Work Text:
You always loved the way paper lanterns looked against an inky sky. The way the small flame danced eagerly behind the colored paper that sheltered it. Your eyes roamed over the rows of dancing flames hanging from a string above the Konoha street. Your hesitated on each one, admiring the novel designs of each.
“Hey,” you heard in front of you. The Hokage stood in front of you, his festival kimono hanging off his limp shoulders. His gaze was soft as he approached you, the smile behind his mask evident from the shadow on its fabric. Your pulse quicken at seeing him in this new setting.
“I’m sorry I’m late, I - “ he tried, but you waved a forgiving hand, standing up quickly. You knew all his lines. You watched for a beat as his eyes slid quickly down your figure, around its curves that were accentuated by the tie around your waist. You reached a hand in front of your stomach, shielding it.
“It’s okay,” you told him quickly, watching as two obsidian eyes swivel back to yours. “I was just admiring the lanterns. They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”
He sensed how flustered you were, the thin skin around his eyes crinkling as his cheekbones lifted fondly. He looked away, assessing the hanging lamps decorating the streets. You continued to stare at him, your heart pounding in your rib cage at the site of him. Your first date together, you thought. How was this real?
"They are quite beautiful," he commented. He looked back at you, a twinkling in his eye that soon shut with an upturned soft smile. "Shall we see the rest?”
You nodded, holding your clasped hands at your waist as you took a step closer, following him down the bustling path.
“How was your day?” He asked thoughtfully, his hands shoved deeply in his pockets.
“Quite well,” you looked up at him, his shoulders square as an eye glanced down at you. “How was yours?”
“Better now.”
You walked beside him, feeling your body's proximity to him as the two of you casually strolled. It was so unfamiliar to see him out of his uniform. Without his usual Hokage jacket to cover him, you noticed how broad his shoulders were under the fabric of his Yukata. It felt strange to be so close to someone you saw every day, usually at a respectable distance. He didn’t seem to mind how your shoulders brushed against each other as you both walked.
You thought of the first time you had met him in person, the rush of blood that flushed over every inch of your skin as he had looked up from the stack of papers on his desk he had been endorsing to finally lock eyes with you. Your gaze had met and he had greeted you, waving a hand for you to enter the office and knocking over a stack of papers in the process.
“Is this our new secretary, Shikamaru?” He had asked, his tone serious despite how clearly rattled he had seemed. You had thought at the time that you had just bothered him at an inconvenient time.
“Has the office been busy without me?” You asked, looking over at him. “I’m sorry, by the way. I had that paid time off and-“
“Please, don’t apologize,” you heard him laugh lightly beside you, looking down at you. “The office will survive a few days without our best secretary. Barely, but they will. You deserve some vacation.”
You pressed your lips together, stifling a smile. “Thank you, Hokag-“
“Kakashi,” He corrected softly, his eyes meeting yours intently. “Here, you can call me Kakashi.”
“Oh,” you blinked, a blush creeping up your neck. “Yes, I - of course,” you spluttered.
A hand touched the small of your back, reassuring you. You blushed harder, looking up at him as you watched his eyelashes turn up in two crescents. “Would you like to get something to eat?”
“Oh yes,” you nodded, “I’m starving!”
“Me too,” he replied, his hand leaving your back. It’s absence left your skin cold under the silk of your kimono.
“What’ll it be?” He asked, assessing the street vendors that lined the walkway. “Ramen? Dango? Taiyaki?”
“Mmm, Taiyaki,” you groaned zealously, nodding your head. “We eat ramen in the office too often. Lets get something different!”
“Taiyaki it is,” He agreed, pivoting the two of you through a crowd of people. Around you, you could see sets of eyes hesitating on you a beat longer than usual. You looked over, watching two young women snickering close by as they stared at you. You looked away quickly, adjusting your weight to your other foot. You pursed your lips together, staring at the ground.
You knew you weren’t the quintessential version of a woman most men drooled over. Your hair was often too frizzy, and your waist a few inches too wide. You often tried to cover up your freckles that you had always loathed. Maybe you shouldn’t be here, you thought. The Hokage deserved someone more conventionally attractive to be in the spotlight with him.
“[y/n]?” You heard Kakashi say next to you, interrupting your thoughts and pulling you back to reality. “Everything ok?”
“Yes, sorry!” You composed yourself quickly, dismissing your thoughts.
“What flavor would you like?” He asked you. You blinked, realizing the cashier was waiting impatiently for your order.
“Oh, cream, please,” you responded, reaching in your pocket for some change. Before you could gather the correct amount, a small fish pancake was being handed to you.
“You didn’t think I was going to let you pay, did you?” He smirked at you, a teasing thin eyebrow cocked.
“I never thought I’d see the day, Kakashi,” you teased, your eyebrows raised. He laughed in response, shaking his head.
