Work Text:
(We don't own any characters etc etc)
It all started with takeout, according to Kakashi.
The thing was, he hadn’t planned on it occurring as it did. He was going to go about it all very differently, but life had other plans. At least when it came to him and Iruka, another resident of Kakashi’s apartment building.
Kakashi had lived there about one year before Iruka moved in. He hadn’t noticed anything new about the brunette man at first, given that Kakashi largely kept to himself in the building and didn’t try to go out of his way to greet new neighbors. But then Iruka had started to appear in the building’s gym at the same time several days a week, and then Kakashi couldn't help but notice him.
They exchanged looks and smiles, helped spot the other here and there, discussed weights and pacing. Kakashi hadn’t been sure initially if Iruka was a full-on gym bro or not, hoping he wasn’t. Sure, he exercised often and knew his way around a gym, but he would lose major points in Kakashi’s book if he was a meathead. Fortunately, Kakashi deduced after a month that Iruka was none of those, and that both approached exercise in a similar manner. They not only shared a desire for health and physical wellness, but Iruka also always looked damn good in whatever workout gear he wore.
Kakashi had it bad for the man, he realized one day as he saw Iruka enter the gym in what were now Kakashi’s favorite pair of shorts on him. But what could, should he do about it? He could be a bit clueless, oblivious even, in the world of dating, but surely he could figure something out, right?
Iruka, meanwhile, hadn’t realized Kakashi worked out at the same time as him for two weeks, as he went with headphones in and ignored anyone else until they happened to fall into a groove together. But soon their paths crossed often enough that he started to actually socialize. He had already met a number of neighbors but not yet Kakashi, who lived on a different floor from Iruka. Their brief interactions at the gym grew to making small talk when at the elevator together, or at the mailroom, which was an even rarer event.
Iruka had begun to think that perhaps Kakashi was even flirting on occasion, but it was hard to tell. The other man at times wore a mask to help fight allergies and dust outside, and given that it was a bad spring for allergies, Iruka couldn't fault him. Not that he never saw his face, but when they did interact in common spaces of the building and Kakashi was masked up, well, it was hard to get a read.
Iruka also thought that perhaps it was wishful thinking on his part. After all, he was now more situated than he had been for some time, more stable. Sure, he had been employed at his current job for two years before moving, but now that his residence was situated, was he looking for a sign to move to the next area of his life that was lacking? And hoping that perhaps it involved Kakashi?
He hadn’t been sure of what to do, having not wanted to ask out a neighbor since college while living in the dorms, and that had gone…well, he didn’t want to think about it. Iruka decided to take time to think of what to say, what to do, and was mulling it over one evening as he entered the apartment building’s lobby to head to his floor, nodding distractedly at the front desk staff in greeting. He half glanced around for a familiar head of greyish hair, as Iruka often did, but found none.
Instead, as he had neared the elevators, the desk staff called out to him. Iruka was slightly frustrated, wanting to just go home seeing as he had gotten back later than usual due to a faculty meeting. Why couldn’t those start earlier, he grumbled.
But, he smoothed his face out as he turned and walked back. “What’s up?” he asked the staff member, Raidou.
“Your food,” he told Iruka, nudging a bag of takeout sitting on the high desk Raidou sat at.
Iruka’s frown returned. “My what?”
“Your food, don’t forget it.”
“I…didn’t order any,” Iruka slowly told him. He was hungry, but he shouldn't take a neighbor’s food…right?
“Well, it’s here, and it’s got your name,” Raidou commented. “My job is to give it to the unit or name on the item. Your name, your food. Go eat.”
“Uh, thanks?” Iruka said, warily taking the bag, expecting…well, he wasn’t sure what. Raidou shrugged, so Iruka mirrored the action, looking at the bag this way and that as he and the bag took the elevator to his floor.
“It has my last name on it, but nothing else…and it’s the place down the street, which I know is good. I mean, a lot of people in the building eat there. I suppose I can eat you,” Iruka began to say to himself as much as to the food as they entered his apartment. “And if it turns out to be a mistake, I’ll reimburse someone or whatever. Right?”
The food didn’t reply, so he took that as affirmation, and changed to sit and eat, finally unwinding from the day.
___
Iruka didn't think much of it, really, until a week later. Another staff member, Temari, was at the front desk and called his phone.
“There’s food for you here,” she told him .
Iruka blinked, the previous week’s event coming back to him. “I didn't order anything,” he said yet again.
