Kaiyuga: * In an Indian voice, wearing a ridiculous purple satin turban*
Welcome! Welcome to Kaiyugi's Fortune Telling Stand! Come, come! Only ten
oros (currency I created in an original novel) and I shall tell your
fortune! You! * Points to Kit. * I can show you things like never before. *
Starts surrounding the crystal ball with her wide hands like a Chinese
dragon. *
Kit: Uh...Okay.
* Kit sits down in front of the crystal ball. Kaiyugi presents a hand forward in asking for payment. *
Kaiyugi: My crystal ball refuses to talk unless bribed. It's annoying, yes, which is why I am planning to get a new one some time soon. * Fiddles with giant turban. *
* Kit blinks, and hands over ten gold coins the size of headlights. *
Kaiyugi: Much appreciated, m'lady. *Hides the coins inside the loose purple silk robe, and sits down opposite of Kit, closing her eyes. * Name me a color.
Kit * perplexed* What?
Kaiyugi: Name me a color. That's what it asks.
Kit: Uh...pink, I guess.
* Kaiyuga starts majestically sliding hands over the crystal ball. Eyes are still closed. *
Kaiyugi: Name me a fruit.
Kit: * Blinks...sweatdrop* Umm, strawberry.
* Kaiyugi starts grinning as the swirlies in the crystal ball change color. *
Kaiyugi: Name me a weight.
Kit: ...
Kaiyugi: Come on. The crystal ball won't talk unless answered.
Kit: * Rolls eyes * 9,000 pounds!!
* Kaiyugi opens eyes, and stares determined in the crystal ball, making interesting comments. Kit looks, but see nothing. *
Kit: So...
Kaiyugi: * In a mystic voice * You will meet many small pink strangers when you leave my tent. Quite tasty strangers. *
Kit * Gets up from the chair and leaves instantly. * I'm outta here!
Kaiyugi: Okay, thank you for coming! * Pets demon Karma kitten. *
Kit: * Disgusted * Gosh, what a sick- * Stops short. *
* Above her is a HUGE pile of Strawberry Pocky. She gasps in sheer ecstasy. *
Kit: POCKY!!!!
Kaiyugi: * Smugly grinning * I thought so... * Continues to pet demon Karma cat. *
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Make sure Aki doesn't leave the house. For her safety. Gato will be on a search for her, and it's best that she isn't spotted anywhere by anyone until we can get out of the wave country." Kakashi walked off with Naruto and Sasuke into the woods.
Tsunami nodded in agreement, and waved good-bye to Sakura and her father as they walked back to the construction site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki sat in the corner of the dim room, a candle being her only source of light since the window flaps were down. She had her head bowed so low her chin touched her chest. She rested one wrist on her raised knee while the right arm and leg were lying down. Her eyes fluttered every few seconds from a change of thought.
(How was it ever possible that it came to this? How did this even happen?! Did I do or say something wrong?)
Her eyes fluttered slightly.
(I hate being wrong. I just wish I could've shown those snot- wiping whelps back home a thing or two.)
Her eyelids fluttered rapidly.
(Home...)
Her brain refused to continue; this was a serious matter that hadn't been consulted with for some time, so now.
What had she done to deserve this? Half of her would say this was a reward, but the other would say it was punishment for something or other that she did in her short lifetime. This was reaching the very edges of the fabric of sanity, but it all felt so real. She couldn't walk in the rain for fear of watching eyes, nor could she keep her silence of the future. She would have to seclude herself from the battle entirely until it was safe to come out, but when would that be? Everything would play out as it should, and she was home free. But what if...
No, no...That was impossible...
It couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't happen....could it? Would it?
No, that was insane...
It'd be possible...but ...it couldn't be. She was the only one...
Could...someone...no, no impossible. But she was here, so couldn't someone else..?
No, no. Stop being stupid.
"Why can't someone just carve my head out with a spoon?!" She spat bitterly to herself.
Indeed, she would've traded her brain for a cauliflower with all of the thinking she had done. It seemed the little men in her head had taken a day off, and played a strenuous game of tennis with her mind as the ball. How deep down had she reached in her mind? How far was she in the outer limits? It seemed endless.
