Portrait

Bonus Scene

(takes place several months before the other prequel)

Michicko awoke to the sound of knocking - loud, persistent, annoying knocking. Frowning, she turned over and pulled the pillows over her head, 'Maybe if I ignore them, they'll go away.'

Her plan didn't work however because the knocking only stopped for a second and then started again even louder. Scowling in frustration, Michicko turned over and hopped out of bed and then started to the door, 'I just pray that's not a messenger from the Kazekage. I just got back from a mission, he can't possibly want me to do something else so soon.'

By the time she was done thinking, she had reached the front door and she wrenched it open, simultaneously opening her mouth to tell off whoever was there, messenger or not, "What are you - "

"Michicko." She stopped when she recognized the person in front of her and then she became alarmed as she noted the solemn expression on his face.

"What is it? Did something happen?"

Kankurou shook his head slowly but didn't answer her question, saying instead, "Can I crash here?"

Nodding, Michicko stepped back and allowed him entry. She watched as he walked in and plopped down onto her couch, pulling off his hood in the process. 'Something's up,' she thought as she observed his behaviour. Quickly, she closed and locked her apartment door and then crossed over to where he was, splayed out now amongst the cushions.

"So?"

He looked up, seemingly confused, "So what?"

"What are you doing here? You and Temari have a fight already?" Temari had returned from Konoha that very day and though Michicko knew that the two didn't always get along, she couldn't imagine that they had fallen out so quickly.

He turned away from her and settled into the couch, throwing over his shoulder, "I don't wanna talk about it."

She considered him for a second and then turned away, knowing that pushing him was never the way to get him to open up. He didn't respond to coaxing, only violence which at the moment, she didn't quite have the energy to employ. "Fine - well, I'm going back to bed. Good night," she said, her voice quiet as she turned away and started in the direction of her room.

"Michicko."

She was almost at her bedroom door when he spoke. She halted instantly and turned back to him, "Yeah?"

His purple face peered over the couch at her, "I'm cold."

She rolled her eyes, then turned away and entered her bedroom, emerging a few seconds later with a blanket which she dumped quite unceremoniously on him before leaving again.

She slipped into bed and pulled her own blanket over her before settling in and closing her eyes. She lay there and waited for sleep to come, aware that Kankurou was just a wall away, wide awake.

After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and sat up, sighing - it seemed that although her body was tired, her mind was unable to rest. Kankurou's arrival had set it off and so she decided to just allow herself to think.

She found her mind drifting to the topic of the boy next door and she wondered (certainly not for the first time) why she put up with him, why she allowed him to spend the night at her place when he fought with his sister. It wouldn't kill him to go home. She'd even let him sleep in her room when she was living at home, forcing her to have to sneak him out before her parents woke up.

Michicko laughed quietly as she thought of all the near scrapes she'd gotten into with Kankurou, 'Having him around's certainly made life interesting.' She continued to immerse herself in memories of her and Kankurou and so didn't even notice when she began to feel drowsy. She had just begun to doze off when she heard it - a tentative knock on her bedroom door.

"Kankurou." She heard the door open and then he entered - the room was so dark that she could barely make him out in his black clothing. The only part of him that she could see clearly was the face paint, illuminated in the faint light from the moon.

She remained silent, afraid of saying the wrong thing and he remained by the door, his discomfort obvious even in the darkness and the silence. He was just about to turn and leave when she spoke, "Get in."

He turned to her suddenly, eyes wide and unbelieving, "What?"

She turned slightly, away from his baulking frame and replied, "Get in. And keep your hands to yourself."

His face relaxed and he rolled his eyes as he rejoined, "You don't need to tell me that - trust me, you've got nothing to worry about." By the end of his statement, he was standing on the opposite side of the bed and he climbed in, slowly, painstakingly.

Michicko frowned and looked away, edging closer to her end of the bed so that she didn't accidentally touch him. Suddenly she regretted her rash decision as he settled in beside her, for surely this was not a position she'd ever imagined she'd be in with him.

Kankurou looked over at her and observing her discomfort, sat up, "Look if you want me to go - "

"No, stay. It's fine, a little weird but fine," she replied as she lay back, turning away again.

