It's the little things that make a relationship worthwhile, which is what Kotetsu was discovering. It had been a month since he and Izumo had broken down their name of 'friends' and upgraded from 'seeing each other' to 'a couple'. It had taken a little getting used to for Kotetsu to really appreciate the situation, since he was jumpy at almost every mention of his name. Paranoia had settled into a nice little nest in the recesses of his mind, but that's all it really was. He would flinch and burn a slight pink when the two of them were together in public, but then the realisation of that they were always together to begin with snapped him back to his senses.

Izumo was much more calm about things, but he was always on the lookout. He was always so careful to prevent any sort of public display of affection leaking into the view of the public's eyes. It was irritating that they had to be so cautious around everyone, but that was the norm and preferred social etiquette. It hurt that they had to tiptoe around their relationship and everything was secret, but they were cunning, and developed their own ways of comforting each other amidst crowds. Majority of the time it was only a small pat on the knee under the bench in their booth, or a secret smile throughout the day.
The nights, however, were so very different. They locked themselves away in seclusion, expressing themselves in every which way possible: cooking dinners, cuddling, wrestling and the odd occasion of casual sex. Everything a 'normal' couple could and would do.

When six months had passed, people began to notice the differences in them. They were much bouncier, brighter and smiling all the time. Most people assumed that they had an argument and patched things up and were back to normal, but only they knew the truth. If they were considered inseparable before, this was something else, to the point where conjoined twins would become jealous. Iruka was the first to notice, and brought it up in conversation at one of his gatherings, though due to missions and other requirements, it was just them and Genma, playing a humble game of poker.

'So.' Iruka started, sipping from a bottle of sake casually and looking over the hand he had been dealt. 'You two seem...different.'

'Different?' Izumo questioned, lightly playing with Kotetsu's foot under the table and desperately trying not to laugh at the expression on his partner's face.
'However do you mean?'

'I mean-' Iruka added more chips to the pot in the centre of the table and calling out his raise. 'You're usually happy most of the time, but nowadays you're...ecstatic. All the time.'

Kotetsu and Izumo exchanged looks and just grinned. Boy, if only Iruka knew.

'We just have a new...outlook on life.' Kotetsu replied, setting his cards down on the table. 'Fold.'

'Turned over a new leaf, hmm?'

'...you could say that.'

Genma was watching them through half-closed eyes. They were different, almost strange.

'I would say one of them was laid.' He put, chewing on a pick and raising the bet with a handful of chips. 'Call.'

Iruka sniggered lightly.

'Of course you would. But then why would that make both of them happy?'

'Could have been with each other.' Genma sniggered, watching the two faces drop, his eyes widening with glee.

'Cut your shit, Genma.' Izumo spat, looking murderous at the other nin.

'Defensive now, are we?' He returned coyly, amused at the change in their façade. Tension rose between the three of them while Iruka watched them banter back and forth to each other, the words bouncing around like a tennis match.

'-shut up Genma. It's not like you've even fucked someone your own age!'

'What's that got to do with anything?!'

'It's vile, you dick! Taking advantage of younger women.'

'Whats vile is the idea of two guys together-'

'Why? Compensating for your own feelings, Genma?!'

'Son of a bitch, say that to my face!'

'Enough! All of you!' Iruka shouted but his words fell on deaf ears. Kotetsu had tipped over the table, cards and chips flying everywhere along with the breaking of sake bottles. He had pinned Genma to the ground, burying his knee into his chest and holding a kunai above him; hand gripped tightly over the handle.

'You know nothing about what it feels like to have to endure that!' He spat at him vehemently, raging on the inside. He'd had enough of the jeers and taunts, despite how true they were now. Having a relationship in the shadows had ebbed away at him for months, despite him being ridiculously happy with his new lover. Threateningly, he lowered the kunai to Genma's face, his anger boiling as he watched the man laugh.

'You've got some nerve, Hagane.' He riled, egging on the chūnin.
'Do it. I dare you.'

'Kotetsu, don't even think about it.' Iruka said sternly, using his authoritative voice as he spoke. 'He's not worth it, okay?'

Gently, he persuaded the raven-haired to get off the other man, and roughly picked up Genma by the scruff of his neck.

'Genma, go home. I'll talk to you later.'

'It was just a joke, people! Lighten the fuck up!'

'Out!'

'Okay, okay, I'm going.'

Iruka saw him out before shaking his head and looking over at the other two. Izumo was trying to calm down a raging Kotetsu, hushing him with sweet whispers.

