Nagare sat in front of the window of his hospital room, staring out over the streets of Kumo. The clouds were dense and all that could be seen was mountains and buildings for miles, no ground below, no people around. Surprisingly quiet for an average day. He felt hindered by the cast he wore on his right arm as he tried to move it for the window, forgetting it was there. He used his left arm instead, like any sane person would, and opened the window, letting in a soft breeze and sunlight.

This elbow was killing him. Shooting pains surged from it at five second intervals. It hurt to breathe, even. He cursed at himself for letting that Athos' Keep guard snap it so easily. Now, he was condemned to a few months of sitting around with this stupid cast, and one night alone here so the medical squad could insure his health was stable. It was an arm; he knew he was fine, but they just wanted to make sure.

Horui wasn't around; Nagare had absorbed him earlier that day, just after escaping the Keep. He felt like he needed space for a bit, at least from Horui.

The damnable fool, been back for a week and he ends up hurt... Jishin thought as she entered the hospital, moving at a rather rapid pace she approached the nurse's counter questioning which room, and floor for that matter, that her friend was being held on. With her question answered Jishin began making her way to see Nagare, at that point in time she didn't know anything outside of the fact that he had been hospitalized, his injuries were a bit of a mystery. She assumed that he hadn't been too terribly injured, theorizing that someone would've immediately informed her if such a thing had happened. Still, there was a certain amount of worry in the back of her head, yet what worried her more was the initial sense of worry for the man. The Hell was going on? Why was she worrying about him? -- The situation was quite confusing to her, to say the least.

She held in her left hand a paper bag, inside of which were several books, she had surmised that he enjoyed reading, and not knowing the amount of time he would be staying in the hospital she felt it best to get him some reading material. -- Another odd gesture from her, something was definitely off. All of the books were of her personal collection, mostly philosophy, a few classic stories mainly by Dumas, book on metaphysics, and one titled "Siddhartha" written by a one, Hermann Hesse. Hopefully he would enjoy them as much as she had, the last especially, that book left her pondering her meaning upon this very world...

A few minutes later she found herself at Nagare's hospital room, knocking upon it she watied a moment before entering. Staring at his casted arm, it was fairly evident he'd be leaving soon, but perhaps he'd find the sentiment as good. Not like he was going to be able to go out and do missions with a bum arm. "Hey, thought I'd come and check on my squad-mate." a faint smile kissed her face, an odd look of effeminacy radiating through it.

Nagare's face lit up as Jishin walked into the room. The slight concern on her face in the very moment that she entered, although a sight sad to him, was a sign that she cared, and he was grateful for that. How she had discovered he was hurt, he wasn't sure yet. He didn't dwell on it, though. Her expression and tone now read plain and cool as she greeted him with a smile; an oddly soft smile that was unusual for her. Heh, she was trying not to act so worried in front of him.

"Hey there. I'm alright, thanks for checking up on me. I was doing some--" he almost muttered the word killing, but he realized that he didn't go to the Keep to kill. Right? It ended like that, sure, but he didn't intend to do it when he first arrived. He corrected himself mid-sentence, "...um, training with Horui, and some asswipe broke my arm. The head medical ninja said that it would be better to just let it be, since I'll heal naturally in around 3 weeks, as it's only a fracture or something, but I'm probably gonna hunt down someone who can heal it using jutsu. That could cause it to heal improperly, but I can't let myself live like this for three weeks. I'm useless with one arm."

He realized he was going on without taking a breath, so he stopped and gasped in a bit of air. A quick cough, and he was silent, looking down at his cast again. "Thanks again for coming to visit, though. It's lonely in this hospital. Here, sit in this chair." he gestured to the chair along his bedside with his good arm.

Taking the seat she was directed to she put the bag of books beside her she would tell him about them after she scolded him on what he had just said, it was absolutely ridiculous that he was thinking of going against the doctor's orders and risking his appendage, "So you're willing to risk, albeit it as minor as the risk would be, the future of your arm because you're feeling impatient? A brilliant idea in my opinion. " she stated sardonically, her gaze remained upon the bag as she pulled out a couple of books "Anyway, brought you some reading material, help pass the time.", the first of the two was titled "Introduction to Metaphysics", the second "Ethical philosophy in action." both books encompassed what their titles stated. Placing the two upon the bedside table in the room, pushing the rest under her chair.

