Kumogakure was everything Kakashi could have hoped for.

He was received warmly – if briefly – by Aey, the dean, and honorably by Samui, the head of the physics department. He was given a TA – a thoughtful if anxious grad student named Omoi – and was introduced to the rest of the team – a quiet man called Darui, whom he had competed against when he was a student, and a serious, rule follower, do-it-by-the-book type called Cea.

Kakashi assumed it was short for Ceasar. He did not ask.

Samui showed him around the lab and discussed her research. He was to follow her steps closely, and, if he proved himself in the upcoming semester, he would be allowed to research independently. The advanced machinery – the best in the world – made his fingers twitch with excitement.

He was also required to teach one semester per year.

Samui gave him a list of tasks, saw that he knew what he was doing, and left him alone. Cea insisted on reviewing his work, so Kakashi leaned back and let him. His phone vibrated – he fished it out, almost too eager –

Coward. Flashed on the screen. He exhaled and hid his phone in his pocket, smiling at Cea when the man appeared annoyed by his actions. Still, word traveled fast if news of his departure already reached Sasuke.

Darui leaned over, offered him a cup of instant coffee, and invited him for a round of drinks.

Cea hmphed, so Kakashi accepted.

They talked for a bit, joked for a bit, smoked. Darui had an air of ease draped around him; communicating with him did not feel forced.

"Good to see you again, man." Darui took a long drag, then passed him the joint. "Don't mind Cea," he said. "I know he was an ass today, but he's not usually so…."

"Uptight?" Kakashi huffed, inhaling deeply.

Darui laughed. The sound was deep and quiet and familiar. "Yeah. He raved about your work yesterday. I suppose he was just flustered."

Kakashi hmmed. "By the eye patch?"

"What? No," Darui laughed again. "He knew what you looked like. I suppose… well, it's one thing to admire from afar and another from up close."

Kakashi coughed. He returned the joint to Darui.

The man slapped his back. "I'm still straight, by the way," he added, stifling a chuckle.

"And I'm spoken for, I'm afraid," Kakashi managed. He sipped his drink.

"I see. I will pass that along," Darui replied amiably. "Welcome to Kumogakure, Kakashi."

Kakashi felt welcomed.

The apartment he was given was surprisingly spacious. It had a small yard that his dogs went crazy for and a large kitchen. No TV, but it did have a dishwasher.

Kakashi unpacked the essentials first. Set up his laptop, made the bed, and arranged the clothes in the closet. Those that Naruto picked for him, he handled with care. He was done within an hour. He did not own many things.

He borrowed a hammer from the complex's maintenance team and hung Naruto's drawings on the walls and the proof near the bed. He wished Naruto had not ruined the sunrise painting he had gifted him.

Everything was going just like he planned, and yet…

He missed Naruto.

Kakashi spent the days waiting for Naruto to call.

The first call was hesitant. Kakashi answered immediately – something Naruto probably did not expect because he laughed nervously throughout it. It was so easy to talk to him; Kakashi felt as if something tight and strangling began to unravel in the middle of his chest, filling his limbs with warmth. He petted his dogs and laughed and listened intently to every little noise Naruto made.

The call ended when Sakura called the teen to dinner, and Naruto – suddenly shy – mumbled, 'I love you even when you're gone, y'know?' and hung up.

His words left behind a storm, as if someone dropped a jar full of butterflies in the middle of his chest. The bugs fluttered about, and the shattered glass jabbed his heart. He waited for the right moment, determined to reciprocate.

He could feel an opportunity coming along later that evening when Naruto's frustration began to leak around the edges of his awareness – probably over homework – and focused his mind.

He felt as if his soul had left his body – slipped within itself and disappeared. His world felt dark and heavy and ethereal, like the surface of a dark lake, while he was sinking and floating into the bright light that was Naruto. He opened his eyes and found himself hovering over Naruto like a cloak, overlooking his shoulder. He reached with his hand and caressed his hair.

The teen jumped, looked up –

Kakashi leaned over and pointed to one of the assumptions Naruto wrote. "You're sure about that?" he asked softly, then winked.

Naruto stared, dumbfounded, and scrunched his nose. "You're such an ass. You know what I want."

He was slipping away. "Patience," he mumbled, tousled his hair, and disappeared.

The second call caught him when he was asleep. Kakashi snapped awake and listened to Naruto describe – for an hour – the various reasons why Neji, the psychology TA who happened to be Hinata's cousin, absolutely sucked.

