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sentinelpri · 13 hours

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Groomsmen

Iruka Umino finds himself distracted as he works at the mission desk.

Ever since Naruto has come back to the village, things have been chaotic. Iruka knows that he should be worried about the Akatsuki and about the village- and sure, he is- but there’s one more thing that’s been bothering him…

His friend, Kakashi, has been hanging around someone new; a pale man around Iruka’s height with light brown hair, a head guard, and captivating charcoal eyes. Iruka has never seen him before despite knowing the faces of everyone in the village, but he wears Konoha’s leaf symbol on the forehead of his guard, so Iruka knows he’s one of their shinobi.

Iruka sorts through the papers in front of him with the mysterious man on his mind. Shinobi continue to approach, turning in their mission reports and allowing Iruka to sort them away. It’s half past noon and Iruka is exhausted, but there’s so much work to be done and so few people, even years after the Konoha Crush, that he has to fill in that gap where he can. He’s so out of it that he doesn’t even notice when Kakashi approaches the desk until he hears the older man’s voice.

“Iruka, I have something important to tell you,” Kakashi speaks.

“What is it?”

“Guy and I are engaged,” Kakashi says, holding his left hand out. Over the glove that he normally wears, on his left hand, there’s a ring; an obnoxious silver creation with a giant, expensive looking red stone in the middle. It’s not very Kakashi, but it is very Guy. “It’s official, rings and all.”

“Aw, really? That’s so sweet! Congratulations,” Iruka beams, his eyes flickering between Kakashi’s neutral face and the ring he’s wearing.

It’s unlike Kakashi to make a big deal about an engagement or a wedding, let alone publicly go flaunting an engagement ring around. The uncharacteristic behavior from his friend makes the alarm bells in Iruka’s head ring, but then he remembers that it is like Guy to get excited about this sort of thing, and that Kakashi is probably just trying to match his excitement to make him happy.

“Nice, isn’t it?” Kakashi asks, gesturing to the huge rock on his finger. “Guy went on a long trip to get this stone from Suna. Apparently, Gaara was able to pull some strings and get it for him.”

“That sounds like Guy,” Iruka smiles, then looks back up at Kakashi. “It’s beautiful. I’m truly happy for you.”

“Thank you, but I didn’t come here just to tell you about my engagement.”

Iruka tilts his head. “Oh?”

“You and I have been friends for a long time now, and comrades for even longer. I wanted to ask if you’d consider being one of my groomsmen.”

“Of course!” Iruka excitedly answers. “I’m honored that you’d even ask.” “Great! I’ll see you later, then,” Kakashi offers a nod and turns to leave, but before he can do so, Iruka speaks up.

“Kakashi, wait, I wanted to ask you about something.”

“What is it?”

“Your um, your friend,” Iruka forces the words out. He’s sure that Kakashi will be able to figure out his intentions based on his tone, but he figures it’ll be fine. It’s not like Kakashi is one to go around spreading peoples’ secrets, right? In theory, his crush should stay protected until he’s ready to say something about it- if he ever gets to know this guy well enough that he wants to say something about it. “The one with the brown hair, and the cat-like eyes. Who is he?”

Kakashi pauses for a moment, seemingly confused until realization flashes over his face.

“Oh, you mean Yamato? What about him?”

“Well, he showed up very suddenly,” Iruka mutters, fiddling with his fingers. “Did he transfer from another village?”

“No, no, nothing like that. He’s from here. He just wasn’t implemented into the regular shinobi forces until recently,” Kakashi says.

“Was he Anbu?”

“Yes, and he was out of the village for a few years on a long-term mission, so it makes sense that you wouldn’t have seen him,” Kakashi explains, pauses, then asks with a furrowed brow- “What’s it to you? Did you interact with him recently? I know he can be a little weird, but I swear he’s a good guy. He really does mean well.”

“I’ve actually never talked to him, it’s just…” Iruka trails off, twiddling his thumbs. Kakashi is his friend, and has been since Naruto was young, so he can’t lie to him. “Well…”

“Oh, I see,” Kakashi laughs. “You like him, right?”

