It was mid-day before she stirred awake again. This time she was more her usual self. She pressed a hand against her weary eyes as she took several deep breaths to keep her nausea in check. "How…did you get in my room?" She growled softly.

"Actually this is my room," he clarified.

She stared at him in horror. Her face grew thunderous as she grabbed hold of his shirt. "Why did you bring me here?! I can't be seen with you!" Then it dawned on her that they were in bed and she reddened, losing a bit of the fury. "Why am I in your bed? You never sleep with the same girl twice." She was familiar with his crass bragging, he thought he was such a stud. Her blush simmered to a soft pink as she had to admit, only to herself, that the memory had taken the edge off her present distress. It was the only good thing to come out of this mess.

"I'd make an exception for you," he teased as he leaned down to kiss her. He expected her to resist him, but she lay still beneath him, her mouth responded with minimal interest. She didn't actually kiss him back. He propped himself up on his elbows. "Oh c'mon is that the best you've got?" He said in disappointment.

She lowered her gaze. "I don't…want to say goodbye twice."

"Then don't," he said firmly. "Our business relation may have ended-"

"But its all we had," she finished firmly as she narrowed her eyes at him. It wasn't a glare but her gaze had heat to it. "The Akatsuki and Raiden Rouge have no personal connections. That rule is absolute for us both." He considered her silently for a moment. He knew that she was right but his jaw set stubbornly. He didn't want to give her up but he knew that in truth, she wasn't his to keep. Then she frowned curiously. "Why am I in your room?"

"You were a disorderly drunk making a real ass of yourself," he grinned at the memory. It wasn't funny at the time but now in reflection he found it hilarious.

She flushed with embarrassment. "I didn't drink that much."

"You drank enough to leave a mark," He raised his bandaged forearm before her face. She stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "So what's going on? You've refused alcohol before now."

She gently pushed him back off her, her hand gently grasping the front of his shirt. "It was…a moment of weakness," she confessed in a still voice. "I wanted to forget."

"Forget what? Me?"

She smirked at that and gently patted his cheek. "Your ego knows no bounds. It's not all about you, you know."

"What's really going on?" He pressed earnestly. Despite the humor, he could see the pain in her eyes. It was a haunted, hollow expression that set him on edge.

She lowered her gaze as she reflected on his question. She couldn't tell him the truth, neither of them could handle it. She opted for the half-truth approach. "My retirement has been set; the breeding season is fast approaching."

He looked bewildered. "Breeding season? What the hell is that?"

"How familiar are you with the lifestyle set by the Raiden Rouge?"

He shrugged in-differently. "Never really gave it much thought before."

She turned to swing her legs off the side of the bed, pressing a trembling hand against her aching head. She closed her eyes as she winced at a sharp pain. She felt the bed shift as he left. When she opened her eyes, he held out a glass of water and a few capsules. "It's a pain reliever, it'll help with the headache," he explained. She took them and swallowed with a little difficulty. Her throat was still quite sore. He pulled up a chair and sat across from her, his elbows rested casually on his knees. "You were saying?" He prompted her to continue.

"All female members retire from active duty at age twenty-one," she explained in a solemn tone. "Then we are selected to mate with pre-set partners to accentuate ideal genes and bloodline traits."

He made a bit of a face. "Like animals?"

She fixed him with a cool expression. "We are a collective community. Every action is calculated for the benefit of the Clan. Of those children about a third of them are deemed defective and terminated. There is no room for error."

"And you're…ok with that?" He asked warily. He couldn't imagine being forced into such a thing.

"I was…until recently," she confessed as her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. "I wasn't being entirely truthful before, when I said that I was reassigned." She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "It wasn't their idea. It was mine."

He narrowed his eyes in condemnation. "Why?" He growled deep in his throat.

"I was becoming attached," she admitted. "Every time it was getting harder to leave you behind. I figured that I should get out before…" She leaned forward and rested her head in her hands with a weary sigh.

He reached out and gently took her hands in his own. She looked down at them, marveling at how hers were swallowed up in his. He was much larger than she was and her vulnerability made her feel even smaller. She trembled as she bit her lip to hold back another surge of tears. Curse her weakness! "I know my duty, my fate is clear. But now…" she took a steadying breath. "I want more than that!"

He sucked in his breath. This was serious, treacherous even.

She looked up at him with such regret. "You've shown me a taste of freedom and I can't forget it. I can't go back or force myself to move on. So that's why..."

"Oh Suko," he sighed in exasperation. "That's not something you should try to forget."

She tried to pull free but he pulled her into his lap. He wrapped one arm around her waist to keep her close while the other angled her chin. His mouth silenced her rising protest. He kissed her so tenderly, not with his usual aggressive passion. Ritsuko was too precious to him to simply have his way with her. He too could never forget the connection forged from their farewell. She too surrendered to her weakness, responding with a bit of bite. That made him chuckle and he slipped his hand up the front of her shirt. She arched with a gasp of pleasure. "Forget about tomorrow." He whispered as he nibbled on her neck. "Its just you and me, forget the world."

"I…want that too," she confessed in a breathless tone and he felt her beginning to relax. Her fingertips roved curiously as she explored his body. Her hand came to rest on his waistband and their eyes locked as she unfastened the clasp. There was hunger in her eyes that made him hard. He grinned as he placed her back on the bed and pressed her back into the pillows. He guided her hand in to handle his manhood and kissed her hard. She gasped as he swelled in her palm, it was larger than she remembered. For the next several minutes they slowly undressed. She'd flinch a little at every exposure. He was pleased to see how innocent she remained, her touch was eager but still lacked experience. He took his time, much longer than he ever bothered to. His heart ached as he realized just how much he'd missed her. He more than just craved her, he needed her. Bodies entwined as their souls connected just as deeply. Her fingers ran down his back, her gentle touch sent a thrill through his body. He growled possessively as he bit into her shoulder. "No one else can have you."

