rhinestone eyes. ( private )

[Estilo]

( Enter Atlas; Kage Bunshin )

The stone-cobbled streets were peppered with puddles of fresh rain water, the moisture-laden gray sky reflected upon its crystalline surfaces. The sound of unseen, laughing children added to the ambiance of chirping red robins in the trees. A peaceful setting, the one in Kumogakure. One that I had managed to nurse and protect for roughly eight years. But to Hirihi, as far as I knew, only as a Jounin. Not as the mysterious and elusive Nidaime Raikage. We walked side by side, my hands comfortably resting in my pockets, an occasional emerald glance sent towards her. A smile. Admiration and awe.

I did not know what had kept us away from each other for so long, but whatever it was, I regretted it. Perhaps it was our jobs, our careers. Maybe even destiny, if one were hollow-headed enough to believe in such a thing. But from the instant I had met Hirihi, I had become certain that she had become something of a friend to me. What I was planning to ask her in the time allotted... it seemed unfair. We had only just reunited, after all, and I would have much rather spent the day on pleasantries than business. But it was best to get it out of the way as soon as I could. But first... well, I couldn't help it. I wanted to hear her story, I wanted to talk. As we walked, aimlessly down the streets.

"So..." I started, suddenly feeling like a premature teenager again for some reason, my gaze turning upwards towards the sky as we continued at a slow and deliberate pace. "I trust everything's been going well with you?" My viridian green eyes, they shifted back towards her frame as we walked. The rap of my steel-toed boots rhythmically sounding with each step I took, a light but bearable breeze sweeping through the neighborhood. "How's the medical life been treating you?"

Pure and unfiltered interest soaked my words. I had a general idea of how her career of choice had gone forwards since last we'd met. On paper, she was revered by Kumogakure as one of its lead medical examiners. I'd seen the mission reports, done my homework. But it wasn't the same as hearing it from her first-hand, listening to the tidbits of information that might not have been listend on the reports. In addition to that, every word that came out of her mouth was like a glistening dew drop to my ear, an auditory pleasure. Needless to say, I had not enjoyed the company of someone on the same level as her for a long while. It was truly- and wonderfully- a breath of fresh air.

[Hirihi]

.:Enter:.

With the day slowly progressing, Hirihi was already feeling her spirits lifted. It was fairly rare that she ever spend time talking with anyone. If it wasn't training the medics at the hospital, it was running around with Genin. As she aged, it seemed that she rarely found people her own level. This was why spending time with Atlas was so nice. He connected with her on an intellectual level. They had only talked a handful of times, but she felt closer than that to him. She felt as if he would be there for her regardless of circumstance.

As her soles would patter on the ground, she felt a bit awkward just walking beside him. Something told her that she should be talking, or at least showing more emotion at such a reunion. She just was lost on the ways of expression. It was why she had often exploded in rage at her trainees. It was all she knew, taking the example from Ashlin. When he thankfully broke the silence, Hirihi felt the awkwardness gradually leave her mind. How had her medical career been going? Swimmingly, to say the least. How to put that into words...

"It has been going fairly well. I'm in charge of training new Genin in Ashlin's place. She decided to step down and pursue other leads, the challenge of the hospital no longer meeting her level. I would agree, she has taught me so much. She said I would be her successor from day one. I didn't believe that 8 years ago, but here I am." She said. Hirihi assumed this boring details, but she truly found herself needing to give some backdrop to her career for him.

It was only fair, right,. Since he wasn't as in the know of how the hospital was run. "Since she left, I have had some rough cases. I had one patient who was being eaten alive by a chakra consumption technique. It was laced in a katon technique, using the chakra absorbed to burn the epidermis. I had to cut the skin off, graft on new skin, and make sure it was truly gone. It was probably the most confusing case I've had in a while, while trying to train a Chuunin." She said. Hirihi felt as if she had dominated the conversation, taking up several minutes for her boring monologue.

