let's give 'em somethin' to talk about

[morningpeacock]

Where: Somewhere in Konoha village, out of the ways.
When: early September, following the release of the gossip magazine. The day of Kakashi's return from Uzushio.
Notes: closed to Gai, Obito, and Kakashi [Finished]

Obito was pretty sure that of everyone in the village, he was the one most aware of the little rumor page that had cropped up seemingly overnight. Given that he'd had several shinobi come to him to complain. Or ask questions. Or just in general be unhappy. The one he was currently worried about was the whole, well, dating thing. And if Kakashi or Gai were going to think he like, set it up or something. He didn't think they would, but he wasn't exactly known to never do pranks, even if not of this nature and...

And he didn't even know. So. He found Kakashi, and was about three steps from saying hi, or, you know, anything, when Gai announced himself from the other side. Well. Shit. Instead of saying anything he closed his mouth and leaned on the tree, deciding to wait a minute for a natural feeling opening to join the conversation.

"KAKASHI!!! Just the man I have been looking for!" Gai draped an arm over Kakashi's shoulder and pulled him in for a welcome-home hug. "It seems like it has been forever since I saw you in the village! I hope Uzushio treated you well! You will have to tell me all about that later! And now that you are back, we can discuss your very important upcoming day!" He grinned and winked as if Kakashi's birthday was a secret.

"But first! There is a somewhat pressing matter I have to ask you about!" He looked around, then lowered his voice to a theatrical whisper and leaned in close to his Rival. "...Have you seen the rumors that have been circulating?"

Of course Kakashi had heard - it was the first thing he'd been assaulted with as he crossed the threshold of the main gate. This village was full of people with an ear for gossip, and the troublesome paper floating around had only encouraged that. He'd just gotten back; couldn't he rest first before having to deal with this?

Not that he wasn't pleased to see Gai, and showed as much with his trademark trace of a smile.

"I have. They're... interesting, hm?" That was one word for it.

"Very!" Gai admitted. He shifted a little uncomfortably and scratched his cheek. "I...uh. Yes."

It was weird to have found a topic that Gai had trouble talking to Kakashi about, and Gai wasn't sure exactly how to handle talking about it now that he had broached the subject. He gave one of Kakashi's shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "I do not know how true they are..." Although the bond between Kakashi and Obito was quite strong, and it was entirely possible...

Still, Gai was convinced he would have caught wind of this earlier, right? Right. Of course. He was a good friend! "But I wanted you to know that if you are dating Obito--or interested in him, or anything!--do not fear! I promise I will not make it a challenge or get in your way! Honest! Fair Obito's heart will never be a matter of competition!"

A pause, then, just to be clear: "...Though I am not saying this because I have lost." He would never take a challenge off the roster just because it was one he wasn't going to win. Never.

Obito turned his head and stared at the tree, mouthing that to himself as he tried to wrap his brain around it. 'Fair Obito's Heart'. What. Gai, no. He closed his eyes and thumped his head silently against the tree after a moment... but didn't stop listening.

Kakashi gave Gai an exasperated look as he spoke, squirming uncomfortably under the reams of implications and the uncertainty in Gai's voice. That sound didn't belong there just as much as it didn't belong in Kakashi's head, but it seemed that nothing was playing out quite right today.

"I see," he mumbled, hands sinking into his pockets and posture relaxing like this was a typical conversation between himself and his rival. "Well, I can safely say that I'm not dating Obito, the last time I checked, at least." He gave Gai a side-on look, as if that would confirm his truthfulness, but his voice was speckled with unease. "As for not being the loser, the only way you would win or lose is if this was a challenge and I would never want someone else’s feelings to be something we compete over, so let's agree not to phrase it like that."

"Fair enough! It will never be a challenge!" Gai sighed with relief and grinned now that had been cleared up. He tried not to make comment on the side-glance or the way 'last time I checked' sounded like one of Kakashi's typically vague and loop-holey kind of comments. It was a can of worms he was not interested in opening. The answer had been what he thought he wanted to hear, and it was best left at that.

He gave an awkward chuckle. "Clearly those rumors were nothing but rumors! ...Ha! To think! The three of us dating each other!" His laugh faded out and he cleared his throat. "Now...about that special event coming up, Rival. I was thinking perhaps a nice dinner! Would you be free sometime around the 15th?"

Crap, overly long waiting. He shook himself, not sure he was all that thrilled with... whatever choice just got made over there, and stepped around the tree, deciding to cut in before they got seriously down to birthday planning because he wasn't about to miss out on that, but felt... awkward as he strode resolutely over to them, looking from one to the other. "Hey guys."

Kakashi also couldn't help but be dissatisfied with that conclusion. Gai giving up easy was never fun, but now it just felt weird; like it had been brushed over and cleared away much too quickly. He opened his mouth to say something when the new voice caught his attention, and had to stop himself from blurting out a quick 'speak of the devil'. That would only end badly.

Instead, he raised a hand in casual and totally normal greeting.

"Yo."

"GAH!" Their Hokage's voice made Gai jump and he spun around, sputtering and pointing. "Obito! How long have you been-- I mean." He gave a laugh as if to say 'I meant to do that' or 'I knew you were behind me this whole time!' "Hello! What brings you out here?"

Obito's eyebrows rose, and he looked from one to the other, taking in just how obvious they were going to be about this. The answer, at least for Gai, is 'really really' and Kakashi had a tinge of awkward around him that said that he wasn't sure how to react to his presence. Well, this wasn't odd at all. If he hadn't been listening he would have thought it was even weirder. "Why, you been talking about me?"

Guilty as charged, Gai looked at Kakashi and remained silent. He would let his brilliant Rival handle this one.

Kakashi blinked slowly back at the two faces looking intently at him. Why was all the decision-making and explaining suddenly his responsibility? He was just as unequipped and inexperienced to things like this as they were. He couldn't exactly reference his books in a situation like this, after all. He made a point of not letting any of that uncertainty pass the lazy barrier of his expression, however, and simply shrugged a shoulder in response.

"No more than usual," he commented vaguely before fixing Obito with a stare of his own, pale eyebrow rising slowly. "Why, should we be talking about you?"

"It'd make sense given the whole... rumor thing. And don't tell me you don't know. If I've been accosted so have you." He pointed at him, then slid his finger to Gai. "And you look way too awkward for it not to be true. So. What's the verdict? Gonna fight for me or play nice or what?"

He turned pink. Oh. Obito knew. Well, of course Obito knew. The whole village had probably heard. "Fight for you?! Obito, I think we have more respect for you than to fight over you and not ask for your say in the matter!" He looped an arm around Kakashi in a friendly and inclusive gesture. "We have agreed to play nice and not reduce you to a challenge!"

So the news had spread even to Obito. Great. That was just what the doctor ordered; a case of heresy inspired Chinese whispers. This could get ugly if they weren't careful.

It was all Kakashi could do to let himself be manhandled for the moment, offering Obito all the signs of a bright smile and a little nod in agreement to Gai's words, choosing to pointedly ignore the fact that a minute or two ago Gai had been almost insinuating the very thing he was denying.

He peered at them both for a moment, then decided to get this over with and just shake them into knocking off the awkward stance. "So that means I have a couple boyfriends then huh? Good to know."

He flailed. "WHAT?! Boyfriends?! I did not say that! I said playing nice! A-And Kakashi told me he was not dating you!"

His grin fell to be replaced by a groan and a roll of his eye. "He was joking, Gai." he said, placing a calming hand on Gai's shoulder, wishing he'd get a grasp on the idea of sarcasm already. Or at least he assumed that's what Obito was pulling - a prank, right? He looked at Obito as if expecting him to confirm.

He rolled his shoulders, finally losing a bit of his composure as he shifted on his feet, carding his fingers through his hair a bit. "Ah... doesn't have to be."

Gai looked from one to the other, mouth agape. "Now I do not know which of you to believe! What--why would you want Kakashi or me as boyfriends?! What about the pretty girl from the auction??"

Kakashi seemed just as stumped as Gai at that, albeit a little quieter. The awkward posture Obito had suddenly taken up had caught his attention, so he said nothing and instead trained his eyes in the other man, watching him carefully.

"The business dinner?" Obito shook his head sharply and shifted again, looking from one to the other nervously but he couldn't shake the feeling that he had stumbled here. He finally gave an awkward laugh and glanced away... because maybe he should play this off because obviously he'd just talked himself into a corner that wasn't all that great if he was getting silenced at.

"You were supposed to have a date!" Gai felt like he had no idea what he meant, because it had been important then to find Obito a date, but a few minutes ago, it had been really important that Kakashi wasn't already dating him, even though that would have certainly solved the problem of finding Obito a date.

Kakashi still kept his eyes on Obito; his typically lazy expression piercing and alert now. Gai, he didn't really have to work too hard to figure out, but Obito looked nervous and Kakashi drank that rare emotion in like a fine wine. He was interested.

