A/N: Here we go, hope you enjoy!
Thanks for your kind reviews!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto in any form or way (If I did, Anko would appear more times and well, she and Kakashi … . You get the point right?! iii .) The only thing I do is abuse the characters created by Masashi-sensei, and for the time being I'm enjoying doing so. Hehe
LIRA: HEHE MOOO iii Dance cow dance!!
CHAPPY TWO
The next day, she lazily woke up and like a cat, she curled under her sheets. It was a nice warm and sunny day outside, but she had already planned to stay home eating all the sweets her stomach could handle. She was still deciding, which candy would have the honour to start her first day off in five months, when someone knocked on her door.
Already used to murder attempts and random attacks by unhappy kunoichi, she tried to sense the chakra of the bastard on the other side of her door.
- Stop masking your chakra if you want to live, bastard! Ohhh, Kurenai! – she opened the door, showing the dark haired kunoichi smiling at her. – What you want, it's my day off! Go bug Asuma, it's his birthday right?
- Cranky this morning, aren't we? – she patted Anko on the shoulder while entering the apartment.
Anko's apartment was very minimalist, she was never into decoration or fancy things. She always chose practical things and only the needed for a single woman. The apartment consisted on a small kitchen connected to a small living room and a suite – bedroom with a bathroom; all very simply decorated, a chair here, a lamp there and a carpet on the hall. Kurenai had always insisted on helping her, but she refused everytime. Anko was so used to live in the Death Forest's Tower, that that comfortable apartment made her feel bad, so she kept to the basics.
In her head the thought of returning to the Death Forest was always present, stopping her from calling this place: home.
- Witty this morning, Kurenai. What's wrong? – Anko closed the door following her good friend to her cheap couch.
- Well like you said, it's Asuma's birthday…
- Yes, I reckon that. Spit it out, or I'll go back to bed.
- Well, the problem is that I have no idea on what to get him as a present. – she smiled while holding her hands together. Anko frowned and sighed bored with this sentimental crap destroying her perfect day off.
- Buy him a windmill, he's wind type right? – laughing loudly at her own joke, she disappeared into the bathroom. She could hear Kurenai reproving her inability to take her feelings seriously, over the sound of the pouring hot water.
Kurenai took a seat in the cheap purple couch that stood in the middle of the living room, she took a look around. Nothing has changed, in here nothing changes, it's like a rented house. Impersonal to the bone, with no indication that the owner intended to be there for too long.
The only things that made her remember Anko in that cold apartment, were the purple flashes of colour on things like the couch, a lamp shade, the curtains and the smell of dango and insta-food.
- What were you doing today? – the black haired woman spoke to the steamy bathroom.
- Sleep and eat as much as I can. Hehe – Anko answered from under the shower. – But now, well, now you'll pay for a royal breakfast! You have to compensate me, right?!
Kurenai just thought about the money that, that little compensation would cost her and gulped.
Both kunoichi left the apartment, all the way to the dumpling store Anko kept thinking to herself how bad her day off was starting. And the only way to bright up her day was a handful of dango sticks and strong black coffee, and since it was Kurenai who made her loose those precious moments alone with her sweet babies, she obviously had to sponsor her morning delights.
- What should I buy him? – Kurenai asked Anko, after paying for her order. – And don't tell me to get a windmill.
- He's your boyfriend not mine, you were supposed to know him better, right? – Anko breathed eating another stick of dango.
Kurenai blushed heavily when she heard the word boyfriend associated to Asuma, to hide that from her friend she walked faster and got ahead of her. She was not going to give Anko the pleasure to see her blush because of him, well at least not again.
The first shop they entered, sold shinobi supplies and was Asuma's favourite. Kurenai walked around, looking at everything quizzically wandering if it was a perfect present for him; Anko was dragged through the shop's corridors.
- What you think about this? – Kurenai was holding a cleaning set for Asuma's wind blades and looking hopefully to Anko.
- Hnn…
- What?
