Right before taking her to an arcade with laser tag and other games, they went to grab a bite to eat in a restaurant. It was nothing fancy but better than fast food for sure. As they were looking through the menus, he noticed hers trembled as she held it tightly with clenched fists. Her eyes narrowed angrily at something across the room. In a darkened part of the restaurant sat Kankuro and his girlfriend. She sat on his lap as they kissed. Unknown to her but he was smirking at Ritsuko the whole time. Ritsuko's blood boiled to see her press into him as his hand ran along her spine. He slipped his fingertips down the back of her mini skirt. His dark eyes taunted her, mocked her, daring her to remember their kisses and caresses in the dark.

Kisame frowned. "What a jerk," he growled under his breath.

He was more than a jerk, he was being sadistic. He was purposely teasing her by showing off what she no longer had. She was still single, he had someone. He was the winner here. Her humiliation at the party was fresh in her mind and she was determined to not be shamed again. To Kisame's surprise she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. He couldn't believe she did that. She kissed him with those lips he'd been dreaming of ever since that night…only they tasted even sweeter than he had remembered. "Forgive me," she whispered against his lips. "I just want to make my ex jealous."

It hurt that she was just using him…but he understood. Then he chuckled as he realized the rare opportunity he was suddenly presented with. "If you really want to make him jealous, you're gonna have to kick it up a notch."

She pulled back slightly with horror. "Wait, what-?" He lifted her up and pinned her onto the table. She turned bright red as she struggled slightly. "Have you lost your mind?!" She hissed.

"This'll work, trust me," he whispered as he leaned down to kiss her. She stiffened at first and he knew that she would kill him for this later. But for now he intended to live his fantasy. He made her red lips swell as he hungrily tasted them. Again he detected a hint of cinnamon, her tantalizing scent. He felt a surge of pride as her chest rose against his own. Her heart pounded against his chest. Surely it beat against his own racing heart as it swelled with emotion. He loved this defiant and stubborn girl. He knew that now…just as he knew that he would never have her. She didn't love him back.

Ritsuko's cheeks softened to a rosy glow as she closed her eyes. To have his body against hers as he leaned in between her legs…felt better than it should. His scent enveloped her senses, threatening to intoxicate her once again. She groaned as she opened her mouth, beckoning him with her tongue to enter. His slid inside and intertwined with hers. Again his rich salty taste covered her own. Her heart raced as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Later she would regret this but right now she savored it. Though it wasn't meant to be, in this moment he was her man and she was his girl.

Just then they heard a fist slam into a wall. They turned their heads to see Kankuro storming away with a face like thunder. The barbie hurried after him as fast as she could go in her stiletto heels. "Baby? What's wrong?"

"I've suddenly lost my appetite," he growled angrily as he slammed the front door on her.

Ritsuko and Kisame laughed. Just then a waiter came by with a modest blush and downcast eyes. "Excuse me sir…"

Kisame stood up and looked off into the distance as he silently made a cut gesture across his throat. Then he smiled down at the confused waiter. "Sorry about that but we're actors in an independent film called Sweet Revenge."

The waiter blinked in surprise. "A movie?"

He nodded as he helped Ritsuko off the table. "Unfortunately the budget was too small to afford many extras so we hoped to capture the genuine reaction our scene caused. We're terribly sorry to have inconvenienced you but your restaurant was highly recommended because of its excellent décor, dining, and customer service."

The waiter then beamed. "Oh most certainly sir! Do you need to run through the scene again?

"No, no!" Ritsuko protested, still quite pink as she realized that everyone was staring at them now. "Once was enough."

"Very well," the waiter nodded as he pulled out his notebook. "Are you ready to order?"

They did so and he left with a slight skip to his step. Ritsuko covered her face in her hands as she tried to calm down. "I can't believe you just did that."

"You started it," he gently teased. "And besides it worked, didn't it?"

She giggled softly as she looked up at him, a faint blush still on her cheeks. "Yeah, like a charm. And even more impressive you got that waiter off our backs too."

He wore a soft smile as he tried to gage her reaction. She didn't seem angry or upset…but she was having a hard time looking him in the eye, which hurt. "Ritsuko I'm sorry if I-"

She waved her hands to silence him. "No, it's my fault. I was being an idiot. I shouldn't have let Kankuro rile me up like that."