"What about you? How has teaching been? Have you been showing your future classes that medical stuff I showed you?" Shr asked, elbowing him in the side teasingly as her crimson eyes turned to glance at him and back ahead. That should get the conversation turned to where he can contribute and not be stuck listening to her mindless pandering.

[Estilo]

Wonderful. Well, gruesome, the experience she had encountered during her most recent career as a medical ninja. But wonderful that she had succeeded, that she had emerged victorious. She was a teacher now- well, she had always been, right? But now, it was more than official. She was experienced, and had taken the position her former mentor had claimed ownership to. Despite the fact that she probably thought she was being rude, I was more than comfortable listening to what she had to say. Word for word, I cherished it. It took the stress off of what I was on the verge of asking her, made this seem like a much more casual venture than one fueled by Kumogakure's political efforts.

Then she voiced her own question after a temporary bout of silence, sending a sharp chill up my spine, forcing me to straighten as we walked. My own teaching career? Funny she should ask. "You know, it's been going pretty well, actually." I began, sheepishly smiling as I rubbed the back of my neck. "At least a half-dozen of my past students are Jounin ranked now, like us. I can't even begin to express how proud I am of that. And yeah- the Mystical Hands, Shousen, ha ha." I added with a chuckle, remembering that cheerful and spontaneous time, just like it had occurred yesterday. "Gotta love it."

I hadn't exactly been teaching it often, considering the little experience I had with medical techniques, but it had served its purpose on several different occasions- including physical training, when the academy nurse was nowhere in sight. Shedding away any and all traces of reservation and doubt I used to carry, I turned around to face Hirihi, walking backwards as we continued on. Folding my arms, I gave her a look of mocked disappointment. "But I can't say you taught me enough to grow on, Miss Rinji. We're going to have to schedule another teaching session reaal soon, y'know." I broke into a smile.

No, I hadn't forgotten the reason for this venture, despite the fact that I was having a nice time talking to the pink-haired beauty beside me. I was a shinobi after all- the Nidaime Raikage- and discipline was etched into my soul. I'd tell her in due time, spill the beans whenever I felt it was right to do so. But... when I got to thinking, would that time ever come? Probably not. She would, most likely, not be expecting what I had to say. Not by the least. So I had to utilize the time I had now to form some sort of pre-explanation. A failsafe. I couldn't afford to lose her trust, to lose her faith. Everything was riding on how I presented this secret, and how she reacted to it in the end.

[Hirihi]

At the thought that the little youngsters had moved on, some of his students eventually reaching the level of Jounin, Hirihi gave a small clap of excitement. "I'm so glad to hear that they did so well! You must be very proud, as the one that was there to guide them through the scary world of being a shinobi in a time where we... aren't really look highly upon." Hirihi said. She had known a few people to actually shun their profession. They had been blamed for a lot of things, things that were not their doing. This was not something she could help though, so she forced herself to dwell on the positive. Their meeting!

"Please, you may call me Hirihi. We are friends, and you have no need to refer to me by my last name. Unless it makes you uncomfortable." She said, back pedaling at the thought that he may very well want to keep things formal between them. She, deep down, hoped not. She had a deep respect for him, one that she couldn't explain. He had done so little to impress upon her the importance of suppressing the rage of her past, and it had done so much. Just a few simple words and she was willing to let it go. It didn't mean it was gone completely, but it was definitely a foot in the right direction.

When he turned to look at her, walking backwards in an awkward fashion (in her opinion), Hirihi nodded her head at him. "If you are truly interested in learning anything in the medical field, do let me know. I will be willing to impart some of the knowledge that I hav eon to you. Some of it, of course, I can't guarantee you pick up on. I am an advanced medic, you know..." She said, in a slightly teasing manner. She knew that he was not an idiot, though, and it wouldn't take long for someone of his intellectual status to catch up to her.

