Chapter 23! Wow I'm proud of myself.
Though I don't own Naruto, I'm waiting for Katsumi to be an actual character in the anime. I'll make MILLIONS!
Chapter 23: One's True Intentions for Another
Katsumi's POV:
My brain awoke by the sound of water falling on a surface; it sounded like heavy rain crashing on the earth's surface. It took my tired self a while to realize that it wasn't rain falling; the shower was on and someone was currently using it. Though I was awake, my eyes refused to open themselves and I respected their decision to remain glued. I tried my hardest to fall back asleep, but despite attempts I had made, they were no use. I groaned in frustration, covering myself with the thick comforter up to my chin to push my mind into thinking it needed more sleep. The moment I felt myself drifting off once again, the damn bathroom door decided it was the right time to open itself up and shine its bright light exactly where I laid. I growled groggily to myself, cursing whoever stood behind for waking me up in the first place.
"Are you awake, Katsumi?" The person asked amusingly, already knowing the answer and aware of my possible reaction.
"Katsumi?" He called again in entertainment.
"What the f**k do you think!?" I snapped irritably, snapping my death glare at him.
Kabuto stood there, unfazed by my outburst as he instead placed his signature smirk.
"Looks like you've sobered up from last night…" He mused smugly, placing a hand on his hip.
I took a good look at the medic-nin who I was still glared at for waking me up. He wore black pants that reached down to his ankles and an indigo, fitted, sleeveless shirt. There was a white towel wrapped around his neck and over his shoulders, catching the droplets from his soaking hair. I assumed he had just woken up and took a quick shower, so I wasn't certain if he had his contact lenses on or he still hadn't put them on when he woke up. Not that I even cared to begin with since I was one snap away from tackling Kabuto.
"Damn it, Kabuto! You decide when I'm sleeping to be so annoying!" I grumbled stressfully, chucking one of the pillows at him.
Kabuto easily caught it with an amused look on his face as I glared sharply at him.
"I was simply taking a shower; my intentions were never to wake you up." He explained calmly with a cocky grin. "Besides, I already warned you that we have to wake up really early."
"What time is it?" I casually asked, still carrying my frustration within me.
"4:45 am." He answered.
"What the he—why this early!?" I snapped, not comprehending as I threw the covers over my head, lying down again. "F**k this, I'm going back to sleep."
I heard Kabuto sigh tiredly as footsteps echoed inside the bedroom, moving towards me. I knew the grey haired male was towering over me by the shadow I saw on the covers I hid under yet I still refused to grant his wish. At least not right now because it was way too early for me.
"Will you stop being so childish and get out of bed already?" He huffed in annoyance. "You were excited about the surprise last night…"
I rapidly tossed the blankets away from my upper body as I hastily sat up to stare hardly at him. Kabuto smirked at this sudden movement of mine.
"That was when I was tipsy as hell and happy about everything I hear…" I mentioned defensively.
The look the medic-nin gave me showed me that he agreed to this claim which stretched his smirk even further.
"Not to mention hyper." Kabuto added slyly. "You acted all cute and affectionate towards me, which is unlike you especially in public."
"Thanks, jerk. I already know my drunk self is my better, nicer, friendlier side." I sarcastically commented, sounding slightly hurt. "That's why I drank… to be someone that I'm not… someone other than myself…"
I lowered my head after saying those words, wanting to avoid eye contact with him. I felt a hand grabbing my cheek and forcibly lifting my head up. Once I was facing upward, a familiar pair of lips kissed my own softly while my cheek burned by the love I was getting from the kiss. I started to feel breathless when the medic-nin bit my lower lip softly, causing my heart to palpitate anxiously.
It wasn't until a moment later when Kabuto pulled away to look at me kindly as our faces were positioned barely an inch away from each other.
"Your unconscious self isn't always your better self…" He murmured lightly as his lips brushed against mine when he spoke. "I'm actually a bigger fan of you just the way you are. A stubborn little brat…"
I raised my eyebrows on that covered insult. "What's that supposed to mean?" I interrogated.
The medic-nin let out a low chuckle then placed another kiss before pulling away. I watched him as he walked over to a small desk located at the corner of the room and returning with a plate that carried something. He made himself comfortable on the king-sized bed in front of me. With a smile, he handed the plate to me and I took it off his hands without hesitation. I scanned the components on the plate, realizing that it was breakfast.
