Kisame continued to stare as his heart pounded in his chest. For some time now he had dreaded the possibility of running into Ritsuko again. He worried that he would find just a hollow shell of the vivacious girl he'd met at the party. Now in a way he felt relieved. She looked great. His gaze drifted down as he took in the sight of her in that uniform. It fit her figure to perfection; flattering her soft, subtle curves. Her cheeks reddened, giving light to her complexion. She really was a beautiful girl.

Likewise Ritsuko couldn't help but check him out. His biceps bulged slightly under the sleeves of his polo shirt and through it she could see the faint lines of his defined abs. He was definitely more ripped than she remembered. Then again at the time she was too angry and upset to really notice. She blushed as she felt him examine her just as thoroughly. The prideful part of her wondered if he liked what he saw. She lowered her gaze modestly. "Yes, I'm the new employee."

"Welcome then," he said as he came around to the front of the desk. "You may address me as Mr. Hoshigaki and you will answer to Miss Ryoku."

She crinkled her nose at that as she looked up at him. "That's awful formal, isn't it?"

"Its company rules," he gently reminded her. "Mrs. Aomori likes a sense of decorum in the café. It gives an air of-"

"Pompousness?" She suggested.

He smirked at that. "Propriety."

"Close enough," she smirked in turn. He admired the fire in her eyes. She definitely had spirit.

"If you'll follow me to the front, I'll give you a quick tour."

She followed him down the hallway. "Isn't it a little unusual for a coffee shop to be open this late in the day?" She asked.

"We don't just sell coffee. We also sell tea, hot chocolate, and snacks. But you'll soon find that is this more of a social spot for students."

Ritsuko understood a little better when they returned to the main part of the café. There was a corner lit where some poetry reading was going on. Some people listened and others socialized at their own tables. Kisame showed her where to find everything and make everything. Normally at this point he would have assigned one of the senior staff to carry on from there, but he wasn't ready to leave her side just yet. As a new trainee, they remained behind the bar making the orders for the others to deliver. He helped alongside her and after gentle instruction, she caught on fast. There were so many things that he wanted to talk about but didn't have the heart to bring up.

She felt him tense beside her and wondered if it had anything to do with what Itachi had said in the car yesterday. "Itachi told me that you've been worrying." He glanced down at her. "You shouldn't be," she said softly.

"Why?" He said just as softly.

"Because I'm just fine, really." She sighed as she paused in the middle of making some tea. "And you seem like a nice guy…"

"Who took advantage of you," he grimly reminded her.

"No, I'M the one who took advantage of you," she said firmly.

"But I should have-" he began but she cut him off.

"Enough!" She laughed. "We're not going to argue about who was the bigger jerk! Can we just start over Mr. Hoshigaki?"

He considered that for a minute. She looked up at him with hope in her eyes. He could tell that she was ready to put the past behind her. And as long as she didn't hold a grudge then…perhaps he should follow suit. He nodded as he held out a hand. "Yes, we can."

She giggled softly and rolled her eyes. "Your promise is enough. Don't make it awkward with a solemn handshake."

He chuckled at that. "Fair enough." He felt like a weight had been taken from off his shoulders. She didn't hate him or despise him, even though she had every reason in the world to. She was willing to give him another chance and he wondered why. Then he remembered what she said once said: why don't we just chalk it up to being drunk and try to put this behind us? At least for the sake of our friends. That made him frown. "I hope you didn't force yourself to make amends for the sake of Itachi and Shizako."

She snorted in derision. "I didn't do it for them. I love Shizako like a sister but Itachi isn't my brother yet. Their business is their own."

"Then why make peace with me?"

"Does it bother you?" She challenged.

"That wasn't an answer."

"Stupid questions deserve stupid answers," she teased. "I made amends because I wanted to. It's as simple as that."

