A/N: The amazing person that she is, Crystia wrote me a gift-fic set in THP-verse! It's called How to Raise Your Ninja Child (there's a link on my profile, if you need it). Read it! It makes me weep when I think of how much better THP could be if Crystia wrote it.

Chapter 45: Tease


Between missions, tracking possible threats, training, and spending time with Kakashi, the months flew by quickly. Some kids were progressively rebellious as they grew older. Kakashi, in Minato's honest opinion, grew more and more lazy.

It wasn't like it was a bad thing, considering the tense ball of suppressed emotion the boy had once been. Heck, Minato could've easily pointed out that this only showed that Kakashi was settling down at last, relaxing in his presence. But honestly, that was no excuse for a seven-year-old to be acting like a sluggish old man with no sense of time.

Minato eyed the lounging boy draped across his couch. He clapped his hand loudly to get Kakashi's attention. "Isn't it such a nice day out today, Kakashi? Want to go out and run around a bit? The park maybe? Oh, how about talking Pakkun out for a walk?" the blond cried cheerfully, all purposefully full of energy.

His tone had no effect on the boy. Kakashi merely cracked a drooping eyelid open. "Hmm? Did you say something?" he asked lethargically, twinkle in his eyes, and more comfortable in front of Minato than months before.

"I said it's a nice day. Want to go to the park or play outside with Pakkun?"

Kakashi scratched his chin thoughtfully before looking cluelessly over at Minato as though he hadn't heard him that time either. "Hmm?"

"Go out?" Minato repeated succinctly, not even bothering to go into detail anymore.

"Maaaa..." Kakashi began, but only tapered off into a sleepy, half-lidded stare.

Minato rubbed a hand across his face, shaking his head into the palm of his hands. "What am I going to do with you, Kakashi?" It was meant to be said in exasperation and mildly admonishing, in a playful sort of way, but Kakashi immediately caught the uneasy 'have I been doing anything wrong?' that was creeping under that sentence.

Any mirthful retort Kakashi had been prepared to shoot back ("Call me hip and trendy?") died on the boy's lips as Kakashi matched the sombre undertone of Minato's unspoken words. "You're worrying too much; you're doing fine."

Smile frozen on his lips, Minato's head shot up and his eyes fell quickly onto Kakashi. He was clearly dismayed Kakashi caught on to what he hadn't wanted the boy to hear. "What are you-"

The blond's excuse was cut off was a: "You think you're raising me incorrectly, and you're afraid that is why I'm so lazy," stated bluntly, with sharp blue-grey eyes staring attentively at him to judge his reaction.

"Aah, well …"

That was enough for Kakashi to realise he'd been correct. "That's not it," Kakashi insistent quickly, suddenly not so lethargic any longer. Sliding off the couch and planting himself in front of the blond, he forced Minato to look at him and see how honest his words were. "That's not it at all," the boy repeated, shaking his head, "You're doing fine. This is just how I am." With wonderful porn by his side as well, Kakashi wanted to add in as a joke, but that was certainly not seven-year-old humour. "Or you could just pretend I'm a Nara," Kakashi added instead, because that joke, however lame it was, was more suited to be said through the mouth of a child.

There was a silent second as the blond stared incredulously at the Hatake. Kakashi wondered if he should've gone with the porn if this was how Minato was going to react. Before Kakashi could change his mind, a bubble of laughter made its way past the blond's throat, spilling out in chuckles. "Well, as long as you're as smart as a Nara, I suppose I might allow it," the man retorted playfully.

A smile quirked into existence underneath Kakashi's navy mask, glad how easily amused Minato was, and pleased he'd managed to divert the man from his worries. "We'll never know," he commented cheekily in response, hopping back comfortably on the couch.

Minato grinned as he strode over, reaching over the back to hook the boy into a one handed hug. Kakashi tried to swat his arm away, glaring at the blond who refused to move from his personal space. "Then I guess we'll just have to try and wean you from being so lazy," Minato declared. Kakashi looked up curiously when the blond suddenly turned towards the kitchen. "Alright," Minato said, scouring his cupboards. Most parents tried to keep their children as far away from sugar as possible, and here Minato was, attempting to do the opposite, "let's get you something to eat."

