#softtober

“Sensei!” You were interrupted mid-stroll along the village fence by a hoarse shout from behind, the voice’s person not hard to discern.

You turned on your heel, the gleam of the kid’s recently acquired headband blinding you momentarily before you could focus on the blonde’s ferocious grin, “Hello, Naruto—“

your voice felt short with surprise in finding he wasn’t alone, you then readjusting to see his other two teammates standing over his shoulders, “Sasuke, Sakura... is everything alright, you three?”

“We need your help, M’am!” Sakura, your forever fiesty fighter spoke up, “We’ve been put on a secret mission.”

“A secret mission, you say?” This can only mean so many things, and it wasn’t against your interest to find more out, “Without Kakashi-sensei? Sounds dangerous.”

“Nevermind him.” Sasuke scoffed before taking a step forward now, pushing Naruto aside much to the other’s audible dismay, “He can’t be involved in this.”

“Oh?” You tilt your head on its side, curiously looking over each former student, “Why’s that?”

Naruto eyes you cautiously, his head snapping to the right and then to the left, him leaning to look around the back of you before again turning over his shoulder. Once all directions had been throughly checked in his better judgement, you assumed, he finally centered himself back in focusing on you. He waved his hand back in his direction, beckoning you to lean forward in which you comply to nearing the group of genin.

He cups his hand up towards your face, against the front of your ear, “It’s about Kakashi-sensei. We’re gonna finally see the face behind the mask!” 

“You’re serious?” You ask quietly, a little taken aback by their goal.

Out of any scenario these three could make a mission out of, it’s not that you didn’t expect them to end up with this one. You just weren't expecting it, and your eyes grew wide in surprise as you pulled back to stare at the three—their own expressions letting you know they were all convinced with their self-proclaimed mission.

Your face slightly fell with the edge this knowledge gave you, “Oh, you’re all serious.”

“Yep!”

“Very.”

“M-hm!”

They all replied, sounding off one-by-one as if there was an order to their speech. A nervous chuckle resounded in your chest at that, your hands placing themselves on your hips.

“Well, it sounds like you’ll have some tough work ahead of you…” You hesitantly began, Naruto leaping up to cut you off with more information.

“We actually already have help from others!” He claimed once airborne, the kid then landing and taking your hand in his smaller, calloused one, and tugging you back slightly, “He was the one who told us to come find you!”

No longer innocently playing along, the fact that another ninja from the leaf had specifically told Team 7 to find you made you beyond suspicious. All would be quelled, though, when the man Naruto was regarding stepped out from behind the tree a few feet away.

Eyes narrowing in caution, you raised a brow in the person’s direction when you weren't sure who was approaching. The name was definitely lost on you, and the face was not going immediately connect with one you could remember. He was a stranger, as far as you were concerned.

He wasn’t outwardly unordinary, wearing what looked to be a green trench coat and a tan scarf wrapped around his neck and over his shoulders, a camera dangling against the front of his chest as well. He had shaggy brown hair which swept in his eyes and almost hid how grey they were now that you had progressively gotten closer to the apparent-photographer. The oddest thing about him was definitely the purple face paint that covered the lids of his eyes and fell in two elongated blocks over his cheeks, almost down towards his jaw. An imperfect mole punctually dotted right beneath the curve of his smile, making him into… what you would describe as a unique individual.

“Hello!” The ninja chimed, and it was like a ghost of someone you once knew was suddenly standing in front of you—and just as quickly, the feeling was gone. The voice before you belonged to a stranger all over again.

“Hi.” You shortly responded, the kids beside you visibly tensing at the hard tone you held, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around the village.”

You surely hadn’t, everything happening in front of you just felt off. Like the situation itself was somehow amiss… you just couldn’t point out a valid enough reason as to why. Superstitious as ever, you were sure Kakashi would also feel similarly if he knew what was going on.

Even with your less-than-friendly greeting, the man managed to widen his smile into a grin, “No, you wouldn’t have!”

“His name’s Sukea!” Naruto spoke back up from your side, grabbing your attention to dilute it from the scarfed man, “He’s wanting a scoop.”

“… A scoop?” You repeat, raising an unimpressed brow in the adult’s direction—him finally letting out a nervous laugh.

“I—I’m a photographer, you see!” Sukea brought his camera up from his chest, motioning it towards you, “Trying to get the latest and greatest documented from the five great nations. Simple as that.”

“Simple?” you huff an irritated grunt, turning on your heel to begin walking away, “I thought you three were better than talking to crazy strangers.”

“No, please sensei!” Naruto yanks at your arm, the force causing you to stumble back into a halt, “We need his help!”

You scoff in wanting to object to the spiky-haired boy’s whines—but you also saw how Sasuke and Sakura looked up at you with a similar yearning. Saying no to three was much more difficult than just one, and you slumped at the thought.

“So, why need me if you have him anyway?” you cautiously ask.

