[Deleted]

Satori Akira

She looked good. "Sunset kiss, huh?" Akira would look down at them, lured in by their reddish hue. But she shared the same interest as eating as Akira had.

"I hadn't booked a restaurant, but I'm sure we can find something." though he didn't want to seem like he hadn't planned the event fully, he didn't know if Yoko was even going to be at her house. "How about we get dressed and I'll meet you out the front?" That was a good way to go, and he'd kiss her goodbye before getting himself redressed. It had been a good two or so hours they'd spent here.

Then back outside! They could begin looking for somewhere to eat.

He'd find his plan come to fruition when quarter of an hour later, all of the restaurants would be booked without fail - packed. It was, packed. They would not be finding a place to eat, not without some luck. "Ah... well, this hasn't panned out like I'd have expected." He would finally comment, after being turned away by yet another restaurant.

But that wasn't the end of it. Akira would pull Yoko's hand, they would be walking more now, with purpose. "I have another idea." So they'd ended up at a supermarket, a shop of different things. "I can cook for us, it'll pass the time and I'm eager to see how that wine tastes." It was an alternative to the possibility of not finding a place by waiting around, and he still wanted to something nice, and that way, they could have a laugh while still being able to find something to eat.

"So, whatcha fancy?" Akira would say as he grabbed a basket as they walked inside.

---

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SPOILER: Click to show ABILITIES: Jinchūriki, Stalwart Hide, Bukijutsu Maverick, Hawkeyes, Seal Weaver [Always Active] Genjutsu Innovator [Inactive] Genjutsu Subterfuge [Inactive] Political Orator [Inactive] JUTSU: n/a EQUIPMENT: n/a

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[Deleted]

So it was decided that they'd get dressed and meet out in front of the spa to work out the food situation. "Sounds great," she agreed, and went back to the changing area to get herself dressed. The layers of the kimono almost felt too heavy compared to the robe she'd been walking around in. It also didn't help that her muscles were more relaxed than they'd been in quite some time. Everything seemed like an effort against noodle arms.

A last long look in the mirror would tell her that she was once again completely put together--kimono, shoes and tabi, her matching bag, her hair perfectly pinned, her clip. Everything perfect. She made for the exit and then the search began.

But they didn't have any luck finding a place with enough open seats. That wasn't shocking--everywhere would be busy on a holiday like this. Yoko followed along, ever patient and waiting to see what Akira would decide on.

Eventually he took a different route, taking her hand and leading them to the market to buy their own ingredients. He was going to cook for them? Yoko had mixed feelings on that--it was her house, it only seemed right that she be the one to cook if she was hosting him. But she shut the weird feeling away and smiled instead. "Sure."

Akira would ask "what she fancied" and while the pinkette knew he meant food, her mind went elsewhere. "Aside from you?" she asked with a smirk, tapping her chin and pretending to give it some thought. "A vegetable stir fry might be nice. Whatever you want is fine with me." She didn't mind very much as long as it wasn't something off the wall and as long as it was cooked thoroughly. She'd never seen him cook before. This would be...interesting.

Yoko would help with gathering ingredients if he asked, but otherwise would follow at his side as he chose items throughout the store.

---

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[Deleted]

Satori Akira

So he wasn't the best cook: not horrible by any standard but you couldn't really call someone who had mastered five meals a good cook. He would pick it up quickly. Hopefully. Akira would go through a list of items to grab, seeing what she would have at home and what they would have to buy: as well as fresh chicken, vegetables and everything else.

Akira was happy to grab all of it himself, but if she went to help then that would be fine as well. Then they could be off, paying for it all and then walking back with Yoko, arm in arm with one another. But actually, they weren't heading directly toward her home, and she would likely be wondering why. They'd come to a storefront, and Akira would be looking up at the sign of the storefront, and jumbled around his back pocket and into his wallet.

Akira would hand her some notes and whisper in her ear, grinned - and took off. He would have a nice silent walk towards Yoko's home. Free of any noise. He'd said for her to meet him back at her house when she was done. That would be fine, and she would be able to surprise him as well.