It was a marvel at exactly how much Minato had sneaked into his kitchens without Kakashi ever realising. The whole cupboard was filled to the brim with brightly coloured, unopened bags of snacks.

Without a second thought, Minato scooped up the whole load and dumped it unceremoniously on his young charge, a smirk on his face as it buried the silver-haired boy. Kakashi wiggled his way through it, eyeing the bags amongst bags of candy on his lap with amusement. "I don't like sweets," he said in a challenging tone.

Minato pressed his lips into a thin line in an almost pout-like expression. "Aww, but I bought them all for you," he sulked good-naturally. All he was presented with was a silent, deadpanned look. Minato tapped his chin thoughtfully as his cerulean eyes wandered around the kitchen. "Coffee?" he tried again.

"You shouldn't give kids coffee – it stunts their growth," Kakashi happily informed him.

Minato hummed in agreement. "Right," he said, scratching his cheek. "So …"

"Tea?" Kakashi suggested.

Minato stared at the Hatake for a moment before shaking his head sadly. "You old man," the blond Jounin coughed indiscreetly, but he turned towards the kitchen to put the kettle on all the same.

"I'm healthy," Kakashi countered.

"You're boring," Minato pointed out teasingly. "I thought kids liked stuffing themselves full of sweets and being hyperactive, or pretending they were adults – not boring old men."

Kakashi shifted his legs, letting the bags around him crinkle as he turned around on the couch to face the kitchen. For a second the boy debated throwing a bag at his guardian in retaliation. "I think you need new child-bearing books."

The blond snorted, reaching for the cups. "I think I need a woman's touch," he said absentmindedly as he checked on the kettle, "I wonder if Kushina has any ideas-" The man froze, flushing when he remembered Kakashi's presence in front of him.

"Hmm? Do tell," Kakashi grinned knowingly at Minato, who did the only thing he could think of at the sight of such an expression - Minato promptly fled out of the room.

xxx

A couple days later, Minato assumed Kakashi had forgotten all about the slip of his tongue. The man sat down at the table for breakfast early that morning, Kakashi joining him not too soon after. Breakfast was a quiet affair until the boy suddenly looked up at him, a mischievous glint in his grey-blue eyes.

"You look strangely nervous today," Kakashi commented chopsticks twirling idly around his fingers. The boy tilted his head with cunning look stretched on his lips. "You wouldn't happen to have a date with a certain woman, would you?" he asked purposely, sounding much too smug.

"No," the Namikaze denied instantaneously, a warm blush dusting his cheeks. The look plastered on Kakashi's face was more than enough to stop Minato from going on with his denial.

"Redhead," Kakashi added innocently, rolling the word off his tongue in a sing-song voice.

Minato noticed for a while now that Kakashi seemed to enjoy teasing him. The boy went about it either verbally or by doing something completely baffling when the blond least expected it. Minato didn't know if he should be feeling amused or not about the whole thing, considering it was at his expense. "A-Anyways," the man tried to divert in embarrassment, but Kakashi was clearly having fun and Minato didn't have the heart to stop him.

The silver-haired boy tapped his lips contemplatively. "Now, did you ask her out on a date, or did you use the excuse of 'sharing ideas on how to get me to act more like a kid'?"

"I don't have a date."

"Oh, then you took the sly route?"

Under his blushing face, Minato wondered how Kakashi knew so much in the first place. He was certain he'd never mentioned Kushina before. Not that he was trying to hide his budding relationship with the woman from Kakashi, but he hadn't explicitly told the boy either. While Kakashi seemed so much more like a kid nowadays (or as childish as Kakashi was ever going to get), Minato wanted Kakashi to settle down some more before he dumped the boy with more information … like topic about his not-really-girlfriend-but-I-kinda-like-her-and-I'll-confess-sooner-or-later-maybe. Nevertheless, the blond fixed a playful glare at Kakashi. "It's just brunch together!"