The third call caught him during a lab meeting. Kakashi had to explain to Samui why he had to take the call and to Naruto why this wasn't such a good time. When he came back through the glass door – after what must have been the longest ten minutes of his life – Darui smiled lopsidedly, Cea began to lecture him about how he shouldn't waste their time, and Samui, surprisingly enough, said nothing.

"Must be quite a guy, to get a reaction like that," Darui commented as they sat for a beer and a smoke. "What does he look like?"

Kakashi hmmed. "Blond, blue eyes, tan skin."

"I meant a picture."

"I don't have a picture."

Darui blinked. "You're an odd fella. What do you do when you miss him?"

"We talk every day," Kakashi protested.

Darui lit another joint. "Aren't you scared you'll forget what he looks like?"

Kakashi leaned back. "His brilliance burned his image into my mind," he muttered. "I could not forget him if I wanted to."

Darui hmmed. "I get it. Blond, blue eyes, very handsome." He punched his shoulder playfully. "You shallow man," he teased.

Most of the calls caught him just before he went to sleep. Some of them – in class. No matter how hard he tried, he never managed to outrun the coos that followed.

That was new.

Whenever he moved somewhere, Kakashi tried to stick to the sidelines, gather information, and say as little as possible to as few people as he could manage. He got his job done, and that was mostly it. If he was known as something, it was usually the lab guy or the swimmer guy. He was seldom known by name and was usually rumored to be odd and scary.

Kakashi liked those rumors. He liked that image.

But now he somehow became known as the romantic type, the guy who had a boyfriend and was very casual about it. He was, for some reason, adored – mostly by girls who moaned about his heartache and devotion. It was Naruto, then, who became the mysterious obsession.

Kakashi thanked the gods that he and Naruto didn't have a connection on social media. He did not want to think about their reaction had they known how young Naruto was.

The first time Naruto materialized caught them both by surprise.

Kakashi woke up slowly as a weight that was there and wasn't, warm and ethereal, tickled his senses. His eyes narrowed at the sudden light, both soft and bright, that emanated from around his chest.

His breath faltered when he realized what he was looking at.

Naruto glowed like shimmering gold as he snuggled against his chest, burrowing into the space created by Kakashi's arms. His brow furrowed when he noticed how tangled their limbs were, which meant Naruto must have been there for a while. The teen held longer than he did.

Or perhaps it was because he was asleep? Kakashi traced his fingers in the glowing hair, caressing the warm skin and those gentle, unbruised lips…

Naruto's brow twitched, and the teen angled his head away from his touch and deeper into his shoulder. He blinked, then his eyes snapped wide. He leaned on his elbows, staring at him, parted his lips –

And faded away.

Kakashi sighed.

His phone rang.

"I-I did I – "

"Yes," he groaned into the phone, rubbing his eyes to convince them to stay open. "Did you dream about me?"

"Can't remember," Naruto bit, annoyed, which was probably a lie.

Kakashi chuckled. "Well, I hope it was a good dream – "

"Shut up, you ass," Naruto hissed. Kakashi could hear him blushing. "Um. How do I get it to last longer?"

The man hummed. "Try edging."

Naruto exhaled to indicate he was thinking. "Edging… edging what?" he asked, confused. "Like, making my mind sharper?"

Oh, fuck.

His mind immediately conjured a vision of Naruto, naked and stroking himself on his bed –

Kakashi sat up, raking his fingers through his hair and ignoring his arousal. "Maybe meditation will help," he tried to change the subject.

"It will make me sharper?"

"Sure."

"So I need to search for edge… edge medit-"

"No." Kakashi resisted the urge to curse. "Forget what I said earlier. I think it's about settling into the right mindset."

"Aha. Do you edge?"

Kakashi swallowed. "No. I… sink back and think of you."

"Right." Naruto sounded confused. "Kakashi, did you just make a sex joke?"

Fuck. "I apologize," he managed. "It was in poor taste – "

"No, it means you think I'm a grown-up!" Naruto declared. "What does it mean, though?"

"I told you to forget about it."

Naruto hmmed. "I'm asking Sakura." And hung up.

Great. He wondered when he would get yet another snide text from Sasuke, mocking his latest relationship escapade.

His phone vibrated again.

'I still love you even if you finish early,' sealed with a winking emoji.

Kakashi thanked him, which he knew would frustrate the teen.

Still, now that Naruto found his way to him, he refused to let go.

