For her sake (50-Follower celebration)
Request by @chisie12: Kakashi/Hiko (OC) and something happy
Lovely chisie, I hope this is happy enough. ;) And for the ones who don’t follow the shenanigens around Hiko and Kakashi from my long fic “Find the Right one”, currently the fic is at a pretty dark place and is about to become even darker (chisie is my lovely proofreader and knows what happens ^^’‘) Therefore, the reason for some happiness for both of those poor cinnamon rolls.
The one-shot is set before and in chapter 18 “All in between” and the last bit is set before chapter 39 “Clues”.
(I mention some real games in this one-shot. For safety-reasons, I changed the names a bit. Sorry for that.)
Trigger warning: Mentioning of rape, drinking, self-harm and suicide
Even after hours went by and he returned to his flat, Kakashi still couldn’t quite swallow the entire monster of a story Hiko just told him. She, the life-loving, easily excited brunette, had been raped by her boyfriend? She, the peaceful shorty, wanted to kill herself and nearly succeeded?
With his hands behind the back of his head, the silver-haired man laid on the couch and stared blindly at the ceiling. But he didn’t see the dull white of the walls. Images flew past his inner eyes, horrible, bloody images he didn’t want to imagine at all but came nevertheless.
Of moving shadows, one tied to a wide bed, legs spread wide and crying helplessly, while a second, bigger one did unspeakable things, all the while laughing maniacally.
Of silver scars and blood dripping over a slender wrist.
Of mean words from people who should never utter them.
Kakashi shuddered and turned to his flank. Everything he said was true. He really thought Hiko was incredible for living her life after something like that. Not everybody would be able to return from such a torture. But still, there were aspects of her life the shorty didn’t accept.
‘Her birthday. Her birthday, goddammit. If her parents neglected her, she must’ve craved for a little bit of attention. For every cheap crumb she could get. A birthday is perfect for that. Even the most invisible child in the neighborhood is getting at least a pitiful slice of a cake and a weak song, only for them. And that Kabuto ruined even that little bit of happiness for her…’
Anger, poisonous and hot, burned in his throat. Seeing Hiko so utterly… defeated, like a delicate porcelain doll close to breaking… Kakashi never wanted to see her like this again. Not if he could do something to make her state better.
Something to make her feel better.
Like a lightning hit him, Kakashi scrambled upwards, a grin creeping over his lower face. If his social competence wasn’t completely off, he had seen a tiny bit of regret in her ice blue eyes when she talked about celebrating her day of birth with a week of senseless drinking and forgetting. Regret of not being strong enough to celebrate her birthday like any other person, of putting walls up and shutting herself out.
What if he managed to give her a new chance? What if Kakashi somehow managed to throw a birthday party for Hiko and the brunette enjoyed it? What would she do to thank him? At least a hug would be in for him, maybe even a kiss on the cheek if not on the lips…
Confused, the man froze in the middle of his living room. Wait, this was wrong. Hiko was his friend, nothing else. His best friend but still. A kiss on the lips or even cheek would be a little too much.
A quick shake of his head, then Kakashi reached for his cellphone. A party was not that different from a mission. He needed more intel before he could start to plan anything. What kind of cake Hiko would prefer, if she fancied decorations or not, what kind of present the shorty would possibly like… And thankfully, Obito gave him the right keys, or more like, numbers to gather said intel.
It was the late afternoon. Hopefully, Itachi was already out of the IT-office. Kakashi knew Obito went long enough on Nagato’s nerves to give him today off. The only question mark in the quotation would be Kisame. But, he figured while already selecting the three numbers, Itachi was probably telling his boyfriend if he was still at work and missed something important.
Anxiously, Kakashi waited while the ominous ringing echoed in his ears. Unbeknownst to him, his feet started to move, slowly leading the man around his couch and through his flat, until he heard the voices of three overly protective brothers.
“Eeeeh, Kakashi! What’s up?” Obito’s scream was the first one to answer.
“Hatake-san.” Itachi said. “I hope it’s important.”
“It’s our weekly Jenga-duel,” Kisame explained and chuckled, “And for the first time in a month, it looks like I have a chance.”
Measured at the happy spark in his voice, the prize would be something Kakashi didn’t want to imagine at all.
“I need your help,” he started, “For Hiko.”
“Did she already tell you about her reason?”
“Yes, Itachi. She did. I know…” Kakashi shook his head. “I know now everything.”
“It’s fucked up,” Obito growled and spoke out loud what all of them were thinking, “Just imagining she’s doing this because… Man…”
The silver-haired man stopped in front of his window and looked outside. The sun was shining brightly and the heat over Konoha forced everyone into the security of their cool flats and shadows. “That’s the point. I think we can do something about that. Why don’t we throw a party for her?”
