Minato starts into wakefulness from a high-pitched keen. Sitting up in his bed, he looks a few feet to his right and sees Kakashi twisting and turning beneath his covers. His usually hidden face is bare for Minato to see. His heart skips when he sees the way it's contorted with pain. "Kakashi?" he calls, already out from under his covers and hovering over the boy.

He jumps back a step when Kakashi jerks up with a short cry of "Dad!"

Minato shuffles to the edge of Kakashi's futon, drawing a pair of raw, nightmare-wide eyes. "Hey, Kakashi," he whispers.

His student's terror fades slightly and a frown pulls harshly at his shaking lips. He chances a comforting smile and is rewarded with Kakashi laying down again and turning his back to him.

Minato sighs. Falling to his haunches, he stares at the tense form of Kakashi. Anyone with eyes and ears can tell Kakashi just had a nightmare, however, Minato knows the last thing his stubborn student will want to do is talk about it. Instead, he asks, "Do you need anything? A cup of water?"

Kakashi curls in tighter on himself. Minato's shoulders slump in response and he plans to return to his futon when Kakashi croaks, "Yes."

He blinks. Then, hurriedly, gets up. "Sure, I'll go get it," he tells the boy. Minato dashes off for the kitchen and takes a cup from a cupboard. He taps his foot in impatience as he fills the cup. When it's a little over half-full he darts back to the bedroom.

Kakashi is sitting up in his bed now, a little hand smoothing out the wrinkles in his covers. Minato kneels down and hands over the cup. "Here."

Kakashi takes it in both hands and drinks slowly from it. As he does, Minato eyes his student. There is something undeniably sad about the curve of his brows. He hesitates before reaching out and running a hand through the kid's hair.

The boy doesn't jerk away, to his surprise, just stares at him with tired, assessing eyes. He smiles at him. "Better?" he asks.

Kakashi nods and puts the nearly empty cup down beside his futon. Minato keeps up his ministrations a little longer. As he does, he tells Kakashi, "You'll be home with your dad soon."

He frowns and looks away. Minato thinks maybe he didn't say quite the right thing, but it must be close because Kakashi hasn't swatted his hand away. He decides to press his luck further and splays his other hand over the chest of his student. Gently, he pushes Kakashi down.

"Go back to sleep, okay?" he murmurs. "The morning isn't far away any longer."

Kakashi curls onto his side, facing the direction of Minato's futon. Smiling, he untangles his hand from his student's hair and goes back to his bed. Once under his covers, he startles when Kakashi says, "Night Minato-Sensei."

He just barely resists the urge to grab the kid and smother him in a hug. Instead, he smiles wider and tells him, "See you in the morning, Kakashi."

-O-

"You must be Sakura," Minato says to the pink-haired kunoichi on the other side of the apartment doorway.

She smiles. "Hello, Minato," she replies.

He steps aside and gestures for her to follow. "Come in," he urges. She does and immediately begins to slip from her shoes. As Minato closes the door behind her, he explains, "I have Kakashi sitting at the table for you."

"Thank you," Sakura tells him, a hand brushing over his arm before she leaves for the table. It's just out of view of the door and when Minato follows, he sees Kakashi is staring at them both, breakfast dishes empty in front of him. "Hello there, Kakashi," Sakura greets the boy, her voice exuding a warmth Minato recognizes as belonging to someone who talks frequently with young children.

Minato tenses and looks for Kakashi's usual tells of irritation. Thankfully, none are visible on his face and, instead, his head is cocked in curiosity. "Your Naruto's teammate?" he asks.

"Yes I am," answers Sakura as she crouches before the boy.

A gleam comes to his student's eyes and Minato's breath catches. That's not a good sign. What is the brat about to do?

"Was I your teacher too?" asks Kakashi.

"…That big-mouthed knucklehead," hisses Sakura after speechless silence.

Kakashi's smug expression turns abruptly solemn. "You shouldn't call him names," he advises. His eyes flicker over to Minato. "Minato-Sensei doesn't like it," Kakashi tells her and he fights back a grin. Minato isn't sure he should count this quite a victory yet, though. He goes to his student's side and pats his head.

Sakura is still silent, blushing heavily under Kakashi's reproachful gaze.

Minato takes pity on the embarrassed kunoichi. "I don't care for name-calling in general, not just when it comes to Naruto," explains Minato. He favors her with a small smile. "This time, it might be just a little bit warranted," he says and Kakashi jerks at his word. Minato widens his smile into a grin at the offended look on his student's face. He tries to pat the boy's head again, but his fingers are batted away with stinging force.