Kakashi woke up almost every morning to find Naruto shining and soft and snuggled in his arms. The teen managed to hold the state longer and longer, reaching full five minutes at one time, and Kakashi allowed himself to bask in his light and hold him close and ignore his own desire.

The teen was getting bolder. As morning snuggles became the norm, Naruto found new ways to surprise him. A fleeting kiss to the cheek as he ran an experiment, a light caress of his hair during a lecture, a soft hug from behind while he cooked. Kakashi was certain that no one could see or feel Naruto except for him, so he made sure not to react. Instead, he focused on his emotions and allowed Naruto to feel his heart.

He really should've remembered, however, that Naruto was never one for patience.


Naruto finished the last of the Icha Icha books and leaned back in his bed with a sigh of relief.

Honestly, he still had no idea why Kakashi – or anyone, for that matter – would enjoy these books. The romance resolved mostly of stalking and improbable encounters, and the female lead was strangely violent…

Still, it gave him an idea. He tried to practice his spectral form, as Kakashi called it, and even meditate, but couldn't last more than five minutes detached from his body. Still, for what he had planned, he assumed it was enough.

He had Kakashi's schedule memorized. By checking in on him, apparently at random, he mapped his habits, his preferred activities, and, most importantly, his mood.

So he knew that Sundays afternoon were usually reserved for a long run and play session with his dogs, followed by a bath rather than the usual shower.

He also discovered that while Kakashi's showers were short and efficient, his baths were longer, sometimes even accompanied – if he judged the slight dizziness correctly – by a glass of wine and reached an inevitable conclusion: Kakashi showered to clean himself; he bathed to relax.

Armed with that knowledge, Naruto locked himself in the bath (after ensuing Sakura went with Ino went to watch a movie so he'd have the house to himself – and then almost shoved her out of the apartment when her brows wouldn't stop wriggling), and undressed.

He lit a candle – feeling like a girl, but the scent of lilac and green tea felt soothing, and since his heart was going about two hundred beats per minute, he needed that relaxation – and filled the bath with hot water. Heart thundering still, he eased into the steaming heat, closed his eyes, and tried to relax.

He breathed in, breathed out, filled his lungs with lilac and tasted green tea on his tongue, and imagined the heat dancing along his skin were Kakashi's fingers, gentle and rhythmic as they caressed his chest…

Slowly, the world drifted away. The steam and the water disappeared as his body felt heavy and light, floating and sinking into a darkened pool of warmth and moonlight, fickle and thick as it ran through his fingers…

Splash. "Fuck! Naruto!"

Naruto opened his eyes, blinking momentarily as his own light dazzled him, and found himself in a different bath, caressed and yet untouched by different water, his light dancing along pale, scarred skin… naked skin. A devilish grin broke through his disorientation as he took in the sight of Kakashi's wide eyes and rapidly heaving chest.

He materialized into Kakashi's lap – Kakashi's naked lap – and apparently scared the hell out of him because the water around him danced in waves, splashing his face and flooding the small bathroom.

Good. He wrapped his hands around Kakashi's neck, pulling himself closer, and hissed when Kakashi's breath hitched in response. His mismatched eyes trailed along his body, taking in his own nakedness, and flickered to his lips before looking away. Hunger and restraint stormed through his gaze. His hands twitched and tensed by his side.

"Hey," he murmured, tangling his golden fingers in Kakashi's silver hair. "D'you like my surprise?"

"Naruto," Kakashi choked, his voice half a growl. He leaned back, drinking the sensation of Naruto's touch, as his hands hugged his waist, pulling him close. "You shouldn't be here… doing this."


full version on AO3


Naruto found himself in his own bath, chest heaving and body tingling and spent, heavy as he sank into the water. He leaned against the cool edge of the bath and closed his eyes.

Gods, that felt good.


An incessant knock on the bathroom door snapped him awake.

Naruto jolted up, splashing cold water everywhere, and shivered.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted from the other side of the door. "Answer me right now or I'm breaking down the door!" Her fist pounded on the thin wood, rattling it. "Three, two – "

He was in the bathtub. The water was cold. His fingers looked like raisins.

"Wait! Don't!" he scrambled up, dizzy and shivering, grabbed a towel, and rubbed himself dry. "I'm fine! I just-I, I fell asleep!" He mopped the mess he had made, wrapped the towel around his loins, and unlocked the door, still shivering. "See? All g-g-good!"

