A/N: This fic is dedicated to Ota, thanks for bringing this concept to my attention. I hope I don't disappoint. Especially on the day of an international holiday, the birthday of Kakashi, who we're all here for lol

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Himselves & Her

It wasn't supposed to be serious.

It wasn't supposed to. Kakashi didn't actually know when all that changed for him, couldn't even trace back to the moment it started and wasn't sure if he even wanted to. It would be too much of a headache and quite frankly, Kakashi thought too much about her already. He didn't need to be that much more of a creep than he already was.

Fuck.

Kakashi burrowed his face in his book, pretending he wasn't taking peeks at her from the vantage point of the tree branch he was perched on. He came here on slow days. It used to be just to look at a stone with inscribed names that sunk his gut with guilt and shame but a lot had changed since he'd taken office. Now he came just to avoid paperwork. And see her.

He glanced towards her again and wondered what she was thinking, what she might be thinking if she saw him watching her. He'd say he was doing a good job at not being caught but any second, he felt like she'd look up and see him and-and then what?

She didn't know him. If she even could, she'd see him and look away. Maybe wave, if he was lucky.

Besides, she was too busy laying flowers at the memorial stone for her to bother with him.

Pained gray eyes, wind-tousled black hair, Yoko Ueda stood with the same expression she had on her face when they had met five years ago. Odd that he could still recall it. Even odder was how bits of their first conversation echoed in his head. She'd been interesting. Funny. Noncommittal.

At that time they had been comrades in the feeling of loss but in this world, who wasn't? It could've been anyone, that he began to feel this way for. No matter how he thought so, she wasn't special. Even after so much time, he couldn't describe what he saw in her. She wasn't a shinobi, could never fathom the life he had lived, and was so different to anyone he had ever talked to at length. Too different for it to ever work out.

Because she was kind. Because she leant him her copies of important books. Because she trusted him. Because she listened to people talk. Because she smiled when she saw him. Because she was better off without him. Because he was an idiot who had been lying to her for five fucking years and it had only hit him recently, after so much time, how much of a dickhead he was and how little he deserved her.

Sukea had to break things off.

贋者

Yoko was reading a trashy romance novel when her boyfriend of three years entered her bedroom, making her set it aside and brighten. No matter how busy he got, even if he had to drag himself into the room and collapse from exhaustion, he always visited her on the days she went to the memorial. He was just that much of a good-natured idiot.

"Sukea," she called from her bed as she spread open her arms. "Come here."

He stared at her for a moment, looking out of place standing amongst all the pink Yoko was slow to getting rid of from her younger days. Usually it made her laugh but today, like some sort of vibe he was giving off, she had to pause.

"Anything wrong?" Yoko asked, sitting up and pushing back her messy hair. She would have been more embarrassed if he hadn't already seen her drenched in paint in her failed attempts to help her grandmother redecorate.

Getting nervous, she swallowed and stood. If he wasn't going to her, she had to come to him. Even when he stiffened, she wrapped her arms around his waist and as always, felt small standing next to him.

"Sukea?"

"I," he started.

"You?"

He looked down at her and lifted his hand to her hair, twirling a strand of it between his fingers. His body relaxed and she sank further into his arms as he brought his other hand to rest on her back.

"I want to take you out on a date. Can I?"

Yoko laughed. "What the heck? Don't make me nervous for no reason."

"You're right, I shouldn't," he agreed. Sukea smiled, making her stomach flop and fill her with relief to see the expression she was most familiar with.

"Instead of a date, I want a kiss," she said and leaned back to let him. His lips were warm but cracked, making her think he needed water.

"Is that all you want?" Sukea asked. His voice was husky and so close, it made her want nothing else than what he was suggesting.

But she pulled back and shook her head.

"I promised to babysit my sister's kid," she said. "I'm supposed to be there in an hour actually."

Sukea sighed and she knew exactly why. He didn't like kids. The one time she'd managed to rope him into meeting her nephew, he'd been so awkward and quiet, she worried he'd dump her later just to make her pay for putting him in that situation.

She wasn't exactly wanting to see a repeat of that.

"Tomorrow," she said before he could open his mouth. "I can cook a lunch for us tonight and tomorrow we can take a hike. Perfect opportunity for you to take some pictures of autumn coming in before it gets too cold."

"You..." Sukea trailed off, his expression looking confused and pained for this glimmer of a second. Then he looked down and sighed, this time a much happier one than the one before. "You really think of everything."

Yoko smiled at that.

"But I can't. I'm busy with a client."

"Oh."

An awkward moment passed between them and she wished she could say it wasn't a common thing between them but it was. They just weren't the talkative type–or rather, he wasn't. At least not when it mattered.

"I have to go," he told her and she nodded, not surprised.

"Have fun reading about sex now that you're missing out," she told him and slapped his ass when he turned to leave.

"Will do."

Tch. He could have at least kissed her goodbye.

Language Guide;

贋者 - nisemono - liar