Twilight

Without haste, Kakashi packed his things and headed straight to the train station after he slipped a note through Mei's door. The train ride took an hour and fifteen minutes, and Kakashi didn't sleep through a second of it. He remained apprehensive and frightened of what might lie ahead for his mother. He clutched his silver phone with both of his gloved hands, praying to any God out there to save her soul.

When the train finally halted, Kakashi was the first one to jump out to the station and bolt out. He grabbed a taxi and headed straight to the hospital. He met up with his father in the reception. Sakumo's face was paler than usual and the lines on his face were more prominent. Kakashi dropped his bag and quickly hugged his father as tightly as he could.

"Father, where is mother being kept?" He asked eagerly, ready to head down to corridors.

Sakumo held him by his arm and shook his head softly. "We cannot see her yet, Kakashi. She's undergoing operation."

"...What..?"

"A crash happened in the intersection. Your mother was in a middle of a phone call when it happened. Kakashi, broken shards of glass has been lodged up your mother's stomach. It's a matter of getting them out, and stopping the bleeding." Sakumo checked the time on the hospital's wall. "She has been in ER for quite some time now. She was prepped for operation two hours ago."

Kakashi dropped on the hospital chair, cursing underneath his breath lowly. "How could this happen? How could mother be so reckless?"

Sakumo sat next to him and reeled him in silently. "Your mother is a fighter, son. She'll pull through this."

"But-"

"Go home and get some rest. I'll stay here for a little while longer."

"Father-!" Kakashi turned to protest.

"Go, son. I'll call you when any news about your arrives."

Kakashi went home as instructed, though begrudgingly. He dropped his things for his now old butler to collect and return into his room. Quietly he walked through the shroud of woods near his house and wandered down the familiar route he would trace through at a daily basis. He crossed the small stream and jumped down into his small hideout.

Upon jumping down he encountered a familiar girl. His eyes gaped at her sharp and matured features. Her chocolate hair has grown longer until it was just past her shoulders. She was wearing a simple white sundress with a pair of sandals. They both stared at each other quietly.

"...Kakashi,"

"Rin..."

She regained her composure quicker than Kakashi could. Before he could register, she had already charged up to him and slapped him across the face. He stared wide-eyed at her teary eyes which spelled out bitterness. He has never seen her portray such animosity before. His eyes softened. He really has hurt her, hasn't he?

"You liar." She snarled through her teeth. "You promised. Yet you... I haven't seen you for nearly two years, Kakashi!"

"I know." he said shamefully.

"Why did you do it? Why are you isolating yourself?!"

"I'm sorry. I cannot tell you."

"Kakashi..." she said sympathetically. "You're such a lonely person."

Finally, she distanced herself and pursed her lips at the thought, forcing herself to look up at the sky they both admired when they were younger. Kakashi approached her slowly and quietly looked up at the darkened sky. The canvas of dark blue hue was polluted with many stars twinkling from above. With a small huff, he bowed his head down in disgrace and found some strength in his hand to stretch it out.

Rin looked down surprisingly at his bold move as he weakly interlaced his fingers with hers. She looked at him - he was crying. She has never seen him show such emotion before. Upon impulse, she grasped his outstretched hand and welcomed him into a hug by swerving him to her. Kakashi looked down with a startled expression at her outward kindness.

"My mother was admitted in the hospital today, Rin." He caught his trembling bottom lip and held her close. "...She was involved in a car accident."

"What?" She gasped out. "Is-Is she okay? Kakashi, I-I am so-sorry!"

"It's not your fault," he caressed her supple cheek and forced a timid smile that hid his breaking self. "I don't know yet. The doctors are keeping a tight lip."

Rin betrayed herself and allowed Kakashi privy to her guilty expression. "I'm sorry for slapping you like that. I had no right."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

She raised her head up and quickly seized him by the hand. "Let's go to the shrine!"

"Why-What?"

"Let's pray for your mother's health and well-being!"

They settled down in the shrine, payed their respects and knelt down with their eyes closed. As they murmured their prayers, the cold night was filtered with the burning sensation of the candles burning down. Kakashi opened one eye and saw Rin desperately praying for a woman she never really grew fond off. He smiled, she was simply too gentle for her own good.