"He didn't call Kakashi his teacher. Not all of the way," muses Minato. He chuckles."I didn't even realize you noticed!" he tells Kakashi. "You were holding onto that tidbit until you could use it, I see."

Kakashi's grumpy expression fades and, loftily, he declares, "It's what shinobi are s'posed to do."

The comment shakes loose a bark of laughter from Sakura, startling both him and Kakashi. "Never change, Kakashi," she tells the boy with a smile that shows all of her teeth. She raises her hands and reaches towards Kakashi's leg. "Now, can I take a look at your knee?"

The boy shrinks in on himself. "I'm fine," he declares as Minato rolls his eyes.

Sakura nods. "I believe you," she says and Kakashi's shoulders start to loosen. "But could I still please?" she asks.

Kakashi huffs and looks at him. Minato crosses his arms and lifts his eyebrows. Kakashi is getting his leg checked over today. They will do it the hard way if they have to as well. "Okaay," Kakashi grumbles at last, drawing out the word.

"Thank you," says Sakura as she grasps his leg and begins to inspect his knee. After a few moments, she looks up and tells them, "It's just sprained. I wouldn't recommend training today." Letting go of Kakashi, she stands up and says, "I'll come here tomorrow to assess again."

"We'll be here tomorrow?" Kakashi cries out, frustrated.

Sakura blinks, apparently startled at the boy's tone. "Erh," she mumbles, looking away. "Maybe not?"

Kakashi scowls. "This will be our third day," he complains.

The kunoichi smiles a perfect medi-nin smile and attempts to placate the boy. "I promise Lady Tsunade is doing everything—"

"—Uh-huh. Sure she is," breaks in Kakashi with a scoff. "I bet she's like all of Dad's other friends. Remind her I'm not the only one here. Minato needs to go back too," he says. "And he's her teammate's student!"

With that, the boy darts off. "Ah, Kakashi!" Minato yelps, trying to catch him before he disappears into their room. However, he's not quite quick enough and nearly loses a finger to a slamming door.

Stepping back, Minato shakes out his smarting finger and turns back to Sakura. The kunoichi is frowning, eyes troubled. "He shouldn't be moving that fast with his knee sprained," she murmurs.

Minato winces. "I'll keep him still from now on," he promises.

Sakura raises her brows into a doubtful furrow.

He lowers his gaze. Ah, so it's that transparent he has little control over Kakashi, is it? "I… I'm doing my best," he mumbles plaintively, feeling like a failure as he does. Sakura isn't much older. Maybe a year or two, he reckons, and she already seems so much more put-together than him. Accomplished. He bets if someone gave her a student right now they'd be the pride of the village in a matter of weeks.

Unlike him and Kakashi, who after months of being student and teacher, only garner disappointed sighs and reproval everywhere they go.

He glances up to see her expression has softened. "I know," she says in a voice that's really too kind. "He's a… headache, it appears, no matter his age."

Minato bites the inside of his cheek. "I'm sorry," he says.

"That's not your fault," assures Sakura, reaching out and gripping his arm with more strength than he expected. She smiles fondly (why? how?). "That's just pure Kakashi-Sensei," she tells him.

He shakes his head feeling confused. How can Sakura be so understanding when Minato apparently failed to teach Kakashi how to treat others? "Right."

She sighs. "I've got a shift at the hospital soon," she tells him regretfully. "I'll have Yamato bring you two something to do." She eyes him thoughtfully. "Do you play shogi by chance?"

"I know it," he says. Minato hasn't played the game too much the past few years, but as a kid sometimes he'd visit friends who owned a set and play with them. His thoughts then drift to Kakashi as he recalls that the boy is more than familiar with it.

"Jiraiya-Sensei said Kakashi used to play it with him and other visitors to the Hatake Estate before—" he stops abruptly. He doesn't know if Kakashi is listening in on them and isn't sure how much Sakura might know about his student's childhood. Naruto told him just yesterday even as an adult Kakashi is a private person. Minato makes the decision to not mention Sakumo's failed mission.

"Before," he says, making the kunoichi furrow her brows. Minato puts one hand on his hip and runs another through his hair as he glances over at the closed bedroom door. "Actually, if you could, please ask him to bring something else. Perhaps paper, ink, and brushes?" he suggests. "Kakashi's writing is still shaky and today might be an excellent one to work on it."

Sakura blinks. "Oh," she murmurs, seemingly surprised. She nods. "I can do that," she agrees.

He smiles gratefully at Sakura. "Thank you," he says before following her back towards the apartment door.