“No! No, it’s not like that,” Iruka tries to lie- and fails immediately. “Okay, well, maybe it is like that… But only a little bit!”

“Well, Iruka, I had some other news I wanted to tell you. Yamato is my best man, and since you’ve agreed to be one of my groomsmen as well, I’m sure that would give you the perfect opportunity to get closer to Yamato during the process of the wedding planning.”

“...Are you serious?” Iruka asks with a heavy blush.

“Why would I joke about something as important as love?”

“Kakashi- it’s just a crush!” Iruka argues.

“Fine, fine,” Kakashi straightens his back and offers a dismissive wave before heading for the door. When he gets to the doorway, he turns around and calls back to Iruka to say- “We’re going suit shopping next Friday. Meet us at my apartment at four!”

“Okay… See you then,” Iruka

When Iruka arrives at the door of Kakashi’s apartment at four the following Friday, he’s surprised to find that the only one there is… Yamato. He climbs the stairs and catches sight of one pair of feet- and that’s it. The higher he gets up the stairs, the more he can make out. Up close, Yamato is bigger than Iruka thought he was; muscular and broad and strong despite his average height and a posture that makes him seem smaller than he really is. He’s wearing a simple outfit, just his head guard with the standard blue long sleeve undershirt and pants that come with Konoha’s Jonin uniform.

“Oh, hey,” Iruka greets once he reaches the top of the stairs where Kakashi’s apartment is. Yamato is leaning back against the door, cat-like eyes now trained on Iruka. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Hm? I thought it was just supposed to be the two of us,” Yamato says, standing up straight and crossing his arms over his chest. Iruka can’t help but notice the way the muscles shift and ripple underneath the thin fabric of the man’s thin shirt… They’re fucking huge. Briefly, he considers what those arms would feel like around his waist- what those big, strong hands would feel like pinning his wrists to a bed. But then, he gets a grasp on his dirty mind and manages to compose himself enough to act interested in what Yamato says next. “You’re Iruka, right?”

‘Oh… They set us up on purpose,’ Iruka thinks. ‘Those two…’

“Yes, I’m Iruka. It’s nice to meet you,” Iruka offers a hand, which Yamato takes. When they shake hands, Iruka can’t help but notice just how strong Yamato’s grip is. “I must’ve misunderstood Kakashi’s instructions. I thought we were all going to get fitted for suits today?”

“Yeah. Kakashi already picked the suits, Guy picked the colors, but I guess they’re busy today dealing with the floral arrangements so they wanted me to drop off the money and pick the suits up, then take them to the tailors’,” Yamato explains. His voice is deep, smooth, and calm, and Iruka wants to hear more of it. When Yamato looks him in the eye, he feels his face turning even more red than it already was. “We have everyone’s measurements on hand except for yours.”

“Then why am I here? He could’ve just asked for my measurements when we talked the other day.”

“Kakashi let me know that you would be coming because he uh… Doesn’t fully trust me to handle the interaction with the clothing salesmen and the tailors- that and he needs you to give the tailors your measurements.”

“You were in Anbu before being appointed temporary captain of Team Kakashi, weren’t you?”

“Yes,” Yamato answers with a nod.

“Then, you must not have a lot of experience with the shopkeepers here. I totally understand why Kakashi asked me to come,” Iruka tries to be reassuring as he can. Yamato seems nervous, and though he’s good enough at interacting with Iruka, dealing with some of the more difficult salesmen in Konoha can be difficult- especially if you don’t have experience with them, and especially if it’s for a special occasion like a birthday, wedding, or holiday. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t mind helping.”

“Thank you. Do you know how to get there? Kakashi didn’t tell me where the shop was, just to meet everyone at his apartment and that we’d head there together.”

“Don’t worry, I know where it is. I’ll show you the way.”

