Dragonzair: I think this is the chapter you've been waiting for. Hope you enjoy it.

Ok, there is a definite possible (what a beautiful oxymoron) OOC warning, as I have no clue how these two would react in such a situation, as we've not been fortunate enough to see anything more than kurenai blush when kakashi says she and asuma look good together, or something close to that depending on the translation you used. Anyhoo, I tried to build on that but failed, and here is the outcome.

Ah, there is also a major fluff warning, as I have no skill in writing about getting down n' dirty.

Please enjoy.

Chapter 9: Moving On

"Kurenai!" Asuma said, surprised to see the dark-haired woman on his doorstep this late in the evening. She looked unusually small and vulnerable as she stood there, head drooped slightly, arms stiffly set on either side of her body.

"Hey, Asuma, I was wondering if I could talk with you." She spoke without looking at his face, carefully keeping her eyes away from his.

"Sure, come on in," he said, opening the door wider and stepping to the side, allowing the kunoichi entrance into his home. He immediately wished he had cleaned up a little, but there was no way to know a lady would be stopping by. He couldn't help but think that Genma's place must always be sparkling clean with all the women he picks up.

"Can I get you something to drink? Coffee?"

"No, yes, strong," she realized she was going to need some help getting through this. Coffee had always been able to soothe her frayed nerves, and Asuma knew that. He also knew exactly how she liked her evening coffee, so there was no need to ask before he walked into his kitchen saying "Just make yourself comfortable."

She took a seat on his couch and looked around the room. It was a little cluttered, but very homey, with pictures of his team strewn around the walls. He had probably been trying to document some missions, but these came out instead; pictures of Ino shouting right at the camera, Chouji eating, Shikamaru yawning, all three of them napping on the ground. She decided she would look into getting a camera next time she had some extra money, it'd be nice to have pictures of her students around the house, reminding her why she bothered to get up every morning.

He walked into the room to see her sitting serenely on the couch, perched on the edge of the cushion like a bird, eyes darting around the room, taking in everything. He felt extremely self-conscious again as he saw all the imperfections of his living room he had never noticed before.

"Sorry about the mess-" he started, but was cut off by a slight shake of her head.

"No, it's very comfortable," her eyes focused on the snapshot collection again, "I like it a lot. I wish my place looked a bit more like this."

"Here's your coffee…" he said somewhat bluntly, handing her the steaming mug before taking a seat to the left of her on the couch. They sat in silence for a few moments, he lit up a smoke and puffed on it contentedly between drinks, patiently waiting for Kurenai to feel comfortable enough to talk to him about whatever it was she had wanted to talk about.

"Asuma," she finally spoke up, her cheeks beginning to get tinged with pink as she set her drink down, "I like you." He smiled and brought his cigarette out of his mouth.

"I like you too Kurenai."

"No, I mean," she looked up at him, red eyes wide with sincerity and fear, "I really like you. I like you more than anyone else." His brown eyes widened a little, but his smile remained as he turned his body toward her.

"I really like you too. Getting to know you has been my favorite part of teaching this year." She smiled a little, relieved to know Anko was right, and he felt the same about her, but the hard part wasn't quite over yet. She began to frown and looked down as she remembered there was more to say.

"What's the matter?" He asked, debating on whether or not to put his arm around her. They had somewhat confessed their feelings, but it may be too soon for him to be giving her that kind of contact. She always seemed like she'd rather not be touched, and he had always respected those sentiments, but now he had an overwhelming desire to take her into his arms.

"I, well, do you remember when my family was murdered?" Whoa! He was completely taken back by this.

"Well, yeah, sure, everyone remembers that." Does this have something to do with us being a couple? He wondered, trying to figure out why Kurenai would confess her feelings for him and then bring up the death of her family.

"The man that killed them, he was the only man I had ever loved." She looked back up at him with those red eyes that could make an Uchiha take a second glance. He felt like he knew where this was going. He tentatively placed an arm around her small but sturdy shoulders.

"I never heard that. They always said the murderer was never found."