Seeming to feel as if they had gone off course from the whole idea of discussing the mission, which had been a good thing, she now felt awkward again. They had stopped talking, Hirihi stopping where she stood and looking at him with a bit of curiosity. "So, tell me, what are we doing today? Retrieval? Rescue? Assassination?" Hirihi was not fond of the latter idea, as she was not one to assassinate anyone without a cause, but she had never shown disrespect to her village to let her own petty feelings get in the way. If she was ordered to do it, by God, she'd have done it. That's what her father would have done, at least.

In the end, that was the only example she really had, aside from her mentor Ashlin. With no other role model, what else was she to assume?

[Estilo]

When she suggested I call her by her first name, I simply smiled at the fact that she had failed to notice the teasing I'd tried to convey through calling her miss. Of course, to me, she was more than just a simple miss! But I was nonetheless still glad that the title still fit, and admittedly hopeful that she wouldn't become a Mrs. Rinji anytime soon- not until I got to know her a bit better. "I only kid, Hiri. You're more than just a friend to me, y'know. You're special." I said, in almost a whisper.

She was just as cute as she had been before, so impeccable and sweet. It was truly heartwarming. And it was only when she teased back at me that I realized (or discovered once more) that she also had a rather mischievous side to her personality. Or, was that perhaps a side of Hirihi only a few people knew? I didn't know, but what I did know was that there was no chance in Hell that I'd turn down her offer. "Oh really? Advanced medic, eh?" I smirked, eyes beaming with joy. "I'll make sure to listen attentively to everything the Good Doctor has to say then. Consider it a date." I smiled, still too wary to say it so with seductive tone. Perhaps, she only considered me a friend?

I spun around, returning to my natural manner of walking, making sure I did so before I tripped on something behind me and made myself look like a fool. It was only when Hirihi stopped, that I followed suit. So, straight to business now, right? I supposed the time was ripe, our previous exchange of words having provided enough light-hearted relief to make each other feel comfortable. But only slightly on my level. I was still cursed with the trepidation that she would reject me all together, fearful of that outcome and her disposition towards me.

I was a little surprised to hear assassination escape her lips, but then realized that she was a shinobi, and had no current idea that I was the Nidaime Raikage. If she did, she'd know that I'd try to keep her away from such knife-and-dagger tasks. Unless, of course, she fancied such tasks- which would most definitely change my opinion of her. "No," I replied. "Nothing like that..." I continued, my gaze shifting away from her, turning down to the stone-cobbled street, as we stood apart from one another. Time to spill the beans, right? Finally building up the courage to continue, I turned back to her whilst retrieving something from my front pocket. "This," I started, pulling out a small green scroll and holding it up. "Is what our 'mission' is based upon. But before I fill you in, Hiri... I need you to promise me something."

"Promise me you'll remember me as I am- right now, right here. Nothing more and nothing less." Sincerely, I awaited her response.

[Hirihi]

Hirihi could only blush at his words. "Consider it a date. Date. Date." He hadn't said it three times, obviously, but her mind had held onto that word with a firm grasp and refused to let it go. This was beginning to make her feel a bit... odd. Not in a way that made her feel uncomfortable, as one would be with a person that they had nothing in common with. This was a feeling of... fluttering. This led to a blush spreading across her face that was only slight red. She didn't know why it did this to her, but the thought of being on a date with someone as attractive and intelligent as Atlas was something she would more than welcome.

This was when she realized that, in the entirety of her adult life, she had never once had serious feelings about anyone. Part of it may have been the training regime that she had been on. The other part, though, she had to take the blame for. She was so focused on her career as a shinobi, her duties to the village, that she had developed very little of a personal life. She rarely stayed in her home for more than 8 hours, always keeping herself busy with things to do. The hospital was great for that, keeping her occupied for days at a time. It was easy, simple, to do. Now that she had the chance to think about it, was the life she had chosen worth it?

