It was a hazy sort of relief.

Because all of that was just a dream. She sunk back into that static blissfulness, surrounded by the smell of books she had probably left in her room. Her head filled with white noise, she stretched her toes on the full sized bed, and wrapped herself in the not tiny sheets. She wasn't stranded and definitely didn't almost fall off a counter.

What a weird, vivid dream. For some reason, she had dreamt she shrunk down and into another universe. That couldn't possible be true though, as she had the evidence to back it. She was sleeping on it. A full sized bed.

"Haruhi..."

Did she leave her alarm on? She was on winter break.

"Get up, Haruhi."

The voice sent tingles down her spine. It sounded hesitant and distinctly male. Slightly amused.

Did her friends break into her house again?

"Go away. Sleeping." She then ignored the warm draft in her room. Must have left on the heat.

"But it's a big day today."

Why did it sound so big? And who was this? She distantly remembered planning something.

She cracked her eye open.

Ah. Big indeed.

"No." She was staring directly into Kakashi's Face. He was leaning over her and was decidedly not staring at her. He had pushed back the door on the bookshelf slightly so that he could lean over and wake her up. The warm draft was actually his breath, somehow, through the mask, and no wonder it smelled like books!

"That's not very nice."

"Waking me up isn't very nice. I was having a nice dream."

"Well I suppose it doesn't matter if were a little late..."

She bolted up and he flinched back, startled.

"Late? For what?" Was it Naruto? If she recalled, team seven were the last ones waiting. She bunched the sheets nervously.

"You'll find out." He said, eyeing the movement and studiously avoiding her gaze.

"Well, we have to get ready then."

She shifted the sheets over and place one, then two feet on the wooden shelf. She figured they could have leftovers for breakfast. He cleared out of sight, probably heading to get ready himself. So, yawning, she passed some dressers with clothes and arrived just past the plastic book covers to the thick textbook with the tassel. The room hadn't changed much, except Pakkun's pillow was now gone. The sun was also higher- a little before lunchtime, she'd say.

Quickly running back, she flung open a dresser(wedged between a short, stumpy children's book with gilded pages and a blocky one with a indescribable title) and rifled through clothes. She changed into green baggy capri with pockets that had golden buttons (she loved pockets) with ties that hugged the calf, and a beige background T-shirt with a golden-green grass pattern.

It may sound silly, or a girly things to do, but dressing nicely made Haruhi feel better, and she wasn't ashamed that she liked clothes, and liked to do beauty routines. It made her feel pretty.

She ran back out and rappelled down the crimson red tassel. She gently touched down on the wooden shelf, before jumping the inch onto the carpet.

Taking a second to balance, she stood from her crouch and ran towards the kitchen, sliding a little when the pads of her feet made contact with the slick tile. She jumped over a crack in the tiles and ran up to Kakashi, who was taking out the leftovers. Called it.

Deciding she was done with being lifted everywhere, she ran to the wall below where a painting was hanging. Feeling the floss blade securely in her bra, she took it out and cut off the thick rope from the paper bag. She could feel Kakashi watching her curiously, but whenever she turned, he looked away.

"I could help you."

She jumped. Looking at him, she couldn't tell what he was thinking, as he was still facing the fridge.

"I want to see if I can do it by myself first."

Finally, much like when she wrapped her hands around Pakkun's headband, she wrapped her hands around the rope. Running up to the wooden leg, she threw the rope over the lowest rung and caught it on the other side. Tugging it, she put one foot, then two against the leg and walked up sideways. She repeated this until she stood on top of the chair, still a good foot away from the counter.

A rustling was heard, and the bowl of fruit she loved so much was pushed into view and a finger conveniently flicked a banana over, in reach of being grappled by her makeshift rope.

She grinned. What a softie.

Now up on the counter, she sighed. Kakashi had heated up the chicken. She ran over and sat down next to the plate. His finger twitched. It went without saying she avoided looking at him. Not wanting to step on the plate with her dirty feet she asked;

"Kakashi, could you rip a piece off for me?"

"Sure."

He reached over, having ripped off a piece of the chicken. Reaching out, she grabbed it with both hands. His finger twitched slightly.