With that, the two start to walk together, falling into a somewhat awkward silence… Or, awkward for Iruka. Yamato seems comfortable as he walks with his hands in his pockets and admires the birds that fly over them and the clouds in the sky. Meanwhile, Iruka’s heart is pounding

“Yamato, have you made a lot of friends here since you were discharged from Anbu?” Iruka questions, desperate to start some sort of conversation instead of just walking in silence. He knows that there’s strict rules for members of Anbu- they aren’t allowed to have close family, they aren’t allowed to be seen in public without their full uniforms on, they aren’t allowed to travel freely, they have to live in designated Anbu-only apartment complexes, and they aren’t allowed to go on any outings that are deemed ‘unnecessary’. It’s a strict subsect of shinobi that doesn’t allow for much socialization. “I imagine that reintegrating must be somewhat difficult.”

“Hm? Friends…” Yamato hums. “Well, not really. I’ve really bonded with Team Kakashi as well as Guy, but I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had the chance to talk with too many others.”

“Then, why don’t we go get some food together after we’re done?” Iruka offers.

“Oh,” Yamato seemingly perks up at that as they arrive at the suit shop. “Really?”

“Yeah! I mean, only if you want to,” Iruka answers. “Do you like Ichiraku?”

“Yes.”

Admittedly, Yamato doesn’t have a ton of experience with romance, so when he starts to notice Iruka around the village, he doesn’t think much of it. The guy is interesting- a talented academy teacher who has so much optimism and love for the children he teaches despite all of the terrible things he’s sure to have heard and seen through his life as a shinobi. Of course, someone like Yamato would be fascinated, especially after hearing all of the amazing things Naruto has said about the man.

He does, however, start to think about it when he notices that the feelings are a little… Different. Admiration is something he’s familiar with thanks to his friendship with Kakashi, but when he sees Iruka, his heart beats harder against his chest, his face feels hot, and his head spins. Better yet, he thinks things that he knows are beyond inappropriate to think about someone who he doesn’t even talk to.

When he mentions the new problem to Kakashi, venting about how his stomach feels funny when he sees the cute long-haired academy teacher, the older man laughs at him and tells him he’s ‘down bad’.

Whatever that means.

So, the first time he meets Iruka is a bit of a mind fuck. The man is far too nice and attractive. Surely, there’s something wrong with him, right? Guy is overenthusiastic and obnoxious in nature, Kakashi has attachment issues and PTSD that even the most qualified therapist wouldn’t be able to unpack, Naruto is stubborn and rash, Sai is socially unaware and rude to the point that it’s painful to watch, Sakura is violent and temperamental, and Yamato himself is most of those things combined, but what about Iruka?

Yamato has met Iruka and interacted with him on multiple occasions now. When they went to go get the suits for the wedding and get them tailored, the man was incredibly friendly, sociable, and tactful regardless of the fact that he’d apparently been led to believe he was supposed to meet Kakashi and the rest of the groomsmen at Kakashi’s apartment for the task rather than just Yamato. Hell, the man even indirectly offered to be his friend and took him for ramen.

At first, Yamato assumed it might’ve been out of pity, but now…

“How many tiers do you think we should do?” Iruka asks as the two of them sit at a table together in the local barbecue shop. The table grill to their left is piping hot. Rather than letting Yamato cook his own food, Iruka absentmindedly cooks both of their meat on the grill and divides it between the two plates. It makes Yamato slightly uncomfortable, as he’s not used to being taken care of like this, but he’s also too flattered to object. Iruka uses his spare hand to sketch a design for the wedding cake, which they’ve now (suspiciously enough) been put in charge of handling as well. “I’m not sure how many guests are even going to be there…”

“I think they said it would be close to seventy five, just considering all of their friends, coworkers, Kakashi’s dogs, and Guy’s turtle,” Yamato says. “But obviously, their summons won’t be able to eat the cake, and two of those spots are reserved for their fathers’ name plates since they can’t attend in person. So, the cake only needs to feed a little over sixty.”

“Alright, why don’t we have them make a square three tier cake? That’ll be enough so that they can feed all the guests and still have the top tier to take home, if I’m doing my math right,” Iruka mutters while sketching out a picture of the cake he has in mind with measurements on the side.

“Why would they want extra?” Yamato questions.

“Lots of people like to have cake to take home from their wedding,” Iruka counters, as if it’s obvious, and maybe it is- but Yamato has never been to let alone planned a wedding before this. “Like, as a souvenir. Sometimes they freeze it and eat it on special anniversaries.”

