Chapter 5
The night went well. Ebisu had to leave after the drink Kurenai bought him but Onyx wasn’t bothered, she wasn’t very fond of the man. She has nothing against him; however, she’s been on multiple missions with the man and came to the conclusion that he just really weirded her out. Anko and Kurenai did try and convince her to dance with them after a few drinks but Onyx was clear that she needed at to be least ten drinks down for that. Genma also tried to dance with her, throwing a few flirtatious comments her way which wasn’t surprising as it wasn’t the first time he’d done that, whether he remembered or not. Gai, despite the wheelchair also managed to get onto the dance floor which may have been the most entertaining moment of the night.
It was fun. Onyx had a good night, a great night. She said goodnight to Genma and Kurenai who had walked her home since Onyx had quite a few drinks. Onyx enjoyed their company so she decided against telling them she was probably the soberest amongst the group. Once inside Onyx stripped her clothes off and managed to force herself into the shower, the warm water washing away the smell of alcohol. Onyx smiled to herself, she had fun with the group tonight and she found herself excited to do it again. Even more excited at thought of Kakashi joining them when he returns from the mist. She caught herself absentmindedly biting her lip as she looked in the mirror. Backing away from the bathroom as if the room were a dangerous animal with sharp claws, she turned into her bedroom and dressed in her silk pj’s. She flopped into her bed, hugging her pillow and breathing contently. Under the daze of alcohol and the thought of a group of friends with Kakashi beside her, she fell into a peaceful sleep.
*
“Morning,” Onyx turned to find Lord Nara at the window, “latte, two sugars please?” He begged, almost crying at the thought of being rejected.
“Lord Nara? Just the one?” Onyx said moving toward the coffee machine to make his coffee. Noting the bright sparkle in his eye at her answer. She raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing.
“Yes, thank you,” he whined, “so can I ask why you have been refusing us coffee the last two days?” Shikamaru questioned as he leaned on the bench.
“WHAT!” Onyx shouted, she looked around noticing the eyes they’d just drawn towards them. “I would never do that to my favourite customers.” Shikamaru narrowed his eyes as he started at the bench, thinking.
“I had your coffees ready, but I saw Lady Shizune over at Rubus, so I assumed you’d both decided to switch coffee blends,” Onyx shrugged, trying not to let the betrayal like feeling get to them.
“I would never betray the best barista in Konoha.”
“It’s not a betrayal,” she stated, the truth despite the feeling in her gut. “Every barista has their own style and every café has its own beans.” Onyx took a moment to remember the last few days, frowning at the milk jug as she steamed its contents. “Well, Lady Shizune seemed slightly hostile towards me the last few days,” Onyx explained, “I’m not sure what I’ve done to offend her, but I presume that’s why you haven’t been getting my coffee.”
“Hmm, I think I know what’s happened,” Shikamaru mumbled earning a raised eyebrow from Onyx. “Well,” he huffed with a grin, “It’s no secret in the offices that Shizune’s got a thing for Lord Kakashi, and I believe she feels threatened by you since you’ve been getting all of his attention.” Onyx blinked at him; cheeks slightly flushed as she made an O sound.
“Kakashi…” Shikamaru turned his grin to her, “Kakashi is a difficult man, but when it comes to emotion, he’s very clear on what he wants, and whenever Shizune made any hints or moves, he was clear of his attraction to someone else.” Onyx made another O sound, this one full of intrigue. Her thoughts trailing back to the night before Kakashi left, her friend let it slip he had interest in someone but refused to elaborate further.
“Oh my god,” Shikamaru mumbled, Onyx eyed him as she poured his coffee. He watched her with a smug grin before glancing at the cup and becoming completely engrossed with her skills. Watching in awe at the beautiful pattern she created on his latte. Shikamaru greedily took the freshly made coffee she passed to him and turned away, winking at her over his shoulder.
Onyx stared after him only to find the woman herself staring back at them from Rubus café, she glared at Onyx with malicious intent making the barista flinch backward, and she followed after Shikamaru. Onyx made yet another O sound.
The weekend. Onyx closes early on Saturday and doesn’t open on Sunday. Saturday was a dream, customers were kind, and the café was busy. Onyx closed at three and spent the rest of the evening at the bookstore finding new fantasy worlds to disappear into.
