Chapter Text
(I don't own any characters etc etc)
In the last few days ahead of Valentine’s Day, the village was busier than ever. Stores stocked and restocked gifts, cards, and chocolates. Villagers, civilian and shinobi alike, ran this way and that for last minute items and plans, and reservations grew harder and harder to come by.
Asuma and Kurenai agreed to keep their teams in the village barring an emergency so that the genin could help deliver the by now large amount of cards ordered, and Kakashi just groaned when the other two jonin asked if he was doing the same.
“I don’t want to hear about Valentine’s Day, or cards, or anything!” he said, walking away. “I’m going to see if I can get a solo mission away from all of this!”
However, this was not going to occur, as Kakashi had been blacklisted from leaving the village at this time, the only exception being an emergency. The Hokage took it upon himself to do this to support the kunoichi’s efforts, as well as knowing what kind of tricks the copy nin might try to do. But Kakashi was merely told that he was to be present to support the genin’s charity work, as one of the jonin-sensei leading them, and he knew he couldn’t argue.
The nine genin were given more time to organize and prepare their day-of deliveries, and the three jonin lingered nearby to help if needed, but mostly talking amongst themselves. Well, Asuma and Kurenai did, discussing their own plans for the 14th. Kakashi just read his book, trying to ignore the world around him.
“What do you think?” Kurenai asked him.
“About what?”
“All the effort the kids have put into this project. It’s kept them busy and focused, good teamwork, and they’ve raised a lot of money for charity,” she said.
Kakashi sighed and looked at her. “I think it’s a waste of time and energy, and Valentine’s Day is ridiculous,” he declared, focusing on his book again.
“Spoilsport,” she sighed.
“He’s just single and salty,” Asuma laughed. “He needs some romance in his life. Maybe one of those cards will turn out to be for you, who knows?”
“Unfortunately, I think you’re more correct than you think,” Kakashi muttered, knowing it was likely to be true.
___
Kakashi didn’t know anything about what was to come, only that at least one person in addition to Tenzo had meddled on someone else’s behalf. Iruka only suspected Kakashi had sent the cards, but didn’t dare even glance his way if they happened to be in the same vicinity, not knowing if his guess was true.
Both men, as a result, were slightly nervous for the next few days, knowing at least one more card was due to come their way, but not knowing how, or when, or where. Would the person deliver it themselves? Would anything be revealed? Would it be elaborate, or private? Would they even like whoever it was?
The nine genin were up late on the 13th to finalize their plan for the next day, and rose early on Valentine’s Day to begin to deliver everything, as no one wanted people to get their cards very late in the day. Each genin was to go out on their own with their bag of deliveries and work in a set part of the village, so that no one was running this way and that unnecessarily.
Ino, Hinata, and Sakura had made sure that neither of them had either man’s card, wanting to stay as far removed as possible, even now.
So, it was Sasuke’s unluckiness that he delivered several envelopes to Kakashi, who glared at him.
The Uchiha just shrugged as he walked away to deliver more cards, and Kakashi jutsued to one of his favorite private reading spots to open them, holding his breath as he looked at the small pile. Would something pop out? Would it be loud? Cover him in glitter? A red plume of smoke perhaps? Had the person gone a bit overboard and sent them multiple cards? That wasn’t their usual method, but who knew!
One card was from Gai, naturally. Another from Asuma and Kurenai, and another from his team. He exhaled slightly, knowing that the “secret admirer” then hadn’t actually sent him a number of cards today. That left two white envelopes.
Holding his breath again, Kakashi opened one envelope, finding it nearly empty inside other than a small message of apology but no regrets, signed by a certain teammate in certain field code.
“This is it,” Kakashi said, trying to pull himself together to open the last card.
Across the village, Shikamaru roamed the academy before classes started, delivering cards to almost every person, sighing as he did so and hoping he could finish sooner than later. He passed a sizeable stack to Iruka, who smiled and wished him well, and continued on his way.
Iruka quickly closed and locked his classroom door and moved to his desk to quickly open the cards. He glanced through them, only looking for a name, or rather, a lack of one. It was the second to last one, a white envelope, that held what he was looking for.
Kakashi and Iruka both opened their white envelopes, finding not a card, but a simple piece of paper instructing them to go to Ichiraku’s that night at seven o’clock, and ask for their final card after their meal.
____
Iruka checked his appearance in the mirror before leaving, making sure his uniform was arranged just so, hair brushed and tied back, nothing in his teeth.
“At least I know it’s good food,” he said to himself as he nervously walked the familiar route. Would Kakashi show? Was it actually him?
Iruka tried to ground himself, but couldn't help but think ahead, and wasn’t sure what outcome he wanted, part of him still doubting this was happening.
Kakashi considered not going multiple times, but after how many weeks he wanted to finally get to the bottom of this, all of this, whatever it was.
