remembered. Not that he had forgotten, but now it was even better because she was not as hesitant as she had been last night. One of her own hands came up and laid softly against his neck while the other lay over his bicep. Slanting his mouth even harder against hers Ibiki fought against gaining more contact. If he didn't stop now he would turn them into a public spectacle as he pushed her over and mounted her right in front of all of Konoha village. That would be something that he would have to answer for he was sure.
For Ayumu it was as if a bolt out of the blue suddenly struck her down. She abruptly realized what it truly was about this man that drew her to him. As his mouth took a hold of hers she felt her soul getting pulled from her, but it wasn't in a devious or domineering manner. Dominant? Yes. Mesmerizing? Most certainly. With her full consent? Yes, and then some. It seemed to go way beyond that. As his tongue stroked, twined, and cajoled with her own something on a cellular level hit her. Her body seemed to recognize Ibiki as if he was something that it had been waiting for, and now that it had found him it wasn't going to let him go.
Yes, it seemed to say to her. This one…
Last night it had caught a glimpse and formed questions, but this morning it became absolute in some way. In such a short amount of time something deep inside her was trying to tell her that whatever one of them needed the other would provide; she would care for him as he would care for her. Mentally, physically, and in any other capacity required Ibiki would make sure that it would be done. Ayumu knew in a super nova flash that there was never going to be a need to look anywhere else. Her body started to vibrate with excitation and ecstasy over this new discovery.
Ibiki was The One.
It was an epiphany so violent and uncontrollable that Ayumu was forced to turn away so she could regurgitate her first meal of the day without too much dignity being lost. She was so mortified at what she had done that she had no immediate reaction to a large, gentle hand rubbing her back. Her thoughts were on more immediate matters; somehow trying to extricate herself with whatever little poise she still possessed. She needed to get away. Now. Ayumu was just about to mumble an apology and run away without shame when she looked down at what she had just cleaned her face off with.
The dreaded scarf.
Now matters had become even worse, and exponentially. Where she had plans on giving it back she was now literally wiping her soiled face with an expensive bribe. Her life couldn't seem to get any worse at the moment.
Ayumu closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. The tears that she had tried to suppress now leaked silently out. Surreptitiously drying her eyes she turned to face Ibiki with the scarf covering her mouth in order to lessen the possible smell of foulness coming from her.
"I can't even begin to figure out where to apologize," she said in a muffled voice. "I must have-"
He could feel her rubbing her face with her hands as she tried to creep away from him. No way was he going to let that happen.
"No, no sneaking away. Whatever it is, it is OK. Just tell me…"
Pulling her in forcefully so that she was tucked up against him Ibiki kept silently rubbing her back. Where she had previously tried to fight against him once he had her tight against himself with no hope of leaving his solid frame all her effort ceased. It just felt too good after the embarrassment. Snuggled against him in such a public forum paled against being able to hide herself from any prying eyes. A small voice in the back of her head was smugly telling her that this was one of the reasons that he had been chosen for her. No recriminations. No ridicule.
The hand that wasn't rubbing her back took residence in her hair. Large fingers kneaded and massaged her scalp soothingly. She felt her combs being gently taken out and curls falling softly down to cover his hand even more. Once or twice she could feel him following a handful of curls from their roots to their tips as if transfixed by them for some reason. The soothing motions caused her eye lids to droop and her body to relax. Before she knew it she was curled up against him as if it was an automatic response from long-time experience.
"Talk to me, Ayumu," Ibiki said quietly.
After a few moments of tense silence Ayumu's voice came quietly muffled against his shoulder. Ayumu had to make up something, and quick. No way could she tell him that upon finding her true soul mate her first reaction was to vomit. Somehow she thought that that would be a real mood killer. Not that her Technicolor Yawn wasn't classy enough as it was.
"I don't have a whole lot of experience with men, Ibiki. I think that I must have gotten myself so worked up for some reason… Don't you think? Oh, I don't know. Does it really matter? The end result is still the same…"
Ibiki turned his head to give her a look that told Ayumu that he didn't believe it for one second.
"Try again, Ayumu," he said wryly.
Ayumu tried to bury her face deeper against his chest but Ibiki gently forced her face up to meet his gaze. His dark eyes stared intently into hers.
"I was nervous, Ibiki, I just told you that. Sometimes when I get nervous my tummy gets a bit…rumbly…"
Ibiki silently stared her down.
"Know this: I promise you nothing but the truth between us, Ayumu, and in return you have to give me the same consideration."
The way that Ibiki spoke to her with such quiet seriousness immediately caused Ayumu to flush and cringe. He sounded the same way that she did when speaking to her young charges. It was as if he was gently chiding a child to act more grown-up.
Yet there was no way that she could actually tell him what she was thinking! He just wouldn't believe it. She didn't even believe it. She needed time. Time was needed in order to cogitate on the monumental concept that had literally bowled her over. And that time had to be spent in solitary contemplation away from him.
Putting her hands on his biceps and looking pleadingly up into his face Ayumu begged with her eyes to be let go. As if understanding that now was not the time to pursue any matters further Ibiki gave a tight-lipped nod.
And let her go.
Immediately Ayumu got to her feet and straightened out her clothing. Digging through her bag she brought out a pad and pencil, and scribbling out a hasty note Ayumu and handed it to Ibiki. Before he could even open it up and read it she made a fast retreat before he could try and stop her. Watching her scurry away and blend into the crowd it was a few minutes before Ibiki even bothered to look at what she had given him.
The note was an address and a meeting time for tomorrow night.
With a determined look on his face Ibiki folded the note up and placed it deep in one of his pockets. Then, as quietly as he had arrived Ibiki too joined the crowded market and disappeared.
End A/N: a bit more serious then the first chapter. This has been sitting on my hard drive for months it seems, and I can't get the next chapter of Hidden Life out until I ejected this one.
Anyone having issues with the new layout on ffnet? Not too keen on it myself.
Hugs and kisses to old friends and new!