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(I don't own any characters etc etc)
Kakashi sighed from where he sat in Naruto’s apartment, sitting across the table from the blond. Steaming cups of tea sat between them, along with a plate of gingerbread cookies, untouched by the jonin.
“You want me to snoop on Iruka?” Kakashi clarified, and Naruto nodded. “Because…?”
“Because I think he’s dating someone, but he hasn’t told me!” Naruto told him grumpily. “And near the holiday season, of all things!” he added, for it was late November.
“Maybe he wants privacy.”
Naruto shook his head. “No, he would tell me about something like this!”
“What makes you think he’s hiding something?”
Naruto began to count on his fingers as he spoke. “One, he makes less plans with me these days. Two, he hides something when I come to his apartment. And three, when I ask about it, he laughs and denies it!”
“Well, that tells us everything,” Kakashi blandly agreed.
“Right?!” Naruto shouted, nodding.
Kakashi rolled his eye. “I was being sarcastic. Maybe it’s something confidential for the Hokage?”
“Nah, he’d do that at the missions office, not his home,” the blond said, waving the thought away.
“Fair,” Kakashi acquiesced. “So what, you want me to find out who he’s dating?”
“Yes.”
“And then?”
“Uh, tell me?” Naruto suggested.
The copy nin sighed. “That’s usually how intel collecting missions go, yes. Now that I think of it, I doubt this is even a mission,” he posed, drumming his fingers on his cup.
“It is too!” Naruto told him, reaching and taking a scroll out of a bag. “Here!” he said as he passed it to his teacher.
“A C-rank?” Kakashi asked in surprise.
Naruto shrugged.”I sweet talked someone.”
“Fine, great,” Kakashi sighed. “Do I need to know what you’ll do with the information?”
“Is that how this type of mission usually goes?” the younger shinobi asked, clearly unsure.
Kakashi knew he should say no, that he shouldn’t lie…
“Yes,” he said instead, nodding. “Definitely yes.”
“Okay!” Naruto agreed. “You find out who it is, and I’ll figure out if they’re good for Iruka-sensei!”
“And if they aren’t?” Kakashi posed, and Naruto frowned.
“I’ll…break them up?”
“That’s not how dating goes,” the jonin sighed.
Naruto shrugged. “It is when you’ve got a little brother-kind of son person.”
Kakashi sighed again. “Sensei is laughing at me right now…”
_______
A mission was a mission, and duty called. So, Kakashi made plans and began to follow Iruka. Nothing was amiss about the other man, at first. Iruka went to work at the academy, worked at the missions office, sometimes gate guard duty. Ran errands, ate out a bit on his own, spent some time with friends in group settings, never holding hands or acting like he was a couple with any of them.
So, Kakashi moved in that direction, and sought information from some of those friends, being very up front about his reason for asking so as to ensure no one got the wrong impression. However, nobody had anything to share, either.
“I don’t think he’s dating anyone, hasn’t for a while,” Kotetsu told the jonin as he found two of Iruka’s friends on gate guard duty one night. “He should be, we’ve told him to.”
“Yeah,” Izumo agreed, nodding. “He needs a nice guy in his life.”
“Do you think he’s early into dating someone? Like hiding it until it gets serious?” Kakashi asked, wondering what his life had become for this to be a mission for him, and cursing the day he ever said he’d become a jonin sensei.
The men denied that, and this was confirmed by others in Iruka’s life, including Asuma and Kurenai.
“Iruka should date someone,” she said, and Kakashi decided there was no point in telling her that the other men had said the same thing. “You should too,” she said, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“Me? What?”
Asuma nodded. “Yeah, time for you to start putting yourself out there again. You’re settled in working with your team, haven’t been sent on a long solo mission in a while. Why not?”
“I’m fine how I am.”
“Getting missions assigned to you by a kid?” Asuma teased, and Kurenai laughed.
“It’s a formal mission!” Kakashi snapped. “Duty first and all that.”
“Sure,” she agreed. “And whatever you find out about Iruka, let us know.” She turned to her boyfriend. “Oh, if he’s dating someone, we can double date!” she suggested, and Asuma nodded.
Kakashi rolled his eye and moved the conversation to a different topic.
Later, he scoffed about what his friends had said.
