—-02—-
A big banquet was being held that night in honor of the Avatar's visit. Aang had recently defeated the feudal lord of the Fire Country and people from all over the world had come to celebrate. Not only had Aang defeated him, but he neutralized the threat from ever happening again. He stripped the power right out of Lord Ozai's body. An act that everyone seemed in awe of, Kakashi included. The skill was unheard of until now, simply because Aang had invented it. Many people were eager to discuss it with him.
Kyla and Aang were being hosted by the Hokage's family. They had a spacious guesthouse on their property and that's where Kyla rejoined Aang. He was unpacking the few things he brought with him in the bedroom when she arrived.
"Wow." Kyla said, leaning in the doorway.
"This place is beautiful."
The house was designed in a square, with the rooms on the perimeter. All the doorways faced the center of the house, which held an open courtyard that had a trickling bamboo fountain, beautiful wooden furniture, and hundreds of bursting flowers.
"There you are." Aang said, getting up to greet her. "You should see the kitchen. You're going to be so happy."
Aang looked off in the direction of the kitchen and she went to take a peak inside.
"Oh!" he heard her say. She can back with a bowl of her favorite fruit.
"You're right." she said, sitting down on the bed. "I'm happy."
"How was your mysterious meeting?" he asked her. "I heard from Sano, who also happens to be my guard."
"You're not going to believe this." she said, peeling back the skin on her mango.
"Try me." he said, leaning back on an elbow on the floor, while spinning his meditation balls around in his other hand. They hovered just above his palm.
"My meeting was with Kakashi. He's been assigned as my personal guard."
"Wow!Lucky you. He's legendary." Aang said. "I can't wait to meet him."
"That's not the unbelievable part." she said. She took a deep breath. "Kakashi….. is Sukea, Aang."
He looked up at her with wide eyes.
"What?!" he said in disbelief, the balls ringing as they hit the ground.
"I know." she said.
"How.. I.. are you okay?" he said, concluding that was the most important thing to ask first.
Tears welled up inside her eyes.
"I'm still in shock, I think. I thought he was…he was.." she sobbed.
Aang got up to sit next to her on the bed. He placed a hand on her thigh.
"I know." he said.
Kyla leaned into his chest and let herself cry.
"We can request for someone else, Kyla. I was the one who asked the Hokage to give you the best Shinobi they had. We can change that, if it's too difficult for you.." Aang said.
"No," Kyla said, wiping her eyes. She picked up her head from his chest.
"It's okay. Besides, Kakashi made it clear that I shouldn't let on to anyone that we know each other. Requesting for someone else would look strange."
Aang sighed and moved his hand to brush the hair back from her face. He could tell Kyla was not happy Kakashi had asked that of her. He wondered why, but didn't ask. That was between them, if Kyla wanted to talk about it, she would.
"Do you need anything from me?" he asked her.
She smiled at him and then said, "an open mind for what I'm about to say next?"
He returned her smile. "Done."
Kyla knew she didn't need to ask for that. Aang was the most clear-headed person she had ever met, but even so, she was still nervous.
She sighed. "I kissed him, Aang. I just.. I don't know. It just happened. My body reacted so fast without thinking and I.." she bit her lip to try and keep herself from crying again, but it didn't work. She put both hands over her face.
Aang let out a gentle laugh.
"Kyla, sweetheart."
He pulled her hands down from her face, and took them in his.
"Someone you loved very much, and thought was dead, reappeared in front of you. Don't judge yourself so harshly."
His compassion provoked more tears to fall down her cheeks.
"I still love him, Aang." she said. "I wasn't expecting to feel it so strongly after all this time, but my heart was bursting with it."
"I'd be surprised if you didn't." he said, simply.
She untangled her hands from his and looked down at them in her lap.
"Do you think its possible to be in love with more than one person?" she asked in a whisper, feeling guilty.
"I think it's possible for you." he said. "Your heart is so big, Kyla. It's one of my favorite things about you. Your capacity is incredible. Love is often misinterpreted or easily influenced, and sometimes poisoned by other emotions, but rarely is it pure. With you, it's always pure. Always. That's one of the reasons you're such an amazing healer." He lifted her chin to look at him.
"It's your strength. I would never ask you to suppress it. No matter what form it's in."
Kyla was amazed at how well Aang understood her. He answered her hidden question without even having to ask it.
"I love you so much." she whispered sincerely, as if she had to prove that she still did.
"I know." Aang said. "This doesn't make me doubt that. Not for a second."
She threw her arms around him. "You're an incredible person, you know that?" she said, into his shoulder.
He smiled and hugged her tightly, pressing his face into her hair. He looked out the window and wondered where Kakashi was right now. Probably at some strategic point, high in the trees. He wouldn't be far from Kyla, of course, just like how Sano wasn't far from him. Aang doubted this would be an easy job for Kakashi. No matter how much training you get, the heart was still a formidable force. He made a mental note to remember that.
"Aang," she said, pulling away from him. "There's something else."
"Lay it on me, babe." he said.
"I think we should prepare ourselves to stay longer than we were invited for. I have a feeling there is a hidden agenda."
"What do you think it is?" he asked, surprised.
