The scent of ozone was strong that afternoon, and Guy had only just finished closing his windows against the impending rain when the knock came.
He opened the door to Kakashi, lounging casually against the door frame. It seemed like the only thing holding him up. His hair was tangled and matted with dirt and blood, the left side of his face covered with it. Kakashi's clothing was torn, but his skin was whole where it peaked through the rents in fabric. None of the blood was his own, then.
"Can I use your shower?" Kakashi asked, voice casual. Guy noted that the hand resting against the frame had blood in the creases, under the fingernails. He nodded and stepped aside.
Guy tracked how Kakashi favored his left leg as he stepped inside, probably strained the muscles again. If Kakashi'd wrenched his knee, he would've gone to the med-nin first.
Over the years, they'd visited one another at home a handful of times, enough for Kakashi to know the general lay-out of the apartment. Kakashi headed unerringly for the bathroom, disappearing behind its closed door. Guy pulled out towels, a spare uniform, and a handkerchief that could serve as a makeshift mask. He left them outside the bathroom, calling briefly through the door to let Kakashi know they were there. The sound of the shower didn't stop, but Guy knew Kakashi had either heard him or figured it out for himself when he appeared in the kitchen in the clean clothing.
He wasn't wearing the handkerchief.
Guy nearly burned himself moving the tea kettle onto a cool burner, but his years of training didn't fail him and the kettle made it safely over. Guy cleared his throat and asked, "Would you like some tea?"
Kakashi ran a scoured red hand through his hair, then crossed to Guy's side of the kitchen. He pulled out the cups, and they rattled a little in his hands. He placed them on the table. Guy prepared the tea.
"Milk, sugar?" Guy asked.
Kakashi shook his head. Guy poured for them both. They sat down and drank the tea. Finally, Kakashi pushed his away.
"They all had your face," he said. He pushed his finger through a small puddle of water from his hair dripping onto the table. "Every last one of them." Kakashi looked up, and Guy tried not to stare.
Guy put down his tea.
"It's a new jutsu," and Kakashi's voice was casual, so very casual. "They'd sent reports to Tsunade, but thought it might not be a problem for me." Kakashi looked down at his now clenched hand. "It wasn't. Not really."
"I see," said Guy after several long minutes, swallowed hard against the obstruction in his throat.
Kakashi stood. "Feel free to burn the clothes." He pulled out the handkerchief from a pocket, unfolded the green cotton. "I'll return this later."
Guy was such a fool he let Kakashi make it out of the kitchen, into the main room and the entranceway—had to catch him up against the door so he could pull away the makeshift mask and press his hands into clothes that smelled like laundry detergent and faintly of himself, into skin that smelled of soap and a hint of copper.
At some point, it finally, finally started raining, skies wide open to wash everything away.
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Re: Second Guy/Kakashi
Date: 2008-04-17 07:02 pm (UTC)He opened the door to Kakashi, lounging casually against the door frame. It seemed like the only thing holding him up. His hair was tangled and matted with dirt and blood, the left side of his face covered with it. Kakashi's clothing was torn, but his skin was whole where it peaked through the rents in fabric. None of the blood was his own, then.
"Can I use your shower?" Kakashi asked, voice casual. Guy noted that the hand resting against the frame had blood in the creases, under the fingernails. He nodded and stepped aside.
Guy tracked how Kakashi favored his left leg as he stepped inside, probably strained the muscles again. If Kakashi'd wrenched his knee, he would've gone to the med-nin first.
Over the years, they'd visited one another at home a handful of times, enough for Kakashi to know the general lay-out of the apartment. Kakashi headed unerringly for the bathroom, disappearing behind its closed door. Guy pulled out towels, a spare uniform, and a handkerchief that could serve as a makeshift mask. He left them outside the bathroom, calling briefly through the door to let Kakashi know they were there. The sound of the shower didn't stop, but Guy knew Kakashi had either heard him or figured it out for himself when he appeared in the kitchen in the clean clothing.
He wasn't wearing the handkerchief.
Guy nearly burned himself moving the tea kettle onto a cool burner, but his years of training didn't fail him and the kettle made it safely over. Guy cleared his throat and asked, "Would you like some tea?"
Kakashi ran a scoured red hand through his hair, then crossed to Guy's side of the kitchen. He pulled out the cups, and they rattled a little in his hands. He placed them on the table. Guy prepared the tea.
"Milk, sugar?" Guy asked.
Kakashi shook his head. Guy poured for them both. They sat down and drank the tea. Finally, Kakashi pushed his away.
"They all had your face," he said. He pushed his finger through a small puddle of water from his hair dripping onto the table. "Every last one of them." Kakashi looked up, and Guy tried not to stare.
Guy put down his tea.
"It's a new jutsu," and Kakashi's voice was casual, so very casual. "They'd sent reports to Tsunade, but thought it might not be a problem for me." Kakashi looked down at his now clenched hand. "It wasn't. Not really."
"I see," said Guy after several long minutes, swallowed hard against the obstruction in his throat.
Kakashi stood. "Feel free to burn the clothes." He pulled out the handkerchief from a pocket, unfolded the green cotton. "I'll return this later."
Guy was such a fool he let Kakashi make it out of the kitchen, into the main room and the entranceway—had to catch him up against the door so he could pull away the makeshift mask and press his hands into clothes that smelled like laundry detergent and faintly of himself, into skin that smelled of soap and a hint of copper.
At some point, it finally, finally started raining, skies wide open to wash everything away.