He would wait happily for her, happy to admire her garden and how she'd taken care of it in the mean time. She'd shown some delicate care to their arrangement, color, as well as being seasonally correct. He wondered what color she had picked...

---

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[Deleted]

Yoko helped in gathering supplies. She didn't know this particular store by heart but it did go much quicker with both of them fetching ingredients. They left in short order with everything they needed, and while Yoko thought they would head straight to her home after this, Akira led them...somewhere else.

Yoko knew the kanji on the store front at first glance--she'd been here before. A lingerie shop. She felt a shiver at her date's whispered words, taking the offered money. Surprise him?

She smiled in the way of someone trying to hide their full excitement, giving a nod. "Okay. Thanks." Oh, gosh, she was so psyched.

Walking into the shop, her mind immediately boomed with "WHAT DO I BUY?" Because this was obviously a bigger decision. Yoko's usual delicates were fancy and colorful, a lot of lace, a lot of pretty detailing. But this...this was for Valentine's, and not surprisingly there was a swarm of other women in here, too, shopping for the exact same thing she was.

An attendant floated over to her, all smiles and cheer. "Can I help you find something?"

Yoko paused, looking at a new display on the far wall. "Actually, yes. My--" He wasn't her boyfriend, but she couldn't say "date," because who bought this stuff for one date? "--partner, I want to get something that resonates with him. I like pink and frilly but that's not his style."

"Of course, of course," the woman nodded along. "I have a few collections that we just got in, very bold, but with very flattering accents."

Yoko followed her further in, absolutely thrilled despite the weight on her shoulders to pick the perfect set.

----

On her way back, Yoko stopped at the sweets stand that she and Akira had visited earlier. She specifically bought a cinnamon variety of the glazed bread they'd bought, getting it wrapped up nicely in a little to-go box with a few smaller servings in it. It would still be warm by the time she got to the house, and she hoped they hadn't had the same idea or there'd be way too much.

But it'd been too good to pass up a second helping. It would pair so nicely with the wine.

"Don't think about the carbs! Just don't."

----

Yoko would arrive at her doorstep a while later. It wasn't a horrible wait, but she'd clearly been torn about what to buy--and had almost left with three sets of items instead of just one. With a small, black bag in tow on her left wrist and the to-go box in her right hand, she waved to Akira and would let them both inside the house. "Sorry if I kept you waiting," she said hurriedly, swinging the front door open and stepping inside.

Flipping off her shoes, she turned to him as the door was shut. "Do you want help preparing dinner?" But what she really wanted to do was tear into that bottle of wine. And get more comfortable--which entailed several things.

---

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[Deleted]

Satori Akira

As in turn he'd been waiting, she'd been choosing. A little time would pass before she returned to her home, being able to see Akira just waiting - staring out into the distance and away with the faeries. "Don't be. I'm sure you've not spent your time in vain..." His eyes glanced over the bag, and then the box. "Looks like you took a detour, I think.." he was amused in his tone of view, seeing her rear as she stepped through into the building. He would do the same as well, taking off his shoes a second time.

This time, he took off his blazer, placing it on one of her hooks, and began to roll up his sleeves up to the elbow. Something she might've enjoyed. "I would say yes, but it depends on the importance of your itinerary..." Akira would smile. It depended on their events, if she wanted to eat now - or later.

"But where, are, your wine glasses?" Akira would ask as he stepped into the kitchen. He'd taken a small liberty, placing the bag of ingredients onto the counter and turning, making himself comfortable in the doorway of the kitchen again.

He'd be able to grasp for the wine bottle from where it'd been left, wandering into her house again. Though, he'd done so a little without asking for permission, though he was cleverer than to begin stripping it down or touching anything. He'd turn back to Yoko in the door frame between the hallway and the living room.

"What do you fancy? Aside from me, obviously." A wink. He'd reiterate the same response she'd said earlier, but asking about two very different things now.