"All for me?" I presumed curiously, lifting an eyebrow at him.
"All for you." Kabuto nodded.
"What about you?" I asked concernedly.
"I've already eaten before I took a shower." He assured simply, drying his damp hair.
With that thought, I went ahead and dug in. A moment passed and I was still sitting on the bed, enjoying my breakfast quietly until I noticed something a bit off: Kabuto was still sitting there, staring deeply at me. But that wasn't really what was off. It was specifically the way he was looking at me. The look he was giving me was the same look Itachi gave me when I was a child; a look that showed concern and fear for my safety from myself. I expressed my confusion on my face, urging him to tell me the matter. But the medic-nin didn't budge at all; he continued to stare at me.
"What's wrong?" I asked him intriguingly.
I waited patiently for Kabuto to answer my question as he hesitated to open his mouth and let the words out.
"Last night…" He eventually breathed lowly. "Your friends…"
"What about them?" I inquired suspiciously.
Though I was very tipsy and maybe even drunk, I was aware enough to remember reuniting with Rai-Rai and Miyuki and most of the stuff they said in their update. But I wasn't sure why this was remotely concerning to Kabuto to begin with.
"They mentioned something tragic about an old friend…" He briefed quickly, feeling hurt about this detail himself.
It didn't matter how vague or unclear he was. It was obvious that Kabuto was talking about Yoko and her self-inflicted death. My face fell as I allowed the feeling to sink in. I resisted the urge to hide under the covers and sulk in the dark alone, but I knew I shouldn't do that because that would only worry the grey haired male even more. Me feeling depressed about something made him feel unsteady.
"Don't bother reminding me…" I told him in a dead tone. "I was somewhat sober enough to remember significant details…"
"I'm sorry about your friend." He apologized meekly. "You must be hurting after hearing all of that… when you've never seen Yoko for so long…"
I weakly shrugged my shoulders at his words.
"There's nothing I can do about it." I simply stated, looking down at my plate sitting on my lap.
"Do you feel the least upset?" He asked concernedly.
"Of course I'm upset. I think anyone in my position would feel heartbroken after hearing news like this." I answered matter-of-factly. "What's bugging me is the fact that she resorted to suicide…"
"What is your exact relation with Yoko?" He questioned curiously, adjusting his position on the bed.
"Yoko was the quietest one in our clique of friends, which also included Raiden and Miyuki. She barely talks to any of us and she keeps everything to herself; she was kind of disturbed and mentally unstable from within." I explained flatly. "I was the only person she was mostly comfortable with because she too had similar family problems, especially with her dad."
"Were you ever aware she was suicidal?"
"Not really, no. I just assumed she was very anxious and depressed most of the time since she's introverted." I answered blankly. "I was too when I was younger, but I was more outgoing and expressive than she was. We somehow balanced each other out and that was how we basically became good friends."
"When was the last time you've spoken to her?"
"The last time I saw the gang was around the time my clan was killed." I theorized thoughtfully, not recalling all of the specifics. "Yoko was upset because she wouldn't have me around anymore. I swore to her that I'd see her the next time we met."
For a moment, the grey haired medic remained dead silent for no obvious reason. This raised my curiosity because with his head hanging and the gloomy look on his face, something was on his mind and he couldn't shake it off.
"Did you ever…" He murmured lightly. "Consider this decision too…?"
I wasn't exactly sure what Kabuto meant right away because his question was too vague. I went with my instincts and answered what I believed he wanted to know.
"Yes, a couple of times to be exact." I answered softly, looking aside. "There were times where I wanted to disappear; I didn't want to be seen by anyone and I didn't want to look at myself. As a child, you have no clue what you're feeling and you don't know what to do because you're so young and helpless."
"I understand completely." He assured. "But the fact that you had considered—"
"I told you this before, Kabuto." I cut him off hardly, placing the plate aside. "I've moved on from everything that's happened to me in the past; I'm okay now so you shouldn't be worried about me one bit."
In spite of me telling him that I was alright, it still didn't shake off the concern and fear he carried for me. I had to smile sadly to that because I never had someone so worried for me to the point where it made them just as depressed as I was. The last thing I wanted was to rub the negative feelings on him because in more ways than one, he was my escape. I reached over to his hand that rested on the bed and instantly, our fingers interweaved one another firmly.
