Work Text:
“And then—Whoa, uh—” Guy spun around showily, needlessly, almost tripping himself on a tree root while he walked in front of Kakashi. He regained his footing and tried not to look embarrassed. “—And then! In a stunning, masterful display of physical skill, I rushed out and managed to grab Genma by the hand, holding him up and pulling him back to safety from the cliff edge, all fast enough so that he didn’t drop the little bunny we rescued! The bunny was so happy, I could practically understand its words of gratitude from its little nose wiggling!” Team Choza never seemed to do much that was actually interesting, so Guy’s many stories about their D-rank escapades did little to stir any curiosity in Kakashi. Excitement bubbled up from Guy as he scrunched up his face in cutely futile attempts to wiggle his big nose.
Kakashi silently scolded himself for thinking that was as cute as it was, cuter than whatever rabbit he was going on about. He kept his eyes half-lidded in feigned disinterest. There was more than enough mirth glimmering in his eyes to make up for Kakashi’s lack thereof. “No matter how dramatically you describe it, a D-rank mission is still a D-rank mission.”
Guy huffed and folded his arms across his chest. “Yeah, I know! But you have to admit, you’re a little impressed! I lifted Genma like he was as light as a fistful of grapes!”
Kakashi shrugged. In a way, it was his duty as Guy’s boyfriend to at least humor him. “You have good brute strength, if nothing else.”
That was more than enough to turn the pout on Guy’s face around into an excited grin again. “Thank you! Genma said he had full confidence in me, you know! He’s usually wisecracking or joking about how we’re all going to die, but sometimes, he says such deep things! Ebisu says it’s because I’m being a bad influence on him. But Genma said my hands feel ‘reliable and steady,’ like I could personally drag someone out of the depths of Hell if I tried. I don’t really get it, but it sounded sweet, didn’t it? I don’t really understand what he meant at all, but he’s good at sounding like he means something!” If Kakashi didn’t know Guy so well, that would sound like a backhanded compliment about Genma. But coming from Guy, whose eyes were sparkling, he knew it was genuine praise. He and Genma were very close. “Genma’s words got me thinking, if I had to describe Genma’s hand, I guess I’d say that it feels… slender? Sort of soft.” He absentmindedly mimed shaking hands with the air. “Nimble and warm, maybe? It was nice to hold…”
“You spent your whole mission just holding hands with Genma?” Kakashi let a sound halfway between a scoff and a sigh. “Weak teams sure have it easy, don’t they? Just playing around like a bunch of little kids while the rest of us do our actual dangerous jobs.”
“Hey!” Guy puffed out his chest and tried to look a little more imposing. “We’re strong! The mission was just a low rank mission, so there was extra time for things like that! I wasn’t slacking off or anything! We were training!”
Kakashi wrinkled his nose, making a show of displeasure. “All I know is that our missions are too busy and high-stakes for us to waste time wondering how soft each other’s hands are.” Even though that was a lie. Obito probably spent well over half the time of every single mission thinking about holding hands with Rin, and the other half of the time they actually were holding hands while she dragged him along. And on missions where Kushina took part, she and Minato literally did spend most of the mission holding hands. Some of their combination attacks even necessitated that they held hands. Kakashi would never actively admit that he’d imagined doing the same with Guy. “It’s childish. Don’t you think?”
Guy pointed a finger at Kakashi, distinctly offended. “You’re looking down on me!”
He crossed his arms, leaning towards him, one silver brow rising, “Because you’re beneath me. I have to look down.”
“For the record, I’m still taller than you…” Guy grumbled. “And I’m not beneath you, I’m beside you! And I always will be!”
“You’ll always be with me?” Kakashi’s annoyed expression gave way to a daring smirk. “Is that one of your self-promises?”
“Yes! I promise myself that I’m always going to be by your side, at your back, not trailing beneath you, Kakashi! I’m your rival! And if I can’t do that, I’ll work at it until I can!”