(Okay, what can I deduce? First, it IS possible, seeing for myself, that someone can trade realms, BUT it is TOTALLY, COSMOSICALLY COINCIDENTAL!!! Second, certain things switch with the Traveler, as I name them, seeing that I'm the first. Third, life is still at risk no matter where you go, even if it's La- La Land (insanity can get the better of you after a while.). Fourth, I KNOW I'm not insane, but this is pretty crazy to begin with. Fifth, it's basically reality here, even if the Traveler is unfamiliar with it. Sixth, where I am, I'm messing with fragile and messy things, so Travelers have to be ABSOLUTLY careful with their actions (think time- space continuum.) And last, (I guess) goes with personal life. It's highly UNLIKLY that a Traveler will make a lasting relationship in a different realm, because they are probably going to leave in a short amount of time that is not of their choice. )
Aki's head hurt more than if she had tried to break layers of solid blocks of ice with it. But, at least she had untangled her mind of spaghetti. A bit. But it was better than being confused for the rest of her life. The thought just struck her: She WAS endangering her life in this world, and she didn't even realize it before. Was she already becoming more like them and less of her own?
"Aki?"
She looked up to see Tsunami's smiling, but concerned face through the opened panel door.
"Hmm?" Aki's eyes were half- open.
"Are you doing okay?"
"Just.....fine." She said with a wide yawn, "Just sleepy."
"Alright, then. I'll leave you be." She slid the door shut.
Aki looked into space, her hand running through her pointy bangs. She ruffled with her hair for a good twenty minutes, just watching it disfigure under the force of her fingers, then spring back into their original positions like cat ears. Karma...how much she missed her sweet little black face, how she missed her demonic look whenever she climbed up the screen door or knocked over a plant pot, but those innocent eyes would be her saving grace.
(I miss you, Karma.) Aki had never felt homesick before, but that feeling was starting to take roots in her heart.
She yawned again, rubbing her eyes.
(Why am I so TIRED?!)
{Maybe because you exhausted yourself out from last night?} Aki hated to hear that sarcastic voice in the back of her head.
(You keep quiet, down there!)
{What? I'm just "stating" the obvious truth, you know.}
(Well then, smart- ass. Why didn't you come up with a better plan last night?!) Ha! She got him!
{I was asleep.} Aki could picture the dragon sticking his snout in the air in snobbishness.
Aki sarcastically tongued his words, cocking her head in odd angles to emphasize her disgust in him.
( "I was asleep. Even though I was" WIDE AWAKE!!)
{Now you shut up.}
(No, YOU!)
{You.}
(Look! Whose body are you in?!)
Silence gave her an answer.
(See?! So pipe down, you, and remember your place!)
She could see the dragon furl his tongue out like a child.
(Hey!)
She felt him go away.
"Well, I can't just call you "it", "you", "him" or "he" forever. We need a name for you." Aki thought hard, which was....hard to do at that moment.
"Jherg, no...Raikanin, close, but no cigar....Oh, I've got it!"
She grinned.
"I'll call you Snuffles!"
{WHAT?!} The dragon was full front in her mind.
She chuckled hard to herself.
(No, stupid. Sikuliah, that's your name. It's fits your charming demeanor and personality.)
{Sikuliah...Interesting.}
(I thought so.)
She stretched out her arms and legs, and slumped against the wall. Staring at the opposite for a while, she reached into her backpack to pull out her video camera, and set it on the floor. Flicking the on switch, she looked into the camera lens.
"Hey," She spoke in a whisper with grin, "You'll never guess who this is..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How could he have just let this happen? Sure, she wasn't part of Team 7, but he felt as though he betrayed part of his purpose with the three Genin. He was to protect them if anything big should occur, like Zabuza, but that was an old problem. How could he just let two people take Aki and be possibly mortified within interrogation?! He was in no mood for his Come Come section of his mind to respond in a quirk. How could he?! He felt as though his status had just gone bupcus, and was at the bottom of the ninja ladder again. Something this sad happening to him was totally embarrassing. Thank goodness Gai wasn't there to comment.
He couldn't think straight after what happened; he was determined to apologize, but...he wasn't. He wanted to make up for it...but he didn't want to. Argh, this was annoying!! He had never felt this way before, and never with a kid! Well, a teenager, but within the same category.