"All of my personal collection, apologies for Dog-eared pages in advance." Her eyes fixated upon his broken arm finding it odd at his earlier pause when mentioning how he had gotten the injury, she didn't feel like pushing on the matter, instead she remained silent on that particular matter.

Her eyes lingered on the cast for a moment before moving upward; she had yet to tell Nagare that she had genuinely missed his company in his absence, and as that moment she was feeling rather vulnerable filled with a mix of emotions she caved and told the man, "Missed our conversations when you were gone," wait no, that didn't sound right, "or I should say, I missed you in general." which she did, even though it was difficult to express such a thing. A slight blush made its way onto her face, a sense of embarrassment washed over her as she came back into her 'right' mind. Immediately she redirected her stare from Nagare to the view from the opened window, preparing for whatever the Hell people said in reply to that...

Jishin instinctively commented on Nagare's decision to heal his arm with Medical Ninjutsu in a specific way and tone that suggested sarcasm. He guessed he should just wait it out naturally, if not for anything else, to make her happy. She sat down and presented him with a few books from her personal collection, and warned him that there would be some frayed edges. He picked up the book she said was entitled, "Ethical Philosophy in Action" and began searching for the dog-eared pages; he figured anything she considered as worth bookmarking was definitely something worth reading, and he found that she had bookmarked the beginning of the second chapter.

Nagare scanned the words in an interested effort and was distracted by Jishin's unexpected words: "Missed our conversations while you were gone; or, should I say, missed you in general." He set the hefty book down on the nightstand beside him, still open, and removed his glasses to clean them so that he didn't have to make eye contact with her. If he did make said contact, she would've be able to see that he was blushing furiously. He then gave up, seeing as he couldn't clean them one-handed forever, and he looked back up at her, and said, "Trust me, I missed you more. It's hard to find someone as intelligent yet amusing as you are--erm, not that I find you amusing to watch or something; I surely don't think of you as a joke, like I'm laughing at you or something...it's just--I mean, you're a good--...great friend."

After that blubbering show of idiocy, Nagare just shut his mouth and looked down again. His dark hair fell forward, obscuring his face while he put his glasses back on, and he picked "Ethical Philosophy in Action" again, placing it on his lap with careful attention not to move his injured arm. Whilst reading from where he left off, he said aloud, "Ah, so I've got one pressing question at hand. Why were you at the festival earlier? I know you don't like crowds and people and such, or at least I'm assuming, based on what I know of you."

She couldn't help but find his chattering endearing, especially considering it was how he missed her -- apparently to a great degree. It left her with a brilliant feeling within her stomach, to know someone shared similar feelings to her's. In fact it was such a brilliant feeling that she couldn't help but grin slightly, facing the window she couldn't force herself to look at the man, still rather embarrassed. "You're great too..." She couldn't force herself to call the man a friend, because at that point she wished to be more than friends, thoughts of being in a relationship rocketed through her cerebral being, the prospect was both frightening and alluring. Such things usually were, it seemed.

As his next question came she couldn't help but ogle at him, watching as he scanned over the book she had just given him, happy to see he was interested. "Aside from waiting for your return, you mean? --" She asked half jokingly, feeling that he knew what she was doing at the festival she assumed he was being waggish, which in turn demanded a playful remark such as her's.

Still feeling ever so bold, she stood taking the book he had been looking over and placing it back upon the table beside his hospital-bed, she then sat at his bedside, "And if I were to tell you that I wished to be more than 'Good friends', would you humor my request; or, would you jest? Because at this particular moment, I'm entertaining the thought..." her azure eyes fixated upon him, eagerly awaiting his response.

