My Puppet Master: A Kankuro Love Story

Chapter 12: Closeness

Kankuro's POV:

Temari was oddly silent as we ate, but I thought little of it as I was talking about puppets and past missions with Reiko. After we finished eating we headed back to the inn to get some rest before getting back to our investigation tomorrow. The hours passed and sleep didn't find me, my mind was too full. Temari was sleeping soundly and there wasn't a sound except her even breaths. Through the shoji screen separating my side of the room from theirs I saw Reiko's silhouette as she got up and went to the window.

I thought to observe her and see if she did anything suspicious. After all she had been acting strange before their kidnapping and their escape. However Temari was a pretty heavy sleeper and I really did want to trust her so I whispered anyways.

Kankuro: "Cant sleep either?"

She nodded her head, not looking in my direction at all. I rose and went to her side. She was gazing out at the desert. She was shivering, I hesitated and then grabbed her blanket to wrap around her shoulders. She flinched back at my sudden movement which struck me as odd but then she smiled weakly at me and her actions were forgotten. I looked into eyes... searching for something, anything that would tell me why I felt so jumpy, mistrustful and nervous around her but their deep purple reflected the stars above and something much darker behind them instead. They were eyes filled with such pain that it seemed as though she alone held the weight of the world. Most ninja who have led happy lives don't become Anbu.

Her eyes were full of a sadness that I didn't understand. I hardly knew her, yet in the short time we have known each other she proved countless times just how strong, kind and forgiving of a person she was. I admired all of this in her and wanted to look past my suspicions. I'm told I'm too calculating and distrustful, so why not change.

She was beautiful bathed in the moonlight and I couldn't help being captivated. Without thinking I reached out and held her hand to reassure her, it was cold in mine and my gesture seemed to have startled her yet again but she didn't pull away from me. This was wrong, it felt wrong of me to do this. I didn't know how I felt about her, I just knew I didn't want her to look so lost and sad. She has a boyfriend so why am I being so selfish or is it selfish to comfort a friend ? My thoughts raged but my words did not.

Kankuro: "Want to talk about what is troubling you? Was it a bad dream?"

I heard her whisper softly

Reiko: "Not a dream, a memory."

Kankuro: "I'm here to listen you know, I don't mind."

Reiko: "Thank you, but I must decline. As I told Temari, I'm just an anbu. You're part of the kazekage lineage. As Lord Gaara assigned I am merely here to protect you both and fulfill the mission, afterwards you both will go back to your lives and forget me....."

I considered this for a moment.

Kankuro:"That's not true Reiko, not after what you've done."

Reiko: "What do you mean?"

Kankuro: "You saved us from the sand storm, you saved my sister and all of those Kunoichi. You actually listen to me when I talk about the things I care about when no one else will. You're not just an anbu, you're a hero and we could never forget you. Besides, just because I'm part of the kazekage family doesn't make my life more valuable than yours. Don't push us away or put up walls."

She nodded and I saw the faintest blush trace her cheek in the pale moonlight. Before I knew it I was leaning in to kiss her without even thinking. With my eyes closed I didn't see her but I felt her move away from me, so I opened my eyes and stopped leaning in. She looked shocked and scared, I hated myself for making her look that way. What was I doing!? Trying to kiss a girl I barely know, and why? Because she was strong and cared about what I had to say. Why am I being so stupid, she's an anbu, a spy, a guardian. Of course I'm entranced by her, she's supposed to be mysterious and at times sultry. They're trained for that. Am I just fooling myself and misreading situations?

I had forgotten yet again that she was spoken for, not to mention that I had basically tried forcing my kiss on her. No man should ever make a girl uncomfortable like that and I was ashamed of my actions, disgusted in myself. I let her hand go and moved a little away from her. I quickly apologized, for trying to kiss her even though I knew she had a boyfriend and not asking permission.  I knew that even that couldn't make up for what I did but she stopped me.

Reiko: "Please, don't be sorry. The truth is I..... I don't want to be with him. I told him I was ending our relationship before he left to go his see family but he wouldn't hear of it and told me not to act rashly. The truth is I wanted to kiss you, but I was afraid... I still am...."

Her words were full of pain and I wanted to pull her close to me, not to kiss but to hold in hopes of drowning out that pain but I thought better of it and sat in silence. The air about her at first felt tense but eventually she seemed to relax. She even leaned against me as she dozed off. Her medication from the doctor was finally kicking in. When I went to reposition her and the blanket around her I felt my blood run cold. She didn't realize it, but her shirt lifted slightly in the back as I shifted her so she could lie down under the window and I could get up. What I felt in that briefest moment as I moved her under the cover was my hand brushing against a sickeningly familiar sensation.

Scars and bandages. I got up and returned to my section of the room but I couldn't help but remember the feeling of scars against my hands. I now had even more questions regarding her, because the life of an anbu wouldn't be enough for that amount of damage.