A/N: This is a fic based on a series of ten prompts over at the 10_what_ifs community on livejournal. The theme set I'm using is Spaceship. So, if you've figured it out, this is going to be an AU fic. The particular prompt for this chapter is 8. Light Speed. And, again, because of length, this chapter has been split into two.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

I Think There Should Be A Third Option

Ino had eventually gone to bed, but she didn't sleep. She couldn't. It felt like there was a nest of snakes squirming in her belly. This slimy feeling was also settling over her heart. Being rejected sucked. Finding out someone was using you sucked. The whole thing with Sasuke sucked.

There was also this tiny, unwanted and unneeded glow that whispered, he likes you, that made it all seem not so bad.

She tried to quash the little glow. She listed off logical reasons. He was a criminal, she was a Coalition officer. Talk about opposite sides of the law. They were also always bickering; they never seemed to have any peace between them. No one got her riled up like he did. There was the race thing as well. She knew there was several species of extra terrestrial that had completely (not to mention incompatible) reproductive systems than that of humans. Kisame had also made it clear that he wasn't overly fond of humans.

Her little hopeful glow had a response to every piece of her logic. Especially some creative (not mention explicit) solutions to her last arguments.

The only thing Ino was able to figure out for sure was that she missed him. She also knew that she didn't want anything bad to happen to him either. The very thought of that sent the bottom of her stomach hurtling downwards in a sickening way.

So it was feeling like that, with her stomach knotted in worry and sleep deprived that she got out of her room hours before the morning cycle was due to begin. She padded to the mess hall, hoping to grab a bite to eat to settle her stomach and then hideaway in the infirmary.

She didn't expect him to be there, but the fact that he that he was shouldn't have been surprising. Kisame was working diligently at cleaning his guns, like he normally did before a job. She never noticed him get worried or anxious, but the way he put so much focus into his work made her think that the routine was more than just obligation. Like some good-luck ritual or a way to settle his nerves. He certainly took his time with a job that he could do a hell of a lot faster. The way the first officer's hands assembled and cleaned the various complex parts of the weaponry indicated a vast knowledge and familiarity with his tools.

She only realized she was staring when Kisame's voice broke into her thoughts.

"You gonna stand there in your pajamas 'til breakfast?"

Ino blushed a little. She didn't think he had noticed her, but she should know better than to assume such a thing. The man seemed to have a sixth sense. She never had been able to sneak up on him once. How he had noticed that she what she was wearing was a little freaky though. Ino crossed her arms across her chest subconsciously, feeling exposed. She hadn't really expected anyone to be in the mess hall, so she hadn't bothered throwing on a sweater or a robe. All she had on was an old tank top and some shorts. She didn't even have socks and chipped pink nail polish gleamed on her toes. Her hair was a rat's nest of knots from bedhead. She was definitely not at her best.

"Well?" Kisame asked, impatience colouring his voice.

Ino hesitated, positive that she should just turn around and leave. But as soon as she spun on her heel to leave, she did a three-sixty and padded towards the coffee pot. It still had the grounds in the filter from yesterday, so she had to make a fresh pot. With the water boiling and hissing as the coffee was made and the rhythmic clicks of guns parts being taken apart and put back together, it made for an awkward silence for two people who were normally chatty.

"You didn't make any coffee," Ino commented, playing with her hair listlessly, her eyes glued to the floor. The metal grating was extremely interesting to look at.

There was an intelligent response from Kisame, of course. "What?"

Ino continued to fiddle with strands of white-blonde hair and find the floor increasingly interesting. "Well, there's always coffee, no matter how early I get up, and you're the only person I know who usually gets up before I do. But here you are, awake, and there's no coffee. So maybe you don't make the coffee or maybe you just forgot...?"

Oh, God, I'm rambling, Ino realized with horrified realization.

Kisame snorted, his focus returning to his task. "Haku's the one that makes the coffee. I don't touch that stuff before a job. The caffeine makes me all jittery. Hate that feeling. Does crap to my aim."

