Genma blinked at the clock on his nightstand, trying to turn the blurry lines into digits: 2:13. He scrubbed a hand over his eyes and kicked the blankets off. The tapping on his window had been loud enough to wake him, but the repetition had grown tentative. Pushing fingers through his sleep-mussed hair, Genma flipped the lock, and opened the glass to the night air.

Sakura stood on the balcony, eyes bright despite the heavy drizzle hanging in the air. Streaks of black ran down her pale cheeks, smeared beneath her eyes. Genma cursed under his breath, then offered a hand. The woman took it and stepped into his apartment. He huffed out a sigh, shaking his head. "Why do you let him keep doing this to you?"

"Because I'm an idiot," Sakura snorted, voice wavering between tears and laughter as she tugged at the dress she wore. The black fabric surrendered momentarily, then sprang back to its original position.

The anger that flared to life in the pit of Genma's stomach surprised him. "You aren't an idiot, he is. You look stunning, ravishing even."

The strangled laughter behind Genma as he closed the window was worth waking up for. "I look like a drowned rat," Sakura countered.

One of Sakura's heels slid beneath Genma's bed as she kicked it off and dropped to chest height. He wondered when they had become so comfortable with each other. The unlikely friendship started when Sakura had been apprenticed with Tsunade. They'd teased and flirted and trained together. Then, somehow, he'd become a shoulder to cry on whenever Sasuke broke her heart, so they had a lot of practice.

Genma nodded toward the water puddling beneath Sakura's bare feet. "You know where the bathroom is if you want to dry off."

The woman's lips quirked into an almost smile. "Do you mind if I borrow a shirt? You obviously don't need it."

It took Genma's sleepy mind two seconds to follow Sakura's reasoning. He'd gone to sleep wearing plain black pants and no shirt, as usual. Inclining his head, Genma crossed the room to his dresser and opened a drawer. After digging through the mess of clothing, he held out the smallest shirt and pants he owned. Sakura took the clothes with a mumbled thanks and turned toward the bathroom.

Offering Sakura some privacy to collect herself, the man walked into the kitchen. This wasn't the first time that she'd shownd up at Genma's apartment in the middle of the night. It wasn't even the second or third. Genma was equal parts shocked that Sakura regarded him as a confidant, and that he allowed it. Even so, he hadn't been able to turn her away the first time or any of the others. At least there weren't as many tears now.

Pouring a shot of vodka, Genma drained it with a practiced flip of his head. The burn of alcohol woke him more completely. He refilled his glass with water, then blended a half shot of vodka and the fruity mixer that Sakura prefered. The woman would know if he skipped the alcohol completely, but he poured as little as possible into the drink. Genma didn't want to get Sakura drunk, or himself for that matter.

Despite denying it seven thousand ways, Genma knew that he was falling for Sakura. She had let him close in a way that most people wouldn't; she needed him to pick up the pieces. Genma firmly told himself that was the end of it. Being needed was nice, and the fact that Sakura was unobtainable made it more alluring, but Genma was old enough to know better. He wasn't prey to every passing fantasy-"Is that mine?"

Sakura's voice startled Genma out of his thoughts. He spun to find the woman alarmingly close. The mascara lines were gone, along with every trace of makeup. Pink hair piled in a messy bun at the top of her head, while too short tendrils fell across her neck and cheeks. Genma's smallest shirt dwarfed Sakura's body, even with the sleeves rolled up, and he registered bare legs peeking beneath the hem.

"Is that mine," Sakura repeated. Snagging the drink from Genma's hand, she swirled the clear and blue liquids together, took a drink, then sighed. "Thanks."

Genma followed Sakura to the living room. Sakura arranged herself on one end of the couch, tucking long legs beneath her, and he settled on the opposite side. "So, do you want to talk about it?"

Sakura considered the question with a tip of her head, then shrugged. "It just . . .hurts, you know? I mean, I thought that if I did everything right he would eventually fall in love with me. But he hasn't, won't, doesn't give a fuck."

Pain filled Sakura's voice at that admission, but she swallowed it with another drink of alcohol. When she reopened her eyes, the tears were gone. "I know it's stupid, but I can't help myself."

"Love makes people do stupid things," Genma offered, sipping his water. He'd seen many of his friends fall into that trap over the years.

Sakura scoffed under her breath and rolled her eyes skyward. "Well then, love is stupid."

"You won't get any argument from me." Genma drained half of his glass in the silence that followed.

