Hi everyone, a brief chapter before we enter into the second part of the story with Asuka babysitting Sasuke. I wrote this one very quickly as I was feeling inspired, but probably it will take a while longer for the next one. Thank you to all of those who still follow and favorite this story, and feel free to leave a review of you want to.
Asuka examined herself in the mirror. Was it too much? Midori had told her to dress up nicely, but she didn't want to seem too out of place, either. The last time she had worn that dress was when she had met Kakashi in the Land of Lightning, and she had performed in that. A tight, lacy, dark-green short dress, which covered her neck and arms. Her scars were well hidden, not being what she wanted to talk about with her friends, that night. She changed shoes for the third time in five minutes, deciding to change her over-the-knee boots for a pair of black ankle boots with thick, high heels. She then looked at her reflection and nodded, before taking a step forward and focusing on her face. No open pores showing, no facial hair sticking out, eyeliner line not equal as usual, but who cares when you have long and voluminous lashes like hers? And such perfect lips?
'Talk about modesty, Princess. I'm starting to see wrinkles around your perfect lips,' Amanozako teased. Asuka's eyes widened in horror and she leaned her face even closer to the mirror, inspecting her skin. "Your sarcasm is going to turn me into a walking wrinkle before I turn 40, I know that," she mumbled, glad to observe that the spirit was joking. No lines around her lips. But she would really have to start taking care of her skin, seriously.
She glanced at the clock and put on her mustard coat. She was a bit early, but she would most likely get lost on her way to the restaurant. She was still unfamiliar with the new Konoha. She said goodbye to Kakashi's dogs, who were lazing around the house, and got out. Kakashi wouldn't be home for at least a couple of hours; when they were having lunch together, he had told her that he still had a lot of paperwork to go through that day, and that he probably would arrive home no sooner than 9 or 10 p.m. That had somehow relieved Asuka from her guilty feeling at leaving her lover alone on a Saturday night (although she had a feeling that, even if she had asked him to tag along, he would have refused).
Asuka wandered through the village a while before reaching the restaurant. A warm light emanated from the inside, and a nice smell lingered in the air. 'Mmmh… Gyoza,' she thought, her mouth salivating. She entered and a waiter accompanied her to the table Midori had reserved. Like she had anticipated, she was early. She had always been. Or rather, it was Midori and Gyon who were always late. Asuka sighed, leaning against the backrest of the bench she was sitting at, contemplating the small basket filled with appetizers on the table in front of her and wondering how rude it would be to start eating alone. She was hungry. She let her eyes wander around the restaurant, registering the other customers, happily dining with their friends and families. It was a cozy restaurant, and the intense smell of food was mouth-watering. She smiled at the waitress who brought her water and tea and immediately sipped some. Maybe it would distract her from her stomach craving food. Just when she was about to extend her arm and grab a piece of bread, she saw the waiter approach her table, two people following him, one of them seemingly complaining.
"I swear, the weather in Suna is awful all-year round. And the damn sand keeps getting everywhe-"
Gyon's voice was stuck in his throat, just as his whole body stilled, looking down at the woman at his table. It had taken less than a second for him to take in her features and recognize her, even though he hadn't seen her for so long. Her hair was a little different, and she had make-up on; she didn't seem that tomboyish anymore, and her air was more feminine. Overall, however, Asuka hadn't changed that much.
Gyon had changed a lot. Asuka doubted she would have recognized him if they had crossed paths down the street. He had gotten taller and his shoulders were broader. His sandy-brown hair was short and almost spiky, and he had grown a beard. He wasn't wearing glasses, and his golden eyes were bright and smart. His complexion was warm, maybe a little tanned, due to his stay in the Land of Sand. He was…
"Handsome. Never thought I'd describe you like that," Asuka said, smiling. Beside him, Midori giggled. He was still not moving. Nor breathing, it seemed. Asuka huffed, and stood up.
"What the hell?" He managed to say.
"Listen, Midori already punched me the other day. I hope you'll be a little more original than that," she said. Gyon's mouth wordlessly opened and closed. Midori, still giggling, put a hand under his chin and pushed it upwards, effectively risking chopping off his tongue with his own teeth in the process. "I told you there was a surprise," she whispered.
