[She hadn't expected that to be his entire response. Sasuke has been his student. Then again, Kakashi had never been one to flip out about things. That was her Sensei.
Of course, that threw her timing off just a bit. She wanted to take his hand seconds before midnight, so he wouldn't really even have time to dismiss her as a kid. That was the only reaction she expected from this. A pat on her head and then sent on her way.
Tenten was going to have to talk more. Stretch it out. And she wasn't all that good at beating around the bush or sidetracking.]
The second.
You said no regrets. Leaving none. You haven't failed me here at all. You should know that. You've been... more supportive than I thought you could be. I know part of it was stepping into the gap, and thank you for that.
[Tenten sat back down on the bed, closer to him than originally. Sheer force of will alone was keeping her from looking nervously at Kakashi. He had to know what she was getting at already. But she'd been doing some very hard thinking these past couple of days, and had only come to one answer.]
It won't be the same at all, back home. We'll be busy keeping off a war, and I won't really notice you.
[Time check - just a few seconds left. Good. Now Tenten looked at him, before reaching over and taking his hand. This she wouldn't have dared do otherwise.]
But here, I have. You've been here. Every time I needed someone to talk to. And even when I only wanted it. Um. Thank you.
[Okay. Now they could go home. And she would have left with no regrets. Even if she'd still been a bit vague... Her actions had probably been clear enough. And if not, she'd never know, right?]
[Offline] I'm sorry! It got long! And it did again too. whoops.
Of course, that threw her timing off just a bit. She wanted to take his hand seconds before midnight, so he wouldn't really even have time to dismiss her as a kid. That was the only reaction she expected from this. A pat on her head and then sent on her way.
Tenten was going to have to talk more. Stretch it out. And she wasn't all that good at beating around the bush or sidetracking.]
The second.
You said no regrets. Leaving none. You haven't failed me here at all. You should know that. You've been... more supportive than I thought you could be. I know part of it was stepping into the gap, and thank you for that.
[Tenten sat back down on the bed, closer to him than originally. Sheer force of will alone was keeping her from looking nervously at Kakashi. He had to know what she was getting at already. But she'd been doing some very hard thinking these past couple of days, and had only come to one answer.]
It won't be the same at all, back home. We'll be busy keeping off a war, and I won't really notice you.
[Time check - just a few seconds left. Good. Now Tenten looked at him, before reaching over and taking his hand. This she wouldn't have dared do otherwise.]
But here, I have. You've been here. Every time I needed someone to talk to. And even when I only wanted it. Um. Thank you.
[Okay. Now they could go home. And she would have left with no regrets. Even if she'd still been a bit vague... Her actions had probably been clear enough. And if not, she'd never know, right?]