Ships: Kakashi Hatake x Obito Uchiha / Gaï Might x Rin Nohara

Genres: Romance – Humor – Friendship – Genderbend / One-shot

Rating : +12

Summary: At first, Kakashi had only come out of politeness. Her heart had suffered too much over the years to bear any more. But perhaps tomorrow…

Enjoy your read!

---

It had been a lovely ceremony.

Seated at her designated place, Kakashi was fiddling with one of the table decorations, watching the other guests.

For the occasion, and out of love for her two best friends who were joining their lives together today, she had made the effort to dress up, swapping her loose-fitting, comfortable uniforms for one of the few dresses she owned.

Although she’d received a few compliments on her appearance, she’d mostly been met with sidelong glances that she wasn’t sure she’d interpreted correctly, but which made her feel uncomfortable, causing her to pull the thin straps of the sheer shawl completing her outfit tighter around her shoulders.

Perhaps she should go? Rin and Gaï had already cut the cake and opened the dance floor; she’d also congratulated them on their love and the party, she’d done the meal justice and caused no scandal.

Might as well keep up the good momentum, couldn’t she?

“Would you like to dance, miss?”

Under her fingers, the origami had become a pile of coloured paper, which she instantly regretted. But it wasn’t as if she could turn back time and restore it to its former glory, was it?

“Miss?”

The sudden sensation of fingers on the bare skin of her shoulder made her tense and turn abruptly, causing the intruder to step back.

Female intruder.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she began to stammer, before her eyes widened. “Kakashi?”

“Do we know each other?”

Still seated, it was hard to be sure, but this woman and she must be practically the same height. Black hair, copper-coloured skin, scars running down the right side of her face, one black eye and the other eyelid closed…

Definitely a stranger to her.

Kakashi raised her glass of wine to her lips, still trying to identify the woman.

And perhaps enjoy the view – might as well combine business with pleasure.

“‘We know each other’?” she repeated in a disbelieving tone.

But she seemed to catch herself, suddenly flashing a teasing smile as she leaned towards her.

“I’ll tell you, if you dance with me.”

And she held out a hand that was paler than the rest of her visible skin.

Perhaps vitiligo.

Kakashi should refuse. Clearly, her memory hadn’t deemed this woman important enough to immortalise her in the minds of everyone she cared about.

Whether it was dancing or simply talking to her, it would be a complete waste of time.

She was just about to leave; why linger?

But she had never been able to leave her curiosity unsatisfied; every mystery held the allure of a challenge to be met – that was what had made her and Gai such good friends – so she took hold of that hand, rising from her chair.

Apart from the heels, they actually looked to be the same height, she thought to herself.

But, for the moment, Kakashi was the taller of the two, albeit by a few centimetres.

This sudden closeness seemed to unsettle the stranger, judging by her half-open mouth and wide eyes.

She was rather cute from this angle. It made her want to tease her endlessly.

“The trail’s over there,” she indicated with a thumb over her shoulder.

It seemed to snap her out of her thoughts, as she blushed, pouting as their hands clasped.

“Let’s go,” she declared in a firm voice.

Her pace was a little too brisk for her high heels, but Kakashi was nothing if not adaptable, letting herself neither fall behind nor stumble.

Amidst the dancing couples, they stopped, facing each other properly. They were clearly both uncomfortable, but the young woman had long since learnt not to let it show, instead flashing a small, amused smile at the flustered behaviour of the one who had invited her.

“Already regretting it? But I haven’t even stepped on your toes yet.”

Her barb seemed to get her back on track and they began to twirl with the others, after both had briefly struggled to lead the other, before Kakashi gave up with a sigh.

“Can I ask you a question?” her partner asked timidly.

“Dodging it seems out of the question,” she quipped.

The lilac ruffles of her dress brushed against her skin in a gentle caress, revealing old scars to anyone who might look. But who would look?

“Since… since when have you been a woman?”

Surprised, as much by the question as by its incongruity and awkwardness, she stared at her with her single eye, saying nothing.

Her companion blushed and lowered her face, tightening her grip on her. Nerves, no doubt.

“I… I meant… Oh shit, that’s awful.”

She suddenly let go of her, burying her face in her hands, clearly mortified by what she’d just said.

Having no reason to help her, Kakashi did her the sole favour of waiting to hear the rest of the story, arms folded.

