#great job on the miso call out my pal!

[jlf23tumble]

I wasn’t here for the portraitofalarryonfire drama, what happened?

Yet you know the full name of the blog when I didn't fully spell it out!

[dancingthesambaa]

The Smell of Plum Blossom Tea Ch 6

Summary: Just like a butterfly wing, a single act of kindness can change the course of the future, it certainly did for MK as a black-furred monkey put out a hand towards him.

Rating: Teen and up

Chapter 6: And So It Begins

“I’m back,” MK tiredly said as he dragged his form out of the blazing sun and into the cool restaurant, “orders delivered, traffic long and people angry, but food is delivered.”

“Great, but you still have another delivery,” Pigsy replied as his back was turned.

“Just one,” he grinned, “compared to the other ten this will be a piece-,”

He slammed down 30 orders down in front of him on the already bustling counter.

“Of cake,” he deflated as he saw the monumental amount of food. “What the-Are we feeding an entire town?!”

“Close. Party, though I should have charged their ungrateful asses extra for the rush order,” he growled out, “who gives an hour warning Huh?!”

“Apparently them,” he groaned as he picked up and carried the whole load into the car.

“And when you get back, there are a dozen more orders to take care of,” Pigsy called out.

“Got it bossman,” he yelled out, then he slammed the door closed and he sat up straight with a grin, “alright this won’t be so bad.”

“BEEF? BEEF?!! I WANTED MISO! GET IT RIGHT YOU STUPID DRIVER! The voice yelled out at MK as the two stood at the doorway.

“I’m sorry but-,” he winced as he was cut off by the rude woman screech.

“You better be sorry! I could have your job for this big of a screw up! You are nothing!”

“Technically I just delivered your food,” he whispered to himself.

“What did you just say?”

“Nothing!” He put on his best service smile, “I’m very sorry about this, how about I take your food back so that I can-.”

Splat

MK watched as the woman threw down her food in a fit of rage.

“There’s your damn food, now pick it up and get me a new one,” she spat out.

MK looked down at the pile of food that Pigsy put his sweat and blood into slowly dripping off the stone stairs. He took a deep breath as he put his hand in his pocket to subtly squeeze the stress ball and looked at the woman.

“I’m not cleaning that up,” he deadpans and walks back to the car.

“What?!”

“Also,” he rolled down his window when he got in the car, “if you would like to order for a party, next time call ahead of time.” He then quickly drove off until he could no longer hear the yells of the angry woman.

He rode until he reached the grocery store, parked at the edges of the lot where there were barely any cars, unbuckled his seat belt, and laid his head on top of the wheel.

“I. Hate. People. Sometimes.” He lightly banged his head with each word then he leaned back and took out the ball and squeezed it a few times. “I really do.”

He likes to think of himself as a pretty optimistic person, after having his whole life turned around and learning things can get better, he likes to think that the world can be good. But days like these, people like those, make him really put that side of him to the test and today he very much failed that. He should be glad that he didn’t go off on her, like what Pigsy did when some dude tried to scam him or Mei when she is feeling very competitive over some a-holes, but at the same time that sounds amazing.

He squeezed the ball a little tighter.

“I really want to see Dad right now,” he muttered to himself. It would be so easy, just one yell to him and he would be over in less than a second. “I really want him right now…but I made a promise to myself that I would do this without him.”

So he took a deep breath, lifted his head, put on his music, put away his rainbow stress ball, and slowly began his drive back to Pigsy restaurant.

It was during that drive back that he got a call, “Hello?”

“Hey MK, it’s me,” he stopped as he heard Pigsy's voice, he had a feeling he knows what this is about.

“Heyyy Pigsy, I’m almost at the store,” he tried and failed, to sound casual.

“I just got off a call with a very rude customer who said that you threw down her food when she was being oh so kind,” he bluntly said, “even mentioned about assaulting her.”

“That is so not how any of that went down!” He immediately said, “she yelled at me for saying that I made her food wrong and I told her that it can be redone, but she decided to instead throw down all of that food herself and told me to clean it up! Who does that?! And all of this was after she put her hand all through that food, which is so gross by the way, I mean other people are eating that, cause I know she ain’t-,” he was cut off by Pigsy chuckles.

“You don’t need to explain anything, I know you for far too long to even think that you would put too much salt in someone's food let alone throwing it down on the ground.”

“Oh,” he calmed down as he released the tension from the wheel, “that’s good.”

“Yeah, I told it to her straight just exactly how I felt about her being an utter ass to not only myself but my employees. Let’s just say that she was not happy about that and threaten to sue,” he could almost hear him shrug.

“What no!” He tried to stand up, only to realize he was still in the car and he was still buckled up. “I am so sorry!”

“Don’t be, cause jokes on her the world we live in has become pretty up to date with security and, more importantly, security cameras,” he said with a grin, “I don’t think she’s gonna get a single cent when everything that went down was all on video.”

MK let a smile spread across his face, bless technology and all its glory. “That’s good.”

“It sure is. Do you want to take a breather when you come back? I know that woman was more than a handful that what you're used to,” he asked in concern.

“Nope,” he cheerfully said, “I am A-Ok! Just get those next orders ready for me so I can deliver!”

“Well if you're certain, get your ass back here on the double,” he said, but the teenager could tell it was more playful, “we got orders waiting to be delivered.”

“On my way!” He saluted to no one and hung up. “Alright! Let’s get a move on!”

‘Make sure to add the cohesive before the mixing,’ the voice silently thought to himself.

“It would be so easy just to make that jump, hell my youngest kit sister can make that and she’s not even a month old,” a voice bragged.

‘Combine the Feins roots with the Elia petals first to dilute the solution.’

“All I’m saying is that if you try to jump off the cliff of perils then I sure as hell am not catching you,” another voice deadpanned.

“Nahhh I would be fine.”

‘…dice the Oran berries and Pecha then add when the next stage is ready.’

“If you count being splattered into tiny little pieces fine, then, by all means, go ahead,” another voice sighed.

‘Make sure that the color is a deep orange hue and not dark yellow, that can-,’

“Ye o little faith.”

“No, you are of little sanity. Even my younger gremlins know better,” she shot back.

‘That can easily violate the substance,’

“But they don’t have the certain skills like I do,” they bragged.

‘…leading to a-,’

“It still wouldn’t be a wise thing to do,” a deep voice pointed out.

‘Leads to a-,’ his vial cracked in his hands as he was once again interrupted.

“No, but it would be fun-.”

“I swear,” everyone turned to face the irritated monkey, “to all things good in this world and the next, if you dumbasses don’t shut the fuck up in the next five seconds I will make the Piñata fiasco at the Boiling Isles look like a god damn nap compared to what I’m gonna do to you.”

“Sorry, were we disturbing you,” Yanyu cheekily said.

“You little-”

“Awwww I’m soo sorry,” Daiyu mocked.

“I swear-”

“We didn’t mean to interrupt your monologue,” Minsheng smirked, “you know it kinda reminds me of Flicker when you do that.”

“That’s it!” He slammed down his ingredients, opened his drawers, and took out a roll of duct tape, “come here you little bastards!” He yelled out as he began to chase down the three annoyances.

“Same as usual,” Bohai sighed as he drank his tea.

“One would think not to mess with Mac when he’s like this,” Ahmed commented.

“Especially when he’s in his mood.”

“Especially that.”

“Now shut it,” he proudly said as he sat on top of his third victim.

“Hey hey!” Daiyu struggled to break free, “we were trying to lighten your mood fuzzball.”

