Kakashi

I ache everywhere. My back, thighs and chest stung and itched. The fact that it was a full body phenomenon was the only thing even remotely telling that this list of events were connected. I opened my eyes, one opened easily, the other had a thick wad of cotton on it. I never would do this to myself.

My mouth tasted like the inside of a hard worn boot. That's when I noticed that one hand was warm, if a little tingly, while the other was freezing cold. My head was sloped toward the frozen arm, and I tried a scowl at it. I was so lethargic, I didn't have the heart to keep it up. Instead, I shifted that hand to my face, searching for the material that should be covering me. I panicked a little, not feeling it.

Then my uncovered eye widened, as I registered that this was not my apartment. Nor was it the hospital. Where was I? I moved my head before a wave of dizziness made me drop back to my pillows. I wiggled the other fingers experimentally, and turned my head. It all slammed back in an instant. The whipping, the terrible tea, and the fire set in my middle.

Hinata's head popped off my arm, "Oh! I feel asleep! Are you okay? Do you want more tea?"

"No." Never again. "Where am I?" My voice was a croak, and I cleared my throat roughly, "I don't really remember how I got here."

"Can I get you more morphine?"

Hinata's hair was mussed from sleeping on my arm. It was so strangely sweet; I smiled, "No, I don't think so. If I'm awake, I can start my chakra moving, I'll be able to heal faster that way."

She clutched my hand, and I squeezed back. "This is our new place," she said, "if you like it." She gazed at where our hands touched, and smiled. "Do you?"

I looked at the room, "No more spies?"

"Well," Hinata hedged as she ran her thumb over my knuckles, "ANBU aren't allowed past the gate. Even when Neji-nii is on duty, he has to take an apartment in town. We have trusted watchers stationed high in the trees to make sure this is enforced. As for good old fashioned eyes and ears, yes. There are many here who prefer Danzo's reign." She brightened, "Though this house and most of the gardens and the spring are warded against byakugan. And you're the only sharingan user left in the village." She gestured to the window, "If I were to activate my dojutsu from outside, the most I could see would be blurry shapes."

"I was in ANBU, and I didn't know." To say I was shocked that the Hyuga had such a protection was a major understatement.

She tilted her head a little, "I'm willing to bet you've never even heard of a mission into the Hyuga compound. Or the Uchiha or Nara, or any of the clans. Am I right?"

"Okay," I hadn't. Even before all that business with the Uchiha... Which left the other bit of news, "Lets just say I buy that reasoning. Can I ask why the grounds are warded against the clan?"

"We're an entire clan that can see through walls. " She flushed a little and shook her head, "And this cottage is where newly wed couples who will inherit the main house when the current head steps down, dies or is removed live." She looked at me a second before darting her eyes away as a fiery blush erupted on her neck. "It's also got an amazing on site onsen that's been used by the clan for generations. If you're too immature to sneak a peek inside the onsen like a normal teen..."

I laughed, "Thank kami. I don't like wearing my face around for just anyone." Hinata was fiddling with her fingers, a mannerism I'd noticed before, "Thank you, Hinata. Truly, I feel better than I've any right to." I peered at her busy fingers, "Are you okay?"

She stilled and flashed me a brilliant, completely fake, smile. Her hands disappeared behind her back as she stood at the bedside, "I-I..." She took a breath, "Sorry, Kiba-kun has told me a million times I need to stop doing that. Father was here last night. Kazuko-san told him what she saw and what I told her yesterday."

"Why does that make you nervous?"

"He doesn't like the idea of us so much anymore. He thinks you might be too big of a problem."

I stared up at the ceiling, "And what do you think?"

She leaned in, cupping my cheek and turning my face so that we were nearly eye to eye, "You asked me, honestly asked, if I was ready, if I could do this. I said I would. I have never gone back on my word. Even when it has cost me much." Her eyes were wide, and searching mine, plumbing my depths with her intensity. I felt strangely elated. "You're stuck with me."

I turned away from her gaze and kissed her palm lightly before she could spring away. She did take a step back, but she held her hand to her chest protectively as she allowed her lips to curve sweetly into a smile. I watched her for a few seconds before deciding that I needed to get to the head and maybe a close up look at the onsen.

"Can you help me up? I need to see to my morning rituals." She blushed again as I supposed she correctly guessed I needed to piss like a racehorse.

"You've been asleep for quite some time." This time she actually wrung her hands before finishing in a rush, "I had one of the healers insert a catheter after all that tea. Sorry."

She looked likely to burst into flames as I jiggled my leg and felt the uncomfortable burn of the tubing and a warm sloshing bag. Never mind her, I could feel an embarrassed flush climb my neck. I really felt the need to yank up my mask. I groaned instead, "Damn, these things hurt to remove myself. But, I've been through worse. Sakura-chan would kill me if she found out."

She took another step back, a stray bit of panic flashing in her eyes, "Some of the porters brought some more of your clothes last night, let me get you a yukata."

She flashed around on her heel, and jogged into the other room. I rubbed at my exposed eye before tearing the gauze bandage off the other. I kept my eye closed and raised my voice, "Did he get an eyepatch?"

Carefully, I propped myself up on my elbows, noting that although my abdomen and back are in fiery torment, at least my arms and shoulders seem to be fine. I tried to scoot my legs out of the bed's warm embrace, and was foiled by Hinata, holding my favorite yukata and my eyepatch.

"I don't want you to hurt yourself," she held out a black patch and when I took it, she shook out the yukata and held it for me to slip my arms into. "If you could just get it closed, I'll help you out of bed." She turned around, giving me privacy. I shrugged into the garment, and felt a surge of gratitude. "I should tell you I cheated, a little bit."

"Oh?" I fumbled for the ties on the inside of the garment, "I'm ready."

