Kakashi

He'd looked everywhere. He just couldn't find her. He was shooting over rooftops when he saw Hayate and Uzuki strolling the street hand-in-hand. He leapt down quickly panting, exhausted from the mission.

"Have you seen a woman with lilac hair and silver eyes anywhere?" he spoke urgently.

"Ah, Kakashi. Good to see you, man." Hayate's eyes scanned his uniform. "You just get back?"

"Sort of, have you seen her?"

"Akari?" Hayate asked casually. Kakashi flinched confused behind his mask.

"Yeah we've seen her, we were at the bar with her about an hour ago," Uzuki replied. "I don't know if she's still there though."

"Thanks" Kakashi spoke as he began sprinting towards the bar.

He didn't have long and her intended to spend every chance he got with her, even if it meant missing sleep.

Kakashi's back rested on a tree near the small campfire. It was a dark night and Tenzo had taken the first shift between them. He was grateful considering he hadn't had nearly enough sleep after being with Ame with most of the time they had to rest.

Kakashi let his head fall backwards looking at the clouded sky between the tree canopy. The firelight seemed to dance on the leaves above against the obsidian night sky. He inhaled trying to stave off the sleep that threatened him and tried to keep his senses sharp. But, he found only Akari kept creeping back into his thoughts. He felt an odd strain in his chest that only seemed to grow in the days he was away from the village. Seeing her sat in the bar amongst his friends was even stranger. He vaguely wondered how that happened but he didn't even have time to ask. Everything in him drove him to pick her up and be with her every second he could. The sight of her made his heart falter. He couldn't even look at her whilst he tried to act like he wasn't about to combust in front of everyone. If he had the chakra left he would've poofed away in a cloud of smoke, it was torture having her over his shoulder whilst he made his way back to hers. It wasn't even 200m away.

He found himself shaking his head at his own behaviour. The odd feeling in his chest returned as soon as he left her apartment. Walking away had been difficult. Seeing her tucked into him under the covers would never wear. He couldn't think of a better way to wake up. Well, except maybe one.

He dragged his pack from where he sat with his foot and eventually bringing it into his hands. A smile stretched his face under his mask as he retrieved the mystery education wrapped in brown paper.

Kakashi's eye prised open as if the entirety of gravity existed just to close it again. He daren't blink in case he fell asleep again. The comfortable warmth that enveloped him was too inviting. The soft breaths of Aki sent warmth through his chest. He could barely make her face out in the darkness but the sight of her always ached him. He wanted nothing more than to fall back to sleep with his arms around her but he had a rendezvous with Tenzo.

As carefully as he could he prised himself off of her. He was surprised considering she was a sensory nin through-and-through that she didn't so much as stir. He found himself smiling at that. He pulled on his filthy anbu gear regretting not grabbing more from his apartment and made his way to the front door. He stopped briefly and looked back at her. He had pulled the blanket back up to her chin and resisted the urge to kiss her one last time.

He strode towards the door and glanced at the clock in the kitchen. He was a little late but what's new. A small brown paper wrapped parcel lay on the counter that he strode past. He only briefly saw it and almost walked away until it dawned on him that he swore he saw his name.

The copy nin's face pulled into a frown behind his anbu mask. He halted just past the counter. He tried. He really did. But, he couldn't. He walked back the few steps it took and read the front of it.

'Kakashi,

An education to wooing women lays beneath. Take notes.'

He couldn't fight the smile that stretched across his face but managed to stave off the laugh. It was something she had bought him. A gift? A strange feeling swept through him. He felt his heart beat a little stronger as the strange warmth spread. He found his smile had fallen and he wanted to hold her closer. His body didn't seem to want to move after that. It was difficult but he needed to leave her. A sobering thought passed over him that he tried to repress. It seemed to only grow in him as he made his way out and towards the gates to meet Tenzo. He could feel himself slip out of control. The fear of having someone close to him swarmed around him. He knew it was too late, that was the thing that made him most scared. He knew something would break if-

He couldn't even think about it. A certain type of cold spread through his veins and his gut churned. He was about to ask himself how it had happened. Why didn't he try harder to stop it? But he knew he didn't have a choice. He was pretty sure something changed in him the first time he saw her. He couldn't describe it and he felt stupid even thinking of it. Everything just seemed to shift, like gravity just pulled him towards her. He might kiss Hiruzen for partnering them.