“I always thought you were a boy when we were children,” she stammered at last. “I never would have thought…”

Straightening up, the stranger made no effort to hide the way she was eyeing him from head to toe.

Although outwardly she didn’t flinch, the young woman found herself enjoying her gaze upon her. It didn’t stir in her the usual shivers of disgust that inevitably made her want to smash her fist into the faces of those who provoked them.

But not her.

“‘When we were children’?” she repeated. “Do you intend to tell me your name at some point?”

“Tsk tsk, I said only in exchange for a dance!”

“You’re the one who stopped. I’ve fulfilled my end of the bargain.”

“Still as rigid as ever, Bakashi.”

She paid no heed to the soft chuckle, frozen by that old nickname she hadn’t heard in years.

Breathless, she pressed her hands against the other woman’s plump cheeks, manipulating her face in the dim light, her eyes narrowed.

But the tears blurring her vision weren’t helping, so she grabbed her by the wrist in turn to pull her along, ignoring the attention their strange behaviour was attracting, her heels clicking against the floor as her boots would have done under normal circumstances, the vibration travelling up through her long legs, her jewellery jingling and her bun threatening to come undone at any moment.

“The loo? I never would have thought you so enterprising!” chuckled the ghost behind her.

But she could sense the anxiety beneath the jest, and in any case, they were already inside, and Kakashi released her only to grasp her face again, turning it towards the harsher lights and her dry, unblinking gaze.

“O… Obito?” she finally whispered.

“Surprised?” she managed to say.

Bloody hell, she had some serious strength in her hands! She couldn’t wait to find out if the same was true of her thighs…

But Obito had to push those intrusive thoughts aside when a head of silver hair filled her (narrow) field of vision, as her friend wrapped her arms around her neck, her face pressed against her shoulder, quiet sobs reaching her damaged ear.

Shit. That wasn’t part of the plan!

Originally, she’d come to the wedding partly out of spite. Her feelings for Rin might not have survived the years that had separated them, but he remained her first love despite everything, and she harboured a sort of resentment towards Gaï for having succeeded where she had failed.

So, when she happened to notice this fairy in a lilac dress with silver hair, she thought to herself, ‘Why not?’ and went over to ask her to dance.

Of course, she’d noticed the pale scars that were the subject of whispers at neighbouring tables, the closed left eyelid like her own, or the sullen expression. But she’d focused instead on the white lashes framing her eyes, the deep grey of her irises, or the muscles shaping her slender figure.

The fact that she was practically taller than her had almost taken her breath away.

But all that seductive appearance was nothing compared to discovering that this splendid nymph was none other than the adult version of the little brat from her childhood, the one who had been the cause of so many reprimands from the adults…

But they were too old now to fan those kinds of embers, weren’t they?

And she felt an ever-growing urge to whirl her around the dance floor…

So, a petty little part of her decided to take advantage of the situation, curious to see if the little boy was still there, the one who took on every challenge in his path and never let go until he’d had the last word.

And, damn it, yes.

And, of course, just like in their shared childhood, she’d had to open her big mouth and ruin everything. As forever, and ever.

And, once again, Kakashi didn’t react the way she should have.

And there they were, awkwardly entwined, in the toilets of their friends’ wedding venue.

Obito had no idea what she should say or do, but it certainly wouldn’t be between a row of sinks and stands!

So, she took a deep breath, took hold of the young woman’s slender wrists to gently push her away, drawing her attention.

“Shall we go somewhere else? I think we’ve got a lot to talk about and, er… this place is…”

It was clean, at least, but surely there was somewhere better nearby, wasn’t there?

“You’re right,” her companion sniffed. “Let’s go.”

But Obito stopped her first, which surprised her.

Embarrassed, the young woman scratched the back of her neck, looking away.

“Your mascara’s run,” she explained timidly. “You might want to check your reflection first?”

Obito had always been clumsy.

It was almost like a gift she had. If there was a phrase not to say, a gesture not to make, or a place not to go, you could count on her to seize every single one of those opportunities with both hands.

It was kind of endearing in hindsight, especially paired with her enthusiastic and sunny disposition.

She had sometimes hidden an amused smile behind the medical masks Kakashi wore as a child, though she had always kept it a secret from him.

