Work Text:
The moon glowed bright overhead, lighting up even the darker shadows in Konoha. Returning from a particularly strenuous mission, Kakashi darted among those shadows, alongside the rest of the ANBU team that had been sent out. It wasn't his turn to give the mission report to the Hokage, so when the team split off, he head right home.
Tucking his ANBU mask into his vest, Kakashi stepped out from the looming shadow of a large oak tree, starting towards his apartment complex. He had recently moved out from the standard studio apartment that was granted to him as a shinobi, and into a larger two bedroom apartment. He preferred having his dogs around him, and there just wasn't enough room for one shinobi and eight dogs in a studio.
As he reached his apartment door, he noticed that the door was unlocked. Immediately, his nerves spiked. Slipping a kunai out of the holster on his thigh, he got into a fighting stance, his centre of gravity dropping as he carefully pushed open the door. He slid in, shutting the door behind him silently, and crept forwards. His dogs were fast asleep on the couch. No intruder then, or at least not one they didn't know.
Dropping his guard, he flicked the light switch on, effectively waking all of his dogs at once. None of them ran over, seeing just how exhausted he looked, and simply barked their hellos at him. He lifted a hand to acknowledge them before turning to go down the hall. If they were out there, that would mean...
Just as he expected, Gai was laying in his guest room, fast asleep on the bed that the dogs would sleep on when he wasn't home. The light from the moon lit up the room, Gai having left the curtains open, likely to wake him up with the sun. Kakashi kicked the leg of the bed, startling Gai awake.
“Who's there?” he shouted, still half asleep as he tried to jump up, only getting tangled in the blankets.
“It's just me, I just got back from my mission. Why the hell did you leave the door unlocked?” Kakashi sighed, watching Gai pick himself up and sort himself out.
“I knew I was forgetting something... Well, it's not like there would have been any trouble between your dogs and I!” he said, popping up and dusting himself off. “How was the mission?”
Kakashi shrugged. “It was successful,” he muttered, “Took longer than I wanted it too, though.”
Gai looked at him with a frown, tilting his head. “You didn't want it to be a success, did you,” he stated, rather than asked.
With a heavy sigh, Kakashi ran a hand down his face. He really didn't, and he hated that Gai knew that without him even saying anything about it.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really. Partly because I can't. ANBU matters and all.”
Gai nodded, looking very unsure of himself in a strange turn of events. The two stood there, neither sure exactly what to say in the moment. It was the first uncomfortable silence Kakashi had ever actually experienced around Gai, which made the situation so much worse.
Deciding to break the silence, Kakashi took a breath in and asked, “Why did you even... Why are you here, anyways?”
Blinking in shock, Gai grinned, just as bright as ever. “I didn't think you'd want to be alone when you got home from the mission! I know I don't like coming back from missions to an empty house, and while I know you've got your dogs, it's not really the same as having a person there!” he said, giving him a thumbs up.
Kakashi couldn't help but smile a little bit at that. Just like Gai, to come into his apartment just so he could be there for when Kakashi got back. He really didn't mind, in all honesty. Gai was right; it was nice to come back and have someone to distract him from the weight of the mission he'd just completed.
“I'm hungry. You want something as well?” he asked, turning and starting to walk out into the hall. He stopped in the doorway as Gai caught up with him, the two making their way to the kitchen in a, once again, comfortable silence.
Gai hopped up onto the counter, staring at Kakashi as he made his way around the kitchen, taking out various ingredients and spices for his... midnight snack he supposed. With the timing of it, that's what he would consider it, even though it was likely his first proper meal since the mission had started. Kakashi went through the motions of preparing and cooking the meal with practised ease, having it ready just as Gai started to act impatient.
“Get off my counter. Grab some chopsticks and follow me,” Kakashi said, picking up the two plates of warm fish and rice.
Kakashi made his way into the dining room, Gai following him with chopsticks as he'd asked, and set the plates down at two of the spots at the table. For the first time in a while, he didn't need to clean off the table before eating. He hadn't been home quite enough for it to have built up any clutter.
