I'm quite pleased with the reception I got for the first two chapters of this story. It's good to know that people who read the first story are also reading this one, and that I may have snagged a few new readers at the same time :3
Please, as all writers say, review to tell me what you think! If I know people are enjoying the story then I'll be even more excited to write the next chapter :)
And Renge43, I don't mind at all if you share this with people. Send it to as many people as you like! The more the merrier!
Kakashi had worked out that while he had likely cracked them, it was very unlikely that his kneecaps were actually broken. The good thing about that was that he would be able to get back on his feet sooner. The bad thing was that both his knees ached and he was stuck in bed for the time being. A doctor had come by in the afternoon on the day that he had woken up, giving him a proper diagnosis and giving praise to whoever had sewn his wounds closed. He had also revealed that his pneumonia had only been mild and had already cleared itself up. When he had been inspecting the wounds on his face, Kakashi had been lucky enough that the doctor didn't try to see his left eye, merely stating that the wound must have been painful. At least he didn't have to explain to someone what his sharingan was.
Before the doctor had left, his left arm had been covered in plaster so that the bone could heal properly, and even though he was told by a doctor to keep it in a sling, he had almost regained complete mobility of his right. The doctor had been unable to determine the state of his knees, so he had just told him to stay off his feet and keep them in a splint. He would be coming back in a week to check on him, and if the condition of his knees hadn't improved, he would plaster his legs as well.
To try and avoid that, Kakashi had been attempting to stand on his own using the bed as support, but so far he hadn't been able to stand up without leaning most of his weight against the bed post. He knew that he wouldn't need to have plaster on his legs, he could move his feet just fine, the only issue was that he was in pain whenever he did move his legs, feet or toes.
It annoyed him to no end and he was beginning to get frustrated, both with himself and everything about this world. No one he had met seemed to have a mite of chakra, and he had nothing to do. He had tried to ask the maid if she could bring him a book or something whenever she came in with his meal, but as soon as he spoke she blushed and ran out of the room squealing. Seeing as she was the only one he ever saw, and he had been bedridden for three days now, it was beginning to get annoying.
Although, much to his embarrassment, he did have to get Sebastian to help him bathe and go to the toilet.
Just the thought of the man made his face get hot, but also send cold shivers down his spine. He didn't know if he should allow the man to explain himself or just ignore him until he was well enough to try and find his way home. The problem was that he had no idea how long it would be before he was well enough to walk on his own. Especially when he couldn't even stand up by himself yet.
As he was contemplating trying to stand again, there was a knock at the door before it swung open, revealing a man who he hadn't seen before. He was wearing a white chef's uniform, and had a chewed up cigarette sticking out of the corner of his mouth. The man was carrying a tray of food, so Kakashi assumed that he was here instead of the maid.
"Afternoon," he muttered quietly, thankfully glad that the maid wasn't here.
"Yeah, afternoon. Mei-Rin was caught up doing laundry, so I brought you your lunch instead," the man said with a crooked smile, scratching the back of his head self consciously.
"Thanks. I'm guessing Mei-Rin is the maid?" he said, groaning slightly as he pushed himself into a sitting position. One thing that was good about this room that he was stuck in was that the bed was really comfortable.
"Got that one right. I'm Bardroy by the way. I'm the chef," he said the last bit with a tad more enthusiasm that the rest of it. Clearly he enjoyed his job.
"Kakashi Hatake," the ninja said, taking the tray as it was offered and carefully setting it onto his lap.
"Are your stitches okay? I mean, they're not pulling or infected or anything are they?"
"No, they're fine," Kakashi said through a mouthful of bread. He felt awkward not wearing a mask all the time like normal, but considering that these people weren't from his world, then it didn't matter quite as much.
Bardroy let out a low whistle. "Thank god. It's been ages since I've had to stitch anyone up, and I was a bit worried about how I did it."
"You did a really good job," he said with a smile. "And thanks, I appreciate what you did."
"No problem," Bardroy replied, grinning like a fool. "If there's anything you need, just say so and I'll see what I can do."
Kakashi paused, chewing slowly on a chunk of lamb. He didn't often get to eat his food slowly – if he stayed here too long then it may become habit, which wasn't a good thing. He nodded, finished chewing and swallowed before he spoke. "Could I have a book or something? It gets kinda boring just sitting in this room all day."
"Yeah sure! I'll do that right away!" Bardroy said excitedly, nodding his head and waving as he hurried out of the room.
Kakashi stared at where he had last been for a few seconds before shaking his head. "That guy was weird."
True to his word, Bardroy returned an hour later pushing a trolley heavily laden with books. Grinning like an idiot he left the trolley next to the bed so that the books would be within easy reach and departed with the now empty tray. Neither of them had said anything during the exchange, and Kakashi was glad to avoid another awkward conversation with the chef.
