AN: Hello! Thank you to everyone reading this recently :) Now I know this is teen rated and so far been rather cutesy, but the darker elements will start creeping in (aside from the creepy Sasuke conversation that reflected the one with Orochimaru in the anime- anyone notice that by the way :p). I always saw Naruto's obstacle in this fic being Kakashi's self loathing and masochistic tendencies... the 'darkness' inside chibi Kakashi so to speak before he manages to deal with things a bit better.

And of course out blond hero is starting to break down his walls and melt his heart :) Happy Valentine's Day!

Thanks for all of the interesting reviews; I am enjoying hearing everyone's thoughts on the characters and situations. KumoNoHito thanks for the tip! As so far I have used Kaka alot, I will keep using it for this fic, but I will bear what you say in mind, very good point you raise :D I appreciate it.

Warning: This chapter and story are going to involve adult these; so when I rate this teen, I mean older teen. If there are any chapters containing anything really bad, I will use warnings alike this.

Chapter 14

Kakashi sat on the grass under the full moon, clutching his legs, with his head resting on his knees. He still felt shaken from another of his nightmares. Kakashi pinched himself hard, hard enough to draw blood in an attempt to pull himself together; he was pathetic and he hated himself. He needed to calm the fuck down and act like a shinobi.

He was so embarrassed that Naruto had seen him acting like nothing more than small child, cowering after a nightmare. This was why he didn't want to be in a team. He preferred his solo ANBU missions. And when he did fight in a team of ANBU they generally left him to himself. ANBU was very different from normal squads like this. It was secretive and silent. He felt surer of himself there. He blended into the shadows.

If he had nightmares in ANBU no one said anything. Even Tenzo knew when to look the other way, knowing just how much Kakashi hated his own weakness.

But Naruto... he was different. He either didn't understand the boundaries the ANBU squads had with each other, or he just didn't care. He had torn down Kakashi's defenses and held him as he tried to readjust after the nightmare.

Naruto had said that everyone had nightmares, and maybe that was true, but as shinobi they didn't show it. The shinobi code forbid him from revealing such weakness and emotion... yet he had shown that part of himself to Naruto, only moments ago. His sensei's son for goodness sake.

What did Naruto really think of him? Surely he couldn't think anything good about him after his pathetic display. He was most likely disgusted deep down, thinking Kakashi weak, but didn't show it for the sake of the mission.

But... that hug had seemed so comforting, so strong... so loving.

Kakashi slapped himself. "Grow the fuck up," he said to himself. "He was just trying to resolve the situation..." He couldn't seriously mean anything more than that... but deep down another part of Kakashi wished that it had been more than pity and kindness on Naruto's part. He would never admit it to anyone, he could hardly admit it to himself, but he had felt safe in Naruto's arms. For a brief moment, all the pain, all the hurt and fear, had melted away.

As he crawled into his tent that night, after Sai had relieved him from his post, Kakashi watched the sleeping from opposite. The sleeping Naruto was annoyingly stretched out over both beds, but he looked... sweet. Inconsiderate, but sweet.

Kakashi was suddenly horrified by his thoughts. What was wrong with him? Sweet?! He didn't find things sweet, especially other shinobi. He was a hardened ANBU. He didn't do sweet, or cute, cuddly. He just lived to serve his village, as an elite shinobi should. Emotions and feelings were a distraction from his duty, he couldn't afford to waste time on them. They were things enemies could use against you.

Kakashi shook his head, and crawled onto the only part of the tent there was space. He tugged his sleeping out from underneath the other man. Man, how selfish was this guy, lying across his things and taking up his space. Naruto was just big and lazy! But also a nice guy, he had to admit- as far as team mates went. He was still annoying though!

"Oh, what the hell is wrong with me?" Kakashi groaned as he lay down, facing away from Naruto.

"Nnnh," Naruto mumbled in his sleep. "What is it? Time to get up?"

"No, nothing," Kakashi whispered. He closed his eyes.