The kids all gave each other hopeful looks before again regarding you, a new note of excitement within their manner. One you found to be maybe a little too visible, and you swore you heard the self proclaimed photographer snicker. 

“Sensei…” Sakura started, in responding to your question, “You really don’t know?”

You shook your head, confused enough as it was. Not fully grasping a solid plan as to how your talents would even begin to help discover what stay hidden beneath Kakashi’s mask. There must’ve been something you were missing, the three genin smirking now in your direction before looking back to Sukea. He had stepped even closer now, a similar smirk like the kid’s mirrored on his features.

Evermore growing in your confusion, the look on Sukea’s face further added frustration to your list of feelings. And now, him being a complete stranger wasn’t the issue—he clearly knew too much for your liking that really became your annoyance with him. Like he was in on the biggest secret this whole mission could have, and was only stringing you and Team 7 along for his entertainment.

“Am I supposed to?” You countered—not towards Sakura. Your eyes were glued to Sukea, challenging him to laugh if he would.

“Sukea pointed it out to us yesterday.” Sasuke interrupted this time, his arms stiffly crossing over his chest, “The way Kakashi-sensei acts around you.”

“He what?!” You shouted back, jaw slack and definitely shattered at your feet below you, “You guys were spying on us?!”

“No, no, not them.” Sukea took a step forward, the nervous smile pulled back over his features, “Just me.”

“You.” The edge in your tone was clear, no longer afraid in offending now knowing you were facing your stalker, “Why the hell were you spying on us?”

“Please, it’s not…” he stumbled, as if looking for the right words to say, “I wasn’t doing it to be a creep.”

“Well, you failed on that end. Clearly.” 

The photographer fretfully voiced your name, like it were a forbidden word; and for him, you’d damn well consider it one. The airy voice he had when saying it made your skin crawl, you were throughly freaked. Even with the harsh glare you had been giving him ever since being introduced, he still spoke up your name. “Let’s clarify—It wasn’t spying. Do you even remember what you and Kakashi were doing yesterday?”

Of course you knew what the two of you had done yesterday. You had been looking forward to spending time with him all week, it’d been awhile since the both of you got to spend any time together and were wanting to stop by your favorite book spot. It was just that, a nice outing followed up with some ramen for dinner. So when…

“Obviously you were hiding yourself from us yesterday.” You grumbled, now following Sasuke’s attitude in crossing your arms over yourself, “I think that fact makes it ‘stalking’.”

“Agh! Nevermind if you think it’s stalking or not!” Naruto sounded up again, the fiery kid clearly fed up with whatever conversation could be left. “Sukea says Kakashi-sensei obviously has a soft spot for you, and if we lure him out with your presence we’ll definitely be able to catch him off guard!”

Your brow furrowed now in Naruto’s direction, and the overwhelming feeling of defeat with giving in to your favorite trio’s wishes was on your horizon. 

“Yeah, well how can he know that just by spying on two people for an afternoon? Hm?” You wave off the blonde boy, turning to face the three once again. “Besides, guys, I don’t think this is really a good idea. What’s so important about seeing under Kakashi’s mask? I’ve known him for years, at this rate, and still don’t know what he looks like. Does it really matter that much?”

Naruto and Sakura’s eyes blew wide whilst Sasuke merely huffed emphatically through his nose, the first two then erupting into complaints.

“Of course it matters!”

“Sensei, this could very well be the most vital information upcoming ninja like us could be getting our hands on!”

“Don’t you think since Kakashi’s our sensei now that we should see what he looks like! What if…” Naruto froze as his mind played catch up with his thoughts, and something clearly struck him, “What if we’re asked to identify a body! How would we know if it was him or not?!”

“His hair—“

“WE NEED TO KNOW!”  

You flinched at the screeching children, your shoulders slouching when they finally waited for your response, even Sasuke showing little signs of anticipation for what you were going to say. It was hard to make the decision—as much as you loved helping them out, this seemed like a bad idea. And, you were looking out for your friendship with Kakashi, if he found out and got upset? Who knows what would happen between the two of you…

“You know…” You jumped at the incoming voice of Sukea again, warily then turning to glance his way, “Regardless of what happens, I think Kakashi would be proud of them for displaying teamwork with others if you were to help them.”

The suggestion didn’t really help in your decision making, but when you looked back down at Team 7 to still find their unwavering hope in gaining your support in their super, secret mission… there was really no way you could bring yourself to say no.

“…Alright,” The kids gasped in excited surprise as you finally gave in, “I’ll help… but nothing too crazy! I’m backing out if things get out of hand, and—“ You reach over the kids heads, not hesitating to snag the strange photographer by his collar; much to his surprise. “I’ll be bringing him to the Hokage, personally. Capeesh?” 

