Hey everyone I just finished this chapter and I couldn't wait to post it. And she long y'all, like over 5,000 words long. In this one we're going to start finding out little details that will be further developed later on in the story that sort of fill out this universe and make it seem more realistic without point blank stating background information. There's also another bonus scene at the end of the chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it. Please comment and let me know what you think of the story so far. I love getting feedback.
WARNING: Drug use, and foul language
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I loved the feeling of the wind blowing through my hair. It felt freeing, like we were flying through the air. I supposed it was the closest I was going to get to feeling like I was floating in the clouds. I saw the neighborhood market coming up on our right. I had an idea. I patted Kakashi's chest and motioned to pull over in front of the store. He stopped the bike on the curb a few feet from the doors. I swung my leg over and hopped onto the sidewalk.
Kakashi turned off the motor, "You ok?"
"Yeah, you wanna come in with me? We could pick up dinner and snacks. The three of us could watch a movie tonight, like old times," I smiled.
We used to have movie nights all the time as kids. Kakashi would come over to spend the night with Obito. After we'd eat dinner, while dad was washing the dishes mom would set us up in the living room. We'd lay on a pallet on the floor with pillows and blankets, bowls of snacks, with our drinks on the coffee table behind us. More often than not, I fell asleep sprawled out between the two boys after insisting on being in the middle, only to awake the next morning in my own room. It had been years since we'd had a movie night.
"You know what, that actually sounds kinda nice," he took the keys out of the ignition and got off the bike, "but if you pass out I'm not carrying you to your room."
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. I grabbed him by the arm and tugged him into the store. Our little neighborhood market had a decent variety in the ways of fresh produce, but I bypassed that and headed straight for the freezer doors. Obito and I usually shared the responsibilities of cooking, accompanied by an occasional take-out order, and the even rarer trip to a restaurant. And then, sometimes we'd come here and load up on junk food and munch till we passed out.
"Let's get something half-way substantial for dinner and then some junk for the movie," I cheesed at him.
After two trips around the store and a few debates we decided on frozen takoyaki, a bag of Pretz, and a few bowls of instant ramen for snacks. I begrudgingly agreed to make some basic beef curry after Kakashi bribed me with two taiyaki cakes and a pack of dango, his treat. We took our nearly full basket up to the counter. As she was ringing up the last few items, the vegetables for the curry, she looked up at us and smiled.
"Such a nice young girl cooking for her boyfriend! If only my daughter knew how to cook, maybe she could snag a guy as cute as yours!" she winked at me.
"Oh no ma'am we-," I began to explain, but I was interrupted.
"Here you go. Keep the change," Kakashi slid the bills on the counter, picked up the bags, and walked out of the store nonchalantly.
As he walked through the automated doors, he turned back with a look that asked, 'Are you coming?' I just know my cheeks were as pink as the peach daifuku below the register. I quickly half-assed bowed to the woman, unsure of why really, and ran out of the store and over to Kakashi's bike.
He had secured the bags of groceries in a storage compartment under the area that I sat on. I slung my leg back over and we continued home. All the while my thoughts were divided between what the hell all that was and what could possibly be running through that head of his. When we pulled into the little garage with '3' over it, I saw that it was empty, meaning we had beat Obito home and neither one of us were getting reamed for me not wearing a helmet.
I got off the bike and draped my school bag over my shoulder while he walked the bike over to the side of the garage so Obito would have room to pull his car in. He grabbed the bags out of the compartment and walked towards the opening of the garage where I stood waiting. We walked into the building, and I went over to the mailboxes to check ours. He passed by and hit the button to summon the elevator. When the door opened, we walked inside. I scanned my key card and hit '3', feeling like I was in the middle of a comfortably domestic routine. Albeit, we had done all of this in silence. It only served to allow my thoughts to continue to run wild, and my stomach to keep doing cartwheels.
The elevator opened and I practically launched myself into the entryway. I kicked off my shoes and unlocked the door, leaving it open for Kakashi to come through with the bags and shut behind him. I went to my room to get out of my uniform while I knew he had gone to the kitchen to put the food away.
I stripped down and looked for my favorite pair of sweatpants in a pile of clothes. Finally seeing the black fabric with the white stripe down the leg, I gave a quick tug and felt the heap release it to me. I pulled them up my legs and slipped a red tank top down over my stomach. I pulled my vape and phone from my school bag. Before I put them in my pocket, I checked my phone. Two missed calls from Ino and several unread texts in mine and the girls' group chat.
