sunshineverse | [Closed] You were the brightest shade of sun I had ever seen

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[Closed] You were the brightest shade of sun I had ever seen

Who: Kakashi & Kushina.

When: BGS 16, October, a short time after Naruto is born.

Where: Kushina & Minato's home.

When Minato-sensei had asked that Kakashi take on a very important mission that would last approximately ten months, Kakashi had felt an unprecedented amount of pride for the trust his sensei obviously had in him. He hadn't even been in ANBU for a month when the opportunity arose, and of course he accepted without a moments hesitation. In retrospect, perhaps he should have hesitated, because accepting without questioning the nature of such a lengthy mission had evidently been his downfall. As an ANBU operative, Kakashi would have never thought that he'd be whisked away to supervise a pregnant woman in secret when he wasn't training with his regiment, and yet for the past ten months he'd been doing exactly that; training in the day, a few issues of patrol or guard duty, and then to sit on the roof of sensei's house or in the bushes out by the window, guarding Kushina-sama incase something happened.

In the ten months he was posted at her windowsill and on her slate roof no danger befell her, and though Kakashi was definitely egotistical enough to believe that it was partly because of his presence, he also assumed it was because there was very little danger that Kushina-sama couldn't handle herself. Personally, jinchuuriki or not, Kakashi wouldn't have bothered trying to attack her in the first place - even if she was pregnant, she wasn't weak - but the Hokage had made it abundantly clear that she was to be supervised and protected, and that she should have no idea that ANBU guards were watching over her. Kakashi wasn't sure about why the last condition needed to be prevalent, but adhered to the commands of his Hokage and sensei nonetheless. He was, after all, very good at being invisible.

Eventually, the time came for the baby to be born, and Kakashi's position as guard was terminated. He left without a trace, leaving everything just as it had been, and assumed he'd be issued straight back onto regular ANBU duty-- only to return again as Minato had instructed him to check on her one last time while he cleared up a few things in the tower. His specification was to "give her some company" and, despite Kakashi's knee-jerk reaction of wondering why on earth he would be sent to keep anyone company, Kakashi agreed.

He wasn't sure if this was an official mission or not, but he supposed it didn't matter much either way, and he knocked quietly on the door of the home that hosted Kushina and her newborn.

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When you're a shinobi, you catch on fairly quick if you're being followed. Those who don't usually die. So Kushina had been highly amused when she realized her husband had set an ANBU - one of his former students, no less - to tail her. But Kakashi stayed out of sight for the most part, and she generally let them both believe she was in the dark.

And now she had her baby. A teeny little peanut that was undeniably his father's son, but had somehow inherited her round Uzumaki face. She'd been fielding visitors on and off since the news spread, so it wasn't a surprise when she heard a light knock at the door. She tucked Naruto into his bed and promised to return shortly before going to answer it. A bright smile appeared and she opened the door wider as she stepped aside.

"Kakashi! How nice of you to stop by! Come in, come in. What brings you here? Have you eaten at all today?"

Edited (*words* o9) 2015-02-11 00:42 (UTC)

"I-" Kakashi started, then paused, blinking and squinting at the question. Why did people keep asking him that lately? He'd always been capable of feeding himself. Did he look a little thin? Was it just because he rarely saw those he was friendly with in the village any more?... Then again, Kushina-sama had always offered and taken great pleasure in feeding Kakashi and his team at every opportunity, so he supposed it was merely a matter of routine. "I ate a few hours ago."

He finally stepped inside then, but loitered rather stoic near the doorway. He was awful at company, and even worse at small talk.

"I'm here because," Oh yeah, what was that reason again? Sensei is over protective and wants to make sure you aren't getting too lonely with a child to coo over? "I wanted to see your baby."

......Even Kakashi was surprised with that conclusion. It wasn't technically a lie - well, he didn't not want to see it - but it definitely wasn't what he'd been expecting his brain to concoct as a reasonable excuse for his presence.

Her eyebrows lifted in mild surprise, but they came back down as she beamed at him. If that was the reason he wanted to give for his visit, she'd give it to him. Besides, she didn't think she'd ever pass up an opportunity to show off her precious baby boy.