Forcing herself not to think about it, as he had likely not meant it in the way that she was thinking, she focused on him as he began to get more serious. This was her signal that they were going to begin discussing the mission. Instead of going into a formal briefing on the mission, though, he produced a scroll and asked for her to think of him as he was at that moment, regardless of whatever the details of the mission may produce. This was an odd request for her, as she had never known anything about him to make her doubt him as a person. Was this mission a sensitive part of his past, something that he was hiding from the rest of the village, using the Raikage to transfer the mission and make it an official thing as a favor?

She would never know, but she knew that there was nothing that could change the image of what Atlas was to her. Whether that was as a friend, or more, she was resolute in her mind that she was not going to see or feel different about him. If anything, knowing more about him might very well make her closer to him. A butchered past had its way of making a person grow on the other, being someone to help mend the scars of the past and make the person whole again, whether they be a friend or lover in the end. "I promise, no matter what this scroll tells me, that I will view you the same as I did years ago, when I first met you in the street to the teacher I saw standing before his class. You have my word." She said, giving him a reassuring smile to show that, no matter what she saw, she'd stand beside him no matter what the circumstance.

[Estilo]

I believed her, I trusted her. And as much as the prospect that she would reject me entirely brought trepidation into my heart, I decided to go with it anyway. To take that risk. Not doing so could literally cost me my life. And I needed her to save it, or at least, understand what was happening to me. I looked into her eyes, those beautiful pools of crimson. Sincere and honest. I couldn't turn back now. I couldn't turn down that sweet smile. My gaze, hypnotized as it was by her oculars, shifted down to the scroll in my grasp when I realized this was it.

"Okay..." I started, uncertain still, dropping the arm that held said scroll, thusly allowing her to take it from my grasp and promptly read through it. I would watch as she unraveled it, gave her a moment to read through its contents. "It's the scroll to one of Kumogakure's most treasured medical techniques." I began, gazing about for a moment and making sure no one was listening in. "A medical technique the Raikage was hoping you were willing to learn- with any assistance I'd be capable of providing, including safeguarding the scroll itself." But my role in the mission went much deeper than that. After all, how much help could I provide in actually learning the technique anyway? I wasn't anywhere near Hirihi's experience with techniques of that nature, and the scroll was currently in safe hands- not thieves or bandits.

I waited for her to grasp the situation, to understand what this forbidden technique was all about, and most likely ask me why we needed her to learn it. My emerald eyes, gazing back into hers, said it all. I was waiting for a response from her, rather anxiously, and I was more than ready to answer any questions she was bound to shoot at me in the moment that came. Including the one I feared to answer, the one I was reluctant to explain. It was all out in the open now, and Hirihi deserved better than to be lied to or kept out of the loop. But this information... I had not shared it with anyone else for years. In fact, there wasn't a single living soul who knew about it. Not even my little sister Yukiko.

[Hirihi]

Hirihi watched him as they progressed in their conversation. He was showing doubts, whether it be on him or her was unclear. He was not acting normal at all. He was normally chipper, a song on his lips, and a smile in his eyes, if that made any sense. Hirihi took the scroll as it was lowered and opened it to see what the fuss he was making was about.

That's when it hit her all at once. He had been carrying a scroll that held the essence of a very dark and controversial side of medicine. Transplants. This was not limited to the things that she had done, like minor skin grafts. This had been referring to major transplant, such as eyes, legs, and even the organic matter of a person that seemed impossible to transfuse. Why had he been carrying such a dangerous scroll?

Then, he stated that she was being asked to learn the technique, to sell her soul and become deeper imbedded in the medical profession than she already was. This was not something she was concerned with. She had been on the boards of debate on whether to even request this scroll or not. There it was, though, in her hands and beckoning to her. She wasn't scared away in the slightest. She was more concerned with why Atlas was acting so strange.

