Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kakashi didn't remember much of what Guy had actually said the day they'd first met. Instead, he remembered the color that had spilled from his mouth; the blues and whites that had dyed the sky above them, the green that had painted all of the leaves as well as the obnoxious outfit that the ravenette had worn, the light brown that had seeped into the dirt they stood on.

In a world where everyone had a soulmate, they were relatively easy to find. Everyone was born colorblind, only given the privilege of seeing color when their soulmate spoke to them for the first time. Upon seeing your soulmate's mouth move and hearing their first words to you, color would fall from in between their lips and stain the world around you. You would no longer be colorblind.

There was a catch, however. You had to be able to see your soulmate's mouth and hear their words. Because of this, there were many people who were blind, deaf, and mute who hadn't been able to find their soulmates.

Obviously, that didn't apply to Kakashi.

What did apply to Kakashi was the fact that he wore a mask, which prevented his soulmate from finding him since they couldn't see his mouth move.

When he'd first met Might Guy, and when he'd first seen all of those beautiful colors pouring out of the older boy's mouth, he'd been confused as to why it hadn't been brought up. They were clearly soulmates. Why hadn't Guy said anything? Kakashi being his awkward and asocial self hadn't mentioned it either, only struggling to absorb the shock of it all as he'd walked home with his father.

When they'd arrived home, Kakashi had spilled his guts out to Sakumo about what he'd seen, only for the other Hatake to laugh and tell him that it was because he'd been wearing his mask.

Due to him wearing his mask, Guy hadn't been able to see his mouth move. Guy hadn't been able to see the color, and wouldn't be able to see color until Kakashi took his mask off when talking to him.

Not that Kakashi had ever done that. He'd always kept the mask on around everyone, including Guy. Sure, he'd thought about telling Guy the truth, but by the time he was ready to do it, his father had committed suicide. Sakumo Hatake had lost the ability to see color after his soulmate, Kakashi's mother, had died. Wherever he was, Kakashi hoped that he could see color again.

Consumed by grief, Kakashi was too focused on other things to worry about his soulmate. He'd raced through the academy and become a full-fledged ninja, almost immediately teamed with Minato-Sensei, who could also see color. He'd met his soulmate, Kushina, when he was young.

A couple of years passed, and Rin and Obito were put on his team as well. The two were soulmates and had known since they were young children, but for whatever reason, Rin was in love with Kakashi, and Obito's love went unrequited despite the fact that they were destined for each other. Kakashi's ability to see color became apparent to his teammates when he made some spiteful comment about the obnoxiously bright oranges in Obito's outfit, and everyone had practically demanded to know who his soulmate was. He refused to answer, of course, still knowing that it was Guy, but not wanting his friends to be aware of the fact. They'd make fun of him, he thought. The sudden reminder of the fact that he had a soulmate had made him consider telling Guy the truth, though.

Before he could, Obito had died. Consumed by grief again and stuck comforting Rin, who for some reason hadn't lost her ability to see color despite the fact that Obito was dead, Kakashi was too busy to worry about his own soulmate. Not only were they plagued with the overwhelming grief of Obito's death on their watch, but they were also plagued with the realization that either something was extremely wrong, or Obito hadn't been Rin's soulmate after all.

If you never met your soulmate, you remained colorblind for your entire life. However, if you met your soulmate, saw color, and they died afterward, you would revert back to your colorblindness like Kakashi's father had. Obito had died, but Rin had been able to see color up until she'd impaled herself on Kakashi's Chidori and fell with the last thing leaving her lips being Kakashi's name.

Kakashi hadn't had time to worry about his soulmate after that. He'd been in the Anbu, and then guarding Kushina and her unborn child up until the night of the Ninetails attack, which was when she and Minato had been killed. After that, he'd returned to the regular Anbu forces, and he'd preoccupied himself with work as a distraction from everything he'd been going through.

Nowadays, things were different. More peaceful.

At twenty-three, he'd been discharged into the Anbu and encouraged to teach his own team of Genin. It'd taken failing three different teams before he had finally found one that met his requirements, but Team Seven was one of the best things that had happened to him, even if the way things had turned out was bittersweet. Sasuke was gone on his quest for vengeance by Orochimaru's side, Naruto was gone training with Master Jiraiya, and Sakura spent most of her days studying under the watchful Lady Tsunade.

It was odd how all of his students ended up learning more from the Sannin than they ever had from him. Most days, Kakashi felt like a failure- especially when it came to his teaching. He hadn't been ready to teach, and though he was aware of the fact that it was a genuine attempt to soften him from The Third Hokage's end, it was a terrible decision to trust him with the safety and growth of three young children.

He was twenty-eight now, and he spent most days by himself. In his apartment by himself. Training by himself. Reading by himself. Walking around the village by himself. Doing missions by himself.

Really, he was just going through the motions.

But, now that things had calmed down, he had time to think about his soulmate; Might Guy. A good twenty-something year had passed since the first time they'd met, and the ravenette was still completely oblivious to the fact that Kakashi was his soulmate. He'd never seen color, but Kakashi couldn't recall ever hearing him complain about it.

Over the past two or three years, Kakashi had debated on telling him a million times. He'd almost went through with the idea a few times, but it was always some fearful question in the back of his mind that stopped him.

Would Guy be mad at him for being so quiet about it after all these years and knowingly depriving him of the ability to see color?

Would Guy even want someone like him?

Would Guy be immediately turned off by the idea?

Would Guy think he was lying?

If Kakashi pulled his mask down to prove it, would Guy even like the face that he'd put so much effort into hiding throughout his lifetime?

Kakashi didn't know the answer to any of them, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to.

The silver-haired man sat up from where he'd been laying in bed, haunted by the images and thoughts of his soulmate that flashed through his mind and made it race with anxiety. His heart was beating fast against his chest. Just another one of those nights, he thought, tossing his legs over the side of the bed and standing up with a sigh.

His feet hit the cold wooden floor, and he walked over to his bedroom window, which was always open. He stared out of it and up at the night sky for a moment before a flash of green caught his attention.

Might Guy and Rock Lee were running past his apartment. Kakashi smiled, but then frowned, knowing that Guy couldn't see the shade of green in his jumpsuit that Kakashi had always been so fond of.

He quickly turned away and went back to his bed, knowing that he should sleep. He could think about the soulmate issue some other time.

Chapter Text

Kakashi Hatake was conflicted as he practiced throwing shuriken, each one hitting the tree in front of him, the three pointed weapons landing in the wood in a straight line. It was a skill that he'd already perfected, a skill that he probably didn't need to be practicing, but it was an easy way to get his anger out without beating the absolute shit out of a clone or training dummy.

Plus, he was on the public training grounds, so someone walking in on him openly throwing one of his little tantrums would be embarrassing, to say the least.

Still... He was upset with himself, and he wanted to be able to channel that into something. That something was shuriken throwing.

He was growing increasingly agitated with himself for putting off the soulmate issue- or, the Guy issue, he reminded himself. Part of him was growing impatient. He wanted to say something and get it over with, to have the romance that all the soulmates in those dumb books he read always had- to be held in the morning and kissed goodnight in the evening, to have someone to be around who would change his routine and make sure that he didn't come home to an empty apartment every night.

Well, Guy already did some of those things- some mornings, he'd hug Kakashi despite the silver-haired man pushing him away, and some nights, he'd drag the younger man to do something or challenge him to one of his many contests. The kissing him goodnight thing hadn't happened, though, as often as Kakashi had dreamed about it.

The main issue was that Guy did those things out of friendship- rivalry, just about anything but romance. Guy was just a nice person, and honestly? Kakashi often felt like he wasn't good enough for Guy- that letting the older man be oblivious as to who his soulmate was for his entire life would be better than bothering Guy with all of his issues. Kakashi had come to the conclusion that he didn't deserve the ravenette. Everyone he loved who loved him in return ended up dead, and as irrational as it was, he didn't want to risk it again. He'd rather suffer in silence and let Guy live a happy life.

It was weird- he hadn't actually realized that he was in love with Guy until he was twenty despite knowing that the older man was his soulmate for a good fifteen or so years before that. Soulmates weren't always romantic- most were, but some were just best friends like Obito and Rin had been. He was hoping that maybe him and Guy would just have that connection as best friends, and as much as they did, it ended up growing into more than that on Kakashi's end. Kakashi had tried for years to ignore the older man's efforts to make him happy, to ignore his feelings, but it hadn't worked.

And here he was now, struggling with it.

One of his shurikens went astray, landing somewhere in a bush, and that's when he realized that he'd used all of the ones he'd brought with him.

Obito had always been terrible at aiming his shurikens, he remembered before frowning under his mask at the thought. Even when he was doing something that had nothing to do with his former friend, he still thought of him, Rin, and Minato.

Almost as if on cue to get him out of his depressive mind, Guy suddenly popped up from the bush, holding the stray shuriken in one of his hands as he approached Kakashi with a bright smile.

"You look frustrated, my eternal rival!"

"Did-" Kakashi paused, aimlessly raising a finger as his dark eye landed on the shuriken in the ravenette's hand. Had he really not sensed Guy's chakra? Usually, he could feel when the other Jonin was within a few yards of him due to the older man's lack of subtleness and thought to hide his chakra. "Did I almost hit you with that?" He questioned, tilting his head. Guy was skilled enough to catch it, at least... Kakashi was glad that he hadn't injured him.

"DId you not notice me there? That's out of character! What's throwing you off, rival?"

"Long story," Kakashi mumbled, not really wanting to explain the details. He walked over to the tree where he'd landed most of his shuriken, pulling each individual weapon out and putting it in his bag. Of course, Guy only followed, curious dark eyes trained on him. Kakashi looked back, making eye contact.

Might Guy wore an obnoxiously green jumpsuit and had dark eyes and matching hair that was put into a boyish bowl cut- one that Kakashi hated to admit he was fond of. He was clearly colorblind based off of the fact that he had worn green and orange together for so many years, but Kakashi figured that was his own fault. Regardless, it was a bit endearing.

"Is it a soulmate issue?"

How did he know that?

Kakashi sighed, not wanting to have to lie directly- at least not to Guy. If the truth did end up coming out later, he didn't want the older man to be angry at him for lying all those years... Albeit, avoiding the subject and withholding the truth was arguably as bad as outright lying about it.

Oh well.

"...I suppose you could say that."

"If it makes you feel any better, I haven't found my soulmate yet," That was sensitive information and he knew it, but of course, it didn't surprise him considering that he himself was the soulmate. Kakashi could only bring himself to raise his eyebrows and blink in an attempt to feign shock. "So I haven't been able to see color! Is that what's happening with you?"

"I guess. At the very least, I know that they haven't seen color, either."

"That's a weird way of putting it, but I understand!" Guy offered a bright, reassuring smile before crossing his arms. "Is there anything I can do?"

'Just you existing is enough. I wish you'd understand that you don't have to do so much.'

"Train with me?" Kakashi asked, smiling under his mask as he gently took a kunai out of one of his pockets, holding in hid hand and getting into a fighting stance. "It's been a while since we've sparred."

Of course, Guy grinned, and for a moment, Kakashi wondered if he'd even be able to focus on fighting with this gorgeous man in front of him.

For another moment, Kakashi was thankful that Guy wasn't able to see the huge grin that had taken over his face due to the mask that covered it.

"You're on!"

Chapter Text

Kakashi Hatake had been in a good, relaxed mood.

Had been, anyways- that was before the soulmate issue had been brought up yet again.

He'd been sitting with his student, Sakura, in his apartment. Having her over after Naruto and Sasuke had left wasn't irregular- sometimes Kakashi helped her study, other times, they caught up. She worked incredibly hard and Kakashi often worried about her, so it was good to spend time and make sure that she was doing alright.

They were at his kitchen table, the pink-haired girl pouring over a book in her hand- probably another one about Medical Ninjutsu. She had a cup of tea that Kakashi had made for her sitting on the table as well. It had been silent for a few minutes when she finally looked up, eyebrows raised and green eyes curious.

"Kakashi-Sensei," She started, closing her book and holding it up to show him the cover- which was yellow.

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Is this orange or yellow? Lady Tsunade and I were having an argument about it. She thinks it's orange, but I'm pretty sure it's yellow."

