At the beginning

Kakashi took a deep breath before taking a bite of the food. Expectantly, Kushina looked at him and asked, "So, how does it taste?"

Kakashi paused for a moment, savoring the flavor before smiling at Kushina and nodding enthusiastically. "It tastes really good, we can leave it as it is." Relaxing, Kakashi let his mask hang around his neck. Cooking together with Kushina had brought him much joy, and he felt comfortable in her company.

Meanwhile, Minato, who had returned from the bathroom, had made himself comfortable on the sofa with a book. He slowly lowered the book into his lap and glanced over at the two. "Sounds like dinner is ready," he remarked with a warm smile.

Kakashi looked over at Minato with a broad smile and nodded. "Yes, the food is ready," he announced, gently getting up from his chair.

Just as Kakashi was about to reach for the bowl of food, Kushina beat him to it and grabbed the bowl. With a charming smile, she walked over to the table and set the food down. "Come on, both of you, let's sit at the table. Otherwise, the food will get cold."

After Minato got up from the couch, he walked over to the table and admired the carefully arranged tablecloth and delicious dishes. Kakashi watched eagerly as Minato examined the table, hoping he liked the arrangement. As Minato reached the table, Kakashi pushed his chair back and attentively watched as Minato and Kushina took their seats.

Kakashi also settled into his chair and glanced at Minato, who took a deep breath through his nose and leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile. "That smells delicious and looks very appetizing," he commented. Kakashi felt a sense of relief wash over him as he heard Minato's praise.

Kushina smiled contentedly and leaned forward slightly. "Then let's not wait any longer, let's enjoy the meal," she encouraged them with a warm smile.

Kakashi nodded in agreement, and they began to eat. He kept glancing at his sensei, trying to gauge his reaction. But Minato didn't show any signs and instead engaged in casual conversation with Kushina. Kakashi decided not to dwell on it and simply enjoyed the meal and the time spent with the two.

After they had eaten their fill, Minato leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh. Kakashi pulled his mask back up, turned to him, and smiled. "The food was really delicious," Minato remarked, leaning forward again and looking at Kakashi. "Thank you for cooking for me. You did a really great job." Then he turned his gaze to Kushina. "You deserve a big thank you too."

Kushina simply smiled at Minato and nodded gratefully. Kakashi was relieved that his mask hid the slight blush on his cheeks. Minato's compliment filled him with joy, and he was grateful that the meal had been well received. "Thank you, Minato-sensei!"

Smiling, Minato got up from his chair and spread his arms to collect the plates. "Alright, you two took care of the delicious food, so I'll gladly take care of the cleanup." His determination showed through his friendly gesture as he began to gather the plates.

Kushina stood up and joined Minato in cleaning up. "Let's do this together," she suggested, smiling at him. Then she turned to Kakashi. "You can just sit back, Minato and I will handle this. How about we play a few rounds of our card game afterwards?" Her gentle voice invited Kakashi to relax and look forward to the next activity.

Kakashi thought for a moment and glanced at the clock. He didn't want to come home too late; after all, he had promised his father to go to bed on time if he wasn't there. Since it wasn't too late yet, he smiled at Kushina and nodded. "Sure thing!" he replied.

"Then go ahead and get everything ready, we'll be done soon." Kushina's words echoed through the room as she hurried to the kitchen with a bowl in hand. Kakashi turned to Minato, who smiled warmly at him before heading to the kitchen as well. Kakashi got up from his chair and went to his belongings. There he had stored his gifts and pulled out the deck of cards he had been given.

He realized he was still wearing the apron. Quickly, he took it off and folded it neatly to stow it in his bag. As he squatted in front of his bag, examining his gifts, he felt warmth rise in his chest again. It overwhelmed him in this moment, everything the two had organized for him and that he could spend such a beautiful day with them.

Tears welled up in his eyes again, and like in the morning, he didn't know why he had to cry. It made him happy, not sad. Quickly, he wiped his eyes with his arm when suddenly someone crouched beside him. Kakashi glanced to the side and looked into Minato's gentle eyes. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Is everything okay?" he whispered.