Team 7 was reminded of their earlier days in classes where you’d switch out with Iruka to give the poor man a break, remembering how you’d whip the class back into shape in his absence and you weren’t worried about shaking the shinobi up a little along the way. With the fresh memory in mind, the three heads carefully nodded in response, Sukea still awkwardly leaning over them—resisting against your firm grip.

You regarded the kids once more to make sure they understood the severity of which you meant this, pushing back against Sukea to put him back behind his ‘protectors’. “Good. Let’s just hurry up and get this over with…”

Turning on your heel, you started to head back into town, mentally beginning to make a list as to where the grey-haired shinobi might have already ended up this afternoon. The kids, giggling and whispering a couple times to themselves, faintly cheered encouragingly to one another before than running to catch up with you. Sukea, thankfully, staying to walk behind.

With no telling to how this could turn out, you tried putting your best foot forward in leading you to help the kids succeed, a new hope now on your mind as well. Maybe helping them wouldn’t end in disaster, maybe you would finally see the face of the one shinobi you had always thought to be such a desirable mystery in your life. The person you never went further than asking to hang out with, the one you’d indulge in your deepest secrets with a feel safe knowing he was merely listening to you. He meant so much to you in everything you experienced alongside him, it was hard to believe you were trying to invade such a private fact about him on a random afternoon like this.

Maybe it would end up being fine, maybe he wouldn’t be upset and possibly find it funny that even adults were in on this little task. Whatever the case would be, you were now filled with a newfound eagerness to get to the bottom of this. Alongside Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura… and the odd acquaintance Sukea, what could really go wrong?

— 

So many things, it turns out. So many things could end up going wrong.

The plan you and your newly-founded team had come up with seemed solid. You, seemingly innocent and harmless, would wait at the corner of town with the other four off and out of sight. In their absence, you would sit in wait for Kakashi to eventually head down the road to where he thought he was meeting Sasuke for a training lesson; instead was supposed to find you in a surprise attack of hugging him around his neck and holding him in place with Shikamaru’s shadow possession. Yes, Naruto had even gone that far to get the back up of Shikamaru, along with a handful of his other friends, if you weren’t able to get the mask off in time for Sukea to snap a photo.

It seemed simple enough, and was a whole lot better than Sukea’s suggestion to make it seem like you’d fallen into the river prompting Kakashi to come save you. No way in hell were you letting that happen in risk of mouth-to-mouth when already the idea of Kakashi in any romantic setting had you reeling in the privacy of your thoughts. That much wasn’t happening.

Even with the ‘better plan’ being anticipated to be put into action, and the help from the rest of Naruto’s newfound friends from other Teams, it still wasn’t enough. In the end, Shikamaru’s shadow possession wasn’t strong enough to last on both your’s and Kakashi’s shadow with Tenten using Shikamaru as a boost to follow after Rock Lee and Neji. What was meant to be harmless was actually the end to your full out attempt at discovering the mystery…and Kakashi was still there, masked and clearly upset with the advantages taken against him.

It was now, after running in a full out sprint and splitting up from the rest of the dashing genin that you hopefully lost the pursuing Team 7 Leader. You were gasping for air when you finally came to a stop back where you first had gotten yourself into the mess in the first place—right along the first fence, now beneath the shade of the oak tree. 

Wearily, you sighed out with both hands on your hips, steadily inhaling to try and regain control of your gasping lungs. Finding it safe enough to now rest, and not wanting to seek out Kakashi in facing consequences just yet, you approached the tree’s base and promptly fell against its wood.

Quickly sliding down the tree once graced with the first bit of rest, you lay yourself out in the shade and calm from whatever the hell just happened. Tired, nervous at the idea  seeing Kakashi, the little relief you held with now being by yourself was alleviating—to say the very least.

Evidently, it wasn’t meant to last.

“Didn’t realize how fast you would be, after all that.” 

You gasped at the approaching voice, eyes flying wide and snapping up in the direction of the approaching individual. It took all your willpower not to sneer in the direction of Sukea, his camera clunking softly against the center of his chest. Rolling your eyes obnoxiously, you crossed your arms over your chest and further sink to the ground. “What the hell do you still want?”

“Everyone ran away so fast, I didn’t get a chance to really apologize.” He cheekily laughed, your brow only hardening at what you assumed was his ‘innocent-guy’ act. 

“Apologize?” You had a list of what you could want from him, at this rate. An apology wasn’t among the bullet points you’d already thought through.

“Yeah, you know… for wasting your time.” He gestured to your exhausted self on the ground, you snorting a humorless laugh to begin your response.

“Really?” Tilting your head on its side, you raise an eyebrow up at him, “Wasting my time?”

Sukea merely smiled at my questioning tone, his lips pressing against each other in a hard line as he peered down at you. 

“Still just as suspicious of me?”

“Why would that have changed?” You frowned again, sitting up a little as he suddenly took a step closer, “It’s not like you gave me any real grounds to trust you. I only went along with it for the sake of Naruto and his team.”