Asuka had never been hugged by Gyon before. Midori and her often joked saying he'd probably prefer kissing a frog rather than showing any signs of affection towards his own teammates. As if they didn't know he considered them as his sisters. But his arms felt familiar, and nostalgic. His smell was the same as so many years before.
"Hey, I'm feeling a little left out, you two," Midori said, falsely annoyed, then sat at the table. When her former teammates parted, Gyon sat down next to her, while Asuka plopped down onto her seat across from her friends. "So, who's the bad cop and who's the nice one?" She joked, as their positions reminded her of an interrogation. "I guess Midori's the bad cop. She's punched me, after all. Gyon, you hugged me, so you'll be the nice one! Mind you, I've already passed Morino's third degree, so I'm prepared!" Midori rolled her eyes at Asuka's joke. "I'm perfectly able to act nicely. I'm a teacher, in case you forgot." Gyon's comment was barely audible. "Ask her students. I bet she's their favorite teacher." The man avoided Midori's glare and focused on Asuka. "So, would you mind explaining where you've been up until now?"
The dinner went smoothly. Asuka told her friends about Amanozako and the Western Continent, even though she purposely left out the most tragic and darkest particulars. She made it seem as though she had almost enjoyed being exiled from home and away for such a long time. But acting like a victim had never been her character. She did not want others to take pity on her. They had had loads of shit there, too, and Asuka wouldn't burden them with her problems.
Midori told her about her students at the Academy, and how she was also responsible for training ANBU in swordsmanship. Gyon had become the second in charge of the cryptographic analysis division, and was now working on a difficult case about a criminal group that involved both the Land of Fire and the Land of Sand.
It was strange. Even though Midori and Gyon were treating Asuka just like before, there seemed to be a certain coldness between the two of them. They would exchange brief and polite words, few jokes, but overall, they wouldn't talk to each other. When Gyon stood up and excused himself to go to the toilet, Asuka voiced her thoughts to the raven-haired girl. She shrugged and looked to her left, avoiding the brunette's eyes. "It's just… we haven't seen each other for some time, you know." Asuka raised her eyebrow. "You told me you kept meeting regularly," she stated. Midori sighed and put a strand of hair behind her ears. "We did… but… something happened a couple of months ago, and we haven't met since." Asuka's lips scrunched. They had been friends for twenty years, and suddenly they stopped seeing each other? "What happened?" Midori cast a glance behind her to check that Gyon was not coming back. "We had sex."
Oh.
Before Asuka could comment, Midori continued. And it was as if a dam had suddenly collapsed under the weight of water. "I mean, we had drunk, but we were not wasted. I remember everything. And I remember I clearly wanted it. And he did, too. And it was amazing, Asuka. I had never felt anything like that. And the things he told me, I swear, I… I could have melted in his arms." Asuka's head was shaking lightly. If that had been such a great night, why not seeing each other anymore? "I had a boyfriend at that time," Midori continued. "I left him the following day. I had cheated on him, after all. And I didn't want to keep lying to him. While Gyon…" she bit her lip when Asuka kicked her shin under the table, seeing the topic of their conversation approach.
Gyon sat back, oblivious to the situation. They ordered desserts still chatting about trivial stuff. Asuka resumed talking about herself, shooting anecdotes about her life in the Western Continent and acting like a total buffoon. When their cakes came, Gyon smiled warmly at Asuka. "Oh, I almost forgot, Asuka! Save the date, July 24th, next year, I'm getting married. And, of course, you're invited."
Asuka's eyes widened as she connected the dots in her head. She thought back to what Midori had just told her. Her gaze swiftly moved to the woman, taking in her poker face, which was silently ordering her to act normal or I'll fucking slice you. Asuka's lips then tightened and opened in a large smile, showing most of her teeth, her deep dimples at the corner of her mouth and her cheeks hurting from the tension. But she had always been a pro at faking a smile. Gyon didn't seem to have noticed anything. She congratulated him and asked him about his fiancée, but the cake she had ordered suddenly had no taste. She could feel its soft texture on her tongue, but her taste buds felt nothing. It was hideous to lie to her friend. It was hideous that she already hated his girlfriend when she didn't even know her. It was hideous that her other friend was clearly suffering from unrequited love. Fuck.
