04
It had been three weeks since they'd taken Naruto to the aquarium, and every Sunday since then, they had scheduled time to spend with him. It was going really well. So well, in fact, that Iruka felt afraid. Scared that something was going to come along and derail the whole thing. Even though gay adoption was legal in Illinois, he still feared they would face some discrimination at the last minute or… he didn't know. Some bureaucracy bullshit.
It was a Saturday night, and they were having Kisame and Itachi over for dinner and a movie. Kisame was a California transplant, who transferred to the Shedd from Monterey Bay two years ago, when their shark specialist had retired. They got along right away, and they were the only openly gay (young) men among the high ranks at the aquarium. They had introduced Kisame to Itachi, an old friend of Kakashi's from high school, a little over a year ago now. They'd been dating ever since.
Kisame and Itachi would be the first ones to hear the news. They were definitely going to adopt Naruto. They still had to ask Naruto of course, but if he said yes, they would move forward. That was the the other thing that lurked in the back of his mind. What if, for some strange reason, Naruto said no? He knew, since Naruto was 7 and half years old, that they could go along with the adoption anyway, but Naruto's consent was really important to Iruka.
"I think they just pulled up," Kakashi said, coming into the kitchen. "Hey, you alright?"
Kakashi had walked in to find Iruka spaced out with his hands on the counter, on either side of a pile of dough. They were having them over for pizza and Iruka insisted they make it from scratch. He had already made the dough, but wanted to wait until Kisame and Itachi got there so they could add the toppings themselves.
"Hm? Oh, yeah. Just thinking," Iruka said, picking up his wine glass and taking a sip.
"Stop stressing," Kakashi said, coming to kiss him on the cheek. "Everything's going to be fine."
Iruka wiped his hands on his apron, before bringing one up to cup Kakashi's face, giving him a proper kiss.
There was a knock at the door.
As Kakashi left to answer it, Iruka divided the dough in half, and rolled it out on top of two large pizza stones.
"Hi, honey," Itachi said, coming over to kiss Iruka on the cheek in greeting.
"You smell like… peppermint?" Iruka said, scrunching his nose.
"It's strong, I know. I have a bit of a migraine. The essential oil helps," Itachi said, pressing a finger to his temple. Round, wire glasses adorned his face.
He looked as elegant as always, his long hair pulled back in a low ponytail. There was a patterned silk bandana around his neck, that rested on top of his grey sweater, framed by a black cardigan.
"I brought a bottle of red wine, but it seems you've already got some."
"It was a bottle I already had open. I'm on the last glass."
"Perfect," Itachi said, opening the drawer to grab the bottle opener. He'd been there enough times to know where it was. He poured himself a glass and left the kitchen to give one to Kisame.
"Can I help you with anything?" he asked on his return.
"Yes. Grab the other two, and we'll top the pizzas."
"Mm. Yeah. That seems like a job for the other two, considering neither of us are much of a top," Itachi joked.
Iruka almost scoffed, feeling slightly offended by the assumption, before admitting to himself that it was kind of true. Kakashi did top a lot more than he did. And you know what… fuck it, he liked it. A lot.
"Boys!" Itachi called, "come top these pizzas!"
Iruka placed the pizza stones on the table, allowing them more room to work. He pre-heated the oven, and pulled several bowls of chopped ingredients out of the fridge along with the sauce.
"We've got mushrooms, spinach, peppers, onions, broccoli rabe, cheese, and some sausage… Kakashi, what was it again?" Iruka asked.
Kakashi had picked it up earlier at the farmer's market, along with everything else, while Iruka was still at work. He'd done all the prep work, too.
"It's pork with sun-dried tomatoes, fennel, and red pepper flakes? I think. I don't really remember." He laughed, scratching at the back of his head. "I tried a sample though, it was really good."
"So, take your pick," Iruka said, fanning his hands out.
"Yum," Itachi said, as all four of them went to work.
Buena Vista Social Club was playing in the background. It was the live album, at Carnegie Hall.
"Ay, mamaaa, que pasóóó," Iruka sang along, swaying his body back and forth as he spread the sauce out on the dough.
"Did Iruka tell you what happened today at work, Kakashi?"
Kakashi looked at Iruka questionably, "No?"