Kakashi smirked. A self-rule was much better insurance than him simply praising how someone’s hand felt. He didn’t particularly care that Guy had held hands with Genma. Genma was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a threat. Guy was loyal to a fault.
“Besides,” Guy continued, exhaling to let out all the air in his puffed-up chest. “I worked hard on the mission, and I also worked hard holding everyone’s hands! I gave in my all in all regards! You’re not a taijutsu specialist, you don’t understand how much comparing people’s bodies factors into my training! You can tell a lot about a person from their grip and the skin of their hands! I have a better grasp of my dear teammates’ strengths and weaknesses and training habits now!”
“All that just from holding his hand?”
“Yep! I’m pretty amazing, right? Impressed yet, Rival?”
“Hm…” Kakashi hummed pensively, thinking on it. He wasn’t the sentimental or sappy type. But he was admittedly a little curious.
Kakashi reached out and brushed his hand against the one Guy held out. Guy pulled his hand away and placed both his hands on his hip, so smoothly that Kakashi couldn’t tell if he had intentionally avoided Kakashi or if he was still just posturing like always and happened to have poor timing. “It wasn’t just Genma’s hand, either! After that, I grabbed Ebisu’s hand, just to compare!” He continued without missing a beat. “And I’d describe it as bony and clammy! But skilled! He has such lithe fingers!” Guy brought his hand back up to mimic Ebisu’s signature glasses-fixing gesture.
Now that one of Guy’s hands was free, Kakashi tried again, and Guy spun around airily, twirling quickly in the opposite direction with arms out to his sides, so fast that the leaves rippled around him, and just fast enough that Kakashi yet again missed his chance to grab Guy’s hand.
Kakashi tried again, and again, and again, and each time, Guy spun away and pulled another pose just in time to make Kakashi miss his chance to grab Guy’s hand.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. At this point, it was clear Guy was evading Kakashi on purpose. There was no one around to see them, but Kakashi supposed this might just be Guy being surprisingly shy now that they were alone together. Kakashi’s mouth twitched into a smile. His boyfriend was so weirdly cute.
“And then,” Guy continued, once he’d finally stopped spinning. “I held the bunny’s paw too, just to check! It was so soft, Kakashi! Shaking a rabbit’s paw is quite an experience! So warm and fluffy!”
Kakashi caught up to him and properly caught his wrist a split second quicker than Guy could pull it away. His fingers loosened on Guy's wrist, then slid down until Kakashi was squeezing Guy's hand.
“…Uhm?” Guy froze, finding himself unable to easily, casually pull out of Kakashi’s grasp. “Kakashi?”
Without looking at Guy’s face, Kakashi loosened his hold and twisted his hand so that their fingers were intertwined. He could feel his own pulse racing, and he was almost afraid that the warmth would leave his hand.
He wanted to ask what his own hand felt like. Nicer than Genma’s? More skilled than Ebisu’s?
Better than a rabbit’s at least, right? he thought, embarrassingly. That was way too cheesy to say aloud, a boundary of sorts in their oddly-defined relationship that he didn’t dare to cross, not… yet. It would still sound exceptionally corny coming from Guy’s mouth, even though Kakashi didn’t mind corniness when it came from Guy.
Kakashi wasn’t Guy, though. This was the closest Kakashi could get to open affection. So, Kakashi simply stayed silent as he squeezed Guy’s hand tightly and waited for him to get the message.
Guy just tilted his head and stared at him, blinking slowly. Then, with a smile spreading across his face, he exclaimed, “Oh! I get it!” Kakashi sighed in relief and loosened his hold to something a little more comfortable.
As soon as he did, Guy pulled his hand away, and Kakashi swallowed his disappointment as he watched Guy scramble over to a tree stump.
“Here!” Guy plopped down at the stump opposite Kakashi with a heavy thump, his eyes wide with excitement. He was grinning now, all childish, innocent eagerness which was still, somehow, charming to Kakashi. Guy planted one elbow on the stump and held out his hand for Kakashi to take, wriggling his fingers beckoningly.
