~ flashback the , night of the Uchiha Massacre ~
Hanako {12 years old}
Itachi towered over the young girl with his drawn sword while she cried for help. "Stop crying, Hanako! No one will come and save you here."
Little Hanako couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her beloved big brother attempted to kill her. Itachi has always been her safe haven. She could talk to him whenever she felt bad or was in trouble.
Her big brother, who always fought the guys in the village who got too close to Hana. Especially the boys from Itachi's class at the academy who took a liking to the tiny girl.
Hana has always been sweet. Her eyes were big and dark purple, her hair long and dark brown. A beautiful dark brown that shimmered ever so beautifully in the sun.
The little girl crawled into the corner of her room, trying to escape her older brother as fast as she could. "Why are you doing this, nee-san??"
He followed her without saying a word and pushed her down on her back with his foot, and crouched down next to Hana. His eyes changed, he awakened his Sharingan long ago, but his red eyes were different. They had a weird pattern that Hana had never seen before. She suddenly felt a stinging pain in her head, making her scream for dear life. "I-Itachi! W-where is Sasuke?"
Itachi
"I'll go find him right after you." he poked her forehead, and her vision went blank when he shot his fire-style Justu right at the tiny girl in front of him. He hated himself for doing this to his sister. But did he really have any other choice? If not him- it would've be Danzo who'd kill his clan.. Including his siblings, and he would never let this happen.
Itachi had never planned to kill Hana; he just wanted to make it look like he did, so people wouldn't ever get behind his real intentions.
Hanako
Hanako screamed in pain as her clothes melted together with her smooth porcelain skin; She felt her hair burning until a stinging pain ran through the right side of her upper body. Her eyes started to burn from the smoke the flames created.
Quickly crawling over to the window and pulling herself up on the windowsill, the tiny Uchiha slammed her fist through the thick glass of her window, not realising the fresh Oxygen flow let the fire spread even more. Itachi watched her screaming, secretly ripping his heart out as she desperately tried to extinguish her burning skin.
Moments with her parents appeared before her eyes, and she started to feel light and free.
Kushina and Minato were twirling around in their kitchen, cooking dinner for her. Kushina took Hana's hands and pressed them against her growing tummy, telling her to take care of her Baby and be their favorite aunty Hana.
She unconsciously smiled, and in the distance, the girl felt how someone wrapped their arms around her tiny body and lifted her from the floor.
She didn't feel pain. She felt nothing.
That person started to run.
Where were we going?
"You're safe with me, don't worry, little one." the unfamiliar voice said.
It was a man she had never seen before. Hana's eyes started burning, and she felt a warm liquid running down her eyes as she tried to get used to the man who held her tightly against his body.
Hana's eyes widened when she heard Sasuke scream for his life, calling for his big sister to rescue him, but she couldn't react and could not move in her Saviour's arms. "S-Sasuke.."
"We gotta get out of here. My companion is saving your brother, don't you worry," the man said, but Hana only focused her gaze on her little brother, who kneeled in front of Itachi, crying and screaming for Hana.
"You have the potential to become my opponent. You are someone who could be able to use the Mangekyo Sharingan, just like me."
Itachi..
"However, on one condition. That you must kill your closest friend. Just like I did.."
When the little girl realized what her brother said, tears streamed down her face again, "Sh-Shisui.." the salty liquid burned harshly on her right cheek, and she passed out from the unbearable pain.
"Stay with me. I'll get you to the hospital."
~ flashback end ~
June 29th, evening
Hanako
Moments of that one night spiraled in front of Hanako's eyes, paralyzing every nerve of her body until she felt a harsh slap of a kitchen towel against her neck. "Hanako!" Sakura's shrill voice rang through the tiny kitchen. Her voice alarmed Naruto and Sasuke who came running into the kitchen quickly.
Hana snapped out of her thoughts, jumped away from the gas stove, started to scream uncontrollably, and slapped against her hair to put out the fire that crept higher and higher from the ends of her hair towards her face.
Sasuke grabbed her wrists and wanted to pull her to the sink to calm her nerves with cold water, but Hana screamed and slapped around her uncontrollably. "Let me go!!"
"Shhhh, Hanako! It's not like that. Calm down!" Sasuke said strictly and tried to grab her wrists again.
Hana's panic attack made her eyes burn, and she pressed them tightly together. She was scared that they might start bleeding from the intense chakra flow she felt due to her panic.
The mixture of panicking over the fire- feeling the same unbearable pain of her melting skin all over again and the truth about who she was, was too much, and soon her knees gave in.