He hated himself for it but it offered him some peace of mind knowing she is off duty at the moment and when she's on duty he'd be there with her. The fact that she was a formidable kunoichi helped to quell his fear a little too.

He shook his head trying to rid himself of unhelpful thoughts as the gates came into view. He jumped down to meet his old partner with his gift secured in his pack.

The fire crackled snapping him out of his daydream. He looked back down to the gift he held and reread her words again. Smiling, he flipped it over and carefully pulled open the paper. She had folded it in a way that didn't even require tape which he found oddly satisfying.

Orange appeared below the paper as he pulled it off. His smile fell as he concentrated on it. 'Icha Icha: Paradise' he read it three times over. His eyes scanned the picture of a woman running from a man on the cover. He flipped it and read the blurb.

'The main character and heroine, both new to love, begin dating, and their eyes gradually open to grown-up love.'

He felt his eye grow wide and warmth rose to his cheeks. She'd given him a book on… love? He gulped hard and a strange lightness pulsed through his limbs. He mentally shook himself. He was reading too much into it.

He'd never read a romance novel. He usually read books on Shinobi, fiction and non-fiction. Maybe Ame was right, maybe he did need to educate himself on how to court somebody. He swallowed harder at that thought.

He glanced up to Tenzo suddenly feeling very exposed to such literature. He was still sound asleep and he was suddenly glad he had enough light to start. He doubted if he should read at all right now, in case it would impact his ability to keep aware. He justified it to himself that it is good training, and it'll keep him awake…

He opened the book and his eyes found the first sentence.

Kakashi was in Sand for their last day monitoring and gathering intel. Tenzo was crouched over the next rooftop as they followed their target.

They had to go back to the village to fill in the Hokage on the matters in Sand and gain direct permission to break the protocol for their particular mission and interact with a civilian. He was glad for it, though. The few hours he saw Ame made him realise that he wasn't just caught up in everything. He'd missed her, the week felt long as did the mission. It wasn't that he couldn't be parted with her, he just felt like he'd left before they acknowledged whatever was happening between them. The irrational fear had built since he'd seen her last. He wondered what he was to her. He wondered whether he should've spent the time talking to her, letting her know how he really felt. Was this just lust for her? He knew what he felt. He liked her and wanted to explore whatever they had. For the first time in his short life. He'd not cared for a woman like this before.

Kakashi's thoughts raced as they paced over the rooftops under the cover of night in Sand. They had spent a week chasing leads in the Land of Wind and it led to the Village Hidden in Sand. The Kazekage was throwing a large and very formal event to strengthen ties with higher lords from a few different lands. Fire wasn't invited. Oddly it was smaller lands, some didn't even have ninja. The whole thing made Kakashi suspicious.

He leapt down into the shady ally way where their target halted. Tenzo remained higher up for surveillance as Kakashi approached the target. He wore a dark brown cloak to shield his anbu uniform. Only his mask and the cloak were visible.

The target turned to meet him, shedding the hood of their own similar brown cloak. A woman dressed in Wind style civil clothes revealed herself. She had short brown hair and narrow teal eyes. He stopped a few meters behind her.

"What blows in the wind?" she asked. Classic code for civvy underground networks.

"When the wind is unpredictable, leaves will blow through." He answered tightly. He breathed in deeply taking in her scent and memorising it just in case he needed to track her. His nose protested at the strong smell of sand grating.

