Disclaimer: HAH! You're funny! In case you haven't noticed: this site is called ; not
AN: Uhh… stupid, (repeat: STUPID) experimental fic that may or may not be completed depending on the reaction I get review-wise. Yes. It's het. (you're all thinking- SOMEBODY PINCH ME!!- well, pinches there you go. I. Like. Het. Now excuse me while the yaoi mistress chops off her own fingers for even writing that.)
Yeah… I don't like this… but I thought: 'the hell with it. I'll annoy people by posting this hunk of junk anyway'.
The earth smelled like rain, quietly, subtly refreshing. Like the taste of his blood, he could faintly detect the metallic element to the ground. He could taste his own blood now.
He didn't want to.
That didn't really change anything, though.
Small hands shook his shoulder gently; the touch was in stark contrast to the not-so-gentle environment they were in (bodies crashing around, explosives going off, blood spraying your own motionless, bleeding form on the occasion a colleague- and quite possibly a friend- ended up dying a little too close to you for comfort). 'Wake up, p-please?' how could one sound so timid in a time of war? The small hands became more insistent and he let out a faint moan, half in protest, half in acknowledge that he'd heard her. 'Can you open your eyes?' he tried that- several times before getting it right- as the light flooded back to his pupils reality came crashing back into his brain. Funny: he was sure that something was hurting him real bad. He just couldn't really tell what- or why. He'd been here once before- oh, he must be dying… He stared absently up; magnificent, lilac eyes filled his vision, eyes that held a quiet fierceness so beautiful that he was suddenly quite sure that this stranger wasn't going to let him die without a good fight. 'C-can you hear me?' Maybe he should nod, or make some sort of sound. It was strange; last time he had been like this, death had seemed so easy…
'Unghhhhh…'
'O-okay, I will help you, just-just stay with me, please?' she brushed a strand of hair behind her head, her hands- and now her bare forehead- were smeared with blood- surely not his? He couldn't have dirtied such pretty hands so…
He looked down…
Ah, there was the pain!
… and fainted.
He heard a lovely, soft and sweet voice and he thought he must already be dead. 'It- It looks like you'll be okay; then, I've stopped the bleeding.' Oh, she wasn't an angel? He wondered vaguely how she could stand such gore, why they weren't being bombed or attacked from behind or- or only the gods know what- this was war dammit! They weren't the only ones left, surely? 'We are in hiding. I saw you fall and thought-' she paused a moment, as if she wasn't too sure what she thought- then shrugged it off.
He tried to sit up, but those gentle hands pushed his shoulders back down 'I am not as gifted at putting people back together as Sakura. P-please lie still for a while.' And there it was- that quiet fierceness again, he wondered if he imagined the strength that lurked just behind the timid expression and quiet voice. 'You need to eat.' She pushed a food pill to his mouth, he groaned and turned away. Not after the state he had seen his stomach in, no thanks. He settled for trying to figure out who the hell she was. Lilac eyes, huh? Wasn't that a Hyuuga trait? Dark hair, dark blush… he'd seen her before… fuck! He couldn't just say Hyuuga. What was her name?
'H-hinata…?' he asked warily.
She jumped suddenly, as though burnt, staring him in the eyes with her own before turning away and turning a spectacular shad of red. 'Y-yes. And you are Kankuro?' Kankuro didn't really care who he was right then, his stomach felt like it was on fire.
'What-'
'There is a gash, about five inches long on your stomach… I am sorry I couldn't do much about the size of it. There will be a nasty scar…' Hinata Hyuuga, the girl who had just dragged his body from the midst of a fierce battle and saved his life- had apologized because he had another impressive scar to add to his collection…
'That's… really fine.' He mumbled. 'Are you hurt, at all?'
She blushed at the simple question, embarrassed at his concern. 'No- nothing, really. I'm fine.'
His head was starting to hurt, too. 'How long was I-'
'about an hour.'
'Where-' he shifted up onto his elbows despite what she had told him.