He ran his fingers through his silvery mane, trying to come up with a way to apologize to Aki for not looking for her. And he still had her scarab necklace, so maybe that could play a part. He decided to return the necklace and improvise. It was a plan, a crappy plan, but a plan nonetheless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun was sinking into the horizon as Kakashi and the boys came back from the woods. At the same time, Mr. Tazuna and Sakura were also coming back from town. Aki did not emerge from her room while everyone else was having dinner. When the lights were turned out, and everyone said good night, Kakashi slipped quietly out, and crept towards Aki's door. He paced silently back and forth, practicing what he was going to say to her. It took a good half an hour to muster up enough dignity and courage to slide the door open noiselessly to find a surprise.
A giant, white feathered wing flashed in his face.
"Who's there?" The voice sounded groggy.
"It's me, Kakashi. Can I come in?"
"Yeah, just close the door behind you." The wing lowered.
Through the folds between feathers, Kakashi saw that the wings belonged to a strange white tiger wolf, its back arched like a wolf's but stripes covering its face and body.
"What?" The tiger wolf blinked innocently.
Kakashi just stared.
"Oh." The tiger wolf creature went poof in a whirl of white feathers and bright red chakra slivers to reveal Aki sitting up.
"Howdy. Just practicing balancing jutsus. You wanted to apologize to me, I know."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How did she..?! Oh, right...
He had forgotten.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Uh...well, yeah, I did, but uhh.....um, how do I say this, uh..." Kakashi was frantic for words.
Aki just stared at him, trying not to smirk, but the grin was coming on. Kakashi's head drooped in surrender, sighing.
"What I wanted to say was..." He looked up and into her eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He lost his tongue. The fire from the dying candle illuminated her hazel eyes with such a fire that he had never seen before.
(Whoa... No, snap out of it!) He mentally slapped himself in the face.
(Goddamit, Come Come Paradise!) He tried to regain his tongue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What eyes..." he breathed.
"Sorry?" Aki was mildly surprised
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Crap!!)
"Whaduwha, I mean, uh... Oh hell! I'm sorry I didn't go looking for you when you were missing!" Phew! Got that off his chest!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I know you are." Aki voice told him that he didn't need to repeat that.
"Huh?"
Aki tried hard not to blush, but being 16 and having your crush, first in the flesh, and now sitting in front of you like he's trying to ask you out CAN make you do that. Kakashi was scratching his head too much from sheepishness that his hair was practically sticking straight up from static. Aki covered her mouth to stop her from giggling.
"What?" Kakashi's hair looked more like Cho's from Kenshin, and without the hair gel.
"Nothing." She waved a hand, and was now looking at his face.
Her laugh broke the ice a little bit.
"What? Is there something on me?" He looked around himself.
"Well, umm..." Aki was afraid to ask.
"What?" His visible eye was amusedly curved in curiosity.
"Well, it's just that...I mean...Why do you wear that mask?" She finally got her life- long question out in the open.
"Oh, this?" He pointed at his face, relieved that she wasn't asking him a more personal question, but this WAS semi- personal.
"Uh, well...I can't really say for."
"Umm..." Aki nibbled her pointer finger in shyness.
"Hmm?"
"Can I...." She started blushing again.
"What? See my face?" Aki's cheeks turned bright red.
"If...that's alright."
Kakashi nodded slightly. Show her his face?! Not even Gai was allowed to see it! Aki slowly raised her hands, and reached for the folds in his mask.
Did she REALLY want to do this? She started to feel like she had just seen Richard Hayworth's true photographs for the first time with her friend, Vikki. She remembered how she jumped back in her chair from disgusted horror at what he looked like, and constantly made jokes about him. Was this going to be another Pandora's Box? Only one way to find out.
She closed her eyes, and slid down the fabric. When she opened them, all she could do was gape in shock.
"What?" Kakashi was starting to regret this move; it was an added idea for apologizing to Aki.
She could not speak; her vocal cords seemed to be off duty for the moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Holy cow; no wonder he wore the mask! He was drop- dead GORGEOUS!!
"What? What?!" Kakashi was coaxing her to talk.
"I...I.. ieyaiya..." No matter if she had turned all the way around, her eyes would still be glued to Kakashi's unmasked appearance.
MUCH much better than she had expected.
"Well, since I've apologized to you," He slipped his mask back on, snapping Aki out of her trance, "Do you forgive me?"
"Yes, I do. But next time, "She was in normal mode again, "Can you at least look for me?"
"I'll make sure you won't be taken from my gaze, since you are my responsibility. Oh, by the way..." He went into one of his vest pockets, "This belongs to you."
