Rating: T
Words: 1730
Pairing: Kakashi/Tenzo
Warnings/Summary: Allergies, flirting, mild language,Tenzo with a kitten, because I need this in my life
Author's Note: So this is now part of the May/June (and if I'm honest probably July and maybe August) Drabbles. The prompt was "I'll kill them first, and if it turns out that they were friendly, I'll apologize" with a bonus word

"Have you been to the doctor," Tenzo questioned as another sneeze rattled the office. Kakashi glared, the effect ruined somewhat by his watery, puffy eyes, and ignored the question. Tenzo scoffed. "Of course you haven't."

"I've been busy," Kakashi complained, pretending to work on one of the reports that littered his desk.

Tenzo body flickered from his position by the door. Kakashi didn't flinch, a testament either to his trust in Tenzo or an indication that his reflexes were slowed by sickness. Half smiling, Tenzo rested his gloved fingertips on Kakashi's shoulder. "I know what you've been busy with," he corrected, pitching his voice lower, "and, it isn't work."

The words drew a chuckle from Kakashi's throat, and a familiar, lazy smirk appeared beneath the mask. Tenzo had seen that expression often enough to know. "Oh?"

Tenzo inclined his head, wondering how much Kakashi could read through the Anbu mask that covered his face. Probably more than he'd like given their past. The man's smile grew as he tipped his chair back to gaze at Tenzo in a way that made his cheeks flush. "What exactly have I been busy with?"

"Extracurricular activities," Tenzo deadpanned, fighting to keep himself from falling for Kakashi's smoldering look. Attempting to regain control of the situation, he shifted into a more formal guard stance, shoulders back and hands clasped in front of him.

Kakashi's lips moved an uneven outline as he caught the lower one between his teeth. "Sometimes, I forget how good that uniform looks on you."

"I find that hard to believe," Tenzo chuckled, ignoring the soft feeling of pleasure that the words brought. "You see me wear it every day. And then, you spend most nights taking it off."

"Most nights," Kakashi agreed. His eyes continued their perusal of Tenzo's body before snapping up to his face. "But not last night."

Despite the petulant tone of Kakashi's voice, Tenzo ached with the same desire. He'd missed their time together. Glancing at the door, Tenzo rested his hands on the arms of Kakashi's chair. "I'm here now."

Kakashi hooked a hand behind Tenzo's neck and dragged him through the scant space between them. But, before their bodies could meet, the man shoved him back. Confusion flared though Tenzo. Then, Kakashi sneezed again, hard enough that his feet came off the ground. He growled in annoyance. "I'm going to figure out who gave me this cold, and then I'm going to kill them. Slowly," Kakashi added for good measure.

"You can't just go around killing people anymore," Tenzo chided, straightening his armor needlessly. "You're Hokage now."

"How about a compromise?" Kakashi rubbed his eyes with the back of one hand then swiped at his nose. "I'll kill them first, and if it turns out that they were friendly, I'll apologize. That's diplomatic, right?"

Chuckling under his breath, Tenzo studied Kakashi more seriously. His eyes were swollen and watery, more so than they had been an hour ago. He scratched at a place on the side of his neck, leaving red welts behind. "How about a different compromise" Tenzo suggested. "Since you won't go to hospital, why don't you play hooky for the rest of the day? Come back to my place?"

"But, I have work to do." Kakashi waved a hand toward the desk which had been covered in papers for as long as he'd worn the robes. "You're always complaining that I need to get more work done."

"I complain about that when you're getting handsy, not when you're sick." Tenzo corrected, removing his Anbu mask and hooking it on his belt. "There's something at my apartment that I wanted to show you anyway."

Kakashi perked up. "What is it?"

It didn't surprise Tenzo that he won the man over to his side. Kakashi would use almost any excuse to get out of work. How he'd ever been named Hokage-Kakashi's petulant voice interrupted Tenzo's thoughts. "I'm dying here, and you're tormenting me for the fun of it."