“Ah, well why be so cautious of me in the first place?” Sukea stepped up to stand beside you against the tree, his arms folding over his chest this time too as he used the trunk to support his back. He was clearly waiting for a response, and you bit the tip of your tongue to keep from saying something unnecessarily rude at his taunting. “…Does it matter?”

“Sure,” Sukea shrugged, looking off towards the sky suddenly, “humor me.”

“I—You.” Stunned a little, you scoffed and waved him off suddenly; if you weren’t already fed up enough with his behavior up to this point. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And, you still haven’t answered my question.” He promptly responded, his legs suddenly folding as you found him then seated up next to you, “Do you have a good reason to be so guarded? Or, is it just stubbornness?”

It sounded like he knew people called you stubborn, or it was something he was somehow familiar with. Whatever the case may be, you finally revolted in yourself and turned to confront the photographer.

“What gives you the right way to be so rude? I mean, really. We’ve never met and—“ Sukea began chuckling at your sudden outburst, and your confusion fell apart into pure disbelief at the reaction. “I’m sorry… is something funny about this?”

“No! No, no, no, hah… not at all.” He turned to grin down at you, the stupid grin on his face making dimples slightly carve at the sides of his face. “Clearly.”

You blink in trying to regain conscious thinking in this moment, the tease he so clearly was directing at you flustering you in ways you didn’t want to be possible. Yet, here you were at his mercy… and none of it made sense. You weren’t able to reason as to why he made you feel this way, there was just something about him…

“…God, who are you?”

Sukea laughed out again, this time having to throw his head back with the sheer force of his laughter. You couldn’t help but apprehensively smile now, confounded at the ninja beside you.

“Trust me,” He huffed out softly, an all too familiar nickname of yours breathing from his lips before he turned back to you, “you know who I am. I think you have to know me better than anyone in this village, at this rate.”

There was a change in his voice, and it resounded in an all too familiar tone you could pin-point in a crowd if the circumstances called for it. Still not entirely understanding what was happening, the cogs in your brain were fervently churning in your mind. Sukea’s grin widened at the thoughtfulness riddling your features, and your heart suddenly sunk in familiarity.

“Holy shit,” You fell off the tree’s trunk and landed in the patchy grass below, your hands flying out from under you and scrambling to sit you back up at a distance this time, “no way.”

“Haha, did I get you?” ‘Sukea’s’ hand lifted over his head, fingers tangling into his seemingly brown locks before tearing at the roots; the hair pulling off his head with ease and revealing a spiky mound of grey bangs that lay beneath. There was no longer a mysterious photographer sitting beside you, your long-time shinobi friend revealing more than just his identity to you in that moment.

“Kakashi—“ You breathed, gawking very openly at the fact you were now truly facing the man behind the mask—and had been since earlier this afternoon, “why?—“

“I meant it earlier when I said I’d be happy to see you helping out my team with learning more around the importance of teamwork.” He beamed, the stupid beauty mark from earlier making your heart race now.

You wanted to grin in return, laugh along with his happiness at even the lack of success Team 7 had with their secret mission. But, you couldn’t help but stay so completely awestruck in the wake of this reveal. He was as beautiful as he always had been in your eyes, and all you wanted to do was now memorize the features before you in case it was the last time you’d ever be able to see them again. Kakashi must’ve sensed your wariness, his grin closing into a warm, sincere smile—his face pushing closer in your direction.

“Not what you expected?” He softly asked.

You scoffed at the question, shaking your head at how tickled this made you. “I mean… I guess I didn’t know what I was expecting entirely.”

From the space you had placed between the both of you, you tentatively placed a hand back in front of you and crept back towards him. He watched you with an easy stare, and arguably looked maybe the most peaceful you’d ever seen him. It made your face flush in quiet heat and nerves feel like they were pumping fire through each motion you made to close the distance between the both of you. 

“…I’m sorry for antagonizing you so much, today.” Kakashi was suddenly apologizing, you huffing in surprise at how sudden it felt for you while he continued, “I did chase after you to apologize.”

“Ah,” You slowly nodded at his reasoning, now taking the chance to taunt him as he had today, “well… in that case, you’re forgiven.” 

Kakashi laughed openly at your acceptance of his apology, shaking his head and letting his grey hair settle from being stuffed in the wig all day. You took another look at his eyes, suddenly confused as to how he pulled this disguise off in the first place.

“Wait, your sharingan…” You didn’t think before placing a steady hand on his face, leaning closer to try and peek at his left eye, “How?”