---

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[Deleted]

Yoko would only giggle a bit at his mention of "spending her time in vain." Oh, no, just the opposite. And he'd know it later.

Once inside, he would give her the option about dinner. Apparently it hadn't been concrete in his mind to immediately begin preparing it. But Yoko thought better about starting out anything strenuous on an empty stomach.

"I'd rather eat sooner. I bought some glazed cinnamon bread." She held up the box. "For after." She might have called it dessert but it didn't seem grand enough for that. Still, it would be a sweet snack to go with their drinks while they let dinner settle.

"Glasses are in the cabinet...to your left," she directed, watching him unpack. Yoko set the to-go box on the counter and moved toward the sink, setting her bag down on the kitchen table. There'd be no chance of him peeking at the contents because she'd had everything wrapped and hidden beneath black paper.

As for what she fancied in that moment? A few things, but he thought to rule out the most obvious right away. Aside from Akira himself? "Dinner first. Then a show." She flashed a mischievous smile, returning his wink, and would proceed to get washed up at the sink.

Grabbing a knife from the block on the counter, she turned to him. "I can prep the veggies?" She twirled the knife for emphasis, very clearly not wanting to leave the entire preparation up to him. This was her kitchen.

Assuming he did let her help, he could safely leave all the chopping to her. When it came time to actually cook, though, she was fine leaving that to him since he'd offered to do it. And then she'd be one step closer to being able to run upstairs with her purchases and change into something far more comfortable for the rest of the evening.

---

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[Deleted]

Satori Akira

So she gave her answer. "Sounds fine for me." He'd go into the kitchen following after her and would unpack the items: pulling out another knfie from the block and pulling out a board, beginning to cut at the meat into strips. He would let her fish out a wok from wherever it would be - and thinking about the route he was going to take to cook it properly.

He'd only briefly glance at where she'd taken out a little black wrap. 'Hm.' Like he was being teased. "I bet..." He'd keep his head down at the chopping. But he managed to do it for someone who was proficient with weaponry: working like a dazzling display, or a chef would be able to.

"I like that idea." Akira would quickly turn around and kiss her on the neck, and continue with what he was doing. She'd be able to do her half, and he could do his. But he finished himself, and Yoko would have a bit more to do (having chosen to do the larger half) and would wash his hands, and then went to fetch two glasses. Then the wine. "Is there a best way to do it?" Akira would look at the bottom of the bottle and upwards toward the cap. But he was ready to pour two of them.

Unfortunately, what Akira didn't know is that the wine would definitely not be in his taste. He would try his best not to show that.

---

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[Deleted]

The sound of steel against wood would fill the kitchen as the two of them went to work. The amount of vegetables they'd picked up left a small mountain on the left side of the cutting board, but Yoko didn't mind. This was no different than what she normally did, as many of her meals consisted of more greens than meat.

Eventually she finished up her portion of the prep and set her knife into the sink to be cleaned later. Akira had brought over two glasses from the cabinet and the wine, which had sat in the fridge during their outing and was now pleasantly chilled.

He asked if there was a "best way" to open the bottle, and Yoko only smirked at him at first, before turning around and fetching a corkscrew from one of the drawers. "With your strength you could likely pull it. But these are much easier." She handed it to him, watching him to make sure he didn't somehow shred the cork in an attempt to open it.

Once he'd managed to do that and pour them both a glass, Yoko would find a place leaned back against one of the counters, raising her glass to his with a cheerful, "Happy Valentine's," and a smile.

The taste was perfect and the bottle might as well have had her name written all over it. It was sweet and spiced just right without being overbearing. "I love it," she chimed, and moved to place her glass on the table. "What do you think?" She didn't know by his expression whether it was actually his taste or not, but it definitely met her approval.

"While you work on this," she said, gesturing to the ingredients, "I'm going to slip into something else." She grabbed the black bag with a quick hook of her index finger and then dashed off upstairs.