Groaning as his still stiff muscles were stretched, he lent across the bed to inspect the multitude of books that he had been presented with. There weren't any titles he was familiar with, and none of them seemed to be in the same genre as his favourite series, but after sifting through the piles for a few minutes he found two paperbacks that looked interesting. One was about a detective and the other about man with a split personality. He weighed the two books in his hands, and decided on the heavier of the two, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He put the other book on top of the pile to read later, settled himself into the comfortable pillows behind him and started to read.
Although it wasn't the genre that he preferred to read, the jonin soon found himself completely absorbed in the story. He didn't actually stop reading until he felt sleepiness itching in the corners of his eyes. Sighing, he lowered the book onto his lap and stretched out his neck and shoulders with a happy groan. When he glanced at the clock on the mantle above the fireplace, he was surprised to see that he had been reading for almost six hours. The only time he could remember reading for that long was when Naruto had given him the new Make-Out Tactics book.
Wanting to bookmark where he was, he rummaged through the chest of drawers next to the bed to see if there was anything he could use. Discovering that the closest one held nothing of use he dragged himself across the bed so that he could search the other drawers that were within reach from the bed. When the second chest of drawers also contained nothing he grumbled and was about to consider trying to walk to the drawers on the other side of the room.
"Would this help?" said a soft voice in his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. He looked down and saw a gloved hand holding an elegantly painted bookmark with a silk tassel hanging from a loop in the top.
"Yes it would," he said curtly, snatching the bookmark from the gloved hand and putting it between the pages he was reading. When he closed the covers of the book, a hand gently placed itself on his shoulder while another carefully pried the book out of his hands.
"Would you like your dinner brought to your room? Or would you be so obliged as to join my Master for dinner? He has extended this invitation several times now, and you have turned him down for the past three days," Sebastian said coolly, his breath ghosting against the back of Kakashi's neck.
"I would, but I'm afraid that I can't walk," Kakashi almost growled, sliding across the mattress to put some distance between him and the butler.
"That would not be a problem. We happen to have a wheelchair, and the room my Master shall be dining in is on this floor," Sebastian said as he walked around the bed so he could put the book on top of the trolley.
"You're just full of reasons why I should meet your master, aren't you?" Kakashi muttered, moving back to the centre of the bed.
"Well, he is letting you stay here without an explanation. I believe that he has a right to meet his mysterious guest." The butler smirked, not looking at Kakashi and busying himself with tidying the pile of books.
"Do I have a choice?" Kakashi huffed, flopping back onto the pillows and scowling.
"Of course, however you will have to face him at some point. It is only the polite thing to do after all."
Kakashi stared at the ceiling for a few moments, clenching and unclenching his fists on top of the covers. "Fine," he growled, rolling his head to the side because he could completely roll onto his side.
"Very good. I will be back in half an hour with a change of clothes for you." Kakashi could practically hear the smirk in the butler's voice as he crossed the room and closed the door with a click behind him.
An hour later, and Kakashi was sitting in a wheelchair, picking at his food with a fork, trying not to squirm under the intense gaze that the boy sitting at the head of the table kept shooting at him. Sebastian was standing motionlessly behind him, a blank expression on his face. They were already on the second course of the meal and no words had been spoken.
If anything, it felt like he was being studied. And he really didn't like it. It also unnerved him that the boy – who couldn't be older than twelve – had an eye patch over his right eye, and had an air of arrogance and superiority that just ticked the jonin off.
He felt even more uncomfortable in the clothes that Sebastian had helped him change into. The pants were fitted and didn't have an inch of stretch in them, making them uncomfortable to sit in, and the stiff, long sleeved white shirt was scratchy and the things Sebastian called suspenders were just plain annoying. At least he wasn't wearing shoes.
He had just scooped up another forkful of mash potato and was about to stuff it in his mouth when the boy coughed quietly and set his own cutlery down with a quiet clink. Kakashi paused, looking at the boy suspiciously. When nothing happened, he decided to continue eating. It was halfway through his second mouthful when the boy finally began to speak.
"So," he began, in a bored, drawling tone that Kakashi instantly disliked. "You are friends with Sebastian."
Kakashi snorted. "We know each other if that's what you mean."
"I suppose," he paused then, reaching forward and taking a slow, leisurely drink from his glass. "How did you two meet by the way?" at this, the boy leaned forward, resting his elbows on the edge of the table and folding his hand together under his chin.
"Why not ask him?" Kakashi asked defensively, nodding his head at the butler, who had yet to move.
"Because knowing Sebastian, he will probably tell me the most glossed over version he can think of, avoiding the most important parts. Even though he cannot lie, he doesn't have to tell me the whole story," the boy said, waving him off and glaring over his shoulder at the man in question.
"Really?" Kakashi smirked. "So basically you want to know if I have any dirt on your 'oh-so-perfect-butler', don't you?"
The boy smirked in return. "Something like that, yes."