"Jessica, that new, annoying as fuck volunteer, came up to Iruka and was asking him how he always managed to have such a perfect tan, acting all jealous and shit," Kisame laughed. "Literally asking him how he did it. Like what salon he went to. Or if he used some special product."
Itachi gasped.
"How does she not know our boy is latino?" Itachi asked.
"She's in for a surprise in the summer. Iru's almost black when he's actually trying to tan," Kakashi teased.
"I don't know if her brain will be able to handle that," Kisame said. "If I had to guess, she won't make it till summer anyway. Man, it's hit or miss with volunteers, especially when they're young. Sometimes they're fucking fantastic, and other times they just create more work for you somehow."
"She then continued to misidentify me as Mexican," Iruka added with a roll of his eyes. "White people always assume that every Spanish speaking person is Mexican. I don't get it. I don't look Mexican at all."
"It's like Kakashi and I being called 'Asian' all the time. The default 'Asian' guess is Chinese. White people can't identify for shit. No offense," Itachi said, placing a hand with black fingernail polish, on Kisame's arm.
"I'm not offended. It's true. But I would never assume someone's racial identity out loud, if I didn't know it. It's rude," Kisame said.
"That's why you're special," Itachi said, flashing him a warm smile. "And the only white man I've ever allowed in my bed."
Everyone laughed at that.
When they were finished, Iruka popped the pizzas in the oven, and they all went out to the sitting room while it cooked.
"Do you still play with that drumming group? What's it called again? I haven't heard you talk about it in a while," Kisame said, his eyes on the rather tall drum in the corner.
"Bomba," Iruka said, "And not since they changed my hours at the Shedd two months ago. They meet on Saturday mornings, and I usually work till three."
"Bummer," Kisame said.
"But you'll still play sometimes, if they're putting on an event and you're free," Kakashi added.
After Iruka in a wet suit, Iruka playing a drum was Kakashi's favorite thing. There was something about it that he found incredibly hot. Having a Puerto Rican and Dominican man as a husband had introduced Kakashi to a whole world of things he'd never seen or heard before. It enriched his life in so many ways.
"True. There hasn't been one in awhile though," Iruka said. "I miss it."
The conversation had come to a lull, providing the perfect opportunity to share the news. Iruka took a a large sip of his wine.
"So," he began, "Kakashi and I are adopting a child. A boy."
"No!" Itachi said, sitting up straight in excitement.
"Yes, if all goes well. His name's Naruto Uzumaki. He's almost 8 years old."
"Japanese?" Itachi asked, looking at Kakashi.
"Mostly," Kakashi replied. "His mom was Japanese and his dad was half Japanese, half white. He's got blonde hair and blue eyes."
"That's amazing!" Itachi said, turning to gawk at Kisame.
"Congratulations," Kisame said, toasting his glass in the air. "Wait a minute… Isn't that the little squirt with the frog shirt from the overnight camp a few weeks ago?"
"The same," Iruka smiled.
"Man," Kisame laughed, slapping his knee. "You really are a sucker."
Iruka blushed. He couldn't deny that he was.
"Otou-san, huh?" Itachi teased, raising his eyebrows at Kakashi.
"More like youfu, but… yeah," Kakashi smiled, widening his eyes. It was becoming more real, now that the conservation had expanded outside of Iruka and himself.
"What'd you call your dad growing up?" Itachi asked Iruka.
"Papi, but we already ruled that out," Iruka laughed. "I've tainted it by using it in the bedroom too many times."
Kisame barked out a laugh.
"I'd say Daddy is probably off limits too. Man, we gays didn't make it easy. Imagine your child saying 'yes, daddy,'" Kisame said, inciting a bout of laughter around the room.
.
"No thanks," Kakashi said.
"What are you going to use then?" Itachi asked.
Iruka blew out a breath.
"I don't know. I thought about papá, but it doesn't seem right either. Naruto is old enough to know that we're not his biological parents. I don't even know if I'm comfortable asking him to call us his fathers. What if he doesn't want to?"
"What if we just use our names?" Kakashi suggested. "He already calls us by them. We can shorten them, to make it feel more familiar. I already call you Iru all the time anyway."
"Iru and… Kaka?" Itachi said, folding his lips together to hold back a laugh.