You smiled, your mouth filled with the delicious flavor of custard as you playfully pushed his shoulder, letting him know you were teasing him. A hearty chuckle emanated from behind the fabric of his mask - a cold, thrilling shock to your chest that radiated throughout your body at the sound of it. The two of you laughed together as you walked, taking bites of your dessert as you continued down the path. You never saw him bite his, but each time you looked over at it, another piece of the red bean paste dessert was gone, his cheek full as he chewed.
This felt normal again- the two of you bantering back and forth like most days in the office. Your friendship was hidden under a bed of hesitation and longing. But as he chewed on his pancake, looking down at you with a laugh, you felt your worries dwindle. Maybe this would work - maybe you could be an item. Maybe —
“Hokage-Sama!” Your playful laughs were interrupted abruptly. Turning around, the two young women from earlier bowed to their Hokage, giggles uncontrollably coming from the two of them. They were young, maybe 10 years your junior and clearly in their early twenties. Skinny. Clear, porcelain skin. Smooth hair. Youthful. Conventionally attractive, you thought.
“Ah, Yuki, Raoima,” Kakashi acknowledged the girls informally. He knew them? “Enjoying the festival?”
“Oh yes,” the taller one said, throwing her hair over her shoulder. “Very much so.”
“Are you, Hokage-Sama?” The other girl asked with a grin.
“I am,” he nodded, glancing over at you. “Thank you for aski-“
“When will you be coming into the shop for another tailoring session?” The taller one asked, her blue eyes glistening with anticipation.
“Oh, not for awhile, girls,” he smiled apologetically, “my robes are all set for now.”
“What about a new uniform? Some new shoes? The Hokage should always be dressed to impress!”
“I think I am good, ladies,” he replied with an awkward smile. He scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. You took another bite of your pancake, the warm custard dripping down your lip. You quickly wiped it away as the girls turned their gazes to you. You blushed in embarrassment.
“What about you?” One of them asked, their tone changing. They glanced between each other, exchanging a knowing look.
“You could use a tailoring session,” the other quipped, “that kimono is looking a little tight, don’t you think?”
Your ears burned.
“We could let it out for you, so it’s more comfortable! Especially with winter coming, people tend to put on more weig-“
“Thank you, ladies,” Kakashi interrupted curtly. His demeanor changed immediately. You felt a hand on your back again, this time snaking around your waist and pulling you to him protectively. Their spines straightened instantly, noticing the change in his tone.
“We will see you around,” he waved the pancake clad hand to them, ushering the two of you back into the crowd.
“Ugh,” you heard one girl sigh with intentional volume to the other behind you. “What a shame. She’s not even that pretty.”
You swallowed hard, tears brimming suddenly under your lashes as the Hokage continued to direct you through the bustling crowd.
How could women be so cruel to one another? Certainly, the Copy Ninja turned Hokage could take any woman in the village he wanted to on a date. You considered their words, thinking of how you could exit this date as soon as possible. But how would you face him in the office if you did? Would your friendship ever recover? How foolish you were for saying yes to him. He probably felt sorry for you. Asking you on a date to the annual lantern festival - knowing well you didn’t have a date. You should have just kept your relationship professional. You being his secretary and him being the Hokage. What an idiot you were.
Suddenly, you felt the tips of his slender fingers slid against your palm. You froze, feeling a rush of heat up your spine. Without further hesitation, his fingers slid between the spaces of yours, palms clasping together. He looked down at you, feeling your body temperature rise at the contact of his skin to yours. Your eyes met, and he smiled softly at you, his gaze holding yours a few beats longer than you anticipated.
“Would you like to go down to the river?” He asked, his tone soft. You swallowed, unsure of how to proceed with the evening. Had he not heard them? Shouldn’t he feel embarrassed to be with you?
“Sure,” you finally replied with a nod. You finished your dessert, taking smaller bites as you continued down the path towards the lantern filled river. You relished in the feeling of his hand on yours. The nip of the cool night chilled the tips of your fingers. Each time his fingers moved, you would feel the warmth from his hands against the thin skin of the back of your palms. Your feelings teetered from feeling sorry for yourself, to being completely enamored that the Hokage - your boss - was holding your hand.
Once you reached the river, you both found a grassy clearing on a slope to rest. The trees surrounding the small hill concealed you both from the citizens trickling towards the river. You pulled your knees up, flattening out your dress with your free hand as you watched the lanterns flow down the rivers current. You felt better being out of the spotlight.
“[y/n],” Kakashi began, his eyes watching the lanterns as well. “Do you consider this a date?”
You blinked, looking over at him quickly. You waited a moment, wondering if there was more to the question. Was this not a date? Was this meant to be something else? Why did he hold your hand? Confusion whirled in your brain.
