A.N. Here you go - quickly (-er?) posted, but unbetaed. Kinky had nothing to do with this chapter this time, so you'll have to bear with my clumsy writing again. As much as I love her and appreciate what a GOOD editor she really IS, beta-ing kills my muse, it seems. So, I guess, if you really like the story you'd bear with it beeing my way - rough and unedited ;)

Chapter 26 - Near

Holding each other in the rain turns into some kind of a normal occurrence for us…

Passionate and angry as that kiss in the alley was, it ended quickly. We spent the next few awkward moments holding each other – me panting in the crook of his neck, and he looking at the rainy sky, his trembling fingers combing my hair.

Which was about to obtain its usual wet look any minute now…

I pulled back, avoiding his eyes, my own fingers reaching nervously for my (still wild) hair.

"I should head back…", I muttered.

"…to Kiba's place?", he asked with a hollow voice.

"Yeah", I just said, turning around for my bike.

"You can come to me-… my … apartment. I-I mean… at least you won't be alone…"

"Yeah, instead I'll stay with my violator", I thought bitterly.

Obviously the same thing passed through his mind as well because he muttered "I'd understand if you don't want to. I just said it… because… you know… it's warmer…", he said, his voice fading more and more.

Just the thought of warmth made me question his offer and think about accepting it.

"I'll think about it", I said with my back half turned to him; then I nodded towards my bike. "Come, I'll give you a ride."

I could practically hear his unwillingness to refuse something I'd offered to him in such an awkward and hesitant moment in our relationship; but in the same time, motorbikes were probably his biggest fear and source of sorrow.

"Thank you", he said politely, his voice clipped and strained. "I… I'll just walk back…"

"It's pouring down, Izumo."

Witty as he once had been, he would have said something about it pouring down while we rode on the bike as well; but now it seemed that hearing his name from my mouth was more meaningful to him than jokes or even his worst nightmare. As I got on the bike he came and sat tentatively behind me. The way he put his arms around me was more than hesitant. The way my body flinched and screamed at me to get the hell away from him was more than indicative of the past. I felt him tensing and preparing to stand up again and say that he'd walk home after all. Clenching my jaw I just said "Hold on tight" and started up.

And hold on to me tightly he did. His hands clutched my jacket, his whole arms shaking. I could feel his body, now flush to my back. He was so slim. So small and vuln-…

No, I'm not going there! I'm not thinking my rapist was tiny and innocent!

It just… didn't make any sense… that I would ever want to protect him… after all that happened…

But in that moment, under the rain and with his smaller form holding onto me for dear life… I wanted to.

Iruka came to work the next day – his skin still looked a bit ashen, but otherwise he looked fine.

Kakashi was a real sunshine that day. Well, as much of a sunshine as he could be – less paperwork for us, optional instead of obligatory training, and a small mission that was a piece of cake.

Genma didn't even try to pretend that he came to work just to see us, while he was still on vacation – he went directly into the cops' room and then Raidou's office, Iruka told me. He'd come out a few minutes later, tripping a bit (probably from being kicked out), grinning madly and, note that, sending a kiss and a wink towards a red faced Raidou, who was screaming enraged obscenities after Genma.

The guys decided, quite accurately, that Genma had just stopped by for a quick kiss.

Someone was finally on their way to putting Hidan in his right place. The guy's name was Suigetsu and according to the guys he was a copy/paste of Hidan, only younger and probably smarter. Meaning he had the same pale, whitish hair, those impossible purple eyes (another shade, but still), and the worse part – Hidan's foul mouth. Suigetsu was Uchiha Sasuke's and Umino-Uzumaki Naruto's classmate at the Academy – damn that place produced a lot (and weirder with every next year) cops.

Like Hidan, Suigetsu had also proven to like both boys and girls, and according to Naruto – some animals too. But he was a very good swordsman, they said. A great swimmer too. Now that I think about it, I hadn't heard of Hidan having any good points…?

Anyway, the kid had waltzed in with Sasuke (who'd come to get Itachi's signature for something) dragging in a huge sword along. Of course Hidan'd made the obvious joke about the size. The kid had smirked and answered just as wittily, hinting about Hidan's "bowie knife". Stupid and impulsive as he was, Hidan had jumped at Suigetsu… and had quickly found himself pinned to the ground with said huge sword's very sharp tip pointed at him.

The cops now had a new idol – they loved Suigetsu.

If the dreamy look and never-ending chant about said swordsman was any indication – so did Hidan.

Shikaku had other worries. From an eavesdropped conversation on the phone the guys had gathered that he'd been that close from becoming a grandpa. Obviously, his kid Shikamaru had mentioned that he "might have knocked up" his Suna girlfriend. Shikaku's face had turned all shades of white and green, before Shikamaru had called to say that the pregnancy test said it'd been a false alarm.

Shikaku made a feast in Station 7 that day to thank Kami sama.

Back in ANBU's room Gai finally gathered some courage and asked Anko out. Rumor had it that Oro chan had been present at the dinner too.

Our boss Kurenai's foul mood and their fights with Asuma found their answer – well let's just say that that pregnancy test was positive. Baby Sarutobi was expected somewhere around May.

It seemed love was in the air at Station 7.

Was I the only one that messed up?!

Truth to be told, I have almost no recollection of that night. I know I woke up restless again, cold again… I obviously got on my bike… I don't really remember driving.

I just remember standing on his doorstep, knocking half-consciously. The door opened and a surprised voice asked "Kotetsu?". He wasn't sleepy – no messed up hair, no pajamas. He wore jeans and a sweatshirt at two in the morning. Maybe he'd been on his way for a late night run again.

"What is it?", he asked, just as quietly as before, as if afraid that if he talked any louder he'd break some magic or offend me.

"'s cold", I said, shivering. "I'm cold."

"…come…", he cleared his throat and tried again. "Do you want to come in?"

I nodded and stepped inside.

"I… could make you some tea or..?", he hesitated.

"Kiba's place's cold. My body's cold. I'm freezing, Izumo."

He gulped. Even without looking at him like I avoided to I could see he was trying to come up with some solution, without scaring, offending or hurting me.

"Well… there's a central heating in the whole apartment…", he stopped and probably took my shiver for a flinch, because he then said "I'm not asking you into my bed, Kotetsu. I ain't that stupid or…", but he dropped that thought too, sighed, and said "There's a spare bedroom. I… I'll still be in the same apartment, but the door can be locked so…"

"I need to know you're close."

I could swear he stopped breathing for a second. Then he whispered "Doesn't that terrify you? Don't you find it repulsive?"

I shook my head, looking at the floor. "I know it doesn't make any sense. But they all have somebody. And I can't see myself with anybody but you right now, disturbing as it is. It scares me. But it's a fact. I can't let you real close yet. But I'd like to know you're near. Can… can you work with that? Can we try, like that?"

I looked up in time to see him half-moving, as if to reach out and hug me with the gratitude, that was written all over his face, but then he got a grip of himself, stepped back and nodded curtly.

"I can work with anything you offer right now", he said solemnly. Then he finally smiled a small, still hesitant smile. "Come to the kitchen; I'll prepare some tea for you… then I'll go and prepare that spare bedroom as well."

A.N. Aaaaand - REVIEW! :) Onegai? ^^