One of Many-To-Be (Open)

After salzem had responded about the exams, Ayame muttered "Yeah, it's why we're here kiddo," She said attempting to make eye contact, this time with a more genuine smile.

Then the kid asked if sal and her were... well, dating.

Ayame froze again, her heart in her ears. She looked to Sal for an answer, but he was frozen and... and blushing? Did he feel something for her? As if he noticed her gaze, he brought his mask up to hide his face, looking much like a boiled lobster.

The server came back with a check, and Sal quickly slapped some ryo down and stormed out from the place. "Wh-what?" she muttered to herself, thoroughly confused. She quickly swept the bill from Sal's spot and looked it over, as it seemed like they must have raised the price on pork again. Oh wait... The staff listed them on the same bill??? Well of course they had been sitting together, so it was a valid assumption, but... but she would have paid her own way regardless.

After a moment's hesitation, Ayame squeezed past the boy who had been sitting next to her. "Pardon me, I'm sorry for running off like this. It was nice meeting you though!" She said after grabbing her bowl and gulping down the vast remainder of her ramen, not caring if it was really lady-like or not. She then bowed respectfully to Ryou before running off and searching for Salzem.

Luckily, she picked up on Sal just as he was putting his hood up, and ran after him as he pushed his way past people. "Salzem" she said catching up to his quick angered pace. "Sal, please wait. We should talk about this. Plus I  gotta pay you back!" She muttered trying to get him to face her. she noted that they were heading toward the arena. She wasn't ready to go back just yet.

"Do you wanna head back to the hotel for a few minutes and chill? Maybe grab a drink?" She asked calmly placing a hand on his forearm, provided he turned to her. If he hadn't she would have gotten in front of him to speak those words and try to place her right hand on his forearm that way. She then realized how wrong that statement could have been taken, so she caught herself immediately after, taking a step back from him and withdrawing her hand to place behind her head embarrassed "I gotta grab something I left there anyway." she muttered remembering that she left the metal studs for Rei's gloves behind in the side-table drawer.

Ryou felt so bad that he cause Sal outburst. He want to tell them sorry but they had left before he could say anything. He sighed. He walks out the store but threw a side exit, he didn't want to see them again and see what they might do. "Good job Ryou, you screwed up once again." He told himself out loud.

/EXIT/

As Salzem made his way towards the Jounin-exam Arena, he was hoping to find a place where he could just pull his hood over his face and die somewhere to escape this sheer embarrassment... It felt FAR WORSE than any fatal blow he had felt thus far and he had taken blows from the Kazekage himself! Good kages almighty, what even was that... He didn't make it far before Ayame caught up with him, insisting that they "go somewhere" and "talk about this". Of course, the moment she touched his arm, he tensed a bit, but not in an angered way... It wasn't violent... it was more nervous and afraid than anything else. He turned slowly, fully, growing even more self-conscious as the blue-eyed girl entered his view because that meant she could see him... His face was a red as it could've ever been, his expression uneasy and uncomfortable, his muscles tensed as if to spring away at any moment. Her suggestion in it of itself was enough to make Salzem blush if he wasn't already a deep shade of pink... Everyone knows what happens when someone asks another to go somewhere privately... Aya seemed to realize this too and quickly reverted to her uneasiness herself, the two seeming to just stand there, shaking in their boots at the sight of one another. She remarked that she had to go grab something anyway, some attempt to salvage her previous statement he was sure... He looked back at the arena, then at Ayame and some of his blush bled from his face. He had a little more time... He could spend it with her... He did rush through his meal after all.

"Yeah... okay... sure..." Was all he could say and, if Ayame would lead the way, he would certainly follow, walking right on beside her. He wouldn't say something for a minute or two, doing his ninja-best to regain the composure he had lost in that last conversation... Needless to say, it was made extremely difficult with her just being there, about as nervous as he was after that thing that went on in front of a bunch of people AND involving his friend... This wasn't a good day at all...

"So....." He began, looking over at Ayame. "What is there to talk about... that whole thing.... Ryou... He was WAY of the mark, right?" He forced a chuckle. "I mean, implying that we were in love... Ridiculous... Absolutely ridiculous... We don't have time for any of that... There's the exams going on and everything!"

