You Don't Know - pt. 2 - Almost Lover

Brown eyes fell from the billowing curtains and the neatly manicured nails at the tip of dangling hands and skimmed over to the man who was still watching the open window. Who was she kidding? He was still watching her. Rin told herself to let it go. She had been gone for more than a decade – nearly two – and during that time he had continued his routine, grew older, took on his own team, and made more bonds. It was apparent that those he kept around him were special, and Sakura was no exception to that. Rin was grateful that he had someone that could help put him back together, that looked out for his life – and had probably been the one that kept him alive long enough for her to meet him again. She was so very grateful. But then why did the way he was looking at that woman bother her so much?

Rin sighed as she studied him. He was obviously troubled; the disheartened slouch, the hand limp at his side, and the dip of his brow all said that he was concerned. The fact that instead of leaving to return to her, he remained nearby and watched over Sakura made Rin feel out of place. Time waited on no one and it was obvious that Konoha and everyone within its walls had transformed over the years, with the years. And Rin? She was in the past. Her old home had been lost when Pain attacked the village. The training grounds were arranged differently than she remembered. Even the Academy had been rebuilt and so her carvings in the girls' bathroom were no longer there. Her favorite restaurant was now a shoe repair shop. The village was the only place she had ever thought of as home and now it all felt so heartbreakingly foreign.

When she had woken in the hospital to see Kakashi beside her she had been so elated; it was as if the gods had granted her one wish. It was like waking from a dream only to find reality so much more appealing. All of her guilt and burdens had crumbled away at the sight of his face, his face that she had missed so much, that had matured and was yet still so much the same. She had never felt more relieved or happy in her life. He was her one hope that everything would be alright from that moment on. But even after weeks of exploring the village and hogging his company, she still felt uneasy. She wanted to believe that it didn't bother her that things were so different, that she could adapt to it – she was a ninja after all – but as more time passed, the more she struggled.

The more times that they ran into Sakura and the rosette would shy away or give any reason to leave first, the more suspicious she became. The way Kakashi had spoken to her about it, about how he was worried about her always ditching them when that wasn't how she was normally, there was a fondness in his voice that Rin actually found she was envious of. She tried making up reasons for her behavior to ease his mind, and even the times he shrugged and told her "you're probably right" she knew that he didn't believe it.

Looking at him now under the moonlight, with all of his attention focused on the soft cries from above, Rin couldn't help but wonder if he was a part of Konoha that had been restored without her memory, too. She pulled back into the shadows and then turned on her heel. All she needed was some time to think – or perhaps some time to not think at all.

.oOo.

Rin ducked her head, evading Kakashi's fingers as he reached for 'something in her hair' for the hundredth time since they sat. She was positive he was just trying to touch her for the sake of touching, but after seeing him last night outside of Sakura's house she wasn't sure how she felt about it.

She swatted at his hand as he made another move. "Don't think I won't kick your ass right here."

His eye widened. "You would not."

She tilted her chin defiantly, trying to hide a smirk. "Oh, no?"

He leant closer to her. "You would, wouldn't you?"

Her eyes narrowed and she shortened the gap between them. "Would I?"

Her breath hitched as he met her gaze and held it; it was like he was searching for something within her dark depths. It was a bit unsettling how penetrating his stare was, but she didn't waver. He finally sat back and shook his head. "You've gotten scary since you've been gone, Rin."

She could hear the teasing sound to his voice, but she wondered what else about her had changed in his eyes. Her lips pursed to the side and she looked away. "Maybe you've just gotten softer."

His hand rested atop hers and his touch provoked her to face him. "Maybe I have."

She wanted to ask him to elaborate; she suddenly wanted to hear every story he could possibly tell, to hear about how he had changed. She wanted to know about any memories at special places, what it was like having a genin team, and all about the Uzumaki boy that reminded her so much of her former sensei. She wanted to hole up with him and hear him talk until he was blue in the face. And then it would be her turn.

But then he suddenly grinned, his eye creasing in happiness, and she followed his gaze to the pinkette as he greeted her. "Hey, Sakura! Have a seat."

The medic looked between the two of them and took the empty chair across the table as she offered a polite smile. "How've you been, Rin?"

"Fine, just still getting used to the village."

She nodded, tucking some stray hair behind her ear. "It must have changed a lot since you've been away."

