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For a professor’s office, Kakashi thinks, her room is comically overrun with paperwork. The stacks of books and cacophony of single loose sheets of paper is borderline hoarding at this point, Kakashi notes as he waits for Professor Tsunade to re-enter the room with his report. He also has a nagging suspicion that the half-assed hidden bottle with no label on top of the drawer in the corner of the room may be alcohol and not quite the sparkling water that Professor Tsunade is wistfully trying to disguise it as. He sighs quietly to himself, he can only keep himself preoccupied in the cramped office for so long and hopes that she doesn’t take too long. He doesn’t want to be late for his date and make a terrible impression, if anything Kakashi is good at first impressions, hell he’d even gun for charming if he really put effort into it.
The door opens and breaks him from his thoughts, and Kakashi allows himself to sit a little straighter in her presence. Professor Tsunade makes her way to the chair behind the desk, fixes the report by tapping the papers before placing it down on the desk between them. “So Kakashi, there really isn‘t much to say,” she folds her hands underneath her chin, “you’re exceptional in class, one of the best students I’ve seen since I’ve started my academic career.” Kakashi tries not to show too much relief (Professor Tsunade’s presence and tone won’t allow that anyway) but he feels his shoulders relax. “However, you need to work on your attendance and effort in group projects.”
It’s not like he means to, Kakashi knows he’s smart it’s the whole reason why his attendance is terrible and why he hates group projects, but he zones out and fixes on the photo just to the left of her head, far enough so Professor Tsunade doesn’t obstruct it from his view but not so far so that it makes it look like he’s still paying attention.
It’s an old photo from what Kakashi can deduct because Professor Tsunade looks younger (he’s heard the botox rumours but she is very clearly less stressed in the photo) but that’s not what he’s focusing on. There’s a boy in the photo that Professor Tsunade has proudly wrapped her arm around and the boy smiles wide and fondly at the camera. Kakashi can’t quite place the face, he’s confident he’s seen the boy somewhere, but he can’t recall knowing anyone with big almond eyes and long brown hair from his childhood. He squints his eyes a little, he nods to whatever Professor Tsunade is saying to buy him more time as he feels his brain scrambling through faces he’s seen before. He thinks he’s closer to figuring it out but Professor Tsunade’s cadence sounds as if she’s reaching the end of her feedback.
“—I expect a higher percentage next semester.”
“I will, Professor Tsunade.” Kakashi aims for a humble grin to hide the fact he hasn’t been listening for the past three minutes.
Her brows furrow together. “I’m being serious Hatake—”
There are three rapt knocks at the door that interrupts their meeting and Professor Tsunade looks down at her watch, she smiles softly. “That must be my nephew,” she hums, “come in Tenzō, I’m just finishing up a meeting.
The door creaks as it opens but Kakashi doesn’t dare to turn around, he knows better than to mess with Professor Tsunade and turning around to look at her beloved nephew, Kakashi guesses, is high up the list of ‘Valid Reasons to Uppercut You With My Unrestrained Strength’.
“Are you sure I’m not interrupting, auntie?” an all too familiar voice asks and Kakashi feels himself blanch. His brain helpfully supplies him with scenes of obtuse flirtation in the hallway only two minutes away from Professor Tsunade’s office and hopes he doesn’t look too nervous.
“Don’t be silly, Tenzō,” Professor Tsunade waves him in and Tenzō shuffles into the corner of Kakashi’s vision where he adds one and one together with the picture frame behind Tsunade’s head. He’s going to bully Yamato – no, Tenzō for cutting his hair (that is if he makes it out of Professor Tsunade’s room alive). “What do you need?”
“Actually I just came by to say I’ll be home later tonight,” Tenzō informs her. Kakashi feels himself simultaneously flush while all the blood drains from his face, is this medically possible? “I’ve got a date.”
Tenzō is standing behind the desk now and smiling smugly, he takes a quick cursory glance at Kakashi who narrows his eyes at Tenzō. “Who with?” Professor Tsunade asks in a tone that cuts through Kakashi as he watches the way her shoulders stiffen. He immediately resigns to the fact that he’s going to die in this office.
“Don’t worry about it, you overreact,” Tenzō reassures her, “he’s cute and dropping me off by nine.”
Professor Tsunade visibly hesitates, but Tenzō is pulling the most ridiculous puppy eyes that Kakashi believes will kill him if Professor Tsunade doesn’t get to him first. “No later than nine,” she says with finality. Tenzō nods in agreement, and she watches him leave before her attention is abruptly back on Kakashi. “I’m sorry about that Kakashi,” he waves dismissively and hopes he doesn’t looked too relieved, “anyway, all I’m asking for is seventy percent on attendance and it’s all smooth sailing after that. Minato-sensei can sort out your efforts in group work I’m sure of that. However, I must give you credit since there has been an increase in attendance the past few weeks. Any reason for that?”
Your nephew.
“Just felt motivated,” Kakashi lies through his teeth and tries to quickly rid his mind of Tenzō just in case Professor Tsunade could read his mind.
She smiles knowingly. “Very well then, you’re dismissed.”
Obito has been cackling for a solid ten minutes now and Rin is trying her best to be helpful but she’s trying not to fall into the same fits of laughter (if her flushed face and glossy eyes are anything to go by). “I cannot believe—” Obito inhales a mouthful of air obnoxiously loud, --“you asked out Senju’s nephew!”