Sakura glowered at him. "You idiot!" She smacked his shoulder. "Get dressed. You got flowers."

"I." Naruto stared at her. He shook his head, dripping water everywhere, then tried again. "I what?"

"Flowers, dumbass," Sakura muttered, rolling her eyes. Still, she managed a small smirk. "Guess someone enjoyed the phone call, hmm?"

Naruto's cheeks burned bright red. He rushed past her, shouting a quick 'I don't know what you're talking about!' and shut the door in her face. Flowers. He got flowers. No one ever got him flowers. He –

He wrestled with the sweater, shoved himself into his jeans, and stumbled into his slippers.

"Oi, Sakura! Where – " he froze when he reached the living room. "Oh! Um, hi, Ino! Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru lounged on their sofa, playing chess on his phone, while Sakura prepared coffee in the kitchen. Ino, however, jumped from her seat and rushed to hand him a colorful bouquet. "Naruto!" She battled her eyelashes at him. "So…? Who's the lucky guy?"

Naruto accepted the flowers hesitantly. He thought – well, he hoped that Kakashi – but it would be silly, no? To expect flowers so soon after – I mean, he didn't have the time, so he couldn't –

"Um, what?" he managed.

Ino rolled her eyes and smiled. "Papa got an order two hours ago and called to ask me if I knew someone named Naruto! I guess he realized we might be neighbors because of the address. Anyways, we own a shop next to the movie theater, so I had to deliver them!"

Sakura snickered. "Obviously," and handed her a steaming mug.

Ino placed her hands on her waist. "So, who's the lucky guy? There's a note," she added, practically dancing on the balls of her feet. "Is he handsome? Where did you meet him? Was it cute? It must have been cute! Tell me everything!"

Naruto opened the envelope and retrieved the note. Heart hammering, he unfolded it.

Today was like a dream.

Patience, and we'll make it our reality.

Naruto read the note again and again, heart soaring and aching and stumbling. He liked it, he realized, translating Kakashi's words into meaning. But he needs more time.

"So?" Ino demanded suggestively. "Uh… earth to Naruto?" she added impatiently, "who's the lucky guy?"

Naruto's cheeks flushed pink as he folded the note and hid it in his pocket. "Um, Kakashi," he admitted, distracted. Part of him wanted to call and yell at the man, and the other wanted to thank him. Should he be proud? Should he be mad? So many feelings flushed through him –

A shuttering sound snapped him back to reality.

"Kakashi," Ino repeated, her face unnaturally white. "As in, Kakashi-Sensei? Mr. Hatake? Your twelve-grade math te-ow ow ow!"

Sakura grabbed her ear and dragged her to her room. "I'll take care of the mess!" she cried and shut the door in his face.

Surprised, Naruto's eyes followed them and then noticed the ceramic shards and coffee puddle on the floor. He walked past it, found a vase, and filled it with water.

His blood simmered with rage.

A bored voice yawned from the sofa. "So, you're – "

"If you got a problem with me dating a guy, you can fuck right off," Naruto growled. He shoved the flowers into the vase. "Don't fucking test – "

"Oi, I don't have any problem with that, and honestly, I don't think Ino's got an issue with that, either," Shikamaru interrupted him, then sat up with a sigh. "I think her issue is that he used to be your teacher, that's all." He winced under Naruto's glower. "I mean, I get the appeal – I'm into older women, too, but, well – "

"He's not that old," Naruto bristled. "He's twenty-six and he's perfect. And he's waiting for me to grow up a bit before we're gonna date officially, so he's not – he's not a perv or anything!" Naruto glared at the flowers. "Even though I'm eighteen n' stuff, he insists we should wait. S'not fair, but, but y'know, he's a good man."

Shikamaru nodded. "Well, you saw Ino's reaction," he said slowly. "Maybe he thinks that dating is too much of a hassle right now." He sank back into the cushions. "When you turn nineteen, people will be less annoyed by the age gap."

Naruto's mouth dried. "You mean." He leaned on the counter, head spinning. "You mean he's ashamed?" he whispered.

"Beats me." Shikamaru shrugged, focused on his game. "I mean, he did send you flowers anonymously, but – "

"How'd you know."

"Hmm?"

Naruto controlled his emotions. Locked them in his fist. "That he didn't sign the note," his voice was raw. "How'd you know."

Shikamaru cleared his throat. He put his phone down and glanced up. "Well, I can't imagine Ino could've restrained herself from reading the note. But, hey, he sent you flowers, right? That's – Naruto!"

