The Spaces In-Between

Peace At Last

Kakashi smiled as Y/N propped his leg up on their couch before handing him a cup of tea.  She was bustling about the apartment, trying to right all the damage that was about.  She gave a frustrated sigh as she stared at the scorch marks on the walls.

"Damn, this place is so trashed," she muttered. "At least the bedroom was untouched.  We'll have to paint and replace most of the furniture in here.  And it will be hell getting that blood off the wall outside..."

"You're remarkably calm all things considered," Kakashi said softly.  "Were you... triggered at all by what happened?"

Y/N turned towards him.  His eyes were soft with concern and although he was sitting in relative peace she could still tell he was shaken by what had happened.  She considered lying but knew that wasn't good even if it set him at ease now.

"Yes," she moved to sit in the small spot next to his hip.  He wrapped an arm around her waist and was silent.  "When they took me, I was okay but that cave... You know how I hate the darkness and it brought back all those old terrors from childhood.  When I was with you as a child, I felt safe... you always made me feel safe but I was alone.  Then they started coming for me and I was terrified."

"Why did they not kill Guy?"

She turned her head to look at him then grinned a little, "They were going to kill him but I told them I would blow myself and them up if they did with my secret Jutsu."

Kakashi chuckled and shook his head, "And they fell for that?"

She nodded, "I couldn't let them... He fought so hard, Kakashi, but there were so many of them.  I think they were expecting you here not him.  Guy was amazing...  that wheelchair did nothing to slow him down in his fighting. I was blown away but while a couple of them distracted me, the rest went at him as a group.  It was just too much for him.  They knocked him out and when I saw they were going to kill him, I made up the only thing that I thought would stop them."

Kakashi tightened his grip around her and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.  "I'm so proud of you."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"How badly triggered were you?" she asked softly.

Kakashi shook a little at the question.  "Badly," he admitted softly.  "All I could think about was all the people who had been killed in my past.  The memories from our time together were like kunai in my heart.  If you had..."  His eyes moistened, "I don't know what I would do but I know it would kill what was left inside me... You are my light, Y/N.  The one thing that has always been good in my life."

"I think we can finally live in peace, Kakashi," Y/N said softly before lowering his hand to her abdomen.  "We have a son coming into this world, who will symbolize the love we have shared all our lives."  She tilted her head to the side, "Why didn't you tell Naruto what happened to Rydon?"

Kakashi gave her a nervous chuckle, "Honestly, I'd rather no one know about that.  After watching how the villagers treated Naruto all these years, I'd rather not set him up for that kind of life.  Even if Naruto kept it a secret, someone would eventually find out.  I want his childhood to be as normal as possible."

Y/N smiled at the answer, "Okay, I won't tell anyone.  I'm not even sure what that will mean for him.  Rydon told me but... it just kind of faded away when he went into our son.  He will be powerful, though... that much I know without a shadow of doubt."

Kakashi pulled her back against him and kissed her temple, gently running his hand across her abdomen.  He finally let out a long pent up breath, relaxing fully.  "I'm too old for this."

Y/N laughed hard, "Did you just call me old because we're the same age?"

He grinned, "Ah... well... not at all.  By the way, forget about fixing the apartment."

"Hmm?  Why is that?  We can't live like this."

"I think it's time we got our own home and get ready for our dragon child to appear," he responded softly.  "I was already thinking about it before all this happened."

"Now that sounds like a fantastic idea," she grinned.  "Then we don't have to worry about when we get too loud."

Kakashi rolled his eyes, "When have we even bothered to restrain ourselves?"

"Perv," she joked.

"Closet perv," he joked back, "and... BRAT."

Y/N laughed and leaned her head back against his chest.  She was very tired all of a sudden.  He was still talking softly to her when she passed out.

The next morning, she woke up in bed and felt bad immediately knowing that Kakashi had to have carried her there and with his leg all messed up too.  She rolled over and smiled as his dark gray eyes met her in the morning light.  He smiled at her, "Feeling better?"

"I'm sorry I fell asleep..."

"It's fine.  My leg was back to normal by the time I decided we needed to go to bed," he reassured her.  "So, do you want to go look at houses today?"

He laughed when she jumped up out of bed, grabbed a change of clothes, and ran to the bathroom.  He folded his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling for a long time.  This was the first time since the nightmare had started after their marriage that they were finally at peace.  He finally felt as if they could live a normal life together.  The joy at the thought was like a rush to him as he had never had that in his life.  Yet now he not only had the woman he always loved, with no threat waiting around dark corners, he also had a son on the way.

Life was good...