Three things happened. First and most important, Obito let out a loud, piercing shriek, resembling the scream of a long extinct dinosaur. Second, something crashed and tumbled at the end of Itachi’s connection what lead to the third: Kisame breathed rashly in, apparently swallowing his howl of victory before someone would get hurt.
“Uuhm…” Kakashi blinked in confusion. He hadn’t expected such huge reactions to such a simple question. “Did I miss something here?”
“Hiko doesn’t celebrate her birthday.” Kisame said. Then: “Babe, keep calm. I’ll forfeit, okay? It’s your win.”
“We play again,” Itachi growled, “And my very intelligent boyfriend is right. Hiko doesn’t celebrate her birthday.”
“I noticed that. It’s kind of hard not to notice. But why again mutated Obito to a banshee?”
Kakashi was prepared for everything. Considering Hiko’s temper and her brother’s persistence to make her feel better… Some fights were destined to happen along the way. But he wasn’t prepared for Obito’s weak “There’s a reason why I avoid going into warehouses,” followed by Itachi’s “No way I repeat the disaster of two years ago,” and Kisame’s “I had nightmares because of her. Nightmares because of a dwarf with a saw.”
Some things were better left in the darkness. Kakashi literally felt the blood drain from his face at the thought of an enraged Hiko in the wide field of a warehouse. There were a lot of potential weapons around there…
He coughed and quickly continued, not caring about the obviously shuddering Obito and her other brothers who were just as excited as the raven to follow his idea. “I’m just saying. Maybe trying to help her overcome the last bits of her problems would also help to diminish her self-destroying behavior. We all know it’s not healthy for her to lock herself in her flat and drink until she forgets.”
“What do you think have we tried over the years?” Itachi hissed. In the background Kakashi could hear Kisame trying to set up their play of Jenga once more, all the while grumbling to himself. “But Hiko is hard as steel in that regard. If we ever dared to even mention her birthday, she would either cut any communication with us for a week or throw a fit. She’s scared, Kakashi.”
Obito wailed. “The nails! The saw! All the torture!”
“Thing is,” Kisame continued, “We tried everything. We only made cake, nothing else. She refused. We only gave her presents. You should’ve seen her face that year. We threw her a party, birthday-banners everywhere and Hiko stormed out of the room and forgot to take her car. She just wanted to get away.”
“And what if…” Kakashi ragged his brain. There had to be a possibility, there just had to be one thing the three intelligent beings haven’t tried yet and would leave no path for the brunette to destroy their attempts at the very beginning. Yes, what if…
“What if,” he drawled slowly as the idea rose like the sun, “What if we meet up?”
“Oh, thank god!” Obito apparently scrambled out of his tight hiding spot, measured at the noise he made while doing so. “Okay, I get the alcohol, Itachi and Kisame the boring stuff and Hiko is like always responsible for the food. Kakashi, what do you want to get?”
“Not like this! I mean, we meet up, without any birthday banners, without the singing…” Kakashi grinned wildly. This was perfect! Only a meet-up, nothing too serious and too uncomfortable but with small, insignificant changes which would make the oh so normal meeting special enough to count it as a birthday party. “Without all the birthday-stuff. But we make some cake, buy presents, stay together and just celebrate without a special reason.”
Itachi hummed. “No birthday cards?”
“No cards. No childish birthday hats.” the silver-haired cop said.
“I mean…” Kisame chimed in, his deep voice portraying how much he liked the idea. “I mean, it could work. If somebody blindfolds her or something…”
“It has to be somebody who’s able to deal with Hiko at her worst.” Itachi added, always the helpful cousin.
Kakashi caught up on their intentions. A wide grin parted his mouth as he jumped on the train. “Somebody who’s very capable, not to talk about strong and fast.”
Like they hoped, Obito fell for it. “Oh man, he sounds like me! Who you’re talking…” His voice trailed off, drowning in the realization who exactly the majority of their group had selected for this special task. A sigh echoed over the connection, deep and accepting his fate like the man already spotted the guillotine in the distance. “Oh. Well… Fuck me.”
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The preparations for Hiko’s first Not-birthday-party were running smoothly. Itachi willingly offered to prepare a Not-birthday-cake and some food, while Kisame was responsible for some small Not-birthday-decoration. Even when Obito struggled, the duty of driving Hiko from her flat to Itachi’s house fell on his shoulders, while the silver-haired cop accepted his task of preparing an activity they all could indulge in with grace. Actually, that wasn’t even that hard. Though the brothers and he threw this Not-birthday-party, nobody could hide the true purpose of the meeting, weren’t even willing to hide the purpose at all. Therefore, it had to be something all of them would like but the deciding factor would be Hiko’s excitement. Kakashi went with the easiest and probably laziest choice of all: he picked a few movies he knew the brunette liked and hoped the others wouldn’t kill him.