"Besides, I have you now… and I wouldn't pull a stunt like that just to prove my selfish, narcissistic pain." I added sweetly, smiling confidently. "I would never erase myself from reality when you're a part of it…"
Smiling lovingly at my kind words, the grey haired male placed a sweet, long kiss on my hand he held with his own. With that, I shuffled out of the bed and entered the bathroom with the door shut behind me, signalling him that I was going to use it for some time. I turned on the shower and I stood there thinking deeply to myself as I waited for the water to reach the temperature I preferred most. Once the temperature had been approved, I stripped my clothes off and stepped into the light fall of water. I inhaled the warm steam the water gave off as the warm water droplets relaxed my tightened muscles. I then went ahead and shampooed and conditioned my hair and scrubbed the dirt and oil from my skin until I was nothing but freshly cleaned. I hopped out of and turned the shower off once I was done. A bathrobe immediately caught my eye and without hesitation, I put the fluffy white material to dry my body while keeping me warm. I used one of the folded towels offered to me on the counter near the sink and used the biggest one to wrap my damp hair. I walked out of the bathroom and the sight of Kabuto resting against the backboard of the bed with a book in hand grabbed my attention; he looked as if he was trying to keep his mind off of the previous conversation we had before I escaped to the bathroom. He now wore a fitted V-neck shirt with bagging track paints. If I was correct, he was currently wearing his contact lenses considered the way his pupils move along the sentences on the book without difficulty. With a deep sigh, I walked over to my bag and took out fresh new clothes for the day along with a hair brush and leave-in conditioner.
With the bathrobe on and Kabuto occupied, I slickly changed into my outfit of choice without the medic-nin batting an eye. I looked at my reflection in the long mirror standing vertically on the wall. I could see my duplicate wearing the exact same clothes as I was; a fitted black tank top with a blueish purple sweater over it zipped halfway to show the black tank along with black matching shorts and sandals, topping it all off with black thigh high stockings. I turned to the leave-in conditioner and applied it to my still damp hair. Then I reached for my hair brush and carefully but surely brushed my hair, removing any sort of tangles the bristles come in contact with. Once I was done, I brushed my hair towards my right side until it was positioned into somewhat of a side hairstyle as most of it laid over my right shoulder. I was satisfied with this result and turned on my heel to face Kabuto, waiting for him to notice I was done. A moment past when he finally caught a glimpse of me and smirked approvingly.
"You look good." He simply complimented. "Are you ready to go now?"
I nodded at him and placed my bag on my back. Kabuto closed his book and placed it in his bag as he did the same. Once we made sure we hadn't forgotten anything, he closed the door and led me towards the main floor with his arm around my waist. After we checked out of the inn, we exited the building and I allowed the medic-nin to guide me to wherever he wanted to take me. As he did so, I scanned my surroundings, noticing that almost all of the apartments' lights were still off due to the owners still in bed. Lucky them. I couldn't blame them because for crying out loud, it was still pretty dark out. Technically the sky wasn't pitch black since it was close to sunrise so the sky was a bit lighter like a navy blue. Regardless, it was still too damn early for anyone to wake up, including myself. Minutes of walking passed and I realized instantly we were no longer in the small town; we were in some sort of forest. It wasn't too dense since I could see a path ahead of us however I still had no clue where Kabuto was taking me. I grew more nervous because I could no longer sense anyone even near the area, meaning anything good or bad could happen and no one would notice a thing. I prayed the latter doesn't happen because it was too early for that and I was still tired from last night. I was having trouble stepping on top of a rock that was oddly shaped and positioned. Being the gentleman he was, Kabuto lent me a hand and used his strength to help me up. After thanking him for his kind gesture, he parted his lips hesitantly.
"From this point on, you have to cover your eyes." He told me dryly.
"Why?" I questioned stubbornly, furrowing my eyebrows.
When I noted that Kabuto refused to answer my question or was done telling me, "it's a surprise", I rolled my eyes in defeat.
"You know what, do as you please." I huffed in annoyance. "Just take good care of me."
"Of course, I'll take good care of you. I always do…" He smirked cockily as he pulled out a cloth to cover my eyes.
