guava fruit medley. ( private flashback )

[Estilo]

Two years ago in luminescent Kami no Shima. . .

. . . Atlas Burabiya's twenty-ninth birthday.

The party last night had been... eventful, to say the least. An escapade that, against all the complaints and threats made by Kumogakure's High Council, had happened and grown into an event of its own. There was drinking, there was gambling, and- most importantly- relaxation. A break from my extended tenure as Nidaime Raikage, a chance to be me. Now, walking down the stone-cobbled streets of Kami no Shima, I rubbed my head in discomfort. A hangover. The only reason I'd left my expensive hotel room was for a nice hot cup of coffee. But now... I honestly didn't think it was worth it. Too much sounds! Cranial pains!

Eventually, however- after realizing that giving up now was a bad decision- I reached the humble little cafe at the end of Nuerhachi Boulevard. It walls were made of clear glass, its activity was good, but not overly crowded. Which was good, considering that the mere chirp of birds was like a speakerphone in my ear at the moment. Opening the cafe door, and promptly rubbing the edges of my forehead as the bell chimed above, I advanced towards the register where the barista was waiting. "Dark chocolate latte, please. Under the name of Atlas."

After paying the young man and walking over to the hot bar area to wait for my drink, I took a seat at one of the chairs and leaned back- trying to stop the world from spinning around, reclining in a rather relaxed and carefree position. It had been worth it, don't get me wrong. But that didn't mean the hangover was any less excruciating. I didn't bother to look around, to see who was in the small crowd that kept the cafe busy, probably some people I knew- probably not.

"Atlas! Dark chocolate latte, ready!"

Said the annoying loud mouth barista as he placed my order on the counter. Could he be any more painstakingly irritating? I hissed in slight pain as I got up from my seat to retrieve my drink. It was warm, and as I took my first step I found it hard to keep myself from reeling backwards. Half an inch of foam on top made this drink heaven. It'd be safe to say that, as I sipped at my hot beverage, I was blissfully unaware of anyone around me. A past flame, perhaps? Or something better?

[LENA?!]

A smile crept slowly upon the young woman's face as she stood before her village. It had been awhile since she had been back- she had been on leave, granted to her by the past Raikage, from the village. Ever since her loss at the Chuunin Exams, she had felt weak- she felt as if she could not go back and face her fellow peers, not until now. She finally felt good enough to return, over her facade. She hadn't been the only one to fail that exam, so why should she punish herself or be ridiculed by her peers for it? Plus, in the time she had been traveling, she had come to miss home. Kumogakure was where she had been born and raised, sucked on her mother's teat and all. It would always hold a precious place inside her heart.

She smiled as she walked inside the gates, waving to the guards and flashing them her Kumogakure headband and her ninja I.D card so they knew that she wasn't a fake. Once she got inside, her smile seemed to grow even more. She watched the kids as they ran around, laughing, smiles on their faces. Kumogakure was still just as happy as she remembered it being when she left. A slight rumble formed in her stomach and she looked around. The first shop she spied was a cafe, which didn't seem too busy at the moment, so she wouldn't mind stopping buy and getting a chocolate mocha and an eclair or something of the like. Taking off, she walked over to the cafe, entering it, the little bell ringing as she did so. As she looked up, her eyes widened.

He looked practically the same, save a little more rugged, of course, but still just as sexy as she remembered it. His hair, the normal bright red color, stood out to her. She wondered if he would notice her, but a part of her was hoping that he wouldn't- she still felt a nervous bubble in her stomach every time she saw his face. If he did notice her, it would be from the essence of her favorite shampoo, which she still used, which smelled like his favorite fruit- the guava, which emanated from her body, and flooded the whole shop.

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[Estilo]

OOC: We're in Kami no Shima!

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I sipped at the latte that had been given to me, a single hand in my pocket as I started to advance towards the exit. This was what I had come here to retrieve, and now that I had gotten it, I was all set to go back to the hotel room and try to get over this dang hangover. As I maneuvered through the small crowd in the cafe, however, my sense of smell caught a whiff of a fragrance I had not had the pleasure of enjoying in a very long time. I looked up, pausing from my gratifying sipping session. Then I spotted her. My eyes widened slightly, the right hidden behind the porcelain white mask that covered that side of my face. She looked... stunning. Three times as beautiful as before.

Before she could say anything, I took my hand out of my pocket and hugged her, careful not to let any of my latte spill out of its cup. "Lena! I can't believe it's you. It's been... so long!" My hangover, it was still very much there. But the throbbing that pounded in my brain, like a second heartbeat of sorts, was only just bearable while I reunited with the young beauty I'd met at the Chuunin Exams in Tetsu no Kuni.

