I did intend to publish this earlier, so I'm very sorry for the delay! My lovely beta have been very busy lately, and didn't get the time to look through this entirely, so please overlook any spelling/grammar mistakes (but DO point them out if you have the time!) I decided to publish it anyway… you guys have been forced to wait long enough (thanks for that, BTW!) and I feel it's important for me to finish this before the end of the year (so I'll really do my best to do so!)
Breaking Insanity
Chapter 28 – Time's up
Kakashi walked out of the university with some of the guys from his calculus class, heading towards the bus stop. The campus was crowded. The last lectures had been held for the day, and most of the remaining students were heading home now; only a few would stay to take advantage of the library. Gai had finished early, and Tenzo, going by bike, had left a few minutes before he did.
Spring had graced the city.
The sun was warmer, the chill less biting; the air much gentler on the face. Birds were returning in large flocks. When they landed they darkened the trees. After resting, they took off again, flying north.
Students had shed much of their clothing. A few were already walking around in shorts, though the majority were still waiting for warmer weather. While the occasional YOUTH-hoodie walked by every now and then, most students wore their normal clothes again, as did Kakashi. He was tired of hiding.
He would avoid Obito when possible, but he wasn't up for another game of hide-and-seek.
Easter had passed, but since that day in the Uchiha's house, Kakashi had no further interaction with Obito. Obito had walked past Jiraiya's house, once. Kakashi had felt a tug to go out and speak with him then, but had known that doing so would only cause him pain.
He'd moved away from the window, and a few days later took the train back to Amegakure.
Kakashi had known he would have to face Obito again, eventually. He just hadn't been ready to do it then. He still wasn't, and he was starting to think that maybe he never would be.
Still, the moment had come.
Akatsuki was there, on the other side of the parking lot.
Every single one of them looked like trouble, and together they made an intimidating picture. Blocking the sidewalk, students and other passersby made byways to avoid them, leaving a notable gap in the crowd around the gang. Obito stood in their midst, Deidara closest to him at his right.
Sasori's absence was painfully apparent.
Kakashi's eyes fell down to the concrete as he made to pass them.
"Kakashi."
In the crowd, it would have been easy to miss his name spoken so quietly, but Kakashi couldn't help picking up on it. And he couldn't help reacting. He looked up. Obito's eyes were on him, dark and unreadable – only the faintest edge of sharpness apparent, and all the more dangerous because of it.
Obito make a jerk with his head, indicating him to come.
Something happened, then.
A compressed, heated feeling crept through his limbs. It moved slowly at first and then sudden blazed up, taking over his entire being in an instant, setting him afire. It was alive inside him, humming with energy and unexpected feelings. Resolution. Rage. Not directed at Obito, exactly – more at the situation, that this was how things were. He was sick of it. Sick of Obito ordering him around, of following his every order. Of Obito treating him like this, keeping up this infuriating act. They should have been past this.
He'd had enough.
All traces of fear vanished.
Obito's face was emotionless except for the cocky tilt of his head, demanding Kakashi to do as he said. There was nothing unsure or uncertain about him – he didn't only demand Kakashi to follow his order, he expected him to. And that was… provocative.
Determination coursed through his body as Kakashi met Obito's gaze head-on. Almost without realizing it, he was walking towards him. Students scurried out of the way, unwilling to come between anyone and the Akatsuki, but Kakashi barely saw any of them. He was well recognized by now, and other students always kept their distance when Obito was nearby, scattered even, if Obito approached him. To him they were all a blur of strangers, and the only one he had eyes for was Obito.
Something must have shown on his face, because Obito's shoulders tensed. It was the only thing that betrayed he wasn't as confident as he appeared. Kakashi wouldn't have noticed it a few months ago and he doubted anyone else picked up on it now. Not even the Akatsuki seemed to notice the subtle change in their leader's demeanor. Obito's gang-members were still surrounding him, bantering with each other. Some looked bored. Others looked on in amusement. Either way, Kakashi's obedience was expected by all of them.
Another surge of indignation fueled him, urged him on. Kakashi walked closer, too close, until he was invading personal space. Obito's eyes steeled, his body tensing as if expecting a fight. His face became perfectly blank, guarded off all emotions – a protective mechanism, no doubt, to make it harder for the enemy to read him.
From the corner of his eyes he saw Deidara stiffen.
Kakashi seized Obito's shirt and tugged him forwards, and Obito's mask shattered. Dark eyes widened, and a flicker of fear passed through them.
Kakashi pressed his lips to Obito's, who made a strangled sound.
Kakashi pulled back. "No," he said. There was a disbelieving look on Obito' face, something dazed in his eyes, his lips were still slightly parted. "I already have plans."
With that, Kakashi turned his back on Obito and walked away. Dead silence followed him. And then, slowly, the Akatsuki started to chuckle. Students stared at him, frozen in place. Kakashi resisted the urge to look back and see how Obito was taking it. Slowly, laughter broke out – a few brave souls started it, and it spread like wildfire. Kakashi continued walking.
He didn't have time to go far before he heard footsteps behind him – only just out of sight of the main crowd. He steeled himself, but there was only one pair of feet, and when he spun around, only one flushed, angry face. Obito was panting.
"The fuck was that about?" Obito made as if to grab at him, but his hand stopped mid-air. He clenched it, but instead of throwing punches he brought it down again.
Kakashi was surprised at the display of restraint.
Obito walked closer, getting up in his face. "You made me look like a fool," he hissed, furiously. His eyes were darkened, flickering with humiliation he tried and failed to conceal.
Kakashi pushed back against him. Obito didn't step back. "Not nearly as bad as you've made me look," he spat, feeling anger and indignation rise anew.
Obito's eyes flicked down to his lips. That simple, accidental glance brought them both off balance, and they stumbled back. Kakashi felt the anger drain away like water runs out a sink when unplugged.
But then Obito's face contorted, and a new fury lashed out. He took a quick step forward and grabbed Kakashi's wrist, pulling him into his chest with a sharp jerk. Their torsos collided roughly.
"What plans?" hissed Obito, venomously in his ear.
Kakashi shuddered, the heat of Obito's body all too close to his own. The sound of his voice was doing wicked things to him. It took a moment before he got himself together enough to realize what Obito was on about. He tried to pull out of his grip, but Obito grip was strong, and he jerked him closer to himself. Kakashi let out low grunt, hating himself for his own weakness.
"None of your business," rasped Kakashi.
