"Ano, Hatake-kun," Hinata stutters, now dressed in her sleep clothes, "there is only one bed..."
Kakashi blinks.
Oh. Yeah. He forgot about that.
"You can have it." The offer slips easily from his mouth, surprising himself because his bed is the most private thing he has, and yet he'd given it to her with no hesitation. Kakashi tries not to think too hard about it, about how nests are only shared between pups and—and mates .
Hinata erupts in a flurry of motion akin to the new jutsu she's been developing—the Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō.
"N—no! I can't take your bed, it's—it's yours ." She takes a deep breath, steeling herself, "You take the bed. I will sleep on the floor."
No! his wolf barks, She will take the nest!
Kakashi completely agrees. The idea of Hinata sleeping on the floor bothers him greatly. She is his guest, his packmate. Therefore she should sleep in the nest with him—
Kakashi blinks. His wolf chuffs, pleased with itself, in the silence.
No, he thinks to himself, I can't do that—I should just take the floor. Let Hinata sleep in the bed.
What he says out loud, however, is the complete opposite.
"We could…" Kakashi licks his lips, "...we could share."
It's Hinata's turn to blink.
"...if you want to..." Kakashi amends, voice small.
"T—t—together?" Hinata squeaks, looking like a frightened mouse.
Kakashi nods.
Hinata's face suddenly burns bright red, and he has to dart forward to catch her when she faints.
"Stupid, stupid," he berates himself, gently pulling Hinata's hair from where it fell in her mouth, "I shouldn't have said that."
He places Hinata inside his bed and tucks her in securely. He takes a handful of pillows and blankets for himself and makes himself comfortable on the floor, to his wolf's disappointment.
He debates whether he should take his mask off or leave it on. He decides to take it off; Hinata, when off-mission, is a late-riser. He can put it back on before she wakes up.
Kakashi goes to sleep only to be woken up later that night by Hinata crying.
"'nata?" he mumbles, sitting up to try and catch a glimpse of her over the nest's walls.
There's a shaky inhale and then silence.
Concerned, Kakashi tilts his head back and scents the room.
Sadlavendershame and saltpackshame smack him in the face.
Kakashi immediately scrambles up and crawls atop the nest's nearest edge. He looks down and spots Hinata curled in a ball, her whole body shaking as she tries to hide her sobs.
Kakashi slides the rest of the way inside, his knees pressing against her back. He touches her shoulder.
"Hinata?"
She shudders under his hand, a desperate wet gasping sound coming from her. The stench of sadshamepain strengthens, and Kakashi lets his instincts guide him. He plasters himself to her back, one arm wiggling underneath her and the other wrapping around her so they meet in the middle, and purrs.
Hinata's shallow sobs quiet down before stopping altogether. Even so, Kakashi doesn't stop, letting the sound vibrate bone-deep and echo in the cavity of her heart in hopes of easing the hurt there.
"Hatake-kun?"
"Hm?" he hums, rubbing his chin on her head comfortingly.
"We can…" Kakashi purrs encouragingly when she trails off anxiously. "...we can sh—share the bed."
Kakashi's eyes curl close, and he pulls her closer.
"Okay."
His wolf wags its tail, yipping happily.
Tsume knows her position as Alpha is still tentative due to the customary eighteen-month trial period observed to make sure she is worthy of her post. Because being Alpha is not just about being the strongest, but it's also about being resourceful and compassionate, the whole clan trusting you to protect, guide, and take care of them. Being Alpha is an honor that comes with a lot of responsibility.
And Tsume takes her new duties very seriously hence the reason she finds herself on the third floor belonging to the jounin dorms, the first floor reserved for chuunin (betas) and the second for genin (pups; omegas).
The checking of the Hatake pup has been long overdue. She's been meaning to come see him, especially after the Mourning Howl he'd started a few months ago.
Tsume's lip twitches back at the previous Alpha's cowardice before settling into a mean smirk at the memory of her challenging him and winning the title after breaking the ring floor with his face.
Ah, good times, Tsume thinks wistfully, remembering the stream of challengers that had presented themselves shortly after, all of them vying for the title of Alpha. Showed those mutts whose boss, yeah.
