It's past four in the morning in the middle of the Land of Fire, where Kakashi Hatake is stuck on a grueling S-Rank mission. He's been tracking a criminal rogue ninja, also an S-Rank in the bingo books, for two days straight with no rest. Thankfully, he at least has a lead from another spy in ANBU; the rogue is staying in a hotel just a few hours away and should be there for at least another day or two. Now, all Kakashi has to do is catch up.
The problem is that he's exhausted, and when he gets exhausted, he gets paranoid as most people do. Every single sound, every brustle of leaves being blown by the wind and every one of his footsteps- it has him on edge. Though, he does know that someone is following him, and that unnerves him even more even if the pursuer isn't an enemy.
Frustrated, Kakashi speaks to the man who's poorly hidden in the trees of the forest.
"Come on out, Guy, I know you're there," Kakashi orders, only to receive no response. "Guy... Seriously, this is getting tiresome. You've been at it for two days now. Go home already."
Guy doesn't answer. Kakashi sighs and reaches into the weapon pouch that's strapped to his right thigh. Six years have passed since Kushina and Minato died, and somehow, Guy has gotten worse and worse and worse about following Kakashi to places he shouldn't. Instead of following Kakashi to his apartment or to the training grounds to challenge him to a new contest, Guy now spends his free time following Kakashi to dangerous ANBU missions, brothels, bars, and all the other places he believes Kakashi shouldn't be spending his time at.
Kakashi grabs a kunai and chucks it in the direction of the tree he knows Guy is hiding in. He doesn't want to actually injure the older man, just force him to come out, and it works. Kakashi hears the sound of the kunai puncturing a tree branch, followed by the sound of Guy's feet hitting the ground in front of him.
After two days, the ravenette has finally come out of hiding.
"Wow, that was close!" Guy laughs.
"Seriously? You're going to get yourself hurt out here," Kakashi says in an attempt to get Guy to go home, but as per usual, it doesn't work.
"Eh, I'll be fine, Kakashi," Guy easily dismisses the ANBU member with a smile and a playful wave of his right hand. "There isn't anything out here that your fine rival here can't handle!"
Kakashi's eyes narrow as he stares at Guy's face.
"Why aren't you mad at me for throwing a kunai straight at you?"
"Kakashi, you have a perfect aim! Yet, that kunai landed five or six inches away from me. I know just as well as you do that you didn't intend to hit me; you intended to scare me away."
"Fine," Kakashi admits with crossed arms. "Then what is it you're here for?"
"You know why I'm here," Guy mutters, his happy expression falling into one of concern and his voice dropping in tone and volume.
"Just tell me, will you?"
"I'm worried about you, and I want to keep you safe," Guy reaches out and places a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. Kakashi shrugs it off while trying to tell himself that no, he does not desperately crave or need that warm touch. He's fine without it. He's fine. "I know that the village is going through a shortage right now, but the fact that they'd send you after an S-Rank rogue by yourself with no back-up... It's worrying."
"I'm fine by myself. I've been doing these sorts of missions for years and I'm still alive, aren't I? At this point, I can't help but think I'm cursed to outlive everyone I've ever cared about..."
"Kakashi... You aren't invincible, and you aren't cursed, but I can see you falling into darkness and I'm starting to get seriously concerned!"
"You've been concerned if the fact that you've been following me for half a decade is anything to go by," Kakashi grumbles and takes a step back, only for Guy to outdo him by taking two steps forward.
"Does that matter? I just want to protect you."
"I don't need protection."
"I didn't say you did, it just gives me peace of mind, dear rival," Guy argues. Were it anyone else, Kakashi would have knocked him out and left or just outran him- but it's Guy, and for some reason, he doesn't have the heart to fully push Guy away no matter how much he knows he should. Kakashi is weak deep down, and all he wants is to have Guy in his life, so he keeps the other Jonin at a comfortable distance; close enough to still have him in his life, but far enough away to keep him from getting hurt by Kakashi's 'friend-killer' tendencies. "Does it really bother you that much?"