"Are you actually interested in dating one or both of us?" he asked, cutting the conversation short with a direct question in what he hoped was a level tone.

He had enough time to sort of shrug at Gai, but Kakashi's words jerked his attention back to the white haired man, and he found himself abruptly, and totally, unsure what to say. He curled his fingers in his hair before forcing his hand down, absently tugging at his sleeves to straighten them instead. "I. Um." He hitched up a shoulder, legitimately not sure if he should answer that... or if he'd even get an affirmative answer if he did.

How could Kakashi be so--soo... blunt?! Still, Obito didn't answer the question, and that left Gai with a weird empty feeling. Was it politeness and friendship that stopped Obito's words? Would he have felt able to answer if only one of them was here, instead of both? "Do not worry, Obito! Neither of us will judge you, regardless of your answer!" he said, offering a thumbs up and a grin. "Or if you do not want to answer, that is fine, too!"

Well it was either an awkward no or a resounding yes; either way Kakashi had said something to make the Uchiha even more uncomfortable. He should start a tally. Gai's words were a welcome support, but Kakashi couldn't help but crave the answer. Perhaps he was being selfish, maybe it was just the slight tinge of something hot and red in the scent of the air, maybe it was morbid curiosity... He didn't know. All he could do was wait for Obito to get there in his own time.

"It's not- I don't-" He shifted awkwardly and scowled at Gai. "It's not that okay? I just. I-." He took a deep breath and reminded himself he wasn't twelve and trying to face Rin, and honest fact said that he'd never faced that particular hurdle so it was a terrible example anyway, he was facing... these two. It would be so much easier if it wasn't a... multiple no kind of situation. "Yes, okay? Just. Yes." He steeled himself for a gentle, or not so gentle, letdown, staring at them both and nervously stiff.

Oh. "Yes?" he echoed. "To...both of us?" Gai looked over at Kakashi as if hoping his Rival could somehow make better sense out of this than Gai was, then back at Obito. So it wasn't one of them...it was definitely both? When had they become something rumored to be boyfriends? And why did that sound nice? "Does this make me and Kakashi just your boyfriends, or are we boyfriends too? Can boyfriends still be Eternal Rivals?" Kakashi hadn't even answered yet, but he was included. Why would Kakashi be removed from the equation at all? He was a pretty pivotal part of this.

There he had it, Obito's answer from his own mouth with only the smallest amount of luring needed. His curiosity was sated... But where did that leave his reaction?

He'd been all straight questions and expectant looks a minute ago - but with that admission hanging in the air, Kakashi found it hard to avoid speechlessness... but it wasn't from shock or horror - it was a stupid, gushy, malleable quiet that he'd only ever read about. It made him feel all together very vulnerable, especially as Gai continually dropped the B word. It was a genuinely nice feeling – knowing someone was interested in him romantically – and he focused on that instead of the bubbling uncertainty threatening to make itself known.

Normally he would have commented something vague and stayed on the sidelines but something strange was curling inside his chest stopping him, and a faint heat was creeping up his face, peeking pink from under his mask.

Obito couldn't help the increasing anxiety as neither one gave him any kind of answer, and though he wanted to stare at Kakashi, who still wasn't speaking, which shouldn't shock him but at the moment was leaving him on edge, he looked to Gai with all the questions. He drew in a careful breath. "Ah. I don't- erm. I don't know." His voice got quieter. "Is that... something that would change any answer?"

Obito's question left Gai struggling for words. It was so vulnerable, and while Gai knew his friends were not made of steel, he hadn't seen either look so timid when it was just the three of them. He wanted to say it wouldn't change his answer, because he felt that was the right thing to say. But... "Kakashi is my Eternal Rival," he said, smiling softly at his silent Rival. "Forever. I am not dropping that title for him, regardless of what else changes. It is something I will not forfeit! If..." he added with a blush and a shrug, looking over at Obito. "If you would like to call me your boyfriend, however, I mean, if you are comfortable with it--"

Kakashi desperately wanted to speak up before either party thought he was half-assing this. But he felt a little bad, almost like he was ruining a moment between Gai and Obito that had been a long time coming - or maybe that was his guilt complex acting up again. Gai's soft voice and Obito's quiet uncertainty was pulling every string of weakness in Kakashi; Gai's admission never failing to get to him somewhere deep even if he never showed it physically. He looked as casual as ever, but on the inside he was struggling to work out where he fit, and where he wanted to fit, in all this.

"Oh." He didn't seem sure how to read that answer, it being a weird mix of yes and no, and he fussed with his sleeves more, curling his fingers in the cloth and twisting at it. He decided to take it as 'it's only okay if Kakashi says it's okay and turned his full attention on his teammate, his anxiety practically radiating off him at this point.

At Obito's short little response to Gai, Kakashi knew that he'd have to take these matters into his own hands – one of them was going to have to take a stab in the dark and throw his inhibitions aside for the sake of salvaging this awkward mess, and apparently it would have to be him.

"Obito," he started, looking up and meeting his friends all too intense gaze straight on. "Gai cares about you. More than the both of you have been willing to let yourselves admit for a long time. Hell, I thought you two would have made something official of it long ago - the fact it took you this long is... Well, it can't be helped." he sighed, then threw Gai a side-on look.

"And you," he rounded on his rival, an accusatory finger poking him in the bicep. "Stop confusing him. Tell him straight or you know he'll only misunderstand and internalise. You want to be his boyfriend, he wants to be yours; problem solved." That was when he paused, soap-box sensei tone going a little flat as he reached the difficult part of his argument.

"As for me..." he shifted, struggling to keep his cool from slipping under their joined scrutiny and his own vivid uncertainty.

"I will always be your Eternal Rival, Gai, and your best friend. I don't want to get in the way of what you both could have together by bringing my baggage to the table," he mumbled as if that was the end of his argument, but then after a pause that was too short to warrant all the thinking he needed to do, he spoke up again. "However, selfish as I am... That doesn’t mean I’m going to sit back and let you have all the fun without me." He managed, still unsure about just how far he wanted his involvement to go, but not showing it.

Humbled by the lecture and wisdom of his Rival, Gai only momentarily looked offended at Kakashi's accusation and poke, before finally giving a tearful and touched nod of agreement. Best friend. Kakashi actually called him his Best Friend!

"I think it is our own selfishness that makes us want to include you in everything, Kakashi," Gai said, placing a hand on his Rival's shoulder as he stepped closer to Obito. "Thank you."

After a moment, Gai took Obito's hands, looking into his eyes. "Please forgive my hesitation. I was not being honest or straightforward with myself, either." He took a deep breath. "But I care about you, deeply--if you will permit me the words, I love you and Kakashi--" Gai sent a brief look over his shoulder at Kakashi. "I have for a long time, even platonically. And I would be happy and honored to be your boyfriend. And I will do my best to be the best boyfriend you could imagine!" Better than Kakashi, even, a fire in Gai's eyes seemed to say. Obito's heart and affections might not be a competition, but Boyfriend Skills certainly could be. Even if they did change the titles, the Rivalry would still be there. Gai had a hard time turning it off.

Gai pressed a kiss to Obito's knuckles, holding them to his lips a moment. "I am sorry I did not realize this sooner."

He blinked wildly at the declaration of love, choked for a moment on the shock that wasn't shock, and then he cleared his throat, voice a murmur as he hitched up a shoulder in a helpless little twitch of a shrug. "What's a decade give or take?" He glanced sideways to Kakashi, then back again, squeezing Gai's fingers. "So... then... I get to keep you guys?"

Kakashi couldn't help a laborious little sigh at Gai's antics, his arms folded as he remained where he stood and regarded them with his casual gaze - back to normal. He hoped. God, he hoped it would be back to normal. He didn’t think he’d be able to take it if this changed anything.

The infliction of challenge in Gai's voice that Kakashi had become so used to picking up on made Kakashi's own competitive streak rear its head and immediately two confusing emotions battled in his chest; amusement and fear.

"Cute. Implying that you could ever get rid of us." he scoffed to Obito's timid question, eye creasing as he smiled, suffocating any uncertainty for the time being, for later when he could brood properly.

A decade. Gai winced a little. Still, that was a decade of friendship. It was not as if it was a decade wasted. "Kakashi, be nice to your boyfriend!" Gai narrowed his eyes and shook a fist at his Rival as if, for a moment, he was contemplating an impromptu spar right there. "Of course you get to keep us!" he turned back to Obito. Then, eagerly, "Do we get to keep you, too?"

Obito shifted and punched Kakashi in the arm, the other man just in range for doing that. Then he cleared his throat and put his hand back over the one still hanging onto the hand he hadn't pulled away for the erm. Chide. "Yeah, that'd be how it, you know, works. And Kakashi is being a jerk who is pretending it's not a change at all. Even though it is." He cut his eyes sideways at Kakashi. "After all, I still haven't killed that one. Need to fix that so he knows what he's getting into."

