Chapter Text
“Hey, those are not for you.” Iruka was trying to balance a baby and a bowl at the same time. His hair fell all over his face while Naruto waved his hair tie around with his chubby little hand, very proud of his accomplishment.
It was Naruto’s first week in his new home, and Iruka would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous. The orphanage hadn’t said much about the baby’s history, just that he should expect some level of trauma and maybe behavior issues.
And then they dumped a fresh bundle of energy on him, just as he was losing hope of them allowing him to adopt.
Iruka was well aware that his chances were meager at best—being single and a teacher with not a very big paycheck. He did the best he could to offset it, attending multiple parenting courses and saving a lot of money.
Not only that, he had a history with social services, even becoming the legal guardian of what people tended to call “a lost cause” and doing a damn good job of it.
Finally, his frequent visits to the orphanage paid off. He just wished they had given him a bit more time to prepare, instead of just… Well, they just gave Naruto to him as if they expected him to know how to handle a traumatized toddler.
Which he did, but still. It was very bad of them to just hand him a child and wish him good luck.
Fortunately, Naruto had a bedroom waiting for him, and decorating it was fairly easy; all those collections on Pinterest weren’t there for nothing. And Iruka had the best of friends.
Taking leave from his job was the hardest part. The principal was none too pleased with having his most productive employee suddenly out of commission, but they knew he had a dream and were somewhat supportive.
Genma was the biggest surprise, fitting into the role of an older brother as if it had been his life's goal all along. Even when Naruto was still shy around them, he clearly had taken to Genma.
The baby was mostly quiet and extremely curious, but Iruka could see some traces of fear and high levels of anxiety in him. Naruto arrived three days ago, and Iruka hadn’t slept a wink since. He cried his little blue eyes out, and all Iruka could do was cradle him in his arms and hope it would be over soon.
His heart sank to a new low every time an anguished wail ripped through his little throat. Naruto would sleep by morning, exhaustion winning over whatever nightmares plagued the young mind. Iruka could handle it. He had to; he already loved the boy with all his heart.
He learned to count his blessings. Even in his shyness, Naruto accepted him. The youngling clung to him and didn’t let go unless it was to jump right into Genma’s arms.
Speaking of which, “Naruto got one. Why can’t I have one?”
Iruka sighed. “Naruto is a baby. You’re not—despite your efforts to act like one.” He swatted at Genma’s hand when he tried stealing another cookie. “Genma, these are for the new neighbors.”
“So what? It’s not like they’ll know it’s missing one.” Genma shrugged, wiggling his fingers in Naruto’s face and earning himself a curious babble. “Why are you being so nice to them anyway?”
“I’ll know,” Iruka snapped, “and that’s not the point. You’re not supposed to steal. I’ll bake some for us later.”
Genma rolled his eyes in exasperation, holding his arms out to Naruto and cuddling the boy when he jumped into him. Iruka took the opportunity to grab his hair tie from the tiny fingers and gather his hair in a messy bun.
A tiny smile played on his lips when Naruto went right for Genma’s ear piercings. He secretly wished the boy would pull them out.
Genma pulled away from the eager hands and laughed. “No, no. You can’t touch the shiny things.”
“I told you already that having piercings around a small child will end in tragedy.” Iruka began passing the cookies from the tray to a small pot. “Why don’t you just take them out?”
“You would love it, wouldn’t you?”
Iruka hummed in agreement and sighed when Genma stomped away. He kept forgetting how sensitive his brother was about those obnoxious things.
Genma had been a troublemaker since before Iruka met him. Living on the streets from a young age, no orphanage was ever able to keep him in. They got close when Genma was dumped in the same last-resort house for troubled teens that Iruka had grown up in.
It worked for Iruka. The staff was kind enough to help him turn his life around. And then he kept visiting them and working with them to pay his debts to society. Not that his pranks and small thefts amounted to that high a bill, but he was happy to be part of something bigger.
