"I want to go home."

Shizune sighed, his sullen comment going past her as she finished adjusting his IV drip. She was in the middle of checking up on Kakashi—Tsunade's orders.

It wasn't that she didn't want to, but the way that the hokage had suddenly ushered her out of her office, flustered and buried under the loads of textbooks on her desk, was all a bit peculiar.

"When can I leave?" He continued politely, watching the quiet woman's back directly now, his brows furrowed in slight frustration.

She blinked a few times, breaking out of her stupor as she turned towards him. "Maybe in a few days, at the least."

The Hatake's visible eye widened gleefully. "Really? I didn't expect it to be that soon...but hey, not complaining."

"Well, it will be, after I heal you," Shizune started, a smile dusting her rosy lips.

She was smiling, sure, but it was solely from him being there—the weight of his diagnosis was something that had pained her deeply, and still did.

"Why didn't you just heal me before…" He deadpanned, admittedly confused.

Kakashi watched as she laughed heartily in response, her head tilting back in a way that showed her reaction was genuine as could be.

"Transplants are a bit...different. Pretty much, we have to wait a while to see how the new liver is actually working inside of you, before setting it into place with healing chakra," she spoke clearly in layman's terms, "But anyway, wanna get started now?"

He nodded with a hidden eagerness, more hopeful than he'd been in a while. "Yeah, sure."

"Alright then. Do you mind lifting up your shirt? This won't hurt a bit-all you'll feel is a sensation of warmth spreading over your torso."

He slowly pulled the blankets off, pausing for a second before hesitantly pushing back his T-shirt. His mood instantly went sour, as he became reminded of the fact that his physique had slimmed down dramatically.

Shizune worked without judgement, her hands hovering in close proximity to his pale abdomen, a green light radiating out of them.

She noticed that his ribs were protruding against his pale flesh, and that his stomach was slightly caved in. However, she thought that with someone as handsome as Kakashi, that hardly even mattered.

His shoulders were broad and his chest still looked strong. He was exceptionally tall, with amazing hair, and a smoldering visage. To her, he was perfect.

But with a quick glance to her right, it became clear to her that he didn't think what she thought. Shizune noticed the way his droopy gaze had moved to the window, filled with some kind of unspeakable sadness.

It wasn't hard to guess why he was upset.

Honestly, after his new diagnosis, she was surprised that he was even communicating with her at all—she remembered clearly how he'd become unresponsive and cold when he'd been dealing with a brain tumor alone.

Sighing for the millionth time that day, she retracted her hands to let him know she was done, watching as he immediately reached for his shirt and tugged it down his thinning waist.

"Feeling any better?" she questioned gently, having sensed the sudden depressing change in the atmosphere.

"I am, thanks to you," he replied honestly, his agony only a dull throbbing at that point. Kakashi wasn't in a good mood, and if anyone else had been there, he probably would've flat out ignored them, but for some reason, he felt as if he needed to preserve the kunoichi's feelings.

There was a confusing desire within him to make small talk with her, something he was not only horrible at, but had never really done in the first place. His full attention on her fair visage, Kakashi could only stare as she broke out into another grin, intrigued by how her smile always seemed so unforced.

"I'm glad you are, and I seriously hope it stays that way," she began truthfully, subconsciously knowing that her hope was useless against a disease like his, "Anyways, I guess we're all done here. I'll be back tomorrow."

She turned around, starting towards the door.

His lips moved of their own accord. "Shizune?"

The kunoichi paused to face him, unable to read the expression on his face. He was sitting up in bed, his lone eye wide, looking fearlessly into her own. But suddenly, he broke the contact, becoming...scared?

"I was wondering...are you particularly busy right now...or do you have something to-"

"No," she interrupted, edging closer. "I'm actually not. Lady Tsunade kicked me out of her office."

Kakashi nodded several times, as if she'd said something with weight, and he was in deep thought over it. She almost giggled, but she could tell how hard this was for him.

Finally, with a quiet inhale, and an even quieter exhale, he managed to focus his attention on her kind, dark grey eyes once more.

"I was wondering if you wanted...to sit with me for a while?" the Hatake asked her with raised brows, hardly knowing where this was coming from himself, "It can get kind of boring around here sometimes."

A blush dusted her cheeks, a weird feeling spreading throughout her chest. For some reason, she felt strangely exhilarated at the thought of Kakashi wanting to talk to her.

"I-I…"

He glanced at her with a flicker of hope, his eyes suddenly falling to his lap as he braced himself for a cringeworthy rejection, which he could've easily avoided if he'd just kept his mouth shut like always.