"You're right, I think," Kakashi started, watching as Sakura ran her fingers over the front cover. It was definitely a bright yellow. "It's yellow."

"So you can see color!" She exclaimed, slamming the book down on the table and standing from where she'd been sitting in one of the kitchen chairs, placing one hand on her hip and using the other hand to point at Kakashi like she'd caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. "I knew it!"

"What are you on about?" He asked, even though he knew what the answer was. Sakura and Naruto had been trying to figure out whether or not he could see color for years- something about him always being alone and them wanting him to be with his soulmate if he had one, which they weren't sure about... Well, at least not until now. Kakashi knew he'd given himself away with that little slipup, so Sakura would be aware of the fact that he had a soulmate, but she wouldn't know who it was- thank goodness.

Sakura's soulmate was no other than Sasuke Uchiha, so, quite frankly, that sucked for her. As much as Kakashi loved the kid, the weird friendship that he'd had with Naruto and Sakura was never really healthy. The fact that Sakura was his soulmate wasn't even something he cared about in the first place, and Kakashi doubted he ever would. Naruto's soulmate was Hinata Hyuga, though he chose to ignore the fact in favor of pursuing Sakura- not that Hinata had the guts to establish a relationship with the guy anyway, especially now that he was gone to train.

"Who's your soulmate?" Sakura's question snapped him out of his thoughts.

The silver-haired man stood up as well, crossing his arms and leaning back against the kitchen counter, Sakura standing across from him and crossing her arms as well.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, averting his gaze in a failed attempt to avoid Sakura's prying green eyes. "Actually, please don't tell anyone about this."

"Do you not like them?" Sakura questioned, tilting her head and taking a step closer.

"It's not that."

"Then what is it? Are they a civilian or something?"

That was a fair theory- there were plenty of ninjas in Konoha who had civilian soulmates and chose not to reveal their identity for the sake of protecting them- the same went for ninjas who had soulmates in other villages. Obviously, though, Might Guy wasn't a civilian, let alone one from another village if the Leaf Village-themed green outfit he wore was anything to go by... Then again, Guy didn't know that the jumpsuit was green, nor did he know what green really looked like, so Kakashi wasn't sure if it was intentional or not that that the older man happened to wear the village's most prominent color- even under his Jonin vest.

"Definitely not," He chuckled, but then sighed when Sakura's questioning went even further.

"Is it someone in the village? Me, Lee, and Naruto have been trying to figure this out for years!"

Kakashi paused.

Lee?

As in Rock Lee?

As in Guy's star student?

Why would he be invested in this? He understood Naruto and Sakura- sure, they were his students, curious children that had basically become his family, and they'd been trying to figure it out for years. Lee, however, was a different case.

Surely Lee hadn't realized the truth...

"Wait," Kakashi paused, holding a finger up as confusion graced his features. He was thankful that he was wearing his mask and forehead protector to cover that up. "Why does Lee care?"

"He has this weird theory that your soulmate could be Guy-Sensei!" Kakashi's heart dropped, but thankfully, Sakura glazed right over the theory that was actually true. Despite being loud and often times a little reckless, Lee, the soulmate of Neji Hyuga and star student of Might Guy, was intelligent. It wouldn't surprise Kakashi if the boy had somehow figured it out- oftentimes, he was surprised that Guy hadn't figured it out- but the thought was terrifying. "I don't really believe that, but y'know, he's invested and helped me come up with this idea to get you to admit that you can see color, so there's that. Seriously, who is it?"

"A person," He answered sarcastically, though Sakura only kept pushing.

"Okay? What do they do?"

"Their job."

"Which is...?"

Kakashi was somewhat surprised that Sakura hadn't tried to punch him through a wall, but he continued to dodge her questions, even as she impatiently tapped her fingers against her arm, eyebrows furrowing together.

"To work."

"At what?" She snapped, letting out a groan of frustration, at which Kakashi gave a nervous laugh, heading towards his window as subtly as he could. Quite frankly, he was desperate to escape, and he was sure that he could trust Sakura with his apartment.

"Their job. Sakura, I think I'm about done with the soulmate talk. I'll see you later."

With that, he hopped out the window and ran to hide in the alleyway between his apartment complex and the one next door, ignoring Sakura's angry, high-pitched screams as he let out a sigh of relief. She had grown, but she was no match for him, and she wouldn't be able to pick up on his chakra and find him if he hid it well enough-

Almost as if on cue, no other than his soulmate, Might Guy, popped into the alleyway without any warning whatsoever.

"My eternal rival!" The ravenette grinned, leaning against the same wall that Kakashi was, expression bright as usual. At this point, Kakashi was used to the older man coming into his surroundings from practically nowhere- sometimes even spying on him, albeit never subtly- so he wasn't at all alarmed by it. "How are you?"

"I'm well, and you?"

"I was just about to head to Ichiraku!" For seemingly no reason, his grin grew as he gave Kakashi a thumbs up- just one of those cute, enthusiastic little mannerisms of his that made Kakashi fall harder and harder for him with each day that passed.

No wonder he'd been so smitten for so many years.

"Is that so?" Kakashi questioned, tilting his head. Guy was probably about to invite him to go with, and though the silver-haired man often rejected the ravenette's invitations to go places with him, he figured he might say yes to this one.

"How about a ramen eating contest?"

"...Sure."

Chapter Text

Kakashi Hatake had been enjoying a normal day, sitting on one of the logs that littered the grass floors of the training grounds as he read his book- that is, until two soulmates approached him; Rock Lee, who was enthusiastically running towards where the Jonin sat, and Neji Hyuga, who looked exasperated as he followed behind the excitable ravenette.

"Kakashi-Sensei!"

Kakashi sighed as the two boys stood in front of him, closing his book and standing up as well, pushing the copy of Icha Icha into his back pocket. He turned to Lee, who had addressed him, lazily raising an eyebrow and putting his hands in the front pockets of his pants.

"Lee. What's up?"

"I have a theory!"

"Oh no," Kakashi allowed his eyes to fall shut for a brief moment as he prepared for what the Taijutsu expert was about to say, already knowing that it was going to have something to do with the theory Sakura had mentioned.

"For the love of any God that may or may not exist, Lee, please leave him alone about this," Neji spoke, a sharp sigh leaving from in between his lips as he placed a hand on Lee's shoulder, though that didn't seem to kill his soulmate's excitement in the slightest. "It's absolutely ridi-"

"You and Guy-Sensei are soulmates!" Lee proclaimed, pointing at Kakashi as if he had succeeded in figuring out a great mystery- which, honestly, he had. That made Kakashi wonder if Guy knew- if he didn't already, surely, Lee would tell him about his (accurate) theory sometime soon. The thought was scary, to say the least, but he tried to act calm and collected.
"And where did you get this idea?"

"According to Sakura, you can see color, but you refuse to reveal who your soulmate is!" Ah. So him and Sakura had planned that together. "Guy-Sensei can't see color and hasn't found his soulmate despite traveling regularly, so I've decided that he must be your soulmate and vice versa, but he hasn't seen color because you always wear your mask, so he can't see your mouth move when you talk!"

"That's quite the assumption there, Lee," Kakashi tried his best to laugh it off, though it didn't seem to deter Lee all that much.

"Yeah, aren't you reaching?" Neji questioned, seemingly annoyed by the entire situation.

"I did say it was just a theory, but I believe it has promise! If Guy-Sensei isn't your soulmate, then who is?"

"...I don't feel the need to disclose that to you," He dodged the subject, raising a hand so he could rub the bridge of his nose between his thumb and pointer finger. "Why are you so invested in this, anyway?"

"Guy-Sensei has never been able to see color," Neji rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and shooting a glare in Lee's direction, clearly not wanting to be involved in this whatsoever. Of course, Kakashi understood- he wouldn't have wanted to be in the middle of his teammate meddling in their Sensei's love life either. "Lee feels bad for him despite the fact that the old man literally doesn't care and manages to be optimistic, and two of your students have apparently been hellbent on finding out who your soulmate is for years, so them and Lee began to work together on their ridiculous theories and Lee came to this asinine conclusion about a week ago."

"Thanks for the briefing, Neji," Kakashi muttered, somewhat sarcastic as he crossed his arms like Neji had just moments before.

"Traitor!" Lee exclaimed, eyes wide and thick eyebrows furrowing together as he pointed at Neji in an accusing manner. "How unyouthful!"

"Whatever," Neji rolled his eyes, a small smirk on his face as he grabbed Lee by the back of the collar of his jumpsuit, practically dragging him away. Lee let out an exaggerated groan but didn't object, simply allowing his soulmate to pull him along. "I have a good feeling that Sakura's going to be bothering him enough, so we should leave..." Kakashi heard bits and pieces of what Neji was saying as the two boys walked away, and he couldn't help but laugh as he shook his head.

"What dorks..." Kakashi stood there for a few moments, astounded by the encounter that had just happened, but nearly jumping when he heard a loud voice.

"My eternal rival!"

Without warning, Guy had run up to him, smile bright as ever. Kakashi kept his arms crossed, smirking underneath his mask as he quirked an eyebrow.

"You know you can call me by my name, right?"

"Kakashi!" The ravenette corrected himself, also crossing his arms, though Kakashi felt his heart drop as he realized that Guy could've been around to hear that entire conversation between him, Lee, and Neji.

"Were you listening to all of that?" He asked, trying to hide his nervousness. Part of him was glad that he had the forehead protector on, as it was concealing the cold sweat that had gathered on his forehead.

"Huh? Listening to what?" Guy was oblivious, his eyebrows raising as he tilted his head, giving Kakashi a ̶c̶u̶t̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶i̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ curious look.

"You must not have been here yet. Your star student is meddling in my love life."

"Your love life!? Why, I didn't know you had one of those!" Guy spat, and if it were anyone else, Kakashi might've taken offense to it, but he could only bring himself to laugh.

"Rude, but you're not necessarily wrong, so I can't fault you for it," Kakashi gave a dismissive wave, watching as Guy blinked at his blunt statement. "Let me rephrase that. Your star student is meddling in my nonexistent love life."

"Oh! My apologies!" Guy exclaimed, dramatically placing a hand over his chest in that cute way he always did.

"Don't apologize, I just thought it was funny. Even Neji seems to know what's going on, which makes me think that Tenten would as well," He explained, gently drumming the fingers on one hand over one of his crossed arms. "You haven't been scheming with them, have you? I know you've always had an issue with keeping your nose out of other people's business."

"Me? Scheming? I'd never! Not against you, anyways, my dear rival," For just a second, Kakashi wished that the 'rival' had been left out- that Guy would just call him 'my dear' or some other cheesy nickname, that Guy was as in love with the former Anbu as much as the former Anbu was with him. He could only bring himself to sigh as his face began to burn red, grateful that his mask was covering most of his blush. "I had no idea about it until now!"

"Right."

Surprisingly enough, Guy took a step closer, way too far into Kakashi's personal space. The silver-haired man focused on keeping his relaxed posture despite how his heart was beating so fast that it was almost out of his chest.

"What, don't believe me?" The other Jonin questioned, his smile turning into a slight smirk.

"What if I said I don't?"

"Then I'd say I'll do something to make it up to you! Whatever you want!"

"...Take me for drinks?" Kakashi asked, trying not to seem too sheepish or nervous, though he couldn't help it as he uncrossed his arms, moving a hand to nervously scratch the back of his neck. "We could always have a drinking contest."

Thankfully, Guy didn't even hesitate, grabbing the silver-haired man's hand and running- and, for once, Kakashi didn't even tell him to slow down or say that they should just walk like normal members of society.

Instead, he went along with it, oddly content and unaware of the two teenagers who were currently perched in a tree, giggling with excitement as they watched their teachers.

Chapter Text

It had been a week since Guy and Kakashi had gone to the bar together, and despite waking up hungover as all hell the following morning, Kakashi thought it had went well- he'd destroyed the older man at a drinking contest, and poor Asuma had ended up being stuck with the task of getting them both home in one piece, though nothing particularly interesting had happened after that.

A few days had passed since he had seen Guy, and though he wasn't too pressed over it, he did find himself missing the ravenette.