For some reason, Rin didn't like her tone of voice. It wasn't that she was jealous – sensitive would be a better word – but she found herself reaching for Kakashi's hand. "Yeah, but some things stay the same." Then she smiled at him. If it made Sakura uncomfortable, she didn't notice.

Sakura cleared her throat a little and reached for the pitcher of water and poured a glass. "What about any pains?" she asked after taking a sip.

"A little, but I'm a medic, too, Sakura-chan."

"But Sakura is one of the best medics in the nation," Kakashi butted in. "She was trained by Tsunade-sama herself."

Rin turned to give Sakura a closer look, appraising her in a different light. "You apprenticed under the Hokage?"

The rosette nodded. "I did."

Rin wanted to pout and ask what made her so special, but as soon as she thought it, she realized how juvenile it sounded. Instead she smiled. "Well, that certainly makes me feel better knowing that I had someone with your expertise to look over me."

Sakura smiled back. "You can thank Kakashi for that. If it wasn't for him I probably never would've gotten as much practice."

The brunette looked beside her and Kakashi gave his cheek a sheepish scratch. "You know how I am."

Did she? They were just into their teens, experiencing those blossoming emotions, when she last saw him. She remembered Kakashi as cold and aloof, as practical and bossy. He would do things his way or no way at all, because he had always been so sure that he knew the right thing to do in any situation. He always ended up coming out on top, and after that fateful day when they lost Obito, she hadn't seen him emerge from battle with little more than a few scratches. To think he had gotten to the point where he needed medical attention – and quite a bit of it at that – made her wonder when that had all changed.

She only sighed and shook her head at him. "Troublesome."

"I ran into Naruto earlier today, he said he wants us to meet for ramen tonight at Ichiraku's," Kakashi announced.

Sakura made a tsk sound. "All he does is eat noodles. Can we stick him with the bill tonight? Maybe if he goes broke he'll realize his mistakes… and I had some… expenses taken out of my check, so I really need to save what I can."

Kakashi's brow lifted. "What'd you do this time?"

"Nothing," she replied in a quiet voice and turned her attention to her water.

"Sakura."

She deflated at his tone. "I put Kisanagi through the window. He deserved it for the way he touched me! I don't care if he was already injured, that lecherous old man had it coming!"

Kakashi let out a bark of laughter, surprising both women. Rin stared at him in shock; she rarely had the pleasure of hearing him laugh. He had never really been the laughing type of person, which was a shame because he had a wonderful one. Rin wanted to make him laugh like that.

Sakura frowned. "It's not that funny. I lost a lot of money."

"Sorry, Sakura-chan, but yeah, let's leave him with the bill. He eats the most anyway."

Seeing Kakashi with friends was new and different and nice, Rin decided. He had always been such a solitary person that she never would've thought he'd ever open up. She was glad she was wrong. He needed friends and outings; she only wished she had been around for them. But she could be now.

"Can I come, too?" she asked, eyes wide with hope.

He put his arm around her shoulders. "Sure you can! You've been wanting to meet Naruto, haven't you? He's a nice kid, you'll like him."

Rin smiled and looked over at Sakura who was looking down at her feet. The younger medic looked up and met her gaze, then Kakashi's arm around her, and then she quickly looked away and stood. "I'm going to be on my way."

"But you just got here," Kakashi countered.

Her emerald eyes slid back to Rin, who lifted her hand to his, and then looked away. "Yeah, but I'll see you later tonight. Enjoy your time."

Before he could protest again, Sakura was gone and his hand slid from Rin's hold as his arm fell away from her shoulders. For a brief moment, Rin felt like she had won. Won what, she wasn't quite sure, but it was a small victory because she had him all to herself again. But when she saw the look in his eye, she could feel her heart drop. "What's wrong, Kakashi?"

"It's nothing," he replied and then grinned, his tone becoming lighter. "What would you like for lunch? Do you still like tempura?"

What she wanted was the truth! She was curious what exactly the pink-haired medic meant to him. Was she just a kid like Naruto? He had said she was a friend before, but was she more than that? Afraid of the answer, knowing it might mean that he was no longer an option for her, Rin only leaned toward him and looked over the menu he was holding. "Do you still not like tempura?"

He shook his head. "That stuff is evil."

"Then pick something out for me. I want to have something you like."

He looked down at her and then gave a nod before turning his attention back to the menu.

.oOo.