"He's in his room right now, but even though he's tucked in, I doubt he's sleeping. Follow me."

She shut the front door quickly before slipping in front of Kakashi to lead the way to the nursery. It wasn't far from the kitchen, and decorating had been Kushina's project early on in her pregnancy. It had filled most of her time and been an excellent distraction from some of the long hours Minato had put in as he settled into his new position. The moment she entered Naruto's room, she made a beeline right for his little bed and scooped him up into her arms. He was wide awake and she held him low so Kakashi could see the baby and be introduced properly.

"Kakashi, I'd like you to meet Naruto Uzumaki. The newest, sorta unofficial member of Team Minato."

Oh god, what had he got himself into... He knew how pregnancies and babies worked, of course, but looking at the final product was something of a head-spin to even a genius like himself. How a person could be so tiny was utterly beyond him; truly a miracle, though he wouldn't be seen dead using that kind of terminology out loud, at least not willingly.

When he was met face-to-face with the little miracle himself, Kakashi blinked his one visible eye a few times, trying to gauge what his appropriate reaction should be. How did normal people react to babies?.. He tried to think of the reactions Obito or Rin might have had if they were here-- and immediately changed his mind on taking inspiration from them. Obito, he assumed, would want to hold it and Rin would probably want the same once she was through with cooing and squealing over the child.

Kakashi was much more controlled than that.

"...Hello.." he managed, so awkward the aura he gave off was almost palpable. "Good to meet you, Naruto."

Kushina had to bite down on the inside of her lip to repress any trace of laughter at the awkward greeting when it finally came. But the baby just gurgled in delight at the new face and wriggled a little in his blanket bundle. Kakashi may be a genius shinobi, but when it came to social matters, he still needed some work. But this was a step in the right direction. Or so she hoped.

Most of those who had been to visit her had gone on about how adorable he was, what features he shared with his parents, or how he was probably going to be a great and talented shinobi. But every single one of them had always followed up with a request to hold him. A tiny part of her was usually reluctant to hand over her newborn son, but she always got him back. Maybe it was a new mom thing no one had warned her about. Kakashi, however, was a special case and would need some prompting.

"Do you want to try holding him? You can if you want."

At that question Kakashi sucked in a quick breath, straightening up and looking from Kushina's face, to the face of the tiny little cherub-like form in her arms. He was adorable, even Kakashi couldn't deny that, and he looked so much like his parents that it was uncanny... and that only made Kakashi's paranoia worse. He didn't know the first thing about how to hold a baby - where to put his hands, how to support the weight - and the uncertainty put him entirely on edge.

"No," he said curtly, shaking his head a little-- and then backtracked. That was rude. He was supposed to be here to keep Kushina company and keep her happy, and refusing to hold her new baby probably wouldn't get him anywhere fast.

"I mean, I've never done it before. I'm not sure how.. and I'm.. wearing armor, so..."

She very nearly started an argument to ask why not, but her mouth closed as he babbled out several excuses. Normally she would have waved them off, but with her arms full she nodded over to a rocking chair in the middle of the room.

"It's not hard, y'know. Go sit over there and I'll show you. And it doesn't matter if you're in full gear, but if you're that worried, you can take it off for now. There's only us three here and there's no risk of a sudden attack. We'll be fine. I promise Naruto's not gonna try to stuff a knife into you, and neither will I."

Though she might reconsider if Kakashi dropped the baby. Then again, she was still having moments where she was concerned about dropping him herself or doing something wrong. Being a new mom was rough work. ...Not that she'd willingly admit it.

"Good," he answered, then realised how foolish and paranoid he must have sounded, and flushed a little, the colour creeping up the visible portion of his cheek.

It was less that he was worried about an attack (the other posted guards he'd passed on the way here were more than enough protection after all), it was more the fact that his arm guards made any attempts at gentile into an awkward fumble, usually with a less than desired outcome.

He followed her order regardless, taking his instructed seat and unfastening the clasps on the plates on his arms, and following the action by removing his gloves. Kushina probably wouldn't rest until he'd done as she suggested, so he figured it was probably in his best interests to just get the baby-holding over with as little fuss as possible - and hopefully no casualties.