As the two sat down to eat, Kakashi spoke up. “Thanks, by the way. You've been watching the dogs, right?” he said.
Gai nodded. “I sure have been. They've been giving me hell when I'm late, even if by just a couple minutes. They've been good otherwise, though,” he said, glancing towards the living room.
“Are you sure you don't want any sort of payment for doing that? I don't mind-” Kakashi started, being cut off as Gai put his hand up.
“Stop. You already work yourself to the damn bone for the shit salary you get. I don't need the money. I get pay that's actually proportional to the difficulty of the jobs I get. You don't,” he said, “Even if they may not be physically difficult sometimes, they take their toll on you. If you think I haven't noticed, you're a fool.”
Kakashi pushed his food around on his plate, suddenly not hungry anymore. “You know if I could tell you about some of the stuff that happens on these missions, I would. I can't, though, for... a lot of people's safety,” he said, setting his chopsticks down and leaning back in his chair.
“You don't have to,” Gai said, setting his down as well. “Just... don't push away the help when it's offered. You've got a bad habit of doing that, Kakashi, and it's not doing you any good.”
“I just don't like feeling indebted to anyone,” he said, tugging his mask down to rest around his neck. “I already feel bad enough asking you to watch eight fucking dogs while I'm out.”
Gai sighed, crossing his arms. “I don't mind it, Kakashi. I like doing it, even. It gives me a break from my own usual routine. Plus, I think they may actually like me more than you, so I almost want to give myself a point on winning over the hearts of your dogs,” he said. Reaching a hand out, he rested his palm on Kakashi's elbow. “You're not indebted to me. I'm honoured, even, that you trust me enough to watch your place while you're out. You're in ANBU, it's not like you can afford to trust many people.”
Starting to pick at his food a bit, Kakashi shrugged. “That's good to know, at least...” he said.
Watching him for only a moment longer, Gai removed his hand, starting to eat as well. Neither of them spoke for the rest of the meal, unsure of what to say to the other, but still enjoying the company. Gai picked up their dishes when they finished, bringing them into the kitchen as Kakashi stretched, wandering into the living room. Peeking out of the window, he noticed that the sky was no longer pitch black. Instead, a faint blue tinge was visible, indicating that sunrise was coming much sooner than he wanted it to.
“You should sleep while you can,” Gai said, sitting on the back of the couch. “I can go if you want, so you can.”
Kakashi shook his head. “No, it's fine. I think I'd sleep better with someone else around, anyways,” he said with a yawn. Closing the curtains once more, he turned to go back to his room, pausing at the entrance of the hall to look at Gai. “Are you coming or not? If you want to go, that's fine, but I figured I'd take your advice for once.”
Gai was frozen on the back of the couch, staring at Kakashi with wide eyes. “Are you sure?”
“I wouldn't be offering if I wasn't. You know I wouldn't ask if I wasn't okay with it.”
Face breaking out into a wide grin, he hopped off the couch, hurrying to Kakashi's side. “Then of course, rival! I'd love to stay!”
Nodding quietly, Kakashi kept moving. Gai waited outside of his room as he changed into his pyjamas, wincing as he tugged his binder off over his head. His shoulders were bruised, and he wondered if he should pick up a binder that would be easier to remove. His thoughts quickly changed pace, however, when he and Gai climbed into bed, the thick, warm covers providing a comfort nothing else could quite match. He and Gai both knew that Gai could have slept in the guest room, and normally he would have, but Kakashi was glad that Gai had understood what he meant.
He needed to not be alone with his thoughts. Needed someone to be there with him when he woke up, disoriented by his own home. Gai rested his arm over Kakashi's waist, on top of the blankets, both of them tucking close as the faint dawn sun dusted the ceiling from where it crept in over the curtains. The weight from his arm was comforting, more so than Kakashi expected.
It was like that, tucked beside each other, breath mingling, that they both dozed off. The promise of a busy new day could wait, dawn bringing one of the most restful sleeps that Kakashi had ever experienced.