Work Text:
(I don't own any characters etc etc)
"I'll be gone for just the night on this mission," Kakashi said cheerfully as he checked his gear, grabbing and packing an extra shirt. He glanced towards a well-read orange covered book on his nightstand. Then at Iruka. Then at the book. Iruka. Book. Iruka. Book.
Iruka sighed and rolled his eyes. "Remind me, why do you want me to read it?"
"It's the best chapter in the book! Just the one chapter, please?"
Iruka sighed again.
"Please please?"
"I'll think about it."
"I'll take it," Kakashi said, blowing a kiss to Iruka. "It's so romantic!"
"I just don't know why you want it so badly? We love each other, we don't need Icha Icha to show it." Iruka crossed his arms as he leaned against the doorframe. "Don't you think this is all just kind of...silly?"
"It shows a depth to our love. A wondrous, epic, youthful depth to our love."
Iruka snorted. "That sounds like a line straight out of that book. Not to mention a touch of Gai in there."
"Maybe it is," Kakashi said, waggling his eyebrow. "Maybe it is."
___________
Iruka, wanting to be a supportive and understanding, and, dare he say, loving partner, did read the chapter, just not while Kakashi was away. In the end, Kakashi didn't ask, and Iruka didn't volunteer any information.
"Sheesh, Jiraiya, how much do you make for this stuff," he muttered as he locked his apartment a few days after Kakashi returned, and set the wards. "It was so unrealistic, I mean, really! And to think, it was like mid-way through the book. How much other awful writing do people have to get through just to get to this part?" Iruka began to think if he should begin to do some writing on the side, maybe make some extra income. Surely he could write better than any Icha Icha baloney?
Still, his mind replayed the chapter in his head as he walked to the Yamanaka Flower Shop, and ignored Ino's questioning looks as he made his purchase. And, he'd be lying if he said he didn't look for the first opportunity to jutsu back home, bag in hand.
_____
Kakashi arrived home later that night and toed his sandals off at the door, briefly noting Iruka's chakra in the back.
However, his thoughts were more focused on the takeout he had just bought, he was so hungry! Team seven had spent the day training, then completing a mission to de-weed a field. Naturally, Kakashi spent it in a tree reading and monitoring his extra grumbly genin, but that was a hard day of work in itself!
And so, when he entered the kitchen and placed the bag of food on the counter, he didn't really notice that he brushed some flower petals off to make room for it.
"Hiro-san, I didn't expect you to come in," he heard Iruka call out.
"Hmm?" he answered, distracted, rummaging in the cupboards. "Ru, do you know where my favorite dog mug is? I can't find it." He frowned as he continued to look. "I thought I just washed it?"
Iruka entered the kitchen and saw a distracted Kakashi. He tried to avoid rolling his eyes.
Instead, he coughed to try to get the other man's attention.
"Hiro-san, I didn't expect you to come in," he said again. And coughed, again.
Something in Kakashi's brain clicked.
Finally.
He turned and saw Iruka in plain clothes, comfortable and well-worn. With his hair down he looked as nice as, no, better than the characters in Icha Icha. Especially one in particular...
Iruka could see the wheels turning in his brain. Genius, indeed! "I'm not really in the mood for company, Hiro-san, perhaps you could come back another day?"
"Akito," Kakashi said, moving towards him, "you don't look too good. Are you ok?"
"I'm fine, just please go, I ---" but before Iruka/Akito could finish his sentence, Kakashi/Hiro saw him grimace, and raise a fist to his mouth to cough into.
Flower petals, soft, delicate flower petals, burst forth, as if they refused to be trapped in the fist.
Kakashi watched them gracefully flutter down to the floor. He damn near died.
"What's happening?" he asked, moving to hold his boyfriend. "Are you hurt? What can I do for you?"
"I didn't want you to find out like this, just please go!" More coughing, more petals. This time, from a handkerchief.
"No," Kakashi said, grabbing Iruka's arms. "Tell me!"
"I...I love you. But I know you don't feel the same." Iruka frowned. "And this just started out of nowhere, I noticed petals all over the more I thought about you. I thought it was a silly old wives tale, but just look," he said, motioning around. "Please, just go."
Kakashi finally saw that there were, in fact, quite a number of flower petals carefully strewn around the apartment, and he suspected there were more in the rooms he hadn't yet gone into. Maybe Iruka had also placed some in the bath, and in the bed....
He returned his gaze to Iruka,
"I love you too," he said, embracing Iruka more and kissing him.
After a moment, he spoke.
"Dinner's getting cold."
"Great!" Iruka said, peering around him and moving to the food. "I'm starving, and it smells good! Between getting things set up and learning my lines just so, I ended up skipping lunch."
Kakashi laughed.
"Well, I can't complain. It was perfect. You were perfect. The coughing out petals was a nice touch."
Iruka winked at him as he plated food, and pulled Kakashi's dog mug out of a cabinet, handing it to him. "Thought you'd like it. But don't ask me to re-enact more scenes from Icha Icha," he warned.
"Maa, fine. But...there are some really good scenes later in the book between Hiro and Akito, now that they know how the other feels....sure I couldn't persuade you to do some more reading?"
Iruka blushed. "Well, maybe a little..."