The only problem Kakashi personally had was to pick out a present for his best friend. A present which was thoughtful, something she could use and also would use. Not too big and not too small either, something which would show his gratitude that Hiko integrated him into her circle and his willingness to help her with her problems.
Needless to say, Kakashi was frustrated to no ends. He was still pondering over the difficult question one week before the due date, when suddenly the best opportunity of all knocked at his door, her long, brown hair already covered by her usual beanie and a wicked grin on her lips.
“Hey Kakashi,” Hiko said instantly as he opened the entrance, “Would you do me the favor and accompany me to the mall at the other side of town?”
“It’s my free day,” Kakashi made a show of yawning and stretching, knowing she cracked up internally at his attics, “So… Convince me.”
Her grin widened and the ice-blue of her eyes sparkled faintly in amusement. “If you make the humble decision of coming with me, then I could be generous enough to buy you some lunch. Cheapskate.”
“Harpy.”
“Lazy-ass.”
“What do you want at that special mall anyway?”
Hiko fidgeted on her feet, the arms of her long sweatshirt despite the heat drawn up to her wrists. “My usual nerd-store is there. I pre-ordered some games, collector’s editions, premium content and all that and now I want to get them. Besides,” she rolled her eyes, “I have to buy some clothes. You don’t have to come with me for that part.”
“I hope so for you.” Teasingly, Kakashi winked at the shorty and watched with satisfaction how a faint blush crawled over the bridge of her nose. Once more, Kakashi enjoyed a nice stretch and the cooler air tickling at his stomach as he raised his arms. The skin-tight tank-top and light boxer shorts were the only articles of clothing which made the unbearable heat in his flat halfway comfortable. Hiko was really lucky, her flat wasn’t facing the sun for the whole day.
When Kakashi opened his eyes again, he didn’t miss the hasty flinch of her head. On top of that, a tiny spark of guilt was burning in Hiko’s eyes, like she was child and just got caught with her hands in the cookie jar, the cheeks still stuffed with a cookie and crumbs all around her mouth.
“Enjoying the view?” he asked and watched full of smugness how the blush spread and intensified.
Again, Hiko rolled her eyes, despite the blush still able to portray the biggest aura of annoyance the man had ever seen on someone. “As if. Didn’t you get the memo? I’m into 2D-characters. Your 3D-realism can’t stand against such perfection.”
A low laugh rolled from his tongue. “Sure, try to tell that yourself. Just admit it, you just checked my abs out.” His next step could be called radical or even childish. But Kakashi didn’t waste a chance to see Hiko blush, therefore, he raised his top until all of his abs were exposed and free for the brunette to ogle at.
“See?” To mock her more, the man let the muscles twitch rhythmically, one by one, until he was sure Hiko had seen everything. At least, the blood rising even to her ears indicated so. “If that isn’t 3D-perfection, I don’t know what else is.”
For a very short second, Kakashi believed he managed to do something he worked for since he became Hiko’s friend: to make her speechless. But the shorty only took a moment, pushed her glasses with a practiced gesture again into their rightful position, before giving the work of hours, no, months an uninterested glance.
“I guess, they aren’t too bad,” she said and had the audacity to shrug, “But I’ve seen better.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Internet, Kakashi, is the magic word. There are a lot of people out there who post their abs on the internet.” Again, her eyes drifted over his six-pack. A lightning bolted through his brain and suddenly, Kakashi wished he didn’t raise his shirt and exposed himself like this. What if she truly didn’t like what she saw? What if his training hadn’t been enough to make him sexually attractive for her?
‘Strange thoughts, begone.’
It was a joke between friends, Kakashi tried to tell himself. A goddamn, light joke. And still. The former SFU-member lost his nerves like a teenage boy about to ask his secret crush out and dropped the shirt, before turning around and hastily vanishing in the depths of his too warm flat.
“I’m just going to dress properly.” he shouted over his shoulder, his hands wrinkling out the edges of the sweat-drenched tank-top.
If Kakashi had taken a moment and looked into Hiko’s face, he would’ve seen a little bit more than friendly feelings. If he had taken a moment, his attentive gaze would’ve spotted the lie in her words. If he had taken a very close look, Kakashi would’ve seen the distant longing in the ice of her eyes and the dim hope and slight pain battling each other, before the brunette huffed and shook her head.
