UNFORTUNATELY, I DO NOT OWN NARUTO….*POUT, POUT*
Kakashi sighed in annoyance when he found that someone was already at the memorial. From the tree line he made out the outline of a person kneeling at the base of the black stone. He decided to wait until they left and settled back onto the branch he was crouched on. He pulled out the newest copy of Icha Icha series, and opened it to the page he had bookmarked. After every chapter he read, he stopped to check and see if the person had left, but they were still there. It was on the fourth such check that he noticed the person was slumped over instead of kneeling. He was tempted to leave them there as he had managed to go the whole day so far without having to interact with anyone, but he knew that he would feel guilty later. Not to mention the fact that he needed him/her to leave so that he could honor his lost loved ones in peace.
With this in mind, he jumped down and approached the monument. When he was almost halfway there, his sensitive nose detected the identity of the fallen person. It was Hinata Hyuuga, heiress to the Hyuuga clan. He sprinted the rest of the way, suddenly anxious for her wellbeing. Though he would never admit it out loud, Kakashi had a large soft spot for the gentle young woman. There was a time when she had literally saved him from himself. At this very same place, during the same festival, he had been overcome with grief at the death of his last best friend. She had placed her hand over his, stopping him from stabbing the kunai into his heart, and then stayed with him the whole night. They had not spoken a word, she just held him when he cried, and stroked his hair, calming him down gradually. When dawn approached, she left him there with a last tender caress on his cheek.
To this day, he was sure that she was unaware that he knew her identity. Two things had held him back from thanking her personally. One was the fact that she obviously wanted to remain anonymous as she came to him disguised, and secondly, he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge how vulnerable he had been that night. She had witnessed something that no one in the village had ever seen. Whenever he thought back on that night, he felt almost naked, the mask of indifference that he normally wore had been stripped away.
Though he couldn't (or wouldn't) acknowledge her help, from that night on, the Copy Ninja had kept a closer eye on the young woman. He had been surprised, not by her compassion, but rather by the fact that she had to courage to act on it. Some very discreet inquiry revealed she had appeared to others at previous festivals. Every person she helped was grateful for her intervention, and only one other knew her identity. The shadow wielding genius had made it clear to him that it was a secret to be guarded. He all but threatened the older ninja before it became clear to him that there was no need to.
Now as he approached her, he was hopeful that this time he could repay her kindness. He knew that she had lost her little sister this year, and that it was affecting her deeply. Kakashi had been watching Hinata, and was certain that she was hiding her sorrow behind the gentle smiles she gave everyone. The very fact that she was here instead of out helping someone else was testimony to how deep her pain was. He reached out and carefully gathered her into his arms. She was unconscious, and had a lump forming on her forehead. Obviously, she had hit her head on the stone when she passed out. He frowned as he noticed how cold and wet she was. She must have been out here since this morning when it rained. I need to get her warmed up.
He debated with himself over where he should take her. He knew that she shared his intense dislike of hospitals, both of them considered being injured as a sign of weakness. The Hyuuga compound was too far away, especially since there was another wave of rain getting ready to hit at any moment. He decided to take her to his apartment, intending to make sure that she left before anyone was the wiser to her being there. The fact that he walked around with his nose stuck in books that were essentially soft porn had given him the reputation of a ladies man. Most of the time, he was secretly amused by his fallen reputation, but at times like this it was a hindrance. I wonder what everyone would think if they knew how truly limited my experience with women really is?
His decision made, he held Hinata closer to his chest and transported them both to his apartment in a puff of smoke. Once there, he laid her gently on his bed, and went to find her some dry clothes. These are way too large, but at least they are dry. He hesitated before undressing her, it made him feel like a pervert to see her in just her underwear, and he finished dressing her as quickly as he could. He knew that he had a blush covering his face as he tucked her in under the covers. Who knew she was hiding all that under those bulky clothes?