Ino:
OMFG! That was brilliant! You should
have seen the look on Irogawa's face when
you hopped on the back of that bike!
:
Sakura:
I bow to you, my queen! LOL!
:
Hinata:
Are you at home Raki? Wait… is he
there with you?! Don't keep us in suspense!
I smirked, imagining all of us having this conversation in person. It would have been more fun that way. I wanted to see their faces when I told them about him bribing me to cook for him. I quickly replied, wanting to get back in the kitchen and have the curry at least going by the time Obito came home.
Me:
LOL I figured she would flip her shit.
And yes, as a matter of fact he's here
now. He asked me to make him curry ;)
I slipped my phone into my pocket and closed my bedroom door behind me. I walked down the hall noticing that the tv in the living room had been turned on to some crazy athletic competition, but there was no one in there watching it. I entered the kitchen discovering that Kakashi had already seasoned the beef cubes and had them in the pan browning on the stovetop. I walked over to the vegetables and began to wash them. I looked over to him as he began to peel a potato.
"You know I'm not giving you any of my sweets even if you do help me cook," I teased, I knew he didn't even like sweets. I was just attempting to break up the silence that had surrounded us since we left the market. He pulled the trashcan over to where he was standing, but we continued in silence. This time I wasn't sure if the silence was comfortable or if there was some kind of charge in the air.
"So…," he finally spoke.
"So?" I looked over at him still peeling potatoes. I had started on the carrots.
"Who was that boy you were talking to when I pulled up?" he pulled the knife out of the drawer and looked at me for a second before turning back to the potatoes.
He had said the word 'boy' with a peculiar tone. I scoffed, "Kiba? Hopefully, he's my new plug."
"I've sold to you, you've never helped straighten my tie," he smirked, walking over to drop the chunks of potato in the boiling water.
My head shot up hoping my cheeks didn't look as on fire as they felt, "You've never asked me for a date," I replied coolly.
"Oh, so then he's not just a plug?" he crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter, looking me in the eyes.
"Wha-," I was interrupted by Obito walking through the door from the entryway.
"Hey guys! What's for dinner?" from the kitchen I could see him turn to hang his keys up on his designated hook by the door.
"Kakashi bribed me into making beef curry," I called out to him, meanwhile shooting a look at Kakashi that said 'you just got lucky'.
"Oh yeah how'd he do that?" my brother appeared in the doorway.
"Taiyaki and dango," I grinned, dumping the now chopped carrots into the water with the potatoes.
"I told you to lay off that stuff. Your head's going to turn into a dango," he came over and kissed my forehead while ruffling my hair.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I groaned, smoothing my hair back down, "Go get on your comfy clothes, we're all going to have a movie night like we used to. We got snacks and everything."
His face lit up and I smiled back at him. Even though we fought sometimes he was my big brother, and it was one of my goals to put that smile on his face as much as I could. Something I had found significantly harder to achieve since our parents had passed away. But something I would keep trying for just the same.
While Obito went to his room to put his briefcase down and change, Kakashi gazed at me as he pulled a beer out of the fridge and walked out onto the balcony to light a cigarette. That left me alone in the kitchen to finish dinner. I looked from the timer on the rice cooker over to the fridge. I decided I'd probably need a beer for myself the way this night was going.
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The beef curry had been a success. Both boys had complimented me on the sauce and the fluffiness of the rice. When we had all finished dinner, I stood up and began gathering plates and the other dishes, taking them into the kitchen. The guys jumped up to help but I shooed them away from sink.
"Why don't you go pick out a movie Ito," I turned on the hot water and poured soap on the sponge. There were so few dishes there wasn't any point in using the dishwasher. "Kashi, will you roll one up for us please," I batted my eyelashes at him.
As they both went off to the living room to complete their assigned tasks, I finished rinsing the last spoon. I threw the pack of takoyaki into the microwave and began wiping down the counters. When the microwave beeped, I pulled out the plastic tray and gathered up the rest of the snacks in my arms.
I made my way to the living room and squeezed between the two boys who had now settled themselves on the couch. I dumped the buffet of snacks onto the coffee table and spread them out while shoving a stick of dango into my mouth. I plopped down, unceremoniously, on the middle cushion.
The movie Obito picked was definitely a guy movie. It was about some guy who worked in a large company. He's just a junior rep who, by an incredible chance of luck, meets some gorgeous girl. Turns out, girly is some high ranking, bad-ass executive, of course. Thus begins his quest of hilarious office hijinks to ensure his climb of the corporate ladder. All so boss bitch will notice him.