When they finished praying, Kakashi and Rin made their way back to their hideout - where only the two of them knew. As they walked, Rin would give surreptitious glances at the silver-haired boy. To which he would reciprocate with a faint smirk.

"So, where are you studying?" She asked curiously.

"Academy Saga High." He answered right away, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets.

"No way!" She yelped out in disbelief. "Wow. That school is amazing from what I hear."

"It's alright. You're not missing out on much, don't worry."

"Have you met any new friends?"

"Nope. They're just acquaintances in my eyes. Apart from Mei, of course."

Rin mentally took note at how his voice softened at the mention of the foxy Mei Terumi. They have always been close. But their relationship were always strictly platonic, Kakashi made sure of it. Rin was well aware of Mei's affection towards Kakashi, it was blatant and without any subtlety. Mei is a girl who knows what she wants, and will get what she wants one way or the other.

Kakashi was one of them.

"Are you guys perhaps in a relationship now?"

He choked back slightly, before he licked his lips. "..No,"

Her eyes tightened. Was that uncertainty in his voice? Odd.

"How about you and Obito?" He asked back, glancing down at her. "Are you guys together?"

"No." She blushed away. "Obito's nice and all, but no.. we're not."

Kakashi breathed out in the night, hiding his faint guilty smile.

"I see."

That night Kakashi rushed back to the hospital, this time with Rin by his side. They both entered the premises of the hospital and rushed past the reception after they got the information of where his mother was being kept. They blitzed towards Ward 3 in search of Room 102.

"Father!" He called out in the corridor. "How's mother?"

Sakumo produced a slanted smirk. "She's doing fine for now. In a coma, but her life has been stabled." His gaze wandered from his son to the young girl beside him who was holding onto his arm. They made a fine couple indeed, his eyes creased upwards at the thought. This girl could potentially be his son's happiness. If only his wife could see that possibility. "Rin-chan, it's so nice of you to come all the way over here."

"Well, Kakashi told me what happened. I just... I wanted to be here for him and for your family."

"Thank you. You're a really kind girl, Rin-chan."

She bowed down respectively, flustered at the fact that she was being the center of attention of the Hatake. "O-Oh... This is nothing, Sa-Sakumo-sama."

He patted her on the head softly and walked on by. "I'll get some coffee. Kakashi, you should go and see your mother."

"Yeah.."

They both came in the room and Kakashi propped himself on the stool his father settled next to his mother's bedside. With a stifled sob, he held her frail hand which contained light cuts from the glass. "Mother... can you hear me? It's me, Kakashi, your son. I'm right here, mother. Stay with me." He gripped her hand tightly with both of his own desperately. "Listen to my voice, Mother. Please."

Rin watched in the background as her loving son held her gently, sobbing quietly under his breath as his nerves slowly got the better of him. She watched him kiss his mother's hand, pleading softly for her to open her eyes. She listened to him hum her favorite song, talk about their old times, encourage and soothe her. When Sakumo came into the room, Kakashi stood up and wiped her light brown hair away from her face.

"Son, you should sleep now." His father softly spoke, handing him a cup of tea.

"..Yeah. Mother will be alright, right?"

"Of course she wi-"

His peaceful voice was abruptly disturbed when the soft beatings from the monitor began to suddenly fluctuate and dwindle away. A sudden whitewash of anxiety poisoned the two Hatake men, as they bolted out of the room calling and pleading for help. Rin stood in the corner of the room, horrified. She watched as the strokes of green in the monitor began to...

"K-Kakashi.." she cried out, finding her legs to bring her out of the room.

Doctors rushed into the scene and immediately began to prepare her for resuscitation. Kakashi took several steps back until his back completely pressed against the wall. Sakumo sank on the nearest metal bench and buried his face in the palms of his hands. He drew out a cry, but sustained it. Kakashi lost his balance against the wall and sank down completely on the floor, bewildered of what just happened.

"M-Mother... she-she was just...Father, how...?"

