The Red String of Fate

Cry - Kakashi

Kakashi awoke to check on his wife. He had been having nightmares again, and sleep had not come easily the past few nights. He made sure that the hearth had not gone out before tenderly pulling back the covers to check on her bandages. The last few nights had been uneventful, but tonight, her deeply bruised thighs were sticky with blood. He gasped much louder than he meant to, accidently waking his sleeping bride.

"Huh? Whaizzit?"

"Oh my god. You're bleeding."

She calmly reached between her legs, touching the sticky redness and smelling it. Kakashi was trying not to panic.

"Relax. It's period blood. That's all. Perfectly normal menstruation."

Kakashi could feel tears of relief forming in his eyes as he buried his face in his pillow. He felt his lover's hand rest gently on his arm. He couldn't stop the tears.

"Kakashi..."

She held her arms out to him and he fell gratefully into her. This was the most contact he had with her since the incident. He cried into her bare shoulder, letting the tears fall freely.

"I'm okay. I'm okay physically, and I will be okay emotionally and mentally. And so will you. He won't destroy us."

Kakashi wasn't sure how long he sobbed for, but it was the cathartic experience he needed to find some peace in his soul. And, even at her lowest, Mizuka was a patient and gentle soul, cradling his sweaty, sob wracked body against her injured one.

"Let it all out, Kakashi. Shinobi do cry here."

This took him back to Rin's death; Mizuka held him just like this years ago as he sobbed for hours. He mourned for all of them. For Mizuka and Rin, who were depending on him. And for himself. He hoped that he could find the patience to be kind with himself. He finally looked back up at her, gazing with bloodshot eyes. She moved the sweaty hair from his forehead and kissed his soaked brow tenderly. He was hiccupping from the amount of crying he had done. She gently pushed his head back onto her shoulder, rocking him gently.

"None of this was your fault, Kakashi. You didn't know I was out here, and you didn't know he was coming for me. All you knew is that there was someone suspicious near the village and you came to make sure everyone was safe."

He felt safe in her embrace. He was also filled with guilt; she was the one suffering but he was the one crying.

"I should be the one comforting you-"

She shushed him gently.

"This happened to both of us. When one of us is hurt, we both hurt. You nee to heal as well."

He touched her skin gently with his rough, calloused fingertips. He could feel himself being overtaken by sleep, letting a large yawn slip. She smiled sweetly.

"Get some rest. Thank you for looking out for me, Kakashi. I love you."

"I love you too, Z."