Chapter Nine: Body Heat
Because most of humanity does not know what it really feels like to fly they often confuse the feeling of freefall for flight. The sensation of dropping at a rapid speed, however, is no equivalent to that of soaring 'on' the air the way a bird or a plane does.
Sasuke, on the other hand, knew what it was like to at least glide, having spent most of his summers on an extreme isolated mountain with his brother and often his father skydiving from planes, or paragliding off of cliffs. That was as close to flying as humans were ever going to really get.
What was happening at that particular moment was not even close.
Gravity grabbed him, flinging him down with the force only physics could explain. The impact of his body against the usually stable ice below shattered the solidified liquid into a thousand shards giving way for the water to swallow him whole hungrily, dragging him under into its dark freezing depths.
Knives of freezing cold water stabbed him on all sides, the air which he had snatched in a hurry before falling was knocked clear from his lungs as he kicked furiously, struggling to go up while the weight of his heavy winter clothing dragged him down.
It wasn't the darkness, or the feel of water, or the knowledge that he might not get out that was nerve wrecking. None of those things were making him panic, it was the other feeling, the one writhing in his chest like a live snake facing execution.
Recognition.
It felt like when he had gazed upon the dead bodies of his parents, sprinkled over with book pages as though they were petals, soaking up into their white fibers their deep red blood.
Knives, knives and cold, knives, and cold and no air…
I can't move.
His sleeve slipped, right between her freezing numb aching fingers, dragging a cry from her throat that sounded so purely animalistic that it frightened her.
The crash of Sasuke falling under the ice was the only knowledge she had of what was happening because she had turned, flung herself on her feet and scrambled down the side of the bridge, turning so sharply to run towards the lake banks that she slipped, driving her knee down into the frozen earth with shattering force that drove a shock of pain up her leg.
Panting, and sobbing and crying out his name she grabbed hold of the railing to steady herself as she crouched down on the edge of the ice, testing it carefully.
All she knew about hypothermia, ice rescues and survival skills stated going on the ice was the stupidest thing she could do, but that didn't matter, none of it mattered.
I let go. I let go, I let go, I let go!
Beating herself with vicious names she flung herself on her stomach and began to crawl forward towards the hole where the water had grown still and unmoving.
He wasn't coming out…
Kami-sama, he's not coming out… he's not coming out!!
Her voice broke the tense stillness again, unsteady and frightened. "Sasuke! Sasuke, come on, please, come out, come out…"
Sobbing so hard she could hardly see she reached the edge of the hole, blindly throwing her hands down into the freezing water. Instantly her skin numbed, burning with the cold first then feeling nothing.
"Please… please… oh God, please…" She rubbed her tears away with her other hand quickly in order to see better, just as her finger's brushed cloth beneath.
Three seconds later she was nearly in the water herself, leaning far down to grab Sasuke's arms forcefully, dragging up with all her might.
Grunting heavily she heaved, straining to remain balanced on the ice.
The snow covered surface groaned under her weight, but she ignored it, sobbing pitifully as the choking coughing boy came up out of the water and grabbed hold of the edge rapidly, gasping for breath and already shaking violently.
"Sasuke, Sasuke hold on to me!" Hinata gasped, wrapping her arms around him from behind. Breathing hard she pulled, feeling her body sliding slightly along the smooth surface of the ice.
Furious at herself she bit down on her lip hard, ignoring the blood that trickled down her chin as a result. Groaning forcefully with the effort she heaved, dragging the boy nearly twice her size out of the water.
Together they slammed onto the ice surface, gasping for breath and soaked, though Sasuke was by far the worse.
His skin was already turning a light blue and though he was conscious his body was shaking violently.
Cursing repeatedly he rolled over and began to cough up water, choking in his panicked slightly frightened darkness.
"Sasuke, Sasuke, I'm sorry!" Hinata gasped, crawling over to him, trying to catch her breath, rubbing away her tears repeatedly.