Sunday Onyx decided she would revisit somewhere she hadn’t been in some time. Digging through her draws Onyx pulled out a simple dark blue bathing suit and a pair of loose black shorts and covered herself with a baggy navy-blue shirt. She grabbed her bag and ran out of her apartment towards the lake.
Onyx spent most of the day relaxing in a secluded spot along the lake, covered and hidden by the forest. She enjoyed the water as she swam and relaxed on the sand reading her new book. Onyx always loved the water, there was something, calming about being in the water. She let the calmness of the water consume her, breathing in the scent of the water and forestry around her. Onyx’s father would bring her to this spot when she was a child, it was always fun. A whole day to hide away from her mother and spend time together.
It was around 4.30 when Onyx decided it was time to leave, her stomach telling her to head home. Onyx strolled peacefully through the village, mask on and hair down still wet. The barista was almost home when she lost her thoughts in the sky and bumped into a hard body sending both of them to the ground. Onyx fell on her front, scrapping her cheek on the hard ground, she winced as she sat up and looked out at the mess on the street.
“Ugh, seriously,” another voice drew Onyx’s attention as she moved for her bag. Onyx’s grey eyes went wide as she recognized the black-haired woman sitting on the ground amounts scattered papers.
“I’m so sorry my Lady,” Onyxx said quickly moving to help gather all the papers. Shizune scoffed and snatched the papers from Onyx with a glare and shook her head in disgust.
“Lady Shizune, have I offended you in some way?” Onyx tried, not wanting to be on the woman's bad side, “it’s just you’ve seemed somewhat hostile toward me recently and well I’d hoped we could be friends. So, if I’ve done something wrong then please let me make up for it.” Shizune glared harder as she stood from the ground and Onyx followed grabbing her bag.
“You want to make it up to me,” Onyx nodded her reply with a soft victory smile, “stay the hell away from Kakashi.” Shizune stormed off with what sounded like a growl. Onyx sighed as she clutched her bag to her chest and her eyes fell to the ground. Onyx moved, heading inside and dropping her bag on the bench. What a crappy way to end such a good day. After a hot shower, Onyx made herself an easy pasta for dinner and flopped into bed, soon enough she slipped into a deep sleep.
*
Once again while Onyx served Shikamaru his coffee she saw Shizune buying from Rubus café, and the pair raced off to work. Someone had to run the village while the Hokage was gone and like hell Shikamaru was gonna let the elders do it. He’d had to deal with them a few times at his father's side and quickly learned to hate them.
It was a slow and quiet day; it was also delivery day. Five large boxes were delivered to the store, Onyx planted them toward the back of the small store and worked around them while she served customers. She had a few rude customers throughout the day and she was fed up with the world by the time she closed.
Once five came around Onyx closed the café and finally turned her attention to the boxes. She didn’t bother taking her mask off as she actually found it quite comfortable. Keeping part of the window open for the breeze, Onyx turned on some music and got to work on putting away the delivery. One box full of paper coffee cups, another full of lids, straws and sugar, another two boxes full of baking ingredients, another a restock on the milks and the last box full of fresh coffee beans and tea. Everything was out on the island bench and Onyx was busy breaking down the boxes when a low rough voice spoke up and startled her into dropping one of the empty boxes.
“Can I help?” Onyx turned around to find white spiky hair sticking out from behind the window. She smiled, running outside and wrapping her arms around the man who picked her up and spun as if she weighed nothing.
“Welcome home,” Onyx said as Kakashi carefully placed her back on the ground, “Kakashi.” Kakashi gazed down at Onyx and lifted his hand to graze her cheek, mask still on. Kakashi hummed and smiled at her, grabbing her arm and leading her back inside the café out of the cold and the rain that was clearly on its way.
“I still have a lot of work to do, I need to get this stuff put away,” Onyx moved away from the man as she knew he would most likely insist on a movie night as he usually does. She focused on all the work she had left, Kakashi tilted his head and followed her.
“I can help,” he said as he stood close to Onyx looking over the mess she’d made of her café when she unpacked. Onyx raised an eyebrow at him as she hummed looking him up and down.
“I’m not paying you,” she snickered and tossed the man a sleeve of paper cups, “stack them by the machine.”