“By annoying the shit out of me,” he growled as he taped her beak shut. “Fat chance, anyone else,” he looks over to his other two remaking friends.

“I say nothing,” the jellyfish put his tentacles up in surrender.

“While they may have been a bit well-,”

“Fucking annoying,” the monkey bluntly said.

“Yes that, they did have a purpose to their madness,” the lion pointed out.

“What? What could they possibly want badly enough to annoy the absolute fuck out of me?!”

“You have empty bird nest syndrome.”

“…what?”

“I said-”

“I heard you the first time!” Macaque interrupted, “I do not have that! I am use to MK not being home day to day, so why the hell would you thi-,”

“For days,” Yanyu said once she ripped the tape off her mouth, “but not for longer than a week.”

“Same difference!”

“Nah pal it ain’t,” the bunny demon said as they chewed on their own tape, “I can see it as bright as day, you have been extra moody and hella sad these past couple of days. It’s just like mum, whenever one decides to leave the warren, she gets all glum and broody for days.”

“I am not broody!” His tail swished violently.

“But you do miss him,” Ahmed stated.

“I don’t-”

“And it’s okay if you do.”

“I don’t miss him, I can visit anytime,” he stated.

“You still miss him being there, being next to you,” the lone human gave his ponytail a playful tug and sat next to Mac, who was still sitting on top of the tied-up vulture. “Take it from a big sister, when Shu moved out to live in the dorms I was so happy for him, but as time went on I noticed that I didn’t hear his off pitch singing in the afternoon nor did I hear his voice amongst my gremlins over who gets the last brownie. I didn’t miss him, hell I could video chat with him anytime, but I missed his presence, you know.”

Macaque just gave her a hard look before sighing, “He used to hum to himself whenever he was bored,” he admitted as he got off his friend and slumped down next to her.

Yanyu just patted his shoulder as he continued.

“I know I can just visit him, but my kid is growing up, he’s learning to stand on his own and he should have his own life separate from me.”

“Yeah imma stop you there,” Sheng rolled his eyes, “you are being one over dramatic monkey right now if you think that just because he’s doing his own thing, doesn’t mean that he doesn't have time for you. Hell, you are the one demon he will always have time for no matter what.”

“But-”

“Ain’t no buts about it fuzzbrain,” Daiyu squawked out once she feared the tape off, “your hatching adores the shit out of you and if you don’t think he won’t spend time with you then you are dead wrong.”

“He should have that time to himself, he is just starting out all on his own…without me…,” he slumped in depression, but quickly shot up due to a shocking touch, “OW! FUCKING WHY BOHAI!”

“You're being an idiot,” he smugly said as he lowered his tendril.

“Thanks,” Yanyu nodded to him, “and he’s right. I know that this whole thing won’t end with this so here’s what we’re gonna do. The six of us are going to go to Qián city.”

“…why the fuck are we going to the underwater city of Shanghai?” He incredulously looked at her.

“Cause you seriously need to relax.”

“I don’t-”

“You spent most of your time in the garden or prepping medicine that you don’t need,” Ahmed calmly said as he cleaned up the mess that Mac made.

“…you may have a point, but I don’t really feel like I should leave, what if MK or Mei happens to call?” He said.

“Well one, I know damn well that your hearing exceeds that city's borders,” Sheng points out.

“Okay true.”

“And second, we have the beauty of phones, which allows people to fall from far away,” Yanyu slowly told him as if he was a child, “I taught you this in one of our first lessons.”

“Don’t patronize me,” he muttered, “but I don’t-”

“You either go willingly or Kit Kat over here is going to drag you,” she pointed to Ahmed.

“He wouldn’t-”

“I really would,” he had to stop a smile at the utter betrayal in the monkey's face.

“I could beat your ass again,” he grumbled.

“You very well could,” he agreed, “but then you would also have to go against everyone else and they will happily drag both you and me off.”

“Fine!” He throws his hand in the air.

“Got ‘em!” Sheng high-fived Yanyu.

“Told you he would cave in eventually,” the vulture grinned.

“But we are going there to strictly relax, that means no explosions, arsons, paralyzing, hacking, or prison riots.”

“What about stealing and graffitiing,” the bluenette raised her hand.

“If there assholes, be my fucking guest, but your ass better not get caught.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be more stealthy than sneaking into the police hub to get rid of the evidence,” she cockily stated.

“What?”

“What.”

“…you know what the less I know the better.”

“Good choice, so let’s get packing!” She excitedly said as she, Daiyu, Minsheng, and Bohai exited the infirmary.

“So are you gonna tell them that the game dealers there are more than likely to scam them before or after they get robbed?” Ahmed curiously asked.

“After, they need a lesson on not annoying the fuck out of me when I’m working,” he gave a mischievous grin.

“Quite rude of you,” he grinned.

“But you're smiling too.”

Ahmed chuckled lightly as the two left the infirmary.

It was a quiet day at the restaurant, the dinner rush had just ended and all that was really left to do was wait for the store to close and clean up what’s left. The only customers inside were Mei and Tang, both of whom have long since finished eating and are currently just chatting, or laying down, with MK over the counter.

“So how’re your online classes treating you?” Mei asked.

“Great!” He perked up as he took his eyes off the creepy butterfly in the corner of the restaurant, “I’m just about finished with my general study.”

“Ooo, does that mean you finally have a major in mind,” Mei leaned in.

“No I do not.” He cheerfully stated.

All of them, including Pigsy who was listening in, facepalmed.

“Mkkk,” the nineteen year old groaned.

“I knowww,” he slumped down, “but it’s hard deciding what to do for the rest of your life.”

“Well that is okay,” the historian softly said, “you're still young, you have your whole life ahead of you. Besides, college is not for everyone.”

“Yeahhh, so how’re your classes going Mei Mei?” MK turned to his friend, “I know you been taking some of the engineering courses.”

“Ugghhh, don’t get me started,” she slumped down in her seat, “I love it, but that is seriously kicking my ass right now. If I didn’t like to make sweet ass rides then I would have totally just dropped it.”

“Let me guess, for racing,” MK said as he sprayed down the counter.

“Duh, I’m gonna be so fast that when they're only halfway, I've already passed that finish line baby!” Mei screamed.

“Shhhhh,” Tang hushed as he held his head against the cool counter, “not so loud please.”

“You okay there Tang?” Pigsy asked as he moved closer to his friend, “you’ve been like that ever since you got in.”

“Yeah, it’s just this headache has been killing me and my usual medicine isn’t doing a thing,” sighed as he leaned into the warm hand touching his head.

“Doesn’t seem like you have a fever at least,” the pig mutters.

“Do you have any coughing, sneezing, nausea, or any other symptoms?” MK curiously asked as he sat up.

“I have been feeling a bit nauseous,” he murmured.

“Sharp ringing in your ears on and off?”

“Yesss,” he groaned out.

“Hmm hold on,” MK quickly went upstairs, everyone heard faint shuffling noises before he came back down as fast as he was carrying a small baggie, “Can I use your stove and teapot?”

“Go right ahead,” Pigsy agreed.

MK gave a quick smile and they all watched him make a pot of tea, but instead of teabags, he added some of the plants that were inside the bag.

“Here you go,” MK presented the tea to the historian once it was done.

Tang hesitated for a moment before accepting the cup, “…what is it?”

“Medicine. Drink,” he gave him a wide-eyed look.

“...alright,” he shrugged his shoulders and joked, “if this kills me, just burn my corpse.”

“Drink,” MK commanded once more.