It would be around fifteen minutes before the pinkette returned, wearing a deep red tunic dress with a split skirt and a diamond-shaped cutout at the center of her chest. Ruby earrings were paired with it, and she'd finally let her hair down, freshly straightened while she'd been upstairs. A new spritz of perfume hung about her, jasmine with a hint of something more exotic and fresh.

With lighter clothing on she felt so much more free in her movements. Her attire no longer matched Akira's, which he would note if he glanced at her return to the kitchen, but it didn't matter much seeing as they likely weren't going out into town again.

"How's it coming along?"

---

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[Deleted]

Satori Akira

He would be handed a corkscrew, and he studied it momentarily before figuring out how it worked. Decorking it seemed simple enough, and he'd just about succeed, with only slightly fragmenting the cork and some of it falling in. It was his first go, after all. But it would come undone, and he would pour two glasses.

"Happy valentines~" he'd coo back to her as well, sniffing at the drink first before taking a taste. It smelled sweet and spicy all in one - but the taste was something else. The corners of his eyes would twitch slightly as the thing rolled around his mouth. 'Kami' he croaked out in his thoughts. His scent took off something more alcoholic about the beverage, like he was breathing it in. Then the taste being not to his liking: too bitter, too alcoholic like - and just...

He swallowed.

Strong now, as well. He didn't want to directly offend her tastes, but it certainly wasn't for him. "It's strong." He'd note to her. He would kiss her goodbye, and would be left to it. "Kay'." he would answer simply.

She left, and Akira would roll his tongue out of his mouth to try and get some air. "Blegh..." He mumbled quietly to himself, but got to work on the food.

Akira would begin to work on the actual cooking of the fry: so making the sauce first, adding the ingredients, the soy sauce - finding those ingredients from her cupboards was great fun. Then it was adding the sugar, the spices - simmering them and putting the sauce aside. Then cooking the chicken, adding the harder vegetables first (and later followed by the soft ones.) Fifteen minutes would whiz by in no time, and he was a little closer to having the food done.

Yoko would swing by again, Akira busy cooking. The man would look over at her. He'd look down back at the clothing and back to the food, then stopped- looked back again and turned, now noticing how she was dressed. "Damn."

"Come here," he said softly.

---

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[Deleted]

It really was a strange thing seeing someone else cooking in her kitchen. It had been weird when Kaito had done it, and it was still weird now. But she kept this to herself, eyeing the progress made on their meal until Akira took real notice of what she was wearing.

He sounded impressed. And while Yoko knew this particular dress was stunning, it was what she wore beneath it that she was most excited for him to see. The lingerie she'd chosen at the shop was even better than the dress and she could hardly wait to tear it off later.

She was called over and a smooth saunter would bring her close, close enough that her upper body would brush against his, and she moved up on her toes to kiss him. The dress hugged her rather nicely, its snug-fitting fabric accentuating everything in a way he'd be able to appreciate all the more up close.

Her hand would drift up to rest softly against his chest, green eyes staring up into blues. It was almost surreal, all of this. They'd begun on such a horrible first impression so long ago only to end up spending together the most romantic holiday of the year. Her heart was happy. A little surprised, yet, but happy.

She would kiss him again, and then, among the sounds and scents of food, the air of jasmine, the subtlety of his cologne, and the feel of her body pressing more firmly into his, she said with a smile, "I don't think I could've thought of a better day than this."

Her alternative until he'd shown up had been books. And when she would've undoubtedly gotten bored of that, it would've been studying. Another long night spent in her lab. But instead, she'd be with him, a long night spent tangled up in sheets rather than textbooks. And maybe it was silly to have such an intimate epiphany in this moment, but she realized now--realized fully--what her conscience had been nudging her toward for some time now:

She really, truly liked him. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally, too. It went beyond attraction and lust--even though that was how it'd started. It had blossomed into something more. Something better. Something truly warm and happy and safe.

