Gai finished another bite of ramen. "I still can't believe you haven't found a mate!"
"You don't have to shout it," Kakashi stated in his usual calm, even tone. He had already finished his meal which would normally mean leaving Gai to pick up the tab, but he'd spent too much time alone with his own thoughts lately. The friendly lunch was a nice reprieve.
Gai attempted to quiet his booming voice, but only barely achieved a sound the slightest bit quieter. "But the Hatake clan thrives on having a pack! You really should consider-"
"Gai, don't make me regret sharing things with you." The green clad nin immediately stopped talking. "Nobody else knows much about my clan. I'd like to keep it that way. Besides, you're still single."
"Kakashi," he smiled his charming, overly zealous, smile, "I'm flattered, but-"
Kakashi reached across the table and covered his rivals mouth with a quick hand. "I am not asking you out, Gai." He removed the offending hand and sat back in the booth. "I… I could find someone to be with, but," he looked down, distraught. Could he really pull this off? If it would finally get his rival/friend to leave him alone about mating, it might be worth it. "I'm not able to mark my mate anymore," he said quietly.
"Why?" The roaring question brought several glances their way.
Kakashi grimaced. "I'll tell you if you promise to never bring this up again. Got it?"
Gai nodded and Kakashi took a deep breath before continuing. "I think I lost it somehow. Maybe you have to mark a person by a certain age or maybe it's more involved than I thought. Maybe it has to be someone capable of accepting the mark? Either way, all I know is that I haven't been able to bare my fangs for a while now. I thought eventually if I found the right person, it would come back."
"So maybe you haven't found the right one."
Kakashi was shocked by the sincerity and, honestly, the casual tone of his friend. His voice was actually at a normal level. "It's possible."
"So no fangs at all?"
Kakashi hated lying to his friend. He couldn't handle having the "mate" conversation anymore, though. He continued on with his Oscar worthy performance. "Nope. But you'll be the first I tell if they come back."
"Your secret is safe with me, Kakashi," he boomed, startling the entire restaurant once again as he flashed a large smile with his signature thumbs up.
"I'm leaving tomorrow," Itachi spoke quietly.
"For how long?" Kakashi skipped another rock across the lake as they sat on the dock.
"I don't know yet."
Kakashi lightly tossed and caught a small stone in his hand, repeating the gesture while he thought on his response.
"Covert or combat?"
"Combat," Itachi muttered as he laid back on the dock, folding his arms behind his head.
"So it's dangerous?" He skipped the next stone.
The initial response was a bitter laugh. "Aren't they always? Covert or not, there's a risk."
Kakashi stared out across the lake, seemingly lost in thought. When he'd decided his mind had suffered enough, he laid down next to the Uchiha in the same position. "Will you come back to me?" He turned to face the younger man, but Itachi would only keep his focus on the sky above them.
"You know I can't promise that, Kashi."
"Then let me find you…" At that, Itachi turned to lock his eyes on the older shinobi.
"You can't mean…"
"Not if you don't want to. I'd never force you. And we wouldn't even have to complete anything. Just a small bite, that's all I'd need. Then I could come for you if you needed help. I could find you if you're hurt."
Itachi grinned. "We both know I don't get hurt."
Kakashi was smiling now, too. "Yeah, yeah, shut up, Itachi."
The two returned to watching the clouds. Kakashi didn't want to pressure the young Uchiha. Every instinct in his body was rushing forth, insisting he claim the boy. He had to beat down that side of himself regularly, but it was worse now. Knowing Itachi would be put in harms way. The urgent need to protect him was overwhelming and Kakashi winced as those annoying fangs started to grow. 'Not like this,' he thought. 'Not in a moment of panic. Not rushed. I don't want him to make the decision under duress.'
"What would it mean for you?"
"Huh?" His train of thought was interrupted and he was silent for a moment, trying to decide what exactly to divulge. 'Might as well go with the truth,' he thought. "It would hurt me. Being away from you would cause me pain."
"Even if we aren't mated?"