Tang drank his tea instead of retorting back and his eyes widen at the taste of it.

“Are ya dead?” Mei asked.

“Feel the poison seeping in,” the pig demon joked.

“This is really good,” he complimented MK and he began to drink more.

“Thanks, it’s Dad’s special recipe diluted when it comes to dealing with migraines,” he happily announced.

“Diluted? I can already feel my migraine already going away, how bad is his if this is diluted?” Tang asked with much concern.

MK grimace as he shared a look with Mei. He can’t help the memories all filtering in of his father lying in bed clutching onto the headphones as it tightly covered all six of his ears. There is never a pattern to when this happens, but he knew to keep a pot of tea hot and a bowl of mango or other non-citrusy fruit available on those days.

“It’s pretty bad,” was all he said.

“Oh,” both adults shared a look before Tang put on a grin as he slurped down his tea, “well this really works, what in it?”

“It’s Feverfew Tea with some Pika berries,” said MK.

“I’ve heard of Feverfew, but I don’t think Pika rings a bell,” Pigsy hummed totally missing Mei’s shocked face.

“Why I never-,”

“No, it’s not pokemon,” MK quickly shut that down before she got to her rant.

‘’Awww,” she deflated.

“It’s from Kunlun peak.”

Tang immediately choked on his tea, “AK! Did you just say Kunlun peak!”

“Yep!”

“What’s so special about that,” she glumly asks.

“Mount Kunlun is known to be a mythical mountain that hikers and historians have been searching for centuries,” Tang began, “It’s said to hold both mythical animals and plants, each having extraordinary potential within them as even the Gods from above go down there for certain herbs and items needed for their potions. It just lays there on top of the highest peak, but no person nor demon has ever had a straight map leading there and you’re telling me your Dad, Macaque, went there?!”

“He goes there a few times a year,” the teenager proudly says.

He looks down at his tea with sparkles in his eyes, “I’m drinking magic tea made from the legendary mountain,” he gave a big slurp as he inhaled it and stood up.

Pigsy eyed the drink, neither teenager knew if it was in envy or jealousy.

“But I’m impressed MK,” Mei playfully punched his shoulder, “look at you being all smart about medicine.”

“Well I hear Dad mutter on and on about different types of herbs and their properties on a day to day basis, that it eventually gets stuck in my head you know,” he joked then he paused as an interesting thought occurred to him, “wait a moment.”

They all watch MK have a silent conversation to himself, complete with waving hands, multiple facial expressions, draw a few sketches on his notepad, and finish with a final glow of his eyes as he leaped up in the air.

“That’s it!”

“What’s it?” The owner said.

“Why didn’t I think of this before!”

“Think of what before?” The historian asked.

“It was seriously in front of me this entire time!”

“MK, I swear if you don’t tell us what’s up right now I am not liable to my next actions,” Mei threatened.

“I can be a Doctor!” He leaned forward in excitement, “or at least something along those lines!”

“You can be pop’s assistant!” Mei started to get excited alongside him, “how the hell did I not think of it either?!”

“I don’t know!”

“It does suit you,” the demon agreed. He knows the kid is smart, he has seen his grades, so it’s not far fetched to assume that he can do this rigorous task. “Hope you have good study habits, I know mines was absolute garbage back in school.”

“With notecards and all,” MK hates studying, his brain goes brrr during those times, but he can’t thank Yanyu and Bohai enough for teaching him different tricks to help keep focus. “Now I’m thinking maybe of being a pharmacist, cause I don’t think I do well with surgery.”

“There are also the ones who diagnose the disease using the X-ray thingie,” she snapped her finger as she tried to remember.

“Radiologist,” Tang called out.

“Yeah that!” She pointed to him.

“Ooo that also sounds interesting,” MK and Mei continued their animated talk as both adults watched.

“It’s nice to see them so happy,” the noodle lover let out a content smile as he drank some more of his tea.

“I hear that,” Pigsy then looked at the man cup in confusion, “by the way you’ve been drinking, I thought you would have already been finished by now.”

“With my first cup yes, I’m on my third one now.”

“How in the-I didn’t even see you leave this area!”

“Magic tea is magic,” was all Tang said.

Pigsy exploded, “That doesn’t explain shit!”

“Well too bad,” he gave a loud slurp once more.

SLURPPP

“You know what, two can play that game,” the human was confused when the pig demon got up and left the room. He was no longer confused as he came back with a cup of tea in hand.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Tang threatened the pig.

The pig looked him straight in the eye and, with a sly smirk, drank down the tea.

SLURRPP

“You heathen!” He shrieked as he banged his hands on the counter and stood up, “how dare you drink my magic tea!”

“Well next time don’t be rude as fuck!” He shot back and got in his face as well.

“That’s rich coming from you!”

“Says the freeloader!”

“Oh here we go again! You know, if you wanted some tea you could have asked!”

“My stove, my cups, my pot, mine.”

“But it was made for me!”

“Yeah well-wait hold up, you feel better right,” Pigsy dropped his screaming as he softly asked his friend, “no drill pounding in your head?”

“Yeah I’m fine now, it really does work miracles,” Tang also lowered his voice.

“That’s good.”

“…they really do act like an old married couple,” Mei announces, MK facepalmed as both adults separated from each other and yelled.

“WE ARE NOT!”

“I’m really sorry about such short notice,” the panda bear demon on call apologized once more to Macaque as he was quickly gathering his ingredients.

“Don’t apologize, shit like this happens,” he waved him off, “I’ll take me a couple of days, a week at max, but I’ll be there before the poison reaches its peak.”

“Thank you,” the panda bowed to him.

“Make sure to store away any semblance of caffeine, alcohol, or anything high in potassium, those are the fastest ways to speed up the process,” he instructed him.

“I’ve been meaning to take away Mink coffee stash, now I have a reason,” he chuckled, “I’ll see you soon.”

“Will do bossman,” he hung up the call and called another number as he continued to pack. Once it picked up he put a smile on his face, “Hey Comet, how’s it going?”

“Good!” The twenty year old happily responded. “You wouldn’t believe it, but the classes are actually kinda easy to understand. They’re still tricky, especially the tests, but Yanyu was right about you teaching this. It made almost all my classes so much easier thanks to you.”

“Aww, that’s another one for my ego,” he joked then he put on a more serious tone, “but I didn’t just call you here for a chat kiddo.”

“Why what’s up? Is there something wrong?” MK suddenly asked as he leaned in, “Do I have to get Mei here and help kick some asses?!”

“Snrk, no nothing like that,” he let out a snort, “you know Po right?”

“Yeah, he’s the panda demon who comes in to get pain relief, muscle relaxants, and other types of medicine for his students? Does this have something to do with him?”

“Close, his disciples messed up big time and accidentally inhaled a bunch of toxic fog when they faced off against an elephant demon.”

“How can an elephant make poison?” MK questioned.

“Magic can do the weirdest of things, I mean I’m a monkey that can do shadow magic,” he pointed out.

“True, okay so he’s gonna come over to pick up the antidote? I don’t see what’s the big problem?”

“Here’s the bad part, Po can’t make a round trip, cause the time he gets back, all of his students…might not be alive,” he gently told him.

“…oh, so what’s gonna happen?”

“Well, I’m going to have to make a house call, which means I'm gonna have to go away for a bit and it’s pretty far, so I won’t be able to hear you.”

“…okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay!” MK gave a big grin to him, “Don’t you worry bout a thing! I’m an adult now Dad, I will be just fine!”

“You have grown up,” he gave a gentle smile, “I’m glad to hear that, but remember to call if there’s any trouble. I may be far, but I will come running if you need it.”