Dangling from his hand was Aki's scarab pendant. She slipped the cord from his fingers, and placed the necklace back on her shoulders.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Both of their chakras were burning hotter than lava, their connections thick.
Kit: Uh...Okay.
* Kit sits down in front of the crystal ball. Kaiyugi presents a hand forward in asking for payment. *
Kaiyugi: My crystal ball refuses to talk unless bribed. It's annoying, yes, which is why I am planning to get a new one some time soon. * Fiddles with giant turban. *
* Kit blinks, and hands over ten gold coins the size of headlights. *
Kaiyugi: Much appreciated, m'lady. *Hides the coins inside the loose purple silk robe, and sits down opposite of Kit, closing her eyes. * Name me a color.
Kit * perplexed* What?
Kaiyugi: Name me a color. That's what it asks.
Kit: Uh...pink, I guess.
* Kaiyuga starts majestically sliding hands over the crystal ball. Eyes are still closed. *
Kaiyugi: Name me a fruit.
Kit: * Blinks...sweatdrop* Umm, strawberry.
* Kaiyugi starts grinning as the swirlies in the crystal ball change color. *
Kaiyugi: Name me a weight.
Kit: ...
Kaiyugi: Come on. The crystal ball won't talk unless answered.
Kit: * Rolls eyes * 9,000 pounds!!
* Kaiyugi opens eyes, and stares determined in the crystal ball, making interesting comments. Kit looks, but see nothing. *
Kit: So...
Kaiyugi: * In a mystic voice * You will meet many small pink strangers when you leave my tent. Quite tasty strangers. *
Kit * Gets up from the chair and leaves instantly. * I'm outta here!
Kaiyugi: Okay, thank you for coming! * Pets demon Karma kitten. *
Kit: * Disgusted * Gosh, what a sick- * Stops short. *
* Above her is a HUGE pile of Strawberry Pocky. She gasps in sheer ecstasy. *
Kit: POCKY!!!!
Kaiyugi: * Smugly grinning * I thought so... * Continues to pet demon Karma cat. *
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Make sure Aki doesn't leave the house. For her safety. Gato will be on a search for her, and it's best that she isn't spotted anywhere by anyone until we can get out of the wave country." Kakashi walked off with Naruto and Sasuke into the woods.
Tsunami nodded in agreement, and waved good-bye to Sakura and her father as they walked back to the construction site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki sat in the corner of the dim room, a candle being her only source of light since the window flaps were down. She had her head bowed so low her chin touched her chest. She rested one wrist on her raised knee while the right arm and leg were lying down. Her eyes fluttered every few seconds from a change of thought.
(How was it ever possible that it came to this? How did this even happen?! Did I do or say something wrong?)
Her eyes fluttered slightly.
(I hate being wrong. I just wish I could've shown those snot- wiping whelps back home a thing or two.)
Her eyelids fluttered rapidly.
(Home...)
Her brain refused to continue; this was a serious matter that hadn't been consulted with for some time, so now.
What had she done to deserve this? Half of her would say this was a reward, but the other would say it was punishment for something or other that she did in her short lifetime. This was reaching the very edges of the fabric of sanity, but it all felt so real. She couldn't walk in the rain for fear of watching eyes, nor could she keep her silence of the future. She would have to seclude herself from the battle entirely until it was safe to come out, but when would that be? Everything would play out as it should, and she was home free. But what if...
No, no...That was impossible...
It couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't happen....could it? Would it?
No, that was insane...
It'd be possible...but ...it couldn't be. She was the only one...
Could...someone...no, no impossible. But she was here, so couldn't someone else..?
No, no. Stop being stupid.
"Why can't someone just carve my head out with a spoon?!" She spat bitterly to herself.
Indeed, she would've traded her brain for a cauliflower with all of the thinking she had done. It seemed the little men in her head had taken a day off, and played a strenuous game of tennis with her mind as the ball. How deep down had she reached in her mind? How far was she in the outer limits? It seemed endless.
