Chapter 25

Gai made it through all two hundred pushups with Kakashi on his back…but just barely. After Gai gasped, "Two hundred!" and Kakashi got off Gai's back, Gai collapsed on his face.

Kakashi looked down at his friend. "Maa, that doesn't look comfortable. Do you want some help up?"

"No," Gai wheezed, his voice muffled by the grass.

Kakashi scratched his head. "Okay…do you want to rest for a while?"

Gai shifted his shoulders and then flopped down still again. "Maybe."

"By all means," Kakashi said cheerfully. "Take your time." He gestured with his book. "I've got plenty of reading material." He stood over Gai and read, not to flaunt that he could still stand, but because he was mildly afraid that Gai had gotten heat stroke.

After a few minutes punctuated only by the sounds of pages turning like dry leaves in Kakashi's hand, and labored breathing from ankle level, Kakashi asked casually, "Do you want a drink of water?"

Gai struggled, squirming much like an agitated fish, and finally flopped over on his back. "Certainly. I shall go retrieve the canteen from that tree over there…" He raised a trembling hand and gestured across the training field, to the tree he always used as a locker. Its trunk formed that perfect 'Y' shape five feet off the ground.

Kakashi looked up from his book and noticed that a large canteen was nestled in the 'Y' of the trunk, and a white towel was draped over one side as well. Then he looked down at Gai. His red-faced friend was singularly incapable of standing, much less walking, he decided. "Maa, I'll get it. I'm already up." He shut his book and walked across the training field, no longer dewy now that the early afternoon sun had burned all the moisture off, and retrieved both items, the canteen and the towel.

By the time he got back, Gai had maneuvered into a sitting position, his legs straight out in front of him.

"Here you go." Kakashi crouched and handed the canteen and the towel over.

"Thank you." Gai's face had faded to a bright pink, but Kakashi was still concerned.

Gai drank the entire twenty ounce canteen in the same time it took Kakashi to blink, and then mopped his face as he began to sweat profusely.

Yep, Kakashi was worried. "Would you like me to get you some more water, Gai? I don't think you should be doing that…" He pointed at the sweat stains that appeared all over Gai's spandex uniform like magic.

"Maybe," Gai said.

Kakashi shook his head. "What am I going to do with you? I think that I should just take you home with me and clean you up there."

"I have plenty of chakra," Gai said, standing up. His legs shook. "If we're going to teleport, I can teleport myself."

Kakashi placed his hand on Gai's shoulder and teleported them both into his kitchen instead of arguing. Their entrance ruffled the curtains over the kitchen window. Kakashi had been less precise than usual. "We're here. We don't have to argue now." He took Gai's arm and guided Gai to sit at the kitchen table, a pathetically tiny structure no bigger than a card table with two chairs across from each other.

He turned and got the pitcher of water out of the refrigerator and a tall glass down from his cupboard. He hadn't touched either in weeks and had to make sure the water was still fresh. The filtered pitcher was supposed to help with such things, but… Kakashi didn't like the smell of the water. He poured it out and filled the pitcher up again.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gai slumped over the table, mopping his forehead.

Kakashi finished filtering a new pitcher of water. He brought it over to the table and poured Gai a glass, sitting down across from his friend at the table.

"Thank you," Gai said. He drank the whole glass in a single second.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at Gai. "You're welcome. You didn't have to do that."

"What?"

"Doing two hundred pushups after our extensive routine was foolish," Kakashi said.

Gai scowled. "I don't consider it foolish to honor a promise."

Kakashi blinked. "What promise?"

"The promise that if I did not win five times in a row, that I would do two hundred pushups with you on my back," Gai said.

"It was a ridiculous promise," Kakashi said. "One I could not expect to hold you to."

"You can, and you will, because I will always do whatever I promise," Gai said.

Kakashi poured him another glass of water.

Gai drained it. "The point is not the contents of the promise, but merely the promise of fulfilling the promise no matter what the promise is."

Kakashi's head hurt a little bit at that. "You mean to say…it's the principle of the thing."

"Yes," Gai said.

"What if I made you promise to marry me?" Kakashi said.

"Then I would marry you," Gai said simply. "If I said the promise, then I made the promise."

That was too easy. Kakashi couldn't believe in that kind of thing. "Maa, Gai, you're going to take a shower, and then I'm going to take care of you until I'm convinced you don't have heat stroke and don't need to go to the hospital."

Gai's eyes widened in horror at the mention of the word 'hospital'.

Kakashi rose from his seat and poured Gai another glass of water. "You better drink up, and then you better take a cold shower to my satisfaction, or I'm taking you to the hospital." He grinned. "I promise."