"Quite a party I hear," she approached slowly indicating less threat. He couldn't help his hand hovering over his kunai pouch, his hand twitching. All of his senses felt heightened, searching for anything off. "The real party will be happening further." Her foot tapped the ground subtly, indicating a meeting would be taking place underground. He suspected as much with such a grand event. It would be logical to assume it was a distraction to cover the important figureheads to be meeting in secret. Kakashi remained still in the usual anbu way.

He watched as she slowly slipped her hand behind her and Kakashi was ready if she decided to pull anything. Tenzo would be too. His wood-style always came in handy for it.

He settled a little as she pulled a large brown envelop from her back pouch.

"Two times two ways." She brought him two tickets in and out?

"We require only one." His voice was low and authoritative rumbling beneath his chest.

"It'll look awful odd for such a fine lord to be unoccupied in all his finery." A.k.a you'll stick out if you don't bring your wife to an event. His gut twisted internally thinking of Ame. He forced his mind to be on high alert, focus on what's happening right now in front of him. A small part of the back of his mind acknowledged how his heart ached a little bit more. He just wanted time to spend with her. Work out whatever they are. It all felt too new to have so many things interrupt it.

The civilian in front of him nodded and interrupted his small thought tangent offering the letters. He took it with a little hesitation and checked the contents. Everything looked as legitimate as it could to him. This contact was part of the underground network in Sand. It was huge compared to Konoha and went mostly unchecked. Word was that the Kazekage pocketed from it massively, that's why it basically ran free. They'd bought the invites and information directly.

"What do leaves do in the wind?" He wanted to roll his eyes at her. A polite code for him to piss of. He nodded and chucked a bag with payment before leaping up to the rooftops.

They blow away.

The journey felt longer than it did. After the meeting, they fled Sand as quickly as they could in case they were tipped off or sold out. Also common with black market dealings. They'd camped for a longer time than usual, through the early hours of Sunday morning 'til midday. The two missions together had been rough, they'd encountered mercenary nin's the first mission who they tried to avoid. They didn't need the attention but it seemed Kakashi was out of luck again, they had a decent sensory nin which revealed them. It wasn't a particularly difficult fight but it was near the beginning and their chakra stores hadn't recovered for a while with sleeping rough for the next week or so.

They ran through Sunday slowly. They camped for a little longer again due to sheer tiredness. He wanted to get back quickly but their bodies had been pushed too far to push anymore. He could tell Tenzo seemed to want to get home too which he was grateful for.

Once Monday came they ran through the day stopping twice to eat. He was surprised when Tenzo suggested they ran through the night and get it over with, making it back to Konoha by the early hours of Tuesday morning if they paced themselves. He was all for it and soon the gates of Konoha came into view. His heart raced in his chest knowing he was so close to seeing her.

The pair headed straight to the Hokages tower and debriefed him. He was pleased as he could be having stages 1 and 2 of the mission be a success.

"You'll be sent four days before. It will give you enough time for you, Tenzo and the female accompaniment to get there with time to spare. I'm sure I don't need to tell you to enter the country through a hired caravan. Everything needs to be authentic." The Hokage looked above his interlocked hands behind his desk.

"Who will be on the team?" he debated whether the Hokage was heeding Ame's request from way back, and forming a team with Tenzo and a new teammate.

"You, Tenzo and Amaya will make the team. You're on point, Amaya will be a visitor accompanying you. She'll be surveillance close up and Tenzo will make long-range surveillance. She should be back in Konoha by then." The Hokages words rang within him.

"She's not in the village?" Kakashi resisted jerking at the information. He thought she needed time to recover.

"She was needed for an urgent mission. If she isn't back by then Uzuki is free. As you've all been teamed before it would make sense." Is all the Hokage gave him. Something cold crept over his skin.

"May I ask what type of mission she is on?" He found himself glad he was wearing a mask. The Hokage sighed.

"Unfortunately a nin became unavailable for their mission and she had the abilities that were required for it, thanks to your information. As for the rank, I'm not at liberty to divulge that information." Kakashi's cold blood began to boil and he found breathing difficult. He clenched his fists to stave off the anger.