He wasn't sure how to take that answer and just gazed at her for a moment longer. She blushed slightly at his scrutiny, unaware of how adorable it made her look to him. She turned away and lowered her gaze. She wasn't being entirely truthful; her reasons for the truce weren't just because she felt like it. She had to know if the attraction that night was genuine or drunken nonsense. That kiss which created a spark, his taste that left her craving more, and his touch that soothed her soul…it was like nothing she'd never known before. She wouldn't go so far as to call it love, but it was something akin to it. For someone as starving for love and acceptance as she was…she wasn't willing to walk away from this until she understood it. Even now she felt drawn to him, as ridiculous as it sounded.

She knew that the smart thing to do would be to quit the job. Surely this would be nothing short of a disaster. He was too old for her. So even if those feelings were genuine; he'd want a real woman, not some chick.

He saw her tense. "Hey, you ok?" He asked as he rested a hand on her shoulder.

His touch made her flinch. "Yeah. Yeah I'm just fine." She forced a smile which made him frown. He hated that kind of falsehood.

Just then an employee came by to ask his help with some customer service issue. He left Ritsuko in the care of another, an employee named Suzume. She was a little on the nerdy side but seemed nice enough. "You're gonna like working here," she smiled, flashing her braces. "The employers are really nice though you'll find that some of the customers are a bit grabby."

Just then Ritsuko saw some womanizer slap a waitress on the butt. The girl squeaked in surprise and in a flash Kisame was right there. He loomed overhead with a murderous look in his eyes. An aura of deadly power seemed to surround him as he grabbed hold of the punk's shirt and wrenched him to his feet. "Apologize or get out," he growled threatening. The guy squeaked out an apology and Kisame released him, letting him fall back into his chair. "That's better," he said and then turned towards the girl. "Are you alright?" He said kindly, suddenly the very model of a gentle giant. She nodded and he patted her shoulder reassuringly and went to attend to other business.

Ritsuko blinked in surprise and Suzume giggled. "Yeah Mr. Hoshigaki can be pretty darn terrifying sometimes but he's usually nice."

"As long as you stay on his good side," another waitress winked as she handed them another order.

The rest of the night went pretty well as Ritsuko tried hard to remember everything. "It's alright," Suzume reassured her when she mixed up an order. "No one expects you to be perfect on the first night."

Suzume was right. It took Ritsuko a month before she got the hang of it. She worked hard to be efficient and quick. As Assistant Manager, Kisame remained close by her side, guiding and prompting when needed. He enjoyed the times when they worked side by side. They made a great team, often finishing what the other started with flawless work. Sometimes during the slow periods they'd talk. He enjoyed her wit and playful banter though he wouldn't go as far as to call it flirting. There were moments though, like once she reached for something over his shoulder and leaned in ever so slightly. That light brush against his chest sent a thrill down his spine. Then she'd meet his gaze and blush as she drew back with an apology. It was moments like that that tempted him to pull her into his arms and kiss those soft lips again. But he would harden his heart and hold back his feelings. He couldn't let her see how much he longed for her.

Itachi did not approve when he told him that she'd been hired. "You should find a reason to fire her."

Kisame frowned at him. "Why? She's a great employee."

"Does she like working under you?" Itachi asked pointedly.

Kisame reddened. "You could have found a better way to phrase that."

"I'd imagine that it would be awkward for her, given what happened between you two," he continued on, seemingly oblivious to the double meaning. "It would be best to avoid her as much as possible."

Kisame didn't listen though. He craved the singular moments he spent with her at work. It gave him a unique opportunity to see how warm and friendly she could be when it came to serving the customers. She was courtesy itself and it was a gentler side than he was used to seeing. He once teased her about it. "It's too bad you're not this sweet all the time." She stuck her tongue out at him and then giggled. It was a light, merry sound that made her absolutely adorable. He loved to hear it and it was a shame that she didn't more often.