"God, no. Let's go with the second half of my name," Kakashi laughed.
"Kashi," Iruka pondered. "That's… sweet. I like it."
—-
When they had finished eating, and cleaned up the kitchen, the four of them squished together on the couch to watch a movie.
"Can we not flip through the films for all of eternity?" Iruka asked, with his face pressed against Kakashi's shoulder.
"For that to happen, someone would need to actually pick one," Kakashi said, with the remote pointed at the TV, scrolling through the endless list.
"What about that one. Under an Arctic Sky," Kisame suggested.
Kakashi clicked on it and read it out loud.
"Surfers travel to a remote corner of Iceland in the middle of winter to find perfect waves…"
"Oh my god. No, Kisame." Itachi said. "We're not watching a documentary about surfing."
"Ok, Miss I-only-enjoy-psychological-thrillers," Kisame said, pulling lightly on Itachi's ponytail, which was draped over his shoulder.
"Not true," he said, swatting his hand away. "I like other things. AND I liked that one surfing movie."
"Moana?" Kisame said, looking at him incredulously. "Seriously, Itachi? You liked it because of the music. And because it was made by Disney."
"I see what's happening, yeah," Itachi began to sing, "You're face to face with greatness and it's strange."
"Shut up," Kisame laughed, putting his hand over Itachi's mouth.
Itachi pulled it off and jumped off the couch.
"I know it's a lot, the hair," Itachi swished it over his shoulder, "the bod! when you're staring at a demi god!"
"I hate you," Kisame laughed, looking at him with anything but hate.
"What can I SAAAY except YOU'RE WELCOME!" Itachi sang-shouted, before Kisame pulled him into his lap and shut him up for good.
"OH! oh! What about Coco?" Iruka asked, lifting his head from Kakashi's shoulder to peer at everyone.
Nobody immediately refuted, which meant it was the best suggestion yet.
"YES," Itachi said, lifting Kisame's hand off him once again. "I haven't seen it yet. What do you say, Kis?" Itachi asked, turning around to look at him from his lap.
"Whatever you want, dear," Kisame said, slightly mock-toned, before planting a kiss to his neck. Itachi slid off his lap and back into his spot on the couch, leaving his legs draped over Kisame's thighs.
"Hooray!"
"Kakashi and I have been meaning to watch it since it came out," Iruka said, giving Kakashi's side a squeeze.
Iruka settled back into the crook of Kakashi's shoulder as the movie began to play.
—-
Iruka woke at 8 in the morning to the sun hitting his face and an empty bed. On his way to the kitchen, he found Kakashi on the couch, reading glasses on, engrossed in a graphic novel, a mug of coffee already in his hand.
Iruka poured himself a cup before snuggling in beside him.
"Buenos días. Que estás leyendo?"
Kakashi folded over the cover to let Iruka see it.
"Y como está?"
"Not bad. It's a little too dystopic for me, but we'll see."
Iruka brought his cup to his face, letting the steam warm up his nose.
"Hace frío. Diablo."
Kakashi stretched the blanket he was using to fit over Iruka's lap too.
"It seems like the temperate dropped over night," Kakashi said, closing his book and placing it on the side table. He took a sip of his coffee and glanced at the clock.
"Do you wanna go to yoga this morning? We could make the 9:00 class and still have time to relax before we pick up Naruto."
"Sure. But you're going to have to pick a different spot this time. I can't have you on all fours in front of my face," Iruka said. "Wait. Let me rephrase that. I'd love to have you on all fours in front of my face, just not there. It's too distracting.
Kakashi laughed.
"The room was already full! I didn't have a choice."
"Then quit making us late!" Iruka teased.
Kakashi draped an arm over Iruka's shoulder and ran his fingers through his long hair.
"Maybe I should wear my sheer crop top," Kakashi teased.
"Go ahead, and then see if we make it out of this house," Iruka responded, placing his cup on the coffee table before crawling into Kakashi's lap.
"I thought you didn't want to be late," Kakashi said, rolling his hips up to hit Iruka.
"Mi amor," Iruka swooned. "No me jodas."
"It's not teasing if I'm willing to give you exactly what you want," Kakashi said.
Iruka bit his lip in thought.