"I have proved my loyalty is unquestionable, as her Taichou, I wish to know of the likelihood that my subordinate will return alive. I believe I am owed that." Kakashi's hope seemed to build behind his words.

"Very well," the Hokage sighed, "it's an S-rank. She was sent north to the Mountains' Graveyard tracking down nin who we think to have a hideout there. The last two teams I sent have gone radio silent and did not return. She went to investigate. I deem her a very capable shinobi, but, it is a high-risk mission." Kakashi paled. His clenched fists now fought off the trembling that threatened. He felt weak all of a sudden like he needed to sit down.

"We hope for her return of course, but I am willing to make you two an official team again if things don't work out."

"She'll come back," Kakashi replied almost cutting the Hokages words off. Even if he wasn't sure he believed it himself. She has to come back. "Who was she sent with, at least?"

"It was a solo mission Hatake, she excels in this field and others would've been a hindrance. Watch your tone with me." His eyes went wide and the pendulum swung back round and red threatened his sight.

"You're both dismissed."

"Permission to assist on the mission of my subordinate." The copy nin tried to train his voice. He didn't have it in him to curse himself for being so outrageous especially with the Hokage. His mind felt clouded of his usual logic. He had only one thought.

"Permission denied. She'd already be there by now."

"Permission to leave the village for personal reasons." Kakashi straightened and looked past the Hokage.

"Will this personal reason take you to the Mountains' Graveyard?" the Hokage's own temper was being tested but he didn't care. But, he couldn't lie to him either. Kakashi said nothing.

"Permission denied."

"When is the last time she reported back?"

"Hatake stand down!" The third stood and slammed his palms on his desk, looking at Kakashi dead in the eyes. The anbu to the left of him in the bear mask whispered down into the Hokage's ear. Kakashi watched his eyes grow wide.

"She what?" the anger still held in the Hokage's words as he hissed at the Anbu with the bear mask.

"She has missed Monday's mid-day check-in and the night check-in. We haven't had any updates since Monday morning as she reached the border." The bear-masked anbu spoke flatly. Kakashi's heart faltered and died in his chest. A strange sort of venom felt like it stripped the inside of his veins as he processed the information.

"Bring a team from sensory. I will dispatch them all the way up to the border if she made it back over. If she hasn't, I'm afraid she's on her own. I won't throw away anymore lives." The blunt words of the Hokage hit him like bullets.

"Permission to go, sir," Kakashi spoke up earning the Hokages attention.

"You're dismissed, Hatake."

"Lord third, with all due respect. If you don't send me right now as scout I swear to kami…" He didn't realise he'd approached the desk and he didn't care. The Hokage's irritation rippled over his features until he let out a long breath.

"Do not go past the 10th marker. Do you hear me? Tenzo looks like he might drop dead where he stands so you're on your own. Wait for the sensory team at the 10th marker. Do you understand?"

"Yes Hokage-sama," they both knew he would go to the Mountains' Graveyard, hell, he'd go to the end until he found her. He was out of the office and flying to the gates, not looking back.

Kakashi was out the gates slicing his thumb and summoning his ninken as efficiently as he could. He could feel the adrenaline receding already leaving only a wake of exhaustion behind. His eyes burned and his body felt weak but it didn't matter.

Pakkun, Bull, Urushi and Shiba poofed into existence in front of him.

"My teammate is missing, she could be anywhere between here and the Moutains' Graveyard. Pakkun,"

"That's a long way boss,"

"I need you to do this," the tiredness felt like it was creeping into his ability to think. He knew he sounded desperate even as he tried to disguise it with sternest.

"Boss," Pakkun looked at him, assessing him as he confirmed he'd obey.

"You know her scent, take point, the rest of you, fan out. Any lone nin scent you come across give the signal. Only a couple of miles apart, she wouldn't have taken a longer way around. She'd have taken a straight path." Kakashi gulped trying to keep his eyes wider as he attempted to heighten his own senses. They nodded before disappearing into the forest. The light had broken through the horizon and ray's penetrated through the canopy.