Gai drank his water and dashed to the shower.

Kakashi laughed.

He walked into the living room and plopped down on his couch to wait for Gai to come out. He made himself comfortable, putting on the drone of the tv and taking out his Icha Icha to read.

Gai came out about ten minutes later with wet hair, wearing a clean white t-shirt and a pair of off-white martial arts pants with a plain blue obi. They'd left spare clothes over at each other's homes for a while now, in case of emergencies. He plopped down on the sofa next to Kakashi, heaving a tired sigh, and rested his head in Kakashi's lap, lying down and making himself comfortable.

Kakashi blushed a little at that casual show of affection and intimacy. He reached down and ran his fingers through Gai's wet, glossy hair.

Gai murmured and squirmed slightly. "That feels nice, Kashi."

Kakashi knew he felt warmer now. He petted Gai's head, massaging Gai's scalp lightly. In his other hand, he still held his volume of Icha Icha. "Maa, maa, Gai," he said soothingly. "I'll be here to take care of you."

He saw Gai blush.

Kakashi continued petting Gai's head while he read. How very domestic, he thought with a mixture of amusement and glee. He imagined that if Gai ever moved in with him, this could be their routine.

Of course, Gai would never move in with him. They both liked having their separate spaces too much. Especially Gai. How else would Gai get any time away from him? He was as clingy as a friend could come. True, Gai was an extrovert, but even extroverts ran out of energy sometime.

After all, Gai was the man who had gone on a classic coming of age journey to train for the jonin exam. He traveled the world by himself for a whole year before coming back to Konoha, stronger and louder than ever. He'd been back a matter of months when Minato died.

Kakashi could remember hoping that the time alone would help Gai balance out, stop risking himself so much on missions. Of course, he didn't say anything. That would have been insulting, and he never wanted to insult Gai. Especially not before a big journey. So he'd merely said, 'Maa, hope it works out,' and gone back to reading Icha Icha as if he would see Gai the next day.

Gai had hugged Kakashi and made declarations of intent until he moved himself to tears.

Kakashi looked from the pages of his Icha Icha to Gai and smiled. He massaged Gai's scalp with a playful tickling motion. "Maa, remember when you took the jonin exam?"

Gai grinned. "Yes. I didn't pass it the first time, but then I trained, and when I came back, I passed the very first time!"

Kakashi chuckled. "Yes." That was Gai's enthusiasm and optimism: everything was the first time. Over and over again.

"And then you started accepting my challenges," Gai said contentedly. "Just like you promised you would."

Kakashi was startled. He'd almost forgotten. "That's right…I said when you were jonin like me, I wouldn't have to worry about hurting you." He hadn't meant it as an insult. However, Gai's teammates had been offended and had wanted to fight him right then and there for being 'arrogant'. Gai had stopped them with a trademark laugh and good-natured determination.

"The first challenge you ever gave me in return for all of my failed proposals over the years." Gai smiled blissfully. "Of course, I accepted."

Kakashi couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh, even though he was blushing. "I didn't mean it as a challenge. I was just trying to warn you that our skill levels were different."

"I know." Gai shifted, fitting his shoulders against Kakashi's thigh. "But in doing so, you proved yourself to be my Eternal Rival once and for all! An ordinary man would not have minded our differing skill levels. However, an Eternal Rival would worry about exactly that! So it was a match made in Heaven, guided by the hand of Fate!"

"Ah…" Kakashi grinned ruefully. "Fate…right." He wanted to tell Gai it was less about fate and more about Gai's tireless insistence, but he knew where that conversation went. Somehow, Gai would just take everything he said and turn it around until it was proof that Gai's conception of the way the universe worked was correct. Kakashi didn't begrudge him that; Gai had a far clearer idea of how things worked than he did. Gai never spent any time being confused philosophically or religiously.

Thanks to Kakashi's upbringing, he was confused about such things all the time. Nothing made sense to him. Life seemed to have no pattern, unless he borrowed a paradigm from fiction. Jiraiya's books were more of a guide to him than the ancient books of prophecy that everyone else seemed to believe in.

He supposed that was another reason he read Icha Icha all the time. People who couldn't bother to read it would find such a statement unbelievable, but the truth was, there was as much idealism and philosophy in Icha Icha as there was romance. Jiraiya wrote meaningful stories. Whether he meant to or not was up for debate, but Kakashi thought that someone's character would come through in what they wrote, no matter what it was. And Jiraiya was a genius, a war survivor, a Sage with life experiences most people couldn't even imagine. Some of that had to be imprinted on his fiction, even on accident.