As they were walking to Ichiraku that evening, Rin gave a small smile as she watched a trio of small children run by them, shouting out odd jutsu names as they took turns swiping at one another with sticks. Her hand circled Kakashi's wrist and she gave him a tug. "Remember when we were that small?"

"I try to forget," he deadpanned.

She huffed. "You act as if life was awful when we were kids."

"Wasn't it?"

She bit down on her lip and cursed herself. Sure, life wasn't exactly all she had imagined it to be, but it wasn't all bad. "Do you not have any good memories? You're too young to talk like a bitter old man."

"I'm not bitter," he defended, and then continued in a lighter tone. "I'm just more of a realist."

"Bitter," she argued under her breath.

"What was that? I couldn't quite hear you," he teased.

"You're just giving me more proof that you're an old man after all."

"Really, Rin, that's painful," he said, voice dropping flat as he put a hand over his chest.

She smirked. "Please, I'm not even trying to make it hurt."

"Do you want to make it hurt?"

"Depends," she replied coyly. "Do you like a little pain?"

Kakashi stopped and Rin looked back to see what the holdup was. He was staring at her, disbelief obvious in his single-eyed gaze. Her brow dipped a little. "What is it?"

"Nothing, just… you sure know how to make a man blush," he muttered before picking his feet up again, this time pulling her along.

She couldn't stop the giggles from coming. "And considering your reading material that must surely be a task in and of itself."

"Hush, you."

She snickered as the lanterns for the noodle shop came into view. Of course, the others were already there waiting on them.

"You're late!" a blond boy exclaimed as soon as Kakashi entered, a finger pointing straight in his face.

"I just got lost on the road of life," he replied and Rin noticed how Sakura mouthed the excuse along with him and then rolled her eyes.

"Whoa, Kaka-sensei, I didn't know you had a girlfriend," the boy commented with a cheeky grin.

Kakashi neither denied nor confirmed it and only pulled Rin forward. "This is Rin, she's an old teammate. Rin, this is Naruto."

Rin couldn't believe the similarities she saw as she looked upon his face. His hair was the same sun-golden color, his eyes that same intense blue. Naruto grinned sheepishly and rubbed at the back of his head. She nearly did a double take; that was so much like his mother. Kakashi nudged her and she made a surprised squeaking sound.

"I'm sorry! You just… you look just like…"

"Yeah," Naruto said, as if knowing where she was going. "He was my dad."

Rin smiled. "He was my sensei."

Hearing this made his smile grow to reach his eyes. "You'll have to tell me some stories about him some time!"

"I will," she agreed with a nod.

"This is Hinata-chan," he introduced with a subtle smile, "and this is Saku-"

"Sakura-chan, I know her," Rin said and then shot her a smile.

"I'm starving! Let's eat!"

Rin eyed the menu for a few moments while everyone else ordered; finally, she decided on some pork ramen. She pressed her shoulder against Kakashi's. "Thanks for inviting me along."

"Of course."

She looked beside her at Naruto and his date. He seemed like such a perfect mesh of both of his parents, and still his own unique person. She had been gone when the kyuubi attacked and her sensei lost his life protecting the village. He had been the rock that held the entire team together; he had been a great man and seeing Naruto brought back so many memories.

Naruto and Hinata broke into quiet conversation as they ate, and with Sakura on the other side of them, it practically left Kakashi and Rin to themselves. She had only gotten a few bites into her meal when she realized that Kakashi was already done. She slurped down her bite. "You're already done?!"

He shrugged. "What can I say?"

"No indigestion? You must have an iron stomach."

He patted his belly. "I've put it through worse."

She sighed and continued on her food, shocked even more as Naruto ordered another bowl, and then a third one before she could even finish off her first. Hinata just laughed as Sakura made empty threats to his well-being if he couldn't be more careful about his eating habits.

Rin leaned over to Kakashi. "Did he get it from you? Or you from him?"

"Don't compare my stomach to that bottomless pit. He's a ravenous ramen creature without any real categorization."

Her mouth dropped open as two more bowls were placed in front of him. "I think I see what you mean."

There was a sharp snapping sound and everyone turned their heads toward the noise.

"What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked with his mouth packed full of noodles.

"I… I'm just not that hungry. Sorry, Naruto, I gotta go."

The rosette quickly stood from her seat and pushed the flaps to the side so she could walk out. Hinata placed her hand over his as he stood, evidently concerned for his friend, and she assured him that she'd be okay.