Kuromaru gives his partner a look before rolling his eyes, likely deducing her current train of thoughts, before pawing loudly at the front door.
The door opens moments later. Tsume eyes soften at the pup's mane of white-silver hair. It's a color she vaguely recalls being very common in her childhood. Now he is the only one; the color is now a rarity, with all but one clan extinct.
"Shiba? Hinata? You're back alre—" Kakashi's nose twitches beneath his mask, and he immediately stills in the doorway, looking up at Tsume with a single wide eye. Tsume smirks wider at having taken the genius off guard, though another part of her chafes that her coming here is a surprise at all.
(How despicable, how cowardly, how low their clan has fallen to neglect one of their own; how shameful that they've turned a blind eye when there was a pup in need; hurt and alone. How fucking disgraceful, the First Great Wolf would have their hides; their necks snapped like prey bones beneath its fangs for such disloyalty. The Hatake are kin; their ancestors of the same litter, yet they tainted such sacred blood-ties with their vile spit and ignorance. )
Kakashi doesn't break eye contact, and Tsume grins at the obvious challenge.
"What are you doing here?" He demands.
"Straight to the point, huh, pup? Well, me and Kuro here," Tsume drops her hand on the ninken's head who bears it with a long-suffering look, "were in the neighborhood and thought we'd drop by." And because Tsume has never been one for subtly, she adds, "We heard your Howl. I'm sorry about your packmates. They will be Remembered."
His lost teammates will always be remembered, them and all others that have been lost to them. With each howl they invoke their essence. With each howl the lost are remembered, and in remembering they are Found.
Alas, Tsume should have known better to offer him words when actions have always spoken so much louder for their kind.
Kakashi's eyes narrow and Tsume's nose scrunches at the scent of bitter anger coming off him.
"I am fine." He says through clenched teeth. "Just like I was fine the last time, not that you guys cared ."
Tsume's grin slides off her face at his words and she stands up a little straighter, not to intimidate, no, she hasn't come to do that, but to let him know that she is Alpha. Not his alpha, no, that honor belongs to Kushina and her boy toy who stepped in when they did not. No, she just wants him to know that she is strong, stronger than their previous alpha. And should he ever need her strength it is his.
Kakashi's stance is stiff, the white of his eyes visible as he looks back at her. Kuromaru bumps her side with his shoulder and the two of them take a step back, giving the pup some space.
"Well, I'm here now and I do care. So if you need anything, I mean anything , then all you have to do is ask." Tsume makes sure they're making direct eye contact as she continues, "We are kin; we are Pack."
Kakashi holds her gaze, sniffing visibly for any hint of deceit. When he finds none, his posture lightens slightly and he nods once.
Kuromaru nods back. "Take care, pup."
He grabs Tsume's pant legs with his teeth and pulls her away. Tsume flashes the Hatake a grin before allowing her partner to lead her away.
Kakashi watches them leave, his expression unreadable.
On the way out, Tsume passes the source of the lavendersweetcalm that had wafted from the pup's apartment.
The female Hyuuga greets her and Kuromaru respectfully before politely bidding them goodbye. Shiba, following her lead, lowers his head towards them in deference, though his wagging tail ruins it slightly. Kuromaru huffs fondly at the puppy.
Tsume watches the two disparate inside the Hatake's den, her lips quirked in amusement.
"Huh." She cocks her head to the side and looks at her partner. "She's a polite bitch, huh?"
Kuromaru nods, "Smells good too—honest; kind."
Tsume sniffs, "...they're close too...but not bonded…"
The ninken huffs, "Good. They're too young for that yet."
Tsume grins wolfishly at him, "Yet, eh?"
Kuromaru rolls his eyes. "Yes, you overgrown pup."
They both may be alphas now, but Tsume is still Tsume.
He looks up at the woman, who grins at an attractive jounin with a little too much teeth for the man's comfort. Kuromaru huffs fondly.
I guess some things never change, he thinks as Tsume cackles when the blushing jounin goes tripping past them.