Kabuto handed the cloth to me and I wrapped it over my eyes then tied it behind my head. Once my arms were dropped, I felt the grey haired male moving behind me and held onto both of my shoulders. I reacted to his my lifting my own right hand and clawing it to his right hand that was on my shoulder. Seeing that I was ready, he carefully moved me through the path in the dark forest. It felt like hours when really it had been a few moments since the pace was slow due to me wanting not to fall on my face in the dirt. Using his grip on me, my partner stopped me from moving any further.
"We're here." He announced happily, starting to untie the cloth that covered my eyes.
Once my eyes were freed from that bounding, I blinked a couple of times for my eye to adjust the light around me that I wasn't exposed to due to my eyes being covered. The view in front of me almost took my breath away. As Kabuto stood behind me, I was standing close to the edge of a cliff where it stood over an ocean that stretched endlessly to a far distance. There were light waves hitting gently against the patch of rocks sitting below as the peaceful sounds of it echoed to my ears. The smell of fresh water and the light breeze brushing us was soothing and meditating.
"What do you think?" I heard Kabuto ask proudly. "Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself."
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it is."
The view was literally amazing. Though it wasn't worth waking up before the sun, I was still in awe.
"But why am I here in the first place?" I questioned, sounding both suspicious and curious.
I didn't get an immediate answer. Instead I got a pair of strong arms snaking around my waist, pulling me towards a familiar figure. I rested my hands on the man's forearms as he rested his cheek on the side of my head. There were brief moments where he would cover my cheek with soft kisses as I caressed one of his forearms around my waist. We watched the sky get lighter and lighter due to the sun slowly climbing up to reach its ultimate height.
"There was once a story about a young, beautiful couple. A quiet, poor, smart boy who lived as an orphan and a beautiful, intelligent, and generous girl who came from a wealthy family." Kabuto spoke softly as he kept his eyes on the sky. "They would've never thought they would cross paths but they did. And when that happened, they fell madly in love with each other."
Though I was intrigued with this story Kabuto was telling me, I was having trouble determining if whether or not this was an answer to my question I asked a moment ago.
"The girl's family learned about their relationship with the boy and immediately disapproved; they wanted her to marry a wealthy man who will actually take good care of her. They did whatever they could to convince them, but nothing could change their mind." He continued depressingly, sounding a bit empathetic. "Eventually they cut ties with each other…"
"That's f**ked up." I commented lowly, placing my head on his shoulder.
"The boy realized he couldn't stand not being with his love, so in secret, he took her to a secluded area that towered over a huge patch of water where they stood there, holding each other as they watched the waves pass by endlessly." He proceeded as he tightened his grip around my waist. "He told her how much he loved her and how much he wanted to be with her for as long as the waves continue to travel along the water surface. Long story short, they went ahead and found a place for themselves, married, and had beautiful children together."
"I'm happy for them." I responded genuinely. "Everyone deserves to be with someone they love."
"I second that." He commented deeply.
"But why tell me this? And why bring me here?" I questioned determinedly.
When Kabuto didn't answer right away, I side-glanced to see his lips parted but his words refusing to come out. It seemed to me that he wasn't sure what words to use.
"I want our relationship to last as long as those waves, Katsumi. I want to have a life with you…" He confessed purely with a hint of hope in his voice. "And like the boy, I would do anything to get that… even if your brother or Lord Orochimaru don't approve…"
"But that could get you killed! Are you that mad, four eyes!?" I cut in sharply out of concern.
With his grip on me, said male turned my position so that I was now facing him completely. Kabuto's soft dark eye gazed into mine as I saw sheer love and determination.
"Some things are worth dying for." He smiled sweetly, seeing a spark that came from his eye.
I gulped down a sob that was ready to escape from my lips, trying to put a strong face on. I knew Kabuto would sacrifice a lot of things for me and he had proven it, but die for me? Was he being honest when he said that?
"Kabuto…" It was literally the only thing I could say because I was breathless with the view and his words.
I felt Kabuto's lips pressed against my forehead then I went ahead to hug him. He immediately accepted and embraced me protectively. We stayed like this until he nudged his head against mine, gaining my attention. I glanced up at him curiously and saw him smiling kindly at me.
"Look." He simply instructed, beckoning his head towards the sky behind me.