He jumped up shakily into the tree but pushed himself to follow behind Pakkun. It felt hard on his body but he pushed through it. His mind swirling with worst-case scenarios. He tried to push them back but hope was bleak.

Two hours in a howl in the distance sent his heart race humming in his chest.

Ame

The insentient beeping woke her from her discombobulated slumber. She only managed to prise a single eye open slightly. Her vision was blurry to start with and mostly darkness met her. The warmth covering her hand alerted her to the presence beside her. She felt too weak to even be bothered to react as a ninja should. She could make out the hand covering hers as her vision began to focus.

She tried to breathe in deeply but her lungs were sore. Her slowed mind began trying to piece together the last few things she remembered. Flashes of her mother haunted her and the strange voided being that rose out of the ground sent chills down her spine. She felt her hand twitch unconsciously and looked back down slowly. Her breaths were heavy and laboured. A hunched figure lay on her bed, familiar locks of silver fell onto the sheets. She watched his back rise evenly. She couldn't see much more in the dark and she didn't have the energy to keep her eyes open.

She felt a single hot tear roll down her cheek before unconsciousness took her again.

Ame awoke coughing. Her lungs felt like they were filled with dust, her throat protesting at her inhalations. Distant arguing voices became apparent when the coughing subsided and none other than the copy nin burst through the doors. She felt awake then. Her heart began to race at the sight of him. His wild eyes locked onto her face as she sat up.

"Ame," he breathed it, as if he'd just watched the stars being hung in the sky. She didn't know why but she felt like she could cry. His strides were fast and long as he came for her.

"Hatake-san!" Chikako-sama's voice rang out as she barged through the doors following him. "You can't be in here yet I've told you already!"

His eyes didn't leave her. It was like he hadn't even heard her. Ame's eyes didn't leave his until he crushed her into a hug. She hugged him back like she might fall apart if she didn't. Her body began trembling and she didn't realise as hot silent tears rolled down her face.

"Kashi," she managed to exhale. He hugged her tighter. She tried not to breathe, fending off the crying but her body won and she breathed him in deeply. The scent of fresh pin and oud swam through her. Her skin buzzed with an unfamiliar feeling. She felt safe with his arms around her.

He eventually pulled back and his hands were on either side of her face. His eyes were wide as if he didn't believe what he was seeing in front of him. His thumbs stroked away her the fat tears that rolled down. She suddenly wished she could see all of his face, but the fabric covered most of it. She'd missed him but she'd never felt so scared before. Not even in her last mission with her team. This was different. She didn't know whether it was the risk of the mission, the chimaera, seeing her mother, or seeing the strange being that confronted her that shook her so. Probably a combination. She'd never been so relieved to be home. To see him. She would've regretted not telling him.

She stared at his face as time seemed to slow. The depth of both of his eyes alert and on her shook her to her soul. So much emotion swirled deeply.

"Hatake, I've already let you in long enough. Leave before I call Anbu to escort you." Chikako broke through the moment but his eyes didn't leave her. She felt a sad smile lift her lips between his hands that still lay on her face. He held her as if she were too precious to be in existence.

"It's ok, I'll see you soon." She managed to whisper. His brows twitched downwards and she thought he was going to pull back. Instead, his masked lips pressed a light kiss onto her hairline and lingered. She felt her body tremble with raw emotion at the gesture. She was quite honestly exhausted, emotionally and physically. She clenched her jaw to stop it from quivering as he pulled away. He left without looking back, and she watched him disappear behind the doors.

The silence was heavy in the room and Ame could only look down at her hands on the hospital sheets. The sound of Chikako's heels clipped on the floor as she approached the bed.

"How're you feeling?" her voice was softer than usual. She couldn't bring herself to look up to the doctor.

"Just tired." Her small voice brushed past her dry lips.

"You never cease to amaze me. Your body is unlike anything I have ever seen." Ame looked up to her then, her face blank. "You managed to run for so long, the strain on your body should be much more than it is."

