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After a long day of training, there was only one thing to do. Something necessary before you even allowed paperwork and daily errands to occupy your thoughts. Without it, your day was simply ruined.
‘It’, of course, being Dango.
When you were younger you had stuck your nose up whenever others invited you out for a stick of dango and a nice relaxing sit-down. Sometimes you think back to those days and chuckle. What a fool you had been, refusing such a sweet treat.
Even more foolish when that treat came with such great company. Though some days you would happily deck Gemma across the back of the head for some of the abysmal jokes he made.
Now that your morning train was done, and your little team of adorable genin were running off to do their own thing with the rest of their day, you were free to make your way to the Dango shop. Perhaps, if you were lucky, there would be a certain Taijutsu master there when you arrived
Making your way through the streets of Konoha, you hummed to yourself while going over all of the things you had done with your students that morning. The three of them had improved so much in a short period, exceeding all of your expectations. With just a bit more training you were certain they would be ready for the upcoming Chunin exams.
“You’re here!” Hearing a familiar voice directly behind you, you braced yourself for impact. A hard weight hits your back, followed swiftly by a pair of arms wrapping themselves around your front and lifting you off of the ground.
“Do I even weigh anything to you?” his laughter rings in your ears. A pleasant, soft sound that resonates through the air for everyone in Konoha to hear. It’s the kind of sound that makes you want to curl up in his arms and lay your head on his chest. If you could listen to it for a few minutes that would be paradise, but if you ever had the opportunity to lay there for an entire day with his arms around you and his laughter in your ears…
Well, if there was anything better than Paradice it would be that.
“You weigh…” lifting you a bit higher, as if trying to determine her exact weight, he hemmed and hawed. “About the same as Akino.”
Akino. Out of all of the things he could have compared you to, he chose one of his best friends hounds.
Some days you wondered why you had fallen in love with this man.
“Though, I must admit,” finally your feet touched the ground. His arms stayed firmly wrapped around your body, holding you tight against him. “You're a lot cuter than him.”
“Don’t let Kakashi hear you say that,” tilting your head back, you grinned up at him. “You know he’ll fight you over the hounds.”
“Mmm,” taking the opening you had given him, he pressed a kiss against your forehead. Tender and sweet, just like him. “If my rival wants a fight, I’ll give him one.”
An expected answer. The day Maito Gai turned down an opportunity to spar with his best friend was the day you knew for certain the world was going to end. At the very least your world would be ending, because a world without an excitable, energetic, driven Maito Gai was simply not a world worth living in.
“Since you’re here, I assume that means you’re done with your morning training?”
“Done in record time,” you confirmed. “My students are growing quite fast. Pretty soon they’re going to be stronger than all of your kids.”
Laughter rang through the air. Bright, joyful and deafening when it was right beside your ear. You can’t help but cringe a little, reaching up to block your ears even though the damage is already done.
Gai notices the movement though and lowers his volume enough that it doesn’t hurt to listen to him anymore. “I apologize,” he whispers, shame evident in his voice. “I didn’t mean to hurt your ears.”
“They’re fine,” lowering your hands, you grinned. “You can’t help but laugh knowing that my students are surpassing yours, it’s alright.”
You brace for impact, expecting more ear-shattering laughter. What you’re greeted with instead, is Gai bending down and burying his face into your shoulder so that his laughter is muffled. Now, instead of feeling like your ears are about to pop, you can feel his laughter vibrating against your skin.
It’s intoxicating. If you weren’t already head over heels in love with that man, you would be now.
Once the laughter died down, he lifted his head. “We’ll have to have a training session together,” he declares with a hint of pride. “Then you’ll see for yourself that my students are nothing to be scoffed at.”
“Oh, Gai,” wriggling in his arms, you force him to release his grip on you just enough so you can turn around and drape your arms around his neck. Now that you’re facing him, you press a quick kiss against his nose. “I would never scoff at your kids.”
Lee would cry if he ever thought that, and Tenten would bully you until you apologized. Neji, well he would act like he didn’t care but you’re certain it would hurt him deep down inside to think you were scoffing at his skills.
“It’s quite the feat to surpass your students,” you continued. “Mean’s my Pups are training really hard.”
Gai scrunches up his nose, as if he’s offended by your words.”
“Pups?” he repeats, somehow scrunching his nose up even more. “You’re spending too much time with Kakashi.”
“But that’s what they are,” tapping a finger against that adorable, scrunched nose, you chuckle when he narrows his eyes. Judgement is evident in his gaze. “They’re my kids, and an anteaters kids are called ‘Pups’. It’s not my fault Kakashi copies me and thinks he’s being cute.”
“Mmm, I see,” tightening his hold on you once more, he gave you a soft, fond smile. “Dango?”
The magic word you had been waiting so patiently to hear.
“With you?” he nods his head, chuckling when instead of moving out of his arms and dragging him towards the dango shop, you lay your head down on his chest. Listening to his heartbeat and feeling his laughter vibrating against your face. “Always.”