"Oh," Ino mumbled feeling a little cut at the curt answer. There was click and a last little gurgle to indicate the coffee was finally finished. She should have left then, full mug in hand. Left that room with its stilted conversation, with emotions and unspoken words and vibes filling the air and making the room feel small. But for all in her life, Ino had never made anything easy on herself.

"Do you mind if I sit?"

There wasn't much room at the table, what with the guts and hearts of guns spread everywhere. It seemed polite to ask. She didn't want to mess with what Kisame was doing. There was also the hope that maybe he'd make it easier on her and tell her to get lost.

She received a grunted, "Whatever, sure, why not?"

Ino settled down cautiously, careful not to disturb anything. The awkward silence from before returned. It was like a heavy, oppressive weight. Ino's eyes drifted across the contents of the table. She wasn't overly familiar with armed weaponry, but she still had a basic working knowledge. She knew enough to hazard a guess that Kisame was in the process of cleaning nine or ten guns. It seemed a little excessive, but there was a kernel of something that made her stomach lurch and her heart stop. How dangerous was the job that Kisame and Sakura were about to undertake?

Ino dared to peek at Kisame from under her eyelashes. "Are you guys expecting trouble?" Kisame quirked an eyebrow, and Ino gestured to the guns on the table.

"Seems like an awful lot of power to bring on one simple job."

A wry chuckle escaped from Kisame. "Hardly, just picking and choosing which one of these beautiful girls is gonna work best for the job. I don't know which one is best 'til I get them worked over and cleaned. It helps decide; it's just this feeling I get. Besides, gives me a chance to give some affection and care to all my ladies. If I don't treat 'em proper then it's my own fault if they decide to go on the fritz when I need 'em."

As Kisame spoke he worked on a gun that Ino would have assumed was a Glock, but she wasn't entirely sure, especially since it was only half assembled. It was slim, sleek with black shiny metal, and it was dwarfed in Kisame's large hands. How he was able to get the oiled rag over every little crevice and crook was beyond her.

He did it with such care and dedication too. It reminded her of how Sasuke would get when talking about A.I. systems or programming code during their close and cozy conversations. She didn't understand how guys could get so gooey over objects. Cars... ships...technology. Guns. She wondered absently what it might be like if she was given the same dedication and patience that Kisame was giving the Glock he was cleaning.

She heaved a sigh, her eyes distant.

Kisame easily read the disappointment in her expression. Silence settled before Kisame gruffly mumbled. "If you treat a girl right, then she treats you right too. You get what I'm saying?"

Ino nodded, but the distant look in her eyes remained. Kisame squirmed a little, not that Ino noticed. Kisame's focus remained on the weapon his was cleaning. "Same goes for women too, you know? A woman deserves respect and proper treatment. And a man is an idiot if he doesn't take care of his girl, be it gun or actual woman. Serves him right if they aren't there when he needs them if he didn't treat 'em right."

Ino gave Kisame a concerned and cautious look from the corner of her eye. Her coffee was momentarily forgotten, and her heart was fluttering like a bird in a cage. "What are you getting at, Kisame?"

Kisame didn't answer straight away, his focus on the gun he was piecing back together. "Sasuke had no business treating you like he did. You didn't deserve to be caught in his games. Honestly, it's getting damn stupid between him and Sakura, and Itachi won't do anything about 'cause it's his baby brother. Damn stupid as hell, I tell you. Kid needs to grow up."

Kisame clicked and snapped the remaining pieces back together harder than he needed to, and that was the only indication of the anger that was possibly roiling below the surface of the tightly controlled first officer.

Ino shrugged. "I kinda of deserved it. Sakura warned me. My own fault for not listening to her advice."

"Don't you dare," Kisame growled, stabbing a thick finger in her direction. "You don't deserve to be treated like that. No one does. He knew how you felt about him, everyone could see how you felt about him and he used that. That ain't right."