"Thanks."

"Hm." She hated how suddenly awkward things were. And they had been making progress too!

As she nibbled thoughtfully on the food, she couldn't help but think of when he called her 'hamster Haruhi'. Did she really look like one?

Anyway, she was starting to stink again. Finishing up, she wiped her hands on a nearby napkin that might as well have been a bed sheet, and said;

"I need to wash up."

He almost choked on his food. He finally looked at her, a reddish tint to his face and squirrel cheeks under the mask.

"Who's a Hamster now? Anyway If we're going somewhere I need to get cleaned up."

He leveled a stink eye at her, swallowing all the food in one gulp.

"Can't have you messing up my bathroom again..."

"I said I was sorry!"

"Kidding, Kidding..."

Another silence, except unlike last time it wasn't companionable. She had an idea.

"Do you have a old mug you don't use?"

A weird look.

"Yes, I do. What were you thinking?"

"Well, maybe you could fill it up with water and put it on the bathroom counter instead."

A very weird look.

"Hear me out!" She put down her leftovers, and ran in front, dramatically windmilling her arms. He seemed to shake off whatever was bothering him and raised an eyebrow.

"Just get an old mug you don't use anymore and fill it up with warm water." She explained.

"It'll be less messy and use less water!"

And that's the story of how Haruhi took a bath in a chipped tea cup with mint green lining. Kakashi had fumbled around in the shelves a little bit, and had unearthed the teacup. An interesting array of cups and plates had found a place next to the ceramic bowl and her, and a cookie jar with cute bee's on the front ( buzzing a little over her head) was found to have fossilized cookies in it. Kakashi had been even more sheepish than the time when there was no food in the house. It was cute honestly. She had laughed, smiled, and reassured him it was alright, and his barely there blush that had seemed to become a permanent fixture in the morning hours, shone a little brighter.

Speaking of a glow up, she might as well have been the sun. It was a tea cup, and it was only appropriate to put tea in here. She had grabbed a green-tea bag off the counter and had him pour the water over it. She had always heard how good a tea bath could be for you, but had never been able to do it at this scale.

New clothes and a beauty routine. For the first time since coming here, she felt like a person again.

He probably would have thought it to be super weird, but with all that already happened, it rolled off his shoulders like water.

She kicked over to the edge of the teacup and looked around the bathroom. A new hand towel had been chosen. The sink gleamed, the tile floor had a circle of carpet, the toilet was closed, and, from what she could see from here, the shower was bone dry.

A quiet had descended over the house, the type where you know instinctively know one but you is home. She was stuck between wondering if he was doing sensei things or had gone to get groceries again.

Deciding she was getting wrinkly, she pushed up on the rim, and stepped on the teacup handle.

Water trickled down the side, much like when you're driving through a national park and there are mini waterfalls on the sides of the road.

Did they even have paved roads here?

God.

She walked over to the pre-put out washcloth and patted herself dry. She dressed herself in the clothes she had changed into this morning, and slid down the knotted thread Kakashi had tied to the corner of the sink. The door was cracked open, so she just walked right out.

She didn't know how to explain it, but the atmosphere seemed to change.

She wasn't alone.

"Yo."

Whipping around, she came face to snout with Pakkun. Squashing down her justified fear of dogs, she gave a tiny smile of relief.

"Hey." She jerked her chin, damp hair going back.

"Kakashi will be back soon, so get what you need."

Well she already had everything she needed. Shoes were impossible, she had her clothes and security blanket/makeshift knife, so she was good. They waited together for a bit in the living room, her pulling out some of her clothes to show Pakkun. She refused to admit it, but the dog had a nice sense of aesthetics.

"You two seem to be having fun."

Kakashi was standing in the hallway looking in. He seemed completely unconcerned about the time. She grinned and held up her bra.

His eye briefly widened before turning to look at the clock, suddenly concerned.

"We'd better head out." He rubbed the back of his head.

For someone who reads porn, Haruhi thought it was laughable the way he reacted around bras.

Walking over, he laid his palm flat on the shelf a little bit to her left. She put back the clothes on the table and ran, slowing down when she came to his carefully still hand.