“Date? Me? No, no need to go out looking and face all the awkwardness and disappointment,” the copy nin mused, shaking his head. But then he saw the latest Icha Icha, and shrugged. “Fine,” he said to the book. “I'll at least keep an open mind should someone fall into my path. But don't get any ideas!” he warned it. “I’ve got more than enough on my plate with Naruto’s shenanigans."
___
After about a week of not getting anywhere, Iruka went somewhere new after the academy ended. Kakashi knew it was the man’s night off from other duty, having gotten a copy of his schedules at the start of his mission. That was helpful as Kakashi hadn’t intended to spend every moment watching Iruka, not for Naruto and not for a lousy C rank! No, he would just make sure the teacher went where he was supposed to, and check in periodically, usually leaving a clone.
But tonight, instead of errands or going home, Iruka went to another part of the village. Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he followed. Naruto had already told him that Iruka had told him he had plans and couldn’t meet for dinner, so given that the man wasn’t working, what was he doing tonight?
Kakashi hoped it wasn’t another night of meeting friends, and was intrigued when Iruka went into a library. The jonin naturally followed him, wandering aisles while keeping tabs on the brunette, who went to an archive area for a few scrolls, before asking at a help desk for others.
Iruka then settled down at a desk in a quiet area of the library and Kakashi did the same, though in a chair at the end of another aisle, where he could peer through the aisles to keep an eye on him.
Kakashi had snagged an Icha Icha as they walked and began to read as he half-watched Iruka pull out his own notebook, seemingly taking notes. They stayed like that for over two hours before Iruka started to pack up, returning some things to shelves and checking out others. Kakashi left his own book back in its place and zipped up his flak jacket as he exited into the wintery air once more, now following Iruka home.
The teacher hadn’t interacted with anyone since the academy, save for the librarians, Kakashi noted as he ensured the teacher returned home safely. He went to a nearby roof to look into Iruka’s apartment, not finding anyone there waiting for him, nor that the teacher was making a late dinner for two.
Shrugging, Kakashi went home, writing mission notes upon his return.
“Still nothing so far…”
____
Iruka went to the library once more that week, and the next week to an archives in Hokage Tower. Kakashi dutifully followed, believing he was in the clear from an unknowing chuunin. After all, he was only watching the man, not interacting with or annoying him. Hell, Kakashi wasn’t even looking at whatever Iruka was reading up on. No, if it didn’t involve a date or romantic rendezvous, the jonin had no reason to care.
So when Iruka cornered him in the archives room when Kakashi had only been lingering in a supposedly hidden space for the man to leave, the jonin was certainly caught off guard.
“Are you following me?” a very unimpressed teacher asked, arms crossed.
“No.”
“Really, because it seems like you are.”
“Nah, just reading up on…” Kakashi replied, trailing off as he looked at the nearest scroll title. “Sea urchins and where to find them.”
“Sea urchins,” Iruka flatly repeated.
“Yep!”
“Because?”
Kakashi shrugged. “Maybe they’re a new summons?”
“In the land of fire?”
Kakashi inwardly sighed. “Well, near the sea, should I be sent on a mission there. He sells sea shells by the sea shore and all that.”
The room sat in silence for a moment as Kakashi hoped his tepid excuse would work, holding his breath…
Finally, Iruka sighed and rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he said, walking out of the room.
Kakashi waited until he was alone again to exhale, relieved he had gotten away with it. He debated giving the other man space, in part to not risk being caught again, but…but he didn’t really have time to lose. After all, on any other surveillance mission, one didn’t let the target out of their sight, and Kakashi was already kind of half-assing it by not watching the man himself 24/7.
Fortunately, Naruto didn’t press too often for information or updates, having blind faith that Kakashi was doing his job. That, and the jonin suspected that if the blond brought it up anywhere near Sasuke or Sakura, they’d give him an earful about how ridiculous he was being. Not to mention, surely Sakura would tell him off for getting in the way of Iruka’s relationship, if there was one. Kakashi wasn’t convinced there was, but he figured he probably needed three weeks of information to draw that conclusion and recommend Naruto call it off. Otherwise, what, would Kakashi be expected to watch him forever?
Instead, Kakashi found a compromise and had the pack watch Iruka for two days before resuming it himself with a clone, as he had done. Unfortunately, however, Iruka was clearly more vigilant about the copy nin suddenly following him, and Kakashi was confronted once more near the west gate.
The jonin narrowed his eye at the brunette. “You’re on guard duty, what are you doing away from your post?”