“I will! Now finish packing and save some lives!”

“I will, I’ll see you in two weeks shooting star.”

“See ya later old man!”

Macaque hung up the call with a smile as he resumed his packing. He wished he could have hugged his kid goodbye, but he was in a time crunch as he zipped everything up and quickly jumped out of the treehouse and began to move within the shadows of the trees.

He really does love his shadow powers during these times.

“Duh du Duh,” MK hummed out as he danced his way over to the food delivery destination with the headphones blaring in his ears. He then lifted it to call out the order name when he heard a silky voice interrupt.

“It feels like I waited for an eternity for this moment, is everything in order?”

“Just making the final adjustment mother,” another voice replied and this is when he opened his eyes to see that this was no ordinary food order as an ominous group stood before him.

“Nope,” he immediately whispered as he silently jetted off to hide behind a pile of rocks, but he peaked his head carefully out to see and his eyes widened.

“Finally after all this time,” the woman continued.

‘No way.’

“We have the means to lift Monkey King staff.”

‘It is!’

Standing before them all, wrapped in vibrant viridian vines and burrowed underneath a garden left untouched by the destruction laid around it, was the legendary Monkey King staff.

Things were about to get interesting.

No joke, the delivery scene with the lady is something I had to experience before. There are people who truly treat food workers lower than dirt, which is stupid to me cause why would you disrespect the people making your food? It’s like insulting the people who manage your money.

[365-money-diary]

DAYS 36-42

DAY THIRTY-SIX [FEB 6]

8:30 AM - Make a chemex and get to work.

10:00 AM - Pineapple!

12:45 PM - Heat up cheesy red lentil soup for lunch with a La Croix. 

4:00 PM - Do a 10-minute Peloton ride and a barre class. Barre class gets interrupted as I get text updates for the grocery order. I kind of end up half-assing it toward the end but I’m glad I got it done. 

5:45 PM - Prep the kitchen for the grocery order – incoming of bread, greens, tomatoes, onions, garlic, tempeh, tofu, tortillas, tortilla chips, pretzels, apples, jalapenos, lemons, limes, cabbage, cilantro, vegan sour cream, rice, chickpeas, pinto beans, frozen burritos, bell peppers, eggs, parsley, ginger, BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce, grapes, sprouts, brussels sprouts, green beans, miso, cloves, frozen pizzas, hamburger buns, plant yogurt, cucumber, carrots, chipotle seitan sausages, tomato paste, broccoli, bananas, celery, potatoes, clementines, hashbrowns, red lentil pasta, dijon, seltzer, pineapple, dark chocolate, strawberry jam, vegetable bouillon, zucchini, mushrooms, dried oregano, radish, & snap peas. $342.39

7:00 PM - roast potatoes and make veggie sandwiches. Drink a hibiscus mezcal cocktail too. MAX RELAX for the rest of the eve. It’s Friday baby!

 DAY THIRTY-SIX: $342.39

DAY THIRTY-SEVEN

9:30 AM - Slept in weird vibes. Feel tingly when I stand which means blood pressure is bad. We are seeing friends today and I don’t want to power through it so I just drink some soy sauce. It does wonders and I’m feeling better within 30 minutes. Make a Chemex and watch an episode of dessert person.

10:30 AM - Head out to our pals’ house (If you read my last diary series, they’re the people we used to go to Suns games with) in uptown Phoenix for an outside hang. We meet their new baby and he is super cute. Hang out 10 feet apart and it feels so normal and chill. I also find out that I apparently qualify for the vaccine because I work to facilitate education, so I need to look into that.

2:45 PM - K and I haven’t eaten today and we’re starving. We split a Daiya pizza and eat snack on chips and salsa while we wait. I also eat a clementine. 

5:30 PM - Feel my body starting to fade and I’m kind of barred out. Decide to walk to the lake. I do a bad job of getting my HR up but I still enjoy my time outside. 

8:00 PM - I’m not hungry at all from all the salt. Decide to eat a small bowl of cheesy lentil soup for dinner but mostly just pound the water while working on a post for oil-free Greek dressing.

8:30 PM - I notice someone posts a sample sale for Splits 59 which is one of my favorite workout brands. I’m hitting 250 Pure Barre classes this week and use it as an excuse to celebrate. Buy 2 pairs of leggings and a cute tank. $70

10:00 PM - Definitely at that point in the day where I feel like I’m just passing time.

DAY THIRTY-SEVEN TOTAL: $70.00

DAY THIRTY-EIGHT

8:45 AM - Spend some time in bed adjusting my fantasy bball team. Still set to be undefeated in the more competitive league. Eventually make a chemex and post my oil-free greek dressing around the web. 

10:30 AM - I listen to a session on Mined, cook brunch (tofu/egg tacos with soyrizo) and and frantically get ready for M’s baby’s 1st bday. 

1:05 PM - Arrive at the party… what I thought was going to be just me, M, his wife, his mom, and his kid is actually them plus 6 other people hanging in the backyard. Not my favorite thing I’ve had to deal with this pandemic. Everyone is outside/masked. I learn that 2-3 of them have already been vaxxed but it’s still kind of a weird situation for me. I know if K was with me it would be bad news, so I am grateful he stayed behind today.

2:00 PM - Hightail it outta there once 4 more people show up. Listen to music really loud in the car and scream some lyrics on my way home. Feels good man.

2:45 PM - Continue listening to tunes at home, digging thru my Spotify discover weekly for the first time in a while and building a set that I want to record sometime next week.

3:15 PM - K’s brother and wife stop by and we do an outside masked hang with them for about an hour and a half. We haven’t seen them since December of 2019 so this is really really great.

6:00 PM - K and I keep talking about getting takeout but nothing sounds good so we just decide to do veggie sandwiches and potatoes. Drink wine.

7:00 PM - I decide to work on my tax stuff all evening instead of exercising. It takes 2 hours but I get all of my stuff together and send it to the guy. Pour myself a celebratory glass of wine after.

10:00 PM - K and I watch Beverly Hills Ninja in bed. I’d never seen it before and it was so good.

DAY THIRTY-EIGHT TOTAL: $0

DAY THIRTY-NINE

8:00 AM - Chemex. Pure barre weekly charge. $15

10:00 AM - A local bar down the street has been closed since March and a pal posts a GFM on their behalf. I donate to it. Eat a banana and a clementine $50

11:30 AM - Prep salad for the week - greens, gochujang tempeh, miso dressing, soba noodles, snap peas, carrots, and cucumber. Finish about 2 minutes before a call and I’m scrambling to appear composed.

5:30 PM - Do a pure barre livestream while K runs to go pick up dinner from a local vegan spot. K gets a fried chicken seitan sandwich and I get a burger. It’s really really delicious and I’m super stuffed after.

DAY THIRTY-NINE TOTAL: $65

DAY FORTY

8:30 AM - Chemex. Work is still kind of wild but I make a lot of progress on my report this AM so I’m feelin’ good there.

9:30 AM - Banana and clementine.

12:00 PM - Salad.

4:30 PM - Try to do a PB live stream (my 250th class) but Zoom’s server is being weird so I do a 30 min Peloton ride instead with a 5 min stretch.

6:00 PM - Veggie sandwiches with potatoes for din again. 

8:00 PM - A friend from highschool, N, and I chat and it’s really really great. I drink 2 glasses of wine while we catch up. 

DAY FORTY TOTAL: $0

DAY FORTY-ONE

8:30 AM - Oof my quads are sore. Make a chemex.