Her eyes made him feel wonderful inside. They were as crystal blue as could possibly be, and they left him entranced and breathless, like swimming in a pool without coming up for air. Except this wasn't a tired kind of feeling, out of breath...more of a beautiful distraction, that left you forgetting that you had to breathe...Nagare gasped a breath in as she said, "And if I were to tell you that I wished to be more than 'Good friends', would you humor my request; or, would you jest? Because at this particular moment, I'm entertaining the thought..."

His breath caught in his throat again. His heart was pounding, as was his blood. His veins were as loud as drums, banging against his pale skin, cold sweat breaking out in his palms and in his cast. She actually wished to be more than friends. He didn't know whether to cry or to jump for joy. "I'm not sure how I would react, although I certainly wouldn't jest. I've been thinking the same thing, for a long while now." He waited for her next reply.

She locked into eye contact with Nagare, enraptured within his pomegranate colored eyes she felt a certain sense of safety, of familiarity, of wanton attraction. Thinking back, she realized that she had never really felt this way about anyone else, the first feeling of infatuation; or, was this something more? She couldn't answer her internal question, but in that moment it didn't matter what the answer was, in that moment the only thing that mattered was the stare that the two shared.

Listening to him it seemed he was unsure of how he felt about her response, though he didn't seem to be opposed to her proposition, he seemed, simply, shocked by her 'coming on to' him, "Well, it's certainly reassuring to know you've been thinking about a relationship as well. As far as you not knowing how you would react to such a proposition, let's just see." and with that she leaned forward carefully as to avoid his injured arm, bestowing upon him a quick peck on the cheek. Her lips pressed like a branding iron upon the skin, hotter and drier than another human being's, but not to the point of pain, just below that threshold where the differentiation between pleasure and irritation were muddled. Another trait of the Dākuchairudo.

Removing herself from the boy, a coy smile rested upon her face, immediately she couldn't help but ask, "So, how did it feel? -- Did it feel right?" her beryl colored eyes still locked onto his.

Jishin leaned in and kissed Nagare on the cheek, and he practically burned up. At this point, he was very nervous, and he hoped that this wasn't off-putting. He didn't move afterwards, trapped in the moment. She asked then, [color=cerulean]"So, how did it feel? -- Did it feel right?" He immediately snapped back into reality and leaned forward, almost falling off of the hospital bed. "Yes--uhm, of course. It was...it was nice." Her smile warmed him further, not as much as her lips, but almost, and the way her hair fell gracefully onto her shoulders. Was this love? He'd have to wait to find out.

He moved the book he was reading out of the way entirely, and turned his full attention to Jishin. He wanted to know more about her before jumping into a relationship like this. "I feel obligated...no, I actually would like to know more about you. It's only fair, seeing as I let you kiss me and all." he jested. He felt the situation needed a little comic relief to keep him from dying of heat exhaustion. He felt like it was a dream.

In the moments after her kissing him she couldn't help but wonder if any other woman had ever shown the boy affection as she had in that brief moment, was that his first peck on the cheek? It was certainly hers, she had never shown another human being such affection, in an odd way she felt that the boy should be honored to be her first, so to speak. He found the kiss to be 'nice', which she interpreted that he was more at a lack of words than anything else, "I had intended it to be so." the tender smile still pressed upon her face.

"What would you like to know?" She replied, for the time being she felt like sharing, and of course this meant that she could ask him such questions as well. Although none came to mind at that particular moment in time, she was far too enamored by the whole situation to come up with a single question. It was safe to say that her mind was a bit clouded.

"Was that your first kiss? Erm, that's my first question." Nagare severley hoped it was. He couldn't bear the thought of another man with her, even in the past. He imagined himself in 5 years, Jishin alongside him, staring out at the sunset over Kumogakure. It was perfect, but part of him knew that it would never happen. The life of a shinkbi was never one that included peace or serenity. He was already on the path of the shinobi, and he knew he wouldn't be deviating from it anytime soon. Sure, he loved her, but was a relationship right for them? His desires were too keen not to want one with her.

