Simple Repast
Pairing: Asuma x Kakashi
Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto.
--
(Asuma was not a hopeless romantic.)
They both came back from separate missions, and it was purely coincidental that they crossed paths in the mission room during their status report.
(No. Not a coincidence at all. Asuma was purposefully late a day to catch Kakashi as he returned – early.)
Stilted conversation followed.
"Hey."
"Yo."
"Dinner?"
"Sure."
And an accidental (planned) dinner together was agreed upon.
--
The table was square spanning a meager thirty by thirty. It leaned against the peeling-paint wall, wobbling on tri-legs. The lights were dim and the patrons – shady. Waitresses slipped by, hair askew as they tugged at their skimpy aprons.
But they weren't about to care. All that mattered to hungry, tired, ran-over-by-an-A-ranked-mission shinobi was food. As long as the stuff on their plates was edible, there were no complaints on the general ambiance.
Kakashi had rice with smelt and vegetables coupled with cheap White tea.
He had eel sprinkled on soba noodles. At the side of his dish sat a bowl of pickled cabbage. He watched as an unmasked nose wrinkle with distaste.
Asuma grinned around a bite. "It's good."
The rumpled nin shrugged. "No thanks." Adjusting the mask self-consciously around his neck, Kakashi focused on his meal.
There. Perhaps he was one of the few people alive who has seen that expressive mouth quiver around grains of rice.
--
At certain intervals of the meal, he saw Kakashi pick at the bruise on his exposed lower left arm. Whoever had managed to grab the Copy ninja like that must have been good...
...And have huge hands.
(Luckily for Asuma, he came back with nary a scratch.)
The 'injured' shinobi must have noticed the staring because he explained in a rather bored and bland tone. "It was...A bear attack." Top secret mission, Sarutobi. Don't ask. I won't tell.
Asuma made a small noise at the back of his throat.
Kakashi cocked an eyebrow. What?
"Bear attack, huh?" The larger man leaned into his seat. I know what secrecy entails, Hatake.
"Hm." Then don't give me that green genin look.
What look? Asuma waved his chopstick in abstract motions. "Let me guess...Out of the blue, the 'bear' fell from a tree and in order to break its own fall, it grabbed onto the closest thing available – you."
Kakashi rolled his lone eye, body language screaming 'evasive'. "How did you know? Were you spying on me while I was on the mission?" There are no hidden bruises...And besides even if I did have a few, you don't have the privilege in seeing them.
Is that a challenge? But he left it at a short burst of laughter followed by a choked, "Not a chance. I was running away from angry housewives", and fell silent.
--
Dinner was slow but it, like the night, had to come to an end.
Only a shred of cabbage was left in that lonely bowl beside his empty plate and Kakashi tried to steal it before he could take the last piece.
Their wooden chopsticks were crossed together in stalemate, both sets snagging onto the prize.
Asuma relented first. "I thought you didn't want any."
Kakashi responded, "Changed my mind."
"Fickle..." The larger shinobi eased his chopsticks out before setting them down. "Go on then."
Without further prompting, Kakashi ate it. No additional flourishes were necessary as he offered a small smile. "Not bad."
(His apathy gave way to the first real expression of positivity.)
"I know." Asuma smiled back as he turned away from the approaching waitress.
(Asuma thought it was worth the night-long wait.)
--
And they left with lingering goodbyes (see you later), each heading towards their respective abodes.
...So the game of half-meanings and not-chasings continued.
Asuma considered, wagging a lit cigarette between his lips, that maybe he should drop by the memorial stone tomorrow morning...Maybe talk to his old man for a bit. Only he knew how long it had been since he last paid his respects.
And if he happened to meet Kakashi there, perhaps he'll be interested in breakfast.
(After all, there was always a morning after with a night spent together...And maybe Asuma was a hopeless romantic, living in a world of denial.)
--
End
A/N: Yea. Something organic. Go Asuma x Kakashi :D?
~Phoenyxx