In the end, on the blood-soaked battlefield, within the circle of the fallen, Gai's last words are as unsurprising as his death.
Kakashi can barely hear the words that make blood bubble, red like chewing gum, in the corner of Gai's mouth. He has to bring his ear down to Gai's cracked lips until Gai's last breath tickles the small area of bare skin between mask and headband.
"It... hurts less than I thought..." Gai says and with that he dies in Kakashi's tired arms, surprisingly undramatically, just like that.
Kakashi hesitates. He waits, listening for Gai's next breath, hoping. Although Gai's death has already bored deep into his heart, he remains, kneeling on the soft ground, his ear touching Gai's lips, one hand resting under Gai's torn vest, the other supporting his neck. It's almost a hug, almost, and it never will be a proper one again.
Kakashi doesn't move. His head turned away, he stares past his friend's body stubbornly. He doesn't want to see the smile on Gai's motionless lips, the open eyes that are looking at the stars, for the first time without seeing them.
It hurts more than he thought.