Youth is the best! (Ryu Naka)

Ryukotsusei smiled at her and looked her in the eye and nodded. "Deal, but you're acting like we'll be living under the same roof. You planning to move in with me?" He jested with a small grin as the food came. He clapped his hands together and called out "Itadakimasu!" Then broke them apart and began to eat happily. After a few bites of much needed food he looked at her once more and smiled again. He then took a short rib on his chopsticks and held it up to her mouth. "Eat" He said as he held the food up to her mouth.

"W-well, I uh, I-" Naka started to stammer but then figured out he was joking and pouted. She got her own chopsticks and stared at the short ribs...eat or not eat... She didn't want to look like a pig but it just seemed soo delicious and- When Ryu held up the meat to her mouth, Naka ate and a blissful look came over her. Grilled meat... "Itadakimasu!" She split her chopsticks, ordered another, and started diggin in.

Ryu listened to her stutter and looked at her curiously "Okay now without joking, are you wanting to move in with me?" He asked with a slightly wide eyed look on his face as he chewed on another short rib and motioned for a second order to be brought.

Naka swallowed and wiped her mouth before she answered. And even then, she took her time picking her words. "How do I say this...um... I... Want to, but... We still barely know each other and I'm scared I might drive you up the wall and get tired of me, so no. Well, not yet." She blushed, thinking that maybe, one day, it really would happen. "I wanna get to know you more first. Even the bad parts of you."

He listened carefully and nodded in understanding "Fair enough, and I don't think you'd drive me up the wall, I mean you want to know the bad parts of me, that sentiment goes both ways dear. The bad parts of me by the way is that I'm deadly determined no matter who gets in my way. I'm also willing to throw everything down on the line to protect something I hold dear...even if they don't even want me to. I generally don't listen to people before making a decision...but you've noticed that already I think." He said with a laugh as he gently took her hand and smiled.

Naka squeezed his hand back and smiled warmly. He was more mature than she first thought he was, back when he had fallen off the cherry tree. He was like a grown man in a 14 year old boy's body. "Since I'm older than you, does that make me a cougar?" she asked. Naka, when relaxed and happy, could be a total ditz. Seriousness and cluelessness had their times, but now she was in a stage of the latter. Naka picked up a piece of short ribs with her chopsticks and held it up to his mouth, her free hand holding onto his.

Ryukotsusei blinked questionably. "Uh..no...1. we don't have sexual relations...2. the term only applies to..well much older women." He said as he ate another short rib as their next order came. He began digging into that one as well.

"You don't like my body?" she asked, looking down her shirt. It was not a mad or sad statement, she was just curious. Naka wouldn't mind if he didn't like it, she knew she wasn't pretty, but she would like to know what his type was. "So what do you like, Ryu-kun?" she asked, looking up at him with big, curious Chibi eyes.

Ryu wondered how this conversation turned toward this direction. He smiled condescendingly and replied. "Naka-chan of course I like your body, you're absolutely beautiful in my eyes. And that won't change." He replied as he took a short rib and placed it in front of her.

Naka ate it up and licked her lips. "Mmm...meat..." She purred and sat back in bliss, relishing the savory flavor of the food. After much eating and many ribs, Naka stopped and drank a tall glass of milk. "Ahh...that was good..." She wiped her dirty mouth and beamed at Ryu. "Thank you, kareshi-kun!"

( Just sayin, kareshi means boyfriend n.n )

"Anytime dear, we'll come back here again soon I promise." He smiled and patted his stomach as well. He was also full and he paid the bill in full and stood up to stretch. Smiling as he did so. "You ready to go?"

Naka nodded and got up too. She reached for his hand and held on, twining her fingers with his. As they left, Naka tugged him to the direction of a playground, but most of the kids had already gone to school or ninja academy. "Hey, um... I'm sorry about the thing at the beach. I forgot to tell you I don't know how to swim," she said sheepishly. "Thank you for saving me. You really are my hero." She smiled softly and hugged him, breathing in his scent.

He hugged her tight at her words. "Don't thank me for that dear, it was almost me who killed you to begin with." He responded as he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his forhead against hers.

Naka moved her arms up and wrapped them around his neck. She kept on smiling. But this was different; her usual one was the normal happy one, this one was blissful, in peace. "But still, thank you for saving me." With that, she kissed him softly.

A few whistles and cat calls could be heard as passers-by teased them for such public signs of affection.

Ryu smirked into the kiss at the whistles and cat calls and fell into the kiss himself. He held her gently and softly carressed her cheek as they kissed.

Naka pulled back and gave him just one more soft peck on the lips. "Ne, ne, let's go to the playground. There shouldn't be any kids so early on a schoolday. Pretty please?" she pleaded, grinning up at him. Naka knew that he had a soft, sweet guy side but she wondered if he had a little bit more sadistic, gruff side to him.

Ryu nodded at the idea and took her hand. He led them both toward a nearby playground and sure enough it was desserted. He sat down on a nearby bench, leaned his head back against the back side of it and closed his eyes to relax.

Naka sat down next to him, still holding onto his warm hand. She rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes as well. "Will you tell me about your family? I'd like to know more about you, please. I might be making dinner at your place one day then get a surprise visit from a long-lost sister or something." She giggled lightly at the thought.

He smiled ruefully at that and cleared his throat. "I only have one brother that I know of, but I've never met him. I don't think you'll have to worry about him dear." He replied as he opened his eyes to look into hers. "How about yours?" He asked curiously

"Two brothers, one young one old, a mother who looks like me and a father who looks like he wants to eat mother. And loads of cousins and relatives. We like having big families." Naka smiled and stroked the back of his hand gently. "I actually want at least 30 kids before I die."

Ryu's eyes widened slightly at her words. "Any chance they'll end up popping by suddenly?" He asked a little nervously

"My family? Oh, probably. They have a habit of coming over at random moments and stuff. They always keep an eye on me, whenever, wherever, no exceptions, even right now. So tell me about your brother, how is he?" Naka took a pocky box from her pocket and started eating one.

Ryukotsusei didn't like the idea of her family watching her...even now however he took the information in stride. He looked at her as she asked her question and replied with a shrug "I haven't even seen him in 4 years...not since he left." He responded as he held her hand tightly.

"Why did he leave?" she asked bluntly. She was bipolar and this was...her neutral mood. Naka munched the pocky down. She then took out another and put it in his mouth. She started to eat from the other end, getting closer and closer to his lips.

"Our uncle killed the shinikage, also known as our father. My brother was immediately recognized as the shinikage successor and had to run or be killed by our uncle, I left because I didn't want our uncle to figure he'd "better be safe then sorry"" He replied, suddenly he had a stick of pocky in his mouth and Naka was munching on the end of it. Grinning around the pocky he munched down his end until their lips met in a kiss.