"Hmm. Yoga or sex?"
"Yoga AND sex?" Kakashi suggested.
"We'll be all flexible afterwards," he smirked, running his hands around to the small of Iruka's back, partly beneath the hem of his sweatpants. "I'd be happy to get on all fours for you."
"Umpf. I like the sound of that," Iruka said, removing Kakashi's glasses, before tilting his head up with a finger and rising to his knees. He enveloped him in a passionate kiss.
Kakashi gave him a hard slap on the ass.
"Then let's go, before you're the one who makes us late."
—
Several hours (and orgasms) later, they were in the car by 3:00, on their way to pick up Naruto. Kakashi was driving, and Iruka was fiddling with the knobs on the dashboard, turning on the heat.
"It's not even 50 degrees yet," Kakashi teased, cracking his window open an inch, in compromise. He knew he'd get too hot in a matter of minutes.
"Oh, excuse me, it's…" he peered at the temperature gauge, "51. I may have been born here, but Caribbean blood still runs in my veins," Iruka said, in his defense.
It was almost October. Temperatures had gotten chilly, but it really wasn't that bad. Not when he knew it could be much worse. Like 20 below, with wind chill. Even though he grew up in Chicago, Iruka never got used to it. Did anyone get used to it? Well, Kakashi never seemed to mind much. Despite it all, he still loved winter when it came.
They were taking Naruto to Sunny Acres today, a pumpkin patch and apple orchard that offered much more than produce. It housed a small carnival, as well as a petting zoo, and a haunted house and hay ride. Kakashi grew up visiting it. He had even worked the haunted house one season, when he was 18, dressed in a glow-in-the-dark skeleton suit. He loved going back there, mostly for nostalgic reasons, but also for the cider. Iruka had come to love it, too. It had become a fall tradition for them. It was his favorite place to buy cute little pumpkins and gourds to decorate the house. He planned on leaving with several.
Tonight was a big deal. They had been granted their first overnight stay with Naruto. It had required an extensive background check, in addition to the ones they had already done, along with a home visit, but they were happy to do it.
When Naruto came walking towards the car, Iruka saw the same frog shirt poking out from under his jacket. He wondered if it was because the boy didn't have any more clothes, or if he just loved the shirt so much, he refused to take it off.
"Do you need help with your buckle?" Kakashi asked, who had gotten out to open the door for him. Kakashi drove a jeep, so it was a bit high for Naruto to get up on his own.
"No, I can do it," Naruto said, after taking off his orange backpack to rest it on the seat.
"Ok, then," Kakashi said, shutting the door before climbing back in himself.
—
It was packed. After circling the lot several times, they finally found a parking spot. It was a nice day, able it cold, but the sun was out and that made all the difference.
The entrance was flanked by several bales of hay, an elaborate pumpkin display, and two scarecrows.
"Hey, you have the same hair!" Naruto giggled, pointing at one of the scarecrows, and then at Kakashi.
Iruka burst out laughing.
"I can see the resemblance," Iruka joked, as Kakashi gave him a gentle shove.
Kakashi passed a hand over his silver-gray hair, as if to smooth it down. It wasn't nearly as tall as that scarecrows. He took a red beanie out of his sweatshirt pocket and slipped it on. It slouched loosely in the back against his scalp, contrasting nicely against the navy blue of his hoodie, which had No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom album cover on the front. He laughed to himself, realizing what he had just done.
This seven year old boy just made me self conscious.
Iruka came over to him and slipped a few fingers into his back pocket.
"You look sexy, no te preocupes," he said into his ear, before planting a kiss there.
(You look sexy, don't worry.)
Naruto had been leading them into the direction of a giant slide. He wrapped his small hands around the barricade, staring up at it in wonder, as people came whizzing down with their legs inside burlap sacks.
Kakashi and Iruka came to a stop behind him.
"You want to go down it, Naruto?" Iruka asked.
Naruto turned around.
"Can I?!" he asked, his bright blue eyes sparkling, as if he couldn't believe it.
"Of course," Iruka smiled.
Naruto latched onto Iruka's sleeve and started tugging him towards it. Iruka's heart leapt into his throat. He looked at Kakashi in shock, who gave him a wide, encouraging smile. This was the first time Naruto had ever reached out for contact. Iruka felt heat prick at his armpits, before he willed himself to relax into the touch. He wrapped his fingers lightly around Naruto's hand as they climbed up the stairs.
