Dedicated to...I'll change this when I think of someone. Nah, kidding. For Amber with all you sweet hair colors.

They hung out all day in Genma's apartment, well, it really was more like Genma and Riku's now that she been here ever since the landowner kicked her out of her own apartment for not paying rent for four months. They hung out just like old times in that apartment complex that they all lived in together years before. Maybe it was because they really had nothing to do during their time off, or was it to forget? The guys seemed to have been doing a lot better since it happened two days ago, but Riku? Of course not. It was weird. Well, Genma didn't know her as long and Kakashi had all the baby things to worry about, whereas Riku really had nothing that occupied her besides the little time she spent with Daisuke, so it was understandable, right?

Anyway, Kakashi was packing up the scattered baby toys and sleeping Daisuke into the carrier. As he hitched everything onto his shoulders, he wobbled quite a bit, most likely from the bottle of sake each of them had at dinner.

Riku was unsure about letting him navigate his way home even just slightly intoxicated with Daisuke on his back. She was also curious about what was wrong with him from the moment he became all quiet when they started drinking. As he wound his way to the door, she grabbed her haori off the back of the couch and went over to Genma who was holding open the door.

"I'm gonna walk home with him, just in case." She said in a low voice as she slipped her arms into the sleeves.

"Want me to come with?"

Riku smiled up at him, knowing he just really wanted to walk with her all through the quiet night of Konoha, and shook her head. "It'll be fine. Plus, I have something I want to talk to him about." She heard him sigh in disappointment and slipped the silver ring he had given to her as a birthday present off her finger and into his hand. His expression changed to subtle surprise. "Hold onto that…just in case." She followed Kakashi out the door before Genma could get a word in and steered the jonin down the metal stairs from their floor.

---

"Kakashi, where are your keys?" Riku searched through the many pockets of the carrier then through his pants pockets, coming up short.

"Huh…?" He looked at her with a disoriented look and finally managed to point out the extra key underneath a potted plant next to the door after his pointing finger went all over the place, even to the sky.

Riku directed him into the dark apartment, only able to find a clear route by the moonlight from the windows, and wrestled the carrier off his back gently without waking Daisuke. She took him into the room with the crib and set him in it, straightening sharply when she suddenly heard a loud thump. Peeking out, she noticed Kakashi's arm hanging off the back of the couch and walked around it to lean over his half-awake face. "You really need to learn how to hold your liquor."

He stirred and looked up at her through glazed eyes before his hand curled around the back of her neck and jerked the kunoichi down till her lips violently crashed against his. Her eyes were wide with shock but her body relaxed as her mouth molded to his.

She didn't struggle; she didn't try and pry herself away. She took it. After what felt like an hour, he finally loosened enough for both of them to take in some much needed air. In the dim light she could see how distant and glazed his eyes were and figured he wasn't in touch with reality enough to see who he was kissing, the strong scent of sake filling the air while the two caught their breaths further proving her theory. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her over him on the large couch. She supported her weight with her hands beside either side of his head and felt his hands snaking down her back as their lips met once more. During the tangle, her haori was pushed off her shoulders and her tank top straps fell to the side. She pulled away enough to talk after a bit, "Kakashi, what is it that you want?"

"You."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

Riku sighed through her nose and closed her eyes, thinking about all of this. She finally opened her eyes to look at him again, seeing his drunken ones. "Would it help if I did it with you?" She heard him grunt out an 'uh huh' and leaned down into his ear, whispering, "I will, on one condition. You need to remember…I'm not Katsuki."

Kakashi took it in slowly, at first nodding, but then taking in a strong gasp. He firmly pushed her up and sat up himself, avoiding her gaze with a shocked appearance. He kept mouthing what looked like 'I' over and over, not able to push out the slightest sound. With a heavy sigh, he cradled his forehead in his hand and drew his legs back enough for her to sit on the cushions. "I-I…Riku…I'm…"

Riku listened to his stuttering as she pulled up her top straps and her haori back onto her shoulders, waiting silently as the alcohol coursing through him began to wear off. When he was able to look up, she could see the moon reflecting off the tears welled up in his eyes that threatened to pour over at any time, causing her own to come forth. Her arms instinctively went up and smoothly tugged him into a hug. She felt his arms wrap around her tightly and nodded into his shoulder.

"I know…I miss her too."

---

Genma was jerked from his book when he heard the door peeled away from its frame and set it down on the table as Riku closed the door quietly. He watched her come over to the end of the couch he was laying on before asking, "That took a while, did you get lost?" He grinned.

"Nah, things just came up." She sat down on the narrow strip of cushion he left by his hip, noticing him shift over a little to give her some more room.

"Did you do something to your neck?"

"Hm?" She patted her neck once with her hand and looked at her palm, seeing a thin line of dry blood across it. "Oh. Must've happened when he kissed me."

"…What?"

She didn't turn to see what kind of face he was making and continued on. "He ended up falling on the couch from the sake and I checked on him, but then he pulled me down onto him and kissed me."

"Did you manage to get away?"

She could hear the concern in his tone now, maybe even some anger brewing. "I didn't try. I kissed him back." Hearing no respond for a few seconds, she continued, "He wanted me to sleep with him, and I would've, if it meant easing his pain." She glanced over, not able to read any sort of emotion.

"…Did you?"

"No. I talked to him about it. I didn't think he would, but I wasn't going to push him away if he was going to."

"How could you do that?"

"Because I know how he feels."

"You didn't feel any shame when you promised him that?" He sat up and stared her straight in the eyes, his jaw clenched.

"A little, but it wouldn't mean much to me if it was with him. Besides, aren't you satisfied enough that you have possession of my first?"

He sighed and his entire body seemed to relax slightly from the great tension that had built up.

"Now you get a choice. Are you going to give me back that ring or give it to someone else?"

Her eyes followed his back as he stood and drifted off to the middle of the room, lingering in a spot for a moment before swaying to a different one, almost pacing but always stopping right before. Occasionally he would look down at her with a disapproving gaze that Riku could tell he was trying hard to hold back. His hands were stuffed into his pockets as he mulled through all the thoughts, the indifferent look on Riku's face not helping him any. Finally, he exhaled the strain and stepped back to the woman, crouching down and gently taking her hand.

"That's a stupid question." He took her hand and slipped the ring back on her right ring finger, pulling her over into a kiss unlike the one she had been forced into before. "And as compensation, guess what we're doing tonight?" He grinned into the kiss. "You taste like sake."

"You do too so don't complain."

A/N: I would really appreciate reviews ^_^
10.3.08: Alright, done.