This time, though, he hadn't really felt like shutting up.

She finally grinned, hoping her smile wasn't too wide. "Of course I want to."

His gaze slowly trailed upwards. "That's good, because I wouldn't have taken no for an answer."

Chuckling lightly, she slid into the seat by his bedside, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

The two watched each other for what seemed like an eternity, partaking in a staring contest that didn't feel uncomfortable in the slightest.

She found that there was a certain genuinity in his look that she'd never seen him display before. No guy had ever just stared at her like he was doing. The young woman had been ogled, as any kunoichi unavoidably would be—however, this was different.

This was fond, strangely communicative, and in some way, very gentle.

"So, Kakashi," she spoke, "What do you want to talk about?"

He blinked. How could he say that he was more comfortable just staring at her? That would probably be weird.

"Hmm…" he began contemplatively, rubbing the back of his neck, "How was your day?"

Was this small talk?

"Seeing as to how Tsunade kicked me out of her office and sent me here, I'd say it's been going pretty well."

Shizune rolled her lips into her mouth and abruptly exploded into hysterical laughter.

Kakashi's eyes widened in both confusion and amusement. "What exactly is so funny?"

"I've never heard you ask someone how their day was before," she confessed, wiping a tear from her eye.

He smiled slightly. "I guess I didn't really care to ask anyone else."

She blushed, naturally. Their eyes met for that seemed like the hundredth time that day, and once again, they were stuck in that mesmerizingly comfortable staring contest.

But suddenly, she turned away, the happiness fleeing from her face.

"Are you okay?" He questioned softly, noticing the dramatic shift in her mood, and how her visage had paled just the slightest.

She looked up dolefully. "Yeah I just...had a question for you, if you don't mind."

"Sure, what is it?"

Shizune shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Is it true that...you're not going to take anymore treatment?"

He cleared his throat painfully, as he once again realized what he could never have.

"Yes. Maybe a few months ago there had been hope, but now...It doesn't take a doctor to figure out that's a bad prognosis."

"I know..." Shizune admitted finally, her heart heavy with pending grief, "I know, but…"

"I don't want to lose you."

Without really realizing, she reached for his hand, resting hers atop his in an unfinished gesture. Her gaze was watery with unshed tears, and he noticed.

He laced his fingers through hers without any timidity. It felt surprisingly right.

"Hey," Kakahi started tenderly, never breaking eye contact, "I'm still here right now, aren't I?"

He brushed the wetness on her cheeks away with a calloused thumb, his touch lingering on her soft flesh for a second longer than it should've. She finally looked up, her mouth opening the slightest, as if she had something to say.

Shizune knew that if he was going to die in a few months, she needed to finally tell him how she felt about him. The kunoichi had definitely always had a soft spot for the man, noticing even in her childhood how handsome he was. However, that infatuated crush that had begun in the past year had turned into something deeper-a personal, genuine, emotional connection.

She couldn't waste any more time, because she barely had any in the first place.

"Kakashi, I…" she began in a mere whisper, "I really, really like you."

He held her hand tighter without realizing, hoping he wasn't dreaming.

She sighed, utterly mortified. "And by like, I mean...like."

Kakashi felt his heart swell in his chest, his breath catching in his throat. He couldn't help but let his internal joy skyrocket, because this might've been the best day of his life.

"What a coincidence. I like you, too."

Shizune's face went red. "What?! Kakashi...please don't joke around."

It was incredibly hard to believe that someone had feelings for her; to her knowledge, it hadn't even happened yet. The truth was, she didn't know how much of a catch she was.

The Hatake brought his face tantalizingly close to hers. "Does it look like I'm messing around, Shizune?"

Looking deep into his eyes, she knew in an instant that he wasn't lying.

She grinned from ear to ear, smiling in a way that showed her teeth. Without a second thought, she flew off of the seat and threw her arms around his neck. Kakashi's hands quickly found their way down her waist, and before he knew it, he was holding her in a tight embrace.

A blush dusted his cheeks as he felt her pert breasts rub against his chest, but that hardly mattered-all he truly cared about was the fact that they could finally be together. He closed his eyes and held her tighter, breathing in her distinct scent of jasmine and coconuts. It was a weird combination, but damn, did it smell good.

"What are we to do now?" she mumbled into his shoulder, feeling a sense of safety she'd never experienced before.

With strength he didn't know he had, he scooped her lithe form up and set her down on the space right next to him on the mattress. She yelped in surprise, eventually breaking out into a fit of giggles and resting her head in the crook of his neck with a contented sigh.

He wrapped a lanky arm around her torso.

"Let's keep liking each other."