Kakashi looked back at his gifts and shrugged slightly. "Actually, I don't want to cry, I'm happy," Kakashi confessed softly.

Minato chuckled lightly and tousled Kakashi's hair. "Those are tears of joy," he explained, smiling affectionately at Kakashi.

Kakashi immediately looked at Minato and tilted his head. "You can cry from joy? I thought you only cry when you're sad," he admitted, pausing for a moment as he thoughtfully looked at the floor. "I've never cried from joy." His words carried a hint of surprise and curiosity as he contemplated what such a feeling might mean.

Minato's expression softened. "Come on, let's go to Kushina and have a nice evening," Minato encouraged Kakashi, rising again.

Kakashi lifted his gaze and reached for the deck of cards. Together with Minato, he returned to the living room, where Kushina was already waiting for them, smiling warmly at Kakashi. "Good to have you back," she greeted them. She placed glasses and water on the table and smiled at Kakashi. "Let's get started right away, I've been waiting to take my revenge for a long time." Kushina blinked briefly, then a smile spread across Kakashi's face, and he nodded in agreement. Together, they sat down at the table, and Kakashi prepared everything for the first round.

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Kakashi yawned deeply, feeling his eyes grow heavy as he laid down a card. Another yawn followed, and he gently rubbed his eyes before the cards were kindly taken away from him. He looked to Minato, who smiled at him. "I think it's time to call it quits. You're about to fall asleep sitting up."

Kakashi looked away, suppressing another yawn stirring within him. It was slightly embarrassing, but he knew Minato was right. So, he nodded in agreement. "I think I should start heading home slowly," Kakashi said, slowly rising from his chair.

Minato also stood up and placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder as he was about to stumble out of the living room. Minato squatted gently in front of Kakashi, and Kakashi could see a certain concern in his eyes. "You can hardly keep your eyes open, let alone walk straight," Minato began, smiling affectionately at Kakashi. "How about you stay over at my place tonight? A sort of sleepover?"

Kakashi looked at Minato for a moment before shaking his head. He was unsure. "It's okay, Minato-sensei. I'll manage, you don't need to go through any trouble because of me," Kakashi explained calmly. He didn't want to cause any more inconvenience than he already did.

Now Kushina also stood up, walked around the table, and stood behind Minato. Her gaze was kindly fixed on Kakashi. "Don't worry!" she gently scolded him. "It would be irresponsible to let you go home now. I'll quickly prepare Minato's guest room and lay out one of his T-shirts for you. It will be too big for you, but it'll do for sleeping," Kushina determined and immediately set off.

Kakashi and Minato watched her go before Minato turned back to Kakashi. "She's right, please stay over tonight. Your father isn't home anyway, and you'd be all alone. Tomorrow morning, we can head to training together," Minato explained with a warm smile.

For a moment, Kakashi considered the offer, but he noticed how difficult it was for him to think clearly. So, he weakly nodded and yawned again. Minato smiled contentedly and then stood up again. He gently placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder and led him to his guest room.

In the guest room, Kushina had already prepared everything and handed Kakashi one of Minato's T-shirts. He took it gratefully and smiled at her. "Thank you, Kushina. Good night."

Her smile was warm. "Sleep well, Kakashi. It was a really nice day. Until next time." Then she turned to Minato. "I'll be waiting for you in the living room." With these words, she left the guest room.

Minato gently pushed Kakashi toward the bed and looked at him. "I hope this is okay for you," he asked lovingly.

Kakashi glanced briefly around the room and nodded. "Thank you, I have everything I need," he replied, exhausted, sinking onto the bed.

Minato sat down beside him and placed a reassuring hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "If anything comes up, I'm next door. You can come anytime," he reassured with a warm smile. He stroked Kakashi's back once, then stood up and walked to the door. "Sleep well, Kakashi."