"Tell me," growled Obito.
Rage.
"I said it's none of your business!" he snarled. Fueled by adrenaline Kakashi tugged harshly, managing to rip free this time.
Obito's breathing was labored, he was so worked up – they both were.
"I'll let you in on something," said Kakashi, and dammit, his voice was low and husky, but he seemed unable to change that. Obito's pupils dilated, and he knew that his own eyes were darkened in lust as well as in anger. The intensity had reached an almost unbearable level. Kakashi didn't even attempt to stop staring at him. He was doomed to fail. "I'm not obliged to share anything with you. You have no right to tell me what to do. You have no say over who I'm spending my time with. And…" Kakashi's voice lowered, and he took an almost unconscious step forwards, "…you have no right to know what we'll be doing, either."
Obito looked like he'd been hit in the face, and for a moment Kakashi thought he had pushed his luck too far. But instead of going on the offensive, Obito pulled back as if wounded. Then he turned towards the bickered wall of the building hiding them from sight, finally breaking eye-contact. He punched it, and hung his head. "Come with me, instead," said Obito. His voice was low, and rough. Almost raw.
Kakashi was unrelenting. "No. If you want to spend time with me, you ask me." Then he left.
Obito didn't follow.
o o o
That evening Kakashi allowed Gai to drag him back to the dojo. It was over three months since he had re-broken his ribs, and though his eye-surgeon had allowed him to start heavier exercise again, he was still forbidden from doing any hard judo training for at least another week or two.
That meant throws were out of the question and that, in turn, meant no randori.
Being here, watching all others fight, was something of a torture. Still, it felt good being back, and better still that it just were a matter of days before he could train for real again. And doing the easier exercises were better than none – if nothing else, they would get him ready to start the heavier training next week, because Kakashi refused to wait a day longer than that.
Their club had a pleasant atmosphere of comradeship, and everyone was happy to have one of their 'stars' back. Kakashi had to deflect a bit too many questions about his absence than he would have liked, but Gai helped him.
"Kakashi-sempai." Tenzo still referred to him as that – though only here. He was notably thrilled to have him here again, even if they saw each other daily in school. It was sort of cure, really.
"Mm?"
"Can you watch me and Gai spar? I could really use some help on what areas I need to improve."
As if his name was all that was needed to summon him, Gai appeared by Tenzo's side, bouncing on the soles of his feet.
Kakashi chuckled. "Sure." He had watched Tenzo spar before, but it was awhile. He felt envious of both Gai and Tenzo as they walked out on the mat.
Tenzo had improved. Both had, and it was impressive. Gai was clearly superior – Kakashi noted that he would have his work cut out for him trying to catch up to Gai again, with how much he had improved during Kakashi's bedrest – but Tenzo was a natural, and it was notable that he had honed his skills at least as much as Gai had these last months. There were of course a few minor flaws – he needed to perfect some techniques he used, learn to receive throws smoother and safer, and maybe he could improve his joint locks. One flaw stood out more than all others.
"You're too stiff," said Kakashi when the two judokas came to hear his opinion.
"What?"
"Stiff. Inflexible. Your attacking movements – and your falls – would be helped by an increased flexibility. Judo may not demand high kicks like Karate, but all moves will be more fluid with a certain level of flexibility. And you," Kakashi said, poking him in the forehead. "you're below average."
"…I hate stretching," Tenzo admitted in a low murmur. "I tend to skip it."
"Unless you work on it, you can't go much further," said Kakashi coldheartedly.
"He sounds all high and mighty," said Gai, a smirk playing on his lips, "But this scarecrow used to be quite stiff himself only a few years ago."
Kakashi let out an offended snort.
"It was I," Gai continued, "– the Green Beast of Konoha – that got him into stretching with my challenges!" Gai's smiled with dazzling brilliance.
Kakashi rolled his eyes at the self-proclaimed nickname before his gaze once again settled on Tenzo. An evil thought suddenly came to him, and a feral grin grew on his face. "Gai…" he said. "Why don't you and I help Tenzo stretch?"
"What a most youthful idea, my hippest rival!"
"We had a challenge to get into our splits one summer," explained Kakashi, still grinning devilishly. "We came up with very many… creative and interesting exercises to reach out goal."
Gai cracked his knuckles, turning towards the younger boy.
Tenzo turned very, very white.
With good reason.
After Gai and Kakashi were finished with him, it was doubtful he would be able to walk for days.
It turned out that Gai dragging him back to the dojo a few days earlier then before he could start any real training really wasn't such a bad idea, after all.
o o o
When Kakashi left the dojo later that night, it was dark outside. Not even the moon was visible. The narrow streets were lined by lamp-posts, too widely spaced for their muted glow to reach the spaces in between. Thus Kakashi started when a man stepped out from the shadow of a nearby building and fell in line beside him with not as much as a whisper.
Kakashi jumped, spinning around to face the man in a defensively crouched stance. He got no notable reaction in return – the man simply stopped as he did. Before Kakashi had time to place the familiar lines of his shoulders, the hood was lifted away to reveal his face. Kakashi instinctively relaxed.
Something, he berated himself, that really wasn't warranted.
Obito had done little to deserve his trust.
"Obito," said Kakashi, unnerved and relieved at the same time. From their interaction earlier that day, Kakashi hadn't expected Obito to approach him so soon again – at least not for a few days. As if to make up for his initial skittish reaction, he started walking again. Obito followed a few feet to his side.
"What are you doing?" said Kakashi, after they had walked in silence for a few yards.
Not a word.
Okay, so maybe that much was obvious. "Fine," said Kakashi, rolling his eyes. "Why are you following me?" His previous anger at Obito had melted away, leaving… nothing much left other than amazement that Obito hadn't hit him, really. And twinge of guilt whenever his mind replayed Obito's look from earlier that day – guilt he kept trying to shake off, but didn't quite manage to.
Kakashi didn't think this was about revenge, but he wasn't sure. He could never be sure with Obito, and in a way Obito reacting violently to Kakashi's standing up for himself was the only thing that made sense.
Maybe that would finally ease him of his guilt, if nothing else…
But again, only silence answered him. Kakashi kept walking, and Obito followed him.
"I'm not sure I feel comfortable about showing you where I live, Obito," he said, lightly. A beat of silence. Obito didn't even look at him. Kakashi decided to put it all out there. "If you're planning to murder me on my way there I'm not comfortable with that either."
