Work Text:
Kakashi looked down at his feet. He had never liked crowds. His sensitive nose and ears made every crowded area seem so overwhelming. More than that, though, they reminded him too much of the period right after his father’s last mission—it was the time when crowds went from overwhelming to dangerous.
Tonight, however, laughter tickled the air, brightening the atmosphere. Reds, blues, greens, and yellows assaulted his senses. Hundreds of people milled around enjoying the celebration. It was a wedding for the hokage, after all. If there was any time the people of Konoha would celebrate it was now.
That being said, Kakashi was dressed in his only formal kimono—the same white one he wore to Rin’s small funeral.
His mood sank just thinking about it. A month had already passed since the incident, yet as hard as Kakashi tried, he hadn’t managed to pick up the pieces. As a new member of the Anbu black ops, he knew he had to pull it together, but even now, the thought of his dead teammate made his hands tremble. He needed to be aloof. He needed to be unfeeling. He needed to be “Friend-Killer Kakashi”, the shinobi with a stone heart and diamond-sharp blade. He needed to be the person Kanoha thought he was.
A couple skipped by, brushing into him, and he startled.
“Sorry,” the girl giggled, eyes only focused on the boy whose arm she was latching on to. Her eyes were brown and her hair was cropped short. Kakashi could almost picture Rin laughing, hanging off of a smiling Obito’s elbow.
His thoughts were leading to a dark place. He felt his steps dragging. He wanted to go home, back to his apartment, where the stench of blood was his own and where the blasting of cheery music couldn’t reach his sensitive ears.
He was beginning to feel sick. He was his sensei’s last student…but he wasn’t sure if he would be able to stay through the rest of the celebration. He found himself frozen in place, at a crossroads, not wanting to disappoint Minato sensei and Kushina-nee, but feeling desperately sick from the stares and the noise.
“Rival!”
Kakashi whirled around. Of course, he couldn’t mistake the voice of Gai. The other was decked out in a green kimono, his smile as radiant as ever. However, when he caught Kakashi’s tense expression, he sobered slightly.
“Kakashi!” He called, quieter this time, aware of Kakashi’s keen sense of hearing even though he didn’t fully understand the extent of it.
Kakashi nodded back, not even able to fake a smile for Gai.
Gai grimaced slightly at his friend’s expression, but continued with a smile.
“I was wondering…well if you’re up for it, the dancing will start soon.”
Kakashi tilted his head questioningly.
“Dancing?” He asked. He felt the deadpan in his voice but the delivery did nothing to dim Gai’s mood, excitement only growing at the word.
“Yes, dancing! It is the most wonderful part of a wedding!”
The excitement somehow made a heavy feeling lift from Kakashi’s chest.
“Better than the lovely couple-to-be exchanging vows?” He asked, letting a bit of playfulness into his tone.
Gai blushed, shaking his head.
“Oh, no, of course not. But apart from the matrimony itself, dancing is what lifts the soul the highest. Just as it is with fighting, dancing allows the youthful spirit to show!”
“You don’t say…”
Gai nodded enthusiastically.
“Of course! That is precisely why I came to ask you to dance with me!”
Kakashi blushed under his mask. He had sparred plenty with Gai, but dancing certainly wasn’t in his training regimen.
“Just one dance?” Gai pleaded.
Kakashi sighed. “I suppose just one dance won’t do any harm.”
Gai whooped and then apologized sheepishly to a woman who had been startled by the outburst.
Taking Kakashi’s hand, he dragged him to an open space where couples were lining up to take part in the festivities.
Kakashi looked down, embarrassed. He was unused to the smiles and laughter of couples other than Minato sensei and Kushina-nee. He wasn’t sure if he felt embarrassed or just self-conscious.
A finger guided his chin up.
“None of that,” Gai encouraged with a smile. “You will dance beautifully. And if you don’t…well, they say the worst dancers have the most fun.”
And with that, the music began, lilting and jovial. Gai took Kakashi’s hands and gave him a smile.
“Let’s give this our all, rival! Let us be the last couple standing on the dance floor!”
Finally, Kakashi let out a genuine laugh, and the pair were off, twirling and bobbing among the crowd. Gai managed to gracefully swing Kakashi around, feet stepping in tune to the music. Kakashi let himself be led for once
Kakashi smiled beneath the mask, and based on Gai’s silly expression, he was sure that the other could see it in his eyes.
On one more exuberant twirl, Kakashi came face to face with a large elderly woman and nearly tripped. He grabbed Gai by the waist this time and spun away. The woman shouted something at him, but the music blocked it out.
“Was that Ikeda-obaasan?”
Kakashi nodded, distractedly peeking over Gai’s shoulder to see if the woman’s eyes had followed him.
“Did she say something to you?” Gai’s serious tone forced Kakashi back to reality. The pair twirled again and Kakashi could feel Gai’s body tense.
“What? No!”
Gai tried to dip Kakashi but stumbled when Kakashi very much did not go along with it. He rightened himself and smiled in an “I meant to do that” way.
“Then why are you running away from her?”
Kakashi grimaced under his mask.
“Maa, well…I kind of stole her rocking chair.”
Gai stopped in his tracks. Luckily, the music was crescendoing so he quickly sped up like any good dancer.
“What?” Kakashi shrugged as if he didn’t commit a crime against an elderly woman. “She was annoying me.”
Gai’s mouth quirked into a silly smile.
“Ah well, rival. I suppose while we are pointing out people to avoid…I called Fujita-obasan a floozy and I don’t think she has quite forgiven me yet.”
Kakashi choked on air.
“Excuse me? You did what?”
“Unfortunately, Asuma was talking with some chunin about the dreadful floozy-san and…well…I greeted her quite loudly and publicly the next day.”
Kakashi snorted. Of course Gai would think her name was actually Floozy-san.
Gai went for another dip and Kakashi gave him a glare. Recovering quickly, he pulled them both into an elaborate if a little silly set of spins. Kakashi had to admit, while his dancing would hardly win an award, his enthusiasm surely made up for it.
On the third attempted dip, Kakashi put his foot down.
“When are you going to give that up?”
“A true shinobi never gives up!”
That was a…very Gai-like answer. Kakashi rolled his eyes and decided to change the topic. Maybe he’d be able to get Gai to freeze up again.
“I stole Ikeda-san’s bird feeder, too.”
This time, Gai let out a vocal “hah!”, though his motions did not slow. Kakashi almost pouted.
“Well, as long as we’re sharing our dirty deeds…I knew Fujita-obasan’s name before I called her a floozy. I just don’t care for her.”
This time, Kakashi was the one to stop in his tracks. Of course, Gai didn’t let him stand still for long and went for another dip. Kakashi flicked him in the forehead.
“You’re one crazy bastard, Gai.”
Gai smiled, delightedly.
“And you, my friend, are a lovely dancer!”
Gai only got more energetic as time went on, jumping and swinging Kakashi around. With a final leap, he lifted a sputtering Kakashi into the air and caught him gracefully on the way down.
Kakashi laughed, holding onto the other’s shoulders. By now, he had long forgotten the crowd. He only had eyes for Gai, who was smiling like an idiot.
“Another?” Gai asked, not even out of breath.
Kakashi chuckled. He squeezed his partner’s shoulder in thanks. Gai was his saving grace. He was radiant in this dark world. A bright point in Kakashi’s life. Gai smiled gentler in recognition.
“Of course,” Kakashi smiled.