The Wolf Within| The Possesions of the Wild series| Volume 2

7 | Catching up

After Kakashi and Kaiya bid their goodbyes in the hotel their teams were staying at, Kaiya found herself tip-toeing in her team's shared bedroom. The room was dark and it had two bunk beds on each side of the room. The room was relatively silent, so Kaiya could only assume her team was already sound asleep after the long day. That, until she heard Tenten shuffle in her bed a little, mumbling.

"Kaiya, where have you been?" She asked, still half asleep, "We were worried about you, it's like eleven PM..."

"Sorry, I got distracted."

Kaiya looked at the clock, as it indeed showed the time to be 11.30 PM. After this, Tenten mumbled a few more things that Kaiya couldn't quite understand. By the time Kaiya changed into her pyjamas and made herself comfortable in the last remaining free bed, Tenten was, once again, deeply asleep. Although she felt tired, her body seemed to refuse sleep. Even after 30 minutes of trying to make herself more and more comfortable, sleep still seemed to reject her request to be embraced by its arms.

She sighed somewhat disappointed as she looked at the clock, which now showed to be just a bit after midnight. She searched for her shoes, put them on, and opened the window. Much to her happiness there was a metal set of stairs right next to the window, probably for emergency fires. Kaiya smiled as she stepped on the window frame and grabbed the stairs. Moment later, she found herself on the hotel roof, laying almost diagonally with it as she watched the city lights. The chilly air and the quiet ambiance of the city made Kaiya contemplate to remain on the roof for the rest of the night. Still, the quietness didn't last too long. Not too long after her arrival there, a set of footsteps under the roof caught Kaiya's attention, as they were followed quickly by the sound of metal. The footsteps followed quickly on the stairs and soon after, the head of a boy no older than seventeen appeared, with raven dark hair on top. As the boy stepped on the roof, Kaiya saw how he wasn't wearing his usual clothes, but a light grey t shirt and shorts.

"Lee," Kaiya said, "Did I wake you up?"

Lee hummed disapprovingly. "Couldn't sleep until I knew you got home. The view is beautiful, though, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it really is."

Lee smiled as he looked at Kaiya. He wished he could tell her about how she was the most beautiful than any view he could ever witness, how even the smallest glimpse of her and how even hearing from her for just one moment made his heart flutter in a way it never did before. How not only his heart but his soul was fond of her for purely existing. He wished to tell her, but as much as he wished and hoped, he was equally afraid of what would come after. He truly hoped that time would prove her heart to be mirroring his.

As they looked at eachother, the quietness fell comfortable between them, something that Lee embraced happily. He didn't have a lot of luck with girls before, but then again, he didn't feel so comfortable around many people in general, the way he did with Kaiya.

"I actually wanted to talk to you," he said, after a moment.

"What about?"

Lee licked his lips hesitantly, before looking back at the city's view ahead of them. "What did you do the past two years?"

Kaiya chuckled lightly as she joined Lee in viewing the hidden Sand village. Sometimes, she prefered the view of him better, seeing the way his expressions change and the way his eyebrows scrunched together as she said something difficult, but she wouldn't admit it. She wouldn't admit it the same way Lee didn't want to admit that he, too, preferred the sight of her better.

"Where do I begin?" She said, almost rhetorically.

"Well, why don't you start where you left Konoha." Where you left us, he almost said.

"Ah, right. So my mom and I walked for four days. You get there in three days, but my mom was in no hurry now that she had me with her. It was a long trip, but I was too used to them by then. My mom was really happy that I agreed to return. Not that she gave me much of an option anyway, but you get what I mean." Lee hummed in agreement. "Then, when I arrived home, my brother and dad were so... ecstatic. I can't even describe it," Kaiya laughed, "My brother Kouta wouldn't even let go of me for weeks. He followed me everywhere and just...I don't know, absorbed every moment he had with me.

Then my dad, stepdad if you really insist, I can't even describe his joy. He's a hunter, you see, he and other men of the clan make sure the clan has enough food and fur and such things for the winter. When he heard I could control my chakra better and that I was a shinobi, he directly said I must join him on a hunting trip. After that, he said that I could make a fine hunter, if I decided to follow in his steps."

As she talked, Kaiya couldn't stop smiling. Seeing the sight of a joy on her face that Lee hadn't quite witnessed until then, he couldn't help but join in shyly with a smile, as a warm feeling in his chest grew.

"They must have really missed you, then," he said, "I'm so happy you have family that loves you so much, Kaiya."

For a moment, Kaiya looked at Lee and felt as if a spear pierced through her heart along with a realization. Lee had never talked about his family. She didn't hear anything about it from Tenten, Neji or Guy either. Did he have any? Did he have anyone to care for him? Was he truly alone in the world, just as that Naruto boy?

"What about yours?"

"My family? My parents are merchants, but they travel a lot so I don't really spend a lot of time with them. I have an aunt too, from my mom's side, but she lives in the Land of Lightning somewhere. I rarely see her."

Relief came back to Kaiya in a way, only to be filled by a certain feeling of sadness along. While she avoided her family for so long as they kept trying to find her, she couldn't imagine what it was like to live in the house of your family without ever truly seeing your family.

"Don't you ever miss them?" She asked.

Lee shrugged. "It's been like this most of my life, so I'm kind of used to it by now. I sometimes wish they were home more often, though."

Kaiya looked down at the space between them, and noticed the way Lee was fidgeting with his fingers. Gently and hesitantly, Kaiya placed his hand over his. The warmth of his hand travelled all the way up to her cheeks, colouring them a faint shade of red. On Lee's behalf, Kaiya's rather cold hands send electric shocks throughout his whole body. His heart was racing as he was getting used to her soft, cold skin resting on his. Without realising, his fingers intertwined with hers, and his thumb found comfort in rubbing her hand.

"I'm happy you're here with us, Lee," Kaiya said, "And if you ever feel like you need some company, my apartment's door is always welcome for you."

Lee's lips trembled into an even bigger smile as she said that. "Thank you, Kaiya. Same goes for you."

All those weeks and months he had spend without her, his mind always flew back to her. Her wellbeing and her possible return were things that often kept him up at night. And throughout all of it, there was one thing he kept trying to deny. He didn't love her, he didn't like her any more than any other friend. If anyone, he should've courted Sakura and hope that she'd return his feelings. Yet, Sakura or any other girl he once might've found to be cute remained nothing more than dull next to Kaiya. Perhaps they were pleasant to be around, But Kaiya was simply magnificent. The moment he saw her return, and the moments through which he was looking at her now, there was no denying anymore. He loved her.

As Kaiya looked at him, she couldn't help but gaze into his eyes, his own gaze reflecting not only the city's lights throughout the night's darkness, but some feelings that she had. Throughout the conversations they had, she couldn't get rid of this giddy feeling she got, and the way that their conversations made her so happy. The way that she found herself thinking so much of him, and feeling a certain sense of excitement when she'd go out with her team, knowing he was there. Even as she walked towards the hotel room, a part of her slipped to think of how he was in the same room as her. Somehow, being in his presence flustered her a little, but made her feel so happy and safe. Something about him made her want to tell him everything. Everything he asked her, she told him happily. Things he never asked but she thought he'd love to know, she became eager to share too. The world became more colourful with him around her, and every detail reminded her of him. Perhaps she, too, liked him more than she expected and planned.Catchi