10:00 AM - Eat a banana.

11:00 AM - We’ve been dragging on the KN95 thing but decide to go for it today. Buy a pack of 50 in assorted colors, some Healthy Blood iron from Garden of Life, and poop bags for the dog. (Counting this expense as “home”) $98.04

12:00 PM - Spend time doing an analysis that doesn’t really tell me much but it was worth looking into. Eat gochujang tempeh salad

2:00 PM - I have a zoom scheduled with a work pal who I haven’t seen in forever. She tells me (much like the few others) that we qualify for the vaccine. I decide to make the appointment based on her feedback and after 40 minutes of messing with the system was able to get in on Feb 19.

5:00 PM - Take my 250th Pure Barre class! I am sweaty and it’s great.

6:45 PM - K isn’t really hungry so I eat the last of the red lentil soup.

7:30 PM - We have plans to see a friend in town from Ohio. Meet up with him at his hotel and sit on the front patio masked up for a while. I am mostly cold and have to pee.

9:45 PM - We arrive back home. I snack on a few pretzels, drink a glass of wine, eat some grapes and some dark chocolate.

DAY FORTY-ONE TOTAL: $98.04

DAY FORTY-TWO

8:30 AM - Chemex. My allergies are bad this AM. Send emails out - looks like my tax return is going to give me $1200 but then I owe $200 on my state. I always owe on state. One day… Also send a note to the loan guy who says I’m definitely going to close tomorrow at 8AM so we shall see.

10:30 AM - Tax invoice comes in. $220

11:00 AM - Boil some more soba noodles for salads. I’m basically going to be in meetings until 4:30 PM today so I’m trying to get ahead of all my stuff. Also do a check for all of the house painting things that came over the past week. Looks like it’s all here and I can start painting this weekend!

12:00 PM - Make salad in between calls and crack open a La Croix.

4:30 PM - My calls are done, do a 10 minute Peloton climb ride and then do a Pure Barre stream.

8:00 PM - Eat the last of the veggie sandwiches for dinner. Drink 2 glasses of wine and some dark chocolate. Something about tonight is off in my brain. I don’t have the capacity to be productive so I just watch episodes of The Challenge on my laptop while K plays Rocket League.

DAY FORTY-TWO TOTAL: $220

[humblereflection]

Red Strings and Soulmates and What Nonsense

I present to you! Another Kakairu soulmate fic! I dedicate this one to my cool pal Tori @the-gloamglozer who has written several fics starring these dads in my dedication already - which i still can’t believe and cry about on the daily. who also supports dumb tweets about dumb aus and tramp stamps on characters who would probably not have tramp stamps

this one is about 5000 words, give or take a few, and may be in a state of need for major editing, but until it gets up on a03, this is how it is.

please enjoy my ramblings. 

It’s been a busy year; fixing the village, seeing Naruto and Hinata wed, forming proper alliances with countries they’ve been amicable with. Kakashi thinks he’s doing a great job so far, despite the shit fest they all had to go through to get him to sit in the hokage’s chair.

He’s listening to the little ham radio he had set up in the office, the music keeps the room from running silent, keeps him from drifting into small and sad thoughts about the wars. He starts tapping his fingers in beat with the pianos and horns while he looks over his new stack of paperwork, and feels a little bit at peace.

There’s a knock at the door, a light rap, and it’s news but not too urgent. He allows their entry.

“Kakashi,” Shikaku greets, a light nod and he makes his way to the little radio, “there’s something you need to hear,” they turn the little knobs and wade through the static until they get the station he wants.

“- There have been claims from the general public that there’s been sighting of red threads tied around your little fingers. Like the myth, Red Strings of Fate, they’re calling them, or Strings for short. So if you follow your little red string, you’ll find your soulmate at the other end.

“They aren’t happening to everyone all at once, oh no, just a few at a time get this sight, I wouldn’t believe it myself, but the station manager ran out yesterday when, he had seen his own String plain as day -” Shikaku tunes it out and looks to Kakashi.

Kakashi is at a loss as to what to say. Sounds like something out of a fantasy, a romance novel, something he’s read in an Icha Icha novel. He doesn’t think this is real, but a story being read over the radio.

“Shikamaru experienced it yesterday too,” Shikaku says, “it went past the village walls.”

Kakashi frowns at that. Shikamaru is the top of his year, wouldn’t make this up even if someone had paid him to - he’s far too logical.

“That could mean anything at all,” Kakashi states.

“I found my wife at the end of my own three days ago.”

Kakashi has nothing to say to that. “Do we know anything else?” he asks instead.

“Other than the civilian reports, nothing.”

“Find out as much as you can,” Kakashi decides, “I don’t want to end up a trap.” Shikaku nods, and while Kakashi tries to ignore the exasperated sigh that escapes the man’s lips, he’s been through enough strife to be wary of traps. He dismisses Shikaku.

Soulmates.

He turns to look out the window, and doesn’t believe this hocus pocus to be more than some new trap or something funny in the water. Logically makes no sense.

There’s a knock on the door, confident but hides no messages, he allows entry to the man.

Umino Iruka walks through the door and Kakashi is confused. Their shogi game isn’t for another week, and it’s too early for tea.

“Kakashi-san,” Iruka greets with a light bow that Kakashi has tried to dismiss for months now, “Nara Shikaku sent me here.” Of course, Shikaku arranged this. Send in the most amicable ninja to do recon for this task.

“Is it Naruto? Do you have a mission for me?”

With his friendliest of smiles, Kakashi waves off the questions and tells the man what he is to do.

There are cases from all over Konoha, about people finding red strings tied around their little fingers, tying them to another soul. Is it a new genjutsu? An enemy of Konohagakure? These are his first questions. They made sense. It was right to fear for the worst possible thing. To jump to and dwell on.

Iruka thought that was foolish, but set to find out regardless.

He sent his best genjutsu users to try to break it. They found nothing. Could have meant it was just a really good genjutsu. The look he receives leaves him sleepless for nights until Iruka fixes him some tea.

He sends Ibiki to find something out, learn anything he can about the phenomenon. He had high hopes for this tactic at uncovering the truth about the red lines. Until I&T came back with a shrug, but bearing a very detailed report. He thanked them for their effort and dismissed the mission.

Iruka gives him such a smug look, Kakashi figures out ten ways to wipe it off his face in the time it takes him to hand him his new report on the red strings.

“Here,” he says, “a civilian report.”

After a quick leaf through, Kakashi thanks him for his work, and dismisses the mission altogether.

Some weeks after his initial, healthy paranoia, the letters started to arrive. Why it took so long for everyone to question the sudden appearance, this new sense, this sudden ability to find one's soul mate, he’ll never understand. But regardless, it confirms that it’s worldwide, and for that, he’s a little grateful.

But to every good, there is a bad and the letters, in various levels of discreteness, ask him if he’s seen his own thread.

Which is stupid. He believes he won’t get one. He knows he won’t have one. There is no one who he wants to burden with being tied to him.

There’s a shout from the other room, Iruka has found the teapot and Kakashi bites his lip.

He responds to the letter, detailing everything he knows about the Strings, the age range, the disregard for sex or gender identity and the lack of confinement to their own walls. He doesn’t mention his status, it’s not important.

Kakashi finishes writing the letters and leans back into his chair to flick through his favourite copy of Icha Icha.

He watches Iruka walk back into the room, catches the roll of his eyes when he sees his reading material, watches as he brews them a fresh pot of tea, taking in every miniscule detail of the ceremony.

