She's just gonna sneak into his apartment early in the morning to leave a little gift behind on his kitchen counter, firmly ignoring any noise the dads may be emitting.
It's sort of their day, they can be gross she guesses.
A neatly wrapped bouquet of colorful flowers, a box of assorted pastries, and a quickly scrawled note are the only proof left behind that Tenten was even there after she manages an equally as silent escape. Definitely not sticking around for any snot filled wailing hugs but she can't not do something, small as the gesture is.
Enjoy your day off sensei!
You better share with Kakashi-sensei, I'll know if you don't! 😤
-Tenten
(Just pretend I wasn't late for fathers day shhh)
It could be a testament to the acuity of experienced shinobi when they all freeze at the same time, Zabuza’s ‘dad noise’ cutting short abruptly. Yeah, they all heard that, the mild tread of someone sneaking in across the floorboards outside. But if they were honest with themselves, for it to have taken that long to come to their attention is quite the affront to their profession.
Wedged between Zabuza’s legs, Gai carefully eases his ministrations, and exchanges a look with Zabuza, then Kakashi, who, apparently having decided it’s not a pressing concern to have a trespasser in Gai’s apartment, spares the time to give Zabuza’s shoulder another nip before sitting up. The three of them listen.
Barefoot, Gai thinks, and light, as Kakashi sniffs the air. He knows that stride! He and Kakashi look at each other. “Tenten,” Gai confirms in a whisper, his face already starting to flush in embarrassment.
Zabuza groans again, not from pleasure this time, and Gai nearly hisses at him. He can complain later. His student is here! In his home! He should go out and greet her, right? But he’d need to get dressed, and wash his hands, and-and… he’d need to adjust himself.
“Beats me why your kids feel comfortable enough to break into your apartment,” Zabuza grumbles.
“It’s because Gai has no concept of boundaries,” says Kakashi.
“She’s going to hear us,” Gai protests.
Laughing a little, Zabuza replies, “Probably already has.”
“—Ugh…” Gai buries his face in the crook of his elbow, and Zabuza laughs some more, before leaning back down on the pillows and lacing his hands behind his head.
“Come on, keep going,” he says with a grin. “Unfinished business.”
Gai is not doing that, not with his student in his apartment! So it’s to their relief — delight, in fact, on Gai’s part at least, when they hear Tenten exit the way she must have come in, through the windows. Maybe she was looking for something, or returning something?
Only when Kakashi confirms that she really is gone, does Gai pull on his ratty shorts, just in case, and creep out the bedroom, just in case, to see if anything’s up.
Well, there is a beautiful bouquet sitting on his kitchen counter, vibrant and fresh and sweet beside the box of pastries, and Gai finds a note from Tenten that, frankly, he finds rather cryptic. He shows it to Zabuza, who’s ambled up behind him to press up against his back and sneak his arms around his waist. “I don’t get it,” he says.
Zabuza, too, has to think for a couple seconds before it strikes him. “Father’s Day? It’s Father’s Day today. She’s wishing you a happy Father’s Day.”
“Oh,” Gai’s voice wobbles.
Zabuza is gracious enough to lay his chin on Gai’s shoulder for a minute, and presses a kiss to the side of his neck. “They love you,” he says.
“Yeah.” He’s sniffling now. “My heart is deeply overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of my precious student!”
But she isn’t here. It’s the third year they’ve been together as a team, and she’s slowly gotten pretty adept at dodging his emotional outbursts one way or another — Gai figures this is another such instance.
He’ll have to drop by later, pick her up in one of his bear hugs — his dad hugs — the thought makes his face crumple further — and get the whole family over for a warm, lovely dinner.
Arms squeeze around him, before Zabuza’s hands start to wander. “Now let’s get back to business, maybe we could really make you a father today.”