Naruto slammed his fist against the counter.

He walked to his bedroom and locked the door behind him.

He slid against the door, then landed on the floor.

His phone, almost immediately, came to life, ringing again, and again, and again.

He didn't pick up.

Hands materialized before him, cradling him against a silver chest, cool to the touch and as fickle as dust. "Naruto," a whisper caressed his ear. "Tell me what's wrong."

Naruto didn't answer. He leaned into Kakashi's touch and sobbed.

"Is it the flowers?" Kakashi murmured, fingers brushing his hair. "I'm sorry, I thought – "

"I liked the flowers," Naruto choked. His hands moved on their own, gripping Kakashi's shirt. "I miss you. Why do I gotta wait?" he demanded, voice shivering. "Why don't you want me around?"

"I do want you, Naruto." Gentle hands brushed his cheeks, catching his tears. Gentle eyes met his, holding his breath as they penetrated him. "We both have our responsibilities. It's just for a little while, hmm? We will meet again sooner than you realize."

Gentle lips kissed his eyes, his forehead, his temples, as Kakashi's body drifted into moonlight and dust. "Patience, Naruto."

And he faded away.

Naruto looked away from the spot where Kakashi was just moments again, from where Kakashi should have been, and hid his face between his arms, weeping into his jeans.

He couldn't bring himself to ask.


Kakashi kept reaching out to Naruto. The teen did not materialize as often as before, and though Kakashi hoped it was simply because of the stress of his studies or his attempts at patience, something about their interactions felt… off. December approached, and Naruto felt, at times, colder.

He waited, but the teen did not explain himself, so he called. "What is it, Naruto? You've been moping for days."

"I'm not moping!" he bristled. "I'm just… slightly upset."

"Very well," Kakashi replied dryly. "Why are you slightly upset, Naruto?"

Naruto wasn't quick to answer. Kakashi could almost see him, kicking at nothing. "Sasuke's coming for winter break," he blurted. "Just before New Year's."

Ah. Kakashi pursed his lips and cursed in his head. "Hmm. I thought you liked Sasuke."

Naruto scoffed. "Not what I meant," he mumbled.

Kakashi opened his calendar. "I know. I don't have any vacation days, yet." He had half a day, which would only cover one flight.

"I've got a month," Naruto suggested hesitantly. "Um. So. I can fly to you." His voice was quiet, almost shy.

Kakashi's mouth dried. "What about the project Jiraiya gave you?"

"It's math. I can do it everywhere." Naruto paused, thinking. "You can help me," he added, excited. "Bet you'll like it. It has something to do with centrifugal force."

It did sound like fun, though Naruto could have been studying, well, anything else, and Kakashi would have still enjoyed every moment he spent with the teen. He hesitated.

A student came to his desk and turned in her work. She offered him a knowing, giggling smile and fled.

Right. "Maybe next year," he coughed, raking his fingers through his hair.

"What?! Why? Why are you – "

"I want to see you," Kakashi cut through the angry ramble. "I miss you," he promised, listening to Naruto's labored breaths. "However… well, I'm not exactly certain how it happened," he hesitated. His ears felt hot, so he rubbed one self-consciously. "You somehow became the campus' obsession."

Odd sounds came from Naruto's end, something like a clash and a curse. Perhaps the teen ran into something. "Me?" Naruto demanded. He sounded awed.

Kakashi stifled a sigh. This was beyond embarrassing. "Well, not you specifically. The idea… of who you might be."

"I don't get it."

Kakashi stared at the three girls waiting outside his office, giggling as they snuck knowing glances his way. He smiled and waved to them, and they ran away. His smile disappeared. "They are trying to figure out who I'm dating," he said dryly. "The rumor mill works extra hours because of you."

Naruto was quiet for a while. "Wh-How-Did-Um," he managed. "I mean, how do they know that we're… um…?" he stuttered.

"I told you not to call when I'm working."

"You're always working!" Naruto protested. "You could've… well, you didn't have to answer," he mumbled, "if that bothers you that much."

Kakashi sat up. "I promised I would, and it doesn't bother me," he reassured the teen. "I am not ashamed of my relationship with you – "

"Just me, then," Naruto interrupted colorlessly. "I cut my hair, y'know," he added suddenly.

Kakashi frowned. "You cut your hair?" he asked. That seemed like the safest topic. "Why?"