'Tets, go home buddy. I'll be there soon. I have to clean this up...Tets, look at me. Go home. It'll all be okay. Go on.'

Breathing heavily and harshly, Kotetsu squeezed his eyes shut, trying to console himself to speak.

'Im sorry Iruka.' He said deeply, balling his hands into fists.
'I'll reimburse you for the alcohol.'

'Its not a big deal. But Izumo's right. You should go home.'

Kotetsu nodded, and turned on his heels, storming out. Izumo sighed and began to pluck bits of porcelain out of the chips and cards, the light reflecting off of them glinted beautifully yet dangerously.

'I've never seen him act like that before. Is he alright?' Iruka prodded lightly, gathering newspaper and a dustpan to collect the shards into.

'We've had a...rough patch to go through.' Izumo stated, trying hard to prevent any information about their relationship slipping out.

'But still-' Iruka pressed, sweeping up the extracted particles into the dustpan idly.
'For him, even that was irrational.'

'Kotetsu is irrational.' Izumo sighed, extracting the larger chunks of ceramic.

'...is everything okay with you two? Normally you two just laugh things off.'

'Things change, Iruka. As do people.'

Right there, Iruka knew what was going on between them, and while Genma's words were harsh and cynical, they were true. Iruka softened his gaze and felt for the two of them. He understood the prejudice that they were facing and it must be hurting them badly. It wasn't fair.

'Izumo.' He said lightly, placing a hand on the working nin's shoulder.
'Go to him. He needs you...And you need him.'

Izumo glanced up quickly into the tanned chūnin's face, a delicate smile playing on his features. It was then that Izumo realised that Iruka knew, or assumed, what they were, but it wasn't hate behind his eyes. They were sweet, understanding. They were happy.

'...thank you Iruka.' He whispered before disappearing out into the night.

-x

'Tets?' Izumo called out into the darkened home. Kotetsu was once again missing from his border duties and it worried him. He hadn't seen him at all since last night, and he prayed that nothing bad had happened to him. He had checked all of Kotetsu's usual haunts as well as his place but it was as if he had vanished. With a heavy heart, he went to his own abode, his hope of finding his partner wavering as he saw nothing but darkness ahead of him. Vainly, he called out again.

'Tets, are you here buddy?'

Silence returned his calls. Sadly, Izumo dropped his gear onto the table in his hallway, his ears pricked for any sign of movement.

And there it was.

A soft rustling coming from the den. Izumo's defences heightened and he slowly and silently followed the sound, fingers poised and ready for his kunai holster. A soft glow filtered from behind the door to his den, dust floating in the small chink of light. Tentatively, with the hairs on the back of his neck raised, the pushed the door open softly, before letting out a gasp.

There stood Kotetsu, garbed in a magnificent black suit, standing in the pool of light, watching his lover look shocked and curious.

'Tets, where have you been? I've looked-'

'Before you say anything-' Kotetsu interrupted, patting his jacket to wipe the sweat from his palms. 'I need to talk.'

'...I'm listening.'

Kotetsu swallowed, his breathing erratic and short. It was now or never.

'I...I know that we started off shakily and...and I was a prize dimwit and everything...'
He gulped, trying to find the right words and reaching into the pocket of his pastel black slacks, fumbling a little with an object in them.

'...but I want you to know how much you mean to me and...and I... I was such an idiot for thinking the worst things in life could be...could be us but...'

The words tumbled out of his mouth with no way of stopping them. He was in the final stretch. Quickly, he pulled out a small box and held it tightly in his hands.

'I need you to know that...that...

...
...that I love you Izumo. I do and...and I know that it's against the code to do this but I want us to be together and I...'

He shuffled over quickly and took his hand in his, flicking open the box and revealing a ring. Not just any ring, but a beautiful gold wedding ring, with a light blue band running through the centre. It shone beautifully in the soft light, and Izumo noticed that he was already wearing an identical ring on his own hands.

'...I know we can't get engaged, or married or anything but... I don't want to lose you and this way...we would know we were together...forever...'

Kotetsu waited with bated breath for an answer, looking into those onyx irises for some kind of clue; any at all, but those eyes revealed nothing. Nothing until a tear leaked out of his right eye which was briskly swatted away.

'Oh shit Kotetsu...'

His heart sank, and he felt smaller than ever before. His mouth dropped slightly and he felt defeated, lowly.

'You're a crazy son of a bitch you know.'

Izumo plucked the ring out and tugged it into his finger, grinning through his fringe.

'But you're my crazy son of a bitch.'