A/N: I know I suck for abandoning this story! I was almost completely half way done writing when my hard drive crashed on me and I totally lost my mojo. Chapters (and my chapters are long!), all of my notes for this story and for the sequel just vanished! But since I'm writing a new fic, I decided to take a stab at it again and I sincerely missed this story.

My last author's note stated that this fic would get more serious, and here is quite an angsty chapter.

Since I wrote this before the manga ended, this A/U will not include the ending of the canon. But I did use real quotes and scenes from the manga in this chapter.

I can't promise that I'll be making regular updates like HVBM, but I will eventually finish this. I have to say, coming back and reading all the comments, you all have absolutely touched my smutty soul. After this chapter, I will make it fun again. :) And THANK YOU all for loving my O/C Mylan! Original characters rarely get love and I'm so glad you've enjoyed him!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 11 – Letting go

*Flashback*

There was no wind.

No soft gust to caress the exposed apples of his cheeks. But he could smell the burning flesh from the west, the poisonous gasses rising from the east. The deep stench of carnage wafted and saturated his canine nose but there was no wind to carry these scents.

'I should have said more.'

'I should have done more.'

And countless, unrelenting apologies on his tongue were left unsaid.

Home was where the heart lied. A refuge that provided comfort and safety. For Hatake Kakashi, home brought him hardly any solace despite his strong urge to protect it. No comfort within strong, familiar walls that most had the luxury of feeling. He equated home with sorrow, personal demons and sleepless nightmares.

A reminder of all his failures.

In the comfort of his home he would stand before a desolate rock branded with names that were burned behind mismatched eyes. There, the fabrics of his soul would unwind in faint whispers of apologies. Countless apologies he repeated several times as if he were praying in mantra.

Repetition and silent mourning.

'It's my fault.'

'It should have been me.'

And there he stood again, reddened eyes stinging from hot tears that refused to fall for him. To relieve him of some turmoil, but he did not deserve relief in any form.

'I won't allow my comrades to die. I'll protect you with my life. Trust me.'

He remembered looking into the eyes of his childhood comrades, a teacher- precious people with whom he cherished with the deepest depths of him, while proclaiming this vow. This vow he so longed to keep.

Foolishly believing that if he became the strongest, the smartest, whatever he could aspire to be, he wouldn't have to witness them disappear.

He wouldn't be left behind again.

Broken promises, piled on top of broken dreams, atop unending hopelessness.

Hatake Kakashi had failed again that day.

*End of flashback*

Before Sakura was able to even make a reply Kakashi was gone. Instinctively, she ran outside but she couldn't see a speck or glimmer of bouncing silver in the busy crowd. Confused, she walked back into the large, double doors of the lounge and found her two best friends sitting casually at a table.

With a sigh, she walked over to them. "Hey, guys. Sorry about that."

"It's cool, Ugly-chan. It's not the first time Moody-kun scared off someone." Sai reasoned as the brunette glared daggers at him.

Sasuke was adamantly against his new, stupid nickname. Moody-kun. He inwardly seethed. Since when had he ever been moody? "Tch. I didn't even do anything! Sakura shouldn't be dating a weakling anyway. I did nothing."

"I'm not dating anyone and you're gonna keep on doing nothing!" she yelled, "Hey, I gotta go." she quickly began gathering her things.

"But we just got here!" Sai cried.

"Let her go. She probably has to tend to her weakling old man."

While gracefully slipping her coat on she made it a point to smack the back of Sasuke's head with as much force as she could muster with polyester.

"Hey!" he yelled rubbing the back of his head, swatting the empty air as if that would have made any difference.

"Let's have dinner at my place tomorrow, kay?" She turned and left so quickly the boys didn't even have the chance to stop her.

"Well that was really unsuccessful." Sai stated casually, "You should really work on your people skills."

"Speak for yourself!" Who was he to tell him that he had to work on his people skills..