“I know.”
Iruka frowned, not that she could see. “So….uh….”
“So come and get it while it’s still warm,” she sighed. “Okay?”
“Are you sure it’s for me?” Iruka questioned.
“Definitely sure. So sure it hurts. You coming down or what?”
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Iruka said, hurrying to put shoes on, grateful he was in lounge clothes he could rush out in. He knew better than to test her patience, as she certainly had an angry streak to her when needed. A good person for a front desk job, that was sure, he mused!
Iruka wondered just what was happening for him to get free food twice, and if he should post a flier in the building about it?
“But what would I say? ‘Sorry I ate your food, I’ll comp you’?” he groaned to himself. “‘Thanks, you have good taste?’”
He sighed and shook his head as he exited the elevator, feeling her study him as he walked to her post.
“Here you go,” she said, passing him not a bag of takeout as he had expected, but instead a nice tupperware container.
“What’s this?” he asked before he could stop himself.
“Looks like curry and rice, separated, of course,” Temari mused. “Smells good, too. I asked for the recipe.”
“Asked who?” Iruka asked, his eyebrows high on his head.
“Kakashi Hatake,” Temari said as she sharpened her nails, studying him. Iruka felt his face heat under her gaze, and of the news.
“Really?” he blurted out, and she grinned.
“He said he cooked too much and wanted to give you some.” She paused, seemingly for dramatic effect. “He didn't know your unit, and I couldn't tell him, of course.”
“Of course,” Iruka numbingly agreed. “I don’t suppose you could tell me his?” he asked, but she shook her head. He sighed and nodded. “Thanks anyway,” he said, waving as he carried the food in one hand.
As before, Iruka looked at it this way and that as he went back to his apartment. He had already eaten dinner and so figured he’d have it for a meal tomorrow, but decided it would be rude if he didn’t at least try some that night. After all, what if he ran into Kakashi in the morning and he was asked about it?
“It’s good!” Iruka exclaimed, having a bit more before putting it away. “Nice, funny, in shape, thoughtful, can cook, not to mention handsome,” Iruka ticked off the list of Kakashi’s attributes. “Single too, I wonder?”
Iruka shook his head at himself after a moment of daydreaming about Kakashi. “I don’t know, and I shouldn’t read into anything that’s not there. That might not be there,” he corrected himself. “He might just be being nice, a good neighbor. I’ll…thank him for this and offer to get him back for it somehow, and see where things go…”
Iruka dropped off the tupperware with Temari as soon as he had washed it, as she was only too happy to give it to Kakashi. The next time Iruka saw Kakashi himself four days later at the elevator he offered many thanks for the food and thoughtfulness.
“I would have reached out earlier but I don’t know your unit,” Iruka admitted. “Not that I’m fishing for it!” he quickly added, regretting not rehearsing this in his mind for the last few days.
“I don’t mind,” Kakashi said with a grin, and they exchanged the information just as the elevator going up hit Iruka’s floor. “See you later, seventh floor,” Kakashi laughed with a wink, and Iruka grinned.
“Take care, 1007,” he said, waving as he stepped off.
“I hope you liked the takeout too,” Kakashi sighed to himself once the elevator doors had closed and it was just him and his reflection. “I didn't want to impose but I wanted to do something, and food just seemed like a good choice, a safe one. And since it seems to be working, might as well continue….”
Iruka had tucked the unit information away, not intending to really use it. They continued to exercise together and talk when they met in the building, and Iruka again wondered if he dared to take a step beyond neighbors with the other man. But before he reached a decision, Kakashi began to show up at Iruka’s apartment once a week, bearing food at dinnertime. Food he had cooked and carefully dished out into more to-go containers.
The first time, Iruka had been shocked to find Kakashi outside his door, his brown eyes widened as he looked at the older man through the peephole. Iruka smoothed down his hair and sweatshirt and smiled as he opened the door, pausing in surprise when Kakashi unceremoniously put the food in Iruka’s hands before Iruka could say anything.
“I cook more than I need to, bad habit of mine,” Kakashi told him. “Sometimes I take it to work for friends and coworkers but they’re getting sick of the same rotation of dishes, so I thought you could take it off my hands?”
“Could I? Wow, thank you!” Iruka gushed. “This looks great! Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Kakashi just waved it away. “You’ll be doing me a favor. Get the container back whenever,” he said. “I have to go, got some work to do, but have a good night!”
