He cursed under his breath as he gathered her in his arms. "You stupid idiot. No guy is worth dying over." He quickly checked her pulse and was relieved to find that she still had one. He gently shook her. "Hey kid, wake up. Hey!"

She jolted awake; her eyes darted around wildly as she gasped. She grabbed hold of his shirt in her panic and he squeezed it reassuringly. "Calm down, it's me."

She tilted her head to the side and squinted. "Oh yeah," she mumbled and her head fell back as she giggled. "For a s-second…I thought you were those s-squirrels again. Talk about chatter boxessss."

He groaned as he rolled his eyes. "You're completely plastered."

"I sssshould hope so," she slurred. "I had to fffforget."

"Forget what?" He frowned.

She went really still for a moment as she stared up at the ceiling, blinking slowly. "I don't rrrremember…but…" she grasped her collar as tears welled up in her eyes. "The pain…it's…sssstill there." His heart leaped into his throat as he found it hard to swallow. She painfully reminded him of himself. She turned her sorrowful gaze on him. "Why?" Her voice cracked.

He hugged her close to his chest, burying his face into her soft neck. It reminded him of his own heartbreak, the guilt-ridden devastation. "I don't know," he confessed. "Some times the pain runs too deep to be covered."

He heard her sniffle as she started to sob. "I hate it," she whined. "I…just want it to sssstop!"

He gently shushed her. "It will lessen in time," he reassured her. He adjusted his grip on her so that he could carry her. "C'mon, let's go."

"No! D-don't leave me!" She panicked as she grabbed hold of him. He looked down at her sadly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Please…ssstay here…with me."

He sat back down on the floor and she snuggled on his lap. Itachi peeked his head in through the door to see the scene. "Is she alright?"

Kisame nodded. "She's drunk but I think she'll be fine."

Itachi sighed with relief. "I'll let Shizako know," he said. He hesitated for a moment as he realized that Ritsuko was crying. "Maybe I should take Shizako home first. This looks like it might take a while."

Kisame nodded. "That's a good idea." Itachi closed the door and Kisame gently rubbed the girl's back. "It'll be ok. I'll stay here as long as you need me."

Ritsuko cried softly as she clung to him. He looked down at her, surprised to see her so vulnerable but alcohol does that to a person. "I h-hate being alone," she whispered.

"Me too," he admitted, his lips brushing the side of her neck. It had been a really long time since he'd held a girl this intimately. She was slender and soft against him. He closed his eyes as he inhaled her scent. Underneath the stench of beer, he detected what smelled like cinnamon. That's a strange kind of perfume for a girl to wear…but it ensnared his senses. He wasn't completely drunk but slightly buzzed and was dimly aware that his thoughts were wandering to where they shouldn't. Her sitting on his lap, pressed against him definitely wasn't helping things either. He tried to push her away but she clung harder. "Let go," he grunted.

"No," she mumbled.

"I'm being serious kid," he said firmly as he pushed her back. She wasn't strong enough to sit up on her own and fell back, smacking her head on the floor. She grabbed her head and whimpered with pain. He knelt over her to inspect her. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hurt you."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "So you rrrreject me too?" She asked sadly. "Just like all the othersssss."

"No, no," he gently shushed her. "You'll find the right guy eventually, I promise. You just have to have faith."

She considered that for a moment. "Do you really b-believe in sssecond chancess?"

He flinched at that and lowered his gaze. "No I don't." He confessed. Looking down turned out to be a mistake. Inches from his face was her cleavage. Granted she wasn't busty by any stretch of the imagination but the neckline curved in to reveal just the right amount. Her breasts looked round and plump. His hand twitched as he longed to see if they were as soft as he remembered. Her chest moved slowly up and down as her breathing was shallow. He closed his eyes as he tried to focus on the conversation. Ritsuko was unaware of the temptation he experienced. All she saw the pain on his face. She cradled his face in her hands and pulled it closer to hers so she could see him better. He blinked at her in surprise. "Ritsuko?" He asked warily.

"Is there any ssssuch person?" She asked quietly.

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Isss there that one perfect person out there? Ya know…true love ssstuff."

"I'd…like to think so," he admitted. He squirmed a little in her unintentionally tight grip. She was much stronger than she looked. The awkward angle she held him at made his body gently brush against hers, sending a delicious shiver down his spine. Her mouth looked so full and red…oh it was too much. He closed his eyes and willed his body to stop reacting.

"I'd like to believe that too," she confessed. It surprised him so much that he stared at her. She smiled sweetly, softening her features to the extent that she looked so very beautiful. She giggled softly. "In the sssstories…it's all in the kiss." His heart pounded in his ears. "Can you really t-tell from just one kisss?" She whispered against his lips.