Reaching out, she placed both of her palms on his, and shifted her weight onto her knee. Rolling over she came to a stop in the middle of his hand, over the fabric of the glove. The pad of his pinkie touched her back.

He stood and lifted her to the pocket. Knowing the drill, she stood on her toes and fell headfirst into his pocket.

"Oopf!

Not much had changed. Maybe the pocket was bouncing slightly as he held in a laugh, but it got quiet pretty quickly.

She righted herself as she felt them walk outside, signified by the change in air pressure.

She kept her head down mostly, as it would have been unsteady to peak her head over the top. Her thigh and back pressed against a incredibly tense chest. Sighing in frustration, she remembered how suddenly... skittish, Kakashi had become around her.

Or maybe it wasn't her.

Could it have had something to do with that alarm yesterday? Is that why he was so tense?

Probably. She really needed to stop being so defensive.

She felt a tap through the pocket. Standing up as best she could, she peeked over the top. He was looking down at her with a hooded, careless eye. She had never seen him with an expression like that.

"Haruhi. It's important you're not seen."

She nodded and sunk back down-but not all the way.

Solid steps indicated they were indoors again, with no gravel or uneven pavement underfoot. His footsteps made no sound. Distantly she heard someone being told off.

Kakashi stopped, and put his hand on a cracked open door. A startled silence could be felt from the room within. He pushed open the door, stepped inside, and a chalkboard eraser fell onto his head. A cloud of smoke washed over him like a veil, temporarily blocking her from sight.

"HAHAHAHA! I GOT HIM, HE TOTALLY FELL FOR IT!"

"I'm sorry, Sensei! I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen! I'd never do anything like that!"

Overwhelmed, she slipped the rest of the way down to the bottom of the pocket. And she didn't need to see or hear Sasuke to feel the judgement rolling off of him. She felt Kakashi take a shallow breath.

"Hm, how could I could I put this, my first impression of this group; you're a bunch of idiots."

Sweatdrop.

...Well, he wasn't wrong. All three of them were pretty pathetic if you ask her.

"Meet me on the roof."

And with that they were gone. Moving so fast she was plastered to the back of the pocket, she was thrown forward when they stopped, presumably on the roof. Splayed awkwardly in the pocket, she almost screamed when a gloved hand reached in and grabbed her!

Pulling her up, the green flap brushed against her hair and foot. Her arms were both resting on top of his index finger. One leg was wrapped completely and the other was sticking out between the middle and index fingers.

"When I told you not to be seen, sticking your head out to watch the three genin is not that." He fixed her with a hooded gaze, somehow piercing.

"Okay, sorry." She snarked back. He didn't do that familiar eye smile, but he did shush her and move his thumb over her mouth mischievously. He dropped her back in the pocket, and just in time too; the genin arrived on the roof top.

"Alright, why don't you introduce yourselves, one at a time."

"Introduce ourselves, well, what are we supposed to say?" Sakura asked skeptically.

Oh no! She was missing it! She shifted down in the dark green, a sliver of light being provided by the cm of pocket he had left open. No way to peak.

"Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future. Hobbies. Things like that." He added as an afterthought. Crossing his arms she was pushed slightly up.

Taking her makeshift knife out of her cargo pants, she carefully wedged it between the blown up fabric. She paused.

"Why don't you tell us stuff first. Before we talk tell us about you so we can see how it's supposed to work." Naruto said.

So not a complete idiot. But he had to be a little smart, dealing with the village's hate.

"Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate. I don't feel like telling you that." Surprised gasps.

"My dreams for the future" He said almost grandly "I never really thought about it. As for my hobbies, I have lots of hobbies." Yeah, like looking after a woman the size of one of your fingers.

Sakura grumbled to the other two and Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Okay your turn. You on the right, you first." He almost twitched.

Naruto then launched into a tangent about ramen. This was her chance! Arms aching from being still for so long, she carefully cut as best as she could in the near darkness. Sweat dampened her forehead slightly. Just a bit more...

Ah! A tiny bolt of sunlight directly hit her one eye! Flinching back, she blinked repeatedly and carefully leaned forward to the tiny light. Looking through was an experience. Her glasses squashed lopsidedly against her face and she had to hunch slightly to stay on balance. But there they were.