Ayame noticed his reluctance to go with her, but he did anyway and it made her feel, well... happy. A kind of childish happiness when your mom would let you go out to hang with your friend's past curfew. It was a feeling she couldn't personally relate to until she felt that type of happiness in that moment, but it was something she read about in books.

Such pure and innocent happiness and bubbliness.

As they approached the hotel and entered inside together, the silence was killing her. If he wouldn't talk it might make the staff uncomfortable. She started talking just before he did, "You look a little warm, did you wanna use the sink in my room to cool your face off?" she would ask very quickly as she took out her room key, referring to the sink to the right of the entrance when walking into the room. It was built into the wall, across the closet in a little hallway of its own leading to the bathroom and the shower. on the other side of the wall of the closet was the bed and living area.

When he'd come in he would see a blanket and a pillow on the floor in front of the side-table drawer, spread out comfortably while all the other items were torn from the two twin beds and folded up on a chair nearby. It was quite unusual for a hotel room to look that way, and truth be told, Ayame had forgotten she left the room like that. It wasn't messy by any means, just... odd.

Ayame remembered leaving the room that way just as Sal had started to talk. "Oh, Um," she muttered in between one of his few awkward pauses as she led him in. She laughed wistfully. "He's a very observant kid. I feel bad for leaving him," she said softly before turning to Sal. "B-but what if he isn't wrong?"

She paused and then shook it off heading to pick up the blanket from the floor and lay it on the bed furthest from the door and nearest to the window. She began to pick up the pillows too.

"I mean of course what he was implying was... well a bit exaggerated" she paused turning to look at him while gripping the pillow she held rather tightly. "But..." she started, then turned away embarrassed, staring at the window from her spot in between the two twin beds. There was an awkward silence between the two as she let out a shaky breath.

"Ah, nevermind," she said forcing a rather happy tone given how serious hers had been.

Once she had gotten the room somewhat tidy, she sat on the bed to face him a moment. Her tone fell back to her slightly serious quiet tone again "Feelings are rather complicated. I have friends and I love them a lot, don't get me wrong... but often it's hard to tell the difference between love and 'love' for me" she said putting an extra emphasis on the second love. "I already pushed a friend away because of it... Well, he used to be a friend before some stuff happened," she muttered looking down at her feet and then scooting closer to the top of the bed to rummage through the drawer looking for the gold-colored metal studs she had left in there. Grabbing them, she placed them on top of the nightstand.

She sighed wishing she hadn't had said what she did, but she'd rather be up-front about it in case he really did have feelings for her. If he did.

Ayame felt like her heart was just gonna explode out of her chest as she gripped some of the cloth from the pant leg of her left side nervously with her left hand. She suddenly did not look too well, the anxiety beginning to set in a bit.

"What am I saying?" she muttered softly not able to look at him, "You're right, there's too much going on now to be concerned about such insignificant things."

She got up and walked quickly over to the sink to splash some cold water on her face, terrified of however Sal would react. "I mean we hardly know each other."

Ayame led them up to her Hotel room during the period of silence between them in which the two were too nervous to say anything. As Ayame opened the door, leading into her room, the Lycan glanced inside, cocking an eyebrow at the strangeness of the room. It seemed that the girl and plucked everything off the her bed, folding it up on a chair near the chest-of-drawers with the exception of a pillow and blanket which lay spread out on the floor akin to a futon... He wondered why she preferred the floor to a bed... A soft, warm bed that leaves you refreshed in the morning... Different people different tastes he supposed... The blue-eyed girl seemed to have noticed his continued blushing, asking if he wanted to "cool his face off" in the sink as he seemed a little "warm." Such a comment only made him blush harder (go figure), his embarrassment coming RIGHT BACK to haunt him.