Ritsuko liked working at the Espresso Express. She liked working with the other waitresses and serving the regulars (what they called loyal customers). After two months she had even amassed a small gathering of "fans" so to speak. There was boisterous Hajime who would call out from across the room, "Ritsuko, oh love of my heart, goddess divine, etc" and continue prosing on and on until his usual order was completed. The joke being that it was a race between the two; how fast she could prepare his favorite and how long he could ramble on romantically before she set the frappuccino down before him. Then he'd smirk with a wink and spend the rest of his time in silence. Then there was this shy sophomore who went by the nickname Yuki because his wispy hair was pure as snow. His skin was pale but his eyes were the brightest shade of cerulean. He said very little but his wide eyes seemed to internalize so much. He would wear a soft hint of a smile whenever she served him. Then there was wealthy Juro who left her the biggest tips, Koichi the Linguist who loved her "accent" and often invited her to sit down for a few minutes just so he listen to her talk with avid fascination, and finally there was Raiden who stubbornly refused to be served by anyone else. "She doesn't screw up my order like the others," he once said about it.

But secretly the best part of working there was seeing Kisame. She relished the moments she spent with him. He was funny and had a devilish sense of humor that would have made Shizako blush with shame. She had a feeling that he must have been a monster as a child. Sadly she couldn't detect any romantic inclination from him, and had resigned herself that it probably would become nothing more. That disappointed her but it only made sense. She was too young for him.

Meanwhile graduation was fast approaching. Shizako was excited that her extended family would be coming from out of town to attend the ceremony. There were so many relatives coming that her parents were going to throw a big party to celebrate. It sounded like fun in theory but as Ritsuko watched their meticulous preparations she was grateful to be spared the ordeal. She had been invited but she knew what Shizako's parents thought of her and her "rebellious ways." Let Shizako have her moment. Besides graduation wasn't a milestone in her opinion; it was her ticket to freedom. Already she had saved up enough for her own apartment and was ready to spend graduation day moving in. And after the long and boring ceremony she did just that. Niigata was in one of her moods again, fuming that Ritsuko was determined to waste her special day but it went in one ear and out the other. Since she was moving by herself, it took most of the day to pack things up, haul things out of Niigata's house and over to her new apartment which was closer to campus. By the end she felt a little worn out. Then randomly there was a knock at the door and she was surprised to see Kisame.

"What are you doing here?" She cried out.

He flinched as he hesitated. "Would you rather I leave?"

"No! No! Please come in," she said as she stood aside to let him enter. "It's just that I wasn't expecting anyone to stop by."

He looked around casually. "Seems like a nice enough place. When's the furniture arriving?"

She blushed as she adjusted her fishnet glove. "I don't have any just yet. I will get some with my next paycheck though."

He stared at her. "So you have an apartment but NO furniture?" He asked incredulously.

"I do too!" She snapped defensively. "I have a bed, a dresser, a lamp, my clothes…"

"A lot of good it does you to basically move your bedroom into another place." He huffed sarcastically.

"I don't have to have it all at first," she said as she folded her arms defiantly across her chest. "Besides, how did you know where to find me anyway?"

"I went with Itachi to Shizako's party. I thought that you'd be there."

"You were…looking for me?" She asked softly.

He fidgeted slightly but his expression was gentle. "Yeah. I wanted to congratulate you."

She smirked gently. "You could have said so at work."

"I don't mean as your Assistant Manager…but as your friend."

She blinked in surprise. "A…friend?"

He nodded. She didn't know what to think of that. On the one hand it thrilled her, to think that they were friends…but being friends also limited the relationship too. It pretty much ruined any chance she had of ever being his girl. She smiled gently. "Thanks."

To add to her surprise he pulled a small box out of his coat. "I brought you this too."

"Really?" She asked in a hushed tone. She wasn't sure what to make of his generosity.

"Yeah," he said as he set it down on the countertop. "But now I'm beginning to think that it won't be enough." He murmured as he looked over her empty apartment. "You deserve better."

"I don't need your charity!" She growled.

"Its not charity, you idiot," he teased as he took her hand and pulled her out the door. "It's gonna be nothing short than the celebration you deserve."