*Flashback*

"Sasuke-kun!"

A blood curdling cry echoed the legendary valley located on the outskirts of Konoha. Sakura ran toward her fallen comrade, her palms already glowing green with healing chakra.

Bruises and gashes decorated the pale skin of the Uchiha. His femoral artery slashed and there was a gaping hole in his midsection. How he was even breathing, she couldn't even begin to fathom.

Sakura gathered him onto her lap, one hand pressed onto his stomach, trying her hardest to repair the countless organs that were blown to bits, the other was trying to repair the damaged artery on his right leg. He would not bleed out. She was going to save him! She had to save him. He would live!

"Get off me." blood gurgled from his mouth as he tried to fight her hands off him.

"You're going to be alright, you hear me? You're going to be alright!" tears were falling down her emerald eyes, washing away the blood stains on her cheeks.

*End of Flashback*

"Kakashi, I know you're in there!" Sakura yelled, banging against the door as hard as she could. "Open up."

On the other side, a solemn Kakashi sat deaf to the world around him. Like a zombie, his body slack, eyes darkened, he began to undo the top two buttons of his dress shirt. He brought his arm over his closed eyes as he leaned back against the couch.

What the hell was he suppose to make of all this?

Scabs were ripped off internal wounds leaving them open, bloody and sore. The mixed emotions he had felt initially were fading away into nothingness. That strong, overwhelming feeling of nothingness that almost felt stronger than any other type of emotion. Strangling and suffocating, like a boulder on one's chest inhibiting all breath. The familiar numbness he had felt all his life had crept its way back inside, consuming him with unfeeling plague. And he didn't mind. Kakashi was lost in the comfort his only coping mechanism had given him.

And so he sat lifelessly for the next few hours.

The boy was alive.

Uchiha Sasuke was alive.

*Flashback*

Just as he was about to bite his reply, Sasuke felt a clammy, calloused hand grasp his. He looked to his right to find his rival, his once best friend, kneeling next to him, cerulean eyes weeping silently for reasons the Uchiha had no idea.

To his left, he felt another rough hand grasp his other. His faded crimson eyes sought to find the source; his silver-hair sensei with dual colored eyes reddened with emotions he had long forgotten. The familiar masked, forced smile that use to give him reassurance was offered.

And silently.. Sasuke permitted this. It wasn't because of how tired he was or the pain he was in, though he would like to think it was that. He spent half of his life fighting this feeling with every vengeful memory in his soul.

But. It was comfort. Like sustenance he had been deprived of for so long and at that moment he felt starved. He felt safe.

Sakura at his head, Kakashi-sensei on his left and on his right.. Naruto. Perhaps this was how he should have lived his life; the sublime perfection he received from his precious people. What he fought so hard to run away from. Was it too late to stop running?

*End of Flashback*

Sarutobi-sama once told Kakashi that no matter how much Orochimaru fell, he still loved him. In turn Kakashi mentioned this to the young Uchiha, indirectly confessing the unrequited feelings he felt for the boy.

Sasuke chose the wrong path. And Kakashi still cared.

He should have done more. He should have tried harder. To teach him better. To guide him. He should have saved him from the delusions of the path he took- to fight the darkness instead of falling. To rise above the temporary satisfaction revenge brought.

The boy died years ago and here he was in this strange world all grown up into the fine man he saw. He had friends. He smiled. He was alive.

He then remembered Mylan's words about Sakura.

'The Sakura of this world, and the one from yours, and the others from the many other dimensions all share the same soul. She is one in the same, yet she is not.'

This boy had the soul of his student. This boy in every way was what could have been. They were connected, one in the same. And a sad thought entered his mind, one that made him feel anguished, hopeless yet... hopeful. And suddenly, a wild burning pressure filled his chest as if something were breaking inside, replacing the unrelenting black holed numbness.

How many of them were here? How many of the souls he could not save were right here in this torturous world?

