Never say Never (Kakashi x OC)

Strawberries for dessert

Not sure about how to comfort the girl in his arms, Kakashi wrecked his brain for a good way to tell her that she was not alone. But he just couldn't seem to find the right words and thus decided to go for his usual approach.

"I'll take you home and make us dinner. You look like you need a little pick-me-up. Something warm in your belly will make you feel better. At least that's what worked for Naruto every time. So, I guess if you are even the tiniest bit like your little brother, food should comfort you." He cheerfully smiled at her. The idea seemed so strange but yet was so perfect for her, she let out a weak laugh. How right he is, Hajita thought, us Uzumakis like to eat. And a little feeling of hope started to blossom inside her. Maybe he wasn't as ice-cold and distanced as she had figured at the cemetery. After all, he was able to make her laugh even in moments where all she wanted to do was cry.

Kakashi took her to his house, set her down at the dining table and started to prepare their dinner. In the meantime, Hajita had ceased crying and started to watch him closely. She noticed how he sometimes shook the hair out of his face. She smiled at how concentrated he looked as he prepared their meal. He always radiated such a calm and relaxing vibe Hajita's tension had started to fade away almost instantly.

"What?" Kakashi asked as he caught her staring at him.

"It's nothing." She blushed a little and looked down at her hands. "I just adore men who know how to cook."

Oh God, that had come out really wrong, Hajita cringed. Her face turned almost as red as her hair and she stuttered "I mean, I'm just surprised you can cook. That's all." Kakashi chuckled. He found it quite cute when her tongue was faster than her brains. He thought about the time she had mentioned the effect he had on women and figured that now was the perfect time to find out what she had meant by that.

"So, tell me, Jita, what else do you like in men?" he leaned forward on the table until their faces were only inches away from each other, trying to confound her by staring at her intensely. He watched her eyes turn a few shades darker and her face turn even redder than before. The sound of him using her nickname had made her heart skip a beat. Hajita actually was so flustered, all she managed to do was to blink dumbfoundedly at the now grinning Kakashi. Looks like I'm making her a little nervous, he thought and realized that not only was Hajita the first woman he had tried this out on, but also that he liked having this effect on her.

During their meal Hajita finally was able to calm herself down. As she politely thanked him for the food afterwards, she was back to her usual warm smile. How does she do that? Kakashi asked himself, an hour ago she had cried her heart out and now she is back to her normal self. She's just like you, his Dad's voice echoed inside his head, she's a strong person with a good heart. Afraid of what his father might go on about and in order to avoid the monologue that would follow, Kakashi started busying himself in the kitchen again.

"How about strawberries for dessert?" Kakashi asked.

"You're kidding, right?" her eyes started to shine. "Strawberries are my favourite!"

Just like Rin, Kakashi thought, she reminds me so much of her. Her warm smile, her medical skills, her bountiful and polite nature. Overwhelmed by these memories Kakashi did a rare thing for him and decided to fetch the sake before getting too emotional. With a toast to Minato's death, they started drinking. As the former apprentice of Tsunade-sama, Hajita was used to alcohol, but she never drank too much herself. She just didn't like the feeling afterwards. Kakashi on the other hand was enjoying the sake this evening. His cheeks started to flush and soon after, the normally so quiet man started to talk. Hajita, who had always been a good listener, was happy that he finally seemed to let down his guard a little.

"You know, my parents died when I was young, too." Kakashi admitted. She was the first person he had told about his parents in an awfully long time. He was able to open up to her because he knew that she would understand. As their eyes met, he recalled the first time seeing them and remembered his fear of her being able to read his mind. Now he somehow even longed for it. He wanted her to know everything. And so, he didn't look away once while he told her about his father and even about his mother. After a while of black gazing into blue, Kakashi was pretty damn sure that she couldn't read his mind simply by looking him in the eye, but still couldn't shake off the feeling that she was able to see right into his soul. But maybe that was the Sake kicking in. When he concluded his story, he noticed that his brain had gone all fuzzy and his eyes started to feel heavy. His weariness was also not lost on Hajita. She helped him lay down and started for the door to leave.

"I'll better go now" she said but Kakashi grabbed her arm tight and held her back.

"No way, young lady. It's far too late for you to walk home alone. Normally, I would have offered to bring you home but I'm afraid my legs won't work properly anymore tonight. You stay and sleep here. No discussion. This is a command." He slurred.

She thought that maybe he was right, and it wasn't the best idea to leave him now. So, she warily laid down beside him and listened to his already regular breaths. He had fallen asleep the minute he had stopped talking. What a complicated guy, she mused. He always was nice and polite during training but otherwise seemed very distant. Then today, when she finally had decided to give up on him, he suddenly had comforted her, made her dinner, and even invited her to spend the night. What made him change his mind and let me into his life? Hajita wondered and concluded that with Kakashi-kun, you should never say never.

She really wanted not to fall for such an unstable guy but feared that it already was too late. Simply lying next to him, she felt her heartbeat race. Now it wasn't just his looks anymore. This evening, he had been the nicest a guy had ever been to her, she contemplated when Kakashi started mumbling unintelligently. She listened closely in order to catch some of his words when he suddenly rolled over to his side, put his arm around her and pulled her close.

Hajita feared she might explode with all these butterflies in her stomach and knew that there was no way she would get some sleep that night. She wanted to savour every minute of being this close to him. Yet she knew what effects alcohol could have and feared that it was only the sake talking.