"Ugh see that's why I could never work for a big company like that," I scowled, blowing out the smoke from the last hit of the blunt. We were halfway through the movie. The main character was doing a bunch of extra work in exchange for a favor from a senior rep.
Obito laughed, "Oh come on, Raki. Uchiha Corp. won't be so bad. No one there's actually like that."
I put out the blunt in the ashtray and stared at my brother in confusion, "What are you talking about?"
"I mean you'll be eighteen in less than a week. You'll need a job if you're not planning on going to university," he took a big sip of beer.
"I mean ok, but I'm not working for grandpa," I chugged the last of my own beer.
"Kumaraki, you know what this family expects from you," I didn't like the tone of his voice.
"Yeah, and they know what to expect from me," I crossed my arms.
"You can't just blow this off like you do everything else! You know how our grandfather feels," he yelled at me.
"What about how I feel!? It's not even like I'm going to inherit the company, I should be able to choose my own future!" I stood up glaring at him.
"You know the five of us all get an equal share after Uncle Fugaku retires. It means you have responsibilities Kumaraki. You own part of the company!" he was yelling even louder now.
"I'll fucking sell it to you," I brushed passed Kakashi's legs on my way out of the living room, the movie long forgotten. I mentally cringed. Of fucking course he had to be there to see my brother scolding me like a child. At least he had the decency to be polite, scrolling through his phone, pretending nothing was going on.
I had shut my door forcefully; I didn't slam it. I heaved out a big, exasperated sigh and launched myself onto the bed. I was proud of myself for handling the situation that well. The Kumaraki from three years ago would've kicked Obito in the head and ran out the door to Shikamaru or Ino's house. I was still definitely going to tell Shika about it tomorrow though. When it came to these kinda things he was the more level-headed friend to ask for advice. Ino would've told me to pack a bag and run away from home. I plugged my phone in, turned my tv on, and let myself pass out thinking of nothing but the bomb ass soba noodles I was going to eat tomorrow.
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I woke up early the next morning. The cheesecake I was going to make for dinner with the Nara's would take a few hours to cool so I wanted to have plenty of time. I was in the kitchen still in pajamas, stirring the green tea mousse when I heard footsteps behind me. I frowned, hoping that it wouldn't be Obito, but not really prepared to handle a conversation with Kakashi this early in the morning either.
I heard whoever it was walk over to the refrigerator and open it. Then I heard the click of an canned coffee drink opening. Obito liked his coffee hot.
'Kakashi. The lesser of two evils I suppose.'
I scraped the mousse into the tin on top of the layer of crust I had made from graham cracker crumbs, honey, and butter. Leaving the bowl on the counter by the sink, I carried the tin over to the fridge for setting. Kakashi and I had traded places, him going to stand over by the bowl.
"So you cook and bake? Is there anything you can't do?" he had licked some mousse off his finger.
"Decide my own future apparently," I gathered the fruits I planned to garnish the cheesecake with and pulled them out of the fridge. I walked over to the sink and set the fruit in a bowl.
"You're a smart, competent young woman. Obito knows that. He'll come around," he put his hand on my shoulder.
"When? When he's seventy-five?" I cut the top off a strawberry a little too enthusiastically.
He chuckled, "No, you'll have killed him long before then."
That did make me laugh. It did feel good. Standing here laughing with Kakashi. I loved the sound of his deep, genuine laugh. At least I knew, by his words earlier, that he somewhat agreed with me on last night's topic of conversation. I tried not to blush thinking about how it didn't seem like he thought of me as a kid at all.
I finished cutting the rest of the fruit while Kakashi went out on the balcony to smoke a cigarette. He was doing that more often lately. Normally he only smoked when he drank. Asuma must have been rubbing off on him. I pulled the cheesecake out of the fridge. It had set enough to arrange the fruit on the top. I had cut strawberries, starfruit, and cherries into cute little shapes that I was now placing in a sophisticated looking design. I slid it back onto the shelf in the fridge and went to my room to call Ino and then get ready to walk to Shika's house.
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Because it felt like it was a thousand degrees outside, I decided a dress was the way to go. I adjusted the straps of the little sky-blue summer dress to fit tighter on my shoulders. The yellow-flowered print matched the color of the ribbon I used to tie my hair up in a messy pile on my head. I slipped on some sparkly white sandals and walked out to the kitchen to grab the cheesecake.
I didn't see Obito or Kakashi as I took the cheesecake out of the tin and put it on the serving tray. I set it down in a special tote bag designed to keep things cold. Shikamaru only lived two streets away so it wasn't very far, but I didn't want the cheesecake to melt before I got there. If I cut through the Yamada's yard it would only take me about ten minutes to have the cheesecake back inside a refrigerator.