Her heart was racing, pounding in her ears so loudly she could hardly make sense of what was happening around her. The cries of the young men on the other side of the bridge were a background noise to be ignored, faded by the sound of Sasuke's loud choking coughs and his breathless gasps for air.
The drumbeat of her heart however was the dominant, images of past memories flashing with each pounding beat.
Oka-san's pale face. Her thin hands, her weak smile, her fading life…
Otousan's voice calling her name, dragging her away, her screams, begging to stay. Let me stay… let me stay with Oka-san, let me stay with Oka-san…
What if she goes away forever…if I leave?
What if she goes away forever, if I let go?
If I let…
"Hinata!" Sasuke's voice cut through her hyperventilation sharply. He was sitting up, when did that happen? His face was so pale… so, so pale. Oka-san's face had been that pale when she-
"Breathe! Breathe, you're going into shock!" he shouted, giving her a shake with his freezing wet hands. Hinata stared, shivering violently, listening to her breaths and how fast they were, how sore it made her chest.
I can't slow it down! I can't slow it-
Slap!
Hinata gasped, her hand flinging up to touch her stinging cheek, staring at him in shock. Her gasps had stopped completely, her tears as well had seized their pouring, all she could do was gape at him, startled.
Before her throat could whisper out a 'doushite?' of confusion his arms were around her, dragging her in for a hug she did not expect. The freezing wetness of his clothing pressing up against her made her shiver, staring over his shoulder, unable to fathom what was happening.
It had to be a nightmare… everything that was happening had to be a nightmare…
But then, why was he hugging her…?
"L-listen to me." Sasuke stuttered, his chattering teeth forcing his words to stumble and trip as they left his lips.
"I know y-you're scared, b-but I'm g-getting hypothermia and i-in a few minute I w-won't be able to walk. W-we need to try to get back. I'm going to need y-your help." He gasped, unable to control the violent shudders ripping through his body. The warmth of her own small form was almost addictive, but he forced himself to pull back, listening to her steadying breaths with relief.
"…h-hai. Hai, you're right. Gomen." Hinata stuttered, shivering violently as he pulled back. Eyes searching the ground as if looking for the answer she began to stand, listening intently to the ice groaning under them.
"…Kakashi's house is too far away." She whispered, wracking her brain for all information on hypothermia. "You'll collapse before we reach it."
Sasuke just listened, too tired and cold to move while she processed all the information.
"My house… my house is closer." She whispered suddenly, sounding both hesitant and determined.
Sasuke turned his head in the direction of her steps carefully sliding over the ice. "Y-your house…" he began slowly, for some reason feeling his stomach clench.
Hinata did not reply but crouched down, throwing his arm over her shoulder. "It's five minutes if we hurry through the park." She whispered, grunting softly as she stood with him leaning heavily on her.
He did not reply, already feeling his grip on consciousness slipping. All the sounds were muffled, and the darkness seemed thicker, pulling him deeper within it's binding shadows, away from reality.
"Gomen, Sasuke-kun." She whispered as they began their trek towards her house. "Gomen."
He couldn't decide what she was apologizing for, but that didn't really matter. He was much too tired to reply.
"It's been eight months, Kakashi. Eight months with no sign of him, some of my people have begun to think he's committed suicide or moved to some southern country with no plans to return. I don't understand why you want us to keep looking." The man speaking looked at Kakashi over the rim of a small shot of tequila. The amber liquid glistened in the dim light of the bar. He had a pair of small beady eyes and a gray mustache that that slid over his upper lip.
Kakashi frowned at him, brows pulling together in an irritated glare. "I don't think you realize the situation behind the killing. Sasuke was on his hit list. He blasted the house with gas with his little brother inside it." The teacher's voice rarely hit so low and dangerous a tone, but at that moment in the dark bar with only murmurs and softly playing music it resembled that of a killer.
"I know that, I have the case file." The man snapped irritably, tilting his head back to shoot the liquid down his throat.