"N-No." He responded, almost callously defiant to her suggestion, as if she asked if he wanted vegetables with his dinner. Its like she knew what buttons to push on him with this only being the 3rd day they actually spent together... Surprisingly though... he wasn't disliking his time with her.... It felt meaningful... not wasted... Worth it... For what reason he couldn't begin to fathom, but it was a good feeling nonetheless. When he began to note how absolutely crazy Ryou must've been to suggest such things about them being together, Ayame seemed to pause, her coy nature completely crumbling under the weight of the suggestion. She commented how he was an "Observant kid"... What did that mean...? He SURELY didn't have those feelings, right...? But what did that say about her....? Was she smitten with him...? Nothing made sense, especially what she said next, suggesting that he wasn't wrong at all... Salzem's heart stopped in his chest as she made such a suggestion, completely taken aback. He wanted to ask "What, do you love me?" But he couldn't get the words out... they seemed to choke him whenever they tried to reach his tongue. He stood there in silence, staring at her, confused, his blood pumping, but his face actually starting do die down on it's blush.

Noticing his silence, Ayame continued, stating that, OF COURSE, what Ryou was suggesting was suggesting was complete and utter bull, all the while picking up the blankets and pillows and setting them on the bed. It seemed as if she was going to say more, confess something, but then she paused, leaving the lycan in such brutal anticipation, it might as well have been her signature jutsu. After a moment of silence, Salzem found he was able to move his legs (a great discovery indeed), and took a step towards her, still looking at her strangely, everything hanging on that "but".

"What do you mean?" He asked, closing the distance to something reasonable so they were no longer talking across the room. Ayame continued, stating that she had a hard time distinguishing love from LOVE, the kind that's romantic... She had already pushed another friend away for that reason, stating that she WAS his friend until recently... He looked at her even more strangely, though the pieces seemed to fall into place... He supposed this was... some kind of confession...? The world seemed to be spinning, but not out of control... Everything was so confusing and yet it made sense... It didn't take his enhanced senses to know what she was saying, but he couldn't trust himself to make such a deduction... she'd have to tell him flat out. Before he could say anything, Ayame brushed past him towards the sink, agreeing that it was, in fact, crazy that they would feel anything like this for each-other, especially now. They didn't even KNOW each other that well! He was starting to regret those words. Yes, it was true that he didn't know her as well as she should (and vice versa), and yes, it was a very trying time for them as ninja... this was all true... but did it have to be?

"Ayame..." Salzem murmured, putting a hand on her shoulder as she finished splashing her face in the sink. "Do you..... feel that way....... for me...?" He asked, growing lightheaded, his heart pumping faster. "B-because... uhm... I... might...?"

Ayame froze letting the water drip from her face as she glanced at him through the large mirror above the sink, her eyes clear and such a light shade of blue, they almost looked gray. After a moment she turned the water off and wiped her face off with her eyes closed, silently activating her dojutsu.

It's not that she didn't trust Sal, it's just that she wanted to make sure her heart wouldn't be toyed with.

Once her eyes flicked open, they visually looked like black abysses encased in her eye sockets.

Ayame had looked up at the mirror, forgetting she wouldn't be able to see his aura through it. All the inanimate objects looked like shadows in her vision. She turned quickly to look to Sal, after searching the mirror a second.

His aura, it was so... so pink! Such a bright pink that she could tell he was being sincere, that he was feeling some sort of affection or love. She wanted to make sure before she revealed anything. Ayame started to blush again, feeling nervous. Was the feeling toward her, or was he merely thinking of the idea of love. She had no reason to think he was lying so she approached him, returning her eyes to normal.

"Sal, I-" she started before taking a breath. It was important to breathe in situations like this or else she would pass out. "I don't know what to say." She felt herself whisper. "I-" she started freezing, not able to form the words, nor meet his eyes. She could feel herself begin to shake nervously as she stood in front of him. "I think... I think i might as well" she said softly, frozen and unsure of what to do afterward, unable to meet his eyes.

Salzem walked up behind Ayame when she didn't answer, staring at him through the mirror, an expression he couldn't identify on her face. She looked almost stern... inquisitive, as if probing his expression for any trace of deception... She would find non of course... he would NEVER play with her like that... What could he possibly gain by ripping her heart out like that...? Laughs? Pleasure of some kind? No... He wasn't that kind of person... Ayame meant FAR more to him than whatever that could possibly provide in positives... The moment she turned to him though... His heart stopped once more, a cold lump of muscle in his chest, completely useless as he stared into her eyes... Her eyes........ they were so black... darker than pitch and seeming to stare into his very soul... Hideous... piercing... Unnatural.... Evil...