He sighed as he walked through the village, happy couples and groups of friends laughing and joking and smiling as they carried flowers, cards, gifts, and chocolates, heading to parties and dinners.
“Who needs all this?” he muttered. “I’m so over it.”
Still, he quickened his pace, telling himself he only wanted to be on time so that he could end this that much sooner.
Iruka had just sat when Kakashi arrived, Ayame greeting the copy nin and gesturing to the open seat next to Iruka. Neither man knew that their seats had been kept open, though at such a small venue, the father-daughter duo often kept seats for their best customers on a night like this. It wasn’t terribly important, really, as many in the village got their food to-go on such a night.
The men greeted each other and ordered their food, no different than any other time they might run into each other there.
Iruka felt nervous sitting next to Kakashi, wondering if the man would bring anything up, deciding not to do so himself otherwise.
“No plans tonight?” Kakashi asked, and Iruka forced a smile and shook his head.
“No, just some food here,” he replied. Wait, he told himself, he didn’t want to appear to the other man that he was trying to rush! “I, um, might go on a walk after. What about you?”
“Just dinner here, then home,” Kakashi said, shrugging, and Iruka nodded, inwardly freaking out. Was Kakashi hinting that he was going to invite him back to his place? Or that he didn’t have high hopes? Or was he actually letting him down? Or –
But before Iruka could spiral more, Ayame came over with some plum wine, telling them it was on the house due to the holiday.
The men thanked her and Iruka savored his first sip, telling himself to just relax and not care. If anything was to happen, it would happen. If not, no harm was done, right?
This led him to asking Kakashi general questions about his day and week, and as their food came, they fell into easy conversation about nothing in particular, both finally relaxing for the first time that day.
The warmth from the kitchen, the good food, and both knowing that they had nothing else to do at that moment but be there helped them both unwind, and nearly forget about why they were there, until they had finished their food.
Ayame came to collect their bowls. “Anything else?” she asked as she always did.
“Um,” Iruka began. “I’m, uh, picking up something?” he said, hoping she might read between the lines, not daring to be open about it in front of the other man.
“Hmm? Oh right,” she teased, having fun with it. “Kakashi? Anything for you?”
“I…I think I have something here to-go,” he said, trying to hide his predicament from Iruka. The last thing he needed was for his team to find out about all this, since they had been too attentive for the other cards!
“Okay,” she casually said, leaving and returning a moment later. “Your bill was paid in advance, by the way, and here,” Ayame told them, holding out one pink envelope in each hand.
Both men looked first at her, then each other, then back at her. She laughed and wiggled the cards, leaving as soon as the men had slowly accepted them.
“Um…” Kakashi began, his mind swirling. Had he missed this? Had there been clues?
“I…uh…” Iruka murmured, before deciding to open his envelope, seeking anything to do. Kakashi followed suit and did the same, and both men pulled out the same card, elaborate decoration on the front, but empty inside.
They looked at each other in surprise again.
“You?” both asked, as three wide eyes blinked. “Me? You?”
Iruka bit his lip as he put the card back in the envelope. “I thought it might be you, I mean, after the last card,” he said, stealing a glance at the copy nin. “It was a nice touch, the addition, you know? And…I thought it was very cute and thoughtful to have the kids deliver them. I…I liked it very much,” he shyly shared, daring to finally look at Kakashi, who hadn’t moved. “K-Kakashi-sensei?”
“I didn’t send any cards,” Kakashi bluntly told him, and Iruka felt his stomach drop. “I don’t know what you got, or what’s been going on, but I didn’t send any.”
“But…the line about the book…” Iruka stammered, feeling hot and flustered, and not in a good way. “That wasn’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never wrote any cards, I never even picked any out.”
Iruka opened his mouth then closed it, feeling like a fool. “I see,” he said, feeling suffocated now. “I, I’m going to go, excuse me,” he said in a rush, nearly running out of there.
Kakashi sat in stunned silence for a moment before darting out, following the other man as Teuchi and Ayame looked on, before exchanging a puzzled look themselves.
“Iruka-sensei! Iruka!” Kakashi called out. “Wait!”
Iruka just cursed and shook his head, running both hands through his hair, nearly pulling it out in frustration, sadness, and disappointment before actually breaking into a run to put more distance between them.
Sadly, he was no match for the copy nin, who quickly caught up to him as Iruka neared a forest path.
“Iruka, wait,” Kakashi sighed. “What’s all this about?”
“Kakashi-sensei, please just leave me alone!” Iruka snapped.
“Didn’t you give me this? And the others? And tonight?” Kakashi asked, waving the card in the teacher’s face. Iruka scowled and pushed it away, then pushed past the jonin.
“I did not, thank you very much,” he snapped again.
“What?”
“I said I didn’t!” Iruka hissed, turning and putting his hands on his hips angrily. “I didn’t send you a card tonight, or any other night, or day! I didn’t invite you to dinner, I’ve never done either of those!”
