A long week
Onyx woke up first, finding herself still trapped between Kakashi and the couch. This time Kakashi had rolled over at some point in the night and forced both of them onto their sides. Onyx managed to climb over the man without waking him, considering how much unnecessary noise she made it’s a miracle a shinobi like Kakashi Hatake didn’t wake up.
Onyx immediately got to work on two coffees’, having her own smaller version of the machine in the café at home. An iced hazelnut latte for herself, and a cappuccino with extra chocolate powder for Kakashi. Onyx sipped at her coffee as she got ready for work, dressing in a long sleeve red top, with some cleavage but not enough to draw the attention of her male customers. She tucked her top into a pair of high waisted jeans and pulled on her usual work boots. The thing about owning her own business meant she had total control over her work attire and it was one of her favourite things about it. Deciding contacts were too bothersome Onyx got to work on her makeup, she wasn’t bothered with a full face so she just did some subtle eyeshadow and some not so subtle eyeliner. Once that was done Onyx put her glasses on and got to work on breakfast.
Kakashi woke to the smell of eggs and bacon, his eyes opened and he rolled over ready to get up. And ended up on the floor.
“HA,” Kakashi got to his knees, looking over the couch to find his friend in a laughing fit behind the kitchen bench. Onyx covered her mouth trying to stifle her laughter as she took in the sight of a dishevelled Kakashi. Hair sticking out in all directions, mask slightly crooked, eyes drooping and unfocused.
“I fell asleep?” Kakashi asked rubbing the back of his head as he stood up and moved towards Onyx.
“Yes,” Onyx laughed, “I made some coffee,” she said gesturing to the steaming mug on the bench, which she remade as the man took longer to wake up than she anticipated. Kakashi picked it up and moved into the kitchen to help Onyx with the food.
“I’ve got it,” she said, Kakashi ignored her and continued on, searching the draws grabbing plates and cutlery. He took over and served the food himself, shooing the barista from her own kitchen.
“Control freak,” she muttered as she took a seat on one of the stools on the other side of the island bench, Kakashi laughed taking his plate and sitting beside her. The two ate their breakfast, Onyx carefully turning her eyes away so Kakashi could eat comfortably as they chatted.
It was almost time for Onyx to open the café, which meant Kakashi was defiantly late.
“If you leave now, you might have to suffer through Shikamaru’s lecture, but you may be able to avoid Shizune’s,” Onyx said placing the dishes into the sink and grabbing her bag from the bench. Kakashi only groaned in response as he forced himself up and followed a giggling barista out the door and the two went off to work.
*
Weeks went by and Kakashi went on with his life, visiting his barista at the café every day and the pair had a few more movie nights taking turns between Onyx’s and Kakashi’s apartment.
Kakashi found himself daydreaming at his desk, again. Shikamaru waved papers in his face and Shizune complained about something, again. “Looks like you’ll have to go yourself this time Kakashi,” Shikamaru said, finally managing to draw Kakashi’s attention. “The Mizukage is expecting you, if you aren’t there, again, we’ll get the brunt of it,” he finished, gesturing between himself and Shizune.
“He’s right Lord sixth, you need to be at this meeting yourself,” Shizune chimed in. Kakashi rolled his eyes at the woman as she came and planted herself on Kakashi’s desk. “I could accompany you, sir?”
“No, you and Shikamaru stay here, there’s still work to be done” Kakashi ordered standing from his seat and leaning his hands on the edge of his desk. “Naruto and Ino will accompany me.” Kakashi caught Shizune’s momentary sour expression before she smiled and nodded at him moving away from the desk.
*
“Heya Kashi,” Onyx sang from behind the counter as Kakashi approached the closed café. “Made you a tea,” Onyx slid the cup toward Kakashi before abruptly closing the window and moving for the exit. “Good day?” she asked as they locked the café door and fell into step with Kakashi sipping at her own tea.
“Eh,” Kakashi shrugged, “you can hold off on making my coffee for… roughly a week.”