Before she could hit the floor, strong arms caught her. Kakashi didn't hesitate a second to lift her against his chest and run into the bathroom with her. "Hanako! It's fine. There's no fire. You're safe with me," He said calmly.
Still caught in her panic attack, Hana heard a door open and close in the distance. The next thing she felt was how she was placed on a hard surface and seconds later how lukewarm water ran over her body. Kakashi gently sat down behind her on the floor of the... shower? and pulled her close against his body between his legs. "Hana. You're safe. Stay with me. Open your eyes."
It hit Hanako like a bus. His calm and relaxing voice. She recognized it immediately.
You're safe with me. Stay with me.
Kakashi.
Her nerves immediately calmed down, and she slowly opened her eyes to stare at the arms around her body. "You.." She whispered more to herself than to him.
He still held her as he turned off the water and shifted her between his legs so he could look at her. "It's fine, Hanako."
Kakashi
They were both wet from the shower, but it couldn't be compared to the thick tears that still ran down Hana's cheeks and got caught by her mask.
Kakashi pulled her closer and pressed his masked lips against her forehead. He knew how it felt to have a panic attack, he experienced it way too often to count.
But seeing the girl that meant so much to him crumble in front of his eyes was worse than anything he had endured up to this moment. "Hanako.. Are you okay? Nothing happened." His voice was careful and soft.
"N-no fire?" Hana quietly stumbled, and her eyes filled with tears again, mixing with the water drops that fell down from her hair. It broke Kakashi's heart seeing her like this. That wasn't a slight overreacting. Hanako was scared to death, and he seriously wondered what happened to her that could cause a reaction like this.
Kakashi shook his head, "No fire." and rubbed his hands over her upper arms in a soothing motion. He wanted to reassure her that whenever he was around, there was no reason for Hana to be scared because he'd always protect her.
He then wrapped his arms tightly around her tiny figure and caressed her hair gently, making the little bells ring quietly from the movement of her hair. Kakashi absolutely loved what they looked like in her hair, and he was sure Minato would love it, too. He would probably grin at Kakashi and tell him that he was doing the right thing; that Hana was the right one.
But who was he kidding? Kakashi didn't deserve her. Not him. She deserved someone better.
Kakashi looked at her and sighed with relief when he saw that Hana stopped crying.
And, again, he was reminded that Hanako's happiness was an essential part of his own happiness and he mindlessly accepted the fact that he never wanted to hold another woman the way he held her. Kakashi was unable to want anyone but her. It was impossible to break through her walls, but Kakashi told himself that he could wait. He would remain for a lifetime if needed.
He snapped out of his thoughts when he felt how Hana turned between his legs and slowly wrapped her arms around his neck to press her face against the crook of his neck. She shivered, and he heard tiny sobs escaping from her lungs, so Kakashi leaned his cheek against her head and let his fingers glide over her cheek and neck. "Shh.. I got you. It's okay.."
She swallowed visibly and mumbled, "You must think I'm crazy..", almost too quiet to be heard, but Kakashi caught her words nonetheless and tightened the hold on her cheek to lean her head back.
If only Hana knew how crazy Kakashi was. He woke up so many nights, screaming because he saw Rin dying over and over again in front of his eyes. "No. I don't. Are you okay?"
Her eyes widened as she felt how her mask wanted to slip over her nose, but Kakashi's free hand quickly caught its hem, and gently pulled it over her face again. She wasn't ready to reveal her face yet, especially not at this moment and Kakashi knew that.
Of course, he wanted to see what she looked like. But Kakashi was a patient man.
Kakashi's action made her smile. "I'm okay.. You're here."
"I'm always here," he reassured her. Kakashi wanted her to know that he was always by her side, that he was the one who she can count on. The one she can always run to when she felt horrible.
"You've always been there.." she mumbled, and their eyes locked again. Her intense gaze sent butterflies right into Kakashi's stomach, and the two Shinobi leaned in closer to one another, but Kakashi stopped in front of her face; mere centimeters in front of her lips.
Hanako
Hana's heart started beating faster and she feared Kakashi might hear it if he paid more attention. Being this close to Kakashi always felt so right and she wanted to cross this line so badly. Carefully cupping Kakashi's cheeks with both of her hands, she carefully hooked her index fingers under the hem of his mask but didn't move her fingers any further.
Kakashi had to take a deep breath and he leaned in even closer, so close she could feel his breath on her lips and his hands automatically wandered to her face to cup her cheeks as well. He shortly closed his eyes before opening them again.