*Flashback*

The boy's body trembled for a fraction of second before he exhaled his final breath. Kakashi watched as his student, this child, departed from this life. The hand in his turned cold and the expression of the boy he once knew softly resurfaced.

Silence filled the stifling air. Frozen in their spots, tears dried in their irises-Team Seven remained so still, so lifeless as if they all had crossed into the next world together. The stillness was more painful than grief as denial laced with angry 'what if's' floated in the air they breathed.

A small memory flashed behind Kakashi's closed eyes. A memory of three happy children racing up trees, two of which were covered with dirt and sweat while the other pink-haired one stood confidently at his side. He felt pride that day. They weren't just his subordinates. They were children, laughing and growing in so many ways right before his eyes. Kakashi didn't feel the ache of loneliness ebb inside that day. And he decided that this was going to be his new family. He would do whatever it took to protect his family.

He was wrong.

*End of Flashback*

Kakashi felt lost. Vacant pain slowly swept through him, and try as he might, every time he closed his eyes he could see the boy broken and bloody. His large crimson eyes fading into a dull onyx as he tragically left this world.

His so-called genius hands were unable to save him. He couldn't save any of them.

And the disappointment and grief in the eyes from the his other two students- he had failed them all.

A thick, metallic liquid began to trickle down his arm and Kakashi opened his eyes in alarm to find his nightmares make form in his reality. He saw nothing but blood. Red coating and thickening over his pale skin. Holding up his hands, palms facing upward, he watched the maroon liquid filled and dripped onto his lap. He could even feel the sickening warmth and smell the coppery foulness.

It was their blood. Their blood on his hands.

Crazed, he stripped, his hand prints of their death visible only to his eyes on his clothes as he undressed himself while hastily running into the confinements of his bathroom to wash himself of his sins.

*Flashback*

Sakura's hands began to glow once more as she roamed her hands with fearful determination over the beaten Uchiha while hot tears streaked her blood stained cheeks.

"Sakura." Kakashi called out quietly, his voice sullen.

She ignored him.

"Sakura." he repeated, squeezing his large gloved hands over her glowing ones.

Her vision was completely blurred with her tears. Just a little bit more! She felt herself running out of chakra, her muscles splitting from overuse. Her body was literally on the brink of breaking but from sheer determination she would preserver.

He's going to be fine!

"Sakura!" he raised his voice. Her glistening eyes met her trusted Sensei's. He looked at her hard, unable to find the right words to say. But she could read his mind. She could always read his mind. This was the end. Her face fell, tired hands stopped its work.

At their side, the still blonde released the limp, cold hand in his grasp. He stood and walked a few feet away, unable to face them. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't speak. He could barely see past the stream of tears and edges of red closing in on his vision as he scoured the battlefield surrounding them.

"Naruto.." Sakura called quietly as she felt a sudden shift in the air. Something dark. Something undeniably evil. And for the first time Kakashi did not feel the need to stop it.

They needed to pay. Naruto burst into flames.

*End of Flashback*

It was her day off and those wonderful, amazing days were suppose to be filled with wonderful, amazing things like laying down, sleeping or just doing whatever she wanted to do. Days off were the best. Especially days where she didn't have school, her internship or work. Although, she could do with a little more work..

Besides the point, Sakura was spending this day in not a wonderful, amazing way.

Restless, she flipped through the channels of her television at least twenty times, she went over her notes, she exercised, she even baked, and she never did that. Especially that.

And all the while she checked her phone constantly, looked through the tiny peephole of her front door, but alas, still no word from her masked friend. There was something completely off about him last night. And what was killing her was she felt to blame for whatever was going on with him currently. Did she say something? Or did she not read him well enough to realize he wasn't in the mood to go out? Perhaps something had actually happened to him that evening and she had failed to notice. And on top of it all, her lack of sensitivity just made it worse. Maybe her pheromones make him uncomfortable? But she did her damnedest to not to say or do anything weird last night!