Kakashi watched, wrinkling his nose slightly in disgust.
"Why do you drink that stuff? All it's good for is killing brain cells."
"Who said I need all my brain cells?" the man retorted, wincing visibly. Coughing a little he reached over the counter to grab a sliced lemon and a pinch of salt from the glass bowl sitting there to suck on.
"Well, someone with all their brain cells might have said that once upon a time." Kakashi grunted irritably, swirling his cup of sake thoughtfully. He hadn't even sipped it the entire time he had been there. He needed all his senses to be functional in a bar, even if it was as early as seven thirty.
His eyes widened, focusing on the clock opposite his stool.
Seven thirty!?
"Damnation!"
"Nani?" the man grunted, sucking at the lemon in a less than attractive manner. Kakashi rolled his eyes, setting down a wad of bills to pay for the sake he hadn't drunk. "Seven thirty, shit, Sasuke's going to make me walk that girl home, I swear…" he grumbled, buttoning up his coat as he turned.
Before leaving he stopped, putting a hand on the other man's shoulder roughly. "Listen Rem…" his voice hit another record low and his sharp eyes peered darkly over the rim of his coat. "…my godson is blind because of the psychotic mess that is his brother. My best friend and his wife are dead. Sasuke is being tested for an eye operation, if he somehow manages to get his sight back the first thing he's going to do is hunt down the bastard…I have to get rid of the problematic older brother before that happens." He stopped for a moment, studying the fat slightly startled face of Rem.
"Now, I'm not a very violent man, but if I have to give you incentive to find the crazed killer, I'm very willing."
The flicker of a Swiss army knife flying up in the air and then back into his hand made Rem's eyes snap sharply in the direction.
"…n-no. It's fine. I'll get my people back on it."
"I wasn't aware you had taken them 'off'."
"OH! I mean, not… not like… yes, they're on it." Rem stuttered, wide eyed and sweating like a pig.
Kakashi's eyes twinkled merrily, the Swiss army knife vanishing in his pocket as though it had never existed.
"Excellent, I'll get back to you sometime this week. My regards to your wife and mistress." He stated, patting him lightly on the shoulder before slipping out the door quickly.
Rem shuddered, listening intently as the teacher slipped out the door.
Very few knew the secret of Kakashi-sensei, professor at the Konoha Preparatory.
The cheerful teacher had once upon a time had another job… in the Secret Service.
Slip, fall, pick yourself up again, struggle on, push yourself…
Hinata wasn't a strong person; she wasn't a strong person in any sense of the word. Her body was small for her age, her muscles were weak, her hands smooth and untouched by hard labor. The Hyuuga was half starved from working so consistently on things of the mind, she wasn't someone strong enough to save herself, let alone someone else…
But that wasn't an option. It wasn't an option, not right then.
Sweat was sliding down the bridge of her nose, making the air that left her dry lips form clouds of white steam in front of her.
Sasuke had stopped responding, his body leaning more and more on her own small form as they struggled along. The houses stood on either side, holding their giant metal gates like guards around them. No one was to pass, no one was to help.
Black iron, dark brick and mortar contrasted sharply with the ivory white of the snow that was still falling, leaving a carpet of smoothness out in front of her.
But she wasn't paying attention to that, not even a little.
"Gomen, gomen…" her voice shook, wobbling with the dry sobs she was forcing out of her throat with each step. The taste of blood seeped into her mouth as each word escaped her. Biting her lip so hard had left a clot of dry redness that dribbled down her lower lip and chin, making the sore skin there crack painfully.
Still, that wasn't enough to draw her attention from the pale boy hanging off of her, gasping for breath and shivering violently every few moments.
The trek to her house had never seemed quite so long. Not even when she knew she was late the first day Neji had been back. Running had been an option, but not at the moment.
Slow steps were her only way of moving, one after the other, slowly and painfully the way the falling snowflakes drifted across the narrow view of the dimly lit street as though feathers raining down from angels watching.