Kakashi sighed as he sat on one of the logs that were on the ground at one of the training sectors in the village, reading his book in peace and praying that Lee didn't ambush him with more soulmate theories. The copy of Icha Icha sat in his lap, the silver-haired man hunched over it. If he was being honest, it was kind of hard to read- it was late at night, therefore dark, but he didn't quite mind it.

It was peaceful.

That is until he sensed the chakra of no other than Might Guy, who felt like he was a good few meters away. Rolling his eyes, he stood up, knowing that the peace wouldn't last much longer.

Almost as if on cue, Guy appeared from one of the bushes, excited as he approached Kakashi with a bright smile.

"Rival!"

"Guy. What's up? Another challenge for me? I thought you'd be done for a good month or so after the shots we took-"

"No, but I have questions!" The silver-haired man blinked at that, immediately afraid. Had Lee brought up his theory, or had Guy figured things out on his own? Was he busted? "My Lee told me that you can see color! When I talked to you-"

"I said that my soulmate hasn't seen color," Kakashi thought back to the discussion he'd had with Guy not that long ago about the matter, thankful that he had been so unspecific in his wording when talking about the matter. "Not that I haven't. I can see color just fine."

"Elusive as always, my dear rival!" Guy praised (?), and Kakashi closed his book as he continued to listen to the Blue Beast talk. "Do they even know that you're their soulmate?"

"Nope," He answered, popping the 'p' on 'nope'. "I haven't bothered telling them, nor do I plan on it. Ignorance is bliss."

"Do you really not care?" Guy asked, seemingly offended by how nonchalant Kakashi was about the entire situation before pointing at Kakashi rather accusingly- a gesture that had been aimed at him a lot recently by Sakura, Lee, and now Guy... Great. His secret was slowly unraveling, wasn't it? As Guy continued to ramble, Kakashi debated his options. Maybe he could move to The Cloud Village and use a Transformation Jutsu to live there anonymously, write his own novel under a pseudonym and live in a quaint home full of cats he would adopt off the street, surviving off of the money he made from his book. Guy wouldn't be able to find him, and no one would be able to call him out on having a soulmate ever again... That would be nice. However, that wasn't realistic, and Kakashi's mind returned to what was currently going on as the ravenette lectured him. "That's not very youthful, you know!"

"I'm not very youthful, so I suppose that's fitting. I'm twenty-eight and feel like I'm eighty. I might have to go ahead and drop dead where I stand."

"I'll be sure to catch you if you do, my eternal rival!"

"I was kidding," Kakashi rolled his eyes, pushing his book into his back pocket, as Guy seemed intent on talking to him about the soulmate issue rather than letting him read. "Also, it's not that I don't care. It's just complicated."

"Your whole life is complicated," Guy spat without thinking, and Kakashi could only let out a small laugh of shock as he gave the older man a questioning stare and crossed his arms. Immediately realizing what he'd just said, the ravenette went to hurriedly defend himself, and Kakashi could only stand there and suppress the chuckles that were bubbling in the back of his throat and threatening to slip out. He wasn't even offended- what Guy had said was true and he wasn't the sensitive type anyways. "I mean, I- I didn't mean to phrase it like that! It's just that you've been through so much, don't you deserve someone to love who loves you back? Well, you have people like that, sure, but I mean romantically! There are so many people who go through their entire lives never seeing color and never knowing who their soulmate is, so why are you taking it for granted?"

"Don't feel bad. You aren't necessarily wrong about the 'complicated' part. That second part's highly debatable," Kakashi muttered, regretting it almost immediately. It was true- he thought that he didn't deserve to love, let alone have someone who loved him back- not after what had happened the last few times.

But he hadn't wanted Guy to know that he felt that way. No, as much as Guy had tried to be a shoulder to cry on, Kakashi had never taken the offer, nor did he ever plan on it. He didn't need a shoulder to cry on, especially when it was at Guy's expense. He could always cry by himself if he ever felt the need to.

Might Guy was someone who always felt his emotions secondhand, and maybe it was because they were soulmates, but then again, the ravenette had always been compassionate and sympathetic like that. Still, Kakashi knew that any time he was in a bad mood, it rubbed off on Guy, and he didn't want to make that already-existing condition worse than it already was by dumping his problems on the older man.

His slip up had made the atmosphere tense, resulting in a sickening silence, one that felt like it was wrapping its invisible hands around his neck and digging its malefic nails into the skin of his throat, and he suddenly couldn't speak. Struggling to do so, the former Anbu swallowed and looked away, even as Guy placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"No, it's not debatable," Guy argued, tone uncharacteristically stern as he used his grip on Kakashi's shoulder to yank the younger man to face him. Reluctantly, Kakashi met the Blue Beast's dark eyes. "You deserve someone to love... Someone who loves you."

"What, so they can just go and die again?" Kakashi let out a bitter laugh before pulling away, and the look that Guy gave him in return was one that could only be described as hurt. The silver-haired man immediately felt guilty, but he was becoming increasingly desperate to escape this situation. "C'mon, Guy."

"Kakashi..."

"Look, I'm sorry- that was really hostile and I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I know you mean well, but I'm not really comfortable talking about this whole soulmate thing," With that, he gave a lazy wave, turning his back on his soulmate as he began to walk away. "I'll see you later."

Chapter Text

Kakashi Hatake sighed, taking another drag off of his cigarette as he leaned against the railing of the balcony of his apartment. It had been a day since he'd last seen Guy, and he felt bad for talking to the older man the way he had, but apparently, he wasn't too mad...

At least, Kakashi assumed Guy wasn't mad, based on the way the ravenette was currently sitting on the roof of his apartment, clearly spying on him. Though he was too far up for Kakashi to actually see, the silver-haired man could feel those dark eyes on him- could sense the other Jonin's chakra. It was a familiar, comforting presence if anything.

During the darker times of his life, it had been a presence that gave him a weird reassurance. Guy had almost always been behind him, following- whether it be on missions or in secret when Kakashi was doing other things. He'd never called Guy out on it, knowing that the ravenette was worried about the darkness he'd been falling into. Unsurprisingly, the spying had stopped once he'd been taken out of Anbu, and part of him was curious as to the exact reason that Guy had even followed him in the first place.

Initially, he'd come up with the theory that Guy was trying to analyze him to figure out some sort of weakness to catch him on during one of their competitions.

Then, he realized that Guy was genuinely worried about him. Whether it was because the older man feared Kakashi would end up like Sakumo Hatake or because he feared that Kakashi would somehow get himself hurt while he was in Anbu, he had no idea. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to know the answer.

Smoking was a nasty habit that Kakashi had picked up when he was still there- stress relief, he figured. Plenty of people in Anbu did it. Now, he was mostly clean, and he only went back to it when he was particularly pent up- like he was now.

Despite Guy having smoked for a while himself, he'd always scolded Kakashi for doing it, so the silver-haired man knew he was in for it as he held the cancer stick between two fingers.
"Guy, I know you're here," Kakashi broke the silence, looking up towards the roof, which he couldn't see very well. "Come on out."

"My eternal rival!" Guy jumped down from the roof, quickly landing on the balcony next to Kakashi, where he quickly leaned over the railing like the former Anbu was, snatching the cigarette from his hand and putting it out against the brick wall of the apartment building. "What have I told you about that?"

"I know, I know," Kakashi let out a sigh, knowing that Guy was probably going to bring up what they had been talking about the night prior- love, soulmates. He'd been hoping to avoid it, but of course, that was futile. "You can call me by my name if we're actually gonna talk like this," He muttered, hating how ridiculous he felt when they actually had serious conversations, only for Guy to address him as 'rival' throughout the entirety of them. Maybe that was because he was sick of being seen as a rival, a friend. He appreciated both of those things, but a darker part of him was bitter about the entire situation. He wanted so much more.

"Kakashi," Guy spoke, tone uncharacteristically soft as he placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, a frown on his face. Kakashi immediately felt guilty for making him worry again. "It's the soulmate thing, isn't it?"

"Yeah," He answered, watching as Guy tossed the cigarette into the ashtray that Kakashi had sitting beside his feet on the ground- right in between them. "It is."

"You've heard the thing about soulmates being linked, right?" Guy's hand was on his shoulder without any warning, and Kakashi was struggling to suppress how his stomach was threatening to twist into those nervous knots it always did when Guy touched him like that.

He felt like a teenager in love- absolutely ridiculous.

There were plenty of people who believed that soulmates were emotionally linked- whatever one soulmate felt would affect the other and rub off on them, no matter how far away they were. Kakashi preferred to not think about that, knowing that if it were actually true, Guy would've had to have felt some pretty strong negative emotions through the course of his life due to him.

"Of course. Not really sure I believe it," Kakashi commented, rather offhanded as he looked off to the side. "Why are you bringing it up?"

"I dunno, it just came to mind," There was a pause in which Guy smiled and straightened his posture, retracting his hand from Kakashi's shoulder to cross his arms. "If I knew who my soulmate was, I would definitely tell them!"

"You're nothing like me, though, Guy," Kakashi emphasized, which earned him a confused look from the older man. He's really too good for the world. "I think that's the part you're missing."

"No, but we all deserve to be loved, right?"

"You do," Of course, Guy didn't pick up on the double meaning in that statement. Kakashi, however, dwelled on it. He wished someone else could be Guy's soulmate. He wished that Guy could have someone normal and happy to love him, but instead, he was unknowingly stuck with coldblooded Kakashi. "My own feelings are complicated. I'm sure you know that I'm still working on things. I want to be loved again, sure, but I don't want all of the risks that come with it. I don't deserve it anyway."

"It's better to risk something if it could make you happy, Kakashi- at least better than it is to suffer in silence. What are you so afraid of?" Kakashi desperately wanted to answer the question, but he knew that if he did, he'd give up the secret he'd been trying so hard to keep for the past twenty-something years. "You already know who they are! What about them is so risky that you're afraid of making a move?"

"You're always taking risks, so that's easy for you to say. I wish I was as fearless as you," Guy looked shocked at that- almost as if he was only just now processing that someone like Kakashi had legitimate fears. "You know, the fact that I know who they are actually makes it so much worse because they're so out of my league, and they're so..." Kakashi dared to look over at his soulmate again, and their eyes met, as Kakashi hadn't been wearing his headband. There was a moment shared between them that he could only describe as some sort of mutual understanding. Maybe Guy knew how he felt, even if he himself hadn't gone through what Kakashi currently was. Kakashi reflected on everything, on how hard he had fallen, and how risky it was. He wasn't making a move because he was scared, but even in his silent resignation, he was still scared. Guy's life was just as dangerous as his life was. Either of them could die before the other could blink. "Well, I could lose them at any moment."

"You have to realize that all of us could die at any moment, Kakashi. We live with that risk every day... It shouldn't prevent you from getting close to people you care about. Hey," Seeming to want to change the subject, Guy took his hand without any warning, which had a blush spreading over his cheeks. Once again, he was thankful that his mask covered it. "I don't want you here by yourself tonight. Why don't we go to Ichiraku? I think it's still open!"

"...I'd say no, but I guess you won't let me do that."

"You've guessed correctly, so let's go!"

Chapter Text

Kakashi Hatake sighed as he stood at the grave of his father, Sakumo Hatake. The deceased man had his own little plot like many others, though his name wasn't on the stone since he'd committed suicide rather than dying on duty, so Kakashi visited him separately when he stopped by the cemetery, as he couldn't pay his respects for his father at the memorial stone like he could for so many others he'd loved and lost- Rin, Obito, Minato-Sensei, and Kushina included.

He hadn't been crying, of course. He'd never cried at his father's grave and hadn't felt tense visiting it since he was young and the wounds from his grief were fresh. Now, he was twenty-eight and... Well, he wasn't over it, but it was more of a numbing pain- one he could actually bare, rather than the burning, searing pain that had consumed him over it when he was a Genin.

Now, though, he felt tense.

And that was because he could feel no other than his (unknowing) soulmate, crush, best friend, and rival, Might Guy, in the surrounding area. It was easy to sense his chakra.

"You've really gotta stop spying on me," Kakashi called out, looking up from the grave as he crossed his arms. "You've always been terrible at it."

