The Girl Under the Mask-Kakashi x OC Romance

Chapter 31

Who else is as cold as I am? It was -5° when I woke up this morning....now 4 hours later it's 2°...and my heater is on the fritz so my house is like 50°. I planned to finish and publish this yesterday, but I couldn't bring myself to take my hands out from the covers and into the cold long enough. I also wanted to bash in the head of the broker I'm training under at work yesterday, but that headache is another story...but basically, if I were a drinker, I'd be an alcoholic right nite because of him...he's a twat...pardon my french...

"I should have learned with Itatsu-always fear the sneeze." I groaned with my fist to my forehead.

And like clockwork there was another sneeze followed by a coughing fit. I dumped the bowl of now room temp water and refilled it with fresh hot water and a clean cloth.

I'd been nurse to Gai all night since we reached the Inn. Him taking a dive into the freezing river may have helped those cubs, but his health took a quick dive. I would have almost thought I was watching Rock Lee take a sip of sake by the state a cold put him in.

"This is not good." I muttered to myself, then put a sweet smile back on as I re-entered the room. I set the bowl on the nightstand and squeezed out the excess water before placing it back on his forehead.

"T-th-thank you-achoo!" Gai's whole upper body sprang up from the bed with the force of his own sneeze. The bed shook as he plopped down in it, for a moment almost looking lifeless.

"Gai?" I questioneded worriedly and shook his arm.

He gasped real loud, as if he had stopped breathing, then shook his head vigorously "I'm up, I'm up!" This time he actually tried to get up, but succeeded in sitting hunched over the side of the bed with his forehead against my knee. "Is it time for the mission yet?"

I sweatdropped. We were to continue on our way to the mission tomorrow morning...it had only been a couple hours since we got to the Inn. I was starting to get a bad feeling about this. It had already taken us near a week to travel this far, and we were a day from this being over and me going home to Kakashi and Itatsu.

"Just go to sleep and before you know it, it'll be mission time." I gently pushed him back to lay on the bed. Gai's head hit the pillow and he snuggled closer into the mattress.

"Can Gai have a lemon sweet when he wakes up?" he mumbled. "Gai loves lemon sweets..." I eyed the poor guy wearily ...did the cold go to his brain?... Then I glanced at my supply bag, remembering what was packed inside.

"Kakashi?" I eyed the random set of scrolls he dumped in my hands with a raised brow, "what are these?" I asked. Knowing him, there was more behind it.

"Summoning & reverse summoning scrolls." He pointed them each out, "I know you can handle yourself, but it would make me feel better to know you have these...just in case. Mission be damned, I'd rather have you back in Konoha in a flash than to lose you."

'I know it wasn't his intention' I thought, 'but technically it will get me home faster'

I scrounged a couple of the scrolls from the bag and some parchment to write on. I scribbled a quick message, explaining Gai's state, and requesting for a replacement partner to be sent back with the second scroll I was sending.

"Sorry Gai" I sighed as I pinned the note to his vest and tucked the scroll in a pocket, "we were prepared with bandages and ointments for wounds, but no medicine for a fever. I hope you get well soon." I patted his shoulder, then performed hand signs to execute the reverse summon and send him back to Konoha...now all I could do was wait.

*-*-*-*

"Hey," someone whispered as they shook my shoulder, "Ama"