I had thrown my phone and stuff in a little crossbody bag that I slipped over my head. I grabbed the bag and called out I was leaving, but I didn't get any answers. I walked out the door and into the entryway. I didn't see either of their shoes, explaining why I never got an answer. I rode the elevator down and groaned when I stepped out onto the sidewalk and into the heat.
'Alright here we go. Please don't melt!'
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I knocked on the door of the traditional looking house a few times. I was hoping to catch my breath from walking up the rather long driveway before anyone came to the door. The Nara's had one of the biggest houses on this street thanks to Shikamaru's dad being the assistant to the mayor. He also owned a small accounting firm that he was intending for Shika to take over in a few years after he graduated college and earned the necessary qualifications to run the business.
The door swung open to reveal a tall, tan skinned man with a spiky brown ponytail and tired looking brown eyes reminiscent of my best friend. Shikamaru's dad, Shikaku. His face lit up when he looked down at me.
"Hey Yoshino! I found a pretty girl on our porch! Do you think we should feed her?" he called out into the house while letting me walk into the foyer.
"Shikaku what are you-," Shikamaru's mom had come out of the kitchen and met us as we all walked into the living room at the same time, "Oh! Kumaraki dear! What a pretty dress, you look absolutely precious! Doesn't she look precious Shikamaru?"
I looked over to where Shika had been sitting on the couch. His face was twisted into a look of humiliation. He looked like he would have rather suffered a brain aneurysm than continue to listen to his parent's embarrassing comments.
"Yeah mom, precious," he scratched the back of his head looking anywhere but at me. I snickered at his mortification.
I turned back to Yoshino and motioned with the bag, "Did he tell you I was bringing dessert?"
She looked with pleasant surprise at the bag and then sighed as she drug her eyes over to where her son was still standing, sheepishly still avoiding eye contact, "Too lazy to remember, you know how he is. Come on in the kitchen and we'll put that dessert in the fridge.
I stuck my tongue out at Shika and followed his mom into their kitchen. She sat the bag on the counter and pulled out the serving plate with a delighted gasp, "A green tea cheesecake! A perfect dessert for the summer heat. Such a thoughtful girl Kumaraki!"
"Thanks Auntie Yoshi," I grinned. I ate up her praise as eagerly as I ate the food she made for me. She had always been like my second mom, me being over here so often as we grew up. Ever since my own mother had passed, I felt myself latching on to her even more. I'm glad she didn't know how much of a train wreck I really was. I'd hate to disappoint her.
Shikamaru had followed us into the kitchen and had walked up behind me, "Ah yes, thoughtful as ever. Tell me, what purpose do the leaves in your hair serve? Extra garnish perhaps?"
I felt his fingers in the back of my hair. When I turned to look at him, he was holding two leaves in between his fingers. I giggled, "Kotaro almost got me today."
Kotaro was a very ironically named German Shepard, there being absolutely nothing little about him. He was the Yamada's fancy imported dog, and they did their best to show him off by letting him out to roam the neighborhood from time to time. As I had been passing through the Yamada's hedge line, he must have caught a whiff of the cheesecake and decided it was too good an opportunity to pass up. I had had to sprint the rest of the way to the Nara's house.
Shikamaru let out a deep laugh, I'm sure from picturing me racing across the lawn and hurdling over the hedges, as he threw the leaves in the trashcan. I told him to shut up, smacking his arm. His dad walked in and asked what we had been laughing at. When Shika told him, he let out a chuckle and joked that if I was that athletic, I should try to get a track scholarship. That turned the subject to life after high school, or 'the future' as everyone kept referring to it. A conversation neither Shikamaru or I wanted to have.
While Shika sat at the table with his dad, begrudgingly discussing the difference between two university's accounting programs I set the table. Yoshino brought the bowl of soba noodles and the sides to the table. We bowed our heads and with an enthusiastic 'itadakimasu' we dug in. I was too busy stuffing my face with three bowls worth of soba noodles to contribute much to the conversation. I did manage to skillfully divert the conversation, to gardening of all things, when the topic of what universities I had been thinking of attending was brought up.
When dinner and dessert was finished, I helped Yoshino clear the table. I brought the dishes to the sink and turned the water on beginning to rinse them, but Yoshino stopped me, "Oh don't worry about those dear, I'll make Shikaku do them," she winked at me.
