Chapter Text
Naruto trudged into the apartment foyer, bringing with him a trail of thick mud and warm rainwater. The sudden downpour had caught him by surprise, and he was already dreading the trek upstairs in his heavy, soaking wet clothing. He hastily peeled off his sopping wet sweater and set his mud-coated sandals by the door before hurrying upstairs to the bathroom to run a hot bath. Even in the summer, being drenched for too long could easily cause a cold, and a bath was always the perfect remedy.
While the tub was filling with hot water, Naruto sat on the edge of the basin to catch his breath. He had begun sprinting the moment he felt the first raindrop hit his cheek, but it was already too late—by the time he made it through the village gates, he was drenched. His body was already sore and bruised enough from the labours of his mission without the added physical exertion in his final stretch home. But, it was nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a long soak. Just as he began to lift his mesh top over his head, there was a light knock on the door, which swung open before he could give permission to enter.
Kakashi wandered into the bathroom wearing nothing but a plush towel around his waist, one hand scratching the back of his neck and the other resting lazily on his hip. His grey hair was freshly towel-dried and his soft skin was flushed from the shower. When Kakashi met Naruto’s gaze, a small smile formed on his lips.
“Yo,” he greeted Naruto casually. “I thought I heard you come in.” He approached Naruto and wrapped his arms around his waist, not seeming to pay any mind to the fact that the boy was soaking wet. He leaned his forehead against Naruto’s and his smile widened. “Welcome home.”
“Were you using my shampoo?” Naruto bluntly replied, leaning in to smell the older man’s hair—coconut and hibiscus. Although they had been apart for a few days, Naruto was never one to follow standard greeting customs and formalities anyway, so he often said the first thing that came to mind.
“What if I was?” Kakashi whispered, pulling Naruto’s pelvis against his. He was trying to act seductive, but the boy wasn’t taking the hint.
“The Hokage can't even buy his own hair products? You’re so stingy.”
Kakashi decided to forgive his cluelessness and simply kissed him in response, pressing his soft lips against Naruto’s to silence him. The sensation was both soothing and arousing and, although Naruto usually avoided Kakashi’s advances, he found himself deepening the kiss. He was so distracted that he almost didn’t notice Kakashi slipping his hands under the back of his damp shirt and beginning to lift it off.
“Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto hissed, pushing the older man's hands away. “I’m just taking a bath.”
“What's the harm in joining you?”
Naruto’s nose scrunched up and he furrowed his brow—in the most adorable way possible, of course. Kakashi chuckled at the sight of Naruto’s cute expression. It reminded him that nothing had changed in the two years that Naruto was away; he was still so childish and unruly, yet easily embarrassed as if to make up for his lack of self-awareness. These qualities were but a handful of the countless things that Kakashi had come to love about his younger partner.
“I guess it’s fine,” Naruto mumbled, hesitantly placing his hands on Kakashi’s shoulders. “Just promise that you won't do anything weird."
“I wouldn't dream of it.”
Naruto rolled his eyes but sighed defeatedly. He pulled from Kakashi’s embrace to take off his shirt. He then removed his pants and, begrudgingly, his green boxers. He quickly stepped into the bath on the far end and submerged himself to his shoulders. Kakashi was quick to join him. He dropped his towel without hesitation, sunk into the steamy water, and positioned himself between Naruto’s spread legs, resting his back against the boy’s toned chest and tilting his head back onto his shoulder—this was typically Naruto’s bath-time position, but he’d lost that privilege the moment he rushed into the tub first. To his surprise, the younger boy snuck his arms around his waist and rested his chin on his shoulder, daring to place a kiss against the side of his neck.
“Is that you, Naruto?”
“Shut up,” Naruto mumbled, gently nuzzling his neck. “Even I initiate…sometimes.”
This wasn’t entirely true, but Kakashi chose not to dispute it. It was a miracle that Naruto had even allowed him to sit so close without making a fuss, so he had to appreciate a rare moment like this. He placed his hands over Naruto’s and closed his eyes, listening to the rain and the dripping of the tap and the other’s steady breathing. The hot water was slowly working at Naruto’s sore muscles and melting away the tension in his fatigued body. He squeezed the older man a little tighter, the aching in his stiff arms soothed by the warmth of Kakashi’s skin.
“Did you miss me? Is that what this is?”
“Why would I miss you?” Naruto’s hands were fidgeting in Kakashi’s grasp. “I see you every day.”
“Did you know that when you lie, you wring your hands?”
“Bullshit.”
“Well, it was worth a try,” Kakashi laughed, tilting his head back to look up at Naruto. A blush had spread across his face from ear to ear; he’d been caught red-handed, not that missing the man he loved was a crime. Instead of teasing him, Kakashi scattered kisses along his jaw and on his cheek until Naruto finally caved. The kiss they shared was slow and sweet, yet longing and lustful all the same. Their mouths seemed to melt together as Naruto pushed his tongue into Kakashi’s mouth, catching the older man off guard. When they separated, a trail of saliva bridged the gap between their flushed lips. “So you really did miss me, huh?”
Naruto pouted, but his half-hearted frown quickly softened into a small, bashful smile. “Of course.”
“Well, I missed you too,” Kakashi admitted, giving his hands a squeeze. He sunk a little lower into the water, intentionally ignoring the silent request poking into the small of his back. The younger boy didn’t know it, but Kakashi was smiling. “How was the mission?”
"You know,” Naruto sighed, “the usual genin stuff."
Kakashi chuckled and nuzzled Naruto’s neck with his nose, tickling his skin with his fluffy, wild hair. A natural, comfortable silence fell over them, the only sound being the pattering of rain against the foggy windows. Neither of them minded the lack of conversation; they quite enjoyed it, actually. The silence was more than enough when all they needed was each other’s company after a long few days of being apart.