Kakashi's room had always reminded Gai of some sort of holding cell. The walls were a bland grey, the blinds on the window looked like horizontal wooden bars, and even the head and foot boards of the man's bed were made of metal bars that looked like they had been made out of a prison door cut into two and covered with a curved bar at each top. To sum it up, it was smothering.

Gai wondered how his rival could stand to sleep in a room where the only color came from his icha icha book on the night stand and his uniform hanging at the door. He personally would've gone bonkers in a room so deprived of life. He had tried chalking it up to Kakashi's lazy attitude, but something had nagged at him not to be so naive.

He could ask Kakashi, but then again his rival didn't know that Gai knew what his room looked like. It had been by chance alone that Gai had ever seen it in the first place.

Gai had been training with his favorite student of all time when word had reached him that Kakashi had returned from a three month mission. Overjoyed at the prospect of a good challenge, Gai had raced to the front gates to meet his rival head on. His hopes were quickly dashed upon arrival.

Kakashi had passed the front gates at a horribly slow trudge, and had not even acknowledged the medi-nins who met at the gates to give him a quick once over. He stood staring blankly forward, and once released the silver-haired ninja had dragged his feet in the direction of his home. No one demanded his report of him, knowing that they wouldn't receive one from the man in his current state.

For once, Gai did not demand that his presence be noted by his rival, choosing instead to just follow the silent Jonin. Kakashi had gone straight to his house, through the front door, and up to his room. Gai had followed the sounds of Kakashi moving from the outside, pinpointing his final stop and perching on an outside tree. At first he hadn't even realized what the room was. When he had, he felt a sudden sadness for his single rival.

'No one should live in such a blank space.' He thought gloomily.

From that moment on, and for some reason Gai was not willing to analyze, he had often followed the other man home. Not once had Kakashi removed his mask, but Gai could tell that his demeanor would shift once he crossed the threshold to what should have been his sanctuary. His shoulders would slump, and his eye would hold a little more sorrow and a little less boredom. Often Gai caught Kakashi gazing sideways out of the window, past the horizon and on to his unknown, but obviously troubling, thoughts. Gai would even see him cover his Sharingan from time to time and widen his other eye, as if overwhelmed by his own thoughts and therefore trying to block them out by covering a source of perfect memory, even if one can't literally see their own memories.

-----

Gai sighed to himself.

It was one of those moments again. After a year, Gai had hoped that maybe Kakashi would stop looking so forlorn.

Had Kakashi done this before that horrid mission? Gai hoped not, but he suspected. He had started to notice the sorrow outside of this private world. Watching the man in private had led to watching him in public. He now noticed the sadness lurking behind that eye during their challenges, during meetings, even during meals….especially during meals.

What was wrong?!

Only one good thing had come out of this whole observance of the Jonin. Gai had realized that he was falling for his rival, and had been doing so even before he had started following the man home. Tsunade had said that his obsession with his rival was more than just a want for competition. Guess she was right after all. He owed her a collar for that pig now. Damn. Well, back to Kakashi.

Tonight was the night. Gai was going to grab that sorrow, show it who was boss, and shove it right out the window…along with those horrible blinds. He was going to break that prison cell, and drag Kakashi out kicking and screaming if he had to. He couldn't stand to watch his 'rival' suffer in his self-imposed confinement anymore.

BAM!

Gai came crashing trough the window, and started Kakashi so much that the Jonin toppled right off the other side of the bed. Mustering up his best 'Good Guy' pose, Gai faced his rival and boomed out:

"Today's the day, Kakashi! THE day! I will no longer allow you to wallow in this bleak little thing you call a room! Get your things! You're coming with me!"

Kakashi blinked at him over the top of the bed and scowled. "No. I'm not."

Gai dropped the 'Good Guy' pose in a flash, and little flames lit his eyes. "I DIDN'T GIVE YOU A CHOICE! LET'S MOVE! EITHER YOU PACK, OR I WILL DO IT FOR YOU...GEEEETTTT UUUPPP!!!!"

Gai braced himself for a fight, and Kakashi looked at him for a moment like he might actually attack. A few tense seconds passed, and then Kakashi became a blur of movement.

Clothes were suddenly flying everywhere, curses flowed from the silver-haired man's mouth, and a suitcase flew over Gai's head and out of the window catching the blinds and ripping them off and out of the frame. One less thing Gai would have to do.

"Who the hell do you think you are!?" Kakashi demanded as he threw the last of his belongings into a backpack. Gai realized with a twinge of sadness that all of Kakashi's personal belongings could fit into one suitcase and a knapsack. Brushing the thought away, Gai simply grabbed Kakashi's hand as soon and the last Icha Icha book was in the bag, and leapt out of the window, dragging the shocked man behind him. "WHERE ARE WE GOING!?"

"Where there is LIFE!" Gai responded with a mix of relief and exasperation. Exasperation for what Kakashi had forced himself to live in, relief that the man hadn't put up much of a fight…yet. Gai led Kakashi all the way back to his own house.

