Kurai gave a smug grin when she stuttered, and he felt rather accomplished as per usual when she got flustered. "Then you don't have to," He said smoothly, and raised one eyebrow slightly when her gaze began to dart around, which made him chuckle under his breath. "You don't need to explain yourself, I would have taken 'No' just fine." Or not, depending on his mood, but generally speaking he'd just drop the subject if she wanted to let go of it.. er.. depending on the subject. Damn Kurai is picky.

Underestimating Kurai could be a costly mistake.. he may not be controlling and demanding at this moment in time, and despite his sweet and thoughtful words, Kurai is very much still a jealous person, and if he had to.. he would definitely dominate. "Mhm.." He hummed in a deep tone, and then ran his tongue along his lower lip in a rather nervous fashion while the silence sifted through the air upon waiting for Ria's answer. When she finally burst, Kurai gave a cheeky grin and watched her reaction. Maybe treating her like a normal woman would benefit in their relationship, instead of thinking of her as a shinobi who wanders the earth. Kurai took the top of her mug with his fingers, and lowered it from her face so he could see her expression. Obviously it made his ego flare up, but what didn't? Slowly, and almost cautiously, Kurai leaned in and placed a light kiss on her cheek as if saying thanks.

Again, he gave her that smug grin she loved. It didn't help her recover from being flustered, but that was okay. He was in a much better mood somehow, she wasn't entirely sure how, but happy he was. Luckily, Ria answered with a "maybe" most often, and if Kurai was picky, Ria would be flexible for him even if he didn't deserve it. She would tolerate his picky behavior for awhile.

But she shouldn't be underestimated either. For when she had enough, it wouldn't be just her tears spilling on the floor. Underneath all the mushy emotions and doormat behavior, she had a deep streak of pride that would collide with his eventually.

Then again, this was not one of those times. She managed to set the mug down on the counter just as Kurai's lips touched her cheek; she let out a breathy giggle in welcome. "Kurai~." Sliding her hands on to his shoulders, she made a little space in between them to keep her focus and calm herself. Hopefully, he didn't pick up that she was up for easy manipulation at the moment. "So when should we have this little date?"

It was too perfect that Ria just ate up whatever Kurai said. It definitely made him feel superior to others.. which could ultimately be a big disaster. At least with Ria, she kept his mind off events of the past that came around again and again, and most importantly, it kept his mind off Sayomi. But the thought never occurred to him that perhaps Ria was just someone to use to get rid of that pain, like she was some kind of drug. Whatever the case, Ria made him happy and that is all that matters.

Kurai placed his own mug back on the counter, and had a small smile on his face when she placed her hands on his shoulders. It just reminded him that he is taller, stronger and could take over any moment if he wanted to, but at this particular moment he just wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and listened to her breathing. "Heh," he mumbled a small chuckle when she said his name, and the smile turned into a more smug grin. "Whenever you like," Kurai said in a calm tone, and then he pressed his cheek against Ria's lightly. "However," he breathed into her ear gently, and then let out another light laugh, "I don't think we'll be going anywhere fancy, because you're covered in dirt."

Maybe that was one of the mysterious reasons why they got along so well. She might have been a drug to him, but she also acted like she were on drugs especially around Kurai.

Poor Ria. The thought of her being used wasn't occurring again like it should. At least their ignorance kept the peace.

"Stop smiling..." Ria muttered under her breath, her gaze darting about again. "You're making me nervous..." She resisted the urge to shove him off in embarrassment. She could almost read his thoughts by his smile, reading that he was thinking something about his ability to dominate her. His smug attitude tipped her off on his inflated ego. "W-well! I'm not usually covered in dirt. I've just been getting into dirty situations as of late..." Now that she thought about it, from the moment she met Kurai she had been getting down and dirty covered in blood, dirt and who knows what else. At least it proved that she wasn't too high maintenance. She pouted at him cutely. "I can clean up."