“On it,” Kakashi winked and did as he was told as Onyx pushed the other cups toward him. Kakashi knew Onyx had a certain way she liked things to be set up and Kakashi got to work doing just that. Trying hard not stare at the woman he’d missed so much over the last week. Kirigakure is a nice village, in its own way, but the meetings were horrible. Repetitive and boring and exhausting and frustrating. His mind wandered too much. Wondering what his friends were doing, wondering what his barista was doing, hoping to God Shikamaru was able to handle the elders as he didn’t want to do that.
When Kakashi finished with the cups he moved toward Onyx who was struggling to place the multiple bags of flours in a high cupboard. Kakashi stifled a laugh and moved to help her, taking the bags, putting them in their place and closing the cupboard door. Onyx thanked him and pointed toward the bags of sprinkles and marshmallows telling him where they go and turning away from him to put the cold items in the walk-in fridge. When Kakashi finished Onyx was still in the fridge, so he turned his attention to the sleeves of lids and looked around to see where they go and got to work.
Onyx smiled as she came out and closed the fridge door, moving to put the syrups away in the cupboard under the window counter. Turning around Onyx blinked at Kakashi with his head in his hand as he leaned on the island bench gazing at them. Onyx smiled and moved toward her bag and rummaged through until she found her keys. Onyx jumped backward as a hand came up and touched her cheek, she looked up and blinked at the white-haired man who stood to his full height and moved toward her. Onyx only stared as Kakashi’s brows furred and he slowly took hold of the mask straps and pulled it down from her ear and then off the other ear. Kakashi frowned, throwing the mask on the bench and stepping into Onyx’s space as his hand grazed over the scratches on her cheek.
“I – tripped,” Onyx stuttered, “on my way home yesterday, I’m fine.” Onyx and Kakashi both jumped as a knock on the window startled them both.
“Onyx,” they recognized the voice and Onyx pushed Kakashi back and gestured for him to stay put under the counter. He tilted his head at her in confusion but did as he was told, figuring it’d be more trouble if he tried to argue with Onyx on this instead.
“Lady Shizune…” Onyx said softly opening the window to reveal the woman.
“Lord Shikamaru asked me to give this to you,” she said handing over an envelope, “also, Lord Hokage returned today, has he come to see you.” Onyx quickly shook her head in reply. “Well, you remember what I told you yesterday when you hurt your cheek…” Onyx nodded taking a step back from the window as Shizune narrowed her eyes at her. “Stay away from him. I don’t care that your friends, from now on you aren’t. He and I are together, I don’t like you near him.” Shizune practically growled as she spoke, turning away and heading home for the night. Onyx cringed, shrinking into herself as her closed the window and Kakashi stood up from behind the counter. Onyx groaned as she rested their head against the window in defeat and sighed.
“What, just happened,” Kakashi stepped closer, Onyx groaned louder and lightly banged their head on the window.
“Did she?” Kakashi put a hand on Onyx’s shoulder, “your cheek, did she-”
“No, no she didn’t hurt me,” Onyx turned to face him, his eyes wide with panic and fear, “I just wasn’t looking where I was going and ran into her, we both fell and I scraped my cheek, that’s all.”
“that’s all? Well then what the hell was that” he said gesturing to the window behind her. Onyx took a deep breath and pushed Kakashi back. “She said we were together,” Kakashi stepped forward again and placed his hands on her arms, “we are not together, I promise we aren’t.”
“I know that, but she wants… you,” Onyx breathed, “after I ran into her last night, I asked her if I’d offended her somehow, she seemed angry with me since you left, and she told me to stay away from you.” Onyx offered an exhausted smile.
“She’s convinced I’m into you,” Onyx gave a weak laugh as they stepped around Kakashi and aimed for her bag. Kakashi stopped her with a hand on her arm and stepped between Onyx and her bag.
“I…” Kakashi tried and failed to get the right words out, “she thinks that, because you distract me from my work… even when you’re not there.” Kakashi stepped closer again, “she thinks that, because-”
“So, Kurenai invited me out with your friends while you were gone,” Onyx said quickly, not wanting her friend to finish that sentence and stepped around him for her bag. “I almost didn’t go but, you know it was really fun. They’re cool people, except Ebisu weirds me out.” She heard Kakashi huff quietly behind her.
“Yeah, he weirds all of us out,” he said. “I’m surprised you went?”
“So am I,” she turned around to face him, “but I’m glad I did.”