"No one but Anko ever knew. It was enough having my family dead; I didn't want everyone to know that my husband killed them." She looked down again, "I'm sorry I'm unloading all this on you."

"No, it's okay. That's what I'm here for." He said, giving her right arm a squeeze as she laid her head down on his shoulder, sending electric signals throughout his body. A part of him still couldn't believe his childhood crush, the girl he convinced himself he could never have, was resting on him, confiding in him. "So, I'm guessing you killed him, since he was one of the bodies found in the house." He felt her nod, her hair making small friction sounds as it rubbed against the fabric of his shirt.

"I didn't know what else to do. I had loved him. I really did. We all did. I thought he loved me, but it turned out I was just an idiot. I couldn't see past his smooth smile, and my family died because of it." Everything was starting to make sense now, her cold demeanor, her refusal to get close to anyone, her strict attitude. She had built up such a strong wall around her heart because she was so afraid of getting hurt that severely again. How could he show her that he would never, could never, do that to her?

"Kurenai, it's not your fault," he said, his voice gruff but soothing at the same time. She had always liked the sound of his voice, "life dealt you some extremely unfair cards, and you played them best you could, and there was nothing you could have done to change the outcome of that hand."

"But I –"

"No." He stopped her firmly, eyes locked as he leaned a little bit closer to her face, "There was nothing you could do. And now, you have to look at the hand you have at this moment. You have three students and a dog who adore you. You have friends who worry and care about you. And you have a man who really, really likes you, and has the potential to love you if you let him." His heart beat intensely as he said the last statement. He may put on a laid back, calm and collected front when he's out in the village, but when it came to being alone with women, Kurenai in particular, he was just short of being a complete mess.

He was so close she could feel his warm breath on her face. She felt her eyes sting with tears as she pressed closer to Asuma's chest, but she held them back. She had promised herself a long time ago she wouldn't cry in front of him.

"I want to be able to let you to love me, but I'm scared. I haven't let anyone close to me since then." He moved his head lower and placed a kiss on the top of her head, her soft hair tickling his nose.

"Take as much time as you need, I'll be here for you." He said soothingly, and she knew more than ever that she wanted him in her life. He was willing to wait for her, walk with her through this mess, just be there for her. That knowledge filled her with a calm she hadn't known for years, and she decided right then that she didn't want to waste anymore time being scared and alone when she didn't have to be.

Her right hand moved up his chest until it curled around his neck, and she pulled her body around until she was practically in his lap, her face inches from his. His heart started to pound again as he looked into her face, from her eyes to her lips back to her eyes.

"Asuma," she whispered before closing her eyes and pulling his face to hers. Her lips felt soft and tender under his as he placed his right hand on the small of her back, his left holding her shoulder. Although he had kissed women before, he was no pro at it, and especially felt clumsy with Kurenai in his arms. But kissing her felt right, so right that it seemed every other girl he had been with was in his life just to show how much better Kurenai was for him.

Of course, Kurenai didn't think he was clumsy at all. She loved the way he gently held her rather than groped her while she kissed him. She loved the feel of his lips on hers, the taste of tobacco mingled with coffee, the rough graze of his bearded chin. She loved the comfort she felt around him, and decided she wanted to feel comfortable for a long time. When they parted she rested her head against his chest, arm still around his neck, a small smile on her lips.

"I'm not gonna lie," Asuma said, breaking the silence, "that felt really good." He smiled down at the woman in his arms as he felt her nod again.

"Yeah, it did." She paused, then unexpectedly yawned, causing Asuma to laugh. She loved his laugh.

"Am I really that boring?" He asked more playfully than accusingly.

"No," she fought off another yawn,"I didn't even realize how tired I am," she yawned again, this time taking herarm off of his shoulder to cover her mouth with both hands as tired tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. He could tell it had been a long day for her, and was about to ask if she wanted him to walk her home when she came up with a much better idea.

"Hey Asuma, can I stay here tonight?"

"Of course."

He wasn't sure exactly what she meant by 'stay.' He didn't want to overstep his boundaries and assume it meant sleep with him when all she really wanted was a place to rest for the night because she was too emotionally exhausted to go home.