Edited 2015-02-14 20:17 (UTC)

She took the time Kakashi used to follow her orders to wrap Naruto better in his blanket. She kept his arms free, but figured things might go easier if his legs were restricted in their movement if he decided to get really wiggly. And though it had been her suggestion in the first place, she didn't hand the baby over right away.

Kushina stole a few extra seconds to rock her son gently and press a light kiss to his tiny forehead. Only after did she finally bring him over for Kakashi to hold.

"Now you're gonna need to support his head with one arm like I'm doing. Your other arm goes under his legs to keep him up close."

She'd wait until he got his arms in roughly the right position before handing over her precious bundle. And then she'd try her best not to hover too much.

Kakashi looked the absolute epitome of awkward as he sat there, feet planted firmly on the ground so that the chair didn't rock, and his arms wooden but ready to receive the precious bundle. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, why holding a baby was such a privileged and sought-after source of comfort, because as far as he was concerned this whole ordeal was just stressful.

And then the baby was in his arms, and a pair of bright blue eyes were blinking up at him with all the wonder appropriate for a newborn faced with Kakashi's... well... his lack of a face. Hidden behind his fabric mask and with only one eye open, Kakashi couldn't emote as much as he could just kind of.. stare back into Naruto's face.

He wasn't heavy but he wasn't light either and after a moment Kakashi started to rock his arms gently, experimentally, like he'd seen Kushina do earlier.

She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until she exhaled. There was no reason for her to be nervous. She could trust him. And yet, it was the same nervousness she felt any time she allowed anyone besides Minato to hold their baby. Maybe it was a new mom thing...

The moment Kakashi started to rock him, she began to relax and knelt down on the floor next to them.

"See? It's not too hard. Not after you get used to it anyway."

Kakashi made a noise that was supposed to have been a noise of agreement, but sounded more like an imitation of an upset stomach, but he nodded all the same. He supposed that in some way she was right - it wasn't as difficult as he'd thought it was going to be - but so far the baby was behaving. What if Naruto started to cry, or started to kick or wriggle and Kakashi couldn't keep this gentle hold on him? How did a person even go about restraining a baby?

There were so many questions, and Kakashi couldn't help but wonder how in the world Kushina did it. He would have been considering what was a normal comment in these situations, what comment Kushina would have been expecting.... but he was wrapt with wonder, and looked up at his sensei's wife with a question on his lips.

"How do you cope?" came out of his mouth before he'd given any time to really think about it, and he continued in a quiet, curious sort of babble. "Being responsible for someone as incapable as Naruto is right now? He can't do anything for himself... Isn't it stressful?"

She shot him a funny look at his initial question, but it changed to a fond smile. Questions were good. They told her he was somewhat curious.

"I wouldn't say stressful, it's just... very different from anything I've ever experienced before. Sure I've done babysitting missions, but this time, the baby I'm caring for is mine. There's no one to give him back to later in the day, unless you count Minato." She grinned at Kakashi and reached out a finger for one of Naruto's hands. Almost immediately, his tiny hand curled around it. "I know it'll be years before he can walk or talk or do much of anything on his own, but I really don't mind taking care of him now. It's kinda hard to explain why."

His hands were so small, his arms so frail and so weak... Kakashi's eyes fixed on Kushina's finger in her son's hold, transfixed by how instinctive the reaction was for the child. He wondered numbly if he'd ever been that reactive to his own parents. If he had been, he certainly couldn't remember.

"I'm not sure I could do what you're doing, Kushina-sama..." Kakashi murmured, so quiet it seemed like an accident, like he was thinking aloud. The last time someone had been in his care, of course, had been the time Obito had almost died, and now even imagining the responsibility weighing heavy on Kushina's shoulders frightened him.

This was as close to 'talking about it' as he was ever going to get, however. Obito might have given him some serious life lessons in friendship, and an eye opener (no pun intended) when it came to how cold he was with those closest to him, but he was still very new to the concept of 'opening up'. This was his best attempt.

"Eh?"