Ame mustered all her energy and shrugged her shoulders. "I want to go home,"

"Luckily for you, it was just sheer exhaustion and some minor injuries." She blinked up to the nurse who was still busying herself with the medical equipment and withdrew the drip in her arm. "If you have someone with you, we can let you out temporarily. You'd have to come back in for a check-up before we discharge you." She repeated the medic-nin's words in her head, thinking over them slowly. "Honestly, I think it'll only be a few days until you can start training again if you rest properly."

"Really? I can go home?" hope built in her weakened body.

"Do you have someone who can stay with you for the time?" Chikako's eyes widened and nodded towards the doors Kakashi just disappeared through. Ame felt herself gulp. Could she ask that of him?

"I," she began, "I don't think-" the doors slammed against the walls as Hatake appeared. If she wasn't so weak and low she could've laughed.

"She does." He didn't approach them just stood from the doors. She felt a weak smile pull at her lips at the sight of him. Her eyes felt heavy and keeping herself upright was taking a toll.

"Hatake," Chikako warned.

"She's staying with me."

"That is up to her. Out. Now." Kakashi looked back at her with slight fear in his eyes as if she would reject it. She smiled at him as best she could and he left again. Chikako sighed and shook her head as she began testing her with the green chakra. "Tenacious guy you have there,"

"You have no idea." She smiled to herself. "Wait no, he's not mine. It's not like that, I don't think. I don't know-" it was too many words, too much thinking. She just wanted to be out of the hospital and flop down. She watched Chikako's lips twitch.

"I've told him to go home to sleep, or shower, or something but he didn't leave." Chikako's words ran through her. Her chest filling. The doctor carried on her tests not looking up to Ame. "He went straight to the Hokage for debriefing after his mission and found out you were missing in action. I don't know how he is still standing, he hasn't slept more than a couple of hours in over 2 days. He threatened the Hokage to let him scout for you because putting together a team would've taken too long." she finished. Ame didn't know what to say. Her gut rolled and her heart felt like it might've beat so fast in her chest that it exploded. She just watched the doctor, her mouth slightly agape.

"I'm almost finished, then you can go home, Ame," Chikako spoke soft enough to make her heart falter in her chest.

"Thank you, Chikako-sama. For everything." She meant it. The number of times she was put back together by her. The stress she'd caused her. She knew she worked so hard and worked double shifts just to make sure she was alright. Chikako squeezed her forearm softly and gave her a knowing smile.

"Ugh," she exhaled loudly as she stretched upwards. "Guess I'll have to go put Hatake out of his misery." She winked down to Ame and she blushed thinking of Kakashi waiting outside for her.

Kakashi

The doors opened and Chikako revealed herself. He basically ran up to meet her.

"Hatake, I'm warning you. You best look after her. I've never seen her so shaken, even after…" Chikako whispered the last part.

"Her team?"

"You know about that?" she looked at him quizzically, her face straight. He nodded to her. The artificial lighting of the basement flickered above them.

"Damn, ok. Well, she needs to come back in two days for her official release. Unless you notice any of these signs," she ripped off a bit of paper from her clipboard, "bring her in immediately."

He took the slip and went to stride past her but was stopped when Chikako grabbed his arm. He looked down to her hold and back up to the medic-nin. His face was blank.

"Be good to her," she gave him a look, a promise of death if he were to hurt her. She didn't realise they were so close. He nodded to her and took his arm away.

"Always." He didn't look back as he paced through the doors to her.

"Where are we going?" The weakness of Ame's voice added to the uncomfortable feeling ravaging his body. She was perched on his back as he walked past her street to his place. Her arms were weakly wrapped around his neck as he held all of her weight with his arms. He was exhausted but at that moment he couldn't care less. He just wanted to get her home and make sure she was truly ok. He might stare at her for the rest of the day making sure she's really back.

"My place, if that's ok?" he spoke softly. Her face was perched on one of his shoulders looking at his face. He didn't mind. He could see the heaviness in her eyes in his peripheral.