She remembered the time when the seam at the bottom of her pants had come apart just before a performance, and Kakashi had patiently sewn it back together while the little girl had silently sobbed her eyes out, mortified and dreading the adults’ lectures.

But, as sloppy as the stitches were, the garment held up, and she was able to make it onto the stage in time, skipping along with the other students, a big smile replacing her sorrow.

So, now that her identity had been revealed, Kakashi didn’t take offense and walked over to the large mirror to fix her appearance as best she could.

Oh, darn, she’d left her purse on her chair…

The air felt far too cold against their skin, which had been warmed by the festive atmosphere, and Kakashi rubbed her arms, wishing she’d brought her shawl. But it wouldn’t have made any difference; the sheer fabric served mainly as a fashion statement.

“Take my jacket,’ suggested the woman next to him.

The suit jacket immediately covered her bare shoulders, shielding them from the light breeze as she wrapped her hands around the lapels.

“What about you?”

But Obito merely gave a broad smile, bending her arm and clenching her fist as she gripped her bicep with her other hand.

“I’m never cold!” she boasted.

“So, what they say is true: idiots never get sick…”

Her remark had been nothing more than a whisper, but it fell on the right – or wrong – ears, and they carried on as they had in their childhood, both laughing far too much for it to last.

When they collapsed onto a bench, out of breath, their abs, calves and cheekbones aching, they simply gazed at the starry sky, waiting to be able to speak again.

“I can’t believe you didn’t trip once,” Obito finally said. “How high are those damn heels?”

“Seven centimetres. But I can manage just as well in even higher ones; I just thought Rin wouldn’t like it if I towered over her in the photos.”

“Even without them, I bet you’re taller than him. I can’t believe we’re both over six feet tall and he’s a little runt!”

Her laughter was as loud as ever, but there was no malice in it, whilst her neighbour, more reserved, merely smiled, pulling the jacket tighter around herself.

“Gai told me that was the ideal height to fit her into her daily routine. For her, he couldn’t have been more perfect.”

She fell silent to ponder this statement before letting out a disgusted sound.

“Hang on, are we talking about his five foot six or the size of his… Kakashi!”

“With Gai, anything’s possible”, she simply smiled mysteriously at him.

After all, her friend had shouted out in the middle of the street, with her usual enthusiasm, that the size of her breasts was ideal for loosening up her fingers, so…

“When we were kids, you used to shout from the rooftops that you’d marry Rin… Was it the height difference that scuppered your plans?”

The subject of that time was a sensitive one, but it was bound to come up… This question was just one among many.

“No, we just lost touch. I wasn’t his type; there’s nothing you can do about that”, she sighed. “And you know what they say, the right height is when your feet touch the ground!”

She shouldn’t have found it so funny, but her laughter burst out despite herself. She ended up raising her own feet into the air, in front of her, teasingly.

“It wasn’t that funny. How many drinks have you had, exactly?”

“Why, are you the police?” she snorted, wiping her eyes.

“ANBU, actually.”

The silence that followed didn’t surprise Kakashi. Everyone was holding their breath at that statement. After that, reactions varied. Some stared at her scars, others stammered excuses to leave. There were those who decided to pour out their hearts about how highly they thought of this paramilitary group.

But, without fail, they fled her company just as quickly.

No matter; she was used to being abandoned, isolated. Alone.

An admiring whistle snapped her out of her thoughts, making her turn her head.

“I understand running in heels a bit better now! Does that happen to you often?”

“No, usually I wear the regulation trainers.”

“‘Regulation,’ repeated her companion. You haven’t changed a bit.”

She giggled, looking up at the sky.

This was the moment when she’d find an excuse to make a run for it, wasn’t it? It was a shame; Kakashi’d been pleased to see her again after all this time, but that was life. She’d chosen a profession that was looked down upon by the masses; that was just the way it was.

“Seeing how stiff and cold you were, going on and on about rules and laws, I should have expected you to be doing this sort of job. Is that how you lost your eye?”

Everyone was making the connection. And, at the same time, it hadn’t happened whilst spraying Mr Ukki…

“An operation that went wrong”, she brushed it off.

“Not easy, life as a one-eyed woman, is it?”

Obito chuckled again, completely unfazed.

“As if I’d let that stop me.”

But she stayed, against all expectations. Perhaps she was just slow on the uptake? Kakashi held her breath, waiting.

