Disclaimer: I hope everyone realises that the original cast of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

Chapter 18

"Come on Azami, I know you're there."

"E-he-he, hey Natsuki-chan."

My eyes widened at the voice that was not Azami's, almost dropping the ham in the process. "Naruto!" his blonde head appeared around the doorway, a sheepish expression on his face. Had he heard everything? "What-What are you doing here? Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"I'm fine, but Azami-chan passed by me looking pretty angry, and just dumped the ham on me, so I thought we could eat it together with some ramen, dattebayo!"

I smiled, nothing like Naruto and his ramen to cheer me up. I put the ham on the coffee table, "I'm not sure ham will go with ramen, but if you want-"

"Natsuki-chan, erm," Naruto scratched the back of his head, "You and Kakashi-sensei, are you-"

"No." I said, "Yes. Maybe. No... well, I don't think so, but then... ARGH!" I collapsed onto my sofa, turning my head and burying it into a cushion, "That man will be the death of me..."

"I think he really likes you."

"Oh yeah?" I grunted, "And what could give that away? Whenever he pisses me off? When he annoys me? When he stood me up?"

"When he said he thought he loved you."

I froze, remembering those words now. I thought I had been imagining things before... oh this was too much to handle right now, "It's not that simple Naruto..."

"Why? He said "He would protect you, and although I don't like the pervert – do you know what books he reads? – he's my sensei, and I trust him." I shook my head into the pillow, "I'm not that stupid either. I remember how you were for the past few years." I turned my head to face Naruto, "You missed him, and you only miss people precious to you. You missed him for a long time, so he has to be really precious to you, right?"

I smiled at him. "Aww Naruto, I didn't know you were that romantic."

Naruto blushed, "What? I'm not- I'm- Natsuki-chan you're so funny! E-he-he-he..."

"No wonder Hinata adores you."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

"Are you angry at him, is that it?" Naruto asked, sitting next to me. "I'll beat him to a pulp! And I'll get Azami and Gai to help me!"

I chuckled at Naruto, sitting up to hug him. "Thank you, but I think I would just prefer a hug, and then I think I'll take a nap. I feel strangely exhausted."

Naruto grinned and hugged me, nothing like a hug from Naruto, a dose of sunshine. After grabbing a blanket for me, he kissed my cheek and left, ranting about finding Sakura or something. I lay on the sofa, feeling really pathetic and all jumbled up. Let's not think about it now, a small nap will help clear my head. Wrapping the blanket tighter around me, I closed my eyes and slowly cleared my head, until it felt nice and empty and dark, and sleep slowly won me over.

I woke up what felt like seconds later – but was probably hours seeing how dark it was outside – to the feeling of something hitting my thigh repeatedly. Cracking one eye open a little I almost groaned in annoyance. "Go away."

"Get up, get up, get up!"

"Please go away?"

"Uzumaki Natsuki get up RIGHT now!" Azami screamed in my ear. "We have a lot to discuss."

I groaned as Azami heaved me up to sit. Still wrapped up in my blanket, I glared at Azami, "What?" I snapped at her.

"Don't 'what' me young lady. I heard from a little birdie that someone declared their love for you." Note to self; kill Naruto. "What did you say back?"

"Aren't you supposed to be angry at him too?"

"You did tell him how you felt, right Natsuki-chan?"

"I thought you were all for killing him."

"That was when I thought he was a clueless, selfish bastard with no regards to your feelings or those of anyone around him, who particularly enjoyed cruelly toying with people's emotions like some chess master his pawns, as I view most chauvinistic, prejudiced, conservatively-minded men who view women as subservient and on the same level of entertainment as a television." Azami said, "But he said he loved you, that's serious Natsuki-chan, you have to realise that's a hard thing to say. Especially if you mean it."

"What did you call him again? It was funny."

"YOU DIDN'T TELL HIM, DID YOU?" she started hitting me again with the cushion, traitor-cushion! "You silly, silly girl! Do you realise how rare it is for him, Kakashi, to display any emotions? Much less declare his undying love for you!"

"He didn't declare his 'undying love' for me," I said, rubbing my sore head, "He said he thought he loved with me. Thought. There's a difference."

"A minuscule difference." Azami said, planting herself next to me on the sofa. "Even you must realise how special this moment is. You aren't stupid, I know that. What's wrong?"