She turned, her hair a soft swish behind her. "I'll pull, you stand. Then we'll see how it goes."

I carefully moved my aching legs out, arranging the yukata accordingly, "So, you cheated?"

"Mmm." She gripped my forearms, and I gripped hers, "I kneaded some of my chakra into the salve."

She leaned back, pulling slowly as I tried to work out how to stand again. "I won't tell." I groaned as my feet took my weight, "I probably wouldn't be able to stand yet without it."

Hinata slung my arm over her shoulder, and though there was a height difference, it wasn't too bad. Besides, I had a feeling a crabbed hunch was as good as it was going to get today. "As long as you don't get caught?" She smiled up at me.

I smiled, her obvious attempts to make me feel better not going unnoticed. They were actually working. Unlike Sakara's endless mothering and the opposite side of the spectrum, Naruto's hyperactivity. Although, in Naruto's case, I understood. How could a person being protected by the Kyuubi ever understand what normal people go through? Hinata was somewhere in the middle. Helpful without domineering. "Yeah."

She maneuvered us around the big four-poster. Just a few more steps before she opened another door, "There's a washroom here. You can... Well, you know." She side- stepped away from me, "I cleaned you up, the blood, anyway."

I steadied myself against the wall, lurching uncomfortably into the room before closing the door with my other hand. I gripped the sink, getting a good look at my face, I had a grey shadow climbing my neck and cheeks. I hastily revised the idea that I could check out the onsen. I could barely stand. I tried a long step, one hand still holding the sink in a death grip, before bending to flip up the toilet seat. I let go of the sink to tip forward, bracing myself against the wall with one hand while I pulled out the catheter with the other.

"Are you okay?" Hinata's worried voice came through after I had bit off a few choice curse words.

I watched blood and urine taint the water under me, a deep breath blowing between my lips. I pulled the medical tape and tube off, and tossed the resulting mess in the garbage. I tucked myself back in, and managed to flush. Gripping the sink again, "No onsen."

"No. I only have until tomorrow to get you up and running, so..." I opened the door, and Hinata rushed to me, taking my weight again, "back to bed with you."

I grimly hung onto Hinata as we maneuvered back to the bed. I stood by helplessly as she tossed back the covers and mutely offered to help me get back into it. To my unending embarrassment, she had to lift each body part off the floor and move it into place. And although I tried as hard as I could to hold in all my groans, I just put my faith in the idea that here I don't need to be tough. I shifted and wiggled, managing to dig myself into a comfortable nest of pillows and a vaguely upright state, though at the cost of sounding like I'd run all the way to Suna and fought a battle at the end of it.

"I'm going to get you a half-dose of morphine. It'll dull the pain but you should be awake for a while." Hinata's pale lavender eyes looked as worried as I was hurting.

"Thanks," It came out a little breathlessly, but I didn't care. I expected her to stutter or stop or to blush enough to double as a sunrise, but instead she just went to the side table where my drugs were. There was a mound of bandages and thick cotton pads that would hold poultices and sop up any leftover bleeding and the juicy junk from healing wounds.

She darted into the kitchen, coming back with a glass of water and a half morphine tab which didn't look big enough to stop an ant. I took them, and guzzled the water dry, giving the empty back to her. I watched her out of my good eye as she bustled back to the kitchen and then as she rearranged herself in her bedside chair. She folded her hands and tried on her fake smile again.

"Getting clean wasn't a horrible idea." I snorted, that wasn't happening anytime soon. "I need to check your wounds, re-salve and poultice some of them, and then it'll be mummy time again. Did you want to be awake?"

I took a deep breath, letting it go slowly, "I'd better. I'd also like to speak with your father. Neji as well, if you can get him here. I'll also need to talk to Sai." I gave her a lop-sided grin, "And if you'd be so kind as to bring me the paperwork I'm supposed to be working on?"

"Sakura always said you were lazy; you realize I'm going to have to tell her the truth."

"I'm not going to get anything past you, will I?"

Hinata covered her mouth and giggled, "Nope. I can see through walls of all kinds."

"You shouldn't cover yourself when you laugh," I said gently, "Buddha says that we should 'tilt our heads back and laugh at the sky'."

"Says the man who usually wears a mask," She raised her brows.

I laughed then, running a hand over my stubbled cheek, "No mask now. How about this: you try not to cover your smile and I'll try to remove the mask as soon as I get... home."

"Home..." She paused, it felt both comforting yet strange for either one of us to say it, and I looked away, casting my gaze past her to the gardens outside the window. "Are you hungry?"

I brought my attention back to her, "Yes. Nothing sweet, please."

"I'll ring the main house and have Kazuko bring us something."

I chuckled, although it ended in a grunt of pain, "Isn't cooking part of being a good hostess?"

"Oh, I hope not." She grinned, "I'll be right back with the medicines and bandages while we wait for breakfast. Then I'll try and set up as many appointments as I can and find your paperwork."

She did as she said, and I ended up having to untie the yukata and lay there in just my underwear as she tended to my wounds. I concentrated on moving my chakra, not thinking about her hands smoothing down my skin. Goosebumps as she unwound another bit of gooey bandage and wiped the cuts with antiseptic. The way she didn't even blush like she had yesterday as she pushed the hem of my boxers down to check on the one long stripe that had gotten close to ending my ability to walk for the next week, let alone tomorrow. No, I definitely didn't think about that at all.

AN/ Oooo. Watch me make stuff up! LOL But, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. I mean, not everyone has the 'gift' of the byakugan, but plenty seem to. And I think I could embarrassingly raise my hand and say I would totally peep. At least once. Neji. 'nuff said. *full body blush* Also height difference... about a head. I have a handy height chart, Kakashi is mostly hair