Naruto was wiggling his forehead protector up and down, and explaining his hobby.

"And my future dream is; To be the greatest Hokage, then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody, somebody important!" At this point Naruto stopped wiggling his protector and clenched a fist by his face. Kakashi was carefully still.

"Alright, next." She pressed her face closer.

"I'm Sakura Haruno..." She was actually a cute kid. Too bad it didn't make Haruhi like her.

Yeah, Sakura was a preteen girl, but when Haruhi was her age she sure did not act like that. She didn't know a single girl in real life who did, actually. Much less a whole class, which seems to be the case here.

Sakura had a blush on her face and gave the unresponsive Sasuke a sideways look. Sasuke himself, wasn't looking anywhere in particular, but as Haruhi studied him closer, she noticed his jaw clenching, and unclenching, along with the muscles in his calves and forearms.

Tenseing.

Untensing.

Tensing.

Untensing.

Getting impatient, Kakashi said,

"And, what do you hate?"

"Naruto!" Said boy jumped as if he had been electrocuted. This was love-stricken Sakura, basically a useless fangirl. She wouldn't get much better either.

"Last one."

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything." Gasp from Sakura. Haruhi frowned, noting how blunt Sasuke was, and how he didn't seem to pick up on Sakura's hurt expression.

"What I have is not a dream, because I will make it an reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and destroy a certain someone."

Wow.

His hands were clasped and a serious expression was on his face. This was a revenge driven I'm-better-than-you, Sasuke. Annoying as shit. Haruhi could smell the inferiority complex and insecurity rolling off of him. And it's not like she had much room to talk when it came to insecurity, but this was a lot. She couldn't stand people like this.

A stunned, unsure silence had fallen across the rooftop. Naruto was looking sideways at Sasuke, obvious apprehension on his face. Sakura looked like she had never quite seen him before.

"Good. You're each unique and have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow."

Naruto excitedly asked what kind.

"It's a task that the four of us will do together."

"What what?!"

"A survival exercise." His voice, if possible, got an octave lower.

Cue complaints.

"A survival exercise." Sasuke muttered under his breath, voice oddly blank.

"This is not like your previous training."

"What is it then?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi's shoulders shook from ominous closed mouth laughter, throwing her off balance and away from the tiny hole. She scrambled back.

"What's so funny?" Asked an almost pouting Sakura.

"Hmm well, if I tell you the answer, you're not going to like it." He said almost sing-song, and continued laughing.

"Of the 27 graduated who just came here, only nine will actually be accepted as genin. The other 18 will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. In other words, this is an make-it-or-break-it pass-fail test, and the chance that you'll fail is at least 66 percent."

Holy shit Kakashi, don't kill them. She could sense the change in atmosphere from the pocket. Looking back out, Naruto went slack jaw and blank eyed in shock, Sakura lost all expression, and Sasuke somehow became more serious.

"See? Didn't I tell you you wouldn't like it?"

"That's crazy! We worked hard to get here! Believe it! What was that graduation test for anyway?!"

"Oh that. That was just to select candidates who might become genin. Or not."

"That's how it is. I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at 5AM and bring your ninja gear."

All three of them had intense looks on their faces. Naruto's lips had been pursed into a thin line and looked like he was whacked in the face with a broomstick. Sakura went from looking at her hands to Sasuke, shaking. Said boy didn't change his facial expression a bit but his hands were slightly trembling.

"That's it, you're dismissed. Oh, tomorrow you'd better skip breakfast or else, you'll puke." And with that helpful advice, Kakashi waved his arm and left.

The walk home was slow and quiet. She didn't know how to deal with the sudden change in attitude from Kakashi, and he was deep in thought. He absentmindedly opened the door, and they were greeted to a quiet house. The smell from cooking the chicken had mostly dissipated, and it somehow seemed empty and sterile again.

He gently took her out of the pocket, hand wrapped around her waist. She tilted her head, worried. Not looking at her but at the wall he walked over aimlessly and deposited her on the counter before turning and walking away.