"You're hardly dying," Tenzo countered, ignoring the puppy dog eyes that Kakashi leveled at him. "At worst, you have a cold."

Kakashi sniffed dramatically "If I die, I hope you feel bad."

"I'll make the prettiest flowers for your funeral," Tenzo said, rolling his eyes. "Now, are you coming or not?"

After a show of grumbling and complaining, Kakashi allowed Tenzo to make the necessary arrangements. He informed Kakashi's security detail and advisors that the Hokage would be out of the office for the rest of the afternoon, then dragged the disgruntled man away. They'd barely made it to the street when Kakashi took another sneezing fit. Tenzo considered leading him to the hospital instead. "You seem to be getting worse."

"I told you I was dying," Kakashi groaned, swiping at his eyes. "Can't we shunshin there?"

Gripping Kakashi's arm, Tenzo body flickered to his apartment. The world spun, momentarily disorienting the men, but the sensation passed quickly. Familiar with the space, Kakashi threw himself on the couch with a huff as another sneeze shook his body. Tenzo frowned. "Are you sure it's just a cold? You sound worse than you did an hour ago, a lot worse."

"Thanks," Kakashi grouched, rubbing at his face again. "Didn't you have a surprise for me?"

"Oh, right. It's around here somewhere. Hold on." Tenzo scanned the floor of his apartment, then walked toward the bedroom. When he pushed open the door, a tiny ball of black fluff raised its head and flicked an ear in his direction. Tenzo smiled as the creature uncurled itself from his pillow and padded toward him. "Settling in, are you?"

The cat leaped off the bed to twine himself around Tenzo's leg, half climbing up his pants before he could snag it. "None of that," he warned, as he scooped the creature up. It snuggled into the crook of his arm. "Come on, there's someone here to meet you."

Kakashi squinted at the pair through swollen eyes, then scrambled to his feet. "What is that?"

Tenzo frowned. "A cat. What does it look like? This is why I didn't come over last night. I found this poor little thing all alone, soaked and shivering. I brought him back here to dry him off and he just kind of stuck around."

"You," Kakashi spluttered, backing away as if Tenzo held a lit paper bomb. "You're the reason I'm dying." At Tenzo's incredulous expression, he continued. "I'm allergic to cats. I know we've had this conversation before."

"But I've seen you with ninja cats before," Tenzo argued, placing the kitten on the floor on the off chance that Kakashi was telling the truth. The cat sniffed the air in Kakashi's direction and hissed, arching his back.

Kakashi put on a longsuffering expression. "Ninja cats are different, something about their fur. Don't ask me to explain it because I don't understand, nor do I want to." He sighed. "I can't believe we haven't talked about this, but it all fits. I started feeling bad this morning when you came to work, and it got worse the closer we were."

A flash of guilt surged through Tenzo. It wasn't like him to forget something like this. "Are you really allergic?"

"Do I look like I'm making it up?" Kakashi grouched, scratching his neck again. "You're going to have to get rid of the cat."

"Or you," Tenzo quipped, grinning. Deciding that he'd teased the other man enough, he continued. "Would getting some of the fur off help? I could take a shower."

Kakashi glared from across the room, not answering. Knowing exactly how to handle the man, Tenzo unclipped his chest plate and tossed it on the couch. Kakashi's eyes followed the movement as he removed his head protector and shook out the hair he'd allowed to grow longer after the war. Without glancing at Kakashi, Tenzo unrolled each of the long, black gloves that sheathed his arms and added them to the growing pile of clothing.

Tenzo hooked his fingers in the clinging black fabric of his shirt and raised it marginally, well aware that Kakashi had long since forgotten to be annoyed. He both loved and hated that the heat in Kakashi's gaze made it hard to breathe. Dragging his shirt over his head, Tenzo reached for the button on his pants then paused. "You should probably join me," he husked. "You know, to get the allergens off."

"I thought you'd never ask," Kakashi agreed, half dragging Tenzo to the bathroom. "You aren't forgiven yet, but this is a damn good place to start."