A joke, of sorts. But then again, not really.
Nothing.
Obito walked on, hands shoved into his pockets.
Not revenge, then. Kakashi should have gotten some sort of reaction if there was a grain of truth in what he said. He thought he could read Obito well enough to see that, at least. Kakashi gave him a long glance. Finally; "Are you sulking?"
Obito threw him a dark glare.
Bingo.
"Why are you here if you don't want to see me?"
"…"
Oh. They were still playing at this game, were they? Well then. Kakashi could keep playing. He smirked. "Are you–"
Obito turned on him. "Will you fucking shut up?" he exploded.
Kakashi blinked at him. "Since you're asking so kindly."
Pain flashed through his eyes, and Obito turned away with a growl, walking ahead. Kakashi stared after him, and it took a few seconds before he thought to follow. He jogged to catch up with Obito so that they were walking shoulder-to-shoulder again – closer now than before.
Obito was glaring ahead of him, jaw clenched.
Kakashi bumped his shoulder into Obito's.
Obito didn't make any sign of acknowledging him, and he still wasn't looking at him. But the tense lines of his shoulders seemed to loosen up, slightly. They continued walking, shoulders brushing together every now and then.
Kakashi tried to think of a way he could tell Obito he really hadn't done anything more exciting than studying that afternoon, but it seemed that anything he could think of to say would only make him sound guilty. Of something he didn't do. Of something he should be allowed to dowithout feeling guilty…
Kakashi sighed. He really didn't want to raise the subject again, but he knew that if he didn't, it would only lie there, and like a festering wound, grow more and infected the longer time wore on and nothing were done about it.
Kakashi began to open his mouth.
There was a sudden, unexpected noise to the side of them, and Obito jumped, a hand shooting out in front of Kakashi. Something rustled ominously, but no one could be seen on the street. Obito placed himself in front of Kakashi. Another rustle. Kakashi's eyes dropped to a garbage bin.
A small rodent scurried out and ran across the street.
"A mouse," said Kakashi. His lips tugged, things falling into place. "You're… protecting me?"
"Don't be stupid."
"Of course not. Whatever could have put than idea in my head?"
Obito shot Kakashi an icy glare. Kakashi was sure the chill in his eyes could have out-chilled the coldest mid-winter night on the South Pole. He smirked at him. Obito turned away, seething.
Yet Kakashi was sure he hadn't imagined the twitch at the corner of his lips.
They reached the bus stop shortly after. There, Kakashi refused to let Obito follow him any longer. Obito testily said that he already knew where he lived by now, and that it had only taken so long to find out in the first place because the contract lease had been signed under Gai's father's name, thank you very much (and couldn't Kakashi even rent an apartment by himself?). Obito proved this describing the apartment he lived in in, with enough details to make Kakashi squirm.
Kakashi still refused to let Obito join him on the bus. When Obito proved stubborn he vowed to sleep in an abandoned building in the Sink Hole if Obito wouldn't let him go home alone, and that Obito would have to sleep right there with him in a water puddle somewhere if he insisted on following him everywhere, because that was his only other option. Obito relented, unwillingly.
On the way home Kakashi couldn't help being extra watchful. If Obito thought he needed protection, he probably did. And if Obito was willing to walk Kakashi home when they had just had a row and he wanted nothing to do with him, someone or something was definitely out to get him.
But he already knew that, didn't he?
Lying in bed that night, danger felt far away. But he couldn't stop thinking about Obito and his strange behavior. Even among the Akatsuki, there had been a feeling of unrest. He hadn't noticed it before, but in hindsight, it was obvious. The Akatsuki hadn't loitered around as they used to. At the parking lot they had formed a tight circle, standing close together, as if it was them against the world. Back there, Kakashi had blamed the feeling of 'wrongness' on Sasori's death, but now he didn't think that was all of it. Not even the death of one of their gang-members should have caused that unease among them. So what could it possibly be? It would take something major to put the Akatsuki on edge.
It was easy to fool himself into thinking all was safe. But that was only a delusion. As unreal as it felt, someone was after him. And it wasn't just that. Something was up. He could feel it.
Either Obito was paranoid, or something big was coming.
o o o
Kakashi took a shortcut over the university's grounds on his way to his second lecture for the day. As he rounded a corner he almost ran straight into Obito. He stopped abruptly. Obito had his back to him, pacing as he talked on the phone, notably agitated.
Kakashi quickly backed out of sight. He was about to give Obito some privacy, but–
"–there will be an explosion."
Kakashi stiffened.
A cold shiver went up his spine. There was no way he could leave now. Not without trying to find out more. Kakashi knew Obito was capable of many things, and not all of them good – but mass-destruction was not one of those things. At least, Kakashi hadn't thought he was.
Obito growled. "Worry about yourself. Don't forget I know where you live, old man."
Kakashi crept a little closer, standing with his back pressed to the wall. Eavesdropping was not difficult, not with Obito this worked up. It was impossible to hear what the person on the other line said, though.
"I dare say I know all your hideouts by now, pops." His voice darkened. "More importantly… I can get to you before you have the time to move."
Kakashi's head was whirling with thoughts. Who was Obito threatening? Why?
"Hardly –– No." Obito's voice was hard with tension.
An indistinct, buzzing noise came from the phone again, but no matter how Kakashi stained his ears he couldn't catch a single word being said. He was quite sure the voice was male, though.
A scoff. "Like I care."
The man on the phone spoke again.
"Oh," Obito's voice had turned mocking. Kakashi imagined a smirk on his lips, now. "Age isn't everything. You don't know this guy. He's quite talented. I have the means, don't doubt it."
A period of silence, longer than the previous ones before. Kakashi risked to inch closer and peek behind the corner. Obito was still half-turned away from him, but he had stopped pacing. His facial expression was hard to read from this angle, but Kakashi saw a muscle in his jaw bulge.
The hand at his side fisted, and his arm started to tremble as he listened to what the other person said. Finally, he stilled.
"No," said Obito. He voice was deadly calm, but his were knuckles white. "You can't get to me anymore. The Akatsuki has become too strong."
Another beat of silence.
"I'll say it once more." Obito's voice lowered. "If you hurt him–––" Obito's face fell, turned incredulous." I'm not attached."
Obito ended the call and turned around.
Kakashi ran.
o o o
Most of the rest of the day was spent pounding Obito's strange phone call. He saw Obito several times, but Obito never approached him – in fact, he appeared to be avoiding him in general.
