So here is another prompt that is important to the story... read on
Orange:
Kakashi was lost. Not physically, he wasn't Obito, but emotionally.
He didn't know how he got to this point or why but he had and he was drowning.
He was depressed.
Just the word itched him in all the wrong ways. Saying it reminded him of his father and there was no way that he was going to go down that road….
But he understood.
Sometimes when he sat on his bed and he couldn't sleep he felt an unbearable loneliness that threatened to devour him alive.
So he coped, with all the wrong things like gambling, drinking, women and missions. Anything to help him run from the darkness. Rin hated it, Obito hated it. And he avoided his teacher because he didn't want to hear the disappointment in the man's voice.
But he couldn't give a damn if they didn't like it. They weren't the ones running from nightmares they could never remember, or vomiting when the panic rose too high. They weren't the ones suffering the most in the darkness of feeling like he forgot something essential to living.
They didn't know anything….
"Kakashi?"
Damn it.
So they were really at the end of their rope, huh?
To go out of their way to call him… to call teacher Minato. Because the likelihood that he would bump into the man in the village and not have sense him was slim to none.
"Teacher, good evening"
And Kakashi could put on a good show, it was the only way he could stand in front of the man when the hokage robes were on and get a mission approved.
But here in the street Minato didn't have to look at him as a ninja, he didn't have to weigh his mental health and skills and decide whether he could be of use or sent home. He wasn't hokage right now; he was Minato. Former teacher and caregiver, comrade and friend, and someone who always noticed too much…
"I haven't seen you in a while, Kushina's missed you"
Kakashi tried to hide a grimace he was purposely avoiding her as well because she was too passionate over things and would surely notice his loss in weight.
"Ah… I've just been caught up in things. Tell her i apologize"
Cold blue eyes seemed to analyze him and he hated it.
"I'd rather you tell her yourself, but really what are you so caught up in? Surely not missions"
Kakashi thought about flipping the man off. OF COURSE NOT MISSIONS! The man was being super frugal about them!
"Maa… just other things…"
Kakashi really wanted to escape but there was no way that he could out run the yellow flash,
"Hey, do you have some time?"
Kakashi didn't know what face he had but it was enough to make the man laugh,
"No worries, haha! Kushina went to hang out with Mikoto i meant to come see Naruto."
Kakashi blinked. Naruto was his teacher's son. When he had avoided his teacher he avoided the child too so he hadn't seen him since the day the fox was sealed inside the babe.
"I don't…"
Kakashi looked away he just wanted to drown himself again,
"Only a second, NARUTO!"
Minato must not have trusted him enough to let him out of his sight cause all he did was wait for the patter of footprints,
"He'll be going with Jiraiya soon… for training."
Kakashi could see the sorrow in the man's face,
"I'd at least like you to meet him."
And at this point the option that Kakashi should run was weighing heavily on his mind because maybe, just maybe the man wouldn't chase him if he was looking after his son….
God did he hate kids. They were all a bunch of whiny little brats. The only kid that he had somewhat liked had been the Itachi kid, he knew how to keep his mouth shut but all the others… they were annoying.
The door creaked and Kakashi knew that escaping was impossible. Whatever he'd see the little brat and then he'd…
Blue eyes too big for his face, blonde hair like the sun and whisker marks. Those were what he noticed first. Then his abnormally small stature in an orange shirt that seemed befitting for him and black shorts,
"Daddy?"
Kakashi's heart stopped, he was sure of it. Something inside him told him it had stopped and therefore he was dying that's why he was seeing an angel. An angel so innocent and beautiful.
"Kakashi?!"
What was it that was turning his world upside down? That seemed familiar and yet not? What was it that was causing his breath to hitch and his mouth to dry up?
He didn't notice the tears falling from his eyes or even why they were there. But what he did know was suddenly he didn't feel so alone, he didn't feel so empty…. He was filling up and it was overwhelming,
He collapsed to his knees and Minato ran over but he couldn't see anything behind wide blue eyes.
Why?
Why?
Why?
He didn't know but something inside him was pulling him...pulling him to…
"Hey mista!"
Kakashi focused only now noticing that the little child had gotten so close. Small hands brushed his cheeks and kakashi's breath caught,
Then gently like a mother does the little boy brought Kakashi close so that their foreheads touched.
And it seemed like all the pain disappeared as if it were magic.
"Don't cry, i'm here"
He knew that he made the kid nervous from the way he jumped but Kakashi couldn't stop the flood of tears that now poured down his face,
"Daddy! Daddy! Mommy magic didn't work! I broke him!"
Minato sighed knowing somehow that it was quite the opposite,
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Naruto cried cause he didn't know why the grown up was crying.
Big hands pulled him close and brushed his hair and he stayed quiet looking at his daddy who had a gentle smile on his face,
"Thank you…"
Came a whisper, but Naruto didn't understand. So instead he waited what seemed like forever for the man to ease up and relax. But when he did he was suddenly grabbed and the man was looking at him the same way mom did when she said he was GOING to finish his vegetable; and he always did…
"Naruto…"
Blue eyes blinked, the strange man knew his name?
"Marry me"
Naruto cocked his head,
Marry? What did that mean?