“The contact works as a suppressant, made with me in mind.” He calmly responded, now weaning away from your touch and instead arguably pressing into the warmth your fingertips held, “I used them to go undercover when I was still in Anbu…”

“I see,” You hummed, leaning back a little to see his face in its entirety again. It was then you registered just how forward you had acted in holding his face, and your hand quickly snapped back to your side. Shame shot flared up inside you like a burning fire, and you frantically began tripping over yourself to apologize, “I—I’m so sorry, oh my god, I wasn’t thinking, and—“ 

“Woah, it’s okay,” Kakashi lifted a hand to silence you in which you were quick to comply, the same hand then falling back to the one that had just been pressed against him. Delicate fingers wrapped timidly around your wrist, he too being hesitant to take whatever ‘this’ was a step too far, but regardless brought your palm back towards his face where he goaded your fingers back to his cheek and flattened your hand back against him. “I… I didn’t mind.”

Your chest felt tight in anticipation, and you had no words to explain how it all made you feel. Kakashi wasn’t rushing you to speak, he too was staring at you as he thrived in the adoration between you both. He swallowed, a quick breath as he spoke up again.

“Uh… remember when Naruto mentioned how… I act around you?” 

You paused at the question, trying to recall what he had said an hour or so ago. “Yeah…?”

“Was that… uncomfortable?” 

“What?” Your eyes grew wide, shocked he would even be worried about such a thing, “No… no, never uncomfortable. Not from you—Sukea? Another story.”

Kakashi chuckled again at your joking of his persona, his breath hot against the edge of your palm, fleeting just as quickly as it had appeared. It made your hair stand on end, and you shuddered softly at its touch. He watched you with his eyes now halved in appeal, studying each glimmer and gleam you produced just by existing in the space beside him. You were the diamond in his roughest of days, the light at the end of the tunnel he always hoped to reach. Instead, you were reaching out to him in this moment, physically holding him and letting that light encapsulate him fully.

Forever grateful is how he would feel in relation to you, the you who saved him when all else was lost; the you who kept him safe when you probably didn’t realize it. 

“Well, then, I apologize for Sukea’s efforts in trying to help my team.” He murmured, his eyes dangerously flitting towards your parting lips, further eliciting the deep desire he held anytime you were close like this. This was the first time contact had been made, though, so what was really stopping him from going further.

Dignity? He had none left when it came to you, surely you realized that too?

“Hah, I accept.” You resounded, your thumb swiping over his cheekbone as you felt into the trance that came along with those grey contacts, “So… with your attitude differing around me, this is okay then?”

Kakashi didn’t voice a response, just softly brushing his head against your skin in a nod. This was more than okay, this might as well be a dream come true.

It was too hard to keep away any longer, the anticipation had built in both of your hearts and one finally had to brim. You swept in towards him, and took his lips in yours. His newly exposed, newly perceived lips that instantly melted to yours and made it as though fireworks resounded in the broad daylight around you both. It was so sudden, so solidifying in your heart that there was no longer denying how right you were for one another. Perfection was hardly the right word to describe how fulfilling this finally felt.

Your hand reached past his head, pressing to the shag of the hair growing towards the back of his neck—lightly tugging at the roots while he too moved to bring you in. Put you somehow closer, wanting at your hearts in one another’s chest to maybe touch if the moment allowed it to be so. 

“Sensei?!” The screech of a student sounded from the end of the road, you and Kakashi leaping back at the interruption. “I think those are their feet! Over here, Sasuke! Sakura!”

“Crap!” You whispered, Kakashi already frantically moving to grab the wig he foolishly took off in broad daylight. But, he was already prepared for something like this happening, the man turning to you with a light smirk as you watched him hopelessly. “Hide, before they get here!”

“Way ahead of you~” He chuckled, a single finger pressing to his now sorely red lips in shushing you, and your cheeks warmed to another degree at the smirk he flashed before disappearing into the branches above. You took a glance and sighed at the relief in not being able to see any sign of him—the shinobi securely hidden amongst the leaves.

“Sensei!” Sakura was the first to reach you, your head flying back forward to see her approach. “We were so worried Kakashi-sensei had caught you!”

“Yeah, sensei… that was close!” Naruto bounded to her side, the two overwhelmingly worried for your sake. Sasuke didn’t look anymore bothered than he usually did, regarding you all warily.

You laughed cheerily at the troublesome genin, shaking your head gently in their direction, “No, guys. I’m fine, really… I escaped.”

The two visibly sighed in relief, Sasuke’s eyes closing to show his own sign of comfort in seeing that you were fine. You grinned, hoisting yourself up from the ground and standing before them.

“So…?” They all faced you again with the trailing off in your tone, “What’s the verdict?”

“For Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto nervously replied, awkwardly scratching at the back of his head, “Uh… I think—“

“I believe we’re done for the day.” The three shinobi jumped at the incoming voice, slowly turning to face the wrath of their Team Leader. Kakashi regarded them sternly, his cold gaze finding you and almost easing. He muttered your name, the noise muffled by his mask; you couldn’t help but smile in response.

“Kakashi.” You replied with a light nod. He put a hand on his hip, shaking his head disappointedly in your direction before turning to the three.

“What you idiots tried pulling today was incredibly rude. You should learn to respect privacy!” He lectured. 

