He stared down the street. Which shop was it again? She didn't say it directly but the few times they had ventured for food in Konoha, she had always ordered the same dish. Especially if they were coming off some strenuous or troublesome job. It was like some sort of comfort food for her.

While he wasn't sure if the caliber of the food was the same in Suna, chances were that she would probably enjoy the same today. He hadn't exactly seen her, but he heard down in the Kazekage's office when he was there today morning, that the High Princess of Troublesome-ness was on the warpath. Something about having to spend 3 days crawling on her knees to save some idiot. Or something like that. He wasn't really quite sure and not that it really mattered anyway. Losing her temper constantly was just something else he had come to accept about her.

And his standard reaction each time would have been to clear out of her path; she wasn't the type of person to shout and scream at another nin but she had no such problem with him. The last time he had managed to make her lose her temper, she had almost burst his ear drums.

He strolled down the streets, trying to figure out which was the restaurant he needed. He had to do this quickly anyway, she was due back in an hour if his calculations were right. And he had a couple of other stuff to get as well.

Spotting the restaurant he wanted, he quickly ducked in.

Thankfully he had managed to get up to her office with minimal fuss. No one was really paying attention to him despite the items in his hands; they were familiar with the sight of him trudging up the stairs like a condemned prisoner. Reaching her office door, he paused, trying to hear if there was anyone inside. It wouldn't do for him to bump into her before the preparations were completed.

Pushing open the door (she never bothered to lock it; everyone was generally too afraid of her to even attempt entering the room without her permission) he set the things down on the side table. Closing the door behind him, he glanced at the window; she would definitely be back very soon.

He placed the cushion on her chair as he arranged the papers on her desk neatly by the side. Under no circumstances was he ever allowed to mess up anything on her table. That lesson had been learnt when, in a fit of irritation when she had accused him of not knowing what spontaneity was, he had stood up, pushed all the papers off her table before grabbing her wrist and throwing her on the table. Nothing had happened other than him dodging the knee she aimed at his nether regions and spending the next 20 minutes picking up all the papers and arranging it back to exactly how it had been. Although he could swear there had been a smirk on her face.

Women… never knew what they wanted.

He carefully arranged the food on the table making sure that it wasn't too near the edge. She had a habit of thumping the table when she wasn't in a good mood. Stepping back, he surveyed his handiwork hoping that the soup was still warm enough when she got there. And speaking of the blonde devil…

He could hear her stomp every foot on the stairs as he shook his head. That was his cue to get out and quickly. He was about to open the door when he realized that the spoon was still in the plastic. Grabbing it, he quickly dropped it next to the bowl and calmly exited out the door and closed it behind him noiselessly. Spotting another open door across the hallway, he calmly stepped in, just as an irritated face appeared at the top of the stairs.

He waited for her to slam her door shut before walking down the steps and back to the Konoha Embassy offices.

He pondered the dilemma as he strolled down the path. Should he make the trip? It was never a good idea to say no when she was in this mood.

But at the same time, he wasn't quite sure if his lips could withstand another round like the last… or worse.

Massaging his definitely swollen and bruised lips, he sighed. It would definitely get worse. Just look at the way he had been suddenly pulled into that random dark alley and had his lips damn near swallowed. Not to mention his ears which were still tingling from the "tongue-lashing" he had received. It had been very hard to detect the instructions that had been growled, for him to be at the house in one hour's time; he had been in a sort of trance by then.

And that awkward boner that only she could induce. He had to wait another 10 minutes to let himself settle down before walking out the alley with as much dignity that was left. The rest was taken at the same time the hickey had been left on his neck.

It wasn't a good idea to say to her, not at all, especially when she was in this type of mood. She could be near feral sometimes and although that was very, very good he didn't want to …

He coughed; maybe he would get some of that mango pudding she liked so much as well. He was already this far in, might as well go all the way.

Besides, how much worse would it really get?

He stared mournfully at the hickeys all over his body and gently touched his swollen and, he was pretty sure, bleeding lips. What a troublesome woman.

He winced as he pulled his shirt back on. Stepping out the door, he decided that he would make sure to pick up some ointment later; she hadn't wanted to admit it but her ankle had been a little sore so he would do the boyfriend thing and rub it for her.

Not that she would appreciate it of course.

She'd probably insult him for being such a lousy masseuse and how her ankle would probably drop off in his hands. After all, the only thing he kept hearing last night, until she had gotten too busy to talk, was how cold the soup was.

So him rubbing her ankle would probably have her reacting in damn near the same way. Complaining non-stop. Until she got too busy to talk of course.

He sighed to himself realizing the truth; he wasn't kidding himself, he was hoping it would get worse.

He reminded himself to get something for his lips as well before reaching her place.