Ino winced. Had it been that obvious she had puppy love the minute she had met Sasuke? "Then why was Sakura the only one that warned me. Why didn't you give me a heads up? Or tell Sasuke off? Your normally have no problem telling people when they're being dumbasses. Especially if it's me being the dumbass."

"It was none of my business," Kisame mumbled moodily. "Besides, I hoped I was wrong and that Sasuke did give a damn. You're a nice girl, you deserve to have somebody treat you well."

Ino felt the glow from earlier bloom in her chest despite her attempts to wrangle it down and strangle it.

I'm taking this out of context. Just because he's telling me that I deserve better doesn't mean anything. He's just being sweet.

Ino allowed herself a small smile, noticing how Kisame's eyes refused to meet her own.

"Kisame? Can you lean forward a bit, please?" Ino asked demurely.

Kisame did as he was told, but posed a question of his own as he did so, "Why?"

"Just to check something," Ino replied, her hand reaching out. She delicately pressed the backs of her fingers to his forehead, and Kisame seemed to freeze.

"Hmmm... you don't seem to have a fever. Odd, for a minute there I thought you must have been sick. You're being nice to me," Ino teased, her fingers still against the first officer's forehead.

Kisame huffed and leaned back. "I can be nice, you know."

Ino laughed, leaning back as well. "Mhmm. Sure you can."

Kisame growled in his throat, but Ino recognized it for the bluff that it was. Kisame went back to work cleaning his weapons, and silence settled back into the kitchen, but it wasn't the stifling silence from earlier. It was far more natural and peaceful.

Ino couldn't help the sigh, though, when she saw the time. She had to open up the medical bay soon, and she still needed to have a shower and get dressed.

"I gotta go," she said reluctantly as she stood up. Kisame gave a little nod of acknowledgement.

But Ino couldn't help but pause by the first officer's side as she made to leave. Kisame quirked an eyebrow at her as she tried to come up with something to say. It was hard to form words to explain how you were feeling when you didn't know what you were feeling.

"You got something to say, blondie?"

Ino still hesitated but finally found something suitable to say. "Just... just good luck. And be safe okay?"

Kisame snorted at her concern. "You worry too much."

Ino squeezed his shoulder, feeling the warmth and strength under her palm. "I'm serious, be careful."

A wry expression crossed over Kisame's features. "How about a kiss for good luck, sweetheart?"

He said in his usual smarmy but flippant way, but Ino saw the way that light teasing attitude didn't reach his eyes. He asked when he knew the answer was no, but there was still some little hope there.

Ino couldn't help the tired sigh that escaped her, "No, Kisame."

His expression didn't change, but resignation settled into his entire posture. It was such a subtle shift, it didn't surprise Ino that she had missed it countless times before.

She hated it and so she did something impulsive and possibly stupid.

"Good luck hug instead?" She compromised, but she had already stepped over his boundaries and wrapped her arms around his neck. First thing she noticed was how nice it was. Because of his massive height, her chin easily rested on his shoulder when he was sitting. The second was how nice he smelled. Ino had always had a fairly good idea, but this just proved it. It was heavily masculine and clean with strong undertones of leather. The oil and the sharp smell of gunpowder made her nose twitch a little but it was still worked with Kisame's scent of cologne and male musk.

While she made these small realizations she half expected Kisame to flinch out of her grasp, or tell her off. Possibly maybe even make a lewd comment. But she just felt Kisame's muscles slowly relax, and after several long heartbeats his arm settled loosely around her waist and squeezed her closer.

"Thanks," he mumbled quietly into her hair. The way he said it made her wonder when anyone had hugged him last, or anything like that. Probably awhile. The crew of the Courtesan didn't look much like huggers.

The moment didn't last, though. Kisame leaned away, coughing awkwardly. "I've got stuff to do, and I can't get back to it if you keep acting all girly like that."

"Right," Ino replied, feeling a blush creep across her cheeks.