I backed away from her, a smile as bright as the sun itself. So many questions I had for her, so much laughter I wanted to share. In the past, when we had last seen each other, I had the strangest feeling that we were destined to meet once more. She had definitely left an impression on me that day, when we had met in Jackson's Jigger. If she hadn't, I would not have remembered her. And while I waited for an answer from her sweet luscious lips, I was contemplating whether she remembered me too or not. I was almost certain she didn't know that I was the current Nidaime Raikage. And that was good, for I would have loved to tell her myself. "Hey," I continued with a smile, gesturing to the counter. "Did you order something? We should definitely take a walk; catch up. Kami no Shima is pretty peaceful during mornings like these."

[LENA?!]

'Oh god, he noticed me' she thought as she saw the man stop and his left eye- she was pretty sure his right eye did the same, but she couldn't tell due to the mask- widen when he saw her. Her face flushed gently and she felt the heat as she looked down at the ground, trying to avoid making eye contact- she didn't want him to notice her blushing either, nor did she want her stomach to tie into knots at the mere site of the very handsome man, whom seemed to have been blessed with god looks by Kami himself- well that was Lena's opinion anyways, and she was pretty sure a lot of other girls would probably agree- Atlas was more than likely not without his fair share of them.

"Konichiwa, Atlas-san" she said, still looking down and giving him a polite bow as he walked over to her. "Hai, it has been a rather long time. I'm sorry about that. I was just.. on an extended vacation trying to strength myself up, that's all." she said to him, finally getting the courage to look up, her bright blue eyes meeting his eyes. Her stomach, of course, did flips as she did this, but she tried to ignore it as she just offered him a warm smile. At his next question, she shook her head. "I haven't ordered anything yet, but if you'll wait just a minute for me, I'll be there" she said, moving past him and walking up to counter. "Konnichiwa, I'd like a chocolate eclair and a chocolate mocha" she asked, standing there a few moments before the steaming cup of chocolate was given to her and then a chocolate eclair, wrapped in a brown wrap.

After she received this, she smiled and walked back to where Atlas stood, waiting for her. "Shall we take a walk than, Atlas-chan?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she walked outside, greeted by the warm air and held the door open for him, letting a bright smile once more come over her face.

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[Estilo]

When she returned with her particularly delicious looking eclair, I brightened up. Today- despite the hangover- was starting to look pretty good. She'd hold the door open for me, but I'd politely decline. What kind of gentleman would I be if I'd allowed her to do such a thing? Chivalry was still very much alive; I was proof of it. So instead, I held the door for her, ushering the beauty to exit the cafe with a small toss of my head. When we had finally exited, walking side by side down a glistening city street, I was quite content in the temporary silence that followed. Awkward to some, but treasured to me.

Lena. I couldn't take my mind off of her blossomed beauty, her eyes, crystalline blue. Sipping at my drink, I dared to glance at her from the corner of my eyes. Was that... a blush on her cheeks? How cute. It only assured me that it was perhaps destiny that we had come across another in the cafe. Well, not so much destiny, as a pleasant circumstance. I didn't believe in destiny. I spotted the eclair in her grasp, smiled whenever she brought it to her mouth for a nibble. Under the slight influence of my hangover, I came up with an idea.

"That eclair looks really tasty." I said in almost a whisper, eyeing her with amorous intent. Pressed rather closely beside her as we walked- something like chemistry bubbling in between us- I abruptly leaned over to take a swift bite of her eclair, mocking a hungry lion. Whatever her reaction, a proud smile spread across my face as I devoured the part of her tasty treat I had managed to acquire. Tasty indeed!

[LENA?!]

Lena rolled her eyes, but a smile came across her face as he took the door from her and moved out of it, followed closely by him. She could smell a faint scent on him, probably from some leftover cologne that he had been wearing the night before, or at least so she assumed- it could have just been a natural scent, but if that was true than he naturally smelled pretty fucking good, at least in her opinion- it was a foresty smell, and she had always liked the smell of the forest anyways.

We walked side by side down the street and, though I would never admit this to anyways, as I wasn't that kind of person, it just felt so... natural. It felt as if this was what they had been meant to be doing all along and, she knew, if she could never grow tired, she wouldn't mind walking down this road forever with Atlas. He was an amazing individual, from what she had seen, and she was sure that he was successful- she hadn't been able to catch up with what he had been doing, but she had time to ask those questions- they had only just started walking and she doubted they would be stopping anytime soon. As they walked in the silence, she nibbled gently on the chocolate eclair, filled with the gooey white liquid that she loved so much.

