I remember the day
Even wrote down the date,
that I fell for you
-Here's Your Perfect, Jamie Miller
Sitting on her bed, in her tiny hotel room Ai looked out of her window. Curtains were drawn and slightly agape, her elbow rested on the window sill and her chin smushed against the back of her palm, skin turning red. The lights were closed and what barely illuminated the room was the moonlight streaming through the half-opened glass. The night lights lighting up the village were reminiscent of crushed jewels sprinkled on the ground twinkling and shining like stars.
"Kakashi.." His name left her lips in utterance, Ai's long hair blown back slightly from the cold breeze. Still, she kept looking out the window wrapped in five layers of blankets. 'He's really cute... Who would've thought the great Kakashi of the Sharingan would have such a cute personality.'
She didn't mind the smile that formed on her lips so naturally and even the giggle slipping like water through her fingers. The sound of his voice exclaiming the name she had and the smile barely visible under his mask. In her mind's eye, his image appeared all handsome and cool and yet blushing and sweet all at the same time.
'This mission really sucks.'
She sighed and closed the window. The cold blowing wind on her face was finally gone and so was the lovestruck smile. Her heart felt cold and empty. 'I'm sorry Kakashi. Maybe in another life or even just under different circumstances, maybe I could've genuinely fallen in love with you. But like this, I can't even dream about you.'
What every member of the root had been trained to do. 'You have no name. No emotion. Nothing.'
That night, Kakashi had a dream. His father walked him to school when he was able to. Kakashi was five years old. The wind blew coldly, strangely with the sun high up in the sky seemingly burning hotly.
"Dad?"
"What is it?"
His father looked the same as he remembered. The inherited silver hair, long and tied like a mane, and the blade on his back. 'This is strange. I haven't had a dream about my father like this in a long time.'
He opened his mouth to ask his father something but no words left his mouth. Kakashi felt himself walking and walking endlessly and yet, they never reached their destination. The Ninja Academy buildings could be seen just farther ahead and yet no matter how far they walked, Kakashi noticed that they never seemed to even get close. "Kakashi," His father called as he slowed down and eventually stopped walking. Kakashi did too and looked up to his father.
"You deserve it."
"What?" Kakashi blurted out, brows furrowed in confusion. His father didn't make any sense. The wooden walls behind him remained as ever. Sakumo leaned his back against the wall and crossed his arms. "Obito and Rin and Minato and even me. We want you to find happiness for yourself. Don't be in a hurry to die." And this was when Kakashi realized he was truly still dreaming. There was the sense and awareness still, it felt like reality.
'I'm dreaming.'
"I know that, Dad."
And suddenly, Kakashi wasn't looking up at his father anymore. In an instant, he stood face-to-face with Sakumo. One eye covered, his borrowed sharingan. His dark mask and muscle tee-like second skin were covered by the usual green Konoha uniform. His father gave him a look. The same look when he knew that Kakashi was lying. Eyes pointed and head tilted slightly down, with a relaxed stern face.
"Do you?"
Kakashi sighed. "What do you want me to say?" And at that point when he knew it was a dream, he felt scared and relieved at the same time. It was a surreal feeling crawling up his skin and seeping into his bones. "Son, listen to me." Kakashi swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing up and down. His breathing became shallower and faster just a bit as if in fear.
Sakumo gave him a pointed look, eyes staring straight into Kakashi's. "You once asked me how I knew I'd choose to stay with your mother. 'Why her? How do you know that she's the one?' That's what you asked me. Well, you just know."
Kakashi's face crumbled into a panic of confusion. "Ho-" He cut himself off and then, after hesitation, he asked his father. "And if I'm not sure?" Sakumo smiled. "Then you'll know. You would know and get hurt. Then you move on and hope to meet the right person."
"I... I think I know, what then?"
