Youth is the best! (Ryu Naka)

"Thank you." Naka smiled and shifted so that she laid her head in his lap. "You don't mind, do you? Today's been eventful and I just want to calm down." Naka made herself comfortable as she watched the sunset. "You'll find your woman one day, Ryu-kun. ..can I be your best man when that happens?" Naka wanted to be there when he was happy. He was such a sweet guy. "I could wear a tuxedo and everything."

Ryukotsusei laughed at the thought of her in a tux "Only if you help me pick out my dress for yours" he responded as he smiled at her "And of course you can sit on my lap, I don't bite much." He said with a small smile as he wrapped his arms around her and watched the sunset "This is my favorite spot in the whole villige." He said absent midedly. "You can see the sunset every night as long as it's clear." He explained as he smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek, as a way to say "thank you" for the one earlier.

"Okay... If I do... I hope I do. I don't want to be a lonely, bitter old woman one day," she said. Naka played with his fingers as she watched the sun sink away. Soon, it was dark out. "Ah...it's night time already." She sat up, hair in a total mess. Naka giggled and ran a hand through her brown locks. "Do you wanna go somewhere to watch the stars?" she suggested.

He smiled softly and nodded happily "I'd love to!" He said as he ran a hand through her hair as well, smiling softly at the softness of it. "You have beautiful hair you know" he pointed out with another smile. He then lifted her in his arms and stood up, then jumping them both down to the ground he took her hand. "You lead me to where you wanna watch the stars." He said as he looked into her eyes and smiled again. He seemed to do that alot when he was with her, he just couldnt put his finger on why.

"Okay, then! Um... There!" She pointed to the tree in the distance. It was huge, the tallest from them all. "Please? If you can't, I can take you there." Naka smiled up to him, returned to her usual cheery self. "I sometimes go there to sleep, too. The leaves on the canopy can support you. But I made a floor there, just in case. Can we bring blankets and some food too? Please?"

Ryukotsusei laughed and nodded "Lets just stay there the night neh? Cmon." He said as he stopped by a store and bought a couple of good sized blankets and then walked over to a nearby store, he then pulled out some money and handed it to her. "You get the food, I don't know what you want, besides if he can find a nice large branch we can start a fire and cook something and so far your cooking is amazing." He said with a smile as he handed her the money, deciding to give her a bit extra as well, and left for the tree. He carried the blankets with him arrived and awaited her at the base.

"Ah! B-but-" She wanted to pay for it. Oh well. Naka would make him something to eat someday. She bought some dango and chocolate bars, pocky and fudge, etc. All packed in one plastic bag, she made her way to the base of the tree to. "Ryu-kun!" She smiled when she saw him. "Follow me, okay?"

To keep the edge of her kimono from hurting her path, Naka lifted it as she climbed the tree, leading Ryu. They climbed and climbed and reached the very top. Naka pushed away the leaves and uncovered a large wooden board, big enough to support all of them. "Here we are..."

From their point of view, they could see over the village and above them, a dark blue sky with millions of bright stars.

Ryukotsusei smiled when he saw her and waved his greetings. He then followed her all the way to the top of the tree and onto her board and smiled at the view. It was truly the best view in the village. He layed out the blankets and a couple of pillows he had procurred as well and then, smirking softly he walked over to the side of her, and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. "This view is amazing." He said, he wondered if she realized he was looking at her and not the stars and village. He then turned to the stars and smiled wide. There were millions of them. He layed back against a pillow and stared at them happily.

"Yeah..." Naka smiled, and, about to say something, she turned to him and saw he had been looking at her. After a few minutes, it clicked and she turned pink. "Ah..yeah..." Naka, still blushing, laid down next to him and held onto his hand. "Sometimes there are shooting stars here." Naka's blush faded as she just relaxed and enjoyed the night. "Hey, Ryu. Tell me about yourself. I don't know much about you, but I want to." Naka turned her head to face him and smiled warmly. He was a nice guy.

"Well...I originally hailed from another village...its been destroyed now though...I don't know how. But anyway, my father was the leader of the Hidden Shadow Villlage...My uncle wanted that title however and killed him for it...my older brother left because he felt he would be hunted soon as well and I myself left as well. I found my way here and after proving myself for 2 years I finally gained the right to become a shinobi here." He said after turning his head to face her as well. She was a sweet girl and he wanted to gauge her reaction to what he said. "How about you Naka-chan?"

He had been fighting for his life for the past 2 years...and even more before that. Naka was frowning a little as she watched him. He had gone through his own hell and somehow managed to turn out normal. She wouldn't be able to do that. "You're very strong-hearted, you know that?" She smiled and turned to her side. Naka came closer and laid right next to him, her face just by his neck. "If you ever want to let out anything...you can trust me, okay? I'll be your friend, no matter what, Ryu-kun."

Ryukotsusei smiled, he had made peace with his past long ago...still this felt..nice. Being able to trust someone..Ryukotsusei hugged her close. "Thank you Naka-chan..now then..tell me about you eh?" He asked as he looked down to look into her eyes as she spoke.