"Ouch!" Guy responded, hopping out of the tree he had been perched in- a few yards away from the hundreds of graves that lined the grass area. Kakashi sighed, pushing his hands into his pockets as the older man jogged up to him, a bouquet of orange flowers in his hands. Guy probably didn't even know that they were orange. "Isn't that a little much, rival?"

"No," Kakashi answered, unable to help but realize how close Guy was standing to him as their shoulder brushed. Guy had went through a phase where he'd spied on Kakashi for a while when they were younger, and though Kakashi hadn't really brought it up in detail, he figured that it wouldn't be bad to do so now. "You spied on me for like, five years straight when we were younger."

"You knew about that!?" Guy exclaimed, placing the hand that wasn't holding the flowers over his chest to exaggerate the already obvious shock that painted his ever-expressive face.

"Of course I did," Kakashi rolled his eyes, smiling underneath his mask. "As talented as you are, you can't hide your chakra, so you're incredibly easy to sense."

"Makes sense! I'm surprised you never said anything."

"You were just doing it because you were worried. Calling you out and telling you to stop would've only furthered your determination to stick your nose in my business."

"Sorry about that, by the way!" Guy apologized, the hand that had been placed over his chest moving to run through his hair, and then scratch the back of his neck.

"I'm assuming you were already on your way here and happened to see me. Who'd you come to visit?" Guy offered a half-hearted smile, glancing down at the grave next to Sakumo's- Might Duy. The two had been decent friends before they'd died, but it was still weird to see them buried next to each other. Then again, the cemetery was so full that there wasn't that much room for all of the Ninjas who needed burials, so it was common for the deceased to be put in plots next to people who weren't even their family. "I see. It's the anniversary of his death today, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. I'm surprised you knew that," Kakashi immediately felt a little concerned as he watched Guy sat the bouquet of flowers down on Duy's grave. Guy was always good at acting happy, so it was hard to tell whether he was okay or not sometimes. The ravenette sat down on the plush grass in front of the slab of carved stone, running his fingers over the lettering that was etched into it before looking back at Kakashi. "Don't look so worried! It's been years. I'm more optimistic about it now... It was a noble sacrifice. I wouldn't be who I am today if that hadn't happened."

"You're so optimistic. I've always admired that about you. Never stop that."

"Yeah," Guy nodded, looking up at the sky and pausing for a brief moment. "You know, my dad never got to see color either! He's kinda like me... My mom wasn't his soulmate, but they were in love regardless. I really hope I get to see color, but even if I don't, I think I'll be satisfied with how things have turned out!"

"You can't say that yet, Guy. You're not even thirty. Surely..." Kakashi leaned down just a bit, placing his hand on his soulmate's shoulder. "Surely you'll get to see color at some point."

"I don't know."

"I don't want you to be bummed out about this," Kakashi mumbled, averting his gaze as he frowned under his mask.

"Ah, don't get the wrong idea! It'd be unyouthful to be upset over something so trivial! After all, I've fallen in love with someone who isn't my soulmate."

"Oh..." Kakashi sighed, somewhat disappointed. Sure, he never had any intention on telling Guy the truth, but an unrealistic and selfish part of him had hoped that Guy would just remain forever single so he could pine for the rest of their lives. "Have you now?"

"I mean, I have before, yes," Before. Past pretense. Thank fucking God. "This is kinda embarrassing. I would like to find my soulmate, but I think I'm okay if I don't!"

"It sucks not to be able to see color, though."

"How long have you been able to see color for?"

"I dunno, twenty years?" Kakashi answered, nervous as he took his hand from Guy's shoulder and nervously ran it through his own hair. "Almost twenty-five years, I think... Not for sure. I'm really bad at keeping track."

"It's been that long and you still haven't told them!?" Guy practically yelled, dark eyes wide.

"I mean, basically."

"Kakashi, that's ridiculous!" He scolded the younger man, shooting him a disapproving glare.

If only he knew.

"So are you."

"Yeah, but- Ugh!"

"Listen," Kakashi spoke, offering his hand to Guy, who was still sitting on the ground. "Why don't we get out of here?"

"I'd like that!"

Thankfully, the ravenette took Kakashi's hand in his, and the silver-haired man pulled his soulmate up. Guy stumbled for a moment, almost landing against Kakashi's chest before he caught his balance, the both of them laughing.

And with that, they left, Kakashi completely unaware of the fact that the older man would come back later that night and leave orange flowers on the grave of Sakumo Hatake as well.

Chapter Text

Kakashi Hatake found himself feeling absolutely stupid as he walked into the local coffee shop, looking around for his student, Sakura Haruno. The pink-haired girl had asked him the night before if she'd meet up with him for coffee the following morning, and he'd agreed, but the young girl was nowhere to be seen.

Usually, he was the one running late. How weird.

He thought she must've been running late, naturally, but that thought only lasted for a few seconds when he saw no other than his soulmate, Might Guy, sitting at one of the tables. The ravenette was completely oblivious to the two teenagers who were sitting at the table behind him, one being his student, Lee, and the other being Kakashi's student, Sakura. The two were quiet, trying to suppress obvious laughter as they wore absolutely horrid disguises, Sakura in sunglasses and a beanie that barely hid her bubblegum-hued hair. Meanwhile, Lee had his hair clipped back and was in a matching pair of sunglasses, and he was wearing a regular outfit instead of the usual green jumpsuit.

'God, they're obnoxious.'

Ignoring their presence, Kakashi walked to where Guy sat, standing in front of the older man with raised eyebrows.

"What in God's name is going on here?"

"Lee told me to come to meet him for a youthful coffee!" Guy explained, still completely oblivious to the two young ninjas who sat behind him.

"...And Sakura told me to come to meet her for coffee as well. It seems we've been set up."

"Set up? Why on earth-"

"They think we're-" Kakashi increased the volume of his voice, speaking louder so the teenagers would be able to hear him. "They think we have a crush on each other or something. I don't really know what the hell they're on. Sakura and Naruto have been meddling in my love life for years, and apparently, they've gone and gotten Lee involved in their little schemes as well."

"Oh..." Guy paused, seeming a little awkward for a few silent seconds before grinning and speaking again. "Well, they're teenagers! It's not that weird. I appreciate their sentiment!"

"Right."

"They really think we have a thing, though?" Guy questioned, running a hand through his hair and averting his gaze for a second with a small blush. Yeah, I'd be embarrassed if people thought I was dating someone like myself, too. "That's funny."

"Yeah..."

"Well? What are you standing there for?" Guy's grin grew as he looked up at Kakashi, and the silver-haired man wondered if he'd died and gone to heaven. A coffee date with Guy? For free? Without any consequences? Sure, Guy definitely didn't see it as a date, but still... "You might as well sit down and share some coffee!"

"Ah, I suppose you're right," With that, Kakashi took off his Jonin vest, hanging it over the back of the chair that was across from Guy and sitting down. "How was your day?"

"Good, how about-"

"Sorry, just give me a sec," Kakashi cut the older man off, looking over his shoulder and directly at Sakura and Lee. "Sakura, Lee, neither of you are very subtle. I thought you were trained better than that. If you're really gonna set up surprise blind dates for your teachers, you might as well have the decency to give them some privacy, too." The two teens stood up, giggling and redfaced as they ran out of the cafe, not even addressing Kakashi or Guy. Once they were gone, Kakashi let out a small sigh of relief at knowing that their conversation was no longer being eavesdropped on. "Anyways, my day was good."

"You're so mean to them sometimes, Kakashi," Guy joked, leaning back in his chair. Neither of them had ordered coffee, and it seemed like Guy wasn't actually going to, but Kakashi couldn't bring himself to mind. Guy was better than coffee, clearly. "They're just messing around!"

"And that's why Lee has entire theories about us being soulmates, right?" Kakashi mused, leaning back in his chair as well and crossing his arms over his chest. "Because he's just messing around?"

"He what?" Guy questioned, suddenly moved forward, placing his hands on the wooden table as his dark eyes widened. Kakashi realized he'd slipped up when saying that and sunk into himself, nervously drumming his fingers over one of his crossed arms.

"I thought you knew," Kakashi confessed, a coldsweat that was covered by his forehead protector forming around his hairline. He gulped, unable to fight back the anxiety that was beginning to take him over. "I mean, you brought it up a little while ago..."

"No, I brought up the fact that you can see color and know your soulmate- that's all Lee told me! He didn't- He..." Guy placed a hand over his chest, seemingly shocked at what Kakashi had just admitted. "He never mentioned anything about..." The ravenette trailed off, face now burning red as he cupped his hands together and anxiously fiddled with his fingers, meeting Kakashi's one revealed eye again. "Us being soulmates? I mean, that must be ridiculous! We've talked a million times and I still can't see color!"

"Yeah, exactly," Kakashi agreed despite the fact that he knew the truth, nodding. He would have sighed in relief, but he held that urge back, knowing full well that Guy would catch onto something being off if he did. "I don't know why he'd-"

"Unless-" Guy cut himself off, and then slammed his hands back down on the table with almost enough force to split the wood. The sound resonated in the room, and Kakashi was glad that the cafe was relatively empty, but he had more pressing matters to worry about- namely Guy standing up so fast that the suddenness of his movements had his chair squeaking against the wooden floors, a look of realization crossing his face, charcoal-hued eyes blown wide. "Wait a minute! Rival, take off your mask."

"What? No," Kakashi objected, standing up as well and taking a step back, though Guy only took a step forward.

"Please? Just this once?"

Kakashi was panicking. Guy might've figured him out, and he was done for. If Guy managed to get him to take his mask off, he was completely done. He didn't have anything else to hide behind, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to deal with the consequences of all of the hiding he'd put so much work into over the past twenty-something years.

"Absolutely not," He answered, protectively placing a hand over his face and looking off to the side, using his other hand to offer a small wave. "I'm leaving, but I'll see you around, Guy."

Chapter Text

Kakashi Hatake sighed as he walked through The Hokage's building, tense. She'd called him for an A-rank mission, apparently on a team from what the letter that the carrier pigeon had dropped by his house had read.

The day before, he'd ditched his soulmate at the cafe, and he still felt a bit bad for it. Then again, he hadn't wanted his secret to risk being revealed, and Guy had been pushing it, so he'd felt like his only solution was to escape the situation before it was too late.

Unfortunately, that escape wasn't going to last too long, as when he entered the hall that led to Tsunade's office, he was faced by no other than Guy himself, who was leaning against one of the walls.

"Oh, did Lady Tsunade call you here as well?" Kakashi questioned, trying to act casual as Guy stood up all the way and crossed his arms. The silver-haired man continued to walk through the hall, and unsurprisingly, Guy walked by his side.

Despite having been tense just moments before, Kakashi now felt oddly at peace. He crossed his arms as well and looked over at his soulmate.

"She did! How are you, rival?"

"I'm well, and you?"

"I'm good!" There was a moment of silence, and Guy suddenly stopped walking, so Kakashi did as well, turning to face him with a confused expression that was covered by his mask. "Can I see your face?"

"No," He answered, frowning. He'd been hoping that Guy would drop the subject after what had happened the day prior, but he supposed that was far too good to be true.

"Please?" The ravenette cupped his hands together, looking up at Kakashi with pleading eyes. Normally, in any other context, Kakashi would've found the humorous expression- well, humorous- but since he was actually extremely guilty over the whole situation, that expression just made him feel horrible. He knew Guy deserved to see his face, deserved to see him talk and know the truth, but Guy also deserved to have someone so much better than him as a soulmate. So, Kakashi was going to keep up the charade for as long as he could- hopefully until he dropped dead- and that charade included never letting Guy see the face he had become so ashamed of over the years, included him hiding behind the mask.

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No," A look of determination crossed Guy's face, and he reached for Kakashi's mask, though the silver-haired man quickly moved out of the way and shot his best friend a disapproving glare. "Guy, what on earth are you doing?"

"Trying to take your mask off, rival!" Guy continued to try to reach for his mask. Kakashi was glad that it was early enough in the morning for no one to be in the halls, otherwise they'd walk in on Might Guy trying to touch his face and Kakashi Hatake looking quite ridiculous as he quickly dodged it. "We're best friends and I've never even seen your face. Plus, with what Lee said-"

"I'm not ready to talk about this," With perfect timing, Kakashi caught Guy's wrists in his hands, both of them freezing and glancing away. Why was he so embarrassed all of a sudden? He had stopped Guy's ridiculous antics like this a million times... Yet here he was, blushing because he'd caught Guy's wrists and had a good grip on them. He's warm. "And I'm not ready to take my mask off either."