"Yes, it does, but if you're that determined to stay, the least you could do is help. The ninja I'm after is staying at a hotel that's a few hours from here. I won't reasonably be able to catch up to them without stopping to rest since I've already been at it for a full day, so I'm going to set up camp somewhere secluded and take a nap. Your job is to keep guard so that if any enemy ninja try to attack while I rest, you can wake me up and we can fight them off. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal!"
They walk together in silence to a more secluded area surrounded by trees, bushes, and a nearby river. Kakashi sets up a tent for them to enter. After sharing some rations, despite his agreement to do what Kakashi had asked by staying awake and keeping watch for potential enemies, Guy doses off- all whilst sitting up.
Sighing, Kakashi lays out a sleeping bag and positions Guy so he's laying on top of the cheap material to sleep. He thinks of going and sitting outside the tent, but being away from Guy makes his chest squeeze tight in a way he doesn't like, so he stays. Surely, if there's an enemy out there, he'll hear or sense them approaching.
"Ah... So you must've been awake following me this entire time. No wonder you're so exhausted," Kakashi smiles under his mask as he sits next to Guy's sleeping body. He reaches down and moves the stray locks of hair out of Guy's face. "I knew it. You're such a fool, dear rival."
Hours pass. Kakashi sits awake despite the exhaustion that tells him to sleep. He's already been awake for two days, what's a few hours more on top of that? Plus, he could spend forever staring at Guy's beautiful face like this; familiar bushy eyebrows, chapped and full pink lips, round nose, defined cheekbones. Guy is a little awkward looking, and somehow, that's just another part of him that Kakashi has fallen for. Hell, he's been in love with Guy since they were kids- he just knows better than to say anything, because eventually, Guy is sure to leave him alone like everyone else will.
He doesn't want to rip the bandaid off and heal from everything that happened with his father, with Rin and Obito, or with Minato and Kushina to take that next step with Guy if the end result is just going to be Guy going and reopening that wound by dying on him. It would be a waste. So, he doesn't bother no matter how clear it is that he and Guy have always wanted each other.
When the sun starts to rise, Guy jolts awake to Kakashi's hand still playing with his hair. Kakashi jumps back in an attempt to make it seem like he wasn't doing anything.
"Rival? What are you doing?"
"Nothing, Guy, I was just... Waking you up. You went and passed out on me when "
"Wait, I fell asleep! I'm so sorry, Kakashi-"
"Don't worry about it, but we've already been here for too long. We need to go find this ninja we're after as soon as possible or they're going to leave the hotel they're at and I'm going to fail this mission, so... I'll sleep for four hours, then you have to wake me up so we can go."
Kakashi lies down as soon as he finishes his sentence, covering his Sharingan with his headband and allowing both eyes to flutter shut. With that, he falls asleep, not bothering to object even as he feels Guy pulling his head to rest in his lap. He can just pretend he was asleep the whole time, right?
~
Reaching the hotel and assassinating the rogue ninja was easier than Kakashi initially thought it would be. With the criminal having been charged with murders, treason, arson, rape, and a dozen other things, Kakashi expected to have a somewhat difficult time, but with Guy by his side, it was a relatively easy job. They've just finished cleaning the hotel room of any evidence and taking the body to be disposed of in the forest of the land of fire. As the summon animals finish eating the remains, Kakashi and Guy turn to walk away.
"Well, that was easy enough," Kakashi says and crosses his arms.
He's almost completely out of chakra, he hasn't eaten in a day and a half, and he's running off of barely any sleep, but it's over- and, as much as he wants to push Guy away, having the older man there actually provides him with a warm sense of security that he hasn't been able to find with anyone else.
"You weren't bothered by that at all?" Guy asks, probably in reference to seeing the corpse torn apart by vultures and pigs.