I can't do this! I can't do this!
Her knee gave way suddenly and she stumbled, feeling the already bruised joint crack horribly against the slightly cushioned pavement of the road.
"Ah!" she whimpered, breathing in deeply before shivering violently. Though she had not fallen in the lake completely the way Sasuke had, most of her upper torso had been splashed with the freezing water in her attempt to drag him out. Her arms were shaking and already turning a dim blue at the tips of her fingers.
Having studied advanced biology last semester she knew exactly what that meant. If her arms were going into stage two of hypothermia, Sasuke was well into it and would soon be unable to walk…
"…Kami-sama…" she whispered, panting heavily. Sasuke's body shivered violently against her side, making her draw in a sharp breath, turning to look at the unusually pale boy only to find that his lips were more than just a dim blue, but lined in purple.
No! I can't believe I let this happen…
Tears began to form in her eyes again as she panted, her sore knee throbbing in the background in harmony with her pounding heart.
I let Hanabi get sick…
"I'm sorry…"
I disappointed Neji-nii-san…
"Gomen… please believe me, I'm sorry.."
I've angered Otousan…
"I tried, demo… demo, I c-can't… I can't do it…"
I…I let go of Oka-san's hand…
"I…I'm scared…."
I let go…
For a moment she was still, looking on at the winter evening. The road untouched by any human, sprinkled to perfection with icing sugar snowflakes. Streetlights styled after old Europe splashed light across the ground, and at the end of the road she could see the house sitting on the hill slightly, overlooking the rest of the street like a proud lord. A proud Hyuuga.
Otousan, Neji-nii-san, Hanabi…even Oka-san would not be whimpering like a child in her shoes…
She wouldn't be the weak link in the chain. She was a Hyuuga. Oka-san had proudly been a Hyuuga.
"Enough." Her voice shook, but her lips pressed into a thin line as she began to stand up, her hurt knee wobbling under her a little with the effort.
Pain shot up her leg and down her calf, sizzling like burning oil but she ignored it, grinding her teeth in an effort to pay it no mind.
Five minutes, it's five minutes away…
And I can't let go again.
Hinata Hyuuga wasn't about to let go of anybody…
"Weather forecasters were taken by surprise this week by the random weather anomaly that has swept the northern areas of the state covering the towns and cities in seven inches of snow and below freezing temperatures expected during the night…" The TV blared, sending sound and light flinging in all directions of the living room along with the fire burning happily in the fireplace, crackling in a way that made the girl curled on the couch feel very cozy.
Hanabi frowned, chewing thoughtfully on a mouthful of steamy cheesy casserole. It was her third serving already… if she didn't stop there would be none left for Hinata, but somehow that wasn't bothering her too much.
Munching thoughtfully she leaned back on the couch, eyeing the railing of the staircase to see if Hinata's coat was hanging there. Hopefully her absent minded sister had remembered to take her winter clothing in the morning. It was going to be freezing by the time she got home at the rate she was going. Already seven thirty and still no sign of her…
"Tch." Hanabi sighed, leaning her head back on the headrest. At this rate Neji was going to devour her sister alive with questions.
"Where are you, Onee-chan?" her sister grumbled.
Riiiiiiiing.
"What the-"
Hanabi sat up sharply, turning her head towards the foyer where the intercom light was flashing furiously.
Someone was at the gate?
"What the heck…?" Grumbling about interruptions and how her food was going to get cold the sulky little Hyuuga shoved herself up, slipping her feet into her house shoes as she tottered over to the intercom.
"Hello?" she mumbled thickly through wads of cheese and green peppers.
The shrill panicked voice of her sister made her choke, jumping slightly in surprise. "Hanabi! Hanabi, open the gate! Quick!"
Wordlessly Hanabi slammed her hand forcefully against the lock button of the intercom, turning around to fling the door open, rushing out into the freezing cold of the winter snowfall outside.
Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest, wide eyed she scrambled down the slippery incline of the driveway to reach her sister passing through the opening gates. Hinata never demanded anything, she never shouted, she never sounded panicked or seemed frightened… she never showed any sort of emotion at all unless something horrible had happened.
This family can't take anymore horrible things… Please Kami-sama, let nothing have happened…
The door finally opened, light and heat blasting out of the house into the coldness of the sudden winter frost outside. It slapped Hinata around the face like an angry mother but didn't distract her long enough to keep her outside.
Shoving Hanabi's questions and small shivering body aside she stumbled forward into the house, lowering Sasuke down right on the foyer ground.
The boy had passed out completely, his body shivering and shaking from time to time, his breathing had grown harsher as well.
"What is going on?!" Hanabi's voice screeched in the background, the buzz of the TV blaring out news about the weather outside was drilling into Hinata's head as she studied Sasuke's blue lips, lowering her face down to listen to his erratic breathing.
"Please… please be okay…"
"Onee-chan!" Hanabi sobbed suddenly beside her, grabbing her shoulders. "Who is he?! What's going on!?"
Hinata stared at her for a moment, noting Hanabi's rosy cheeks and tear-filled eyes.
Suddenly the feel of her body sweating from the heat of the room forced her to her feet with a gasp, locating the flames crackling in the fireplace.
Her eyes widened, her mind completely ignoring the sound of Hanabi's panicked frightened cries beside her.
It's too hot! His heart can't take a change of temperature that fast-
"Help me!" Hinata snapped suddenly, grabbing Sasuke again, heaving with more effort than she had used in her entire life she threw the boy's arm over her shoulder. Hanabi scurried around to the other side to do the same, crying all the while in her hurry.
"Hinata, he's soaked! He's so pale! We need to get him to a hospital!" but her sister's eyes did not rise, her thin lipped mouth did not move. She focused on the steps, on ignoring the agony rushing down her leg from putting so much weight on it again.
I have to get him to my room… I have to get him out of this heat and out of those clothes…
The floor seemed to finally appear after an eternity of climbing, and together the two sisters stumbled towards the door at the end of the hall.
Breathless she burst into her room, letting her body shiver at the slap of cold air that met her tear stained face the moment the door opened.
The room was silent, a torrent of moonlight pouring in through the open window blinds to smudge the array of grays and blacks. The area where her uncomplimented uncelebrated paintings had been stacked against each other was bare, leaving a block of pale floorboards where they had once lived in isolation.
Hinata swallowed hard, the smell of oil paints, paint thinner, charcoal and chalk choking her slightly with it's harshness
She turned then, her hands moving before she even knew what it was she needed to do. A part of her that wasn't often awake had come out, it was forcing her hands to move, her mind to think, shutting up the frightened startled girl with a forceful slap to the face.
Much like Sasuke had earlier on…
"Hanabi, go downstairs and put water to boil, get blankets from the guestroom." She snapped, turning her sister around by the shoulders. Hanabi ripped her eyes off of Sasuke, shivering at the realization that he reminded her of a vampire.
"D-demo!" Hanabi screeched, stumbling out the door.
Before she could catch her sister however she was already down the hall, ripping into the closet where the towels were, pulling out a whole stack by the armful.
Uncertain and confused Hanabi turned, stumbling down the steps in her hurry. It seemed there would be no getting answers out of Hinata at that moment; she'd better do as she was told…
Upstairs Hinata barged into Neji's room, flinging open the door with a loud bang. It hadn't occurred to her to register the fact that her cousin was not present. Her precise state of mind was not giving her enough time to even process her good luck. Instead she walked around the well made bed and flung open a drawer, pulling out the first shirt and sweat pants her eyes saw, turning around with the towels and clothes in her arms.
Rapidly she burst into her room again, dropping the stack of clothing on the floor beside the bed before moving to rip Sasuke's jacket off, the thawing half frozen cloth was almost hard in places from the cold.
