Kakashi bared his teeth without opening his eyes, and clacked them together. They were perfectly normal teeth, if a little pointed around the canines. He reached out blindly, hand shaking more then he would've liked, and found Hoshika's long fur again, silky against his fingers. He dropped his hand and let it rest on her side, seeking warmth.

"She's overly friendly," he mumbled. He'd asked her to get close, he hadn't expected her to get... quite so close. "Be glad it wasn't Pakkun." He wasn't quite sure what to say to the ranked comment.

The mastiff at his back shifted and heaved a gusty sigh. Kakashi could hear the thunder of a loyal heartbeat in his ear. "Yeah, you'll be running missions," he said blandly, "While I get to sleep for a week in a nice warm bed. Poor me."

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"You know the other rumor is you always come back from missions in crappy shape." Ginta shivered and shifted under the blanket. It was hard to get comfortable on the cold ground, even with a warm dog pressed up against him. The overhanging rock was keeping most of the rain off of them, but the wind was picking up a little, blowing over Ginta's back, rustling the thermal blankets and cutting through his wet clothes like a knife.

Best not to think about being cold. A fire would be awfully nice. But they were a little too close to the scene of the mayhem they'd left behind to be sure they weren't being looked for. Talking to Kakashi was a good plan, though. Although perhaps he should let him sleep. Ginta was pretty sure sleep was what Kakashi needed. What he himself needed, he decided, was oxygen, a medic, more morphine, and a really good drink. And a hot nurse. Yes. Maybe that broad-shouldered guy who worked the fourth floor.

"Don't they bitch at you for spending a week in hospital... for every three-day mission you take?"

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Kakashi shifted very slightly, ducking his chin, and his hair--still wet from the rain--flopped over his face, covering both eyes and a decent slice of the rest. It wasn't his mask, but it was something. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear," he said with a slight flicker-grin, it faded into nothing as he shivered. It was cold in the damn cave-thing--not even a cave, hardly a shelter--and he was chakra wiped, that always made you cold. Colder. Coldest. He chuckled raspily and then killed it. Wasn't funny.

The dog at his back shifted and a tongue like a side of beef licked the back of Kakashi's neck. He grimaced and made a faint growling sound, low and steady until it crackled into a cough. Dammit, if he was getting sick on top of everything else he was going to find some small innocent fuzzy creature and kick it until it died.

Not a helpful thought. He pushed it aside and focused on something else as the dog settled back. Twenty hours. It'd been one.

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Kakashi coughed. Shit. "You're not supposed to cough. S'my job," Ginta said. And did, not for effect, but because when your own lungs are a mess and you hear someone else cough, it's almost impossible not to.

Ow.

He wondered if it would be a good idea to take another one of those little yellow pills. Or if it would be the last stupid decision he'd ever make. He was pretty sure he knew what Kakashi'd say.

He asked anyway.

"Hurts. When'd we take those pills?" He reached for Kakashi's shoulder. "Also, we'd be warmer if the dogs were on the outside and we were in the middle." He gave Kakashi as stern a look as he could manage with a swollen, blistered face and somewhat milky pupils. "Don't get fucking sick on me here, genius. I can't fix you if you get pneumonia."

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Kakashi twitched slightly at the hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes. "'m fine--" he began, and got cut off with another cough. Nastier this time, deeper, it shook something loose in his chest. He pushed himself up hurriedly to spit out a mouthful of phlegm and then fell back with a very quiet groan. Whine, whine, whine. It was an actual whine for a moment, echoing out of his throat before he strangled it. "Mostly fine. The pills were... 'bout an hour. No more for another three at least, 'less you wanna leave here by another route." Like the dead one.

He cleared his throat and growled raspily at Hoshika. The dog flicked an ear at him before standing with a graceful flex of fine-boned legs and stepping off the blanket. She circled around behind Kakashi, caught her teeth in the edge of his armour and helped him roll closer to Ginta, before yanking the blanket straight again. Smart dog. She padded back around and tucked herself neatly against Ginta's back, stretching out to give him as much warmth as possible.

Kakashi tried to work out a way he could lie closer to the other ninja without hurting him. "I warn you," he muttered, "You get grabby and you're losing more then just those ribs."

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"Do I look like I'm in any shape to be making advances on an unwilling partner?" Ginta groaned. "I probably couldn't even get it up right now." He paused, panting shallowly. "What'sa matter, you straight or something? 'Fraid you'll catch the gay from me?"

The were both breathing too hard. Kakashi was definitely getting sick. Dammit. And Ginta could still taste that coppery edge at the back of his throat. It grew with every cough. He was going to really be pissed up if that asshole and his lightning jutsu had done more than just fracture a few ribs.

At least it was warmer with the dog at his back. He squirmed closer to Kakashi. "Look, I promise not to rape you... now help me keep warm, dammit." Kakashi was shivering. Ginta was shivering. Maybe between the two of them they could actually generate some body heat.

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Kakashi snorted quietly, "Can't catch what you already have," he muttered, and shifted a little closer. Ginta was shorter, his knees pressed to Kakashi's thighs, hips to stomach, chest to almost chest. He regarded the far wall over Ginta's head and tried to will himself less uncomfortable. It didn't really work.

Kakashi shifted again, only a little, and found himself roughly eye to eye with Ginta and close enough to make out pore details on his skin. It didn't help his discomfort much. It did help a little with the warm, however. Between the blankets above them and the dogs curled on either side --the mastiff took up two sides, the main bulk of his body pressed against Kakashi's flank, and his massive head and shoulders provided something of a pillow. Mostly the shoulder -- they were finally trapping a little body heat.