I grabbed the cushion from Azami, hugging it to my chest. "I just... I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Of what I could possibly lose, again!" I said, rocking slightly on the sofa, "How many times do I have to watch him walk away from me before he finally stays? Is that fair on me? I'm just scared of what could happen."

Azami didn't say anything at first, instead pulling me towards her and wrapping her arms around me, planting a kiss on the top of my head before she spoke, "Okay, you're scared, and you have reason to be. It might not even be worth it-"

"Exactly!-"

"But maybe you could in fact be missing the biggest chance of happiness with the love of your life?"

"..."

"Just think fully about it. You've thought a lot about the negatives, now what about the positives?"

"Positives?"

"Say you told Kakashi you loved him back – don't deny it, or I swear I'll hit you again – what could be the best parts of being together?"

"..." The best parts? Everything. Just knowing that he'd be there for me without running off. Having more breakfasts with him. Redecorating that awful house of his with him. Seeing him after every mission, home and nice and safe. Hugging him. Kissing him. Loving him...

"Natsuki-chan?"

"I-I'm tired Azami. Can we continue this some other time?"

"I guess so." Azami kissed my cheek and a tight squeeze, "I'll see you in the morning then?" I nodded my head, walking her out of the apartment. When I had locked the door I put the now stone cold tea away, and prepared for bed. Once I was washed and dressed I dropped into bed, and closed my eyes, willing sleep to come.

But it was like I was only tired, not sleepy.

So I opened my eyes, and just stared at the ceiling for a while, wishing that by some chance the answer to my problems would appear written there. No, no magic writing on the wall... I guess I'll have to do this the old fashioned way and think. Ack! Heart says one thing, head says another, plus I had to take Kakashi's thoughts and feelings into consideration.

Two hours later, and sleep still avoiding me, I thought I'd better go sort this whole thing out. Before I become an insomniac, and start looking more like Gaara than I wanted to. I grabbed a coat since it was raining slightly and headed out of the apartment, going straight for the Hokage tower and hoping the Hokage was having a particularly workaholic day.

No luck.

I had banged my fist raw on the door, before teleporting straight into his office, only to find no Hokage. He'd probably gone home early, today of all days...

But I needed to go somewhere I felt safe. Naruto was a safe place, but he wasn't strong enough to help fight Madara if it came to it, and I wouldn't risk exposing his home to the man after the demon in him. Gai was at Azami's, but knowing them, we'd all stay up worrying together, and end up dead tired if a confrontation did occur. That left one place... one damn place.

I teleported outside of Kakashi's house, remembering how it looked by memory, and wound out just on the porch. Talk about good landing. I didn't bother with the door, knowing Kakashi, it'd be scarily overly-cautiously bogey trapped. Same for all the windows. The only way I could safely go in was to teleport. I peered through a window and in another instant found myself in a familiar dull grey setting. I crept up the stairs as quietly as I could, and peered in each room until I found his bedroom. He was already asleep, but what surprised me – other than the ease of my 'break-in' – was that he didn't have his mask on.

No, I didn't see his face.

He was turned away from me and had a hand covering his face. Typical, he probably did that subconsciously now; unaware he was still hiding his face in his sleep. Should I wake him? But why bother him like that, I was already – I hate to say – calming down just by seeing him. Why must everything always lead back to him? Shrugging my damp coat off, I draped it on the door handle, before slowly and carefully lifting the covers of Kakashi's bed, trying to make as little movement as possible so not to-

"Just get in Natsuki, you're letting all the cold in."

I huffed, "I was trying not to wake you." I said, shuffling under the covers and turning my back to Kakashi.

"I was already awake, why do you think I covered my face?"

"Oh... I'm not here about the thing before."

"Okay."

"Just so you know."

"Alright then."

"I just came here because I was a little scared and you're still my best guy friend."

"Natsuki just go to sleep," Kakashi said as I heard him shuffle a little on his side of the bed. "We'll talk in the morning. And don't think about trying to make an early get away," an arm was thrown around me, "I'll be able to tell."

"You're going to stay like that all night?"

"If it means you're still here in the morning, yes." What do you say to that? I bit my lip in thought, before internally shrugging my shoulders and closing my eyes. I fell asleep to the sound of light rain hitting the roof above me and the feeling of Kakashi's breathe blowing softly on my shoulder. I hate to say that that was the best night's sleep I had had in my life so far, because it would imply certain things that Azami would really wish I would just give in and admit to... but it was. And I felt like nothing bad could happen to me, at least, not while I could feel that arm around my waist like now.

Damnit, I am in love...