"Are you afraid of heights, Naruto?" Iruka asked, as they were nearing the top.
"No. I like climbing trees but Ms. Garcia yells at me for it," Naruto said, referring to one of the women who worked as a caretaker at the orphanage.
"I like to climb, too." Iruka said. "But mostly rocks. Have you ever seen someone rock climb?"
Naruto shook his head, concentrating on his feet as they climbed.
"Is it scary?"
"It can be," Iruka replied honestly.
"Cool."
"Do you like being scared?" Iruka asked, amused.
"I don't get scared," Naruto replied, confidently.
"Is that so?" Iruka laughed. "We'll have to put that to the test then. At the haunted house and hay ride later."
"Heh! Ghosts aren't real!" Naruto said, lifting his head to flash Iruka a grin. It caused him to miss a step, but Iruka had used the strength in his arm to keep him from falling.
"But what about zombies? Or goblins? Or werewolves?" Iruka teased.
He saw Naruto's smile falter for a split second, before shining bright again.
"Big deal!"
When they had reached the top, the young man in charge asked if they wanted to ride together or separately. Iruka let Naruto decide.
"I wanna race!" he said, before plopping his butt down hard on the platform.
Iruka situated himself inside his sack on the other side of the partition, next to Naruto. He looked down to find Kakashi had moved towards the front of the slide, his red hat easily identifiable. He had his phone ready, in what Iruka assumed would be to take a video.
A thought struck him. It was happening. They were making memories. Right now. Their life together was officially starting. Iruka's heart pumped hard in his chest. It was funny, how indifferent he was about children, before he met Naruto. Now, he couldn't imagine anything else. He was already so attached to this little blonde boy.
The young man helped Naruto into his own sack.
"It's itchy," Naruto said, pulling his hands back in dislike.
"But make sure you hold on," Iruka told him, lifting himself out of his thoughts. "Or it might slip off your legs and I'll beat you for sure."
"No way!" Naruto said, gripping the top of his sack in determination.
"Ready?" Iruka asked.
Naruto nodded his head sharply, focusing on the space in front of him.
"Ok, on the count of three. 1, 2….3!"
Both of them scooted forward and began to slide down.
"Whooaaa!" Naruto squealed in delight.
Iruka watched as Naruto ended up in a lying position, in order to keep himself from falling over onto his side. Naruto had hit the landing mat several seconds before he did.
Naruto shook off his sack and stood up to taunt Iruka.
"I won! I won! Heh!" he shouted, hopping around. "Believe it!"
Iruka got out of his sack and brushed the stray strings off his black jeans.
"You did. Fair and square. Let's celebrate, huh?"
They walked inside a long, covered, wooden walkway, that was filled with several kiosks.
Naruto pressed his face against the glass that divided him from an array of different pastries. There was caramel-dipped apples, apple pie, pumpkin cheesecake, funnel cakes, and apple cider donuts. Naruto chose the donut.
"Good choice. They're my all-time favorite," Kakashi said, before ordering a hot cider for Iruka and himself. He made a mental note to come back for a dozen donuts and a gallon of cider before heading home.
Kakashi's phone began to ring as he was finishing paying the cashier.
"Yo," he said, anchoring the phone on his shoulder as he grabbed his cider and put his wallet back into his pocket.
"We're just getting some cider. We'll be there in a second." Kakashi said, before hanging up.
They had invited Rin to join them for a bit, before she had to go into work. She had been pestering Kakashi for a while now, but Kakashi had wanted time to get to know Naruto himself first, before bringing new people in.
They found her standing in front of the pumpkins. She was hard to miss, decked out in a pair of ripped black tights, a yellow spandex skirt, and a black sweater, embellished with a large white spider. Her powder blue hair was piled on top of her head. A tattoo of a rose was visible on her neck. She had the same pale white skin as her brother.
"Hey!" she said excitedly, giving each of them a hug, before crouching down in front of Naruto.
"You must be Naruto. I'm Kakashi's sister Rin," she said, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder.
"I brought you something," she said, reaching into her bag. "I heard you like frogs."