Thoughtfully, Kakashi took another mouthful of food, set his cutlery down and chewed slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face. As he swallowed he raised his head to stare at the intricate designs on the ceiling. "Honestly, not much to tell. He appeared on my territory and I went to investigate with a team. We attacked him and brought him back to my village. He was interrogated and then, once given the benefit of the doubt, he was let go. That's all there is to it really."
"And all of this happened within the space of a day, did it?" the boy asked bitterly.
A day? But he was in Konaha for almost two weeks! Confused by the drastic differences in time, Kakashi was still able to perfectly school his features into a calm façade. "Yes. My people are very efficient. They don't waste time on much."
There was a moment of silence between the two, the kind of silence that was on the verge of being tense, but hadn't quite reached that point yet. The quiet stretched on for a few more seconds before the boy picked up his knife and fork and resumed eating. Kakashi stared at him suspiciously for a few seconds, then returned to his meal as well.
No more words were exchanged between them as they finished their main course and into dessert. When he had finished the slice of black forest cake and drained his cup of tea, the boy got up from his seat, bade him good night and left the room, ordering Sebastian to help Kakashi back to his room and get Mei-Rin to clean up. Sebastian bowed as his master left, and only straightened up when he could no longer hear the boy's footsteps.
Without saying anything Sebastian instantly started collecting up the plates and cups from the table and stacking them neatly on the trolley by the far wall. Once that was done he crossed the room and tugged gently on a rope hanging from the ceiling by the door. He then started to straighten up the chairs and the tablecloth.
"Okay I'm bored now," Kakashi droned, letting his head fall back on his shoulders and half-staring at the wall behind him through lidded eyes.
"Why, are you voluntarily speaking to me?" Sebastian asked, pretending to be shocked and bewildered by the mere thought.
"Your sarcasm is both entertaining and unwanted," the ninja said evenly, lifting his head to glare at the butler.
"But I was being quite serious," Sebastian said lightly, his tone chastising but playful. There was a moment of silence between the two, in which Sebastian smirked and Kakashi glared. "I take it you want to go to bed then?"
"If you would be so kind," Kakashi said with an overly polite tone.
"Very well then," Sebastian said, reverting back to his professional mode. He crossed the room in a few long strides to stand behind the wheelchair. He carefully pulled Kakashi away from the table and guided him across the room, through the door and down the corridor. On the way they passed Mei-Rin, and Sebastian paused to tell her to pack up the dining room without breaking anything.
After that there were no more interruptions and they were back in front of the room Kakashi was using. Sebastian stepped away from him for a moment so he could open the door and light several of the oil lamps inside. When he returned to Kakashi he wheeled him to the edge of the bed and was about to help the ninja out of the chair, but stopped when the white haired man held up a hand to stop him.
"I can do it myself," Kakashi said darkly, glaring up at the butler. "Just hold the chair in place."
Sebastian looked like he wanted to argue, but instead furrowed his brow and nodded. Holding the chair firmly in place, he gave Kakashi a nod. The ninja grabbed the arms of the chair and lifted himself up enough to be able to swing his hips onto the bed. He then pulled himself onto the bed fully and lay down with a sigh. He stayed still for a few seconds then sat up and started to undress himself.
When Sebastian tried to help him, he swatted the hand away angrily. He was still trying to convince himself that he didn't want any more help from the man than was absolutely necessary. And the more the man tried to help him the more his resolve weakened. How could one night make him change so much?
Once he had removed the shirt and pants, and was sitting on the bed in nothing but his underwear, he glanced around, hoping that the pyjamas he had been wearing were close. To his dismay, he saw Sebastian getting a new set out of the chest of drawers on the other side of the room.
He held out his hands for the clothes when Sebastian stopped in front of him, but he didn't hand him the clothes. Frowning, Kakashi lunged forward, trying to snatch them out of his hands, but to his anger Sebastian took half a step back and he almost fell off the bed. Clenching his teeth, he pushed himself back onto the bed, flopped onto the pillows and angrily crossed his arms over his chest.
"Come now, don't sulk," Sebastian said playfully, stepping up to the bed again.
"Then stop messing around. I want to go to bed," Kakashi growled.
"Fine then. Here you go," the butler smirked, and held out the pyjamas.
Kakashi eyes them suspiciously for a moment before finally reaching out to grab them. As he did though, a gloved hand shot out and gripped him by the back of the neck. Before he could react, he had been pulled forward and a pair of lips had crashed down on top of his own. Kakashi squirmed, trying to get away, but soon found himself melting into the kiss when a soft tongue pushed its way past his lips.
It seemed to soon though, before Sebastian was pulling away, placing the pyjamas in Kakashi's lap and smirking.
"Good night," Sebastian said in barely more than a whisper.
Going red, Kakashi glared at the butler, who just crossed the room with a pleased smile. Kakashi grabbed one of his many pillows and threw it at him, but this time he ducked under it. As he left, Kakashi could hear the dark haired man laughing.