It felt like having a family.
Genma was eight years younger than him—he had just turned fifteen when they met. He was stubborn, aggressive, reckless, and irresponsible then. Still was, to some degree.
When he made turning Genma into a friend his personal little quest, the social workers had told him it was the same thing as taking the devil under his wing. A bit of an exaggeration, if you asked Iruka. The boy just needed some tough love and guidance.
Genma was as misunderstood as he once was.
They became friends, eventually, and Iruka brought the boy slowly into his life. He turned into an unofficial adoptive older brother, getting permission to take Genma out from time to time. It quickly turned into having sleepovers in his apartment more often than staying at the orphanage.
And getting a bigger apartment with two rooms was just natural.
So was accepting the role of a foster parent. He was too young for the responsibility, yes, but the people who should have been worried about it cared more about turning Genma into not-their-problem than they cared whether he was getting a proper legal guardian or not.
Thankfully he was, and Iruka had made a big effort for this to work. They managed to survive the first year.
And, yes, “survive” was the proper way to put it. Genma had a big problem with relationships and getting attached. He refused to admit he cared for Iruka and had been terrified that Iruka would eventually hurt him and dump him on someone else.
Abandonment issues.
Iruka had his work cut out for him.
He did it anyway.
Genma was seventeen when he finally understood that they were family. Iruka wasn’t letting go. Izumo and Kotetsu were there every step of the way, sharing their love and strength with Iruka as he helped Genma in the constant battle with his traumas.
The teenager was eighteen when he punctured the first hole in his handsome face with a piercing. A small ring on his nose that made Iruka squirm every time he looked at it. It was their first big fight in months, and Genma ran away for a week.
Iruka found him and learned that he would have to accept the young man’s taste. It wasn’t his choice to make. Genma was of age, and his body belonged to him. Iruka apologized for the outburst and harsh words, which Genma was utterly shocked by.
He still stood by his opinion and delivered a long and well-argued lecture about being careful with the things we put in our bodies. It went in one ear and out the other.
Genma had two more by the end of the month: a ring on his bottom lip—that he tended to suck on when nervous—and a barbell on his left eyebrow. By the time he had them on his ears and even connected them with little chains, Iruka had thrown in the towel.
Besides, Genma was working at the place where he had gotten them. So Iruka was pretty much out of arguments by this point.
The tattoo was a whole new story. Iruka was having a fit and ready to die on the spot when he saw what exactly was written behind Genma’s ear: the words “never alone” in a simple line.
It was as if Genma never wanted to forget what Iruka had told him the day he brought him to the place he would grow to call home. Iruka had told him, with a nervous smile, “I know it is not much, but here, you’ll never be alone.”
Reading the tattoo had him going from “I’m ready to throw you into time-out for a long time” to “I’m going to hug you to death” in a matter of seconds. Genma felt punished anyway.
Genma didn’t do hugs.
After that, Iruka resigned himself to throwing irritated glances at the things when the sun shone on them in a particular way. On such occasions, Genma would huff and stomp somewhere else.
Usually to his apartment, something he had gotten for himself as soon as he turned twenty, because: “I need my space, Ruka. And you will adopt a child soon. I want nothing to do with a smelly child.”
And now, here he was, Naruto on his lap while he waved something colorful around. “Genma, what is that?”
“A lollipop.”
Iruka arched his eyebrow in a questioning gesture. It was enough for Genma to understand, shoving the hard candy back into his pocket. “You’re no fun.”
“It’s all fun and games until the baby chokes.” Naruto looked around, trying to find out where the candy had gone. “Can you stay with him a bit so I can deliver this?”
“Sure, but you still didn’t say why you’re being so nice.”
“Because they are moving right next to Naruto’s wall.” Iruka smiled at the baby and crouched in front of him, shaking his hand in goodbye. “So Daddy is going out for a moment to apologize for any future sleep deprivation that the neighbors might suffer.”