"Stop smiling?" He laughed inwardly, and then pulled his head back some more to read her expression, "You have no reason to be nervous," He paused and raised an eyebrow curiously, "Why are you nervous?" He questioned and drummed his fingers along her lower back as he waited patiently for her answer. Kurai knew it would be easy to get Ria to do whatever he wanted, but he wasn't that power hungry. Not yet at least. That being said though and despite his ego and pride, Kurai would do anything Ria told him to do. But that was a secret.

Kurai took his hand and wiped her cheek with his thumb, "I'd say.." he mumbled and then gave her cheek a light pat. He never really cared whether he was dirty or not, but he did care about his appearance when going out amongst normal people, and not allowing them to think that Uchiha's cannot clean up well. "You will clean yourself up." He told her firmly, but the moment that pout appeared on Ria's face, the Uchiha got a slight shiver up his spine. He can't handle cute .. it might actually be one of his weaknesses. "Don't look at me like that, Ria.." Kurai's voice trailed off slightly.

Ria gave a lighthearted scowl emphasizing her troubled expression. "Because! Because...I like you, so," She scoffed to hide her embarrassment. "And no one does this to me so...so....That's that." Pursing her lips, she wanted to hide. Kurai might have been a jerk, but in a shinobi's world, she didn't know any better. In her world, being able to be close to anyone without worrying that they wanted to interrogate you for information was rare. Any form of kindness was a gift.

Still pouting, she added a little scowl. "Like what?" She tilted her head to the side. "Is something wrong?" Her confusion turned to worry. "I'll go and myself up then...Okay?"

Kurai smirked when she gave him a scowl, and then he smirked wider when she tried to hide her embarrassment. Oh his ego was overflowing. "You like me, huh?" Right, like he didn't know that already, but hearing it again only made him happier. "Wait, what do I do to you?" Kurai asked curiously, but already knew the answer, "Please, enlighten me Ria. Then maybe I will give you a break." His voice was smooth, and quiet.

He kept his dark grey eyes on her and let the silence fill the room, except for the light breeze rustling the cherry blossoms outside and the sound of birds singing. "..No, nothing's wrong." He added while taking a breath inwardly and stretching shoulders back, then straightened his spine. "You could probably get anything you wanted with that expression." Even though Kurai was an only child he still had a great sense of protection for girls, and that probably strung from caring for his mother as a child. Certain expressions have the possibility of making him defenseless. "Alright, you know where the bathroom is?" He wanted to make sure he didn't just set her loose in his home. He then took one arm from around her waist and picked up his mug of tea to take a small sip.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Ria huffed "Wha--...~~enlighten you--!?" She would open her mouth to gape, and shut it with nothing intelligible to say. "You do..." She bit her lip, her gaze lounged to the side. "You do flatter me." She found softer terms that weren't very descriptive. She guessed anything like "you make me hot" or "you make me feel alive" might make his ego suffocate her.

The silence and his eyes cornered her to do something. Fortunately, he broke the silence first with his response. She was doubtful, but she took his word. Keeping her pout she asked, "Can I have your love?" For a good minute, she looked dead serious until her pout melted into a playful smile. "Even I can't have everything."

With his arm away, she flitted toward the bathroom as if it were her escape to freedom. "Of course I know~" She sang, grabbing her mug while rounding the curb of the counter.

The smirk stayed put on his face, and he tilted his head to the side while Ria became frustrated with him. "Yeah, I want to know what you're thinking." Although he found that her expressions told what she was thinking most of the time, but it was still nice to hear the words. Kurai grinned slightly and turned his gaze away from her while he processed what she said. Flatter huh? "Well, a woman needs some flattery in her life, and seeing as you usually find yourself in sticky situation quite often.. I feel it's only necessary to make sure you're flattered." Not only is he flattering her to make her feel good, but to kind of redeem himself for being such a jerk the last while.

His eyebrows perked up when she asked to have his love, and then one furrowed down to give a curious expression. He pursed his lips in thought, and then took another sip of his tea while watching as she made her way to the bathroom. Kurai took a few steps and reached out with his free hand to grab her wrist before she were to get around the corner, "Do you want it?" he asked seriously and his curious expression faded, but not from his eyes.

