Hi,
If you are reading this thank you so much. This is my first fanfic and the last few chapters have been difficult for me to write for a variety of reasons. If you have any thoughts, comments, concerns, or cries of outrage (lol) please leave a review and let me know. I really appreciate any feedback that you give!
I hope you enjoy the chapter!
They laid like that for a long time, silent and not touching one another. Kakashi finally sat up and swung his legs over the bed. "I need to get out of here and go for a walk," he let out in one shaky breath.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Aiko asked him, already knowing his answer.
"No, I want to be alone for a while." Kakashi stood up, and instead of leaving through the door he climbed out of the window and jumped to the ground. Probably in an attempt to avoid Dai.
Aiko turned over onto her side and curled up into a ball. She wasn't physically tired but was emotionally exhausted. The raven-haired beauty hugged her knees to her chest and thought about what she might lose. Maybe it was a mistake to let him back in after all. He's always been self-loathing, and even if I've managed to forgive him, I don't know if he can forgive himself. Every possible scenario that could take place when her lover returned ran through her mind over and over again, until she realized that her nails were digging into the skin on each arm, almost drawing blood. With this realization, Aiko moved off the bed, changed her clothing, and dragged herself down the stairs in search of Granny and something to eat.
When she reached the kitchen, Aiko was greeted by the warm smell of fresh miso soup, she took a deep breath in, exhaling slowly, savoring the aroma. Opening the door to the kitchen made Aiko feel young again, seeing Granny standing on her step stool hovering over the steaming pot brought back so many welcome memories. At first, the young woman did not alert her surrogate grandmother to her presence and instead stood in the doorway enjoying how uncomplicated the moment felt.
"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to come help me eat this?" The white-haired woman asked with a smile.
The younger woman took another deep breath in, letting it out slowly, in a futile attempt to make this easy-going moment last a little longer. "If you insist," Aiko said in a sing-songy voice the other woman had missed deeply.
As they sat across from one another slurping on their soup, Granny was the first to break the comfortable silence. "How did it go last night?"
Aiko kept her eyes trained on her empty bowl of soup, "He slept on the floor, and then this morning we talked, but he ended up leaving through the window." The young beauty felt the tears welling up behind her eyes but was able to blink them away before they could fall.
The wrinkled woman let out a long sigh, "My dear, just give him some time, men often need more time than women. He's waited this long for you; I don't think he'll be foolish enough to let you go."
Aiko looked up at her surrogate grandmother for the first time since they sat down and gave her a weak smile. She understood Granny's point of view, but she also knew Kakashi's self-deprecating ways a lot better than Granny did.
Kakashi walked through the wooded area replaying what his lover had told him over and over again in his mind. He could picture her, young, alone, and afraid. Too thin from not eating, and on a self-destructive mission to end her own life. He had always known he'd broken her heart all those years ago, but it had never even crossed his mind that he had broken in her in that way.
Hatake was so lost in his own grief and his own thoughts that he didn't notice the other man's presence until it was too late.
Kakashi had haphazardly wandered into a clearing where Dai sat hunched over on a tree stump, with his elbows resting on his thighs, and his head in both hands. The Copy Nin stopped a few paces behind him, and debated on turning around when turned to look at him first, "Well, I suppose we should talk then." Dai let out a long sigh. He nodded towards the empty tree stump close by, and the silver-haired shinobi took his seat.
"You know, she was devastated when I found her. You destroyed her, she all but killed herself Kakashi," Dai sighed heavily, "I'm not stupid, I know she never loved me, at least not in the same way she loved you. I can't relate to her in the same way that you can, but I'd never hurt her," Dai kept his head down, eyes fixed on the grass below.
Kakashi looked at the man sitting next to him and felt an overwhelming amount of guilt explode in his chest. Even with what he had done to Aiko, she had still chosen him over this man who clearly loved her, and who would never betray her trust or her heart.
Kakashi rubbed both temples with his fingers, trying fruitlessly to rub away the oncoming headache. "I'm sorry that she chose me over you, I really am. You'd be much better suited for her, and Aiko would be loved and cared for the way she deserves to be," the Copy Nin spoke with a somber tone, "but that is not the case, Aiko has chosen me, and not too long ago I promised myself to her and I don't intend on reneging now," the Jonin's arms were now resting on his thighs with his hands clasped together, and his head was hung low, "we'll be heading out before nightfall, but if you'd like to say a proper goodbye to her, I won't stop you." With this Kakashi stood up, and began to walk in the opposite direction of the inn. This man deserves to at least have a proper goodbye with the woman he loves. Kakashi thought to himself. Even if she doesn't love him back, and even if it hurts me in the process.
After sharing a meal with granny Aiko was only feeling a touch better. Neither man had returned yet, and she was unsure of what to do. As a result, she lied there staring at the ceiling mulling over the event of the day before in her head when a knock at the door disrupted her train of thought. Not sensing any chakra, she beckoned the person on the other side of the door in, assuming that it was Granny.
At the sound of the door creaking open, the kunoichi propped herself up on her elbows and opened her eyes to find the sullen face of her former savior, Dai.
The young man closed the door and approached the bed carefully, as Aiko sat up fully crossing her legs. "Dai what are you…" was all the raven-haired woman could get out before Dai was impossibly close to her, and his lips closed around hers.
Aiko worked quickly getting her hands on his chest, pushing Dai away, causing him to stumble backward a few steps before composing himself. The young woman did not know how to react, in anger, confusion, or pity, but before she had the chance to choose Dai was all too close again, cupping her cheek in his hand, and without realizing it she was leaning into his touch. "Please Aiko," he whispered, "Kakashi said that I could say a proper goodbye to you, so please let me."
With that, his lips captured hers once more, and before long she could feel her old friend's tongue seeking entrance. Without knowing if Dai's words were true or not, she kissed him back fervently, hands gripping his biceps, and then it was over. He took a moment to nuzzle against her neck, leaving a few small kisses there, and taking in her scent one last time. "Goodbye Aiko," He whispered into her ear and turned to leave.
As the door shut Aiko dropped back down onto the bed with silent tears rolling down her cheeks. She still knew that she loved Kakashi in a way she couldn't love Dai, but the goodbye still stung her in a way she hadn't expected.
Kakashi sat on a tree branch a little bit away from the inn watching the interaction between his lover and another man. Watching them together made him ache with jealousy, especially when instead of pushing Dai away a second time, Aiko's hands came to rest on his upper arms, even more so when he realized there was tongue involved, and the final blow came when he watched her sit down with tears rolling down her cheeks. The shinobi knew watching this would hurt, he was well aware that he should have let them say their final goodbye in private, but a mixture of jealously and curiosity got the better of him, and he remained on the tree branch until Aiko's tears stopped falling.