Her hands squeezed his hips. "Then make me yours," she whispered. "Lie to me and make me believe I'm your girl." She knew better than to expect monogamy from someone as promiscuous as him. But there could never be anyone else for her.

"I'd never lie to you," he groaned as he inserted himself.

"That's my favorite one," she teased with a giggle. Her hips rocked in time with him, letting him take the lead in this erotic dance. His touch seemed to set her on fire and she couldn't get enough of it. Her heart felt fit to burst as she climaxed hard. She fell back into the pillows, panting hard. She groaned in disappointment as he pulled out. Was it over already? He guided her to roll onto her stomach, pulling her hips up against him as he inserted himself from this new angle. The sensation drove her just as wild, especially as he stroked her clit in time to his thrusts. She arched her neck back to kiss him. He dominated the kiss; her willing surrender made his heart soar. It had never felt this good, even their first time paled in comparison. She only broke it when she orgasmed even harder than the first time. She screamed in ecstasy.

That made him chuckle as his hand came to rest across her chest with a possessive squeeze. He kissed along her shoulder, hungry nibbles that had a bit of bite. "You're mine," he groaned as he released inside her. The rush of heat made her tremble and she collapsed. He lowered himself to his elbows, not wanting to pull out just yet. His lips massaged along her spine. "You belong to me Suko. I'm not gonna share you with anyone else. Duty be damned," he rumbled selfishly.

She sighed softly as the high began to lessen. She closed her eyes as she focused on the lingering sensations. His warm lips seared her skin, implanting a memory she knew she wouldn't soon forget. The fullness with its sticky aftermath seemed to cement their bond. It was overwhelming and she trembled as her hands curled up into fists. She was such a fool, why did she give in again? He felt her stiffen beneath him and he worried that she was closing herself off again. He pulled out and laid beside her, pulling her into his arms. "Hey now," he gently crooned as he turned her to face him. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to leave," she confessed with fresh tears glistening in her eyes.

"Then don't," he whispered as he kissed her again, soft and slow. His hand ran down the length of her back, pressing her close against him. Skin to skin wasn't close enough. "We belong together."

"It's not fated to be," she whispered regretfully.

"It is today," he gently contradicted.

"But it's not enough," she whined softly as she ran her fingers through this navy hair.

"No, it's not," he agreed as he fixed her with calculating gaze. "I'm not about to let you go again either."

She looked a little exasperated, but her smile was a gentle one. She leaned in for another taste. "I love the way you lie," she giggled.

"I'm serious," he protested as he pinned her on her back. His hands intertwined with hers on either side of her head. "Two years is more than enough time. I'll find a way to free you from the Raiden Rouge," he vowed.

"That's not possible," she said with a wistful smile.

"I'll make it possible!" He snapped.

She opened her mouth to argue but the glint in his eye made her hesitate. She recognized that steely look in his eye and wisely kept her mouth shut. She blinked slowly as she considered that if ever he'd told the truth…this may very well be it. Her brow furrowed slightly as worry etched her soft features. Just what would that freedom entail? They could hardly be one big happy family. She liked him well enough, but to share a life together? She made a bit of a face at the foreign thought of domesticity.

He mistook her expression for one of mistrust. He gently kissed her. "Trust me," he whispered with his breath warm in her face. "I will protect you from such a terrible fate."

She giggled a little. "Oh…it's not been all bad." He grinned at that. She grimaced in a bit of pain. "Seriously though, get off already. I still don't feel all that great."

He rolled off and collected their clothes from the headboard and floor. "Are you currently on assignment?"

"I'm enroute to Iwagakure," she said as she began to dress. "I report for duty in three days time."

He paused to consider that. He was very familiar with the general route and was reminded of this little resort town in the Land of Earth and it gave him a brilliant idea. He hurried over to the table and pulled out a scroll to scribble a message to his partner. It was short and sweet: Something's come up. Go on ahead without me.

"What's going on?" She asked curiously though she felt a small tingle of dread creep up her spine as his face lit up with devious anticipation. What was he up to now?

He turned on her with a sharp clap of his hands. "We're going to take a vacation to Shimizu!" She blinked incredulously as her mouth hung open. "Where I'm due is just past there. Let's travel together and have ourselves an ocean getaway!"

Her mouth opened and closed a few times before her face turned fiery red. "Are you insane?! We can't be seen together!"

"Obviously we'll be disguised as civilians. Its brilliant I tell you!" She still looked at him like he had a screw loose. He drew close and gathered her hands in his and gave a gentle squeeze. "Just think of it as a date."

"A date?!" She sputtered in shock as she pulled free.

He ran on. "No responsibilities, no business, free to do whatever we want for just a day." She considered that for a moment. She couldn't resist the appeal of this sudden opportunity. He stood over her with wide-spread arms. "Just the two of us living the dream, just you and me," he said with a warm smile, the gentlest one she'd ever seen on his rugged face.

She couldn't resist a small smile that spread across her face. "That…does sound brilliant."

He barked a sharp laugh of triumph and pulled her to feet. She fell into his arms and her hugged her tightly. She gasped in protest and pulled herself free. She felt the room spin as a dizzy spell and she collapsed back onto the bed.

"Suko!" He cried out as he leaned over her. "I'm sorry. I overdid it, didn't I?"

She pressed a hand over her eyes to keep the room from spinning. "Yes, but I've come to expect that from you," she giggled softly.