Hyou answered easily, not quite absentminded but definitely more focused on folding laundry than the scheming glint in Hana's eyes they choose to ignore. Across the room Kakashi stiffened for a moment, then continued to mend the tear in Hana's jacket she'd approached Hyou for help with—they handed it to Kakashi since he was better with needlework than they were.
Or at least, that was the excuse she used to pop into their living room for a tick to take a peek at what domesticity looked like for Hyou-nee and the "stray" they had picked up; and more importantly to make sure he was treating them up to standard.
Never mind their decades' long bond, she needed to see this for herself.
Honestly they should count themselves lucky that Hana didn't let Kiba tag along for the sake of discretion.
Bull laid in a spot next to the Haimaru brothers in a cleared area of the apartment by the window where the ninken usually sunbathed, making quiet little grunts and chuffs in his sleep. Occasionally, one of the triplets twitched or rolled over as the conversation drew on with different topics; slow, comfortable, and lazy like the rest of their day had been.
The older shinobi opted to go out for dinner after Hana left, a little too worn after walking the dogs to make dinner on their own but still craving the satisfaction of a fresh hot meal.
Kakashi's slightly boastful promises that he'd make something nice for both them tomorrow to make up for it was met with Hyou's intrigued ooo's and a playful nudge to his elbow, followed by a knowing smile not to push himself when they locked up to leave. Pakkun rolls his eyes at the display right as the door shuts.
Though their meal was served in the privacy of a secluded room at the traditional-style restaurant, Kakashi never really could relax with his mask down in public so he ate in quick bursts not to upset his stomach. The rest of his time was spent listening to his partner talk about their week and joke about how stuffy this place feels, and that they feel a little underdressed in just their summer uniform blues for the occasion.
Kakashi counted the creases on their face as Hyou snickered throughout the night, putting them in his back pocket for later while they piled more side dishes into his bowl and made sure he had enough to drink—making a mental note to kiss every single one of them the second they got home. Hell, Kakashi didn't know if he'd be able to last that long.
Cicadas serenade their walk home, even the street lamps feel a little too warm in the current humidity so Hyou has their mane of hair begrudgingly pulled back into a low ponytail; they caved somewhere after the 10 minute mark between bites of gyudon and wiping the sweat from their brow.
Kakashi had to smile at the way their face seemed to scrunch into an undignified little pout while they tied it.
"You've been spaced out all evening, 'Kashi," his lowers copy of Make out Tactics to meet their gaze, a step or two behind him with one hand on their hip, "talk to me, is this about what Hana asked?"
"Ah, that's..." Hyou gets their answer when his one eye drifts to the side, Kakashi scratches his cheek in a bashful way where they know he's being cute (avoidant) on purpose.
"Geez, I wish you would've just told me."
They lead him by the wrist to a nearby bench; sitting with the noise of a man twice their age, both knees far apart, Kakashi joins them with one leg crossed over the other to feign casualty—feeling if he didn't that he was sure they'd read his nerves like a tapestry. Hyou takes a second to breathe before they talk again, this time with their hand on his. Kakashi lets their fingers intertwine as Hyou spoke.
"I said I wanted a big family, but that doesn't mean we have to have kids, you know? I think the arrangements we have now are comfortable; you and me with the ninken, Gen when he's free, and Rai when he wants to come with.
Adding the boys would cramp up the apartment pretty quickly for festivities I think, that's not even considering partners and friends."
"You know, I'm still not sure if I believe Tacchan managed to convince Shizune of all people to go out with him."
Hyou jabs him in the ribs with their free hand for the comment, clicking their tongue, but both ninja giggle to themselves under the flickering street lamp. Their hands start to get clammy but they don't pull apart just yet, even when the space where their bare arms touch begins to stick.
Kakashi's just grateful that his gloves absorb some of the moisture.
"You remember what it was like when our parents got everyone together, right? Every time was always so rowdy but it was fun. After everything... the house just got so quiet. It was unbearable. Maybe it's selfish, but I miss it, I want to be around that kind of commotion again, 'Kashi."
Hyou's the one to pull away first, the look in their eyes tell him they're staring off into the dredges of some distant, faraway memory, but Kakashi reels them back in by laying their head onto his shoulder. They take in his scent, allowing a handful of tears to streak their face. Hyou leans with almost desperate longing into his touch when Kakashi gently wipes them away with his thumbs. They thank him, grateful that the only thing to witness their vulnerability now is their partner and the ambient sound of natural life at night.
Hyou sniffs, rubbing their eyes in the crook of their elbow to recenter themself with a laugh.
"God, could you actually imagine us with kids? That'd be a nightmare."
Kakashi thinks about it, just briefly, because it's a thought that's crossed his mind long and hard many times before. And the painful conclusion that he's come to; is that if Hyou ever wanted children, he wouldn't be able to go through with their wishes. Not after his own father, and not with the laundry list of issues Kakashi brought to the table.
His mind drifted to a simpler time, not one free of grief but still, a kinder time where his heart hadn't lost all hope just yet.
Kushina watched as the young boy put away the groceries he'd helped her carry home, rubbing her belly in soothing motions in an attempt to settle Naruto, "Sorry for making you boys run all these errands for me. I'd do them myself but it's starting to get harder, ya know."
"Not at all. I don't think Genma and Raidou mind at all, either.
If there isn't anything else you need me for, Kushina-san, I'll be heading out now."
Kakashi packed away the last perishable, turning to make his leave but instead found his sensei's wife waddling over and instantaneously, he reached out to steady her gait. Being careful to avoid touching her stomach, however. Kushina laughed, a joyful chime Minato could fall in love with over and over again.
"I'm not made of glass, y'know, just a new mom!" She smiled as she offered, "Do you want to feel him kick?"