A silver eyebrow rose expressively. "Aah, that's why you're picking at your food and not eating a lot. Saving room when you go to a certain ramen stand with a certain redhead?" Kakashi asked – or rather stated, more like.

"Have you been stalking me?"

The boy offered him a disparaging shake of his head. "Of course not, remember? I'm too lazy to do anything like following you around the village."

Minato snorted at the excuse, but he definitely couldn't deny that Kakashi was indeed lazy. The blond glanced over at his young charge who's face was grinning now. "Yeah, yeah," Minato muttered, rolling his eyes.

Kakashi's expression softened. "You know, you two look good together," the boy said, mind wandered to the perfect couple the two made in the future. Minato and Kushina – they were the envy of the their friends with their loving atmosphere.

Minato of the present didn't know when Kakashi saw them together, but he didn't ask. He doubt the boy would give him a serious answer anyways. "Thank you."

Kakashi glanced up at the future Hokage, curious eyes burning into the other man. "You are going to ask her out properly?" he asked pointedly.

Perhaps it was because of how intense Kakashi's attention was focused on Minato, but the blond shifted uncomfortably, running a hand through his sunshine blond hair. "Aaah, well, I'm busy you know? And it's not really a date; we just go out to eat together occasionally, that's all." The blond shook his head before looking over at Kakashi. "Besides, dates mean less time for me to spend with you," he proclaimed, leaning forward to ruffling Kakashi's hair and give him a stretching grin.

The boy lean back from the touch, refusing to allow the man to get off with that excuse. "I'm not a child," Kakashi pointed out, even though seven was quite a child. Kakashi recognised perfectly well that Minato meant 'spending time with Kakashi' as 'taking care of Kakashi'. "I can take care of myself, and you know it." Kakashi didn't know when his former sensei and Kushina got together, but he surely wasn't going to be the one to come between them. This was one aspect of the future Kakashi refused to change; he wouldn't let it, especially after knowing how blissfully happy Kushina made his sensei.

"Well – yes, but still, I do worry about you, you know." Minato sent the boy an apprehensive glance.

Kakashi dipped his head into a small nod. "I know," he said quietly. Knowing how much Minato loved him made him more certain than ever he wasn't going to get in the way of the one who fulfilled Minato's life. Minato was looking so sombre, and the look didn't fit the ever-cheerful sensei Kakashi was so used to. Minato was synonym to bright, hearty, and joyful, not something like this. The silver-haired boy let out a cough to catch Minato's attention. "Anyways, that's not important right now," he said, pretending he didn't hear the disagreeing sounds Minato was making to those words. He gave the blond a glance, "Right now, you have to get ready for your date, so stop looking like that before you scare her away."

The man let out a small choked cry of, "Kakashi!" while desperately continuing to deny that he was going on a date . Kakashi took no heed to him, forcing Minato to finally sigh as he realised he wasn't going to convince his young charge otherwise. "Well," Minato started suspiciously, "You're not going to be stalking me, are you?" he asked, distrust creeping shamelessly over his words.

Kakashi merely grinned to that. "Who do you think I am? Lazy, remember?"

Eyebrow raised, Minato held his gaze for another second longer before shaking his head. "Okay, okay, whatever you say," he said, lip wobbling as he tried to suppress his building grin of his own, "Whatever you say."

This was Minato's date (even if the man refused to admit it); of course Kakashi wouldn't ruin something so precious for his guardian - not until Minato thought it time to finally formally introduce Kushina to him. But then again, a part of Kakashi actually did want to stalk Minato around on his brunch date like the man had accused him of planning, just to see that heart-warmingly familiar scenes he'd witness in the future.

... so maybe a small peek wouldn't hurt? A small peek from far, far away?

Kakashi stared down at Ramen Ichiraku. From his vantage point on the rooftop, he could just make out the front of the bar, where two bodies sat side-by-side on the stools. The noren of the bar concealed their faces from Kakashi's sight, but even without looking at it, he could see the comfortable way the two interacted with each other. Kakashi smiled softly to himself. Perhaps on day not too far from now, Minato would invite him to join them, and then he would be granted the sighted of the whole scene before him, unobstructed from those dividing curtains.