"When I was near Kakashi, I sensed a wound on his abdomen. A serious one. I didn't see it, nor did he speak of it, or give any indication that he was pain, but I could feel it. There was a darkness around it. It was subdued, as if it's been treated, but it's not cured. I don't think its a coincidence that Kakashi was assigned to me. My intuition tells me that the Hokage intends for me to treat him."
"Hm." Aang said. "I wonder why he wouldn't just outright say that?"
"I have an idea." she said. "But I'm not sure yet."
"If you decide to take him on as a patient, we'll stay as long as you need."
"Thank you." she said.
Aang yawned.
"I'm going to try and get some sleep or I'll be a zombie for the banquet tonight. I'm exhausted."
He lifted his tunic up over his head and crawled further back onto the bed. He tugged at the back of her dress.
"You must be tired too."
She turned her head to look at him.
"I am, but I think I'm going to mediate in the garden for a bit. My mind is still racing. I won't be able to sleep."
"Okay," he said, reaching for the other pillow. "I'll just wrap my arms around this pillow and pretend it's you instead."
She laughed and kissed him on the forehead, before getting up to draw the curtains and shut the door behind her.
She walked into the courtyard and raised her face to the sky. The sun was bright and warm on her skin. Judging by it's position, she guessed it was barely noon. She went over to smell the flowers, picking a few. Jasmine was her favorite. She sat cross-legged on the ground in front of the bamboo fountain, watching a bird bathe itself in the cool water. When it was done, she placed the flowers in the pool, dedicated a prayer, and closed her eyes.
She tried to concentrate on the sound of the trickling fountain, but Kakashi's face kept floating up out of the darkness every time she pushed it back down. After several minutes of this tug of war, she decided to let herself surrender to it—the shape of him, the sound of his voice, the way his eyes revealed what was in his heart. She knew he was different now, older, with experiences that she will never know, but he felt the same.
I don't want to push him out of my mind. I don't need to do that anymore. All I have to do is ask for him, and he'll appear.
She opened her eyes. Her heart began to pound with excitement at this realization.
He was here. Alive.
She felt a sudden urgency to see him, as if she needed to confirm that it were true.
Okay, relax. Collect yourself.
She took a deep inhale and a long exhale. Her stomach rumbled.
I guess I'm hungry.
She got up and went to the kitchen. There wasn't much there aside from the abundance of fresh fruit. It looks as if they didn't intend for her to cook.
Ha, Kyla laughed to herself, yeah right.
After digging through the cabinets and drawers, she managed to find some rice noodles, coconut oil, and soy sauce.
Not much to go off of, but it'll do.
She looked out the kitchen window, and a thought struck her.
She went outside to the front of the house and observed the dense forest surrounding her.
Yes, I'll be sure to find them here.
She looked around for Kakashi, but no matter how hard she squinted her eyes at the leaves, she couldn't spot him. She knew it was futile to try and spot a ninja anyway.
"Kakashi!" she called out, probably a little louder than she needed to.
He appeared in a matter of seconds. She couldn't believe the ease at which she could summon him. What she would have given five years ago for it to have been that easy.
"Uh.. hi." she faltered.
"Kyla." he said, as a way of greeting.
She shook herself back to her senses.
"Judging by the look and feel of this forest, I'm guessing you guys have lion's mane mushrooms and this would be just the time to harvest them."
"You called me here to talk about mushrooms?" he asked.
She blushed. She forgot Kakashi was the most renowned Shinobi in the world and right now he was on duty. She felt sort of silly.
"Oh, um, no. Actually, I called you here to show me the mushrooms. I'm pretty hungry." she said, with her arms folded across her chest, her face still flushed.
He laughed. He wanted to stay professional, but he couldn't help it. She was just so damn cute.
"You know you can call the Hokage's cook and he will bring you whatever you want in a matter of seconds. You don't have to scavenge for mushrooms in the forest when you're hungry."
She would have felt embarrassed, but when she looked up at him, she could tell he was smiling, even with the mask covering half his face. She felt a little more at ease.
"I'd rather cook. I like it. It relaxes me," she said.
"I remember," he replied, before he could catch himself.
So much for pretending we don't have a history, she thought, staring at him.
He broke her gaze.
"Well, you're right. Those mushrooms are famous here. You'll find them on the other side of that ridge. It's about a quarter mile away." he said, pointing in the right direction.
She followed his finger with her eyes.
"Great. Thank you." she said.
"Is that all, Kyla?" he asked.
She looked at him and realized he was asking to be dismissed.
"No." she said quickly, without knowing what she was going to say next. She just wanted to keep him here.
"I'd…. prefer if you'd walk with me, instead of following where I can't see you."
"It's best if I can see a larger scope. The height of the trees gives me that."
While it was true, he knew it wasn't necessary in this situation. He was just trying to put some distance between them.
"Oh, please." she said, brushing past him.
He turned around to follow her.
She walked backward for a minute.
"Don't tell me the best Shinobi in the Hidden Leaf Village can't perceive just as well on the ground."
Damn, Kakashi thought. She saw right through that.
"I guess I'd better request for someone more qualified." she grinned at him, before facing forward again.
Kakashi felt the flirtation, and as much as he wanted to succumb to it, he refused the bait.