Young Heart
Disclaimer: I do not own Any of the characters below
Genre: Humour and Romance
Rating: Mature for safety
Hatake Kakashi, the great Copy-nin could honestly say that for a ninja he was getting on in years. Today was his fortieth birthday. His peers, especially the older and younger, had been taking advantage in the weeks leading to this date to rub in just how great a milestone the day in question was.
Kakashi was fortunate in most respects when it came to the visible signs of ageing. Unlike Genma he had no signs of grey hairs. Of course this came with the advantage of having silver hair to begin with. Also he hid the deepening creases of his mouth from the world behind a mask. This was in contrast to Guy who's constantly smiling expression had finally shown their long term effects.
But he had to admit his eye-crinkles had begun to make a more permanent indent above his mask.
There were internal signs too, such as occasional arthritis, recurring lower back pain and the ever so slight softening of once rock hard abs. Although he had been assured that it wasn't the muscle definition that was the problem but rather the loosening of skin.
On a social level age was highlighted by the early times they all kept and the smaller amounts of alcohol and inebriation.
It was a known fact that shinobi aged sooner than civilians given the physical and psychological hardships they endured from an early age. The knowledge still did not comfort anyone for the inevitable.
"Hey, Old Fart! How's it hanging!" Genma greeted him as he entered the Hatake household. The place was crawling with people already and decorated as if getting older were in fact something to celebrate.
Kakashi merely glared at the greying man before him. Genma decided to have another jab before he joined the other guests.
"Oh, get used to it. The hanging I mean. From here on out your sex life's gonna dry up."
Before Kakashi could make a comeback at the lewd comment, Genma was provided with a diversion in the form of Naruto's arrival.
"Hey! Kaka-sensei! Congrats!" The beaming blonde gave a firm handshake that reminded Kakashi just how much his student had surpassed him...especially in strength.
Behind him was the re-pregnated Hinata. Although this would be their second child, it would be their first in wedlock. Kakashi remembered all too well the news of their their first pregnancy. Since Hinata was from a noble clan, there had been an up-roar. And surprisingly the two expecting parents had not felt as much heat over the situation as Kakashi had. Apparently it had been 'his' fault. He was Hatake Kakashi, an openly labelled pervert. As people saw it, he had influenced Naruto into such actions.
It did not help his argument against this misunderstanding when the first child had been born and the two youths had decided to name their first son after him.
As a reflex Kakashi gave the two an eye-crinkle.
"Thank you, Naruto. How's the pregnancy going?"
"Oh, its great! The baby has started kicking." Hinata continued to beam fondly from her husband's side.
"Oh! Eager to start ninja training is he," Kakashi quipped. The two laughed at the humour. Kakashi did the awkward pretend laugh.
The laughing was cut short when Hinata whispered in Naruto's ear.
"Oh, sure. Kaka-sensei can you direct us to a bathroom?"
"Sure. Just around the corner." They waved good-bye as Kakashi pondered the need for them to go to the bathroom 'together'?
"Kakashi, my old rival!"
Even after all these years those words still caused a tensing of revolt.
The silver haired nin turned to see the ever smiling, ever green, ever freaky bowl-haircut of Mighty Guy.
"Ah, Kakashi! To think that on this here day, fate made it so that my eternal rival and great friend Hatake Kakashi would be born. Why in the spring of our youth even then it was as if we knew the greatness of our bond. Do you remember the day we met? The stage was already set!"
This continued for two more hours. The rest of the celebration consisted of a drunken Genma making 'limp' jokes, Tsunade laughing at Kakashi's expense when Anko pointed out his wrinkling eyes, Guy getting sick once he initiated a sake drinking tournament with his younger self, Lee, and Naruto gallantly breaking the bathroom door down for his distressed pregnant wife with the small bladder, when the occupant took more than thirty minutes. This of course was only to uncover Shizune and Iruka in a questionable position.
This of course gave insight to the fact that as shinobi get older, they regress to the point of behaving like teenagers. The Hokage herself was proof of that.
That night Kakashi sat on the back porch and watched the stars grow brighter in the dimming sky. He sighed, a mixture of exhaustion and dejection.
"What's the matter?" Slender creamy arms snaked around his midriff from the back.
"Just thinking."
"About what?" A delicate chin came to rest on his right shoulder.
"Being an old pervert. When I was young people thought it was quirky. Now I'm just going to be seen as gross."
Petite hands pulled him back slightly and the chin left its perch to angle itself, so a pair of pretty green eyes stared directly into the mismatched pair of Kakashi's.
"This ageing thing is really bothering you that much?"
Kakashi averted his gaze from the penetrating hue before him. "I'm forty. The ageing thing has already happened."
"I know." Lips brushed against his ear and the seductive melody of purred, "Have I told you how much more sexy you look today?"
"I do?" Kakashi turned his head so he could stare at the lips that had been tickling his ear.
"Of course. You know I have a thing for older men."
"Mmhmm. I know that very well." Kakashi turned to the side so he could wind an arm around the petite waste that was behind him.
"So it stands to reason," the pale slender arms slinked around his neck, "that the older you get, the sexier you become."
"Somehow I believe that only you think like that."
"Oh? Are there some other women you want to impress?"
Kakashi pulled the vixen into his lap and pulled her closer to him.
"No. Come to think of it you may have a point about age being a good thing."
"Oh?"
"Mmhm. If you had never aged to become older than eighteen, I really would be a dirty old man."
"Haha! Well one thing is for sure."
"What?"
"As long as you will have me, you will be 'My' dirty old man."
"Then how does forever sound?"
"Sounds pretty good since we're already married."
Kakashi smiled. So he was old. When it came to love he was a giggly teenager all over again and it had been that way for a good few years now, and 'that' never got old. Of course that only was because of 'her'.
Kakashi took in the strong yet delicate, the pretty yet intelligent, gloriousness that was Hatake Sakura.
"What are you smiling about?" Sakura cocked her head to the side with an amused smile in return.
"I've decided the ageing thing isn't that bad."
"Good. Which reminds me, I haven't given you your other birthday present yet."
"Wha-?" Fingers well trained in removing his mask did just that and soon their lips met in a passionate kiss. For the next hour Kakashi did no thinking only a lot of doing. And age still had no effect on 'that' what-so-ever.
This was done for a contest and to help clear my writers block for my other stories. Hope you like. R&R