Sunny Days and Eye Candy – Pakkun has a confession to make. Kakashi is amused. Very amused.
"No, wait!" The small pug held up one paw to his human's face. "I'll stay here for a little while."
Kakashi lowered his hands and looked at his ninken in confusion. "We're done, aren't we? We've located the bandit-nin and rescued Kiba from being molested by that kunoichi who somehow managed to scare me out of my wits. I think it's fair to say the mission is complete."
Pakkun sighed. How on earth was he supposed to convey that his mission was still incomplete?
They were in the middle of the forests of Fire Country, and his human's mission team was resting nearby. The boy with weird, pale eyes was sitting stiffly and trying to block out his enthusiastic teammate's chatter. The girl with equally weird, pale eyes was sitting by her own teammate, the Inuzuka boy, and discussing something in light tones. But sitting next to the Inuzuka boy …
Oh the glory of that stunning white fur! The brilliance of his elegant paws and majestic ears! The beauty of that golden arc as it had spiraled through the air, in his aptly named 'Dynamic Marking'! Pakkun shivered just thinking about it. A true canine was he, this companion of the Inuzuka boy.
But Pakkun was an old dog. Not too old, to be sure. But old enough to settle back on his haunches like his human did, and watch the young ones from afar. He sighed. "Ah, just some sightseeing, Kakashi. Sometimes the eye candy is much better out here than it is back at home."
The masked nin sat back against the tree and watched him in amusement, tracing his line of sight to where Akamaru was lounging on the other side of the small forest clearing. "Pakkun, surely you can't mean …"
"No need to judge, Kakashi. I know exactly how you look at that student of yours," Pakkun grumbled. He settled down beside Kakashi's leg, placing his small head on his paws and glancing over to where Kiba was absent running a hand through Akamaru's fur. His beautiful white fur…
"Maa … I didn't know you were that kind of dog," Kakashi remarked. "Like summoner like summoned. How is it with dogs, anyway? Would you be on the bottom?"
Pakkun promptly swatted a paw against his human's leg.
"… I'll take that as a yes," Kakashi hummed. "So, when are you going to tell him?"
"Only humans do those stupid dating things," the pug huffed.
"Mr Ukki is dating Sakura's new houseplant," Kakashi informed him. "We're very proud of them, they make a wonderful couple."
"… Leave your poor plant alone, Kakashi. I'm sure all it wants to do is germinate by itself in peace."
There was a moment of silence as the ninken and his human looked across the forest clearing, watching Kiba pet Akamaru's head while he spoke to Hinata and tried to ignore Lee's outbursts about Youth nearby. In a few minutes their chakra levels would be restored and they would have to head back to Konoha and report the end of their mission. Pakkun would have to dismiss himself and go meet with the rest of his pack.
But sunny days like these were really best suited for idling by his human's leg, yawning in the summer light, and observing a beautiful young dog nearby. He watched Akamaru shake his fur, noting how the white curls rippled gently in the breeze.
Kakashi was watching him. "I can't believe I haven't noticed this before. You're completely smitten, aren't you?"
"Could be." Pakkun grumbled.
"Should I help you confess?"
The dog ambled over to bite his thigh, "don't you dare. I'm too old for him."
Kakashi frowned, "you're the same age as me. Am I old too?"
"Damn right, old man. We need to accept our age."
"I'm only thirty, that's young for a human," he replied, amused again.
"Yeah, well its old for a dog." Pakkun settled back on his paws. He couldn't have it but he sure could enjoy the view. And what a view it was …
Kakashi didn't seem like he was ready to give up. He looked across at Akamaru calculatingly. "You know, ninken live a lot longer than ordinary dogs. If we account for that, I'd say he's in your league. And so I will courteously offer my aid once again." The amusement practically shone through his mask.
"And I'll tell you where to stick your aid," Pakkun replied dryly. "I don't need help. I'm an independent dog."
"Sure. That's why you still don't have a litter."
"Neither do you," the pug shot back.
Kakashi paused. He rather liked to think of himself as a human version of his lazy ninken. "You know, I think I'll discuss this with Kiba," he said absently. "I'm sure he'd love to know that his companion has caught the eye of an experienced older dog." He winked.
"Don't you dare, Kakashi," Pakkun bristled.
"And maybe we can arrange a blind date," he went on. "At a nice park, maybe that one near the training grounds. You know, that grassy place by the Naka River."
"I'll bite your head off and I'll never let you pet my fur again."
"And Kiba has lots of treats. I mean, I'm rather embarrassed to admit than all you get in my apartment is leftover takeout, but the Inuzukas really know how to spoil their companions-"
Pakkun stood up, happy that his cheeks weren't prone to turn red like some human's were. As it was, his fur was starting to look a little pink. "I'll be going now."
"Don't be embarrassed, this is great!" Kakashi's eye crinkled as he smiled under his mask. "I should tell Jiraiya-sama, he'd have a field day with this one."
"Hmph," the dog huffed. "I'll confess willingly the day you confess to that student of yours." He smiled in triumph when that shut his human right up. The two of them really weren't so different, sometimes.