"Why'd you choose Kakashi's?" Hayate whines as Hinata bustles around his kitchen. "You could have stayed here at my house."
"I didn't want to intrude," Hinata says, dropping a bowl of minced onion into the pot on the stove. "Your house is already so full I didn't want to be a burden."
"My house isn't that full," he denies only for three of his younger siblings, naked as the day they were born, to run shrieking through the room. So used to chaos, Hinata simply moves to the side, smoothly kicking a chair back into place so the three don't run into it.
His sister comes storming in not two seconds later
"Get back here, you little heathens!" she yells, holding an open towel, "I said it's bath time so that means it's bath time —oh hey, Hinata-senpai. I like the new haircut. Looks good."
Hayate stiffens, wide eyes looking back and forth between the two girls.
Hinata, for her part, shows no outward reaction.
"Thank you," Hinata replies calmly.
His sister shoots the pot on the stove a curious look before resuming her chase. There's the sound of pounding feet, more shouting from his sister, some random thuds, and then finally a big splash followed by his sister screaming death threats. Hayate huffs as the gleeful laughter of his little brothers echo around the house.
Hinata slowly turns to him, a single elegant brow raised.
Hayate looks away with a pout. "Well, at least my house doesn't smell like wet dog," he grumbles. Hinata shakes her head and Hayate's dour mood wavers when she laughs under her breath, her chakra bubbling happily.
Hayate groans when he senses a familiar chakra signature approaching his house. A few minutes later his mother opens the door.
"I'm home." His mother announces half-heartedly. She walks into the kitchen, clad in her waitress uniform, fatigue clinging to her like a second skin. Hayate resists the urge to frown. Tomorrow he'll request some extra D-ranks so his mom doesn't have to work another double shift.
Welcome home," he and Hinata respond in sync. His mother brightens when she catches sight of Hinata and the bubbling pot on the stove.
"Is that vegetable soup I smell?" She quickly comes over, placing her hands on Hinata's shoulders and leaning over to take in a deep breath.
"It is!" she exclaims happily. Hayate's mom gives Hinata an affectionate squeeze, "Oh, Hinata-chan, you really are a godsend." Hinata squeaks and stutters in protest, which his mom ignores with ease. "Thank you so much, sweetheart. I'll set up the table. It smells delicious!"
Hinata flushes in pleasure, "You're very w—welcome, Gekkou-san, it is no trouble."
"Oh, you sweet girl, you'll make such a wonderful wife someday." His mom pulls away, patting Hinata's dark red cheeks. Hayate straightens when she turns to him. A bead of sweat trickles down his temple as she pins him down with her dark eyes.
" You ," she says, pointing at him, "need to hurry up and get your act together and marry Hinata-chan before someone else snatches her up."
Hinata squeaks, stirring chopsticks falling from her hands and clattering to the ground.
"Mom!" Hayate cries in horror, face hot and itchy, "we're only fourteen! It's way too early to be talking about that kind of stuff!" He glances over at his teammate. She looks seconds away from fainting, red-faced and teetering left and right.
His mom shrugs, unrepentant, "So? I was fifteen when I married your father. Besides, Hinata-chan is already family. We might as well go and make it official."
Hayate stares at his mom, at a loss for words.
His mother looks up, a thoughtful look on her face, and taps her lip.
"Gekkou Hinata." She smiles at them. "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Gekkou Hinata," she repeats.
Hinata's face brightens, her face glowing faintly before all the color abruptly leaves her face and she goes limp.
"Hinata!" Hayate yells and throws himself forward. He slides along the floor on his belly and grunts when Hinata lands on his back.
"See?" his mom says, unconcerned, "you already have the girl falling for you."
Hayate drops his head down on the cold hardwood floor and groans.
His mother laughs.
Another groan leaves him when he hears his siblings tumbling down the stairs.
"WHAT!?" his eldest little brother, Hiro, yells, "Hinata-nee is in love with nii-san!?"
"Hayate-nii?" Shouya asks, nose scrunching in distaste. "Why?"
Hayate lifts his head, eye twitching.