"Kakashi," Guy whined, pulling his wrists out of Kakashi's grip. The silver-haired man crossed his arms and took a step back, ready to go on the defense if Guy dared to try again.

"Guy, I swear to fuck, if you try to make me take my mask off in front of you one more time, I'm going to-" Guy gave him the puppy-dog eyes again, and of course, he couldn't help but feel absolutely terrible. "Oh, c'mon, don't look like that. You know I'm sensitive about it."

"Why do you wear your mask, anyway?"

"It was a thing my father started when I was younger. I looked just like him and he was in constant danger, so he made me wear the mask to try to protect me, I guess..." He explained, now feeling a bit awkward as he ran a hand through his hair and thought back on it. Sakumo Hatake was a war hero, and then an outcast, so he had always been afraid that Kakashi had the risk of being attacked by people in other villages who wanted revenge or even attacked by people in their own village that were angry over the mission Sakumo had failed. On top of that, his mother had been an Inuzuka, but he hadn't had her or any of the other clan members around to teach him how to control his senses, so the mask helped keep his sense of smell from being overstimulated. "That and my mom was an Inuzuka, so I inherited the sense of smell and it was a bit too much to have when I was little. It's just a thing I've always done, and I'm not comfortable without it now. That's it."

"And that's why your soulmate doesn't know who you are?"

"Guy," Kakashi spoke, tone vaguely threatening, and Guy finally acquiesced, sighing and crossing his arms again.

"Okay, okay! Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something so sensitive, I-"

"It's not that big of a deal," Kakashi cut him off, just wanting the conversation about the matter to end. "I just... It's complicated."

With that, they continued their walk in silence until they made it to Lady Tsunade's office and walked in, Guy being the first to speak.

"Lady Tsunade! What do you need?"

"I have a mission for you and your teams. It's an A-rank, and you'll be leaving tomorrow if that's possible for both of you," Tsunade exclaimed, pushing two scrolls forward- one for each of them to take for her desk. The two men did just that, opening the scrolls and reading them, and from Kakashi's understanding of what he'd read, they would be in charge of walking the Kazekage back to The Sand Village.

"So it's just an escort mission?"

"It's an important escort mission for The new Kazekage. He can defend himself, but it's preferable to have you guys with him in case anything happens since he's such high-profile now and The Sand Village has a ninja shortage right now," The blonde woman explained, and it made sense. Gaara had been promoted to Kazekage rather recently after his father's untimely murder since his older brother, Kankuro, hadn't wanted to do it. The redhead had been visiting other villages a lot, mostly in attempts to negotiate and settle past feuds to bring peace to his own village. "I want you and your teams to meet with him at the village gates at sunrise. Understand?"

They both nodded, and with that, they left the office, walking out with mission scrolls in hands.

"So... Both of our teams, huh?" Kakashi questioned, looking up at the older man as they quickly made their way out of the building and onto the streets of Konoha. "Then it'll be us, Lee, Neji, Tenten, Sakura... And Gaara- or, the Kazekage."

"Right! I'm looking forward to it, my eternal rival!" Guy grinned, giving Kakashi that cute thumbs up of his that the silver-haired man may or may not have been willing to die for. "We should go rest!"

"Yes, that's not a bad idea. See you later."

Chapter Text

Kakashi Hatake sighed as he walked to the gates of The Leaf Village, his student, Sakura Haruno to his right and Might Guy as well as his students, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, and Tenten were to his left. Being around his soulmate after the encounter they'd had the day before was nervewracking, and he feared that the older man would try to take his mask off again, but he ignored that fear.

He watched as all of the kids went to greet Gaara, standing behind with Guy. Of course, Lee being the closest to the Kazekage was the first to speak.

"Gaara! How have you been?" The excitable teenager spoke, walking up to the redhead. Despite Gaara being so stiff in nature, he offered a small smile and bumped fists with the boy in green before responding.

"I've been well. How are you all?"

"I'm great! It's amazing to see you again!" Lee beamed, and it was impossible to miss the soft grin that Neji was currently suppressing at his soulmate's enthusiasm as he crossed his arms over his chest and continued to watch the two friends interact. "Maybe we could get some training in when we're in The Sand Village-"

And then, Kakashi's eyes went to Tenten, who had paused and cut her teammate off, turning to Gaara. The girl's brown eyes were blown wide, and she looked taken aback. To Kakashi's knowledge, she hadn't found her soulmate yet, but the look that had crossed her face was one that Kakashi had seen a million times- realization, and it was aimed at Gaara, who she stared at in wonder.

"You-" Tenten interjected herself, taking in a sharp breath before weakly pointing at the Jinchuriki. "Your name's Gaara, right?"

Gaara paused, looking just as stunned as Tenten was, and the air felt tense and silent. Kakashi couldn't remember them interacting at the Chunin exams, maybe seeing each other and nothing more. Plus, with the One-Tails having controlled a lot of Gaara's mind back then, he wasn't necessarily sure if the redhead would've had enough consciousness or mental stability to recognize a soulmate- Naruto had seen Hinata just fine, but still... There weren't studies or anything done on how the soulmates of Jinchurikis were affected by it or vice versa, so he didn't have much to go off of. Apparently, though, both Naruto and Gaara had been able to find theirs.

The look on Gaara's face might've been the largest form of emoting that Kakashi had ever seen the redhead do- but then again, seeing your soulmate for the first time was understandably shocking, as both the discovery of someone you were supposed to spend the rest of your life with and the newly found ability to see color were life-changing by themselves, let alone together.

"That's odd, um- I've seen you, miss, but we haven't formally met, and I... Hadn't seen and heard you talk to me until now, I don't think."

"I'm Tenten," At that moment, everyone else seemed to realize what had happened. Sakura's eyes went wide as she raised a hand to cover her mouth, and Lee and Guy both went to speak- probably about to say something obnoxious about youthful young love- when Neji grabbed them both by the back of their collars, pulling at them a bit to urge them not to ruin the moment. "Finding my soulmate in front of everyone like this is kind of embarrassing, ha..." Tenten trailed off, nervously eyeing everyone; Gaara, Lee, Neji, Guy, Sakura, and finally Kakashi before her gaze fell on Gaara again. "We can talk later, yeah?"

"Sure..." Gaara answered, shaky but clearly trying to keep his composure as he addressed Lee again. "Lee, about your offer to train, I'd like that, and..." Blue eyes were trained on brown once more, and Kakashi couldn't help but feel secondhand embarrassment course through his veins.

'These two are both so terribly awkward.'

"Neji, Tenten, and Sakura could come, too!" Lee offered, beaming with joy, and Sakura and Tenten both nodded.

"Definitely."

"Hm..." Neji smirked, seemingly satisfied with the situation. "Sure."

"So, what exactly is the plan?" Tenten questioned, looking over at Guy and Kakashi.

Since their mission was to protect the Kazekage and they were in charge of the team as a whole, Guy and Kakashi had met up earlier that morning to make a plan in case anything happened.

"We're going to escort the Kazekage to The Sand Village. If everything goes according to plan, a sandstorm will hit right when we get there, so we'll be staying there for an extra day or two, and then we'll head home. If anything happens and someone tries to attack, which I doubt... If it's possible, Tenten, Neji, and Lee will take Gaara and escape- continue on route, while Guy, Sakura, and I will stay behind and apprehend whoever it is," He explained, looking over at Guy for a moment. They'd decided that since Guy's team was whole and had worked together regularly, they could protect Gaara without any issues, and they could fight whoever dared to attack as a team without any issues. Sakura would be back up, and she could also heal any injuries they got since she was becoming skilled at Medical Ninjutsu. "Then again, that's just a hypothetical- I doubt anything will actually happen," Kakashi finished, pretty sure that no incidents would occur... To be honest, he would be surprised if any regular, average ninjas or robbers attempted to challenge a team with The Kazekage, The Blue Beast and his student, the student of Lady Tsunade, a skilled Hyuga, a weapons expert, and himself, but he also knew that surprises were often inevitable on missions like this.
So, he was prepared.

"I can protect myself," Gaara reiterated what was already common knowledge, but then sighed, crossing his arms and allowing his eyes to fall shut for a moment. "But I understand, and I know you're all capable. So, I'll go with your plan if the rest of you are fine with this."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and with that, Guy spoke.

"Alright, then! Let's head out."

Chapter Text

Kakashi Hatake sighed as he walked outside of the cabin, tired. He tried to blink the sleep out of them to no avail, stretching his arms and looking around at his surroundings.
It was a dry, rural area- less green than he was used to; mostly just dirt and rocks with the occasional tree and a grey, cloudy sky. Apparently, Gaara's father had kept this cabin between the Leaf and Sand villages when he was Kazekage for his rare trips so he had his own place to stay instead of having to sleep outside or in a questionable hotel in one of the many little towns between the two ninja hubs.

They'd stayed there after walking for about half of the trip, everyone seemingly energetic despite the long walk aside from Kakashi himself.

Unsurprisingly, Guy was awake despite it being barely past dawn, standing on one of the rocks and stretching his arms above his head.

"Guy, I see you're awake," Kakashi commented, approaching the older man.

"That I am, my dear rival!" Guy grinned, offering his usual thumbs-up as he looked at Kakashi, and then up at the sky. "It's a youthful morning, isn't it?"

"It is nice outside." The weather was a little humid but relatively cool, the humidity somewhat quelled by the cool breeze that blew through his silvery locks. "What are you doing up this early anyway?"

"I'm just doing my morning stretches! Would you like to join me?"

"Ah, I'm alright," Kakashi paused, nervously running a hand through his hair and averting his gaze for a few silent seconds before looking at Guy again. "I was about to go on a walk."

"I'll join you!" The ravenette hopped off of the rock he'd been standing on, landing in front of Kakashi- just close enough for the silver-haired man to smell his cologne; a scent comparable to spice and herbal tea, and one that had muddled his senses for the past twenty-four years or so. Kakashi could only offer a nod, stepping out from in front of Guy and beginning to walk, the older man moving to walk by his side.

"How'd you sleep?" Kakashi asked, figuring that some small talk wouldn't hurt. Guy hadn't ever liked silence much, and the shorter man didn't want things to become uncomfortable or awkward. "You look well-rested."

"That I am!" 'Wish I could relate. Stupid nightmares...' "How about you?"

"I slept well," He said, you know, like a liar.
Of course, as they started walking through the mostly dead forest, the cabin still in view, Guy gave him a suspicious glance, immediately seeing through him. Even with a mask on and a forehead protector covering one of his eyes, the ravenette had always been able to tell when he was feeling just about anything, whether it be sad, tired, happy, or angry.

The one thing he seemed completely oblivious to was how Kakashi was blatantly in love with him.

"You look tired."

"Is that so?" Kakashi asked, pretending that he had no idea what Guy was talking about. Suddenly, something red caught his eye, and that's when he realized that Gaara and Tenten were sitting on top of one of the sturdier live trees, both on one large branch. They seemed to be talking about something, Gaara blushing as red as his hair and Tenten softly running her fingers through the crimson locks as she laughed, the two teenagers smiling softly. It's nice to know that they're getting along. Oddly enough, both ninjas were so absorbed in each other that they didn't notice Guy or Kakashi, so the silver-haired man leaned in to whisper in Guy's ear and quietly pointed them out. "Ah, look-" Upon noticing them, Guy smiled brightly, opening his mouth to speak and greet them when Kakashi cut him off in a low tone so they wouldn't be heard. "No, leave them be. I think they're enjoying their alone time."
Guy shrugged, and with that, they continued to walk.

Once they were out of earshot, Guy started talking again, dramatic as ever as he placed a hand over his chest, tears of happiness (?) filling his dark eyes.

"Youthful love! How sweet."

Kakashi nodded, staring forward. It was silent for a bit after that, but after a few seconds had passed, he couldn't help but notice that Guy's gaze was very clearly focused on him. It was nervewracking if anything.

