Well this isn't too late. A little over a month later than the last update. I think I like the idea of uploading both povs at once, it seems more clear that way. So I'm going to stick with that idea. Updates may be a tad slower due to that, but its less confusing when they're put together, no? As always, thanks goes out to my reviewers. Enjoy!

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Teamwork –part 11–

It didn't take us long before we were back on the water, on our way home. Of course, my giddiness helped speed up our preparations. I still couldn't believe it. I was finally becoming a jounin. Now Orochimaru couldn't hold it over me anymore. I'd reminded him at least three times of that before he finally snapped, storming off into the cabin.

Whoops.

I decided to give him his space to cool down. An angry Orochimaru was not fun to be around. So I stayed at the helm, humming lightly to myself, enjoying the view while my teammate fumed quietly by himself. It was peaceful out on the water. I was still jittery with excitement.

It slowly dwindled when the hours began to pass, and still no return of Orochimaru. A small frown came to my face. I didn't realize he was that sensitive. And he could have said something sooner if he was…

I took a deep breath and headed for the cabin. I knew I had certain ways I could persuade him into a better mood. I smirked slightly at that thought. Just had to keep it pg-13 and he wouldn't complain, right?

I gently tapped on the on the door – it was locked – and I heard an annoyed sigh from the inside before the look clicked open and the door swung open as well.

"Did you come to crow in my face again?" he remarked, clearly still in a sour mood.

"Not exactly," I purred, keeping my face in the sultry expression I'd adopted before he opened the door. His demeanor almost immediately changed. He froze for a second before an all too appealing blush lit up his porcelain face. "Mind if I come in…?"

His response was to move out of the doorway. I sauntered inside. I absolutely loved having this affect on him. Totally pumped my ego into sizes I didn't think possible. Even though it was steadily growing warmer outside – but probably still not to his comfort zone – I asked, "Would you like me to warm you up?"

He glanced over his shoulder, carefully closing the door before turning to look at me full on. His gaze was wary, like if I moved too fast, he'd cringe away from me. "Depends. What does 'warming up' entail?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Defensive as ever.

I slowly closed the space between us, not wanting to startle him. "Easy…" I murmured wrapping my arms around his waist, even though his remained locked across his chest. "I'm sure a few caresses and a nice heated kiss or two will raise your body temperature to a nice toasty level," I explained, leaning in to brush my lips along his jaw line.

Even that much began to thaw his frosty exterior. I could tell his stance relaxed first before he tilted his head slightly to get a better look at me.

"No funny stuff?" he asked, though the hunger in his eyes contradicted him, I nodded.

"I'll play nice," I promised, kissing his throat just below his ear. His breath caught on that. Maybe his neck was his weak spot. I'd keep that for later then. I brought my face up to his, leaning over as I was, and connected our lips, gently running my hands up and down his back. He dropped his arms, snaking them up around my neck.

Like I said; persuasion.

I smiled, gently pulling back enough to breathe. His eyes had slipped shut, always a good sign. He grudgingly reopened them. "I thought you said a kiss or two to raise my body temperature."

I snickered lightly, "Give me a second to catch my breath, I don't have the lung capacity you have," I murmured, leaning back in. His fingers teasingly ran through my hair, sending a shiver down my spine. Was he really as inexperienced as he claimed to be…?

I began to doubt it when his tongue ran slowly across my lower lip. I opened my mouth marginally to allow him in. He could just be naturally talented at seducing people…that was always a possibility. His cool fingers found their way to my face, easing us slowly apart.

"Mm, yes, definitely warmer now," he whispered, his voice husky before he let out a low throaty laugh that sent a very pleasing heat through my chest. I kept my hold on him, insisting that he stay close at least for a few more moments. His hands returned to my hair.

"Are you sure you haven't done this with anyone before…?" I asked skeptically. He seemed experienced to me. His unearthly eyes didn't help matters as he raised them to meet mine.

"Yep. I'm just a quick learner," he smirked, somehow slinking out of my hold. "And might I suggest some conditioner? Your hair felt a little rough."

I let out a disgruntled sigh. Now he was giving me beauty advice? So much for being Mr. Suave with him anymore. He sat down on the bed gracefully, keeping his gaze trained on me.

"Though it was very nice to play with, the way it defies gravity always intrigued me," he added, tilting his head to the side. "I didn't offend you, did I?"

I sighed again, walking the short distance to the bed, sitting down beside him, "No. I'm just surprised, is all."

"By how I'm able to pick things up so quickly?" he asked gently, his golden eyes soft. I nodded. It was like he'd been making out with people since he was 12, for Pete's sake. He sighed, dropping his gaze, resting his face on his hand as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "I can assure you once it's past pg-13 I'm clueless. So you'll have your dominant fun…at least the first time through." The smirk had returned.

"Right…except that you're forgetting who is overall physically stronger, not to mention taller." The smirk vanished, replaced by a scowl. Hah. I still had him beat there.

