Answered Prayers

Standing nonchalantly in the corner of the Uchiha compound, Hatake Kakashi wore a smug grimace on his face as he leaned on a nearby wall. He was partly grateful for the navy blue mask that covered his face. He was sure his expression was scary... or at least ugly.

Somehow, he let Gai talk him into attending Ayame and Itachi's pre-wedding engagement party. He almost gagged at the mention of it. Kakashi couldn't think of something he hated more than the thought of Itachi and Ayame together... married... kissing... would they sleep together also?

No, he wouldn't think about that.

He mentally cursed Konoha's Green Beast for dragging him to the event. But Gai didn't know about the conversation he had with Ayame. Gai didn't know of Kakashi's hatred for Itachi and his hatred of their marriage. Was the copy ninja unconsciously being an over-protective brother-type to Ayame? Or was he secretly jealous that another man would be spending the rest of his life with her?

He was afraid it was the latter.

But there were three main reason, among the many, why Kakashi couldn't get involvedwith Ayame. And Kakashi knew these three reasons well, for he kept replaying them in his mind over and over again in his head.

The first was that she was Obito's little sister. Kakashi's relationship with Uchiha Obito was probably the closest thing to friendship that he ever had. And that was saying something, considering that most of the time they were either competing or fighting with each other. The copy-ninja didn't really pay any mind to Ayame back then, but after spending so much time with her for the past month, he realized so many similarities between her and her brother.

The second reason was because Kakashi was afraid to get close to anyone ever again. His father, Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei... everyone he ever bothered building a relationship with was dead. Or in Rin's case, kidnapped. But there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she was dead also. What if Kakashi didn't hand over his sharingan eye to Orochimaru? Would he target Ayame since he's been spending so much time with her?

He growled silently under his breath.

The third, and most obvious reason, was that she was already taken. Unavailable. And the gray haired man knew that he shouldn't be talking about her like that... as if he had a chance anyway. But either way, he couldn't ignore the fact that she was engaged. And whenever he brought it up, and he knew he shouldn't, Ayame wouldn't change her mind.

Finally, he spotted her among the crowd. As he shook his private argument from out of his head, he pin-pointed Ayame's figure from between the gathering of all the people.

She was wearing a light pink dress that fell right above her knees, and hugged her petite curves. It was a definite change from her usual training clothes, the only type of clothes Kakashi saw her in. And he couldn't help but keep his one eye off of her smile. It was so genuine, so real.

Weeks ago he was more than confident that Ayame shared the same type of pain that he did. The type of pain that made you feel so alone, even when you're surrounded by friends and family. But now he wasn't so sure if she felt that pain anymore. He wasn't sure if he could compare himself to her anymore... because she looked happy.

Kakashi watched as Ayame hugged Hitoshi and conversed with him for a while. He couldn't understand the things they were saying, but he knew it was a happy conversation. He knew that she hadn't been with her friends for a while, and he knew that it was partly his fault. They had been spending a lot of time together the past few weeks.

He continued to observe them until the Uchiha girl hugged her former teammate one last time, and pointed him out to the direction of their other friend, Nori. She then stood for a while by herself, looking through the cloud. And that's when Kakashi's back left the wall, aiming to get closer to her.

He would apologize, for the fight they had the other night.

But before he could get closer, someone else approached her from behind.

Itachi, he growled.

His face resumed to the expression of disgust as he took in the scene of Ayame and her finacétalking together. A few seconds later, the jounin noticed the girl bringing the dark haired man into an alley, and mentally cursed.

What was going on?

As he pushed people out of the way, Kakashi desperately wanted to get closer to the alley between two houses, where Ayame and Itachi were now standing in.

Were they having a moment alone? A private moment?

Minutes later, Ayame emerged.

She wiggled out of the alley, her face was red and covered in tears. No one else around her seemed to notice, but since a certain gray haired man was watching the whole time, he sped up closer to her.

Did Itachi hurt her? Did he say something to crush her little heart?