Kakashi nodded. "I'd know if you were hurt. I'd be able to track you easier. I couldn't, um…" he hesitated. This is where Itachi would reject him. If he knew Kakashi could only mark one person, would never be able to mate if not with the one he marked, he'd never agree to it. Kakashi didn't need to mate, though. He just needed to keep Itachi safe. That's all he cared about. "I wouldn't be able to shut it off," he decided on. No sense worrying Itachi. It would be his own burden to bare.
"Right," he spoke barely above a whisper, "the lifelong partner thing. So you'd really be willing to put yourself through that for me? I couldn't cause you pain, Kashi. What if I never came back?"
"Heh," he couldn't keep the sarcasm and bitterness from his voice, "then I'd just add you to the long list of people I loved that never made it home again."
Itachi seemed to hear the hurt in his tone. "So… it would make you feel better to mark me? Even if it meant my being away was hard for you, you'd feel better knowing I was still safe? Still alive?"
Kakashi nodded again. Whatever mission the Uchiha was going on, Kakashi couldn't join him. If nothing else, he would at least know the young shinobi was safe. Itachi was more important to him than anyone else. Why save his mark for someone that may not even exist? An imagined future partner? What was the point? This was a safe bet. This was someone he cared about. Someone he needed. And Itachi was strong. He would survive whatever the mission was, Kakashi was sure of it. Itachi would survive and would come back home to him.
"You don't have to. I understand if it's too much."
"It's not, I just don't want to cause you any pain."
"The pain of not knowing that you're safe would be worse. Trust me," he sat up now, looking down at Itachi. Sharingan eyes stared up at him and Kakashi knew he was saving this memory. That could only mean one thing, he'd accepted.
"Mark me, Kashi."
"You're sure?" He was painfully aware of the large canines pressing against his lips. He'd learn to speak normally around them years ago. He'd mastered the art of hiding them in every possible way.
"Yes. You and Sasuke will always be my connection to the hidden leaf. I want this."
Kakashi laughed. "You talk like I'll never see you again. Missions end, tachi. But if this is what you want, I'm more than happy to do it."
"Hey, it was your idea, little wolf," he smirked.
At that, Kakashi jumped onto the teen and was straddling his waist, grinning down at him. Long thin fingers gripped pale wrists as Kakashi pinned him. "Last chance. You sure you want this?"
Itachi leaned forward and pressed his lips against Kakashi's through the mask. When he laid back down, his red eyes shone brightly. "Yes. I'm yours, Kashi. Now neither of us will forget that."
He felt himself blushing at those words, but something in his chest felt like purring after he heard them. "This also makes me yours, tachi. I told you you'd be stuck with me," he spoke as he sat up now, still straddling the Uchiha. He released one of Itachi's wrists and reached up to pull down the mask. He grinned when he saw Itachi's eyes widen. "Scared, little Uchiha?"
"You wish." His teasing tone halted when he saw Kakashi look up.
He quickly shoved the white haired shinobi off of him and got to his feet. Kakashi stood next to him, his mask already back in place. Fugaku Uchiha stood at the end of the dock watching the two, his expression unreadable.
"Itachi," he called out, "it's time for dinner."
"Out past curfew, little Uchiha?" Kakashi whispered.
"Shut up," Itachi whispered back. "I'll be right there!" He called back.
"Guess our play date is over, huh?"
Itachi smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess so." They started the walk back towards the beach. "Take care of yourself, Kakashi."
"You know I will. And when you get back from that mission, come find me. I'll sink my teeth into that pretty little neck of yours so you can't keep hiding from me with these secret missions." Kakashi was only teasing, but when Itachi didn't seem to appreciate the joke, he nudged him gently. "Hey, it'll be alright. Mark or not, I'll always find you. Ok?"
Itachi nodded and Kakashi looked up to see they'd reached the end of the dock. Itachi briefly caught his gaze before turning and heading home. Once again, Kakashi had missed something. Why couldn't Itachi just let him in? He'd make sure to show the Uchiha he was trustworthy when he returned.