“You didn’t?” Kakashi asked, surprised.
“No!”
“Really? Not even enlisting a…unique type of help?” he pressed further, thinking of Tenzou.
“I said no,” Iruka sighed.
“Then…if you didn’t send me the cards, and I didn’t send you any, who planned this?” Kakashi quietly asked.
“What?” the teacher asked, confused.
“We both got cards conveniently labeled something anonymous, right?” Kakashi asked, and Iruka slowly nodded. “And then told to be at the same place at the same time, and given the same card? Don’t you see what happened?”
Iruka slowly nodded again. “We were set up,” he groaned. “This is so embarrassing!”
“How many cards did you get?” Kakashi asked.
“Four, not including this one and the instructions for tonight,” Iruka told him. “You?”
“Same.” Kakashi paused. “What did you mean, it was a nice addition?”
“Oh, um, it’s nothing,” Iruka said, suddenly shy again. “I’m just, um, I’m going to go, we can investigate all this another night, okay?”
“Iruka,” Kakashi said, leaving all formalities back at Ichiraku’s. “What was it?” he asked again, and Iruka sighed.
“The writer had added ‘I want to know you as well as I know my favorite book’,” he recalled, grateful it was darker out there and hiding his blush.
Kakashi sighed. “I’m going to kill him.”
“Who?”
“Let’s just say that I know at least one accomplice,” he told the teacher, who looked at him with wide eyes.
“There was more than one person involved in all this? That’s so embarrassing!” Iruka groaned. “Who would want to mess with us like this?”
Kakashi thought about it, eye narrowing as he recalled how insistent Sakura had been of him opening at least one card in front of her, and how interested she had been all along.
“I think I know of at least one more, though I’m sure she wasn’t alone.”
“Who?” Iruka asked yet again, eyes wide.
“Let’s just say that I’ve got some genin to interrogate tomorrow,” Kakashi sighed, making Iruka groan more.
“I didn’t teach them any of this, for what it’s worth,” he protested, and Kakashi paused.
“I don’t know, I think you did.”
“What?”
The jonin shrugged. “To care for others, try to help, maybe push to have more in life than just work and protecting the village.”
Iruka’s mouth fell open but he remained silent for a moment. “Maybe,” he softly admitted. “So, now what?”
Kakashi paused as well, unsure of what to suggest, when he thought of what Tenzou had told him about approving of it, of Iruka. Maybe his friend and the genin were onto something? And there were certainly worse people to be around...
“I mean,” Iruka was continuing, “we could see if we can find them tonight to talk to them about it. Otherwise, maybe assign them an essay on why this is wrong, or a string of D-rank missions? Or –”
“Or, I think you said you might go for a walk tonight,” Kakashi said, interrupting him. “Perhaps I could join you?”
“What?” Iruka asked, surprised.
“Well,” Kakashi said, scratching his masked chin. “You’re free and single, I’m free and single. It’s Valentine’s Day, and we’ve been set up, why not go along with it? Consider it…testing their theory,” he mused, and Iruka laughed.
“Testing their theory, hmm? What theory might that be?”
“That we might be more compatible than we think,” the copy nin said. “What do you say?”
“That would be nice,” Iruka agreed, and they set off down the path, laughing about the last few weeks together.
___
The next day, the kunoichi gathered after their respective trainings ended, discussing the previous day.
“Paying for their dinner was a nice touch, I think I really sealed the deal!” Ino agreed.
“And Ayame told me they left together!” Sakura squealed.
“That’s not exactly how it happened,” a voice said from behind them, making the three jump.
“Kakashi-sensei! Iruka-sensei!” the girls greeted the adults, bowing.
Both men frowned at them as Kakashi stuck his hands in his pockets, Iruka crossing his arms.
“I thought I taught you better than to meddle like this,” Iruka sighed.
“We just w-wanted to do something nice,” Hinata nervously told them.
“The Hokage knew and supported it!” Ino declared stubbornly, noting that the two men looked at each other in surprise briefly before turning back to them.
“Even so, it’s not appropriate,” Iruka said. “Hokage-approved or not. Really,” he sighed, “you’d think the Hokage has nothing better to do than something like this!
Kakashi nodded. “Well, since you’ve had so much time to do this lately, you three just volunteered for two D-rank missions,” Kakashi cheered. “Report tomorrow to begin them.”
“Yes, sensei,” the girls sighed as the men turned and walked away.
“So, do you want to grab some curry for lunch?” Iruka asked the other man. “Or something else?”
“Curry today, yakisoba next time?” Kakashi replied, and Iruka nodded as they walked out of earshot.
Ino grinned. “I think our plan worked!” she whispered, nodding at the men, and the other nodded in agreement.
“Now, who should we set up next?” Sakura wondered, and the three walked away, discussing potential options.