At the sharp sound of metal-on-metal Khana bolted upright with a gasp, not quite awake and still in a state of panic. Ōkami scrambled to get off the girls legs but the soft couch beneath his paws made the dismount tricky and he ended up snout-first on the floor. Forcing herself to breathe deeply and quietly in an effort to calm down, the young ANBU attempted to determine where she was. Looking over the blank, beige walls and plain fabric couch she remembered – Nagato's place. For almost two weeks Khana had been crashing on his couch, coming in late at night and leaving at dawn. He had given her permission to stay, of course, but the older man made her nervous so it was easier to simply avoid him. And all of this was done in a childish effort to separate herself from her brothers. However, the lack of real sleep was having a negative effect on her already fragile psyche, presenting itself as repeating nightmares. This, coupled with a shinobi's natural paranoia, made her certain that there was someone in the house that did not belong.
Nagato, who had merely dropped a spoon in the sink, glanced around the kitchen's doorway to see his guest startle awake. Even though her hound had relaxed, going back to sleep on the floor, the girl stayed bristled and, even with her back to him, it was obvious she was afraid of something. "You okay?" he asked, leaning against the door frame. His question was rewarded with a piercing scream, so surprising it almost caused him to spit out a mouthful of the hot tea he was drinking.
"Oh my god," the girl mumbled, curling in on herself to regain some sort of composure. "You scared me."
"I noticed," Nagato muttered, rubbing his ringing ears in vain. "I was asking if you were alright, but apparently the answer is 'no'."
Khana sighed. "No- er, that is… I'm fine." She twisted around to face him, folding her bare legs into a pretzel. Ōkami took this opportunity to hop back on the couch. "What are you doing up?" She guessed it was about two in the morning, but with no clocks around she couldn't be sure.
The Uzumaki shrugged, taking another drink from his mug. "Couldn't sleep." He glanced down at the steaming mug between his hands. "The water's still hot. Would you like tea?"
Instead of responding, the kunoichi chewed her bottom lip. She didn't want to be troublesome but hot tea sounded very nice.
Nagato watched her for a few seconds, waiting for an answer, before heading back into the kitchen. "Do you like Kava?" he called back to her, opening an upper cupboard.
Now that was a question she could answer. "Yes, thank you," she responded politely.
After a few minutes the redhead emerged, now holding two steaming mugs instead of one. He handed the new one to Khana before sitting on the couch next to her. Their knees touched as Nagato let his legs spread casually and Khana blushed, shifting away from him slightly. "So why can't you sleep?" he asked, sipping his drink.
"I never said-!" Khana started to protest, but then sighed. "It's… nothing, really. Just some stupid dreams." The teen said nothing for a long time, instead watching the steam roll off the quivering surface of her tea. And Nagato didn't press her; he sat just as quietly, waiting. "And every one is just a different version of me losing my brothers. This one was…." She paused to sigh and drink some more tea. "A little more… violent than the others. I guess."
Nagato thought about this, slowly draining his mug. He set it on the table when he was finished and readjusted himself in his seat, resting his arms on the back of the couch. "If you're so worried about them getting hurt, then why are you here?"
"Hn." She sipped more tea. It wasn't even half empty, but it was already getting cold. She set her drink down next to Nagato's. "I… don't know," Khana finally admitted.
"Maybe because you know they can take care of themselves?" he suggested.
"Maybe."
Nagato's arm slid off the back of the couch and draped over Khana's shoulders. She leaned into his chest with a quiet sigh. "Maybe I just need more sleep," she murmured, closing her eyes.
"Maybe."
The next morning, Khana woke up in Nagato's bed. Midday sun was forcing its way through closed blinds. The bed was still fully made; she had slept on top of the comforter, covered by a blanket. She couldn't remember anything happening after she had fallen asleep on the couch, in his arms. He must have carried her to bed. 'Like a child,' she thought with a frown. Khana looked beside her to the small alarm clock on the night table. Three o' clock. She groaned, flopping back into the pile of fluffed pillows behind her. (What guy had this many pillows, anyway?) So much for not being troublesome.
Though, surprisingly, she felt a lot better than she had in a long time. "Maybe I do just need more sleep," she told her pet quietly. Ōkami's tail thumped the floor happily. Khana curled up, facing away from the sunny window, and drifted back to sleep.
A few hours later, Nagato popped his head into the bedroom. Ōkami's tail thumped the floor happily. Khana was still sound asleep. "Maybe you just need someone to take care of you." He closed the door quietly behind him. "Maybe."