safety [Kakashi Hatake x OC]

sixteen

The smell of something sweet woke Eri up that morning, and after the welcoming scent she felt warmth on her skin and seeping through the blanket that covered her. She nuzzled into the pillow and inhaled the smell of shampoo and faint cologne, but the sound of oil crackling on the stove-top brought her back to reality.

"Good morning." Her roommate hummed, making her realize she wasn't in the bedroom.

The memories of not being able to fall asleep and waking up Kakashi in the middle of the night as a last resort flooded her mind, nearly startling her into alertness. "I fell asleep." She stated bluntly. 

"You did. You were also really cuddly." He claimed.

To which she quickly muttered in response, "You wish."

He chuckled, amused by her attitude. "You were fine. You just fell asleep." He admitted.

She still felt embarrassed that she had woken him up and relied on him. She mumbled "thank you" into the pillow so quietly and muffled that the man couldn't hear, but he understood that she appreciated him.

"I made pancakes." Kakashi declared, setting a plate on the table.

She turned her head from the pillow to meet his smiling eyes. "Are you a housewife?" He was wearing an apron and had cooked most of the meals she had since she had decided to stay in Konoha.

"I can be if you're into that sort of thing." He teased, earning a pillow in his face. 

"Pervert." She huffed. 

He didn't retort her, just smiled blissfully with a faux innocence. 

After breakfast, Eri went with Kakashi to the Hokage's office to discuss his team's missions. Eri was left outside of the discussion, simply waiting outside the office until he was done making plans. She was sure they were talking about her as well, but she trusted that Kakashi vouched for and supported her.

She was lost in her own mind so much so that the sound of the office door opening startled her. Her fingers were at her lips anxiously as she watched Kakashi leave the room with wide, dark eyes. 

Seeing her looking at him expectantly, he gave a light-hearted half wave and hummed, "Hello again."

"Hi." She gasped, regaining her composure. 

"Team Seven is going to embark on a mission tomorrow." He stated bluntly. "It should be fairly easy and quick."

"Oh?" She hummed, sensing that he had more to say.

"You'll be coming with us."

"What?"

"Seen as you're under my watch, Tsunade thought it'd be best for you to join us."

She blinked a few times before simply muttering, "Okay."

What she didn't know was that the majority of the meeting with the Hokage consisted of Kakashi trying to convince her that Eri should come with them. Tsunade insisted that she should stay with her assistant or even Kurenai, but Kakashi was persuasive enough that Tsunade ended up caving. That, and she felt weak in response to Kakashi's softness for Eri. How could she say 'no' when he seemed so passionate and intentional about Eri coming along with Team Seven?

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Two days later, Kakashi and Eri met up with his three genin at the entrance to the Leaf Village. What the man didn't inform the Hokage of was that he gave the still yet-to-be-trusted girl some kunai knives in the case they needed to fight. But it was a C-ranked mission, so chances of fighting were unlikely.

The silver-haired man lazily and nonchalantly stated, "Eri's coming with us for this one. We're not expecting any trouble, so having an extra around shouldn't be a problem."

"Extra?" Eri dropped her head to the side. She was told she was joining their mission; she wasn't with them by choice, although there wasn't much she'd do instead. 

Kakashi smiled blissfully. "Would you prefer "my personal companion?""

Sakura - watching intentionally and excitedly - became dumbfounded with a white face. "Kakashi-sensei, you're so mean to her."

"I wouldn't call it being "mean."" The man responded, a teasing tone in his voice. "You guys don't see the kind of stuff that-"

Embarrassed and flustered, Eri suddenly interrupted him. "Well, then!" She chuckled uncomfortably. "Let's get going! We don't want to be late reaching our destination!"

With that, they were off. Eri was primarily concerned with making sure Kakashi wasn't going to completely divulge their interesting relationship in the privacy of his home. He, on the other hand, was perfectly happy and intrigued in getting a rise out of her.