A/N: Thank you for the review Cathyscloud. Fanfic is having some issues with reporting traffic stats however, I am getting updates for reviews. So, feel free to throw one up and let me know what you think. :) Happy reading x

This chapter has an artwork piece by Lesya7 (of course) found on Deviant art.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. This story is purely a work of fanfiction.

Nina- is my original character (I do own her)

Chapter 14

Imprisoned by his own thoughts, Kakashi was rendered speechless. Nina had easily picked up on his vocal bobble and hadn't bothered initiating anything more. He didn't answer her question choosing to give her a total avoidance. Because his answer would have been 'yes'. At least in part, their requests of him to safeguard Nina, had unintentionally had an effect on his judgment. And despite his own knowledge, Nina having shared that part of her with him, he'd still fucked it up.

It was like a case of self-sabotage cloaked in self-preservation. He was prepared to work through her insecurities. With the shoe on the other foot, he wasn't so forthcoming. Reverting to his well-rehearsed habit that held everyone at a distance.

Kakashi had lived his life by surface level details. A reputation based on his skills and his sharingan. The underneath not so much. Except with Nina.

Irrational, uncontrolled, the good, bad and the ugly.

He'd exposed more of himself with and around her, than anyone else. And not by force, expectation, need, or anything other than 'just because'.

"I…I'm going for a shower, if you have no objections?"

Kakashi gave a shake of his head, stripping himself of his sodden clothes.

Rummaging through her pack, Nina was reminded that the contents of her pack were not…

"Here."

Nina stared blankly at his offering of one of his long sleeved shirts. Before she could answer, his thumb was running along her lips. Kakashi noted they had a blueish tinge to them, and her breath, although warm, was stuttered.

"I'll just put it down over here."

Kakashi sat on the end of the bed, his lower half wrapped in a towel, opened his book and started reading. Well, not reading, but at least it gave the impression he was. When he went to rearrange into a more comfortable position, one of the photos concealed within the book's final pages slipped out. Kakashi set the book down to his left and held the photo in both hands.

Sensei, Obito… Rin.

Perhaps, it was time Nina knew this part of his story?

Kakashi had no reservations that Nina would understand. Not because she knew Rin, or even that she knew him. But because she had undoubtedly battled with it herself when losing Asuma, and maybe, even when the Professor had passed. Even if she wasn't willing to admit it.

If it hadn't been for the years of denial and suppression of his own ordeals, he probably would have broken down too as he'd cradled Nina at the memorial stone. Guilt, death and broken promises were heavy burdens.

Nina enfolded herself in a towel, and second guessing for a moment, before she grabbed the shirt Kakashi had offered her. As she came down the hallway from the laundry, her eyes fell to Kakashi. He was dragging one hand over the back of his neck.

"What gave it away?"

"Bull. A group of ladies were raving about some wild dogs being seen in the bush nearby. A description of an overly large beast and a few other remarkable details. Kind of put it together from there."

"I see."

Nina should have just let it go. Whatever she'd said, something in it had triggered Kakashi's recoil. Instead, she'd berated him like a childish genin.

"Kakashi…"

His hands drooped lazily over his thighs and his head hung keeping his face from her view.

"I'm sorry."

Nina's body gave a shiver as she ran her hands up and down her arms to encourage some extra blood flow. "You idiot. You're not the one of us who should be apologising."

"Yes I should. You had a valid point. I endangered both of us."

Stopping with her hand on the handle of the bathroom door, Nina sighed. "Enough. Let's just not make promises we can't keep. We both know how fragile life is. We're shinobi, no matter whatever this is. We shouldn't, well I can't speak for you. But I'm not willing to burden you with a promise that can't be kept."

Kakashi's blood ran cold. Somehow against all reasonable justification Nina had punctured into the depths of his soul.

"I promised Obito I would keep Rin safe."

His voice fell away and yet, Kakashi's confession hit Nina with an indescribable force and weight. Automatically Nina responded, tossing her change of clothes and toiletries onto the bed and crouched down on her knees in front of Kakashi. His scruffy, water logged, silver hair shielding his eyes and part of his face that was void of its usual coverings.

She wished she could take back her inquisition from this morning, and more importantly, what she'd just uttered. The choice of her words had inadvertently wounded more than just his ego.

Nina drew her fingers up over the towel covered thighs and exhaled to still herself. Carefully, her eyes lifted from her lap, following her hand as she reached up to cup Kakashi's face. Her thumb stroked across his freshly wet skin of his left cheek, as more heated tears fell away. Nina tried to tilt Kakashi's head so that they would be equal eye level, but he simply turned and pulled away from her hand.

She wasn't giving up that easily.

Nina stood up, stepping into the space between his legs, pulling Kakashi's now quaking body into her own. Dipping her head, pushing away some of his hair, she pressed her bare lips to his forehead. "Thank you for telling me."

As Nina went to withdraw, Kakashi wrapped his arms around her tightly, his head buried into her chest. Nina ran her hands through his hair, gently glossing over the nape of his neck, as his body continued to shudder.

Her own eyes prickled with the familiar sting of salty tears welling up.

Kakashi the cold-hearted. If only they knew…

He was an almost, flawless shinobi, but an imperfect and broken human. As was she.