Rin had no other choice but to go home that night. It was past midnight, and Kakashi planned on staying longer until there was word of his mother's recovery. The doctors came out of the room with a look of relief on their faces. Kakashi and Sakumo, both with dark circles rimming under their eyes, looked at the doctors and nurses passing on by.

One doctor approached them, but his smile was not entirely optimistic. He looked at them with sympathy, as if they have already lost her. "She's doing fine, Mr Hatake. However, the percentage of her waking up - realistically speaking - is slim. There's a bigger chance she will enter the vegetative state where she will remain in the coma for months - years, maybe."

"What are you saying...?" He lowly asked. "That there's nothing you can do for my wife?"

"Not as of now. We can only monitor her progress."

"That's..."

"Please get some rest, Hatake-san."

"But my wife..."

"She won't be able to wake up right now."

When Kakashi came back to his school the following day, after his father insisted, he solely devoted his attention on his studies. In order to numb himself from the pain of thinking about his mother's well-being, Kakashi did everything to numb it all away. It was during break that he saw Mei again on the rooftop. He fell into a chaotic mess of emotion constriction as he tried to keep him his facade in front of her, as she asked him a torrent of questions about his mother.

"I heard earlier this morning from my father about your mother..." Mei whispered when they both settled down in a sitting position on the roof.

"So that's how it is..." he blandly replied back, paying mild attention to her.

"I'm here for you Kakashi. You know that, don't you?" She placed her hand on top of his. "I know I may seem desperate, but that's only because you keep walking further in front of me to the point I can no longer keep up. Kakashi, please tell me what I could do to help you through this period of pain you're feeling."

"Mei-"

"As a friend, I want to help."

"Thank you, but there isn't anything you could possibly do."

It wasn't until two months passed that Kakashi heard from his father. It was in the middle of class when he heard. Quickly, Kakashi ran out during his trigonometry class without bothering to pack up his things. He hurdled past all the obstacles in his way to the train station in a quick and desperate pace. When he arrived back in Konoha, it was already night time.

He panted as he ran under the snowy night, hoping he would make it just in time. By the time he had reached the hospital, his father was already drowning in tears. He walked in the room slowly and eyed his mother who was now awake. He smiled, but it faded as quickly as it appeared. Something was wrong. Awfully wrong. "What's the matter, Father?"

"Kakashi, say what you want to your mother quickly. She... doesn't have long."

He became stunned. "What?"

"Come here, my little flower." His mother said lovingly despite the cracks in her voice. Kakashi walked towards her with caution. His held her frail hand and said nothing. "You know I love you, don't you."

He nodded.

"I've always wanted the best for you. Even if it doesn't look like it, I always have, my dear son." She cried out. "You will be successful, you got it? You will ascend to our company's throne and make it greater than it is today, okay? Promise me that, my dear son."

Kakashi sank down onto his knees and nodded, promising her he would fulfill her wishes.

"That's a good boy. You've always had a gentle heart, Kakashi. And I'm grateful for it. For you have been the best son a mother could ever have." She stroked his hair and patted it down with the remaining strength she had. "You'll be a great man, my little flower. Any woman will be lucky to have you."

Kakashi tried to laugh, but it came out as mere sobs. "Mother..."

"Save your strength."

"I love you, Mother."

She faintly smiled. "I love you too."

Kakashi spaced himself away from his mother and allowed for his father to come by her bedside. He watched as his father stroked her face with the pad of his thumb, as he caressed her soft flesh. He listened attentively as his father recited his vows to her, promising her that they will see each other again. He listened as Sakumo sang their song softly, like a lullaby.

Kakashi watched and listened through his own personal scope.

His mother was slowly slipping away from their grasp, he could tell. Her languid breathing had turned heavy and desperate. She was heaving by the end of Sakumo's song. Lastly, he watched as his parents exchanged words with each other.

"I love you, Sakumo... I always have." She smiled.

Sakumo kissed her on the lips as a way of saying his goodbye. "I love you too, my dear."

The sound of the heart monitor became faint, and it drew its final beep on her last sigh. The room became preoccupied with the sound of the flatline from the monitor. Kakashi balled his hands into fists as he gritted his teeth together, bitterly crying. Sakumo looked at his son and welcomed him into his arms, patting him on the back, as nurses and doctors went into the room and evacuated them out.