Kakashi, on the other hand, got up and was out of arm's reach before Rin could even try to stop him. She watched his legs hurry off in the same direction Sakura left in. Rin could only shrug as Naruto turned a questioning gaze toward her. She poked at her ramen, but couldn't bring herself to eat another bite.

Before, when they were younger, Kakashi had often been the one to say the words that made other people walk out like Sakura did. He hadn't really cared what his actions caused, and he'd stand there with a dip to his brow and arms crossed, obstinate. All those times during their early years, all she wanted was for Kakashi to come after her, just once. And now here he was chasing after another girl, worried and concerned – and seemingly unaware of how he was making Rin feel. She wanted to whine and pout, and smack him repeatedly, and let him know how unfair she thought it all was. Then with her next thought she would berate herself for even thinking such things.

With resignation, she stood and turned to the others. "I'm going to see what's going on… make sure everything's alright."

Naruto nodded and then she was walking out, heading in the last direction she saw him go. Rin got turned around more than once; the new establishments, the bigger village itself, had her a bit confused still. But she soon found signs of Kakashi's chakra and eventually found him. It didn't surprise her that he was with Sakura, but what she saw them doing, did.

He was holding onto her hand, refusing to let her go even though she was begging him to with tears in her eyes.

"Just tell me! What is it? Who is it?" he demanded softly. "This isn't like you, Sakura, and I miss the real you."

Her other hand curled into a fist as she shook her head, avoiding looking at him. "Kakashi, please, just don't…"

It was at this moment that Rin wondered if perhaps all men, no matter how intelligent, were really this dense when it came to women. But there was a passing of silence between them, and in that space of time a look of realization came over Kakashi. Rin could see it in his body posturing, in that twitch of his eye, and the way his hand tightened on hers.

When Sakura wouldn't move, he stepped towards her – slow and purposeful. "I didn't know. I'm sorry, Sakura."

In her mind, Rin was telling – no, screaming at – him to stop. As loud as she was in her head, she remained quiet and watched on as he pulled her into his arms. She fought him at first, but quickly gave up as it became evident that he wasn't going to let her go. The hands that had been trying to push him away now clenched at his shirt. His hand lifted to wipe the tears from her cheek and Rin couldn't watch any more.

Dejected, she turned away. The decision that needed to be made became all the more clear as she found her way back to the main road. Perhaps she had been silly, naïve even, to think that the past would've remained waiting for her. Everyone she had known had died or grown and changed so much that they were practically new people altogether just with familiar names. Realizing that her village wasn't what it used to be, that the memory of her beloved Kakashi was so different from the man he was now, a man that loved and needed, but quite possibly didn't love or need her, made her heart crumble.

As shocking as the revelation was, as much as it squeezed at her heart, suffocating her, she couldn't bring herself to cry. She felt surprisingly, and comfortably, numb.

Naruto and Hinata were still at their seats when she returned and she explained that they should be back soon, and she assured him that Sakura seemed okay when she saw her. Naruto buttered her up then, asking for a story about his dad and she obliged him willingly. Fond memories of her sensei meant fond ones of Kakashi and Obito as well. After indulging him with a story about one of their early genin missions, Naruto seemed pleased and eager to hear more, but he had to get Hinata home - which led to his next predicament.

Rin's brow twitched. "What was that?"

He scratched his reddening cheeks. "Well, I'm a little short on the bill and usually I can get Kaka-sensei or Sakura-chan to pay, but they ran off and I just need a tiny bit to pay for my extra bowls."

Rin eyed the stack of bowls. "How many extra bowls did you have?!"

With a bit of an embarrassed laugh he held up four fingers and she went slack-jawed. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"I'll pay you back, please?"

Rin sighed and then pulled out her wallet.

Kakashi returned just after Naruto and Hinata left and Rin pouted up at him as he came to stand beside her. He looked down and caught sight of her empty billfold. "He got you, didn't he?"

She nodded, desolate. He put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. How can I make it up to you?"

A million replies buzzed across her mind, but only one came from her mouth. "You can start by buying me a drink."

TBC

A/N: It's been a while, ne? Thanks for sticking around! I hope you liked the change in perspective for this one. We'll be seeing things from Kakashi's eyes for the last part.

And a special thank you to Mateba whose kind words really helped push me into completing part two. Part Three – the end – coming soon!