(…)
Seeing Hiko walking through her personal heaven was probably the most fascinating thing Kakashi ever witnessed. The store NerDorado kept its promises. Every wall was plastered either with posters of movies, games or anime or hidden behind big, wide shelves carrying all sorts of media. From PC-games over handheld-consoles to black, shiny consoles: everything was present. T-Shirts with famous quotes out of movies or games sat beside mugs, plates, keyrings, sunglasses, colorful chucks and other shoes, fan-articles like wands, shields, swords, lightsabers or helmets. But not only that. Hiko hadn’t mentioned the corner where a lot of gadgets for computers were presented in big, shiny showcases. Gadgets to make said device faster, more durable, stronger. Then, there were some PCs which were “modded” as Hiko called it. PCs, made up to look like the BatMobile or a pirate chest. And those were only the smaller pieces. Even Kakashi had to stop and stare for a second when he found a whole castle, complete with towers, a working drawbridge and nestled into the massive brick walls the biggest screen he ever saw, awed by the sheer diversity and time some people put into such a hobby. The cop was finally able to understand why the brunette had talked about NerDorado with such adoration in the duration of their drive towards the mall.
And apparently, Hiko was also a well-known and highly respected customer.
As soon as the two friends crossed the threshold of the store, a store-clerk looked up from his magazine, the deep voice resounding through the whole shop and alerting the other clerks around. The first one looked a bit too young to work full-time, with a bag of chips on the counter and strange circles drawn on his cheeks. Not to mention the obvious higher than average body weight or the long hair, hanging past the shoulders of the young adult.
“Kobayashi-san!” The boy grinned widely. “Here to get your orders?”
“You know me too well, Choji.”
Choji laughed loudly and the other clerks turned around, hiding their own amusement behind folded hands. “Quite a pile you collected. We have the Special-Edition of Goddess of War, the Collector’s Edition of Far Try 5, your requested-!”
Hiko interrupted him with a sharp gesture of her hand. Then, before Kakashi could do more than blink, the brunette had turned to him and cocked her head. Strands of her chocolate-brown hair fell around her free neck and automatically his eyes fell lower, closer to the tempting swell of her breasts…
Only with a lot of willpower Kakashi managed to listen and register her words. “Sorry, this will take a while. Why don’t you stroll a bit around? Who knows?” Hiko wiggled in an attempt at a mock with her eyebrows. “Maybe you find something worth the wait.”
He didn’t think too much about it. Hiko wouldn’t send him away if she didn’t truly think it would be boring to listen any further, especially for Kakashi, who had no idea about the latest games and technical advancements. And honestly, the store itself tempted him to stroll through and discover big and small treasures.
Like that, Kakashi waved with his creased-eye-smile at Hiko, who waved back, only to start his tour through the NerDorado. And what a tour it was. Apparently, not only Hiko was now a liked customer. Due to the fact he entered with her, the other store-clerks immediately took a liking to the cop, even though he didn’t wear anything remotely similar to them. No thick glasses, no chucks, no nerdy shirt with a funny quote or emblems on his thin hoodie. Just a normal t-shirt in a dark blue, jeans and his grey hoodie. Still, the responsible people flocked him, their eyes shining in excitement as they all talked at the same time.
And that was when he saw it. The perfect present. More like, perfect presents, plural.
Thankfully, he managed to drag one of them aside, a lanky, a bit flustered teenage boy. On his shirt were two hearts, with the bold letters “Video games destroyed my life. Good thing I have two extra lives”. A classical, Hiko also had the exact same. “Hey, I need your help. I search now for weeks for a present for Kobayashi-san and I need to know if she has that,” he pointed at his first choice, “or that,” turning around, Kakashi gestured to the second item in his sights, “already.”
The boy, his name tag was missing, immediately entered the mode of an expert in sales. “Both,” he said and obviously calculated how much Kakashi was willing to spend, “Both aren’t in her possession yet.”
And on top of that, the items they were talking about didn’t look like they had the potential to burn a hole into Kakashi’s money. Not at all. Even though when the clerk announced the actual price, the man felt the blood drain from his face at a rapid pace, only to bite the bullet and pay begrudgingly, when his best friend didn’t look his way.
Hiko always prepared her food at home and took it in a box to the office. More than once the silver-haired man heard her complain about the need to get a fork and knife whenever she didn’t make a lunch fit to eat with her fingers. And this lunch-set, complete with a knife, fork, spoon, a spacious box and a thermos-mug, colored in the black and yellow of Batman, her favorite fictional character as far as he knew, was simply perfect. Definitely thoughtful and absolutely made to show how grateful he was. The second item was a bit… Well…
‘A white tank-top with the picture of a stormtrooper out of the Star Wars-universe with the text: “Aren’t you a little bit too short to be a stormtrooper?” I hope so much she will get the joke for what it is.’