“How do you know my schedule?” Iruka snapped, his breath appearing in angry white puffs in the wintery air.
Kakashi sighed, shrugging. “I just saw you,” he replied, choosing to play dumb.
“You’re following me,” Iruka accused, and the jonin shrugged again.
“It’s a free village, I’ll go where I want.”
Iruka rolled his eyes. “It’s Naruto, right? I bet he asked you to find out.”
“Uh…maybe?” Kakashi slowly replied. How, he wondered, had Iruka figured it out? But then surprise turned to excitement; maybe Iruka would come clean and the mission could be called off?
“Fine, I shouldn’t be surprised, I guess,” Iruka sighed. “At least he’s kind of putting his brain into it.” He shrugged. “Come to my apartment tonight, at seven. Okay?”
“Okay,” Kakashi agreed, and Iruka walked away. “Huh, didn’t see that coming…” But not one to ignore a gift (or break), Kakashi shrugged and went home to warm up and relax, as his team was done training for the day and he still had three hours.
He later made his way to the apartment, just a few minutes late to keep up pretense, as he was still on a mission and couldn’t really delay things. Not when he was so close to finishing it!
He knocked on the door, ignoring that Iruka presumed Kakashi would know where he lived, and was soon ushered in by Iruka, who was in his shinobi blues. Kakashi left his sandals and jacket by the door, noting there were only what looked like Iruka’s, and perhaps a spare for Naruto. So either the person wasn’t here, or they weren’t so far along in the relationship as to leave things.
Kakashi declined anything to drink, and Iruka nodded, leading them to the living room, where they sat across from each other. Kakashi remained silent, trusting the target to out themselves.
Iruka didn’t disappoint, except…
“So, Naruto hired you, right?” he asked, and the jonin nodded. Iruka sighed and ran a hand through his ponytail. “That kid,” he said, shaking his head. “He just couldn’t wait to find out what his present is this year, huh?”
Kakashi blinked. Wait, what? “Huh?” he actually mumbled.
“Hiring a jonin to get clues, if not the whole thing,” Iruka continued. “I’m so sorry he did that, I thought he’d just bug me for hints like usual, not get you to do whatever you’ve been doing.”
“Uh, actually, he wanted me to find out –” Kakashi began, but was interrupted by Iruka standing and leaving the room. The teacher returned a moment later and pulled papers and scrolls out of a box, displaying them on the floor.
“I wanted to find a good gift for him this year,” Iruka said as he spread them out. “I got him other things for his birthday not long ago, so I wanted something different. Now that he’s in the field more with Team Seven, I thought some unique seals would be of use for him, and novel.” Iruka paused. “But they’re a bit too advanced for him to use right now, I think,” he sheepishly admitted.
Kakashi leaned forward to study them. “Impressive,” he offered as he picked two up to look at them closer.
“Thanks,” Iruka said, smiling. “Uh, you can have one or two, if you want.”
“What?” Kakashi asked, looking at him in surprise.
Iruka nodded from where he was sitting on the floor with his seals. “Yeah, I have a bunch and he doesn’t need that many. So, choose what you want.”
“Oh, thanks. You can pick, though,” Kakashi said, and Iruka nodded, looking around at the pile.
“Some still need work, so maybe when I’ve gotten through them all, I’ll pick ones out.”
Kakashi nodded, looking at the ones in his hands. “I think I see what’s troubling you in this one,” he said, tipping his head to his right. “I could help, if you wanted.”
The teacher smiled. “Really?” he asked, as Kakashi nodded. “Thank you!”
And so they spent the evening discussing seals and revising some, Iruka fueling them with hot tea. To Kakashi’s surprise, he offered to come back another time, as he knew there were more to get through. Iruka was as surprised but accepted, and the jonin found himself returning three days later, in the early evening. It was fun, he had to admit, and found himself fairly at home in the man’s cozy apartment.
They were starting to make good progress, but after about an hour and a half, there was a series of knocks at the door. Iruka panicked and began to put the papers back in the box.
“That’s Naruto’s knock!” Iruka whispered urgently. “To warn me he’s entering with his key!” Kakashi softly cursed and helped Iruka collect everything. “Put it in another room!” Iruka whispered, pressing the box into Kakashi’s arms as they stood.
The jonin left the room and Iruka smoothed his hair and clothes down just as Naruto barged in.
“Iruka-sensei!” he yelled in greeting.
