At this rate, he was going to have no reputation left.

“I think you may have had enough,” he said carefully, extracting his hand. Katsuko laughed, bright and jangly as blood-tarnished silver bells, then leaned over to ruffle his hair. Kakashi caught her by the wrist. “Definitely had enough.”

She twitched the fingers of her captured hand in a little wave. “You’re adorable.”

“Shiny, fuzzy, adorable—have you met me?” he asked, exasperated, because everything he and Ryouma were was not something for other people to see, even if the thought of Ryouma lighting up happy around him made something warm and fierce burn in Kakashi’s ribcage. “I’m mean. I yelled at you before you even knew who I was. I’m—” he tripped over ‘dating’ and settled on, “seeing the man you like. I insult you. To your face!”

“Sometimes,” Katsuko said, with the benevolent wisdom of the rapidly intoxicated. “Sometimes, to break down a wall, you have to run into it a lot.” She leaned directly into his personal space, fluidly graceful and smiling. "You're not so bad. Lots of people who yell aren't mean. It's just that they're hurt."

Six months ago, Kakashi thought distantly, he might have broken her hand for that.

Katsuko frowned at him. "Wait, you think I like like Ryouma? Is that why you've still been growly?" She snorted. "I don't like Ryouma that way. Not anymore. But as a friend, he's one of the best."

It was hard to tell past the scent of booze and bad dreams—something like charred flowers and stress—but nothing about her said lie.

“I know that,” Kakashi said, knee-jerk, before he realized he actually hadn’t. He’d known Ryouma’s side of it, I was scared an’ she was nice, but they’d talked that out and it had ended up somewhere with done running and I want strings and Kakashi on his knees with Ryouma’s fingers leaving bruises on his shoulders. But he’d never gotten Katsuko’s side—he’d just thrown his trust at Ryouma’s feet and decided not to care about her.

Mostly.

His fingers were still around her wrist. He loosened his grip and let her go.

“Ryouma’s a good man,” he said, a little stiffly. “He should have friends. He does have friends.” Reiko and Asuma, apparently, and half a dozen others who’d damn near kicked the door down to see if he was really alive. Hitomi, though she was more teacher than friend. “He’s... good at them.”

Katsuko scratched her head, tangling her hair even further, and smiled at him a little sadly. “You’re a good man, too.” She contemplated her mostly finished beer. “Even if you are a little silly at times.”

Kakashi gave up, leaned across, and poked her. “Me?” he said. “You’re the one in flip-flops. It’s winter, you lunatic.”

Katsuko chuckled. "I’m too awesome for the cold to affect me,” she declared, with another grand swooping gesture that spilled her beer. “I shouldn't have to dress for winter. Winter should dress for me."

She didn’t get cold, he remembered abruptly. Too much chakra; too much heat in her coils. She didn’t have balance, either. He caught her arm again before she tipped herself backwards off the roof. Beneath the frayed cloth of her hoodie, her skin was fever-warm.

“If winter wore clothes, we’d all drown in wool,” Kakashi said, re-steadying her. “How’s your chakra feeling?”