Seiri's golden eyes slowly opened, though not all the way. All she saw was white. A white that swam around in her vision like a nauseating curtain. She swore that it was the most terrible color she'd ever seen. She hated how blinding it was.
A voice answered her when she was certain she hadn't spoken, "White isn't so bad."
'Am I thinking out loud?' she thought. Or at least, she thought she thought.
"I believe you are."
'Who's speaking? Where am I?' she thought again. It had to all be in her head, she didn't feel the familiar hum of words coming out of her mouth, didn't feel her lips move.
"It's Kakashi, if you've already forgotten, and you're in Konoha's hospital."
"What? How'd I get here?" Seiri mumbled. This time, she knew she was speaking the words.
"You were badly injured, your ANBU team brought you back after they heard the fighting stop and went back for you. You're very lucky to be alive, Seiri."
Slowly the red head's mind cleared of the fog. She realized she was truly awake. It wasn't just her imagination, she wasn't still lying on that snowy ground. That this wasn't a dream, she hadn't died. She opened her eyes all the way then and looked around the room, taking in her surroundings. She tried sitting up but let out a cry of pain instead. Kakashi quickly moved to her side and told her that she shouldn't move. Apparently, she had broken six ribs, her left leg, and fractured her right wrist. She groaned at the news and stared into Kakashi's onyx eye for a long time, neither of them saying anything. She didn't know where to start; she wanted to hug him and tell him thank you, but that seemed like such a pathetic way of showing gratification right now. And she couldn't have done it anyway.
"Kakashi… I—"
"Don't. I'm just glad you're all right." He said with a smile. At least that's what it looked like through his mask.
Seiri reached up with her left arm, the one that wasn't hurt, and pulled his mask from his face. He let her. She gazed at his features as the mask fell away. He was handsome. More so than she thought. And seeing his smile this time filled her with happiness, a warmth that consumed her.
She rested her hand on his cheek. "Thank you, Kakashi… for everything."
He brought one of his hands up grabbed hers, bringing it down to his lap and holding it, "You say thank you a lot, you know. I think I should be the one to thank you."
"Why's that?"
"Because you've been the greatest friend I've had in a long time."
"Kakashi—" she was cut off again, but by his lips this time. He kissed her passionately, but softly, and what Seiri realized was... she wanted it. With every fiber of her being. She was ready to break her vows that held no meaning for her anymore.
She was ready to fall in love.
With Kakashi.
She wrapped her left arm around his neck and kissed him back. Emotion spilled out in the intimacy they were sharing. Relief, gratitude. Seiri loved this man, more than she knew. She felt she had been too entangled in her own rules, the Priest's rules, to notice that she was free enough to disobey them. And if she was going to disobey them at all, then she wanted to with Kakashi.