She let out a girlish giggle as Nagare asked if he had just received the first kiss from her virginal lips, which he in fact had. "Yes, you've acquired the first embrace from my lips. Yours?" obviously it was, she would be all but shocked if another lass had laid their lips upon him. Noticing his outward gaze, she knew what he was thinking, how could such a relationship work, and even more pressing how would it last? To her the answer was simple enough, life was hectic, both of the two could be dead by the morrow's time. Such was the reason she felt the need for such a relationship, even if for a little while, to have someone to take shelter with from the storm that is life, to have a person who lives for another? ... In all likelihood she was forcing more stakes onto the matter than were actually there, as most her age did, in reality there was little stake, just two kids playing about, contemplating grandiose plans.

"Oh, definitely not. I've had many a kiss...no. I'm joking, that was my first." Nagare couldn't let himself think about the next few hours. She would have to leave, eventually. According to hospital rules. Unless she claimed that they were married....

He cleared his throat. "Next question. When did you get so...tough? I mean, I admire that about you. But part of me knows that you couldn't have always been this protected and quiet. You seems so much more mature than you are, than you have to be for your age...and why do you even like--or, why are you interested in me?" He couldn't imagine why anyone would ever like him that way; it was an honest question.

She playfully rolled her eyes at his little joke, it seemed he fancied himself a comedian. As each minute gave way to the next visiting hours came closer to a draw, leaving a certain urgency in the conversation. The staff at the hospital was especially astringent when it came to the matter of staying even minutes after visiting hours were over, there were certain exceptions of course, typically within the family or a spouse. She thought of playing herself off as his spouse for a moment, but it seemed massively inappropriate, they were just starting a relationship ... Sharing a room for a night would just complicate things.

As far as explaining why she was so 'tough', the reasoning was simple, she had to be, otherwise people, bigots especially, would prey upon her weakness, "People call you a monstrous animal enough, you either start to harden, or you start to believe it. I've hardened myself." she had seen many others lose their will to live over such comments, she had yet to lose hers. "As to why I'm interested in you, you've treated me well enough, honest when you could be, you're a good person. So, why wouldn't I be interested in you? -- I feel the better question to be; why are you attracted to me? I'm not exactly Kumogakure's most eligible bachelorette." really she couldn't fathom why someone would want to be with her, most viewing her as a monster and all.

"You're not exactly a typical girl next door, but you're my type. You're down to earth, not dramatic in the least, you're beautiful, and you care. That's more than enough, in terms of attraction and infatuation. I find that I have been caring more for you than for myself. I'm deeply sorry that so many people have labeled you as a monster, when one look into those eyes proves otherwise." Nagare soon realized that he had rolled over her take on him; he was a good person, apparently. This was a surprise, even to him.

"I wouldn't call myself a good person. I realize that a lot of my actions fall on the 'evil' side of the moral compass, a bit chaotic in fact. I've noticed that I don't feel much guilt for the pain I've caused to others, but I can't help it, and I can't change who I am. The best I can do is try and use my emotional numbness for good, somehow. Maybe I could be a torturer, hehe..." he was, at this point, joking far too much. He shut his mouth a moment, rethought his next sentence, and continued. "I really can't say that it's a bad thing that you have an interest in me, because that benefits me deeply, but know this; I'm not low-maintenance. I don't agree with most people." Looking back on previous times with Jishin, he found that the two of them seemed to agree, usually.

"I'm out of questions. I know, pathetic, but I feel like I know you so well in the short time we've been friends..." he found himself leaning closer to her, her blue eyes leaving him feeling whole, complete, at peace. He lips grew closer, reaching out and pressing against hers softly, only for a second, before he recoiled and returned to his seat. Hopefully this kiss wouldn't end with an unwelcome reaction.

Her eyes remained locked upon his as he proclaimed the reasons behind his feelings for her, "Certainly know how to flatter a girl." she stated happily, the moment was going so well. "I believe you to be a good man, we all have our moral difficulties, myself included, but what matters is that you feel what you're doing will contribute to the greater good, the ends do justify the means after all." Despite what he thought, she felt that he meant well and was willing to do what it took to achieve things. In her mind that made him as good a man as any.