"Why did you—what do you mean why?" he asks his brother, offended.
Shouya shrugs, "Nee-chan deserves the best."
"Yeah," Hiro nods sagely, "she can do a lot better than you."
Hayate doesn't know what to say to that because they're right, Hinata deserves the very best world has to offer , but he does have some pride.
"...I can be a good husband…" he mutters mulishly.
"Good isn't enough," Shouya says petulantly, "Nee-chan's husband needs to be the best."
Hiro agrees with his brother, "Yeah, yeah, what he said."
Hayate glares. Little brothers, they're the worst . Traitors. All of them.
His youngest brother, Ken, blinks large, grey eyes, "Big Brother is marrying Big Sister?"
"Yup!" His mom pipes up helpfully.
"NOOOOO!" Hiro howls and falls to his knees. "Hinata-nee was supposed to marry me, not nii-san!"
"Please," Mao scoffs from the stairway, "Senpai is way too good for either of you."
Scratch that previous thought. Little sisters— they're the worst .
Shouya nods in agreement.
Hiro makes an unintelligible sound of outrage and points at Shouya.
"Hey! I thought you were on my side."
"Um," Shouya blinks slowly, "no?"
Hiro yells again and stomps his foot for good measure.
Hayate feels the muscle in his eye twitch. It worsens when he sees the amused expression on his mom's face.
Mao continues, "None of you morons are good enough for senpai," she puffs out her chest like a bird and points her thumb back at her with a confident grin. "Which is why I'm going to marry her."
The kitchen erupts into chaos: Hiro shouting they duel for Hinata's hand in marriage, Shouya protesting that none of them are good enough for Hinata, Ken murmuring in confusion, and his mother laughing over them all.
Hayate takes it back.
His family. They're the worst. A whole barrel of rotten apples.
Hinata chooses then to wake up, but once she realizes what everyone is arguing about, she faints again. Hayate sighs and hooks his arms under her armpits, hauling her upstairs to his room to escape all the noise.
"Hey!" Mao shouts after him. "You're supposed to wait until after the wedding—"
Hayate kicks his door close. He deposits Hinata on his bed and flops down beside her. He scowls up at the ceiling.
Yeah, his family is the absolute worst.
The war ends a few months after Rin's death.
The village holds a mass memorial for all those lost during the war.
Kakashi stands before the memorial stone long after everyone has left. Hinata stays with him, a reassuring presence at his side.
"We won."
"But at what cost?" Hinata's expression hardens. "Is this the cost of peace? Is this peace?"
Neither of them looks away from the monument. Kakashi doesn't know how to reply so he changes the subject.
"Minato-sensei is going to be Hokage."
Hinata hums absently, "Yes, I heard."
Kakashi laughs brokenly, "Obito would have been so jealous."
Hinata hesitates for a moment before continuing, "At f—first, yes, but I think he would have been pleased."
Kakashi sighs, long and deep. "Yeah. Him and Kushina both. So annoying."
Hinata laughs quietly, "The both of them could get loud, but I'm sure Rin could have gotten them to settle down."
"Eventually," Kakashi grunts.
It still hurts to talk about them—Rin and Obito—but each time they do, it hurts less and less.
Kakashi takes a deep breath.
"Kushina is making ramen later this week to celebrate. She told me to invite you."
An elegant smile graces Hinata's lips, not unlike the ladies of the Daimyo's court.
"I would be honored."
"We'll go together then."
Hinata nods. "Together."
Kakashi swallows. "Together," he promises.
"Are you sure?" Kushina asks.
Hinata firms her stance and closes her eyes.
"Yes."
Kushina shrugs. The girl knows her limits better than anyone else. She unfurls a sealing scroll and releases its contents. A tidal wave of cloned kunai and shuriken fly towards Hinata.
Minato drops a hiraishin kunai into his palm just in case. Kakashi watches on calmly.
Hinata takes a deep breath and raises two fingers in a familiar seal.
" Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"
Hinata's arms arch around her, picking up speed with each repetition, a blue dome of chakra appearing around her.