Nina's loss had only been recent, Kakashi had carried the emotional baggage of his lost comrades, teammates, father, sensei, and an unfulfilled promise for all these years. This small insight into his unspoken grief was a gross oversight on not only her own part, but everyone. What Kakashi had endured, and then overcome, to be the shinobi and person he was today, was nothing short of a true miracle.

And she understood it. Him.

Longed. No. Desired and wanted. Every fibre of his being, needed that. This. This connection with her. He'd never experienced anything quite like it. Like her.

It was as if Nina had unlocked the vault with the key he'd thrown away long ago.

The invisible threads between them, increased and deepened.

Kakashi's walls had come crumbling down and all he could do was hold onto to Nina. Suddenly, every one of his senses hungered for her. His mouth searched impatiently for hers. Kakashi pulled her gruffly down onto his lap. Their eyes regarding each other. Quick pants expelled before their lips smashed together, working his way down for that one spot that would provoke …

"Ahh! Kakashi."

He ripped the towels away, baring her body to his own. Her throat muscles constricted as she forced down a gulp. Nina's neck angled as far as it seemed physically possible, but Kakashi could sense her hesitation. Her fingers would latch into his shoulder blades before releasing. Nina's mind was still disallowing her to truly let go. Growling in frustration; he didn't want part of her, he wanted her full presence.

Bucking his hips, he flung Nina onto her back and dragged his hands coarsely over her body, following his mouth that nipped, licked and kissed the entirety of the way from her breasts to her nether. Nina tried to protest as he descended to the edge of the bed, forcing her legs apart. She sat up trying to use her hands only to find that Kakashi was one step ahead, easily grappling both of her wrists with one hand and overwhelming her by running his tongue between the folds of her vagina.

Her knees clenched around him in pleasure, not opposition. Releasing her wrists, Nina clawed at Kakashi's hair before gasping for air, in a full back arch and her hands frantically snagging the blankets on the bed.

Nina wasn't sure she was able to draw in enough breath, let alone keep her volume controlled. Kakashi's tongue was lashing her unforgivingly, and as he added fingers, her hold on reality released. There was nothing holding her in place other than him. Every time she attempted to break his hold, he'd push her down and ravaged her with his tongue and fingers.

As a last ditch effort Nina supplemented her movement with some extra chakra, which ended with them standing, lips locked. She didn't care that she could taste herself. Through their passionate tongue exchange, Nina managed to muffle out a suggestion. "Shower?"

"Mhmm."

He batted her hand away from his hardened erection.

Nina pulled her mouth away, breathless enough that they rested their foreheads against each other sucking in the air desperately. "Did you … did you hear me?"

"Yeah."

With a gentle fluidity, resulting from their years of shinobi life, Kakashi had Nina lifted where she was able to wrap her legs around his waist.

He marched them into the bathroom, disregarding the need to wait for the shower to find a satisfactory temperature, he pinned Nina to the tiled wall. This time Nina's nails sank into his skin. The sting of pierced flesh inciting a retaliation.

Kakashi lifted Nina until he was able to slide himself inside her. His eyes observing how her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. He didn't bother easing into it and began at a pace he would normally reserve for further into the moment. He needed this; they both did. He trusted Nina to tell him if she objected.

For Nina, when Kakashi entered her, it wasn't like it had been. It wasn't gentle, and she didn't even have time to adjust before he started. Almost immediately, her. No. Their need deflected any pain she was feeling. She could sense his ever watchful eyes on her and gave way to the moment. Trusting him, implicitly.

She'd already been dangerously close to orgasm before she'd managed to overthrow him. Her senses overloaded and she came, but Kakashi's pace didn't slow. Nina drew in breaths as she could, and joined his motions.

Kakashi raspy grunts and groans matched Nina's fevered pleas and mewls.

This wasn't just sex; they were making love.

They laid in bed, naked of any clothes, bindings or otherwise. The only light was the soft green glow of Nina's healing chakra as she worked on healing the damage her nails had done. Kakashi lifted the blankets to inspect her body. Already, her skin was marked with fresh bruises.

Without a spoken word, Nina's hand dropped from his shoulder to her hip that his fingers were brushing over. The bruises faded away.

"I don't break that easily."

"No, you don't."

He cocooned Nina, resting his head on top of her head and breathed out. Finally, coming down from their high.

"I am sorry, you know? I shouldn't have said those things."

"You didn't know."

"Maybe not about your promise but…"

Nina hadn't spoken much about Asuma. He gently feathered his fingers over her back.

"I made a promise to Asuma. One that I didn't keep."

He'd assumed as much.

"Couldn't."

Kakashi corrected her and with good reason.

"A matter of perception. He died, Kakashi. And it was and is my fault."

Nina pushed her tongue to the roof of her mouth. Apparently, it was supposed to prevent you from crying.

"Sorry, you were -"

"No, don't be. I get it."

She knew what he'd said would more than likely what he'd told himself a thousand times over. The tongue rubbing was clearly an old wives' tale because her eyesight had begun to blur. If there was any space between them Nina did her best to alter that.

He was doubtful that Nina would say anymore tonight. He felt her effort to swallow, how her forehead furrowed against his neck and the two long breaths she took, in and out. Kakashi maintained his steady strokes over her back, and rubbed his thumb over her hand that was curled in between their bodies.

Eventually, they would both find sleep, or it would find them.