"You know!" Ria retorted stubbornly. "Asking is like-like-...just getting me to say it out loud!" Flatter, yes. Ironic words coming from the person who was doing the complete opposite of flattery an hour ago.

The tea sloshed with the sudden motion, spilling a few drops on her foot and floor. She blinked at the sight of his hand around her wrist. She wasn't in shock, but she was too still as if processing the motion. "To use the bathroom? Yes." She joked mechanically. "Your love? Well...are you offering?" Her voice was sincere though.

"Well, I just want to hear it again." He said simply, as if it was common knowledge, "How else am I supposed to know I am doing it right if you won't tell me." She didn't have to say though since it was written plain on her face.

Kurai stared at her for a moment, then loosened the grip on her wrist since he wasn't sure if he was being too harsh or not. "I'm serious." He spoke to her in a low tone when she joked about the bathroom. He may be in a nice mood, but that doesn't mean he is in a joking mood. "Of course Ria," he paused and let go of her wrist now, and stood back feeling a bit unusual for being so blunt. "..I mean, you already know that, right?"

"What do you want from me exactly?" She asked softly, her lashes shadowed her downcast eyes. "Do you want me to say that I don't want you to ever push me away again? Or do you want me to say that you're an egotistical jerk who turns me on with one smirk?" A sly grin kept up on her face. "Or even that you're overly jealous to the point that you hurt me in the process, but...I like jealousy, to a certain point." Her words should inflate and deflate his ego, and she was curious on how he would take both.

She blinked back with an 'Oh I see' written all over her face. "No, I'm not sure...Or maybe I want to just hear that you love me." The word love stumbled out of her mouth awkwardly. "But I don't know. I don't know anything, Kurai. I'm not sure what we are. Are you like...what are we? That's why I was joking...Curious, but..."

Kurai bit his lower lip suddenly, and glanced away momentarily while she spoke. "I know I have my faults," Kurai spoke in an honest tone, "and I know the push people away when I don't intend on that at all." It was quite the opposite, seeing as he has the ability to care too much, but will instead push people away with his over aggressive approach to it. Even though she had said a smirk sent her wild, Kurai didn't feel such a big ego kick out of it. "I'm working on it." Kurai said in a quieter tone.

The word 'love' made his body language a bit rigid, but it soon relaxed when he caught that it came out awkwardly from her mouth. "Perhaps I do," He paused to take a breath, and then clenched his teeth while thinking. He didn't know what they were, and he didn't know what they weren't. "We're something." He settled with that answer for now, until he could figure out exactly what they were.

Good boy, Kurai. She rewarded him with an "all is forgiven" smile.

As much as Ria should have felt bad for upsetting Kurai, she was glad that he understood that she didn't like what he had put her through. She was happy that he cared that she had been hurt. Over aggressive and over reactive, what had been done had been done. She felt they were even now.

"Okay." She uttered simply. "We're something." Not a satisfying answer, but it was a legitimate answer. She shrugged and motioned toward the bathroom. "So I'll shower now?"

Ria was simply asking too much of Kurai at this moment in time. He couldn't answer, because he was uncertain what she thought of them. He did not like putting himself out on a limb, even if it is heavily weighed in his favor, simply because he may get hurt. Physical pain is one, but a pain of the heart is something people can't see, touch or heal like they can a normal wound. It wasn't something he was prepared to do just yet.

Knowing she wasn't satisfied with his answer, Kurai took a step back and felt around his pocket with his free hand, and took a sip of his tea from the other. "..Mhm." He murmured and nodded to the bathroom. "..All yours." Unless of course the Tsuchikage was waiting in his shower so they could bathe together. Then there would be some emotional words. "I guess I'll get ready too," he mumbled and rubbed his right eye with his palm and then ran his hand through his black hair. "Be quick, if you can."

