"I'm so sorry Kakashi, but the babysitter canceled on me," [Name] apologized over the phone. "We can try some other time."

The man sighs softly. "That's fine."

"Again, I'm really sorry," the mother apologized again, feeling immense guilt. This was the first time she had to cancel a date, and it was an hour before he picked her up too.

Kakashi chuckles. "That's too bad, I guess. And I'm already standing at your front door."

"Ugh! I already feel bad, you don't need to make me even more upset," she whines, rushing to open the door.

And just like he said, he was standing at the front door, his phone to his ear. His eyes closed, hinting that he was smiling under his mask.

"May I come inside?" He asks. "It seems to be raining."

He was right about that too. It was raining cats and dogs outside.

"Yes, come on in. I wouldn't want you to get a cold," she says, ushering Kakashi in. "And I can't just send you home after you came all this way."

She closes her front door, and sighs softly. [Name] was panicking on the inside. Kakashi has never been over to her house before, and she knows it's a little messy. Of course her house would be a little messy, she has kids for goodness sake! She's just hoping and praying that Kakashi doesn't think she's a slob.

The mother realizes that the kids and Kakashi are here. Surely the kids would freak out about another man being here; they loved their father dearly and hated the fact that they left them.

"Mommy!!" [S.Name] cried from his room. "I got a paper cut!"

The fast pitter patter of his feet insinuated that he was running down the hallway. The mother gasps, quickly making her way to the hall to stop her son from seeing Kakashi.

"Oh honey, how'd you get a paper cut?" she asks, squatting down to his level.

The young boy sniffles as he holds out his cut pointer finger to his mother. "I just wanted to make a paper snowfwake like how Ms. Sakura showed me the last time she came to babysit."

"Oh honey," the mother sighs, picking up her son and bringing him to the bathroom. She pulled out the decorative Band-Aids, wrapping one around his little index finger. "Next time be more careful."

The boy smiles as his mother kisses his finger and sends him back to his room. [Name] hurried back to Kakashi, who made himself comfortable on her sofa. Then she realized toys were littering the floor and panicked.

"Oh goodness! I'm so sorry for the mess!" She apologizes whilst she picked up toy robots and racecars from the floor. She also yanked [D. Name's] favorite teddy bear from between the cushions.

"It's fine," Kakashi reassured her. "Would you like me to help?"

"No, no. You're a guest. I couldn't have you cleaning my house," she sighs as she dumps the toys in one of the many toy boxes found throughout her house.

"Oh please! I would love to help." Kakashi stood from his seat, helping the mother clean up, although [Name] still didn't like the idea of him cleaning up the mess her kids made.

Thirty minutes later, the living room and kitchen were cleaned thanks to the two working together. They plopped on the sofa, a little tuckered out from the hard work.

"[Name]," Kakashi turns his head to look at his significant other. "I've never asked you what your occupation was, do you mind telling me?"

"No not at all!" [Name] smiles at him, reaching over to hold his hand. "I'm a cop. But I retired from being in the action and now, I have a desk job. I have to stay alive for my kids. I don't think they could handle the sight of their own mother in the hospital because of a fatal injury."

Silence engulfed the conversation. He smiles under his mask and squeezes her hand. "You're a good mother."

"I try to be," she sighs, leaning her head on his shoulder. That's when [D.Name] began to cry in her room. [Name] jumped up, leaving Kakashi behind in the living room to tend to her child.

The man waited for the mother to return after she quieted the whining child. But soon after, the crying became louder. [S.Name], worried for his baby sister, runs through the living room to reach his sister.

"Momma what's wrong with sissy?" The boy questioned loudly; loud enough for Kakashi to hear it anyway.

"She's just hungry, that's all," the mother answers her son.

"I'm hungry too Momma!"

"I'll cook dinner soon, go back to your room, okay?"

[S.Name] trots down the hallway, only halting his movements when he spots Kakashi sitting on the couch. The little one bounds up to the older male, staring up at him with big [color] eyes.

"Who are you?" he asks, pointing at the strange grey haired man. "Why are you here?"

"Well," Kakashi begins. "My name is Kakashi Hatake and I'm here because your mommy wants me to be here."

"No. Momma doesn't want you here. She has Daddy," the little boy speaks innocently but the words have a bite to them. "Momma said she doesn't need any other man but Daddy. You should leave."

"[S.Name]!" The mother gasps, scolding her child. "You don't speak to your elders like that! I'm so sorry Kakashi."

"It's alright."

The boy glares at Kakashi, who only smiles back at him. [Name] takes a hold of her son's shoulders, looking deeply into his eyes.

"Kakashi is mommy's...um...boyfriend. You're going to treat him with respect, okay?" She speaks slowly, and quite unsure of her words.

The older male seemed shocked by how [Name] called him her boyfriend, even though she hated the sound of the word. She would usually refer to him as her "significant other" or her "partner" but never "boyfriend". It gave him tiny butterflies in his stomach -- which he was surprised to have at his age.

"But Mommy, you don't need a boyfriend! You have Daddy, remember? You have Daddy!" The little boy protested, nearly in tears. He loved his father, and he held onto the memory of when his Dad promised to come back for him.

"Maybe I should leave," Kakashi mutters, standing up from the sofa. He genuinely felt horrible for causing this; if only he had just left when she canceled, none of this would happen, the kids would never know about him.

"No Kakashi, don't leave," [Name] sighs. "It's still pouring outside. If the storm goes on all night, you can rest here."

"Mommy no! He can't stay here!"

[Name] was becoming irritated. She wanted to tell her son how much of a deadbeat his father was, how he abandoned his whole family for some woman. He was a cheater, a liar, but [Name] could forget about all of that! She didn't care about how much he hurt her, but she did care about how much he hurt her children. Leaving them, and then promising to come back one day, yeah right!

"Why can't Kakashi stay here?" [Name] asks, stroking her son's hair.

"Because he's not Daddy...Daddy will be mad if he sees another guy here."

Like he had any right to be mad. The mother sighs, and sends her son to his room.

"I'm sorry Kakashi," she apologizes, giving him a big hug. "He's such a handful."

"It's fine." He repeats for the fiftieth time. "He just really loves his dad."

"Sadly, he does."

...

A/N: !!! I'll be slowly updating this, I couldn't sleep so I decided to finish what I started. BTW, I can't decide who the deadbeat dad should be. SO! maybe you could help maybe maybe??????? I won't do a poll or anything (that's a lot of work since I'd have to name every guy from Naruto that pops up in my mind). Just pick anyone from the Naruto Universe that you want to be the dad and I'll just count the votes or wwhatever.

Or if you don't want to do that, then you don't have to. I'm not going to force you or anything.

There will be few Author Notes in this story, so hooray! you won't have to read my rambles all the time!

Love you bye!