“Huh? What does that mean?” Onyx’s concerned tone made Kakashi turn his eyes to her.
“I have a meeting in the hidden mist, I’ll be gone for about a week, maybe longer. I leave in the morning.” Onyx stared back at him with a blank expression, her face fell and she turned her head back to the street ahead.
“Oh,” Kakashi’s body stalled as the disappointed sound from Onyx pierced his chest and threatened to bring tears. Onyx stopped for a moment before grabbing Kakashi’s arm and dragging him the rest of the way to her apartment.
“Stay for a movie?” Onyx faced Kakashi as she turned the door handle behind her back and backed into her apartment. Kakashi mindlessly followed her inside as if pulled by an invisible force, he allowed himself to be dragged to and pushed onto the couch. Minutes Later Onyx flopped onto the couch beside Kakashi and handed him a chocolate muffin and took a bite from her own. Kakashi blinked as he process how he ended up on the baristas couch without having said a word. Onyx didn’t move to put a movie on as she said, instead fidgeting with the paper on her muffin anxiously.
“Do you remember… that day I closed the store?” Onyx asked quietly and took a bite from her muffin. Kakashi hummed his acknowledgment, remembering the day he was deprived of Onyx’s coffee.
“I never told you why,” Onyx started, looking towards him briefly and shied away focusing on her muffin, “that day was… the anniversary of my father’s death,” Onyx looked up at Kakashi with a soft smile. “What you did the next day, the movie night, you… you really helped me, I want to thank you.”
“Onyx,” Kakashi moved closer to her as a tear fell from her sparkling grey eye.
“I’ve never had any friends before, aside from my father, I’ve never had anyone,” another tear, “So, when he died it was like I died with him… and for years I was, I wasn’t myself and… I didn’t know who that was anymore.” Onyx leaned forward and placed the muffin on the table, turning fully to face Kakashi.
“You helped me find myself again,” The barista's smile was blinding. The smile in the photos. “I’ll miss you, come see me as soon as you get back?” Kakashi nodded with an equally blinding smile. Or it would have been is not for his mask. He leaned forward and pulled Onyx into a tight embrace, refusing to let go.
“This is gonna be a long week,” Kakashi sighed making Onyx giggle, the man smiled warmly at the vibrations Onyx sent through him with her laughter.
“Kashi…” Onyx started, making Kakashi huff a laugh. Onyx had started calling Kakashi that last week and every time it made him smile till his cheeks hurt. “You’ll be gone for more than a week…” Kakashi hummed to confirm, “so… will you stay with me tonight?” Onyx pulled back to look Kakashi in the eyes, her grey eyes full of hope and disappointment mixed. Kakashi fell backward onto the couch, kicking his legs up and forcing Onyx further up the couch. The white-haired man relaxed into the couch as his answer. Onyx got up to put a movie on before falling back onto the couch sitting on Kakashi’s legs, earning a huffed laugh.
Onyx chose a simple movie; it wasn’t all that interesting but that was kind of the point. Onyx turned to look at Kakashi, squinting her eyes at the white-haired man imagining the face tattoo of one of her favourite characters.
“What’s wrong with your face?”
“I’m imagining you with a face tattoo and your hair down.” Kakashi narrowed his eyes and glared in disgust as he realized what she meant. He mouthed a word, Rowan, making Onyx giggle a vision of Kakashi dressed as Rowan from her favourite series which she’d been forcing him to read.
“You know Rowan’s kind of a dick.” Onyx’s offended gasp was louder than Sakura’s when she found out Kakashi went to see Ino instead of her for an injury. Never mind the fact that she wasn’t in the village at the time. “He is.”
“You’ve only just met him, he’s dark and broody in the beginning because he has a traumatic past, he hasn’t dealt with.”
“Oh okay,” Kakashi said, a sarcastic tone.
“Oh okay, so let's compare,” she said forcing Kakashi to move so she wasn’t sitting on his legs and got comfortable at the other end of the couch.