“Will Daddy also try to find out if they are moving in together? They are hot.”
“And probably way older than you.” Iruka went back to the counter, picking up the cookie container and glancing back at Genma. “I saw them moving some furniture together, so they at least know each other.”
“But would a couple move into different apartments?”
“I don’t know, Gem, and I’m not interested. As long as they are nice about Naruto being loud, I don’t care.”
Genma shrugged, holding Naruto’s hand and making him wave while Iruka went for the door. “Say bye to Daddy, Naru. Say, ‘Bye, Daddy Ruka.’”
Naruto frowned, his hands shooting up to call to Iruka, opening and closing in a beckoning gesture. His big blue eyes flooded with tears, and he immediately began to cry.
“Guess he wants to meet the neighbors,” Iruka mumbled as he rushed to the toddler.
***
“Why do I need so much furniture?” Kakashi groaned. His back was hurting like hell, and they still had a whole lot of boxes to move around—not to mention Raidou’s apartment, still untouched.
His friend chugged an entire bottle of water before answering, looking at him as if the answer were obvious. “Because we are supposed to be living like normal people, Kakashi. Now, I understand you’re happy to sleep on the floor and eat nothing but rations, but ordinary people like comfort.”
“I don’t see why this is important.” Kakashi plopped down on the couch, closing his eyes as his head leaned on the backrest. “Our mission is to keep an eye on Minato’s kid and make sure he is safe. We could just do a stakeout.”
“Okay.” Raidou threw the bottle at him, and Kakashi flinched. He should have been able to catch it even with his eyes closed. God, he was sore. “First of all, it’s not Minato’s child. He is the son of our neighbor. Did you read your briefing at all?”
“Of course I did, and he still is—”
“Kakashi, you need to focus on the mission.” The severity in Raidou’s voice made his eyes snap open. He met his friend eye to eye. “It’s crucial that you get into the role. I know you don’t do undercover much, but you need to understand that being friends with our neighbors is not a choice. And if you keep referring to Naruto as Minato’s son, it will make it all that much harder.”
“Thank goodness Tsunade sent me with the undercover specialist, right?” Kakashi couldn’t keep the bitter sarcasm from his words. “Tell you what, why don’t you go and mingle with the civilians like you so love to do, while I do the protecting part of the work?”
Nobody had bothered to tell him they'd have a new commander until they already had. He had met Tsunade not very long ago, and didn’t hold much respect for the woman. He had found her in his office, standing there as if she owned the place, going through his evidence and barking orders.
Raidou sighed, marching to the couch and sitting on the armrest with a defeated expression. “Kakashi, I understand you’re still hurt by what happened. So am I. But if we want to make this work, we have to do this right.”
An accident. Or rather, a murder disguised as an accident. And just like that, the only family he had was gone.
“You don’t know shit,” he scoffed, getting up and going to the area that was starting to look like a kitchen. “How am I supposed to look at that baby and not think of Kushina and Minato? Huh? Tell me, Raidou, how should I befriend someone while lying my ass off? I don’t even know how to make friends while being honest.”
“You don’t need to lie. Just pretend you’re on paid leave and be yourself.” Kakashi paused, staring right at Raidou until he understood the stupidity of what he had just said. “Right. Stupid idea.”
Kakashi groaned, rubbing his face with the heels of his hands. “Tsunade is fucking crazy. People won’t even want to look at me without flinching. Can you imagine? ‘Oh, hello, neighbor. I’m your scarred and scary new neighbor. Wanna be friends?’”
Raidou lifted an eyebrow at him, his own scars becoming more evident with the subtle movement. It took Kakashi a second to understand how dense he was, and then he chuckled. Because, of course, Tsunade would send her two scariest operatives, excluding Ibiki, to deal with babies.