"You're staring, Guy," Kakashi pointed out. They stopped walking, Kakashi looking back at the cabin, which was a bit far away but still within view, and then allowing his eyes to fall on Guy, who was blushing heavily and stammering over his words.

"S-Sorry! I can't help it!"

"I wonder why that is..." Kakashi smirked under his mask, but that smirk immediately fell at Guy's next words.

"It's just, your face, I..." So he was still going to pester about the mask. Great. Kakashi could only bring himself to sigh. "About the other day, I know I was being pushy and it was too much! I'm sincerely sorry for that."

"It's not that big of a deal," Kakashi lied, giving a dismissive wave. It made sense why Guy would want to see his face, but it was a big deal, and he had been worrying about it so much for the past few days that he hadn't been able to sleep- worrying about it so much that he kept having these nightmares where Guy would see him talking without his mask to cover his mouth and realize the truth, only to also realize that he hated the thought of having Kakashi as a soulmate. "We've been friends for over twenty years and now Lee and Sakura are running around perpetuating that we're soulmates, and of course, you haven't seen most of my face, let alone my mouth. I understand why you want me to take the mask off."

"Then why don't you? You're sending mixed signals, rival..." Guy trailed off, appearing genuinely frustrated as he crossed his arms, covering the obvious frustration that was there with a forced smile. "You've always been so confusing!"

Kakashi paused. Maybe telling the truth wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he could get it over with. Maybe... Maybe it would turn out alright despite all of the fears and doubts that he had regarding the whole fiasco. Adrenaline began to rush through his veins as his heart thumped rapidly against his chest, and he wondered if the noise was loud enough for Guy to hear it.

"Guy... You've always meant a lot to me, and I know I don't say that enough. I've been quiet about this for too long," Voice shaky, Kakashi placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "You're a good friend, an amazing person- more than I deserve to have in my life, and you've always been there for me. I'd do just about anything to make you happy, but taking my mask off?"

"Listen, I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Kakashi, but I really would appreciate it if you'd let me see," Guy practically pleaded, placing a hand on top of the one of Kakashi's that rested on his shoulder. Kakashi found the touch soothing, a calloused thumb brushing against the back of his knuckles. If he wasn't as afraid as he was in that moment, he would've laced their fingers together and held his soulmate's hand, but he thought better of it. "I'm not sure if I believe Lee's little theories, and I know that you have your reasons for hiding your face, but for closure's sake-!"

"Fine. If it'll make you happy, I'll take the mask off," He gathered his courage and carefully took the cloth of his mask between two fingers, about to take it off when-

Guy's hand was suddenly yanked away from his, and that's when Kakashi noticed that no other than Rock Lee was running towards them.

"Guy-Sensei, there you are!"

"Oh, Lee!" Guy greeted as Kakashi let go of his own mask, his hand slowly slipping from the ravenette's shoulder. "What's up?"

"Breakfast is ready! We should go ahead and eat so we can get an early start!"

"Right..." Guy agreed, turning to Kakashi with an awkward and apologetic smile. "You ready?"

"Of course. We can continue this some other time."

Chapter Text

It was the next day, and Kakashi was starting to feel relieved as the group made their way into a more desert-like area; sand everywhere, with the occasional cactus or tumbleweed. He figured they would reach The Sand Village very soon.

The one thing that was bothering him was the small sand clouds, which they were surrounded by. For the most part, it had been a relatively peaceful trip, with the students and Guy making casual conversation and getting along, Kakashi occasionally pitching in but staying quiet for the most part.

Of course, a peaceful mission was always too good to be true, so Kakashi couldn't say he was terribly surprised when a Shuriken flew by his face. He leaned back just in time to avoid it landing right in his neck, but it did slice through his bottom lip, cutting his mask partially open.

Everyone paused.

Admittedly, the pain was searing, but it was nothing that the Jonin wasn't used to. It made him somewhat nervous that his mouth had been cut, and he felt blood quickly hit his tongue and teeth, dripping onto his chin. His mask was torn, which was a huge risk in regards to the whole Guy issue. Sure, he had been about to take his mask off just the day before, but having his secret revealed in the middle of a battle wouldn't be ideal... He'd been hoping to do it in private. Hopefully, he could manage to cover his mouth without hindering the fight that was about to happen.

Guy, seeming to have realized that the shuriken thrown had been no stray, quickly gestured to Lee, Neji, Tenten, and Gaara.

"You four, leave and we'll catch up with you later!"

"Yes, Sensei!" Lee agreed, and with that, the four quickly moved, Tenten, Lee, and Gaara protectively surrounding Gaara as the redhead made a sort of platform out of his sand for them to stand on, raising it in the air like a magic carpet and using it to fly out of the area.

Kakashi was glad they'd decided to listen instead of staying behind and fighting, something that his own students definitely would've pulled.

Two men emerged from the sand clouds, both in the standard Sand Village uniforms- the only thing that stuck out to Kakashi was that their forehead protectors had a clear cut through the middle of where the signature hourglasses were carved in the middle, meaning that they must've been rogue ninjas, which might've explained why they'd tried to attack in the first place.

Sakura, who was still there, pulled a kunai, clearly ready to support them, though Kakashi was sure that he and Guy had it handled.

"Guy, back me up," Kakashi called out, earning an enthusiastic reply from the older man.

"Always will, dear rival!"

The words made his heart flutter, but of course, he didn't focus on it for too long, instead focusing on fighting the rogue ninja in front of him. It was rather easy, knocking the kunai out of the rogue's hand and sending him to the ground before he could even sign anything, effectively using a blow to the back of the man's neck to knock him unconscious.

When he turned around, Guy had the other man tossed over his shoulder, also seemingly unconscious. Kakashi could only bring himself to laugh as he pulled some rope out of the bag he'd brought, taking the other rogue from Guy's arms and tying the two criminals together as securely as he could.

It seemed like they hadn't had anything to worry about, after all. Kakashi already had a few theories as to why the men had attacked in the first place- namely, they were rebels who disliked the fact that a Jinchuriki was their Kazekage, which he'd heard about a lot after Gaara had taken the position over.

How sad.

"Well... That was relatively easy," Kakashi mumbled, one hand over his bleeding mouth to keep Guy from seeing it as he used the other to tighten the rope around the two rogue ninjas, one foot on their backs. "Must've only been Chunin level, if even that... How anti-climactic."

"Rival!" Guy turned to him, expression twisting in worry as he weakly held up a finger, and with that, Sakura ran over to him, also looking rather concerned. "Your face..."

"Kakashi-Sensei!" His student placed a hand on his shoulder, urging him to sit down on the ground, so he did, Sakura sitting in front of him and using her other hand to pull back the torn scrap of his mask so she could see his cut lip. It was bleeding everywhere. "Are you okay? That cut looks horrible."

"It's only a scratch, Sakura-" Kakashi started, knowing that if she wanted to heal it, he'd probably have to take his mask off.

"You have to let me heal that. It'll get infected if I don't, and it's pretty deep... I'm afraid it'll scar."

"I can't-" He urged, doing everything he could to keep himself from looking at his student- or, worse, looking at Guy. Of course, the pink-haired girl being as stubborn as she was cut him off.

"Why is the mask such a big deal, anyway? I've been your student for years, Kakashi-Sensei! This isn't about me seeing your face anymore," She urged, clearly frustrated by his initial denial of her help, and Kakashi didn't have the energy to fight her. "Are you gonna answer me?"

With a huff of indignance, the silver-haired man reluctantly took his hand from his mouth pulled his mask down, somewhat relieved when Sakura's hands were on his face, gentle and soothing around where the cut down the length of his lips was as her pale skin began to glow a soft green. The wound had been throbbing, blood seeping out of it in a steady pool, but as Sakura began to work, it quickly stopped.

He could just remain silent until she was done and he was able to get a spare mask out of his bag. It wasn't that big of a deal, right?

Still, even though she was healing him, having his face visible- especially in front of Guy- made him nervous.

Speaking of that...

"Oh, wow, rival!" Guy started, sitting down next to Kakashi and offering a bright smile. "I never knew your face was so handsome."

Kakashi hadn't been thinking, really. He'd kept his face hidden for years and with the post-battle adrenaline fade, his mind had been foggy. Plus, to have his soulmate, the man he'd been pining over for the past ten years call something he'd never liked about himself handsome? It was flattering, and his first response was to mutter some form of thanks, even if it was the worst decision he could've possibly made at that moment.

"Thank you-" As soon as he realized that he'd spoken to Guy, the mistake he'd made crashed down. "Oh, shit." Guy's eyes widened, lips slightly parted in wonder as he looked at their surroundings, color spilling into his world. "Fuck."

Kakashi winced, groaning and tilting his head back. Guy appeared to be in complete and utter shock, probably taking in the new colors; the blue skies, the deep browns and yellows that made up the sand beneath their feet, the bright hues of the sun rays that shone down on them. His eyes met Kakashi's, and Kakashi wanted to fall off the face of the earth.
Guy knew that they were soulmates. He was so fucked.

"Huh?" Seeming confused by the sudden tension as she finished healing the cut, Sakura looked at Kakashi, then at Guy, and back at Kakashi again. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, the cut just hurts," Kakashi lied, grateful that the cut had healed, the blood being wiped away by Sakura as the skin came together again. When she pulled away, the greenish glow leaving her hand, the silver-haired man spared Guy an apologetic glance. "Thank you for healing it, Sakura, but we should catch up with the others."

"Yes, you're right."

"I'm sorry," Kakashi whispered in his soulmate's ear, watching as Sakura moved to stand in front of them. He couldn't tell what Guy was thinking in the slightest, as the other Jonin's face was completely blank. "I know, you're confused. We can talk later, okay?"

With a sigh, the ravenette nodded, and with that, the conversation was over.

Kakashi could only mull over what he was going to say later as he and Guy stood up, hoping that he wouldn't ruin everything- more than he already had, anyways.

"I'll use my Transportation Jutsu to transfer them to The Leaf Village Anbu for arrest and interrogation, and then I'll transport back here, but..." Kakashi stopped, grabbing the end of the rope that had the two unconscious men tied up. "It's a draining Jutsu, it'll use most of my Chakra, so I'll be weaker when I return. I'll probably be about ten minutes, so just wait for me. Understand?"

Guy and Sakura nodded, and with that, he was gone, his soulmate still on his mind.

'God... Why am I such a disaster?'

Chapter Text

When they finally got to the Kazekage's building, Kakashi was terribly exhausted and stressed out about everything that had happened between him and Guy. So, he felt pretty dead as Gaara led them through the building to a relatively secluded hall with a few different rooms, Guy by his side, the redhead in front of them with Tenten by his side, and Neji, Lee, and Sakura standing behind them.

"There are five guestrooms that are available here, so since there are six of you, there will probably be two of you in one room. They're down that hallway, and you're free to help yourself to whatever you'd like. I would love to stay a little longer, but I have a lot of work to do," Gaara explained before turning to Tenten, smiling and pressing a kiss against her forehead. How sweet. Kakashi couldn't help but smile. "I hope you all enjoy your stay."

With that, he left, and everyone seemed to be debating which two would be sharing a room since there were only five. Deciding that he'd bite the bullet, Kakashi spoke first.
"Well, I guess me and Guy could share a room. I'm going to bed," He turned around, praying that he could get to one of the rooms and pass out before Guy even got in there so he would be able to avoid the conversation he knew the older man wanted to have, but of course, he wasn't that lucky.

Guy tossed an arm over his shoulder, and despite his conflicted thoughts, Kakashi found himself leaning into the touch.

"I'll come with you!" Guy grinned, and with that, they were off, leaving the kids to their own devices.

Kakashi opened the door of the first guest room that caught his eye, walking in with the older man following, shutting the door behind him. Kakashi pulled away and walked over to the bed- because of course there was only one- and sat down on the edge, looking up at the ceiling.

"So, Guy..."

"Rival!" Still cheery and somehow not picking up on Kakashi's mood, Guy flicked the bedroom light on and went to sit next to him, so close that their thighs were touching. Kakashi's heart was beating out of his chest. "Let me see your cut."