- If I was you I wouldn't buy that. Don't think he'll like it.
- How come, I think it's kinda sweet.
- Hnn…
- Come on Anko, if you don't agree, at least help me with this. It's the first time I do this.
- Well, if you want to insult the man, that's the perfect gift. – Anko grinned devilishly at her friend, while holding a senbon wrist band.
- Ohh, really?! I didn't think about that. – Kurenai realized, placing the item back on the shelf.
After several attempts, after three laughter attacks, every time Kurenai blushed at the reference of Asuma's name, they chose the present: a pouch for his blades.
After a piece of cake at the Dango Shop, they both parted ways. Anko went back to her house and Kurenai went to the Bar, in order to prepare everything for the party – asking Anko was out of the question, she would keep nagging her with the blush thingy. "And I'm not good working with her, not on this kinda things! One day, she'll get it!"
- Finally!
Anko rested on her cheap purple couch and started to eat the babies she bought the day before.
The day before… it was rather strange… Kakashi was strange.
When he left from her doorway sure was strange.
- Maybe he just was disgusted with your presence. – a snaky voice came from the back of her head.
- He's not like that.
- Ohh really?!When it was that he spoke to you, without his nose buried on those porn books? – the voice retaliated.
- It … - it was every time they fought, about this and that. And he never looked at her, straight in the eye.
- Cat got your tongue? Or should I say dog? – the voice laughed at Anko's silence and doubts.
- Ohh SHUT UP already! He's different, he reacts that way with everyone. Why should it be different with me?! And for your information, I have friends, friends that care for me…
- Really? That Yuuhi girl? Umph…
- What?! She's my best friend, the only person I trust after Sandaime's d…
- Couldn't be just an act, a way to get close to you? Find a way to control you and then kill you? You never thought about that? – the snaky voice poisoned, cutting Anko's words.
- OHHH SHUT UP! GO AWAY, LEAVE ME ALONE!!
When the voice finally left Anko alone, her seal was burning, making her pant with pain and exhaustion. That voice always made her remember that bastard, maybe it was a side effect of that damn seal – a sick and distorted way to control those that he gave the "honour" to be branded by him.
She slowly came back to reality, outside through her window Anko could see the night's welcoming darkness coming. The seal had finally calmed, allowing her hunted mind to sleep a dreamless sleep. And then it hit her…
- CRAP, Kurenai is gonna kill me!!
Anko was terribly late, the party her best friend was throwing for Asuma was starting in less than ten minutes, and she had asked her to help her before the guests arrive.
She stood up, took off the leg protections, went to the bathroom washed her face and teeth and like a tornado, Anko left her house.
The purple haired kunoichi got to the sake bar, right on time, she was no person to get late anywhere, actually she was known for her amazing punctuality, unlike a certain silver haired shinobi. She helped Kurenai, the best she could and after a tantrum – the damn towel was putting up a fight, Kurenai was out and Anko solved it the way she knew. Well in the end, her good friend had a full set of napkins in stead of a nice linen towel!
After that itty bitty small incident, Kurenai made Anko seat and drink a nice cup of warm sake to calm down. Of course she never allowed Anko, to help her again that night, but she did it in a very sneaky way in order to don't hurt Anko's feelings.
- After all, she helps the way she can. She's just not made for this things, I don't think Orochimaru took training time to teach her such trivial matters. – the Yuuhi thought to herself, while giving the final touches on the party table and keeping an eye on her friend.
Then Asuma came, the moment the tall man entered the bar, Kurenai's face went red – even redder than humanly possible – Anko grinned "Gotcha!".
- Hello Smokey! Oi Kurenai, what happened to your face? – Anko laughed at her friend's embarrassment. The only thing the black haired woman did, was blush even more.
- Oi bullyboy, drop it! Feeling a little lost without your faithful watch-dog? – Asuma shot at Anko, her eyes shot open with his insinuations, his devilish grin fuelling her need for blood.