(Okay, what can I deduce? First, it IS possible, seeing for myself, that someone can trade realms, BUT it is TOTALLY, COSMOSICALLY COINCIDENTAL!!! Second, certain things switch with the Traveler, as I name them, seeing that I'm the first. Third, life is still at risk no matter where you go, even if it's La- La Land (insanity can get the better of you after a while.). Fourth, I KNOW I'm not insane, but this is pretty crazy to begin with. Fifth, it's basically reality here, even if the Traveler is unfamiliar with it. Sixth, where I am, I'm messing with fragile and messy things, so Travelers have to be ABSOLUTLY careful with their actions (think time- space continuum.) And last, (I guess) goes with personal life. It's highly UNLIKLY that a Traveler will make a lasting relationship in a different realm, because they are probably going to leave in a short amount of time that is not of their choice. )
Aki's head hurt more than if she had tried to break layers of solid blocks of ice with it. But, at least she had untangled her mind of spaghetti. A bit. But it was better than being confused for the rest of her life. The thought just struck her: She WAS endangering her life in this world, and she didn't even realize it before. Was she already becoming more like them and less of her own?
"Aki?"
She looked up to see Tsunami's smiling, but concerned face through the opened panel door.
"Hmm?" Aki's eyes were half- open.
"Are you doing okay?"
"Just.....fine." She said with a wide yawn, "Just sleepy."
"Alright, then. I'll leave you be." She slid the door shut.
Aki looked into space, her hand running through her pointy bangs. She ruffled with her hair for a good twenty minutes, just watching it disfigure under the force of her fingers, then spring back into their original positions like cat ears. Karma...how much she missed her sweet little black face, how she missed her demonic look whenever she climbed up the screen door or knocked over a plant pot, but those innocent eyes would be her saving grace.
(I miss you, Karma.) Aki had never felt homesick before, but that feeling was starting to take roots in her heart.
She yawned again, rubbing her eyes.
(Why am I so TIRED?!)
{Maybe because you exhausted yourself out from last night?} Aki hated to hear that sarcastic voice in the back of her head.
(You keep quiet, down there!)
{What? I'm just "stating" the obvious truth, you know.}
(Well then, smart- ass. Why didn't you come up with a better plan last night?!) Ha! She got him!
{I was asleep.} Aki could picture the dragon sticking his snout in the air in snobbishness.
Aki sarcastically tongued his words, cocking her head in odd angles to emphasize her disgust in him.
( "I was asleep. Even though I was" WIDE AWAKE!!)
{Now you shut up.}
(No, YOU!)
{You.}
(Look! Whose body are you in?!)
Silence gave her an answer.
(See?! So pipe down, you, and remember your place!)
She could see the dragon furl his tongue out like a child.
(Hey!)
She felt him go away.
"Well, I can't just call you "it", "you", "him" or "he" forever. We need a name for you." Aki thought hard, which was....hard to do at that moment.
"Jherg, no...Raikanin, close, but no cigar....Oh, I've got it!"
She grinned.
"I'll call you Snuffles!"
{WHAT?!} The dragon was full front in her mind.
She chuckled hard to herself.
(No, stupid. Sikuliah, that's your name. It's fits your charming demeanor and personality.)
{Sikuliah...Interesting.}
(I thought so.)
She stretched out her arms and legs, and slumped against the wall. Staring at the opposite for a while, she reached into her backpack to pull out her video camera, and set it on the floor. Flicking the on switch, she looked into the camera lens.
"Hey," She spoke in a whisper with grin, "You'll never guess who this is..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How could he have just let this happen? Sure, she wasn't part of Team 7, but he felt as though he betrayed part of his purpose with the three Genin. He was to protect them if anything big should occur, like Zabuza, but that was an old problem. How could he just let two people take Aki and be possibly mortified within interrogation?! He was in no mood for his Come Come section of his mind to respond in a quirk. How could he?! He felt as though his status had just gone bupcus, and was at the bottom of the ninja ladder again. Something this sad happening to him was totally embarrassing. Thank goodness Gai wasn't there to comment.
He couldn't think straight after what happened; he was determined to apologize, but...he wasn't. He wanted to make up for it...but he didn't want to. Argh, this was annoying!! He had never felt this way before, and never with a kid! Well, a teenager, but within the same category.
He ran his fingers through his silvery mane, trying to come up with a way to apologize to Aki for not looking for her. And he still had her scarab necklace, so maybe that could play a part. He decided to return the necklace and improvise. It was a plan, a crappy plan, but a plan nonetheless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun was sinking into the horizon as Kakashi and the boys came back from the woods. At the same time, Mr. Tazuna and Sakura were also coming back from town. Aki did not emerge from her room while everyone else was having dinner. When the lights were turned out, and everyone said good night, Kakashi slipped quietly out, and crept towards Aki's door. He paced silently back and forth, practicing what he was going to say to her. It took a good half an hour to muster up enough dignity and courage to slide the door open noiselessly to find a surprise.