Kakashi left his bedroom to go to the kitchen. It was time to summon the pack home to feed them. He set out the large bowls of food and water, and then performed the summoning. The ninja dogs milled about the kitchen, pushing up against his legs affectionately before going straight for their food bowls. Except for Pakkun, who sniffed the air and headed for Kakashi's bedroom. I smell a woman, and not just any woman, the little dog thought to himself.
"Hey Kakashi! What is the Hyuuga princess doing sleeping naked in your bed?" he growled in a teasing tone. The other hounds looked up from their dinner, and howled with laughter as the saw the a blush slowly creep across the Copy Ninja's face.
"She is NOT naked, you little pervert!" Kakashi said irritably.
"Yeah sur-r-re Kakashi!" teased the biggest dog as he winked at the embarrassed ninja.
"Well, I think it is about time our master here got some, I mean-" Pakkun cut off what he was going to say as he noticed that Kakashi was preparing to release the summoning.
"Alright, alright, I'll shut up! Just give me a chance to eat!" he pleaded. Kakashi lowered his hands, a smug smirk on his face. The little dog grumbled under his breathe, but ate quickly, aware that his opportunity to eat could be revoked at any moment. As soon as the last morsel was finished, the Copy Ninja whistled to gain their attention.
"I expect you all to keep the fact that she is here quiet. Her family wouldn't approve and it could cause a lot of trouble for both of us. Understood?" He asked them sternly. They all nodded at him, and he released the summoning quickly, not giving the dogs a chance to embarrass him again. He knew that they considered his abstinence to be unnatural, and that they wanted him to provide them with some children to play with. They had all fathered several litters a piece, and ribbed him constantly about it being his turn to mate.
He cleaned the bowls and put them away, then went back into the bedroom to check on Hinata. She was shivering, and when he placed his hand on her forehead, he knew that she was running a fever. After giving her a dose of fever medicine, he debated over the best way to warm her up. He knew that shared body heat was the best method, but he was reluctant to get under the covers with her. Kakashi knew that she would be upset if she woke up in the middle of the night in bed with a man. As her shivering increased, he decided that her health should take precedence over any possible embarrassment. Before he could talk himself out of it, he stripped down to his shirt and pants and climbed into the bed.
He was surprised when she turned over and threw an arm and leg over him. Kakashi's first instinct was to gently push her off, but he was enjoying the feel of her against him too much to do it. Most of the time, he avoided physical contact with anyone unless he was fighting. Regardless of his reputation, he made it a point to never touch a female unless he had to. The one exception to that had been his old teammate Rin. After Obito's death, they had grown closer, much closer. They had been each other's first and only. After her death, Kakashi had closed himself off to relationships. At first, it was a way to honor her memory, and then he just got used to being alone. He didn't want to fall in love again, only to have the person die on him like everyone else he cared about did. It was just better to avoid anymore relationships.
He figured that this one lapse in his rule wouldn't hurt anything. It was just one night, and after all, he owed her this comfort. If he happened to enjoy it a little too much who could fault him for it? It wasn't like he was going to pull any moves over on her. It was just for her comfort, pure and simple. He reached up and carefully stroked his hand over her hair. It was silky and he liked the soft feel of it as he let the strands slide between his fingers. There wasn't much that he did not like about her.
In the time after 'the incident', he began to notice her mannerisms and personality traits more than he ever had before. He had already known that she was shy, stuttered when she was nervous, and blushed almost constantly. That was obvious to anyone. What was not so obvious was her intelligence, her natural healing abilities, and her diplomatic skills. She was also a talented fighter, though her lack of confidence kept her from a higher level of achievement. Kakashi had been impressed by the amount of charity work she was involved in as well. The volunteer hours she put in at the children's hospital alone were extensive, and she was always going out of her way to help people. He was sure that she was unaware of how many people admired her and looked forward to seeing her smiling face. He found himself searching for her everyday, and it was at that point that he had forced himself to back off. He did not want to get attached, no matter how attractive he found her to be.
As he pulled her closer, she snuggled her head into his chest. He let out a sigh of contentment as he felt himself drifting off to sleep. It's already too late I am afraid…