Gyon offered to pay for their dinner ("I'm a gentleman, after all"), so he stood up and went to the cashier. In the meantime, Asuka leaned on the table and silently screamed at Midori. "He's engaged!" She couldn't believe it. Midori leaned in, too, and punched Asuka on her head, making her chin bounce on the table. "I know!" She whisper-screamed back. "That's what I was trying to tell you!" Asuka frowned, massaging her chin. "But you had sex," she stated. Midori rolled her eyes. "I know. But, apparently, it didn't mean anything to him." She looked away. "Fucker," she added, then her eyes took in Asuka's sad expression.
What was she doing? It was Asuka's fucking welcome back party, and she was ruining it with her personal bullshit. She stood up and sent an ice-cold glare at the woman who was looking at her as if she were a stupid bimbo crying her heart out over a man who doesn't want her. She had already gone through that phase. "Get up, idiot. The night's not over." Asuka seemed surprised. "Where are we going?" She asked, curious. She thought that the three of them would part there and maybe agree to meet again in a week or so, while she would stay with Midori and listen to her broken-hearted stories, consoling her until she fell asleep while crying. "We're going drinking. Now that we don't have to hide ourselves to do so. We're getting you wasted."
Asuka gulped. Uh oh. Danger. "I don't drink anymore," she said, exiting the restaurant. She was met with two pairs of incredulous eyes. "Are you kidding me?" Midori said. Asuka was not sure, but she felt a tinge of disgust in her friend's reply. She scratched her cheek with her finger. "Uhm… bad things happen when I do." Gyon chuckled. "We've already seen you vomit on yourself till you pass out, Asuka." Her cheeks flamed red. She thought she had managed to remove that memory from her head. "It's not that, it's just…" she started apologizing, hesitant.
'It's ok, Princess. I promise I won't take over.' Asuka's eyes widened. 'Are you sure?' She asked in her head. Amanozako had never told her anything like that. 'You're always blabbing about how we should strengthen our bond. Maybe you can start trust me a little more. I told you, I like your friend, I won't cause a commotion. Not your male one, he's a jerk. Oh, and I also want to taste some good alcohol instead of fucking iced tea, for a change.' The woman gulped, pondering the spirit's words. She was right, in a sense. Since her training with B, Amanozako had been calmer and quieter than ever, and she had always allowed Asuka to use her chakra. It seemed as though she had taken seriously their pact.
"Well, I guess a couple of drinks won't hurt me…" She muttered, then looked back at her friends, "But if I start to act strange, like if I start talking about being hungry, then please beat me unconscious and tie me so that I can't do anything until I'm conscious again, got it?" The other two looked at her with their eyebrow raised, then Midori snorted and turned around. "Yeah, yeah. Let's go."
Where were they? A club? A bar? They had left their coats at the checkroom and were now walking through the main hall of that big building. A rock band was performing on a stage, and a lot of people were dancing – more like, bouncing – in front of it. The place was dimly lit, and it was full of people. She didn't know Konoha had places like this. It reminded Asuka of a club Nina had dragged her to a couple years before. They had enjoyed the night, even though she hadn't been able to hear a thing for a day, after that.
Looking around herself, she could see that the people were all dressed in civilian clothes, but she recognized quite a few shinobi among the crowd. She guessed it really didn't make a difference if you were a civilian or a soldier, when you needed to have some fun, dance a bit and drink some more. Midori dragged her and Gyon to the bar and whispered something to the bartender's ear, handling him some ryo. After a moment, the man placed three small glasses in front of them, smiling at Midori. She reciprocated the smile, then took her glass and held it high above her. "Welcome back to our friend Asuka… Team 3 is back together again!" She shouted. Asuka eyed the clear content of her glass suspiciously, before mumbling to herself "Oh, fuck it," grabbing her glass and clinking it against Midori's and Gyon's, then taking her shot. She felt the liquid flow past her throat and down to her esophagus, then suddenly a bursting sensation exploded in her stomach. Whoa, that was strong liquor indeed. She clenched her teeth to fight back the strong taste in her mouth. She was clearly not used to alcohol anymore. But then, the warmth that radiated through her body… How good that felt. She noticed the bartender whisper something to Midori's ear, and she looked back at him, nodding. "There you go, sweetheart," he told Asuka, handling her a glass. This time it seemed a cocktail. Far less intimidating than another shot. She clinked glasses again with her former teammates and took a sip. Strong as hell, as well. She needed to take it slow. A sip every now and then. Midori grabbed Asuka by the hand. "Let's go," she said to her ear, nodding at Gyon in the meantime to follow them.
