Author's Note: Here's another one! Enjoy!
You cringed as you looked around the room. Friends and co-workers mingled about, dressed up in expensive outfits, drinking expensive wine, most likely chatting about expensive things. God, you hated New Year's Eve, the parties that came with it and the drunks that came out of it. You had worn your best, but you still managed to look and feel out of place. Your eyes shifted out of focus as you stared at the bright hanging lights that had been hung up a couple hours prior, their bright yellow glow too familiar to car headlights.
Usually on New Year's Eve you'd just stay home. Binge watch some episodes of your favorite TV show, get through a decent bottle of wine and then drag yourself to bed, hoping to sleep through the transition to yet another year. Another year where resolutions would slowly be forgotten and soon everything would settle back into regular routine. Another year to try and get used to the hole in your chest that just kept getting bigger.
God, you hated New Year's Eve.
"Want to get out of here?"
Startled by the sudden voice to your left and yanked back into reality, you turned to find Kakashi standing next to you, wine glass in hand and gold streamers stuck in his lopsided hair. You hadn't heard him come up to you, and the sudden closeness made you take a step back.
"Sorry, what did you say?" You asked, not having fully comprehended what he had said. Your gaze shifted to the streamers; they looked terribly gaudy. Noticing your look, he reached up to run a hand through the hair, pulling out the flimsy foil strands.
"I asked you if you wanted to get out of here." He repeated, letting the streamers fall to the ground. "You've looked like you've wanted to leave since you showed up."
You had never really spoken to Kakashi outside of work, despite being colleagues for what would soon be three years. While he intimidated you a little at first, eventually, the man had started to grow on you. His intimidating aura changed to one of allure, and you had begun to admire him from afar, occasionally confiding in Sakura about your feelings. Normally, you wouldn't have dared to ask such a bold question and you honestly never thought he'd ask either. Checking the time on your watch, you shrugged. It was only eleven. You had time.
"Sure."
"I know a good coffee shop not too far from here. A little hole in the wall kind of place. They shouldn't be too busy, especially tonight." Kakashi said as you both walked to front desk and retrieved your coats. Stepping outside of the building you took a deep breath, relishing the cold air. The faint sound of sirens in the distance made you tense, but the feeling of Kakashi threading his fingers with yours brought you back to the present. Squeezing once, he gently tugged on your arm, pulling you with him. The gentleness surprised you, but you didn't make a move to pull away, following his lead in silence.
"You know, I've never seen you at one of these company parties before," Kakashi mused, breaking the silence. "You don't seem to be very fond of them."
"I'm not."
"So why come?"
"Sakura talked me into it." You mumbled.
"That's very 'her', isn't it." Kakashi chuckled, suddenly coming to a stop. "Well here we are, welcome to the Black Cat Café." He let go of your hand to pull the door open, a bell ringing as he did so, nodding his head at you. "After you, my dear." You did as he asked, stepping into the small parlor, Kakashi following behind you. The atmosphere of the shop was comfortable, warm lighting complemented the color of the seats, and the scent of freshly baked pastries made your mouth water.
"Kakashi! Long time no see!" A man who looked around the same age as Kakashi appeared at the counter, a warm smile on his face.
"Obito! It's good to see you!" Kakashi greeted, crossing the room to share an over-the-counter hug.
"I see you brought company," The man's gaze turned to you once he and Kakashi separated. An eyepatch covered his right eye, and you could see traces of scars covering the same side of his face. "Name's Obito, nice to meet you." He held out his hand for you to shake.
"_, nice to meet you." You said, taking his hand.
"Well don't be shy, make yourself at home," Obito encouraged. "What can I get started for you?"
"A caffè macchiato and one of those strawberry Danishes please, they look amazing." You answered, gaze dropping to the glass display. You were about to reach for your wallet when Kakashi stopped you.
"Add that to my order, Obito. Just my regular, please." He added, pulling out his wallet to slide a few bills onto the counter. "My treat." He winked at you. Hoping the dim lighting would hide your blush you stuttered a 'thanks' before making a hasty escape to a nearby booth. Obito and Kakashi shared a look and a chuckle before Obito got to work on your orders and Kakashi joined you at your booth.
It was silent between you before you spoke up, trying to make some conversation.
"This is the first time I've spent New Year's Eve with anyone in two years." You admitted, sheepishly.
"Not a fan of the festivities?"
"Not a fan of the people who partake in them." You replied. Noticing Kakashi's raised brow, you scrambled to clarify. "I don't mean people like you, I just..." You floundered, desperately searching for the right words. Kakashi laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling.