"I am being nice, I called him cu- ow!" Kakashi flinched, but a second too late and caught the lash exactly where Obito had intended. Damn it. He'd obviously been distracted by the topic of conversation. Another thing he'd have to get a grasp of.

"If I have to be nice to you, you have to be nice to me too," he simpered, rubbing his arm gingerly.

"I think he WAS nice! He could have aimed for your face!" Gai laughed, watching the two of them. Sure, things were going to change, but somethings were too ingrained in their strange relationship to go anywhere anytime soon. "Besides I think Obito's flirting did involve a little sparring, if I am remembering correctly! Maybe he is just flirting with you, Kakashi!"

"Gai, the flirting was the words and the posturing, not the sparring." He squeezed his hands, then eased his away, approaching Kakashi with no small amount of purpose. "Now then. Kakashi. I'm going to kiss you, so I think you need to adjust your mask for a minute."

Kakashi was quite content staying where he was, chuckling at the other two and nursing the after effects of Obito's strangely precise and powerful punch. When Obito approached him, however, his eyebrows disappeared under the navy protector around his forehead. "Uh, what?" he asked dumbly, not moving away but not making any move to de-mask himself either. "Why would you want to do that?"

The sparring counted. In Gai's mind all of that day fit together in one weird flirting package. But Obito was more of the expert. Still, Gai raised a brow at his Rival's over-elusive behavior. "You have never kissed Kakashi before? I thought for certain you two would have--" After all, Obito kissed him. Surely Kakashi was part of that kind of thing too! "...Have you ever been kissed, Rival?"

"Bet you the answer is no if he's asking that." Obito moved in, sliding his fingers up on either side of Kakashi's jaw. "I'm going to move this, and I'm going to kiss you unless you tell me not to."

"That's not the point!" he started, but then Obito's hands were on his face and he resolutely shut his mouth. His taller height meant he could throw Gai a glance before looking back to Obito. It was all too embarrassing to be both forcibly un-masked, and revealed to have never kissed anyone, all within a few moments - and in front of the man he was supposed to be a rival to? Ugh. Kakashi's hands automatically braced on Obito's arms.

"There is no shame in it, if you have not." Gai saw the glance. Kakashi could really be like a skittish kitten trapped by a toddler. He didn't know whether to rescue Kakashi or to let Obito have his way, but he came up behind Obito anyway. "I know you like to push him," Gai said over Obito's shoulder, "but maybe allow him the chance to remove his own mask this time?"

Obito tilted his head, glancing at Gai, then back to Kakashi. He hadn't actually moved to remove the mask himself, and if he was honest, he was reluctant to in case Kakashi decided to get pissed at him. He'd consider it legit in this case. "Up to you Kakashi, is that what you wanna do?"

Kakashi looked between them both, saying nothing for a long moment, holding their gaze and considering it. He couldn't exactly refuse now of all times, but under such close proximity it was a little uncomfortable. Just a little.

Eventually he made up his mind. He’d had a problem with saying no to Obito for years – whether out of respect or guilt, he didn’t know – and he could almost feel his younger self burning with rage at seeing him be so weak to the man now, but he couldn’t help it.

For an answer, he hooked a finger in the fabric covering his face and tugged it down and off his chin.

"Glad I didn't have to risk it." He flashed Kakashi a sheepish smile, then used the hands he hadn't moved and lightly tugged him closer to his level as he leaned up to press a soft kiss against his lips.

Gai politely averted his eyes from Kakashi's unmasked face and took a few steps back as Obito went in for the kiss. First kisses were very important and rather private matters. He did not want to intrude.

Kakashi kept his eyes open long enough to see Gai look away, and the sentiment was greatly appreciated - especially now when Kakashi was already on edge. The kiss came, and Kakashi could see now why it was such a pivotal thing in romance.

It was nothing to write home about, no fireworks or exploding hearts in his chest or anything like that, but it was definitely enjoyable. He had absolutely no idea what to do with it, though, so he instinctively pressed back briefly against Obito's lips, and then away, the tiiiiiiniest trace of flush blossoming at the tip of his visible ear.

Obito didn't try to turn it into anything deeper, and ran his fingers gently down Kakashi's cheek as he eased away. "You're welcome to spring one of those on me whenever you feel like it, got it?" He hooked a thumb at Gai. "He always tried to inflict a schedule on me, but that's reaaaally not required."

Gai blushed a deep red to the mention of schedules, still looking elsewhere, though his ears heard everything Obito said. "Gah! It was not nearly so formal-sounding! It was supposed to be training!"

"Got it." Kakashi pushed his mask back up his nose, but not quick enough to hide the affectionate little smile that crossed his face, and honestly didn't bother to even attempt to quell the laugh that came next. "Training doesn't make it sound any less formal, Gai. You can't just spend your free time making out like everyone else, hm?" he teased.

"He's really good at it though, gotta admit. You should kiss him sometime yourself." Obito was relaxing by degrees, at this point finally feeling like he was in some kind of control of the situation. "But I knew I wouldn't, you know, feel it was real without all the trimmings so... Yep."

"I do not see why I have to be like 'everyone else'--" he began, turning more red, if that was at all possible, at Obito's assessment. For all the embarrassment, though, he did puff up a little with pride. "Ah! but...Yes. I suppose I see your point. Though there is nothing wrong with training talents!"

Kakashi rose his hands defensively, and shook them to rid Gai of his confusion. "I didn't mean it like that, it was a joke, your choice of training is fine.." he chuckled, albeit a little awkwardly. At Obito's, uh.. advice.. Kakashi stuck a hand in his hair absently. "In that case, I suppose we'll have to forgo the training and skip right to the challenge..?" he half-joked before his brain had caught up with his mouth.

Obito rolled his eyes at them both, leaning forward to bump his shoulder gently into Kakashi's chest, then glanced back at Gai and use his free hand to snag the nearest part of him to haul him closer. "You're both idiots. Should I move? I can move if you two are going to get all rivalry at this idea."

"You are challenging me to kiss you?" Gai stumbled closer as he was pulled in by Obito. "If you are comfortable with that, and if Obito is comfortable with me kissing you," he added, unsure if there was supposed to be a wait-time between first kisses and kissing other people, "I will be happy to! But I do not pull my punches in our challenges, Kakashi, and I do not want to rush you into things."

He leant his elbow on Obito's shoulder, definitely not quietly flaunting their height difference as he regarded Gai. It seemed it was much easier to wing faux-confidence in the face of Gai’s own vibrant self-assurance.

"I'm not uncomfortable with it," he shrugged, swallowing his lie like a trooper. "I was mostly joking about it being a challenge though; you have an unfair advantage on me."

Obito scoffed softly as he was pretty much used as a barrier slash leaning post by Kakashi and then shook his head. "Is that your way of asking for time to practice before tackling Gai? Because I don't mind if you guys kiss, better to sort out how everyone feels about that stuff right off I'd say."

It seemed, then, that Gai had the go-ahead from both. Alright! Time to show Kakashi what he was capable of! "Kakashi is just making his usual excuses now, I think! But I definitely agree that we must test where we stand with each other, since this is still so new!" He closed the space between himself and Kakashi, trying to not edge Obito out as he leaned in. "Will you be keeping the mask on, or removing it?"

Kakashi leaned a little harder on Obito's shoulder for that quip, but before he could spare a second thought Gai was in his personal space. This he wasn't adverse to, in fact he kind of flourished in situations like this - and was relieved to find that his ability to poker-face under Gai's scrutiny hadn't ebbed away to be tainted by his uncertainty.

"It won't be very enjoyable for either of us with it on," he mused in his best faux-disinterested tone. "You think you can concentrate if I take it off?" And there was the glint of a challenge in his eyes, covering up his stalling pretty well.

Why was he being smooshed? It was weird and kind of thrilling to be stuck in between them... but it was also damn irritating that it highlighted the fact they could easily kiss over his shoulders because he was that much shorter. Jerks. He didn't try to escape though, and just scowled at Kakashi for throwing his weight into him without bothering to go anywhere.

Gai grumbled a little at his Rival's usual hip attitude. "Ha!" He rose to the challenge, defiant fire in his eyes. "If I can concentrate around Obito-in-spandex, I can certainly handle your unmasked face!" Alright, maybe he was kind of...misremembering the spandex incident. But that was beside the point. Kakashi wasn't there for that. "Take it off, Kakashi! Show me what you got!" Obito was probably kind of pinned in there, but he was part of this Rivalry now. He had been for a while, even if he wasn't actually one of the Rivals. He was going to have to deal with them.

Kakashi made a face at that, wishing beyond all that Gai hadn't just compared him showing his face to Obito in spandex, or... made Kakashi think about Obito in spandex at all, especially not if that had been the time these two had kissed... He draped an arm over Obito's shoulders to better prop himself up, his other hand coming to pinch the bottom of his mask once more. Of course he still felt a faint shred of discomfort at somehow having made this a big deal - it was just a face, after all - but that wasn't about to stop him now. He tugged the mask down in an easy pull, then quirked his visible eyebrow. "Well?"