“It has nothing to do with scars, Kakashi. You just have to be friendly.” Ah, of course because he was so good at doing that. “And you don’t need to pretend Minato and Kushina didn’t exist. You just have to understand they aren’t here right now, and we owe it to them to make sure Naruto is safe.”
“I’m just saying we can do this in our usual way.”
“Tsunade says no, and she is the boss.” Why did Raidou have to be such a stickler for the rules? “Don’t you think she will check on us?”
“Fuck, you’re probably right.”
“Being close to the family will allow us access to Naruto’s routine, and it is also our mission to protect the family.” Kakashi cursed into his hands and sighed. This would be so much work. “This guy has an impressive history.”
“What do you mean?”
Raidou tossed the bottle again, with a bit more force this time, but Kakashi caught it.
“You really didn’t read the briefing, did you? Dammit, Kakashi, are you trying to be pulled out of the case? Do you want to be sent to another unit altogether?”
“Hey, calm down, okay? I figured I’d read it here, in time.”
“You’re lying.”
“And Tsunade thinks I’ll be able to make friends.” Kakashi snorted. “I can’t even lie to you.”
“Go fuck yourself.”
“Hey, you’re supposed to be kid-friendly, right? No cursing.”
“I’m serious, Kakashi. You have to read it.”
“I will.” Kakashi circled the counter and went back to the couch, sitting with Raidou and smiling innocently. “But while I don’t, why don’t you tell me about this guy? Iruka, is it?”
Raidou glared, but Kakashi knew that if he waited patiently, he’d speak. Eventually. There was a sigh of exasperation, and Raidou ran his hand over his well-combed hair.
“He has connections and isn’t even aware of it.” Kakashi frowned. “He grew up around social service workers and in orphanages. He knew Hiruzen and is friends with Asuma, although they don’t see each other much since Hiruzen rose in politics and Asuma distanced himself.”
“Asuma? Police Chief Asuma?”
“Is there another one, Kakashi?” Raidou sounded irritated by the interruption, and Kakashi raised his hands in a gesture of peace. “This building is also the home of Tsume and Shikaku. They are also from the force and have already been briefed on some parts of our mission, so they are allies and will keep an eye out for us.”
“So he was chosen by location and connections? Is he a good father? Did people look into it?”
“No, Kakashi,” Raidou snarled. “Tsunade gave Minato’s kid to a completely incompetent person.”
“I wouldn’t put it past her, to be honest.” He shrugged. “She sent me on this mission when I clearly have no way of succeeding at it.”
It was Raidou who stood up this time, his annoyance growing into anger. “She put you on this mission so you’d stay in the fucking case. Because upper management wanted you out, and because I fucking asked her. Now, if you are not happy, feel free to walk out.”
Kakashi learned, from years in his trade, that when facing unpredictable interactions, it was important to stop and reassess. Raidou was angry, disappointed, and offended. And logically he had a reason for it. Despite being angry and anxious himself, Kakashi understood that he had to step back to keep things from blowing out of proportion.
“You didn’t need to ask anything. I could have handled it. Now I’m stuck in this fucking place, having to play friendly neighbors with someone who has the baby of one of my dead best friends. Thank you so fucking much, Raidou.”
“Go fuck yourself.” Raidou stomped out—not out of the apartment, but into Kakashi’s bedroom. He came back with the folder containing the briefing Kakashi had avoided so much, and it was promptly launched at him. “Read this, or I’ll tell her you’re an uncooperative twat who can’t get your head out of your ass, and you’ll be on your merry way to some mission in the middle of some desert, as you deserve.”
Kakashi stopped the thing from hitting his face, grabbing it in the air and scowling at Raidou. He was ready to bite back, already getting up from the couch, when they heard a timid knock on the door. They exchanged a quick glance, postures changing immediately to a more relaxed stance.
“Maybe Tsunade is already sending someone to check on us?” Kakashi whispered.
“Go get it.” Kakashi raised his eyebrows. “It’s your fucking apartment, Hatake. Go get the door.”