Yamato raises an eyebrow.

“Isn’t that a little gross? I couldn’t imagine wanting to eat frozen cake,” He shudders.

“Me neither,” Iruka agrees. “But it’s surprisingly common, and I want to be considerate of them. I know Kakashi isn’t the type to want to save the cake, but Guy definitely is.”

“You think he’ll even eat it?” Yamato inquires between bites of food. “You know how strict he is about his diet.”

“I think he’d make an exception for such a special day, but you make a fair argument. Maybe we should have a sugar free tier?”

“On their wedding day? That’s a little insulting.”

“Hey! It was just an idea,” Iruka huffs, then pauses to grab a napkin. Without saying anything, he leans forward and wipes the corner of Yamato’s lip.

“Uh-”

“Oh, sorry!” Iruka apologizes. “You just- you had some sauce on your mouth, and I’m so used to doing it with the kids, and um-”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yamato laughs. “It’s fine, thank you. I’m just a little embarrassed.”

Iruka smiles back at Yamato and settles back into his chair.

Yamato has realized that Iruka really is just a kind, thoughtful person. Maybe he has a bit of a temper, but it’s nothing compared to Sakura or Lady Tsunade, so Yamato doesn’t bat an eye at it- even after Iruka chewed out the old man at the balloon shop who refused to put a balloon arch together for a ‘gay wedding’.

“I can take the design up to the cake shop, if you wanna go ahead and head home. I’m sure you’re busy,” Iruka offers.

“Sure. I’ll see you later, then.”

Yamato stands up, places money on the table to cover both of their tabs, and heads for Kakashi’s apartment.

When he arrives and knocks on the door, he’s unsurprised at the fact that Guy is the one who answers. Thankfully, the man is at least fully dressed.

“Yamato! Come in, come in,” Guy greets, rushing inside. Yamato follows after him and shuts the door. “Kakashi is in the kitchen!”

Guy disappears to who knows where, while Yamato walks into the kitchen to see Kakashi cooking his eight dogs their lunch. The pups all lay in a circle around the Jonin’s feet.

“Oh, Yamato,” Kakashi casually greets without even looking back at him. He stands at the stove and stirs the meat and vegetables he’s cooking. “What brings you here.”

“What are you two plotting?” Yamato demands.

“Hm? What ever do you mean?” Kakashi sarcastically hums and avoids Yamato’s eyes, because of course, the little shit knows exactly what Yamato means.

“You’ve sent me out with Iruka on multiple occasions now, and you’ve put us in charge of planning both of your bachelor parties even though Genma is Guy’s best man!”

“What about it? Genma has an important mission right around the time that the party takes place,” Kakashi shrugs. “I can’t realistically expect him to plan it with how busy he’s been, so we’re having Iruka fill in.”

“But Iruka is your groomsman! Shouldn’t you have one of Guy’s do it? I’m sure Ebisu would be great with this sort of thing!”

“Does it really matter?” Kakashi turns the stove off and divides the food in the pan onto eight plates, which he sets in a row on the floor. The dogs rush to eat as Kakashi continues to talk, now leaning back against the counter and putting his hands in the pockets of his- no, Guy’s- sweatpants. “And honestly, I think I’d rather have Ebisu plan my funeral than my wedding. Have you ever met that guy?”

“It wouldn’t matter if I didn’t know you were up to something,” Yamato grumbles. “So, what is it? Are you trying to set Iruka and I up just because you know about my feelings for him?”

“Honestly?” Kakashi starts, placing a warm hand on Yamato’s shoulder. Yamato blinks, taken aback by the affectionate gesture. “Yamato, I admire you greatly. You’re one of the few in the village who I truly consider to be my equal.”

“You… Really mean that?”

“Of course- and, as someone who admires you, I want you to be happy,” Kakashi explains, smiling under his mask. “So, I’m doing this to try to help you make a new friend. Friends are important, after all, right?”

“Right,” Yamato nods. “Thank you, Senpai.”

“Of course, Yamato.”

“I should be on my way, then.”

With that, Yamato leaves, placated- for now.