She gave his shoulder another squeeze before she left. "I'll see you when you get back, then."

She heard Kisame give a noncommittal grunt, but there was a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth that was as good a promise.

MWMWMWMWMWMWMW

Ino finally understood how Haku felt when Zabuza went out with Kisame on some of those jobs. Waiting was hard. Not knowing was even harder. The unknown was terrifying.

She did her best to keep herself occupied. She must have cleaned and completely reorganized the medical cabinets five or six times, leaving it immaculate each time. She had way too much time to think. She wasn't exactly sure how she felt; her emotions had been through quite the ride the past twenty-four hours. It was a pretty intense when you're worst niggling doubts about someone using you were confirmed, and finding out someone who you couldn't stand you liked you. She still didn't know how to react to Kisame. She kept wondering if she should have hugged him earlier that morning. It was just a hug, but what if he believed it meant something? Did she want it to mean more than that?

She was so sure that Kisame was wrong for her; they could barely stand each other. It wasn't really conducive to a good beginning. They were completely opposite people. Completely different species. It wouldn't work. It couldn't.

Haku dropped by during lunch with food when Ino didn't stop by the mess hall to eat. The pilot found Ino in the middle of another reorganizing spree.

"I'm just worried and nervous, I guess," was the medic's only explanation.

"Don't worry, it'll be awkward for the first little bit but I'm sure things will get better between you and Sasuke with time."

Ino didn't bother to correct Haku that it wasn't Sasuke she was worried or nervous over.

By the evening cycle Ino was practically twitchy. She wasn't sure what time Kisame was supposed to get back. With every passing hour, though, she grew increasingly antsy. Awful scenarios were starting to run through her mind.

She almost passed out with relief when she heard the familiar heavy footfalls belonging to a certain six-foot-four alien.

"Hello, beautiful," Kisame's voice purred from the doorway.

Ino heaved a sigh of relief and one of aggravation. Things must have gone well for him to be in such a good mood. That meant he was in one piece, and that alone was enough for her to forgive the terrible pick-up line.

Ino put away the last of the files she had been reorganizing and turned around. "Back I see? How'd it go- oh, God is that blood!"

Kisame was wearing a black sleeveless shirt that had a shiny wet patch that looked suspiciously like blood on the shoulder.

Kisame shrugged, but he shrugged with his bad shoulder, and flinched. "It's not that bad."

Ino just snapped her fingers at him. "Shirt off and your ass on the table. I'm looking at that now."

Kisame growled but obliged her. Not without complaint. "Anything else, your high and mighty highness?" he asked, his voice muffled by his shirt as he tried to wrestle it. Ino helped him get it off before he aggravated the gun wound.

Ino hissed in annoyance when she saw the wound. With gloved hands she examined it, noticing that it was at least sort of taken care of; antibacterial foam that hardened when exposed to the air was sealing the wound. It was typical emergency field medical procedure. The foam prevented the patient from bleeding out or getting infection until they could get proper medical treatment. Foam wasn't a good substitute if a wound was going to be left unattended for long lengths of time; it had to be dissolved because the body wasn't able to break it down and heal properly. If it wasn't dissolved properly, bits of the hardened foam could remain in the body and cause damage down the line. Ino also noticed that there was a second hole, an exit wound coming out the back of Kisame's shoulder. At least she wouldn't have to dig out a bullet. Thank God for small mercies.

"Yeah. One thing. How the fuck did you get shot?" Ino hissed, picking out the foam dissolver from a nearby cabinet before jabbing the long thing dispenser into the foam. Kisame winced as she worked the dissolver into the wound. It wasn't exactly a pleasant process, and the dissolver stung like a bitch. It smelled worse than iodine, and was about the same colour. But he didn't ask for painkillers and she knew not to bother asking. She'd have to wrestle him and pin him down if she wanted to administer any painkillers.

"Someone decided they wanted to play at being hero. Some tiny little backwards planet, of course everyone's got a goddamn gun," Kisame retorted, not seeming over concerned.