Ria knew she was asking a question that was too difficult to answer now. Only time would tell what they were. Neither of them were willing to go out on a limb if it meant they could get hurt. This would take awhile...

"Sure." She responded briefly. Recalling where the towels where from last night, she found a clean towel. Yesterday's towels needed to be washed. It didn't take her long to hop into the shower and go over with a quick wash of shampoo and soap. It took near ten minutes before she cut the water and dried off. She left the bathroom, drying her hair with the towel and wearing another Uchiha robe she found over her own underwear. In the laundry room, she shoved the dirty dress into the wash with towels from the day before and started it. (She managed to clean the spill of tea with toilet paper while she was at it.) She salvaged her bomb tabs and change from the dryer, putting it in an orderly pile on top of the dryer.

Finally, she returned to the living room with her empty mug and flopped on to the couch wanting to go back to bed. She yawned. Damn that lack of sleep.

Kurai was quick to have a shower, but spent a bit of time in the washroom tending to his weaker eye which had started to pain him lately. It wasn't a big problem, but definitely distracted him from things at hand already. Having washed up and exited the bathroom with a towel around his waist, Kurai walked lazily into his bedroom and changed into a simple black yukata with embroidered Uchiha clan emblem on the back. Kurai now moved into the area Ria was in, and took a moment to look her over, and began to wonder if she was tired or not. "Do you still want to go out?" he questioned while running a hand through his damp hair, and then he walked over to the couch and sat down next to her. He turned towards her and tilted his head curiously, "We can stay in if you are sleepy." His voice was rather bland, but he didn't really mind if they went out, or stayed in. Either way, he did not want to have a cranky and tired Ria on his hands, and he was sure she didn't want a cranky and tired Kurai as company either. Carefully, Kurai took Ria's hand and began tracing the back of it, "Hey,.. I'm sorry." He murmured and obviously wasn't used to apologizing. Shortly thereafter, he let go of her hand and leaned back against the couch, "I know I'm a pain."

When Kurai entered, Ria gazed up at him with the smile. "Hope you don't mind if I'm wearing your clothes again. My stuff is in the wash still." She sighed placing her empty mug on a reachable solid surface.

"Don't worry about it too much. It's something we both already know." She closed her eyes calmly. "I can relax here. Just a little while...I wanna stay here...like this..." She placed her hand over his.

Kurai tilted his head to the side and gave a weak smirk, "I don't mind," He breathed and then wiped some drops of water from his face that had come down from his hair. "I like seeing you in them, so you're welcome to do your laundry here anytime.."

He tapped his feet on the floor for a moment and wiggled his squeaky clean toes, staring at them as if they held some kind of conversation with him. Or maybe he was just bored. "I know-" Kurai spoke but had cut himself off to take in a deep breath then to yawn, ".. I just felt the need to apologize. I've been unreasonable with you." Finally Kurai took his gaze off his feet and to their hands. He slowly turned his hand and let their fingers intertwine together. "You can stay however long you want," Kurai said confidently and the corners of his lips turned upwards slightly. "Or until you miss your own bed."

Ria nodded, recalling his eagerness to dress her in Uchiha garb. She took a few seconds to admire how Kurai looked after showering, taking a picture with her mind to store.

"I probably won't miss my lonely bed anytime soon~" She sang with a smirk. Sitting up, she scooted over to Kurai. Her thigh pressed against his thigh and she poked the side of his foot with her own clean toe. She chuckled, but stopped abruptly to sneeze. Her own hair was still damp, chilling her neck. Pulling her hair to the side away from her neck, she asked, "What day is it today? I need to go back for a quick C-rank mission overview on Wednesday. Mostly babysitting some genin."

Kurai gave a sly smirk, and glanced at her with his eyes briefly. When she scooted over to him he pulled their hands apart and laced his arm around the small of her back, and pulled her body closer, "I hope it'll only be occupied with me." He figured her lonely bed was better than an occupied bed that didn't involve him. "Because you do know you're mine right?" He raised a brow with curiosity and then placed his foot over top of her foot that was poking him. "Today is.." Kurai glanced to the ceiling in thought, and then to the kitchen trying to find an answer. "I believe it's Monday.. but I could be wrong." Kurai pursed his lips and then looked back at her, "What time would you leave for Suna?" His voice was significantly quieter than usual only because he didn't like the idea of her leaving, but he knew that she had duties to attend to and in reality it's more important.. even if it's just babysitting genin.