Kushina holds her breath as the attack finally reaches its target...only for it to be flung back, completely nulled.
"Amazing," her husband says, awe in his face that Kakashi mirrors, his single eye wide.
Hinata lowers her arms and deactivates her doujutsu. She looks up at Kushina, a pleased look on her flushed face.
"What," she pants, "do you think?"
"What do I think?" A grin stretches her mouth wide, " Awesome is what I'm thinking, 'ttebane!"
Minato walks over to them with Kakashi in tow. He smiles at her and slowly puts a hand on her shoulder. His smile widens when she doesn't flinch.
It is quiet as they look at one another—Hinata so desperately eager and Minato fond and pleased all in one. Kushina knows he'll say the right thing. Minato's always been better with words than her.
"That, Hinata, was very impressive." His eyes soften. "I'm proud of you."
Hinata tears up and she hides her face in her hands as she cries.
Minato, always so cool and level-headed, stammers, arms flailing as he dances around Hinata.
"H—hinata? Why are you crying? Was—was it something I said?"
Kakashi rolls his eyes and growls, shoving his sensei aside to console Hinata who's begun crying in earnest.
Kushina watches, her grin long gone and in its place something troubled and pained.
She saw it.
She bets Minato did too. That telling her that he is proud hurt her. Not in a bad way, but in the way that a dog that has been kicked all its life doesn't know how to be pet.
They don't deserve her. They never did.
Kushina knows it hurt. The shame Hinata carries is so clear. But she also knows it might be the best thing that could have happened to her.
Hizashi-teme had warned her that something was going down in that mysterious, I'm-so-much-smarter-than-you way of his that never fails to infuriate her. Kushina could have never guessed it would go down like that —stripped of her birthright and thrown out like trash.
If she ever sees Hiashi she's not letting him go without giving him a nice old chat.
With her fists.
And maybe a chair.
"Move over, boys," she says, pushing her way through and wrapping Hinata in a much-needed embrace. "There, there, Kushina-sensei is here." She kisses the top of her head. "I'll make sure blondie over there promotes you to jounin ASAP."
Minato laughs nervously, "Uh, Kushina, I'm just a jounin remember? And I'm pretty sure nepotism isn't the—"
"If Hinata is going to be a jounin," Kakashi interrupts. He sends the girl a meaningful look, "it will be because she deserves it."
"Hey! I never said she didn't, 'ttebane!"
Hinata laughs wetly.
Kushina wipes her tears and hugs her close, yanking her husband and Kakashi so they can join them. Minato beams, his cheek squished against hers, and wraps his arms around all three of them. Kakashi rolls his eyes but doesn't try to break free, leaning back into the embrace.
Sharing his den with Hinata is both the easiest and hardest thing Kakashi has ever done.
Easy in that Hinata is the best houseguest anyone could hope for. She's small, taking up very little space, and she cleans up after herself. Unlike Gai who always leaves his apartment looking like a tornado tore through it.
On the other hand, it's also one of the hardest challenges he's faced yet. Because here she is, in the sanctity of his den, her scent slowly seeping into his space and his heart.
And that terrifies him.
Because he likes it.
(A pleased purr rolls past his lips every time he steps inside his den, their scents sweetly intermingled.)
He likes it a little too much.
Kakashi doesn't want to scare her away, not when he finally has her so close. But it's hard to hold back when he wants nothing more than to reach out and just touch and press and smell. He wants more than just laying stoically at her side at night.
(They don't talk about it. They just get ready for bed and lay down together. It's not much different from how they usually slept when deployed on the war front. The only difference is the stark absence of a certain Uchiha and medic ninja.)
Kakashi has never craved such close contact, never realized how starved he's become since his father's death. He knows the only reason he hasn't gone crazy or, worse, feral is because of his precious ninken. But Hatake's are pack animals, they crave intimate connections with their own species of which Kakashi had cut contact.
Until now.
Kakashi's jounin dorm room—though larger than his chuunin one—is still small, even for one person. A tiny leaky bathroom, an equally small kitchen that leads into his living area, and a bedroom meant for only one occupant.
