The server came back with Kakashi's floating lemon shells, which cheered Kakashi up even more. Kurenai ordered a bottle of plum shouchuu. Raidou got his beer, and sipped it while Kakashi lit lemon shells on fire and shared them around, one by one, with the intent focus of the very drunk. His hands were still steady; he probably wouldn't feel the alcohol until he tried to get up and his knees went out from under him.

Kurenai tasted her lemon shell, and found it bright and sweet and sharply alcoholic. She'd always had a high tolerance, and Intel field-agent training had fireproofed it; even now, she felt only a slight, warm buzz. But it was enough to shade the world a little softer, a little easier.

Enough to make any decision feel possible.

She knelt up to pour a new round of shouchuu, and caught sight of Genma leaning companionably against Raidou's side. Loose strands of hair caught the dim lamplight and glowed soft gold around his face. High cheekbones burned with a warm flush; his mouth was wet, a bead of fruit juice caught at the corner of his lip.

Raidou saw it too, and gestured. Genma blinked at him. Raidou made a low, inarticulate noise and reached out to smear the juice away with his thumb.

Genma blinked again, taken aback, but he didn't lean away. He lifted a hand to touch the corner of his mouth, where Raidou's thumb had pressed, and then flicked his tongue out to catch the edge of juice that Raidou hadn't smeared away. He laughed softly, a little embarrassed. "Sorry."

Maybe, Kurenai thought, the choice wasn't between.

Or perhaps between was exactly where she'd like to be, on this night when they were all young and healthy and safe in their village, with only a memory of shadows to darken their eyes.

Raidou dropped his hand, a touch too fast, and reached for his beer. Genma hesitated a moment, then glanced away, and found the shouchuu Kurenai'd poured for him.

Kurenai glanced across the table, met Ginta's clear gaze, and lifted her chin. Clear out?

He hitched a shoulder. I've been trying…

Of course he was no help. She sighed. Then she shifted her free hand, below the table, and grazed her fingertips across the top of Raidou's thigh. A light touch, easy to ignore if he chose. But his breath caught, and he looked down at her.

For a moment, it still felt possible.

Then Raidou caught her hand, and moved it gently back. He glanced at Genma, then toward Kakashi and Ryouma. Ginta had snared the rookies in another round of his stories, but they were still alert, asking questions. Raidou shook his head slightly, his mouth pressed thin with regret.

Bad timing, Yuuhi. She smiled back at him, and pulled her hand free. Her fingers flattened in her own lap, where the top of her skirt skimmed her thighs.

Maybe she was drunker than she thought, too. She reached for her neglected water.

Ginta was still spinning his story; she listened for a moment, and found the thread. "Why didn't you just retreat?"