Sakura pauses in the middle of pulling on her last sandal. "By the way, Naruto wants to know if he can come by again for dinner?" she asks, looking up at him through her hair.

"Of course!" Minato agrees, chest bursting with excitement at the idea. "I'd love to see him." He considers Sakura. "And… You too?" he offers.

Her face turns regretful. "I'll still be working," she says. Sakura briefly bites her lip before she says, "Maybe tomorrow I could stay for breakfast with you two? Kakashi will need his knee looked at again."

Minato nods. "Yes, please," he says. "Thank you."

Now upright once more, a sly smirk passes over Sakura's face. "Hey, Naruto could bring someone, though," she tells him.

"O-Oh?" Minato stutters, wondering who his son might want to introduce him to. His other teammate? Another friend? Mentor?

"I'll tell him to," Sakura declares. "This will probably be the only chance you have to meet her," she remarks.

He gapes. "Her?"

Sakura only laughs as she steps out the door. "See you guys tomorrow," she chirps with a perky wave goodbye.

Bewildered, Minato shakes his head and closes the door.

-O-

A couple of hours later, when Yamato shows up, Minato coaxes Kakashi out of their bedroom. The boy is a bit douer initially, but when Minato shows him what Yamato has brought, he perks up. One thing Minato does know well about his student is he loves to learn.

"You need to practice your writing," he tells the boy as he lays out the stuff at the table.

The gleam in Kakashi's eyes starts to dull with disappointment and Minato fights back a smile. "I was thinking we could make a new seal or two a part of your practice," he tells him.

Kakashi prepares to dart to the table, but Yamato snags his wrist. "Walk," he advises the boy.

Minato's students scowls at the brunet but does as commanded. Minato smiles as Kakashi sits down and reaches for a brush. "Ready?" asks Minato as he opens a jar of ink.

Kakashi nods and Minato begins their lesson. For a while, it goes quite well and Minato is solely focused on being a good teacher. However, it doesn't last forever. It becomes time to let Kakashi practice and his thoughts drift elsewhere.

He can't get out of his head Sakura's words to him. He casts a look over at Yamato. The brunet is sitting on the sofa on the other side of the room, face hidden by a scroll he's reading. Minato wonders if he knows the "her" Naruto will be bringing by for dinner.

"Yamato?" he calls out.

The brunet lowers his scroll. "Yes, Minato?"

"Do you know who is this 'her' Naruto will be bringing to dinner tonight?" he asks.

A small curve comes to the shinobi's mouth. "A very nice kunoichi," he explains. "She is precious to Naruto."

Kakashi pauses in writing to cast a look up at Minato. "Like Kushina is precious to Minato?"

He nudges the boy's arm. "Kakashi, focus on your writing," he chides. "It will get sloppy if you don't."

"Hmph," grumbles his student, but he does as he's told.

Yamato chuckles. "Yes, by the way," he says.

It shouldn't shock Minato yet it does. "He has a— a—" Minato stammers.

"Naruto is nineteen," breaks in Yamato with an amused smile. "It is normal."

Minato blushes. His fellow shinobi is right. It is normal. Minato is still grappling with the fact that Naruto is his son, though. Finding out he's got a girlfriend too is a lot.

"Next spring they even intend to marry," says Yamato, teasing.

"Marry?" he yelps, drawing laughter out of Kakashi.

Yamato joins in briefly with Minato's student before wincing. "I'm sorry," he apologizes. "That is probably something I shouldn't have told you," he admits, looking away regretfully.

"No," says Minato. He shakes his head. So Naruto is not only seeing a girl, he's going to marry one. It's a lot, but he's actually really happy for him. Minato hopes this girl makes Naruto feel as loved as Kushina does him. "No, it's fine. I'm happy! I can't wait to meet her," says Minato, smiling.

Yamato looks at him with a studious gaze. He seems a little uncertain but nods all the same. "Hm. Yes," he agrees before deliberately lifting his scroll up and returning to his reading.

Minato decides not to take offense. He's probably just embarrassed he let them know more than they ought to. Still smiling, he turns his attention back to Kakashi. He points out a spelling error. "Hey, this isn't right…"

-O-

"Good evening, I am Hyuuga H-Hinata," stammers Naruto's girlfriend as she bows to him. "It is nice to meet you!"

He grins as she stands back up. "Namikaze Minato! It's nice to meet you as well," he says to the blue-haired kunoichi with a brief bow of his own. Naruto's fallen for a Hyuuga? How interesting. They are typically a reserved people and Naruto is not.

