The Routine

Moiya dreamed of the breeze blowing in her face, her eyes closed, the sun was warm. She could feel the cool air around her foot, sending a shiver through her before instinctively pulling it back under the blankets. The breeze continued to blow warm across her face as she drifted in and out of consciousness refusing to accept that morning had already come when she was having such a pleasant dream. The breeze came and went. Moiya slowly opened her eyes and then closed them again. She was still dreaming. Kakashi shifted his weight, grunting against the almost forgotten pain in his side. Moiya lazily opened her eyes, the warm breeze gone. Instead she could feel a soft tickle on her face where the breeze had been blowing only moments before, see silver white hair stuck out in all directions, see the soft curve of Kakashi’s ear, jaw, neck......Moiya wasn’t really sure how she should react, a part of her wishing the breeze was blowing against her face again when she realized it had been his breath she felt. She listened to his breathing for a few moments before rolling away as quietly as she could manage, sliding her feet to the floor, feeling the chill of the morning on her toes.

Her tea was cold before she noticed she had been holding it for far too long staring off into the open space of her silent house. Kakashi had stayed. She couldn’t wrap her mind around seeing him lying there so still. ‘Kakashi never stayed before.’ Kakashi stared up at the ceiling, his head throbbing, the gash burning slightly. It had taken him a few moments to notice the warmth he had been enjoying was gone, but the pain in his side still as strong as it had been the night before as he gingerly pushed himself up into a sitting position. Second guessing a decision wasn’t something Kakashi did very often, rubbing his hand over his sore ribs remembering Moiya’s soft fingers probing that same spot, he had to wonder if staying would be one of those decisions he would regret. Moiya poured the cold tea down the drain and boiled another pot of water staring at the blue flame under the pot, the morning seemed to be moving in slow motion. Kakashi had stayed here before, less after her father died, but never after a night like last night. Their routine didn’t include a morning after. Something she never understood when he didn’t seem to mind staying other nights, although he did sleep in the guest room on those nights.

She carried the tray up the hall to the bedroom trying not to spill the fresh pot of tea, her mind still running around trying to figure things out, but the sight of Kakashi kneeling on the floor grasping the bed with one hand vomiting sent the hot liquid crashing to the floor. Soaking the wash cloth under the cold running water, Moiya ran back to Kakashi’s side pulling him back into her away from the sick smell, his head resting against her neck, the cloth pressed across his forehead. She ran the cloth down his cheek across his lips wiping away the bile before folding it and pressing it against his neck. Supporting Kakashi’s unconscious body against her chest she sat back, relieved to feel the cold wall behind her, as she wrapped her free arm around his chest pressing her lips against his temple fighting back the shaking she felt in her legs. It was sometime before Kakashi moved, Moiya’s head leaning against his for support, she could feel his hand on hers pulling it back up onto his chest “I’m sorry” he mumbled. Moiya wrapped her arms under his balancing him as he managed to pull himself back up onto the bed, fighting back the churning in his stomach, his head throbbing again. “You should have stayed in bed” she scolded turning away, Kakashi grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

He stared at her for a moment not really sure why he had stopped her, unable to say the words out loud now that she was staring questioningly at him with green eyes that made his heart skip a beat, in the end he let go silently cursing himself. Moiya cleaned up the mess they had both made, clearing away the broken tea pot and throwing the vomit stained towels into the laundry. Kakashi seemed to have fallen back to sleep while she fixed up some fresh tea and lunch, hoping that some food would help settle his stomach, adding some herbs to the tea to ease the symptoms of his concussion. Setting the tray on the dresser, Moiya stood over Kakashi examining the steri-strips she had used to close the wound on his scalp before moving the tray to the foot of the bed and climbing up next to him. She pulled out a book and set of pencils from the bedside table before pouring some tea and settling back against the headboard. Kakashi could hear the scratching of her pencil against the paper, hear her pour more tea, felt the shift of her weight on the bed. “If your going to lay there pretending to be asleep wasting the tea and lunch I made you then you can get your own food because Im not making you anything else.” she took another drink of her tea. Grinning, Kakashi slowly inched his way up to a semi-sitting position, his stomach threatening to seize up in protest, Moiya pushing another pillow behind his head as he laid back.

“Here” she grabbed his hand and shoved a cup of the tea she had made with the special medicinal herbs into it “It will help with the headache and nausea.” she lowered her voice holding his hand steady as he took a drink. “Its cold” he made a face that resembled a pout, Moiya threw him a dirty look “Mmmm delicious.”he smirked seeing the dangerous look in her eyes and taking another drink. Moiya enjoyed this part of their friendship much more than the routine from the night before. The comfortable way they teased and joked with each other, it was refreshing to see he was feeling well enough to poke fun at the tea and to know the tense physical pressure that came with being so close to him could return to the relaxed friendly company she had shared with him since she was ten years old. She hated the awkwardness between them when they were intimately close to each other. Kakashi ate as much of the lunch Moiya had made for him as he could and finished the tea, the warm fuzzy feeling it gave him making him drowsy again. He had meant to say thank you but had fallen asleep before he could remember to tell her.