Kisame frowned. He didn't like the idea of her regretting the kiss. Surely…ALL of it hadn't just been an act. But then the food arrived and she focused on eating instead. He reluctantly changed the subject and soon she started to smile again. The rest of the night went well and while he had hoped that more would have followed the kiss, he was just grateful that it didn't ruin the night altogether.

It was around midnight by the time Kisame dropped Ritsuko off at her apartment. "Thanks for the great night," she smiled warmly. "I had a lot of fun."

He cracked a side smile and nodded. "Me too." He so desperately wanted to add "we should do this more often" but that would have made the night sound more like a date…which it wasn't. He was afraid of scaring her by coming on too strong, after all the kiss had been more than satisfying…even if it was just to make Kankuro jealous. They said their simple goodbyes at the door and once she locked the door behind her, she slid down to sit and held her head in her hands. The memory of the kiss still lingered and she could still taste him on her lips. She was determined to never forget it…since it would never happen again. Her heart ached but she knew that reality distanced them in immeasurable ways. The age gap between them was too large. They were in different stages of life; he was on the tail end of his education and she wasn't even sure if she wanted to go to college. And of course there was that disastrous first night. Surely nothing good could start with a drunken one night stand.

She pushed herself up to her feet and switched on the light. Kisame was right; it was rather depressing to come back to a nearly empty apartment. Oh well, it'll be furnished soon enough. The bareness just made Kisame's present on the counter stand out all the more. She blinked in surprise since she'd forgotten all about it. She approached and gently shook the package near her ear. It didn't make a sound and felt light in her hands. Curious, she tore off the red paper and pulled out a perfume bottle. Perfume? That's a strange gift. She sprayed some on her wrist and sniffed delicately. Cinnamon. She smiled. Her favorite scent. But…how did he know that?

She wore it every day after that, especially when she realized that he was noticing. He'd wear a secret smile and wink which made her heart race. Now she was working full time at the Espresso Express. Her larger paycheck, combined with an unexpected bonus, helped pay for the rest of her furniture. Once it was fully furnished she felt comfortable inviting Shizako over to visit. Sometimes they'd have sleep-overs just like they did when they were kids.

"So when is Itachi gonna ask you to move in with him?" Ritsuko teased.

Shizako blushed. "Well he can hardly do that when he still lives at home with his parents."

"Boo!" Ritsuko jeered. "How does he hope to marry you if he doesn't move away from home first?"

Shizako blushed a deep crimson. "Who said he's going to marry me?"

"Because you're the sweetest, nicest girl ever and not to mention drop dead sexy," Ritsuko grinned as she playfully tweaked her nose. Shizako smiled shyly as she played with the end of her ponytail. "C'mon admit that you want to become the next Mrs. Uchiha," Ritsuko gently elbowed her side.

"Alright, fine!" Shizako said in exasperation. "But I'm nothing like his family. They're so elegant and refined."

"Not all of them are," Ritsuko giggled as she sipped some Mountain Dew. "Little Sasuke sure runs with the wrong crowd."

She sighed. "I know…and it just puts more pressure on Itachi to excel for the sake of the family business."

"Which makes no sense," Ritsuko huffed as she stood up. "How can you solve the problems of one child by focusing on the other?"

"You've got me," Shizako shrugged. "Hey, by the way, can you get me some more soda?"

"Sure thing," Ritsuko said as she took her glass. She refilled their drinks and returned to the living room where Shizako was putting in another movie. "Oh I wanted to show you something I got the other day," Ritsuko said as she set the glasses down. "I bought an awesome shirt at Hot Topic." She turned to go down the hallway and went into her room. She pulled open the drawer and searched through it. Strange…it wasn't there. She could have sworn that she'd just put it in today. Maybe it was still in her dirty clothes basket? Nope. Shizako poked her head into the room as Ritsuko looked through her closet.

"Something wrong?"

"I just don't get it." Ritsuko said as she sat back onto her bed. "I can't find that shirt anywhere."

Shizako blinked in surprise. "Maybe you lent it to someone?"

She shook her head. "No, I just barely bought it like three days ago. Oh well, I'll look for it again later. Let's go watch that movie."

But she never did find it again. And in fact over the next few weeks things continued to go missing. No matter how careful she was, things were disappearing. It was unsettling. Kisame was surprised one day when she came in early to work to ask for a replacement tie. "You lost yours?" He asked as he looked through the stock cupboard to find a new one.

