Have you ever had a dream where you had to watch something horrible happen, and you could do nothing to stop it?

Welcome to me life.

.:~:.

It was early in the morning. 4:36 to be exact. A silver-haired man sat up in his, awoken by the nightmares that plague him nightly. One word in particular rang out from the dream.

Useless

That's all Kakashi had ever been in his life. Useless.

Useless when he watched as his father was slowly driven to suicide from shame of his actions.

Useless to keep his team from dying, all too early.

Useless as he watched Sasuke let revenge take over his life, controlling him.

Useless to save Rin and keep his promise to Obito….

Obito…that might be the death he regretted the most.

Obito, his teammate, his 'rival', gave his life to save uselessuslessusless Kakashi. He gave his eye, his Sharingun to stupidmeanstrict Kakashi-teme. He asked impossibledispicableUSELESS Kakashi to try and keep Rin safe…

Said Kakashi got up then, sighing and pulling himself from his thoughts, getting ready to go and visit his reason to be late.

Like every day.

.:~:.

Unknown to Kakashi, the ghostly figure of a 13-year-old boy got up, following him as he did every day.

You see, what our favorite white-haired Sharingun user didn't know was that Obito was just as hung up on him and he was on Obito.

The boy had left this world too early, his spirit not peaceful. So, he was stuck on this earth till two things happened.

One, Kakashi let go of him and moved on.

Two ….Kakashi had to know what Obito wanted him to.

Those two things were what kept Obito anchored. 'Chained', you might call it. But Obito was quiet content, just being around his old best friend, though he would be happier if the other could at least hear him.

Obito smiled when they finally arrived at his grave. Kakashi sat down and starting talking to the tombstone.

Obito loved to sit in front of the tombstone while Kakashi talked. Liked to pretend Kakashi could actually see him and that he was alive.

He learned a lot from listening to Kakashi talk.

I mean….sure; he's been there with Kakashi since the day he died, alone in that cave, but he never knew how the other felt till he came and talked to the gravestone. Obito just wished Kakashi knew he'd always been there.

He was there when Kakashi found his goggles –and he was glad he kept them. He knew they were safe with him-.

He was there when cute little Itachi-kun killed his whole family, and he was sad –even though his family thought him an outcast and his dad hit him because all he was was a mess-up-.

He was there to cry for Kakashi when Rin died –because Kakashi just didn't know how to cry, it seemed. Not even when he died….-

He was even there when Sasuke let revenge take hold of him, control him. That might have been the worst of all of it, just because it tore Kakashi's team apart…and Kakashi's team was so much like our old one.

One odd, yet kind sensei, one sullen depressed boy –though Sasuke was never as strict as Kakashi-, one spiky-haired hyper boy with a big goal –though Naruto would reach his, since he wasn't a screw-up-, and one love-stricken medic-nin –though Sakura would never be as pretty or talented as Rin-.

Obito looked up after a bit and realized his daydreaming had let time slip by. He got up to follow Kakashi, smiling a bit as he did so.

He was sure there would be plenty of time for Kakashi to figure out what he wanted him to know and for Kakashi to let go, hopefully about the same time.

.:~:.

It had been a week later. That's when Kakashi decided to let Obito go.

They were currently sitting by the gravestone again.

"I know you'd want me to finally move on Obito," Kakashi was saying, thinking he was just talking to himself. "I know you'd want me to gain my life back…"

I couldn't believe it. Kakashi still didn't know, either. And now, he wouldn't figure out if he was just gonna go and forget Obito.

So Obito would be stuck here forever. And since Kakashi was giving up on him, he couldn't follow Kakashi anymore. He would be stuck here, chained to this Earth by this empty grave, since his body had never been recovered from the cave.

"I mean….it's been years Obito. Nearly two decades. I should have let you go sooner," he continued, seeming to prolong his goodbyes.

"No! No, two decades is fine Kakashi, just please don't go," I said in vain, reaching out to him only to pass through him –or him pass through me. Don't know that works out-.

"I'm really sorry I couldn't keep my promise, but….goodbye, Obito."

I tried to follow Kakashi as he got up, walking away. About 10 foot from my grave, though, I couldn't go any farther, like I was chained to the empty site, like if it couldn't have my body, it sure as hell was getting' my soul.

"No!" I shouted, tears coming to my eyes.

Because, in truth, I was still just a little crybaby Uchiha, still just a kid who was afraid of being alone. I hadn't really had a chance to grow up, though.

"Kashi, please!" I yelled out, reaching for him in a last ditch effort.

And I grabbed his arm.

The chains keeping me bound seem to disappear as he turned around, and I tumbled forward, hugging him tightly.

"O-obito?" he stuttered, staring down at me as I hugged him tightly.

"Please," I muttered, not hearing him. "Please, Kakashi, don't go away. Don't just leave and forget about me. Not now, Kashi. Not ever. I….I love you."

With that, I started to fade away. Kakashi knew what I wanted him to. He had given up, let me go. There was nothing holding me down anymore.

'No!' I though. 'Please, don't take me away now!'

I was brought sharply back when Kakashi frantically grabbed me, pulling me to his chest. When I came back, it seemed he wasn't as tall –or I wasn't as short-.

"Don't….don't leave again," he muttered, still holding me close.

I hugged him back then, resting my head on his shoulder, facing his neck.

"Only if you never let me go," I whispered.

We stayed like that, just holding each other, for a bit till Kakashi finally talked, turning his head and muttering into my hair.

"Did you mean it?" he asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" I asked back, not looking at him, acting innocent.

"Do you love me?"

It was a simple enough question, one that I'd been ready to answer for a while, but I was still hesitant in replying.

"…yes."

Kakashi pulled back then, lifting my chin to make me look at him. Next thing I know, his mask id pulled down and he's kissing me.

After a moment, I start to kiss back.

And I know now, this is what will keep me held down. This is what would keep me bound to Kakashi. And, after so long of just having to sit here, and observe him without being able to do anything….this is what heaven was like.

He pulled back after a moment, muttering to me.

"I love you too."

I knew I was the first one to hear those words from the Hatake since his father died. And I knew our future was uncertain and un-guaranteed, but….right now, as he pulled me back in, all I knew was this was where I wanted to be, where I wanted to stay.

And not even death could pull us apart.