Sakura stared down at her hands for a long moment, lost in thought. Genma didn't push her to speak, he'd learned better. She needed time to gather her thoughts, to pull the wall of indifference back around herself. After a minute, Sakura looked up at him through pale eyelashes. "Have you ever been in love?"

Genma spluttered, water running between his lips and splattering his chest at the unexpected question. Sakura's expression didn't alter as she waited for the answer. Stopping himself short of a flippant remark, Genma shrugged. How did he get himself into these situations? "I've enjoyed the company of many women, but nothing more than that. Our lifestyle is . . . problematic for happily ever after."

"A lot of shinobi make it work," Sakura countered, running one finger around the rim of her glass. She tipped her head to the side, face unreadable. "Most of my friend's parents were shinobi."

Genma hummed without answering or pointing out that the vast majority of Sakura's friend's parents were dead now. Only Sakura's were still living from her genin team. Hell, it might be the same in her graduating class from all that Genma knew. Shinobi weren't destined for long lives. He'd been an exception to that rule, thus far, anyway.

Lifting his glass, Genma drained it and desperately wished that he had something stronger. Sakura hadn't been pleased with his silence, so he changed tactics. "It doesn't always have to be like this, you know?" The woman's face darkened and he quickly modified the words. "What I mean is, it's easier without all this the pain and hurt. You can have the fun without the crap after."

"The emotions you mean." Sakura finished her drink, then smacked her lips together against the sugary aftertaste before meeting Genma's gaze.

Genma ran a hand through his hair self-consciously. He could almost hear the ice cracking under his feet. "If you think sex isn't full of emotion, you're doing it wrong. What I'm talking about," he paused trying to find the right wording. "It just doesn't get hung up on the bad ones."

Sakura didn't look at Genma. She turned her glass and watched the aqua beads that slid across the bottom for a long moment. He didn't like the speculative expression on her face as she lowered the cup to the table. "Are you dating anyone?"

Rubbing the back of one shoulder blade, Genma chuckled. "You showed up to my apartment at two am. Does it look like I'm dating anyone?"

Nodding, Sakura turned fully toward Genma. Alarm bells rang in the back of his mind, but he ignored them. He didn't reach up to brush the hair away from Sakura's face the way his fingers itched to do. Genma didn't lean in to kiss the thoughtfully pouting lips as they drew closer. In fact, he didn't move at all when Sakura crawled toward him. Genma absolutely did not gasp when her nails slid along his arm.

Sakura rested a warm hand on Genma's thigh, and chillbumps raced along his exposed skin. His body responded despite himself, a half twitch of excitement. When Sakura spoke, her voice pitched low in a tone that he'd never heard. "What about friends with benefits?"

Affecting an easy smile that he didn't feel, Genma shook his head. "None, currently."

Undeniable heat shone in Sakura's eyes as she knelt on the couch, knees brushing the side of Genma's thigh. She placed one hand on the center of his chest. He bit his lower lip and fought to keep his body from responding more than it already had. Sakura frowned. "I know you aren't this dense. Are you just not interested?"

"There is no man in his right mind who wouldn't be interested," Genma laughed, ignoring the warmth creeping up his neck at the admission. "But, I'm twice your age-"

"You're worried you won't be able to keep up?" The playful tone of Sakura's voice took Genma by surprise as she trailed a finger between the muscles of his chest.

Genma chuckled, and nodded toward the empty glass on the table. "I'm worried that you'll change your mind in the morning. How many does that make?"

"Not enough to impair my judgment." Sakura brought her other hand to Genma's chest and slid into his lap. And, fuck. The warmth of her body was nearly overwhelming

Genma slid his arms around Sakura, hands pausing on her lower back. She nestled closer, making it impossible for him to deny that his body had responded to her invitation. Before Genma could raise another argument, Sakura's mouth was against his. He tasted the sweetness of the drink that he'd mixed when her tongue pressed between his lips.

Sakura rocked in Genma's lap, urging him to continue. His hands slid lower to cup the bare skin beneath the hem of his shirt. Sakura hadn't put underwear on, much less pants. Or, maybe Sakura hadn't been wearing any to start with.

Genma squeezed, pulled Sakura's body flush against his, and surrendered to her eagerness. She moaned deliciously when his hands tightened on her ass. Genma used the leverage to change their position, dropping Sakura onto the couch beneath him. Her legs wrapped around his hips, locking their bodies together.

Pain blossomed on Genma's shoulder when Sakura nipped at the skin. He cursed under his breath and lowered his head to pant by her ear. "Are you sure?"

Sakura dragged Genma's mouth back to hers in answer.