Hurry… hurry, hurry, I have to hurry…
The jacket fell to the ground quickly, followed by the school jumper and blazer. However he was wearing a black t-shirt under all that as well.
Breathing quickly from the panic of how soaked through all of the articles were, she turned, flinging open a drawer at her desk to look for scissors.
Hanabi burst in then, carrying several thick blankets, sniffing loudly to calm herself and her frightened tears.
"Here, Onee-chan…" she begun, stopping as she caught sight of her sister ripping drawer after drawer open, dumping the orderly contents of each on the ground to be sorted through by her pale trembling hands.
"…scissors…where are they, where are they?" Hinata whispered softly, her eyes so wide in her face they made Hanabi take in sharp breath.
Quickly her sister fell down to the ground beside her, rummaging through all the seemingly useless rubbish in search for scissors.
"Here!" Hanabi gasped finally, grabbing the metal shears off the wooden floorboards.
Hinata snatched them quickly, hauling herself to her feet with a hiss of pain. Hanabi started at the sight of the yellowing bruise on her sister's knee and the limp with which she ran.
"Onee-chan…"
"Get the water." Hinata snapped over her shoulder quickly, making the youngster slam her mouth closed.
As if on cue the tea kettle downstairs suddenly screamed out its call. Before she had another reason to get snapped at Hanabi rushed out the door, stumbling down the stairs again in her hurry.
Whoever it was that was upstairs with the stranger wasn't her sister… Hinata didn't snap at her that way.
Without much thought in the direction of the youngster, Hinata crouched down by her bed again, ripping into Sasuke's shirt with the silent efficiency of someone who is frightened out of their mind.
Her hands didn't fumble when she undid his belt, cutting through the material of his pants. She didn't blush when she touched his skin, the clammy freezing feeling that seeped through his flesh only made her move faster, using the towels to dry the liquid off his body. Thankfully passed out, Sasuke felt nothing, not as she pulled her cousin's clothing on him and then flung the blankets out over him on the bed.
But his skin was still cold, his lips still blue and his breathing harsh…
Hinata paced silently in the tepid room, the door closed against the dangerous heat of the fire downstairs, running a hand through her long wet hair again and again.
What am I forgetting… what am I forgetting…?
The door opened suddenly and Hanabi walked in with a bowl of steaming water, closing the door with her foot behind her.
"Onee-chan, here…" she mumbled, putting the liquid down on the nightstand beside the bed.
Hinata nodded, walking over to it only to freeze as something frightening caught her eye in the mirror.
It was her reflection.
There was blood crusted on her lips and mouth, trickling down her chin and neck. Her face was pale as death and her eyes huge, consuming most of her face in what looked like an eternal expression of panic.
Her ebony locks were a mess, knotted and soaked through in cold water that was making her head throb. The purple and yellow bruise on her knee had spread from the joint down to the shin in horrible colors and textures to show its true damage and her clothing was clinging to her in all the wrong places where it was soaked through from the lake and the snow.
Hanabi stared at her too, noting with distress that that was the first time her Onee-chan had been still since arriving at the house ten minutes ago.
"…I…" Hinata whispered softly, reaching up to touch the blood on her face, recalling vividly the swing of the four by four that slammed into the other boy's face. The recollection of crimson blood splashing the white snow made her stomach drop to her knees.
Suddenly sick she ran forward, dipping her hands into the boiling hot water. It burned on contact, a strange half numb have ache shot up her finger tips to her wrists but she ignored it, rubbing her chin and mouth with liquid, leaving pink droplets in the water from the crusted blood.
I could have killed him… I could have…
She didn't realize she was sobbing until she was hiding her face in her hands, breathing in through her fingers harshly.
It was all happening too fast, too much, too quickly…
"Onee-chan!" Hanabi gasped, rushing forward. Her arms flung out around her, wrapping around her waist, burying her face into her back forcefully.