Kakashi’s bewildered gaze fastened on Guy’s arm. Guy was so confusing. Sometimes he was just impossible for Kakashi to understand.
“You were challenging me to an arm-wrestling match, right?” Guy called. “Let’s do it! I’ll show you how much stronger I’ve gotten!”
He wondered if Guy was just being shy or if he was being purposely obtuse at this point. Still, Kakashi took a seat across from Guy and mirrored his pose.
The two lifted their right arms onto the makeshift table and brought their hands together. He hesitated to throw his hand out and clasp it in Guy’s, but this time, he caught his hand properly, and neither pulled away.
Kakashi held Guy’s hand in his– heavy, warm-knuckled, so much bigger than his own. What he felt was indescribable. And something he could never confess to. He was glad he didn’t have to say those kinds of things out loud. He was glad Guy understood him, emotional constipation and all.
Kakashi’s skin dimpled where Guy’s bandaged fingers dug in with the fierceness of his grip. His cheeks dimpled in a smile underneath his mask.
“Ready?” Guy grinned again. Kakashi could sense the restless chakra pooling underneath his skin, like an excitable puppy wagging its tail.
With a simple nod, Kakashi answered, “Hm.”
They shifted their fingers and elbows, preparing. After a silent countdown, the match commenced. Guy pushed hard against Kakashi's hand and got a few inches of movement before the muscles snapped taut.
It took less than a second for both of them to gauge the other’s strengths. From the crow of satisfaction and triumph Guy gave, nearly costing him the match as his concentration wavered, Kakashi clearly felt that there'd been an improvement in Guy’s raw power. “Well? Impressed?” Guy jeered.
He was. Kakashi wasn't trying as hard as he could, but he could feel a resistance that hadn't been there when Guy was younger.
Guy even managed to make a bit more progress, forcing a bit of give from Kakashi, and Guy whooped with glee despite the obvious tremble in his forearm. Guy had a determined expression and a confident smile pulling at one corner of his mouth. “I’ve gotten stronger, haven’t I, Rival? You seem surprised!”
Kakashi didn’t concern himself with Guy’s clumsy needling. He pushed back now, widening his legs slightly and holding back a smile when Guy’s hand shook and moved a fraction of an inch. He eventually forced them back to the middle and erased the progress Guy had made against him. From there, neither gave any ground. “You think you can surprise me?” Kakashi probably knew Guy better than any other person alive, and he took a small bit of secret pride in that.
Guy pushed hard, throwing as much of his weight as he could against their joined hands. This time, Kakashi didn't budge, and a small smirk crossed his face as he watched Guy’s increasing frustration.
A light sheen of sweat began to collect on Guy’s scarred forearm. It collected in the crease where his bicep and forearm met and trickled down on either side of his bony elbow. Guy was sweating, his arm trembled with strain, his brows knitted tightly in deep concentration, but the fire in his expression was pure defiance and determination. Kakashi bit the inside of cheek to hold back another smile.
Guy’s face was a study of strain and awe. Kakashi could honestly end it whenever he wanted to. This was just as much a test of technique as it was a test of strength, and Guy would never beat Kakashi in the former. But some part of Kakashi liked playing the long game here. In reality, it was just physics, but it felt like a display of raw, physical power. He liked watching the awe and confusion in Guy’s eyes increase by the second.
And, honestly, he liked the feeling of Guy’s hand against his. It was aggressive, but he was still getting to hold his boyfriend’s hand without even making himself vulnerable. Truth be told, Kakashi preferred it this way.
Just like Kakashi had wanted, Guy's palm was snug against his, his fingers wrapped around Kakashi's hand. They were staring into each other's eyes, breathing in ragged unison, and Kakashi was lost in fascination, jolting only slightly at the minor pain from his tightly squeezed hand.