As his voice reached her ears, she turned and raised a brow at him. Well of course it looked tasted, as it was tasty. As he pressed more closely beside her, she felt a bit warm, her cheeks flushing even more, at least until he reached over and took off a rather large piece of her eclair. 'Oh no he didn't!' the female thought angrily, looking over at him. "Atlas-chan! That's mine! Give it back!" she said angrily, stopping and pouting, putting her hands on her hips and giving him a look to let him know that she was serious- she was not going to move until he gave her the piece of eclair back and she wanted it now.

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[Estilo]

She stopped, seeming pretty cross about the whole thing. But that proud smile on my face remained, completely complacent about the situation. Atlas-chan! That's mine! Give it back! When she pouted and took her rather headstrong stance, it only made me realize how funny this entire situation had turned out to be. But, in turn, how simply lovely she was. I couldn't take it any more. I simply found her engaging, and I was almost certain she found me the same way.

"You want it back?" I replied, a suave smile manifesting as I leaned closer to Lena, our noses almost touching. "Lena... I'll give you something better." And with that, I completed the action. A kiss, light and innocent at first, our lips barely touching. That which soon skyrocketed into a blissful escapade of tongue and cheek, my lips tasting hers, our eyes closed in the pleasure of the entire thing.

Lena. That guava-scented, blue-eyed belle that I'd met in Tetsu no Kuni all those years ago. At this very moment, there was nothing else- no one else- but her in my mind. Not my title as Nidaime Raikage, nor any of the problems that came with it. She was- had become- my sweet escape at this very moment. I was hard-pressed to even attempt to break this kiss we had formed. Instead, I gently pushed her against the bricked wall of some Kami no Shima building, leaning in closer still, wrapping an arm around her waist whilst balancing my drink with the other hand.

When I stopped, our eyes locked, I smiled. "Better... right?"

[LENA?!]

Lena tried to prevent a grin from coming across her face as she watched that smile, oh so proudly, still remain on his face. God why was he so cute? She watched as he moved back toward her and leaned in, his words barely registering to her ears as their noses touched. She felt it, that familiar twisting of the knots in her stomach at his close proximity. She nodded meekly, but her heart nearly jumped out of her chest at his words. Something better? What could that - The thought didn't even register fully in her head before he had leaned in and ever so gently placed his lips upon hers.

The first thing that came to her was shock. Why was Atlas doing this? Lena did not hold herself in very good self-confidance, at least when it came to relationships and the like. She had never realized Atlas had recuperated the feelings for her, only realized her own self yearning to be in the red haired mans arms. Then second thing that came to her was embaressment- not at being kissed by him, but by the fact that anyone could be watching them. It made her nervous inside- what if she wasn't a good kisser? That would make her so embaressed. Finally, she gave up on all emotion and focued her attention on the lips. Her eyes had closed in the pleasure and, unconciously, her hands had come to wrap around his neck and a smile drifted onto them.

Then, what felt like two seconds later, though it had been longer, disappeared and she opened her eyes, looking upon what she considered to be the face of a god and a smile- a genuine one, came across her lips, despite the fact that she was still panting a bit from the lack of air. "Definitely better" she murmered softly and leaned in, placing a light peck on his cheek, followed by his lips before returning to his spot. "I just have to warn you though- no more stealing my eclair" she said, taking a teasing bite out of it before grinning at him with her lips, which were coated with a bit of the white cream.

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[Estilo]

Pure euphoria. Just the thing to push that nasty hangover out of my mind once and for all. In fact, just the thing to get my day started. Face-to-face with the stunning vision I had first encountered in the snowy wastes of Tetsu no Kuni, I uttered a chuckle when she mentioned I refrain from stealing the rest of her eclair. "This is the only thing I'll be 'stealing' from now on..." I beamed, gently pulling her in as I delved into elation of yet another kiss, in the process smooching off the stray bit of cream that had managed to stow away on her soft pink lips.

She tasted of eclair- a sweet infusion of cream and chocolate. And me? Well, I was sure a tinge of dark chocolate had permeated her own taste buds. Finding the fact that the word 'éclair' meant 'lightning' in French a bit ironic, I ended our most recent kiss with a wolfish smile. After a moment, our eyes opened once more- crystalline blue pools staring into my own emerald gaze. The tips of our noses touching, our foreheads occasionally making contact. And we stayed like that for a moment, before I abruptly backed away and reeled her in with a smile- a single arm wrapped around her waist. "C'mon. We've got places to see."