Kakashi and Gai relaxed on the couch for another hour in companionable silence before Kakashi glanced at the wall clock and reluctantly determined that it was time to get up. He shut his book. "Alright, Gai. I suppose if we don't get up now we never will, ne?"

Gai sat up, stretched, and then stood. "I feel alright, now. Thanks to your tender ministrations." He grinned. "I can't help but wonder how life had turned out for you if you had become a med nin."

"Maa, not likely," Kakashi protested. "My father would never had let me become a medical ninja. It would have been a waste of training. For all my skill on the battlefield, I would have been put in the back. And if that had happened, I never would have met Obito or Rin. Rin would have been assigned to one team, and I would have been assigned to another."

"It was just idle speculation," Gai said. He looked at Kakashi fondly. "You have a great bedside manner."

Kakashi blushed. "Well, you need to go home and get dressed for dinner," he said, trying to change the subject. "Otherwise, you're going to have to go like this." Not that he minded. Gai looked good in white, and especially, for some reason, in that odd combination of t-shirt and martial arts pants. Kakashi thought Gai was the sexiest man alive in white casual clothes and tousled hair.

Gai chuckled. "I'm coming back for you. That way I can make sure you're not going to be late."

"Late, me?" Kakashi protested. "How could I be late to a dinner you're paying for?"

Gai gave him a fondly exasperated grin. "You'd find a way."

Kakashi chuckled. "You are so right." He stood. "Maa, I don't want to keep you waiting. I should start right now, while you're on your way home. That way I might at least be finished by the time you come back."

Gai nodded. "We need to account for you becoming distracted in my absence." He saluted. "Very well! I shall go home to attain a proper outfit, and you shall make the attempt to be ready by the time I get back!"

He ran out of the room in fine form, apparently determined to make the walk back to his apartment a workout jog. Kakashi wondered if Gai ever stopped exercising. For all he knew, Gai dreamed about exercising.

Kakashi walked back to his bedroom, shaking his head. Maa, I guess it's time to get ready for the date that isn't a date.

He wondered why he kept grasping for the impossible.

Maybe Gai's attitude was catching.

xXx

Gai picked him up, as promised. Kakashi was ready by then. He actually finished with fifteen minutes to spare and sat on his bed, reading Icha Icha and trying to calm his nerves. He read the first date scene of a pair of characters he particularly enjoyed, and practiced taking deep breaths. There was no reason in the world to assume that this was a first date. But Kakashi couldn't stop his rebellious brain from making that conclusion, and he had to settle himself down somehow. It helped to read about two characters laughing over a disastrous date, in which everything had gone wrong, but they still loved each other anyhow. It was reassuring.

Even if this were a first date, even if this goes all wrong…we would still be mature enough to laugh about it and love each other anyway, Kakashi thought on the way to the restaurant.

When they got there he realized he couldn't remember anything they'd talked about on the way. He'd been so absorbed with regulating his feelings that a whole other part of his consciousness had answered Gai's questions and made all the jokes. He did that sometimes. Usually not off the battlefield, though.

Gai opened the door for him, and Kakashi found a smile for Gai in response. It was sweet, even if it was weird for a friend to show such courtesy.

Kakashi blushed when he realized the kimono-clad hostess was leading them back to a private room at the back of the restaurant, just like when Kakashi had brought Gai here a few weeks ago. Or was it less? Time seemed distorted by all the things they'd done since that night.

They took their sandals off and entered the mock-traditional room, sitting seiza style across from each other at the kotatsu table. The hostess laid down their menus, bowed, and exited the room, leaving them to themselves.

"What are you thinking about getting for dinner, Kashi?" Gai asked happily. "I was thinking about having steak again. Or maybe trying their pork. I like ribs and roasted pork loin…"

Kakashi laughed. "Maa, get whatever you want. I think I'll focus on sushi this time."

"Alright," Gai said. He smiled at Kakashi warmly. "This is your dinner, after all. You beat me fair and square."

Kakashi wondered if Gai was such a good loser with everybody, or only him. He shut that thought down. No, I will not go there. I will only end up disappointing myself when nothing happens. His solution for everything, really, which was one reason he was branded as being lazy. If the possibility of disappointment lurked in a situation somewhere, Kakashi chose not to go in.

Really, this whole experience with Gai was out of character for him. He was risking a lot every time they hung out. What made him think anything could work out for the best?

Then he remembered Gai touching him in the shower at the outpost and blushed. For one magical evening, they'd seemed to have an understanding. Even if Kakashi had been too flustered to comprehend what was happening.

