Kakashi couldn’t help but feel, as he stood outside the small nondescript shop in the civilian district, that somewhere along the way his and Iruka’s relationship had gone out of order.

Actually, if he were completely honest, they had been out of order the whole time.

They’d had a nicely buzzed make out, not drunk even though he’d claimed that at first, when all they knew about each other was name, rank, and reputation. After that, they went on their first date. Then they fought and didn’t speak for several weeks. This was followed by another make out session after Sandaime’s death, because Iruka needed someone to remind him he was alive. A second date, followed by Itachi’s intrusion and the disbanding of his team.

Sex then- Kakashi wouldn’t use the term ‘making love’ because it had been hot, it had been needy, and it had been insane but it had not been love- when the Jounin needed to rearrfirm his value and for some reason he’d turned to Iruka for it. Two weeks of not speaking, the time it took each man to forgive himself for what he’d done. Iruka telling him they needed to back off and just be friends, so they did that for a while, and Iruka with his crazy laughter, horrible temper, and keen intelligence quickly became his best friend.

Cue third date, where Iruka wouldn’t even give him a goodnight kiss, leaving Kakashi terribly confused because it was only then that he fell in love with the other man. A fourth date, after which they decided a relationship between them just wouldn’t work and they should stay just friends.

Somewhere they’d gotten drunk again, seriously drunk this time, and made out again. Date six and they decided maybe it could if they were willing to work for it. Dates seven through eleven passed without them really noticing, and they made love for the first time.

Date twelve, and Kakashi finally got his goodnight kiss. That’s when he realized he was in love.

Date fifteen, and they would finally admit to having a boyfriend to others. Now here they sat, a year after date fifteen, and still together. Kakashi had yet to tell Iruka that he loved him, but he thought that maybe the chuunin knew anyway.

Still, Kakashi pondered as he pushed the door open, shouldn’t one of them have done this before Iruka decided Kakashi’s apartment was his too six months before?

He hadn’t wanted Iruka to move in with him. He’d been afraid his odd quirks around twenty-four seven would drive Iruka away, and besides that kind of commitment scared the shit out of him. He was a shinobi. His main- his only- commitment was supposed to be to his village. Iruka was climbing the rankings way too fast.

Kakashi, as Anko had pointed out later, underestimated the lengths Iruka would go to get what he’d wanted. He’d given Iruka a little by explaining his reasoning, hoping to ease the pain Iruka would surely feel about the rejection. Iruka, in true ninja fashion, had recognized the weakness in his lover and seized upon it.

Kakashi had come home from a short two-day mission to find Iruka unpacking his stuff in his living room. Kakashi had told Iruka he’d be hauling all his stuff back to his apartment the next day, but waking up with Iruka using him as a body pillow, with Iruka’s sheets tangled in his, and Iruka’s pictures on the shelf next to the bed with his own had just been short of perfect. He’d let Iruka stay.

As he thought about, really thought about it, these events all begged a question about his current situation. Why was he, Kakashi the avoider of all things remotely resembling commitment, standing in a store with the intent to buy an engagement ring?

…He didn’t know the answer, either. He’d just decided that morning, as he woke up with Iruka cuddled in his arms, that he had do this. No matter that marriage of any sort was frowned upon in shinobi society as a conflict of interest. No matter that their kind was frowned upon further because the village wouldn’t even get mini-ninja out of the deal. It still wasn’t illegal, he’d checked.

Kakashi wanted, needed, Iruka to stay by his side forever. To wake up just like he had this morning, when everything felt so wonderfully right in a world that never had before. He needed Iruka to be his, and his only, forever. And anyone who got angry with him about it could go shove a kunai sideways up their ass.

“Good day, shinobi-san,” the civilian behind the counter said brightly, smiling at him.

“Yo,” Kakashi said, eyes passing over the glass cabinets that lined the shop to find any and all possible exits in case this turned out to be a bad idea after all.

“Can I help you find something, shinobi-san?”