She handed him a beanie in the shape of a frogs face. The eyes were printed on two small bulges on the top, where in other animals, they'd look like ears.
Naruto's eyes lit up. He pulled it onto his head.
"Kawaii!" she cried, bringing a hand to his cheek, before standing up.
"It looks great, ne, Kakashi?"
Rin was short, compared to Kakashi's 6 foot frame. But with her platform white creepers, she came up a little past his shoulder.
"Should we carve some pumpkins?" she asked.
"I think you can only paint them here," Kakashi replied. "Knives being a liability."
"Well that sounds fun, too. What do you think Naruto?" she asked.
"Yeah!"
—
An hour and several paint spills later, they had finished their pumpkins. Rin had painted Jack Skellington, Kakashi had gone for something abstract, each rib painted a different color. Iruka had painted his black, and drawn a pair of glasses with a lightening bolt on one side, and the Deathly Hallows on the other. Naruto had drawn what looked like a sort of wonky… dog.
"What animal did you draw, Naruto?" Iruka asked, out of curiosity.
"A fox," he said, a streak of red paint on his cheek.
"Ah," Iruka said. The more he looked at it, the more he could see it. The big upright ears and long… tails?
"Why does it have so many tails?" he asked.
Naruto shrugged.
"I like it," Rin said, smiling at him. "It's original. I think we've got an artist on our hands."
Afterwards, they all sat down for dinner at a picnic table under a large tree. Kakashi had returned with a tray of four plates of roasted chicken, charred corn on the cob, and a chopped salad containing apples, walnuts, and roasted pumpkin. One of the plates contained mac and cheese instead of chicken for Rin, who was a vegetarian.
Iruka cut up the chicken on Naruto's plate.
"Do you want me to take the corn off the cob? Or do you want to eat it like that?" he asked.
"I'll eat it like this," Naruto said, picking it up and taking a bite. He kicked his legs happily beneath him on the bench.
"Hey!" Kakashi had shouted to someone across the way.
Iruka turned around to see Itachi, with a small dark-haired boy, attached to his hand. They came over to the table.
"Seems like the popular spot today," Itachi said. "You remember my brooding brother, Sasuke?"
Sasuke glared at them all.
"And you must be…?" Itachi began, throwing a look at Kakashi, who nodded.
"I'm Naruto!" Naruto chimed in, placing his half eaten cob on the plate.
"You have corn on your face," Sasuke said.
Naruto wiped it off, blushing profusely.
"Tch," Itachi said, flicking his brother on the side of head. "Be nice."
"Ow," Sasuke said, jerking his hand out of his brother's grip, to rub the spot. "I was. He'd look stupid walking around with corn on his face."
"Do you want to join us?" Iruka asked, scooting over on the bench. How could he forget that Itachi had a younger brother around Naruto's age?
"Sure. We already ate though. We came for the haunts. Thought it'd be a good way to bond with my little brother. Give him a good scare," Itachi joked, ruffling Sasuke's hair. Sasuke swatted his hand away.
Iruka noticed that Naruto couldn't seem to take his eyes off Sasuke, ever since he sat down. Sasuke noticed, too.
"What?!" Sasuke snapped, causing Naruto to suddenly become very interested in inspecting his plate.
Iruka felt a wave of protective heat wash over him. He didn't want to appear like he was babying Naruto though, so he let it slide.
—
By the time they had finished eating and said their goodbye's to Rin, dusk had settled in. It wasn't long before the sun slinked beneath the horizon completely, and hundreds of strings of tiny lights were illuminated.
"…people always equate non-violence with pacifism. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Non-violence is a resistance tactic that requires a lot of strategic planning. You can spark and win revolutions with it," Iruka heard Itachi say, who was in conversation with Kakashi, as they were waiting in line at the haunted house.
"Why is Che Guevara sexier than Ghandi? And why is Ghandi highlighted and revered above all the other non-violent soldiers? They sold him as an image, too, you know. Always showing him in robes and sandals. But, he was a lawyer! You know that right? Where are the images of him in a suit?"
"Che's overrated," Iruka piped in.