"Gai, I should punch you." He almost growled the words, but given their positions, he didn't even try, instead just tilting his head to the side so he wasn't in the way when he turned it to look at them, which more or less meant his cheek was on Kakashi's shoulder. Whatever. No big deal. This was all just weirdly intimate and getting slowly more comfortable.

Gai didn't understand what that weird expression was about, or Obito's objection. "But--" Obito was quite attractive in spandex and okay, a big distraction, but-- Oh. Maybe Gai had promised to not tell another soul. But Kakashi was their boyfriend now! Kakashi should know these things! He gave Obito a guilty but not entirely apologetic smile. As the mask was removed, Gai's eyes flickered down, first to avoid his Rival's face entirely and then to Kakashi's lips. 'Well' might as well have been 'come at me!' in a fight, the thumbs up to remove the weights and go for it. Any uncertainty he might have felt dissolved under the challenge. He half pulled Kakashi by the vest, half by the Obito--since he was basically attached anyway--before pressing his lips to Kakashi's mouth in a firm kiss. Ha! ...Hopefully that lived up to Obito's review!

The arm Kakashi had used to tug his mask down got crushed between them as Gai forcibly pulled him forwards, but the force stopped him from toppling over... or sending Obito floor-ward as he definitely wasn't relinquishing the hold he had about his shoulders. It had definitely been a fun idea to toy with Gai's competitive nature, but Kakashi knew himself well enough to know that if provoked he would retaliate in kind... and that probably wasn't a good idea right now, especially since out of the both of them he had the least experience. He pressed against the mouth on his, just briefly, before pushing Gai back with the hand between their chests. Somehow he couldn’t bring himself to let it linger, his reaction proving much too twitchy and self conscious.

"Not bad.." he mused nonchalantly, but again the flushed tip of his ear gave him away.

Obito was getting pushed and pulled and hugged on. Okay, he wasn't actually complaining here. Still, he lifted his head where it had come to rest. "Okay that didn't make me flail sideways and I'm guessing me kissing Kakashi didn't make you upset either Gai, so Kakashi, I should probably kiss Gai just so, you know, we know if you'll flail at us about it or what. Though if you'd rather not test that at the moment I get it. I mean. get all the awkward maybe out of the way at once?"

The kiss wasn't terribly passionate from his Rival's end, or much of anything aside from a kiss, but for Kakashi's second kiss, Gai thought it wasn't so bad! And the blush on Kakashi's ears was enough to make Gai's pride thoroughly satisfied. "I cannot imagine Kakashi flailing at anything," he said, giving Obito some breathing room and placing a hand on the shorter man's shoulder. "But I am all for more kissing in the name of experimentation and practice! It would be better to know now if Kakashi is too jealous of us kissing!"

Obito's babbling only made him chuckle and he retracted himself from them both, effectively giving them centre stage. He knew he wasn't great at kissing or, well. Anything like this, but he supposed that's what he got for lack of practice. He'd definitely failed that challenge, hands down. He forewent his congratulations for the time being, and instead shrugged a shoulder, arms tucked once again by his sides and his hands in his pockets... But not before he covered his face once more.

"Go for it," he nodded, eye lidded but trained on them. Of course he wasn't going to be a gentleman and be discreet about it - who did they take him for?

Obito had to shift his balance since he'd been kn of leaning on Kakashi himself there, and he eyed the man intently. "Right." There was a beat of pause, and wow he felt awkward all the sudden. "Damn it, I flustered myself."

Gai chuckled, too, at Obito and glanced over at Kakashi to make sure he wasn't pulling a disappearing act on them. Actually, it looked like he was watching, and while Gai didn't need an audience to be interested in kissing Obito, there was something kind of exciting about his Rival watching the two of them. "Here! I shall help!" And by help, Gai meant initiate the kiss. Although he was still very aware of Kakashi's eyes on them, Gai turned his attention to Obito, sliding his arms around Obito's waist and urging him close, before leaning down and pressing a slow kiss to Obito's lips.

Obito wasn't worried about Kakashi leaving, but he let himself be manhandled. If Kakashi took up the habit he was pretty sure he was going to punch people, because then it would just get old fast. Especially as he suspected Kakashi's manhandling was more likely to turn into full on picking him up. Stupid jerk never had seemed to get over his glee at finally being taller. But. Kissing. Kissing Gai was kind of happening, and that was always rather intense. How Gai had missed that as an overture for oh years Obito had no idea. It was easy enough to fall into though, and it was pretty much nothing like the sweet little kiss he'd given Kakashi, one of his hands sliding up to catch the back of Gai's neck and better pull him down as he kissed him back, immediately deepening it and leaning up on his toes to get the most out of it as quickly as possible. He did try to keep in mind the goal wasn't to get the guy up against a tree or anything though because he could feel Kakashi's eyes on them but it was a close thing.

Kakashi was a master of his own perfected brand of poker face, managing to remain unabashed and pleasantly content even in the most emotionally-demanding situations. This, he hoped, would be no different. He'd practically read this exact moment over and over again in the first installment of Icha Icha, but... Well, the characters hadn't exactly been so personal to him then. Apparently there was a great difference between reading something of this calibre in public and being face to face with it in public. Regardless, despite the fact that his ears were now dusted a dark scarlet, he kept his control and focused like this was a test... He didn't, however, miss the opportunity to commit a few of the things he was seeing to memory, trying his best not to think about how much more like a kiss this seemed than what he’d given the other two.

There was a familiarity to kissing Obito, though the intent was definitely different now. This was a real kiss, no pretense of training or practice anymore. How indeed had he misunderstood kissing to be just a friendly...sport or whatever it might have been considered before? How, when it incited such intense feelings? He leaned down into the kiss, hands settling low on Obito's back, drawing him closer and using Gai's height to his advantage as Obito deepened the kiss. If they were boyfriends now, there was nothing stopping him from meeting Obito's intensity with his own level of passion. And if Kakashi objected, they needed to know that. It certainly didn't seem like he objected, not that Gai could spend much time looking over at his Rival.

Obito maybe had the tendency to be a little selfish, a little intense, and he'd been careful not to prod at Gai too forcefully out of respect for the man's feelings up to now but... well. There were trees, and he knew when he shifted his weight up and forward that Gai's back would be against one of them, so he did that, one hand against his waist and the other at his neck as he... slipped slightly and maybe turned a bit more focused on just pressing the point that this had been the idea all along and attempting to quickly drown Gai in it. Not to say he got nothing out of it, he certainly did, but the point here was that this was good, and exactly what he was after.

Kakashi settled his hips back on a tree of his own, arms folded in front of his chest and leaning comfortably as if he were resting from a casual stroll. This hadn't been what he'd expected at all, though he supposed that however many years of pressure behind the two of them was bound to come to a peak eventually... It just so happened that the time also happened to be when Kakashi was mixed up in the fray, and though he wasn't complaining he also wasn't about to spoil this - for them or himself. Watching, despite his own hang ups over being royally shown up here, was still very much entertaining.

With a sly hand he lifted a finger, slipping it under the extended brim covering his left eye to smoothly tuck it under his hitai-ate. The scarlet glinted as he looked over the two men again, and Kakashi wondered absently, with a chuckle, what his view could have looked like for Obito.

He found himself pinned and not objecting to it in the least, though his cheeks turned pink from embarrassment and the sheer intensity of what Obito's actions implied. Oh! So this was what they had been missing for an entire decade! This was what had been building between them since Obito had pranced around in spandex that day. It seemed so clear in retrospect. He did, however, wish it could have been the other way around--being pinned in front of his Rival was a little embarrassing, though not enough to keep him from enjoying it. Gai braced himself in place, feet firmly planted apart, his hands moving down over Obito's ass to give it a slight squeeze as he reacted on instinct.

Okay, so Gai was going to get handsy. Fine, he could deal with that, and he slid his fingers up, twisting in the man's straight hair as he used the other hand for balance, shifting closer as his fingers twisted in cloth. He'd have to come up for air in a moment here but.... no hurry.

Gai finally broke for air first, grinning and turning his face from the both of them to hide his blush, his hands staying where they were. He didn't even bother to step away from the tree. "Ah ha! Well, I--um--" he began, trying to find something clever or poetic to say about the blossoming of their relationship and the passion burning in their hearts, but instead, he turned and caught Kakashi with his Sharingan active. "GAH! Do not just stand there copying my technique! Develop your own, Kakashi!" Though, wow. Kissing Obito while being watched by Kakashi's Sharingan? That was a turn on Gai never knew he had.

Obito just closed his eyes, focusing on Kakashi and... oh, well, that was interesting. "Not used to that angle at all. C'mere instead of just staring Kakashi mm?"