“And how did you lose yours?”

“In the fire. Along with some of my skin and nerves, as you can imagine. I didn’t even have an eyebrow left!”

Her laughter rang out again, taking the young woman by surprise. But then again, it was Obito. She’d never taken anything seriously as a child, and she didn’t seem to have changed over the years.

“So… you’re not dead,” she said in a neutral tone.

“Oh, I am. I’m just a ghost here to get my revenge, that’s all.”

“Sixteen years later? Still right on time, even after death, it seems.”

Her neighbour leaned back against the bench, turning towards her. The light wasn’t good enough to make out her facial expression, which she regretted.

“I’m not dead, Bakashi. The house caught fire and collapsed on top of me; I was pulled out by the fire brigade, spent one whole life in hospital, and here I am.”

She felt a hand on her shoulder, through the fabric of the borrowed jacket, but said nothing.

“But you… you’d gone. Without leaving an address or a phone number.”

Memories came flooding back, tightening her throat, but she was stronger than that and pushed them away.

“Dad…” she began. “My father had died; I had no living family left, so the system made me move. I had no means of communication to provide.”

They fell silent, weighed down by the past.

“And so, you became a woman,” Obito continued.

“I’ve always been a woman, you idiot.”

Despite the darkness, they looked at each other, one jaded, the other shocked.

“But no, you were… you were a boy before, weren’t you?”

“Obi, that’s horribly transphobic, for one thing. And, for another, no. Not that it’s any of your business, but I was born a woman. The fact that I didn’t wear a skirt wasn’t a clue.”

Embarrassed, as much by her own words as by Kakashi’s, her companion seemed to curl up into a ball.

She suddenly buried her face in her hands, letting out a disconcerting whimper.

“I can’t believe I thought you were a bloke all this time!” she whinged aloud.

“These things happen. I pass well in uniform. It’s even become a game with the new recruits. We bet on how long it takes them to get my gender right.”

Her attention had returned to the horizon, though there wasn’t much to see at this hour.

There was the rental building, shining like a lighthouse, and a few lanterns here and there for the walkers.

And there they were, in the dark, sitting side by side on a worm-eaten bench.

“I’m sorry about your father,” whispered Obito. “He was a brilliant man.”

“He was, yes.”

The jacket offered little protection against the chilly air, but her fingers clenched into claws, crumpling the satin lapels as the cold seeped in from within, freezing everything in its path.

By taking his own life, Sakumo had taken far more with him.

The hand on her shoulder weighed comfortably, a slight comfort, but it wasn’t enough to ward off the chill her body was becoming.

It wasn’t the first time, but Kakashi wasn’t even surprised to hear the young woman’s giggle again. She was getting used to her ways too quickly; that wasn’t good.

Because tomorrow would come; tomorrow always came.

“It’s only your nerves that have been damaged, are you sure?” she joked.

It was stupid. Only her subordinates understood her humour. She’d learnt years ago to stay away from all that; jokes weren’t for her. That’s life.

Obito withdrew her hand, proving her point, whilst her heart sank.

That’s life.

“Intrusive thought,” she apologised. “It’s just that… you’re going to laugh at me, but I’ve been horrible to you since earlier, so it’s only fair…”

“You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to,” Kakashi refused.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just very embarrassing.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her scratching her cheek – a mirror of the tic she’d had back when they were children, an outward sign of slight embarrassment.

Her cheeks were surely flushed at the same time.

“Rin already knows, anyway… He teases me about it all the time, so you might as well be in on it too!”

Humming absent-mindedly, her neighbour mimicked her, leaning back against the bench, trying to look relaxed whilst she was simply waiting for the moment when Obito would stop pretending and leave her.

Once again.

At least this time, she’d know she wasn’t dead, just living her own life on her own.

“The truth is, it wasn’t so much that I wasn’t Rin’s type, but that he wasn’t mine.”

Not quite seeing the connection, Kakashi frowned but said nothing, letting her get it off her chest.

“At nine years old, you’re not exactly in the closet, are you? I think the reason I took it out on you was to hide how I felt.”

“Oh, just for that?”

“And because you were a proper grumpy little thing”, she admitted exasperatedly.

The previous admission carried too many implications for Kakashi to process, so she focused on the last reply, laughing softly.