"Do you honestly think I'm capable of being bothered by anything anymore?"
Guy frowns at that.
"Look, Kakashi, we need to talk-"
"Yes, yes, I know, ANBU isn't good for me and I need to leave before I get completely pulled into the darkness or whatever," Kakashi quickly interrupts. The argument is one that they've had a million times now, one that seems to happen almost every time they see each other these days. "Are you done?"
"Kakashi-"
"Seriously, Guy, I've heard dozens of concerned speeches just like the one you were about to give me from the other Jonin in the village since Minato-Sensei died. I've heard millions of them from you, now, too. Do you think I'm dense? Do you really think I need another one?"
"I'll give you as many as I have to if that's what it takes for you to come back to us, I..." Suddenly, Guy stops walking and grabs Kakashi's hand to hold it within his own. Kakashi's eyes widen at the warmth, and this time, he can't bring himself to pull away. "I miss how things used to be."
"Well, things are different now. We both know that. I hate to have to be the one to break the news to you, but there's no going back in time and there's no erasing everything that's made me into who I am. The best thing you can do for your own well being is distance yourself from me and live your own life... Everyone who gets close to me is seemingly destined to die, anyway."
"Kakashi, you don't mean that! We'd both be devastated if I ended this friendship, don't even try to pretend that you don't care about us," Guy insists, and it's true. Kakashi thinks of all of the silly contests, the shared lunches, the training sessions, the late night talks. He thinks of how Guy was at every one of the funerals that Kakashi's had to go to over the years, wrapping an arm over his shoulder in silent support. He hasn't been able to throw it all away no matter how much he knows he should. "Plus, I won't go die on you- I'm the blue beast of Konoha, after all!"
"Are you serious? Do you think you're invincible, Guy? Obito and Rin- Minato and Kushina- they all said those things, too, and you know what they went and did? They died just like everyone I love is bound to! Just leave me alone already, will you!?" Kakashi yells and glares at Guy, only to have those strong and familiar arms wrapped around his smaller body. Though tears fill his eyes, and though he feels himself melting, he still frowns and weakly asks- "Why won't you leave me alone like everyone else has? Why won't you let me go? I'm not... I'm not good enough for you to go through all this trouble."
"Because when I was young and unsure of myself and lost in the darkness of self-doubt, you pulled me out of it. You brought light into my life and inspired me to be the best version of myself, Kakashi," Guy answers. One of his hands is on the back of Kakashi's head, rough fingers gently running through his hair. The other hand is on the small of Kakashi's back. "Now that you're shrouded in darkness and too blind to choose the right path, it's my turn to help bring you out of it like you did for me... I'll help you choose the right path even if it puts me in danger, even if it costs me my life . You're good enough to deserve that."
Kakashi crumbles. He crumbles, and he shatters, and he breaks. After years of trying to keep Guy at a distance, he's failed. Guy has somehow managed to get through each and every wall that Kakashi has put up, somehow managed to get close to Kakashi when no one else could.
"Guy?" Kakashi whispers and rests his forehead against the ravenette's chest.
"Yes, Kakashi?"
"Do you... Do you love me like I think you do?"
"Yes, Kakashi. I always have."
"I see."
"Do you love me back?" Guy whispers in return.
Kakashi can hear Guy's heartbeat, which is loud and booming against his chest.
"...As much as I hate to say this, I always have, Guy."
"Then let's head back to Konoha; together this time."
~
When they get back to Konoha, Kakashi is a mess. After hardly any sleep and no food, Kakashi feels himself start to lose his footing, but Guy manages to catch him with a worried exclamation of-
"Kakashi!"
"Guy, I'm fine..." Kakashi insists despite the fact that he clearly is not fine as Guy loops an arm under both of Kakashi's and helps him walk. "This is a humiliating display, just put me-"
"No, I'm not going to put you down, you collapsed because you didn't get enough rest and overused your chakra! This is exactly why I followed you- you know, if I hadn't come along, you'd just be passed out in the middle of the village right now! This is why I was so concerned."