He sets the tray onto Kakashi’s desk, placing a cup in his reach, “You’re tense,” he observes, “it’s harmless. You’ve proven it’s harmless.” He means the red strings and Kakashi only wants to believe his words. He wants to take this in the same stride Iruka is, and just trust fate knows what it’s doing.

“Can’t be too relaxed when you’re looking out for a whole village of trained soldiers,” he replies instead. To which he received a very “done with your shit” huff and a comfortable silence.

He could enjoy this all day, he thinks, and selfishly takes, and holds on to this moment every other moment like it, to keep him floating.

He closes his eyes when he notices Iruka look to his fingers.

__________________________________________

It’s been several weeks since the phenomenon began, and Iruka has watched as his friends and coworkers find their soul mates. Izumo and Kotetsu find themselves stuck together for life, it seems and really, no one found that surprising. Iruka listens to Anko’s half-drunken ramblings when she sits herself under his kotatsu, and bemoans the current events. He consoles her and watches with amusement as she finds the I&T commander Ibiki at the other end of her Thread some days later. He does not care for the sex life she tells him about afterwards.

Sometimes he’ll catch himself glancing down at his pinky, wondering what kind of person fate has matched him with, but other than that, he isn’t bothered. He’s not sure if it’s all nonsense, fumes, or real, but whatever, he thinks, people are happy.

He sets aside his paperwork and sets to make some dinner. After looking over the contents of his fridge, he decides he’s in the mood for eggplant miso and gets to work. Not long after he sets his eggplant to boil, there’s a bang at the door.

Naruto races into Iruka’s apartment, his eyes budding with tears and Iruka is very much concerned.

“I found them,” he breathes and grin widening.

“Congratulations,” Iruka responds without a blink and a smile growing on his own face.

The boy, no, young man Iruka corrects, shakes his head fervently and starts speaking, but it’s too fast and Iruka isn’t sure he can keep up.

“You have multiple?” Iruka gets out at long last.

A confident nod and a blinding smile, “Yeah! It goes short for a bit, but then sort of splits off into a bunch of directions. I found Hinata and Sakura, and they seem pretty okay about sharing a soul mate, cause it seems Sakura and Ino are also tied together? I don’t know, it’s weird. Anyway, I followed the other two, but they go past the village walls. I found Sakura at one of the spots, she’s got another soulmate too, so I think that one’s Sasuke…”

Naruto goes silent, lost in conflicting feelings about that, no doubt, but there’s something else. Something Iruka is sure has to relate to the unknown soul he’s tied too.

So Iruka smiles that encouraging smile he does that makes you feel like you aren’t rambling your tongue off and Naruto finds the courage to continue.

“I need to know who that last one is. Ya know, I have a gut feeling it’s who I think it is, but you can’t send a letter like “so yeah, I think you’re my soulmate,” can you.” He laughs and Iruka resists messing up his hair. He loses the battle, and ruffles the blonde locks as he laughs.

“I was making dinner, would you like some-” he turns to the kitchen to find his miso over boiled and very unappetizing. “Nevermind” he says, and Naruto makes a comment that he’s just as bad as Kakashi-sensei. He scoffs at that. Kakashi would have at least finished the task before getting caught up in Naruto’s loud presence.

“Well, ok,” Iruka starts and looks at the boy. Really looks. This child has endured so much loneliness and here he is, brimming with so much love and acceptance towards the world that had wronged him. He kinda tears up thinking about it.

“Ichiraku’s, eat all you want, my treat.” he says, rubbing his eyes with his arm.

“Ah! Iruka-nii, don’t cry!” Naruto panics, waving around unsure how to console him

“But I love you so much and am so happy for you!” he chokes out a sob.

Naruto settles for a hug is the best medicine, and embraces him “thanks dad,” he says softly, and honestly, it just sets off more tears.

As they walk out the door, Iruka notes to give Kakashi a new report on soulmates, how they don’t just tie two people together.

_________________________________________________

There’s a loud knock on the front door, and before he can get up to answer it, Naruto barges in loudly announcing his arrival, and oh, there’s Sakura chastising him.

“Kakashi-sensei!” the boy sings and Kakashi sighs, resigns himself to a not quiet night, and gets up.

“And what do I owe the pleasure?” he drolls as he enters the main room.

His students grin cheekily, “we came for some tea.” And Kakashi just shakes his head as he saunters off to prepare a pot.

Minutes later, they’re all seated and drinking their fresh tea, Kakashi is exhausted of the small talk, and asks why they really came to visit him at nine in the evening.

He’s greeted with silence, but it’s not too heavy and he thinks if he tried enough, he could hear them conspire together in their heads, some sort of telepathy they had going on, he’s tired of it and knows this isn’t a social call. They’re up to something and he’s on edge for it.

“We’re soulmates,” they say in unison.

Oh.

Okay.

Well he wasn’t, in any life time, prepared for that announcement. He knew Naruto was going to tell him he and Hinata were getting married, it was as if they were wearing shirts that said they were married the whole time they were together. But this, this was all to new. Too foreign for his tastes.

And what about Hinata, Naruto had just married the girl not just a couple weeks ago -

“Not just with each other!” Sakura quickly adds when Kakashi doesn’t make any sort of apparent acknowledgement. “With other people too.”

Well that’s something none of his reports mentioned.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m also with Hinata and two other people who live outta the village.” Naruto counts off his fingers. He suddenly pales and starts mumbling something about his worries about Hinata when the red strings started showing up.

Kakashi waves him off. Nonsense. He turns to face Sakura, “and yourself?”

He must have used too much hokage magic, because she straightens like a whip and nods, “I have Ino and someone else outside as well.”

“Do you think…” he starts, wants to finish his sentence, wants to ask if they think Sasuke is their soulmate outside the walls.

Naruto’s musings silent to hear the unspoken question and Sakura bites her lip.

“Yes.” They say, with a confident nod.

He lets out a sigh he doesn’t know he was holding.

“Well, you’re here now. Do you want something to eat? I just made some miso with eggplant.”

Naruto barks out a laugh to that for some reason, nothing about what he just said was funny. So they opt to ignore his sudden giggle fits.

“I’m good thanks,” Sakura smiles, “Ino and I just had dinner.”

“Same, but Iruka treated me to ramen.” Naruto manages between a shit eating grin, “It was all I could eat.”

Iruka. He was told first. Kakashi figures he’s jealous. The last to learn. He’d like it more if he were first on the list, or if they were told at the same time. Yes, together, it wouldn’t be fair to the other man if he wasn’t informed first. He after all was there for Naruto first.

“You’re gonna eat that man out of house and home,” Sakura scolds her soulmate and Kakashi just smiles to that.

The rest of the night they share stories and Naruto recalls Haku and Zabuza, and wonders if they were tied by a red string as well.

When they’re putting their shoes on, Naruto is laughing about how when he told Iruka, the man forgot to turn off the stove so he had ruined his eggplant miso.

Kakashi decides that yeah, that is pretty funny and chuckles.

He sees them off and faces the rest of the night tossing between what-ifs and why-nots.

_______________

Iruka’s supervising the playground during lunch, keeping an eye out for hidden weapons and trips that hurt too much for small children, when he feels a familiar presence stroll up besides him.

“Good afternoon Kakashi-san,” Iruka greets, taking a moment to turn away from the swarm of untrained ninja, to dip a little bow.

