Author's Note: A short chapter I know but it seemed the best place to end it for tonight.

Chapter 13:

"Is that a raindrop?" Riko asked, eager to keep the conversation going.

Kakashi looked up. The moon was now obscured by clouds. "It didn't look like rain when we left," he murmured. A fat raindrop landed on his upturned face and rolled down his cloth covered cheek. "But I do believe you're correct."

She glanced at the sky. "The wind has picked up quite a bit. I hope it doesn't storm."

"It's sure to storm," he said wryly.

"How close is your family home?"

"About fifteen minutes away," he frowned. "Provided we are not slowed down by the rain."

"Well, I do not mind a bit of rain," she said gamely. "There are far worse things than getting wet."

They both knew exactly what she was talking about.

"I don't think I remembered to thank you," she said, her words quiet.

Kakashi turned his head sharply. By all that was holy, there was something damned familiar about her voice. But when his eyes searched her face, all he saw was a simple housemaid. A very attractive housemaid, to be sure, but a housemaid nonetheless. No one with whom he would ever have crossed paths with.

"It was nothing," he finally said.

"To you, perhaps. To me it was everything."

Uncomfortable with such appreciation, he just nodded and gave one of those grunts men tended to emit when they didn't know what to say.

And then the heavens opened up in earnest.

It took about one minute for Kakashi's clothes to be soaked through. "We are almost there," he yelled, trying to make himself heard over the wind,

"Don't worry about me!" Riko called back, but when he looked over at her, he saw her shiver her arms wrapped tightly over her chest.

"Let me give you my coat."

She shook her head and actually laughed. "It'll probably make me even wetter, soaked as it is."

Bloody hell. This was just what he needed. He'd had a head cold all last week, and he probably wasn't completely recovered. A walk in the freezing rain would most likely set him back, and he'd spend the next month with a runny nose, watery eyes.. all those infuriating, unattractive symptoms.

Kakashi breathed a sigh once he caught a glimpse of his family home. He looked over at Riko. She, too, was shivering, but, he thought with a touch of admiration, she hadn't let out even a peep of complaint.

"We're almost there," he assured her.

"I'm all- Oh! Are you alright?"

Kakashi was gripped by a wave of coughs, the deep, hacking kind that rumbled down in one's chest. His lungs felt as if they were on fire, and his throat like someone had taken a razor blade to it.

"I'm fine," he gasped.

"You don't sound fine."

"I had a head cold last week," he said with a wince. Damn, but his lungs felt sore.

"That didn't sound like your head," she said, giving him what she obviously hoped was a teasing smile. But it didn't looking like a teasing smile. In truth, she looked terribly concerned.

"Must've moved," he muttered.

"I don't want you to be getting sick on my account."

"He tried to grin, but his cheekbones ached too much. "I would've been caught in the rain whether I taken you along or not."

"Still-"

Whatever she'd intended to say was lost under another steam of deep, chesty coughs.

"Sorry," he mumbled

"Lean on me I help you."

"It alright."

"Riko fought the urge to throttle him. His eyes were red and he couldn't stop coughing, and still he found the energy to act like an arrogant peacock. Shaking her head at his stubbornness she allowed him to walk on his own.

In the distance Riko saw the entryway to the house. Kakashi joked, "I'll race you to the door."

Her eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe that he had the spirit to make a joke of this, when he was obviously feeling so poorly. But she wrapped the drawstring of her bag around her hands, hitched up her skirts, and ran for the front door of the house. By time she reached the steps , she was laughing from the exertion, giggling at the ridiculousness of running wildly to get out of the rain when she was already soaked to the bone.

Kakashi had, not surprisingly, beaten her to small doorway. He might have been ill, but his legs were significantly longer and stronger. When she skidded to a halt at his side, he was banging on the front door.

"Don't you have a key?" Riko yelled. The wind was howling, making it difficult to be heard.

Sighing in frustration Kakashi pulled out a key. "I guess nobody here since it's dark inside."