Kakashi hoped desperately he wouldn’t lose his head for teasing the shorty about her height.
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“Sorry!” Even though the driver of the SUV couldn’t hear him, Kakashi shouted his apology at cutting the man rudely off. The tires of his Yamaha screeched as he curved around the fat objective in his way, only to speed up again and waving over his shoulder when he heard the curses thrown at him out of the open window.
A quick check over his shoulder. When Kakashi spotted the polka dots of the gift wrapping he selected, the short wave of panic instantly calmed down. Good, he hadn’t lost it during the wild intercourse with the SUV.
After all the trouble he went through with Hiko’s gift, the cop would definitely sulk in a dark corner if he would lose it now, on the way to the Not-birthday-party!
A lot of people thought Kakashi was a genius. No matter which part of his life was concerned, the wide majority thought he would handle it with ease. Unfortunately, the wide mass had never seen him wrapping a gift. Pure chaos; hell in its rarest form. The many, small cuts at the tips of his fingers were proof of his inability to handle the delicate paper and the belonging bows.
But for Hiko, he had swallowed his slight fear and wrapped her presents in the colorful package.
Also, the reason for his speeding was easily explained: Like always, Kakashi had forgotten about the time while fighting with the scissors and trying to wrinkle out the papers, therefore, was late to the meeting. According to his calculations, Obito must’ve already driven Hiko to Itachi’s house.
But when Kakashi turned up in the driveway, he breathed out and the weight which settled on his soul the moment he realized he would be fashionably late, was lifted. They didn’t even have time to go into the house yet. They were all standing around the entrance, Hiko thankfully not looking too agitated. Kisame was talking to her, the tall man and the short woman building the most adorable contrast the cop had seen in a whole while.
With more force than necessary, he hit the brakes of his Yamaha. The back tire didn’t find a grip on the ground, drifting to the side. Only when the ridiculed, muffled shout of one Uchiha and the enraged scream of the other echoed in the air, Kakashi took his eyes off the brunette, who watched his arrival with crossed arms.
“Am I too late?” he asked and skillfully avoided to look at the dirt sill clinging to Obito’s face and the dark scowl on Itachi’s.
He ignored the shouts which were thrown his way. He ignored the threats of violence and the absolute order to clean up the mess he made in the driveway of a foreign house. Kakashi stared intently at the brunette, still protected by the tinted glass of his helmet, until it would be just too rude to keep it on any longer.
Slowly he pulled the black helmet off, the sweat running down his neck and tainting the backside of his shirt. Just now, Hiko made a comment to Kisame, her eyebrows drawn upwards and surely annoyed by his unpunctuality. She looked… good, for someone who despised her birthday so much. Definitely calmer than he anticipated. Maybe her brothers had eased Hiko’s stressed mind into the thought of celebrating a No-birthday-party.
Kisame said Kakashi couldn’t catch. But the effect on the shorty he couldn’t miss.
Instantly, Hiko bent slightly forward, her nose scrunched up into a cute, little grimace. Her teeth found her bottom lip, catching the sensitive flesh with all their might and her hands clung to the edges of her long sleeves.
“Hey!” Kisame shouted, all the while he drew the small female into a bear-hug, “Forget it and come over!”
Instantly, worry clouded Kakashi’s mind. Together with Obito and Itachi, he hurried to the place where Hiko was apparently crying into Kisame’s chest. Together as one, they formed a circle around her, protecting Hiko from being seen and giving her some privacy to shield her tears from outsiders.
Those were their tears, their tears alone. No one else but Hiko’s family should witness them.
Kakashi was nearly squashed between Kisame and Obito, though he couldn’t care less. If the brunette was really crying, the less breaks were in their circle, the better. But then she loosened the hug around Kisame and Kakashi was simply blown away by the bright smile she wore on her lips. All kinds of thoughts shot through his head, one more dazing than the other, while his eyes hastily darted around, not sure where to settle on.
Maybe the adorable dimple in her right cheek? Or the remains of tears clinging to her eyelashes, hidden behind the thick glasses? Or was the special rose-red of her lips the best of it all, made to capture in a…
“I love all of you, you know that?” Hiko asked. Her weak voice was trembling, the single syllables nearly shattering, even though the smile still holding its position on her face didn’t waver at all. It even grew wider and deepened the dimple.
‘She looks… cute.
‘Scratch that. She looks beautiful.’
Kakashi was dimly aware of Obito mockingly saluting to the words of the shorty. But he was too occupied with staring blindly at her. Hiko… Hiko loved him? Loved all of them, though also him? Warmth spread in his stomach, gentle and just as bright as her grin. No one besides his father and Hanare had uttered those words to him, those small yet so powerful words.