In fact, the more and more he gets to know his future-son, the more Minato is reminded of Kushina. Naruto might look like him, but it's easy to see his exuberance and sunny disposition is all hers. He can't wait to tell her about him when they get home.

Minato puts a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. He glances down when the boy doesn't shrug him off. His eyes are sliding from Hinata to Naruto and back again. He suppresses a snicker. Poor kid is going to give himself a headache trying to understand how opposites attract.

"This is Hatake Kakashi," he tells a fidgeting Hinata. "I assume you know him already?"

Hinata gives Kakashi a sweet smile. "Yes," she replies.

"We brought you guys dinner!" exclaims Naruto, raising a white bag high in the air as he wraps an arm around Hinata's waist (and making her blush). "I hope you like ramen," he says.

"Ramen is great," says Minato as he reaches for the bag. "Thanks, Naruto." The blond beams at him as Minato brings the bag near to his chest. "We'll bowl all of this if you want to have a seat?" he suggests, glancing down at Kakashi who nods.

"Sure," agrees Naruto with enthusiasm. He lets go of Hinata and crouches down to Kakashi's height. Prodding the boy in the leg, he asks, "How is the knee, by the way, Kakashi?"

"I can go back to training tomorrow," says Kakashi.

Minato frowns. "Hopefully," he adds in as his student huffs.

Naruto nods. "That's great!'

Juggling the takeout to one arm, Minato places a guiding hand on Kakashi's head. "Come on," he urges.

They go into the kitchen and Minato places the ramen on the counter. He then looks down at Kakashi who stares up, waiting for orders. He smirks and, in one quick motion, scoops the boy off the floor.

"Minato!" he complains, kicking his feet.

He rolls his eyes as he flips open the door to the cupboard that holds the bowls. "Don't whine at me," he says. "Grab the bowls."

"Hmph," Kakashi grunts as he reluctantly pulls from the cupboard the large, blue ceramic bowls in front of his nose.

"Thank you," says Minato as he sets Kakashi and the bowls on the counter. Minato exhales. "Okay," he begins while staring at the boy. Minato bites his lip and brings his hands together in a pleading gesture. "Please behave tonight? Hinata seems a little nervous," he begs.

Kakashi crosses his arms.

Minato shouldn't, it's a bad precedent to set, but he really, really wants tonight to go well. "I'll show you a ninjutsu I'm creating, how does that sound?" he wheedles.

Kakashi's eyes crinkle with amusement. "That sounds like a bribe, Sensei."

Minato feels a little thrill run through him. Sensei. That's the second time today he's called him his teacher. "It might be," he says with a smile. "Will it work?"

"Maaybe," Kakashi drawls as he starts to kick his feet against the drawers beneath them.

He smirks. So this is how Kakashi is going to play? That's too bad for his student. Minato knows a couple of tricks he can use on Kakashi thanks to Jiraiya-Sensei. "Well then, how about this?" asks Minato before he attacks the boy's feet with his fingers.

"Minato?" says Kakashi as he tries to jerk away, only to be stopped by him. "Minato!" he complains between giggles.

"Come on, promise!" insists Minato, laughing as he continues to tickle Kakashi's feet. It's working just like a charm. Is he glad now Jiraiya-Sensei told him stories about visiting with Sakumo when Kakashi was a baby.

Kakashi squirms before throwing himself at Minato. "Minato-Sensei!" the boy whines as he's forced to stop his torture in favor of catching his student.

"Everything okay in here?" asks Naruto, causing both of them to jump.

Minato turns, Kakashi's little fingers digging into the back of his neck. Naruto is standing just outside the kitchen, smirking at the two of them. Minato flushes as Kakashi ducks his head to hide it in his shoulder.

"Yeah," answers Minato with a nod. "We're fine," he says, "just, uh, got distracted."

Naruto snickers. "Yeah, okay," he replies. Coming in, he starts to separate the bowls in preparation for serving the ramen. "Why don't I take over for you guys?" he suggested.

He bites his lip. "Uh, alright," he mumbles.

Naruto flashes a smile at them. His attention is then drawn to Kakashi who tugs on his hair. "Minato?" he mumbles into his ear.

"Yeah?" he asks the boy in little more than a whisper.

"I'll behave," he tells him. "Promise."

Minato feels a warm feeling fan through him. Sometimes (very, very rarely) Kakashi can be adorable. He pats the kid's back before lowering him down to the floor. "Thanks, Kakashi," he says.

Thank you for reading and please let me know your thoughts!