Once Yamato is out the door, Guy reappears in the kitchen and looks at Kakashi with a raised brow.

“Did he seriously buy that? Kakashi, my dearest rival, I never knew you had such a silver tongue!”

“Well,” Kakashi pauses, a gleam in his eye. “My tongue can do a lot that’d surprise you.”

“Is that so? We don’t have dinner with Anko and Ibiki for another few hours. Why don’t you show me?”

“Oh, I was hoping you’d say that.”

Days later, Yamato sits on the couch at Iruka’s apartment, shoulders stiff as he sits with a notepad in hand. Iruka is to his left, far too close for his comfort.

Actually, now that he thinks about it, everything regarding this situation is uncomfortable. For starters, he’s in Iruka’s apartment. That may not seem like much to the average person, but Yamato is uncomfortable with the idea of intimacy, and someone else’s home is the most intimate part of them. Really, it’s like staring into their soul, and Iruka’s apartment is an amazing representation of him; terribly drawn pictures children have made for him strung about the walls, water rings from cups of tea and coffee on Iruka’s coffee table, ungraded papers sitting in tall stacks all around the house, a big sweater that smells like cologne thrown over the back of the couch, the bowl of dog food left on the porch for the nearby strays.

The apartment is terribly, terribly Iruka, lit warmly and reeking of chamomile and vanilla in a way that makes Yamato’s face burn red and his stomach flip when he breathes too deeply.

And Iruka is still far, far too close. They’re at his home, and this is so casual, and his beautiful chocolate-hued hair is let down to cascade over his shoulders and frame his beautiful face.

Yamato doesn’t think he’s been so smitten in his life. And Iruka is just sitting there, casually, his world not turned upside down by Yamato’s mere presence.

“So, bachelor parties…” Yamato starts, clearing his throat. The sooner he gets this over with, the better. “You have any experience with this?”

“Uh, I’ve been to a couple, but I’ve been friends with Kakashi for a few years, and…” Iruka pauses, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “Well…”

“What is it?”

“I don’t think he’s going to want the typical bachelor party.”

“What does the typical bachelor party consist of?”

“Strippers, drinking, drugs,” Iruka answers with a strangled sort of laugh. “The works.”

“I see… Yes, you’re right, then. That doesn’t seem like something Kakashi or Guy would enjoy,” Yamato leans forward, resting his elbows on the coffee table in front of him. Iruka’s knee brushes against his, and it takes everything in him not to jump. Iruka doesn’t move away or even apologize. Did he not notice? Does he not care? Or did he want them to touch? “It’s a joint party, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Did they discuss who’s covering the cost?”

“I am,” Yamato answers. “It’s my wedding gift to them.”

“Oh, wow. We should budget carefully, then.”

“Don’t worry about it. Anbu paid me enough that I can afford it.”

“Alright, then. Do you have any ideas?”

“There’s a hot spring between here and Kusa that does bridal showers and whatnot. They offer full suites with beautiful rooms and a great view, incredible catering, and full spa days,” Yamato thinks back on when he took Team Kakashi there on their first mission together and smiles. “It’ll be on the pricier side, but I should be able to afford it if you wouldn’t mind making the reservations for us.”

“How many people? Let’s see…” Iruka pauses and starts to list the groomsmen on both sides as he counts with his fingers. “Kakashi, Guy, me, you, Anko, Ibiki, Ebisu, Naruto, Sakura, Tenten, Lee, Kurenai… And Genma should be on a mission around that time.”

“Yes, but reserve a spot for him just in case he’s able to make it,” Yamato responds and scribbles everything down on the notepad in front of him with a pencil so that they won’t forget any of the important details. “Also look into getting a portable bassinet in Kurenai’s room in case she needs to bring Mirai along with her, and make sure that Kakashi and Guy get the king suite.”

“Alright, sounds good,” Iruka gently takes the notepad and pencil from Yamato’s hands. Their fingers brush, but again, neither of them say anything. “Anything else?”

“Do you think you could pick up some decorations?” Yamato asks.

“No problem. What are you thinking?”