"Well I'm not just going to lie there. I will fight. Just not the first time. I have to learn before I can practice," he glanced back at me before straightening up again.

"We'll see snake-boy."

"I know. I'm just warning you so that I don't wound your ego later by surprising you again," he shrugged, nonchalant.

"Ch-, for a virgin, you sure are cocky."

He chuckled, "I try. Since this is frustrating you, were you expecting me to be a swooning weak-willed push-over? Surely you could've guessed I would be my same cocky self? I did warn you in that cottage, didn't I?"

And now he was guessing my fantasies. He really was smart. I let out a low sigh before replying. "I guess that's true. I still can't shake the feeling you're all talk," I insisted. Sure, he was getting very good at kissing, but when I pushed him, edging closer to something more serious, his arrogance evaporated. Or had I imagined that too…?

He shrugged, "Like you said, we'll just have to wait and see. And don't be so pitiful. The first time will be yours to work your manly magic and woo me past any of my senses," he reminded, his voice surprisingly lacking the teasing edge as he fluidly rose to his feet.

I blinked before shaking my head slightly. He'd already reached the door and went back outside. I stayed where I was, wondering how I could woo him, as he put it, without pulling out all the stops. If I wanted to easily win him over more than once, I'd have to save some tricks until later. He learned too quickly sometimes.

I sighed, lying back on the bed, tucking my arms behind my head. I stared up at the ceiling, seeing shapes in the wood. I didn't realize it, but I slowly slipped off to sleep. It was the result of waking too early after too little sleep, no doubt.

I woke later, disorientated by the darkness of the room. After another moment, I realized I wasn't laying the same way I had been when I fell asleep. I glanced over, finding Orochimaru asleep beside me. Had I really slept that long? I decided to stay where I was. For all I knew, it really wasn't too late and he had just gone to bed early too.

Yawning, I flipped on my side, draping an arm over his waist as I closed my eyes again. He must have had sensitive subconscious or he wasn't asleep because he nudged back, nestling closer to my chest. I smiled sleepily before I fell under once more.

I slept through the remainder of the night untroubled. My dreams had been helpful, giving me ideas I could try out. I sat up slowly, trying not to wake my still slumbering teammate. I guess I was bound to wake up first. Taking advantage of the highly rare occurrence, I watched his peaceful expression. It was calming, seeing him so relaxed.

A smile broke across my features. I might be seeing this more often. A lot more often. I began to wonder how opposed he would be to living together as I padded outside. It was hard to imagine not having him there when I woke up. Silly, considering I'd only had the privilege for little less than a week. I guess I fell harder for him than I thought. Huh.

I shielded my eyes from the bright morning sun, trying to gauge where we were from our surroundings. If I squinted, I could've sworn I made out land in the distance. The excitement that had made me giddy yesterday filled me again. We were almost home. Which also meant I was almost officially a jounin.

I grinned as I went through the steps to get us moving again. I stayed outside, enjoying the cool breeze. It wasn't arctic anymore, which was very nice. It may have been fall in Konoha at the moment, but the upcoming winter wasn't anything to cringe at. It didn't get too cold there.

About a half hour passed and I no longer had to squint to make out the coast. When an hour passed, I could see details. I decided I should wake my still sleeping teammate.

I walked back into the cabin silently, a smirk filling my features. I knew of a very nice way to wake him up, one that could possibly give me an insight of what my kisses really did to him. Without a façade I figured it would be different.

I was in luck; he had rolled onto his back in the time I'd been outside, still fast asleep. Keeping one foot on the ground and resting a knee on the bed, I leaned forward, gently brushing the stray midnight hair that had fallen in his face. I didn't pause, sensing my touch had started to wake him. I ran my tongue across his lips before actually kissing them.

I could get away with being steamy after the teasing he'd put me through yesterday.

I heard him let out a low moan in the back of his throat as my lips molded to his. I stayed there for a moment not wanting to break the kiss quite yet. Eventually I gently pulled back to get the full effect. As I had suspected, his usual antics were just that, antics. His eyes remained closed, but I knew he was awake. His expression looked needy, uke-ish, if you will. I smirked. Perfect.

His lavender lids finally fluttered open, his golden irises holding the same look his face held while his eyes were closed.

"'Morning sunshine," I purred. The already present blush flushed a darker red, before he let out a low groan.

"Cheater," he murmured, closing his eyes again as he curled over onto his side. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. It was nice to feel in control again.

"We're almost home," I added lightly, hoping to ease his embarrassment. It did the trick and he sat up, though grudgingly at first.

"How far?" he asked as he ran a hand through his hair. He flipped it back over his shoulder shortly after and I could see the blush had faded to a faint pink tint.

"Not very, the coast is in easy sight, so we'll probably get to the dock in about fifteen minutes or so," I replied, returning to my feet. He slipped out from under the sheets and got up on the other side, letting out a yawn.

