Two: Safe
He followed her. Over familiar rooftops, around lightning poles, through lines of clothing hung up to dry. The tiles felt warm against his fingertips, the swish and pull of his energy comforting as it traveled through his limbs with practiced ease.
He watched her greet the people she knew and smile at those she didn't, the response nearly always the same: tense smiles and cautious eyes, masking the suspicion directed at her, a foreigner. But she ignored it well, brushing it off the same way she brushed the loose curls from her face.
She wasn't what he'd call beautiful. Or pretty. Not that she was ugly either, just...
...plain.
Thin lips, a plump square nose, thick, if manicured, eyebrows.
She had attractive attributes, like her long neck, windblown hair and brown eyes, but when placed with her other features, they faded into mediocrity.
He couldn't really make out her figure in the clothes she was wearing, but he didn't need to. Wide hips, small breasts.
Not his type.
But he had slept with her.
The bar had been more crowded than usual that night, every sorry wretch seeking a bit of relaxation after the fiasco that was the Chunnin Exams. The invasion left the people leaderless, exhausted and on edge. It also kept the bars busy.
He'd just found out that he'd lost two students. One to a mad man and the other to the futile quest of finding him. He hadn't seen the last since he'd woken in the hospital, her tear-stained face peeking out at him from behind his new Hokage.
He'd failed them all. What better than to forget for awhile?
He'd taken notice of her immediately after she'd stepped into the room.
Not because he'd been looking to hook up; but because it was so painfully obvious that she was a civilian.
In a shinobi bar.
It wasn't a taboo for crowds to mix, just a social nicety. Civilians tended to stay away when tensions were running high.
But there she was, clueless fresh meat.
So he'd acted before the wolves moved in, distracting her with pleasant charm and pretty flattery, glaring the dogs down all the while.
They'd talked. Had a few drinks. And went back to his apartment.
It amused him how prepared she was, despite her nervousness. His hands flashed through a jutsu anyway, just in case.
It was obvious that she hadn't really known what she was doing, but it had been awhile for him too, so he kept things simple. Safe.
He knew he hadn't been her first, but he can say, with no little satisfaction, that he had been her best.
She left in the darkness before pre-morning. He'd been awake for the lingering kiss on his cheek, the softly spoken thank you.
It was odd, in all the ways only healing old hurts is odd, and he contented himself with the knowledge that he'd helped, however unintentionally.
Then he forgot. Life moved on. Worry for his crumbled team pulled at him, back to back missions in the wake of his villages fallout exhausted him, and Obito's eye ever taunted him in the mirror.
And now... this.
Kakashi crouched on the edge of the hospital roof, eyes tailing her as she moved steadily towards the doors of the adjoining clinic.
She stopped.
Stepping to one side, she looked down, pale hands lingering hesitantly over her stomach.
He could see the emotions race across her face, clearly visible to the trained observer.
He saw the moment something clicked, the softness in her eyes hardening. She stepped forward, hand reaching out to pull the door open-
-and suddenly he was there, long fingers wrapping around her wrist before he'd even realized he'd moved.
She jumped, clutching her chest, but, surprisingly, didn't try to pull away.
He stared. She stared back expectantly. And he dropped her hand like a snake.
Then Kakashi felt the first stirrings of panic.
Because what do you say to a woman who's just told you she's carrying your child?
Rubbing the back of his neck bought him some time to recover from the abruptness of his own actions, helping him gather his thoughts and form the words.
"We need to talk."
AN: A bit from Kakashi. Review Please!
~Delgodess