There were so many questions running through her guilt-ridden mind and if only he would pick up her call she would know!

Sakura let out a sigh, pushing aside her phone as she closed her eyes. The back of her eyelids played the memory of the odd glint in his exposed eye as he pulled her close on the dance floor. The strange thing about it was she could've sworn she saw a certain sadness in him, one she was well familiar with.. But that couldn't be it. The strong, carefree man he was- it seemed like nothing could get to him.

No one that nonchalant and aloof could truly be bothered to feel pain, right?

The vibrations of her cell caught her attention and she hurriedly reached to answer it.

"Hello?" she answered softly, waiting for the voice of the person she was most worried for.

"Where's my rent?!"

"Hello, Aunt Azumi." she greeted monotonously, rolling her eyes in exasperation. She should have looked at her caller identification first!

"Who else did you think it was.. stupid girl." the rasped, old voice muttered, "Where is my rent?!"

What the hell was this crazy, old bat yelling about this time? "It's still August. Rent isn't due till the seventh of next month, like it always is."

"Obviously, it seems like you're forgetting one important thing. I own that trash apartment you live in! I get to say when and how much whenever I damn well please! And I want your rent by the end of next week or else have fun sleeping on a bench!"

Sakura cringed as she heard her horrible Aunt hang up with a slam of her phone before the words fully processed in her. Rent? Due next week?

Shit, what the heck was she suppose to do now?!

*Flashback*

The sky lit in flames.

Hundreds of clones coated in golden chakra went on rampage. Crazed with rage, the boy who dreamed to simply be acknowledged, the boy who pledged to the heavens that he would protect his friends, the boy who swore that he would never break a promise crumbled into darkness.

"Kaka-sempai.." her voice was barely above a whisper. "Sempai. You need to stop Naruto-chan."

She repeated louder hoping to get through the statue of a man standing with eerie stillness, with a lifeless daze in his eyes.

He made no reaction her voice.

"Please, Kakashi-sensei. I can't do this on my own. I need you." she reached for him.

'I need you.' her small voice echoed in his mind and he finally heard her. His onyx and red blazed eye found focus in her pleading emerald orbs. She needed him. And despite his world falling apart again for more times than any human deserved, he did what was natural to him.

To try with his own two hands to protect what he had left.

All he could muster was a nod. Kakashi disappeared into the sky.

*End of Flashback*

"Kakashi?" a small, timid voice called out to him as she entered the foyer of his apartment.

Sakura was done with today. The call from her horrible aunt topped off with the silent treatment from her aloof neighbor? After a few how-to videos on the net, she decided she couldn't take the quiet anymore and broke into his apartment with a bobby pin and a credit card that had already reached it's spending limit.

She looked around the vacant living room. There wasn't a soul in sight and with the already cold aesthetics of her surroundings, she could almost feel a colder chill penetrate her very bones. She placed down her card and bobby pin she used to pick the door on a nearby table. Wracked with worry, she slowly began looking around the room for signs of life.

*Flashback*

Nameless, broken and marred bodies laid scattered around them.

Clouds of smoke puffed around the blonde standing in the midst of the chaos, his lifelike clones vanished. Breathing hard, his cerulean eyes roamed the battlefield looking for another form of life to cross him.

A strong gloved hand clasped his shoulder and instantly his sunset chakra disappeared.

"Naruto-chan," his sensei called to him.

And the blonde knew in his teacher's voice. It was time to say goodbye.

*End of Flashback*

Brown leather shoes laid unkempt by the couch, a tie thrown skewed to the left, a dress shirt on the floor and the rest of of his garments left a gingerbread trail to the bathroom. She paced with careful steps outside the door with worried fear in her breath. After a few minutes, she found resolution and confidence as she stood beside the door.

"Kakashi." she called as she knocked. There was no reply. "Kakashi. I'm coming in."