"No worries, I get what you mean." He assured you. "I've seen my fair share of rowdy, irresponsible individuals."
Before you could say anything more, Obito appeared balancing three plates on his arms. "Here we are one caffè macchiato and strawberry Danish, and a black coffee with three sugars and cream on the side." He leaned forward to set down the items on your table.
"Thank you very much." You said, pulling your drink towards you.
"Don't mention it. It's been a slow night, so don't hesitate to ask if you need anything." He said before retreating to the back.
Clearing your throat, you tried to pick up where the conversation had left off. "My older brother," You began, choosing your words carefully. You don't know why you were telling Kakashi, of all people, about this. You had seldom told anyone about what had happened to make you hate New Year's Eve so much. "Three years ago, he was coming home to visit for New Year's Eve. We were going to get dinner together and then meet up with our parents afterwards to celebrate." You paused to take a shaky breath.
Kakashi put his hand over yours, the gesture a silent question; are you okay?
You nodded.
"We were on our way to our parent's house when a car came out of nowhere, speeding around the corner. It was going nearly twice our speed and my brother tried to swerve to avoid it," You blinked, eyes suddenly wet. "He managed to turn the car enough that the oncoming vehicle didn't hit us head on but... it hit the driver's side really bad. I was knocked out from the force of the impact and... when I woke up, I looked over and he was... he looked really bad."
"Here," Kakashi offered you a napkin and you took it with a weak 'thank you'.
You sniffed, using the napkin to blow your nose. "I had a dislocated shoulder and two broken ribs. I called an ambulance and phoned my parents on the way to the hospital. He was in critical condition and doctors didn't know if he would make it. I spent my New Year's Eve getting patched up in the ER while my brother fought for his life."
"At twelve in the morning, the doctors came. You know the shtick; 'we did everything we could', 'unfortunately due to the injuries'. I didn't need them to sugarcoat it. The looks on their faces when they walked in were enough. He didn't make it. Found out later that the guy that hit us was drunk off his rocker. Had a history of drinking and driving. Apparently, his mom told police he had been out partying with friends. Thought it was a good idea to get behind the wheel. Fucker."
"I'm sorry." Kakashi said softly. "But it wasn't your fault."
"I know." You said bitterly. "Everyone tells me that. I spent months wondering what would have been if we had left five minutes later. If we had taken a different route. Hell, if we had just heard them coming." You sighed angrily. "I lost my brother and my best friend to some asshole that decided getting into a car while intoxicated was a smart thing to do. I've spent every New Year's Eve alone since then with an emptiness inside me that just keeps growing."
You expected him to apologize again. To tell you how strong you are. To make a joke, even, and try to lighten the mood. What you didn't expect was:
"I know what that's like."
You raised your eyes to meet Kakashi's. Your confusion must have shown on your face because he chuckled sadly.
"The emptiness." He spoke. There was a beat of silence. He didn't elaborate. You didn't ask.
The silence continued, but it wasn't oppressive. Wasn't suffocating like it was when the doctors came to tell you the news. Wasn't suffocating like it was when your teary-eyed parents came to visit you in the hospital. Wasn't suffocating like the first time you spent New Year's Eve alone. The silence between you was... comfortable almost. There wasn't pity. Just understanding. And maybe... maybe that's what you needed.
"Well, it's getting late." Kakashi said, standing up. Whatever was lingering there before, if he had wanted to say something else... it was gone now. You checked your watch. The hands read eleven forty-five. Before you could say anything, Kakashi offered you, his hand. "Let me walk you home."
After wrapping up your untouched Danish, you took Kakashi's hand. His fingers slid in-between yours and he dropped a few coins onto the table. Only once you had left did you realize he hadn't touched his coffee. The cold air hit you the second you stepped outside and once again, you were grateful for the chill.
"I don't live too far from here, actually." You spoke. "Sorry for the trouble."
Kakashi shook his head. "It's no trouble at all."
The two of you walked in silence through the snowy streets, fingers interlaced the whole time. Eventually, you came to a stop in front of a small townhouse. "This is it." You spoke. You looked at your watch. eleven fifty-five. The two of you remained where you were. As Kakashi began to pull away, you tightened your grip on his hand.
"Would... would you like to come in?" You asked shyly. Even though his face was covered you could sense Kakashi was smiling under his mask.
"I'd be happy too."
The two of you climbed the stairs. Once the door was unlocked, this time you were the one to usher him inside. "After you."
The door closed behind you, and for the first time in two years, when the clock struck twelve, you were not alone.
End of One-shot
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you want me to continue this story as a series! See you in the next one! Bye!