She scowled. "I didn't lose it. It just wasn't where I left it last."

"Meaning that you lost it," he chuckled as he handed one to her. She glared at him but he saw the worry in her eyes. "Is something wrong?" He asked softly.

"I just don't get it," she murmured as she tied it around her neck. "I never lose things and now I'm loosing things left and right."

He felt bad for her but was worried as well. He'd never seen her like this. "Why don't we hang out tonight huh?" He asked. "Let's go have some fun."

She smiled at that and nodded. "Yeah…I could use a distraction."

"Just one of the many things I excel at," he smirked deviously as he leaned in closer and nibbled on her ear. He just couldn't resist.

She giggled and gently pushed him back. She turned to see Hajime and Yuki staring at her. "Oh hey guys!" She smiled as she turned towards them.

Yuki blinked wide-eyed and Hajime opened and closed his mouth uselessly. She went to get their usual orders and brought it to their table. "Why so quiet Hajime? No flattery today? I'm almost insulted." She winked.

"No it's just that…well I…I didn't know that you had a boyfriend." He squeaked.

She blinked in surprise. "I don't."

"You…and M-Mr. Hoshigaki seem close," Yuki whispered softly. She'd never heard him speak any louder than that.

"Oh him?" She blushed faintly. "No, he's just a good friend."

"Well that's great news," Hajime grinned as he ran a hand through his tousled brown hair. "How about you and me Friday night?"

She smiled sweetly. "Thanks but I've already got plans with a friend that night."

His smile faltered. "What about next Friday?"

She shook her head wryly. "Persistent, aren't you?"

He smirked. "I don't give up easily."

"Miss Ryoku has other business to attend to," Kisame said tersely behind her as he narrowed his eyes at Hajime.

"Quite the protective friend you've got there," Hajime said wryly as he raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Over-reacting is more like it," Ritsuko smirked as she walked away. But he was right; she had other customers to serve. That night after work she called him out on it. "You're not my Dad, you know. I don't need you to help me reject boys."

He scowled. "I wasn't. I was just reminding you of work that had to be done."

She snorted in derision. "Oh yeah right. I don't buy it for a second. Anyway, forget about it. You're supposed to distract me remember?"

He smirked and nodded. That night he took her to see the latest action film with some Marvel Superhero. They had a great time and picked up some ice cream along the way home. Once inside her apartment she went to hang up her coat in the closet when something slipped down from the shelf. She frowned as she reached out for it. It was a short-handled bondage whip. She just stared at it. That was really weird. Perhaps the last tenant was into things like that so she threw it away without a second thought.

But it didn't end there. Other things started appearing: lingerie and other sex toys tucked in here and there throughout the apartment. She informed her landlord and demanded that the locks be changed. And they immediately were…but it didn't stop things from turning up. She was beginning to lose sleep over it, tossing and turning throughout the night. And whenever she started to drift off, she thought she felt something graze across her chest or along the inside of her thigh and she'd wake up screaming. But nothing was there…she was all alone. At that point she would have asked Shizako if she could stay with her for a while, but she was away on a family vacation. So she started to hang out with Kisame even more after work, desperate to delay returning to her apartment. He sensed that something was wrong but could never get her to open up about it. What would she say to him anyway? He'd think she was crazy.

She tried to convince herself that it was just some kinky stuff left over from the last tenant and had just about succeeded. That is…until the night she returned home late and found a shattered picture frame in her bedroom, lying face down. She picked it up and turned it over to see Kisame's face scratched out with thick red ink…at least she hoped it was ink but her nose crinkled at the terrible smell. It sent a cold chill down her spine. Who had done this? Then she looked up and screamed. The mirror above her dresser was shattered and written in the same thick, dripping ink were the words: "You're mine."

She pulled out her cell phone and hit the speed dial for Kisame. He promptly answered. "Hey, what's up?"

From the shards of glass she saw the split image of her closet door slowly slide open. "Kisame please! I need your help I-"

In a flash a masked man, clad in leather, charged at her with an aggressive growl. She screamed as he slammed her into the ground and snapped her wrist to make her drop the phone. It clattered out of her reach and she heard Kisame cry out frantically. "Ritsuko? You still there? Who was that screaming? Suko answer me!"