Kakashi gave Raidou a dirty look before dragging himself to the door. He was sweaty and dusty. His hair was probably a mess. But he didn’t care much. Whoever Tsunade had sent to spy on them wouldn’t care about how he looked.
He opened the door with a somewhat violent pull, ready to confront a familiar face.
It was a familiar face, all right. Minato’s blue eyes were staring curiously at him, only a bit rounder, and smaller. The baby had a big container of cookies in his hands and was cradled lovingly by strong arms. Those — and Kakashi was going on deduction here — belonged to Iruka.
So, not sent by Tsunade then.
He blatantly stared at the kid, frozen in place while trying to push away the deep anguish reaching his heart. The toddler looked so much like his father. He had his mother’s lips, though.
“Hello,” Iruka said, and Kakashi’s eyes reluctantly left Naruto to gaze upon his unexpected visitor. “I’m Iruka. I live in the apartment right beside yours. I just wanted to say welcome to the neighborhood.”
Kakashi’s knuckles went white as he grabbed the door handle with more force than necessary. Raidou was right; he should have read the briefing and made a plan. Now he didn’t know how to react.
The man was looking expectantly at him, blushing slightly. Without social skills, Kakashi went to what was natural for him: studying the other’s stance and body. Strong. He held himself casually but in an assertive manner.
The way he hugged Naruto made it obvious that he cared immensely for the boy, and despite the sweater he had on—with some flour stains—his well-built frame was evident. He was strong and just a bit shorter than Kakashi himself.
Common appearance, if not for the scar on his nose that gave him a somewhat dangerous and mysterious look.
“Uh.” Naruto squeaked, shaking the cookies.
“Oh, right.” Iruka chuckled sheepishly and took the container, offering it to Kakashi. “I brought you a welcoming gift. It’s okay if you don’t like it; I can take it back.”
Kakashi’s eyes dropped to the cookies. He really didn’t like sweets that much. What should he do? Iruka cleared his throat, smiling in embarrassment and stepping back. Shit. Kakashi had to do something.
“Anyway, I came by to apologize in advance.” His voice was lower now, a sign that he didn’t feel comfortable in the situation. This is not how you make friends, Kakashi. “Naruto is having a difficult time right now, and he is being fussy. The walls here are a bit thin. So maybe you’ll hear him crying sometimes. If something bothers you, please let me know.”
“No problem,” Kakashi muttered, finally. “It’s completely normal for a baby to cry. I’m not a monster.”
Iruka’s eyes went wide. “I wasn’t implying that you—”
“I know,” Kakashi tried to smile reassuringly, taking the cookies from Naruto’s chubby hands. “Hey, buddy. Thank you for the cookies.”
Naruto’s eyes shone like little stars once he heard Kakashi’s voice, growing agitated in his guardian’s arms and waving his little hands in the air. Iruka looked shocked by the boy’s reaction.
The two adults looked at the baby for a second, stubby arms extended to Kakashi while Naruto lunged forward. Kakashi did nothing; Iruka stepped back, frowning now.
It was obvious that this wasn’t a normal reaction from Naruto.
“He must have liked you,” Iruka explained, voice unsure. “He is usually very shy.”
Kakashi nodded, unable to move from the door, cookies still in hand. He understood perfectly why Naruto was acting like this. The boy recognized him; his father had dragged Kakashi for dinner on many occasions. Shit.
Naruto wasn’t happy to be denied the attention he was so clearly demanding. He waved his arms around, lips trembling in a pout while he did all he could to reach Kakashi. Iruka looked lost.
And then the boy began screaming, “Dada!”
Kakashi watched as all the color drained from Iruka’s face. He was absolutely sure that—had he any color to begin with—he’d be pale as well. The two stayed in stunned silence as Naruto threw a fit, fat tears rolling from his eyes as he screamed for his dada, arms reaching for Kakashi.