They stopped at the front gate, and Gai let Kakashi catch his breath and take in the outside before taking him in. The house was a large two-story. Though the siding was white, the shutters were a nice forest green, and there were trees surrounding the edges of the house itself, as well as a covered balcony that stretched over the front of the house. The front door was set on a rather large porch and matched the shutters in color, and even had a cheery gold knocker to complete the scene.

Kakashi stared for a moment, before Gai hauled him up to the front door and threw it open. The inside was as spacious as the outside had promised it would be, with warm colors and even a fire place in the sitting room of to the left.

"How…European." Kakashi commented in an almost bored tone.

"I know you like it more than you're letting on." Gai smiled a gentle smile when Kakashi's eye slid to meet his own. "Come, I have more to show you."

Gai gave Kakashi a full tour of the house, taking extra care to study Kakashi's expressions as he led him through to cozy house. He purposely left his bedroom for last, for he had a special surprise for the Jonin in that room. He planned to share his room with Kakashi, and had been preparing for this day for the last few months.

As they approached the final room, Gai felt his stomach start to knot. He fought against the feeling, and paused just outside the door. Kakashi raised an eyebrow in question. Taking a deep breath, Gai began his confession:

"Kakashi, I feel that now is the time to be truthful. I've…" He paused, and then charged on, "Well, honesty is the best policy," Here he struck his Good Guy pose for a second, "I've been watching you for most of this year…"

"I know."

"And…What!?"

"I know," Kakashi repeated.

"Why didn't you say anything!?"

Kakashi simply shrugged and cast his glance to the side, as if to say that is wasn't important. Gai cocked his head in bewilderment, before taking a deep breath and coming back to his current mission.

"Well, I don't think that your house is healthy for you. You need a warm home to return to, and I plan to make my house yours as well." Gai charged on. Kakashi gave a start, and Gai rushed to the finish. "I demand that you stay here! I will no longer allow you to waste the springtime of your youth! You will NOT say no!" And with that, Gai threw the bedroom door open and shoved Kakashi in.

Kakashi took one quick look around and froze.

The room was a perfect combination of the two of them. From a poster on workout tactics to one on icha icha's "Make-out tactics", the room practically screamed everything that the two of them enjoyed most in life. The bed was large and piled with blankets and pillows, the window had huge blue and green curtains, and the walls were painted a soft baby blue to match. The whole room reminded Kakashi of a beach, and the pictures and posters made him feel like he was on a wonderful vacation.

"I don't deserve this." He croaked, unconsciously backing out of the room. "I can't accept this."

"And again you say it as if you have a choice." Gai wrapped an arm around Kakashi's waist and brought him back into the room. "Kakashi, you've suffered enough in this life. Let me give you this one sanctuary for you to call home."

"But you don't understand!" Kakashi cried, "I don't deserve a sanctuary! Not after robbing so many others of their sanctuaries! Obito doesn't have a sanctuary! He has nothing! And Rin, a-and Sensei an-a-and…" Kakashi's sob cut off his words. Gai hauled the distraught man to the bed, and sat next to him.

"Kakashi," Gai murmured, taking Kakashi's hands in his own. "Have you ever heard the phrase 'rest in peace'?"

"But…" Gai shook his head.

"Just answer me."

"Yes, but…"

"'But' nothing. Kakashi, there is a reason we have that saying. Do you believe in life after this?"

"Well, yes."

"And what do you think about it?"

"That that's when all problems melt away and we are content." Kakashi took a shuddering breath.

"Then why would it be any different for Obito? Or anyone else on that stone, for that matter? Just because they died young does not mean that they cannot find peace. In all honesty, if I were one of those on the stone, the only thing that could rob my peace would be the living punishing their selves over my death." Gai felt Kakashi jerk. "Do you understand? You need to live, and enjoy living."

They sat in silence for some time.

"I…I don't know how." Kakashi whispered, half asleep against Gai's side.

"Well then, I'll just have to teach you won't I?" Gai felt Kakashi smile against his neck. "Alright, it's way past time for sleep. Let's get you under these covers." Gai began shifting Kakashi, who had been dressed for bed at the time Gai had barged in, under the covers.

"I'm not a child you know," Kakashi began.

"No, but you are precious to me." Kakashi ceased his protests, and Gai slipped the covers over his shoulders before dressing and sliding into bed himself.

Minutes passed, and then Gai felt the bed dip closer to him.

"Well, if you're going to demand that I allow you to take care of me, then I demand that you do your job fully and chase my nightmares away, as well." And with that Kakashi took Gai's arms and wrapped them around himself. When the shock wore off, Gai chuckled and pulled the silver-haired Jonin to him.

Seconds passed, and Gai felt Kakashi relax. Soon, they were asleep, wrapped together, warm and content.

Gai had offered a sanctuary, a home, to Kakashi…and Kakashi had finally taken it.

AN: Hello! For those of you who are waiting for another chapter of "In the Dark…" it IS coming. I'm just dealing with a little bit of writer's block right now, and felt that I needed a change of pace. For those of you, who are new to my writings, welcome! I really hope that you all enjoyed this story! I don't know if I'm going to leave this as a one-shot, or continue it. Review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading! Muah!