Giving her room to snuggle in closely as we walked, I took another sip of my dark chocolate latter as we headed down Nuerhachi Boulevard. With this new breakthrough, I wanted to literally show Lena the world with me by her side. But for now, Kami no Shima itself seemed like a good start, didn't it? Hoping she wasn't preoccupied with anything else today- or tonight, for that matter- I held her closely as I whispered an idea. "So... I don't suppose you've seen much of the city, have you?"

Stopping at the end of the block, I turned to face her once more, my second arm wrapping around her waist in the moment. Our eyes locked once more, in a rather provocative embrace, I tugged her in ever so closely. "I can show you around, y'know..." I said in almost a whisper, eyes fixated on her lips. "All the eclairs your heart could desire." A humorous smile at the little tease, or rather joke. Kami no Shima was hers, she only needed to grasp it. My lovely guava gal.

[LENA?!]

Lena allowed a grin to slowly transfix on her face as he mentioned what he would only be stealing from now on. She wouldn't mind that, she had to admit. The cream that had coated her lips was now on his own tastebuds and a smile appeared on her face- this felt so genuine and true, she had to admit. It made her extremely happy to be with Atlas- she had never f elt this way about anyone before, but then again she hadn't had a reason to feal this way towards anyone before- she didn't know her family and ever since she remembered she was on her own, though she was sure someone raised her when she was a baby or she wouldn't have been there today to have Atlas' sweet kiss on her lips.

She didn't want to say the words, in fear that it was moving too fast. Her stomach twisted in knots and she nodded at his statement. Of course- they had places to go and see. She would have time to get her thoughts together while they walked so she could decide exactly what she wanted to do- should she tell him, or would it just creep him out and push him away? Of course, she didn't really know him too well, but the fact that he was the only person who had ever truly made her happy made her just want to express the emotion in any way she possible could, even if she had already kissed him- a kiss was only a physical state of affection- what she felt for him was pure, true and definitely mental.

She shook her head at his question. She hadn't ever remembered being to the city before- she only remembered living in the ghettos of Kumogakure and then living in the academy- of course, she had been to Tetsu no Kuni and other places, now that she had visited such things, being back home felt wonderful. As we stopped at the corner and he pulled us in, she blushed like mad and grinned, shaking her head at his pun. "I love you.." she whispered gently, leaning in to plant a soft, wet kiss on his lips before pulling away, staring at him, a wierd feeling in the pit of her stomach.

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[Estilo]

Her blushing intensified, her beautiful blue eyes tinged with endearment, her smile almost as wide as my own. Lena was a doll, the epitome of adorable. And when she voiced that word, love, my own heart fluttered with excitement. We hadn't known each other very long. But being reunited with her was one of the best things that had happened to me in a long time. And whether this was simply us getting caught in the moment or not, I didn't care. I wanted to take this ride with Lena, see where it took me. And she would most definitely get all the love I could offer out of me. I returned her kiss as strongly as before, the two of us on the corner of that city block, lost in blissful euphoria.

"Lena," I whispered, eyes closed, my lips barely leaving hers. My next words, spoken with the utmost affection. "Shut up and come see Kami no Shima with me." I smiled, at last, opening my eyes. Without a moment's hesitation, I lifted the empty latte cup and tossed it into a garbage dispensary nearby, not bothering to watch it 'swish' inside.

My eyes fixated on her.

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A park. We laid together under an orange tree, its leaves old and crunchy by the aftermath of fall and winter. The grass beneath us, however, was a healthy and vibrant green. Resting my back on the side of the cypress, I relished in the comfort of having Lena snuggled closely between my open arm and chest. We watched as a small murder of ravens frolicked on the empty playground afar, cawing.

"There's a festival tonight," I smiled, my eyes flooded with ease and rapture as I gazed out at the morning horizon. "You like festivals?"

I felt like I could literally spend the rest of the day with her here, just laying there, talking. And to be honest, I was still reeling from the fact that this was all happening. That Lena, the girl I was hard-pressed to get out of my mind since the moment we'd met at the Chuunin Exams, had turned out to have the same disposition towards me. That she was now in my arms, her guava-scented fragrance charming my sense of smell as I teasingly fiddled with the end of her silky black hair.

[LENA?!]

