Learning to Love | Kakashi x Reader

Lesson Fourteen

The front doors of the library slid open as if on schedule. Children seemed to burst forward, eager for their weekly visit. You glanced over from the front desk to greet one of the caretakers from the orphanage as she shepherded the smaller, shy children clinging to her hands. It seemed, once again, that the group gained another one or two kids since the last time you saw them.

You watched them eagerly browse the books, weaving their way through the shelves. You knew that for them, it wasn't just an opportunity to read or learn. It was an opportunity to escape from the realities of this world.

The some of the older kids helped the younger ones find books at their reading level, and others sat off to the side having already started on books they found. The new ones, you noticed, kept to themselves, standing off to the side until an older kid would encourage them to pick something out.

The caretaker came over and leaned her back against the front desk, watching from afar as you did. You walked over next to her and from behind the counter leaned forward, resting your elbows against the wood.

"How are things going with them?" You asked. 

"The holidays are always tough," Nonou shrugged, "This year's has been especially tough, but each kid deals with it differently."

You nodded, understanding perhaps better than most.

"If you don't mind, to be honest, we're in a bit of a tight bind," She sighed, clearly exhausted from worries out of her control and wanting someone to vent to, "Money's been running really tight. Even with the usual influx of Christmas donations this year, I don't know how we can make this work."

"Make what work?" You inquired. 

"The one thing we always try and make sure we do is hold the annual Christmas party for the kids," She explained, "We try to get them a few things, and with the money we have, we usually can only get them things that they need and maybe one thing that they want. But, with the influx of so many children this year, money's spread pretty thin as it is. The only thing we could really do is the gifts, but that's because they need them. There's no way we could do the party this year."

You frowned. The children deserved better than that. With their parents gone, there were few things that could bring them a respite of joy. It might just seem like another Christmas party to an outsider, but for those children, it meant something even more.

 Even Nonou sounded as if she was at the end of her rope. She explained that she's tried working the budget every which way, but it was impossible to accommodate both. Suddenly, an idea struck you.

"Well, what if we did a Christmas Eve party here?" You suggested, and you straightened up with a newfound sense of purpose, "I know it wouldn't be Christmas Day, exactly, because we're closed then, but we could at least do the party in the evening, so that they can open their presents as soon as possible the next morning."

She stared at you for a moment. Initially, she was surprised, but now it seemed she was carefully considering it. 

"Would your boss let you?" Nonou asked, "And what about funding? Food?"

You understood where she was coming from. After all, you just offered up the library, even though you didn't have the authority to do so.

"I'll talk to her tonight," You said, "I think she'd be on board with it."

Or, at least, you hoped she would be.

Nonou was silent for another moment. "Alright," She sighed as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and a smile then grew on her face, "That would be great."