“Yes, apparently that’s a common trait among autistic people. A tendency towards rigidity and a lack of irony. But seeing you spring into action at the drop of a hat was worth every punishment we inevitably ended up with.”

The music reached them intermittently, filling the silence.

“What I meant,” continued Uchiha with a loud intake of breath, “is that, if we consider Rin to be my first awakening to romantic feelings, you would be the one who revealed my true romantic orientation.”

“Ah.”

Perhaps, if she knocked him out in some way, Obito would forget everything that had happened in the last hour? That way, she could flee back home and not reappear in society for… a good six months?

Discreetly, she leaned forward, seizing a high-heeled shoe and gripping the sole firmly, the tip of the heel poised to strike.

“And, seeing you again, after all this time…”

Through the wood, she could feel her squirming.

“Do you believe in signs?”

“I believe, above all, that you’re not thinking straight”, she retorted coldly. “There are statistics proving that wedding ceremonies tend to cloud the mind, causing declarations of love or marriage proposals. Strangely enough, none of that ever happens at funerals.”

Her nervous chuckle died away in the cold wind.

They should be heading home…

“Are you trying to rationalise my feelings or give me the cold shoulder?”

Curious in spite of herself, the paramilitary officer turned towards her, to find her leaning forward, her elbows resting on her thighs, but it was impossible to make out her expression.

Not that she would have been able to anyway.

“Reject you? I’m just stating the facts. Whatever you were planning to tell me won’t be believed tonight. Between the alcohol and the atmosphere, it’s impossible to take you seriously.”

“Is that all…”

A sigh seemed to empty her lungs, and her hand returned to her shoulder, but only to slide down her arm and finally take her.

“So, if tomorrow I start my speech from the beginning, will you believe me?”

Inside her chest, her heart tightened, reacting badly to the hope that suddenly swelled within her.

“You can always try”, she said through clenched teeth.

Without a word, Obito stood up, prompting her to follow suit with her hand on her.

They faced each other awkwardly, but the darkness now held something reassuring.

If Kakashi couldn’t lose herself in those velvety eyes, scrutinise the scars marring the round face, trace the silky curls, or wonder about the difference in the colour of her skin, then she should be able to protect herself effectively.

“You want your jacket back”, she admitted, nodding.

But Obito held her hands before she could move.

“You can keep it. Just give it back to me tomorrow.”

The heat in her cheeks made her thank the darkness once more, allowing her to hide her thoughts as best she could.

“I promised you a dance,” Obito continued.

One of her hands slid down to her lace-covered hip.

“You don’t have to; you’ve already given me your name,” she protested weakly.

“That was your part of the bargain. I haven’t fulfilled mine. You’re giving me permission…”

Her throat tightening once more, the young woman nodded, her earrings bobbing in time, before the consent finally left her vocal cords.

“All right.”

The music still reached them, but Kakashi felt as though she had tinnitus, whilst she went with the flow, letting her impromptu partner take the lead with efficiency, much like earlier.

On her shoulders, the jacket shifted and slipped, ready to fall to the ground at any moment, but Kakashi couldn’t find the strength within her to interrupt them long enough to place the garment on the bench.

It fell, brushing against her bare skin before collapsing in a heap on the floor, forcing them to step aside to avoid being knocked over.

And, suddenly, there was no distraction left to allow her to drift off.

Kakashi became acutely aware of their clasped hands, of the warm skin against her own, of the soft flesh into which her fingers sank, but not so much of the breath caressing her face as she searched the night for a glimpse, whatever it might be.

“You’re looking at me,” she murmured, lowering her head.

“Maybe. Does it bother you?”

Unable to find an answer she was happy with, she allowed herself to be bold as she rested her forehead against her shoulder, the soft fabric of her shirt creasing beneath her touch.

In this position, her ear was close to her mouth, allowing her to follow the rhythm of her breathing.

When Obito held her breath as the hand on her hip slid brazenly down her back to rest on her lower back.

When she tried to discreetly inhale her scent.

When her exhalation faltered as Kakashi drew their bodies together as innocently as could be.

But she didn’t leave.

Not only did she stay, continuing to dance, but she tightened her grip on her, like an anchor.

So Kakashi closed her eyes, surrendering himself to her, before whispering:

“Tighter. Never let me go again.”