“We’re really sorry, sensei!” Sakura spoke up, “It was Naruto’s—“

You flicked the back of her shoulder as she tried pinning the blame, the smaller girl flinching in response but respectfully quieting down at the correction. Kakashi regarded her with a weary sigh, looking once more to you.

“I apologize for my team’s behavior in getting you wrapped up in their shenanigans today… I hope you can forgive them.”

“Oh, trust me,” You smiled happily in the direction of the three, the outcome maybe the best thing that had happened to you in awhile, “I already have.”

The trio frowned in confusion at how warmly you spoke now, not knowing the bright side that ended up being your now reality. Kakashi didn’t let them stand around for long, grabbing at Naruto and Sasuke’s shoulder before shoving them back in the direction of the village.

“We best be off now,” He grumbled over their whining complaints, “these three still have to report back to Hokage over their attempt of seeing me yesterday.”

They all groaned, you lightly giggled at the resistance but waved in goodbye anyway. “I’ll see you around, you guys… take care.”

“Bye, sensei…” They all replied meekly, the consequences now being faced.

Kakashi didn’t pause in walking, but instead turned lightly over his shoulder—a wink from his visible eye sent your way. You mimicked the gesture, grinning happily at the thought of seeing him later. 

All your life, you had been a witness to many strange instances of grotesque beings littering themselves throughout public life. Monsters that would hang on the shoulders of others, wrap themselves around limbs or merely exist in the space beside them. You had found them to be irritable, but never outright dangerous. This instance felt strikingly different in that sense.

You weren’t wrong to feel the alarm, when you entered the alley the shadow grew to form and quickly made it clear your demise was the being’s goal. Cornering you amongst the trash cans, it gurgled and outwardly grinned through its muck to register a facial expression. Never knowing the details about curses, much less beginning to imagine what utilizing cursed energy was, it ultimately felt like your demise was inevitable.

Seemingly from a miracle, a figure flashed forward at the last second before the specter could strike. It caught the goop with bare hands, the creature suddenly exploding in an array of slimy globs that landed with sounding slaps against the surrounding brick walls.

It all happened so quick, you could hardly manage to shriek with how abrupt the start and end of the attack had been. But, your protector wasn’t disappearing as soon as he had arrived—and he turned in regard to you.

He had been dressed in robes, heavy-white cloth hanging over his shoulders beneath a purple vest-like piece of clothing that clung noticeably tighter around his chest and waist. 

The man had a strikingly pale appearance, dark purple circles under his eyes that more-so resembled bruises and made him seem as though he had just recently come out of a fist fight. Across the bridge of his nose, reaching onto tips of his cheekbones, was a long scar. Inky black making the contrast stark on his rivaling white skin. A gaunt looking face topped off with two spiked ponytails on either side of his head—their color like his scar in being a pitch-black attribute to the rest of him.

There wasn’t anything else you could do besides helplessly stand before him in that moment, bask in a stare that could arguably kill. It seemed like it already had with the mess of goop now coating the walls and cement before you. Covering the on-comer’s hands in their forever darkness that screamed danger just as much as he did too.

What all felt like to be your finale in life quickly turned, for he made no move towards you when you back further away, cowering yourself into a corner. The relief continued, still, when the most he did was tilt his head at your distancing in the corner of the alley—looking back definitely not the best place to cower into if wanting to escape such a force that he had proven to be.

He spoke up, and it wasn’t that you were surprised that he himself could speak in full sentences, but more in that it wasn’t words of aggression. He spoke as though trying to console you from the events that had just happened, in compassion? You weren’t sure, the defeat of his target still dripping from his fingers making compassion something you found hard to believe he felt much of. 

There was more movement behind him, two different figures materializing from the shadows behind the man—both chilling you to the bone. The first was a strikingly shortened figure, with a distinct face over a gaping mouth that curved into an open-lipped grin. The face which the individual also held for features was definitely the most gaunt of the three—dark, seemingly gouged out eyes with hollowed cheekbones. Like it had sucked out whatever original life had been within such a body. It toothily grinned in sight of you, the first man waving behind him at the look you stared over his shoulder. The other’s mouth closed, as if he got the message to cease. 

The other looked more human like the first, towering over the rest of you with glowing, violet irises that were only further highlighted by the black of his scleras. The hair on his head was little, falling over the front of his forehead, a lighter brown compared to the original man’s hair, the rest of his face to wide and muscular too to really fit the hairstyle. 

He was shirtless, arguably built like a greek god with abundant muscles beneath a tiny, suspender outfit. The suspenders only there for direction as they “held up” too-tight-of pants on his lower half that clearly weren’t slipping down easily. Topped off with a sporty bowtie wrapped around his neck, white cuffs adorning his wrists, it looked like he might be mocking an upper-class appearance. He smirked in your direction, as if he knew what was going on and you were simply the butt-end of the joke.