"Yeah come on, let's go play something. Thanks for dinner mom," Shikamaru appeared at my side, tugging my arm towards the staircase in the hallway.
"Door open you two!" I heard her call out as we disappeared around the corner.
"What a drag," Shika rolled his eyes letting go of my arm, only to push me up the stairs.
In all fairness Yoshino did have a right to be suspicious. Only, we weren't doing what she seemed to be worried about. See, what Shika meant when he said "let's go play something" was really "let's go smoke a joint in my bathroom and then I'll kick your ass at video games or shogi, your pick."
As he walked in behind me, he shut the door to his room, ignoring his mother's words. He walked over to his bedside table to grab the joint I knew he had rolled before I got there. I went to the bathroom to open the window above the bathtub and turn on the air circulation. I heard him come in behind me shutting the bathroom door while I sat down in the jacuzzi tub. He climbed in beside me as he lit the joint.
"So both Tsukuba and Waseda have great accounting programs, but your waiting for exam results to come out to see which school does better huh?" I taunted him, taking a hit.
"It's better than your answer, 'The only thing I can think about right now is how pretty the hydrangeas were on the way in. Did you grow those yourself Auntie Yoshi?'" he mocked my words in a high voice while shooting me a pointed look.
I laughed and rolled my eyes, "It worked, didn't it? Still, taking over your dad's firm doesn't sound as bad as Uchiha Corp."
"What a drag. Coulda told ya' that one was coming," he took the joint back from me.
"We fought about it last night. He told me and I quote 'You know what this family expects of you.' Are you fucking kidding me?" I blew a cloud of smoke up at the window.
"Well that's fucked. So what are you going to do?" he asked getting out of the tub, the joint almost gone.
"Find a sugar daddy and ride him outta town," he had grabbed my hand to pull me out of the tub, but almost dropped me when I said that.
His expression contorting into one of disgust. "I'm kidding Shika. Fuck if I know. I'll probably just get another job as soon as possible. If I'm already working somewhere, he might not pressure me as much."
"Another job like what? Cloud watcher? Professional napper?" he smirked.
"Oh no, I wouldn't want to steal any of your prospects," I scoffed and pushed him back into his room.
"Shinobi Striker or Shogi?" he began spraying air freshener throughout his room.
I sighed as I cracked his bedroom door and walked back over to the beanbag in front of the tv, "Shinobi Striker, I'd like to at least have a chance at winning."
We had played for a few hours, and I had only managed to beat him three times. About the time I was ready to give up Shikaku appeared at the door, pushing it open as much as it should have already been. He told us it was getting late, which I knew was my cue to go.
I stood up and stretched after setting the game controller on top of the console it belonged to. Shikamaru followed me down the stairs and into the kitchen where I was collecting the bag and empty, now washed, serving plate. We walked back to his front door and I turned to say goodbye, but he was putting on his shoes.
"Come on, I'll walk you home," he opened the door letting me walk out first as his parents met us in the foyer.
"Thanks for the dinner Auntie Yoshi, it was delicious!" I waited for Shika to step out with me.
"You're welcome dear! Anytime! Come back soon!" she smiled, waving goodbye.
"And bring more cheesecakes!" Shikaku yelled.
"Don't worry! I'll keep 'em coming Uncle Kaku!" I called out. I had turned around to wave at them before Shika linked my arm with his pulling me down the driveway.
"Give me the bag," he held out his other arm.
"What?" I asked confused.
"What a drag. My mom is watching, just hand me the damn bag," he scratched the back of his head.
"Oh, yeah," I giggled and handed him the bag, saving him from an etiquette lesson when he got home. I was surprised, usually he was never chivalrous like this. I kinda liked it.
"But if we run into Kotaro, I'm leaving your ass," he bumped me playfully.
'Nevermind.'
Bonus Scene
Yoshino and Shikaku stood on their front porch leaned up against one another watching the pair walk down the driveway together.
Shikaku nudged his wife, "You wanna make a bet on how much longer it takes those two to figure it out?"
"You know how lazy he is, I say it takes at least another year," she smirked up at her husband.
"Not when it comes to her though. I say six months or less," he crossed his arms smugly as if he had already won their wager.
Yoshino laughed and the two shared a knowing smile. They lovingly linked arms and walked inside, waiting to see how late it would be when Shikamaru came home.
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Alright everyone I hope you liked it please keep giving me all the feedback! Hopefully the story will start speeding up at this point. The next few chapters will see Kumaraki's birthday party, a night at an arcade with Obito and friends, and a midnight visit from Shikamaru. Stay tuned!