Honestly, Kakashi didn't want to take his mask off again. He didn't want Guy to see his face, didn't want Guy to see him without one of his many forms of protection again. The thought of being around Guy maskless made him petrified, but the secret about them being soulmates was out, so he knew that there wasn't any point in hiding. With a shaky sigh, he grabbed the top of his mask, pulling it down his face.

It was weird to have Guy stare at him like that. The ravenette's gaze was trained on his face where his lip had been cut, and after a few seconds passed, he rested a hand on the silver-haired man's cheek, gently brushing his thumb over the healed cut.

"Does it look that bad?" He asked, tilting his head.

"No, but it's definitely gonna scar," Guy pulled his hand away from Kakashi's face. "You're just... Really handsome! I can't believe you hid such a pretty face for all these years."
The praise had his face burning red, part of him wondering about everything that had happened recently, along with everything else. Was this what a relationship with Guy would be like? All the things and time he already enjoyed with the older man, but... More open? He was scared, petrified, but God he wanted nothing more than to be with Guy like that. He wanted to be loved like that, to be looked at like that, to be praised like that every day.

Kakashi could only shake his head, standing up and pulling his headband off, as well as his mask, Jonin jacket, shirt, shoes, and pants, allowing them to fall to the floor. He and Guy had known each other since they were children, had slept in the same bed during missions plenty of times, so he wasn't necessarily bashful when it came to the state of dress he slept in- even when he could feel Guy's intense stare on him, just in his boxers as he crawled underneath the covers and rested his head on one of the two pillows.

"I know you probably want to talk, but let's just go to sleep for now..." Kakashi allowed his eyes to fall shut, his heartbeat so loud that he could hear it in his own ears. A few minutes later, the bed creaked, and Guy was laying down next to him. While Kakashi was on his back, the ravenette was on his side, resting his weight on one elbow and facing the silver-haired man. "If that's okay with you, anyway..." Kakashi trailed off, opening his eyes to look up at the older man. "We can talk in the morning. I'm really just exhausted and I don't think now's a good time for this discussion."

"Kakashi-"

"I know, I've already been putting it off for twenty years," Kakashi muttered, frowning and turning to face his soulmate, both of them now laying on their sides. "You don't have to tell me that."

"It won't hurt to wait another day. I was going to tell you that you need to rest," Guy explained, sighing and tossing an arm over Kakashi's waist, surprisingly calm about the entire situation. "It's okay. Go to sleep."

It was a nice feeling; Guy's strong arm over his waist, their legs entangled, the taller man's body so much warmer than Kakashi's own. The silver-haired man couldn't help but think that he could get used to this, but also that he wanted so much more.

"If you're gonna hold me, do it," In a display of bravery, he made direct eye contact with his soulmate, surprised when the older man pulled him in all the way. It was simple at first, just the arm around Kakashi's waist pulling him into the ravenette's body heat. "Oh."

But then, Guy's hand was resting on his lower back, gently rubbing up and down, and his lips were pressed against the former Anbu's. Kakashi blinked, curling his hands up and resting them against Guy's chest as he relished in the feeling of their lips melting into each other. Guy tasted like tea and something floral that he couldn't quite identify, sweet and refreshing; everything Kakashi had ever wanted.

Finally, his soulmate pulled away.

"Better?" Might asked, seemingly out of breath, and for a moment, Kakashi could only nod.

"Much better," Kakashi managed to muster an answer after a few seconds too long, leaning in and resting his forehead against Guy's shoulder to hide his blush. "Night, Guy."

"Good night, Kakashi."

Chapter Text

The talk was put off for three more long days.

After falling asleep in each other's arms, Kakashi and Guy had woken up the next morning, taken the kids, and gone back on the road to get to The Leaf Village. It had been a long, three-day trip, mostly consisting of Kakashi stressing the fuck out while everyone else acted normal. Despite the shocking information that he'd just found out, Guy seemed relatively chipper, happy to train with his students, and even listen to Tenten gush about her newfound soulmate.

When they'd arrived home, all of their students going their separate ways, Kakashi wasn't surprised at how Guy had followed him to his apartment.

So, there they were.

Kakashi sighed as he unlocked his apartment door, Guy practically buzzing with excitement behind him. Things had gone unspoken over the years, but especially since their kiss. Maybe it was because of the fact that they'd always been like that when it came to communicating (or rather, when it came to their lack of communicating) that Kakashi didn't find it too weird, but he was still anxious regardless.

He wasn't completely stupid, so he knew that Guy kissing him was a very obvious 'I like you back', but that was what made the entire situation scarier than it already was. Guy liked him back, and he was genuinely scared. Where should he even go from here? He hadn't thought he'd get this far. Was Guy mad at him for hiding it all these years? What the fuck was even going on anymore?

Silent, he opened the door to his apartment and walked in, Guy walking in as well and shutting and locking the door behind him. The silver-haired man gulped and flicked the living room light on, looking up at his soulmate, who was now standing in front of him.

"Hey, soulmate!" Guy grinned, reaching forward and taking Kakashi's hand.

'Oh, God. Gay panic, please don't set in now of all times. Leave me alone, you fucker.'

"You're oddly... Cheery," Kakashi mumbled, allowing his eyes to fall shut for a few minutes before pulling his hand away and crossing his arms. It was late at night, so he imagined that if this discussion went well, Guy would be staying the night there. If it didn't go well, he'd probably pull out the eighty-proof he kept between the side of his bed and the wall and spend the entire night guzzling it down, lamenting over all the mistakes he'd made throughout the course of his life. "That's to be expected from you, though. Don't you have any questions?"

"How long have you known? The whole time?" Guy questioned, tilting his head. He looked more curious than angry, and Kakashi wondered if he'd been worried about nothing the entire time when it came to his fear of Guy being upset with him for hiding it.

"Since the day we met."

"And the reason I didn't know until just recently was because I hadn't seen your mouth without the mask, and that's what did it?"

"Yeah."

"And you decided not to tell me because...?"

"Because..." He trailed off with a huff, knowing that he should be honest. Part of him was relieved that his feelings were mutual, but the rest of him was terrified. He didn't want a repeat of his father, or Obito, or Rin, or Minato-Sensei, or Kushina, or anyone else who had loved him aside from his students. If that were to happen with Guy, it might've actually been worse, considering the fact that they were soulmates. The part of him that was terrified didn't want to take the risk. Plus, he came with a lot of baggage, and he felt like Guy could find someone better- even if they weren't his soulmate. There were plenty of people who weren't soulmates but managed to love each other just the same. "I know we've talked about this briefly, but if I'm being honest, I don't deserve you. You've always cared about me, and I've always taken it for granted. You're just this kind, bright, amazing person, and I'm... Not the same as you. I don't deserve your love."

"Kakashi, that's not true," Guy tried to argue, moving to place his hand on Kakashi's shoulder, though the silver-haired man only jerked back.

"It is, though. Don't be ridiculous."

"You look down on yourself so much," Kakashi couldn't even bring himself to look at the older man, already regretting his words, but not wanting to take them back. "But I feel like you don't even realize how that hurts me!"

"I feel like you hearing that hurts you less than I've hurt you over all these years, though," "I mean, how many times have you tried to reach out to me or do something nice, only for me to shrug you off and be an asshole? Plus, I know I'm not in as much danger now that I'm not an Anbu, but you have to realize that I'm always going to be a target for people. We work dangerous jobs, and I'm infamous enough for people outside of the village to know my name... I have a bounty on my head. I'm worth some serious money, even, and so are you. I don't want you to get attached to me and end up losing me," "I've been through that pain too many times."

"I'm not afraid of that, though!"

"Well... I am. It goes both ways. Like me, you could die at any moment. I don't think I could handle getting hurt like that again."

"So now you're underestimating me?" Guy questioned, now clearly offended. "I'm not going to leave you... Ever. I couldn't hurt you like that."

"Of course I'm not underestimating you," Kakashi tried to step away, but Guy grabbed his arm, thick fingers and rough palm keeping his clothed wrist in place. "I know you're strong, but either of us could die at any moment. You don't have as much control as you think you do. You remember Obito, and Rin, and The Fourth and his wife. They never thought they'd die like that either, and it's not like they did it on purpose or anything, but we all know what happened to them, and it hurt me. It fucked me up really bad. Doesn't that worry you? That the same thing could happen to us?"

"No, actually- not as much as the fact that you refuse to live your life because you're scared worries me! Life is always gonna be that way, and we're never going to have full control, but that doesn't mean we can't try!"

"I really don't deserve your love," Kakashi remained firm, pulling his arm from Guy's grip, but frowning at the response he got. "You should know better."

It was something Guy had done when he was particularly upset with Kakashi, which was actually pretty rare, but the silver-haired man had seen it enough times to be able to pick up on it, and it was happening.

The ravenette tossed his hands up in defeat, the serious expression he'd been wearing now replaced with something he'd forced; a bright smile. He nodded, thick eyebrows slightly raised.

"I've gotta get going then, rival! I'll see you around!"

Guy didn't even wait for him to respond, instead exiting the apartment without another word- through the closest window, unsurprisingly.

The second he knew that the older man was out of earshot, he groaned, hating himself for everything he'd said in the heat of the moment.

With that, Kakashi sighed, walking out of the living room and into his bedroom, heading straight for the eighty-proof vodka.

It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Text

A week had passed, and Kakashi was unsure of what to do about the entire situation. He was afraid to make any sort of move, knowing that Guy had the right to be mad at him about everything that had been spoken the last time they'd talked. Of course, Guy wasn't the type to hold grudges, but Kakashi knew that the risk was there.

He had been sitting at the training grounds on one of the many logs, reading a copy of his favorite book. Of course, he was never allowed to have peace and quiet for too long, and a familiar dark-haired, bushy-browed ravenette in an obnoxious green jumpsuit popped out from behind one of the trees, running up to him.

"Kakashi-Sensei!"

"Oh, Lee," Kakashi started, eyes flickering between the boy who was in front of him and the book he held on his lap. "What's up?"

"I have an important favor to ask of you!"

Ah. So, he wouldn't be getting any reading done after all... So much for that idea.

"And what would that be?"

"Guy-Sensei has been upset recently, and I'm not sure why," Kakashi thought he knew exactly why; Guy had gone nearly thirty years without having any inkling as to who his soulmate was, only to find out that it was his baggage-carrying friend who had been purposefully hiding it since they were children. On top of that, instead of doing the normal thing and asking him out on a date or asking him to be his boyfriend since they'd known each other for three-fourths of their lives, said douchebag soulmate had decided to make things difficult and bring his issues into everything to piss him off. The fact that Lee had picked up on Guy's upset was especially concerning, though, as the older Jonin was usually pretty good at not letting his negative personal emotions show at all, let alone around his students. "I think something happened on that mission we all went on! He's been really downtrodden, not as... Youthful as usual. It's actually been depressing to see, but when I ask, he won't tell me what's wrong!" Lee stopped, placing a hand on his chin like he was in deep thought before blinking his dark eyes in realization. "I think it's because I'm his student and he doesn't want to burden me with his problems, or he feels like I'm not mature enough to handle them, but you're his friend, right?"

"I mean, yes, we're..." Kakashi paused, unsure of what he should call Guy at this point. Rival? Outdated. Friend? They were more complicated than that simple of a label, so it couldn't be applied. Soulmates? Kakashi wasn't even sure if Guy had told anyone that they were soulmates yet... He doubted it. "Best friends. I've noticed it too, but why are you asking me about it?"

"I was wondering if you'd maybe do me a youthful solid and check up on him?" Kakashi felt his heart drop at the admittedly innocent and well-meaning question. "Maybe try to make sure he's okay? If you can't fix whatever's going on, then please at least try to find out and let me know what the issue is so I can fix it!"

"You know, he'd punish you if he found out that you were putting your nose in his business like this," Lee's face fell, like he thought that Kakashi was going to run and tell Guy about this exchange, but Kakashi only laughed and moved to hold his book in one hand so he could give a dismissive wave with his newly-free one. "But I can admire how much you care. I know your intentions are good, so I won't rat you out. Just don't let anyone else know that we had this conversation."

Lee's face lit back up as he clapped his hands together, grinning brightly.

"Does that mean you'll do it!?"