"Then, you don't let go. Seize the opportunity. Don't let the one slip through your fingers and if you have to then fight. But know that sometimes the battle that needs to be fought is not the one you think it is." Just like that, Kakashi snapped awake.
The next day, like a dream he saw her again.
She smiled and waved. Her red hair was tied up, curtain bangs and wisps of hair falling messily still good-looking in its own way. She was holding a basket in her hands, a white, wide-brimmed hat on her head. "Ai, hey. Why.. what are you doing here?" He asked breathlessly as he approached her. She stood by the monument of fallen heroes, with Naruto and Sasuke bickering behind her back and Sakura in the background.
She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled shyly. "Um, I was free today and I was wondering if I could meet you and I bumped into Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura just as I was leaving my hotel. And.." She bit her lip as she shrugged. Kakashi's eye popped wide open, heart racing. 'S-so cute..'
"Here I am."
Then, as if realisation broke on her face she awkwardly waved one hand in front of her face. "I, just.. um, don't worry I won't bother you. The kids told me you had training today. I just wanted to watch." She chuckled, looking back behind her and subtly pointing at Naruto, who didn't notice her looking. "Besides, I'm kind of intrigued about Naruto's 'super amazing jutsu' he tells me about."
At the mention of his name, Naruto perked up. He grinned and pointed at himself. "Yeah! It's super great!" Sasuke scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest as he muttered. "It's just a stupid shadow clone jutsu. As if one Naruto wasn't enough." And just like that the two were bickering again. A turned to Kakashi and asked, "So, can I stay and watch?"
Kakashi nodded, he couldn't help the smile forming on his face so much that his cheeks began to hurt a bit. "Sure."
'Okay, Kakashi. Be cool. You can do this.'
He chuckled, hands trembling and heart beating quickly from the subtle nervousness to show the coolest, most attractive version of himself. Sometime later, "MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!!" And just like that, in the middle of a sparring match with their teacher, Narutos popped out in huffs of smoke and filled the green field like sand on the beach.
By the match's end, Naruto although failing to defeat Kakashi even with Sasuke and Sakura together with him was more eager to know what his 'sister' thought of his one and only jutsu. "So, so! It was cool wasn't it?"
His eyes were shining like the sun embedded in the blue sky. His whiskers moved up and down like a fox's. Naruto looked up at Ai with a bright smile, like a puppy waiting for a head pat. "Yes! It was really cool!" Ai exclaimed, patting his head with a big, proud smile. "Super impressive." Sasuke scoffed but didn't say anything and Sakura sat down by the concrete muttering, "I'm exhausted." She exchanged looks with Naruto and Sasuke like some kind of signal.
"Oh, Sasuke-kun. Let's get some lunch." The pinkette said dreamily, hearts popping out of her eyes. Sasuke took one look and nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He threw Naruto a look and basically spat, almost unwillingly, "Are you coming?" As his students walked away, Kakashi grinned. 'They have good sense.' And then all that was left was him and Ai.
The two sat down and a comfortable silence enveloped them. After a while, seemingly nervous as she fiddled with her fingers Ai took a sideways glance at Kakashi. "I wanted to ask you for a favor." She began, voice weak. Kakashi inched closer to hear her. He tried to be as casual as possible without seeming desperate.
"Oh, what is it?"
Suddenly while he stole glances from her, his dream from the night before fogged up his mind in hazy images. "Then, you don't let go. Seize the opportunity. Don't let the one slip through your fingers and if you have to then fight. But know that sometimes the battle that needs to be fought is not the one you think it is."
Kakashi watched her expressions, every minute detail. The blush on her face made his heart race, her shifty nervous eyes and furrowed brows and pouted lips. He watched her take a deep breath. 'Is she nervous?'
"There's this guy that I like." At her words, Kakashi's heart stopped beating and for a moment, he died. He froze, tense. His ears rang and then he felt his heart skip a beat. 'Wait, is this? Is she going to confess to me now? Yes, I think... Ai looks so shy and nervous right now. Should I tell her I like her first?'