Asuka let Midori lead her to an area on the left. The security guards there spoke briefly with Midori and then let them pass. The area seemed like a vip room; there were a few tables and far less people there. When they entered, those far less people started screaming excitedly. Asuka's mind was already slowed down by the alcohol, and it took her a while to focus on the men and women there. After a few seconds, she recognized them. She saw Anko, and Kurenai, and… was that Genma? Ebisu! Her eyes scanned the room and her smile grew at every person she recognized, old friends and school mates, or Shinobi she had shared missions with. They were all there… for her? She felt her eyes tingle and she bit down on her lip, covering her mouth with her hand. Midori nudged her in the ribs. "Hey, I organized all of this so you could have a good time, not cry. Got it?" Asuka smiled warmly at her before being submerged by her acquaintances.
"Ten," Kakashi mumbled, placing his sake glass on the table in front of him. Across from him, Gai's eyes widened in terror. "What? My rival! How could you have already had ten drinks? I'm only at my second! I'm not giving up that easily on our challenge!" That said, he motioned to a waitress to bring him eight shots altogether. Kakashi deadpanned. "I wasn't counting my drinks," he said, his eyes narrowing and zooming in onto Asuka. Eleven. Twelve. When would that damn Genma understand? He had already tried to touch Asuka twelve fucking times, and each time she had either dodged or moved his hand away. 'Keep going,' he thought, 'you've already earned yourself twelve night shifts at Konoha gate.'
Asuka turned around, scanning the room. She was trying to avoid Genma's inappropriate approaches and looking for someone else who could save her. She took a sip from her drink and widened her eyes in surprise when she saw silver, spiky hair in a corner. She excused herself from the man's umpteenth attempt at stealing a kiss from her and quickly walked towards Kakashi. She slowed down a little when she noticed three women standing in front of his table. They were giggling and seemed very, very excited.
"Who knew Hokage-sama liked to come to this club?"
"Are you having a good time, Rokudaime-sama?"
Kakashi was wearing his usual stone face and replied politely to their questions. Across from him, Gai's flashing smile never faltered, even though he was clearly being ignored by the three ladies. Asuka couldn't help the clenching at her stomach. She had never considered herself as the jealous type but… that sight was making her blood seethe. She took another sip from her cocktail while she filled the distance to Kakashi's table, just as one of the three women chirped again.
"Do you want some company, Hokage-sama?" Her voice was high pitched and giggling. She leaned down onto the table, showing off her cleavage. While Gai's eyes immediately wandered to her boobs, though, Kakashi's gaze remained fixed on her face, as he raised a hand in front of him and refused her offer.
Asuka didn't feel the last bit of guilt when she accidentally bumped into the woman's butt, causing her to fall face down onto the table. "May I seat with Hokage-sama?" She asked, her voice loud over the outraged comments from the three women. Gai greeted her warmly, spreading his arms and praising her youth. Kakashi looked playfully at her, nodding. "Of course," he replied, sliding to his right, to make room for Asuka. He then addressed the three women. "I wish you all a wonderful night," he said, then ignored them. They left, defeated, and Kakashi focused on Asuka, who was drinking her cocktail from the straw. By the sound it was making, though, there was no more liquid in the glass anymore. Just then, the waitress brought Gai his eight shots. Asuka immediately grabbed a glass and chugged it, then she handed her cocktail glass to the waitress. "I don't know what it was, but it was good. I want another one." The waiter nodded and looked at Kakashi, asking him if he wanted anything else. He shook his head, grabbing a glass from Gai and drinking his liquor. His friend would never drink that much, anyway.