Kakashi raised his eyebrow at that, suddenly uncertain whether he actually wanted to be dragged into the fray if ass-grabbing was the way it was headed. He had to admit, he was kind of enjoying his spot here... But something in the way they looked at him told him he probably wouldn't get away with that excuse.

"I was just admiring the view," he explained as he pushed himself up from the tree, not bothering to cover his eye again as he wandered a just little closer. "Don't stop on my account."

"I know what you were doing." He moved the hand he had at Gai's side, holding it out so he could snag Kakashi when he was close enough, even after he opened his eyes. "I checked."

"You mean you were watching Kakashi watch us?" Obito had just opened his eyes, but it wasn't impossible at some point he maybe watched Kakashi. And maybe being watched was something Obito enjoyed. Gai could certainly see the appeal! "Clearly we are a good show with two--we would be even better with three! I thought you did not want to be left out of the fun, Kakashi!"

Kakashi laughed, but it wasn't his usual chuckle, it was a more high kind of titter as his secret came unraveled and Gai put him in an awkward position. He let Obito catch a hold of him without any fight, and winked comically at him with his good eye once he was close. "Can you blame me? I wanted to get a better look...” he shrugged, almost innocent in his tone, and then he looked to Gai. "You're implying that watching you isn't fun..."

"We'll play with it later Kakashi." He got him close enough to slide his arm around his waist, leaning into Gai otherwise. "So, you liked the view. Reassuring." He flashed him a little grin. "Waaay less nervous than when I first came out here, how about you two?"

Kakashi shrugged a shoulder absently. He could have worn he could feel the heat radiating off the two of them, and besides that he could definitely smell something pulsing through both their veins that didn't take long to decipher. His eyes glinted at the mere thought as quick-to-act excitement ran through his veins... that and the fact that Obito seemed to be promising that particular kind of 'play' was more than a little interesting. He smirked just a little before answering, forcefully swallowing any uncertainty he might have had. "..Definitely."

"Ha! Nervous?! I was not nervous in the first place!" he boasted, obviously lying. He felt like Obito and Kakashi were communicating something between them that he didn't fully understand. It was kind of frustrating. But the look in their eyes was promising. He would have to get used to that meaning more than just challenges and silly friendly activities. Because they were boyfriends now. Gai could feel unshed tears welling up in his eyes. Look at them! His boyfriends! HIS VERY AMAZING, VERY ATTRACTIVE BOYFRIENDS. So happy, so comfortable, so playful! Gai sniffled. It was just a manly expression of his happiness and relief, that was all.

Obito looked sideways at Gai, then huffed a soft laugh. "Yeah, sure thing Gai. I saw you two. You looked like you were about to fling yourself into a tree and escape." He shifted his weight, leaning against Gai more securely as his fingers traced under the edge of Kakashi's flak jacket, over his hip. It was an exploratory little motion, just seeing what changes in contact Kakashi would let him do. It wasn't meant to press. "And you, Kakashi, aren't as composed as you're pretending to be." He paused a beat. "I think I might be one of very few people happy those rumors happened."

Kakashi indulged Gai his faux moment of bravado, but when the man started to tear up, he instinctively reached up to the other man's jaw, looking him in the eyes with an affectionate kind of 'Really?' look and what he hoped was a reassuring smile, despite how he might have surprised himself by his own soft movement. Did that come naturally?... The soft intrusion of fingers under his layers made him turn, hand dropping to Gai's shoulder as he turned to survey the smaller man. "That's rude, implying we aren't happy with this turn of events," he replied, not even considering moving Obito's hand away, or questioning its motive. "At first I had my doubts, I'll admit. But now? I'm quite happy they happened too."

He was not going to fling himself into a tree and escape! Really! Hmph! Gai teared up a little more at the affection from Kakashi, but managed to stifle any serious crying, and smiled as he watched the two bicker. That should never change. He tightened his arms around Obito in a bit of a hug and rested his chin on him. "As am I! Though, this does complicate my plans for Kakashi's birthday. I am sure I should get my Boyfriend-Rival something more meaningful than a nice dinner. Perhaps call it a date? And invite our Boyfriend along!"

"Ha! You wanted something quiet? I'm pretty sure Kushina-nee was planning to be in town for it this year." He spread out his fingers, flashing Kakashi a smirk and cheerfully ignoring his rebuke as he rested his hand at the warm niche that the vest made on his back. "Bet you she's gonna throw you a party." He tilted his head to look at Gai. "So how about a nice lunch instead before that kicks off?"

"...Kushina-sama?" Oh. Gai gulped. She was kind of scary. But, a birthday party would be fun! And a date beforehand! They could go to Kakashi's birthday as boyfriends, even if for security reasons, they probably needed to keep that as much of a secret as was possible after the rumor sheet went around. "Is our esteemed Hokage-sama free for that afternoon? Because I would very much like a date with you both!"

Kakashi couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at Gai's butchered name for him, let alone the dynamic of so many monikers working together.. But then he supposed that an atypical situation probably deserved an atypical title - and they themselves had never been exactly typical as a trio. Kakashi supposed that was why he didn't feel jealous over either of them. He had a protectively possessive streak a mile wide, and it was glaringly obvious at the best of times.. Like he was a loyal dog. But both of these men fell into what Kakashi might have called his pack, and therefore he saw little reason to be anything other than happy in their presence and in their attention, and satisfied with whatever affection they deemed him worthy of, for they had all of his.

"I had hoped it would be kept on the down-low, yes," he muttered, looking between the two with an exasperated look. "But I suppose if Kushina will be there, there isn't much hope for that. A dinner before would be nice... It might help me prepare, at least."

He nudged Obito gently with an elbow. "Yeah, I want you there. No Hokage business that afternoon and I won't make you buy me a gift." he smirked.

"I'm terrible with gifts Kakashi, always late." He shook his head at him, then flashed a smirk, looking from one to the other. "You guys do know no one will notice anything unusual in us all having a meal together right? Or, well, anything. We kind of more or less did the eating out thing together like, always in some configuration."

That was kind of an odd realization. Yeah, they had always done some kind of typical couple things together, the three of them or the two of them. Gai could afford to be overly affectionate, as could Obito, and Kakashi could give them the special smiles he always reserved for them...and no one would think anything of it, provided they didn't think anything of the rumor in the first place. It was relieving. Keeping this secret would not mean being less to each other in public. "I will tell no one," he promised. "Not even Lee."

As for Obito and gifts...that seemed especially poignant this moment. Obito's gift all those years ago... If not for that, Kakashi wouldn't be alive and Gai might never have befriended Obito. They would never be here, in this moment, together. It almost made Gai cry.

"He is right, though. No Hokage business. Do not make us kidnap you again. There were a lot of strings to pull! It is a very messy operation!"

"We toiled for days.." Kakashi nodded, backing Gai up as if Obito might need more reassuring. "I'm giving you an easy solution to your problem. Make sure you take a day off for me, go to dinner with Gai and I, grin and bear whatever Kushina may or may not have planned for me, and I won't berate you about how awful you are with gifts. Not a single word of complaint." He raised his eyebrow, daring the Hokage to argue with his terms. "Deal?"

"Not sure the end promise is worth it." It's a dry murmur, and he shifted in place, eying Kakashi up and down before humming. "But I guess I can arrange something for you guys." Amused, he squeezed Kakashi closer for a moment. "On the matter of telling people though... There's not reason not to tell our respective groups of brats and the like. Just no reason to go around the village shouting it."

"I know no one here who would go around shouting about their boyfriends!" Gai replied, dry right back. "Certainly not me. But if you are both okay with it, then I will be happy to tell my students!" Even though Neji would probably just shake his head at them all. "I am sure they will be so very happy for us!"

Kakashi made a nondescript sound, shrugging the shoulder that wouldn't disturb the comfortable hold he'd found himself in. "I have no-one to avoid telling or otherwise. It doesn't bother me either way." He obviously lied as he looked away.

"Kakashi, that's not true. We both have Rin and Sensei and Kushina-nee. I vote you tell Rin." Obito's answer was immediate, no hesitation. "And sensei."

"Ah-ah, no. No way." he shook his head, turning on Obito with a finger jabbed into his chest. "It's my birthday soon, you can't pin that responsibility on me, it’s cruel."

"How is it cruel to tell your sensei and teammate that you have boyfriends?" He almost didn't want to interrupt their bickering, he was enjoying it so much. "I am hurt, Kakashi. You do not want to tell people about us!"

He shifted uncomfortably, bristling slightly as his loyalty to his newfound partners was challenged. "I don't mean that. I mean the job is a cruel one. The women in our lives are... eccentric."

"I'm taking Kushina, you should consider this a mercy." It was a grumble, and he eyed Kakashi, shaking his head.

Kakashi gave Obito a look, and then pressed a gloved palm to the side of his face. "You're a saint, Obito, I could kiss you." he proclaimed, but in his same old lazy tone, eyes twitching as he smiled under his mask.