It seemed, though, to be natural. He doubted her place in the debates, and expected her to throw the scroll back in his face, storming off in a huff. That was not her intentions, though. She merely smiled at him as she closed the scroll. "If the Raikage wishes me to learn this, I will oblige the request. If it is so urgent that I'm being asked to learn it, I will only hope that I can learn it in time to help." She said, holding the scroll tight in her grasp.

"Has the Raikage prepared what is needing to be used, or will we need to gather the materials?" She asked. If he had been expecting a fight from her, he was hoping in the wrong place. She hoped that Atlas would calm down, as she wasn't fond of him in his current state.

[Estilo]

Her devotion to Kumogakure- to the 'Raikage' she practically didn't even know- was astounding. I knew devotion like that existed- my own devotion to Kumogakure for the past ten or so years was proof of that- but I didn't know it could go that far. Especially with Hirihi. It made me happy, sure, but at the same time, I found myself a little mystified by the entire thing. Nonchalantly, she asked if we had everything prepared. I was still caught in the mystery of her loyalty, but snapped out of it just then. If she was truly willing to learn this technique, then that was a plus for me. Question was, would she be capable of carrying my life in her hands? I gave a brief sigh, anxiety escaping my eyes.

"He mentioned having you learn the technique as soon as humanely possible, if you accepted the offer. But the particular organ we're in need of... well, that's going to be a bit more difficult than we had initially expected..." I tossed my head towards the street ahead of us, beckoning her to continue our walk. "We can get to that later though. For now, let's head over to Elysian Park, yeah? We've got an hour or two before the private morgue where you'll do your training opens." A morgue. How ghastly. I was used to dead bodies- the war had obtained its fair share of them- but the disembowelment and modern-day mummification of corpses was still a taboo I found hard to give up.

So we continued our walk, side by side, Hirihi hopefully having grasped the mission at hand. Although she hadn't asked who the patient was and why they needed a transplant in the first place, I trusted that her faith in Kumogakure and its mysterious Nidaime Raikage had put her past that. And if it hadn't, the answers would surely come to her soon enough. She was a rather... strong individual. Hearty and sweet like lilac wine. While her dedication to a 'stranger' she called her leader had only slightly caught me off guard, it didn't change the fact that I was growing enamored with her. It was only now that I realized it... truly.

I had experienced past flings with women, short relationships that never amounted to nothing but false promises and abrupt ends. Well, save for Veralette... but she had been gone for a long while now. During the course of the years after the Great Flash, there had been various women. Nancy's I had taken a liking, too... but no one like Hirihi. What was it about her, exactly? That was what interested me the most. And I wanted to find out. Perhaps, if all went well... perhaps this could be more than the friendly relationship we currently tendered to. In an effort to lighten the mood, and simply distraught that this mission was getting in the way of our conversations, I turned to her with a smile in my eyes.

"So, Hiri. I don't suppose you've met anyone... special, during our time apart?" I asked, interest tinging my tone, eyes fixated on her.

[Hirihi]

Hirihi watched him with a curiosity seen both in her eyes and on her face. She wanted to know more about what they were going to be doing, or, really her. This was something she had always figured was a moment she would spend hours replaying in her head before falling asleep late in the early morning. The moment she had chosen a definitive side on the debate of whether transplanting another person's organs into another was even ethical. Here she was, though, agreeing to it without even a second thought. She had never really been against it, not even for the sake of debate. Many proclaimed that it could be misused if in the wrong hands, so she argued in the defense of only letting the most skilled used the technique, or even witness it.

When he urged them along with a tilt of his head, Hirihi smiled and held the scroll out to him as they walked. "I will have plenty of time to review it. I'd prefer that you hold onto it, as the trust was placed in you to keep it safe. With that said, I'd like you to be present, if that is okay, to witness me learning the technique. While I feel comfortable learning it, I don't exactly feel safe guarding the scroll and performing at the same time." She said, hoping he would understand. She did not like the idea of losing one of the sacred scrolls to the thieves of the village. While she knew few thieves, she knew of many who would abuse such a power if given the chance.