"Wait, Kakashi!" She ran up to the fruit bowl and stood on top of the rim. He stopped, back still to her.

"Have some food Haruhi. I'm busy." Within a second he was gone. Dammit! She crossed her arms frustratingly.

It was currently physically impossible to get the leftovers out of the fridge. Fruit for dinner didn't sound appetizing but it looked like her only option. She still couldn't believe he had left her on the counter! Again! Fuming, she rolled over into the fruit bowl and landed on a softening pear. Shifting around, she spotted the barely eaten cutie. Since it was already open from yesterday she grabbed another slice and took a juicy bite. It soothed some of the rumbling. But what it didn't stop was the worried feeling deep within her stomach.

Kakashi had been tense ever since this morning. Was it nerves? Was seeing his sensei's son emotionally stressful to him?

Whose bright idea was it to make Kakashi team sevens sensei? He was still clearly recovering from trauma, reading Icha Icha as a coping mechanism. Putting him with his dead Sensei's son, another traumatized boy exactly like him with an older brother he worked with, and a girl exactly like Rin.

That was a recipe for disaster.

Why couldn't she have gotten Genma instead?

She put the slice down, suddenly losing her appetite. Being so small, what could she do to actually help? She couldn't even clean up after herself. A feeling of helplessness settled over her shoulders.

What could she do to help him?

She got up from the bowl. There was surprisingly still daylight left. Kakashi had probably went to his room, and it wouldn't be wise of her to breach his space again. At the corner of the counter, even though it wasn't practical, Kakashi had took thread used for sewing holes in ninja clothes and hand fashioned a rope much like the ones in gym class. Climbing down was tedious and her arms were already aching from earlier. She could have used some help.

She walked past the eerily silent hallway and into the living room, where birds were chirping right outside the window.

She gripped the book tassel with her hands and climbed up. Weaving past books, scrolls, chairs, and tables, she made her way to her bed. Today had been exhausting, catching a few Z's early wouldn't hurt. Somehow, it was still hard to fall asleep.

...

Something was off.

Her eyes snapped open to be greeted with darkness. As they adjusted, she could make out the plastic book sleeves and the corner of the polished shelf.

What had woken her up?

No one would have been insane enough to break into Kakashi's house, so was it Kakashi himself?

Slowly sitting up, she stepped out of bed and to the edge of the shelf door. The living room was bathed by moonlight. The room was colder than it should have been. She grasped the tassel and hit the bottom shelf. Walking with arms crossed past a giant table leg, she stepped into the hallway. The draft was coming from here.

At the end of the hallway, his door was open. A faint smell of pine reached her.

She paused.

He was obviously upset earlier. She had no right to go into his room. He probably wanted his privacy. But what if she could have helped? And then didn't? Could she do anything?

But instead of going towards the room something pulled her towards the kitchen. More specifically, her grumbling belly. If she walked in there and then started growling she would throw herself off the nearest counter.

Quiet as a mouse, she padded into the kitchen,

And came to a dead halt.

She wasn't alone in here.

She wanted to run and tensed up to do just that; something stopped her. The dark figure was hunched over the counter. Their hands were clasped together, their head was bowed, spiky hair falling over their face.

"Kakashi?" she whispered.

This was bad. Kakashi was having a panic attack and there was nothing she could do. What the fuck could she do? Give him a hug?

'This isn't about you!' She screamed at herself. This was about what she could do, not what she couldn't. Running below the painting, she grabbed the thread and climbed record fast to the top.

She cursed whoever decided to put him on team seven. It probably induced this flashback.

From this angle she could see his face.

It was still covered, but his eye was wide open and seeing things that weren't there. The pupil was dilated and the lids were stretched wide open. He looked like a scared animal. It was trained on her.

He was dangerous.

Only to late did she realize her mistake. He could kill her right now, and she'd never go home. She started shaking too.

But she couldn't leave him like this. He needed her.

She slid behind the fruit bowl.

"Kakashi? It's okay. Nothing is going to hurt you here."

She was so unqualified for this.

She took a shaky breath, and turned her body to see behind the fruit bowl-

-and directly into his uncovered Sharingan.