"Well if you could, then maybe you should. Show a bit of appreciation for my sacrifices."

"Come on, Rival! You can do it!"

Kakashi threw Gai a chastising look before focusing on Obito again.

"That's hardly fair, you know damn well how much I appreciate you." His objection was weak but his smile was still visible. If his thought process continued the way it was going he thought might as well leave his mask down for the afternoon; he'd already put it back up enough times for one day.

"What can I say, maybe I just want a show of that appreciation I know you have." He gave him a wry smile.

He sighed at that, raising a hand to run fingertips along the hem of fabric at his nose. He was still the more inexperienced party here, and the more he thought about it, the less he wanted it to continue to be true. He could still see his friends kissing in his mind’s eye, visibly doing a lot better than he had, and he twitched at the thought of his own weakness. "Fine." He shed his mask once more and in mere moments his lips were on Obito's.

Obito was a bit less gentle about the kissing this time, tilting his head and deepening it without hesitation, seeing how Kakashi handled that and somewhat fascinated by the oddity of staring into Kakashi's Sharingan for a moment with his own before closing his eyes.

Kakashi followed Obito's lead. He wasn't a complete fool when it came to this, he knew the basics... He just hadn't ever just hadn't ever put them into practice - but Obito was clearing that up pretty well. He almost felt embarrassed for his previous, pathetic display of affection and strived to make this one stand up to par, putting a hand to Obito's jaw as their mouths moved.

Obito was amused, practically feeling Kakashi's chagrin, and he shifted around where he was leaning against Gai so he was facing Kakashi properly and could lift his hand from Gai to curl it along the side of Kakashi's jaw and neck, lingering and showing Kakashi one of the ways he liked to kiss.

Kakashi managed to get his arms down to Obito's sides, fingernails scraping over the fabric on his body, just under where his ribs stopped. The hand on his jaw felt firm and defiant - definitely a good thing - and he tilted his head to one side as they kissed.

Even from behind Obito, Gai was beginning to see what Kakashi meant about the view. Perhaps he shouldn't be staring so much, but neither of them was likely to notice at the moment.

That was a singularly interesting sensation given Gai still had his hands on him when Kakashi added his own, making him squirm a little as he pulled him closer with the hand at his back, getting Kakashi as close as the respective positions allowed. Which seemed to be very close, and he gave an appreciative little sigh as he used the added tilt, cradling Kakashi's skin as he just... lingered. It was nice, this, and Kakashi had a very different feel when he kissed him than Gai did. Just... subtle differences in sensation... and somewhat bigger ones in technique, but that was hardly a bad thing at all. It made him want to take kissing breaks in the future as much as possible. With them both, obviously.

If Kakashi shifted his hands slightly he could brush his fingers against Gai's, and that gave him an idea. Just like Obito had pushed Gai against the tree earlier, Kakashi manoeuvred a similar movement wherein Gai was the proverbial tree, effectively pushing Obito between them both a little more firmly. Their height differences came in handy there especially, as Kakashi finally broke for air to give Gai a look. Hoping he wouldn't have to explain what the idea was here, he threw a chance in the wind, imitating one of his favourite literary scenes and pressing his lips just under Obito's ear.

Gai tightened one arm around Obito to better support this positioning Kakashi had them in, and he caught Kakashi's eyes over Obito's shoulder. Reading Kakashi's plans was always much easier in battle, where they were on familiar ground and similar footing, but Gai was not afraid of winging it, especially when Kakashi's idea looked like a very tempting one. He took a cue from Kakashi and pressed a few kisses to the other side of Obito's neck, opposite of his Rival.

He let himself be moved, but the break off from lip kissing to neck kissing made his eyes widen, and being tag-teamed? Really really not what he'd expected this to turn into pretty much... ever, but that wasn't a bad thing. No, if anything this was a thing he was going to encourage, and it felt vaguely like there had been a release of a veneer he hadn't even realized had been there, but that meant that they seemed to be trying to catch up too. He immediately decided he had no intention of complaining about it.

He decided there and then that this was something he liked. Being watched had been a little out of his comfort zone, especially when it came to something he wasn't entirely clued up on and firmly resorted to not think about that any time soon, but like this he could quietly go about his own practice without worrying about any kind of scrutiny or watchful eyes on him, and without worrying about being a disappointment. He always preferred to take a backseat, and if action trumped watching, then this was fast becoming his preferred type of action, especially as he inhaled through his nose and an honestly delectable scent hit the back of his throat - sweet but dusky and warm; the combined scent of both of these men.

The short, soft spikes of Obito's hair tickled his cheek as Gai trailed lingering kisses down Obito's neck and under his chin. He had never given much thought to how this worked with three people aside from that conversation many years ago with Obito where he agreed it could work. But then they had been talking matters of the heart, not physical mechanics, and Gai wasn't sure just where to put his hands so that he was neither neglecting Obito nor neglecting Kakashi. But over-thinking it was too easy. The challenge was in not--was in letting something more innate guide him. With his free hand, he reached up to touch Kakashi's hair, combing his fingers through it to the back of his Rival's head. His fingers brushed over Obito's hand and stayed there, thumb moving in slow circles over his skin.

Obito squirmed under the combined attention, shifting his weight and not sure what to do with himself at all. It felt better, more comfortable, than when Gai had stepped into his first kiss with Kakashi and that let him relax mostly, as he tipped his head back against Gai after a moment, letting them have free access to his throat with a shuddering breath.

His mind wasn't locking on to anything other than the fact that there were certain few sensations here he that he liked enough to allow them to continue. The warmth under his palms, the soft skin against his lips and his cheeks... Then, the hand in his hair. He shivered, swallowing down the lump of shock in his throat as a strange tickling sensation skipped down his spine. That was weird. He tried his best not to make his movement so obvious to the other two that they'd ask awkward questions by innocently continuing, shifting his kiss down closer to Obito's collar.

Gai could feel a slight shiver under his hand. It was definitely Kakashi, not Obito, and he wasn't sure how to interpret it, if it was nothing at all or if it was just a reflex reaction of Kakashi's when touched. He at least hoped it wasn't a negative reaction as a result of Gai doing the touching. In the event it was simply Kakashi's reflex, Gai was torn between backing down or leaving his hand there to challenge his sometimes socially-skittish Rival. Maybe it was even a good reaction? Maybe. He could hope!

Nuzzling Obito's neck, he slid his hand up Obito's waist and under his jacket, just barely under the mesh shirt to feel the warm skin of his stomach against Gai's own palm. He hadn't ever really entertained the thought of actually touching him like this before, but now that he could...

Obito squirmed again, giving a breathless laugh as he shifted between them, tone a murmur to casually conceal the twinge of nervousness that flared up. "Don't go forgetting we're outside you two." Which meant that he was pretty sure there was some ANBU within easy sensing range probably trying really hard not to look this direction. His hands tightened, the one on Kakashi's back tightening a little even as the other one moved to touch Gai's hair. "Yeah?"

He could hear that nervousness in Obito's voice and, at first, it roused all manner of challenges in him! Alright! So they were outside! That meant being discrete! That meant-- Ah. Wait. Oh god. That meant someone could see them. What even were they doing already? And the ANBU. OH GOD. PLEASE DO NOT LET IT BE NEJI TODAY. Gai flailed a little, laughing nervously, trying to straighten Obito's clothes back up guiltily and a little panicky, while doing perhaps a little too much hands-on clothing fixing, even to the unwrinkled areas. "Of course I have not forgotten! We are doing nothing!" He spoke louder than necessary, as if to assure the ANBU and any other prying eyes. "Nothing inappropriate, right? Ha! Nothing ...very...inappropriate..." He should probably stop fixing their clothes now.

Even Kakashi wasn’t sure where the shudder came from; he was used to Gai being physical with him - tugging him into hugs, bumping his shoulder in greeting, sometimes even bodily moving him around - so why had that small contact made him react so strangely? He supposed it might have been the intimacy. That was something he definitely wasn't accustomed to... But even so, he hadn't reacted badly.... In fact he almost craved more of it. Definitely weird.

Obito's words replaced the pleasant feeling coursing through his veins with an icy one, and in a flash he was standing away from the two once more, tugging his mask over his nose as he watched Gai flailing. He suddenly adopted the air of a man who had stumbled on the pair during a pleasant evening walk, with his expression of vague interest and his hands in his pockets - the epitome of innocence.

Apart from the pink on his ears, of course.

Obito probably would have stumbled from the sudden disconnect if Gai hadn't been pretty much groping his clothes back into place. He finally snagged the man's hands, gently, and squeezed them in reassurance as he pulled them away from himself, taking a shaky breath before giving them both a brilliant smile. He really had perfected that since hitting Hokage, come to think of it... "Right then. So. Birthday lunch is go then? Not that we have to wait that long if either of you wanna feed me in the meantime but..."

