| [May. 25th, 2015|03:04 am] |
Pride finally won over shock, followed just a moment late by biting terror, and a part of Kakashi’s mind that always managed to stay separate and aloof, watching everything else, said, Well, what did you think you were training him for, idiot? The future was coming hard and fast, and there was no way to slow it down.
They could only celebrate tonight. And give Naruto as many happy memories to carry with him as possible. He was already starting to look a little alarmed at all the melting adults, lower lip quivering like he thought he needed to join in.
Kakashi rubbed a hand over his eye — still dry; it always was — and cleared his throat. Then he crumpled up his napkin and tossed it at Naruto’s spiky head. “Hey, tiny miscreant. Why are you upstaging my big night?”
“You could do with a bit more upstaging,” Rin said, patting Kakashi on the shoulder. “It’s good for your character.” She looked at Naruto and smiled warmly. “Well done, Naruto-kun. I’m so proud of you.”
The launched napkin had mostly confused Naruto, but Rin’s praise was a more familiar lifeline — he visibly latched onto it and looked less wobbly, clutching his father’s shirt with both hands.
Minato looked up over Naruto’s head, smiling, one hand cupped around the fragile curve of his son’s skull, tears still shining in his eyes, and mouthed, Thank you.
Kakashi smiled back. Rin left him to go rumple her hand through Naruto’s yellow spikes and press kisses to his forehead and cheeks until he giggled and demanded eagerly, “Does this mean I get cake?”
Minato laughed, only a little watery, and looked to where Ogata was standing, beaming, in the door from the kitchen. He looked back at Kakashi. “If Kakashi’ll share his.”
And just like that, the dark, grasping shadows of the future receded. Kakashi sat up in his chair. “There’s cake?”
Minato confirmed, “Chocolate.”
“You should both finish dinner first,” Rin said. “Then cake.” She booped Naruto gently on the nose, which made him go cross-eyed. He immediately shoved out of Minato’s arms and scrambled back up into his chair, grabbing his dinner plate with the air of a man prepared to deal with an arduous task for sufficient reward.
Rin chuckled and slid back into her seat. Minato hung back for a moment longer, simply looking at Naruto. It was the same look that accompanied all of Naruto’s milestones — aching pride, a little shellshock, old grief worn smooth as a river stone. Single parenthood was nothing Minato had ever planned for, though he’d risen to the occasion.
As quickly as the look arose, it washed away again, as Minato tucked it away behind a smile. He wiped his face and sat back down at the table, admonishing Naruto to chew his food, praising Ogata’s exceptional cooking, debating whether showing wind-nature at such a tender age demonstrated keen genius, since Naruto was taking after his father… |
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