Past and Present // Kakashi Fic

23. ***

[A/N - Happy Wednesday everyone, hope your week is going good, mine ... not so much. enjoy my next chapter. let me know what you think. xx]

I walked through the village, being held up by Kakashi in my pyjamas. It felt different than it had when I first came back. I was shrouded in guilt and self-pity then. Don't get me wrong, those feelings aren't completely gone, but they are no longer the only emotions that I fixate on. We reached one of the main streets in the village and it was packed full of people. I stopped in the middle of the crowd and tilted my head back so that my face was basking in the sun. It was so warm and the smells of the village were avid in the air, flowers, food, perfumes. It was incredible. It was as though I was experiencing life for the first time.

I felt Kakashi's hand grip my waist and his arm tensed against my back as he pulled me out of the way of a moving cart. I was flung against his chest gripping at his shirt. He was pushed up against a wall, gazing down at me with the softest expression evident in his single onyx eye. I leaned my head into his chest, he smelled incredible, like a mix of ginger and spice. The smell was nostalgic, it was exactly how he had smelled when we were young. But this was different. It sent my stomach into a flutter.

"Mina? Hello, Mina..." Kakashi cooed as I was pulled out of my thoughts by his smooth, deep voice.

"Mhm, yeah what's up?" I tried to regain my composure as we continued walking through the village.

He squinted at me suspiciously, "What is going on with you? You're like an entirely new person." We

rounded the corner to his, well I guess our, apartment and began climbing the stairs. Kakashi was beside me the entire way to make sure I didn't fall.

"Hmm, Nah same old, same old." I flashed his toothy grin as he turned to unlock the door, my chubby cheeks enveloping my eyes forcing them into half-moon shapes.

He made a slight noise of disagreement and chuckled as we stepped inside.

It was as though I was seeing everything for the first time. The small apartment which had once seemed gloomy and sad was now bright and warm. It was still meticulously clean, but that was just who Kashi was.

The door opened into the living area, which was just a small kitchen and a couch, to the right was the bedroom sectioned off by paper screens and through the bedroom was the bathroom. There were large windows throughout letting in the most amazing glow of the sun. I walked over to the kitchen bench and rested against it as I took it all in. This place felt right. It felt like I was supposed to be there.

Kakashi was just coming out of the bed room after removing his gear, with his face completely visible. He was wearing nothing but an old pair of sweats and a shirt.

There it was again, that fluttering in my stomach, what was this. It was making me feel really giddy and a little sick. My legs got weak and started to shake. Kakashi must have seen this because in an instant his arms were lifting me up and carrying me to the couch where he set me down and pressed the back of his hand to my forehead.

"Hmm, you a little hot, can I get you anything, Mina?" He asked as he pulled his hand away and looked at me with a soft expression, slight concern playing on his lips.

I blinked in the sun, he was stood in front of a window and the glow behind him was mesmerising.

"I'm fine, Kashi. Honestly, I am. I feel as though I am truly home. Thank you so much for not giving up on me Kashi. I treated you so bad and you stayed. I am so grateful." I meant what I said this time; my mind was not clouded by guilt and self-hatred. I could see clearly, and what I saw was happiness.

He lifted up my legs, sat down and rested them in his lap. "Mina, I'm so glad that you are finally back. It feels as though you are the same old Mina from years ago. You are much different than you were when I brought you back." He rested his hand on my cheek, "but remember Mina, I will love you, no matter what."

The fluttering in my stomach became unbearable, I felt like I was about to jump out of my skin, my face grew hot and I could not stop smiling. I was well and truly in love with this man.

"I will always love you too, Kashi." He pulled me across the couch and crushed me to his body. His warm, strong body. He leaned down and placed a kiss on my cheek, his lips were cool against my skin, his scent overpowering as he did this. I turned my face to his just as he was going in for another cheek kiss and caught his off guard with my lips.

This kiss was not like any other that we had previously, it was electric. I lost my train of thought and was transported to another dimension as the kiss deepened; It felt like my body had disappeared and all that was left was this amazing feeling. I was floating.

We eventually pulled away for air, Kakashi's face just as flushed as mine. He ran his thumb gently over my bottom lip, "Mina..."

I smiled and buried my face in his chest, letting his ginger and spice aroma surround me. I could hear his heart beat through his shirt and the rhythm was soothing enough to carry me off to sleep. The last thing I remembered before completely slipping into darkness was Kakashi carrying me to the bed, tucking me in and kissing me goodnight.