“Let's not,” he mumbled, “please.”
“Kakashi vs Rowan.”
“Oh god.” Onyx giggled smugly.
“White hair, Check. Tragic past, check. Lost almost everyone he loved and that loves him, check. Sorry,” she added noting his raised eyebrows at that. “A phase of darkness with a cold heart, check. An abrasive and beautiful woman worming her way into his heart and helping him heal, in turn helping her heal,” Onyx through a questioning look his way.
“Ha,” Kakashi laughed, “we’re not that alike. He was a bunch of tattoos.”
“Is that your only argument? Also, his tattoos are very meaningful,” Onyx countered pointing to the man's shoulder where his Anbu tattoo lay. “Although as far as I know you haven’t got that abrasive beautiful woman or man. Other than that, all your missing is the face tattoo.”
“Is that why we’re friends? I remind you of your book crush.”
“He’s not my book crush,” Onyx countered with faked offence, “Cassian is my book crush.” She admitted, the impulsive winged warrior capturing her heart the moment he appeared on the page. “And we’re friends because your over-sensitive taste buds like to point out my mistakes,” the offended laugh from the man brought a grin to her face. “You just happen to have a lot in common with this specific character.”
“Hmhmm.”
“I think the face tattoo would suit you.”
“Hm okay,” Kakashi said sitting up and crossing his legs under him, fully facing Onyx, “you know you have a point I suppose we have a lot in common, apart from the tattoo.” Kakashi leant forward as Onyx threw him a sparkling smile, “but I’m not getting a face tattoo, so that will be our only difference.”
“Only difference?” Onyx raised an eyebrow, “you would look good with the tattoo,” she whispered. “So, the abrasive beautiful man or woman?”
“Wow, you know this movie is, so interesting.”
“Kakashi,” Onyx sang tossing a cushion at her friend, “So how many years of friendship till I get to meet them?” Kakashi just shook his head forcing his eyes to the tv, finding it increasingly difficult to keep them there as the barista laughed a beautiful sound.
*
“Morning Onyx, only two coffees’ to,” Shizune paused as Onyx pushed the two coffees toward her, “day… I see Lord Sixth already informed you he was leaving.”
“Yes,” Onyx said with a faint smile, “he caught me last night at the close. Will I be expecting the same order at 11.30?” Shizune nodded her reply, put the payment on the bench and left. Onyx tilted her head at the unusual behaviour but shrugged it off and moved to serve the next customer.
Onyx’s day went by slowly, very slowly. It was a quiet day, leaving Onyx with not much to do. While she had it, she took this time to clean the entire café and draw up the order as she was running low on baking ingredients and kinds of milk.
The next day was busier, keeping the barista's thoughts distracted as she worked. Onyx enjoyed making coffees, it was relaxing and fun, trying new froth levels and art almost every day.
Onyx’s life went back to the way it was before Kakashi had wormed his way into it. Running the café, reading in her spare time and dodging her mother at all times. Her mother hadn’t bothered her since her run-in with Kakashi, but Onyx wasn’t taking any chances. She would hide or run or duck whenever the woman appeared in the streets of Konoha, several times she’d ducked under the counter of the café whilst with a customer.
Three days since Kakashi left for his meeting and Onyx was working peacefully in the café, jeans, belt and contacts, now with a black mask. She used to wear that mask often when she first opened, she only began taking it off at work a few weeks before Kakashi came snooping into her life. It made it easier to get out of conversation with people, most avoiding striking up a conversation at all, and making it harder for people to recognize her as a former shinobi.
“Thank you,” Shizune said bluntly, taking the midday coffee from the bench and leaving the payment. Since Kakashi left Shizune had been acting strange, less talkative, less smiley. Onyx thought it strange, but she did say anything. It's not her place.
“Lady Shizune,” Onyx blurted out before she had a chance to think. Apparently, her mouth had decided it was time to say something. The woman turned around with a blank expression.