Kakashi still caught him staring, a few times.
o o o
He was slammed back against the bricked wall and let out a groan. An arm pushed roughly against his throat, pinning him in place. When he blinked through wheezing, he saw blond, long hair.
Kakashi tried to think what could have woken Deidara's ire, but came up empty.
"What are you doing to Obito?"
Kakashi stared at him, uncomprehending. "…what do you mean?"
Deidara's cold blue eyes flared. He shifted so his arm rested directly against his windpipe, this time putting significant pressure against it. "Don't. Play. Dumb," he hissed.
Kakashi let out a strangled noise.
Deidara watched him flailing for a moment, dark satisfaction passing through his eyes. When Kakashi no longer humored him, he pulled back slightly, and Kakashi took a greedy gulp of air.
"What?" he croaked – perhaps suicidal. But he had to know what was wrong with Obito.
Deidara leaned close enough to hiss in his ear. "I don't know what you're doing, and frankly, I don't care. I just want you to stop. Leave him the fuck alone. We don't have time to be dealing with you, un."
"'Leave him alone'?" said Kakashi. He let out an almost hysterical laugh. "Don't you see I can't do that?"
Deidara's face twisted in fury, icy blue turned even colder. "You can and you will," he said, very quietly. The tone of voice he used made the hairs on the nape on Kakashi's neck stand up. "If not…" Deidara's long hair tickled his neck. His breath fell hot on his ear. "I'll tie you up somewhere, and I'll make you go ka-BOOM, un."
"Consider that a warning." Deidara roughly shoved him away and left.
That… was the second bomb threat he'd heard in a week.
"Kakashi?"
Kakashi took a shuddering breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He was vaguely aware someone was calling his name, but the voice didn't register as 'danger' in his mind, so he could afford to not instantly respond to it. He felt shaky all over.
"Kakashi!"
He looked at his hands. They were trembling. Dark patches flickered over his vision. They grew more pronounced. Kakashi suddenly realized it wasn't his vision that was affected.
Dark stains were on his hand, and they were red. His hands were dripping with blood. Death.
Rin…
He felt panic rising within.
"Kakashi ––––– ––––– – What –––ened? ––saw Deidara leave, and––––––– " Somebody shook his shoulders. He couldn't look up from the hands that had taken a life. He couldn't. "Are you–– alright?"
Thick, sticky, clotting blood.
Why couldn't he ever wash it away?
Large hands grasped his, covered them. Kakashi blinked, and Gai was there, kneeling beside him. "Say something!" he yelled, growing panic in his eyes. There was a blurred commotion around them.
Kakashi looked into the eyes of his trusted friend. Slowly, he felt the insane pondering against his chest slow down. He fell forward, head against Gai's shoulder. "There's so much blood…" he panted. "There's always so much blood…"
"Where?" said Gai, muscles tense and ready for action. "Are you injured?"
"It's my fault," gasped Kakashi. "It will always be my fault. I can't escape it."
Gai relaxed slightly, his arms finally daring to grasp him. "Come," he murmured, voice low and calming. "Let's go home."
Gai stayed with him many hours into the night. When he finally went home it was on Kakashi's insistence. He would have offered Gai to sleep at his place, but he knew that after his breakdown, it would be impossible for Gai to relax in his presence. If Gai stayed he would be up all night worrying about him. Kakashi didn't want that. He wanted to be left alone.
For all the time they had spent together, he had only answered a bare minimum of Gai's questions.
No, Deidara hadn't hurt him.
Yes, this was about Rin. Again.
No, his panic attacks had never been triggered like that before.
Gai hadn't pushed too much, but a grim determination had set over his face. Kakashi knew it meant he didn't have much more time left. Gai wasn't going to stand for it much longer. He had gotten worse, and he knew Gai blamed it on Obito.
Kakashi couldn't even say he was wrong about it.
Everything was starting to become too much for him.
o o o
Kakashi had only slept a few hours when his phone woke him. He groped in the dark for it, desperate to turn off the sound.
'Who let the dogs out? Who? Who, who, who, who?'
He didn't know exactly what made him answer – perhaps it had been disorientation from sleepiness or just a force of habit. Either way, he found himself sitting groggily in his bed with the phone at his ear at two forty in the morning. He hadn't even seen the caller ID.
"Yes?" he asked, perhaps a bit rudely. People calling others at that time of the night didn't deserve anything else unless it was for an emergency, and if it was for an emergency said person would hardly care whether he was polite or not, would they?
"Kakashi…" drawled a familiar voice.
Kakashi's heart missed a beat, and he felt instantly more awake. He swallowed. "Obito," he said, heart starting to pick up speed. He clenched his teeth, frustrated with himself. Obito merely saying his name shouldn't affect him that much.
"Come here." The tone was lazy but filled with heat, and Kakashi had to struggle not to react to it. The annoyance of being ordered to do something again helped him win that battle.
"How did you get my number?" said Kakashi tersely.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" said Obito petulantly. It sounded… wrong, somehow, It didn't feel like something he would say. His voice changed, became a bit too excited. "No, wait, wait. Wait. I'll tell you." A pause, presumably for the dramatics, and then, "Ninja," he said, and let out a giggle.
The word 'drunk' hit Kakashi like a block of tile. He felt his eye twitch.
"Obito," he said sternly. "Where are you?"
"Really, though. You remember I had your phone that night, doncha? That night when– "
"Where. Are. You." said Kakashi.
Kakashi could almost hear Obito pout. "The Sake Bar," he said, glumly. Only now that Kakashi listened for it could he hear a slight slur to his voice, and it was barely audible.
Kakashi closed his eyes, praying for patience. "Alone?"
"Yep," said Obito.
Kakashi dragged a hand down his face, distressed. Didn't Obito have any sense of self-preservation?
"Come here," repeated Obito. It sounded more like a brattish whine this time.
Kakashi sighed in defeat. He already knew he was going, so the only use his scolding could possibly do would be to nag some better habits into Obito. And not ordering him around was one of the ones he needed to work on the most. "What did I said about–" he started.
There was some sound of commotion, and the call went off.
Shite.
Kakashi jumped out of bed and threw on the closest clothes he could find. He was out from his apartment before he knew it. The streets were empty. He began to jog in a brisk pace. The bar wasn't that far away, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to catch a taxi this time of the night.