Then, her ice-blue eyes found his. They locked for a second, just a short entwining of glances. And Kakashi could read so much in her eyes. Hesitance, hope, raw happiness and something softer, right underneath the underneath…
Hiko broke the contact, already joking around about birthday-cakes. Kakashi only listened with half of his mind. The other half was busy trying to make sense out of the strange jump of his heart or the sudden stream of blood wandering up into his face at the simple, platonic “I love you” of a friend.
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“I think I have to be angry with you.”
“Why’s that?”
“You were late to my birthday-party.”
Kakashi chuckled when he saw the mischievous spark in Hiko’s eyes. “It’s a Not-birthday-party, thank you very much. Therefore, there’s no reason to be angry with me.”
They were in Itachi’s garden once more. The mild spring-sun was shining above them, only small, lazy clouds drifted over the blue sky. Obito and Kisame were discussing something in the distance while hovering over the pond. Itachi stood beside his boyfriend and nodded from time to time, his black hair pulled into his usual, low pony tail.
Meanwhile, Kakashi wanted to enjoy the nature for a bit and dragged a chair from the terrace into the shadows underneath a growing weeping willow. With a cool soft drink in his hand and Hiko’s presents underneath the seat, he had started to drift off but the shorty, armed with a plate of mousse au chocolate, interrupted his little nap after a stressful morning. That the stress had been self-inflicted didn’t count.
Now, she sat right beside the chair in the grass, her legs crossed at the ankles and nibbling at another spoon full of the sugary treat. “If you think so… Well, hopefully your present will satisfy me.”
The following wink made his heart act again strangely. The organ jumped again, thumbed loudly against the ribs protecting it from any physical harm and only calmed after a few more seconds. Absent-mindedly, Kakashi rubbed over his chest and tried to search for the right words to convey the right amount of teasing nonchalance. “Maa, for somebody who hasn’t celebrated his birthday for quite a while, you know how to pressure your friends into submission.”
Hiko snorted and took another bite of the mousse au chocolate. “I don’t need a special reason for that.”
“Touché.”
“Am I allowed to open it?”
“Sure.” Kakashi dragged the package out and waited until Hiko set her plate aside. “Go on, it’s all yours.”
His lousy wrapping skills were apparently no hindrance for Hiko. Like a child, she ripped the colorful paper apart and laughed quietly when the white tank-top with the tease about her height unfolded.
“Really, Kakashi?” she asked and shook her head, “I thought you were above that.”
He leaned back into his chair and crossed his legs. “Above what?”
“Making joke-gifts.”
“Is it one? I don’t think so.”
Her little huff and the obvious pout made him only chuckle louder. Hiko was just too hilarious when she tried to appear cute. With her blue eyes widened to big doe-eyes, glancing over the rims of her glasses and the tiny bit of a pucker her lips became, the expression was just a bit too forced to really be cute. She was the cutest in those moments where Hiko didn’t try at all.
Confused, Kakashi shook his head. No, he… he didn’t think that Hiko was cute or adorable in any situation. Right? Or did friends think of each other as “cute”?
Hiko was already ripping the wrap around the second gift apart while the man tried to figure out if his thoughts were just fooling him. Only a gasp in the calm silence awoke Kakashi out of his daze.
He didn’t need to ask if she liked her present. Every human could see how much she already did. With the care of a mother handling her firstborn, Hiko raised the lunch-set into her direct field of vision, turning the box around and around and adjusting her glasses from time to time whenever they sunk too low.
“Kakashi…” Her tone could only be described as dumbfounded. Blinking rapidly, Hiko looked up to him, her mouth slightly agape and raising the lunch-box a little bit higher. “That… Do you know what that is?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. A lunch-box with the Batman-symbol on it.”
“You-!” For a very short second Hiko looked like she was about to explode. “You scoundrel! This isn’t just a lunch-box with the Batman-symbol on it! This is the Anniversary-Edition for the 75th celebration of the comics! Only a few thousand of them were made, they were out in like, minutes after the official release! Where did you get one, I only saw the one at NerDorado-!” Another, even stronger gasp. “You absolute-! You bought it basically under my nose!”
Hiko looked deeply scandalized and personally offended. That much, that Kakashi saw no other choice but to break into a roaring laughter. The three other men in the garden swiveled around and probably couldn’t believe their eyes at the sight of a grumbling Hiko and a wildly laughing Kakashi, who just couldn’t get the fit under control. Every time he thought the waves would stop and finally leave him for good, one look at Hiko’s absolutely betrayed face was enough to send the man again doubling over, howling and gasping for air.
She hadn’t even been that scandalized when he beat her for a whole day in all of her video games.
