Title: No Answer
Theme: #24, Good Night
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
AN: Yes, it's horrible; blame finals and horrible, crazy English teachers……consider yourself warned...
-!-!-
"Jiraiya?"
"What," his answer is tired and exasperated.
"I was…just wondering if you were…still awake."
"…Go to sleep Tsunade," he mutters before he hunches his shoulders as if to bar me from speaking. I know that we're both tired and that we both need our sleep. I also know that both sensei and Orochimaru are fast asleep and that if I don't take this chance I'll regret it tomorrow morning.
"…But…I—"
"Good night, Tsunade."
"…Good night, Jiraiya," I whisper. I wait a few moments; he isn't going to say any more. Reluctantly, I admit defeat and roll over so that I'm not forced to stare at his back as sleep evades me; the shadows of the forest around us are much more forgiving.
I close my eyes and will for sleep to come. It seems like months—years even—but in reality it's probably no more than five minutes before I give up and let my eyes slide open. The darkness beyond seems more malevolent than before and I lift the edge of my bedroll over my nose as I nibble on my bottom lip nervously—an old childhood habit from when the boogey-man still lurked under my bed.
A sudden breeze kicks up and the bushes move as if to reach out and snatch me away. I whimper involuntarily and without thinking I try to move away from the brush. Suddenly I freeze as my back comes into contact with Jiraiya's and chide myself for acting so childishly. He grunts and shifts slightly in his sleep.
"Jiraiya?"
He mutters something I can't discern.
"…Jiraiya?" I whisper, hopeful.
There is no answer.