That got her full attention as she tried to decipher what he could possibly mean.

"You mean taking care of someone else?" Without waiting for a reply one way or the other, she went right ahead as if he'd said yes. "I know it doesn't seem like the easiest job - something I definitely thought about a lot in the last ten months - but I know I'm not alone. There are people I can turn to if I need help or someone to talk to, even if Minato is busy with work or gone somewhere. But I think you'd do a good job if you had the opportunity. I mean, you kept a good eye on me, didn't you?"

Her tone was completely nonchalant, as if mentioning his 'secret' guard work was on par with discussing the weather. And though most of her attention was still focused on the baby, her eyes angled up to Kakashi's face with a knowing gleam. It was about time he knew she had known.

Kakashi's guilt had been twisting in his stomach, words forming to contest what she had said with a vicious retort - I had the opportunity, and look what happened! - but her final words shocked him out of his self-depreciating reverie, and his visible eye widened.

He didn't for a moment doubt Kushina's competency, or her intelligence, but even so-- He'd been so careful, so exact. He'd been like a shadow in the night, a leaf in the breeze, he'd been so very stealthy that not even the most trained of ninken would have been able to trace him... And yet..

"...You knew?" he asked, all trace of negative emotion gone to be replaced with a surprise. "How?"

A broad grin appeared at his surprise. Yes, letting him and her husband think they'd been so stealthy had been a good idea.

"I'd have been one dead ninja if I couldn't sense when I was being watched or followed. But to get that feeling every day in my own village? Minato can get a little overprotective of me sometimes for good reasons, not that it's a bad thing. But since I never saw who was actually there and I didn't feel like I was in danger, I suspected he'd put one of his ANBU on me. It took me a little longer to figure out it was you exactly since I don't have any real sensor abilities though. So thank you for keeping an eye on me and Naruto for the last ten months."

She carefully slid her finger out of the baby's grasp to place her hand on Kakashi's shoulder. A gesture meant to be reassuring that he'd done a good job.

Edited 2015-02-24 16:12 (UTC)

Kakashi blinked back at Kushina, the past ten months flying past in his head like a film-reel, and slowly... slowly the understanding began to dawn on him. He'd had an inkling every so often that Kushina might have known there was someone tailing her - just small clues, like blankets and food left out in seemingly bad habit in places he couldn't help but notice - but he'd never thought the jig would be up this badly.

Kakashi opened his mouth to answer-- but as he did the little form in his arms reached up, apparently bored with the proceedings and the fact that he was being paid no attention, and grasped at Kakashi's mask to yank it down under his chin.

Immediately Kakashi froze. Without any hands free to pull his mask back up and the baby burbling gleefully in his lap with a hand still clutched in the fabric, there wasn't much the silver-haired boy could do other than sit there and look excruciatingly uncomfortable.

"....Kushina-sama..." he croaked through a tense jaw and gritted teeth, his face tinted with embarrassment. "Please could you take Naruto back?"

Naruto's bid for attention caught her by surprise and all she could do was stare for a moment. And when she did finally react, she started to laugh. And laugh. And laugh some more. She nearly missed his request, but eventually wiped away a tear of mirth before reaching out to gently pry the mask from her son's grip.

"Come on, Naruto, let that go. There we go! What a good boy."

Mask released, she stood up and took the baby back in her arms. He seemed pleased to have his mother's attention again and grabbed at some of her long hair. She took it in stride as he flailed his arms, laughing and tugging on her hair as she went to get something else for him to wave around. After a minute of careful persuasion, she got him to trade her hair for his drum rattle.

"Sorry about that, even this young he really likes grabbing things."

And yet... some of the laughter was still clinging to her voice.

As soon as he had a hand free, Kakashi put his mask back in it's proper place. His face was only lightly dusted with a pink blush of embarrassment, but the very tips of his ears were burning scarlet, easily visible under the tufts of his silver hair. He hardly thought she should be praising him for letting go -- shouldn't she be scolding him for grabbing in the first place? -- but he nodded at her explanation, awkwardly getting to his feet.