"Actually, I li-"
However, Kakashi was cut off when she dropped her head, eyes looking at her shoes as if her feet were the most interesting things in the world and Ai blurted out, "His name is Guy. Might Guy." And Kakashi's world stopped turning. He felt his heart burst and the words stuck in his throat choking him. Kakashi swallowed hard, feeling a pressure on his chest and ears ringing.
"Guy? As in, Might Guy?" The disbelief in his voice couldn't be hidden as well as the stark surprise that spilled out. Ai, with a startled expression from his surprised reaction, looked at him with wide eyes and a flustered face. "Oh... It's just, I heard you were friends with him so I thought maybe I could ask you to introduce us. I'm sorry, is it too much?"
'You're cruel, did you know that?'
Kakashi bit the inside of his cheek, muttering in the inside of his ex over and over again like a chant, 'Get a hold of yourself, Kakashi.'
"No. It's fine. I was just... I didn't expect that is all."
Then, with the naive dainty expression he felt enslaved to she asked innocently, batting her eyelashes with a pout.
"Well, he is cool. So I don't know why it's surprising really."
"He is cool."
"He is cool."
"He is cool."
Kakashi groaned, his eyes closed in frustration. His ears ringed with her voice saying Guy's name and some part of his heart aches with a pinch. "I'll introduce him.. sure. I'll be happy too." But Kakashi sounded so unwilling it was as if a kunai had been held to his throat. As he gazed upon her eyes of spring, he remembered a conversation he'd had with his friend and rival.
'I can't believe it.' Never in my life have I been envious.
"Hey, Guy. I was wondering, if.. if you met a nice girl. A nice, pretty girl who likes you. Would you go out with her?" Kakashi was curious simply out of reading the newest installment of Icha-icha. The blue-covered book was half opened in his hand, his passive expression looked at the man clad in green and his bowl-cut hair.
'He's a good guy but he's just not a ladies' man.'
Kakashi, of all people, knew the greatness Might Guy was. Especially, his character. 'It would be good for him to meet a good lady.' Guy paused for a minute before he burst out in boisterous laughter. "You know that I'm married to my ninja way, Kakashe! But, maybe. I don't know, I don't see myself married or anything like that ten years from now." Then, as if he'd thought about it Guy amended. "But who knows? The lovely springtime of youth is full of love!" At the time, Kakashi smiled at his friend's answer because it was something he wanted him to have.
"Ai.."
"Hm?"
But Kakashi found himself tongue-tied, and he looked away from her. "Nothing. Nevermind."
'Who would have ever thought the day would come that I'm envious of Guy.'
"Say, Kakashi. What's he like?"
"Guy?"
She nodded with blushing cheeks, walking with her hands tightly gripping the small basket she held. "He's.." Kakashi found himself hanging conflicted about whether to tell the truth or to advertise the man who was the closest thing he had resembling a brother. "Ha.." He breathed out, running his hand through his hair. 'Why do I feel so frustrated?'
"He's a strong shinobi." He watched her smile and nod her head like a cute fawn. Her face lit up and a smile lifted her eyes as they talked. She asked him once more. 'The way she's asking me like I'm just a friend. Why do you like him anyway? For goodness sake, I barely even know you but you're shaking me like this, Ai. You're not even going to take responsibility for it because you like my best friend of all people. Damn it, what am I going to do?'
"Kakashi, do you think he'd like me?"
'The prickling feeling in my chest just wouldn't go away. I hate it.'
And as he gazed into her bright blue eyes, under long lashes of scarlet red hair, he was lost. Lost in his own entangled emotions coming to a peak. Building up only to halt midway a breakthrough. "I don't know."
'But I know that I do.'
