Kakashi lay on his back in the dark, too elated by the success of his first date with Sasuke to sleep. When they had arrived home after their walk on the beach, they had automatically settled in the library, Sasuke's favorite room, talking and getting to know one another. Kakashi hadn't thought there was anything more he could learn about Sasuke, but he'd come to discover over the hours just how wrong he'd been. There were layers to Sasuke that Kakashi thought no one had ever seen before. It was almost as if Sasuke had become a new person before his eyes, and Kakashi loved him more with each revelation. And, as if it were a dance all it's own, they both managed to talk about themselves and ask questions of the other, naturally, as if the conversation had been scripted for them. When they'd finally realized that they had spent several hours just talking, exhaustion set in. It seemed to Kakashi as if just the acknowledgement of time was the key his body needed to remember that it was tired. So, tired but happy, the two had headed upstairs and parted in the hallway, Kakashi going to his room and Sasuke to his.
It had only taken Kakashi a few moments after turning out the lights and slipping under the covers of his own bed to realize that without Sasuke at his side, he wasn't going to be able to sleep. In that moment, after hours of getting closer to Sasuke, Kakashi knew that his whole world was Sasuke now. When Sasuke wasn't with him, his life was empty, incomplete, and to be suffered through rather than enjoyed. With this realization came fear however, because as much as he now knew about Sasuke, what he didn't know yet was how to take that next step. He knew that Sasuke was falling in love with him, but he also knew that it was still new to Sasuke, and as his first love it was probably also frightening for the boy as well, though he knew Sasuke would never admit it. Even after all they'd learned about one another, Kakashi was still afraid to move too quickly, afraid he'd push Sasuke away. The boy had already run from him once because he didn't know how to handle Kakashi's attention and his own feelings that were just beginning to bud. This made Kakashi especially careful of the boy, knowing that it would be entirely too easy for Sasuke to run again.
Rolling onto his stomach with a sigh, Kakashi folds his arms over his pillow and lays his head on his arms, staring across the room to the window where he'd left the curtains open just far enough to allow him to see the moonlight shinning in. A knock at his door jerks Kakashi from his thoughts, and fearing that something was wrong with a member of his staff as no one came to his room in the middle of the night, he rolls to his back and sits up quickly as he calls out quietly, "Yes, come in."
When the door opens just far enough to admit the person that had knocked, Kakashi leans over to flip the switch on a bedside lamp. His hand stops just before it reaches the switch when he realizes that the person now standing just inside his bedroom door was Sasuke. Gasping in surprise, Kakashi leans a little closer toward the door, his heart rising into his throat. It takes him several tries to find his voice, and the ability to speak past his constricted throat. "Sasuke? What is it? Is something wrong?"
"No. Yes." When Sasuke sighs, Kakashi can hear the frustration and relaxes slightly, knowing that it can't be anything too serious if he were only frustrated. Rather than pushing, he waits patiently for Sasuke to gather his thoughts. "There's nothing wrong, I just had a nightmare and now I can't seem to go back to sleep. I'm sorry to come and wake you up in the middle of the night like this."
Kakashi shakes his head and reaches out a hand, patting the bed next to him. "I wasn't asleep, you didn't wake me up. Even if I was sleeping, it's ok. If you ever need me, no matter what time it is, you come to me. I promise I will never mind being woken up if it's you. If you need me, come to me."
Sasuke moves silently across the room and crawls into the bed next to him. Kakashi lays back slowly, holding out a hand to Sasuke, offering comfort with a touch. "Tell me about the dream."
Sasuke's hand turns under the pressure of Kakashi's his fingers twining with Kakashi's automatically. He draws a deep breath then lets it out in a quiet sigh. "I'd rather not talk about it actually. I want to forget it, and replace it with the more pleasant memories of last night."
Kakashi studies Sasuke's profile in the dim light that managed to reach the bed from the open curtains. He sees the tension around Sasuke's eyes easily enough as well as the stiff line of his shoulders. Nodding, he tugs Sasuke down next to him, pulling the younger man into his arms. "That's ok, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Kakashi pauses, considering for a moment, and when he continues, he speaks softly, carefully. "You don't have to worry about Sanari anymore. I would have thought dreams of him would have stopped by now." When he feels Sasuke tense in his arms, Kakashi thinks he's found the truth and hurries on to soothe the tension away. "Don't worry, you don't have to talk about it, just listen. I thought that as you settled in here that you'd grow more comfortable and less scared. I've seen you get more comfortable and I thought you were less scared, but if he's haunting your dreams that must not be the case. I would give anything to take this away from you, so if there's anything I can do to help ease you through this, please Sasuke, let me know."