"I died because I had a weak body. But then I was revived by Lilith. She said she'd keep me alive as long as I take care of her soul, as well as one other in my body right now. Other than that, not much," she explained. Her life was in no way interesting. She wanted to hear about other people too. Naka cuddled him, relishing the warmth of his hold. "I've never even been in love."

His eyes widened slightly at her words. Now that was a true hell...harboring Lilith and another soul of who knows whom it had been. He could never have done that. Ryukotsusei smiled as she cuddled him and he held her close, feeling her warmth against his body. He felt her shiver looking for warmth as well and he pulled a blanket over them to keep them warm. "Neither have I." He replied after he had covered them with the blanket.

"...ne... Why do people keep leaving?" she asked. "When you promise to be together forever and...then that person leaves, not caring if you're broken in the inside. Why does that happen? It hurts...and there's nothing you can do to stop the pain." Naka hugged him back, burying her face in his chest. Ushio was letting out her emotions. Kaji was leaving.

"Why...am I not good enough...?" she asked, before tears started to flow.

Ryukotsusei heard her begin to break down and continued to hold her. He thought about his words carefully before speaking this time. "People...can't help the way situations are...goals...dreams...ideals...these things change...many times in a lifetime..people leave because they find they think their needed elsewhere...or that sadly enough...something else is more important...However some people are not like that...Me for example Naka-chab. I won't leave, I promise." He told her as he tiled her head up and then slowly wiped away her tears.

"... You swear?" she said, once she stopped crying. Naka was hugging him tight, afraid to let go. Many have figured out that she was afraid of being abandoned. That the thought of being alone made her blood run cold. "You swear to me you will never leave me alone?" she asked quietly, looking up at him with a shaky gaze. She was scared of giving her heart out nowadays. It was risky and most of the time, painful. Because people thought she wasn't worth their love.

"If I something Naka-chan I mean it.." He replied as he held her tightly. He wouldn't leave her alone, hell there was no way in hell he would ever consider it. Having her in his arms made him feel like he was actually needed and he had never felt like that before. Who would've thought that a simple decision to sleep in a cherry blossom tree would do all of this...He smiled at the thought and whispered gently into her ear. "I swear Naka-chan, I wont." He said as he kissed her cheek once more.

Naka smiled, this time glad. When he kissed her cheek, she closed her eyes and rested against him. He was warm and soft... He was nice and kind. Even if he was a bit younger, he was still one of the nicest guys she had met. Or was this just a trap? Was he nice at the beginning, but then he'd turn sour and leave her? She was scared of that. But might as well enjoy the present. He would get bored of her soon. Naka wrapped the blanket around them tighter so that they were snug and warm. "Have you ever been in love?" she asked curiously. Had he ever felt it?

Ryukotsusei pondered the question as well as her feelings. "No I have never been in love." He replied as he hugged her tight and leaned his forehead against hers. He smiled as he looked her eyes and gave her a gentle nuzzle. "You know you have nothing to fear from me right? You can trust me as sure as I can trust you...and thats a promise and I always keep my promises." He said as he then looked up at the stars and smiled, the full moon had gone over their view perfectly so it was large and absolutely gorgeous in the sky.

Naka stared into his eyes and her paranoia melted away. Who cared if he hurt her? All that was important was them right now. She smiled and nuzzled him back. Naka rubbed her nose against his, giving him an Eskimo kiss. "Beautiful, isn't it?" she commented when she saw he was looking at the moon. "You wait every month to see its beauty and it's all worth it... As they say, good things come to those who wait." Naka chuckled and relaxed into him. It was time for her to start trusting men again.

Ryukotsusei nodded as she spoke, obviously mesmerized by the moon for a bit. He gently shook his head awake and smiled as she him an Eskimo kiss. And he smiled at her words in the end. "Patience is a virtue eh?" He asked and held her close, not letting her go for fear that it all may just be a dream.

"Yeah...you never know, you've waited a lifetime, thinking you're alone, and then bam... You meet the love of your life." Naka smiled into his face and then rested her head in the crook of his neck. Soon, she was snoring softly, clenching his shirt in fear he might disappear. She didn't want him to go.

Ryukotsusei heard her words and nodded. He then heard her snoring and he simply hugged her and never let go of her. Sure enough though he fell asleep soon and they held each other as they dreamed throughout the night.

-- Morning --

Naka yawned and sat up, stretching. It was so nice and bright that day, birds were chirping and there was a light breeze... But wait a second, why was there a breeze? And why were the birds so loud? Naka's eyes widened as she realized she was ontop of a tree, still in her (now crumpled) kimono, her hair sticking out at all ends. Truthfully, she was petrified of heights, but last night was a night of kinship and bravado. Now, though, her head was completely clear.

She squeaked and laid back down, curling into a ball and latching onto Ryu, trembling. It was actually a bit amusing. She even looked like that scared chibi girl in anime who puffed her soul out of fear.