Bump Buddies: Take Two

|Part Thirteen|

|YOU|

I didn't listen to Sasuke. I had no motivation to leave the house, so instead of going to the doctor like I said I would, I stayed in bed. It wasn't like he noticed anyway. Over the last few days he had been pulling away from me. Staying out all hours of the day and only coming home to sleep. He would get back after I had crawled into bed, and would be gone before I made it to the couch in the morning.

Today would be different. I had set an alarm to force myself out of bed. And when it went off, I dragged myself to the dining table, waiting for Sasuke to get up.

When his bedroom door slid open, he walked out fully dressed and made a beeline for the front door.

"Sasuke. Wait," I said, following him.

He didn't say a word as he pulled on his shoes, then when he opened the door we both stopped. Genma was standing on the other side, a small bundle of flowers in his hand.

Sasuke didn't bother greeting him before pushing past him and walking away. Teenagers were exhausting.

"Is now a bad time?" Genma questioned.

"No," I sighed. "Sorry about him. Come on in."

Genma closed the door behind him and left his shoes on the mat before entering. He gestured to the flowers. "These are for you. I didn't really know what to get a sick person."

I took the bundle and smelled their sweet scent. They were all pastel coloured blooms, none of which I knew the name of. "These are amazing. Thank you."

I placed them in a vase with some water before putting it on the dining table. I then lead Genma into the living room, where he sat on the couch and stretched his arms along the back of it.

"I'm sorry about the mess. I haven't had the energy to do much lately, and Sasuke's never home to help."

Genma smiled softly. "Don't worry about it. Besides, my place is way worse."

His relaxed nature was comforting, and it made me feel less tense about having him in my home. "So, what brings you by?"

"I wanted to check in and make sure you were feeling better," he said. "I also just wanted to see you."

I bit my lip trying to hide my smile. I wasn't used to men saying such things to me. Sweet, kind things with no ulterior motive.

"I'm happy you came," I muttered, finding it hard to meet his gaze.

We sat in silence for a moment, then I felt the back of Genma's fingers graze my cheek. I was shocked at first, and my body froze. But his touch was so soft and warm that I couldn't help but lean into it.

I glanced up to see that he was already watching me. His brown eyes locked on my own as he slowly inched closer. His one hand rested on my hip, sending shivers through me as my eyes shut in anticipation.

He was so close that I feel his breath fanning my face. It smelled like wheat and mint, a combination I had never come across before. Then, as if my body had a mind of it's own, I brought both hands up to cover his mouth. My eyes shot open and we looked at one another with barely any space between us.

Genma pulled back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to force anything on you."

"You're not," I quickly corrected. "The nausea has been making me so sick, and I haven't brushed my teeth today. If we're going to kiss I don't want to do it with bad breath."

A genuine laugh made Genma's shoulders shake. Relief washed over me knowing that he wasn't mad.

"That makes sense," he said, then leaned forward to place a soft peck on my cheek. "I'll save it for our date."

"I guess the exams are over now," I stated, remembering what I had agreed to.

Genma grinned. "Yup. Once you're all better I'll take you out on the best date you could ever imagine. If things don't work out between us, you'll never go on another date that can compare."

My heart jumped in excitement. The idea of a date was thrilling, but a surprise date with the promise of something amazing was too good to be true.

"My next appointment is soon. If the doctor gives me the go ahead you'll be the first to know."

Genma ran the back of his hand down my face before standing up. "I'll hold you to it," he said.

"You're leaving?"

"I gotta make you miss me a little bit," he teased. "Too much of a good thing can ruin it, you know?"

I waved as he left my apartment.

There was so many thoughts running through my head that I couldn't grasp exactly how I felt in that moment. The possibility of a new beginning with Genma was exciting, but at the same time it was daunting. It would lead me into unknown territory that I wouldn't know how to navigate. Then there was Kakashi. I couldn't place the emotion I felt at the thought of losing him, but it sat on my chest like a weight. It was the only thing making me hesitate on moving forward with Genma.

Maybe being an old spinster was the best option. Much less complicated.

I forced myself off the couch and into the bathroom to flush my mouth with mouth wash. I wasn't lying when I told Genma I hadn't brushed my teeth, and my breath was atrocious. I couldn't have it smelling that way when I went to Kakashi's.

There was no other choice at this point. As much as it was going to hurt, I had to make a clean cut from one of the men in my life. Kakashi had made it perfectly clean that out relationship would never progress. Which meant he was the one that had to go.

With a heavy heart, I began to make the walk to his apartment.
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Okay everyone. I think I'm going to be taking a little break. Not for long, but I'm so damn exhausted lately and lack any and all motivation. So what I shall do it write as much as I can during my hiatus and try to bank some chapters in case I feel like this again