I followed his gaze and was in awe to see the sun slowly peeking up from its water blanket from a distance far away yet close enough to see every detail of it. My eye stretched wider and wider as the sun slowly crept up the sky, shining a light and erasing most of the darkness the moon caused. I rotated my body to see the beautiful sight fully as I was still in Kabuto's grasp. I enjoyed the view of it all until I felt the medic-nin releasing me and stepping a few feet away from me. Though it was sort of odd, I kept my attention on the sunrise as I enjoyed the welcoming breeze hitting my face.
"Did you enjoy yourself?" He suddenly asked me. "From yesterday until now?"
I nodded happily. "Yes, I did. It's been a long time since I enjoyed myself this much. And it's all because of you, Kabuto." I mused gratefully, smiling blissfully to myself.
Said medic scoffed proudly at himself to which I rolled my eyes.
"You know, I've been thinking…" I thought aloud. "You said the point to all this is to relieve my stress and whatnot. But I just can't shake the feeling that there's more to what you're telling me because the things you did hinted that there's a deeper meaning to it all…"
"Well…" He responded lowly. "I guess you can say that…"
It was then I decided to look over my shoulder briefly eyed him, instantly doing a double take by the sight my eyes were caught on. Kabuto was holding something small in his hands as he had a small smile on his face. Out of curiosity, I slid over to him only to realize that it was a small cake with a single lit candle stuck near the edge of the tiny dessert. I was slightly confused by the unexpected scenario since I wasn't sure what the occasion was. Hell, I wasn't exactly sure if that cake was for me.
"For me?" I guessed, pointing my index finger at myself.
Kabuto nodded slowly as his cheeks slightly turned red. I couldn't help but smile in gratitude at him for everything he had done for me. Not only since yesterday, but since our relationship started; he was nothing but selfless to me.
"Thank you… so much…" It was the only thing that I could say because there was no words that could show my gratitude for the male.
The grey haired boy's smile stretched wider, very satisfied with my reaction. I then moved myself closer to him and placed a look on my face that showed a bit of guilt I carried deep within me.
"But why all this?" I asked in guilt, begging him to give me a reasonable explanation to his actions lately.
Out of the blue, Kabuto replaced the kind smile on his face with a confident smirk as he eyed me humorously.
"What?" I inquired suspiciously.
"Read what's on the cake…" He simply instructed, moving the cake closer to my eyes to give me a better look at it.
I did what I was told and scanned the cake. A few second past when I finally discovered something peculiar on the surface of the icing. It was then I did another double take; I was in disbelief by it. Not only what was written on the cake, but all the kind gestures Kabuto had done for me up until now. I was so astonished by it, I covered my mouth with one hand to hide the embarrassing look I gave the male. He didn't seem to mind; it actually made him even more happy and proud of himself.
"Happy Birthday, Katsumi." He announced sweetly with a kind smile.
I blinked away the tears of joy that were urging to come out as my hand still covered my mouth. It was really hard to keep a somewhat of a straight face when the realization of it all kicked in really hard.
"S-So yesterday…" I paused because I was unable to speak without stuttering uncontrollably.
Kabuto nodded. "Yep. Yesterday was your birthday and you were feeling so down, it pained me to see you dark and gloomy on your special day. So I figured that I should take the whole day off so we can enjoy ourselves and celebrate…" He briefed kindly.
Hearing this gave my tears the motivation to fall down my cheeks. And they just wouldn't stop; the tears filled with nothing but gratitude kept on falling. This concerned Kabuto and he quickly placed the cake on the ground and grabbed my shoulders worriedly as he watched the streams on my face dripped off of my chin.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
I tried blinking away the tears but all it did was blur my vision. I resorted to wiping them away with my hand as I sniffed softly.
"Sorry." I scoffed sadly, a bit embarrassed of myself. "It's just that… no one has ever done something this thoughtful for me ever. Just the feeling of it all and your thoughtfulness is really overwhelming…"
"Literally no one…?" He repeated incredulously. "Not even Sasuke…?"
Hearing my brother's name caused me to unintentionally let out a sob, letting my eyes pump out more tears. "He's too stubborn to care…" I muttered weakly.
"Still…"
I dismissed my logical senses and swiftly embraced him around his waist, letting out muted sobs as my shoulders microscopically shook. Kabuto immediately wrapped his arms around me for comfort, squeezing me protectively.