Just when it seemed that Guy had finally gotten the upper hand, Kakashi adjusted his arm and got the leverage to match him.
Guy grunted with effort. His face was red, and he was shaking violently. With a chuckle, Kakashi carefully adjusted the torque and angle of his arm to counter every time Guy tried to force more power into it. Despite all that fruitless effort and the face that was redder than Kushina’s hair, Guy’s determined grin wasn’t damped even slightly. “You’re struggling! I can tell!” Guy accused.
He was right, Kakashi was having a hard time keeping the stalemate. He knew better than to show it on his face, though, so Kakashi just scoffed, “You wish,” which still didn’t do a thing to wipe the grin off Guy’s face.
It almost made Kakashi grin back. Guy was so wild. And foolish, and loud, not to mention a nobody from a no-name clan. But somehow… He was pretty interesting. Guy was having fun with this. And honestly, so was Kakashi. It’d be even more fun to lord it over Guy when Kakashi won this.
“—Rival, I just realized something!” Guy interjected, and it wasn’t a competitive taunt this time.
That didn’t stop Kakashi from trying to turn it into one. “That you’re going to lose?”
“No! –And I’m not! I’m winning this thing!” Guy wavered for half a second, distracted, but he cleared his throat and steeled his position before Kakashi could properly take advantage of it to finish the match. Guy glanced down at their hands sentimentally. “No, what I was going to say was— Your hand! I sort of expected it to be kind of soft. Holding on like this, though, I can’t help but think we’re more alike than I thought… You have a hand that’s rough and strong from all your hard work, too. You’re like me.”
Guy locked eyes with Kakashi. It wasn’t like Kakashi had stared into those eyes for inappropriate amounts of time or anything, but he couldn’t help but notice that there was a gleam in Guy’s eyes that was different from the usual, perpetual gleam Guy looked at the world with. It was different, and aimed just at Kakashi. Kakashi blinked and tried to focus more on the match and less on the admiration in Guy’s tone.
“You’re going to think this sounds dumb,” Guy continued, glancing up at the sky or around at the trees, or anywhere but Kakashi, like a timid little kid. “But I think I know what Genma meant when he said my hand feels reliable now. Your hand is the type of hand I could definitely feel safe holding onto, even in the middle of war, even if I was staring down a hundred swordsmen from the Hidden Mist.”
Kakashi wondered if Guy could feel it in his pulse in when his heart skipped a beat in his chest.
“I know for sure I chose the right man as my partner when I chose you, Kakashi! I know this is the sort of hand I’d want holding me up forever,” Guy declared, sincere and grinning and honestly way too in love with Kakashi, bringing a bright flush to Kakashi’s face and surprising him so much that he lost his focus and jerked his arm too forcefully.
Guy's hand slammed down against the rough wood of the tree stump. The loud sound reverberated in the sudden silence.
Guy winced, then gawked, wide-eyed at the boy sat in front of him. His arm was flat on the table, Kakashi’s hand on top of his. He wondered how long he could keep holding onto Guy’s hand like this. He still didn’t really want to let go.
He wasn’t going to hold on without a convenient excuse to, though. Kakashi released his hand, quickly, quietly. Guy took the chance to pull away and shake out his hand, sore from being smacked into the tree stump.
“Oww…” Guy let out a loud, defeated groan and rubbed his bicep as the numbness wore off and the pain struck. Soon after, Guy’s laughter and grin chased away any of Kakashi’s worries that he'd take the loss too hard. “How are you still so strong, rival?!” His grin was no less wild despite losing, and his eyes were full of a happily rekindled hero worship.
Chuckling back, Kakashi rolled his shoulders and flexed his fingers, studying them. “You have a long way to go.”
