Blinded by Fear

Night Light

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Later that evening, Sakaria had dried off completely and was sitting by the fire she made so Suigetsu could cook something to eat. They had been mostly quiet that evening, which was odd for Suigetsu considering he seemed to always have something to say. His young comrade finally broke the silence. "Do you think Jugo will be back soon?" She asked, turning her gaze from the woods toward Suigetsu.

"Who knows?" Suigetsu shrugged, heavily focused on not burning his fish, "He might not come back at all." His voice was very straightforward and honest as if the thought of their partner not returning didn't bother him in the slightest.

"Hmm," Sakaria drew her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly at the thought. She figured by now she would be used to losing people, and she wasn't exactly close to Jugo, but for some reason, the thought of him not coming back weighed heavily on her.

"What's the matter, fireball? Does someone have a little crush?" Sakaria looked up at him, shocked at his accusation. How was he so oblivious?

"I'd rather throw myself into the lake than feel that way about either of you," She said, rolling her eyes at him.

"Well, you can do that now, because you can swim!" Suigetsu teased, not looking up from his fish. Sakaria sighed and leaned back on her hands, meeting his gaze while he stared at his dinner.

"You're gonna burn that, you know?" Sakaria said, raising her eyebrow at him. How long had he been on his own cooking fish like that? It's a wonder he ever ate anything at all.

"I can cook a fish, girlie. Why don't you worry about getting something to eat for yourself? Cause this is all for me!" Suigetsu said greedily, suddenly seeming offended. He pulled the fish out of the fire and blew a small flame off of it. It was small and black at this point, looking more like a brick of charcoal than food. Sakaria walked over to him and took the stick from his hand without replying, then, after taking the burnt fish off, skewered a new one on and held it above the flames rather than inside of them as Suigetsu had been doing. He watched her, suddenly intrigued, and moments later was handed a perfectly cooked fish. Suigetsu scowled a little and bit into it, trying not to give away how much better it was than the way he had been eating them all these years.

"You can't put things directly into the fire," Sakaria said, "They will burn every time. You have to hold it above it so it heats up evenly." She looked over, watching as he enjoyed his dinner, still pouting that she had done a better job than he had. "Then again, you seem like the type to always just put things directly into the fire." She teased.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean," He mumbled with his mouth full.

"I mean, you just jump into things without giving them time to develop. Some stuff just doesn't work that way." He suddenly thought back to the night prior and the incident in the hot spring.

"Hasn't ever failed me before," He shrugged, suddenly talking about something other than cooking fish.

"Yeah, hence why you've been eating burnt fish your whole life," Sakaria laughed, "Good things come to those who wait." Suigetsu looked up at her smirking.

"It's hard for me to be patient," He said after swallowing his last bite, his sharp teeth showing through his arrogant smile, "If I want something, I get it." Sakaria felt a chill go down her back, and she looked away, hiding her blushed face from him with the light of the fire.

"It's getting late," she said, changing the subject, "we should probably call it a night."

"You mean, you don't wanna take another bath?" Suigetsu's grin widened, and Sakaria rolled her eyes.

"No, thanks," She said sarcastically, "I think you've had enough entertainment for one day." She stood and pulled Suigetsu's akatsuki robe down from the sticks he had placed it on. "Here," she said, handing it back to him.

"My tent wasn't good enough for you either?" He scoffed, "First you insult my cooking, and now this!" They both laughed a little, and Sakaria shook her head.

"It's not that, I just thought maybe you'd want it to sleep in. It's going to get cold tonight," she pointed out, feeling a cool breeze rush through the clearing.

"How are you gonna keep warm?" He asked, pretending not to care.

"I mean, I guess I'll just lay beside the fire until it goes out... I told you, these are the only clothes I have." She watched as Suigetsu, who hadn't waited for her answer and wasn't really listening, spread the robe out on the ground and laid down on one side of it on his back, leaving an empty space beside him.

"Get over here," he said, sounding as if it was a chore to offer.

"No, really, I can jus-"

"I wasn't asking," his head didn't turn from its original position, and he spoke still looking up at the night sky. Sakaria, too tired to argue, laid down beside him on her back, joining his gaze. After a long pause, Suigetsu said without turning, "How can you be so scared of this?" He watched as a comet shot across the sky.

"The stars are beautiful," Sakaria admitted, "But they're not enough to light up everything down here."

"How'd you sleep before? When you were in your village?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"I had a night light," She laughed, still looking up at the sky.

Suigetsu was quiet for a moment, then he turned to face her, "Don't you think the stars and the moon are a little like a night light?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Sakaria turned to answer but was caught off guard by how close they were laying when her nose brushed against his. They were both silent for a moment, then she looked back up, blushing.

"I guess."

Suigetsu sighed and turned his back to her, getting ready to attempt to fall asleep, "Well, goodnight."

Sakaria didn't reply, and turned over as well, putting her back to his and fearing the silence that would follow when her companion would drift off. She admitted that being closer to him helped, but she still felt unsafe. Her mind started to wander as the sound of the wind in the trees made her think of all the scary things that could happen in the night. What if a wolf was nearby? Or worse, what if someone was out there watching them? What if someone had killed Jugo and was now looking for them too? What if she couldn't wake Suigetsu in time? What if she fell asleep, and they killed her while she was out? What if- Her thoughts were stopped in their tracks by Suigetsu who rolled over and wrapped his arm around her.

"I think you've faced enough fears for one day," he whispered into her ear, holding her close to him. Somehow, she eased into his arms and drifted off to sleep without fear.