A giant, white feathered wing flashed in his face.
"Who's there?" The voice sounded groggy.
"It's me, Kakashi. Can I come in?"
"Yeah, just close the door behind you." The wing lowered.
Through the folds between feathers, Kakashi saw that the wings belonged to a strange white tiger wolf, its back arched like a wolf's but stripes covering its face and body.
"What?" The tiger wolf blinked innocently.
Kakashi just stared.
"Oh." The tiger wolf creature went poof in a whirl of white feathers and bright red chakra slivers to reveal Aki sitting up.
"Howdy. Just practicing balancing jutsus. You wanted to apologize to me, I know."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How did she..?! Oh, right...
He had forgotten.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Uh...well, yeah, I did, but uhh.....um, how do I say this, uh..." Kakashi was frantic for words.
Aki just stared at him, trying not to smirk, but the grin was coming on. Kakashi's head drooped in surrender, sighing.
"What I wanted to say was..." He looked up and into her eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He lost his tongue. The fire from the dying candle illuminated her hazel eyes with such a fire that he had never seen before.
(Whoa... No, snap out of it!) He mentally slapped himself in the face.
(Goddamit, Come Come Paradise!) He tried to regain his tongue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What eyes..." he breathed.
"Sorry?" Aki was mildly surprised
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Crap!!)
"Whaduwha, I mean, uh... Oh hell! I'm sorry I didn't go looking for you when you were missing!" Phew! Got that off his chest!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I know you are." Aki voice told him that he didn't need to repeat that.
"Huh?"
Aki tried hard not to blush, but being 16 and having your crush, first in the flesh, and now sitting in front of you like he's trying to ask you out CAN make you do that. Kakashi was scratching his head too much from sheepishness that his hair was practically sticking straight up from static. Aki covered her mouth to stop her from giggling.
"What?" Kakashi's hair looked more like Cho's from Kenshin, and without the hair gel.
"Nothing." She waved a hand, and was now looking at his face.
Her laugh broke the ice a little bit.
"What? Is there something on me?" He looked around himself.
"Well, umm..." Aki was afraid to ask.
"What?" His visible eye was amusedly curved in curiosity.
"Well, it's just that...I mean...Why do you wear that mask?" She finally got her life- long question out in the open.
"Oh, this?" He pointed at his face, relieved that she wasn't asking him a more personal question, but this WAS semi- personal.
"Uh, well...I can't really say for."
"Umm..." Aki nibbled her pointer finger in shyness.
"Hmm?"
"Can I...." She started blushing again.
"What? See my face?" Aki's cheeks turned bright red.
"If...that's alright."
Kakashi nodded slightly. Show her his face?! Not even Gai was allowed to see it! Aki slowly raised her hands, and reached for the folds in his mask.
Did she REALLY want to do this? She started to feel like she had just seen Richard Hayworth's true photographs for the first time with her friend, Vikki. She remembered how she jumped back in her chair from disgusted horror at what he looked like, and constantly made jokes about him. Was this going to be another Pandora's Box? Only one way to find out.
She closed her eyes, and slid down the fabric. When she opened them, all she could do was gape in shock.
"What?" Kakashi was starting to regret this move; it was an added idea for apologizing to Aki.
She could not speak; her vocal cords seemed to be off duty for the moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Holy cow; no wonder he wore the mask! He was drop- dead GORGEOUS!!
"What? What?!" Kakashi was coaxing her to talk.
"I...I.. ieyaiya..." No matter if she had turned all the way around, her eyes would still be glued to Kakashi's unmasked appearance.
MUCH much better than she had expected.
"Well, since I've apologized to you," He slipped his mask back on, snapping Aki out of her trance, "Do you forgive me?"
"Yes, I do. But next time, "She was in normal mode again, "Can you at least look for me?"
"I'll make sure you won't be taken from my gaze, since you are my responsibility. Oh, by the way..." He went into one of his vest pockets, "This belongs to you."
Dangling from his hand was Aki's scarab pendant. She slipped the cord from his fingers, and placed the necklace back on her shoulders.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Both of their chakras were burning hotter than lava, their connections thick.