Arrangement in Black and Gold: Ribbons

"Do you believe in Heaven, Kurenai?"

"Don't talk about that right now."

"I do," Kakashi continued anyway. "But not in the afterlife kind of way. I believe Heaven to be a state of mind. It's basically just supposed to be a place of warm and happy thoughts right? The place you want to be most in your entire existence. That's always sounded more like a choice to me rather than a destination."

"Kakashi."

"For a lot of my life, I'm pretty sure I've been wandering in a kind of Hell. It's been good to me too though. At most, I'm pretty sure I reached something right in-between, and after living through Hell, it sure feels like a kind of Heaven. But, somehow it doesn't seem to compare..."

"Kakashi... don't..."

"I'd always thought it'd be nice to be held in your arms. But 'nice' doesn't quite describe it anymore. Being here now, the word I'd have to use is..."

"Don't speak anymore."

"Heaven."

Kurenai bit back a sob, fighting the tears from her eyes as she forced them to concentrate on how she applied the one healing jutsu she knew to the gaping wound on Kakashi's chest. The one healing jutsu that wasn't enough; that wasn't saving him—that wouldn't. And they both knew it.

"I guess I was wrong though. Looks like you really do have to die in order to find Heaven."

She couldn't take it any more. Abandoning the fruitless expulsion of her chakra, she tore down his mask and pressed her lips to his with a desperation of lost time and struggling hope. Their first, last, and only kiss tasted of warmth, salt, and blood.

"Wow," Kakashi breathed. "Now everything here on out will definitely be disappointing."

And then he breathed no more. Kurenai finally allowed herself to weep.

In the end she had no words to give him--only a final memory of Heaven.

-owari

Authoress Notes

Yeeeeeeah, angst. This is why I mentioned that these drabbles really do stand on their own. Kakashi won't be dead in future ones. But for what my attempt on the character-death thing was worth, I hope you found this one a good read.

As a note, I also do fanart. Some of which are KakaKure fanarts which you can find on my Deviant Art page. You can get a link on my profile page; it's my homepage weblink. Currently, I've been doing something of a doujinshi. Hope you can find it and I hope you enjoy!