The rain doesn't stop falling

Being Perched on the floor of a damp alleyway, in the middle of the pissing rain wasn't exactly how Knightwing wanted his nighttime crusade to end .

But it was part of the job description for a superhero, a vigilante ... a venegeful vigilante.

For the record, he tried to get up, he couldn't. In fact, he couldn't move a shred of muscle in his body and his back was sore, real sore.

But he still took out whoever he wanted to take out .. his mission was a success.

"You found me"

"I did, Help is on the way"

He loves looking a her, even through the haziness and the grogginess of his sight, curtesy of both the rain going into his eyes and fatigue.

He almost .. almost forgot how she looked like.

"God gracious, look at you" he could feel the strain in her voice, he could imagine her wince at the sight of his blood mixing with rain .. mixing with tears, falling to the ground. "You should stop doing this to yourself"

"You shouldn't have stopped then, you shouldn't have left either"

"I had to, Sasuke. It was all a bit too much. I couldn't be here anymore. I couldn't even stay afterwards. But It was all for good. I got to spend quality time with you. I was never happier"

"And I am never happy, I am only ever happy this way and if doing this is the only way to see you, then I will never stop"

"You were never that .. soft back then" she smiled

"I never realised the distance, never could have imagined it" he smiled back

He starts coughing up, he could feel the effort of breathing taking a toll on him

"Hang in there" She tries to keep him company in that place between sleeping and dreaming

"Does it curb it? Doing this Sasuke, does it numb your pain? Is it worth risking your life for?"

"Which Pain exactly? Hinata, you always knew Pain is a part of me. It is like the sharingan, always there. But killing them, whoever did this to you, to me, to us ... It satisfies me, momentarily. Yes, It numbs the pain for a split second only to realise that I am alone, without further use or purpose. Pain, it turns out, fills in the hollowness you leave behind, masks the bitterness, the acridness that sprung in your leave"

She doesn't answer. She stares so tenderly at him, so gently and fondly as if he would disintegrate if she ever looked sharper or looked away.

"You won't stop then"

"Not until I get Danzo"

"Then?"

"Then ..." He had an elaborate plan for then, one that involves a gun to his head ... the ultimate end to all the mess around him, but for her sake, he will spare her that part.

The ground thuds as the rain keeps falling from heavens above.

"You are so tiresome, such a stubborn person you are"

"So you will stop coming?"

"I will always take care of you" Her answer was elusive. She doesn't want to encourage this maybe, his suicidal raids. Or perhaps, she doesn't really know, if she can come.

"Anyway, I will be alright"

"No, you won't be"

He could hear footsteps, faint footsteps getting stronger, nearer

"They are here"

"So you will leave"

"I ..."

"A little longer, Hinata. Just stay a little longer"

She touches the mask around his eyes, she almost touches him

"I love the pain, I love every bit of pain when you are beside me, when it keeps you near"

"I am sorry, Sasuke. I am so sorry."

"I know, it wasn't your fault anyway. He killed you, like he killed Neji, like he killed Itachi before ... Hinata"

She was gone. She wasn't there, she was gone.

"Hinata..."

He doesn't know what exactly this Appartition was, if it is only in his head ..

"Teme" Naruto shouted "Sasuke"

'A little longer, just a little longer'

"Sasuke" Kakashi called "Sasuke"

"Hmm" he groaned

"Naruto, find something to stabilise his spine with, then let's carry him back somewhere safe"

"Right on it"

"You are going to get yourself killed, poor idiot" Kakashi whispered "And It still wouldn't bring them back"

'It will take me to them at least'

"Kakashi, ready?"

"Yes, Naruto. Yes."

"Let's take him to Tsunade then"

'Hinata, I miss you, so freaking much'

All the way, the rain doesn't stop falling

So blame this on Kenshi Yonezu's "Lemon" and a recent exposure to Nightwing