“‘Afternoon to you too, sensei,” Kakashi watches with amusement as his hair bobs and doesn’t blink as Iruka deflects a stray kunai heading towards his face. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Iruka’s cheeks burn up to that. He can’t say “it’s automatic around pre-genin,” or “it’s my duty,” or even “can’t have a pre-genin arrested for assaulting the hokage, can we,” because the man will be insufferable with any of those responses, and there’s only twenty minutes left to lunch and getting into a row with the rokudaime isn’t on his itinerary for the day.

So he settles for small talk instead, “And what brings our hokage to the academy on such a fine day?” he asks just loud enough for the children closest to hear.

Kakashi picks up at the loudness of the question, too loud for a quiet conversation between adults and he visibly winces when a child screams a greeting.

Kakashi sends him a look. Iruka takes pleasure in the look of pure disdain captured in his fish like gaze.

Children crowd around Kakashi’s feet, jumping for questions from the coolest ninja in the village - who isn’t Naruto. Iruka tosses him such a smug look and all Kakashi wants to do wipe it off his face. Honestly, he thinks he’s handling it pretty well. He hasn’t left yet, that’s a very good sign.

“Naruto found his soulmates” Iruka chirps.

“I heard.” Kakashi nods as he lets a young Inuzaka hang off his arms, “Hinata, Sakura and Sasuke, right.” Naruto and Sakura had told him just the other night.

“Don’t forget the kazekage,” Iruka supplies.

That’s news to Kakashi. But it makes sense. The brat had just taken a mission to Suna, sneaky devil, he was using it at an excuse to get out of the village to follow the string.

“My bad, I’m still shocked about it.”

The man laughs and it sends a jolt of electricity and warms feelings straight to his heart.

“Naruto only told me last night, he sent a frog to deliver the letter.” Kakashi doesn’t pout under his mask. Wasn’t he at Naruto’s wedding to Hinata as a father figure? Rude not to share his news.

Iruka must have a bloodline limit that can see past fabric or into his mind, because Kakashi is sure there’s no trace of emotion on his face, but the teacher tells him not to worry.

“Naruto knows you’re ‘super busy’ with hokage stuff. He said to tell you if I saw you before he got back.”

Well, that was considerate. “The mission said it would be a month long excursion.”

Iruka shrugs, “being a kage is busy work and he’s sure there’s no time for social visits.”

“We meet every week for shogi. And we have tea at three almost every day. You’re on the board as Head Academy Administrator,” Kakashi lists, raising a brow.

Iruka shrugs, “Naruto doesn’t know how we live our lives, just the big parts. That I train pre-genin and that you run the village nin. That we both love him as if he were our own son.”

Kakashi is sure that last part isn’t meant for their nine year old audience. He’s sure that statement is for tea time, just before Iruka goes home for the night and leaves Kakashi tossing in bed, trapped in that thought and it’s implications.

He’s read too much Icha Icha he decides as the man quarrels the children out from under Kakashi’s feet. But he’s pretty sure he wouldn’t mind any of what that statement implies.

______________________________________________

One summer's day, Kakashi finds himself neglecting the towering pile of paperwork on his desk in favour of rereading his (current) favourite Icha Icha novel. It's the one with the young medic nin that saves the life of a mysterious masked stranger who turns out to be on the enemy forces. They disregard their warring factions and find themselves falling in love. He's not sure why he loves this particular volume so much; if it's because they're a homosexual couple, or the strange likeness the young ninja has with a friend of his, it's uncertain.

He's reading the part where the two ninja cross into no man's land and are finding out what two men in a single bed roll are capable of when there's a light squeeze, a burning sensation, a tingle, around his pinky. He pays it no mind but then the realization hits him like a bucket of cold water. Peeking out from behind the pages, he checks over his little finger and sure as he's alive, there it is, the red thread.

His stomach drops and he might just throw up: it can't be real. What did he do to deserve this.

But there's hope he thinks. He feels it in his stomach, a pang, a surge of hope that makes him feel just a little woozy.

There’s a knock at the door and before they can announce themselves, he's gone.

He appears a few feet from the academy and his thread is heading directly for it. His throat tightens and he follows, feeling as if he’s running.

It's late in the day, the only teachers left at the school now should be the workaholics - and he banks on that fact, prays to what god's remain, that the soul at the end of this string is who he thinks it is. He doesn’t know what he’d do if it isn’t who he thinks it to be. Can’t see himself with any other probability, maybe Gai, but the man had found that his own string went out of the country and requested Lee to assist him in following it. They wouldn’t be back for at least another week. He holds his breath as he passes through the entrance to the school.

He finds himself chanting “last door on the left, last door on the left, last door on the left” as he leisurely strolls through the corridors of the school, and he has to bite his tongue to chastise, to calm himself. No use in getting his hopes up so high.

He sees the thread pass through the last door on the left and in that moment, he's suddenly through the door and there is Iruka, caught up in grading papers, the man hasn't noticed the searing pain emanating through his pinky finger, let alone the deep red thread tying them together.  

He opens his mouth to greet Kakashi and he feels like he's drowning. He needs to leave. Get some air. To breathe. He vanishes.

______________________________________________

“And what brings the hokage to my classroom on this beautiful day?” Iruka grins, not glancing up from the bad grammar on a pop quiz about the practicality of using jutsu to clean. He expects Kakashi to sit on a desk, most likely his own, and state that it isn’t a beautiful day because he’s having such and such issue, just to keep himself entertained while Iruka struggles to send him away with new injuries.

He’s scribbling notes on his paper for a few moments before he looks up to find out why Kakashi hasn’t spoken yet.

Iruka finds nothing but an empty classroom and silence. Strange, didn’t Kakashi just walk in? He could have sworn the man was just here.

There’s a burning squeeze around hs pinky and he laughs, “Oh,” following the red string trail out of the classroom and into the corridor, “I didn’t notice.”

He has a sneaking suspicion that the hokage wasn’t here for a social call. And that thought leaves him feeling a little bit bitter. What a coward his soulmate is sometimes. He sighs and rubs the back of his neck, wearily looking over the work he knows he won’t get done now. Now he has to track down a ninja and lecture them about how running away from battles isn’t beneficial for warriors. And maybe smack them upside the head. And just maybe kiss them. Just maybe, and he doesn’t fight the smile that breaks over his face as he throws his papers into his bag and races out the door to track down the stupid ninja.

He doesn’t find him for four days. The man is evading his every step and all Iruka wants to do is scream from atop hokage mountain, bellowing out to the entire populace that his soul mate the Rokudaime Hatake Kakashi is stupid and he wishes the man’s Icha Icha collection burn.

But that's ridiculous. He can't do that. He's a grown man not a young hot blooded boy.

So he settles for pranks. He rigs the places Kakashi will be with eraser chalk bombs, spreads wasabi down the kettle’s spout, replaces every Icha Icha volume he’s hidden in the office with a dictionary with bookmarks on the words he feels are fitting. His favourite being the one hidden in the palm tree, where he has noted the words you, piece, of and shit. He can only hope Kakashi gets tired of their game, because Iruka is sure he can continue making up ways to torment his soulmate, the thorn in his side.

So he's taking a shift at the mission room, smiling at the busy ninja as they pass by, pointing out flaws in mission reports, and generally being all too happy for anyone to be comfortable around.

“Did you find your soulmate?” Genma asks.

“Who knows,” Iruka shrugs still chipper.

“Who indeed,” Iruka turns and there's Kakashi.

Took him long enough, Iruka thinks, ten days and eleven hours. Not that he’s counting.

“Iruka,” Kakashi greets him at the mission desk, and Iruka gives him a pointed look, something he hopes carries his pure unamusement. Kakashi seems to grimace. Iruka takes this as a success.