“Well you better start believing dumbass because I need to leave in twenty minutes and all of my shirts are suddenly ugly.” Kakashi looks into his closet again in disdain. Obito weeps on his bed, he sounds like he’s about to say something but instead starts laughing wetly again and Kakashi resists the urge to both pummel Obito and hide in the closet to never come out again.
“How about that black shirt Kakashi?” Rin offers when she has calmed down a little.
“I don’t want to be boring,” Kakashi huffs taking it off the rail and pressing it against his chest. “I don’t know,” he grumbles and turns to face his asshole friends, “does this make me look sexy?”
“—no.”
“—yes.”
Twenty agonising minutes later, Kakashi makes it to the diner dressed adequately (“You do not need to wear chains on the first date ‘Kashi.”) and doused in cologne (“I met a dog on the way here! I only played with him for fifteen minutes, Rin I promise—“). He has only been standing outside the diner for all of forty seconds when he starts to get into a mental torment on whether or not he should stay outside and wait chivalrously or go inside and get seated at a table. Fortunately, Tenzō doesn’t have Obito’s punctuality and arrives in jeans that Kakashi would risk his final grades on. “Yo Tenzō,” Kakashi greets with a two-fingered salute (dumb dumb dumb, he’s never done that before why did he decide to do that now?).
“It’s Yamato,” Tenzō grumbles but his frown is playful.
“That’s not what Professor Senju was calling you,” Kakashi grins and opens the door to the diner.
The date goes well, if anything it’s like their antics in the hallway except sat down and in a diner where Tenzō nearly chokes on his milkshake because Kakashi had told a joke while he was drinking it. As their time together comes to its end Kakashi asks, “How’d you make your way here?”
“Oh, by bus.” Tenzō replies as they make their way outside.
“Let me give you a ride home, I’ve got a car.” Kakashi says and then frowns when Tenzō shivers. “Did you not bring a jacket?”
Tenzō shoots him a ghoul-like stare and Kakashi is convinced that the Senju family specialises in fear tactics, although, he replies, “No.” sheepishly.
That’s all it takes for Kakashi to shed his denim jacket and drape it around Tenzō’s shoulders. “Give it back to me Monday,” he tries not to sound too fond but Tenzō is smiling at him knowingly, big brown eyes creased up with a faint blush colouring his face and Kakashi tries not to crumble. “C’mon, I parked my car just up the road.”
After Tenzō gives him the directions to his house they settle into a comfortable silence in the car, Kakashi makes note of Tenzō’s unabashed admiration for The Doors and files that in the back of his head. In between red lights, Kakashi takes note of the way Tenzō drums his hands against his thighs, the gentle murmur of his mouth as he sings quietly along to Light My Fire and the rhythmic bob of his head. He can’t help it but the fluttering sensation of infatuation climbs out from his chest to settle in his throat, he can almost heat Obito calling him whipped in the distance. It’s not like Tenzō’s helping the situation, even worse that he’s sitting in Kakashi’s car, in Kakashi’s jacket, and as they drive further into the setting sun, it bathes Tenzō in warm oranges and vibrant pinks that Kakashi is sure he’ll dream of later tonight.
When they pull up to their destination, he walks Tenzō to the door who laughs and comments that, “You’re really pulling out all the stops aren’t you, Kakashi?”
“What kind of date would I be if I didn’t take you to the door?” Kakashi replies coolly despite the fact his stomach is in knots because he has approximately eighteen seconds before they come to a stop and needs to come to the decision on whether to kiss Tenzō or not.
Twelve seconds later, when Tenzō looks up at him through the thick spread of his eyelashes and says, “Thank you for taking me out tonight, I really enjoyed it.” Kakashi decides, fuck it I’m going to kiss him.
“No problem,” Kakashi says, shuffling closer and placing a hand under Tenzō’s jaw to tilt his head a little further. “Have a good night, Tenzō.”
At the eighteen second mark, Kakashi presses his mouth to Tenzō’s and leans his head to the right to slot their mouths together seamlessly. Tenzō makes a surprised but pleased noise of agreement before pushing back against Kakashi and winding his hands behind Kakashi’s neck.
At the twenty-four second mark, the front door swings open.
The pair jump away from each other as if they’d both been shocked.
“Ah, Hatake.”
The chill that runs up his spine is palpable. “Professor Tsunade,” he greets. Kakashi reluctantly meets her gaze and tries not to sag with relief when her eyes don’t share the intent to murder.
“Did you boys have a good evening?” she asks casually as if she just hadn’t caught Kakashi trying to tongue her nephew.
Tenzō nods eagerly, unashamed of his giddy reply as his flush grows more vibrant. “Well then,” she says opening the door wider to let Tenzō in. “I won’t keep you waiting long, goodnight Kakashi.”
“Have a good night, Professor Tsunade.” Kakashi parrots feeling like he had gotten away with murder but before he can turn on his heel and run away from the front door, Professor Tsunade clears her throat.
“Oh, and by the way,” she says grinning in a way that screams danger. “Tenzō is away next week and I expect your attendance will still be consistent as it has been the past few weeks, right?”
Kakashi hastily nods before running down the porch stairs and all by throws himself in the car.