“Aah,” Kakashi said, rubbing the knot of his forehead protector sheepishly, “I’m looking for an engagement ring.”

The man grinned, and Kakashi could just see the money signs registering in his eyes. Maybe this was a bad idea.

“All of our rings are available for purchase, of course. Are you looking for a diamond, or does she prefer another type of jewel?”

Kakashi didn’t bother to correct his pronoun. It didn’t seem worth the effort. He thought about the question for a while. Iruka only got seriously angry about two things in their relationship. Anytime Kakashi or anyone teased him about being a sea creature, and any time Kakashi implied there was anything feminine about him.

Iruka was built with extremely round features, which he tried to hide behind bulky clothes. He couldn’t hide the fact that he was good looking, closer to the pretty side than handsome, from Kakashi, but if the Jounin even hinted at that he would find himself sleeping on the floor. Not even the couch, the floor. The closed Kakashi could get was calling Iruka his ‘pretty boy’ or his ‘pretty precious one’, and even then only when the other man was sated and far too tired to care.

Jewels, he decided after a moment, were leaning a bit too close to the feminine side. He didn’t really feel like being hit for all his efforts. He knew Iruka would understand how much this was costing him. At least, he hoped Iruka would know. If he didn’t, then this was a really, really bad idea.

“No jewels…and no sea creatures.”

The man gave Kakashi a strange look, but decided not to question the ninja in front of him. Kakashi appreciated this.

“Well, would you like silver or gold?” The man asked him with a slight frown.

Another tough question. Maybe he should have done some research on this before he decided to do it? Still, he was here now and he couldn’t leave without this civilian thinking he was a coward. That simply wouldn’t do.

The Copy-nin stepped closer to the glass cases, inspecting each piece thoroughly. He decided that gold simply wouldn’t do on Iruka’s hand. He couldn’t have told you why, but he just knew that gold would be awful for the tan skin it would be worn on. Kakashi didn’t want his choice to look awful. He wanted it to be something his beloved Iruka could wear with pride.

That left him with white gold or silver. The white gold reminded him a bit too much of himself, which bothered him for some reason, so he settled on silver.

Some of the bands were ruled out immediately as being too thick. If Iruka ever went on a mission, or for that matter when he got himself a ring to match Iruka for…well, when he did, it would be silly to have something that could not be easily hidden and that would catch the enemy’s attention by reflecting the light.

Actually, Kakashi thought a bit more; it would probably be best to get a ring that would easily slip over the dog-tag chain. Even better if it looked like it belonged there, so no one who didn’t have to know would suspect anything.

The civilian behind the counter looked more and more disappointed as Kakashi started looking at the smaller silver rings. They were the least expensive in the store. He finally decided to venture a question, hoping to draw him to the more expensive purchases. “Don’t you think you’re beloved deserves the best, shinobi-san?”

“Of course,” the Jounin responded. “That’s why I’m being practical about it.”

That confused the owner, but he decided that one question was plenty.

Kakashi spent the next half-hour ruling out one ring after another. One was too thin while another too fat. This one wasn’t round enough; that one a little too shiny. The owner was just starting to get exasperated when Kakashi found the perfect one.

It was a thin silver band, nothing too flashy, but large enough that it wouldn’t break if too much force was applied to it or fall off easily. Best of all, Kakashi thought, was the engraving on it.

Itooshii. Precious. His name for Iruka, because that’s what Iruka was. His life, the way everything around him screamed of being alive, was rare in a village that dealt in death. It breathed life into a man who had thought himself long dead. Iruka was his precious opportunity for a second chance.

He had always called Iruka itooshii, even before they’d really been a couple. It was just another one of those out of order things in their relationship- a pet name before there even was a relationship.

“That one,” Kakashi said, grinning behind his mask. “I want that one.”

The man sighed, running his hand through his thinning hair. Well, at least he’d picked one with an engraving on it instead of a plain band. “What size did you need sir?”

“Size?” The exposed part of Kakashi’s face looked utterly blank.

The shop owner sighed again. This was going to be a long day.