A Glass Of Crimson Souls

11) play dumb and blind me

"Miho, are you all right?" said Hiroki's worried voice.

Miho opened her eyes drowsily. Her hair was still damp and she was shivering slightly under the covers—her weary mind immediately chastised her for being an utterly complete fool and not showering when she'd returned the night before. She didn't quite remember what time she'd come back last night; she just knew that she'd waited far past midnight, when the rain had grown from its erratic showers to a steady fall. Only when it had become a full-blown thunderstorm had it clicked in Miho's mind that Itachi wasn't going to come, hadn't been planning on coming at all, and that she was a stupid idiot who had been much too blinded by foolish trust to see the reality of her situation.

"Miho?"

She sat up, and her head throbbed painfully. She winced as the pain swelled then desisted to just a consistent pulse.

"You don't look well," he said. "We should go to the hospital—"

"No," croaked Miho. "It's fine. I'll just sleep at home…"

Hiroki looked uncertain and shifted on his feet—it looked like he wanted to tell her something.

"Something wrong, Otou-san?"

"No," he said after a moment's pause. "I…I have to go out for a bit to settle some business, but I hear Kakashi is back from his mission. I'll send him to check up on you."

"It's fine," said Miho. "I don't want to trouble him."

"Nonsense, he wasn't even here for your birthday."

Miho decided not to remind Hiroki that he hadn't been there either, nor had Itachi, but she decided not to vocalize her self-pity.

"It's fine…"

But just as she said the words, she caught Kakashi's surpressed chakra outside the house. Relief unconsciously filled her—she was glad that he had come, glad for his distraction. Kakashi always healed her ill moods because he always knew how to read her and react accordingly; perhaps he could even tell her what the hell was wrong with her head.

The doorbell rang, and Hiroki looked behind him.

"Hm, that Kakashi's gotten better again. I can't even sense him until he's right behind me now."

Miho didn't comment and instead lied back down on her bed as Hiroki exited the room. There were murmurs outside, and then Kakashi's chakra appeared right in front of her. She didn't bother looking up as he closed the door and sat down in a chair beside her.

He tousled her hair lightly.

"Feeling sick, Miho?"

She gave a noncommittal grunt in response.

"Happy birthday," said Kakashi easily, placing a tissue-wrapped gift in front of her. "You don't turn fifteen everyday."

Miho gave a wry smile and took the present in her hands.

"I don't know what's the big deal about birthdays," she said as she unwrapped it delicately. "They come every year."

"You should know better than that, having been in ANBU for a time," said Kakashi chidingly. "Death can come at any minute—we should appreciate the time we do have."

"So pessimistic and dark, senpai…" She admired the crystal-studded bracelet that lay against the tissue paper. "It's gorgeous…but I'd never wear it."

"You should eventually," he grinned. "You need to work on being a bit more feminine, you know."

"Yeah right. I'm going to be a nun," she muttered. "Forever and ever."