Your voice couldn’t be found as the trio paced forward, and maybe his words had been so strikingly softer to the rest of him in wanting to lull you into a false sense of security. Striking at the last moment, when you would least expect it. 

With everything that had now happened, after the being chased end of things, it wouldn’t surprise you. Life was fleeting it seemed, you were bound to face your end sooner or later today… right?

What ended up being the case was something you never would’ve thought would be a result to such a day. You had been introduced to the trio in those next moments, Choso, who you had met before the rest, introducing them as his brothers by name before himself. You could see he was the most polite and articulate from his amalgamation of a family—and it all started to settle.

There was a reason behind his kindness, and it was almost just as innocent as the sympathy he had shown in the first place. He had saved you out of the goodness he wanted to be, but he staye from the pure curiosity you spawned within him. Wanting to know the spirit he had seen flitting around the streets of Tokyo on a more personal level.

It worked out for the better, arguing it was for your protection Choso ordered that you report to him once every week to see what else you had seen. On top of the intrigue he felt in your pureness, there was unfamiliar want to protect you from any danger you might face now that he was understanding of your circumstances. 

He had worked out that you weren’t a curse user, but in fact a mortal that had the innate ability to see the curses which plagued humanity because of their faults. You weren’t tied to those faults in his mind, though. His eyes never deceived him in purity of a soul, yours shining nearly as brightly as how he viewed his brothers—arguably a shine worth becoming apart of his family.

Never wanting to go against what will you could have against his ruling of wanting you apart of his life, since he too couldn’t rule out why that were the case but found the desire not worth debating too far, he thought the once a week rule would be sufficient.

Once a week turned to twice, then every other day, and finally resulted in a daily check-in--the same alley at the same time, Choso ended up just going to wait for hours upon hours for your arrival. Quiet eagerness founded in hearing about your day regardless of maybe seeing a curse or not.

What the both of you thought couldn’t get better was just the beginning of something beautiful; because once upon approaching him your foot had almost comedically caught against the edge of a crack in the cemented ground, and suddenly you were tumbling towards the Cursed Womb. He was as nimble as he had been that first time interacting with the hybrid of a man, racing forward and catching you up in his considerably strong arms. Holding you up and closing you against him, he held you close to his chest that you swore you could hear the willing heart of his threatening to beat right out of it. 

As though the final straw in your shared haystack, what was a building pining caved in on itself and Choso wasn’t going to shy away from his feelings any longer. He had finally gotten to hold you, and that was really all he needed to push him to a confession. A finale worth congratulating, you thought.

Now the two of you were here, resulting in your utmost protection from the eldest Cursed Womb and keeping you close even when times got hard. Fights were breaking out at a fastened rate, the World of Curses was beginning to build up in retaliation to humanity—and you being a human at the right hand of a high profile curse went directly against the motives of some. 

Suguru Getou and Mahito were never big fans of yours, in fact they had gone to Choso in wanting his support in their uprising that ended up with them requesting your disposal. He denied, obviously, he wasn’t going to break apart his family willingly of what other’s wanted.

They threatened further, and so Choso hid you away from the world after explaining the situation you could find yourself in if allowed on the surface for too long of a time. You agreed, willing to go with him as long as the daily check-ins stayed consistent, and he were careful.

This was the end of another day hidden below the surface, it always ending in the tired man collapsing against your legs and stuffing the side of his head in your lap—silent insistence of him wanting you to play with his hair. It just made him all the more endearing in your eyes… these moments precious when the rest of the world was continuing to stay so tumultuous.

His eyes were glued to you and his surroundings honestly could’ve turned to nothing in those moments, he wouldn’t panic. He would still have you, that’s what mattered.

“Was your day alright?” He mumbled, studying your features as if he didn’t already have them memorized. 

“Yes… it was fine.” You hummed in the wake of him, hand falling from being buried into the roots of his hair, brushing down the side of his face and tracing around the definition of his jaw. “Bland.”

He frowned at your use of the word, knowing it wasn’t you trying to negative, frowning because he wanted to make it better. Give you more to look forward to—even if you already found him to be enough.

“I’ll have to figure out a better situation than this…” he huffed, laying lightly back into your thighs, “Keeping you in here isn’t good on my part, I apologize.”

“You’re only protecting me, Cho. I could never be mad at something like that.” You reminded him, because he always fell back on this disparity when he found you every night, back at your “home”. He wanted you to have more, have something to do when he would be gone all day working for this, honestly, quite insufferable curses. 

The thought wasn’t the first time he had experienced such a profound idea, but asking something like that of you sounded so… wrong. It wasn’t his place to decide such a life-altering choice like the one he always thought of in result of wanting to be more—give more to your everyday when he otherwise couldn’t. 