Just as she was reaching the exit gates of the compound, Kakashi tugged at her elbow, barely reaching her in time. He didn't care about the numerous boundaries he was breaking right now. As of that moment, he no longer felt like her senpai, her trainer, instead, he felt like someone who cared about her. Someone who wanted all the pain in her life to go away. It was amazing how just a few minutes ago she was smiling and laughing... and now tears stained her perfect face.

"Ayame, where are you going?"

The girl tried pulling her elbow from the tight grip of the copy-ninja's hold, but it wouldn't even budge. Finally, she turned around to see Kakashi, and his one visible eye was filled with questions. Her heart melted at the sight of him. He had been on her mind since the last time they talked, he was the only one she could think about. Wasn't she supposed to be angry with him? Didn't he avoid her, and cancel all of their training appointments on purpose just so that he wouldn't have to see her?

"Ayame, what happened? Where are you going?" He repeated, impatiently. People were starting to look at them, noticing the scene displayed near the tall gates of the Uchiha compound. Her cheeks were reddening at the attention as she felt numerous pairs of eyes staring at her.

She tried pulling her elbow once more, but it was useless.

"Kakashi, I just want to get out of here, okay?"

He loosened his grip a little, and replied, "Fine, but I'm coming with you, just in case you do something drastic." And with that he pulled her out of the compound by her elbow, and into the rest of Konoha.

When he finally released the girl, a red mark was formed on the curvature of the inside of her elbow, due to the tight clench. He looked over and muttered a sorrywhile scratching the back of his head nonchalantly. She didn't say anything to him the whole time, she just kept walking down the familiar path into the forest. Kakashi didn't say a word either, he just followed behind her.

What could she say? Would she tell him that Itachi was putting a stop to the wedding? Would she share the good news with him? Ayame didn't want to bring up the same subject that caused them to fight the other night. But on the other hand, it was a good thing, that the wedding was called off. It was something that they both wanted.

But then Ayame didn't want Kakashi to think that she did it for him. That would be weird... awkward even. She didn't want her senpai to think she had a crush on him. The gray haired ninja would think of her like a little immature school girl... right? She was younger than him... she was inexperienced, juvenile, childish.

On the other hand, Kakashi was older, experienced when it came to women, he was mature.

Suddenly, she stopped walking and turned, she felt Kakashi stiffen because he knew where she was going. And when they reached the destination, she dropped to her knees and began sobbing. Kakashi walked beside her and knelt down also, looking at the large black K.I.A. Stone.

The Hatake ninja didn't know that Ayame was crying tears of joy. She was happy because somewhere in heaven, God answered her prayers... or maybe it was Obito who was looking down on her. Whoever it was... she was thankful. They got Itachi to stop the wedding. The wedding that would have ruined her life. The wedding that she never wanted.

All her life, she always thought that she would marry that man she loves and when she was ready. Not to some over achieving ninja at the age of eighteen. She was still young, she wanted to live.

"Ayame," Kakashi's voice was smooth and mellow, "Tell me what happened."

The tears of happiness were starting to dissolve on her pale face, and she turned around to Kakashi, this time taking a seat on the soft ground. "Itachi," she exclaimed, "Is calling off the wedding."

A roar of pleasure filled Kakashi's chest like a spoonful of warm soup. It swallowed his heart and lifted his soul off his toes. She's not marrying him after all.

But he was confused; why had she been crying? Was she sad that the wedding was called off? Did she really love Itachi, and was she looking forward to the wedding? If she was, then Kakashi felt like a jerk. Like an idiot. All those times that he tried to talk her out of it... and it turned out that she really loved him the whole time?

"I don't understand," he admitted.

Ayame looked up at him, with gleaming black eyes, "Someone up there," she then looked up at the clouded sky, "Answered my prayers. Itachi confided in me that he didn't want to be held back by a wife. He wanted to focus on his career as a ninja, and I think that that was supposed to offend me, but it didn't," she chuckled, "I'm finally free... I know my parents will be upset when they hear the news... but what can they do? When I'm good and ready, I will fall in love and get married. But that's not going to be today, or tomorrow or next month. I'm going to fall in love slowly and at my own pace. Like Obito would have wanted me to."

Kakashi felt a roar of pleasure erupt in his chest once again.