Despite the momentary distraction and the vulnerability he now felt, Kakashi was as practical as ever, and he cleared his throat to drag attention back to the topic at hand.

"You're welcome," he said suddenly, so abruptly the phrase was almost forceful. "For the protection. But really, I was just following orders."

She took Kakashi's place in the rocking chair and made sure the baby was settled in her arms. Only after he spoke did she shake her head, unable to wave a hand, to refute his explanation.

"Orders or not, you could have decided not to give the job your all. I mean, how many people would think a pregnant jinchuuriki - something very few people know to begin with, so then I just look like the Hokage's wife - would be in any danger inside her own village? But from what I saw, and didn't see, you gave the job everything you could. Am I right?"

"I've always given missions my all--!" Kakashi said, raising his voice the slightest touch in his determination, but still somehow managing to keep it at a volume that wasn't necessarily yelling, so he didn't disturb the little one in Kushina's arms.

He paused, thinking. She was right, of course. Kakashi had been determined to do his job to the best of his abilities, to the best level he could, and in doing so had kept both mother and baby safe for ten whole months.

"... You're right, Kushina-sama." His voice was quiet, and his mouth set in a line behind his mask, eyebrows tense. He gave her a quick little bow, an incline of his head. "Thank you for explaining."

As the realization at her meaning sunk in, she smiled brightly and adjusted Naruto so he was securely cradled in one arm. With her newly freed arm, she could brush over his hair delicately, even without paying much attention.

"I know you do, it's just how you are. And you're welcome." She glanced down at her son for a moment where he was squealing and babbling in delight. Blue eyes like his father's were directed towards Kakashi as he did. "I think Naruto's trying to say 'thank you' to you too."

Maybe it was a bit silly to guess for what an infant no more than a few days old was trying to communicate, but that was becoming her full-time job now. He did get extra excitable around visitors, but with the way he was flailing one of his little arms, maybe he wanted another look behind Kakashi's mask. Maybe it was better not to mention that...

"It's just how you are..." He'd heard that before. Sensei had told him something similar when Kakashi had struggled to deal with Obito's coma, and his impending guilt and consequential promise to never make the same again as long as he lived. Perhaps his team knew him better than he thought.

He blinked back at Naruto's stare, face relatively expressionless despite the happy gurgle-laugh he was being offered.

He took a tentative step forward and knelt in front of the rocking chair, his face on the same level as the baby, but just a little out of his reach to avoid making the same mask-related mistake again. Naruto really did look so much like Minato.. but there was the rounded face of the Uzumaki, and the fiery sparkle to his eyes that was unmistakably Kushina.

"You're welcome, Naruto," Kakashi said, fixing the baby with one of his more gentle looks. "I promised to protect Team Minato, faultlessly, and that means you too. You have my word."

After that, he quickly moved to retrieve his gloves and armor plating, before standing straight again, and mumbling an almost awkward little "I should probably go. No doubt Obito will be here soon."

He did indeed make what could have been a swipe for the mask as he laughed more, but the distance spared Kakashi a second unmasking. The tender moment from his promise made her smile, but it faded slightly as he prepared to go.

"So soon? It feels like you just got here. Are you sure you don't want to stay for lunch or a small snack?"

Okay... maybe she did like holding onto her company as long as possible. But could he blame her?

He set about clipping his armor back onto his forearms, but only got as far as the first fastening before Kushina's words halted him.

"I...I don't want to impose on your time with Naruto.." he said, wary also of the fact that his other team-mates had been making themselves incredibly known around the household since the birth. The thought set him on edge a little, but just as he was about to cement his excuse, his stomach gave a loud betraying grumble of hunger, and his expression twitched. He hadn't eaten much that day.

Something in her eyes gleamed at the noise his traitorous stomach made. He was so busted.

"You're not imposing at all. I have every day and every night for the rest of both our lives with him. I don't mind sharing some of it with you too. Come on, let me put Naruto down and I can make us a quick stir fry and rice."

She got back up and moved to tuck Naruto in, praying with every fiber of her being that he'd fall asleep while she was cooking.