Kakashi
He couldn't always cross this line. Hanako wasn't his and he couldn't just kiss her whenever his heart wanted it. It was hard for him, but he gently wrapped his hands around her wrists, removed her hands from his face and leaned back against the wet tiles.
"Why are you scared of fire, Hanako?"
She inhaled sharply and avoided his gaze. The blush that crept up from under her mask almost made Kakashi change his mind and kiss her.
"I.. Once burned myself, and it hurt," She whispered and focused her gaze on Kakashi's hands around her wrists.
"Thought as much," he responded and caressed the back of her hands gently with his thumbs. Of course, she wouldn't tell him more and Kakashi's inner voice screamed to distance himself from her. To let her go. To finally move on and stop being so obsessed with her. But he couldn't. His whole body, his mind, his heart, everything craved for the tiny woman in front of him.
Hanako
"Thank you, Kakashi.. can.. I ask you something?"
Kakashi nodded, let go of one of her wrists and lifted her chin with his fingers to make her look at him. "Everything."
Hana slowly cupped Kakashi's neck and furrowed her eyebrows, followed by a deep blush crawling out from under her mask, "Can I please.. Sleep next to you?"
Kakashi's heart skipped a beat and he wrapped his arms around her again to pull her close against his body again. "Yes. Of course, you can."
He didn't expect her to ask something like this, but it was a wonderful surprise to his wounded heart.
She exhaled quietly and wrapped her arms around Kakashi to bury her face against the crook of his neck again. Hana felt comfortable as she inhaled the scent of Kakashi's skin and smiled slightly. "I.. I don't want to go back.. it's so embarrassing Kakashi.."
He gently placed his chin on top of her head and let his fingers run through her wet hair, "It's not.. The kids love you, Hana. They would never judge you or laugh at you."
"It's not them who I'm worried about.."
"Please don't worry about Himari. She doesn't matter.. I'm here, okay?"
"Why are you doing this for me, Kakashi?" She asked quietly and twirled his wet hair around her fingers.
"Do what?"
"This.. All of this. You're sitting in the shower with me.. Completely wet because I couldn't calm down."
"Because I care about you, Hana and it was the only way to calm you down.. Water extinguishes fire you know?" He asked her with a slight grin.
Hana chuckled slightly, "Thank you, really. I mean it. Thank you for everything.."
He nodded and gently caressed her cheek "Stop thanking me."
Hanako took a deep breath and looked at his eyes alternately. She felt her heart skip a beat every time his thumb caressed the back of her neck as he let his fingers run through her hair. "Kakashi.."
He took a deep breath and leaned in closer again. "Mhm?.."
She smiled and pressed some feather light kisses on his cheek and jaw before stopping right in front of his lips as she locked eyes with him, "I really..-"
A loud knock followed by a high-pitched voice startled the pair and they quickly separated themselves from each other. "Hey! Are you okay in there?"
Himari.
Hanako tried her best to not roll her eyes at the princess for ruining her moment with Kakashi.
Would they have kissed if Himari didn't disturb them? Only Kami knows, but Hana cursed inside. It's not like they never kissed each other before, but they both knew that if they would've kissed now, it would change things between the pair. It would've been passionate and full of emotions. Emotions they both probably weren't able to share yet.
The two slowly got up and Hana went to the door to open it. She had to look up at how close the princess was standing behind the door. "Wow. Were you eavesdropping on our conversation, Miss Himari?"
Himari blushed to her ears, proving Hana she was right and made her chuckle, "Ouch. Don't let your one-night-stand with Hatake get to your head so much, dear. It didn't mean anything." Hana patted her upper arm in feigned compassion and went back into the living room without waiting for her reply.
Kakashi
Himari's mouth fell open as she looked after Hana to say something, only to realize she left her standing like an idiot in front of Kakashi.
Kakashi took a deep breath to suppress a chuckle about Hanako's petty remark, removed his Shinobi headband and let his hand run through his slightly wet hair. "She's okay," he started and wanted to leave the bathroom, but the princess stopped him with her hand on his chest.
"Kashi, why are you two all wet?"
"I had to calm her nerves, Himari," he answered quickly and gently grabbed her wrist to remove it from his chest.
Himari scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest, "She's such a clumsy dumbass."
Kakashi bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from saying something inappropriate to the princess. He hated when Himari talked badly about Hana but he didn't want to make it too obvious how much he cared about Hana.
"Excuse me, please." He apologized with a sweet masked smile and followed Hana into the living room.
~~~~
Last Updated: October 16th, 22'
Artist: Lesyarei