Iruka was left standing in his doorway stammering out a “thank you, and you!” as he watched him walk down the hall to the elevator. If he didn’t have a full meal in his hands, he would have doubted if any of that had happened given how fast Kakashi left.
So, they started to fall into a routine of sorts. Kakashi would bring food to Iruka out of the blue, and Iruka would give him the last plastic container back then, unless he had done so already. Iruka also began to ensure he was dressed a little nicer at night, nicer lounge clothes than he might normally wear so that he never had to risk Kakashi finding him in overly-oversized shirts or anything with stains on them.
Iruka always tried to invite Kakashi in or make small talk, but the man would just say he had to go for work, or walk his dog, or some other excuse. Was it an excuse, Iruka wondered? Was Kakashi hurrying to get away from him? If he didn’t want to spend time with Iruka why bother bringing him food, since he wasn’t exactly just down the hall?
“I’m reading too much into it, he’s just being nice, and not letting food go to waste. Still, I should find a way to thank him, since he won’t come in for even coffee or tea,” Iruka mused as he washed the containers one night after several weeks.
He had an idea and, seeing as he wasn’t the best cook himself, soon stopped at a bakery near the school he worked at. Iruka admitted to the staff there he was buying for someone he knew nothing about, and they took pity on him and suggested some items that were popular and without common allergies.
Thus, their weekly evening interactions took a new turn. Iruka would come home a day or two after receiving food from Kakashi with a food gift for him, stopping by his own apartment to grab the washed containers and heading up in his work clothes to thank Kakashi once again. Thank him and and give him small tokens of gratitude including baked goods, nice non-alcoholic drinks, and jars of jam and honey from that one artisanal shop down the road.
Kakashi told him each time he didn’t want or expect any of that, thanking him but assuring him Iruka did not need to do so. He’d never outright say it, but just cooking for him and increasing their interactions was more than enough! Iruka was then faced with a new challenge, for he didn’t want to insult Kakashi, but he wanted to do something….
They still exercised at the gym throughout it all, never discussing their nighttime interactions but both finding it a fun addition to their weeks. Kakashi often enjoyed cooking but it was more fun knowing he was now cooking for a certain someone. And Iruka not only had tasty meals, but was excited by his now every other week challenge of finding a new gift for the other man. It was nice, having someone to shop for, he thought as he wandered their neighborhood looking for small food items. Kakashi had said he didn’t want Iruka to feel obligated, but Iruka didn’t want to keep things one-sided. And Kakashi still did not stay after delivering his dishes!
As he was leaving a store one night looking for something for Kakashi, he ran into the man himself and his lovely pug, and they walked back home together as they discussed their days. Once home, Iruka was inspired by the exchange and decided that bringing upscale dog snacks for Kakashi’s dog might be a fair compromise.
Kakashi, it seemed, agreed, as did Pakkun, and Iruka felt proud as a peacock he had figured out such a solution!
By now, this had been going on for about three months, and showed no signs of stopping. There were, unfortunately for Iruka, no signs of anything progressing either, and so he had given up on any thoughts that Kakashi was interested in him as anything more than a gym buddy, neighbor, possible friend, and fellow hungry person.
He said as much to his coworker and friend, Anko, when she stole some of Kakashi’s food that Iruka brought for lunch that day.
“It’s good! I’ve been meaning to ask about your random lunches,” she teased.
“What?” he laughed.
“Yeah, some days they’re basic, and then once a week or so, it’s gourmet stuff like this. Dinner leftovers, right? I’ve been wanting to know the restaurant.”
Iruka laughed. “No, it’s a neighbor of mine.”
“What?”
He shared of Kakashi’s actions, and she nodded as she listened, helping herself to more.
“He likes you,” Anko declared at the end.
“No, he’s just being nice,” Iruka told her, shaking his head. “Trust me.”
She scoffed. “In what world does a guy cook for you this often and is just being nice?”
“Then why doesn’t he ever come in and hang out when I invite him?” Iruka challenged, giving her a flat look.
“Have you invited him in beyond when he just shows up?” she asked, and Iruka blinked; he hadn’t. How had that never occurred to him?
“He surprises me when he shows up…and then I randomly show up at his place…” he admitted.
Anko nodded. “Maybe he doesn't want to make you feel obligated to hang out. Try scheduling something and see what happens, that’s all.”
Iruka considered it. “Maybe I could…” he mused, and did just that a few days later when he returned the plastic containers.