Kakashi looked like a deer caught in headlights; his peers and others close to him would often tease how tense and skittish he got around Kushina the further along in her pregnancy she was. Some of this could just be attributed to the awkwardness of being a fourteen year old boy, but the darker parts of his mind formed the shape of a person, haunting his every move, let alone something as precious as this.
"...I, I—I don't—"
"Ya don't have to if you don't wanna, but you won't hurt us if you do, ya know?"
Kushina held his hand, using the other one to wipe tears Kakashi didn't even notice were starting to prickle in his eyes before she pulled him into a hug.
Being treated with such a tender hand, kindness that Minato-sensei had always shown him too, and maybe a hidden maternal need that had been absent in his life up until now; Kakashi, at least for the moment, allowed Rin's ghost to recede into the depths of his memory.
Though it wasn't same on many levels, Kakashi noticed Hyou displayed that same care to the young ones in their life—from checking in their late sensei's son, babysitting their comrades kids, keeping the peace between troubled twins, or even the care they'd shown to Naruto after he'd been assigned to Kakashi's team.
He recalled once when Hyou had plans to make bento for Kiba before an event since Tsume was out of the village and Hana, bless her heart, wasn't the best at domestic labor.
Kakashi lagged behind them, Make out Paradise in hand, as Hyou added more things to their shopping cart, mentioning that they might as well make some for Neji since he'd be there while they're here, and they'd best not leave out the boys' team mates either. Oh, and Konohamaru too, since his father was going to be sent out on a mission that morning.
What would have been one, maybe two meals for two boys suddenly turned into staying up all night to make sure nine mouths would be fed the next day, Kakashi only barely managed to convince them not to make more for Tae and Takashi with the fact that those boys were grown, and the grocery bill was long enough as is.
Genma pitched in once he got home and thoroughly washed up before handling any of the food—working in the poisons division was a pain like that—but Kakashi was content to simply watch and "taste test" while his partners bickered over what to do.
His gaze softens exponentially.
"I don't know, I think you'd make a great parent."
"Mm, I'm tired though. I've think I've had my fill of babysitting for a lifetime."
Kakashi watches, enraptured by the love of his life rattling off habits they'd have to amend, scheduling changes, things they'd have to buy and keep up with, this hypothetical kid itself not even part of the conversation yet.
"—And we'd have to run it by Gen and Rai first, too, obviously. Who knows what their feelings on this are. Fuuuck, I think I'm ready for an early retirement, 'Kashi." Hyou leans their head against his shoulder again on their own this time, too exhausted by the tizzy they worked themself into to look up and see Kakashi staring at them with the softest, most loving smile in Konoha that night, possibly even across the Five Great Nations.
Hyou knew, however. They just knew.
Kakashi was right; they hadn't reached home yet before his urges won out, but he at least managed to make it to the front door before he pressed a litany of masked kisses to his partner's face and neck while Hyou fumbled with their keys, laughing.
The next morning, the couple's peace was disturbed by a loud banging on the door and someone's muffled yelling way before an appropriate time. Which would have been never, by the way, if you asked them.
Kakashi and Hyou rock paper scissors'ed for who would have to deal with it because there was no way in hell Genma was getting up; having lost, Kakashi moped out of bed, detangling himself from the wonderful—warm, comfortable—mess of sheets and his lovers' bodies to answer the door. Only just halfway "decent" enough for it. His face stayed hidden, of course
When the old thing creaked open, he was greeted with Kiba and Naruto shouting over each other indistinctly with intermediate barks from Akamaru in-between. Kakashi wanted to go back to bed and forget about this until at least 3 in the afternoon, but he eventually got the boys settled enough to be coherent because he's a good, and respectful jonin teacher, dammit.
"What do you mean you're having a baby?!"
Kakashi promptly shut the door, turned the lock, and placed a sound barrier on it for the foreseeable future.
This was—a minimum 12pm problem and, as far as he knew—it wasn't even 9 in the morning yet. So he wiggled back into bed between his older comrades and shut his eye.
Hoping that preferably someone else would have already solved it by the time he woke.
okay time for a whack tmagp theory with nothing whatsoever to support it
but like. hear me out. there's something really suspicious about celia's baby. like something really off about him.
what if he's gonna end up as like... a host for freddie/.jmj? like naruto-style jinchuriki logic, something something underdeveloped chakra networks in children can better adapt to the strain of the tailed beast's energy?
At age 14, Kakashi has unintentionally acquired an infant jinchuuriki to raise and protect. This was not his plan, but he's going to do his best.
Gai, taking this as a challenge, obtains himself his own infant jinchuuriki to raise an protect during a mission in Suna. Whoever's child grows up to be the happiest wins the competition, according to Gai.
there has been discourse in the ATLA community since it first aired, however, when ATLA streamed on Netflix in the US, the fandom became even more... destructive (i don't want to say toxic, but i'm having a hard time not using that word)... the bigger something is/and or gets, the people itself tend to ruin it. personally, i stay in my small corner and i hope to engage with others who are like minded and can appreciate the show as is.
Oh I know what you mean... It’s sad though, because ATLA literally has no flaws as a piece of writing. If it would’ve had, I would’ve maybe understood the discourse. Like it was with Naruto for example. That’s why even years after, it’s still hotly debated.
But ATLA had nothing of the sorts. Every plot it was nicely structured, world building was the same, themes that followed through to the end and whatnot. Even more so, from a fanon standpoint, ATLA also gives you a lot of liberties to work on it given how beautiful it’s constructed. So really, for me it’s hard to understand why this destructiveness to be honest.
But I know what you mean though... that’s the reason (besides RL too) that I decided to stay in my own lane regarding Naruto stuff. Because boooy I had my fair share of fandom drama with this one. I’m just done with it, lol.