"I told you to be careful, Kisame. That hero could have shot you in the head, or in the heart. Then where would you be?" Ino tried her best not to screech, but she was so pissed off her voice was still pretty close to screeching.

Kisame gritted his teeth as Ino flushed the rest of the foam out of the wound with the dissolver. The wound was starting to bleed again, but that was normal.

Kisame batted her concern with a laugh. "Please, the guy just had dumb luck. His hand was shaking so bad it's amazing he didn't shoot his own foot off."

Ino gave the first officer a glare while cleaning the wound in preparation for stitches. "I'm serious, Kisame. This isn't funny. You could have gotten really hurt, you know."

Kisame nudged her hip with his knee. "You worry too much, sweet thing. Besides, Sakura was there. I couldn't have been in better hands if the bastard had gotten a luckier shot."

While applying a topical numbing agent before she started to stitch the wounds closed at the front, Ino growled between her teeth. "Then why am I the one stitching you up now? Why the hell couldn't Sakura do this while you guys were planet side? She supposed to be this awesome, amazing medic isn't she, but she can't take two minutes to give you better treatment than stuffing you full of antibacterial foam?"

"Ino..." Kisame sighed, but she moved behind him to ignore his tired look. She started to stitch close the exit wound with the same quick efficiency that she had with the front wound. She was getting good practice at sutures, what with the crew's habit of getting shot and all.

"It's not that bad, trust me, I've had worse. I just wanted to get back to the ship. Sakura knew it too, and she knew I'd be going back to good hands. Believe me, it's a sign of faith. Sakura wouldn't have let me go back if she knew you wouldn't do a better job than she could. You always like to fuss over silly little things."

Ino sighed as she knotted the last stitch and taped gauze over the sutures.

"This wasn't exactly what I meant by 'see you later' you know," Ino huffed as she moved back in front of Kisame.

"You should know better," Kisame teased, "besides what else could you mean by 'see you later'?"

"Uh, you're covered in dust you know that?" Ino wrinkled her nose, completely ignoring the possibly loaded question. She fetched herself a clean cloth and a bowl of water.

"What were you doing, rolling in the dirt?" Ino asked, disgust at the filth on his skin clear in her voice. She carefully dragged the cloth across Kisame's chest, wiping away dirt, blood, and dissolved foam. She hadn't gotten much of an opportunity to notice before, but Kisame happened to have really beautifully coloured skin. It was such a unique shade of blue-slate grey. There was also a healthy amount of well toned muscle underneath the interesting coloured skin. One might argue that the muscle tone was a hell of a lot more interesting than Kisame's skin colour any day.

"I can do this you know, I'm more than capable of looking after myself," Kisame offered. He didn't move away, though, or try to stop her.

"Pfft. You're just going to go to bed and crash the first chance you'll get. Besides, lemme fuss will you? I'll just do this little bit and you can do the rest, 'kay? I wanna make sure you don't get the bandages wet," countered Ino, dabbing the damp cloth on some particularly caked on blood marring Kisame's pectoral muscle.

Kisame just hummed his acquiescence, and the room fell into companionable silence. Ino worked carefully and patiently, making sure not to get the gauze bandages covering Kisame's new stitches even a little damp. She worked on just getting his chest clean, and gradually worked her way up his neck and over his shoulder.

It would have been easier to just have moved around and stand behind him, but she just nestled in closer and reached over his shoulder to pass the cloth over his back.

Kisame leaned his head on her shoulder, his nose pressing into her collar bone. Feeling his measured breathing on her neck was the most relaxing and tantalizing experience. As Ino worked she couldn't help but be reminded of the last intimate encounter that she had been witness to in the medical bay. Itachi and Sakura had been damn cozy, and Ino knew that something was going on there.

"Why didn't Sakura come back on the ship with you? It's been so long since she was last here, I would have thought she might have wanted to spend a few days relaxing and catching up with everyone. Or at least one night just to sleep," Ino asked softly.