“Would you like to get together for dinner one night?” Iruka asked, regretting giving the items back before asking, as he had nothing to do with his hands and was fighting the urge to wring them nervously.
“Dinner?” Kakashi asked, blinking in surprise.
“Yeah, actually eat together, I mean, you feed me often enough,” Iruka weakly laughed, feeling awkward. This was a bad idea, wasn’t it? “It could be fun, to hang out, share a meal. I could try to cook something, though I’m not great at it, I think I told you that before,” he said in a rush, feeling his face burn.
“That would be nice,” Kakashi slowly said, for he had not been expecting Iruka to take the step he himself had so far been unable to!
“Great!” Iruka exclaimed a little louder than he would have liked, and he winced. “Um, next Tuesday? Eat at seven?”
“Sure, thanks,” Kakahsi told him. “See you then? I mean, probably at the gym before then, but, you know…”
“Yeah, see you then outside of, uh, other times,” Iruka agreed, waving as he turned to leave. He floated back to his apartment, where the gravity of it all hit him. “I have to clean! I have to figure out what I’m cooking, I have to go grocery shopping, and prep and…” he began to list, rushing around to make notes.
____
Tuesday arrived and was pleasant enough for both men, who each felt slightly nervous at it. It was one thing to spend time in the gym with each other, but another to be in Iruka’s living space together.
Kakashi arrived on time with a nice loaf of bread, unsure of what to bring but not wanting to bring dessert and seem like he was upstaging those which Iruka had previously brought. He kicked himself for not having asked what he could bring, and seeing as they hadn't swapped numbers, Kakashi’s only other option was to hope they’d run into each other before Tuesday as they often did.
They had not. Kakashi sighed.
Iruka thanked him for it and put it out on a nice platter, having a piece as he finished cooking. It was a simple rice, fish, vegetable dish, and he hoped Kakashi wouldn’t run screaming from it when compared to what the other man could cook. It wasn’t burnt, so that was a point in his favor, Iruka mused to himself as he tried to ignore memories from dishes past.
They sat and ate, talking more about themselves, their jobs, and the apartment building; safe topics. Kakashi shared news and gossip from the building since he had moved in, and Iruka shared of stories of being a teacher and his plans to work over the summer in a seasonal program. He had picked up some chocolates as a light dessert, not wanting to appear to be outdoing Kakashi’s dishes with a lavish dinner, and they had a few each with coffee as the night wound down.
Kakashi insisted on doing the dishes, not taking no for an answer. Iruka leaned against his kitchen counter to continue to talk, drying the dishes occasionally and putting them away.
“Thanks for tonight,” Kakashi said as he headed to the door a short time later. “This was nice.”
“It was, thanks for all the food in the past,” Iruka said, mentally kicking himself for putting it that way. “Want to do it again?”
Kakashi nodded and took out his phone, taking advantage of the opportunity to suggest they swap numbers…for better coordination, he claimed. He had made a plan to do so when he realized how hard it was to guarantee he would come across Iruka most days, and fought any urges to add an emoji (or two, or three) to Iruka’s saved contact.
That night, Kakashi regaled Pakkun with every detail of the night, and Iruka sighed as he tried and failed to finish any grading, too distracted by the evening.
“It was a good date, if it had been one,” he sighed, looking around. “I didn’t really flirt, and he didn’t seem to. Anko’s just in my head, that’s all. He’s a friend, that’s enough for me,” Iruka reminded himself. “And in the meantime, after this next semester, maybe school year, I’ll try to hit up a dating site or something.”
____
They began to text to coordinate having dinner weekly, alternating the apartment they went to, with that event now replacing Kakashi bringing Iruka food. Though if there were leftovers from whoever cooked, the other was encouraged to take that for lunch. As a result, Iruka had weeks without bringing Kakashi’s cooking for lunch, but instead had the pleasure of his company and nicely cooked food instead. Not to mention getting to give Pakkun head scratches or play with him while Kakashi finished cooking!
Kakashi commented one night at Iruka’s apartment of needing to go grocery shopping for the next week for his own dinners as well as the night he would have Iruka over, and invited Iruka to join him. Iruka agreed, since he would need to do the same anyway, and they added that to their time together, coordinating it as well. It was interesting to see what each other bought, discussing preferences, pricing, and quality.