He didn't have much room for argument when it came to Kushina; both a product of his structured but selective politeness, and the well taught knowledge that it probably wouldn't get him anywhere fast. When she put Naruto down, Kakashi knew his fate had been sealed, and he expelled a small sigh before finally discarding his arm-plates once more, along with his gloves and finally his chest armor.

In regulation navy blues, he wandered into the kitchenette a little later, with a quietly curious look on his face. He liked to watch people cook, and Kushina was incredibly adept at it.

By the time he had arrived, she had already set water to boil and was pulling out the ingredients and tools she'd need. Normally she'd order him to help cook, but she supposed she could cut him a break for all his hard work on her behalf. So she grinned over her shoulder at him before picking up a brisk pace to start cutting beef.

"You can sit down if you want."

She nodded back at the table just outside the wide doorway. Luck was on her side so far where her son was concerned.

At the offer of respite he instead moved to stand at her shoulder, peering round her to watch what she was doing. He was starting to get taller and the possibility of being able to peek over people's shoulders was slowly - very slowly - becoming a possibility. He wondered if one day he might even be taller than Kushina...

"I'll watch," he said carefully, in his most polite voice. "Or help. If that's okay..."

Well, if he was offering... She wasted no time in fishing out a second knife and a plate to use as a cutting surface.

"Help would be good. You can start on the onion, and if you get that sliced fast enough, there's bell peppers, mushrooms, and carrots that will be going in too."

She pointed out the vegetables sitting on the counter between her and the plate she'd set down.

Ah, something Kakashi could definitely do. The part of cooking that threw him off was the composition; preparing and combining the ingredients to make a substantial meal that was more than just reheated restaurant leftovers, or simple rice/noodles garnished with raw egg or soy sauce.. but cutting was definitely a task he could do, and do well. After all, he was trained in kenjutsu; this was basically the same, just on a smaller level.

He set to work with a speedy precision, soon finishing and moving onto the other vegetables.

She made short work of the meat - well-practiced herself in both the arts of kenjutsu and cooking - and was soon putting it into the heating pan with a sizzle. With the water boiling behind it, she stirred in some rice. After covering it, she brought the heat down low to steam it properly.

"Alright. Once the meat's halfway done, we can add the vegetables and some sauce. Keep everything a little on the crisper side instead of soggy." She gave him a quick wink between digging out some ginger root, a grater, and soy sauce, and washing off her cutting plate. "So, what did you want to drink with lunch? Water? Tea? Something else? Just don't ask for alcohol, we haven't had any in the house since last year."

She had a quick chuckle at her own joke, because she probably wouldn't have served him alcohol, even if he'd asked.

Kakashi was so transfixed with watching the proceedings of the meal making - trying to work out what the end product would be and trying to memorise the ingredients and the method - that he left Kushina's question hanging in the air for a long moment after she'd finished speaking. Then, he seemed to snap out of it, and looked at her with a politely confused look.

"Tea is fine," he answered, apparently not getting her joke. He didn't much like the taste of alcohol anyway. "Thank you." He actually managed a smile at that; just the slightest pull of his mask.

She'd been about to restate her question or check if he'd heard her when she did get an answer. Even with her little joke missed, her smile grew again at his thanks.

"Tea it is, then. Any kind in particular or do you want a surprise?"

With her plate set back down, she plucked up a kettle and filled it with water. Once it was set on a burner to heat, she took up the soy sauce, paused a moment to think, then got a bowl to pour some into. Liquid set aside, she took up the ginger and got to work grating some it and then adding what she grated to the soy sauce to get the flavor infused properly.

He paused for a moment, almost going to lean against the counter before he straightened up into a more professional stance once more. He treated the question of flavour like it was a consideration to be taken incredibly seriously, and the gears in his head turned as he watched her make the sauce.

"...A few weeks ago, I was sitting above the kitchen window while you were making tea, and the steam escaped while you were brewing the leaves. It smelt like firewood, but it was almost flowery..." he said, his voice low with recollection. "Could we have that one?"

A few weeks ago felt like a million years and she paused in her grating to think back. What tea was it that matched that description and was there any of it left...