---

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[Deleted]

Satori Akira

She would press herself against him and one of his hands would press by her hip: above, not below. He appreciated her fresh perfume and he would do an intake of breath. Breathing into her. "MMm..." he enjoyed it.

Akira was feeling the heat between them and it wasn't because they were by a open fire. "Thats' right." His hand would graze through her straightened hair, splitting through his fingers. She'd also taken to straightening it as well, as he could feel through its softness.

"I don't think so, it would've been pretty boring without me, right?" There was a mischievous glint, but he nodded. "I think so." And he would kiss her once - one to the lips, one to the forehead: and then he would turn to continue cooking. Something that burned slightly: but that was okay!

Back to moving his spatula, tossing some noodles into it to finish it off. He'd be able to deliver the dish into two bowls, easy enough: then fetching two sets of chopsticks - one to Yoko, and they would be able to go to her living room to eat. "Smells good." Akira hoped, hoped, that it would be.

And it was okay. Not the greatest thing either of them would've tasted, with the soy-sauce being slightly overpowering. But it was nice. "Again, you've settled into the place really nicely. The decor is good." Akira would say as he sat himself down on the sofa, sat up - bowl in hand, chopsticks in the other. "Have you managed to pay this off?" the use of his chopsticks would be to do an "all around" motion, mentioning the house.

---

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[Deleted]

Boring without him? "Very," she agreed, reveling in the kiss that followed. She wouldn't bore him with the details, but even her own studies got dull after enough time spent reading by lamp light.

Akira would return to actively working on dinner, eventually moving two servings into respective bowls for the both of them. Yoko took hers and would grab her glass of wine, the both of them migrating into the living room.

As stir fry went, it was decent. Yoko thought while eating the first few bites that she personally would've used a few other spices to heighten the flavor profile, but it was definitely good as it was. "I like it," she said with a smile, taking another bite as he went on to compliment her home's decor.

"The decor is more than good! It's fabulous! Perfect!" her pride insisted.

"Thank you," she acknowledged warmly, choosing to accept the compliment rather than make a fuss. "I haven't paid it off just yet, no. I have not ruled out moving someday, so I haven't been the most aggressive with principle payments." She did adore her home, and it had taken quite a long time to get it just right to where she was content with how everything looked and felt. The atmosphere in every room had been carefully cultivated through use of particular colors, fabrics, textures, designs, placements, etc. To move would be a headache, but she didn't like the idea of wasting money on the false assumption she'd be in this residence forever.

Yoko made quick work of her bowl after that. She was more hungry than she'd realized. It made the wine go down quicker, though, which wasn't such a bad thing. A slight buzz would only add to the evening.

Without a word, Yoko went to the kitchen and brought back the to-go box, setting it on the coffee table. She took some of the bread, tried a drink of wine, and her expression lit up. It was such a good pairing! They'd been right. "These are perfect together," she said, holding up the bread. "I could eat the whole box if my stomach allowed."

---

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[Deleted]

Satori Akira

At least she'd had the time and energy to play back with him, otherwise that would've been boring. "heh, well I think it could've been better, but thanks." Always lingering on the things that he could be doing better in his life was a bigger indicator of the things going on in his maelstrom of a mind.

But if her goal was to be invested in moving, then it made sense to not pay it off. But as Akira saw it, it was all equity: any payments made would be going towards her final net worth. But that was a bit too much business. Outwardly, he just agreed. Akira had done the opposite, though as of late he'd been less frugal and more extravagant. But his other dealings, one of Yoko's long term targets, had kept him in the green for a wide margin, and so his own pockets were fat by that fact alone.

"Makes sense." Akira nodded, blowing on some sauce coated chicken. It was still good, and still had all the nutrients they'd need. He wouldn't have thought in that time by how he saw her eating, it would never cross his mind that she was starving herself on a regular basis to keep her figure. They'd quickly finished the .

