Never say Never (Kakashi x OC)

The Beauty of Scars

His last sentence left her speechless. Hajita could tell that Kakashi was serious about the things he had said but she simply wasn't sure what to make of it. Puzzled, she looked at him.

"What do you mean by that, Kakashi?"

Kakashi sighed and tried once again to tell her in his own way how much she meant to him.

"Why do you think I haven't left your side for one second since I brought you here?"

Slowly it dawned on her that Kakashi really was trying to tell her that he liked her. At that, her thoughts went running wild and a battle between her inner consciences broke loose. Could it be? A girl like me usually doesn't get so lucky as to be with a man like him, her timid, insecure self mused. Lucky? Sneered her devilish half and started to mock her. You almost lost your hands for crying out loud! Exactly, the first Hajita-half fired back, maybe that's the price you get when you are injured really bad! Prince charming finally realizes his feelings for you! Shaking her head, Hajita tried to end her shattered thoughts but was in no way convinced. It simply was too good to be true.

"You better not be making fun of me, Hatake Kakashi! Because if you do, I swear to God, I'll beat the crap out of you as soon as my hands are fine again!" she snapped and forced herself to look at the handsome guy sitting across from her. At that, Kakashi grinned. He had hoped she would understand without him having to pour his heart out, because she knew how much he hated to talk about feelings. He just prayed that over time he could make her see what she really meant to him.

Yet, time went by and Hajita still was not ready to believe him even though he never left her side. The first few days, when she couldn't use her hands properly, he made her dinner and helped her eat. He bathed her and started to carry her everywhere even though she was perfectly able of walking by herself. He cared for her as if he had always done it. And yet, despite Kakashi's sweetness and the joy of seeing her little brother again after being apart for so long, Hajita still seemed to be lost too deep in thought about her failed mission to notice all the love surrounding her.

Every time she looked down at her hands, a deep sense of sadness overcame her. The remaining scars would never let her forget her failure. They would always remind her of what had happened. At some point, she even started to fear that she might never be the same again. Even as her external wounds started to heal, she couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt and self-hatred. If she hadn't been pretty before, what was she now? Deformed and revolting. She was so disgusted with herself she couldn't believe that anyone else might see her in a different way.

As Kakashi caught her looking at her hands more and more often with the same worrisome look on her face and noticed her warm smile getting more and more rare, he decided that sharing the story of his own scar might make her feel better. Thus, he told her all about his own failed mission as a young shinobi, about the loss of his beloved teammates (which he still believed to be his fault) and about his scars, the visible as well as the internals.

"I think scars are beautiful. They indicate what a great warrior you are." He concluded. "And I'm sure your hands will be fine and you'll be alright in the end."

"How can you be so sure?" Hajita asked.

"Because I know that you are strong. In body and in spirit."

The sound of these words triggered something inside Hajita. Hadn't she heard them before?

Kakashi looked at her and even though she seemed touched by his story, he could tell she wasn't back to her old self yet. He had to do try harder to bring her back. Maybe he should try telling her something nice to lift her spirits? He thought about all the compliments he had read in the Make-Out-series, but nothing seemed fitting for a situation like this. Not so easy making compliments in real life, Kakashi sighed and asked himself what on earth he could tell her to make her feel better. Once again stepping in with advice regarding their relationship, his father's voice echoed inside his head. How about the truth? The silver fang suggested. Don't think too much about what she might want to hear, just be honest with your love, son.

Kakashi decided to follow his father's counsel (as he always had the impression of his parents having been happily married) and simply said the first thing that came to his mind whenever he looked at her.

"You know, your scars are not the only thing beautiful about you, Jita."

That completely caught her off guard as he had never complimented her an anything before. She eyed him suspiciously, but against his reserved nature, Kakashi went on.

"Your hair is beautiful. It was the first thing I noticed about you when we met as kids."

Hajita gasped as she finally remembered where she had heard these words before. She stared into the oh so familiar dark eyes and found them looking back at her with an intensity she had never seen in them before. Could it be? she thought, that we are meant to be? Being strong in body and in spirit as well as complimenting the colour of her hair were the exact things her dad told her mom the day she fell in love with him. How could she have forgotten about that? Her mother had told her countless times about how much those words had meant to her and how strong they had made her. And now Kakashi was telling her the exact same things? This can't be chance. This must be fate.

The expression on his face was so serious yet affectionate, Hajita finally was able to believe him. From that day on, she never again had any doubts about his feelings anymore.