Winter's Fate

Chapter 22

"Your last day! How does it feel?"

"Bitter sweet." Kakashi's voice sounded void as if being pulled away by an abstract thought almost unsure of what his life was going to entail.

"Thinking about the 'honey to-do-list' that Iruka has planned for you?" Itachi couldn't help titter at the rather vague, alarming expression crossing his sensei's aged lines.

"You mean more like a 'book'." He flatly responded, rolling his eyes, in memory of their discussion the other day which was more like Iruka telling him of their upcoming plans for the house. "He wants to start baby proofing the house." Sighing at how detail oriented his husband can be especially when it comes to the safety for kids. "They're not even here yet and it'll be awhile before they'll be getting into stuff."  He mumbled often wondering why they had even bothered with the child-safety locks because as a child Naruto was like another Houdini able to eventually penetrate any attempt of security they had set up. The only person that the child-resistant closure seemed to work against was him.

Itachi gave his father in-law a weirdly gaze, a lot had been going on over the past few months that he barley had time to conceptualize the abstract task lying ahead of him. "We haven't even given any thought to that."  He said handing him a glass of sake and a file holding a set of forms for him to sign off on for their existing clients.

"Maybe I should reconsider and tell Fugaku to postpone my retirement a little longer." The silver haired's tone somewhat serious, cringing at being home 24/7. He had become accustomed to the routine over the past thirty-five years of orchestrating meetings, attending functions and traveling abroad for business events; even occasionally taking his family with him, hating to be separated from them for extended periods of time. Now his title as CEO was about to become an ending chapter in his life to be replaced by the innovative upcoming role as a grandfather to a set of twins, making the older sensei a little worried to say the least with what his dearest husband had planned for them...in actuality him.

"Tell me, on that list of things to do, does he have you on diaper duty?" A chortle escaping his lips.

Kakashi gave the raven a stolid glare, remembering there were only a few times in his life that he felt himself knocking at death's door and each of those times were when Naruto was potty training and he was left alone to watch him while Iruka had gone to run errands. In each unfailing occasion, it seemed that the toddler secretly schemed a plan to end his father, leaving him to suffer to change a malodorous pull-up. The pungent stench forcing him to convulse against the unpleasant smell, barley escaping outside for fresh air. Naruto being too young to understand the predicament that his poor father was under, found the reactions amusing and giggling until the cachinnate caused him to throw up, leaving yet another mess for his father to deal with.

Itachi laughed, having been told about the particulars that his father in-law was currently recalling to mind, remembering how embarrassed his love felt when Iruka shared the amusing tale.  His favorite story though was when the small tyke had gotten into his fathers' cans of shaving cream; spraying them all throughout the house whilst playing superhero, stripping his clothes down to just his cape and running down the sidewalk butt naked with Iruka hot on his trail.

"Well, since you're officially retired, we'll be sure to take full advantage of your free time." Itachi smirked at the bewildered look on the older man's face while he poured them more sake. "I'm sure grandpa Iruka won't argue with you being on babysitting duty a few times a week," he teased knowing that Iruka would never say no to any given opportunity to keep their grandchildren. Itachi couldn't contain his laughter as his sensei gave him a sideview glare, until a evil smirk from the Hatake, instantaneously gave him an eerie feeling.