Soon enough, the moment he dreaded had come to pass. As he and Ai were having a laugh walking around the square, Guy, who was eating sweet, rice cakes with Kurenai, Asuma, and Anko caught a glimpse of Kakashi's silver hair. "Oi!" Guy called out, waving his hand in the air. "Kakashi!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. Not just Kakashi and Ai looked at the commotion but almost every single passerby and customer of the store. But, the people at Guy's table were more interested in something else.
"Who's that beauty with Kakashi?" Anko asked, stuffing her face with pieces of dango. Kurenai shrugged her shoulders and then her face brightened up. "His girlfriend?"
"She doesn't seem to be a shinobi," Asuma noted by the clothes Ai wore a simple, elegant kimono nevertheless quite a fortune. No jewelry and simple make-up, her lips thinly covered in glossy lips gloss. The pair walked on over and was pulled down to the table. Kakashi's former classmates grinned and wiggled their eyebrows.
'Geez, why are they looking at me like that.'
And when he stole a glimpse of Ai, he froze momentarily. He caught her shyly glancing at the shinobi sitting beside him, talking loudly and joyfully in all the glory of his green tracksuit. 'She... She doesn't give me fleeting glances like that.' Kakashi let out an exasperated sigh and held himself back from running his hand through his hair. He didn't try to smile under his mask. The looks his fellows gave him stung incessantly, all visibly urging him to introduce his companion.
"Ai, these are my comrades. Asuma, Kurenai, Anko," He introduced them pointing at each with their respective name deliberately saying Guy's name left. Kakashi pulled Guy closer to the table as he faced Ai with a closed eye smile and with force uttering out Guy's name. "And this is Might Guy."
Ai smiled, face blushing a shade of cherry blossom pink. At that moment, she seemed like a fairy with falling cherry blossom petals behind her. "Hi. It's nice to meet you."
"And, you guys. This is Ai."
Kurenai giggled, "You're still a man of few words, Kakashi. Ai, it's a pleasure to meet you." She reached over the table and clasped Ai's hands. Almost immediately, she engaged in conversation with them. Their table bloomed brightly with the arrival of a spring fairy. 'She's very charming.' Anko thought and although she wasn't much for chit chatting especially with people she'd just met, she felt enchanted by the redhead sitting across from her.
"Well, it'd be nice to stay and chat but I have to go." Said Anko as she left, her leaving dragged Asuma and Kurenai from the fold leaving eventually only three people, Ai, Kakashi, and Guy. "Um.." Au stuttered. Subconsciously, Kakashi found himself holding his breath and wanting to walk away but he couldn't find the will to leave.
"You know, Guy-san... Actually.."
Ai's demeanor was completely different from the one she had with Kakashi. 'She's not shy like this with me. In fact, she's more straightforward and relaxed around me.' It got him thinking, 'Well, I'm nervous around her so it would make sense she'd be nervous around Guy.'
He watched his friend and the girl he liked talk so naturally with each other. Guy raised his hand and enthusiastically told numerous tales. "Yes, Kakashi and I go way back. In fact, he is my rival. Isn't that right, Kakashi?" A twinkle came from Guy's sparkling white teeth as he held his thumb up. "Yes, we do." Guy laughed and continued his tirade.
"Actually, Guy-san...ah, uh. Do you recognize me?"
Guy paused, thinking deeply and then he answered without hesitation like a joke, "No. Not really. Why? Have I met you before?" His thick, black rows were furrowed. Ai laughed, quite dejectedly that didn't escape Kakashi's observant ears. She shook her head gently. "Oh, you don't remember me."
Seeing her expression, a beautiful face looking down as if what she'd been looking forward to was snatched away right in front of her. Guy opened his mouth like a gaping fish. "I- Wait, now I think I kind of remember. Miss, don't look so down." But the three of them knew that he was lying.
Ai laughed, eyes closed. "No. I'm fine. It's actually fine." Then, Kakashi interjected, his hand resting on the table and since he'd been sitting between the two he leaned down and covered her vision of Guy.
"Come to think of it, how did you two meet?"