Kakashi teased Iruka for his sweet tooth and Iruka teased Kakashi for his specificity of, well, a lot of things. But he was never rude or snobby about it, just more a wealth of information and knew what he wanted, so Iruka found it more endearing than anything else. And if they occasionally bought items to divide between their households, well, both just thought that was the cutest thing!
Grocery shopping together also led to prolonged discussions of dishes to make while they shopped, while cooking and eating together, and while working out, with each chiming in on alternatives for dishes. Kakashi had more culinary know-how than Iruka, who was learning much from shopping with him and watching him cook. Iruka bashfully admitted to wanting to improve his cooking game, and without giving it another thought they casually moved into cooking together, rather than cooking for each other. Kakashi was delighted with this new level of interaction, and Iruka was excited to expand his cooking skills, or at least attempt to.
This naturally led to being in touch more often to discuss what they wanted to cook, which led to occasional calls at night if they were free, sending recipes to the other a few times a week, and continuing to shop together, now with their separate lists and a shared one. And if discussions also gave way at times to talking about how their day was, or what was on television when they called, well, it was just how their calls went.
At times Iruka sent pictures of food when he and friends went out, such as when the plating was especially nice or it was a really good dish, asking Kakashi if they could practice it at a later date. Kakashi never said no, and Iruka felt he was spoiling him.
“Sending it to your boyfriend?” Anko asked as Iruka did just that at dinner one night. “Just invite him along next time, I mean, it’s about time we meet him.”
“You’re dating someone?” Kotetsu and Izumo, Iruka’s other best friends, asked in unison.
“I’m not,” Iruka told them as he sent the picture before putting his phone away and frowning at Anko. “He’s a neighbor.”
“A neighbor who’s been feeding you for how many months?” she argued.
“He’s being…neighborly,” Iruka protested.
“They workout together, and cook together, and text and call, and Iruka smiles at work when he checks his phone,” Anko told the other two. “You know, The Smile.”
“The Smile?” Izumo gasped theatrically.
“You’re smitten!” Kotetsu teased. “Ooh, he’s blushing!”
“I’m blushing because you’re teasing me,” Iruka laughed. “It’s nothing, really. We hang out and cook like once a week, that’s all.”
“And workout,” Anko reminded him.
“Yeah, we see each other at the building’s gym a few times a week, always have, though,” Iruka agreed. “Lots of other people work out in the mornings. Not a big deal.”
“And didn’t you say you went grocery shopping once together?” she asked as she sipped her drink, a grin on her face.
“Uh, yeah, I guess more than once,” Iruka admitted and his friends laughed. “Neighbors do that!” he protested. They had also begun watching a show both were interested in, watching one or two episodes each time they got together, but Iruka kept that to himself. Lots of people watched shows and movies together!
“Neighbors do, but potential boyfriends do as well,” Kotetsu mused. “Is he good looking?”
“Yeah,” Iruka sighed dreamily. “Hot AF.”
“Single?” Izumo asked.
“I haven’t seen anything to suggest he isn’t,” Iruka replied.
“So, single, hot, feeds you, and teaches you to cook. And you don’t think he’s interested?” Kotetsu asked with a raised eyebrow. “Because it sounds like that to me.”
“And me!” Izumo agreed.
“And me,” Anko laughed.
“I mean, I hoped it was more at the beginning, but he’s never really flirted or made a move, and I didn’t because he wasn’t, and I didn’t want to make things weird,” Iruka sighed. “And now it’s been so long! But he’s a nice guy, and a good friend –”
“And neighbor,” Anko teased.
“So I don’t want to jeopardize it.” Iruka sighed again. “Did I friendzone myself? Or did he?” His friends shrugged.
“Maybe, but maybe things are just going slow,” Anko said, in a kinder tone than before. “You made a move by asking him to get together, remember? So keep at it and see where it goes. Sometimes things just take time…”
____
Iruka didn’t give his friends’ comments another thought, but was surprised when two days later he ran into Kakashi at a home goods store near his school, quite a bit away from their building. Kakashi was wearing a dark blue face mask that day, which matched his blue suit, and offered his usual eye smile to Iruka.
“What are you doing out this way?” Iruka asked, and Kakashi explained of needing a few items from the store, as well as having more errands nearby. He hadn’t known he’d be near Iruka’s workplace, but it was a pleasant surprise, and so he invited Iruka to join him. Iruka, thinking of Anko’s suggestion, quickly agreed. Grading could wait; spending time with Kakashi was more important, he decided!
It was nice, like another level of grocery shopping, both thought as they ran casual errands together and got a quick dinner too, discussing if they wanted to make something like it one night.