"You're the only person I have left, right now…" I admitted softly. "Despite how difficult I am and the amount of flaws I have, you still stayed by my side and I can't thank you enough…"
I felt Kabuto nuzzling the side of my head as he held me in his strong arms.
"I don't… want to be alone ever again…" I added desperately, refusing to let go of the boy.
"And you'll never be alone anymore…" He assured determinedly. "You'll always have me, no matter what…"
"Right back atcha'." I joked playfully as I pulled away a bit to wipe away the remaining tears on my cheeks and eyes.
Once I finally recovered, Kabuto and I sat on the edge of the cliff as our legs dangled freely off of it. After making a wish and a huff to put out the small candle, we evenly split the small cake in half. We both chewed devouringly on the sweet meal as we watched the sun rise higher and higher.
"How did you know that cheesecake is my favourite, anyway?" I asked curiously, impressed of how well he knew me.
"After living with you for a while, you learn quite a lot…" He simple stated, biting a piece from his half.
"Damn." I grunted distastefully. "I didn't know I was easy to read…"
"No, you weren't." He disagreed as he chewed. "In fact, it takes a lot of analysing to understand you and your emotions. There are times where I'm unsure and go with my gut instincts…"
"I know. I wish I wasn't so distant and stoic like my brothers…" I commented apologetically. "I don't want people having a perception of me being cold and emotionless like them; that's not who I am despite me being an Uchiha…"
"There's nothing wrong with that; you're just a guarded person and your only intentions are to protect yourself from getting hurt. I respect that…" He explained softly, giving me a genuine look that reflected his words. "On a similar note, it's not a bad thing that you're similar to your brothers or that you three share a similar trait. That's a part of you and you shouldn't change it nor be ashamed of it…"
I smiled brightly at him and kissed his cheek, making him blush.
"I take you for granted, Kabuto." I mused deeply, recalling moments we had together in my head. "But I'm really happy that I have you…"
"You have no idea how much I feel the same way…" He breathed as our fingers intertwined.
I rested my head on his shoulder as Kabuto moved himself closer to me. For a long moment, we stayed silent and watched the breath-taking view until the medic-nin gently nudged me to get my attention.
"I have another surprise for you…" He bribed playfully, turning away to reach it in his bag.
"Another surprise!?" I exclaimed incredulously with a grin. "You've already done enough, Kabuto. What else is there?"
"Ah! Here it is!" He chirped in accomplishment, turning to me with an object in his hands.
I examined the cubic object in his hands: assumingly a box wrapped up in shiny, silver wrapping paper with a golden ribbon tied beautifully with a flowery bow. Kabuto held it out for me to take which I did with a nod in thanks. I placed the average-sized present on my lap and gently dismantled it until I revealed the box true form: a velvet box. I slowly opened it, only to see another box within it. I was in awe when I saw what was in it. Basically, it was a fully bloomed, beautiful flower from the receptacle up: no stem. But that necessarily wasn't the amazing part of the gift but the fact that it was trapped in a beautiful round-type, lavender gem. According to my belief, this flower was called an anemone. In this case, it was a white anemone blended with purple near the edges of the petals. I glanced at the giver of this gift who gave me a proud smile.
"This is…" I stammered, not thinking straight as I carefully picked up the gem that protectively carried the flower.
"You like it?" He cut in curiously, confident about my response.
"I-I love it!" I exclaimed in reassurance. "It's so different yet very beautiful. I've never gotten something like this in my life…"
"It was long and hard to figure out the perfect gift." He briefed softly. "I then decided to go original…"
"Smart." I complimented, nodding in satisfaction. "You made this yourself…?"
"The idea was from yours truly." He answered smugly. "I found the rare anemone during one of my travels. The jewel was made by Guren…"
"You mean that bluenette with the Crystal Style Jutsu?" I questioned flatly. "Doesn't she like… hate your guts or something?"
I had never spoken face-to-face with Guren before because what I was aware of, she was in isolation because she got rejected by Orochimaru. I theorized that she hated Kabuto because he was the snake's favourite subordinate. Because of these two males, her jealousy turned into hatred for them. The fact that the medic-nin got her to make the crystal was surprising indeed because I had seen her attitude once; it wasn't pleasant to say the least.
