Chapter 6: Morning

Rays of sunlight glistened over the village, gently caressing all the buildings, flowing in through open windows, and radiating beds with heat.

Yamato woke up at 6am, as usual. The mess of silver hair on his chest, however, was not so usual. It brought a small smile to his face though. He may be a man who liked his routines, but sometimes they were worth being broken. Kakashi's face nuzzled at his chest, as if he were trying to get even closer to his kohai. Yeah, breaking his habits was definitely worth it. His smile widened as he let his fingers trace patterns over Kakashi's bare back. This was nice.

"We should do this more often," he mumbled, not entirely aware of having said it out loud.

"I like that idea, you're quite comfy despite being so hard," Kakashi sounded more awake than him. He raised an eyebrow at the man's description of him though.

"Hard, huh?"

Kakashi met his gaze with a suspicious twinkle in his eye.

"Interpret as you will." Yamato let out a laugh following that and gently rolled Kakashi off of him.

"I need to shower," he said, unwilling to break all of his routine in one go.

"Feeling dirty? We haven't even done anything," a playful pout from his senpai encouraged Yamato that he had slept well and was feeling differently today than yesterday.

"I didn't say you couldn't join me," suggested Yamato, the smile had only grown bigger.

The water was a comfortable temperature for both men and they took a bit longer than 10 minutes.

After drying off and getting dressed, Yamato did some cleaning while Kakashi made some eggs and toast. It was nice, a gentle morning regardless of the night before. Although, admittedly, there had been no nightmares on either man's part after they had fallen asleep again in each other's arms. Thinking that, Kakashi glanced at the man straightening out books in his living room.

"I know now isn't the best time, but I like having you here," he paused, not quite sure how to ask the question.

"I like to be here," was Yamato's response, with a gentle smile. He wouldn't answer the unasked question though. Even though Yamato had been ready for this since around the time Kakashi left ANBU, he refused to let their relationship change until Kakashi did. He couldn't handle his nightmare from the night before become a reality again and he was far too independent to feel like he was the only person who could stop it from happening. Kakashi had to be able to voice the question, admit his own feelings, be willing to change, be willing to grow, believe that he deserved everything good that he had, and, most of all, Kakashi had to truly believe in that clichéd happily ever after. Yamato knew it would be practically impossible for the man, but that's why he gave him so much patience and so much time. Most of all, Yamato knew he couldn't just tell Kakashi this, the copy ninja had to figure it out on his own if it was really going to stick.

"Would you consider… moving… in… with me?" It was out, Kakashi looked as if he wasn't even breathing. While Yamato, in contrast, let out a whoosh of breath.

"Do you understand why I haven't yet?"

"I think I'm beginning to."

"Why?"

"Are you really going to make me say it?"

"Do you really want me to live with you? Wake up with you every morning? Fall asleep in each other's arms every night?"

"Yes!"

"Then yes, please explain it to me," he stopped at the obvious pain in Kakashi's eyes and the unnaturally tight grip on a plate that was going to crack any second. He moved over to his best friend and took said plate out of his hand to set it on the counter. "I'm not doing this to torture you, Kakashi-kun, I'm doing this because I really want to say yes, but I need to know that you're ready. I need to know."

With that, Kakashi took a staggering breath, feeling Yamato's closeness despite the fact that they weren't touching.

"You need to trust me again. You lost it that night, too. I changed to you. You realized how … delicate… I was. Am." Kakashi took a minute to breathe deeply a few more times before continuing and his partner had to force himself not to move any closer. They both how difficult and significant this moment was. "Things are going to happen. They could be bad things and they could be good things, but everything won't always stay the same. Being in the same apartment would make me … that much more …. willing… to believe… that you would always be there for me. But if bad things…. were to happen… and you… weren't…. You would need to know that I could….. handle.. it." He stopped again, taking a little longer to feel like he had the breath to say the last part, the most important part. "And….. I need to trust me… too."

This time when he stopped, Yamato let himself wrap the copy ninja tightly into his arms. He held him securely and close to his heart while he let Kakashi regain his breath and composure a bit.

"Yeah," he murmured into silver hair, "you pretty much hit the nail on the head."

After a few more minutes of gentle comforting, he asked tenderly.

"Are you ready?"

Kakashi thought back to the morning before, the day before. Could he handle it if something were to happen to his kohai? Instantly he thought of Naruto. And Gai. Sakura and Sai. Shikamaru and Kurenai and Ino and Chouji. Tsunade-sama. Jiraiya-sama. Neji and Lee and that pig-tailed girl. Blushing Hinata and the dog-boy Kiba and that creepy helpful bug clan, what was the kid's name? Konohamaru and his sidekicks. Iruka and all those hopeful little academy brats….

"They're all family, this whole village. Somehow, I'm a part of it now," he sounded slightly shocked as he admitted it, and even more stunned as he realized something else. "They would all be there for me, if I asked. If I needed it."

Yamato smiled as he pulled Kakashi back in again for a kiss. Something else occurred to Kakashi though, and he was ashamed of himself for not thinking of it before.

"What if something were to happen to me? Would you be ok?"

Yamato's grin got, if anything, bigger.

"That's the question I've been waiting for you to ask." Kakashi looked stunned for a minute before remembering he did want an answer.

"Well?" he asked.

"No, I wouldn't be ok, at first. I would have lost my best friend, my lover, my partner, my senpai, but I would move on. I could never love anyone again as I've loved you, but you would forever be alive in my heart, in your students, in the compassion that leads a person to always fight for his comrades, in the legend of the Copy Ninja Kakashi. And I would know that you wouldn't have gone down without fighting to your very last breath for your family, here. And I would be proud. And I wouldn't want to let you down by living in the past, as you have done and regretted, because I know that you would never want that for me." At this point both ninja had tears streaming down their faces. Not Gai's waterfalls, but it was close. Yamato calmed himself with a few breaths and finished by saying "to answer the initial question, yes, I will consider moving in with you."

It took many more breaths, tight embraces, kisses, and a little more before the two men were ready to face their students as though today were just another day. But, eventually, they were prepared enough.

"Captain Yamato! You're never late!" came Naruto's frustrated cry, as the jounins came into view of the three younger shinobi.

"Sorry, guys, I found Kakashi on my way here and had to drag him; it took a little longer than expected."

"Yo," said Kakashi, with a little more feeling than he usually put behind it.

"So, what's the training today?" all three looked at the newcomers expectantly.

"Actually," started Kakashi, "I have something I kind of want to show you guys." He looked over their heads at Yamato, who responded with a look so filled with love and hope that it made Kakashi positive that this was the right move and the right time for it.

"What is it?! They all asked, Sai and Sakura excited in spite of themselves.

Kakashi took a deep breath and reached a hand up to his face. The three young shinobi froze in shock and anticipation. Kakashi slowly pulled down his mask and welcomed them all into his heart.

I think this is it, guys. Thanks for staying with me! I appreciate the reviews and have a feeling these two still have a few more stories to come out of me yet. But, this is all they have to say for now. I hope y'all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!