Still. Once he reached the place, what could he do then? He' be too late…
The ringtone sounded again, and Kakashi stopped to answer it – it was an unknown number.
"Obito?" he asked. "Are you OK?" It was beyond him how the idiot would think it was an acceptable idea to drink – and in a public bar, of all places – when he was one of the most targeted men in Amegakure. Had he even expected to get home alive?
Kakashi spotted a taxi, and relieved, he hailed it down.
"Please…" Obito's voice had changed since earlier, it was quiet, vulnerable, a hint of a plea in it.
"What?" he asked, as he got into the taxi and muttered the name of the bar to the driver. God, if Obito already had gotten himself hurt, again–
"Please come here."
Kakashi held his breath for a moment, waiting for something to follow. Nothing did. He breathed out. Was that it? Was Obito still on about wanting Kakashi to come? Then he realized Obito was asking him to come, not ordering him, and his heart clenched almost painfully.
That was the reason he'd called back?
"I'm already on my way," he said, when he realized he had let too many seconds pass.
Silence – except for the sounds of Obito breathing – followed. It was enough for Kakashi to make out the chatter and some song playing in the background – Obito was still (relatively) safe inside the bar. If Obito had fallen asleep on him, maybe that was for the best. Asleep he couldn't do anything stupid.
Like leaving the bar, and stumble out in any dark alleys on his own.
"I want you," said Obito, voice just a little slurred.
Kakashi felt a surge of heat. Which was ridiculous. Obito was drunk, clearly far from his right mind. Kakashi should laugh, perhaps, or tell him to piss off. Sleep of the alcohol.
All that came out was a breathy, "Yeah?"
"Mm..." hummed Obito, and even that managed to sound sexy.
It was lucky the bar was so close – he wasn't sure he could deal with a seductive Obito much longer.
"I'm here," he said, a bit too hoarsely. He ended the call.
Before he went inside, he paused for a minute, gathering his self-control as he took a few lungfuls of cool air. When he felt relatively calm he went inside. Though the music was still on full-swing the place was rather deserted. Kakashi spotted Obito alone in the corner of the room, phone still in hand.
Kakashi went up to him, crossing his arms. "How much have you had?"
"Dunno." The bastard didn't even look up at him.
Kakashi felt frustrated with himself. There was no reason reading into the actions of a drunk man. "Here," he said, grabbing Obito's arm and pulling him up. "I'm getting you home."
He jolted Obito up to lean on his shoulder. Obito dropped his phone, and Kakashi leaned down to pick it up. Obito swayed, and Kakashi's arm went around his waist to support him.
Kakashi slid the phone into Obito's pocket, trying to ignore the warmth of his thigh.
"Don't wanna," said Obito, but he followed complacently enough. They had almost reached the door when Kakashi could feel Obito looking at him. "You came."
"Yes," said Kakashi. "Let's go." They went back to the taxi waiting outside. "Angel Street," he told the driver. Obito collapsed across the seats, head in Kakashi's lap.
Kakashi hoped he wouldn't throw up.
The drive was, thankfully, uneventful. Obito didn't try to fondle Kakashi, and he didn't throw up, either. Once they reached Angel Street, Kakashi had to help Obito out of the car. He was forced to help him to his apartment, too. Obito was stumbling too much to walk on his own.
It was first when he let go of Obito inside, and Obito gripped his t-shirt with a surprising effectiveness that he realized that, while Obito was undeniably drunk, perhaps he hadn't been quite as unable to walk and stand up alone as he'd let on.
But Obito didn't sprout another seductive line.
"Don't go," he said, instead. "He'll come."
Kakashi smirked. "Who?" Bogeyman?
"Him," said Obito. "And then there'll be nothin' but darkness and him left… and the voices in my head."
Kakashi stilled, the smile melting of his face. He suddenly felt stupid for not instantly taking him seriously. For a moment, he had almost forgotten who Obito was. "Obito?" he said, turning to face him. "What do you mean?"
"I know what I have to do. But I no longer know who I am."
"Fuck," muttered Kakashi. It was just the slurs of a drunk man, but Kakashi got the feeling that something darker was hiding behind it all. There was more to this than what it looked like. Not 'knowing who he was' could easily just be the everyday identity crises youth all the world over face.
But it was also the most vital turning point in brainwashing.
He led Obito into the living room, pushing him into the couch. "Think of Rin," he said, hands on his shoulders to keep his focus – he would have liked to be less blunt, but he had the feeling time was of essence here, or else Obito's thoughts would wander of tangent.
A pained, almost betrayed look entered Obito's eyes. Then they clouded over in anger. A hand fisted at the collar of his shirt. "You fucker–"
Kakashi interrupted him. "No," he said. "Don't think about the accident. Don't think about her death. Remember her. Remember going to school with her. Playing together. All the small, stupid things you loved about her, the small, fleeting moments that shouldn't matter much but do. Who were you then?" Seeing Obito's look, he quickly added, "More importantly – if you had asked Rin, who would she say you were?"
Obito was still notably upset, but at least he was thinking about it. "I'm not that person anymore."
"You've changed. But your core is the same. You can find that child within you. The person Rin loved–"
"She didn't," said Obito darkly.
"She loved you as a friend. You were her best friend, you know that, don't you? The two of you were always much closer than I was to either of you."
Obito's eyes fixated on his, suddenly looking surprisingly sober. "What makes a person then, Kakashi? If it's his actions, I'm fucked. If it's my… thoughts…or wants… I'm fucked, too."
Kakashi faltered. "I… I don't know," he said. "But only because you've made poor decisions in the past doesn't mean you have to continue doing them–"
"I can't atone for what I've done."
"So continuing like now is the better alternative?"
Obito shrugged. "What's the use in stopping?"
"I– "
"What is evil?" said Obito, voice suddenly gone emotionless.
Kakashi sighed. He went to the kitchen and filled a cup of water.
Obito followed him. "There's no black n' white, you know? Everything's gray." A pause. "Never liked the color gray." When Kakashi turned from the sink he was leaning against the door opening.
Kakashi pushed the water at him. "Drink."
Obito glared at him. "'Ask me'," he quoted, petulantly.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Really, Obito?"
Glaring, Obito reached out for the glass – swatting Kakashi's hand in the process so that Kakashi almost dropped it, causing at least half of the water to splash over the rim. Sighing, Kakashi remembered exactly why hanging around drunks where such a bother. He took Obito's hands and wrapped them around the glass, and Obito downed the rest of the water – well, most of it.
