Kakashi Hatake was known to be a lazy man who enjoyed spending his free time laying around usually with a good book. Especially when he was home alone with no one bothering him, he liked to sprawl on the sofa, long legs dangling from the armrest, and lose himself in the chosen book; this time it was an adventure story about a group of gold miners set in the late ’90 of XIX century.
He was just about to discover how the group would survive and escape the mine collapse, and he couldn’t even suppress the delighted giddiness in his limbs nor the fine tremors of his fingers, when the front door slammed open with a loud bang and his son literally stumbled into the living room making him jump up from his relaxed position and giving him a small heart attack in the process.
Now, after seventeen years, Kakashi Hatake should have known better than to dream of a lazy afternoon; since the age of three his cute ankle biter had been a terror with endless reserves of energy who once had literally jumped up the walls.
Kakashi stared at the orange and blue lump on the floor until it shook, rolled around groaning and then stared back at him with impossible big blue eyes. “I’m ok! Everything’s fine! I just tripped on my bag!” The lump declared loudly and Kakashi sighed, closed his book regretfully and stood whispering to himself “I don’t even know how you could be so clumsy and then be the best hitter in your baseball team. It’s mind-blowing, really.”
He helped his son on his own two feet, patted his head and shoulders and asked “So. How did practice go?” Naruto launched in a detailed description of his afternoon training all the while raiding the fridge, at least until Kakashi steered him to one of the kitchen chairs and started preparing him some snacks; then his son recounted loudly from his position on the chair.
Naruto was munching contently on his sandwich and Kakashi was leaning against the kitchen counter nursing a deserved cup of very strong decaf coffee when his son asked shyly with his mouth staffed so much full that he resembled a chipmunk “Dad?” Kakashi hummed and Naruto swallowed before continuing “How was your first date with Papa?”
Kakashi didn’t choke on his coffee by sheer willpower. That was unexpected. “Maa. Why would you like to know?” Naruto blushed brightly, just like his Papa, and Kakashi smiled gently despite his own little discomfort. Naruto fidgeted his glass of juice before muttering “I… I think I need some advices…” Kakashi was this close to coo in delight.
He cleared his throat, took a sip of coffee and asked with faked ignorance “Dating advices? Who is the lucky one?” It wasn’t like he already knew absolutely everything about his son’s crush on Shikamaru Nara, absolutely not. Kakashi and Iruka were not, in fact, the biggest gossip when it came down to their son’s life, Naruto’s aunt was. The three of them had not spent entire evenings gossiping about that cute crush of Naruto. Absolutely not.
Naruto murmured something Kakashi didn’t catch, lost in his musing, so his son mumbled a little more loudly “A friend from school.” Kakashi raised an eyebrow completely unimpressed; than simply couldn’t do. His son added “Someone I think I like very much but I don’t know how to ask...” Naruto breathed before going on a bit more hesitantly “… him out…”
Kakashi put down his cup, one of the green ones Iruka had bought, and sat down beside his son, rested a hand on his shoulder and said gently “You should think of something he likes, you know? It’s important that he enjoys your date but you, too, have to have a good time.” Kakashi smiled and added “I’m happy you told me, Naruto. Can I tell Papa or would you prefer doing so yourself?”
Naruto threw himself in Kakashi’s arms, pressing his face in the crock of his neck the same way he was used to do when he was a kid and Kakashi hugged him back with a small oomph. “Thanks Dad.” Naruto whispered and Kakashi smiled against his son’s hair. They stayed like that for a while until Iruka walked into the kitchen, took a good look at the display and asked hopefully “Family hug?”
Naruto turned his head and motioned for him to join and Kakashi found himself with a lapful of cuddling teenager and sexy husband; Iruka kissed Naruto’s head before pecking him on the lips drawing comforting circles on their son’s back. After a while Kakashi whined “You’re crushing me. When do you two become so heavy?” and Iruka smacked him on the shoulder shaking his head but got up all the same bringing along their son.
Kakashi got up and finished his now cold cup of coffee while his husband asked him “So what happened?” Kakashi hummed and looked at Naruto expectantly so his son said “I was asking Dad some dating advices. Where would you go on a first date? With a guy I mean.” Iruka smiled his signature sunshine smile and answered “What does he like? Because you should choose something he likes so he could have a very good time! But you have to enjoy your date, too, so something both of you like but he does a little bit more.”
Kakashi started laughing quietly and Naruto groaned running a hand down his face and saying “Oh my God! You two are so cheesy!” Iruka stared at him, confusion written all over his face, and asked “What?” Kakashi simply laughed louder, followed by Naruto, while his husband fumed “Oi! You two! Stop! Someone better explain me what’s going on! Kakashi, stop laughing! Oi!”