Iruka thought about it all as he finally got to grading that night, reflecting on the evening. Shopping together, even visiting the kitchen aisles of the store and talking about spatulas, of all things!
“Like we were a proper couple, buying kitchen tools,” he sighed dreamily. “And we came back together, like coming home together…” He paused and looked around his apartment, shaking his head. “I’m reading into something that’s not there,” he told himself. “We’re friends, and I’m grateful for it.”
But a few minutes later, Iruka paused.
“It was nice to go out with him, be out with him,” he corrected himself. “And to go out to eat, even though cooking together is nice, that was nice too. Friends go out to eat, so I could invite him to do that more, can’t I?”
And before he could talk himself out of it, he grabbed his phone and sent a text to Kakashi to suggest they go to a similar eatery than they had eaten that night. Kakashi soon replied agreeing to it, and thus a new chapter of their…whatever they were….began. They swapped every third week of cooking together for going out to eat together, discussing the food as well as just life itself, as they always did, and sometimes both cooked and went out in the same week, just because. They naturally either split the bill or took turns paying, as they did for the groceries for their cooking nights.
If he squinted, it was like they were dating, but Iruka again told himself it was nothing like that. And really, he was accepting of it, he realized one late November night. Kakashi was a great guy and would make any guy happy, and Iruka was happy to have him as a friend.
He glanced at the calendar and noted the end of year holidays were coming up. He should get Kakashi a gift, but what? Something useful? Something food related, or for cooking? Or something non-related, that showed he listened to everything else they talked about?
“I’ll figure something out,” Iruka said, shrugging. “Anko’s also throwing a holiday party in a few weeks, maybe I should see if he wants to go?” He frowned. “But he might feel pressure, and our friends will badger him…I don’t know,” Iruka sighed. “I’ll think about it…”
He put it out of his mind as the school semester was entering a busy phase, deciding to wait to bring it up to Kakashi, if at all.
Kakashi, it seemed, was in the holiday mood as well, as he invited Iruka to his apartment that Thursday to bake cookies for a cookie swap he was going to that weekend. Iruka jumped at the opportunity to master more desserts, as they usually focused on cooking rather than baking, though now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure why.
Kakashi surprised him with his own apron, as they didn’t always use them and when they did, they shared one. Kakashi donned his usual black one, and gave Iruka a new orange one.
“Flour can get everywhere,” Kakashi told him, smiling as he put his mask on. “I can also get a bit sneezy around it, so don’t mind me.”
“Of course,” Iruka laughed as he put the apron on and fought down the butterflies in his stomach that Kakashi had bought him something! Kakashi thought about him!
They set to work, starting with sugar cookies, then snickerdoodles, and finally chocolate chip cookies. Kakashi and Iruka talked about the holidays in vague terms, as well as seasonal bucket list items.
The sugar cookies and snickerdoodles came out in good shape, and Iruka was crossing his fingers the chocolate chip ones would be as good, praying to the cooking gods that his bad luck in the kitchen was long gone, all thanks to Kakashi. Kakashi, who was telling Iruka about the cookie swap and who would be there, what other people were bringing. Iruka half listened, not meaning to tune him out but not wanting to drop the now cooled cookies as he moved the baking sheet to plate them.
“And, I mean, of course they want to meet my boyfriend, so…” Iruka suddenly heard Kakashi say, and he froze.
Kakashi had a boyfriend? A boyfriend? Kakashi? A boyfriend?! Iruka wanted to jump into the oven, but there were more cookies in there, unfortunately. How had he missed it? Had the signs been there? For how long? He was okay with it, right? Hadn’t he spent weeks, months even, saying he could be okay with just being friends? And now, he had no choice but to do just that!
Kakashi had continued to talk, not that Iruka was paying him any mind, but he suddenly sensed the other man pause.
“What?” Iruka asked sluggishly.
“I was asking if you were free to go, I know it’s short notice since I forgot about it for a while,” Kakashi said, and Iruka turned to him with a look of surprise as he held the cookies, too confused to move.
“But…your boyfriend…” Iruka weakly commented.
“Yeah,” Kakashi nodded. “So?”
Iruka frowned. “Uh…so? But…your boyfriend…?” he repeated.
“Yeah?” Kakashi replied in a perplexed tone.
