Title: Folie A Deux
Author: Lovesrainscent
Pairing: Kakashi/Kurenai
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or these characters and do not stand to make any profit by posting this story.
Summary: Folie a deux is a madness shared by two. Kakashi and Kurenai are madly in love. Or are they just mad?
Folie A Deux
Tsunade knows what's going on between the two of them. A part of her thinks that she should stop it. But another, more pragmatic part of her realizes that whatever helps the two of them get through the day is their own business. Still she watches and worries although she couldn't tell you for whom she worries the most.
Is it Kurenai? It's almost heartbreaking to think that she's left alone to raise her son. Well, it would be heartbreaking if that wasn't the fate of a fairly sizable percentage of kunoichi or village girls who marry shinobi. Kurenai certainly isn't unique in that respect.
Perhaps it's Kakashi who is the subject of her concern. She's known him since he was a boy and ever since his father took his own life the kid's spent the better part of his own putting up walls so that he won't get hurt. Sakumo, Obito, Rin, Minato, Kushina, the list of those he's lost just goes on and on. Tsunade responded to all the deaths around her by getting out. Kakashi handled it by turning inward. It seems strange, unnatural even to see him spending so much time with her.
She would worry about the child, but he'll probably end up getting the best deal of them all out of it. He'll never know Asuma as his dad, only as a picture on a mantle somewhere. Kakashi will be the one who is there when he walks and says his first words and starts the Academy and finishes the Academy. Assuming Kakashi lives that long.
Assuming any of them live that long.
Tsunade finishes her sake and watches Kakashi from her balcony as he walks down the street towards Kurenai's house.
Whatever gets you through the day. Or night.
Shikamaru knows what's going on between the two of them. At least he thinks he does. He's not exactly sure he's got this whole grown-up thing figured out. Man, woman, sex, love, lust, hormones, emotions. Complexities. He is, he recognizes, an adolescent male with not a lot of data points, or in other words experience, in these matters. So he keeps his mouth shut.
But he watches. Shikamaru is very good at watching the world go by. He watches Kurenai as she hurries along her path heading home for the evening. Her steps are quicker than usual so he surmises Kakashi must be back in town.
Kakashi has introduced complexities into Shikamaru's visits with Kurenai and Asuma's son. He sighs and supposes this is better for the two of them, he certainly holds no illusions that he could take care of Kurenai in that particular way. Even if she has made guest appearances in some spectacularly vivid dreams he'd had lately, he recognizes those for what they are, part of adolescence.
Still the suddenness and the intensity of their relationship had taken him somewhat by surprise. It's almost as if they'd found each other, almost as if they both suddenly realized that they were exactly what they were each looking for.
Closing his eyes, he knows he'll figure it out eventually. For now he plans to adjust his visits to the child for times when Kakashi is away on a mission.
Not that he's ever been made to feel unwelcome when Kakashi's there.
It's just odd.
Peculiar.
Kakashi knows exactly what's going on between the two of them. Knows he should stop it, knows he should end it right now. It isn't fair. It isn't fair to any of them, not her, not him, not the child.
But Kakashi knows he's weak and he knows that try as he might to stay away he's as addicted now as she is. He stops at the stand on the way to her house to pick up a pack of cigarettes. He'll pause and smoke one or two before he gets there. The time will give her an opportunity to put the boy to bed. And besides, she likes the smell of the smoke. And the taste.
It had started innocently enough. He'd paid visits to her out of concern for their welfare, out of respect to Asuma, as a friend.
As a friend.
A true friend would have recognized her need for intimacy as a manifestation of grief. A true friend would not have given in. A true friend would not have taken advantage.
But she'd seemed so alone. So desperate and alone.
He hadn't meant for it to end up like this.
His hands shake a little as he lights the cigarette, the first draw on it, harsh against the back of his throat. He inhales deeply and exhales through his nostrils, watching tendrils of smoke wisp away into nothingness. He's impatient and he hates himself for that impatience, damns himself for it. He's been out of town for days, hasn't seen her in days and it's driving him crazy how badly he wants to go to her now. Finishing the cigarette he tosses it on the ground and stubs it out with the toe of his shoe.
The cigarettes are for her behalf, Kurenai is his drug now.
Kakashi goes to her door and he knows that when she opens it, he will look and smell and taste like Asuma to her. And he won't even mind if she calls him Asuma, because he will look into her eyes that just for him will be warm and brown and run his fingers through short brown hair and call her Rin.
A/N: Bah - housekeeping is hardwork. There's a reason these 12 fics are unfinished - I'm just having a hard time making myself write them. At this rate it won't be '12-fics-of-christmas' it will be '12-fics-of-winter'. Oh well, I'll keep trying. 2 down, ten to go. Please read and review.