As they continued their walk, Hirihi glad that the conversation was moving to lighter topics, Hirihi couldn't help but blush as he stated, ever so plainly, his question towards if she had met someone special or not. H-How was she to answer such a question to him?! Shaking her head, she merely smiled up at him and spoke plainly. "With the amount of work I do, and the amount of training I volunteer for my younger medical staff, I... honestly, have found no one. Even if I had, I would only see them as students. Seeing them that way, I would feel odd pursuing such a thing. I'm not sure if you feel the same way, but being a teacher to someone puts you in an authority role. One can't be special to them in that way when they are already a big part of their learning." She said.

This made her wonder, though, how her father might view her life. She was a hard worker, that was no doubt, but she had no balance for her personal life, compared to her career as a ninja. She did so well in one, while the other suffered. "I've... honestly not even given the thought of searching for such a person until I retired. The sad thing is, I can't even see retirement with how deeply entwined with the village I am now. To say that I have found no one that sparks me that way, though, would definitely be a lie." She said, looking away from him as she blushed. Even seven years ago, there had been something about Atlas that made her feel that something was different between them. To move on such a thing, though, without knowledge of his own feelings was horrible, though.

Amazing in the hospital, a great teacher, and socially retarded to the point that she is unable to express her own feelings. This was the great Hirihi.

[Estilo]

I listened intently to every single word she said, lost in her eyes as we walked. I felt a little guilty when my heart fluttered with excitement at the fact that she had not found anyone special- a boyfriend. Hirihi's happiness was all that mattered to me, as she was a good person, and she deserved the best. But knowing that she was available, that perhaps being with her was not as crazy an idea as I thought it had been, made me merry. Her work, her dedication to this village, kept her busy. She deserved a respite. And I wanted to be there for her to ensure she received it. After all, even shinobi were entitled to a personal life void of danger and stress. And, most importantly, someone to share it with.

I tossed her an inquisitive emerald glance as she spoke the following words: 'To say that I have found no one that sparks me that way, though, would definitely be a lie.' The statement, followed by the subtle gesture that was looking away, ever so slightly. Now... I had been through enough relationships with women to know what that meant. The blushing that glowed on her cheeks, like soft pale red suns. It... it had been so obvious. But why hadn't I noticed it sooner? Here I had been, wrestling with my thoughts, wondering whether Hirihi would ever feel that way about me. To know that she did, even the slightest, made me the happiest man in Kumogakure. But where to go from here?

We reached the edge of Elysian Park, stone-cobbled street veering off into a dirt path that cut into grassy meadows, copses of pine trees and over a still lake via wooden bridge. It was more of a wilderness area than a park, due to its sheer size and lack of playgrounds- save for one, only a few meters from where we stood right now. Benches, swings, a jungle gym-- the works. As Hirihi continued onto the dirt path to begin our walk, I found myself striding into action. Gently, I grasped her left hand with my right, stopping her in her tracks. When she'd turn to me, I'd abruptly pull myself closer to her. A pause. But what then?

A kiss.

My lips met with hers, and a rapturous warmth spread throughout my entire being at that instant, my body on the brink of quivering with delight. The lips I'd wanted to kiss for a long time now- seven years, to be exact- as light and sweet as I had imagined them to be, yet far beyond my expectations. This pink-haired beauty had me spellbound like no other. She was all that I desired, my dedication to Kumogakure and all that I lived for, rolled into one ultimate emotion that elated me to heights never reached before. I dared to wrap a single arm around her waist, tempt her in closer, our eyes closed. A captivating carousel of affection few seldom saw. And life, life suddenly wasn't so black and white anymore. It was now a vibrant cascade of chromatic delight, with Hirihi in my arms. I paused from the luxuriation of her lips, tickled pink all over from the sheer euphoria of it all. "You're... sublime." A smile.