"Fuckin' hate you," said Obito, stroking away water that had run down from his chin. "I really fuckin' hate you."
"Oh, I know that," said Kakashi, taking back the glass from Obito.
A spark of challenge entered his eyes. He took a step closer. "I love you," he said.
Kakashi paused. He turned around and went to the sink where he rinsed the glass and swallowed down the lump in his throat. "Love is… genuinely caring about another person, Obito." He managed to say that without trace of pain. He was almost proud over himself for that. "It's not just a feeling. It's when you go out of your way to make their day better. It's when you give and expect nothing in return. It's when you respect them and you make sacrifices for their happiness." He grimaced. "And it's not what you are doing, Obito."
"Maybe that's the kind of shit I want to do," Obito muttered.
Kakashi turned around, almost cautiously. "You… what?"
"Nothing."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "If you think I'm letting that go–"
"Shut up." Obito swayed precariously. "I'm not nearly wasted enough to deal with this shit. Fuck you for that. Asshole."
"Obito."
"Fuck you."
Kakashi closed the distance between them. "Obito," he repeated, softer this time.
Obito grasped Kakashi's hair and pulled him closer, tugging his head back, making Kakashi gasp. "Fuck you," he breathed, so close Kakashi could easily smell the alcohol on his breath.
Kakashi's breath hitched.
Obito's lips brushed his, and Kakashi shivered, turning away. Obito's grip in his hair tightened, turned borderline painful, and then his breath was just bellow his ear, instead. Lips latched on to his neck.
Obito's mouth seemed to be everywhere at once – jaw, neck, collarbone – leaving sloppy, hot kisses and trails of sensitized skin afire. Hands moved down his neck, greedy with desire. Kakashi's fingers curled into Obito's shirt.
Obito stumbled and pulled Kakashi down with him. Kakashi landed with an elbow in Obito's rib. Obito didn't seem to notice. He sat up and shoved Kakashi back against the wall. Hands, clumsy but fervent, were under his shirt almost before Kakashi knew it.
Kakashi felt himself lose control – if he had ever had it at all.
Obito licked a long stripe up his neck, found a sensitive patch of skin just below his ear and sucked harshly. A jolt went straight to his cock, and Kakashi gasped. Obito's hands changed direction abruptly, going south, and Kakashi's breath sped up.
Obito's exhales were hot and humid at his neck. The tips of his fingers started to slip into his boxers.
"Don't," Kakashi whimpered. He felt too weak to resist Obito's touches, but he couldn't take it.
There was only a limited number of times a person could put himself together. A repeat of last time they were intimate would ruin him.
Obito's hands, amazingly, did stop. Slowly he pulled back, swollen-lipped and panting. He sat down beside Kakashi, leaning his head fall back against the wall.
"Spoil-sport," murmured Obito, eyes closed.
And just like that, the ache within Kakashi eased. It had been with him so long he had almost forgotten how it felt to breathe without it. Only now that it started to loosen its grip could he feel how luxurious the mere absence of pain was. How good it felt to not hurt – or at least, not hurt so much. The relief was almost tangible.
How was it that the person who hurt him was the only one who could soothe the pain?
"I really… hate you," slurred Obito. His body was a warm against Kakashi's side. His head lolled, and dropped on Kakashi's shoulder.
"I know," said Kakashi softly. But he no longer felt certain of anything.
A few moments later Obito was fast asleep.
Kakashi didn't leave until it started to lighten.
He walked home as dawn broke. Thin, leafless twigs were in bud, dripping wet with perspiration, the spider-webs covered by dew. The air was clean and chilly, and he breathed it in, feeling refreshed to the very soul. He felt lighter than he had in years.
He could still go on, one day at a time.
Right now, he wouldn't question for how much longer.
o o o
'Who let the dogs out? Who? Who, who, who, who?'
Kakashi fished up his phone from his pocket, glad for any distraction from his algebra. He had an incoming call from Asuma.
"Yo," said Kakashi, going back to the latest problem he was working on. If the guys were going to do something fun tonight he wanted to finish this up as soon as possible.
"Kakashi. Can you come to Sakura Street? Like, right now. As fast as possible. Genma and I are already here, but he doesn't listen to us. Nothing we says makes any difference, and–"
"Wait!" said Kakashi. He had already let go of both pencil and problem, but Asuma has said all that very fast, and his head was still spinning with numbers. "I don't get it. What's wrong?"
"We need you here," said Asuma, voice strained. "It's Obito."
Kakashi's stomach dropped. "What happened?"
"Nothing yet," said Asuma. "But I think… I think he's going to kill Deidara."
o o o
Once Kakashi had gotten off the bus, he ran. Luckily, there had been a bus going in the right direction that had stopped by his apartment only a few minutes after Asuma's call – had he missed it, there wouldn't have been another in an hour – and the ride here had taken about six, seven minutes, all in all. Which was seven minutes too long. He could only hope Asuma had managed to stall Obito.
Kakashi called Asuma, who picked up instantly, and asked for directions. Thankfully, they were still there. Kakashi left the main street and ducked in a smaller alley. A minute later he thought himself lost, and was just about to call again when he heard voices. He ran, following the sound.
They suddenly came into sight, and he pulled to an abrupt stop. It was not a good idea to rush into the scene before he knew exactly what he was dealing with.
Kakashi took in several things simultaneously.
Deidara was held at gunpoint by Obito. He was whispering what appeared to be threats in his ear, one arm held around his neck. He looked about an inch away from pulling the trigger – a fact not helped by Deidara's defiant attitude. Asuma and Genma were trying to pacify Obito, but it all fell on deaf ears. When Asuma tried to move a step closer Obito shoved the gun violently against Deidara's temple.
Another second, and he had seen enough to know that Obito didn't actually intend to kill Deidara. He was only making a point. And that was lucky, because if he had intended to kill him, he would probably already have had it done. Kakashi didn't blame Asuma and Genma for drawing that conclusion, however. They were not as attuned to Obito's body language as Kakashi was.
Still. This was just waiting for an accident to happen, and Kakashi hadn't seen Obito this unstable in months. Just because he didn't intend to kill him as things stood now, that didn't mean he wouldn't on a whim. He had to make Obito lower his gun.
He walked forwards slowly, as to not startle Obito.
Obito's eyes snapped up and met his. And as if a thundercloud rolling over an already gray, unsteady sky, his eyes turned pitch black. The amount of hatred that suddenly filled his eyes – turned towards Deidara – was too intense to meet. The killer intent was almost palpable.