You sensed his stiffening in your lap as he battled with himself of going through with the question, and it wasn’t the first time you had caught on to him wanting to speak. Every time the idea would be reminded in that precious place behind his face, between his eyes. It was getting him to admit the thoughts he had that was difficult, and yet they were what you considered entirely beautiful. Each always worth listening to and considering, in your opinion. Forever a curious mind, his curiosity having changed your life for what you would say was the better.

“Choso?” 

He knew the tone of voice, he knew what was coming. What you were going to be asking. This time, he didn’t know if he was entirely up for denying his thoughts. The question just always on the tip of his tongue, and the wall had been worn with that of which he fell on to keep from admitting to the question he always held.

“Yes, dearest?” His voice, too, was soft and easy. Clearly hesitant.

“What’re you thinking of, my dreamer?” 

The smile in your voice was clear, your fingers tracing down the back of his neck, against the stubble of his hair. He shivered at the mercy of your fingers, eyes closing as he figured how to word his question.

“You surely know that it can’t be anything good…”

“What makes you say that?” You counter quickly, fingers maybe jumping a bit on his skin with the difference in how this question usually went. 

Usually, he would say there was no matter to what he was thinking, and that he was again just wanting to lay against you a bit longer. Getting him to say anything past that was a trial you never passed—so the lack of a test to cut straight to him tempting his own answer struck you.

“I would hate to cause you any more discomfort.” He frowned into the fabric on your legs, your whole self enveloping every sense he had, “It’s not a comfortable question.”

“You can ask me anything, you know this.” You encourage simply, not needing to have his angst grow in finally hearing what he had to have been thinking in the previous moments like this.

“Well…” he sighed, lifting his head to face you once again, ready this time, “I was trying to reason how saving you in the eyes of Curse’s should go. How I could protect you against their wrath in having them accept you as a part of my being—which, you very much are. Whether they want to accept that or not.”

You flushed, like every time he seemed to describe the pure depth of his attraction for you, flaring up in the love deep within your heart. Adoration riddled throughout.  “Yes… I-I see.”

“So,” he stared simply at your burning cheeks with a warmer gaze, one that simply further liked seeing how warm your cheeks now were with just his gaze along with a few words. As lovely as you were, you were always going to be human. Humans were always so easy, and he found it be ever apart of the blessing that you were in his life, another note to why you were so lovely for him. “That being said. You are my family, yes?”

“I—uh… well, of course.” You stumbled over words, mind reeling, “If you say that I am, I would be a fool to say no.”

“Not a fool, but I do want to extend on that point… of family.” He easily replied, the weight of the world weighing now on his lungs as he willed himself to speak the words. “Extend my family… with you, that is.”

You didn’t quite understand what he was entirely getting at, at first. Extending the family wouldn’t be bad, he would find others if he chose to look, was he worried about your disapproval of people? Had he found another partner? Choso saw the signs that your mind had begun to race, and he extended a centering hand that delicately was then placed against your wrist. You found him again, eyes softening with your brow furrowing.

“What … what does that even begin to mean?—“

“Us, my love. Our own family, apart of my bigger family…” he cleared his throat, straightening up from your lap, speaking the words. “I’m wondering if you’d at all be interested in having a child.”

Your eyes blew out wide, and you could only manage to stare in shock at the man beneath you. “A—.. A baby?”

“Yes. A baby that can show just how strong our love is for one another in the wake of such… hatred I’m surrounded in.” He tried to explain, his eyes pinching closed as he riddled through the words that ran through his mind in an array of differing thoughts, trying to select what phrases felt right in explaining himself. As if he needed to reason the want for a child beyond his own desire. “It would prove to that vile spirit, Getou, that we are something worth existing. A child of a powerful curse and a beautiful human would surely—“

“Cho, baby, please.” You giggled softly at seeing his panic with the subject, leaning forward to your lap and brushing the tip of your nose against his own, “I’d be happy to be a family.”

You answered it so simply that Choso couldn’t believe his ears at first. But, his brain soon caught up with the rest of him in registering your quite immediate acceptance of the offer he bestowed, and in turn he felt silly all over. For those rare times you had been accounted for in the wake of his smile, this was another one of those instances. He beamed brighter than any ray of sunshine could ever hope to be, grinning happily up to you and all that you were. An angel sent from the almighty to grace him with a love he would never not be able to live without. 

“Truly?”

“Truly.”

He leapt up from the floor, arms reaching out and over your shoulders in gripping to envelope you in a surely loving hug where he only hoped you could feel the admiration radiating from him in waves. Love was such a joy in life he now knew, thanks to you. And this was enhancing all that he initially thought he knew—growing into a forever instead of just the want of forever. With your saying yes, he could safely keep you by his side with also a being to show how far that love was rooted between the both of you. With that promise of acceptance from both parties, he knew all would be well, the family man never going to back down from his always goal of protecting those he cherished.

“Here’s to us, then.” He squeezed you a little tighter, reassuring himself too that this was real and you were really wanting this too.