He waited until she was settled before lying back himself, folding his arms behind his head. There was an awkward pause then that lasted for several minutes and then Kankurou spoke, "She's getting married."

"Temari?"

She felt the bed move as he nodded.

"To Nara-san?"

"Yeah. Stupid deer-boy," he responded, anger creeping into his voice.

Michicko was surprised and yet she wasn't. She knew that he approved (grudgingly but it was there nonetheless) of Temari's relationship with the shadow user and so his reaction to the news was a little strange. Surely, he must have realized that this was coming, after all he couldn't imagine that Temari would continue this long distance relationship with Shikamaru forever.

But as she glanced at him, able to discern more of him now that he was closer to her, her surprise disappeared. He knew, he must have but he had not yet accepted it. And now that it was happening, he had no choice.

"What did you say when she told you?"

"Congratulations." She was sure that he had too, in the most sarcastic, insincere voice he could muster.

"And then you left."

He nodded but he didn't have to. After all, it wasn't really a question.

"Do you know what the worst part of it is?"

She shook her head, although deep down, she knew.

"I feel bad. I feel bad for not being happy for her because,' he paused,' because she deserves this and I know that she deserves it. And I'm just being stupid and selfish and immature. I know that's what she's thinking and the crappy thing is that she's right."

Michicko propped herself up on an elbow and turned to Kankurou. He wasn't looking at her, his eyes fixed on some point on the wall as he mentally beat himself up. A million things ran through her mind but what she said was, "Are you?"

"What? Stupid, selfish and immature?"

"No, I already know that," she responded, chuckling softly. "Are you happy for her?"

He glanced at her and then back to the wall, "Yeah, I guess. It's just that...if she marries deer boy, then she's going to have to move to Konoha. I don't understand how can she do that? How can she leave Suna?!"

Michicko heard the echo in his words, the question within the question. And she didn't know how to respond - she really wanted to reach out and hug him and hope that it would be enough. But she knew him and so she knew that it wouldn't be. Defeated, she responded, "I don't know."

"Yeah, well neither do I," he replied, a sigh wrapped up in his words.

"It's not because she loves him more."

"What?" he replied, turning to her but now, she was looking away.

"You heard me. She loves you - you don't have to worry about that."

He frowned and turned back to the wall, "That's not the problem."

"I know what the problem is but there's nothing you can do about it." And that, essentially, was the problem - that there was nothing he could do about it.

He looked at her, trying and failing to look irritated, then shrugged and laid back, "Aren't you going to go to sleep? It's late."

She laid back, forgetting now to maintain her distance, "Are you? Because I'm not gonna be able to get to sleep, if you're lying next to me awake."

"Don't worry about it - I won't keep you up. Now go to sleep - I'm sure you're tired."

She hated to say it but she was partly glad that he didn't want to talk anymore - she honestly didn't know what to say in this situation. "Good night. Oh! And thanks for caring," she responded, turning her back to him and curling up.

He glanced over at her, then looked back at the wall and rolled his eyes. He didn't speak again until any number of minutes had elapsed and he was almost sure that she was asleep. "Thanks," he muttered, almost under his breath and he waited, half hoping that she hadn't heard what he'd said.

All was quiet for awhile and then out of darkness came a reply, "I heard that."

"You were supposed to."

She shifted a bit under the covers, "We both know that I wasn't. But I did! Now good night, Kurou-kun," she finished, her voice suddenly taking on a sugary sweet overtone.

He rolled his eyes again, then turned away from her. 'Just for that, I'm not gonna say anything.'

The next morning, when Michicko awoke, her face was just inches away from Kankurou's and it was in that very instant that she realized, that given the opportunity, she could (and would) spend the rest of her life with him.

It took her months, however, to actually accept that revelation.

A/N: ...So, if you don't tell my beta that I wrote this, I won't either. Gosh, this scene was ridiculously difficult to write - I just hope it wasn't in vain (please say it works out with the rest of the story!) I really, really hope it doesn't suck. So in case you were wondering when Michicko began to have feelings for Kankurou, this should answer your question.

And Nana, I put an awkward pause JUST FOR YOU! Love you reviewers - you make my day (hint, hint).