“Are you feeling alright?” Onyx asked, cursing herself for snooping. Shizune narrowed her eyes at Onyx and scoffed, she turned away and stomped toward the tower. The barista stood wide-eyed, unsure what she’d done to offend the woman. Another customer approached the window and Onyx turned her attention to them, continuing on with her day. So much for not her place.
The next morning the barista had the coffees ready to be picked up, only to notice Shizune down the street at Rubus café. Onyx froze, she almost felt betrayed, she had been their regular barista for months now. Onyx tried to shrug it off, Shizune had seemed angry with Onyx recently. Unsure why but not wanting to snoop Onyx accepted the loss of a customer and moved on with their day. Possibly two customers as Shizune usually bought for Shikamaru. Possibly losing the Hokage’s business as well since he can’t leave his desk just for a coffee run three times a day.
“Oh,” she said, remembering the man in front of her, “I’m so sorry could you repeat that.”
“Two cappuccinos' please, one with two sugars,” the shinobi said, Onyx silently thanking him for moving past her mistake.
“Oh,” Onyx looked up from her notepad where she wrote all her orders down and her eyes landed on a familiar face.
“Oh, I was going to meet you there,” the male shinobi said as his former teacher approached the counter.
“Oh shush, You’re Onyx, right?” The barista nodded her answer as a familiar red-eyed woman smiled widely at her. “I’ve been meaning to come here, Kakashi won’t shut up about your coffee, or you.” She laughed. “I’m Kurenai,” she said sticking out her hand.
“We’ve met,” Onyx replied as she offered a gloved hand and shook the woman's hand in greeting, “a few times.”
“Oh, Oh I’m sorry. I don’t?”
“No, no. I didn’t expect you to. I was a shinobi; we had a few missions together.” Kurenai just blinked at her as if trying to place her. “I did look kind of different back then, don’t worry about it.”
“Sorry,” she said nervously, “so, I was talking to the guys,” she leant on the counter and grinned at the barista. “We were talking about you actually and I was hoping you might join us for a drink sometime?” Kurenai smiled hopefully at the green-haired barista who stepped backward in fear. “I mean you don’t have to,” Kurenai said quickly noting Onyx’s anxiety, “I just thought, Kakashi speaks pretty highly of you and from what he’s told us I think you’d fit in perfectly with all of us.”
“uuuhhhh.”
“Sorry, I kind of just ambushed you didn’t I,” Kurenai said, “just think about it? We’re meeting at The Kunai tomorrow night around seven-thirty, eightish. I hope we see you there.” Kurenai turned around to the younger man who was patiently waiting, “your shout this time Kiba?” She said playfully patting his shoulder before strolling down the street not bothering to wait for her student.
“Nine dollars,” Onyx stated as the Inuzuka stood awkwardly at the window, she offered him a kind smile to ease his tension. Only to realize she was wearing a mask and her smile definitely didn’t help. The young shinobi handed his payment over and stepped to the side waiting for the coffees.
Onyx spent the day thinking about Kurenai’s offer. Her immediate thought was, no way, but the more she thought about it the more she realized she wanted to know Kakashi’s friends. She had met a few of them before on missions, but she didn’t know anything about them bar what the entire village knows. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if she went along, although it would be better if Kakashi was also there but the offer had already been thrown out. Kakashi was the first friendship Onyx had made or rather had been forced into, it wouldn’t be so bad to have a few more.
*
Heeled boots, a high waisted maroon skirt, and a black long-sleeved stop tucked into the skirt. Onyx stood in front of the mirror in her bathroom as she analyzed her outfit. She looked good and she knew that but she didn’t think it was her style, the outfit would go over well with the shinobi at the bar but... she didn’t feel comfortable wearing it for a first casual meeting at a bar. She glared at herself in the mirror and moved to her bedroom. She liked the outfit but she wasn’t fond of the skirt, the skirt made it into more of a date like outfit. So, she rummaged through her draws until she found a pair of tight shorts with an attached belt of a similar colour to the skirt. She turned in front of the mirror, admiring herself and her figure. The shorts felt more casual and she thought would be a better choice in a bar full of shinobi. Most likely, lonely shinobi.