Kisame answered just as softly, "She's got her own people to get back to. 'Sides, Sakura hates goodbyes."

"It's going to be quiet without her here, I've gotten used to having her around."

Kisame hummed in agreement. "Yeah, she'll be missed by all of us."

"Including Itachi?" Ino pondered aloud.

Kisame shifted his face closer into her neck, "It's... complicated between those two."

"Does it have anything to do with Sasuke?" Ino prodded.

Kisame chuckled, and it sent lovely little reverberations into Ino's collarbone. "I'm going to have to change my opinions on blondes, you're not all that dense. Well, not all the time."

Ino had finished wiping away the filth from Kisame's back but she was reluctant to pull away. This was nice. More than nice, but she didn't know how to actually describe it.

"If Sakura and Itachi like each other how can that be complicated? I'm sure Sasuke would understand. He clearly looks up to his older brother, I'm sure he wouldn't begrudge him some happiness."

Kisame yawned into her shoulder and she felt the light scrape of teeth and lips dragging across her skin. Her earlier prediction of the first officer's exhaustion was definitely correct, it seemed. He was just about ready to pass out into her shoulder.

"Like I said, it's complicated," Kisame mumbled drowsily, "I don't know even half of it, and I can't make sense of it. I just know it's a bit of a mess and it's making them both miserable."

Ino just huffed, "I don't see how. They like each other. End of story. How can you make a mess of that?" But Ino remembered how charged and distant the atmosphere had been when Sakura and Itachi shared a room. There was definitely some unsettled business between the pair that they were just ignoring. There had always been an air of regret too, when Ino thought about Sakura. As if the pinkette regretted a decision that rested on her shoulders.

"You're so naive, blondie. The boy doesn't always get the girl, you know. And vice versa," Kisame said with just a hint of bitterness as he moved away. His eyes were half lidded from fatigue and Ino was tempted to say he looked, well, cute. That thought did funny things to Ino's stomach.

"I'm not naive," Ino pouted.

Kisame stood up and stretched with a yawn. He just hummed in disagreement.

"I'm not," Ino repeated, standing firm. She had to crane up to look at Kisame's face, and she could feel it starting to ache a little in her neck.

Kisame gave a little tired sigh and tipped Ino's face upwards with fingertips. "Yes, you are. You're young and naive and ignorant." Kisame leaned forward but seemed to hesitate, as if he was going to give her forehead a light peck with his lips but decided against it. "You have no idea how much. It's adorable but annoying as fuck." He just trailed his thumb along her jaw, and she could feel his breath at her hairline. He was so close yet so far.

Still, Ino froze at the small intimate contact. There was a smart tingle that started from the small of her back and spread along the rest of her spine. It was in that moment that Ino knew something. She knew she wasn't sure about how she felt about Kisame, if it was lust or infatuation or maybe even falling in love. She knew that it was probably stupid to like him. She knew it was probably even stupider to get involved. To care. But she also knew that didn't want to regret. She didn't want to have the same resignation and misery in her eyes like Sakura. So she knew she had to take a chance.

It was now or never, Kisame had moved around her and was practically at the door. She knew that once he left she would be prey to her own logical arguments and the opportunity for action might be lost forever.

"I am not naive," Ino sassed stepping forward and cutting him off. She placed her hand behind his neck, forcing him to lean down. The height difference was still so great between them that Ino's kiss still almost missed his lips. It was more of a light brush then anything. And it was really hard to try and keep kissing him when she was wobbling unsteadily on her toes.

But something clicked and Kisame leaned further down, and his hands settled at her waist to steady her against him. And more importantly he was kissing her back.

It was way better than the kiss that Sasuke had given her, and definitely better than the sort-of kiss that Kisame had given her in that alley on Calor.