Moiya’s lips were warm against his face as she slowly placed gentle kisses one by one on his forehead his nose his cheek. He tilted his head up to catch her lips with his, chastely kissing her while cradling her face in his hands, her hair falling over his arms, his heart beating faster. He could feel her lips part sucking in his lower lip and then her tongue caressing it. Her fingers slide up around the back of his neck wrapping them in the short hairs, Kakashi moaned, her tongue slipping inside his mouth kissing him deeply, pressing herself against his chest. Running his fingertips down her spine, her body quivering at his touch, he wrapped his arms around her as he continued to explore her mouth, her lips, running the tip of his tongue down her neck, kissing and then sucking on her sweet skin. The sound of her erratic breathing and the small gasps of breath she took when he found a spot that excited her made his heart pound hard in his chest. Her skin warm and soft against his. She pulled him back up to her mouth taking him in completely, Kakashi rolled them over without breaking their heated embrace. He loved the way she felt beneath him as she let a soft moan escape, pulling her hands up over her head holding them there he began to trace a path down her chin and neck with his tongue and lips, teasing every inch of her. He thought he would pass out when she wrapped her legs around him feeling the heat from her excitement pressing against his, jerking his head up he reached down squeezing her thigh as she grabbed the back of his head with her free hand pulling him back to her mouth.

Kakashi opened his eyes as he sat up instantly grabbing his head which was protesting the sudden movement. His shirt was stuck to his chest where he had been sweating, concentrating he tried to slow down his breathing and heart rate. He groaned, the ache in his ribs forcing him to lay back as Moiya moved to his side wiping the sweat from his slightly pale face with a cold cloth. Kakashi flinched at her touch, her arm brushing against his side when she moved, the sensations of his dream still fresh in his mind. She smiled down at him, folding the cloth and placing it against his cheek and then his neck. “Bad dream?” she smiled. He couldn’t stop staring into her green eyes fighting back the desire to pull her close to him and taste her lips for the first time. He watched her move from the bed to the window, the tips of her hair touching the small of her back when she reached up to pull it closed. He watched the way her hips moved under her cotton pants as she headed out the door, disappearing into the kitchen for a while. Kakashi took a deep breath, if he tried hard enough he could have stood, dressed and walked out right at that moment without passing out or vomiting. He heard Moiya’s footsteps in the hall, ‘if he tried’ he thought, listening to her pass the door her feet patting lightly against the wood. ‘What the hell are you doing Kakashi?’ he scolded himself sitting up slowly, ignoring his stomachs protests, he set both feet on the floor, holding his side and grunting as he pushed himself up, ignoring the throbbing in his head.

Turning he ran into Moiya spilling the tea she was holding, grabbing the cup from her the hot liquid splashed over the edge onto the floor barely missing her hand. Kakashi looked from the tea on the floor to Moiya’s face then smiled “Is this for me?” “It was.” she smiled back teasingly before putting her hand on his chest and moving closer, Kakashi meant to take step back but the bed was in the way and instead he fell sitting back down trying not to spill the tea in his hand. Moiya took it from him then knelt down between his legs setting the cup on the floor. Staring into his face she moved closer, he held his breath, Moiya reached up with her hands and pulled his shirt up to his chest, Kakashi’s heart pounded in his chest. “Ouch ” he grabbed her arm “That hurts” he glared at her as she tried to poke the bruised ribs again “Don’t be such a baby Kakashi.” she pushed his hand away continuing to poke gently around the bruise. “How’s your head?” she sat back finally letting him pull his shirt back down. “Still hurts.” was all he could say to her, it was taking everything he had to stop himself from pulling her back to him. “Ill bring some more tea and something to eat” she got up and headed back out the door then paused “That is if you decide to stay.” she added giving him a small smile.

Kakashi wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, he had decided to leave when he ran into her spilling the tea. He shook his head touching the spot where her hands had been prodding him, ‘I know exactly what I want to do, but wanting and having are two separate things Kakashi’ he scolded himself. His mind wandered back to his dream, he thought of the look on her face when she left the room, ‘Was she flirting with him? Was she asking him to stay?’ he turned looking at the doorway before closing his eyes. Moiya walked through the door with a cup and plate, Kakashi was still sitting on the bed, he hadn’t been able to force himself to stand up and walk out ‘Baka, she’s your friend.’ he scolded himself again. Moiya stood in front of him watching the expressions on his face, his eyes closed in concentration “Is it that difficult for you to decide to stay?” she frowned at him when he opened his eyes “Then I guess you wont be needing this.” her eyes flashed a fierce green as she headed back out the door to the kitchen. Groaning against the pain, his body still aching in protest, he followed her down the hall. The food sitting on the table waiting for him.