Sasuke nods, and Kakashi feels him relax by inches. The younger man stays quiet for so long, Kakashi begins to think he might have fallen asleep, then Sasuke shifts and turns his head to look at Kakashi. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you. Normally I'd deal with this by myself, but..." He trails off and turns his head away, missing Kakashi's frown.
Leaning down over the boy, Kakashi speaks quietly into his ear, putting all the conviction he feels into his words, "Don't think that, Sasuke. You are not bothering me. I told you, I'm here for you any time you need me, and I meant just that. You're not alone anymore Sasuke, you've got me to help you shoulder your burdens now, you just have to let me. When I tell you I love you, I don't say it idly Sasuke. You mean more to me than you could possibly know, and I'll do anything and everything I can to protect you. Even if it's just protection from a nightmare. Go to sleep Sasuke, I'll hold you, and as long as you're in my arms, nothing but the most pleasant of dreams will come to you, I promise."
Kakashi feels Sasuke shift in his arms and roll onto his side so they faced one another. Kakashi smiled at the young male in the dim light as he reached up to stroke the back of his fingers down one of Sasuke's cheeks. "I'll not let any hurt come to you, ever again. Sleep soundly knowing you are protected."
Leaning in, Kakashi places a soft kiss against Sasuke's lips, the barest brush of lips then leans back and watches Sasuke as the younger man settles in to sleep. When Sasuke's breathing slows and deepens, Kakashi relaxes next to him, watching him sleep. Moving carefully so as not to disturb him, Kakashi reaches out and places a hand in Sasuke's chest, closing his eyes as he feels the even rise and fall of the sleeping boy's chest. Smiling, he opens his eyes and looks down at Sasuke again, sliding his hand over slightly to feel the slow beating of his heart. Leaning over again, he presses a kiss to Sasuke's forehead, then lifts his hand to brush Sasuke's hair back from his eyes as he leans back, propping himself on one elbow to watch him sleep.
Content to just lay awake and watching Sasuke sleep, Kakashi settles himself comfortably on his side in a position that allowed him to watch Sasuke, but was also comfortable. When a small smile settles on Sasuke's lips, Kakashi smiles himself knowing that the pleasant dreams he'd promised Sasuke had finally come. Settling himself down next to Sasuke, Kakashi pulls the boy close, careful not to wake him as he slides his arms around the younger male. It isn't long before unexpected and undesired sleep claims him. Kakashi's night is filled with pleasant dreams of his own, all heavy with the scent of the boy sleeping in his arms. When Kakashi wakes the next morning Sasuke is still held tightly against his chest. Before he even opens his eyes, he smiles and tilts his head to kiss Sasuke lightly on the forehead. When he gets no response from the boy, he opens his eyes to find him still sound asleep, cuddled against his chest, one arm draped over Kakashi's side.
Kakashi lays, enjoying the warmth of Sasuke's body pressed against his, as well as the feel of the boy in his arms for several minutes. With a sigh of regret he moves slowly and carefully, sliding out from under Sasuke's arm and pulling his own away. He stops moving, propped up on an elbow next to Sasuke and watches him for a few moments to be sure he was still sleeping, then rolls himself out of the bed. Again he just stares down at Sasuke, making sure he was still sleeping soundly. When Sasuke rolls onto his stomach and seems to burrow deeper into the covers, Kakashi smiles and turns to the bathroom. He moves through his morning routine, showering, shaving, brushing his hair and teeth in a happy daze. When he steps out of the bathroom in his bathrobe, he finds his bed empty. He stares at the empty bed for a moment, then frowns in regret. He wasn't very surprised that Sasuke had left as soon as he woke up, so shaking his head, Kakashi moves to his closet to pull out clothes for the day. He pauses once at the closet door thinking he heard something down the hall from his room, but when the sound doesn't repeat itself he just shrugs and steps into the closet, trying to decide what he was going to do with Sasuke for the day.
AN: I apologize for this chapter being so short. I think it's a combination of several factors that made it this short. First is the long period between this chapter and the last. Also, there's the fact that this chapter changed as soon as I started writing. Originally, Sasuke was supposed to come to Kakashi's bed faking having had a bad dream, then as I was writing it became real and integral to the story. (You'll understand in the next chapter.) But, the biggest issue came with the realization what's going to happen in the next chapter. It smacked me right between the eyes, stunning me so completely that I last the line of the story in this chapter. Let me put it this way, KakashiKrazed said something a couple of chapters ago about waiting for the next shoe to drop. Well, it's about to drop and it's a HUGE one. Expect the next chapter to be VERY long and it should be done by Saturday or Sunday at the latest.
Again, I'm sorry this chapter was so short. D: I hope you enjoy it anyway.
P.S. Kakashi watching Sasuke sleep? That scene was originally supposed to be much different, but my shuffle threw "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith at me as I was writing this chapter and it affected what I wrote. I think if I'd stayed with my original plan, it would've been longer. Sorry. ;)