Kakashi had a way of announcing his arrival everytime he gets home. He would make the keys jingle as he inserted it into the keyhole and would then let the doorknob unlatch loudly. Doing this would have Rin greeting him by the door.

If in case Rin was upstairs or was not able to hear the door open, he would slam the door without being loud enough to make it seem like he was angry. With this, Rin would be running downstairs or maybe out from the kitchen to meet him.

Sometimes when slamming the door also doesn't work, he would toss his things onto the nearby shelf as noisily as he can manage. His belt bag would make a thumping noise, the kunais would make some clinking sound, his gloves and forehead protector would make a muffled clunk and then Rin would be there greeting him with a smile.

Kakashi never bothers making all these ruckus whenever he knew that Rin was not home yet. Or when he knows she should already be asleep. Before Rin came back, he would enter his house as quietly as a thief.

Tonight, he came home and has made as much noise as he can but no Rin came to smilingly receive him by the door.

He stood still by the door for a moment and did not sense any movement in the house. Without making a sound, he quickly went upstairs to check the bedroom and bathroom but found both empty. He quietly went downstairs again, turned the lights on in the kitchen and found Rin there.

She had her head cradled in her arms which were on the table and her face was partly hidden by her hair. She had been sleeping there all along. Kakashi noted the half-finished cup of instant ramen on the table which was already long cold. He'd hate to wake her up but she would be more comfortable if she slept on the bed. He tried to brush the hair off her face but noticed her temperature as his fingers touched her forehead. She was hot with fever.

He remembered that she had been working extended hours at the hospital these past few days. The weather had not been good as well and as he was thinking this, rain started to pour again from the sky.

"Rin," he shook her gently to wake her up. She opened her eyes and saw his face close to hers. "I'll get you to bed. You're sick."

She sat up and looked around her, somewhat dazed. Kakashi watched her for a moment and then went to get her some medicine. He handed her a glass of water and the medicine which she took right away. Kakashi took the cup of ramen from the table to dispose of it and when he looked back, Rin had tried to walk out of the small kitchen, one hand holding on to the table and the other massaging her aching head. She lost the fight to keep her balance but he caught her on his back.

"Hold on Rin," he said. It took a second or two before she responded with a whispered "Okay." Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder. He carried her to the bedroom and let her down next to the bed. He watched as she automatically went to bed, eyes already closed before her head hit the pillow.

Kakashi took a quick shower, got into some clean clothes, went to get an ice-bag and turned all the lights off in the house. He sat next to Rin on the bed. She was sleeping on her side, facing away from him, tightly hugging a pillow, covered up to her neck with a blanket. He felt her forehead again for her temperature. The medicine had not kicked in yet. He held the ice-bag to her forehead, if kept sliding off if he didn't, and for quite some time just stayed there.

He contemplated about sleeping beside her that cold, rainy night. He hoped, and somehow knew deep within himself, that she won't mind. So he slipped into the bed and under the blanket beside Rin, felt her temperature again this time on the neck and was a little relieved that it went down a bit. He wrapped one arm around her waist while letting her head rest on the other, moving carefully and gently so as not to rouse her.

With their bodies this close, he could feel the rhythm of her breathing. With her in his arms, he could breathe in her scent. It was a scent he never forgot. He could only think about how fragile she seemed when next to him but also how this fragile being had been the one to save him countless times.

But he was being lulled to sleep by the patter of rain on the roof. And the lights were all out. And it's cold inside and out. And Rin's skin felt cold so Kakashi held her tighter and shared with her his warmth.