Stuffed after a lovely lunch with Naruto and his teammates Minato returns to Kakashi's apartment. It's where he's staying for the year and with nothing better to do for the next couple of hours, taking a small nap on his student's surprisingly comfy couch feels like a good idea. In Minato's opinion, laying out on a nice couch is the best place to work off a full stomach.

Flopping down on Kakashi's burgundy sofa, he wriggles around for a while trying to find the right position to snooze in. After five minutes of tossing and turning, Minato realizes there's a reason he can't get comfortable. There's something stuffed beneath the sofa's springy cushion. Sitting up, he reaches beneath and pulls out a book boasting a familiar ninja's name.

Jiraiya.

Minato traces his teacher's name with the scarred pad of his finger and recalls the first book the man wrote with deep fondness. Maybe it didn't sell well but Minato had loved it. Kushina too, for that matter. It's why Naruto now carries the name he does.

Briefly, he wonders if Naruto knows. Jiraiya probably guessed he and Kushina were inspired by his character but if he ever shared his guesses with Naruto who he was named after… Well. Minato supposes it doesn't matter. He's here right now and can tell Naruto himself the next time he sees him.

Cracking open the book, Minato decides to forgo napping in favor of reading Jiraiya-Sensei's book. He has a bit of an idea from the title what it is about but surely it's not a straight romance story? He can't imagine Kakashi, his stern, unsentimental student would be much interested in something so saccharine.

-O-

After laying several books from Jiraiya's Icha Icha series out before him on Kakashi's battered coffee table, Minato stares at them in perplexity and unease. He's not surprised his teacher wrote these. Jiraiya-Sensei's always been a bit of a romantic (and pervert). He is surprised Kakashi has what seems to be the entire series.

One, maybe he could understand. Even a person as suppressed as Kakashi is likely to want something to help him along when he's looking for release and easy pleasure. The entire series, though? Minato picks up one of the books from later in the series again. It's well-cared for but clearly weathered. Kakashi has "read" it more than once. Probably more than a dozen times.

Minato squirms. Something about that makes him uncomfortable. He'd be a liar if he said he ever thought of Kakashi as innocent but to realize he's grown up to have proclivities like these…

Well.

He groans into his hands. Minato misses being the man he was an hour ago. The one who didn't know his student likes to spend his alone time reading erotica. His naivety brought him so much happiness.

The door of Kakashi's apartment opens with a creak that is growing very familiar to Minato. "Sensei?" calls the voice of his student.

Minato's face warms and, for a moment, he wonders if he shouldn't hide Kakashi's books lest he thinks Minato had been reading them in his absence. He decides against it, however, in favor of a better idea. He has no reason to be embarrassed. Kakashi's the one who left these out where Minato could easily discover them (one of them underneath the couch cushion!).

Minato is going to make his student sorry and, hopefully, more mindful. He's not a lone bachelor anymore and it's best he learns that now rather than later during a more embarrassing incident. Hurriedly, Minato arranges Kakashi's collection in serial order on the coffee table, covers facing away from him and towards the doorway. Minato then leans back against the sofa, arms crossed, and waits.

A moment later, his student and his friend Tenzō darken the doorway of the living area. Kakashi and he still when they see Minato, the books. "Erh," says Kakashi. "Did I interrupt you…?" he asks, a hand finding his hair.

He raises his eyebrows at Kakashi the way he always has. The way he did when Kakashi was six and used to stab comrades for patting his head. When he was twelve and he caught him slipping a spider down Obito's shirt. "You read these?" Minato demands.

Kakashi averts his gaze as Tenzō 's cheeks flush in a gleeful manner. "Ah," murmurs Kakashi.

Grinning, he stands and grabs one of the books. Walking over to his student, Minato holds it out for him to take. "I never thought I'd see the day you became interested in sex," he teases.

Tenzō, practically vibrating with excitement, tells Minato, "Not only is he interested, but he also reads them in public."

Minato rears back in horror as Kakashi turns a look that promises death by a thousand shurikens on his friend. "Tenzō," he nearly growls.

"You don't," he whispers, utterly horrified. "Kakashi, no."

Kakashi tucks the book away inside his vest. "It's a perfectly valid tactic," he grumbles.

Minato stares. "Tactic to what?" Because he's drawing blank after blank.

Kakashi huffs at him. It's such a seven-year-old Kakashi move Minato wants to coo. "It throws people off," he mumbles as he crosses his arms.

Tenzō snickers. "You mean it pisses women off," he corrects.

To the surprise of no one, Kakashi takes a swipe at Tenzō. The younger man steps back on instinct; he laughs, eyes crinkling at the corners. Minato doesn't miss that Kakashi's ears are also the softest of pinks.

His student is embarrassed. Minato rubs his chin. Hmm…

"That's their own prejudices," Kakashi grumbles. "Jiraiya wrote many strong women into his series. They aren't just caricatures."

"…I see," says Minato at last. He thinks he understands now. Kakashi never did like the fawning of girls as a boy. He'd only really wanted the attention of a few people (even if he never would admit it to anyone) growing up.

Kakashi eyes him leerily over his shoulder. "Do you," he says, voice flat and lacking the question the words imply.

Minato grins. "How is your rival Gai these days?"

Tenzō bursts into fresh laughter as Kakashi narrows his eyes at Minato. "No. I'm not talking about him with you," he declares.

He pouts at his student. "Come on, Kakashi," he teases. "It's an innocent question."

Kakashi puts up a hand and prods him backward. "Nope," he declares as he guides his friend further into the apartment. "C'mon, Tenzō. I'll get you that scroll I told you about and you can go."

After his and Tenzō's back, Minato calls, "You can't avoid this talk forever Kakashi!"

"Watch me, Sensei," Kakashi returns, not so much as looking over his shoulder at him as he passes.

Minato laughs. If Kakashi doesn't want to talk about his rival. He's sure Gai will. That'll no doubt answer some of the questions he has.

Thank you so much for reading and let me know what you think!