My Next Door Neighbour (Kakashi x OC)

6 // Friends

.:Kakashi's POV:.

It's been two days since the kiss. The curtains in Mariko's room have stayed closed and I haven't heard much movement from her apartment, despite the thin walls.

As I leave my flat and lock the door, I gaze towards the end of the hallway and my eyes rest on her door. I sigh and turn away, heading out to meet Team 7 for their training.

☆☆☆☆☆

"Kakashi-sensei, you're even later than usual!" complains Naruto boisterously.

"Sorry, I got distracted by a pretty girl on my way," I lie. Sakura scoffs.

"Yeah right, Sensei," she starts, "I bet you were sleeping in." She eyes me suspiciously.

"Today we're gonna practice taijutsu," I state, avoiding Naruto and Sakura's accusing stares.

The kids end up practicing against wooden dummies as I observe them from afar, in the shade of a tree with a copy of Icha Icha Paradise. But even though I'm reading the words, my mind is distracted. I keep thinking about Mariko. Kissing her was such a sudden move, I probably freaked her out. I guess I got too carried away in the moment. Her disheveled hair was so cute and her lips looked as soft as ever. I could almost still taste her on my mouth.

"SENSEI!!!" yells a voice snapping me back to reality. I look up, visibly shook. Naruto is standing in front of me, looking clearly annoyed. Sakura and Sasuke are still training behind him.

"What's up with you today, you've been missing out on all my quality techniques!" exclaims Naruto.

"I was just busy reading," I say distractedly, but I can tell he doesn't believe me. These kids know I'm able to multi-task while reading.

"I'm going to go for a walk, how about I bring back some lunch?" I inquire, hoping Naruto will take the bait as an apology.

"Can you get Ichiraku take-out?" He asks, his eyes twinkling and a huge smile spread across his face. I should've known better.

"Ok, ok, I'll get Ichiraku Ramen for you," I reply.

☆☆☆☆☆

I walk through the streets of Konoha distractedly, taking the longer route to Ichiraku's and passing by my own apartment building. I look up at my balcony and see Mariko. She's leaning against the railing, her back to me. A warm breeze sweeps through the air, carrying leaves and dust up off the street. Mariko turns around. In her hand she's holding a coffee mug. Even though she's up on the second floor balcony, I can still see how tired she looks. Her hair is messier than usual and her skin is pale and almost tinted a sickly green colour.

She looks down to the street and spots me. Her eyes meet mine and almost instantly she looks away, turning back into her house and slamming the back door a little harshly. I let my gaze linger on the door before continuing on my way to Ichiraku's.

There were only two reasons I couldn't get her out of my head: 1) because of the kiss and 2) because other than the kiss, I couldn't stop thinking about the last night she had spent in my bed. Although neither of us had explicitly said much about it, it had been pretty intimate. And on top of that, I couldn't stop pondering on the way everything had felt then. Her soft, fruity-smelling hair, her warm skin, and oh god the way she got flustered by intimacy.

On my way back from Ichiraku Ramen, I pass the Yamanaka flower shop. I stop to look at the flower displays outside, noticing some particularly pretty tulips in a bucket.

"Hi Kakashi-sensei," says a familiar voice. I look up to see Ino Yamanaka, one of Asuma's students.

"Which lucky lady are you buying flowers for?" she continues. I hesitate for a second before responding.