The Red String of Marriage

Hero - Mizuka

"Thanks for breakfast, Mizuka.  That was amazing."

She grinned.

"It's a lot better than my terrible cooking."

"You're a great cook."

Kakashi took her hand and kissed it tenderly from across the table, making Mizuka's face turn red.  A group of kids came running into the front door of the restaurant. 

"Hey Mizuka!"

She smiled and waved with her free hand.  They obviously spotted her holding hands with the stranger across the table. 

"Ooooh!"

"Mizuka's got a boyfriend!"

She laughed.

"This is my friend Kakashi.  He's a Jonin from Konoha."

"Hey, Mizuka!  Did you hear what happened to Mei?  She fell into the river and almost died.  A shinobi saved her"

"How is she?"

"She's okay, but her dad won't let her come outside.  She has a cool bruise on her elbow."

"I'll have to go by and see her cool bruise."

Mariko, the shy little girl who always hung near the back of the group, spoke up.

"What happened to your face?"

"You know that shinobi who saved Mei?  This is him."

All of their eyes lit up in wonder.

"Did it hurt?"

Kakashi grinned.

"Yeah, but I didn't think about it.  I had to save Mei."

Mariko came to the front of the group, bravely, and threw her arms around Kakashi's neck, whispering in his ear.

"Thank you for saving my best friend."

Mizuka could've cried at that moment.  He wrapped his arms around the little girl tightly and Mizuka heard him whisper.

"You're welcome."

The kids bid them goodbye and ran back out into the snow.  Mizuka couldn't hold the tears back. 

"Kakashi, that was beautiful.  I know that your opinion of yourself is pretty low, but to Mariko, you're the bravest man in the world.  You're her hero."

Mizuka watched a small smile creep across his face. 

"I don't know about that."

"It's true."

Mizuka could feel her face burn again as she turned away.

"You're my hero as well.  You may have done things that you're not proud of in the past, but you've done a lot of things you should be proud of too."

"I'm... your hero?"

"Well, yeah.  When you lit my fire place and brought me food that night when we were kids."

"I haven't thought about that in a while.  We've had so many better memories after that."

"I want to have a lot more, as well, Kakashi."

She leaned across the table and kissed him softly, making his face turn red this time.  They rose from the table and made their way back to Mizuka's cottage.  Kakashi worked with his crutch and her arm around his waist, but Mizuka could see in the stark sunlight that he was still very weak.  He put on a brave face for her, but she could feel his body shaking and straining under his cloak.  When they arrived home, she helped his straight to bed, sitting him down.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi.  I think that maybe this was all too much too soon."

He looked crestfallen. 

"I hope you mean just for my body.  Because I had a great time with you yesterday.  Actually, since I woke up in Tenchi."

"Oh, no!  I meant the strain on your body."

She helped his undress and put him back into the bed before she climbed over him and whispered into his ear.

"Just let me take care of you."

She kissed him passionately.  He always tasted so good, like fresh melon and green tea.  His lips were finally healing, becoming as soft and delicious as she remembered them.  He surprised her by pulling her into a tight hug and rolling her under the covers with him.  They kissed for a while, and Mizuka noticed how tired her lover was and, although she was starving for his body again, she coaxed him into resting his head on her shoulder, encouraging him to sleep with promises of more explosive lovemaking when he awoke.