Disclaimer: I do not own the sexy Kakashi, but Emi is mine.

Here's a shot one-shot to pass the time! :}

Chuurippu

"I love you," a strangely grey-haired five year old holds up a slightly crumpled white tulip in front of my face. I giggle at him with a blush and take the flower from his shaking hand.

"Thank you…" I trail off, not knowing his name.

"Kakashi," he tells me while kicking his foot in the dirt and avoiding eye contact with me. I try to say his name but it's too difficult to say.

"Imma call you Kashi-kun!" I watch as his cheeks burn bright pink in sharp contrast to his pale skin as he nods.

"I'm gonna marry you one day."

"You don't know my name, Kashi-kun." I smile at him, brown eyes dancing.

"Oh…" He glances up at me for a moment then looks away.

"I'm Emi," I hold out the hand that is not holding the tulip. Kashi-kun's black eyes slide to my outstretched hand. "I don't bite, silly." He dips his head, another blush on his cheeks, as he takes my hand in his. I quickly bend closer to him and plant a small kiss on his cheek. "You're cute."

"I… Uh… I…" Kashi-kun struggles for words as I smile happily.

"Well c'mon, Kashi-kun" I giggle again and take his hand, "I'm only three so if you wanna marry me you gotta ask my Okaa-san first."

"Emi-san, you can't stay locked away from the world." Rikku bangs on my door, but I do not respond, instead choosing to curl myself tighter into a ball. "Emi, please."

"Go away," I croak out. I cannot remember the last time I actually spoke.

"It's been three days," he tries again, "you need to come out. Hokage-sama wants to see you."

"Go away!" I scream, tears threatening to fall.

"Fine, but if you don't leave your little cage soon, I'll force my way in." With an audible 'pop' Rikku disappears and leaves me to drown in my sorrow. I close my eyes and drift off.

Seconds, minutes, hours pass without interruption. I will myself to sit up from my bed when my stomach growls loudly at me. I blink a few times to adjust to the darkness of my room. With a weak shove I stand and move to the kitchen area of my small house. I methodically grab the necessary items for a cup of coffee. I do not want to eat. If I do, I will probably throw up. I lean against the counter and wait for the coffee to brew. My mind stays surprisingly blank; or rather I force myself not to think so I do not think of them. The beep of the machine startles me and I whip around. A soft chuckle escapes my lips as I pick a mug to pour the hot beverage in.

"Just the coffee machine," I tell myself. My hand shakes as I pick up the coffee pot. The image of a black-haired man laughing and holding a coffee pot flashes in my mind. I try to suppress more memories, but it is like the gate keeping them all at bay just burst open. Another image, this time a woman with silky red hair smiles and says she loves me. The man reading a book to a smaller me, sitting on his lap. The man and woman hold hands and wave to me saying they will be home soon. I grip my head and close my eyes tightly. "No," I hiss and forcefully throw the pot away from me. The crash and breaking of glass barely registers in my mind as I collapse on the floor of my kitchen in a heap of sobs and broken gasps of air.

"Emi?" Someone asks. My eyes open and lock on the familiar grey hair and black eyes.

"Kakashi?" I whisper and wipe at my eyes to dry the tears.

"Hey," he says and moves closer to pick me up in his arms.

"Wh-what are you doing?" He ignores me and walks into my room to lay me down on my bed. He sets me down and then sits next to me. Kakashi tucks a strand of red hair behind my ear and pulls down his mask.

"I'm sorry, Emi."

"They, they were supposed to come back." I tell him while clenching my pillow.

"I know."

"Why didn't they? Why did they have to die? They-they-" a fresh wave of tears escapes and wets my cheeks.

"Sh," Kakashi gathers me in his arms and places his chin on top of my head.

"My parents are dead, they shouldn't have gone on that mission." I shake my head.

"I know, Emi. I know." We both stay silent after that as I cry and he holds me.

"Kakashi! Get your ass back here!" I yell at the perverted jounin.

"But I have a team to teach." He says with a pout behind his mask.

"Oh, please, Sakura tells me you hardly do anything for them." I place my hands on my hips and arch an eyebrow at him. "Besides you can't just go after telling me something like that."

"Like what?" He 'innocently' shrugs and turns to face me completely. I roll my eyes and run a hand through my messy red hair.

"You know what."

"I do?" Kakashi blinks and rubs the back of his head. I glare at him and walk up to him so that my eyes are level with his shoulders and I am about six inches away from him. Damn, I'm short. I muse with a small frown.

"Yes," I say, "you can't just leave me a note telling me that you asked my mom something before she and my dad died a year and a half ago."

"And that she said she and your dad gave me their blessing."

"Th-their blessing?" I gasp, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh? What's that? I think I hear my team calling me right now. Bye Emi!" Kakashi gives me that happy eye crease and disappears with a poof.

"Ugh!" I cross my arms over my chest and glare at the spot he was standing just a few seconds ago. A couple more seconds pass and I sigh, dropping my hands and turning away to walk back to my house. I dig my hands in my pockets, but something soft and definitely not cloth brushes against my fingers. I pull my hand back out along with whatever is in my pocket. "Kashi-kun," I murmur with a small smile and hold up a slightly crumpled white tulip with a ring tied to the stem. "Yes."