Kids In The Dark (A Kakashi Love Story) (1st Place in NWA Kakashi 2015)

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Kakashi held Meiko in his arms for a moment before he shifted her in his arms so he was holding her bridal style in his strong arms before he leaped up off the ground and towards his apartment. Meiko didn't flinch from his hold as the jumped from roof top to roof top, until they landed in Kakashi apartment complex. He lowered them down onto a balcony area, cradling Meiko close to his chest as the entered the apartment.

"Meiko, what happened?" He asked he placed the girl down on the couch, watching her carefully as she extended her legs out on the coffee table, a small smile creeping on his face as he saw the wooden leg.

"T-The kids were blaming me for Obito dying, and they were talking about how I'll never be a ninja again, and I just wanted to get away from them." Meiko said as she stared at the wooden leg, the leg she was beginning to hate because of the kids and their rude comments.

"It's not your fault that he died, Meiko." Kakashi said he sat down beside of her, crossing his legs and facing his body towards her so that his one eye could stare at her. And he did. He took in every beautiful feature that Meiko held. Her chocolate brown hair, her pale skin that seemed to shine in the small amount of sunlight that broke it's way through the curtains on the window. The way that her short hair framed her face and made her look more like a small child, pure an innocent. The way that she was playing with her nails and fingers because she had a lot of her mind, her chocolate eyes darting around Kakashi's household to take in the unfamiliar surrounding. Yes, he noticed it all.

"B-But I should have been able to get him out of the way! I should have been able to get there fast enough and it should have been me." She mumbled quietly as she pulled her leg up to her chest, leaving her wooden one on the coffee table.

"Don't you dare say that Meiko." Kakashi said, his voice becoming more serious. "It was not your fault. It was nobodies fault." He said, even though he knew that Meiko knew that he blamed himself for Obito's death. But she didn't say anything, just stared at the coffee table in front of her.

"Can I ask you a favor?" She said softly, her lips on slightly parted, her eyes glancing over at him from the very corner of her vision.

"Of course." Kakashi said, and he listened as a sad sigh passed the girls lips.

"Will you train with me when I get better on my leg?" She asked, glancing back at her leg. "I mean, I understand if you don't want to, since I can't do a lot, but I don't want to g-" She was cut off by Kakashi's gruff voice.

"I'll train with you, Meiko. I still believe in you." He said softly, and Meiko nodded her softly. She could really tell that the mission had changed Kakashi. He was more understanding, more trustworthy, more bearable to be around. She enjoyed him more now that she had before.

"Thank you." She said as she leaned her head back on the couch, her eyes fluttering shut. She was exhausted from moving around so much today, and without even meaning to, she fell asleep. Kakashi glanced over at the sleeping girl, and he couldn't help the smile that formed over his lips. She looked peaceful in her sleep, a lot more peaceful than she normally did. When she was awake, Meiko's face constantly showed that she was on edge about something and that she was constantly pained by something that Kakashi didn't know. From the notes they had wrote each other, he knew that she felt crazy because someone told her all these awful, untrue things about herself. But who could that person be?

Kakashi said as he got up from the couch, and he slowly lifted Meiko back up bridal style. When he lifted her up, she cuddled into his side automatically, placing her right hand on his chest while her left supported her head that was barely on his arm, basically completely cuddled into the crease between his arm and chest. He chuckled slightly at her before he leaned his head down, and kissed the crown of her head. Against her brunette hair, Kakashi let out a soft breath and whispered to her.