Every time he steps foot inside his den he's immediately met by Hinata.
Kakashi's lips quirks up when Hinata and his ninken all perk up and look at him in sync. Immediately the small space fills with the noise of happy whines and barks, the dogs crowding around him.
Hinata's eyes crease and Kakashi feels the hard, jagged parts of himself smooth ever so slightly when she smiles sweetly at him.
"Welcome home, Hatake-kun."
Kakashi has to look away. He occupies himself by petting Guroko with one hand and rubbing Shiba's stomach with the other.
He swallows thickly.
Kakashi is so used to coming back to an empty apartment he'd forgotten what it felt like to have someone waiting for him, someone to notice and miss him when he is gone.
Eventually, his ninken finish their customary sniff 'n greet and bound back onto the bed. Kakashi stands awkwardly not knowing what to do.
Well, he knows what he wants to do. He wants to lay down and wedge himself between Hinata's vulnerable belly and where Akino is curled up.
Hinata sends him a concerned look when he continues to stand there.
"Oh!" Her eyes widen and she begins to get up, much to Pakkun's annoyance who is currently laying in her lap. The book she was reading falls to the floor and Bull grunts when it lands on his back.
"I'm so sorry!" Hinata apologizes frantically, "You're probably tired and want to rest. I'll move, don't worry."
"No, no, it's okay, you don't have to—"
Pakkun growls, "Okay. That's it." The pug hops off Hinata's lap, landing soundlessly on the floor. He pads over to Kakashi, clamps down on the fabric of his pants, and tugs. Akino and Uhei both lean up and grab the front of his shirt with their teeth and pull him down onto the bed.
"Oh!" Hinata squeaks, giggling a little when he lands next to her.
Kakashi breathes in sharply through his nose and carefully loosens his hold on his instincts when Hinata doesn't shove him off the bed. He tentatively places himself between Akino and Hinata.
Pakkun hops onto Bull, using the bigger dog as a stepstool, and grabs Hinata's book before climbing over to settle down on her lap once more. Hinata thanks him, one hand opening her book and the other smoothing the fur down his head.
"How did your meeting with Yondaime-sama go?" Hinata inquires politely.
Kakashi hums, trying to sound relaxed when in reality he's one sneeze away from jumping up and clinging to the ceiling like a terrified cat.
"Good." Kakashi takes a deep breath. "Sensei...he wants me to join ANBU."
Kakashi's sharp ears detect a slight hitch in her breath but that is the only reaction he gets other than her quiet, "Oh."
Kakashi doesn't quite fidget but he does reach out to rub Guruko's long ears.
"Sensei thinks it will give me focus and it'll give me time to...give me a break from—from everything."
Kakashi digs his fingers into the warmth of Guroko's fur as Hinata's smell dampens with melancholy.
"Well, if Yondaime-sama believes it will do you good then I will do my best to support you."
Tension leaks out of him at her approval. He doesn't know why he wanted—no, needed —it, but now that he has it is as if a great burden has been lifted from him.
"Although I'm not sure if you're allowed to tell me this?"
Kakashi shrugs, "You'd have found out eventually."
Hinata sighs.
They lay there together. Eventually, Hinata goes back to her book. Kakashi watches her, admiring the way the dying sunlight from the window makes her whole face glow.
A content sigh leaves him and he settles himself properly, using Bisuke as a pillow. Kakashi closes his eyes and falls asleep to the scent and feel of pack all around him.
Sometimes Hinata dreams of places and people she's never met yet knows intimately. They call her Hoshi-hime and they are kind to her; reverent even. She's older in these dreams, twenty-ish, her deep blue hair brushing her ankles and the same round eyes. She's also married. Her husband is fair and kind to her, but it's...she isn't—she's not happy . How can she be happy when her heart belongs to another?
(Sometimes Hinata wakes up with the uneasy thought that these aren't really dreams.)
In the end, her dreams are only dreams. Strange, yes, but only a dream. Not like the nightmares that plague Kakashi.
Hinata blinks awake. She frowns, trying to figure what could have woken her when she hears pained whimpering behind her. Hinata immediately sits up, scanning Kakashi for any injuries, her concern so great she doesn't even register that he's not wearing his mask.
