Saving Grace

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Given the circumstances, Kakashi was surprised that he didn't blurt all his problems to Yamato then and there. All he could manage however, was to stare dead-eyed at Yamato, as his junior scrambled into the alleyway, babbling with concern. 

"What on earth are you doing out here? Are you okay?" Yamato asked hurriedly, squatting down beside him with worried eyes. Kakashi heaved a shuddering sigh, running a hand through his messy hair. "Wait a minute, Kakashi, have you been... crying?" Yamato whispered. 

He's just picking up on that. 

Kakashi nodded slowly, pressing his palm against his forehead. Yamato struggled to form a coherent sentence, stopping and starting many times over. 

"Look, do you need a place to stay?" He asked quietly, at last. Kakashi raised his eyes to look at him, and almost burst into tears. 

"Yes." He choked. "I do." Yamato nodded firmly, as if deciding something, and grabbed Kakashi's elbows, hauling him to his feet. Kakashi wobbled a bit, whether from exhaustion or stress he couldn't say. 

"C'mon, I'll take you to my apartment, it's not far from here." Yamato smiled at Kakashi, a gentle smile, and squeezed his arms briefly before releasing him and heading back onto the street. Kakashi stumbled after him, wiping at his face. 

"I really appreciate this Yamato." Kakashi muttered, still wiping at his face. "it's kind of you." Yamato turned to smile over his shoulder. 

"It's no problem Kakashi, we've known each other for a long time, but I haven't seen you in years, where have you been?" 

Kakashi smirked. Yamato and him had been good friends all through high school, but lost touch when Kakashi moved away for college. His dreams of being successful had never dimmed over the years. 

"Seattle, I've been going to college there for about two years now." Yamato nodded, slowing down to walk beside him as he talked. "I have an apartment there, pretty small, but with my roommates help we can afford it." 

"Roommate?" Yamato said, a teasing tone in his voice. "Nothing more?" Kakashi's hesitant smile faded instantly. 

"Yeah. Nothing more. I'm dating Iruka, or, I was..." He dropped off, lowering his head. Yamato touched his arm, guiding him around a corner. 

"You don't have to talk about it, I understand." Kakashi shook his head. They walked in silence after that, with Yamato occasionally guiding him by the arm to keep him from stumbling. at last they arrived at a trim, modern looking apartment building. Yamato turned to him with a smile. 

"Follow me." He opened the main door, and led Kakashi up several flights of stairs, stopping at last on the third floor. He fished his keys out of his pocket, and unlocked the door, swinging it wide and holding it open for Kakashi. 

"Home sweet home." He said with a smile. Kakashi stepped inside, toeing off his shoes at the door. His feet met a thick shag carpet, which muffled his footsteps. He took in the pale blue-grey walls, the wide windows that showed off a view of the city. Various artworks were hanging on the walls, framed with glass and sleek metal. A large, curved white couch took up the center of the room, facing the window, with a dark colored coffee table in front of it. 

Yamato was living well. 

"Wow." Kakashi said, stunned. "This is really nice." Yamato laughed behind him, kicking off his shoes. 

"My dad left me a lot of inheritance." He said sheepishly. Kakashi nodded, still gazing around the room. He wandered over to a wall covered with artwork, peering at the titles beneath them. They were all signed by Yamato. 

"You made these?" Kakashi whispered, gazing awestruck at the paintings. Yamato nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. Kakashi was amazed, the paintings were beautiful. 

One however, caught his eye. It was a painting of a man, standing in on the ocean with his back to the viewer. The ocean was raging around him, the skies a dark grey, but he stood calmly in the center. Soft rays of light were breaking through the clouds, illuminating his strong, bare back. He had a thick mop of startling white hair. 

It was titled, Saving Grace. 

"What's the story behind this one?" Kakashi asked, pointing to the painting. Yamato walked over, peering over his shoulder. 

"Well, I get most of my inspiration from dreams." He said, rubbing his head. "I remember this one, I dreamed that I was drowning in the ocean, and a man with white hair walked on the water and saved me." He laughed, fidgeting with his clothing. "It's not that good." 

"No no! It's beautiful!" Kakashi exclaimed, turning back to Yamato. "It's my favorite one." Yamato smiled, and turned to wander into the kitchen. 

"Hungry?" Kakashi nodded, following him. 

"Oh and I need to make a run to the store, I need more masks." Kakashi touched his current one, aware of the fact that it was getting too old to be effective. 

"Why do you wear that thing anyway, if you don't mind me asking." Kakashi hesitated. 

"I, don't usually tell most people this, but I owe you, so.." He turned his face away from Yamato's worried gaze. "I have severe asthma. Life threateningly severe. The mask helps prevent a lot of the attacks, but they still happen from time to time, if I work myself up too much." 

Yamato nodded, giving him another smile as he pulled things from the cupboard. 

"I don't know why you'd hide something like that, it's nothing to be ashamed of." He set a can of soup on the counter. "Soup okay?" Kakashi smiled. 

"Soup is great." 

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