“Kakashi-san,” Iruka nods and watches Kakashi recoil at the honorific. Good, he thinks, he’s feeling bad about his actions.

“I’d like to talk to you,” Kakashi nods, and Iruka smiles too sweetly.

Kakashi, the man at the other end of his thread, which he can clearly see, with the man standing right in front of him, his soulmate, has been avoiding him for far too long. Iruka is tired of it, but he’s too stubborn to fall at the man’s feet after all this time he’s been running away from him. He can run away too.

“I’m sorry sir, I don’t have the time for a chat today. Maybe some other time?” He’s playing the game correctly, dodging and avoiding the other player, never bringing up the obvious burning sensation emanating from the pinky finger that ties them together. He makes an awkward laugh as he scratches the back of his neck, completing the act.

“Now,” Kakashi’s says, his voice a little too desperate for Iruka’s comfort, his eyes a little too dark and his posture just too stiff. It leaves Iruka speechless.

But not for too long as Iruka goes to remedy it, say that he can maybe make some time later today, but as soon as he suggests it, his attention is called for and he’s being dragged away from the hokage and the mission desk and into some archive to help look for a scroll he could care less about.

He thinks he made the wrong move.

Several hours later, he trudges back to his apartment, sporting new paper cuts and a stiff back and a terrible mood. Who knew searching for scrolls could take so much out of a man..

Shuffling off his shoes, he realises he’s not alone and sighs. He could use a bath, not this conversation.

“Kakashi, how long have you been waiting?” He turns on the stove to boil of a pot of water. He’s going to need some tea for this. He doesn’t think he’ll share.

“Not long,” the man says from behind him. Oh, I thought he was still on the couch.

He turns to Kakashi. “Not long? That could mean anything from seven hours to five seconds with you-”

His lecture is cut short when the man collapses his weight onto Iruka, hugging him with his nose digging into his shoulder just a little too hard, and his nails pinching into his skin. It’s too uncomfortable and too desperate for Iruka.

“Ten days, seventeen hours, thirty one minutes and eight seconds.”

“Kakashi, that’s too long.”

“I know,” he nuzzles his face into Iruka’s neck and Iruka laughs.

“Also, I don’t think you were waiting all this time. I think you’ve been running.”

“No.” Kakashi mumbles, “I’ve been busy.”

“Kakashi,” Iruka sighs. “You’ve been busy avoiding me. I know, I saw you jump out a window when you saw me coming, you had a messenger hawk tell me our shogi match was cancelled, and had all they keys changed so that I couldn’t visit for tea or anything else. Multiple times.

I just want to know why.”

Kakashi tries to hide away into Iruka’s neck.

“Kakashi.”

More silence.

“Hokage-sama, I swear to the gods,” Iruka starts and never finishes the thought because a pair of lips crash into his, it’s messy and hurts, but it’s better than no response.

“I was scared,” he confesses when they break.

Iruka bites his tongue not to laugh at that, but it’s a vain attempt because a chuckle bubbles out of his mouth and his smile feels too wide to be nonchalant. The look Kakashi gives him is more than enough proof.

“It’s not funny-” Kakashi starts only to be silenced with a quick kiss from Iruka.

It’s softer and warm, and is too short for any one man to fully enjoy.

“I’m scared too.” He begins, cupping his hands alongside Kakashi’s face, smiling so much his face aches, “probably not as much as you are, of course, what with your life experiences and all,” he pout he receives for that makes him chuckle, “Kakashi, I’m not going to turn you away. I probably would have done that by now, don’t you think. Sometime around when you had the kids apply for the chunin exams, I was so angry with you for that, I mean Naruto was, is, like my only family in the world. What if he had died. You know what I mean? Just keeled over, I mean he wasn’t very smart and here you had him face off more intelligent and smarter nin! Like the future kazekage! Remember how dangerous he was back then?”

“The kazekage is still dangerous.” “Not what I mean, I mean Naruto almosted died. Could have died, and I was so pissed at you for even considering it. But! I got over it, ‘he’s smart,’ I said, ‘Konohana’s Great Copy Nin knows what he’s doing,’ I said. So in the end, I trusted you.”

Kakashi goes silent, soaking it all in, and when he speaks it’s barely a whisper, and Iruka’s sure if he wasn’t listening for it, he’d miss it.

“Do you still trust me?”

“Kakashi, I trust you with running a village. You are sitting in a chair, dictating how we live our lives, and I trust every command you make. Every decision you make. Everything you say, I will trust.”

“That’s not good, what if there was an imposter sitting in that chair, doing all of those things. You’d blindly follow them?”

“Kakashi,” Iruka waves his pinky that’s tied to Kakashi’s, “I’m your soulmate. I know you.”

Kakashi scoffs at that, wrapping his own pinky around Iruka’s, “you don’t have to know someone to be their soul mate.”

“I’ve known you for years, I’ve eaten ramen with you, we went on a picnic once under the guise of a mission after Sasuke left, with Naruto and Sakura. When Naruto left, we started having tea together almost every week.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Kakashi states.

“Kakashi it means I know your habits and your preferences and your idle conversation starters. What you like eating, what colours you like to see, what makes you upset, what makes you happy. What makes you tick. I’d know an imposter the moment they walk, if I didn’t have proof of where you were all the time on my person.”

Kakashi hums to that, and settles to rest his head on Iruka’s shoulder.

They stay like that for a few moments, just comfortable in each other’s embrace, enjoying their company when Iruka thinks of a funny joke and has to share.

“If nothing else assures you, oh great hokage, that this isn’t for naught, remember I’ve seen your face. That I’m looking at it right now.” he says in a light tone.

“That just means I like you.”

Iruka blanks at that.

“A lot, I must confess.”

Iruka is too stunned for words. He had an inkling of an idea, that their relationship was just a tad less strictly platonic than it would have been with someone like Gai, but hadn’t really thought about it after he learned that Kakashi had dated the man when they were teenagers.

“I was terrified to find anyone other than you. And now that it’s confirmed that you’re, here, I’m terrified anyway.”

“Kakashi, you have to confess before the first kiss,” Iruka manages, “didn’t Icha Icha teach you better than that.”

“Oh teacher, Icha Icha never had any confessions for love before the sexual encounters. Unless of course you’d have prefered that, which, I myself am not all that hot about, as I don’t think I enjoy sex at all in actuality.”

“That’s fine Kakashi,” Iruka says, smoothing the man’s hair, “a good relationship doesn’t revolve around sex, you know.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

And everything feels calm as they make idle conversation about their days spent away from another. They’re like that for hours, sitting on the tiled floor of the kitchen, wrapped in another’s arms, comfortable in silence and in complaints about how the previous ten days went. Iruka figures it to be love.

“How do you suppose we tell the kids,” Iruka asks as the morning sun peeks through the curtains, his head lying against Kakashi’s stomach.

“We don’t.” Kakashi says flatly.

“Kakashi,” Iruka lightly smacks the man’s chest.

“I don’t want to deal with that,” he says rolling to his side, throwing Iruka’s head off him, “it’ll be horrible.”

“It won’t be that bad, It’s not like they’ll react too horribly.” Iruka sighs, getting up off the floor to start at breakfast.

“Naruto still calls me a pervert and he thinks of you as his father. He’ll hate it.”

“Well I guess.”

“You don’t guess, you know. That brat will be awful about it.” Kakashi gets the eggs out of the fridge, helping Iruka prep their meal.

Iruka thanks him as he takes the carton, “We’ll make it work.”