As she woke up and blinked she saw a single eye looking down on her. He looked tired but he smiled.
"Good morning, have you slept well?"
"Hmm." She made, and as she realised where she was lying on she immediately sat up.
"You were lying there the whole night, do you really think a few moments more matter?" he laughed.
"You could've waken me up." She said trying to suppress a yawn.
"Naa, you slept so peacefully." He stated. "And you needed that sleep badly, so I let you be."
She smiled at him. "Thanks." But as she stood up she moaned again, her swollen eye ached like hell.
"Want to see a doctor?" he asked.
"Naa, either Tsunade or Sakura, but no one else. How about breakfast before we leave?"
"You want to hear if that geezer is truly dead, right?"
"Right as always." She smiled. "But first I have to look for my sunglasses." She said, and started rummaging in her bag. She used again a henge, this time she looked different, only her shiner reminded of her. A little smaller than usual, the same figure but dark brown hair.
"Just in case you ask, that was my mom." She said, putting on the glasses.
"It wouldn't help me much to look like my father." He said, and used the henge of the last weeks.
"I just don't want to go back with that henge, if the true woman the shinobi had seen shows up…
I won't take this risk."
"I know. Let's go." He said, holding out his arm and chuckling she linked her arm with him.
They knew that they made it as soon as they entered the village. There was no other subject than the fat lords death.
"It seems you made your job really good." He said winking, as they entered a teahouse.
"That's what I hoped. The dose was high enough, but a skilled medic would've been able to remove it. I could've used other poisons, Shizune offered me some, but those are clearly shinobi-stuff. And that would have given them a trace. Everyone knows that nightshade is poisonous."
"Naa, I think I know someone who would try and eat one." He laughed.
"Would he really be that stupid?"
"That's what I expect." He grinned.
After they had eaten they left and started their journey back home.
"Seems like fall starts to step back for the winter." Honoka said. "It's slowly getting colder."
"Yeah, but in Konoha it's warmer, it's more in the south. It only has snow at the end of winter."
"I don't really need snow." She said, shifting her backpack a little.
"Why not? It's nice. Sure it's cold, but after a warm tea at home everything's back to normal. And somehow it seems the village is quieter."
"And that's the point. For me it's too silent already." She stated, kicked a little stone aside.
"In the apartment, right? I know that." He said with a side look at her.
She nodded.
Quite a while later she looked at him and said: "Why have we met that late? I mean, no one had to be alone for that long."
He just raised his brow and looked at her. "I mean, somehow it's unfair."
"Better late than never, right?" and he winked.
"Do you make fun about me again? I was honest!"
"Me too."
"So you mean it?"
"Right."
She sighed and then smiled.
"What?" he asked, as he saw her smile.
"Nothing."
"You smile because of nothing? That's weird."
"I'm not weird."
"Yeah, sure."
"There you go again! Making fun of me! Like I'll tell you now."
"Please? Pretty please?" he laughed.
"No way." She grinned back.
"Oy! That's not fair!"
"Oh yeah? Well then, try to force me." She laughed, and stuck out her tongue.
"You're really crazy sometimes, you know." He sighed.
"You're the one to talk." She said mockingly. "Maybe I'll tell you some when."
As they rested for the night she said: "Today's my turn. I'll take the watch."
"Yeah, like I'll let you." He said, as they sat down next to the fire.
"You'll have no other choice. If we return to Konoha and they see you with a dark bag under your eye everyone will think that it's my fault! No honey, you rest." She said, giving him a look that allows no refuse.
"If you want it so badly." He stated, rolling his eye sighing.
"I see you got it." She grinned. "Sleep well." She winked as he lay down.
"But you wake me up when…"
"Sure, however you like it." She said sarcastically. "Since I can't pull away a blanket now, maybe I'll poke you away." She grinned.
"That wouldn't be really fair." He said. "Or I'll wake you up with cold water the next time."
"Yeah, like you would do that! Do you really think I would poke you?"
"Want a true answer?" he laughed.
"I got it." She mumbled. "1:0 for you."
"Winner! At least for now." He grinned, and then he yawned. "Wake me if you want to change."
"If I want." She said. "Now sleep, you need it."
"Right. G'night."
"Night."
As his breath had slowed down and had gotten deeper she started humming a song. She gently brushed a strand out of his face and smiled. Thinking about him made her feel ways better. 'Because I truly like you' her words came up again. 'I think it's going to be more.' She sighed. 'The longer you're with me…' The presence of her silent apartment was coming nearer with every step now, and she really hated it. It was so soothing to have him around. As she thought about it she nearly laughed, she hadn't even realised how important he already was to her.
He could hear her humming, and now he identified the song. He inwardly smiled, and as he felt her touch he felt a warmth he never felt before. He liked her around, liked her laughing, the sound of her voice and those teasing-games they played. That's something he would really miss, like her steady breath and her peaceful and relaxed face.
The next morning she slightly shook his shoulder, speaking silently: "Time to get up, Kakashi. We still have quite a way to go."
He blinked and sat up yawning. "Good morning."
"Morning. Slept well?"
"Sure."
"Good to hear." She said, and smiled warmly at him. Somehow he wanted to hug her, but decided against it. He stood up and stretched.
"I thought you would wake me for a switch."
"Nope." She said, as she packed her stuff. "I told you 'if' I need to, and there was no need." She grinned.
"Only two days, then we reach fire-country, and three days longer then we're back home and no need for a watch." A little hint of sadness in his voice, and she caught it.
"Yeah. Sad, isn't it?" she said, looking at him. He just looked at her and then smiled. Honoka nodded and grinned.
"Let's go."
Nearly one week later they reached the village hidden in the leafs. Kotetsu and Izumo had the shift at the gate and grinned as they saw them. But they only nodded to them and stepped in without a word.
"I'll report to Tsunade." She said and he looked surprised. "I can remember that I've heard somewhere you're mostly late with your reports and you generally hate them." She grinned.
"Hmm, always this gossip."
"Do you want to go?" she asked, amusement in her voice.
"No, not really."
"Well, that's what I've expected. Later I'll bring you your birthday present, if you don't mind?"
"No, no problem." He said smiling.
"Yosh, then see you later." She said and walked up to the Hokage-tower.
After a quick report she left and went home, she decided she needs a bath.
Yosh! Another one done. I slowly come to an end. Sloooowly. :)
Only in case that someone of you asks which song she was humming, for once I didn't listen to Nightwish or Within Temptation, I was listening the song 'right here waiting'.
I really, really hope you like it.