If he had said that in his home country, people would be outraged. Che was still considered an icon in Latin America, and Puerto Rico was no different. Iruka understood what he represented, and the role that he played in history; he respected that, but he didn't agree with his tactics nor that an armed struggle was the way to independence for Puerto Rico. And…
"He was homophobic."
"Him and Castro, both." Itachi said. "What kind of revolution is that?"
Iruka sighed in agreement. These types of conversations were commonplace around Itachi. He was doing his graduate research on social movements, after all, specifically ones that employed non-violence.
Iruka looked down at Naruto, who was being awfully quiet, standing closer than necessary to his leg. He wondered what was going through his little head. He still seemed to be transfixed on Sasuke, who hadn't show anything to Naruto but his back, for the past 10 minutes. He wished it was different. He was hoping Sasuke could be Naruto's first friend.
They reached the front of the line, coming up to the doors of an old barn, adorned with fake spider webs. Artificial mist was pouring through the cracks.
"I can't go in there," Itachi said. "The flashing lights irritate my eyes. I'd be leaving here blind."
"We can wait with you," Kakashi said. "I'm sure the boys will be fine on their own."
Iruka gave Kakashi a worried look.
"He'll be fine," Kakashi reassured him, quietly.
Iruka crouched down next to Naruto.
"We'll meet you on the other side, okay?"
Naruto nodded.
"Don't leave him alone, Sasuke," Itachi warned.
Sasuke gave his brother an irritated glare before disappearing behind the doors, Naruto scrambling in behind him.
—
When Naruto entered the barn, he saw nothing but darkness and smoke.
"Sasuke?" he whispered, taking a step forward.
There was no reply.
He heard the sound of a door creaking slowly shut.
Naruto's body turned to ice.
"Sasuke?" he said, a little bit louder, fiddling with the zipper on the bottom of his coat.
Still nothing.
Naruto sensed movement to his right, followed by a series of low groans and howls. He felt a slight breeze on his skin, causing his hair to rise. He spun around.
"Sasu-ke!" he cried, angrily. "This isn't funny!"
He kept on walking, heading towards a flashing blue and green light. He passed a large bubbling cauldron filled with eyeballs, an artificial graveyard with an open, empty casket, and several large, hairy spiders. He felt movement behind him again. This time, there was someone there. A glow-in-the dark skeleton jumped out at him.
"Sasuke!" Naruto whimpered, running around a corner, only to knock right into someone, causing them both to tumble to the ground.
"Watch where you're going, stupid," came Sasuke's annoyed voice.
Naruto blinked at him through the darkness. He could just make out the shape of his spiky black hair.
"Sasuke?" Naruto said again. It seemed to be the only thing he could get to leave his mouth.
"Get off me, Naruto," Sasuke said, pushing at him.
Naruto got to his feet.
"S-sorry," he said.
"Tch," Sasuke replied, wiping cotton cobwebs off his black sweatshirt, which stood out starkly beneath the black light. It also highlighted the fact that Naruto's shirt was covered in blotchy stains beneath his jacket.
"Don't you ever wash your clothes?" Sasuke asked, staring at his shirt.
Naruto looked down.
"Ah!" he said in surprise upon seeing it, throwing his arms out as if to try and get away from it, before wrapping his jacket around it protectively.
"It's my favorite shirt. I don't have many."
"Buy another one," Sasuke said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I don't have any money."
"Have your mom do it. Tch."
"I don't have one. Or a dad."
This caught Sasuke off guard. Now that he thought about it, he didn't see any sign of Naruto's parents tonight. Only Itachi's friend Kakashi. And Iruka. But he thought maybe they just weren't here.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, his features faltering.
"I'm an orphan."
Sasuke stared at Naruto, whose frog hat was lopsided now. It was the first time he looked Naruto in the face for more than five seconds at a time. He was surprised to see bright blue eyes glinting back at him, clearly visible, even in the low light. Something tightened inside Sasuke's chest. He rubbed at the spot before reaching out to fix Naruto's hat.
"Nice hat," he smirked.
Naruto quickly took it off his head, holding on to it defensively.
"You're mean! Why are you being a jerk?!"
Sasuke reached for it again. For some reason, Naruto let him pry it out of his fingers.
"I wasn't being mean, idiot. I like it," Sasuke said, pulling it onto Naruto's head until it came down over his eyes, before walking away.