...maybe Kakashi had been wrong about Obito not intending to kill Deidara, after all.
Deidara shoot Kakashi a dirty look. The gun pipe hit his temple with force, Obito's arm around his head tightening.
"See what I mean, 'bito?" rasped Deidara. Obito scowled, and his arm muscles flexed, rendering Deidara unable to breathe at all, much less make any more remarks.
Karma, Kakashi thought grimly, had a dark sense of humor. He sort of had to admire the man for his calm in the situation, though. Unlike Kakashi Deidara didn't fight the choke hold, and there was still a cocky, almost victorious look on his face. As if he'd been right about something, and this has just been proved. His nails dug into Obito's arms, but that was it. Not even as his face started to change color did he out up a struggle, and there wasn't a sign of fear on his face. How a face managed to convey so many conflicting emotions at once – grimness, resignation, and at the same time cockiness and defiance – Kakashi had no idea.
Kakashi watched with an odd sort of detachment, feeling as if he were watching a TV show or something that just wasn't real, as the life slowly started to seep out of Deidara.
"Kakashi!" shouted Asuma.
Kakashi snatched back to reality.
Asuma and Genma were looking at him in horror. He'd made the situation worse than it was before, yet rather than seeming to regret calling for his help, they were looking to him to defuse the situation. They still trusted he could do something.
It was a shocking insight to realize that they were right.
Kakashi's presence had made the situation worse, but he honestly believed he was the only one who could calm Obito down, too. There was not much doubt as to what this was about. That Deidara first had threatened him and then gotten Obito's fury turned on him couldn't be a coincidence. The rumors must have gotten to Obito – which was why is was even more important that he was here.
"Obito," said Kakashi, as softly as he managed to. He didn't expect to break the murderous trance Obito was under so easily – not at the first try – but the dark eyes flickered. Even if Obito didn't look up at least he had heard him. "Lower your gun," he continued, voice quiet but filled with authority.
Obito's finger went to the trigger.
"Don't," said Kakashi, sharply.
Obito looked up, eyes filled hatred and jealousy. "Why?" he hissed back, voice rough. "Why shouldn't I?" A moment of silence and Obito's rage flamed. "Does it matter to you whether he lives or dies?"
Kakashi had to ponder that for a second. Right now the truth was irrelevant. If Kakashi wanted him alive, would Obito care? Maybe. He seemed to care more about what Kakashi thought, lately… but. From the anger awakened when Kakashi got here, he had a feeling maybe it was best he didn't care.
"Not particularly," he said, and to his relief his voice sounded much calmer and more indifferent than he felt.
Obito's anger didn't increase. A good sign. His eyes was still burning, though. "Do you want to kill him, then?" he said. He pulled the gun down Deidara's temple. Deidara swallowed, and Kakashi realized Obito's grip had eased, slightly. "Or should I do it… using less controversial means?"
Kakashi faltered. "No," he blurted – probably looking horrified at the suggestion.
Obito's eyes narrowed.
Kakashi shook his head, frustrated. "I don't want you to kill anyone, Obito."
"I've already killed." A darkly stated fact.
"I don't want you to kill anyone more."
"Like it matters."
"It matters to me." Obito just looked at him. "Stop. Just… stop. Please." Obito was tense, and at the moment it seemed equally possible he let Deidara go as to shoot him without a moment's notice.
"Let's discuss this somewhere else," said Kakashi.
Obito had to be aware of the possible complications of holding Deidara hostage out here in the open. There was only a matter of time before he would pull attention to himself. Little used as the alley was, it was relatively close to the university, and it was getting late – the university's library would close any minute now if it hadn't already, and the last students would leave campus. It was more likely than not that at least one would shortcut this way.
As this so obviously had something to do with Kakashi, Obito had to take the bait.
Kakashi licked his lips. He swallowed. "Just the two of us," he clarified.
Obito's eyes flamed, burning into his own. One, two, three seconds, and Obito shoved away Deidara, who fell to the ground, wheezing. "Don't even look at him again," Obito growled, not sparing Deidara a second glance. He secured the gun, shoved it in a pocket, and walked away, obviously expecting Kakashi to follow.
"Stay here," Kakashi mouthed to Asuma and Genma, giving them a reassuring smile before he went after Obito. He knew they'd call the police if he didn't return within a few minutes, but he couldn't allow them to follow. It would be a risk to all of them when Obito was in this mood.
They didn't go far. Almost as soon as they were out of sight and hearing, Obito turned on him. "What did he say to you?" Obito snapped, stepping close. "What did he do?"
"Um," said Kakashi.
Obito took another step closer, eyes flashing. "Any threat he made is nothing compared to what I will do if I don't find out."
"Another threat to my life, Obito?"
"It's a threat to Deidara's."
Kakashi shoved him away. "Stop it."
A look of indecision crossed Obito's face. Then he seized Kakashi's hand and tugged him close. He swallowed as Obito's lips traveled up his cheekbone. "Please?" he murmured, instead of the demand that Kakashi had expected to leave his lips.
Kakashi felt something bubble up in him, and he let out a laugh that broke much of the tension. "That's not always going to work, you know, Obito," he said. He brushed away a stray lock from Obito's forehead, and slowly exhaled, giving in. "Deidara was just worried about you."
"Did he hurt you?"
"No."
Obito's features softened, a little. "Then what did he do?"
Not knowing how much Obito knew, he didn't dare to cover for Deidara. It may do more harm than good. "Shoved me up a wall," he said, going for a casual tone of voice. "I just… didn't react so well to it." Despite his attempt to de-dramatize the situation, Obito's eyes flicked in anger. Kakashi had to keep from rolling his eyes. "Please," he said. "That's nothing you don't do every other day."
"There's a lot of things I do to you that I wouldn't want anyone else to," said Obito tersely.
"Maybe there's some things you do that you don't really want to do either," said Kakashi daringly, ignoring the question in between the lines.
Obito gaze flickered between Kakashi's eyes. Not an instant denial, at least. Another second, and he opened his mouth to reply.
'Who let the dogs out? Who? Who, who, who, who?'
Kakashi grimaced. "My phone," he said.
He debated just ignoring it, but he and Obito had already been disturbed. The moment had been broken. And just in case the caller was Asuma or Genma, he had to answer it. He sent Obito an apologizing look. Obito scowled, but backed off.