“Something bright and obnoxious that Guy would like. Lots of green and orange,” At that, Iruka gives Yamato an incredulous look. “What? Kakashi won’t care. He just wants whatever will make Guy happy.”

“That does explain why they’re going with dark green and egg shell white for wedding colors and bright red flowers instead of… Oh, I don’t know what Kakashi would like,” Iruka chuckles. “Something not so Christmas-y smack dab in the middle of spring.”

“Let’s be honest, Iruka, if Kakashi had full control of the wedding, it would be grey on grey with no flowers whatsoever. Hell, they’d probably get married in a shack or something.”

“Ha!” Iruka laughs even harder, his face darkening and tears pricking the corners of his eyes. “Yamato, you’re funny.”

“You really think so?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s just-” Yamato cuts himself off, struggling to respond to the compliment. “Well, no one’s ever called me that before.”

“Well, I think you’re hilarious.”

“I can come with you to make the reservations at the hot spring… If you want.”

“Sure. Tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

Iruka thinks he might actually be going insane. As the wedding draws closer, his crush on Yamato gets progressively worse. They keep getting shoved together to plan the wedding and all of the traditional nonsense that weddings come with, so the amount of time they spend together keeps increasing.

Iruka is sure it’s on purpose. It must be on purpose, right? Some sort of sick plot Kakashi came up with to screw with him. Or, maybe the Jonin is actually trying to help, but really, it’s just screwing with him- because Yamato is impossible to read. Does he even like men? Does he even like anyone in general? Iruka has no idea.

So, he’s frustrated as he hangs up the gaudy green streamers and orange paper flowers in the party suite of the hot springs they rented out for the bachelor party. It’s supposed to start in less than an hour and he’s working so slow that he’s still not ready. Meanwhile, Yamato is off coordinating with the staff to make sure that they’re making the food and have the rooms set up- and since Iruka went and forgot it in the midst of everything else, the poor wood style user had to figure out how to build a safe-sleep crib with his jutsu for Mirai last minute.

Finally, Yamato pops his head into the room and approaches Iruka where he stands on the top step of the stool he’s been using to reach the walls.

“Okay, the decorations look pretty good, but can you come help me with this one?” Iruka asks.

“Sure, what do you need?”

Yamato, the fucking fiend he is, doesn’t wait for Iruka to get down from the steps. Instead, he climbs up to the step just behind Iruka, gently plucks the paper flower from Iruka’s hand, and reaches above the teacher to hang it up.

“I pulled a muscle chasing after one of my kids earlier, so I’m having trouble reaching up high enough to tack this final flower up. Your arms are a little longer than mine,” Iruka explains. “Mind finishing it for me?”

“No problem,” Yamato’s front is pressed against Iruka’s back because of the position they’re in as he tacks the flower up to the wall. And fuck- his voice is way too close to Iruka’s ear, his dick is way too close to Iruka’s ass, and Iruka is struggling not to pop a fucking boner in the middle of Kakashi and Guy’s party. “All done.”

Not realizing just how close Yamato’s face is, Iruka turns around to thank him, only for their lips to brush against one another. It’s so brief that he doesn’t even get to enjoy it before he gasps and rushes to apologize.

“Ah! I’m so sorry, I-”

“It’s, um,” Yamato puts his hands on Iruka’s waist to steady him, as the man is so shocked that he nearly falls down the steps. The firm, strong, warm grasp only makes Iruka’s situation worse- and he finds that he is so incredibly grateful that Yamato’s gaze stays on his face, rather than traveling down. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Accidents happen, right?”

“Haha… Right… Should we let everyone know that the party room is ready, then?”

“Yes,” Yamato answers and steps down to the floor, gently guiding Iruka down as well. “You stay here, I’ll go tell the staff that they can bring in dinner and let everyone come in.”

Predictably, the moment Yamato leaves, Iruka rushes into the bathroom.

Hopefully some cold water can fix his situation before everyone starts wondering where the hell he went…

The bachelor party goes better than Iruka could’ve ever predicted- probably because he avoids Yamato to prevent any further ‘situations’ and sticks to chatting with Anko for most of it. Once everyone goes to their rooms, Iruka cleans up the party suite and glances at the clock to see that it’s already past midnight. Thankfully, he’s not there alone, as Anko offered to stay and help since Yamato was busy getting the food cleaned up and making sure everyone got to their rooms safely.