Gai smiled back at them, giving Obito's hands a return squeeze. "Obito! We are supposed to be feeding Kakashi! It is his birthday!" He snorted, trying to look annoyed at the man he had just been kissing on, though the corner of his lips quirked up in an amused smile. Withdrawing his hands from Obito's, he draped an arm over Obito's shoulders in a friendly and casual gesture. "But, if you need to be fed, you only have to ask! We will gladly feed you, right, my Rival?" Gai looped an arm around Kakashi's neck and hauled him closer so that Gai had them both.

"It's not my birthday yet-" he began, but when he was collared he fell silent, sacrificing his words to the sake of a muted smile. It really wasn't worth trying to argue with these two anyway, he knew he couldn't win. They could be as stubborn as each other if they put their minds to it, and food was as good an enabler as any.

"Sure, we could feed him. If he asks nicely." He teased. His smile came easy and stayed long after his words had fallen away. This was where he felt at ease; in comfortable touches and easy conversation. There was no second guessing and no doubt here, just the content level of affection Kakashi was used to.

Obito relaxed inside when the ploy seemed to settle everyone, and he felt his smile soften to something a lot easier to hang onto. He shifted in Gai's grip so he could prod him in the side. "Hey, I need to eat sometimes! That office gets stuffy you know. Opening a window is like inviting all the traffic not to use the door so I just near expire." He leaned on Kakashi, using him as a leaning post.

Despite Kakashi's objections, his birthday was close enough. Besides, Gai hadn't bought him lunch in a while. He felt he was due to be 'conned' by his clever Rival into paying for lunch. And he wasn't sure Obito would ask nicely, unless asking nicely meant laying it on thick. Still, Gai would cave. He always did, even while protesting. Kakashi and Obito were both rather clever and tricky like that.

"You need to get out more! Be among your people! Eat lunch!" Gai swung a fist in a determined gesture that was hindered by the men he had captured. "If I believed you would actually pencil me in every other day for your lunch hour, I would insist on supplying you with lunch, but I know already you will not. You are a worse workaholic than I am! Do not neglect your own vital needs for the sake of paperwork! A man needs fresh air! Sunshine! ...Perhaps that is why you are so short...all these clothes hinder your intact of vitamin D. I will have to have a talk with the med-nins about that..."

He couldn't help but snicker at that. In Kakashi's experience, Gai was usually so genuine that jokes often flew right over his head and sarcasm might as well have been a foreign language - but still Kakashi wondered if the company he kept might have eventually permeated the man's endearingly oblivious exterior. Was he honestly questioning Obito's health, or was he toying with him?

"Mm-hm," he agreed as he surveyed Obito with a faux-critical gaze once he'd managed to compose himself. "In fact... Unless I'm much mistaken, I think you might have gotten shorter since the last time I saw you." he said, putting a hand in Obito's hair as if he intended to check his height, only to give the dark locks a hard ruffle. "Oh, a month away and you turn to rack and ruin. What are we to do with you...?"

Obito puffed a breath at them both. "I am not that small you guys, come on now." He gave a firm nudge with the shoulder leaning on Kakashi. "You're talking like I'm going to shrink. Not gonna happen guys, hear me?" He looked from one to the other. "Maybe I just seriously maaaajorly wanted to be out of my office more. That's all."

Gai squinted at Obito, tilting his head to the side and examining his height again. "Hmmm. My rival may have a point though... But do not fear! Come!" He started walking, encouraging him along. "We will feed you well, so that you can rise to the true stature of a Hokage!!" His eyes twinkled. This time he was definitely teasing; they had indeed rubbed off on him and neither could truly blame the other. It was both their faults. "In the meantime, maybe Kakashi should loan you some books to sit on!!"

Kakashi couldn't deny he was proud of the twinkle in Gai's eye; it was downright tricky, and it wasn't rare to see similar one glinting in his own eye when the time called for it.

"That wouldn't do much good. Besides. There are safer things to sit on than books. What if he wriggles and falls off? He's very prone to fidgeting, you know." He said with a pretend solemn air as he helped to shunt Obito along with a palm to his back. "His height matches ours when he sits; the problem is in his standing company... Perhaps you should just give him a piggy back."

"Hey! Both of you hey!" Obito looked a little alarmed at Kakashi's words, not fighting the nudge since it seemed they were... going. Okay so he was getting food, awesome. Teasing, not so much. "I don't need books anyway. Or to be carried! I can walk!"

"But we would get there so much faster if I carry you," Gai proclaimed, moving to try to scoop Obito up. "My legs are longer and my speed is greater! And maybe you will find you enjoy the view from up here!"

Obito immediately tried to step back.... and ran into Kakashi. "Hey! Hold up. There's no hurry!! I can roof hop. I don't need a couple inches!"

Kakashi took a hold of Obito's upper arms as innocently as he could, but kind of came off like he was capturing him, holding him still. He threw a side-on look at Gai, the sly pull in his mask entirely obvious.

"You might not think you need a couple inches, but once you're up there you won't want to come down. Trust me."

Gai grinned back at Kakashi as if accepting a challenge. With Obito effectively trapped by Kakashi, Gai could easily grab him and hoist him up dramatically for a piggyback ride, which he did, eagerly. "Ha! See? Much better! Tell me you do not enjoy this!"

"Hokage here Gai. Hokage." He immediately wrapped his arms around Gai's shoulders, scowling at Kakashi. There wasn't a lot of heart in it though. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been carried uninjured.

"Ah, at least he's not deny he's enjoying it," Kakashi quipped, giving Obito one of his annoyingly happy little eye creases before starting off walking a little ahead of them, hands comfortably back in his pockets.

Gai trotted along after Kakashi, matching his pace and carrying Obito easily. "And why would our Hokage not enjoy it! I have saved him a walk! He can enjoy the sights of Konoha without having to watch where he is going! Perhaps I should offer my services more often! It would make excellent training, especially if Obito were to wear weights!"

Obito thumped his face down against the nape of Gai's neck. "You're both terrible, I just hope you realize that." He pointed at Kakashi. "And you don't say anything about it!"

He chuckled, that same purposely irritating happy look cemented in place. "Now now, Obito," he tutted, not exactly slowing down to keep Gai in his pace. "Don't you want to help Gai train? You'd look excellent in leg weights... But if you're shy I'm sure Gai has something you could cover them up with."

"I do!!" Gai beamed, continuing on like he didn't hear himself being called 'terrible.' Affection, Obito, was not terrible. This was just ...youthful affection between comrades! "I could even find a leg-warmer color you most prefer, though you have never had any objections to the color orange, I believe! And do not worry! I will start you off with the lighter...ish weights!"

"Gai, we did the weights thing, remember? We decided to stop doing that when I was sixteen." He huffed a breath, lifting his head and giving Kakashi a dirty look. "You're not helpful."

Kakashi smiled as if Obito had given him a wonderful compliment, and if he wasn't constantly in a state of perpetual winking thanks to the fabric over his eye then he probably would have done so then, too. "What you two got up to in your younger days is nothing to do with me," he said, ignoring the fact that it was definitely his fault he missed it in the first place... "But I don't see any reason why you can't introduce weights back into your training. For Gai's sake if nothing else. Don't be selfish, Obito."

"If he is not up for the task that is even more proof of why I should reinstate the weight training! Clearly we have let our Hokage get lax! Rival, I think our combined efforts should be able to whip him back into shape, no problem!!". He would have thumbs upped but his hands were occupied.

Obito made a noise of complete agitation at the comment and then pouted. "It's not that I'm not capable! Why is everyone implying that I've gotten squishy lately? It's not nice at all! I still train."

Kakashi rolled a shoulder in a shrug, a familiar orange book suddenly tucked in front of his face as he walked. "You are kind of squishy..." he mused thoughtfully, eyes trained down in deceptive concentration.

"Well, you are not as toned as Kakashi or me, but I think squishy is the wrong word! Just...". He considered the wording. "...indoors!". Gai gave a laugh, jostling his passenger. "You have turned very indoors, Obito! Like a house-cat! That is not a natural state for a ninja! Right, Kakas--GAH! put away that book!"

"Excuse you! I'm better toned than Kakashi and I train plenty still, thank you very much!" He turned his scowl on Gai now because what the hell was all this? So not cool. Not cool at all.

"What book?" Kakashi asked without looking up, but at Obito's comment his eyebrow lowered to sign a little frown. "Hey, just because you're getting a little soft around the edges, there's no need to take it out on me. I get out far more than you do. You're coming close to being a shut-in."

"Do not 'What book?' at me! You know very well what book I mean--YOU ARE LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW!" He HMPH'd loudly and with his entire body. "Perhaps Obito is becoming a shut-in, but you are a shut-out! Kakashi, listen! We are trying to plan Obito's training! He is doing far too much sitting and calling it training!! And we have to figure out where to go for lunch!"