"Yes, and for the record, it took a lot of convincing for her to finally agree to crystalize the flower without letting our secret out…" He remarked with a smirk. "But seeing your reaction right now, it was worth it…"
Hearing that just my happiness was worth something to him made my heart flutter in delight. I would've never thought that I would meet someone that I was very comfortable with, accepted all of my flaws, and cared about me with so much passion. I always thought that I wouldn't find that special someone that I would cherish so much to the point where I wanted a life with them. Maybe I was wrong along; maybe Kabuto was that special someone that I was meant to be with but just didn't know.
"Kabuto, this is amazing… everything you did for me yesterday and today is all amazing…" I told him in awe, gazing at him admiringly. "I feel as though I owe you big time…"
I felt said male snaking his hand over to me to comfortingly grip my own as my hands were occupied by my crystal flower present. I gazed off into his dark, beautiful eyes that almost made me lose my sense of reality for a bit.
"Don't feel the need owe me anything because you absolutely don't…" He assured sternly, caressing my hand.
"What about revealing us to everyone?" I suggested thoughtfully. "I know you don't like the idea of always hiding; pretending there's nothing between us in front of our loved ones when it's the complete opposite."
Kabuto allowed this face to sink in. I knew this had some truth to it because the way how his shoulders and face fell told me just enough proof that was what he wanted.
"You're half right." He admitted lowly, his pupils glued to my gift. "Now that you've mentioned it, the one thing I want from you is to stop letting your brother getting between us…"
"But, Kabuto… you know that—"
"I know exactly how Sasuke is. But he shouldn't be standing in your way from your happiness, regardless being your older brother." He interjected stubbornly, cutting me off. "If he doesn't accept our relationship, then f**k him! The only thing that matters is you…"
I let my head hung down, sulking at the boy's words. Kabuto was right; everything he said was true. But just because it was the truth doesn't make the situation any easier.
"I know you don't want him to know because if his grudge against me. And I know you're scared of losing him because of his possible rejection to us… you're simply scared of being left alone like your past…" He analyzed softly. "He was the first person who stood by you through thick and thin…"
I remained silent because I was hit so hard by the truth behind Kabuto's words.
"But you shouldn't worry about being alone in the first place!" He disclosed firmly then he grabbed my face delicately with both hands. "You don't need your brother to not feel alone because you have me and you always will have me! I will give you the love you so desperately need. I will embrace you with comfort whenever you please. I will erase every bit of loneliness you've ever felt! I will bear your pain for you, Katsumi…"
"Kabuto…" I gaped breathlessly, tears welling up in my eyes.
The next thing I knew, his lips were firmly against mine as he kissed me passionately. I felt a small stream of a single tear running down my face from the hard hitting truth slapping me to realization. It was true, I did felt so alone even to this day despite having Kabuto there for me because I was worried that eventually, I would lose him. That was basically the reason why I didn't want to tell Sasuke about us because I knew he was the only person who would stay by me unconditionally. It wasn't like I chose my brother over my partner; I was more assured that I would always had Sasuke no matter what. It was a sad way of thinking such a thing about someone as precious as the medic-nin but I couldn't help it. All I wanted was to not feel alone anymore; I was scared of being rejected again.
Kabuto pulled away, positioning his face less than an inch away from mine as he gazed into each other's eyes. His eyes told me that everything he said about not leaving me, he swore by it greatly which gave me the confidence to briefly kiss his lips again. He didn't allow me to pull away and I felt his arms wrapping around me, pulling me closer towards him. I allowed him to pull me as I walked on my knees to get closer faster. Meanwhile I snaked my arms around his neck as I straightened my posture on my knees as his arms were fastened firmly around my waist. Because of this position, Kabuto's head leaned up towards me as I towered over him with my head bent downward while my lips kissed his deeply. As the kiss deepened, I gradually moved my hands towards his face, firmly holding his cheeks while I leaned my body against his.
We pulled away a bit from each other after a moment later to catch our breath. As we took in air for our lungs, our eyes were glued to each other: Kabuto's were gazing admiringly up at me as I returned the gaze with the same amount of admiration. I gave out a deep sigh which raised a grey eyebrow from the male.