But it was a nonverbal understanding. Was it an understanding at all? Does it count if there are no words? Kakashi didn't know.

He suddenly felt compelled to say something. "Maa…"

"Yes?" Gai looked up from his menu and caught sight of Kakashi's expression. "Would you like something to drink, also?"

"No," Kakashi said automatically. "No, thank you." He scratched his head. "I mean, yes. Water or tea."

Gai laid his menu down on the table. "What is the matter?" he asked gently.

Kakashi wavered. "Maa…about the outpost…"

Gai looked confused.

Kakashi scratched his temple and sighed. "You know. In the shower."

Gai shook his head slowly.

"When you helped me, in the shower," Kakashi said slowly and clearly.

"Oh!" Gai brightened. "When I scrubbed your back?" He laughed. "Kashi, are you trying to ask my help for a shower this evening? There is no need to be so nervous!"

Kakashi smacked his forehead. "Right. My mistake." He glanced down at the menu in his hand with wry amusement. Never mind. I'm clearly not getting through to him. He didn't know what he'd been thinking. Talk with Gai? It was impossible. At least about things like this.

Still, he tried again, at least for the sake of his own sanity. "Are you okay with our behavior?" Kakashi asked.

"What do you mean?" Gai asked.

Kakashi paused, then said the word. "Our 'relationship'."

Gai's expression cleared. "I have noticed that this behavior we regularly engage in closely resembles the process of becoming acquainted with a future wife called 'dating'."

Kakashi's stomach churned. Just when he'd forgotten about it ever existing, out came that phrase: 'future wife'. Maa, what was I thinking? Of course he's going to want to go have babies with some woman. It's natural. It's my fault for not being normal.

"You could say that," Kakashi said casually.

Gai nodded, as if satisfied.

Kakashi's eye twitched. "Why? What's on your mind?"

"What is on my mind?" Gai's brow furrowed.

"Yes," Kakashi said. "In other words, why did you make the observation that we're acting as though we are dating?" He struggled to hold in his frustration. You started this discussion, Gai. Now finish it.

Gai hesitated another moment, then nodded. "I have noticed by observation that our ritual still lacks some of the features commonly included in 'dating'." He looked at Kakashi cautiously.

"Yes…so…" Kakashi looked at him suspiciously. What are you saying?

"I would like you to teach me," Gai said. "I want to date you."

Kakashi stared at him. "You want me to date you…for practice." He couldn't believe that Gai had asked such a thing. It was his fault that he had encouraged Gai to seek him for life lessons, but still, this was a new boundary to cross so casually.

Gai looked nervous. "Well…not precisely practice…"

Kakashi sighed. "Pathetic. Just say what you mean, Gai. Or don't you think you can find the words?" You want me to help you find someone to replace me? How do you think I'm going to feel? He reined in that response. Gai couldn't possibly have understood what their current relationship meant to him. After all, he hadn't said a word. Like an idiot.

"I want you to date me because I suspect it will be an enjoyable experience," Gai said. "And neither one of us are dating anyone, so there is clearly an area of emptiness in each other's lives that we could be filling up, and as each other's Eternal Rivals, it is our responsibility to fill each other's lives with meaning. I wish to fill your life with meaning, and if you could only teach me how, I would be happy to proceed with making your youth vibrant with the feelings of Spring."

Kakashi tried to decipher that morass of language. So…you want the practice, and you feel sorry for me? No, that's not like Gai. Hmm. Gai didn't offer things out of pity. Sympathy, yes, pity, no.

Well, he did know one thing that Gai needed to know. "If you date me, for any reason whatever, girls are not going to want to date you, Gai."

Gai blinked, and then frowned. "I should think that any unknown girl is less important to me than the well-being and happiness of my Eternal Rival."

Kakashi melted. He couldn't help it. "Maa, okay, Gai. If you feel like it. We can practice dating together."

"I told you, it's not practice, it's –" Gai looked frustrated.

"Filling our lives with meaning?" Kakashi suggested.

Gai let out his breath and nodded, looking suspiciously sulky and teary-eyed.

Kakashi reached across and squeezed his forearm. "Alright, Gai. We'll fill our lives with meaning with each other."

Gai's shoulders relaxed, and he gave Kakashi a small, soft smile. "I appreciate it."

Kakashi smiled back. "Maa, I appreciate it, too. It's lonely, not having someone to do things with, I know. And it's true that we have gotten very good at keeping each other company."

Gai nodded resolutely. "As Eternal Rivals should be."

Kakashi chuckled. "Yes."

At least he still had a chance to convince Gai to stay this way. For a few pain-filled moments, he'd thought his time to confess his feelings had run out.