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The morning of Naruto’s birthday, Iruka wakes up as soon as his alarm goes off. He’s too keyed up to sleep properly, too excited at the thought of Naruto turning one, this darling tiny baby boy that Kakashi brought home. Besides him Kakashi stirs, one eye lazily peeking open. Iruka kisses him on the forehead, and ushers his lover back to sleep. Tenzo, on Kakashi’s other side, yawns and sits up. He raises a brow at Iruka who leans over and pushes him back into bed, body half-sprawled over Kakashi’s as he does so.
“Go back to bed.” He murmurs. “I’ve got this.”
Tenzo looks like he wants to protest. Sounds like he does even. But Kakashi drags him back towards him and all complaints stop when Tenzo cuddles closer to Kakashi.
“Call if you need help.” He manages out through a yawn.
Iruka nods. He watches his two lovers, boyfriends, partners (they’d yet to put a label on this relationship of theirs they’ve fallen into) for a few moments before he heads out of the bedroom, leaving the door cracked open just a bit as he leaves.
With a baby in the house, they never shut the door anymore to make sure they can always hear Naruto.
Naruto isn’t yet awake in his crib in the room they’ve designated as his when Iruka peeks in to check on him moments later. His blanket is somehow tangled in his feet, one onesie covered leg sticking out of it cutely. A tiny fist lays curled near his mouth as he sleeps on, making the softest snores Iruka has ever heard. Iruka carefully rearranges the blanket, grateful that Naruto is a deep sleeper, and tiptoes out of the room.
He goes to the bathroom to use the facilities and wash his face. Then, he makes his way to the kitchen.
He’s been practicing this particular recipe for weeks, taking lessons from Kurenai and Genma, wanting to make this first birthday of Naruto’s as special as he can. He pulls out flour and eggs, baking powder and soda, the sugar and the milk. And of course, butter.
Over the past few weeks more than one friend of his had been subjected to tasting the creations he’d made, and his endless array of questions. Was the cake soft enough? Too sweet? Too eggy? Did he need to add in more butter?
Kakashi and Tenzo had tasted the last batch, the one he’d made just two days ago, and given it their stamp of approval.
If all goes well, Iruka hopes he will be able to recreate that smash cake recipe.
Eggs are broken and added into a bowl then set aside.. Proper amounts of flour and sugar end up in another. Melted butter joins the eggs, then begins to be whisked into a proper wet mixture. This is added to the flour and sugar, baking soda and powder nearly forgotten, but added in right before pouring and mixing.
And then, Iruka mixes and whisks the mixture some more, only taking a break to add a few drops of vanilla extract that he’d forgotten.
Iruka knew nothing about cake when he’d first started. He still knows barely anything now, a month or so into the process. What he does know if not to overmix, to be careful with the measurement, and to add the wet ingredients to the dry for this particular recipe.
It’s going to be a smash cake: Naruto’s first (and likely last) one to enjoy. It is meant for Naruto to get his hands into, for Naruto to destroy, for Naruto to enjoy as he licks it off his hands and fingers.
The batter now done, Iruka brings the buttered cake tin over and pours it inside. He taps it once on the kitchen counter to ensure evenness and avoid bubbles, then nods. It looks exactly like the cake that he’d made two days ago.
Hopefully, if all goes well it tastes the same.
The smell of cake brings Tenzo into the kitchen. He’s not alone though. Naruto, still sleepy, but slowly blinking his baby blue eyes open, blinks once then lifts his head up at the smell. He smiles wide at Iruka, all 2 Baby Teeth and all, wriggling in Tenzo’s arms. Iruka leans forward to kiss the birthday boy awake, assuring him that he will pick him up soon, just as soon as he is done cleaning the kitchen counters from his baking this morning.
Kakashi arrives as he finishes cleaning, shooing him away from the last of the dishes. Iruka uses that moment to pull the now done cake (not collapsed, not browned, just perfectly golden) out of the oven and sets it on a steel trivet to cool. Naruto makes a sound of frustration in Tenzo’s arms.
“Ruk!” He calls out his baby version of Iruka’s name. “Ruk!” Iruka grins, taking off his oven mitts. He lunges towards Iruka. Tenzo and Iruka, long used to Naruto by now, maneuver themselves to catch him. Once in Iruka’s arms, Naruto smiles again, small baby hands reaching up to pat Iruka’s cheeks.
Tenzo kisses Iruka’s cheek then moves to another counter, pulling out the container containing Naruto’s Formula powder. Iruka and Naruto watch Tenzo and Kakashi work, Iruka giving Naruto a running commentary of what everyone is doing. Eventually, a bottle of fresh milk is pressed into Iruka’s hands and Iruka takes a seat at the dining table handing Naruto his bottle so that the baby can begin feeding himself. Kakashi tucks a bib under Naruto’s chin, much to Naruto’s annoyance, to catch any milk that doesn’t make it into Naruto’s mouth.
Breakfast consists of eggs and tea, and some bananas since they are one of the few fruits that they have successfully managed to get Naruto to eat. When that too is done, Tenzo takes Naruto back, the birthday boy babbling something at him. He grins back at the blonde baby, rubbing his nose into Naruto’s stomach and blowing raspberries that make Naruto giggle. Then he sets Naruto on his hip and tells him they are going to go upstairs where they will read a book and take a bath, then get dressed in special clothes for Naruto’s birthday.
Kakashi begins clearing up from breakfast, and Iruka moves to look at the smash cake.
He pulls out the icing that he’d bought (store bought because much as he’s tried, the icing he makes doesn’t seem to look or taste all that good). And then, he proceeds to decorate Naruto’s smash cake.
It isn’t grand: just swirls of oranges and reds and yellows, Naruto’s three favorite colors. They cover the cake from top to bottom, until nothing of the golden layer underneath is visible. It doesn’t look anything like the ones Iruka has seen on commercials or social media, but it looks like a smash cake that Naruto would enjoy and get his hands into.
He drags Kakashi out of the kitchen and the two march upstairs, and share a shower, trading kisses under the hot water, as they get ready for Naruto’s Birthday.
By the time Uncle Asuma and Uncle Gai arrive, the latter brining Genma over who carries with him a platter of just some simple fingerfoods he made, everyone is ready for Naruto’s first Birthday party.
The Birthday Boy gets placed on the floor, on a party mat that Iruka had chosen just for this occasion, Iruka’s lovingly made smash cake set in front of him. Naruto wastes no time digging in, giddy with anticipation, and over fistfuls of frosting and cake, with orange smeared cheeks, he grins and smiles and laughs at the three men raising him.
This, Iruka thinks, is what made all that practice worth it.
Asuma is clicking pictures with Gai, the two trying to compete with each other for the status of favorite uncle. Tenzo is now down with Naruto, getting smeared with cake and frosting, laughing along with the little boy he is helping raise, nibbling cutely on baby fingers. Kakashi stands next to Iruka, one hand around Iruka’s waist, the other waving to Naruto who yells “Ka! Ka!” over and over in excitement trying to call Kakashi over.
All in all, it isn’t exactly a bad start to Naruto’s first Birthday.
Later there will be cake and more presents Iruka knows. But this special moment with the smash cake is just perfect.