With a slight creak of the door Sakura walked into a dimly lit bathroom. She squinted her jade eyes and scoured the scene left to right until she saw him. She inhaled sharply lifting the back of her hand over her slightly agape mouth in surprised.

There he was half submerged in his clawfoot tub. His white, damp hair falling over his expressionless yet manic eyes. His hands continued an onslaught of scrubbing all over his pale skin. He was scrubbing so hard she was sure he didn't have any skin left. He looked crazed. He looked broken.

"Kakashi!"

*Flashback*

Rule number twenty-five: A ninja must never show their tears.

With heavy eyes and a heavy heart Kakashi crouched behind Naruto and Sakura, placing a hand on both of their trembling shoulders. It was only thing he could offer them at this moment. Today they would mourn together. And tomorrow would be the same. Until the day he could be able to help them rise from these ashes. He would fill their voids with purpose. He would not see them crumble as he did at their age.

They lost their comrade. These children lost their friend.

*End of Flashback*

No reply. There was no reply!

Her brows furrowed upward in concern as he kept scrubbing and scrubbing. There wasn't even a sign of him acknowledging her presence. He needed help. He really needed help. Without thinking, she rushed over to his side, falling to her knees and knelt by the cold, porcelain tub. She placed her hands on his arm and shook him, inhaling with a hiss at how cold his flesh felt.

"Kakashi!" she yelled. "Wake up! Kakashi! You have to get out of here!" He wasn't even blinking. She put her hands in the water and quickly retracted them, not surprised that it was practically ice. How long had he been in here? There wasn't time to think. She had to do what felt right. She grabbed his frozen shoulders, leaned forward in the tub and pulled him into herself- embracing him, offering a lifeline of any support she could possibly muster. And miraculously he just stopped all movement.

"Hey," she calmly called out to the comatose man, "I'm here."

*Flashback*

Uchiha Sasuke. Konoha rogue nin. Last of his clan. A member of Team 7. He was died at the young age of sixteen. Buried on the outskirts of nowhere with no honor, no family and no prayers aside from three individuals.

Kakashi placed a small obsidian rock on the grave site.

*End of Flashback*

Without an ounce of hesitancy, she stepped into the tub ignoring his nakedness, wincing from the initial cold. Taking in another deep breath, she placed her feet at his sides and squatted down into the freezing water onto his strong upper thighs and straddled his lifeless body. Taking him into her embrace, she pressed her clothed self against his limp frame tightly. Her head rested on his shoulder as she began to rub his arms and shoulders with her warm hands, every now and then, she patted his back softly, aided with small words of comfort.

And she waited.

It was strange. Almost as if she had done this countless times before in another lifetime with this same man. Like it was innate inside of her, as if she spent the last decade with him even though that was obviously not the case. But something inside her was telling her this method had worked before and it would work now. She knew without really experiencing it, the best way to handle this man.

It was patience.

It could have been minutes or hours, she didn't know. She just continued her ministrations, waiting for him to wake up.

Abruptly she felt his hands grip her hips weakly. She pulled back to see him, his head turned downwards, eyes crestfallen. With her pointer and thumb, she lifted his head up by his chin and looked into his lifeless and mismatched eyes. Were his eyes always dual colored? She waved off the question quickly. There were more pressing matters.

This strong, talented mysterious man in her arms. She knew then without a doubt in her mind that he must have gone through something horrible. He must have gone through many things unimaginable.

He must have lost something great.

Sakura sighed. She had to get him warm. He made no reaction and simply stared into the distance as she moved to stand. Her forearms hooked underneath his pits to help him to his feet and complacently he obliged.

Silently she stepped out, her wet socks squishing as she walked to retrieve the dark gray towels on the rack. Without saying a word she helped direct the vacant man out of the tub and efficiently began drying him. She moved the plush towel down his arms, across his chiseled torso, down the long length of his legs and finally draping the towel around his back.

