For three days she does not go outside to the rainy beginnings of spring. She'll run out of believable excuses by tomorrow for sure. She doesn't know how she slowly becomes paler but the two males do. They see how she hides a flinch when she hears the tap running and at night when she throws a pillow over her head when the rain falls harder. She makes an effort to bathe but it takes hours before they hear the water running. They deduced long before that it was because of the nightmare that made her scream bloody murder. Sakumo had seen the look in her eyes that one would find only inside a man traumatized by death.
It has been raining for almost a week and Kameko tries to block out the noise of the falling drops of water with what seems to be an unanswerable query. What had possessed her to commit suicide? Her memories are blurred and all she could think about was the small woman leaning to her death. Her past life's brother may have been the most reasonable answer but she felt that it wasn't the case. It was something else entirely. She held back a whimper as a flash of light came from outside, followed by a roar of lightning. She was alone with her big brother while her Papa had gone on a mission. Kakashi was in the living room, studying to prepare himself for the Academy, which he'll be attending in two more years.
The longer she hides in bed, the worse the weather seems to become. She covers her mouth when a shriek threatened to escape. Her adult mind is not in sync with her child-body; her body reacts like a normal toddler would when hearing something loud and unfamiliar, while her mind thinks otherwise. It's so frustrating and it feels unnatural. She feels her pillows dampen and it take a while for her to realize that she is crying. How can she survive this messed up world, when she couldn't even handle the last. What makes this any different? She buries her head in her pillow to try and muffle her sobs. She doesn't hear the door open and the footsteps that follow. Kameko feels the covers being removed and warm arms wrapping her tightly in an embrace. She lets Kakashi hold her as she wallows in sorrow.
"I'm so sad, Onii-san. I don't know what's happening." She manages to say, burrowing herself deeper into his warmth.
"I don't think Dad and I do either..."
They both fall silent. Kameko not wishing to continue with the conversation, afraid that she might let something spill like she usually does when she cries. She stares at the rain covered window over Kakashi's shoulders and wonders when will the rain stop.
"It'll be our birthday soon," says Kakashi from where he sat across from Kameko. "And then I'll go the Academy the year after." He pulls some unwanted weeds from their bed of tulips.
His reminder makes her heart sink, but she doesn't show it. Just two more years that will pass too soon until she'll barely see him, and two years until the worst will come. She shakes away those thoughts and thinks that today their Papa will be coming home from his 3 week mission, just four days before their birthday. Their neighbor occasionally drops by to check on them and give them food, since neither of them are old or tall enough to cook. She was a small little thing, one of those civilians who thinks thin is in. Kameko hates that woman.
"Are you even listening to me? Kameko!" Her thoughts were cut off when she felt a bit of dirt hit her cheek.
"Hey!" Kameko whined while Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I am listening!"
"Whatever. So what do you want for your present?"
"You can't just ask me! It'll ruin the surprise." Kameko leans over on her knees to pluck a daisy. Although Kakashi was two years her elder, they both share the same birthday and many mistaken them as twins once they gained that knowledge (who wouldn't?). "You know what they say: A present is made extra special when it's from the heart."
Her brother rolls his eyes at his sister's sentimental words, but doesn't comment.
"When you go to the Academy, you'll still spend some time with me, right?" It was a childish request, she knew, but it didn't stop her from hoping he'd agree and keep his word.
With no hesitation, Kakashi nodded. "Of course I will."
Kameko smiles and presents a crown of daisies on his head, giggling when he made a sound of complaint but didn't make a move to take it off. They both took off to the front door when they heard their Papa call: "Tadaima!" They greeted him with warm hugs and excited replies of "Okaeri!"
Kameko's training begins a few weeks after her birthday and she is awoken by her Papa too early in the morning. When she goes outside she sees Kakashi finishing a stretch in the yard and the sun isn't half as awake as she is. Her Papa tells her to follow him and they start stretching. It's starts of easy until they reach the sixth stretch. Her arms are sore and can't seem to stand any more of her weight, her Papa shifts her hands further apart to gain more balance. She licks her lips and tastes the saltiness of her sweat. "I can't do this!"
"Hold this position for ten more seconds."
Kameko blows a long breath with her cheeks puffed out and holds on for ten more seconds. She collapses once her Papa reaches ten, she wheezes and tries to control her breathing. Kakashi had finished his exercises and sat on the porch, reading a book. Kameko eyed the glass of iced tea in hand enviously, she was too tired to glare at his smirking face and settled with sticking out her tongue. Her Papa had called them to breakfast and while her stomach begged for food, her body begged to stay and lie down. With great effort, she heaved her body up and dragged herself to a chair. She spotted a bowl of rice and a plate of tamagoyaki. While the two boys said their thanks Kameko stared at her portion of food. So tempting, so delicious. She reached towards her chopsticks before turning her body away from the table and empties last night's dinner.
"KAMEKO!"
That was her favorite breakfast too.
Sometimes she wonders what else she could have done to make those memories her everyday. What could she have done to not let anything change, let them be stuck in happiness, just her with her brother and Papa. The answer was always nothing. Nothing you can do that will change Papa's fate. He'll still die, a part of her always says, he'll die and Kakashi won't be happy anymore, he'll be angry and he'll drown himself in his sorrows and what will that leave her? Her thoughts always stop there, because she doesn't want to know what answers she'll come up with.
Hatake Kameko lies under the shade of a cherry blossom, her Papa and Big Brother resting on either side of her. She feels their warmth surrounding her and she takes their hand.
Kameko really loves these people, and having to know that one will die and the other would be so screwed up ripped her apart. There are so many things stopping her from doing what she wants to do. She wants to save her family from all this trouble and live somewhere where they won't have to worry about this...this chaos. She was a selfish thing with so many selfish wishes, but selfish people don't get what they want.
What can she do now?
Kameko turns her head to face Kakashi. So peaceful, so young and so precious. Slowly, hesitantly she takes her hand away from her Papa's and covers her big brother's hand.
It'll only be the both of them soon. As she plants a kiss on his hand she makes a promise that she has carved in her heart and burned in her mind.
A sakura petal rests on their entwined hands before it follows the breeze to the skies.
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A bit short but these are just happy times before we get into the real thing. Any thoughts on Kameko? Is she too much, too less? Leave a review.
Thank my beta BillEverymanActorGuy91,for correcting any errors. Any mistakes you see are completely my fault.
And big thank you for those people who have Followed, Favorited and Reviewed. You guys are amazing.