The brunette waited until Kakashi’s laughter faded into a slight giggle, only disturbed by some little hiccup. “Are you finished?” she asked, the arms crossed in front of her chest and eyebrows dangerously drawn together.
He nodded only and wiped away some tears which stood in the corners of his eyes. The giggles still wrecked his body, still rolled out of his mouth and intermingled with the tiny hiccup the man developed over the duration of his laughing fit. Then, suddenly…
Short arms, wrapping themselves around his neck. A warm upper body, pressing against his chest. A round behind, settling into his lap and legs, dangling over the side of his chair downwards.
“Thank you,” Hiko whispered into his ear, her warm breath moving the shorter hair at the side of Kakashi’s head, “Thank you very much, Kakashi. For everything.”
‘Too much. Too much contact.’
‘Not enough. Not enough contact. Closer, closer…’
For a very short second, the possibility of shoving the shorty off and onto the ground sounded like a really reasonable reaction to her sudden attack. Kakashi gulped and new sweat formed on his back, slowly trailing his spine downwards. Had it been always so hot in the shadows of the weeping willow…?
“I didn’t do much.” he croaked finally out.
The giggle vibrating through her chest resonated in his, so closely flushed together were they. “Denying is useless. Kisame ratted you out.” Her weak whisper didn’t make the situation better. In fact, Kakashi swore he didn’t encourage Hiko even a tiny bit, he felt how her curves came even closer, her breasts pressing against his flat chest. But at the same time when his nervousness intensified, Kakashi couldn’t deny that the careful hug and the whispered words brushing through his hair and over his ear shell felt quite nice. More than that. Somehow, he had no idea why, the homey feeling returned, the same warm feeling he had whenever he entered his own flat or the house of his father where he knew he was welcome, anytime.
He was welcome. Blood rushed in his ears as Kakashi closed slowly he hug around the woman. He cradled full of care her small form, making sure she wouldn’t feel caged under all circumstances. In the end, one hand landed right between her shoulder blades, while the other arm was slung around her lower back and secured Hiko in her unstable position.
He was welcome. Here and in her flat. In her arms. As a friend. In her family.
Unconsciously, Hiko offered him so much he longed for. A place to be himself, no matter how grouchy or distant Kakashi would be. His grip around the brunette tightened the tiniest bit, his fingers digging a little bit harder into her back and his arm around Hiko’s lower back dragging her into his chest. She didn’t mind, instead, Kakashi could almost feel the twitching of her lips, trying not to curl into a wide smile.
“No problem,” he mumbled back and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of Hiko leaning head into his sternum, “No problem at all.”
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After that, a lot of things happened. Hiko still couldn’t quite fathom all of the changes in her life but accepted them wholeheartedly. Especially the changes her relationship with Kakashi went through.
Some days, the shorty still couldn’t believe the silver-haired, unbelievable attractive man developed feelings for her. Romantic feelings, butterflies in his stomach and heart pounding whenever he set his eyes on her. The quirky, foul-mouthed, harpy fit-throwing shorty with the scars and the scarred past. In those special moments, she needed Kakashi in person, hugging her close and whispering trivial things into her ear.
Most days, like today, Hiko accepted everything with the calmness of someone who learned a long time ago that life wandered on mysterious ways and tended to be unpredictable. Today, she had woken up before the alarm clock would ring. Kakashi was still fully slung around her, his long legs entangled with her short ones and his arm loosely hanging over her shoulder. Carefully, she had wiggled her way out of his soft embrace and ignored the weak mumbles of protest, before Kakashi grumped and cuddled deeper into the cushions of her bed.
Since they were together, Hiko took it on herself to either prepare a lunch for both of them or decide on a place where to eat. She made sure to include some of Kakashi’s favorite restaurants from the places to choose from, though.
Today though, it was a prepare-day. Casually, Hiko flicked the Mp3-sation with her Ipod docked to it on and hummed weakly the tune of the rock-song playing. Her feet shuffled over the cold ground in the kitchen while the rest of her body automatically assembled the ingredients for the nutritious sandwiches she planned for today.
Halfway through the preparations, Hiko just started to spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over the slices of warm toast, the telltale signs of Kakashi moving out of the nest of blankets and pillows echoed through the flat. A long groan, muffled and low, then feet shuffling and searching for his pair of house shoes, only interrupted by faint mumbles and weak yawns.
A grin flashed over Hiko’s face. Morning-Kakashi was just too adorable.
Like usual, his steps made no sounds but by now, the brunette learned to deal with it. Exactly 15 seconds after the last yawn reached her ears, she uttered a low “Good morning, my love,” and the huff directly in her back spoke louder than any words Kakashi could say.
“How did you know?” he asked, his voice edging to the point of nearly whining.