She wrapped her arms around his frame, rubbing his arms up and down, hoping the friction would warm him as she directed his idle body to his closet. She helped him into his dark grey sweats, leg by leg and pulled the white drawstring tight. She found simple black v-neck shirt and slipped it overhead. There was only one thing left to take care of. She pulled out a small towel from his top drawer and wrapped it around his face. From underneath she unhooked the straps of his damp mask behind his ears then tightened the towel. Sakura understood she needed to respect him under any situation, and this was the best way to.

Holding his hand she brought him back into the bathroom and calmly blow dried his hair. When he finally looked warm and undoubtedly dry she walked him up the stairs to his bed and directed him to lay but this is where he drew the line. He continued to sit despite her strong attempts to get him to lay down.

With a deep sigh and a half defeated smile she walked over to his closet and picked out another pair of grey sweats and an plain white v-neck shirt. She went into the bathroom, dried off, discarded her wet clothes into a plastic bag and put on Kakashi's dry clothes.

When she returned she found him in exactly the same spot, hands laid in his lap, back slouched, staring straight ahead at nothing with the most painful, expressionless veil to his features.

She walked carefully and sat next to him in the exact same fashion, hands in lap, staring straight at whatever he was looking. Lost in her thoughts, she certainly had her questions, but she didn't necessarily need them answered. It wasn't about her, it was about him.

And she began to wonder when was the last time he lived for himself?

Her hand quickly reached for his and she squeezed. Surprisingly, he squeezed back ever so slightly. He was reacting to her this whole time. Maybe she could get him to rest?

She gave his hand one final squeeze before crawling up the bed and pulling back the covers. She scooted up to his side and moved his chin again to face her. Pulling his arm to her lap and looking up into his eyes, she silently urged him to lay with her.

Without warning, he moved forward forcing her on her back. Sakura went wide eyed in surprise. He was completely unrestrained and unfocused as climbed over her small frame, entrapping her within the walls of his large body. She made sure to look into his eyes with anything but pity. With all the empathy and compassion she could muster in a look, she gave him as much silent reassurance she could. She watched his breathing became more haggard as his eyes were frenzied.

But she wasn't afraid. He wouldn't hurt her.

The towel she wrapped around his face slipped off revealing a perfect pair of lips harshly exhaling with short inhales of breath. Still trapped between his strong arms as he laid over her, she plucked the small towel and covered his face again. She hid away the straight of his nose, his strong jaw, the small cleft in his chin, and the scruff of a greyed beard. And when he was finally covered, he descended downward and she forced her body to lax as he inched further closer and closer.

With gentle hands she maneuvered him to rest on her chest, his silver hair now pressed to her chin and she could feel his body calm for the first time that evening. Instinctively, he wrapped his free arm around her waist tightly and Sakura fought off the urge to feel sorrow for him. How long had it been since someone truly comforted this man?

She wrapped a protective arm around him while the other stroked his soft hair as he closed his eyes. She continued to silently pray and whisper soft words of assurance into his hair until she felt him eventually fall asleep.

Sunlight gently kissed his eyelids, his body reacting to his circadian rhythms.

'Five more minutes.' Kakashi felt content, warm and.. at ease. 'Just five more minutes.'

He basked in the soft rumbles on his chest that came from... not his own. His eyes opened in shock. Looking downward towards his right, he found the sleeping form of a small, pink-haired creature curled up to his side.

What happened last night?

A familiar itch on his fingers from abused, new skin finally touched upon his thoughts and gave him an inkling of what had occurred. Oh. It had been one of those nights. And she was there to bear witness. Again.

No, not again. This Sakura was untouched by the demons in his life. At least, not until last night.

Overwhelmed with remorse, guilt and filled with so much gratitude, the walls he fought so hard to build the last few weeks began to crumble. He subconsciously listened to Mylan's words to just let go. His large arms engulfed her soft body in his embrace. He nuzzled his nose against the top of her head, breathing in her familiar, sweet, comforting scent as he pulled her closer to him if it were possible.

