"word"  speaking..

'word'  thinking

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Almost Strangers

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And there he was again.. a dark figure lurking outside my window..

You could tell he was trying to spy on me, hiding in the bushes, but the moonlight was all too bright. It reflected from that silvery hair making it easy to spot him..

'Does he know I can see him?' Maybe.. With the one called "the scarecrow" you could never know what he was thinking.

It was nearly midnight.. but it was Friday, so I didn't need to wake up that early the next morning.. Thank God for the weekends! I was about to change into my night clothes, but I wasn't going to do it with someone watching. Quickly I stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind me.

'At last.. some privacy!' My clothes, a well worn T-shirt with a dolphin on it and a pair of blue jeans fell to the floor, and I was feeling lazy so I left them there. I jumped into my soft pyjamas and looked at the mirror. I was definitely in need of some sleep..

I opened the bathroom door slowly and turned the lights off.. I had always thought they were just a little too bright for my taste. My eyes drifted straight to the window and the bushes behind it. I took a deep breath when I saw that he wasn't there..

It would have been easy to just drive him away myself, but something in me liked the idea of him watching over me as I slept. I knew he was a jounin, the great copy-ninja at that. He always made me feel safe.. and warm. His name was still a mystery to me, though.

"I wonder where he went.."

'Well, he IS a ninja, he must have some better things to do..' I walked slowly to the bed, which was slightly too large for just one person.. But it was comfortable. I didn't need another person in it. I was used to sleeping alone..

I crawled under the blankets and laid by head on the pillow.

"Ouch!" Something had scratched my cheek. A sharp edge..

'Whatta...?' It was hard to see clearly in the dark but it was definitely a book.. It was too dark to read what it was about, but the big marks on the front cover were visible.

"Icha.. icha.. paradise!?!" The book wasn't mine, I was sure of that! I read only the 'Violence'-series… So it had to be somebody else's! This gave me the creeps..

'I could almost swear this wasn't here when I went to the bathroom..'

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At the same time one very amused ninja was having a hard time not to laugh out loud. His one visible eye curved as he smiled widely under the mask.

'Tonight is going to be a lot of fun.. But this closet is a little small for a man like me, though..'

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Well, now it was just impossible for me to try and sleep!

There was clear evidence that somebody had been in MY ROOM just moments ago!

This book I held in my hands was quite familiar, I just couldn't quite place it..

Then it hit me. That ninja dude always carried one with him.

'Oh, I'm so smart..' But why was it on my pillow?

It hadn't just jumped there by itself..

I was running a little slower than usual.. I had a busy week, so I didn't get enough sleep.

'I guess he put it here!!!'

My heart missed a beat.

'But where is Mr. Mysterious Ninja Dude now? ..What if he's still here!?!'

I tried to stay calm and started to look around. My apartment was quite small and surprisingly tidy, so there wasn't many hiding places for ninjas to.. well, hide themselves in. Slowly I started to move towards the closet.. That was the obvious place to be hiding in! For some men, anyway..

When I reached the closet, I decided it was better to do it fast and just let him know

how I felt about he stalking me like this.

'He's so going to get his ass kicked! I don't care if he is a jounin!'

The closet door practically flew open, and I had my scary look on.

"What the do you think you're doing stalking me like.. like.."

It was empty. No one to give a lecture to.. especially no freaky ninja dudes.

"That's weird.. I was so sure.."

"What's weird? And who were you shouting at?"

I almost jumped at the low voice. It definitely was him.. And he was close.

"Um.. you.. you're right behind me, aren't you?"

"Well yeah.. What did you think?"

I turned around as fast as I could, but unfortunately he was closer then I had imagined. I came to a sudden stop, and got my face buried into his green vest.

"Wh..ta f..k do y.. th..k yo.'.e do..g in MY APARTMENT!?!"

"Excuse me?"

Then I thought of taking a few steps backwards.

"What are you doing here!?! And who are you?"

"My name is Hatake Kakashi, and I'm here because you looked terribly lonely. You know, you haven't had anyone sleeping here with you in seven and a half months.. "

I was left speechless by the jounins words, but slowly they were starting to sink in. The room filled with awkward silence. In the moonlight I could see him giving me a very amused look.

"What! You've been watching.. WHY? Actually I don't want to know.. YOU SON OF A.."

"Hush now, we don't want to wake up your neighbours now do we?"

Saying so he gently placed his index finger on his mask covered lips.

"Well, maybe later.."

I could tell he had something in mind. And I knew it wasn't going to bee pretty. He was smiling.

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I didn't necessarily like the direction of this conversation.

"Are you trying to say something? 'Cause if you are, I have some tear gas just waiting to be sprayed at old perverts!"

"Who are you calling old? I can understand the pervert, but OLD? That hurts.."

He took a few steps back and sat down onto the windowsill. The smirk he wore just seconds ago was long gone.

"If I'm old, then I guess you're not that blooming either. We're almost the same age you know.."

"Really? But.. but your hair is so.. grey!"

"Oh, but it's natural all the way, baby."

"It's not.."

"Is too."

"It's not! "

"Is too!!!! "

"Okay.. I guess it COULD possibly be natural.. maybe."

The whole hair discussion had got me slightly off track, but my inner self told me to stay focused or who knows what might happen!

"But you were saying you came here to keep me company? Why?"

"I told you already. You were lonely."

"Yeah yeah, I got that part, but you don't even know me."

"That doesn't mean I don't want to."

I sat down onto my bed. I was starting to relax, and there was something about him that made me feel at ease. Plus now I had the time to really take a good look at him. There were no bushes in the way.. He was in very good shape, he wasn't at all chubby and still not too thin.

The only thing that bothered me was his face. Or the thing I couldn't see it.. The mask made it nearly impossible to see his features or expressions. And to make it even more difficult there was a forehead protector covering his left eye.

"Hey, are you still here? Or do you just sleep your eyes open?"

"Oh, yes well.." I was blushing! I realized I had been literally staring at him for God knows how long!

"Are you sure you're ok? I have some medical herbs with me.."

He had moved so fast I barely could notice! He looked worried and took one of his gloves off placing the hand onto my forehead.

"I'm.. I'm absolutely fine, thank you. You don't need to.. I.. but.."

My eyes had locked with his. Suddenly he seamed to grasp the fact that his hand was still touching me. And still he did nothing..

I took a hold of his hand and pulled him a little closer. His eyes widened, (well at least the one eye I could see, but probably both.. ) and I was a bit surprised myself. But I decided it was smart to play it safe, 'cause I didn't know him that well, and gave him merely a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, but I think I'm perfectly all right. But I need some sleep."

"So you want to sleep, even if you have a chance to spend some 'quality time' with a ninja like me?"

A tempting offer, I must admit.. 'Stay focused..'

I meant to hit him with a pillow, but he was too fast.. Ninja reflexes..

"Will I see you again?"

"I have a lot of missions these days, but I'll definitely stop by sometime. Besides, you have something I want."

I stopped to think what would he possibly want that I had, and when I opened my mouth to ask him, he was already gone..

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It was hard for me to fall asleep that night. Especially because when I laid down there it was still on my pillow. His "Icha Icha Paradise"! I would certainly be seeing him again.

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