Hiko showed him her tongue. “I didn’t. You’re just becoming predictable.”
Another low grump, then Kakashi stepped closer and flushed his tall, slouched form to her back. Hiko leaned slightly into him, tilting her head upwards until she could see the lopsided smile and the half-lidded, black eyes with the single scar locking with her eyes.
“Are you fine with turkey-sandwich? I just went along with it.”
“’s fine.” Kakashi yawned again. In the motion, his sharp nose scrunched in the most adorable way the shorty could ever imagine. A wave of his morning breath reached her own and Hiko slightly turned away, without allowing his arms draped over her shoulders to move much. “Everything you make is delicious.” he added after dropping his chin on the crown of her head.
She hummed weakly. “Good to know.”
The next minutes went by, not disrupted by any of them but the fading sizzle of the pan, where Hiko had fried the turkey in. Calmly, she stacked the insides of the sandwiches. Salad, tomatoes, a slice of toast, fried turkey, two slices of bacon, all of it held together by another pair of toast.
Suddenly, she felt a Kakashi’s lips moving against her skull, his voice resonating in every bone of her body. “Are you still using the lunch-set I gave you?”
“What else should I use in your opinion?”
“Just asking.”
“Kakashi.” Hiko quickly wiped her oily fingers off at a nearby tea towel. Only then, she turned in the arms of her boyfriend that she could look him earnestly and without any kind of hurdle between them in the eyes. “The lunch-set was a great, appreciated and loved gift. I use it not only because you’re my boyfriend. But because it’s an awesome and useful present to give to a friend. I love it still, even though there are some little nooks and crannies now after using it daily over the span of a few months.”
Before she could rant further, Kakashi burst into a husky laughter. His whole body was shaking, arms lowering slightly and cradling her body with the same tenderness he always showed. Seeing the usually uptight man so defenseless, so utterly open and without any regrets about it… Hiko’s heart blossomed, warmed up, only to nearly stop when the bottomless black of Kakashi’s eyes blinked in amusement down at her.
“My little Firefly,” quickly, he wiped a single strand of her hair behind her ear, “I was just curious. Nothing is wrong. Because I noticed what you laid out for your clothing today…”
“The stormtrooper-shirt.” they said in unison, Hiko shaking her head and Kakashi stupidly grinning.
“I knew it would bite me in the ass one day.” she said.
His thumb edged over her jaw, drawing the bone underneath her skin, until Kakashi tilted her head upwards to meet his look. “Maybe. Not that I mind.”
“You mind. It has a pretty deep neckline, you know?”
“It’s nearly October and cold outside. You will wear a scarf or something.”
Hiko sighed heavily. “Yeah…” she drawled and tugged the single syllable into impossible lengths. “Probably…”
No answer from the cop. Instead, the amusement in his face softened, erased the first signs of wrinkles around his creased eyes and the latent worry which had dug itself over the years deeply into his skin. A changed man. Changed by her, Hiko realized faintly, before Kakashi leaned down and captured her lips with his own. Changed for and by her.
Like always, the shorty got a bit lost while they kissed each other. Her head swam in a delirious haze, her skin burned and tingled from the promises underlining every flick of Kakashi’s tongue and her fingers clawed nearly into his sinfully soft morning coat. Hiko had no idea why it happened every goddamn time, she only knew that she didn’t want that haze to stop. It was like the world could crash and burn, everything could go to hell, if she just was able to be close to Kakashi and his acceptance of her quirks.
He was the one to start the kiss and the male was also the one to end it. Hiko tried to chase after him, tried to taste him more but his silent yet strong words, dropping from his mouth made her freeze.
“I’m happy.” Kakashi said and the right corner of his mouth twitched upwards. “Happy because of you, my little Firefly.”
A tug at her heartstrings, mighty and urgent. Happy. Such a small word, uttered by so many people around the world in this exact second. Hiko knew that every happiness had its own boundaries and rules, that those rules could change from one second to the next and that nothing was absolute. But she also saw how serious her boyfriend was, how determined and secure in his beliefs and emotions.
Kakashi was happy because of her. He indicated that by telling the shorty, by saying this powerful sentence directly into her face with such a soft expression.
And, she realized, she was also happy. Not only because of Kakashi. Because of the whole situation they were in. The casualty, the homey atmosphere around them, the familiarity of their banter. All of that added to her own, personal form of pure happiness.
“Yes,” she whispered, a smile just as soft as Kakashi’s expression on her face, “I’m happy too.”
She never wanted to lose this. Because if that would ever happen, Hiko knew as she cuddled into Kakashi’s chest and listened to his heart beating, she wouldn’t only hurt herself but Kakashi too.
Never, she swore to herself, never I will do this to the one I love.