But before Minato left the room, Kakashi stopped him. "Minato-sensei?" The addressed turned around and looked at Kakashi expectantly. "Thank you for the lovely day and letting me stay here. Sleep well too, until tomorrow." Kakashi was truly grateful; he knew it wasn't something to be taken for granted. Minato smiled back at Kakashi in response, nodded to him, and then gently left the room, closing the door behind him.

Kakashi let his gaze wander to the T-shirt in his hands and looked at it for a moment. He heard the soft footsteps in the hallway as they moved away from his room, and then the gentle closing of a door. A tired smile spread across his lips. To be honest, he was glad he didn't have to go home anymore. It was nice to have some company.

Quickly, he began to undress, except for his underwear and undershirt. Then he slipped into the T-shirt, which was as expected, much too big. But it was comfortable and smelled pleasant. For Kakashi, the scent was a feeling of comfort and security. Then he crawled under the covers and got comfortable. His eyes quickly closed as he thought back over the day. With a smile on his lips, he fell into a peaceful sleep.

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On the evening of the following day, Kakashi made his way home after training. The morning had greeted him with a surprise breakfast from Minato before they set off for training together. His thoughts kept returning to his birthday yesterday and how wonderful that day had been. He looked forward to telling his father all about it when he returned home.

He was already contemplating what he could plan for Minato's birthday. It might be a while away, but it wouldn't hurt to start preparations early. He definitely wanted to cook for the blond; Kushina could surely tell him what his favorite meal was. Overall, he was glad to have her help - he believed they could surely come up with something nice together. Cooking with Kushina had brought Kakashi joy, and he felt more and more comfortable in her presence.

Kakashi arrived home and immediately rushed into the house. After closing the door behind him and setting down his things, something caught his eye immediately. His father's clothes were lying in the hallway. He raised an eyebrow before a wide grin spread across his face. Quickly, he kicked off his sandals and ran through the house to find his father. When he didn't spot him anywhere in the house, his gaze finally fell on the open door leading to the garden.

With quick steps, Kakashi approached the door, stopped in the doorway, and looked into the garden. His father was sitting on the bench, looking thoughtfully into the garden. Kakashi waited for a moment, then furrowed his brow and studied his father. But he didn't move and just remained sitting silently. Normally, his father would immediately sense Kakashi's presence and turn to him.

Suddenly, Kakashi was overcome by a feeling of unease, and his stomach felt heavy. "Dad?" he asked softly, taking a few steps closer to his father.

Sakumo flinched slightly and turned his gaze to Kakashi, a tense smile flickered across his lips as he gestured for Kakashi to come closer. Kakashi hurried over to him and sat down next to his father, but the strange feeling persisted. Sakumo remained silent, put his arm around Kakashi, and gently pulled him closer.

An uncomfortable feeling spread through Kakashi, a sense that something was off. His father was acting strangely, and Kakashi hesitated to say anything. Instead, he tried to enjoy the closeness of his father, but the tension between them was palpable.

With a hint of concern in his voice, Kakashi looked at Sakumo. "Is everything okay, Dad?" he asked gently. "You came home earlier than expected. Did something happen?"

A gentle smile played on Sakumo's lips as his gaze slowly shifted to Kakashi. His grip on Kakashi tightened as he began to speak. "Don't worry, everything is fine," he assured softly. "I'm sorry, I was just lost in thought. I haven't even had the chance to congratulate you. Happy birthday!"

A touch of worry crept into Kakashi's thoughts, but he decided to set them aside for now. He trusted his father; if he said everything was okay, then Kakashi wanted to believe him. "Thank you, Dad! It's nice to have you back home," he replied, smiling, even though he felt that something was wrong.

Sakumo gently stroked Kakashi's hair and let his gaze wander back to the garden. "Tell me, how did you spend your birthday yesterday? Did you have a nice day?" he asked lovingly.

Kakashi nodded beside his father and began excitedly recounting what he had done yesterday. As he talked about the events, he forgot about the tense atmosphere and could simply rejoice in his father's return.