- You …
- Come on, kids! Not here, let's just keep it under control. – Kurenai dragged Asuma out of Anko's sight. Trying to have a little private moment, with him.
The party started and two hours later, everybody was there and the abundant sake was already starting to show its effects.
Everybody was cheering and laughing, even Kurenai's blushing attacks seemed to be cured by warm sake. Anko just stared around, like she usually did, and watched all from afar, like if she was afraid to contaminate all of their happiness.
Tsunade and Jiraiya were talking to each other, in a rather suggestive way, smiling to each other – probably was the sake that kept Jiraiya from being killed; Iruka was dancing with the ramen shop girl, Ayame. Anko thought to herself, "So that's the reason why he loves ramen so much, sneaky bastard!".
Genma and Kotetsu stood on the furthest end of the table, away from Anko, Genma was still too touchy when it came to the subject: Anko; the only way to convince him to come to Asuma's party was Kotetsu and Izumo's promise that they and some younger shinobi would be his bodyguards.
Everytime Anko looked at her "victim" and his protection group, Genma shook like a leaf and her grin would spread wider.
Asuma and Kurenai were missing for the moment, but before disappearing they were dancing way too close. And things were coming to a very interesting point, but on a split second they had vanished.
Every friend of Asuma was there with no exception, even the Green Goblin of Youth was there, trying to impress all of them with is dancing skills – half drunk and way too merry to be sane! Well not all of them, as always Kakashi, the King of Lateness and Porn was nowhere to be seen.
Anko was sat on the counter, drinking her fourth bottle of sake, when she saw Iruka and Ayame on a corner being an little more than friendly.
- The bastard is scoring big time! – Anko thought to herself.
- Seeing something you like? – a soft, provocative whisper came from Anko's back. She thought that it was again that damn voice that hunted her mind.
- Ohhh SHUT UP BASTARD!! – the purple haired kunoichi shouted, but she was an itty bitty more than alcoholically happy, and her clumsy moves made her spill her drink. She heard someone squeal … squeal?! Do imaginary voices squeal? Her drunken mind, was too slow to understand what happened right away.
So she turned on her stool, to face whoever was drenched with her drink.
- Hatake! You again, do you have any death wish? – Anko was pissed, "Who the hell does he think he is? Sneaking up on people like that."
- The only wish I have, is to know what were you seeing so interesting. – his lazy black eye travelled back to where Iruka was. Anko felt heat travelling to her face.
- Blushing?! Am I blushing? Damn sake, I can't drink more tonight or I'll have to crawl back home. Damn, last time I woke up at the park… - she thought to herself trying to fight the blush from spreading.
- Are you blushing, Mitarashi? – Kakashi playfully spoke to her getting closer.
- Hnn. – she turned again to the barman and signalled him to bring another bottle.
- I'll have the same. – Kakashi said while taking a seat next to Anko and every once in awhile he would look at her. She grunted annoyed.
The party went on and on, the birthday cake came, all the shinobi cheered and the presents were opened. About an hour later, every one started to leave, one by one.
In the end, only Asuma, Kurenai, Kakashi and Anko were left. All of them pretty wasted, especially Anko, she had drank more than she could handle because, Kakashi had spent the entire night seated on the stool beside her. And she had the slightly uncomfortable feeling, that she had caught him staring at her, so she drank and drank, trying to hide her nervousness.
- That perv gets under my skin. He's plain annoying! – Anko thought to herself, while trying to keep her balance and stand on her wobbling legs.
She jumped from her stool, but the moment she landed her weight on her feet she lost the balance and fell forward.
- Oi, big girl! If you can't hold your liquor keep away from it. – a slightly less drunken Kakashi, kept Anko from squashing flat on the sake bar floor.
Anko's face was buried on Kakashi's vest and her head was spinning because of all the alcohol. She was so wasted that she couldn't think straight, his scent engulfed her like a warm and comfortable blanket. Anko felt her mind slipping out of conscience.
- You smell good, perv.