Her time of death was listed down and the doctor's gave their deepest sympathies. Not that their sympathies even mattered. Kakashi knew this was just routine for them, a mantra they would mutter.

"This is what love feels like?" Kakashi asked through his teeth, clutching at his shirt as he tried to regain the tempo of his breathing.

"I guess it is," his father replied with a soft murmur.

"It hurts..." Kakashi cried out. "I don't want to feel this feeling, Father. It's too heavy for me to endure."

"But you will endure..." Sakumo's eyes met his son's younger pair. "When you find the person you love the most, you will endure for their sake."

Two days after Kakashi's mother's death, her funeral was planned and readied by a hundred people Sakumo hired. Kakashi prepared himself in his room, readjusting his thin black tie and fitter blazer. As he fixed his golden cufflinks he scrutinized his reflection with an arched brow.

The door quietly opened and Rin shyly stalked into the room with her black dress. She sat down on his bed and crossed her legs. "Are you ready?"

"How can a son be ready for their mother's funeral?"

The funeral was held like any other. The priest spoke the most generic things a person could possibly say in a funeral. It was all routine, Kakashi thought. It didn't matter what the priest had to say. He was mother was dead. And she won't be brought back because of this lavish funeral his father set up. He knew why his father did this, but it still doesn't change things.

As he dropped the piece of rose down to his mother's coffin, his eyes screwed on an apathetic look. He can no longer feel the sadness and the gripping feeling in his heart. He felt numb. Rin interlaced her fingers with Kakashi's, as she led him back from the coffin. However, when the tribute ended, his grip from hers slipped away and he simply disappeared - as if his existence was wiped clean from the world.

It wasn't until the sun had set that Rin looked for Kakashi in the woods. She crept into their hideout with caution and found him there, sitting down with his head buried in his hands. Rin jumped down and retained her distance from him.

Kakashi eventually stood back up and wiped his teary eyes. He idly walked towards her with his hands in his pockets. "Hello,"

"Hi."

"How's Father?"

"Doing the best he can with the crowd."

Kakashi's eyes softened, as he took her hand in his own. "Thank you for being with me tonight, Rin."

"It's my pleasure to be with you tonight." She smiled faintly. "Are you leaving tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah..."

"I wish you would stay so we would all be together again."

"So do I..." He cupped her cheek affectionately and genuinely smiled. "I'll miss you."

Rin placed her hand over his hand on her cheek, sighing as she melted against his warmth. "Then don't leave..."

As yellow sparkles filtered around them and the willow dew in the darkness of the night, they fell silent as they wallowed on each other's heartbeats and breathing. The fireflies twinkled around them and highlighted their features softly.

"I must." He whispered, drawing her in even more.

Kakashi's eyelids slowly closed as he leaned in closer. Their noses touched slightly as they angled each other's faces before their lips tediously touched for a second. Rin giggled, drawing back, but Kakashi reeled her back in to experience a deeper sensation against her lips. They molded perfectly together upon a sigh of satisfaction, upon years of waiting for the kiss.

He drew in again and again, holding in tightly against his firm body. The softness of her lips was unlike he would have ever imagine. She was... exquisite.

Rin tip-toed and leaned in closer, moaning quietly at the back of her throat. When they drew back to gather their breaths their eye contact never broke. Kakashi removed the silver necklace that was around his neck. With granted permission, he locked the necklace around her neck before he stroked her hair.

She looked down at the necklace that had a ring in its chain with engraved kanji on the inside. She frowned at him, but he simply said nothing. "Kakashi?"

"I had my chance," he whispered. "He also deserves his."

"Wha-?"

"This is just for now, Rin..." he smiled ruefully. "Goodbye."

He left her that night in the woods without looking back. She remained stood on her spot, reveling in the sensation of her first kiss. She looked down at the ring entangled in the necklace Kakashi had given her. She inspected the kanji engraved into it.

Above the Horizon...

Her lips pursed as she finished the broken sentence: "...I'll be waiting. Where we'll see each other again."

It was her favorite line from her beloved novel.