He was tired of fighting. All his life he had been fighting. He needed to just be. To not have to fight his conscience in figuring if this were right or wrong.

This felt right. With his chest heavy, burdened by the numbness of the past two decades, he decided to succumbed to this different feeling he could not name.

The scent of cinnamon began to overpower his senses.

"My boy," an aged voice called to him softly. "May I have a word with you."

Without reluctance, Kakashi unwrapped himself from the comfort of her small body, in complete understanding that this was indeed a time to speak to his personal spirit guide. He softly rolled her to her side as he tucked her in carefully, gently brushing the hair from her face, as if silently telling her he'd be back soon.

He followed the cinnamon smell to the kitchen and found Mylan sitting at the bar counter with two cups of steaming tea. Kakashi sat next to him and they both spent the next few minutes sipping without saying a word.

"You, my dear boy, deserve more than you know." he sadly proclaimed.

Kakashi simply sat, both hands on his mug, listening. Since he knew he couldn't talk just yet, he listened. He would always listen.

"I can see how this world is confusing and torturous for you, but it was the only way, lad, for you to see.

You have always lived to protect others. The lives you couldn't protect are dwarfed by the numbers of those you've saved. You are a hero." his voice was filled with so much admiration. A wrinkled hand brought a large cup to his lips and he took a small sip of the sweet liquid, "But you are your own worst enemy.

You're a protector but there was never a time where you have protected yourself. You only know how to abuse and neglect the deserving being you are. No surprise since as a growing adolescent you had no one to advocate for your happiness. So how could you learn?

But you did. However, you only learned the selfless side of caring for others while you fell into the pits of despair. You were meant for so much more.

I've sent you here to find peace within yourself. To face your demons head on and find closure to all that torments you. And you will learn to find your happiness. These few months here will teach you the skills to properly live your life when you return home." the old man clasped his thin, wrinkled hand over Kakashi's and shook them gently with each world he said next.

"Would you please do me a kindness? Will you let go? Let go and allow yourself to be who you were always meant to be?" he turned with as much vigor as his frail body could and looked convincingly into the young man's eyes. "Live. Live, my boy! Live and let go." and just like that the strong grip around Kakashi's hand faded away and he was left in his kitchen alone.

Her body ached for much needed sleep, but she could feel something tugging her from her slumber. And it was pleasant.

She softly opened her emerald orbs to find a mask-less man on his side, his head resting on his palm, while the other hand silently traced the contours of her face, across her forehead, down her button nose before caressing her cheek. His expression, very different from the what she had witnessed the previous night, was something she had never seen before in this lifetime. His eyes were soft and almost a lighter shade if it were possible, brows calm, the left corner of his mouth slightly lifted and exposed the smallest inkling of a dimple.

And suddenly, his head dipped downward, her jade eyes widened in surprise, her body stilled. He paused half-way, his mismatched eyes never leaving hers as she felt a sense of urgency pulling her into his depths, almost as if he were silently asking for permission.

She felt herself unbuckle, his warm breath tickling her skin. And when she made no objection, he kissed her. His pressed his chapped lips against her soft ones with fervor, full and deep, enveloping and molding her to his body. He drowned in her while simultaneously offering a part of himself. This woman, this remarkable woman. All of his repressed desire he had been depriving of his battered soul, he wanted to finally give in, let go and give her what she deserved. What he deserved. He cupped her cheek and probed her lips apart with his warm, velvety tongue. She opened to him and he lavished in her taste as he continued to stroked her with as much emotion and yearning he could not say aloud, but only expressed through action.

They broke apart finally, gasping for breath, his forehead rested on hers while both hands held her small, flushed face in his large hands.

He looked searchingly into her eyes. And she knew without him saying a word; his sincerity and gratitude radiating. He was thankful for her.

A/N: Yes, I know angsty! But I had to. Please review and please be kind. :)