Her face falls when she finds nothing. At least nothing physica l.
"Hatake-kun," she calls, cautiously putting her hand on his shoulder to wake him. He flinches but doesn't wake. Hinata shakes him gently. "Hatake-kun, please wake up, you're having a nightmare."
Kakashi tosses his head and gasps a sob, his arms windmilling and almost catching her in the face.
She doesn't like this. He's going to hyperventilate if she can't get him to calm down.
Hinata feels her heart fracture when he whimpers, ".…Rin…'m sorry...no…"
"Hat—" she swallows, "...Ka—kakashi, it's only a dream, it's not real."
"...'m sorry!...sorry!...rin...please!"
"Kakashi, it's a n—nightmare, please listen to me, you're not there. "
But it's like he can't hear her, too entrenched in whatever horrible nightmare his broken mind has conjured. When Kakashi starts properly hyperventilating Hinata does the only thing she can think to do.
She grabs the back of his neck in a firm hold, summoning healing chakra to widen the blood vessels going to his brain, and yanks him forward so his face is squished against her neck.
Hinata is not all prepared for the sharp teeth that sink into her.
Her grip on his neck tightens but she doesn't dare pull him off or try to fight him when clamps down harder, panting harshly against her. Trembling, she raises her other hand and begins petting his hair. Kakashi shudders and his sharpened nails dig into her back. Hinata's only reaction is to blink the tears out of her eyes and talk to him softly.
Slowly, his breathing returns to normal (if slightly elevated), but Hinata doesn't stop. She holds him close and murmurs reassurances.
"I'm here, Kakashi, it wasn't your fault, it wasn't, I swear. There is nothing either of us could have done. Nothing."
Hinata winces when he lifts his head, blood leaking down her neck where his fangs once rested. She hears him whine, this one lower in pitch and remorseful, and then she feels his tongue. Electricity sears down her spine, heating her whole body and face, and has her fingers twitching and curling into his hair. Hinata is only vaguely aware of Kakashi gently guiding her so she's on her back, his body draped and curled around hers protectively.
"K—k—kakashi?" she squeaks. He doesn't respond, too preoccupied with lapping at the wound he gave her, his hot breath fanning over her face.
Oh gods this is—this is too much! Hinata squeezes her eyes shut and tries to turn away. Except this only gives Kakashi more room to work with. He leans up, the flat of his tongue trailing from the crook of her neck to the corner of her mouth—
"KA—KAKASHI!"
Hinata places her hands on his chest and pushes.
Kakashi goes flying back, crashing into the wall and then the next one. He groans and sits up, one of Namikaze-sensei's flower-printed aprons floating down to cover his face. Hinata's mouth falls open as she gapes at the damage. Kakashi coughs as the dust settles around him, wincing as he sits up. He meets Hinata's eyes and the two of them stare at each other in bewilderment.
"WHAT THE FUCK , GUYS!?" Genma yells, lowering his kunai. "It's four in the fucking morning!"
A jounin that Hinata is not familiar with stares at them all in bewilderment.
'How?' Hinata sees him mouth because the jounin dorms have been built and sealed to withstand any number of calamities. The three Sannin themselves, Tsunade especially, would have had a hard time breaking down one wall much less two.
Genma points at Kakashi who blinks innocently at him.
" You. You're paying for this and, no, you can't smartass your way out of this one." He turns to Hinata next and points, "and you, don't think just because you're my cousin's cute little—"
Hinata doesn't hear what he says next. Something pops in her brain and her vision goes black.
Hinata has been aware of her shadow for quite some time. She'd be a poor excuse of a tracker-nin if she wasn't.
She assumes they were either hired by her parents, who she knows still love her despite her exile or maybe they are one of Kakashi's new colleagues. Whether they were sent by said boy or his sensei is anybody's guess.
Hinata doesn't think much of it. She's been watched all her life. What is one more set of eyes? They've yet to show any malicious intent and if they ever did Hinata knows she can protect herself.
