This was definitely not the hospital. For one, there were no soft yellow walls, no pillows fluffed to the extreme, no infinite stacks of blankets and no too-clean smell in the air. Wait... there's the pillow. Why isn't it under my head?
I looked around the room. It seemed cosy, yet unfamiliar. The walls and the floor were made of wood, and there was a small fire in an iron grate. There was a single wardrobe in the corner, and the bed I was on appeared to be made of mahogany, and was quite plain. It seemed more like a room in an inn or a small tavern than a hospital room.
I glanced down. That was not a lying position. Why? I was leaning on something. No, make that someone. And not so much leaning as being clung to desperately. Well, this wasn't confusing at all.
"Hey, Kashi," I mumbled.
"Miyoshi." Kakashi shifted my position so I was no longer buried in his chest, but I could see him properly. He'd ditched the ANBU mask, but not the uniform. Other than that, he seemed fine.
"Are you okay?" I checked.
"Am I okay?" Kakashi laughed, but he didn't sound like he was finding anything funny. "Miyoshi, you were stabbed. It was a fatal wound, we thought you were going to die."
"Nothing new, then. But the thing with your dad... last I saw you, you were back in the emo corner. How much emotional damage do I have to repair?"
"None. I'm fine, really," Kakashi insisted. "Are you okay?"
"I'm great. Wonderful, in fact. Saw my dad this time," I said.
"Really?" Kakashi murmured. "What did he say?"
"Not much, actually. I did most of the talking. I told him my life story and convinced him to lower the dating age from twenty-five to twenty."
"Dating age?"
"He wanted me to remain an innocent little girl forever, so he told me I couldn't date until I was twenty-five. I managed to convince him to change it to twenty."
"Why? Got your eye on someone?" Kakashi teased.
"Maybe I do." I grinned, but the effort sapped more of my energy than I anticipated, so it was reduced to a flicker.
"What's he like?" Kakashi asked.
"Well, he's smart and strong. Not very funny, I'll be honest, but he's fun. There's a difference. Very good looking, if I may say so myself. Skilled ninja. ANBU captain, in fact."
"Hm. Sounds like a great guy."
"He is. He's my closest friend, too. I trust him with my life. Virtually never leaves my side, though I haven't figured out why yet. Would you have any idea, Kakashi?" I asked innocently.
"Maybe it's because he's got his eye on a girl," Kakashi mused. "And that girl is funny, and kind. Probably the most genuine person he's ever met. She's loud, energetic, kind of annoying. She treats everyone like children, but like her children. He's already put his life in her hands, multiple times. She's never let him down."
"So why doesn't he say anything?" I asked, hardly daring to hear the answer.
"Because every time I've tried, all I can think of is Rin," Kakashi whispered, his tone serious now. "You remind me of her sometimes."
"She was my only friend for years," I pointed out gently. "Of course some of her habits rubbed off on me."
"The last thing she said was my name. If someone else close to me died like that, I..." He trailed off.
"I'm not going to die, Kashi," I murmured.
"Yeah?" Was that anger in his voice? "Then what the hell was that? You almost died, you took a fatal blow, and now you're awake and talking like it was nothing. Every time you get hurt, I panic. What if one day you don't wake up?"
"Remember I said that I convinced my dad to change his mind?" I asked, reaching up to brush away a tear that had fallen onto Kakashi's face. "Want to know how I did it? My dad was convinced I was dead. He told me if I could make my way back here, he'd change his mind. So I said 'goodbye' right there and walked off, and here I am."
"You're not immortal," Kakashi said.
"No," I agreed. "Nobody is. One day, there'll come a time when I can't just walk off and wake up. But as long as I have a say in the matter, I'm staying with you."
"Did Rin have a say in the matter?" Kakashi muttered.
"Yes, actually. She chose to die, to protect the village. And even if she had the option to walk out and wake up, I don't think she would have. I think Rin and Obito are waiting for you even now."
"Maybe." Kakashi sounded unsure.
I was about to say something, when the door was suddenly flung open, and a blur of green exploded into the room.
"The power of youth has awakened my youthful blossom!" Guy exclaimed.
"Hello, Guy," I mumbled.
"She's awake?" Said another voice, just outside the door. "Everyone, Miyoshi's awake!"
There was a pattering of footsteps - I couldn't tell how many - then pretty much everyone who had been fighting with us burst into the room, Teren and Garake at the head of the group, Garake in a wheelchair.
"Hello, headache," I mumbled.
"What was that?" Garake asked. "Why does Kakashi look like he's trying not to laugh?"
"No reason, I only said 'hello'," I replied innocently.
"Everyone away from the door, please!" Chiriku's voice rose above the others, and the crowd shifted slightly to allow him through with a tray and a couple of steaming mugs. Now that I could see them, a warm drink sounded really good.
"How are you feeling?" Chiriku asked, handing me a mug of some herbal tea.
"Well, normally when I wake up in hospital I feel like crap, but actually there's only a throbbing in the wound. It's a nice change," I replied, taking a sip of the tea. It was a little bitter, but the warmth really hit the spot. "Oh, I forgot to ask. How long have I been out?"
"Just a day," Chiriku replied, now ushering everyone out of the room, despite loud protests on Guy's part.
"And Kakashi's been here the whole time?" I guessed. The look I received said everything. "You need to get a life, Kashi."
"Maybe later," Kakashi said dismissively. "When you're better."
"I'll leave you to rest," Chiriku said, taking the now empty tray and leaving the room. I was once again left alone with Kakashi.
"Have you been holding me like this the whole time?" I asked.
"Would you rather I didn't?"
"No," I replied, even surprising myself. "It... it's nice."
Kakashi didn't say anything, and his expression - or what I could see of it - didn't change. His arms tightened around me, though, and he pulled me closer to him. He smelled of lemon soap. It was soothing.
"Does this mean you're over your irrational fear of my death?"
"It's not irrational, and no. I'm just willing to look past it."
"Then I'll be willing to look past the fact that you're an idiot."
"Was that a jibe?"
"Nope. Definitely not."
YOU ARE READING
✔️Heal My Heart {Kakashi Hatake}
Fanfiction"I don't give up on a patient until they're dead." ~~~ Kakashi Hatake has had a rough life, and that's putting it lightly. Losing everyone he loved has torn a hole deep in his heart. Lucky for him, there's someone waiting around who's good fixing st...