-
“Inochaaan!”
Naruto dropped his backpack, and his helmet, on the fake leather of the bar’s booth in front of his friend, flopped down next to it and proceeded to stare at his best friend. Ino was typing away on her laptop, sometimes sipping her fancy hot cocoa, topped with whipped cream and colorful funfetti and other shit, and ignoring him.
Naruto glared briefly, then sighed, then rest his head on his crossed arms over the table; Ino had always been the sister Naruto had never had and since they were little kids they had been a formidable duo, managing to wreak a no small amount of chaos upon both their parents and families.
Naruto turned to the approaching waiter and whispered “Can I have a small coffee with…” “No.” Ino’s thigh voice was worse than his Papa’s teacher voice and Naruto whined pitifully, just like his Dad usually did, while that blonde traitor ordered for him “He wants a small slightly coffee flavored hot cocoa with two, no three cookies. And some whipped cream on a different plate, please. Not on top of the cocoa. Thank you.”
Ino fluttered her eyelashes at the waiter and when he walked away resumed her typing, still ignoring him; Naruto grumbled and started wriggling his way out of the heavy coat and warm scarf waiting for her to finish the damn school project.
Naruto had mulled over his head his parents’ dating advices, that were good and all, but now he needed some real idea, and an actual plan, and the only one he could talk about this with was the blond drama queen who was still ignoring him, damn it!
Finally, Ino closed her laptop, glanced his way and declared mercilessly “You look like shit.” Naruto simply groaned. It wasn’t worth it to explain for the umpteenth time that after training he would always look like shit; it almost looked like Ino didn’t want to understand that simple concept. Ino stated “My advices are priceless but you could pay me with some of your Dad’s peanut butter cookies. Let’s say, at least a batch.”
Naruto stared; his Dad’s cookies, not only the peanut butter ones, were a well-known heavenly baked goods that all of his friends tried to grab whenever they could. There had been a time when Choji literally broke into his house to steal the cookies; they were six years old at that time and Naruto knew his Papa still recounted that story with a mix of dread and mirth. Naruto stared harder but Ino didn’t bulge so he stated “Better be worth it, blondie.” She grinned back “You bet, blondie.”
They spend the following hour and a half planning Naruto’s every move until Ino’s phone buzzed with a text and it was time to go home; they approached the register and Naruto waited for Ino to pay. She turned to him and declared “You’re buying.” Naruto gaped “It’s your turn!” Ino leveled him with an unimpressed eye saying “I’m a girl. I shouldn’t have to pay when I’m with a guy.” “And all that speeches about equal rights?! About how you’re independent and don’t need a man to buy you things? Where have they gone?!” Ino rolled her eyes and headed for the exit saying “You’re driving me home, blondie.” “Of course, you stupid drama queen.” Naruto mumbled looking for his wallet.
He walked to his scooter and retrieved the bright pink helmet, with violet and yellow flowers, from the compartment under the seat before jumping on and starting the engine; Ino settled behind him and circled his chest with her arms and Naruto pulled off abruptly just to spite her. Ino yelped startled but Naruto laughed feeling her arms squeezing him.
Everything would be ok, he had a plan now.
-
Iruka was well down the road to dreamland when the body against his shifted changing position. His husband’s long arms immediately circled him and pressed him closer murmuring soothingly but the damage had already been done; Iruka made a small displeased noise and curled more against his husband’s chest. “Ru? Are you awake?”
Iruka grumbled against Kakashi’s t-shirt and whispered back “I am now.” Kakashi kissed the top of his head and stated “Naruto asked me about our first date.” Iruka forced open one eye and bend his head to be able to look at his husband; Kakashi was looking at him with big grey eyes and that embarrassed small smile of his and Iruka kissed him under the chin before asking “And you panicked and didn’t answer, right?”
Kakashi murmured something and Iruka hummed compliant, gently coaxing him to voice his thoughts. “Maa. I couldn’t exactly tell him that I short-circuited for most of the time because you were so beautiful and sexy that I couldn’t even talk properly now, could I?” Iruka smoldered a laugh against his chest before nuzzling affectionately along his neck. He replayed mischievously “No but you could tell him that ponytailed guys always keep you on your toes.”
His husband hummed in agreement, landing another kiss against his hair, and Iruka settled against his chest ready to resume his journey down the road to dreamland. He barely heard Kakashi whisper “You still make me short-circuit, Ru.” but he was too much comfortable in his husband’s embrace to muster the will to replay.
Iruka would let him know that he was the one who still felt breathless most of the time, even after so many years together. He would let him know tomorrow, though. Iruka yawned. Definitely tomorrow.