"Sakura said it makes me look like a grown-up," the teen muttered darkly. "You didn't even notice."

"Your spectral form didn't change," Kakashi protested quietly. "Don't cut it."

He did not mean to say the last part, but the words escaped him as if Naruto's admission was a punch to his stomach, emerging as a quiet gasp.

He thought of Naruto's golden strands, long and soft underneath his fingers…

"You're not here, so you don't get a say," Naruto bristled. "I knew it. I knew you were ashamed."

"Naruto – "

The teen hung up.

Kakashi buried his face in his palms, then raked his fingers through his hair. Fuck. He was not ashamed. He was… annoyed by the ridiculous attention. Bothered by the constant giggling, the knowing looks. He missed the distance, the walls he usually erected between himself and his colleagues.

He wished Naruto was, at the very least, one year older.

Damn it.

A message flickered. 'I'm really proud of you, just so you know. Jiraiya says im insufferable.'

And then he felt it; an onslaught of pain and anger that burned the edges of his mind. Kakashi clenched his jaw and called the teen. He rarely did that, and he did not know what he was going to say, but –

Naruto hung up. He was mad.

Kakashi leaned back and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He fantasized for a moment about running away, hopping on a plane and –

A hand knocked on his door. "We're creating a schedule for the upcoming week," Cea announced. "Someone needs to stay during New Year's, and since you're the newest member…."

"It's fine, sign me up," Kakashi replied, almost eager for the excuse.

Darui leaned over the shorter man's shoulder. "Never met anyone so keen to sign up during New Year's," he pointed out. "Boyfriend troubles?"

Cea scoffed and left the room – yet remained within earshot.

"Something like that," Kakashi admitted.

Darui waited, but Kakashi said nothing more. He ruffled his own hair and sighed. "Damn, I'm dying to know who got you this bothered." He waved his hand. "Peace, man."

Was he bothered? Kakashi glanced at the darkened computer screen. His hair was a mess from how many times he raked his fingers through it. He fixed it, pushing the runaway strands against his skull.

He tried calling Naruto again and was as unsuccessful.

He decided to wait.

He waited until the hour was late, and Naruto had probably begun to prepare for bed – to call and be shot down. Kakashi fell asleep with a heavy heart, eyes tracing the messy handwriting of the proof Naruto gave him for Valentine's Day.

He woke up alone.

Kakashi sighed, raked his fingers through his hair, and prepared for the rest of the day. He knew he was not at his best – his senses were honed to his phone – and he missed questions, answered absentmindedly, and had very little patience for anything else.

No phone call.

He tried to call but Naruto immediately hung up again.

The next day, Kakashi went out for a run. He hoped to tire himself until he could no longer think of anything, let alone Naruto. He ran around the campus once, twice, three times –

The sun rose high and Naruto still lingered in his mind. And did not pick up.

Kakashi returned to his apartment and showered, scrubbing his skin raw. He was so tempted to close his eyes and reach

But if Naruto did not want to hear his voice, he undoubtedly would not want to see him either. The sharp rejection tasted sour. He wondered if Naruto could feel his suffering as clearly as he felt the teen's.

He remembered Naruto, trembling from pain on his sofa, glaring up at him. "I'm not giving up on you," he said. His voice was raw and his eyes were honest and –

And perhaps it was too much to expect that anyone – even Naruto – would hold true to his word.


Notes


So… a bit more drama (but don't worry, it's just for a little while)

I'm sorry I didn't post last week! Finals are coming up, so my schedule is getting really hectic. I'll do my best to keep posing before finals start, but I gotta prioritize my school work…

Anyways!

Naruto has issues with rejection, so he's throwing a temper tantrum, and Kakashi has issues with rejection, so he respects them. They are both new to relationships, and it shows, but luckily, their friends are there to help 'em deal with their bullshit lol

Btw Ino is gonna be an ally, she just… needs a minute. She wasn't there for most of Naruto's journey (hell, she didn't even know he was gay until college) so his relationship with Kakashi shocked her. She'll come around, though!

What did you think of Naruto's surprise? And Kakashi's? full version on AO3!

Please let me know! I always appreciate reading your comments! I do take them to heart! Speaking of comments – I'm gonna fix chapter 36 soon (probably Saturday) – gotta explain, for example, what unholy fantasies sprung to Kakashi's mind as Naruto kissed the hell out of his face lol (he had a good reason for that boner I promise)

Anyways! Please share your thoughts and I hope to publish again next week! Love ya!