Jo, Folks!

Sorry for letting you wait so long for this update. It wasn´t writersblock or something. But I got myself stuck in a cookie tin and wasn´t able to get out on my own, harhar. Had to wait till my mums found me. Nah, I wasn´t at home and had many other things to do. But thanks a lot for all your reviews. And I hope you´ll like this chapter. Tried a bit romance, harhar.

Chapter 8

-thunderstorm-

It was late at night. It had been a sweltering day so in the night clowds were veiling the moon and a heavy thunderstorm was brewing.

Shizune was sitting at the desk in her little bureau, bending over her studies and brooding over something written in a thick book on front of her. Fatigue let her eyes close again and again and more than once she awake with a start. But she had still some work to do before she could go home.

She let her head rest on her hands and her eyes wandered sullenly to the stack of paper to her right, waiting for her attention. Then she eyed the little pill, on which she had worked in the laboratory a short while ago. Hopefully Tsunade would be pleased with her hard work since she put several hours to educe it.

A bolt of lightning broke through the night, clearly visible through the close-drawn curtains. Just one window was still open to bring the nights coolness inside the room. Briefly she looked up, malaise glowing in her eyes. A thunderstorm? Than she forced her attention back to her work.

A moment later a heavy clap of thunder made her startle and she was nearly scared to death when a thunderbolt lightened up the room just a second after and a person appeared on the desk in front of her and greeting her with a casual "Jo."

In her shock, Shizune whirled her arms around and accidently wiped most of the papers of of her desk gliding wildly through the room and to the ground. She took a deep and enervated breath, both hands clutching the edge of the table, but not showing the slightest inclination to pick up the sheets.

"Genma! What are you doing here?"

Genma gave her a smile, eyes closed in amusement, senbon hopping up and down. "Could ask you the same. Its four o´clock in the morning and you´re still in your bureau?"

Ignoring his question, she shook her head and asked again, wanting to get his answer before she answered his question. "What are you doing here?"

He laughed softly. "My shift is over and I was on my way home and saw that there was still light inside your bureau and decided to pay a visit."

Shizune giggled.

"Besides I wanted to thank you." He added.

Shizune became silent and a faint blush covered her cheeks without her noticing. "My pleasure. Raidou told Anko about your refrigerator and she.. ah...well I thought, I had something left and thought, why not."

That made him grin. "So, are you gonna tell me what you´re actually doing here this late? You shouldnd´t work this late in your job. The best work will be accomplished when one is rested, you have to know that the best. Otherwise faults might easily happen and that wouldn´t be nice if you have responsibility for not just you but for your patients, too. And I know you know better or do I have to remind you? So?" But of course he knew that it was just as he had said.

Another thunder made Shizune wince, trying to hide this fact but knowing exactly that he, even if he woulnd´t have known her for that long time now, noticed her indisposition immediately. He acknowledged it with another soft smile. "Still afraid of thunderstorms?"

"Well, its more the loud sounds that startle me. Some things never change..." She gave him an excusing shrug and leaned back in her chair, easening the cramped muscles in her shoulders because of having spend too many hours sitting in the same position on her desk and in the laboratory. "And for your previous question: I was working on something for Tsunade-Sama. One of our patients..." She did not finish her sentence but a terrified look crossed her face. "What...? Where...?" Her eyes travelled over the the surface of her desk but not finding anything there. "Oh no, I send the pill with the sheets down to the ground. It is vital that we find it! A patient´s health is depending on it! And don´t you dare step on it!" She ascended from her seat when suddenly another intense roll of thunder broke through the night, the light flickered and went out completly. Surprised she stopped in her tracks, till her eyes got used to the dim light the moon send through the curtains.

"Looks as if we got a blackout." Said Genma, stating out the obvious.

"Yes." Mumbled Shizune, not leaving her spot.

Then Genma suddenly hopped off the desk, landing carefully on the carpet and knelt down on all fours.

"Wha...?" Then she grinned and went down on all fours, too, in order to search the ground for the little pill. The thunderstorm could be heard in the background, slowly moving on to a different place.

Shizune collected the sheets, arranged them back to former order, placed them on her desk and continued searching.

"What colour is it?"

"Pink."

Genma gave a soft chuckle. He would never understand why pills always had these affronting colours.

Shizune was also snickering mentally. She knew the special-jounin since her youngest childhood and they had always been friends since then, but as long as she remembered, they had never been in such an odd situation.

"Shizune, I..." He faltered.

When she had heared his voice, Shizune had immediately turned around to face him and... now their faces where just inches away from each other... both still on all fours.

Puzzled, he looked into her dark eyes, shimmering softly in the dim moonlight.

Breathless, she faced his glance. For a brief moment her heart beat became faster. She stared in his also dark and hazelnut eyes, being so close to hers, threatening her to fall into them. She had to swallow.

Almost unconsciously Genma´s hand drew nearer her face. For a moment she closed her eyes, when he mildly touched her forehead with the tips of his fingers. Then they ghostly wandered down over the bridge of her nose and further, as if he was blind and had to check tentatively and timidly if she was really there Her lips opened slightly when his fingers cautiously stroke over them. She opened her eyes and stared at him.

She had to admit she liked every bit of it. With every fibre of her body she savoured his contact and the warmth that his movements emanated. Gently his hand glided behind her ear, tucking back a lost stray of her smooth hair.

She changed her position and hesitant hands reached out for his face...

Suddenly the light flickered back on and reality struck them hard. As if he had just awaken out of trance, Genma blinked and withdraw his hand.

Shizune looked terrified and turned away from him, embarrassed. She was surprised. About herself, about the situation and about what she definitely had felt a moment ago and had in her mind to do. Stunned, she sat at the ground and tried to regain her composure.

His features mirrored astonishment, too. He became aware of the little pill, still clutched in his other hand and with an erratic gesture he helt it in front of her. "Here, I found it. I... I´ll leave."

Abruptly he stood up.

Shizune nodded without looking at him. "Yeah, I think that would be better."

He briskly left the room without another word and left Shizune alone behind.

Ending notes:Oooh, damn it, it was so close... harhar. I hope the scene was ok and understandable. And I hope it turned out as I wanted it to. Was it romantic or kitchy? I tried it out myself and found it was romantic, yep. The hands-touching-face-thing´ was inspired by the movie face off´ with John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. (Though its Travolta John whos doing it all the time with his beloved family.)
Feedback appreciated.