safety [Kakashi Hatake x OC]

ninety-four

Heading back to Eri's apartment to move her things back to Kakashi's place - again - the two of them hung close to each other. It was obvious to see the change between them. It was as if Eri's memory had never been lost; they were as close as ever.

But a few blocks from the girl's apartment building, they were suddenly interrupted by a loud, joyful yell, "Eri-chan!" 

The said girl nearly toppled over when their fellow shockingly - yet characteristically - kobnoxious ninja jumped on her shoulders. 

"I missed you!" Anko sung in her low, raspy voice and nuzzled her cheek against Eri's flushed face.

Eri was too flustered to respond as she felt the frustration fuming from Kakashi's body. His glare said, "you better let go of her immediately."

"Oh, come on." Anko rolled her eyes dramatically and released the dazed victim of her overwhelming energy. "I'm just joking!" She reasoned with her playful smirk. "You don't have to kill me."

"You'd be bringing it on yourself." The silver-haired man muttered bitterly. 

"Oh, don't act like you aren't secretly fantasizing about a threesome." The woman teased, gently pinching Eri's chin with a mischievous sparkle in her tawny eyes. 

"I'm not, actually." Kakashi grumbled, grabbed his girl's wrist, and yanked her from Anko's much-too-familiar hold. He brought Eri's head to his chest protectively and darkened his gaze at the other woman. "Stop touching her like that."

Eri could no longer suppress a giggle as she looked up at the stern man.

"It's not funny." Kakashi growled.

"It kinda is." Anko interjected.

"Shut up."

"You're jealous." Eri teased.

The man was backed into a corner and couldn't defend himself, so he huffed dramatically and let the girls win.

It was relieving to Eri that she and Anko seemed to be able to be friends. The suggestive and questionable woman was able to approach Eri with her outgoing and unfiltered personality, and it wasn't unwelcome, so they both felt at ease.

Kakashi wasn't the biggest fan of their ability to be friends, but he also didn't want either of them to be sad, so he was okay with it. Even though signs of jealousy were emanating from him, he wasn't particularly threatened either.

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About a month passed, and Eri never felt more at home than when she was with Kakashi, and the same went for him. And despite the fact that they weren't outwardly affectionate towards each other in front of others, Naruto and Sakura were very okay with seeing them together and were fully aware of the way that they looked at each other.

The mission the two of them started with their former teammate so many years earlier was still something they were determined to complete.

Being the young, mischievous, and far-too-involved pupils they were, Naruto and Sakura planned to finally bring what was happening between Kakashi and Eri to light - or at least what they hadn't told the younger two.