In the meantime, Asuka and Gai had started a conversation about youth and taijutsu. Or better, Asuka was talking about taijutsu, and Gai was talking about youth; they were just going on with their own monologues, not really listening to the other. Kakashi found that frankly amusing. When the waitress came back and gave Asuka her cocktail, Kakashi pointed at all the glasses on the table, handing her some money. She thanked him with a bow and walked away.
"Thank you," she chanted, clinking her glass against his. "Aren't you going to ask me why I'm drinking?" Asuka asked Kakashi, leaning into his ear. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and smirked. "It's your party, I guess it's your right to have fun. And I trust you and Amanozako came to an agreement." The woman giggled and took another sip, then smiled when Kakashi casually placed his warm hand on her thigh, letting it rest there. It was dark, and nobody would have noticed such a gesture, either. She resumed talking with Gai, thanking him to have come to that party. "You know, Asuka-chan, I would have never missed the celebration for your return! When Midori-chan invited me, I immediately agreed!" Kakashi chuckled. "Actually, he was there in my office when Kobayashi-sensei invited me," he pointed out. Asuka laughed. "I really wasn't expecting all this. Midori's been so thoughtful. And I would have never thought you could show up in a place like this, either. You told me you would be working late tonight," she told Kakashi, turning to face him. Gai, in the meantime, had downed another shot and was now talking with his glass. The Hokage shrugged. "It's not my cup of tea, I'll admit it, but I couldn't miss this, either. And I haven't lied; I did work till late." Asuka noticed that, contrary to the other people there, Kakashi was still wearing his uniform. He wasn't donning either his forehead protector, his gloves or his vest, but he had his blue sweater and pants on. He must have gone there straight from the office. She placed her hand on top of his, intertwining their fingers. "I'll make sure to properly thank you when we're home," she said to his ear.
"Hey, Asuka! Come on, let's dance! You two can make out later tonight!" Midori exclaimed, suddenly showing up at the table. She looked somewhat intoxicated, too. Behind her, an apologetic-looking Gyon was scratching his head. "I'm so sorry, Hokage-sama," He apologized, punching Midori on the head. He was so embarrassed for his friend. When Midori drank, she was usually able to retain her dignity. The only problem was that she would lose all respect towards authority and social roles. The Hokage, however, being the most practical and patient person he knew, just waved his hand, dismissing his apology. "It's ok, they're just having fun," he said. Beside him, Asuka laughed. "I'm coming!" She chanted, finishing her drink, then bursting out laughing at the sight of Gai, passed out on the table. "When I come back," she said, turning to Kakashi, while Midori pulled her arm, "I want an iced tea. Please," she giggled. She was tipsy. No, a little more than that. But that would be as far as she would go that night with alcohol. "Got you," Kakashi said. Asuka then stood up and turned towards Gyon. She hugged him briefly, taking this moment to whisper to his ear. "You big dork, I liked you better when you were a nerd. You're making her sad. At least talk to her." The look Gyon gave her was halfway between angry and hurt. But she didn't feel guilty. "You're drunk," he said. "Yeah, but you're still an idiot, anyway." She then turned toward Midori, laughing, and the two hurried to the center of the room, where a lot of people were already dancing.
Gyon turned to Kakashi and pointed to the empty seat beside him. When he nodded, Gyon plopped down and sighed dramatically. The Hokage was looking curiously at him, while at the same time poking Gai with his finger to ascertain he was not dead. "Do you ever feel like you're making a giant mistake, and that you're about to foul up your whole life?" Kakashi followed the man's gaze to a pair of kunoichi gracefully dancing to the live music from the band. He had a feeling he was not talking about Asuka. Not saying anything, Kakashi took another glass from the ones that Gai had left behind and placed it in front of Gyon, who just smirked and downed it.