"I get your point, okay? I'm not stupid, just... Just take me home."
"You don't want to go to a hospital?" Guy questions with a furrowed brow.
"No, I didn't overdo it by that much. I just need to drink water and get some sleep, I'll be fine."
"If you say so..." Slowly, they manage to make it to Kakashi's apartment. Guy opens the door with his spare key and takes them in. "Man, Kakashi, you're always so cool! It burns me up thinking about how awesome you are-"
"Guy, you're embarrassing me," Kakashi interjects, confused as to how the hell Guy could think about how 'cool' he is right now when he's bloodied and exhausted.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop! But I hope you know I mean it!"
"Oh, I know," Kakashi smiles underneath his mask as they enter the living room. "Lay me on the couch, will you?"
"Why the couch? That's horrible for your back."
"I haven't bathed in three days and am covered in blood and dirt. I don't want to soil my bedding."
"Then go take a bath or shower?"
"Guy, I can't even stand right now, let alone get into a bath or stay up in the shower and wash myself."
"Then we can just take a shower together!" Guy says as if it's an easy solution that doesn't involve them being naked and in close contact in such an intimate setting. Kakashi knows that he's turning bright red from the top of his forehead to the bottom of his chest. "I'll wash you."
"You realize that-"
"We said we love each other just a few hours ago- plus, we've gone to bathhouses together before! It's not that different."
"Showering together in my confined bathroom is very much different than going to a bathhouse together. It's a lot more intimate, but fine... If you insist, we can shower together."
"Excellent!"
So, they go to the bathroom. Guy is careful to lean Kakashi against the counter to give him some support as he starts the shower with lukewarm water and tosses a steamer in to make the space smell like lavender and mint. Kakashi already feels himself starting to relax, but the second Guy's hands are on his body and pulling his shirt and mask off, his nerves are shot once more.
When's the last time he's been touched so tenderly? Or has he ever? The hands on his midsection are warm and calloused, strong but gentle as they push his pants and boxers down to his ankles. Kakashi gives Guy the liberty of kicking both garments off along with his shoes and socks. Then, Guy undresses as well and pulls Kakashi into the shower with him. Most of Kakashi's weight is rested against Guy's chest.
Unconditional love is an interesting thing, Kakashi thinks. The fact that they can still be comfortable with each other after years of Kakashi pushing Guy away. The fact that Guy still loves him at all. Kakashi can't quite grasp it; how Guy loves him enough despite it all to wash his hair and his body so tenderly, to scrub away at the dried blood and dirt that covers Kakashi's pale skin without so much as a second glance. Things are just like they've always been, but now, Kakashi wonders if accepting the warmth that Guy offers is such a bad thing.
Perhaps Guy will be the one to stick around.
"Mm, you're warm," Kakashi says.
"And you are cold," Guy says in return. He finishes scrubbing Kakashi down with a loofa, then rinses the loofa off so he can clean himself. "Are you always like this?"
"Probably."
"Then I'll just have to make a habit of keeping you warm from now on!"
'Like you haven't already been doing that for the past fifteen years...' Kakashi thinks to himself, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, okay."
And suddenly, there's a pause. The two men simply stare at each other, though Kakashi has his left eye closed to keep from using more chakra. This is the first time Guy has seen him without his mask. Kakashi should feel more nervous, but he doesn't. The only thing in Guy's eyes is utter adoration as he takes in Kakashi's true face.
"Kakashi..."
"Guy," Kakashi says back.
His arms are around Guy's neck while Guy's arms are around his waist. It's warm even though the water is getting cooler, and before Kakashi can think of it, Guy is getting closer- closer, closer , closer until finally, they're flush together; legs brushing against each other, chest against chest, arms tangled around each other's bodies, noses brushing together, and lips molding into lips.