[Hirihi]

Hirihi walked quietly along beside him, taking in the sight of the edge of the park. The sound of their shoes along the cobblestone would alter to slight crunching noises on a path of dirt, her crimson eyes staring forward towards their destination. Elysium Park, a place she knew so fondly. It was here, if she remembered right, that she had taken many of her students to enjoy the weather between training sessions. She was a strict trainer, and had pushed them hard enough to earn such a break on her watch. As they moved closer, her mind continued to run through thoughts that had been sparked by Atlas.

Why did he have to ask her such a thing and start this train of thought? The next thing she knew, she was going to start thinking of the kind of things that would cause her loyalty to Kumogakure to sway. Things like a personal life, things she had gone a good portion of her life without. When she felt a tug at her hand, leading her to stop, Hirihi turned to look at Atlas with a bit of concern. Was something the matter?

When she was pulled towards him, she felt more lost than she had when she had forced learned how to use her chakra to heal people. Their proximity had never been this close, with little distance between them and their height truly realized in difference. Looking up at him, crimson pools of innocence seeking an answer in his face, she found her answer as she felt his lips to hers. By instinct, she sunk into the emotional expression, her arm wrapping around his back and her eyes closing. What felt like hours would pass, her body seeming to mesh with his as she pressed against him, the moment holding her captive.

When the elated feelings in her chest settled, the parting of their lips making her fall rapidly from her momentary high. She was speechless, her eyes saying everything that she felt as she looked up at him, turning and looking to his chest to prevent the blush from being so apparent. Letting her arm fall from his back, she stepped back and kept her eyes low to the ground, unsure of what to say. She had enjoyed it, more than she could have ever imagined, but she knew nothing about this. She didn't know what to say, how to feel, where to go from here. Damn her lack of social activity...

[Estilo]

She took a step back, her lovely eyes avoiding contact with my own, unsure or unwilling to go on- I didn't know. But I wanted to know, more than anything in the world. A small smile pierced my lips, my emerald green eyes focusing on her as I raised a single hand, lightly grasping the end of her chin with gloved fingers. Gently, I lifted her head, her eyes finally making contact with my own, our bodies closing in on one another once more. "Hirihi... tell me what's on your mind."

I stared into those pools of crimson red sincerely, falling deeper in love with each second that passed. Her touch, her eyes, her soul. All that Hirihi was had me mesmerized. Even this strange innocence of hers, what seemed like a lack of social aptitude. But, deep down in my heart, I knew she was more than that. I only needed her to open up to me, to talk to me. I didn't care whether she had bad things to say or not. I only wanted an answer. Seven years, I'd waited. Seven years. The kiss had broken that streak, and I found that I couldn't wait any longer.

When I was assured she'd at least keep her gaze on me for a little while longer, I released her chin from my gentle grasp. Instead, I caressed the side of her face with a single index finger- tucking back a strand of hair from the surface of her forehead."I don't regret what I just did... I don't." I continued earnestly. "I only need to know... if you did."

Emotions, I was elated with them. And I could literally come up with a million ways to express said sentiments. But what better way than with a kiss? I wanted her to know exactly how I felt. I wanted her by my side. But she needed to break open from that shell of hers- for me. My eyes said it all- my desires, my hope. I waited for answer, hoping- with the entirety of my heart- that should we make me the happiest man in Kumogakure no Sato there and then. My eyes, locked with hers.

[Hirihi]

Hirihi was swarmed with her own thoughts, wondering how to process something like this. her father had never talked to her of things like this, because it was an embarrassing subject. He had not wanted to have the birds and the bees talk with her, or the emotions talk. He'd have rather kept her bottled up in her house, safe from the world and safe from harm. Here she was, without a guide to lead her into this strange emotional turmoil that was billowing inside of her chest. On the front of it all, she had enjoyed the kiss. She enjoyed the time that she spent with Atlas. There was no denying that she had feelings for him, but her own thoughts, when left to their own wanderings, would never truly let her have such a moment without rethinking it all.