"What happened? Onee-chan, are you okay? Did someone- Onee-chan did someone hurt you!? Are you okay?" she cried desperately, trying not to see the image of Hinata's wide eyed horrified face in her mind's eye.
Hinata didn't reply but breathed in deeply, trying to steady herself, trying to focus.
Think. Sasuke's still sick… he's still cold. Think, what did the biology textbook say...?
But all she could do was feel Hanabi's warm body pressed up against hers, a sheer unimaginable comfort in the sudden cold that made her shiver violently for a moment.
She froze.
…body heat…
"Hanabi!' she gasped, turning around sharply. The girl jumped, looking worriedly up at her older sister. "Nani?"
"I…arigato! You need to get out, don't tell Neji-nii-san anything if he gets home, I'll do it." She cried suddenly, pushing her out the door rapidly.
Hanabi started, stumbling backwards and nearly falling out of the room's threshold onto the hallway floor.
Before she could object the door slammed again and the lock clicked closed.
She stared while sitting on the ground, gaping slightly. "Onee-chan? Onee-chan!"
But her cries didn't seem to penetrate the wood.
Hinata spun around, her fingers moving down the length of her blouse, unbuttoning the cloth rapidly, stumbling from the speed she was using to work.
Breathless she rummaged in her drawers quickly, grabbing the baggiest shirt she owned, which happened to be stained a thousand different colors from painting.
Still shivering she threw it over her head, dumping her school uniform on the ground quickly.
The entire time she hadn't been thinking. She hadn't been processing…
But the moment she turned around and faced the situation frankly her heart jumped to her throat and her body stopped, literally unmoving in its stillness.
I have to… I have to do it…
Trembling, and not from the cold she moved forward, willing her body to do as she instructed, ordering it to lift the covers, to sit down…. To lay down…
He was cold, he was so cold still, shivering and shaking in his slumber, but the moment her body joined him it was as if instinctive need for heat drew him closer and without really having to do anything she was in his arms, pressed tightly up against him.
His soft breath tickled her neck, telling her exactly how fast his breathing was and how quickly it was slowing down with her body there to lend him the appropriate amount of heat.
Blushing furiously Hinata buried her face in his shoulder, attempting to keep herself calm. He wasn't awake… he didn't know what was going on, if she managed to bring his body heat back to normal without him waking perhaps he need never know…
He didn't have to know that it felt good to be right there against him that way…
Swallowing the knot in her throat she shifted slightly, startled to find him cuddling into her in compliance with her movements. The coldness of his bandages suddenly scrapped her neck and she started slightly at the freezing touch.
Untangling her arms from around him she gently pulled the knot apart and began to unwind the cloth, letting it fall to the ground.
Curiosity was the last thing she expected to feel at that moment, but it followed soon after letting the white bandages drop to the ground beside her bed.
What does he look like without them, I wonder…
But his face was pressed in gently against her, his breath moving down her neck, kissing her bare shoulder repeatedly with each gasp and shiver.
Biting her sore lip again, Hinata rubbed his back slowly in circles, the cold of his skin still seeping through the material of her cousin's shirt.
It was going to take a while for him to get back to normal…
After a few minutes of listening to his steadily calming breaths she felt her knotted muscles relax, laying her head down on his shoulder as well as she listened to his pulse and it's steady rhythm.
Suddenly she felt her whole body let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, loosening into a tired sore teenage girl again…
He's okay… He'll be okay.
"Thank God…" she whispered, closing her eyes for only a moment. It was only going to be a moment...
She slept, for once, without nightmares.
Aw well darlings…
Hehehe, this was really really hard to write
Cuz if I wasn't careful it'd be slutty
If I wasn't even more careful, It'd be comical. I hope that it's okay… I am not entirely happy with the chapter, but we'll see how it goes along. Maybe when I reread it I wont be so upset about it, ne?
Please leave me some love, ne?
-inky