"I'll go get you something to sleep in," he said, getting up and walking to his room. Even his smallest shirt would swallow her up, and there was no hope that his pants would ever be able to stay on her if she moved slightly.

"Just a shirt will work," she said from behind him. He nodded, realizing that any one of his shirts could easily function as a nightgown, probably reaching her knees. He handed her a white t-shirt he would wear on his days off. It fit him a little tighter than he generally liked, but Kurenai had always thought it showed off his muscles nicely.

"You can go ahead and use the bathroom; I'll go clean up our dishes from the living room." She nodded and headed to the bathroom, makeshift pajamas in tow.

The coffee mugs clinked together as he carried them to the sink, running hot water over them, trying not to think of Kurenai practically naked just a room away. He looked at the wall to his right, knowing she stood just beyond there. What he wouldn't give to be a Hyuuga and not have a soul. He smiled shrewdly, knowing that even if he did have Byakugan, he wouldn't have used it. He had too much respect for the kunoichi, and knew she would reveal herself to him in due time if she wanted him to see her that way. Besides, he was a good guy, not some pervert like a few other people he could name off the top of his head.

By the time he got back to his room she was coming out of the bathroom, clean faced and wearing his shirt that did indeed hang down past her thighs, stopping a few inches short of her knees, which was actually less revealing than her everyday clothes.

"Go ahead and make yourself comfortable, I'm just gonna get myself cleaned up," he said, jerking his thumb toward the door she just exited. She nodded and looked around the room as he walked into the bathroom. Both were a little nervous and unsure of themselves, although she clearly held most of the cards at this point.

He looked at himself in the mirror, splashing warm water on his face as he contemplated taking a cold shower. In the end he just washed his face, brushed his teeth, and changed into his sweatpants. It had been pretty warm lately and he generally slept without a shirt on during the hotter months. Now he was wondering if this might look too forward. If she gave him a funny look he could always say he forgot his shirt and go put one on, no big deal.

He walked out of the room to find Kurenai already curled up on his bed, her small body taking up not even half of the available space as she faced the empty left side of the bed.

Oh man, what do I do? He wondered, not wanting to climb in the bed if she wasn't expecting it, but not wanting to sleep on the couch when there was more than enoughroom next to her. And she might think he didn't really like her if he didn't sleep by her-

"Are you coming?" She asked, one red eye open and watching his internal debate. He half-smiled, "Yeah, just, wondering if I should put a shirt on."

"It's pretty warm tonight, you don't really need one." She said, a smile playing on her pink lips. He nodded and crawled into bed, relieved that she had been able to settle all his uncertainties, but a whole knew feeling of anxiety overwhelmed him as she scooted closer until their skin was touching and he could inhale her wonderful fragrance. Fighting against all his insecurities he placed his right arm around her waist, holding her comfortably against him. She responded by snuggling closer so her hair tickled his chest and her small hand rested a little below his shoulder.

"Mmm, thank you," she murmured, her breath hot against his bare chest as her fingertips sent shocks of electricity through his body again.

"Happy I could help."

There was something absolutely surreal about the whole scene. He had dreamt it a thousand times since he found out girls didn't really have cooties. Kurenai was lying next to him; her face was soft and relaxed as she breathed deeply. His strong arms were around her waist, holding her close to him as she slept without dreaming, and he dreamed without sleeping. He breathed in her scent, which smelled like a clean autumn morning, and decided that without her consent he had already begun to love her. He would never be able to take a breath during the fall without seeing her red eyes framed by her dark hair. He fought sleep so he could continue to look at her and relish the feeling of her in his arms. He was afraid if he did go to sleep he might wake up to find none of this had actually happened. But eventually he lost the battle against his eyelids and fell asleep, knowing any dream he could have this night wouldn't compare to his reality.

Huzzah for quick updates. Don't expect the 10th (and probably final) chapter up as quickly though. But I am quite excited about finishing this fic, as I am horrible about finishing any of my writings.

Thanks for all who comment, you really help pull me through to the next chapter. And I'm always thrilled to find another Kurenai fan!