Naruto stood there for a moment, dumbstruck by Sasuke's change in attitude. He lifted the hat from over his eyes and ran to catch up.
—
Iruka had his hands in his pockets, shifting around on his feet nervously. Hadn't they been in there awhile? The barn wasn't that big. Was Naruto okay? This was safe, right? He should have asked if there was an age requirement. He should have gone with Naruto. That would have solved everything.
Kakashi came up beside him, gently dragging his thumb through Iruka's creased brow.
"Relax," Kakashi laughed. "He's okay. If you constantly worry about him like this, you'll have a heart attack before he's 10. And there's no fucking way I'm going through this life without you. So, chill."
Kakashi pushed Iruka's shoulders down from near his ears, before rubbing the tension out of them.
"It's perfectly safe in there. Nothing can happen to him, aside from being scared. But that's the point," Kakashi chuckled.
Iruka closed his eyes, losing himself in the massage.
He sighed, a small smile gracing his lips.
"You're right. I'm being ridiculous."
"No," Kakashi said, giving his shoulders a final squeeze.
He came around to look at him.
"You're being a parent. Parents worry. But let's try and keep it rational, hm?" he said, cupping Iruka's chin between his forefinger and thumb, before dropping his hand.
Iruka's eyes drifted over Kakashi's shoulder to see Naruto and Sasuke emerging from the barn. He searched Naruto's face for any sign of irreparable trauma, only to find that Naruto was smiling and Sasuke was… was Sasuke laughing?
"Did somebody die in there?" Itachi asked as they approached.
"No," Sasuke scowled.
"Then why are you laughing? Are you okay?" Itachi asked, dramatically pressing his hand to Sasuke's forehead.
"Quit it," Sasuke said, clutching onto Itachi's arm as they wrestled with each other for a moment.
"How was it, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.
"It was fun!"
Kakashi raised a playful eyebrow at Iruka.
"Good! Then you're still up for the haunted hayride?"
"Is Sasuke coming?" Naruto asked.
Everybody looked at Sasuke, but the only eyes Sasuke met, were Naruto's blue ones, which were staring at him expectantly.
He sighed.
"I guess."
Naruto grabbed onto the bottom of Sasuke's sweatshirt and yanked.
"Let's go!"
—-
By the time they pulled up to their apartment, it was 9:00 and Naruto was fast asleep in the backseat, with his mouth hanging open.
"Should we wake him?" Iruka asked.
"I can carry him in," Kakashi suggested. "And see what happens."
Iruka nodded in agreement and they both got out.
Kakashi scooped him up, without so much as a peep from Naruto, and headed inside.
They had set up an air mattress in their spare room, which had been converted into a creative space. It housed several bookcases, a desk, two velvet green antique armchairs, and several different types of drums. Framed posters and art embellished the walls, some of them drawn by Kakashi himself. Iruka always thought he'd make an excellent tattoo artist in another life (that and a stripper). He had drawn and designed most of his own to begin with, along with one that decorated Iruka's calf.
Iruka pulled back the covers on the bed and fluffed the pillow. He turned around to see Kakashi in the door frame, with Naruto clutched to his chest. The hand that contained Kakashi's wedding band was pressed lightly against Naruto's head. It took his breath away to see his husband tenderly cradling a child. Iruka fought off the urge to cry, silently praying that the adoption would go smoothly. He had never wanted anything so badly in his life. His whole body ached.
Kakashi laid him gently in the bed, pulled the hat off his head, and placed it on the ground beside him.
"Shouldn't we change him out of his clothes?" Iruka whispered.
"He's fine," Kakashi said, adjusting the blankets over Naruto's body. "Let him sleep."
They both got up and left Naruto's side.
As Iruka was shutting the door, he heard the tiniest of voices.
His heartbeat throbbed in his ears. Did he hear that right?
He crossed over to Naruto's bed to find his eyes open, a slit of blue staring up at him.
"Can I live here?" he asked again, in barely a whisper.
Iruka made no attempt to fight off his tears, knowing it would be futile. He let them flow freely down his cheeks.
"Would you like that, Naruto?" was all Iruka managed to choke out.
Naruto nodded his head slowly, before his eyes fluttered shut, and he fell back asleep.