“I’ll—” Iruka took another step back, trembling. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”
***
Raidou watched as Kakashi clung to the door as if his life depended on it, his hand going white from the death grip, staring at the spot from where Iruka had just vanished. He had been listening to the interaction and couldn’t think of a way in which it could have gone worse.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, pulling Kakashi’s hand away and closing the door.
“What do you think, Raidou? How do you think I feel?”
“Kakashi, we are not fighting right now.” Raidou ignored the way his friend growled at him and went to get him some water. “He must have associated you with Minato.”
“Well, no shit, Sherlock.”
“You really wanna fight, don’t you?” Raidou took the cookies from Kakashi and replaced them with a cup of water, hoping that the man wouldn’t just throw it at him. “Listen. I know it sounds bad, but at least we have a connection already.”
Kakashi stared angrily at him. “Connection? Do you call this a fucking connection? I made the baby cry and his father ran away.”
“Not really.” Moving to the counter, he opened the cookie container and took one. They smelled heavenly. “You have plenty of opportunities to use this to your advantage now—giving back the container, going to check on the baby, apologizing for your lack of touch.”
“My lack of—are you for real? How was I supposed to act? Go ahead, you tell me.”
“I’ll do you one better. I’ll go there and introduce myself. How about that?” Raidou smiled at Kakashi, stealing another cookie and wondering if he would get some too. “So you can learn something.”
“How about you learn not to meddle in my life? Next time they want to pull me from a case, let me defend myself.” Kakashi downed the water and stomped to his room.
Raidou didn’t mind. He understood why Kakashi was angry, and it wasn’t really because of him. Of course, his friend using him as an outlet wasn’t the most pleasant thing in the world, but that was what he was there for: to watch over Kakashi and make sure he didn’t break.
Not that he regretted offering, but hindsight was a bitch.
He finished his cookie and went to knock on Kakashi’s door; there was no answer, as predicted. He spoke anyway. “Going over there. Something you want me to say?”
“Tell them you are a dumbass.”
“Will do.”
Waiting at the door was a nerve-wracking experience. Sure, he had only seen Naruto a few times, but there was no saying if the toddler would recognize him as well. He was more socially apt than Kakashi, so he hoped to handle the situation better.
Still, things could go wrong.
He knocked one last time, deciding that if they didn’t answer now, he wouldn’t insist. He wasn’t trying to be obnoxious. Then there was the sound of keys moving in the door, and it slowly opened.
The face that looked at him was not that of a father.
Curious brown eyes peered back at him as Raidou calmly waited to be addressed. Instead, he was shamelessly stared at, the pierced man letting his eyes travel down his body with leisure, head tilting to the side with interest as Raidou’s calmness turned into wary attention. Was this guy checking him out?
He was…interesting. Braids on the side of his head and long hair styled in a way that complemented the piercings. He was wearing surprisingly normal gym clothes, and he obviously had an attitude, holding a lollipop stick between his lips.
Raidou calculated he was about twenty, so ten years younger.
When it became clear that the man wasn’t ready to talk, he took the first step. “Hello. Good afternoon, I’m Raidou. I just moved in, and I hope that I’m not bothering you with the arrangement of furniture. We’re moving things around, and it can be a bit loud.”
“Not at all,” the younger man answered, smiling coyly at him while leaning against the doorframe. “If you need help, say—perhaps with your bed? Just give me a shout.”
What?
There was some shuffling inside, and soon another face popped in at the door. This one was easy to recognize; Iruka looked at him a bit suspiciously, which was understandable. He had a small boy cradled in his arms, sound asleep, eyes still wet.
“Genma, leave the new neighbor alone,” he chided. “Sorry. He is missing something in his head. I think it is his brain.”
“Oh.” Raidou cleared his throat. “I didn’t have time to introduce myself earlier. I’m Raidou.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Raidou,” the braided man—Genma—said with a leer. “Will your wife be coming around to meet us too?” Genma moved the lollipop around, calling Raidou’s attention to his lips.