Which is, of course, when it began to snow.

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"Oh really?" Ginta asked softly. "Well that's interesting. There are rumors about that, too, you know." He was shivering a little less, lying close to Kakashi. That was good. Shivering hurt.

"Almost makes me want to kiss you, except I already promised I wouldn't. Plus I don't want your cold." The smell of damp dog wasn't exactly a romantic environment, either. Or the whistling wind, the cold ground, the rocks and was it fucking snowing now? It was, wasn't it? Snowing.

"Hey Genius," Ginta said. "It's shitting on us. Did you piss off some mission gods or something?"

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Kakashi's visible eye widened a very noticeable fraction from their close distance, that, and the fact that his cheeks flushed–-a truly spectacular red against the blue-white of his skin--really rather gave away his discomfort. See, this was a prime reason to wear a mask.

Fortunately, Ginta gave him something else to think about. He glanced up at the sky and lifted an eyebrow, "Not to my knowledge, but I can test the theory if you like..." he thought briefly, "If I'd really done something worthy of getting smited. Smote." he coughed, "It'd... hail, right about--"

A rattle on the stones covering them announced the fall of marble-sized glittering icy sky bullets.

"Well damn," said Kakashi softly, and coughed.

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A couple of stray hailstones ricocheted off the rocks and bounced into the shelter. One landed with a cold sting against Ginta's burned cheek. He winced.

"OK you know what? Don't say another word. Not one. You're definitely jinxed." Ginta considered whether laughter or tears was the best response. "I mean seriously, did you have to call down hail on our heads?" Laughter. Laughter was always preferable.

Laughter also made him cough. And now that he was face to face with Kakashi, that was kind of rude. He ducked his head down, put a hand in front of his mouth, and proceeded to hack until his lips were blue and his mouth full of the taste of blood. At least Kakashi was letting him just get his breath back and not trying to do something stupid. He lay curled up against the taller man for a long moment, before he lifted his head again.

"Okay. Um. No more jokes. You can make it stop hailing now."

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Kakashi watched Ginta's shoulders shake as he coughed and fought the urge to shove the last of his chakra into the ninja. He tried to ignore the gasping wrenching sound--helped somewhat when his own reactionary cough kicked in and he had to tilt his head back to stop from spitting something nasty in Ginta's hair--and the sharp smell of new blood that rose up and hit his sensitive nose.

"So I'm thinking," He said conversationally, when they'd both recovered a little, "That with my new found powers I could call down a storm of cough-sweets. Or an ANBU medic team."

The dog behind him made a snorting sound surprisingly close to a laugh. Kakashi ignored it. "Or maybe just some sunlight. That'd be nice." The rattle of hail on the stones shielding them picked up, accompanied by the distant crack and boom of thunder. Kakashi sighed. "A hot drink?" he suggested to the world at large.

The wind shrieked and lashed, carrying a stinging shower of hail right into their shelter. Kakashi yelped and yanked his arm up to cover Ginta's head, "Alright! Alright! Shutting up now!" He laughed a little bit helplessly and cut it off before it descended into hysteria.

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Ginta flinched when Kakashi's arm came up. The unexpected assault by hailstones made his reaction understandable, he told himself. He took a shallow breath or two and made himself relax.

"Tea," Ginta murmured, from where he was burrowed under Kakashi's arm. "Tea would be nice." And had Kakashi actually just put his arm up to protect him? That was really quite charming. Almost sweet. Probably best not to remark on it, given how violently the suggestion of a kiss had made the other man blush. "But better not ask for it, or we'll probably get it frozen."

The dog at Ginta's back shifted and whined, and Ginta scooted a little closer yet to Kakashi. "You warming up a little? You want to sleep? I think we can skip setting a watch. Any asshole tries to track us in this storm probably'll freeze his nads off before he finds us anyway."

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Kakashi blinked once as Ginta shifted closer, surprised. The ninja's face was practically resting against his chest. After a moment of uncertainty, Kakashi let his arm stay there; lowering it just slightly to lay on Ginta's shoulder, careful the added weight didn't hurt his chest. It was too much effort to pull back really. "If I go to sleep now," he muttered with a slight grimace, "I'm not waking back up for a few days. Better to stay awake." He wouldn't be much help in a fight, but he at least wanted to know what was going on. And if the worst came, he wanted to be conscious for it, if not on his feet.

He shivered once and coughed again. "Warmer," he murmured. He could almost feel his toes and everything.

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Ginta stiffened again when Kakashi slid his arm down, taking a shallow breath and forcing the reaction away. This was not the time to get squeamish--they had nineteen more hours in which close contact was going to be essential. Unless Kakashi's magical weather powers suddenly extended to calling down a heat wave. Although with their luck that would probably just set off a mudslide or something.

"So you want me to keep you awake?" Ginta asked. Probably a reasonable idea. He wasn't actually sleepy himself. Just pained and fatigued. Conversation he could manage. What was a topic that would likely keep Kakashi alert? Hmmm...

"Tell me about your first love."

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Kakashi's hand paused when Ginta tensed, feeling the sudden clench of muscles under his touch. He waited for a rebuke, but when none came he let his arm rest, slightly puzzled. The dog at his back shifted a little, grumbling. Kakashi listened and answered with a low growl that hurt his throat. He coughed, leaned up with a wince and spat again. That was getting old fast.

"Yeah--" he began to answer Ginta's first question, and then paused again when the second question interrupted. Blinked. "Haven't had one," he replied finally, and looked out of the opening of the shelter, tracking hail.

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