Before she could say anything or her eyes even revert, he had shifted into his Werewolven form, ready for battle (speed 150). In an instant, Salzem had been completely enveloped by his senses, danger signs going THROUGH THE ROOF at the mere sight of something so unnatural, unknowing that whatever that jutsu was, it had no hostile purposes. A moment later, the white-furred lycan sunk his teeth into Ayame's shoulder, barely  breaking her skin before he immediately pulled away, his mind returning at the mere taste of her blood. In another instant, Salzem was sitting on the floor, coughing up and spitting out the blood of the girl he.... Loved(?) so much, a flavor he NEVER wanted to taste...

"Ohmygodohmygod...." Salzem muttered, weaving a few handsigns, his fingers began to glow with healing energies... "Ohmygod, Ayame.... I'm so sorry... I saw your eyes and they were so... I.... I'm sorry..." Tears began to well up in his own eyes, angry at himself for having harmed her, fearful that this might've severed any and all ties between them the moment his teeth met her flesh.... If she let him, Salzem would place his hands on her wound, his chakra flowing into her damaged flesh, healing it all up in a couple of seconds.

"I'm so sorry Ayame..."

Before Ayame had a chance to react to his aura, it had changed. She had never witnessed an aura change before her very eyes before and this scared her. It was a very sudden burst from his very core, of color energy. One second her vision was engulfed in bright pink and the next a deep muddy gray had overwhelmed her. It was kind of like staring at a Pink background with a pink water balloon sitting nicely on it, but then somebody sticks a pin in the balloon and the water rushes everywhere, in a two-dimensional aspect, turning the entire sheet this muddy gray within seconds.

Before Ayame could really react, or notice that her own really green Aura had changed to this color as well, She was suddenly on the ground, shocked, not feeling pain quite yet, but something had happened to her. She had been bitten between her neck and the ball of her shoulder, and had jerked away causing more damage.

Just as soon as it had happened, it was over, leaving Aya afraid, confused and shocked. She could see his full form now, that he had transformed in that moment, jumping back and changing back to his human form, and this terrified her. She watched his shape change and his aura slowly (compared to the previous change, but still rather fast when put into perspective of actual time)change to a bright-BRIGHT yellow, dominating over the muddy color, spreading almost like syrup does on top of a pancake.

Ayame looked and noticed a tear in her aura above her shoulder. She had never seen anything like that before either. That scared her too, so instead of continuing to analyze, she disabled her yureigan and pushed herself under the sink, sliding backward, trying to analyze what had just happened, on account of it happening so fast.

Her breathing became slightly labored as she checked her shoulder. As soon as she saw the wounds pain sunk in. Holy shit, maybe it was the lack of adrenaline by not actively being in battle, but damn that hurt worse than any wound she had received thus far, which luckily wasn't many. She reached with her right hand to her left shoulder where she had been bitten and felt the sticky warm fluid leaving it and staining her top.

It was then that sal started reacting. When he apologized the first time and started to get near her, she pushed herself further under the granite countertop ledge that housed the sink and said repeated "Stop" a few times, muttering a couple "stay backs" while waiting for him to stop and let her heal herself. Ayame needed to calm her breathing before she could even think about dealing with Sal. If he wouldn't listen she'd hit him with an activated chakra scalpel as a warning.

Ayame used medical ninjutsu, attempting to heal the wound, knowing that it may take a few minutes, as she watched him carefully analyzing everything about him as much as she could. She didn't think he meant to hurt her. It was her fault anyway. Maybe she should have warned him that she was going to use a Jutsu. She could have sworn that she had used her Kekkei Genkai around him before, but maybe she was mistaken.