“So, is it just me or was that guy giving you fuck-me eyes all night?”

“What!? Anko, watch your language,” Iruka scolds and heads for the door, hoping to avoid whatever this is going to turn into, but Anko follows close behind with a smirk on her face.

“Oh, come on, you know it’s true! And you were looking at him, too, weren’t you?” She asks as the two approach his room. “Don’t tell me you two hooked up?”

“No, no! It’s… Nothing like that,” Iruka groans. “I just- I maybe, sort of, kind of want to… But I don’t think he’s interested!”

“Really? Because he was staring at you like he wanted to rip your clothes off.”

“You’re just messing with me. Seriously, Anko, don’t tease me like that,” Iruka grumbles as he unlocks the door to his room. “It’s messed up.”

“I’m being serious! Even Ebisu noticed it!”

“Wait,” Iruka pauses, turning back to look at Anko. He doesn’t see any hints of deception in her expression. On top of that, Ebisu is pretty dense when it comes to things like sex and romance, despite the books he reads, so for him to notice must mean it’s true- and very, very obvious. “Ebisu did?”

“Yes!”

“And you’re not lying?”

“No! Why would I set you up to go try to make a move on this guy and get rejected?” Anko asks, and honestly, it’s a fair question. “Seriously, I think he likes you! You should talk to him!”

“Fine, but I’m going to bed, alright? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With that, Iruka goes into his room and shuts the door behind him, but he can’t help noting just how lonely it feels…

Does Yamato really like him, too? Does he have a crush, or is it something more? Would he even be interested in sex? Or would he want to go on a date first? Iruka’s mind races. Both he and Yamato had a couple drinks, so admittedly, his judgment probably isn’t the best, and whatever Ebisu and Anko saw might’ve just been Yamato being a little buzzed… At the same time, though, he’d like to believe it.

Iruka knows he won’t be able to sleep like this, so he decides he may as well take advantage of the hot springs. He normally wouldn’t be comfortable with going, but since it’s so late, he knows no one will be there. He grabs a robe and a cushy towel from the bathroom in his private suite, then makes his way to the men’s hot springs.

When he slides the door open, he’s surprised to find that there is someone there.

Much to his excitement (and also horror), it’s Yamato. He briefly wonders if he could get away with turning around and leaving, but Yamato hears the door open and turns to greet Iruka, who suddenly feels small- ugly- and embarrassed with a tiny towel wrapped around his waist.

“Hey, Iruka,” Yamato smiles. He looks much different without his head guard. “Water’s pretty nice. Come on in.”

Iruka offers a stiff smile and a nod. He can’t help but think about the accidental sort-of kiss they shared in the party suite as he carefully steps into the water and takes a seat. He’s near Yamato, but still a couple of feet away… Close enough that Yamato won’t be able to tell that something is wrong, but not close enough that it’s weird.

While Yamato stares up at the night sky, Iruka stares at Yamato. The man is broad and built, the muscles in his arms tensing as he allows them to rest on the rocks behind his body. His chest is wide and toned, but soft looking, too, even with the many scars that map across it. Beads of water- or maybe sweat- drip from the ends of Yamato’s hair onto him, rolling down his pale and dewy skin, and despite how wet it is with the steam in the air and the hot water surrounding his body, Iruka’s mouth becomes dry.

Maybe it’s the beer speaking, or maybe Anko’s words got to him more than they should’ve. Iruka decides that he should say something. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? He’ll face an awkward rejection, go to the wedding, and avoid Yamato for the rest of his life. There are worse things that could happen… Right?

“Hey, Yamato, can I tell you something?”

“Sure,” Yamato says, glancing over at Iruka. “What is it?”

“I’m pretty sure Kakashi only had us do all of this wedding stuff together because I told him I had a little bit of a crush on you,” Iruka admits with a nervous laugh.