"I guess I went farther last night than I thought. I don't know how I managed to stay up as late as I did…" he murmured walking towards the door outside. Even when he was half asleep, his walk still mimicked a model's stride. I wasn't going to deny I was jealous of his easy grace. I followed him out, keeping my eyes on his hair as flowed with his movements. I didn't want be caught staring at better places if he were to turn suddenly. It would seem my own teasing had flustered me as well.

He paced to the rail, leaning on it gently as he gazed out towards shore. It had grown closer since we'd been inside.

"We can afford a short trip to our places before visiting Sensei, right?" he asked.

I nodded, "I don't think he'd mind."

"Of course he wouldn't, I was wondering about you. I thought you might want to sprint in a dead out run to his office the minute we landed."

"Ha ha. I'm not that eager. Besides, I'd rather show up presentable to receive my promotion," I declared. He snorted. "What? You obviously want to go home to freshen up too."

"I do, it's just you sound ridiculous sometimes," he chuckled. I scowled at him before stepping away to start the short prep for docking. He followed dutifully behind me, helping me with the minor task.

Once docked, we paid the remaining fees for the boat and headed back. The walk back to the village went by in a flash. The gate to the village loomed very soon over us.

"When do you want to meet? Ten, fifteen minutes from now?" Orochimaru asked, turning slightly to look back at me.

"Fifteen should be good," I replied and he nodded, returning to the pace we'd walked at as he headed toward his home. I walked calmly the other direction toward my apartment, until I knew he wouldn't be looking back. Then I sprinted. I didn't want to admit it, but sprinting to Konoha had crossed my mind.

Whatever.

I got home in record time. I dropped my bag off in my room before heading to the shower. My movements slowed once the warm water started falling. I scowled, noticing the shampoo standing by itself. I'd buy some stupid conditioner later. It's not like it would be as perfect as his flawless hair anyway, but I knew he'd complain if I didn't at least try to match his perfection.

I shut off the water a few minutes later, finished. I dried off and headed back to my room. My closet was running low on clothes, so I'd probably have to do laundry later as well. I sighed. Laundry was such a pain.

I grudgingly pulled on the last clean uniform and ran a comb through my hair. It didn't do much good; it still stood up all over the place as if I'd done nothing at all. Oh well. It looked fine to me. With that, I left.

I was perfectly on time, and yet Orochimaru wasn't there. Huh. That's strange-

"Looking for someone…?" an all too appealing voice murmured, arms snaking around my torso.

And here I thought he was anti-public displays of affection.

"Yeah, he has long dark hair, pale white skin, and the most amazing golden eyes…" I murmured in response. A low chuckle before the arms released me.

"I think I saw him earlier," he remarked. "C'mon."

I smiled, following after him up the stairs. Sarutobi was waiting for us, the door to his office already wide open. I tapped on the frame to get his attention as we strode in. A smile spread across his features.

"Ah, I see you two have come back again. And judging by your grin, Jiraiya, Orochimaru figured it out and told you his guess?" he stated.

"You could say that, yes," I replied. I saw Orochimaru roll his eyes as our teacher cleared his throat.

"Well then, I suppose you'll get the formal version now," the smile remained as he took a deep breath. Probably was pride. Now all his students were elites. "After reviewing your work as a shinobi of Konohagakure, it is easy to see you have reached the level of a jounin ranked individual. As of today, you will be ranked as such, and as a result, given missions assigned to your level of achievement. Congrats, Jiraiya," he tacked on at the end.

"Thank you Hokage-sama, I'm honored," I bowed, just a slight twinge of sarcasm marring my action. He didn't seem to mind.

"Well then, I suppose that's all. The Anbu should be able to tell me enough, so I won't need a report from you two. You may go." With that, we made our exit. I silently hoped for some time off, after the crap we just got done with. I didn't want to raise my hopes too high, but plans for a few free days already were springing to my mind as we walked.

"So Mr. Jounin, how are you feeling?" Orochimaru remarked once we were back on the streets.

"Amazing," I said smugly. I saw him roll his eyes out of the corner of my eye.

"Well I should probably head home…" he started his pace slowing as we were currently headed towards my place.

"All right…I suppose I should get some research done anyway…" I said, hoping he'd take the bait. I rather hoped we would spend the day together. I saw his eye twitch in annoyance as he stopped completely.

"Have fun," he said curtly before disappearing. Ouch. Maybe that had been the wrong kind of bait? I couldn't help letting out a sigh as I continued on my way. Sure research was wonderful and everything, but when I could have something tangible instead…? I sighed again.

By the time I got home I was pretty depressed. I decided to stick to my original plan in case if he came hunting me down. I changed out of the uniform into more casual clothing before heading out again.

I was on my way toward the hotsprings when I detected the slightest presence following me before it vanished.

Hmm.

Inspiration struck and I stayed on my path. I had a good feeling he was following me and was masking his presence. Probably to ruin my outing, no doubt. Little did he know that I was leading him around now. I grinned, maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all…

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