As the alcohol level in his body raised, Kakashi was finding it more and more difficult to refrain himself from beating the crap out of his own soldiers. Ok, it was not like he and Asuka were that lovey-dovey in the presence of others, but come on, everybody knew back in the day they were together. And now that she was back, wouldn't everyone guess they would still be? Also, though, he couldn't blame them for trying to hit on her. The way she was dancing was definitely… enticing. He couldn't move his eyes away from her swaying hips, and she seemed to be aware of that, seeing how she was looking at him and smirking. She wasn't really paying any attention to the men trying to dance with her. She had been dancing with Midori until a while before, when Gyon suddenly took her away, and Asuka was left alone there. She lifted a hand in front of her face and, with her index finger, she invited Kakashi to join her. He scoffed and lightly shook his head. There was no way he would be seen dance. Asuka pouted, and started dancing with what seemed like a flustered Ebisu, but she was still looking at him.
After a while, she motioned again for him to join her, and still he refused with a shake of his head. She playfully shook her head, pretending to be exasperated, and left the dance floor, walking to Kakashi. When she reached his table, she registered a passed-out Gai across from him and giggled, the leaned onto the table. "It's rude to have the birthday girl wait alone at her own party, you know," she said, close to his face. The man closed his eyes in an unapologetic smile and tilted his head. "How could I leave my friend and rival Gai here all alone?" He replied, grabbing a glass on the table and handing it to her. "Also, I was guarding your iced tea," he offered. She took it in her hand, smelled it and drank avidly. She downed the content of the glass in few gulps and set it back onto the table. "I think I'm ready to go home, now," she told him. "Will you dance with me there?" She then asked. Kakashi was not sure if she was referring to sex, either way he was somewhat thankful to her for wanting to leave. He was reaching his limit of loud music and people, after all. He stood up and started walking towards the exit, his arm casually around Asuka's waist. She leaned into his ear. "What about your friend and rival Gai?" She asked. He gave her a playful look before answering. "Oh, he's a grown-up man. I bet he'll be more than able to go home on his own." Asuka laughed and smacked his chest lightly while she took her coat back from the lady at the cloakroom.
They took their time walking home. It was late, and nobody was around. Asuka's head rested against Kakashi's side, his arm hooked around her shoulder. They kept on joking and laughing until they finally got home. They left their coats and shoes at the entrance and immediately started kissing, awkwardly walking to the bedroom.
When Kakashi reached for the zipper on the back of Asuka's dress, she interrupted their kiss and looked at him. "Wait, you said you would dance with me at least once…" Kakashi tilted his head. So it wasn't a metaphor for sex. "There's no music," he replied. The woman shrugged, and started humming a tune, totally unfit to dance to. Kakashi smirked and started swaying, humming along with Asuka yet totally randomly, his hands at her hips, looking intently at her eyes. She placed her arms on his shoulders and around his neck and let herself be led by the man. Just like everything he did, he was so good at dancing, too. Even if he was just joking around. He grabbed her hand and twirled her slowly, then resumed his swaying. She realized they had both stopped humming and were now dancing in silence and at the faint light from the moon seeping through the bedroom window. She rested her head on his chest, hearing the steady sound of Kakashi's beating heart. That was so reassuring and calming. "I'm so thankful to you, Kakashi. For being here for me."
Kakashi slowly stopped their movement and took Asuka's face in his hands, looking at her in the eye. Her teeth were biting on her lower lips, and her eyes were dark with a mixture of tiredness, alcohol and unrepressed lust. His eyes must have looked exactly the same. "I adore you," he told her, sincerely, "I'd do anything for you." A part of him was surprised by that admission. The words had just come out of his mouth, completely bypassing his rational restraints. Asuka's eyes widened lightly, as if she had been surprised, too. Her hands covered his and she made him forcibly release his hold on her face before throwing herself at his mouth. The kiss she gave him was extremely passionate, almost desperate. Her arms were hugging Kakashi's neck so tightly that her grip could almost break his bones, her body pressed against his with her whole weight, as if she wanted to fill a distance between them, even though being nearer would only mean being one inside the other. Kakashi felt like suffocating, but he didn't care. She was the only thing he cared about, at that moment, their kiss, their feelings. When Asuka stopped, she only moved her head a few centimeters away. She was panting heavily, her eyelids were closed, their noses were touching. "I… I feel the same," she whispered among her breaths, opening her eyes and looking at Kakashi, her expression almost pleading for him to believe her. The man's hand behind her head, pushing her towards him in a soaring kiss, almost violently, his other hand on her back and the strong pressure it exerted between her shoulder blades, had never felt so right.