Lightning In The Hidden Leaf

Epilogue - Perfect Harmony

Kakashi lays in the bed and listens to the the rain pitter patter outside the hospital window. The night sky is heavy and it seems it has only rained since Kakashi returned to the village. He has been in hospital every since. This isn't an unfamiliar place for him to be though. He has been wounded in battle so many times before that he hospital is almost his second home.

Strangely, his memory of Calista has become more and more vague with each passing day. Almost like a dream, the details to be forgotten as the day goes on. Kakashi's goal now is getting back on his feet and resuming his typical life. A gentle tap at the door disrupts his thoughts. 

"Hi Nicola," he says when he realizes who's there. 

"Sorry to bother you. May I came in?" replies the timid woman in the doorway.

"You may."

Nicola enters the room and sits in the chair next to Kakashi. "It's only been a few weeks since your injury but you're looking pretty good."

Kakashi feels the wound in his abdomen. It's nothing more than a dull ache. "It looks like she missed my chakra points, so I'm lucky there."

"Lucky?" laughs Nicola.

He looks at her quizzically. "Well, what else would it be?"

"I seen the way she looked at you. She had no intentions of killing you, Kakashi. I mean... how could someone possible to that to you?" she says, almost whispering.

He laughs. "I am the well known copy-cat ninja. I have a lot of enemies."

"You have a lot of allies too."

Kakashi looks at her, unable to bring his gaze anywhere else.

"Well," she says awkwardly after a moment. "You faired better than poor Iruka, but it looks like he will be ok too. Now that was lucky. Those parasites usually leave people for dead but that doctor you took him too knew how to save his life. It's all maintenance from here. I'll be doing my rounds with Iruka once he gains a bit more strength."

"Oh, I see," says Kakashi, not hiding the disappointment in his voice. He realizes how it sounds, after he spoke the words.

"What's the matter?"

"I thought that maybe you were just visiting me. I didn't know you were doing an assessment," he says.

"That's my job. I check in with ninjas back from missions to examine and treat potential psychological damage. You know that."

Kakashi leans his head back on the pillow and gazes at Nicola. "I do know that."

Nicola watches Kakashi for a moment. Flashbacks of intimate encounters between the two of them enter her mind's eye for a moment. She shakes her had and gets out her papers and pen, ready to get down to business. She starts filling out the basic information, ticking boxes, and writing dates, but she quickly loses motivation. Something is on her mind, and she has to say it.

"That's not fair, Kakashi," she whispers, knowing full well it's inappropriate to have this conversation while on the job.

He looks at her, his head cocked to the side and a look on his face suggesting that he is innocent. Her heart breaks.

"Everything was... I thought everything was perfect between us. You were the one who backed out. Remember?"

He sighs. "Yeah. I remember."

"So then why act like you played no part in this?" she sniffs and whips her cheek with the back of her hand. "I hope it's because you're not just lonely now that Calista is gone."

Kakashi pushes the blankets off his body and sits on the edge of the bed. He is facing Nicola, her legs in between his. The only thing on his upper body is the bandage covering his wound. Nicola wants to caress the wound. Then she wants to kill Calista for hurting him.

"I think I would like a different therapist," he says, his face inches from hers.

Nicola grits her teeth. "Very well," she says abruptly standing up. He quickly puts his hand around her wrist, preventing her from going anywhere. 

"Kakashi?"

"I would like another therapist... because I just want to enjoy your company. If you're okay with that."

Of course she's ok with that but she don't let her eagerness show. 

"You know the timing of all this makes you look really bad," she says.

"I know I have a lot of explaining to do. But for now just know that I'm ready to let the light in that I foolishly shut out before." His hand slides from her wrist down to her hand and their fingers gently intertwine. "You're the light, in case I wasn't being clear."

Nicola confused mouth morphs into a smile and she adverts her gaze out the window. The night sky is clear as if it wasn't raining just moments ago. She sits down next to Kakashi, hand in hand, as they gaze at the stars against the black sky.

"What's the point in the darkness without any light?" says Kakashi.

"What do you mean?" she says softly.

"The night sky. Makes no sense without the stars, does it?" he says looking at her. 

She laughs. "I'm not  sure what you're getting at, but no, I guess it doesn't."

Nicola lies on Kakashi's bed now, resting her head on his shoulder, his arm around her body. 

It is at that moment that Kakashi realizes how perfect light and darkness go together. They are meant to intertwine, effortlessly in perfect harmony.