She screamed, and fell backwards off of the counter.

A flash of silver and the breath was driven out of her.

She was jerked to a halt, a merciless hand gripping her-inches away from the hard tile floor. Trembling, gasping like it was her last breath,and crying slightly, she clutched his gloveless hand.

Maybe it was the feeling, of her shaking like a leaf in his hand, that snapped him out of his episode.

"Haruhi?!" He gasped in shock, eyes trained on her.

She didn't respond, being unable to form words.

"Did you fall of the counter again?" He said in disbelief.

"Let go...too tight." His hand that was still clenched around her immediately loosened.

...

"Did I do this?" He looked on in shock and dawning horror. Staring at his hand and her in it. She laid on his palm.

"No! I...fell off of the counter again. I was hungry and slipped in the dark. You must have heard me scream."

"Let me look." She froze carefully. He lifted up her shirt and inhaled sharply.

"I-is it bad?"

He put down her shirt and closed his eyes. A deep breath in, then out.

"Let's get you cleaned up."

He stood carefully, not taking his eye off her, and walked into the hallway. When he went past the bathroom she blinked in confusion. They were in his room. It remained unchanged from when she had been in here last.

He moved towards a room in the back and flicked on the light. Turning her head and spotting herself, pale in his hand in the mirror, she realized she was bleeding. A crescent moon rested on her belly, where his nail had dug in from when he caught her. She heard the warm tap being turned on.

"I need you to lift up your shirt." He asked quietly.

She complied, bunching it up on her chest. She kicked her pants off, and laid in his hand. He carefully took soap and rubbed it over her belly. She bit her lip, as finger shaped bruises were forming.

He then cut a very small corner of a bandage, and wrapped it carefully around her dried middle. When he finished, he ripped of a tiny piece of medical tape, and taped the end down.

He was unsure of what to do now. So like before, she made the first move.

"I'm hungry."

Her stomach took its cue and growled.

He sent her a reluctantly amused look.

And that's the story of how she was sitting on a paper towel on the counter in her underwear while Kakashi cooked dinner. At one in the morning.

"Thanks for cleaning it."

He hummed.

Another awkward silence fell across them and Haruhi bit her lips and started fiddling with her hair.

What could she say?

Kakashi sighed and glanced at her from behind his shoulder.

"I apologize. I shouldn't have grabbed you so hard."

"No. I should have been more careful. And besides, if you hadn't I would have gotten hurt way worse." She turned down, tracing the shadow of her foot. Seeing Naruto must have triggered flashbacks. She was right there and even felt the tension, saw the warning signs.

A beeping on the stove shook them out of whatever daze they were in, and he turned his attention back to the stove. A few motions later and he brought back a plate of steaming food along with leftover chicken. She took a piece of cheesy rice and nibbled carefully. Kakashi looked at her contemplatively.

"...I guess that's true."

Haruhi was confused for a few seconds before she realized he was talking about catching her.

She nodded and took another bite.

They ate peacefully after that. Her occasionally humming to fill the peaceful silence. Despite being only in her underwear and t-shirt, she wasn't cold. The room seemed to be filled with heat from the stove.

"Hey... Kakashi?"

"Hm?"

"Were not really getting up at five, right?"

He started shaking again. Spooked she sat up.

"Kakashi?"

Laughter, deep and open, unlike the one from before, filled the room to bursting. He tossed his head back, mouth clearly open under the mask.

She started to laugh too.

He couldn't respond, and shook his head. Things cleared up after that. They joked quietly and she even punched his hand a few times. A sort of timeless haze settled over the kitchen, a dim warm light, burning gently from the stove, and casting them both in a glow. Eventually she had laughed so hard, it aggravated her stomach.

Her eyes were drooping and he offered a ride on his hand.

She cast him a cautious look. She walked over. His fingers didn't twitch this time, relaxed.

He cleaned up and carefully laid her on the shelf. Before turning away he said something that startled her.

"No."

She sent him a look.

"We will not be there at 5AM."

She giggled out a goodnight and headed to her bed.

She went to sleep with a smile on her face.

So did he-even if you couldn't see it with his mask on.