It was then she noticed that Sal was starting to cry and she felt worse. "Sal, I'm fine." She muttered trying to comfort him. The light from the window on the other side of the room caught her eyes, making them stand out in the shaded area under the sink. She crawled out from under the sink, slinking over to sitnear him, and, well, hug him. It seemed to work for her when she felt sad and needed to hug Nita, so she thought she'd give it a try here, as she continued to heal herself.

"It's okay Sal, You didn't mean to" she said easily forgiving him. "Accidents happen. It doesn't mean I hate you"

Salzem flinched as if he two were snapped at, as Ayame demanded he stay back, scrambling back under the sink, her hand glowing with a more sinister glow, one that could cut through his flesh as if it were butter. It didn't take his lycan senses to know that he wasn't wanted near, even to heal her... And so, Salzem took one step back, then another, sitting down with his back against the side of her bed, tears fully flowing from his eyes now... He couldn't believe what he'd done... Right as he'd told her his feelings... right before he would hear hers... He bites her... Salzem wouldn't be surprised if she demanded he'd leave or even attack him right there. If she decided to even kill him, she'd get no resistance of course... In fact, he'd welcome any vengeance Ayame decided to act upon him...

He couldn't look at her as she healed herself, but he could feel the probing of her eyes upon him once more, digging into his soul. For what purpose, he couldn't say nor allow himself to know... At this point, it would just be best if he disappeared... However, instead of Ayame immediately kicking him out and allowing their bonds between them to break, She pulled herself out from under the sink and sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders in a hug as she healed her wound with the other. Salzem's eyes widened in surprise as she hugged him, stating that accidents happened and that she didn't hate him for this... He stared at her in disbelief, surprised beyond words and so... he didn't use them. The moment the healing of the bite-wound was complete, he wrapped his arms around Ayame and returned her hug, holding her close for all it was worth. If she allowed, Salzem would sit there with her in an embrace for at least a couple minutes, holding each-other, just enjoying their presence before eventually Salzem would pull away, a weak grin on his face underneath his mask.

"Thank you..." he murmured, sighing happily. He didn't know what he'd do if she decided to disappear out of his life... Suddenly, he remembered, he never got to hear her response to his question, whether or not she actually felt that way for him... She already know how he felt and, with that thought in mind... a cruel anticipation wracked his mind... He had to know what she thought of him... it was crucial for some reason... He had never felt like this before...

"Aya...?" Salzem asked, staring deep into her blue eyes. "Do you... um......." He paused, struggling against himself to maintain that meaningful eye-contact. "....love me...?" It was such a hard thing to ask, the hardest decision he ever had to carry out... Perhaps it was because it was personal... Perhaps because it would change their lives forever... But it was something he must ask... something he must do... even if the answer was obvious after what he did.

Ayame allowed him to pull her into a hug. She sighed feeling bad, almost guilty. "In truth, I don't know. I've never felt this... this fluttery feeling before. It's a little scary to be honest. I've felt the other things I'm feeling now for other people before, but those were obvious mistakes that I didn't care to pursue... at least not before they stopped talking to me." it was clear she was referencing multiple people here. "I want to make sure that what I'm feeling is real; that it's not just some fabrication of my messed up mind." she said quickly hoping he would understand. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"It's not that I don't feel the same... I'm almost certain I do." she said still engulfed in his arms, but not meeting his gaze. She didn't want to see how he was reacting, afraid of disliking herself more for hurting him. "I guess I just want more time to feel this thing out; to see where it goes." She felt as if she were breaking his heart even though that was not the objective here. It's not that she didn't want to be with him, nothing like that.

"I mean we've only just met a week ago, oddly enough considering we're both from Konoha. I just want to know if this is just me screwing up the platonic and romantic loves again, some silly crush being swept away by an unfamiliar location, or something... more, i guess," she said focused on her hands that were shaking nervously. "I won't deny that I feel something, I just want to make sure that it's real. I don't want to hurt you."

She exhaled again. "Let's take this one step at a time, little, subtle things as we get closer" she said and then caught herself being rather authoritative. "I mean" she started quickly trying not to panic, "I mean if you are okay with that, and even want to pursue something with me." she said looking up finally to make sure he wasn't hurt.