Thoughts of doubt filled her mind as she stared away from the person she was falling for. He'd only done it because he wanted to get close to her, because they were both tied together by the grand destiny of Kumogakure no Sato. If she had nothing to offer him, nothing to offer as far as her medical abilities, he would not have been so insistent on his approach with the lone kiss. All of this, every single feeling of doubt, would wash away as she was forced to look into the emerald eyes of the one she cared for. Why, in all the years they had been apart, had she just now realized how she felt for him? Why was it striking her so suddenly, leaving her speechless and breathless.

And, why was his gaze so hard to look away from. When he asked her to say what was on her mind, she practically froze. Did he really want to know that she felt such doubts in her mind? Was this the rational mindset of someone in an amorous position? There was no way to know, and she had no female friends to speak of this to that would be honest with her. When he moved his hand away from her chin, she immediately reached up and curled her hands in his, clinging to it like a lifeline. She needed the physical contact to say what she was about to say, to affirm that she was not going to slip through the folds of the earth and vanish into the darkness of the abyss that lay beneath.

"I do not regret it... I-I just don't know how to react to something like this. You know how things have been for me, with little to nothing going for me as far as a social life. To go from total silence to... to this is a big leap for me." She said, the blank expression spreading into a smile as she leaned forward and pressed her face to his chest, eyes closing as she wrapped her arms around his waist and held onto him. "I care a lot about you, Atlas. No matter what my mind may conjure up, I don't feel lost when I look into your eyes. You saved me from a darkness that would have destroyed me with only a single meeting years ago, and I now know why you were so effective in such a minute amount of time." She said. She spilled her feelings forward, refusing to let go or look up at him. She merely smiled and breathed, feeling that she was still on the earth with him.

[Estilo]

When her soft hands clasped my own gloved appendage, I found myself surprised and just a tad dumbstruck by the gesture. I'd wanted it more than anything, to have her open up, but it had still managed to catch me off guard. As she replied to my previous statement, I couldn't help but remain fixated on those crimson red jewels of hers. Finally knowing that she held no remorse for our first close moment of intimacy... it put me over the moon with delight. And I completely understood now what she was going through. That, whether she thought so or not, I might have go on with things a bit too abruptly. But in my mind, I was only making up for lost time. A lot of lost time. And it had paid off, splendidly so.

Her smile, as warm as a thousand rising suns. And when she sunk into my arms, embracing me with the entirety of her affection, I found myself returning the gesture softly- completely cherishing this sweet and heavenly moment. It was amazing... how she could just come waltzing back into my life, and completely change it in an instant. I couldn't remember the last time happiness like this had struck me. And I supposed I didn't care to remember. My past would soon be overshadowed by a brighter future with Hirihi by my side. This was a whole new beginning for me- Atlas Taisho Burabiya- and it was absolutely exquisite. "Hiri... I don't know what to say."

But, did we really have to say anything more? It all felt so right, having her in the comfort of my arms, her cheek pressed against my chest, her nose half-buried in the folds of my coat. Like the kiss, the moment seemed to span yet another blissful eternity before I lowered my arms, running a single hand down the length of her right forearm before clasping her own. Our squeeze temporarily parted, as our foreheads touched lightly together, I opened my eyes. "I'm completely yours."

_______________________________________________________

After gently pulling her along by the hand, I seated myself at a wooden bench nearby, sitting back- relaxed. We still had a good amount of time before the morgue opened for our business, and as wonderful as spending the day in each other's arms sounded- especially so compared to that rather ghoulish endeavor we pursued- I knew we still had a mission to complete. And I was almost certain Hirihi was on the same page. We had all the time in the world to focus on each other, see where it would take us in the end. But the mission... the mission had a non-negotiable time-limit. Still reeling from the pleasure, with Hirihi sitting closely beside me, I smiled. "So... I don't suppose you're doing anything after this... are you? How does a movie sound?"