It was careful and sweet closed mouth kisses. Delicious little teases and promises of even better things. She tottered on her toes, desperate to gain some leverage and deepen the kiss, just a tiny bit desperate for more. She let her free hand explore, her fingers tracing over the muscles on his back. Distantly, she felt her fingers brush across ridges of smooth skin, indicating scars. There was a particularly long one that she let her fingertips play over.

Her exploring fingers seemed to have been the invitation Kisame was looking for, because his hands moved from the polite safety of her waist and roamed on their own accord. Ino couldn't help a gasp as Kisame fondled her backside a little forcefully.

Jerk just squeezed my ass! Was her singular thought before she was distracted by Kisame taking advantage of her gasp to deepen the kiss.

Ino moved her hands to cradle his face, pulling him closer. She never wanted this to end.

But they both eventually broke apart panting. Ino still cradled Kisame's face, and let her thumbs lazily stroke his cheeks out of affection. Ino already felt like jelly, but she felt entranced by the heat in Kisame's eyes. It had been a while since a man gave her one of those looks, and it felt like she was on fire.

Kisame's hands came to rest at her hips, and Ino felt him trace light circles with his thumb through her pants. Ino suddenly felt there was too much fabric separating them.

Kisame nuzzled her neck, nudging her skin with his nose. "Ino?"

"Yeah?"

One of Kisame's hands trailed up from her hip to her waist, and it was practically delicious to her senses the slow way he took his time in such a small action.

"I'm not dead, am I?" Kisame asked, still nuzzling into her neck.

"Noooooo," Ino responded, a little perplexed, "What makes you think that?"

She felt him smile into the crook of her neck, right where it curved into her shoulder and it made her a little ticklish.

"Because you smell like heaven."

Giggles bubbled out of Ino's mouth before she could stop them.

Kisame pulled away just to look her in the eye. "That's not exactly the correct way to respond when someone gives you a compliment, woman." Kisame's voice was gruff, but Ino knew he was teasing. There was a smile hiding in the corners of his mouth.

"You're right, I shouldn't have laughed, it was just..."

"Cheesy?" Kisame provided, leaning his forehead against her own.

"No," laughter bubbling up in Ino's voice again, "I was going to say unexpected. And sweet."

A deep laughter rumbled in Kisame's belly that Ino could feel fluttering against her skin. "Don't get used to it. I've had a tough day; got shot, and then some hot medic gets me half naked and then goes and kisses me. I'm bound to say something stupid. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were capitalizin' on those feminine wiles and taking advantage of my current vulnerabilities."

Ino didn't contain her laughter at that remark. "Taking advantage?" You are such a bullshitter, Kisame Hoshigaki.

"Mhmm," Kisame hummed, leaning forward to kiss her.

She dodged Kisame's attempt, a smirk on her lips. "Well, I think we need to even the score a bit then. Can't have you thinking I'm taking advantage can we?"

Kisame had a curious, but cautious look in his eyes as Ino deliberately leaned away. The blonde couldn't help her growing smile when she shucked off her shirt and the way Kisame's dilated and his grip tightened at her waist and hip.

"You are one helluva woman, Ino Yamanaka, have I ever told you that?" Kisame asked absently, his eyes raking over her body with such hunger in his eyes that it sent a wonderful thrill of anticipation up and down in her spine.

"You might have mentioned it," Ino whispered, circling her arms around the first officer's neck and drawing him closer. "Now are you going to kiss me or just look?"

Kisame nuzzled her neck, trailing kisses down to her collar bone. "Do I have to pick between just those two things?"

One of the first officer's hands trailed up, his fingers splaying over her ribs. His thumb traced the bottom edge of her bra. It was like a shock, with all her nerve endings exploding in synapses at the place where Kisame's hand was; a half gasp, half whimper escaped her lips at the feeling.

"Because I'd really think there should be a third option," Kisame whispered darkly, and Ino could feel his hot breath in the shell of her ear.

