✔️Heal My Heart {Kakashi Hatake}

28 | absolutely not

This is a picture of Kurenai using my markers again, I used quite a few this time so I'm not going to list them all :P

"Miyoshi!"

I heard Kurenai calling from down the street and turned to meet her. She seemed a little worn out, and her thick black hair was messier than usual.

"Are you okay?" I frowned.

"I need to talk to you about Asuma."

"Ohhhhhhhh!" A smirk spread across my face and I grabbed her by the hand. "Come with me, child."

"Child?" Kurenai questioned. "Where are we going?"

"A little place I like to call the heart hospital. Also known as my kitchen table." I grinned widely. I had waited for this conversation to happen since we were kids; everyone shipped Kurenai and Asuma, and the way they acted, I figured it would only take a little nudge to get things going.

I dragged Kurenai into my house and sat down at the table. She sat opposite me with a little sigh.

I laced my fingers and stared at her. "Spill."

"It's nothing like what you're expecting," Kurenai warned. "But the other day, Asuma walked me home after a mission like he always does."

"Hmm." I narrowed my eyes and my smile grew.

"Stop that." She laughed nervously. "But when we got to my house, he just said 'bye' and walked away. Normally he waits until I'm inside the house, and he talks to me before I go in, but he didn't."

I nodded slowly and processed this. "What exactly happened on the mission?"

"Well, it was just the two of us. It was only an escort mission, the nephew of a Feudal Lord or something. He was really annoying. He kept flirting with me, but I kept it professional and didn't let it get to me. The whole thing went without a hitch."

"Wow." I shook my head, smiling. "You, my friend, are blind. Asuma was totally jealous."

"Jealous?" Kurenai blinked. "Why would he be- oh!"

"Yeah, see? You're getting it now. Just go out with him already."

Kurenai fidgeted awkwardly. "W-well, I don't really..."

"Come on." I rolled my eyes. "You guys have known each other forever, it's not going to get awkward if you ask him to get dumplings with you or something."

Kurenai was silent for a moment. "I guess not. But what if he says no? And what if he doesn't like me that way?"

"Calm down. Anyone with eyes can tell that he likes you. Just ask him out calmly, like it's a normal thing. Easy."

"Okay." Suddenly a smile cut across Kurenai's face. "Here's a deal. I'll ask Asuma out... if you ask Kakashi out."

"What?!" I exploded. "No! Kakashi and I are barely even friends, we're not-"

"Then why did he watch you like a hawk while you were recovering? And he refused to let anyone else help carry you into the hospital. I doubt he slept or ate."

"Th- that's irrelevant! He was responsible for that mission, so he probably..." The sentence trailed off feebly. "We're not dating, okay?"

"The same way Asuma and I aren't dating?" Kurenai teased. "That's the deal. In your words, 'you guys have known each other forever. It's not going to get awkward if you ask him to get dumplings with you or something.'"

"Yes, it will! What I meant is that you and Asuma have been close forever, Kakashi hated my guts for years! Plus, he doesn't even like dumplings. Or anything sweet."

"And you know that because...?"

"He told me once when we got ramen."

"Alone? Together? That sounds like a date."

"It wasn't!" I argued, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a date. And we had been holding hands yesterday. I was absolutely not telling Kurenai about that. I couldn't say anything without it seeming like we were together.

Wait, what does that mean? We're just friends, right?

"I can tell by your face that it was." Kurenai smirked. She had won.

"Fine." I muttered. "We'll all go out tonight. But under no circumstances am I being left alone with Kakashi, understand?"

"No promises." Kurenai grinned. "We'll meet at Yakiniku Q at seven."

"Fine." I muttered. "But this is only for you, okay? I'm not going out with Kakashi because I want to."

"You act like a mom sometimes." Kurenai laughed.

"I am a mom," I responded, very seriously. "Every single person in this village is my child. I guess you could say that I'm the mother of Konoha."

Kurenai snorted. "That is a very fitting title."

"It is, isn't it. Right, go ask Asuma out." I shepherded her to the door.

"Good luck with Kakashi." She winked as she left. I glared after her, but I had promised. With a sigh, I headed in the direction of Kakashi's apartment.

I knocked on the door reluctantly. Kakashi opened it after only a moment of waiting, and seemed surprised to see me there.

"Kurenai made me ask you out," I explained. "She said if I asked you on a date, she'd ask Asuma."

Kakashi sighed. "Is Kurenai still alive?"

"I didn't think Asuma would appreciate a dead girlfriend, so she's still in one piece." I grinned. Kakashi knew me a little too well.

"Well then. Where should I be, and what time?"

"Kurenai said Yakiniku Q at seven tonight. Wear something a little more casual than, you know, ninja gear."

"Okay. See you then, I guess."

"Why are you being so calm about this?" I asked as he was about to close the door.

"Because it's not a big deal." Kakashi shrugged. "We know that we don't think of each other that way."

"I guess so. Don't forget."

"I won't."

Kakashi closed the door and I walked back home. That was easier than I had expected. Was it supposed to be easy? What had I even been expecting?

I was so confused that I didn't even notice the time until it was almost seven. Alarmed, I quickly changed my ninja outfit for a pair of jeans and pink shirt, and put on my favourite sleeveless red jacket. It had pockets on the inside which I kept a couple of summoning scrolls in, just in case something happened while we were out.

This date was going to be so annoying.