Kakashi checked the caller. An unknown number, but that didn't mean it couldn't be Asuma or Genma. He answered it. "Kakashi," he said.
"Kakashi Hatake?" Definitely not Asuma or Genma. This person had a notably dark, masculine voice, hoarse and sort of raspy. Kakashi thought it might be an older man, middle-aged, at the very youngest, yet he undeniably held some significant amount of authority. There was power in his voice.
"…yes." Kakashi felt impatient. Maybe he should just end the call. "And you are..?"
"Obito's grandfather." Kakashi eyebrows rose in surprise, and glanced at Obito. "Madara Uchiha."
"Mr. Madara Uchiha?" said Kakashi, searching his memory. "Oh, right. I remember you."
A wild look crossed Obito's face. Kakashi frowned at the reaction. He was about to ask what Mr. Uchiha wanted when Obito suddenly swatted the phone from his hand, with a force that made it shatter as it went into the ground. He looked up at Obito, startled.
It was like looking into a tornado, something wild and inhuman. The darkness was back, increased tenfold. He felt like a leaf caught by a raging wind, moments away from being torn apart.
This was… different from earlier. Much different.
Obito was breathing heavily, panting as if he'd just ran a marathon. His face was terrifying. Sweat was forming on his brow, and a drop tickled down his temple. Obito looked at him, eyes black holes that sucked the very air out of his lungs. Kakashi made to move back, but the muscle in his leg only twitched, ignoring his command entirely.
Obito moved.
Suddenly Obito was at his back, the pipe of a gun on the nape of Kakashi's neck. Another hand held one of his arms behind his back in a vice-like grip. Kakashi chest and cheek pressed hard against a rough wall.
For a moment, there was only the sound of ragged breathing, the feeling of metal against his skin.
Then Obito's breathing slowed, got back under control. "Tomorrow," he said, and his voice had changed, turned callous and cold, much more dangerous than any outburst of rage. This was the numb voice of a murderer who had locked away his feelings – and his humanity. "Same time. Come alone."
Denial didn't even cross his mind. If he refused Obito now someone would die.
And this time, it wasn't Deidara.
As if reading his mind, Obito leaned closer. "You'll regret it if you don't…" Lips brushed against his hairline. His voice was heavy with threat. "Don't make me do things you'd rather not live to see…"
Gai. Asuma. Genma. Tenzo.
"Just be here."
It took a moment before Kakashi managed to make his lips move. "What for?" rasped Kakashi.
"It's time to end this."
So. It had come to this. Obito was done playing. Kakashi's time was up. He didn't understand why, but the idea of facing Obito tomorrow didn't scare him. Rather, he felt strangely calm. Calm, but there was a steady hum of energy running through his body, the beat of his heart strong and ardent, ready to do this. Enough dithering. It had been long coming. Whatever the outcome, this would be a turning point.
Obito's true colors would finally show.
o o o
Kakashi called Gai a few hours later. He had luck. His self-proclaimed rival picked up almost instantly.
"Hey, Kakashi. Everything okay?"
"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Considering," he added, unknowing if Asuma or Genma may have informed him of what happened or not. "Gai. I have a favor to ask you."
"Anything."
Kakashi hesitated. But he had already decided on this course of action. Involving Gai in this was dangerous, but he couldn't do it himself. And it was time to put an end to this... no matter the outcome of his and Obito's meeting tomorrow, Obito needed to be stopped. Gai didn't need to know everything – it was safer he didn't. But if Kakashi didn't come out of the encounter alive, Gai would know enough – and have all evidence needed – to put Obito behind bars, once and for all.
Either way, this would be checkmate for Obito.
He didn't want to endanger Gai. Even if he leaned on the precarious side, this would if Obito found out. But this needed to be done. He knew Gai would think so, too.
Kakashi took a deep breath. "I just bought a few cameras. Security cameras. I need help to set them up."
Gai must have picked up on Kakashi's tension. His voice changed. "Kakashi. What's going on?"
"I can't tell."
"If you know something, we should got to the police. It's not as if people don't know who he is. They'll give us the benefit over the doubt. If we can't stop it from happening, at least we would have backup."
"Obito wasn't really explicit as to what would happen if I pulled anyone else into this, but I got the main idea. Do your really think I'm willing to risk all of my friends' lives on the off chance that Obito hasn't bought someone off the police force?"
Gai was silent for a moment, as if debating whether or not he should argue back. Finally, a defeated exhale. "Of course not."
"What we need is undeniable evidence. That's the only thing that will work, or Obito will just find a way to bend the rules and the truth in his favor and bribe his way out. He has before. I only called you because I – well, because I trust you."
"I know," said Gai, voice stained.
There was a long period of silence.
Kakashi waited, giving Gai the time he needed to make up his mind. He knew that Gai would determinate his course of action within the next few minutes and that whatever he decided, Kakashi wouldn't be able to change it either way. There was nothing more he could do.
"You wouldn't use anyone else to get this 'undeniable evidence'," said Gai. "If Obito was threatening the safety of someone else, you wouldn't just set up cameras and let it happen. You would stop it." It wasn't a question, so there was no need for Kakashi to answer him. Gai already knew. He didn't say it out loud, but he could hear it just as well; 'the only person's life you'd put on the line is your own.'
Gai exhaled slowly. "I trust you, too," he said, finally.
"Thank you," said Kakashi. He knew he could count on Gai, but he hadn't been sure He'd underestimated him. Gai was always there when it mattered. He may not like it, but he trusted Kakashi to make his own decisions even when their opinions differed. That was one of the things Kakashi appreciated the most about Gai. He was always there, steady and sure as a law of nature, and stuck with him through thick and thin. He was open about his own feelings and would reason with Kakashi when he thought his wrong about something, but he would never make any decisions for him. He could never encroach on his life, not even for 'his own good'. In the end, Kakashi's choices was his own. Gai respected him, and his freedom, entirely.
Perhaps that was what Kakashi valued the most about Gai.
"So what's the plan?" said Gai.
"Tonight. A few hours before dawn…"
Sorry I've been so bad at replying to reviewers lately. Promise to do an attempt to catch up soon! And be sure to know I read and appreciate them all! ;) Much love. 3
Expect another chapter up shortly! If I don't… Oh, I'll just do my best, okay? XD
PS. Be sure to let me know what you think of the chapter!
PPS. I seriously love you guys. :3
