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“Hey, Shisui! Are you ready yet?” Obito called, and Shisui rolled his eyes, glancing sideways at Tarin. She fluffed her feathers with a creaky laugh, and he grinned. “You’re going to be late!”
“Yes, I’m ready.” Shisui said, checking his bag one last time. It had taken him a little more time to be sure he was prepared for this mission than usual, but then, it was a rather out of the ordinary mission. He closed up the bag and ran a hand absently over his shirt before reaching for the haori he’d left out.
“I don’t see why you’re assigned as his backup, I was his teammate.” Obito muttered, probably well aware it was loud enough for Shisui to hear in the bedroom but just low enough that it would seem rude to call him on it. Shisui shook his head, ignoring his cousin.
He whistled and Tarin inspected him for a long moment, considering, then hopped into the air, circled the room once, and landed on his shoulder as he headed out into the main room of his apartment. She’d been the one to tell him Kakashi had passed through the gates into the compound, Obito’s services had been unnecessary.
“It’s taken you forever, you know Bakashi hates lateness.” Obito said condescendingly from the front window, with the secure if somewhat resigned air of one who has heard that lecture enough to repeat it word-for-word if called upon. “What is that- Oh kami.”
Shisui arched a brow, then shook his head, opening his front door and smiling at his lover approaching. He, too, was already wearing his disguise for the mission, though Shisui fancied it suited him rather better than his own gear, chosen to imply a successful if unnoble military man.
Shisui knew he didn’t quite suit the appearance - his lighter frame and cheerful face were useful for a ninja, but looked dubious on a man who claimed to be a civilian warrior - but Kakashi somehow transmuted his lean, muscular grace into something that looked more willowy, giving himself a delicate appearance with a little work and the aid of some very well layered fine kimono.
Kakashi lingered at the bottom of the steps, tilting his head and beckoning. The gesture was airy and feminine, rather than sharp, and Shisui lingered partly to see if Kakashi would pout at him for delaying. Also Obito was still by the window inside.
“Amaterasu’s shiny hair.” Obito mumbled, and this time, Shisui suspected, he was not actually calculating his volume and might be unaware he’d spoken aloud at all.
“Are you leaving my apartment?” Shisui asked pleasantly, and Obito jumped, banging his elbow into the wall. Shisui left unsaid so I can leave myself, but Obito hurried himself out all the same, muttering again about how he should be accompanying Kakashi on this mission. His eyes were fixed on Kakashi.
Shisui had seen Obito try to pull off roles in noble or upper-class surroundings before and thought there were multiple reasons why he hadn’t been assigned to the mission with Kakashi.
Obito stalled out again on the landing, but he was out the door, so Shisui locked up, setting the traps without needing to think, and trotted down the stairs to meet Kakashi with a smile as Tarin took to the air.
“My lady.” Shisui said, bowing, and Kakashi snorted, swatting Shisui’s arm with the delicate-looking fan he held lightly in one hand. It felt like steel as it impacted his bicep - not gently; Kakashi hadn’t held back much muscle for the playful blow - and Shisui grinned unrepentantly.
“Oh come along.” Kakashi said in a lofty tone that was higher than his natural voice.
Shisui glanced back to see his cousin still standing on the landing outside his door, watching them - watching Kakashi, Shisui corrected himself wryly - with a faintly silly look on his face.
“At your command, my beauty.” Shisui said, and Kakashi rolled his eyes, but he didn’t leave Shisui behind as he turned and headed for the gates, so Shisui gleefully marked it mentally as acceptable.
“You know, my beauty,” Shisui ignored Kakashi’s snort at the endearment; he was beautiful, always, but Shisui rarely pulled out this particular one save when he was playing hime, “I would be much relieved if we could perhaps make sure my cousin is made aware of our relationship sometime soon? Very soon?”
“Hm?” Kakashi frowned slightly, shifting, and Shisui tugged at his hair before he could tilt his head. Kakashi stilled, allowing Shisui to continue unpinning it from the winding twist that made the mess look both longer and less wild than it truly was. “Your cousin? Which one?” He paused. “And I didn’t think we’d been that subtle about it.” he added, thin mouth - the lip paint already washed away - drawing into a thoughtful curve.
Shisui was a little amused at the question; he might have entertained a flicker of frustration about it if Kakashi’s utter blankness had been relating to any other issue about his cousins, but considering. . .
Shisui was eminently capable of controlling his flashpaper temper, and he was quite confident in his relationship and saw no need to be jealous over his lover. It was still soothing to his heart - all Uchiha carried Amaterasu’s fire in their hearts, Shisui remembered his mother telling him, long ago, eyes bright and warm with love - that his lover didn’t even remember which of Shisui’s cousins was smitten with him.
. . .Itachi, Shisui rather thought, had never been smitten with anyone and showed no signs of changing that. It might do him some good to focus on someone other than his baby brother in the personal sense of emotional connections that were nothing to do with his duty or training, but Shisui had all but given up on that. There was only so much headway to be made with Itachi, and they had grown apart somewhat in recent years.
In Shisui’s less cheerful moments, he grumbled about the lack of sanity endemic to his cousins’ family, and he had his suspicions as to the reasons behind that growing distance.
“Obito.” Shisui reminded, smoothing his fingers through Kakashi’s hair and just resisting the urge to tousle it wildly. Though Kakashi probably wouldn’t mind, and he would look more like himself. . .
“He’s been pining over you for years and while I am restrained enough not to set him on fire in a fit of pique over his pining for my lover,” Shisui said, sniffing; Kakashi snickered and Shisui felt a warm flicker of affection in his chest, “I would like him to stop being so fucking hopeful about it.” He huffed, remembering Obito’s starry-eyed expression as Shisui had left with Kakashi for this mission.
“Hopeful?” Kakashi looked aghast, and that was soothing to Shisui’s heart as well.
Poor Obito, he thought with absolutely no regret. Never had a chance for anything but pining, and all his own doing besides, Shisui was well aware.
“You know Obito at least as well as I do.” Shisui pointed out, feeling much more cheerful again. “How likely do you think it is that he’d just give in? How long would he hold on to such feelings?”
Kakashi wrinkled his nose, making a low, wolfish sound as he pushed away from the dressing table and turned towards Shisui without rising from his chair. He looked wild and sharp, and despite the kimono he still wore, nothing like the hime he had been playing. He was utterly beautiful, and Shisui loved him desperately.
“Not at all.” Kakashi said with another little rumbling sound. Shisui stroked his hair and cupped the nape of his neck, and he huffed, looking up and tugging Shisui closer. He obligingly took a step, and Kakashi nuzzled his breastbone, leaning against his chest comfortably. “We can be as obvious as you like when we return.” he said, lip curling to show one broad fang.
Shisui grinned. “I look forward to it, my beauty.” he said honestly, heart light, because he would, always, revel in not only the knowledge but the display that Kakashi was his, had chosen him - and laughed happily when Kakashi nipped him for it.