"If I knew this was your true self… I would've honestly fallen for you a long time ago…" I confessed begrudgingly, giving him a glossy look. "You're so gentle and caring to me consistently… yet to others you're some nasty, egotistical, psychopathic geek who cares about no one. You trust me so much that you not only show me the real Kabuto, but you also showed how committed you are to me…"
"Well… because…" He stammered slowly, gaining my attention until I realized he only sounded nervous just to see me full reaction.
I raised my eyebrows expectedly, waiting for what he had to say. I was a bit baffled when Kabuto gave me the most beautiful, bright smile I had ever seen.
"I love you…" He smiled sweetly, holding me tighter.
I blinked in shock with my lips parted from Kabuto's stunt. I knew he loved me by his kind gestures and the comfort he gave me, but actually saying those three words was what blew me away. He gently chuckled at my reaction, looking up at me kindly as I still towered over him which forced him to keep his chin up.
"I know that it's shocking to hear someone say that to you, especially by the likes of me…" He humoured lightly, then placed sincerity into his words. "But it couldn't be truer than the truth itself… I love you, Katsumi…"
Just hearing them again was more surreal than the first time. Just the mere thought of someone actually saying that they loved me was too… the thought of it gave my lungs a hard time to take in air and my head was pounding to the beat of my heart, making me feel lightheaded. I had to tighten my grip around his neck to prevent myself from tipping over.
"I love you so much…" He repeated then he laid his head around my shoulder and chest. "Nothing's going to stand in my way from you. With all of my power, I will fight for us until I die…"
"Kabuto…" I whispered breathlessly, staring at his rested face with compassion and gratitude in my eyes. "This has been the best birthday I've ever had. You went through so much just to do all of this for me and I couldn't help but feel blessed to have you in my life…"
After giving my neck a brief kiss, I noticed Kabuto's breathing got deeper and its pace grew slower. Apparently waking up very early while turning in late could wear someone out, even Kabuto. However I was wide awake and very calm. I gave him a hug as he snoozed peacefully in my arms. I adjusted his position carefully without waking him up. Once I was certain that he was now comfortable, I allowed myself to enjoy the beautiful view of the warm sun shining down on us and the clear blue water ahead. I glanced down at my sleeping partner; the sun wasn't the only calming view I grew fond of. One of my arms was around his shoulders to keep his neck up from cramping while the other arm's hand was occupied by the male's hand as my fingers entwined with his. His lips were slightly parted to allow himself to breathe as his chest rose and fell by his breathing pattern. I smiled blissfully at him and my hand that once held his hand move up to caress his cheek. The medic-nin slightly stirred by this act, but stirred in a way that was adorable like a child in deep sleep.
"I…" I attempted to speak but the anxiety of saying the words caused my voice to crack.
I had never said it to any guy in which I carried romantic feelings for, so saying it was out of my comfort zone. But I knew in my heart that it was true, and out of everyone, Kabuto deserved to hear it. It shouldn't be as bad as I thought especially since he was currently napping. Plus, he just said it to me and I knew it took a lot of out him to do so. Despite these factors, in my heart I wanted to say these words to him. I wanted to say it with passion. But I wasn't ready… or at least not yet. With a small smile, I rested my forehead against his and stared kindly at his closed lids.
"I… I love you too… Kabuto…" I finally breathed lovingly as my lips brushed against his as I spoke. I then kissed his lips softly, not wanting to wake him up.
I continued to do so for about a moment, then I went back to gazing at him. I turned my attention back to the vast, bright view as I held Kabuto closer to me firmly, not wanting to let him go. I was actually proud of myself for finally telling him how I felt about him because every chance I got, I always ran away from it, scared to commit to my feelings to protect myself. But now I don't think I had to anymore because Kabuto was the one who protected me; he was my guardian angel and I couldn't be more safe and satisfied. Now I don't have to push myself to commit anymore because I knew where he stood in our relationship and so do I; him saying that he loved me really opened my eyes.
Then again, I said 'I love you' while he was unconscious so I still wasn't fully out of the woods. But still, it was a start. A start that I swore on my life to work on until the finish.
Finally done! Holy crap I thought I would never get this done! Well you guys, that's the end of their date and it was something right? Now that that's done, the story will continue back at Orochimaru's lair so make sure you're ready for some juicy stuff!
Oh, and a follow-up to last chapter's note, I won't be able to upload or be around as much as I want to because of school. However I will for sure let you all know when there's a holiday or anything like that so you can enjoy my story you all seem to love.