Akira quickly took a swig of wine, followed by one of the bread pieces: the cinnamon quickly balanced them out. Now, it wasn't so bad: if so bad included eating after drinking by a quick margin. "I feel ya, but keeping our figures isn't easy... to not eat shit like this constantly. A difficult battle.." Akira would smooch up next to her, and would be more than happy to let her wine herself inside his arms.

They'd be able to sit there and enjoy another's company, leading towards an inevitable. Of course it was. "You know, you aren't such a bad person.." Was the wine getting to his head already? He'd be staring at her, taking in her beautiful eyes. Yeah. A little tipsy.

Kiss.

So what?

Kiss.

"Do you have a record player somewhere, perchance?" Akira would ask of her. Only because if the answer was yes, she'd be able to find that he'd tried learning a bit more of a dance move, and moving with her - a board game, just being in her presence was one of the reasons why he was here: the fact that he was able to come here, be nothing but himself and not be judged for it, under the prying, watchful gaze of Iwagakure no Sato. No ANBU agents: just them.

And that, to him, was calmness.

---

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[Deleted]

He was so modest about his cooking. It was endearing, in a way. Yoko might have said something similar if she'd been the one to prepare their dinner. She was a great cook and knew very well that she was, but food didn't have the same appeal when you bragged about it. A meal would, ideally, speak for itself.

Yoko noticed that Akira worked rather quickly on the bread and wine, as if he wanted more of the food and less of the drink. She studied him further as he commented on diet choice. "It really isn't," she agreed. Keeping her figure wasn't easy. Not even in the same realm as easy. In fact, it was painfully difficult. Skipping meals and so strictly controlling portions was an exhausting effort. But it paid off, even if she didn't have the same strength as some others...

Yoko cozied up to him when he slid over to her side of the sofa, snuggling her body against his and taking another sip of wine. What he said next was a little odd, though. "Not such a bad person"? What did that mean? Had he thought ill of her up until only recently? Where was his head at? Surely not yet drowned in the wine?

But his stare drew her in, and she felt her face heat up, and then he kissed her--and she pushed the curiosity away. Far, far away.

He would kiss her again and when he pulled away the woman bit her lip, green eyes fiery. A record player? "Um... No, I'm sorry." She regretted now not investing in more musical hobbies. How nice it would've been to have a piano or violin and keep them for occasions like this one.

"Typically my ambiance here is birdsong." She gave an awkward smile and took another drink of wine. It was settling warm in her stomach and she could already feel it working into her head. Thankfully it wouldn't be sucker-punching her into drunkenness with the food she'd eaten.

"If it is entertainment you want, I have other means..." She lowered her gaze to the table next to them, a strange guilt filling her at the idea of not having something in her home that he'd wanted. Like her furnishings were inadequate. It wasn't true, of course, and the logical side of her knew he wouldn't mind that much. But the stronger part--the part domineered by servitude, told her she should've somehow prepared better, she should've had more to offer.

---

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Satori Akira

If she liked it, then it was fine. He would accept the compliment graciously, twirling the chopsticks and bowing his head comically as if to say 'why thank you!' but it didn't mind too much if she didn't have music, they could make do with other stuff as well.

"That's nice. Something light to fill the air in the mornings and in the evenings." He managed a drink himself, taking in the lull from the natural silence in the air. While he was perfectly fine, and calm in the situation - he felt Yoko being a bit nervous. He'd pull her into him.

"I've learned a few more dance moves, and was hoping to show off." Akira would be fine with what he had right here and right now. She had no need to worry from him about danger, however she'd been tempered with obedience.

He'd smile at her, trying to help her break the tension. Even with her age, Akira felt like he was dealing with someone his own age. Like she'd been a bit unsure of herself, and the former attitude she'd shown to him was just to keep people away. That she was actually quite soft underneath the hard exterior.

His right hand would tap against the glass he held it in. The conversation would shift slightly. He meant what he was saying lightly - but there was always curiosity desiring to be sated. "You know... it was quite funny seeing you walk off all embarrassed, and fuming in the spa... how'd you manage to keep people away like that? Or why, rather?"

---

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i hate that i love

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