"Yours?" she whispered. His lips wanted to twitch upwards at the nerves in her words.

"Is that ok?" he tilted his head to meet her tired gaze. She smiled at him slightly and a small blush stained her cheeks.

"I've never been to yours," she mumbled a reply as her eyes closed for a moment. He looked back to the road.

"Time to rectify that," he felt his heart making him smile. The warmth of her on his back reassured him.

It wasn't long until he was ascending the stairs to his apartment. He unlocked the door thankful to be home. He stepped through the threshold making his way to his room.

"You have a bed," she murmured on his shoulder as he entered his room. He suddenly became hyper-aware of his things. Not that he had many. "I've never slept it one. Only futon," she sounded like she'd pass out. He went to lower her down when she cut him off.

"Kashi," she whispered. "Shower." Her voice was so small but he obeyed. He desperately needed to before he slept.

He washed them both thoroughly but gently. There was nothing sexual about it even if he did appreciate seeing her again. She stood and let him take care of her. She just stared up through exhaustion, watching his face. He stretched around her back pulling her flat to him as he ran the sponge over her back. She wrapped her arms around him and didn't let go until they exited.

They were both on their last legs as he dried them in his only large bath towel. She stood for him her head threatening to lull downwards.

"So tidy," she uttered, struggling to keep her eyes open. He felt a small laugh escape him. It made him want to hug her so tight and never let go.

He lifted her up into a bridal carry and walked them through the bathroom door into his room. A small noise escaped her as he swept her up, he wasn't sure how he was even managing at this point.

He lay her beneath his sheets and she cosied into them. Her eyes remaining shut from the bathroom. He watched her wrapped in his bedsheets as she breathed deeply.

"Smells like Kashi…" she mummed. His heart faltered in his chest. He felt like he needed just to watch her sleep in case anything happened. In case if he fell to sleep and this would all just be a dream and they hadn't found her. He needed to give Pakkun the biggest steak he could find.

He slid in next to her and pulled her towards him. She gladly met him and hummed with contentment. He snuggled into a comfortable sleeping position with her against his chest beneath his sheets. He thought she might've already fallen asleep but she spoke up. He could barely keep his eyes open as he looked down to see him peering up to him through the same tired eyes.

"Hey Kashi," she blinked heavily, "thank you," she put her face on his chest hiding it from him. "For coming for me." He lifted his free arm and angled her face upwards. Her silver eyes glinted with unshed tears. Chikako was right, she was shaken. He lowered his head and slowly pressed his lips against hers. He felt his jaw quiver and his body warmed with something he couldn't explain. His chest felt so full.

"I thought…" he pulled back and looked down to her, her big eyes staring up at him. "When I heard you hadn't checked in…" he closed his eyes as he spoke, squeezing them shut and gulped. She laced an arm around him and weakly pulled him closer. He did the same and crushed her to him.

"What are we Kashi?" she whispered into him. He didn't know why he was surprised at the question and he suddenly felt panicked. He'd never been in this position before. He thought back to the book she'd given him. He'd managed to finish it whilst Tenzo slept over two nights. He could barely put it down to continue with the mission. He'd ripped the words she had written on the brown paper out carefully and used it as a placeholder. He couldn't bring himself to reuse those lines.

"What do you want? Whatever you want, I'll be that." He breathed into the top of her head as he nuzzled into her.

"I think…" she gulped and pressed her face into his chest, his heart beat strongly waiting for her response. He was fighting the sleep that loomed behind his eyes.

"Is it not obvious how much I like you, Aki?" He held her tighter as he pressed his cheek onto her head. His heart beat in his chest faster and faster as his words tumbled from his mouth.

"What if I'm not suitable for you? What if there was something about me that meant you couldn't like me?" he couldn't read the hidden meaning behind her mumbled words. They were both fighting to stay awake and he was beginning to lose the battle.

"You suit me just fine, baby." He kissed the top of her head, "sleep, Ame." He commanded softly.

"G'night Kakashi,"

"Night, Akari."