“Me too.” Kakashi smiled gently at her, she returned his smile and picked up her bag.
“You know I have some paperwork to do night so I should probably get home.”
“Yeah,” Kakashi replied, “I do too, but meh.”
“You should do your paperwork Kakashi.”
“Eeehhhh.” Onyx laughed as she made for the door, Kakashi on her heels. She locked the door and turned to her friend, offering her arms for a hug which Kakashi happy welcomed.
“I’m glad your back,” she said pulling away from him, “goodnight.” Onyx trudged home, mind full of possibilities and uncertainty.
“Dammit Kakashi.”
*
Shikamaru came for his and Kakashi’s coffees the next morning, Onyx noting Shizune at Rubus again. This time not bothering to wait for Lord Nara and instead headed straight for the office. Onyx and Shikamaru took their time chatting, Shikamaru complaining about being called in to babysit at the last minute the night Onyx was invited to the bar.
“Anyway, I should get to work, really don’t feel like listening to another Shizune lecture,” Shikamaru said rolling his eyes. “Oh, hey Kakashi told me about Shizune,” he said, struggling for words, “practically threatened you?”
“Oh,” Onyx replied, “she’s just, overprotective of Kakashi,” the barista explained as politely as possible. Shikamaru raised his eyebrows at her as she took the two coffees. “She might be delusional,” Onyx admitted. Shikamaru let out a deep laugh and a ‘ you might be right’ look before waving goodbye and heading for work.
“Oh my god,” Onyx mumbled as she noted the woman approaching the window. “You’ve got to be kidding me, I cannot deal with this right now.” Just as Onyx moved to close the window and hide in the locked café the woman appeared faster than anticipated and held the window open.
“Bell,” Onyx sighed, exhausted and frustrated. “I need to speak with you.”
“Mother please, I have work to do.”
“After work then, Bell... Onyx,” the barista paused at that, never has she heard her mother call her Onyx. “It’s important, I will come back when you close.” With that the woman walked away, her somber tone and dull eyes making the barista nervous. It reminded her of the unchanging expression her mother had the weeks after her father's death.
*
“Be... Onyx,” the woman said as Onyx put her keys in her pocket after locking the café. She decided whatever her mother had to tell her was important enough to close just slightly earlier so as to spare Kakashi from facing her mother on the chance he decides to see her after his work is done. “I think, I think it’s best we go to your apartment for this.”
“I’m not letting you into my apartment.”
“Okay,” her mother said quietly. Onyx blinked at her mother's tone, how easily she gave in rather than insisting as Onyx has always known her to do.
“What’s this about?” Onyx said trying hard to keep the venom from her words despite her hatred of the woman before her.
“I know we’ve never really gotten along,” understatement, “but you are my daughter and you mean the world to me Onyx.” The barista stepped back at the tears forming in her mother's blue eyes. “My brother, your uncle he-”
“Mum?” Onyx felt her eyes sting as tears of her own threatened to fall.
“He was on a mission. A rogue shinobi got a hold of his teammate, and he.” Onyx stepped forward and pulled her mother into a tight hug as the older woman broke out into sobs. “He saved them,” she said through choked breaths.
“Mum,” Onyx managed to get out as she pulled back from the hug, “I’m so sorry.” Despite her estrangement from her mother, she knows how much her uncle meant to the woman. The sibling lost their parents, Onyx’s grandparents when they were young. Her uncle Boki never married and when her father died Onyx’s mother only had her brother beside her. Onyx is mature enough to say she was colder than she needed to be to her mother after her father died but she found it difficult to look at the woman afterwards. The two women had never gotten along, the woman had always tried to control her life, even going to far as to hide her headband before missions. Onyx was very close to her father and after he died Onyx realized he was the only thing tying them together. After Onyx came out as bisexual that seemed to be the last straw according to her mother and they broke contact. That is until after the war when her mother decided it was time for Onyx to get married.
“I’m sorry,” the woman said, “for everything. I just want my daughter back.” Onyx couldn’t stop herself from pulling her mother into another hug. No matter the bad blood between them, she was still her mother and she lost someone dear to her, dear to them. Her uncle was the only one trying to help the relationship between the two women and he’d sat through multiple rants and tantrums from both of them.
Onyx stayed there, holding her mother in a warm, tight hug. Refusing to let go even after the sobbing calmed.