Fandom: Naruto
Characters: Kakashi and Iruka
Modern AU, teens
WC: 1048
“So? You gonna come or not?” Iruka blurts to his friend when they meet up at lunch time.
Kakashi isn't quite sure what to make of this question. He doesn't recall talking with Iruka about going somewhere in their recent conversations—and he's pretty sure he didn't accidentally tune him out during any recent rambles, either. He looks at Iruka closely, trying to make heads or tails of it. Iruka is slowly turning red. His posture is getting stiff. And that scowl isn't the one he wears when he's angry, it's the one he wears when he's nervous. Kakashi bites the bullet.
“Where would we be going?” He asks.
Kakashi’s not sure how it's possible, but Iruka turns even redder. And face palms.
“Ummm, sorry. There's a fair in Senju Park this week. Mom said I can go tonight. And stay late, since I did so well on my last report card. So…” and Iruka takes a big breath in, “…do you want to come with me?”
This is unusual. Not the going out part, they do that all the time. This nervous, blushing, asking-in-person part, rather than a quick text.
“Would this be a date…?” Kakashi asks. And he's not sure how he feels about that.
Iruka goes from bright red to dead pale in an instant.
“N-n-n-no,” he stutters out. “Not— not—”
Yes, it was absolutely meant to be a date.
“Yes.”
💙🍦💜
They meet up at the park a few hours later. Kakashi spent more time than he wants to admit to trying to figure out what to wear. His dad laughed at him. Especially when, in the end, he wore the same basic clothes he usually wears—comfortable jeans, sneakers, tshirt, and comfortable hoodie, but the green one that Iruka likes, rather than the red one he was wearing at school today.
Iruka has changed, too. He's wearing Kakashi's favourite top—the one that shows off his forearms. And suddenly Kakashi realises that he's been looking at Iruka for a while. They've been friends for… well, almost ever. When did this happen? How did Kakashi not realise it before? Kakashi knows exactly how he feels about this now, and he is so, so happy now that Iruka was courageous enough to ask him out tonight.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
They stare at each other kind of awkwardly, which is bullshit because they've known each other forever.
“Shall we…?”
“Yeah.”
Iruka passes him a bright yellow wristband and leads him into the park.
Together they pick some rides to try. Iruka’s a bit of a daredevil, so he wants to go on the Drop of Doom and roller coaster immediately. Kakashi is somewhat less so, so he convinces Iruka that they should warm up with the Octopus and Monster rides, instead. Iruka agrees, and they laugh so hard and have so much fun that it breaks up any awkwardness remaining from their knowledge that this is a date. Kakashi feels really, really okay with that now.
💙🍦💜
An hour of rides later, Kakashi is more than ready for a break. Iruka reluctantly agrees, and they make their way to the food stands and carts that have been set up for the day. They find a truck they both like the look of and stand in line. A long line had to mean good food, right? Kakashi sure hopes so—he’s all about comfort in food and never ventures too far from his favourites.
Between them, the teens consumed one loaded chili dog, the greasiest hamburger Kakashi was sure he'd ever seen, a bucket of poutine, and a giant bear claw. Since the rides hadn't done him in, he is sure the food will. Then Iruka bounces up from the bench they've been resting on.
“There's one more place I want to check out!”
Kakashi isn't sure he can move yet, but he’ll try for Iruka.
“Let's go.”
Iruka helps haul him up from the bench, and Kakashi is surprised he can stand. And then surprised he can walk. He has no idea how Iruka is bouncing around the way he is—Kakashi is sure Iruka ate more than he did!
They meander through the crowd for a while, waving at the occasional classmate they see, but making no move to join any of them, when Kakashi sees the stand a little ways away and balks. It is an ice cream stand. The concept of ice cream now is okay, but this isn't just any ice cream. No, the Golden Scoop is the ice cream shop on the other side of Konoha that Iruka has wanted to try since they opened. Kakashi on the other hand…
The thing is, they make all these weird flavours, and they don't sell vanilla or chocolate at all.
Iruka turns around when he sees Kakashi isn't beside him any more.
“Are you okay, Kakashi?”
Kakashi doesn't want to ruin this for Iruka, but he's honestly not sure if he can make himself go over there. Curry Thai Chili ice cream just isn't something he can make himself eat…
“I don't think I can eat that,” Kakashi explains. “Why don't you go ahead? I'll wait here.”
“Are you too full?”
Iruka is offering him the perfect out, but Kakashi knows him, and if he takes it, then Iruka won't go.
Kakashi wants him to go—Iruka's been wanting to try the Scoop's ice cream for ages. He hesitates to answer. Long enough that Iruka notices. Kakashi watches his face light up with understanding.
“Oh. Oh!”
Iruka holds out his hand to Kakashi.
“Do you trust me?” he asks.
Kakashi knows a trap when he hears one. Or, well, it would be a trap from anyone but Iruka.
“Yes.”
Iruka holds out his hand.
“Take my hand. I know they'll have something you'll like, too.”
Iruka is so sincere when he says it that Kakashi believes him. So he puts his hand in Iruka's and lets Iruka pull him toward the stand.
💙🍦💜
Iruka walks away with a double scoop cone with lobster and strawberry chive flavours. Kakashi ends up with extra virgin olive oil ice cream. Iruka was right, they did have something he likes.
They continue on wandering the fair, looking at the craft vendors, eating their ice cream, but now with fingers slotted together.