It wasn’t a far walk from her apartment to The Kunai and Onyx arrived just past eight. Anxious and on the verge of a panic attack, she was seconds away from turning and running down the street when a full chest laugh that could only be Gai echoed through the bar. These were Kakashi’s friends, he cared deeply for these people and Onyx wanted to be a part of that life. Taking a deep breath, the barista stepped into the bar, instantly overwhelmed by the scent of alcohol and sweat. She spotted Kurenai by the bar with several drinks placed in front of her by the bartender. The woman stared down at the drinks with a frustrated look, not able to carry them all herself but not wanting to leave them unattended while she fetched a second pair of hands.
“Need some extra hands?” The woman turned to Onyx, smiling brightly as she registers who stood in front of her. Onyx tried to return it, coming up with a wobbly smile she knew did nothing to convince the kunoichi.
“Thanks, Onyx, can I get you something?”
“Oh no, I got,” Onyx stopped short at the mother like expression on the woman's face, “uh sure.” The insistent look Kurenai threw her made her smile genuinely and say, “beers fine.” Kurenai grinned and motioned for the bartender. The two women collected the several drinks and Kurenai led Onyx to a table to the left of the bar where a group of shinobi waited for them.
“Whaaat,” one of them said as they approached, “how are you doing that?” Onyx huffed with a nervous smile as a jounin she knew as Genma stared in awe at her.
“Don’t look at her like that it’s creepy.” Kurenai tried and she set two drinks down on the table.
“She’s magic.” Another whispered. Raido. Kurenai looked back at Onyx who was just standing there, carrying five drinks.
“Seriously,” Genma said, “hoooow are you doing that?” he asked gesturing to her upper body and the drinks she was holding.
“Heh,” Onyx said stepping forward and placing the drinks on the table, allowing Kurenai to distribute them. “Years of practice.”
“You practice carrying drinks in your free time?” Genma said, “for fun?”
“My father owned a café,” Onyx said, feeling the need to explain herself. “I would work there in between missions.”
“Missions, you’re a shinobi? Sorry I don’t recognize you.”
“Former shinobi,” she clarified.
“So,” Ebisu chimed in, “who are you? and why are you carrying our drinks?”
“She’s carrying your drinks because you lot left me to carry seven drinks by myself.” Kurenai said passing Onyx’s beer back to her, “this is Kakashi’s new barista friend Onyx. I invited her to join us, so don’t be creepy.”
“I’m offended, I am a respectable person and would never act inappropriately so to be called creepy.”
“Okay Ebisu, shut up,” another woman said coming to guide Onyx to the seat next to hers. “Nice to finally have another woman around,” Anko said earning a squeak of disapproval from Kurenai, “another woman who isn’t constantly blowing me off because she can’t find a babysitter.,” she clarified.
“I don’t control other people's schedules Anko!” Kurenai scoffed taking a sip of her drink. “Anyway,” she continued, “so, Genma, Ebisu, Raido, Anko, and Gai,” Kurenai said, gesturing to each of her friends as she recited their names.
“Your new friends,” Genma interrupted, “I’m sure we’ll all get along great.” The man smiled brightly at her in an attempt to calm her very obvious nerves. She nodded at him, believing his words despite her doubts and anxiety.
“Welcome,” a loud voice sounded from across the table and a large hand reached toward her, “Kakashi has told me much about you miss Onyx. I am glad to finally meet you in person.” Onyx smiled awkwardly at Gai, choosing not to correct the man as the two have already met. Several times.
“I worked a mission with you once,” Onyx turned her attention to Raido as he examined her as if trying to recall the details of that mission. Onyx nodded her confirmation as the man smiled at her.
“You dyed your hair, that’s what's different,” he stated, Onyx nodded again. “I like it, the green suits you.”
“Thank you.”