Lena watched him intently, hoping that the words wouldn't scare him away from her, but when he returned her kiss she knew. Her face broke out in a warm, genuine smile and she hugged him tightly. How had this one boy, whom she barely knew, make her feel in such a way that no one else had? It was crazy! Something that you only read and dreamed about happening, but now was really happening to her. It was a true miracle- one that she had never even thought would happen to her. She had never thought she would find love at all, nonetheless something like this- and with someone as great as Atlas, nonetheless.

"As you wish, Atlas" she murmured gently to him, a bright smile once again coating my lips- the euphoric feeling had yet to leave me and, if it were up to me, it never would. When our tour was finally over, we ended up in a park, under a beautiful cypress tree, which stood out bright orange against the vibrant green grass- that was how she felt. She felt like the bright orange tree that would match the vibrant green colors to Atlas' grass. Of course, that was an extremely wierd way to put it, but it made sense to her- they seemed like a perfect match to anyone who would stumble across them, their bodies so close to one another.

"I love festivals. I'm guessing you want me to go with you?" she said, as if reading his mind.

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[Estilo]

Having Lena snuggled closely to my chest was a pleasure unlike any other. I love festivals. I'm guessing you want me to go with you? She replied, to which I gave a wide and charming smile. Rolling over, so that she laid against the trunk of the cypress- whilst I remained looming over her- I dove in for another passionate display of affection. "You read my mind." I answered, in between the kisses that I so very much enjoyed. That guava-scented fragrance she'd been wearing the first time we'd met graced my sense of smell at such close proximity.

I finished- for the time being- and separated my lips from hers, gazing into those pools of crystalline blue. "So... you got a place around here, or something?" I asked, only needing to whisper in order for my question to reach her ears. I slid off of her and rolled back on the grass, hands behind my head as I gazed up at the light gray sky.

"Cause, y'know," I continued, turning towards her with a smile in my eyes. "You never told me what you were doing here in Kami no Shima, anyway. Don't tell me you already have a boyfriend." I added, with a slightly concerned look on my face- mocking her a bit, of course.

But was I really to blame? She was a catch, after all- a real beauty. I wouldn't be surprised if- during our time apart- she'd met several guys who'd caught her interest and created some sort of relationship with her.

[LENA?!]

The charming smile that he gave her answered all questions. Of course he wanted to go with her, he wouldn't have brought it up if he didn't- unless he wanted to play some kind of coy game, and if so he was desperately failing it. She pouted as he rolled over her, leaving her pressed against the cypress tree, but it wasn't for long- his body soon loomed over her and she smiled, every kiss he gave and she returned filled with the joy and the love she felt for him. Atlas was definitely different than any man she had ever known and she doubt she would ever find one as to where she felt the same- this was like a modern day Romeo and Juliet, minus the family hatred, forbiddeness and hopefully a happier ending.

Lena pouted as the kisses suddenly stopped reaching her lips. Atlas' kisses were like her own drug- she didn't need them, but she didn't want them to stop either. At his question, she shook her head. "I don't have a place yet.. I sold mine when I went 'adventuring' and just returned, so I haven't had time to find one" she murmured gently, raising a brow at his statement and giggling. "Oh how did you ever find out about him? He's the most amazing guy ever. His hair is as red as an apple and his eyes are the most beautiful I've ever seen" she murmured, referring to the man in front of her of course. "He also seems to ask the most simplest questions" she added, grinning at him.

"To answer your question though, I just got back and decided to stop through on my way to Kumogakure. I was starving" she murmured gently, leaning up and planting a soft kiss on his lips.

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[Estilo]

I returned the gesture, a single hand sliding onto her side, gently caressing her waist as I smiled mid-kiss. "You're quite the joker, aren't you?" I joked, releasing a brief chuckle, still lost in her lips. Before long, I rolled her across on the grass playfully, stopping when I remained loomed over her nimble and sensual body. And even then, I bent my head down to continue our little 'make-out' sensation.

It was intoxicating, she was intoxicating. What was only a minute and a half felt like hours. Hours of blissful pleasure. Our lips parted, yet we remained close enough to bump our noses. "I have an idea," I whispered, a slow smile beginning to reemerge on my face once more. I was taking a leap with this one, but one that I felt was only right. "Why don't you stay with me? Here, in Kami no Shima? I have a room."

If she had just returned from her travels, I wanted to ensure she was as comfortable as she could get here. I wanted to show her what she had been missing out on, how much I cared. I opened my eyes, looking down at her as I remained sloped over her body, and suddenly the world surrounding us was gone. It was only me and her; blue eyes gazing into green. I wanted to know exactly how far my feelings for this girl went.