Yamato blinks in surprise. Iruka can’t tell if the look of pure shock on Yamato’s face is good or bad.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Iruka whispers, twiddling his thumbs. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Yamato smiles and, much to Iruka’s surprise, moves to sit closer to him and reaches over to hold his hand. “I think I have a bit of a crush on you, too, Iruka.”

“Really? You don’t have to say that, if you don’t mean it.”

“Why would I say it if I didn’t mean it? In fact,” Yamato continues while giving Iruka’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’d like to ask you to accompany me to the wedding, not as another groomsman, but as my date.”

“I would love that.”

The two men sit together in comfortable silence. Iruka isn’t sure for how long, however- a minute with Yamato simultaneously feels like a second and an hour.

“I had a lot of fun tonight,” Yamato says, breaking the quiet night air with his deep voice.

“It was a great party,” Iruka smiles and rests his head on Yamato’s shoulder. “I’m glad it turned out so well.”

“We did a good job. You want me to walk to your room?”

“Actually… Why don’t we go back to yours together?”

Yamato’s eyes go wide at the same time that his otherwise pale cheeks turn dark pink.

“I-” Yamato gulps, then offers an enthusiastic nod. “Yes. Let’s go.”

A week passes. Though nothing else is said about what happened at the hot springs, their friendship remains steady, and it’s not too awkward. Iruka is thankful for that. They attend the wedding together- as each other’s dates- but Iruka still can’t help how nervous he is following the beautiful ceremony about what’s to come for them.

As they help finishing the clean up, with most of the guests slowly tapering out, Iruka quietly asks-

“So, are we still gonna talk after this?”

“Why wouldn’t we?”

“I don’t know. I mean, isn’t it normal for two people to sleep together and then never talk again?” Iruka frowns. “Since the wedding is over… If we’re not planning it together anymore-”

“Iruka, I really like you,” Yamato interjects with a stern look. He throws some trash away and walks up to Iruka, to stand right in front of him. “Do you like me?”

“Of course I like you,” Iruka answers. He furrows his brow and tosses his hands up in frustration, only to then run them through his gelled hair. “Why would I have done all this if I didn’t like you? Sleeping with you- and then going to the wedding with you like this, too?”

“Then, if I like you, and you like me… Why shouldn’t we keep talking after this?”

“I want to,” Iruka sighs, avoiding Yamato’s intense gaze. “I just didn’t know if you’d want to.”

“Of course I would,” Yamato leans in closer, practically forcing Iruka to meet his eyes. Iruka blinks, then swallows the nervous lump that’s been building in his throat. “I’m not used to doing this sort of thing still, so I’m sorry if I haven’t communicated well, but… I’ll stay with you as long as you let me. Now, why don’t we go back to yours?”

At that, Iruka grins, grabs Yamato by the hand, and starts in the direction of his apartment.

Meanwhile…

“So, Guy, are you happy?” Kakashi asks as the two men haul all the gifts and flowers to the back of the horse carriage that Naruto was gracious enough to rent for them with the surprising amount of money he had in his froggy wallet.

“Hm? Of course I am! It was a beautiful ceremony, so full of youth,” Guy answers with a grin, carrying so many of the heavy presents that Kakashi knows he’s going to be sore tomorrow- even if he denies it.

“How mad do you think they’d be if we told them we went and got legally married years ago without a ceremony?”

“Probably pretty mad, since that means they’d know this was our plan all along, just to get them to finally spend some time together,” Guy laughs. “But we were overdue for a celebration of our love!”

“You would think that,” Kakashi chuckles. “But does true love really need to be celebrated in such a grandiose way?”

“If it’s ours, most certainly! You deserve it, my dearest rival.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Kakashi reaches over to grab Guy’s hand and hold it within his own. “Did you see them leave together? Iruka seemed pretty excited to get him home, if you know what I mean.”

“Mhm!” Guy nods, enthusiastic as ever. “Seems like they really bonded during the wedding planning, just like you knew they would!”

“How many years do you think it’ll take them to get married?”

“I’ll bet on three!” Guy answers while holding up three fingers on his spare hand. “They both seem like they’d rather take their time.”

“I’ll bet you the rest of the wedding cake that it’ll be less than that.”

“Oh, you’re so on!”