He couldn't resist any longer and closed his eyes as he kissed her. A spark lit up within her as she felt something she'd never felt before…not even with Kankuro. She eagerly kissed him back, wanting the spark to ignite into something more…even if she didn't know what it would become. All she knew was that she wanted more. He groaned as he found her lips every bit as delicious he suspected they'd be. He too felt something pass between them, something unexpected…but very familiar. He selfishly craved more of it. She whimpered as he deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth's rich depths. Her tongue curved in time to his, like a dance, as she drank in his taste.

In the background another song sung sweetly could be heard:

We embrace in a passionate kiss

Yet if our love is unforgivable, then all the more

We become fired up

He abruptly broke the kiss and they both panted as they stared at each other. Each one was silent as they processed what had just happened. It felt unbelievably good…but it was also wrong. On some level they both understood that. And yet…Ritsuko pulled him back down for another kiss. "We can't do this," he warned her.

"But we should," she said in a breathy tone. "I've…never ffffelt this way…about anyone." She gently tasted his mouth as he tried to resist a little longer. He groaned softly as his resolve started to weaken. "What if it's…meant to be?" She asked in a tone barely above a whisper. Her hand drifted down the length of his back, massaging his spine so that he arched into her. Pressing into her sensitive area made both of them gasp with pleasure. Then he truly lost it. He kissed her passionately…with no intention of stopping.

I just want you to hold me; I want you to confirm it for me

That the love we have is not some kind of mistake

Kiss me on the lips; I want the world to change for me

Intoxicated by the love that we share, let me drown in this moment

He broke the kiss only to kiss along her jaw line. She arched her neck, inviting him for a deeper taste. He eagerly did so, enjoying the rich flavor of her skin to the point that he left soft bruises along it. He traveled further down, causing her to moan with desire as her chest rose beneath his lips. Her body felt on fire, consumed by his expert touch. His hardness swelled against her, pressing through his clothes. She unzipped his pants and stuck her hand inside. This time he whimpered as her fingers drifted along its length. She stroked it, pulled it, in time to his kisses. His passion went out of control as he ripped her shirt off. She pulled off his shirt and they embraced skin to skin. Again he kissed her hungrily, deeply as their legs intertwined.

The song continued on:

If we happen to completely lose our minds

I'll simply melt together with you

It is as if all the time in the world is not enough to hold you tenderly

He slid his hand down the front of her skirt and into her panties. She let out a strangled sort of groan as he stroked her clit. She pressed hard against his hand and he grinned to see just how much she enjoyed it. He then slipped a finger inside, stretching and stroking her. She arched back with a passionate cry as she trembled beneath him. He slipped another finger in, increasing the friction and pleasure. She writhed beneath him, breathing heavily as her eyes rolled back in her head. She didn't realize that her body could feel this good. He waited until she was close to climaxing and suddenly pulled out. "Oh don't stop," she pleaded as she grabbed hold of him.

"I won't for long," he assured her as he removed the rest her clothes. In the back of his mind he felt a twinge of guilt. This shouldn't be happening. She was too young, too vulnerable. But the heat of the moment, the sight of her naked body red from his kisses, her alluring gaze as she brazenly raised her hips to meet him made him forget all. He quickly inserted himself. He closed his eyes as he pulsed inside. It had been a long time since he'd had sex. He had forgotten how good it felt. Ritsuko arched her back with delight as his name escaped her lips. He slid in long and slow, just savoring how delicious it felt. But when she pulled him in for another ardent kiss he pumped deeper into her. This time she dominated the kiss and made him tremble as he craved more. All thought of regret burned out in their fiery passion.

What we had to go through is different than the dream we had

But the reality that is set in stone, for the two of us

There's no turning back, I realized after knowing you

But that is fine with me, because nobody comes close my most precious…

He pounded her hard and fast as she kissed him hard along his neck. Their senses were on edge, screaming for fulfillment, desperate for release. Then at the same time they climaxed with intense heat and pleasure. Ritsuko arched hard as she gasped, he groaned as he felt a thrill wash over him. With it brought soothing relief, something he hadn't felt since Kaneko had left him. Ritsuko laid panting back onto the floor, arms spread out and eyes closed with exhaustion. He collapsed beside her, breathing heavy himself. For a time they both lay there, unmoving and silent apart from their gasping for air. He looked at her worriedly, wondering if he'd pleased her sufficiently. His mind felt too heavy and thick to really ponder the moral implications of his actions. She smirked gently at him as she cuddled close. He wrapped his arm around her, drifting his finger down the length of her spine. Ritsuko smiled warmly at him as she stroked his cheek. "What if…some things are…meant to b-be…" her voice trailed off as she soon drifted off to sleep. He looked down at her thoughtfully. "What if some things are?" He echoed.

Authors Note: For those familiar with Vocaloid's Magnet song, you know that the song is most famously sung by two female avatars. BUT the song itself isn't directly about gay/lesbian love. Its about the lure of a forbidden romance which I find fitting to explain KisaRitsu. So I included it for that reason alone.