Just as Kakashi was drifting off, he felt Naruto turn onto his right side, so close, to Kakashi. So close that he could feel the older man's warm breath tickling his neck. If Naruto reached an arm out, they would basically be spooning- something Kakashi never did. His few encounters with other ANBU members has never involved such unnecessary affection.

For a moment, Kakashi considered kicking the other man and insisting he move the fuck over, the great lazy, space-stealing lump. But then again, the feeling was kind of nice... especially after his nightmare...

Well maybe, just this once he could allow such comfort. After all, Naruto was already asleep, and no one else had to ever know that the cold-hearted Kakashi Hatake would allow such an invasion of his space by another person. Just as a one off, of course.

A warm and comforting sleep soon found the young man. He didn't have any more nightmares that night.

Morning came. They could hear Sakura screaming for all the lazy ass boys to get the fuck up. She usually took the early watch, and therefore cooked breakfast during sunrise, when there was no longer any danger in making a fire. When the rice porridge was ready, and no one got up, she shouted about just how rude she thought they all were. Rude and unappreciative and lazy.

Yamato rose and faced her first. As squad leader, it was his job to calm the dragon down. That and Sakura was least likely to shout at him. He actually didn't mind being alone with her for a bit anyway, he could use a pretty sight first thing in the morning. The others found her scary first thing.

Kakashi reluctantly opened his eyes. After his first bout of poor, restless sleep, the second had been deep and fulfilling... so much so that he didn't want to wake. But when he began to have conscious thoughts he realised the reason he felt so warm and cosy. Naruto had his arm round him, spooning him tightly. What he didn't realise was that the young man usually snuggled with a Kakashi plush toy in his own apartment... so he had naturally reached out and spooned the smaller figure in his sleep, without quite realising it was the real, living and breathing chibi Kakashi.

Naruto had managed to sleep through Sakura's complaints, Kakashi could tell by his heavy breathing. Therefore he wasn't aware of their... predicament.

Kakashi's first reaction upon waking had been to snuggle close to the source of comforting heat. Then when he realised just what the source was, he was pissed. He had not given this man permission to be so close, closer than they had been previously. And Kakashi had never spooned with anyone in his life.

Kakashi was no virgin, he had been with quite a few ANBU comrades. But they were rushed and un-intimate affairs, emotionless; they had never even removed their ANBU masks as they had fucked him in the locker rooms. Kakashi hadn't even been kissed before as a result. He just needed the pain, the release occasionally. It was something his body needed, as simple as taking a shower or eating a food pill. He was as little contact as possible. Anything more would be a weakness. He couldn't afford such desires or feelings.

He would never allow himself any sort of real intimacy, he didn't deserve it. He certainly would never have an encounter with anyone who could be described as 'nice' or 'kind' or 'loving' or 'sweet'. Therefore someone like Naruto would be out of the question. Besides, having those sorts of feelings for sensei's son was not right. If he knew Minato-sensei, he knew the man would want his son to settle down with a nice girl and have a family, not someone like him, who couldn't even protect his friends.

Kakashi, during his trail of thoughts, had snuggled back into the warm comfort of Naruto's body once again without thinking. That's when he also noticed something else snuggling to him. Or more precisely, something hard pressing into his backside.

Kakashi jolted with surprise and pushed forwards in his shock, struggling against Naruto's firm hold.

"Mm, is it morning already-"

Naruto with horror realised just what was happening. He noticed his morning wood, aroused and ready, and felt what was definitely not his doll, struggling beside him. He put two and two together. Contrary to what Kaka-chibi thought he could do that.

"Waah! I'm sorry! It's, it's not what you think! It's morning, ya know, I can't help- please just forget this ever-"

"Stop talking, idiot! Do you want the others to hear you?" Kakashi hissed.

Naruto calmed and nodded, wishing his morning wood away. "Right. You're right...I erm..."

"Let's... let's just get dressed. Before that girl gets mad again."

Naruto nodded awkwardly. "Yeah she can be like that..."

Kakashi and Naruto dressed silently and facing away from the other. They were blushing furiously and couldn't look each other in the eye, both mortified by the incident. Breakfast would most definitely be an awkward affair.