Under My Skin

Chapter 7

Kakashi

"You know it's rude to stare at people in an Onsen?" His head lay back on the side of the spring pool and he prised his onyx eye open. He slid his eye to his partner sitting far on his right side. She sunk lower into the pool covering her shoulders and her mouth as a blush crept onto her pale skin. She was henged into brown hair and jade eyes.

"I was just wondering if this is what you look like under the mask" her eyes grew wider in awe as she slid closer next to him, talking quietly. There were two older women and a few grown men minding their own business in various places around the large onsen.

He felt himself gulp as the water rippled over him as she neared.

He didn't take his lazy eye off her as she did. She peered closer to his face, inspecting it.

"I'm henged." He henged into his usual Sukea appearance, brown hair, grey eyes, purple paint down his face, over his eyes.

"But how would I know?" she asked a fair question leaning around and stretching as if she'd see more. She was still an arms-length away but it suddenly felt too close. She blinked her large green eyes. She hadn't changed herself other than the brown hair and jade eyes. The more he looked at her the more it felt wrong on her. He closed his eye and tilted his head back to the sky, relaxing.

Did the water just get hotter?

He stretched his arms on either side of him, resting on the side of the pool. His chest emerged some and steamrolled off his heated skin. He felt immediately cooler and let out a long calm breath.

"Curious?" he uttered. He felt warm and lethargic. Talking seemed like effort but the corner of his mouth twitched into a smile.

"Won't you show me?" she cooed at him and he found his eye on her again. He faltered as he saw her pouting at him, her brows pulled down. She'd henged her chest large again and was wiggling her shoulders, faining annoyance. He trained his face into his lazy grin and tilted his head back to the sky.

"Next time." He gave her a veiled promise. He laughed singularly when she huffed and sank back into the water, leaning on the warmed stone.

She got out not long after that and he tried his damned hardest not to look as she did. He lost the battle with himself as she walked up the stairs. Steamrolled off her skin and her wet hair cascaded down her back. He squeezed his eyes shut realising his Sharingan swirled as he took in the sight. He cursed himself for being a pervert and not giving her privacy. He lay back thanking a higher power that his nose didn't bleed.

________________________________________________________

"Hungry?" She jumped up from the futon and asked as he opened the door to their room. She was dressed in the plain baby blue winter kimono from the Ryokan, as was he. She was unhenged and her lilac hair was unbound by her usual twin tails. The room was much smaller this time and a large round window was set lowly on the plain wall. A smile curled his lips.

"Nope," He watched the hope in her eyes wither and die. "Don't think I am," she pouted as she had done in the onsen, but his smile faltered. It looked so different without her henge and his heartbeat faltered for a moment. He cleared his throat. "It seems busy out there. We should lay low." He took his eyes off her and removed his shoes. She moved around the small room plonking herself next to the window.

He lay down on the futon and placed his hands behind his head. It was the most comfortable thing he'd ever lain on and a satisfied sigh escape his lips. He opened his eyes and flinched as Ame hovered directly above his face as she'd knelt directly above his head.