She couldn't help but briefly chortle as he stated he wasn't "low maintenance", as if he were implying she was once finished with her brief laugh she responded, "I don't find myself agreeing with most people either, perhaps it's our non-conformist natures that are drawing us together?" it was as good a guess as any.

What happened next was rather unexpected, Nagare managed to lean forward and plant a tender caress upon her lips, which was rather well received as she moved forward embracing the moment. Once the embrace ended she couldn't help but want more, the moment was absolutely intoxicating "Learning more about each other will come in time, but for now...", she gently pressed a hand against his chest leaning forward to taste of his lips once again, asserting herself in the situation, she would be the one kissing him, not the other way around! The hand pressed upon his chest gently gripped at the material of his shirt, she was completely taken by the moment.

Nagare was taken by surprise as Jishin pushed forward their bonding time and kissed him again, pressing a hand against his chest. He felt his presence binding with hers, and found his urges harder to resist. His lips danced with hers as he wrapped an arm around her back, and they fell onto the bed. Suddenly, a nurse walked in, with a tray of food, and screamed. This caught Nagare by surprise and he broke the kiss, turning his head to face the awestruck woman. "Uh, here you are, Sōseiji-sama. I brought you your meal."

Nagare smiled at the woman as calmly as possible under the circumstances, and replied with a brief, "Thank you." He turned and faced Jishin as the nurse left, and was lost in her eyes again. "I think I'm going to eat and then get some rest, seeing as visitor's hours are almost over. You should probably get going...not that I want you to leave, just that it'd be easier if you did now. I'll come see you in the morning when I'm released, alright?"

There was an immense feeling of comfort when Nagare wrapped his arm around her, as if nothing could have gone wrong in that moment, she felt truly safe. Unfortunately their embrace had been interrupted by the shrill shriek of one of the hospital staff, Jishin immediately removed herself from the bed at the sound, rather surprised by the fact the woman had let out a sound of terror as she saw two adolescents making out, who did that? Apparently this woman did. Apparently Jishin had misestimated the time, thinking it was earlier than it was, leading to the two getting caught by a prudent woman carrying a tray of, presumably disgusting, food. Jishin's eyes remained locked upon the woman until she left the room, rather annoyed that she had ruined the moment, but more so that her being there signified visitor hours was drawing to a close.

It seemed that Nagare had also realized that visitor hours were drawing to a close as he told her that he was about ready to get to bed. She couldn't help but frown in disappointment, wishing she could have more time with him, but in reality it was probably best for her to take her leave, things were going a little too quickly. "Sounds good." She uttered with the slightest bit of a melancholy tinge about her voice, her lips curling into a slight smirk.

She gave the man a quick, "G'night." and exited the room, shutting the door behind her. Once outside she pressed her back against the wall beside the room exhaling deeply, thoughts pounded against her conscience mind, her heart beat was elevated, and for the most part she could only manage shallow breaths. There was something about this boy, something that enamored her...She spent the rest of the trip home wondering what that something was, and if pursuing a relationship was the correct thing to do.


[Exit]

Nagare had thought he was in love, and he was definitely right. Everything about Jishin left him smitten; her demeanor, her personality, her appearance, her eyes, her mind. She was perfect in his eyes. He immediately felt bad as she gave him a quick "G'night" and bolted out of the room, now in a hurry. He hoped that she wouldn't regret what they had done, and level their relationship back to just squadmates. Or, even worse, ignore him and act like it never happened.

He sat up, and faced the food next to him. Mostly just stale rice and some sort of chicken dish. He took a few bites of the chicken and drank some water before pushing the tray aside, and scratching his cast. The light overhead burned his eyes ever so slightly, yet in a way that was still bothersome. He stood for a moment, gathering his thoughts, before stepping over to the light switch and turning it off, setting darkness as the tone. He returned to the soft bed, laid on his side so that his bad arm wouldn't be moved around too much, and threw the blanket over his head, wishing for sleep to come soon, hopefully soon enough to keep him from obsessing over the next morning and how Jishin would feel after a long night of sleep.