'You see, that's the thing.' She said suddenly, gazing at something in front of her -as if she could try and discern where they were by simply staring at it- the something was what Kankuro identified to be a rather big wall; 'I'm not too sure of that… it- it's dark, but it's warm. There is food and water and shelter and no one around. But I have no idea why or where this is. If we were anywhere near the battle scene, well, there'd be plenty of us taking refuge in here. It's the perfect spot, but I don't know… it's just… here- but… not here and I don't know… I just ran here… Which is kind of stupid, I mean- ninja are supposed to know where they are at all times- and we could be at the South Pole for all I know… I've never been very good at remembering all the thing's I'm supposed to do- Neji is- but not me…'
Now his head really hurt. He stared at her.
'I'm- I'm rambling- aren't I? …' she said, shy once more…
'You are.' He said simply, briefly confused, just a moment ago; she had been prattling on about gods know what- two seconds later and she seemed to snap back to reality. Kankuro pondered this for a while in the awkward silence that fell, then raised a shaky arm to prod her, 'you sure you're not hurt?' he grunted.
'A-a-a few cuts and b-bruises. N-nothing serious. Th-thank you for your concern Kankuro' She bowed her head.
''kuro.'
'sorry?'
'Just call me 'kuro. It's shorter- it's what my friends call me, sometimes (or Temari when she wants something).' She looked at him nervously, 'You saved my life, dammit. Just call me 'kuro.'
She looked him in the eyes again, and there it was; that fierceness, that hidden something in her gaze 'o-okay…'
'Do you need me for anything right now?'
She smiled knowingly; reaching out a tentative hand to push him back down onto a makeshift pillow (her jacket, he guessed) 'rest. I will look out for you.'
He couldn't decide whether to feel content or insulted. He could take care of himself thank you very much… but not right now… it was too- too…
'K-k-kankuro? Are you awake?'
'muhhh…?' she giggled, it was a pretty sound.
'You really should eat something now.' Those tiny hands could be persistent, especially when they were gently playing across his stomach. Kankuro found his poor, perverted mind in a far different place from wherever the hell they were; imagining all the other things those hands could be doing… ow… OW!
Prodding his wounds wasn't one of them!
'It's looking better.' She said softly.
'That hurt'
'I-I-I'm sorry!' he felt her shrink away. She was so timid!
'No, no. it's fine, I'm just- just sayin'-… hey, have you figured out where we are yet?'
'No. But I sent out a distress signal. I haven't had a response yet. But- but that doesn't mean too much. Now- will- will you please eat? Please. You need to.'
Kankuro wasn't sure how he was supposed to say no to that sweet, pleading tone. 'Fine.' He mumbled, sitting up slowly and wincing at the pain in his gut. 'How did you end up near me anyway?'
'In the battle? You- you were backing up Kiba-kun and Akamaru. A sound shinobi-'
Oh, that's right… sound. An average sized group composed of Suna and Konoha ninja had been sent to take out what they were told was a small band of sound ninja. The group had consisted of himself, Temari and a few nondescript chuunin from Suna, Hinata and her team, Neji and his team, Naruto, Shikamaru and Sakura. Just enough of them to take out twenty-or-so members of sound and maybe- if they found him- kick Sasuke's ass and drag him back to Konoha. Damn shame there was a whole lot more than twenty to contend with (and not one Sasuke amongst them, either) Kankuro remembered with a frown, some eighty or ninety sound brats had literally swamped the group. Then-
'Then what?'
'The sound ninja: one attacked you from behind, and… did that do you… and you blacked out and nearly fell into the crevasse behind you… I- I stopped that from happening and then I couldn't see anyone; I heard Shikamaru yell "retreat" and I ran for it.'
'How far?'
'I don't know… um… about half an hour flat- out… a bit impractical, I guess… but I wasn't sure how far I should go…'
'You carried ME for half an hour?' she nodded, 'wow. You're stronger than you look, Hinata.' Silence greeted this statement, 'seriously, I underestimated you.'
She turned a ludicrous shade of red, 'people tend to do that.' She mumbled. Then pushed a water bottle to his lips and held it there with a little more force than necessary- if he didn't know any better, he'd swear she was trying to shut him up…
There you go: if you want an update… review… please. I will give you pancakes and cookies and- if you so wish- cyber sex (kidding…). Because if I don't get a good reaction I won't bother finishing this…
If anyone has any technical tips PLEASE let me know. This is the first decent go I've had at a multi-chapter that isn't entirely crack-orientated.