Obito scowled and shifted, punching Gai in the back of the shoulder. "Oi! I'm right here. Both of you. And did you think I don't have time to social because I'm busy training when I'm not working? No? Bullies. Both of you."

Kakashi wafted a vague hand in Gai's direction and slyly commented "You must be mistaken, I see no books here..." before side-eying the pair of them. Obito's childish scowl only made his disguised grin twitch wider, not helping at all to reel the copy-nin back in to treating the conversation seriously. "I haven't seen you outside of Hokage Tower since we forcibly removed you," he flipped the page with a laborious, but dramatic, sigh. "And people call me lazy."

"Hey!" Gai frowned as he was punched, then rolled his shoulders a little to undo the little bit of pain from the hit. "And I would not say...lazy," he admitted. "Just lax about training. If you trained more, you would get out more, and you might see us more. You need to un-bury yourself from your paperwork sometime, Obito! Be social! You are in your youth! Live like it!"

"If you don't want me to punch you, get closer to Kakashi to I can punch him instead." It was said with a huff, and he shifted, resting his forehead back against the nape of Gai's neck with a grumble. "I've never been lazy, or lax, or any of that. Jerks."

Kakashi tucked his thumb in his page as he turned to study Obito. He couldn't see his face but he was sure there was probably a pout there. "Then come play more often, hm?" he offered, attempting to lure the man out of his sulk. "I don't know about Gai, but I can feel myself getting rusty; and you continually training without us might give us the wrong impression. You're sure you're not avoiding us?"

"Obito, you are not lazy. I know. You work hard. Do not pout. I am just afraid you are exercising your mind too much and not your body. And my Rival, in his own way, has a point!" Gai tried to shake Obito up a little, bolster his spirits with a jostling. "You should come train with us! Imagine what the three of us could do together!" And Gai meant in terms of actual training, combination attack formations, new techniques. His mind wasn't even thinking about boyfriends.

"I'm not sure I even remember the last time I trained with both of you together. Usually it's just one or the other." He shifted with the jostle, peering at Kakashi over Gai's shoulder, face mostly hidden.

"Exactly my point," Kakashi said, turning back to his book now the focus was off his reading and catching up with his place quickly. "It's very easy for us to feel neglected, you know."

"Do not guilt trip him. But, yes!" Gai tried to turn his head to look over his shoulder at Obito. It only sort of worked. "We would very much like you to join us for training sometime! All three of us. Right--" He moved close enough to kick his Rival in the shin. "--Kakashi?"

Obito scowled at both of them, then hid his face where nether of them could see him. "Talking like I don't see you all the time. When you're not on mission." He moved a hand, pointing at Kakashi. "You keep requesting long missions!"

Kakashi easily dodged the kick with a few moments to spare, rounding to dawdle casually behind the both of them as they walked. Now that he was out of Gai's target range and away from the point of Obito's finger he could freely peruse the pages of his novel.

"Ah, did we ever decide on a place to eat?" he asked, stealthily changing the subject.

Tricky, Rival, moving out of the way! Gai let him escape and decided that if Obito wanted to pursue the topic of Kakashi's extended missions, he could. But Gai gave Kakashi his space for the time being. Maybe being in a relationship would lure him to spend more time home now. ...Maybe! Gai would hope. And try persuading his Rival later, when things were not so fresh and new! "Yes, lunch! I suggest curry!"

Obito shifted and scowled over his shoulder at Kakashi, hardly about to let him off that easy. "He always suggests Curry. Kakashi."

"I know, it's almost as if curry is his favourite food," he muttered sardonically, his eyes flitting up to scan their surroundings all the while trying to stop the pull of a smirk from showing on his face lest Obito get more annoyed with him. "I don't mind where we eat."

"That is because it is my favorite food!" Gai declared, not seeing the sarcasm there. He could eat it every day. There was a bounce in his step at the thought of spending his afternoon sharing his favorite food with two of his favorite people. "And if you do not mind and if Obito will not suggest something else, then we will have curry! Because I enjoy curry!"

"...Fine, but if you take us to that over-spiced place I'm entirely not interested. I like the other place better."

"Neither of them is over-spiced! One is just better than the other! And you prefer the lesser one! ...But fine. I shall take you wherever you two prefer to go. I can compromise!"

"Curry it is, then. Lead the way."

"Alright!" Gai grinned. "Race me, Kakashi!"

"What?" At that he finally let the book fall from in front of his face, catching up a little to get on level with Gai - subconsciously accepting, perhaps? "Now? With Obito on your back?"

"Why not? He is not very heavy, and perhaps you need the help! After all," He beamed, a challenging sparkle of fire behind his eyes, "it was you who said you were getting rusty earlier... How about it, Obito? Are you ready to make Kakashi eat our dust?"

"Hey hey hey, you can't say I'm out of shake then call me a waif from one second to the next. Also, run for it. It'll do him good to lose a bit."

He narrowed his one visible eye, the roar of his competitive streak flaring somewhere in his chest. "You think I'll lose?" he asked, voice level despite his sudden readiness to go. He stopped walking - if they were going to do this, it would have to have a fair start. "You're on."

"You can be out of shape and not plump! " Gai lined up at some imaginary starting line beside Kakashi. "Do not think you will win, though, Rival!" And then, deciding on a fair way to start: "On three. Obito, give us a count!"

Obito noticed his words did exactly as intended, then shifted to firm his position, freeing Gai up so he didn't have to worry about hanging onto him. "Three... two..... Go!"

Kakashi was in challenge mode as soon as Gai lined up beside him, eyes trained forward and completely focused. It had been so long - too long - and he hadn't noticed how much he'd missed this feeling; the quick pulsing of his blood in anticipation of the chase and the finish.

On Obito's command he pelted forwards, using his quick feet to push him forward through the dust clouds that sprang up around him. He naturally had more speed than Gai, and with his rival's handicap he really should have taken it a little easy on him.... But that isn't what a rivalry is for.

On three, Gai took off at top speed--anything less would be an insult to Kakashi--and kept pushing himself, refusing to let his obvious handicap cause him to fall behind, even as he dodged people and carts as they moved the race into town. It had been too long, and it was so invigorating to do this again. Was it that they just hadn't done this in forever, or was it something about competing in front of Obito, or had Gai simply forgotten the way that this friendly competition made his heart race and his competitive instinct soar?

Whatever it was, it was a beautiful feeling. He hoped Obito was enjoying it as much as Gai was, and as much as he knew Kakashi had to be, no matter how cool he acted.

Obito was clinging tight, and had his eyes on Kakashi, determining just how much he was messing up Gai's side of this little thing, and if he was, really. It felt good though, being included. That didn't used to happen.

Kakashi wasn't thinking about anything but the finish line - to think of anything else would be dangerous now, would distract him from the chase, from letting loose for a moment. He wouldn't ruin this for himself or for the other two. He scarpered along the trail into the heart of the town, hopping up to run along the surface of various walls and other structures to escape a collision while Gai ducked and weaved his way through. A couple of times he thought he'd taken over the other by a nose or so, only to have him reappear at his side just as engaged with winning.

Gai utilized his very thorough knowledge of the ins-and-outs of Konoha's pathways (both by ground and by roof), cutting through advantageous alleyways and useful cross-streets to navigate a route that would shave the necessary milliseconds off his time to make up for any advantage Kakashi had. It would ultimately be a close-call, and as Gai rounded the last bend to their destination, he gave it everything he still had in him, pushing hard to break through that imaginary finish-line ribbon first and then skidding to a sudden halt.

Surely he had won, right? Kakashi could not have possibly beat such a spectacular show by Konoha's Green Beast and its esteemed Hokage...right? Gai was so sure of his victory, but he already had handstand-laps around the village planned if he had somehow come in behind his Rival.

Obito was looking around intently, checking for Kakashi as Gai came skidding to a halt, because if he got there ahead, he would have struck an 'I'm waiting' pose and that meant that he'd be obvious. Buuut, he wasn't seeing him. He looked up.

Where Gai made the most of his knowledge of short-cuts, Kakashi had avoided them entirely; instead he much preferred a beeline method to give him a shorter distance to travel and therefore a quicker time to keep – a kind of underhanded tactic, but an effective one. He’d kept to the roofs of the buildings where possible, never going much higher than he had to keep his mileage down, and had just managed to save his record this time... But it was incredibly close. He landed on the outer crown of the restaurant they planned to dine at just in time to see Gai roar down the street below and skid to a halt with Obito still firmly on his back.

He leant against the wood of the structure with his arms folded casually, but panting.

“That’s one to me, right?” he called.

Obito shook his head on a soft laugh, then leaned into Gai's shoulder. "Okay, put me down so we can get to the food part huh? Looks like Kakashi beat us."

"Darn you, Kakashi!! I will beat him next time, you will see," he promised Obito as he put him down. Gai led the way into the restaurant, determined to train hard for a rematch. Next time Kakashi would be paying for lunch!