“Uh, who?” was all Iruka could think to follow up with. Had he met him? Was he about to show up and kick Iruka out? Was he —
“You, duh,” Kakashi said, now laughing, and Iruka dropped the pan in shock on his own foot. He grimaced in pain and instantly knelt down to pick it up, grateful it had not flipped over mid-air and no cookies had fallen off. But as Iruka straightened, the back of his head connected with something and he heard Kakashi groan.
A few minutes later, cookies safely left on a counter, they sat on the sofa side by side. Kakashi’s mask was off and he held a bag of frozen peas to his nose; Iruka had a bag of frozen brussel sprouts on his foot. Pakkun snored in his doggy bed a few feet away now that the ruckus had died down.
They looked at each other.
“We’re dating?” Iruka asked, at a loss of anything else to say.
“Aren’t we?” Kakashi asked, furrowing his brow.
“What?”
Kakashi shrugged and moved the peas away from his face. “Yeah. I mean, we cook together like once a week, and go out for meals, and run errands together, and talk a lot, and share book and movie recommendations. And we still work out together, and have our shows we watch together.”
“I…that’s true,” Iruka slowly agreed. “But…I didn’t…know.”
“What?” Kakashi laughed. “It’s been how long?”
“My friends said the same thing,” Iruka sighed, leaning his head back on the sofa. “How long has it been?”
Kakashi shrugged. “Maybe seven months?”
“Seven months?!” Iruka shouted before he could stop himself. “What?”
Kakashi shrugged again. “I mean, it depends on when we technically started, right? When I first started cooking for you regularly, or when we started to eat together and everything else? So, probably at least six months. I just figured we’d pick a date as we got closer to our one year anniversary.”
“Our one year anniversary,” Iruka repeated, his mind in a daze. “Because we’re dating.”
“Yes?” Kakashi said, frowning slightly. “I changed your contact in my phone and everything a while ago,” he said, showing Iruka a string of emojis on his contact page, mostly of hearts, ramen, and cupcakes. “Wait. Are we…not?”
“No!” Iruka shouted, pausing to quiet himself. “I mean, yes? I mean,” he sighed again. “I’ve been interested, don’t get me wrong. But I thought we were just friends, I mean, you never made a move?”
“I wooed you with food,” Kakashi laughed. “And started having us go shopping together.”
“Well yeah, but…uh…you know, there’s…other stuff,” Iruka bashfully supplied.
“Like?”
“Like, you know, stuff,” Iruka said, scowling as Kakashi grinned. “Put the peas back on your nose,” he muttered as he looked away, and the other man laughed but obliged.
“I just thought you wanted to take things slow, really slow,” Kakashi gently told him, and Iruka looked back at him in disbelief.
“All this time?” he countered, for they had never even hugged each other.
Kakashi shrugged again. “Yeah. I like spending time with you, at whatever pace.”
“Well, if I knew we were dating, it wouldn’t have been at a slow pace,” Iruka admitted, blushing, and Kakashi grinned behind the frozen vegetables.
“Is that so?” he asked, and Iruka laughed, feeling a weight lift off him.
“Maybe,” he teased. “So, we’re dating, have been for months, and your friends want to meet me?” Kakashi nodded. “Okay, that…sounds good. Actually, my friends want to meet you too, and there is a party coming up, if you’d like to go to that?”
“Of course,” Kakashi quickly agreed, and Iruka smiled.
“Okay,” Iruka said, nodding. “Okay.”
Kakashi laughed and moved the bag off his face again. “Good. Then we’ve definitely got to finish the cookies. How about we get you situated at the table and you help me ice the sugar cookies?”
“Sure, but I’ve never decorated cookies,” Iruka admitted, fiddling with his apron. “I’m not sure I know how, or will be any good.”
“Then it’s one more thing I get to teach you,” Kakashi told him with a smile. He stood and held a hand out for Iruka, who accepted it and stood, testing his foot. It only ached a little in one place, but nothing would keep him from decorating cookies with Kakashi…with his boyfriend!
“All good?” Kakashi asked, glancing at his foot.
“Never better,” Iruka said, smiling.
Kakashi laughed and leaned over and kissed Iruka’s cheek. Iruka’s eyes widened at the unexpected but not unwelcome contact.
“Glad to hear it,” he said, taking Iruka by the hand and leading him to the kitchen to grab decorating items.
“Nice, funny, in shape, thoughtful, can cook, not to mention handsome,” Iruka ticked off the ever-present list of Kakashi’s attributes. “And mine, all mine!”