Kakashi really didn't want to say that he would as just the mere thought of it scared him, but he knew that he needed to resolve the situation eventually, and this was most likely the best way to do it. If he approached Guy and the older man was angry enough that he didn't want to talk, Kakashi could just say that Lee was the one who'd put him up to it and escape the situation with ease.

"Sure. I'll try to talk to him in the next few days for you..." Kakashi reluctantly agreed, running a hand through his silvery locks. Lee seemed as oblivious as ever, but Kakashi was happy that Guy had students who cared about him so much. "Though I'm pretty sure I already have a good idea of what the issue is."

"Wait, really!?" Lee questioned, practically brimming with curiosity as he leaned forward. Kakashi looked up from the pages of his book again. "What is it?"

Kakashi could only sigh, knowing that he didn't want to spill his business to Rock Lee of all people- not that he meant that insultingly, of course, it was just that the ravenette was so close with Guy that it could risk making things worse. Even if he did want to spill his guts out to one of their students (which he most definitely did not want to do), it wasn't only his business, but Guy's as well, and it wasn't Kakashi's place to tell the older man's star student about everything that had been happening between them recently.

Plus, if he told Lee, it's spread to Neji and Tenten, then to Hanabi, Hinata, and Gaara, and down the entire gossip train that The Leaf Village had somehow unknowingly established over time until it eventually, inevitably got back to Guy.

"I said I'm pretty sure, not absolutely sure. Don't worry about it, Lee," Kakashi looked off to the side for a moment before standing up and closing his book, shoving it into his back pocket. With that, the silver-haired man ruffled the boy's hair, offering a small smile, though it was hidden by his mask. "I'll see you later, yeah? Peace."

With that, he left, heading through the streets of Konoha... He could do it tomorrow, right? Putting it off wasn't too bad of an idea... One more day wouldn't hurt.

Chapter Text

A day had passed since then, and Kakashi had decided to do what was right; solve things. So, upon waking up that morning, he'd decided to head to his soulmate's place.

The trip to Guy's house wasn't a long one, as it was just in one of the smaller residential areas in the village, so it wasn't long before he was standing at his soulmate's door, nervously knocking his fist against the wood.

A few seconds later, Guy answered, silently allowing him inside. Kakashi nodded and stepped through the doorway before shutting the door behind him. When he turned to look at the older man, he wasn't surprised to see the other Jonin's face, which was relatively serious. After their discussion the week before, it was understandable that Guy would be angry with him.

"You're mad at me?" He questioned, admiring Guy's appearance. It was ridiculously early and still dark outside, so it made sense that the ravenette wasn't dressed in his usual attire, only dressed in a baggy sweatshirt and some shorts that put his toned thighs on display... And other things on display. If the situation weren't so tense, Kakashi might've stopped and stared for longer than he should've. Thankfully, he managed to keep eye contact with his soulmate.

"I'm not mad at you, my dear rival! Just disappointed."

"Is it about what I said the other day?" Kakashi questioned, walking out of the doorway and into the living room, trying to look casual as he sat down on one of Guy's couches. The ravenette's living room was nice, but there were a lot of colors that didn't match; green couches, orange and red rugs over the brown carpet, a blue painting on the wall... Regardless of the fact that all of the colors clashed (which Guy couldn't really be faulted for, as he hadn't been able to see color through the duration of his life until a couple of weeks ago), it still had a relaxing, homey vibe that Kakashi had always liked.

For once, it was silent as Guy sat next to him on the couch, the gap between the two men awkwardly large. Kakashi frowned upon noticing it... They'd kissed and slept in the same bed not too long ago.

"You know if you're not interested in me," Guy started, which caught Kakashi's attention. Not interested? How had Kakashi's previous words gone that far over his head? It was both confusing and worrying, even more so when he saw Guy nervously pull at the collar of his sweatshirt. "You don't have to lie, right?"

"What," His question came out more like a statement, as he was completely bewildered and forgot how to talk properly for a few seconds. It took a moment for Kakashi to actually process what Guy had just asked him, and he knew that his face must've looked completely blank as he pieced it together. "You think I said all that shit just to hide some uninterest in you? I was serious, Guy! You deserve better than me! You've got to be kidding me right now."

"Oh," Guy blinked, seemingly shocked by Kakashi's answer.

"You really thought I was lying?"

"I normally wouldn't expect you to lie to me, but it's just-" The ravenette groaned and moved a little closer, lessening the gap between them as he grabbed one of Kakashi's hands. Instead of pulling away, Kakashi sighed and interlaced their fingers, loving how warm the older man's skin was against his, which was considerably colder. "What you said about yourself was... Horrible. I didn't want to believe it."

"Well, it's true."

"No, it's not! It's not true," Kakashi bit his lip to keep himself from objecting, unsure of how he would handle this. Let his fears continue to consume him and walk away, or let himself be happy for once and give in to what he and Guy both wanted? "You know how hurtful it was to hear you talk about someone I love like that? You... Saying all of those things about me being out of your league and how you don't deserve to be loved? How you're scared of everything bad that could happen?"

"Again, it's true."

There was a long, drawn-out silence in which Guy used the hand that wasn't holding Kakashi's to reach forward, pulling Kakashi's mask down and off of his face in a tender manner before allowing that hand to caress the younger man's cheek.

"How long have you felt like this?"

"You'd be mad if I told you."

"I'm not mad."

"Then... Disappointed," Kakashi corrected himself, remembering Guy's earlier words. "I hate making you worry."

"I've always worried for you, rival."

That much was true. Always kind to him through tragedy after tragedy, Guy had tried to reach out a million times, whether it be through his weird challenges, inviting Kakashi out to dinner, or just trying to let the younger man know that he was always there to talk- even the few years that he'd followed Kakashi through most nights just to make sure that he never did anything dangerous or rash.

"Don't call me that right now," Kakashi laughed, leaning into Guy's touch and pressing a gentle kiss against the palm of the older man's hand.

"Kakashi," Guy didn't even hesitate, moving to wrap both arms around Kakashi's body and resting his head on the shorter man's shoulder. "My love... My soulmate," Kakashi melted, completely and utterly gone. How could he even try to resist it at this point? "You don't just deserve to be loved. You deserve everything, and you're not out of my league at all!"

"Guy..." Kakashi trailed off, shaky as he turned to fully face Guy, throwing his arms around the older man and pulling him in, face burning bright red as the affection was instantly reciprocated. His heart was beating fast, but it was a good feeling, and part of him scolded himself for not allowing this years ago. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into with me."

"Then let me find out what I'm getting into. I've been in love with you for years! I always hoped you were my soulmate, but I thought it was a ridiculous and unrealistic thought until now... But knowing that it's actually true, I can't let go of you."

"You really mean that?"

"Every word," Guy went to pull away, but honestly? Kakashi never wanted to let him go.

"No," Kakashi shook his head before resting it against his soulmate's shoulder, tightening his arms around the older man's body. "Don't move. Stay here with me for a bit?"

Of course, Guy only smiled, kissing the top of his hair.

"I can do that."

Chapter Text

It was the next morning, and Kakashi's mind was a complete blur as he woke up, feeling sore but well-rested. Upon seeing sunlight shining in through the blinds of Guy's windows and feeling strong arms wrapped around him, the events from last night flooded into his mind.

They'd made up, spent the day together, and it had ended in them sleeping together in the older man's bed.

It was nice, actually, and Kakashi couldn't help but think that he wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning, his lover's bare skin pressed against his, warm, rough, and comfortable. Something he wanted more of.

Blinking to get the sleep out of his eyes, Kakashi shifted in his soulmate's hold, turning to face him. The ravenette was already awake, eyes raking up and down the silver-haired man's body like he was an art enthusiast admiring some sort of masterpiece in a museum... That was one of the things about being with Guy that would take some getting used to; the being looked at like he was wanted, like he was loved and cherished and all of the other good things that Guy made him feel like he was.

One of the ravenette's hands moved, slowly resting on Kakashi's bicep, a gentle finger tracing the length of the tattoo that painted a small patch of the pale skin a deep crimson hue.
"Hey, what color is your Anbu tattoo?"

"Red."

"Like your Sharingan!"

"Yeah, they're about the same color," Kakashi answered, trying to suppress a frown. He still felt guilty for keeping color from Guy for all those years. "The Sharingan's a little brighter, though. Both of my eyes regularly are obviously black, my hair's silver," "Your jumpsuit's green, that scarf you used to wear when we were kids was orange, and your hair and eyes are both black, too."

"Huh."

"A little overwhelming, I know," Kakashi murmured, reaching up and resting a hand on Guy's face, lovingly stroking his thumb over the taller man's sharp cheekbone. "Sorry I didn't just let you see this years ago... Things would've been so much easier that way."

With a sigh, Might pulled away and sat up, the fluffy green comforters that were on his bed pooling in his lap. Kakashi's eyes landed on his lover's sculpted chest for just a moment, and then on his face.

"About last night, and the last few weeks..." Guy started, leaning his back against the headboard and nervously fiddling with his fingers as he averted his gaze. Finally, he shook his head, a large smile coming onto his face. Kakashi moved to sit up as well, unable to help but feel a bit self-conscious, as he didn't even have his mask on- he couldn't remember quite where it was, probably discarded somewhere on the floor of Guy's living room with the rest of the clothes they'd been wearing when they'd started making out after eating the takeout Kakashi had ordered for them for dinner. "I want to try to make this work! I've been in love with you since I was old enough to even understand love, Kakashi!"

"You're flattering me, but," Kakashi allowed a lop-sided smile to take over his face as he laid back down, comfortably resting his head on Guy's lap... As expected, the older man's thighs were like pillows, warm and firm. If Kakashi had control, he might've stayed there forever. He had more things to worry about, though- namely, letting Guy know what his feelings were. "I mean, I'd really like that... Putting all of my fears aside, there's nothing more I'd want than to be with you."

"You really mean that?" Guy questioned, and Kakashi looked up at his lover, only to see tears bubbling up in the ravenette's eyes.

Naturally, at that, Kakashi had to keep himself from crying as well, as stoic as he was.

"Don't go and cry on me now," The silver-haired man laughed, reaching up and using his thumb to brush away a stray tear that had fallen from one of Might's eyes. "I know there's been some roadblocks, but I've been in love with you for a long time, too."

"I love you!" Guy grinned, leaning down and kissing Kakashi's forehead before laughing as well. "Heh, Kakashi."

"Hm?" He hummed, lazily raising one of his eyebrows.

"I think you got so excited that you accidentally activated your Sharingan!"

Kakashi blinked, only realizing then that he had, in fact, activated his Sharingan out of excitement. Since he wasn't born with the eye, it was something that happened occasionally- if he got particularly scared, excited, angry, or just about any other extreme emotion, he'd activate it without meaning to, hence why he hid it under his forehead protector. Sure, he was no Uchiha, so he didn't have it down perfectly, but he liked to think that he had pretty decent control over it, but it still slipped up every once in awhile, and he didn't want to freak people out with his left eye.

"This is why I have it covered most of the time," He grumbled, burying his face in Guy's lap and allowing a few seconds to pass before looking up again, a hand on his eye as he was about to deactivate it. "I-"

"No, no, don't cover it up! It's pretty," Guy argued, pulling Kakashi's hand away from his face so he could see both eyes without any obstructions. "I think... Red might be my favorite color. Didn't you have a scarf that color when we were teenagers and you were in Anbu?"

"You're a dork for remembering that," Kakashi retorted, rolling said eyes and waiting a few seconds for Guy to get his fill before finally deactivating his Sharingan so he wouldn't drain his Chakra. The scarf had been red, only to match the red streaks on his Anbu mask, though he was surprised that Guy remembered him talking about that after so many years had passed, especially since the older man hadn't been able to register color back then.

"You love me, though!"

"I do," The silver-haired man sat up just a bit, reaching up to push the other Jonin's dark hair out of his face. "And you know what?"

"What?"

"Every color on you is my favorite, love," He chuckled at the bright pink that took over Guy's face at that, moving closer. "Soulmate... Kiss me."

And with that, Guy leaned down to do as he was told, pressing his lips against Kakashi's. The silver-haired man could only smile and lean into it, making a mental note to dig that red scarf out of the back of his closet to wear around his lover.