Sharks Need Love Too (Kisame x OC) *COMPLETE*

Peace

Kisame stares down at Hamako's sleeping form as he gently runs his hand through her hair. He got her to one of the cottages a few days ago and cleaned and bandaged her wounds. She fell asleep shortly after they left the base and hadn't woken up since. Mouse did a number on her, he lost count after twenty stab wounds and didn't even bother to count the bruises. Seeing each one added to his rage toward the men that held her captive. If he could bring them back and kill them over again, he would do it. How dare they touch her. Kisame jumps as she screams and suddenly jerks out of his grip and falls off the bed. He stares down at her, frowning at the fear pouring off of her and the tears running down her cheeks.

"K-Kisame...?" She stutters out as the panic starts to fade.

He nods. "It's me. You're safe here."

In an instant, Kisame is pinned to the bed with Hamako laying on top of him, her arms snugly wrapped around his neck.

A soft smile crosses his face as he hugs her back.

"You finally came..." She whispers, making his brow arch in interest.

"What?"

"Shut up Swordsman. You're trying to make me mushy." She hisses in response.

"How are you feeling?" He asks instead to cover the laugh threatening to escape.

"Like Hell." She groans as she finally sits up. "How did you find me? How did you get me out? Why did you come for me?"

"Itachi and I came across a mouse dressed as a hare, so I decided to follow him. It led me to two more unusual animals and a series of tunnels. Lots of bloodshed later, I followed a trail of blood to the little door and found you. I got you out by killing everyone along the way. And I came for you because I love you." His eyes widen after the last sentence slips out.

"Wait what?"

"I love you, Hamako..." He sighs as she starts to slowly inch toward the edge of the bed and gently pulls her back. "...and I don't want that to scare you off. I worry that anything I say will send you running again but I almost lost you back there so I don't want to risk that without you knowing."

"I've never understood love." She whispers, her fingers fidgeting with the blanket beneath her. "How do you know what it feels like?"

"Well, it's different for everyone, but for me," Kisame smiles softly and pulls her onto his lap. "I feel happy when I see you or think of you. I find myself thinking of you all the time, from the first time I laid eyes on you in the forest." He gently brushes her hair from her eyes and cups her cheek. "You drive me absolutely crazy but I love it. There's just something about you that's completely irresistible to me."

"But I've dragged you along on countless suicide missions and put you in danger." Hamako mumbles, her uninjured hand absently running up and down his arm.

"It's fun actually. You bring excitement during those times but during times like this, you bring me so much peace. Life isn't boring with you in my life."

"I-I bring you peace?" She asks, thinking back to her thoughts while in the coffin.

He nods and she looks at him with wide eyes.

"You bring me peace too... All the voices, all the panic and the need to run goes away when I'm with you."

Hamako moves Kisame's hand to her lap and laces her fingers through his. His breath hitches as she lifts her gaze to meet his, her forest green eyes full of light.

"When I was in there... All I could think about was you. I wondered where you were and if you'd suddenly appear and save me again. I realized a while back that somewhere along the way I started to look forward to crossing paths with the Swordsman. I wasn't sure why though... You made me feel weird things whenever you kissed me but you quieted everything all at once. I felt like I could breathe again. I didn't want to disappear or run anymore."

"Then why did you leave?" He asks softly, almost afraid to speak for fear she'd try to leave again.

"I realized that being around me would only hurt you and I didn't want to hurt you any further. That's why I left when I woke up in the base that day. I was just going to leave without a note but I couldn't get myself to do it. The note was supposed to be the goodbye but then I wrote down the cottage. I planned on that being the end of it all but I can't seem to get myself to say goodbye to you."

"Then don't say goodbye."

"But you're in the Akatsuki and I can't sit still. How-?"

He cuts her off by pulling her into a kiss. When they part she stares at him questioningly.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I think we can make it work. We seem to be lucky enough to come across each other often enough. As long as you don't go around getting kidnapped all the time, I'm sure things will be fine. And if you do, I'll always come to rescue you."

"Does all this mean that I love you?" She asks, tilting her head to the side.

"Does it?" He smirks.

"I think so." She whispers, then seems to realize something. "Oh, I regret to inform you, I don't think I can return your shirt in one piece this time either."

"You could destroy all of my shirts for all I care. You look better in them anyway."

Kisame wakes up in the cottage and smiles at the empty spot beside him. In Hamako's place is a note and the remains of the shirt she'd stolen last time. He then notices that his shirt is gone from the mess of clothing in the floor. He grabs the note and reads it before shaking his head. All Hamako had written was a cottage location and date, and a very suggestive reference. He notices a tiny arrow drawn at the bottom pointing to the back of the paper. He flips it over and grins.

'I love you, my Swordsman.' 

A/N: So, the next chapter MIGHT be the last. I'd wanted to make it a longer book but I'm liking where I've taken it instead. Let me know if y'all want more! If anything, I might be able to just add some one-shots to the end.