- Are you hitting on me, Anko? – Kakashi asked amused with the woman that he held close, avoiding her from squashing on the hard floor.
- Do you want me too, Hatake? – she looked at him, deep inside his lazy black eye.
- Humm…
- You know, it's the first time someone wants me to like him. – she touched his masked face and leaned closer. – That's so sweet!
Kakashi blushed heavily, maybe his trick was turning on him. What was she doing to him, he felt his heart racing, how far would she go?!
He could feel, through the fabric of his vest, her firm breasts crushing against him. He was going crazy, 'Does she even know what she's doing to me?'
While he was completely lost in his thoughts, he felt Anko move under his tight embrace, Kakashi looked at her and waited for her next move, locking eyes he got even closer to her.
- Anko… - he whispered her name and then…
… and then… fainted?! … she fainted!
No way, this could ever happen to him, "Ohhh, frustration!". And then it hit him, how would she get home if she was unconscious?
Kakashi tried to think through his hazed mind and all he could think was ask for Kurenai's help, at least to get Anko's address so he could drop her off at home.
He threw Anko on his back and dangerously wobbling got to the red haired woman, that stood next to Asuma.
- Have to take this girl home, but I have to know where she lives, right? – Kakashi asked them, trying to sound as carefree as possible, masking his uneasiness.
- Oh, Anko-chan! – Kurenai blurted, dragging her speech. - I know where she lives, we'll take you there.
The four left the bar, all the way to Anko's house, Asuma kept whispering on Kurenai's hear and looking suggestibly at his good friend.
- Anko-chan, lives down this street on the last building on the right. 4-D, check her left pocket. – Kurenai informed a very surprised Kakashi, when they reached the street where her best friend lived.
- What? – Kakashi got a little confused, when he saw that the other two were leaving him alone with an unconscious Anko, on his back.
- I'm too wasted, and since you got to her first. It would be nice if you took her home. – the Yuuhi excused.
- Same here mate, too wasted. I'm off to bed!
They parted, Asuma and Kurenai continued their way through the main road, while Kakashi carrying Anko on his back turned right.
Before loosing the grey haired shinobi from sight, Asuma shouted "Now, behave kids!". Kakashi waved is fist to him and sighed.
- If she heard him, he would be so dead! – he thought to himself amused with the potential scene.
When he got to her apartment door, Kakashi took her from his back and leaned her against the wall. Then he got her keys, opened her door, scooped her and entered the violet haired apartment.
He noticed how impersonal and cold her house was, how small the place was and the almost absence of furniture. "She's even worse than me!" Kakashi thought to himself, while carried her on his arms and walked towards Anko's bedroom.
He carefully laid her on the bed, took off her waist jacket and shoes.
She flinched on her drunken sleep, he looked at her.
- You almost got me back there. – he murmured to her while covering her with the purple blanket that rested on the end of her bed. She grunted something, that he could not understand, he leaned closer to her trying to listen to what she was whispering.
- Kakashi… - his lazy eye shot open. – No one ever wanted me to like them, people stay away from me. What makes you to come close?
He looked at the sleeping woman and her words echoed in his mind. She was just like him, alone in the world with nothing to lean on, but while he got to have friends and became respected, she was still hated and left aside.
She was a survivor like he was, but he had already been saved and she was still drifting … alone.
- You, Anko. You make me come closer. – Kakashi whispered softly at Anko's ear. Then slowly pulled down his mask and planted a small, gentle kiss on her sleeping lips.
And with a puff of smoke he was gone.
A/N: Gomen for taking sooooooo long, but this chappy was really hard for me to write, I just wanted it to turn out to be perfect! I kinda like it!! SOOOOOO SWEEEEEET! (Ahem sorry, too much caffeine!! .)
You know the drill people READ & REVIEW onegai, your kind words are my fuel!!
Next chappy: Genma gets what he deserves and Kakashi too. Anko on bloodthirsty mode!! iii
BTW continue to check my doujinshi, iii things are warming up!!