“Uh—I—”
Iruka changed the arm holding Naruto, swatting at Genma with his now free hand. “Behave.”
“I’m Iruka. This is Naruto, my son.” Iruka smiled a bit tiredly. “Please apologize to your partner for me. I just ran away, didn’t I? Naruto is adjusting, and—I… uh—”
“My partner?” Raidou frowned, ignoring how Genma was staring at him with expectant eyes. “Oh, Kakashi? He isn’t my partner; we’re friends. And don’t worry about it. Babies are funny sometimes.”
Genma smiled, leaning a bit closer. “So you’re telling me you’re single?”
Iruka groaned. “Genma, for the love of God.”
“What? I’m just getting to meet the new guy. Come on.”
“Don’t you know shame?” Iruka groaned, pulling Genma back and stepping between him and Raidou, who, at this moment, just wanted to be far from there.
“We are not on speaking terms,” came the muffled answer. Iruka rolled his eyes.
“I apologize for my brother. He isn’t the most normal human being in the world.”
“Don’t worry, Iruka. Kakashi isn’t normal either, so I don’t apologize for him, and you don’t apologize for your brother. Deal?”
Iruka chuckled. “Deal.”
“Well, I got to go, but it was a pleasure to meet you three.” He smiled pleasantly and waved, stepping back but keeping his guard up.
“Pleasure to meet you too. If you need anything, let us know.”
“Especially if you need help with that bed of yours,” Genma shouted from the back.
Raidou basically ran away.
***
“God,” Genma chirped as soon as the door closed behind him. “He is cute.”
“Don’t even think about it.” Iruka adjusted Naruto in his arms, the baby snoring softly. “He must be thirty. You’re barely twenty.”
“What? You don’t know that.” Genma took the lollipop out of his mouth and pointed at Iruka with it. “Besides, since when are you so closed-minded? Maybe I like older men, and he is twenty-eight at most.”
“You’re not dating someone my age, Genma.”
“The word ‘date’ never left my mouth.” He marched to the kitchen and took Naruto’s bottle, putting it back in the fridge. “I’m talking about sex, Iruka. And those scars are hot.”
“I don’t wanna hear about my baby brother’s sex life.” Iruka groaned and lay on the couch, Naruto on top of him. “And you’re not having a thing with a neighbor.”
“That’s not your call.” Genma shrugged, taking his place at the couch’s armrest. “Do you feel better?”
“Don’t know.” Iruka groaned, closing his eyes. “It was heartbreaking, Gem, the way Naruto reached for him and called him… he called him—”
“Hey, it’s okay. Relax.” Genma patted Iruka’s calf reassuringly. “The man must look or sound like his biological father. It’s sad, yes, but there’s no reason for you to freak out.”
“What if Naruto never calls me that?”
“You were scared I’d never call you brother, remember?” Genma smiled, pinching Iruka. “Don’t worry too much. You’re great.”
Iruka smiled. “Thank you.”
“I’m hitting the gym. Will you be fine?”
“Ko and Zumo are coming over soon. Don’t worry.”
“Right. Tell them I called dibs on the brown-haired guy.”
“Genma, they are married. They won’t be flirting shamelessly with the neighbors as you do.”
“Just making sure.”
***
“How was it?” Kakashi asked as soon as Raidou entered his apartment. The man looked stunned, a bit flushed, and was walking like the devil was behind him.
“Great,” he squealed, clearing his throat so his voice would come out normal. “Great. I met Iruka and made connections. Things are better now. You just have to go and make your move.”
“My move?”
“Kakashi…”
“Okay, okay.” Kakashi sighed. “Give back the container and be friendly.”
“Ask about the baby. Parents love to talk about their kids.”
“Sure, Raidou. I’ll ask about the baby.”
“Good.” Raidou stretched. “Now let’s get going. My apartment is still untouched.”
“Fuck.”