Chapter Text
Kakashi would rather be anywhere than here right now. He hates attention, especially when everyone is looking at him as if he fucked up big time. The silence is almost suffocating.
Finally, Asuma breaks the tension first, tone lower than a whisper as he cradles a sleeping Mirai in his arms, "That was a complete disaster."
Next to him, Kurenai nods lightly, her slim fingers reaching over to card her daughter's hair. At two months pregnant with their second child, she still has the sharpness of a kunoichi that nobody can take away from her. Kakashi thought they were insane for doing the deed the minute the war is over, only to have another kid as soon as they could. But then he isn't the judge of common sense, considering the way his friends are gathering around him right now.
So, he slumps a bit further on his chair, expression half bored to conceal what's underneath, "Care to elaborate?"
"What else is there to say?" Genma spits out his senbon, twirling it habitually as he hops into the spot next to Kakashi, "You ran out of the room, genius. Gai finally woke up and that was the first thing you did?"
Okay, okay. That didn't go as well as he expected. He may be one of the smartest shinobi alive, but they should know by now that he isn't particularly blessed in the emotional intelligence department. It was overwhelming - Gai's choking cough as he stirred from his months-long coma, everybody screaming and shouting for the medic, Lee bursting into tears as he wheeled Neji in with Tenten following right behind - so he did what his shinobi instinct told him to whenever his nerves are on high alert. Flee. So he did.
A hand settles on his knee consolingly. He jerks slightly at the contact, but eases into it immediately as Kurenai rubs comforting circles on his leg. She really has a mother's touch, huh? All those crying fits Mirai threw must have made her quite the expert on conflict resolution.
"It must have been difficult at the moment," she says, not condescendingly, "But you should go see him in your own time."
Asuma scoffs, "Don't say that. Gai will never see him again for the rest of his life." And he rightfully earns a slap on the shoulder from his pregnant girlfriend. "What did I do? I'm just telling the truth!"
Then, in true Asuma fashion, he fishes out a cigarette from his left shirt pocket, putting it in his mouth but not lighting it. He's given up smoking for good since Kurenai was pregnant with Mirai, but he keeps a pack on him at all times. The familiar sensation helps him think, or so he says.
"Look, Kakashi. Gai might have been the verbal one, but only an idiot would not realize how crazy you are for him. I know you tend to overthink, but the worst happened and you're both fine. I mean, you came back from the dead. So did Gai. Why not go for it? If you keep sulking around doing that "woe is me" thing I might as well set him up with somebody else."
"It's not that easy," Kakashi scowls, though he also doesn't know what else there is to hinder their relationship. It is just scary, and he doesn't like takings risks when he doesn't know the scope of the situation like the back of his hands.
"Promise me you'll at least think about it?" It's Kurenai this time, her hand still on his knee.
"Trust me, Kurenai, the only thing the guy does is think."
"Get lost, Genma."
Okay, okay. He'll think about it. He'll be fine. He's the genius Hatake Kakashi after all. Surely a love confession isn't more difficult than navigating a war, right?