Chapter 31

Kakashi-a day in the life

It was morning and Kakashi was helping daily to rebuild the leave village. He also liked coming because that meant that he would get to talk with Kurenai. He hadn't had time for romance before because he never found anyone that he had feelings for, but it was different with her. He felt like talking to her all the time, and walked her home every chance he got. Whenever he came to help, he always joined the areas that she was working on.

He walked up to her "Morning," he said as he winced his eyes. She knew that meant he was smiling.

"You're late," she added, and she smiled up at him.

"Yeah, about that," he rubbed the back of his head and didn't finish his thought. He got to work and kept up the pace with the others.

They worked until about mid-day when Kakashi needed to break for lunch. Kurenai sat next to him and sat a box down in front of him. "What's this, he asked."

"A bento box," she said, "eat it," she pushed it closer to him. He smiled again, opened the box and started to eat. Everything was good and he ate it pretty quickly. She wasn't even half way done when he finished.

"That was quick" she said as she scooted forward to check if it was really all gone. Her eyes were wide, "Are you still hungry," she asked.

"No," he replied, "that was great Kurenai, thank you."

She smiled and took his box back and began to get back to work. When they were done for the day, he offered to walk her home as usual. She noticed he was holding a package in one hand.

"What's with the package today Kakashi," she teased him.

He started to redden and smiled "I got you something," he stopped walking and handed the package to her.

She looked at him with a serious look, she hadn't had these kind of feelings since Asuma, was this more than a crush? She smiled and took the package and started to open it. She pulled out a light blue baby blanket that was wrapped around something, she unwrapped the blanket and inside there was a book.

"This is the 'Make Out Paradise' book I haven't read yet!" she exclaimed while she hugged him. After she did she realized that maybe she shouldn't have gotten so close. She felt his arms close in around her back, one on her lower, one on her upper and then release her. She let go and looked at him. "Where did you find this?" she asked, "I couldn't find it anywhere," she smiled at him. "Oh, and thank you for the blanket too, you're very sweet." She started to turn just as red as he was.

He continued walking her home, and when he reached the door he prepared to leave. "Why don't you come inside," she offered.

"I don't want to wake the baby," Kakashi mentioned

"We can talk quietly," she replied, her eyes pleading.

"Okay, sure," he said as he entered.

"I'm about to make dinner, do you like Yakisoba?" She asked him.

"Yeah, I love it," he answered.

"I'm going to check on the baby and the sitter and then I'll start it, okay," she smiled as she walked into the next room.

Kakashi knew how to cook, and she had already made lunch for him today. He decided that he could start and make dinner for her. He looked for her pans and filled one with water to boil and started chopping up some vegetables.

The sitter, Kurenai, and the baby had come out and Kurenai saw that Kakashi had already started cooking. "You must be hungry," she looked at him and smiled.

"It's just that you made me lunch, so I can make you dinner. Hi there," he said to the sitter, "it's Konahamaru, right."

"Yeah, you're Naruto's sensi," he added as he eyed Kakashi, "I've got to get home, see you later Kurenai," he nodded at Kakashi before leaving.

"Thanks Kakashi," she said as she balanced her baby to her hip. She started to get a bottle ready so she could feed him. Kakashi watched her as she did everything, she noticed and looked over at him periodically before saying "What is it?"

"It's just been such a long time since I was around a family," he mentioned "it's nice," he said as he started to stir the noodles and add the vegetables to the water.

"It's been a long time since anyone cooked for me," she added "and that's nice." She got the feeling that Kakashi was trying to flirt with her. He seemed to understand that her and her son were a packaged deal, and he was very kind to her.

He was still cooking as she fed the baby, and walked with him on her hip through the room. "I know it's odd," she mentioned "but he likes this, he won't lay down and eat like other babies do," she looked tired.

"Let me try," Kakashi offered, she gave him a quizzical look and he stepped over and lifted the baby from her arms. He sat down in a chair and cradled the baby in his lap. He looked so tiny in his arms. She handed the bottle to Kakashi. Right away he took to his bottle and started drinking, after a few minutes he finished the whole thing.

"I've never seen him do that before," she said, amazed. "I guess he likes you too," she slipped. Right away she turned her head from Kakashi and got up to finish dinner. He held the baby and started walking around the room with him, not sure what to say to Kurenai.

"I can do that," he pointed at her making dinner, "you should rest and spend some time with the little guy," he added.

"Okay, let's trade," she said. She went to hold her baby and as soon as Kakashi started to let go he started crying. Kakashi looked at him and then at her, she shrugged and went back to making dinner.

"Well, I tried," he offered as he smiled at her. She liked that he was taking so well to Kakashi, but if things didn't develop into a relationship she didn't want to make it difficult for her baby. She wasn't the kind of woman to even have guys around. The only men that had been in her house since Asuma were Shikamaru and Konahmaru if one could count the last as a man. She wondered if she should just lay it on the line, normally she wouldn't, but her life wasn't just about her anymore.

She laid dinner out on plates and handed one to Kakashi. "I was hoping we could talk about something," she began.

"Sure," Kakashi said.

"I don't mean to be forward, but this isn't just my life now. I thought I felt earlier," she paused, not wanting to ruin this but needing to know, "when you hugged me I thought I could feel that you might have feelings for me," she continued. "I don't want to ruin the friendship we have and I enjoy talking with you, so if that isn't the case I don't want to make our friendship awkward." She finished and waited for him to respond.

He waited for a moment before thinking about how to respond. She took that as a sign that she had just alienated him. It wasn't meant to work out after all. How could she misinterpret his kindness like that, she thought. She rubbed her hand to her forehead "I'm sorry Kakashi, I just kind of sprung that on you," all of a sudden she wasn't hungry anymore.

"…I do have feelings for you Kurenai," he replied "I've been trying to think of ways to tell you, but I never knew what to do. I usually walk around the work groups until I find the one you're on for the day," he added.

"Is that true," she asked with surprise, she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed that, but now that she thought about it, that had to be true. Every time she went out to work it always ended with Kakashi walking her home.

The baby fell asleep in Kakashi's arms "He's out," he said, disrupting Kurenai's concentration.

"Oh," she said as she looked at the pair of them, "He's just what we've been missing," she thought.

"Let me put him down to sleep," she said as she got up and held out her arms, he gently lowered the baby into her arms and she walked into the next room. When she came back she sat across from Kakashi so they could finish eating and talking.

To answer your question, Kakashi began, "It is true," the redness came back into his face.