Ino's mouth just sought Kisame's in lieu of a verbal answer. She was too keyed up from the tension to bother with words. Too busy feeling and sensing. The way the calluses on his hands caught her skin, or the way his musk was intoxicating. Her body seem to be molding to his in the most sensational way, and the way he was sucking and nibbling on her neck was going to leave definite bruises, but she didn't care.

She just clawed him closer, not bothering to be gentle since he wasn't. She just wanted him to understand how amazing he was. She wanted to give back a little of what she was feeling. And she just damn well wanted him.

And a cold shiver ran across her skin and brought a little reminder to the current present. The door to the medical bay was wiiiiiiiiide open. Any number of persons could wander right in. Like one of the few passengers left, or one of the crew. Like Sasuke. Or Zabuza.

Fuck that, no way I'm letting this getting interrupted, was her semi-coherent thought. Then Kisame did something wonderful with his tongue while kissing her and she had to scramble to remember what she thinking.

Oh yeah, shutting the door, she was able to remember once the intensity had abated a little, was going to get right on that.

Thankfully, there was an automatic switch to close the doors and shut the blinds somewhere behind her. Under the lip of the counter she was forcibly leaning against.

She stealthily removed one hand to search for the switch behind her, keeping the other firmly on his neck. Probably won't even notice, besides it's not like I'm going to ask if we can have a time-out just so I can close the door. Pfft. No. Definitely not.

She felt the muscles in Kisame's neck tighten under her hand but she was too in the moment to pay it any mind, and she was also concentrating on finding the damn switch. Her elbow only nudged a plate full of medical tools, causing that lyrical sound of metal jostled against metal. She felt Kisame freeze and his muscles coil. Then Ino got her first clue that something had gone amiss.

The clue being that Kisame spun her around and pinned her to the wall. And not the passionate, sexy kind of pinned to the wall. The kind of pinned to wall where the only physical contact was where Kisame was gripping her biceps so hard that they were sure to bruise. The kind of pinned to the wall where you have an alien who's a foot taller than you giving you a death glare and you wonder what the hell you did to piss him off.

"Ow, what the... Kisame?" Ino asked, thoroughly at a loss. First there was kissing and it was nice and now Kisame was mad as fuck and she didn't know what the hell had happened to make it all go downhill so fast.

Ino couldn't help the way her voice whimpered, "Kisame? Let me go, this is starting to hurt."

Kisame glared at her with so much mistrust and hate that it felt like a physical blow. "Stay the fuck away from me, woman."

Ino tried to wriggle away from him, with his hurtful grip and intense fury. "I'm sorry? What did I do wrong?"

Kisame gave her a frustrated shake. "Don't pretend! God, you women are all the same."

Ino stared at him wide eyed. She had never been so confused than she was right at that moment. "I don't understand..."

Kisame sneered, "You are so... there isn't even a word for it." He flung his hands away in disgust.

Ino tried to reach out, but her hands where batted away. "Don't touch me, Coalition skank."

Ino shrank away, the words cutting her deep. He used a nasty dismissive tone that was even worse than her first day on the ship when she had bumped into him. She didn't think that was actually possible, until now.

"I think you should leave," Ino whispered, feeling the tears pricking at her eyes.

"Trust me," Kisame growled, grabbing his shirt and wrestling back into it, "I'm gone."

If it was possible to slam an automatic door, the first officer would have. But the hiss of the door closing did little for a dramatic exit. It seemed almost anti-climatic with the scene that just happened. But when Kisame left he seemed to take all Ino's energy with him. Ino felt herself slide slowly to floor. She was uncomfortably numb, and then her chest started to hiccup with the realization settling in and the love-drunkenness finally wearing off. The hiccups seemed to be the catalyst, because she quickly broke down into heart wrenching sobs not thirty seconds later.

Ino couldn't help but wonder with every heaving sob. What the fuck just happened?

A/N: I'd apologize for the cliff-hanger, but I'm starting to realize I'm a bit of a sadist for this sort of thing. Hopefully, the next chapter won't take long my dears.