“I - I —“
“It was my intention that this was a date. I’m sorry if I haven’t made it obvious,” he raised his eyebrows with a soft chuckle, looking over at you finally. “I thought my fumbling when your around made it clear of my feelings for you.”
You weren’t sure what to say, but you felt a familiar blush creep up your cheeks. Relief swept over you. His feelings?
“We work together every day, sometimes well into the night for over a year. I have gotten to know you and trust you as a friend. You are an remarkable woman, [y/n].”
You nodded, looking back at the river. Was this personality talk? The one you had gotten so many times before from men? “You’re funny” they would say, “and you have a great personality.” Closely followed by “but I’m not attracted to you.”
He squeezed your hand gently, urging you to look back over at him. You looked back over at him, his eyes scanning yours for any sign of response. The wind picked up, a chilled breeze weaving through the strands of your hair. A few fell into your face and you cocked your head to get them out from in front of your eyes. You felt him let go of your hand, reaching up and sliding his fingers across your temple, pushing the hair back behind your ears.
“I don’t think you realize how most people see you.”
“I’m sorry?” You managed with a laugh, tasting the cynicism on your lips.
“Boy, either your oblivious or I’m an idiot,” he laughed. “I knocked over my whole stack of papers the first time I saw you.”
You smiled softly, feeling your body melt. “I thought you were just clumsy.”
“No,” he shook his head, his voice suddenly somber. “You had me all frazzled.”
“The Great Sixth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village - frazzled by his new secretary?” You laughed, shaking your head incredulously.
“It’s true,” His hand snaked around your shoulder, pulling you close to him. You froze, your body rigid against the side of his chest. A beat passed.
“Is this ok?” He asked quietly. You exhaled, nodding your head. Reaching up, you placed a hand on his thigh, leaning your head against his shoulder comfortably. Your hands shook with adrenaline as you watched the lanterns float down the river.
“I’m sorry about what those girls said,” he finally spoke, “I can tell it hurt you.”
“I’m fine,” you waved a dismissive hand. “They’re right anyway.”
Immediately, you felt his hand on your jaw, urging you to look up at him. You complied, feeling your breath hitch in your chest at how close you were to him. His fingers were calloused, grazing the delicate skin of your jaw bone. Your eyes skimmed over his eyes, his nose, the frayed, pilled fabric of his mask. The light from the lanterns below illuminating his features. You thought your heart might pound out of its cage.
You never suspected the Hokage of such tenderness. Had he had lovers before? Or was it those books? The serious man you had grown to befriend took on a new light to you in the literal illuminance of the lanterns below.
“You don’t get it, do you?” He asked, his voice just above a whisper. Your body softened, fusing itself with the earth.
“Get what?” You asked, a weary smile playing across your lips.
“How beautiful you are.”
You swallowed, stunned by his words. You could feel the breath from his nose on your skin, your body flushing and your mind reeling. Before you could even think through the repercussions, you leaned up, pressing your lips firmly to his. You heard his breath catch, taken aback by your sudden boldness. You gripped his yukata, feeling him exhale against your mouth.
Pulling away, your eyes locked with his, his eyebrows raised so high they disappeared beneath his silver locks. Your grip lessened, wondering if you had gone too far. He blinked at you, his eyes swiveling over your face, over your freckles. Your vision pulsed, blood pumping against your ear drums like incessant tidal waves. He looked down at your lips, his silver eyelashes dusting the tops of his cheekbones.
A moment later, the fabric of his mouth was against yours, firmly pressing his lips and exhaling against you. You breathed in, smelling in his scent. Not just the scent that everyone smelled, the one that would linger when he would walk past you. This was his intimate scent, the one that mingled on to his skin - the one that dwelled on every silver strand of hair. His hand slid to the back of your neck, pulling you towards him. Your senses mingled together, your body electrified.
A firework went off in the distance and you jumped away from him with a yelp. You looked over, watching the fireworks rocket into the sky and burst amongst the constellation of stars above the river. You exhaled, holding your chest as you caught your breath from being startled. You looked over at him, watching him exhale and shake his head, chuckling to himself.
“There’s two ways to get your heart pumping,” he laughed, rubbing his chest. Another firework launched into the sky and you heard the crowd audibly gasp at it’s beauty. You watched for a few beats, wondering how to proceed. Looking back over at him, he patted the area next to him. You smiled, nestling yourself against his shoulder as an arm snaked around your waist and resting on your stomach.
You pulled his hand away, feeling uncomfortable with where his hand was resting. Nonetheless, he pushed it back, resting just above your belly button.
“You don’t have to feel insecure around me - or anyone else for that matter, ” he murmured against your ear calmly, sensing your insecurity. Your eyes were fixed on the firework show before you, feeling him pull you closer.
“I already told you - you’re beautiful.”