The timer from the kitchen goes off. She sets aside her knitting needles (she's making baby Neji a blanket for the coming winter) and gets up. Donning a pair of paw print patterned oven mitts, she takes out the tray of fresh oatmeal cookies. After letting them cool down, she bundles them up in a soft dishcloth and places them on the windowsill.
Hinata busies herself with cleaning up.
She passes by the window and spares it a glance.
The cookies are gone.
Hinata smiles to herself and carries on.
Kushina cheerfully serves the last bowl of her famous salt ramen, placing it in front of Minato-sensei who, like Hinata, is looking down at the bowl with stars in his eyes.
Kakashi huffs fondly. He doesn't understand their infatuation with the dish and he doesn't think he ever will. At least it's not contagious. Kakashi goes a little green at the thought of eating nothing but ramen.
Hinata leans back to thank Kushina over her shoulder. Kakashi blushes when he sees the round scar on her neck. His wolf lets loose a pleased rumble.
He sinks into his chair.
Kushina plops into her seat and slaps her palms together, "Let's eat!"
"Itadakimasu!" Minato and Hinata chirp with polite cheer. They then proceed to inhale their food.
Kakashi blows on his spoonful and shakes his head.
"Animals," he mutters.
Kushina throws her head back and lets out a boom of laughter. The atmosphere is easy and happy even with the two empty seats at Kakashi's left.
Kushina laments about losing the hat to Minato but cheers herself up by retelling his biggest and most embarrassing blunders. Minato endures it with a fond smile, laughing sheepishly here and there. Hinata somehow manages to start an in-depth discussion on seals and their application in medicine.
"A stasis seal to transport critical care patients…" Minato hums, nodding to himself, "It will have to have a physical anchor as opposed to a spiritual one. A living person is fundamentally different than a spirit or tailed beast...and access to a dimension that can suspend a living being down a cellular level—"
"Okay, okay, I'm going to have to stop you there, Minato, or we'll be here all night."
Minato shrugs his shoulders sheepishly and Kushina shoots him a long-suffering yet fond look.
Kakashi sits up when Kushina focuses her attention on both him and Hinata.
"It's true we invited you here to celebrate Minato becoming Hokage…"
"But?" Kakashi inputs helpfully; curious.
"Impatient brat," Kushina mumbles but then perks up, "But we have something even bigger to tell you guys!"
Kakashi blinks. What can be bigger than becoming Hokage? Going by Kushina's grin and Minato's happy expression, it can't be anything terrible. Maybe they're finally letting Kushina lead a genin team? He knows she's always wanted to but has been denied every time she turns in her application.
Kakashi clenches his fists.
He hates seeing Kushina rejected year after year, her spirits dampening with every stamped denial. Kushina has so much to give and teach, any student she takes on is guaranteed to flourish under her care. And yet despite the appeals and commendations from her superiors and her best efforts they don't even bother to give her a chance. Because to the council Kushina is a very useful, powerful weapon. And nothing more.
Hinata breaks Kakashi out of maudlin thoughts.
"What is it you want to tell us, Uzumaki-san?"
Kushina throws her hands up in the air, her fingertips brushing her wrists and activating the seals there, confetti bursting out in colorful streams.
"I'm pregnant, 'ttebane!"
Minato beams and Hinata mirrors him, hands coming up to her face in excitement.
Huh. Kakashi blinks. I guess now is as good a time as any for pups.
Kakashi leans back in his chair as Hinata engages the couple in talk about the baby, asking about names, the pregnancy, and showering them with felicitations.
"...mmm we were thinking either Menma or maybe, Naruto? After Jiraiya's new book. You read it yet? It's actually not that bad. For an old pervert."
"Kushina, please don't be so mean about sensei."
Kakashi is quiet, thinking what this all means. Pups usually herald the changing of times. He looks at his pack, all of them smiling and happy. Warmth floods his chest.
"Aww, is Kashi-chan purring? "
Minato turns to him in interest and Hinata giggles.
Kakashi slides down in his chair and tugs his mask higher over his warm cheeks.
Maybe…just this once… it will be a change for the better.