"With Nozomi teething, you don't get much sleep anyway – so it wont make any difference."
It hadn't been Ino's words that had convinced Kurenai, but rather the desperate look on the girl's face as well as the vague hope, that maybe the calming effect her daughter had on Shikamaru would turn out to be of mutual nature.
Amazingly enough, it was. After they had played for a little while both, Nozomi and Shikamaru, dozed off, sprawled out on the living room floor. Grateful for this precious gift of peace and quiet and with the greatest caution not to wake either of them, Kurenai covered them up with a blanket.
She wasn't quite sure what to do with the rest of her evening – did not dare to hope, that her unexpected free time would last too long. She had just settled on her sofa with a book, when she heard a tapping noise.
It came from her window, she realised – briefly wondered who this might be – and was indeed a little surprised when she found none other than the Hokage himself outside. Since he had assumed the office, the chances of Kakashi visiting had halved. Not that they had ever been especially high to begin with.

"Thank you", Kurenai said as she let him in. She received a slightly confused look from Kakashi in return.
"For not using the doorbell", she pointed at the two sleeping figures at her floor and motioned him to follow her to the kitchen, offered him something to drink, which he declined and after waiting for a considerable amount of time for him to say something, asked why he had come.
"Hmm", Kakashi looked at the cup of tea that he had not wanted and which was placed in front of him none the less.
"I didn't know Shikamaru was here", he said, his gaze still fixed on his unwanted drink.
Kurenai narrowed her eyes. There was something odd about Kakashi's behaviour, she thought, and couldn't quite decide whether to feel curious or concerned about it.
"..he wouldn't let Ino get any sleep, since..."
Kakashi took his time before he asked "Since when?"
So, Kurenai gathered, maybe Shikamaru wasn't what he had wanted to talk about.
"He ran off, a few days ago... before that, I had actually thought he was getting better."
"He seems calm enough right now..."
"Hm", Kurenai leaned back in her chair to look through the living room door.
"I'm not a bad mother, for letting him play with Nozomi. Am I?"
She didn't really expect Kakashi to answer. There were matters in which he probably could give good advice, but parenting most definitely wasn't among them.
"Any words from the other villages?", Kurenai said, after having endured Kakashi's silence for another half cup of tea.
"Hm?"
"You said you'd ask them for assistance?"
"Ah, right. Apparently the Mist believe that, since Madara is now confirmed dead, any genjutsu cast by him should have been canceled -"
"But we both know -"
Kakashi nodded.
"The other villages are going to send someone as soon as they have their results from Madara's autopsy."
"Right", that made sense, as the body was likely to hold some information on this matter.
"But that's not why you came, is it?", Kurenai watched Kakashi carefully.
"It's not like you to make social calls."
Kakashi shrugged. For a fleeting moment he seemed to consider removing his mask in favour of Kurenai's tea, but he had not yet reached up his hand when both he and Kurenai heard a noise next door and seconds later Shikamaru came in, carrying an audibly awake Nozomi in his arms.
"She woke up", he stated, as he handed the baby over to her mother.
"I can see that", Kurenai sighed, then asked Kakashi whether it was alright to leave him with Shikamaru for a moment.

He sat down across from Kakashi, folded his arms in front of his chest and looked at him with an intensity that almost managed to make Kakashi feel uncomfortable.
"It's you", he whispered after a while, then squeezed his eyes shut, covering his face with his hands.
"What is?", Kakashi asked. He wasn't sure whether he should wait for Kurenai to come back, or if maybe his chance for an answer would have ceased by then, when Shikamaru uncovered his face again, with a determined crease between his brows reached for the sugar-bowl and motioned to Kakashi to hand him his, still untouched, cup of tea.

"Shikamaru?", apparently Kurenai had left Nozomi in her bedroom, as she returned to the kitchen on her own.
"What's with the sugar again?", she said pealing the bowl, which already had lost a good third of its contents to tea and table, from Shikamaru's fingers, then apologised to Kakashi.
"I suppose I'd better go", he got up and was already halfway by the door, when Shikamaru took hold of his arm.
"You have to stop him!", he screamed.
"He's still intangible, but it won't take much more. He mustn't...", Shikamaru gasped. His fingers involuntarily tightened around Kakashi's arm.
"You need to-", he shook his head, brushed with his free hand over his eyes.
"...cross back..."