"I'm not crafty enough to get another man into your bed! Let alone enter your house undetected!" She chuckled. "But its a good thing you did...Or I would have just left without making amends with you." After a pause to ponder, she whispered, "I might be yours."

She moved her foot as if it were being crushed underneath his foot, wiggling her toes in mock struggle. "Latest, I should leave Tuesday evening."

Leaving wasn't the happiest thought, but she believed that time apart would help her decide on...things. She kept hoping that she wasn't just being carried away by the spur of moment.

Kurai gave a small chuckle, and bowed his head as he did so. "I can be pretty stubborn Ria," he rested his chin in his hand as his elbow rested upon his knee, and he tilted his head to the side to look at her, "...I don't think you can be undetected Ria, you're pretty clumsy.." He tapped his pinky on his cheekbone and raised an eyebrow, "Besides, I wasn't going to just let you slip away." Kurai sat up straight again and slouched back into the couch instead, "Might be?" He sounded rather playful, but his expression remained the same old blank expression. "If that's so, what can I do to convince you that you are mine?"

Turning his attention back to their little foot war, Kurai wiggled his foot as if he were putting out a cigarette, "I don't want you to get in trouble. If you want to leave early.. then I guess you can." Typical Kurai, he was so involved in his missions that anything else was put on the back burner, and he figured that applied to every other shinobi he met. He wasn't even sure if Ria was as serious as him, or perhaps he had such anxiety over time lines that it forced him to wake up hours ahead of time to get ready to go. Nothing was last minute with him.

However, Kurai would also understand her absence was needed, although it would take awhile to sink in. "In any case Ria, you're welcome here anytime.. seeing as you already know how to break in.." He spoke in jest, which didn't particularly suit him..

"Uuu..." She sweat dropped. "I'm just a bit clumsy..." She rolled her eyes at him. "You were so going to let me slip away so that's why I'm unsure." The kunoichi explained using some usual hand motions along with her expressive expressions. "So it'll take time. And it's really up to you!" She ended her little rant with a smile.

Her foot replied with the movements of a creature squirming in pain. She shrugged. "I'll get in on time. I get in all sorts of trouble, as you can guess. Being late isn't usually one of them." If she took her job seriously, she wouldn't even bother leaving Suna unless it was mission related. Missions rarely gave her anxiety unless it was dangerous. Luckily, Suna was peaceful at the moment.

"Maybe I'll break in as you sleep and get my revenge." Ria grinned mischievously. "Tie you up and leave."

Kurai scraped his lower lip with his teeth to file off dead skin, then he ran his tongue along his lip thoughtfully. "If I was going to let you slip away, I would have." he defended himself, and he pulled himself back up from his former slouched position and turned his body towards her. "Up to me? ..I think I'm the only one here who knows what I want." Kurai released Ria's foot from his villainess hold and swung his legs up and across Ria's legs.

He leaned back against the arm rest of the couch and crossed his ankles. "Well, if you are positive you'll get home in time, why don't you give my feet a massage?" He smirked and placed his hands behind his head, "I could go for one, my feet ache." With that sentence, Kurai wiggled his toes dramatically and stared at Ria.

His expression changed from cocky to a rather angry pout, "Nnh.." he mumbled them cleared his throat, "Tie me up and leave me? That doesn't sound nice at all.. you're a cruel girl you know." Even though Kurai was fully confident in himself to get out of being tied up (or never being tied up to begin with, because he's that confident,) Kurai thought he would play with it a bit, and give Ria some kind of glimmer of dominance. He pulled the pout off his face and nodded to his feet while looking at Ria expectantly, "Feet? Now?"