“I really do…” Guy's shoulders curved inward and he rested his arms on the table, his expression puzzled. He bounced back as quickly as ever, “You’re just that amazing, Kakashi! But that’s just what I expected! I’d expect nothing less from the man I chose! You’re my destiny, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
Kakashi sat back on his heels. That sounded like something Kushina would say to Minato. And if Minato was here, he’d probably advise Kakashi to return the compliment with something equally romantic and sappy. “…I…”
“—I’ll just have to keep at it!” Guy took Kakashi’s hand in both of his and leaned into Kakashi’s personal space. “That’s what it means to be eternal rivals! That’s what it means for our destinies to be entwined! My heart beats wildly for you! I’m so motivated to build to strength to beat you in our next match, whatever it is!”
He squeezed Kakashi’s hand tightly. Kakashi felt a squeeze in his heart, too
Kakashi could feel his blush climb up to his ears, hidden under its hair. He leaned away, still holding onto Guy’s hands. Kakashi’s lips twitched in a reluctant grin.
Maybe he understood why people held hands now.
He’d always thought it was just about possessiveness, announcing to any potential threats that “This is mine”. But maybe it was just about maintaining contact, speaking without having to say any embarrassing words. Maybe it was just “I want you with me” and “don’t go.” Maybe it was as simple as “I want to feel your pulse and the callouses in your palm.”
“Your hand really does feel reliable…” Kakashi spoke quietly, a whisper, barely audible.
“What was that? You say something, rival?”
“…No.” Kakashi shook his head. “Nothing.”
Guy moved to withdraw his hand, so Kakashi tugged him a little closer and leaned into him this time.
Guy seemed surprised by that. “What is it, Kakashi? Wanna go again?”
“No.” Kakashi shifted his hand so his fingers interlocked effortlessly with Guy’s. “Your bandages came loose during the match. I’ll rewrap them for you,” Kakashi said as an easy excuse, hand-in-hand, their hands warm and their small fingers tightly intertwined.
Guy slowly nodded. He finally stopped trying to slip away.
Guy fidgeted antsily with his bandages. He knew it was just his imagination, but it almost felt like Kakashi’s gripping warmth still lingered under the bindings. “…Hey, Ebisu,” Guy said suddenly. “Wanna arm wrestle?”
“—What?!” The question made Ebisu lose his balance mid-exercise. His eyes widened in shock as he fell forward off his training post, slamming into the ground with a thud. He groaned and sat back up, rubbing the back of his head. “And have you break my arm?! No thank you!”
“I need to practice, though!” Guy insisted. “I lost a match against Kakashi, and then he laughed! He doesn’t think anything of me at all… Which is why I have to start working even harder! I have to prove myself! I’m asking you to help me achieve this goal as my dear teammate!”
“You’re still chasing after Kakashi? It’s kind of getting old at this point… Not to mention sad.” Ebisu grimaced. “I thought he hated your guts?”
“I wouldn’t word it anything like that… He just… doesn’t like me. At all. Probably. I think? Yet!” Guy pouted at him and rubbed his hand, remembering the sting of his loss. “I like him, though! And that’s more than enough reason not to give up!” He turned to Genma for backup.
“There, there, Guy. We still like you.” Genma just rested a hand on his arm and went along with his little pity party. “Come on, Ebisu, nothing ‘gets old’ with us. We’re shinobi. We all die long before we have the chance get old. Eternal youth, right?” Genma had a peculiar sense of humor that usually straddled the line between lighthearted humor and gallows humor, even with puns like that.
“That’s… Not quite what eternal youth is, but I appreciate the sentiment, my dear teammate!” Guy gave Genma a bright thumbs-up, and Genma mirrored it with a lazy grin.
Ebisu groaned in exasperation. “Why don’t you just practice arm wrestling with Genma, since you two get along so well?”
“Genma has to use his arms for aiming!” Guy answered reflexively. “They’re just as much his vital weapons as his senbon and kunai! He won’t be able to carry out missions properly if I put him in a cast!”
Ebisu squeaked. “—You mean you’re really planning on breaking my arm?!”