"Uh... Firewood but a little flowery... I think we have some left. Hm... Here, grate off a little more ginger and put the rest back in the fridge while I dig out the tea."

Without waiting for an affirmation to her order, she set down her work and went right to the cabinet where all their tea was stored. It took her a few minutes of shifting around containers until she found one and opened it to take a whiff.

"AHA! Is this the one you were talking about?"

She held out the container for him to smell, feeling confident she'd found the right one.

Kakashi set to work, but turned his body slightly so that he could watch her rummaging. They sure had a lot of teas.. It had been some time since his tea cupboard had been stocked full (mostly due to Kakashi's reluctance to go grocery shopping, and his ineptitude at the art, even now) but even in the years his father was alive, he didn't think he'd ever seen a cupboard that full. There was something oddly comforting about the sight, though he couldn't explain what exactly.

When she held out the container he reached up to shift his mask down just enough to reveal his nose and gave a good sniff of the contents, and like a puppy recognising its master he looked up with an accidentally bright look.

"Yes! That's it!"

His scent memory was nigh-perfect, and to him there was nothing more comforting than a familiar smell.

She honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd seen his face light up like that. Or if she'd seen that look before in all the time she'd known him. It took some effort to bury the immediate maternal instinct to scoop him into a hug, but she beamed instead and set it on the counter to measure out after. Unless...

"Did you want to measure out tea for both of us while I get everything else in to finish cooking? You should find clean mugs there - " She pointed up to one cabinet. "And strainers for tea there - " Her pointing finger drifted down to a drawer on the other side of the sink.

Kakashi's eyebrows raised as he tucked his mask back over his nose, his open eye sweeping the indicated cabinets as if securing their locations and uses to his memory.

"Of course--" He gave a little movement that was half a nod and half a bow before laying the ginger and the grater to one side and moving to do as instructed. It wasn't hard to notice the excited tone in his voice, and the way he moved around getting the necessary items as though his effort had been formally requested by the Hokage.

He wasn't sure what it was about this particular task but as he set up the cups and their strainers, opened the pot and dished out enough leaves for the both of them.. Something was grounding him, making him feel comfortable - really comfortable - for the first time since he'd got here.

She deemed the amount of ginger to her liking and put the rest of the root away after mixing what he'd grated into the sauce. His tone and the way he was taking to his tasks were endearing. Maybe she should hassle him into coming by more often, even if it was only for tea. Or maybe babysitting...

As she plotted, she tipped the cut vegetables into the pan with the meat. Once they had a chance to cook for a few minutes, she'd add the ginger sauce.

"Okay... I think that's everything. The food just needs to finish cooking, the sauce goes on soon, and the tea should be ready in a few minutes... That's everything, right?"

"Uh," Kakashi muttered as he glanced around. "Do you.. set the table?" he asked as his eyes caught the corner of the table he'd been offered to sit at earlier. At home his manners were... a little on the lacking side since he'd been living alone, but in his mental checklist that had been one thing that rose a flag (even if most of the time he even failed to set the table himself.

"I could do it, if you'd like."

Ah... Yes, that was something she had missed. She laughed sheepishly at the glaring oversight.

"Yeah, I kinda missed that... Would you mind? Plates are in the cabinet next to the mugs, silverware is in the drawer next to the stove. ...But where did I put the napkins? I'll hunt those down."

"Of course."

Kakashi was quick in his task; to the point and professional much like he'd been the whole evening, but the stiffness from his frame had all but vanished and in its stead there came a relaxed kind of amble, like his strings had been cut to free his movement.

He did a quick relay with the plates, cutlery and finished it off by setting up a pot of boiling water to brew their tea. Once he was done, he gave the table a fast overview, then stood by it with a muted look of pride at his handiwork.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Closed] You were the brightest shade of sun I had ever seen

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keywords relevant

..those sure are some disturbingly relevant keywords. 8^| /shudder

lmfao I couldn't resist

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so late, i'm sorry!

no worries <3

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kakashi you are no fun 8^|

what a doofus

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...fuck me, now I want to try this recipe even though I made it up off the top of my head

i want to try it too ;-; cook for me tophie

would if I could ;n;

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