“Hello, Naruto,” Iruka said with a smile.
“Don’t hello me!” the blond snapped. “What were you just doing?”
Iruka shrugged. “Nothing. Would you like tea, or cocoa? Is everything okay?”
Naruto glared at him. “What’s going on? I thought I heard another voice,” he said, just as Kakashi returned to the room.
“Naruto,” the copy nin greeted him as the genin’s eyes widened.
“You…here…” Naruto stammered, before looking between the men and shaking his head, leaving the apartment.
“That was close!” Iruka exhaled as the door closed.
“You’re telling me,” Kakashi sighed. “This is too much excitement for one night,” he added. “So, that’s what you’re keeping from him?”
“Well yes, I want it to be a surprise,” Iruka laughed.
“Good, great, I, uh, should go home, so he doesn't get the wrong impression,” Kakashi announced, grabbing his gear and exiting. He shook his head at the unexpected events on his walk, but slept soundly knowing that his mission was now over. He had a clear admission from Iruka on why he was spending less time with Naruto and what he was hiding, at that would suffice, wouldn't it?
Or, that’s what he thought until the next day. Naruto confronted the jonin after Team Seven was dismissed from training.
“What were you doing there?”
“I was investigating,” Kakashi told him.
“From his apartment?” Naruto challenged.
“Yeah, to see if there were clues there.”
“And?” Naruto asked, eyes wide with excitement. “Is he dating anyone?”
“Not that I could see,” the copy nin said, answering as honestly as he could without trying to draw attention to anything else he might have learned about the chuunin that night.
“So, I suppose we’re done?”
“What? No! Keep at it!” Naruto shouted. “Actually, this is great!”
“What?”
“Yeah! You can take up his free time and then he can’t date anyone!”
Kakashi groaned. “That’s not how this works.”
But Naruto just waved the idea away. “It’s fine, just be with him when he’s not working. You don’t have a concrete answer he’s single, right?”
“Well, no, but his friends all say he’s single.”
“Who cares, they might be covering for him! Spend more time with him to get the truth!”
“I…uh…but…” Kakashi began, but Naruto ran away. “This is going to be a long December,” he sighed, tucking his hands in his pockets and masked chin in his scarf as he set off, figuring he deserved a night (or two) off.
____
Kakashi decided that if Naruto wanted a solid answer about Iruka’s relationship status, perhaps the kid wasn’t entirely wrong about spending more time with the brunette to get it. He just had to figure out how to do that without drawing Iruka’s curiosity again, seeing as the teacher thought he knew why Kakashi had once been following him.
So, in chapter two of this mission (which Kakashi hoped would be the last), the jonin decided to continue to use his knowledge of Iruka’s schedule and “bumped into” the younger man as he was leaving the academy, about a block away. Knowing Iruka was not scheduled for anything that night, Kakashi casually shared he was going to have dinner at Ichiraku, if Iruka wanted to join him? The copy nin figured that to be a safe, unsuspecting place and was rewarded with Iruka quickly agreeing.
They walked off together discussing this and that about their day, and soon sat side by side discussing more of the seals they were working on as they ate and drank. That led to more discussions of former use (and misuse) of seals previously, and before they knew it they had finished their food and a second cup of tea.
They had just paid their bills when Iruka excused himself to go greet parents of a student as they passed by. Kakashi nodded, delighted to have time alone with Teuchi and Ayame without any other customers present, which was rare, as other patrons had just left.
“Is Iruka single?” Kakashi asked them.
“Yes. Why, are you interested?” “The older man replied, raising his eyebrows.
“What? No!” Kakashi protested, surprised to be asked.
“Oh, you’ll be so cute together!” Ayame happily sighed, holding her hands in front of her.
“That’s not what I meant –” Kakashi began, but was interrupted by Iruka returning.
“What’d I miss?” Iruka laughed, as he took in Ayame’s wide smile.
“Nothing,” the jonin quickly told him, but turned to look at Teuchi sniffling and wiping away happy tears. “Absolutely nothing,” Kakashi repeated through gritted teeth. “Let’s go.”
“Uh, okay, goodnight?” Iruka said to the father-daughter duo, who waved with wide smiles as Ayame patted her father’s back. “Strange,” he commented as they stood on the darkened sidewalk.
“Very,” Kakashi sighed. Well, at least he got an answer, and wouldn’t Naruto trust Teuchi above almost anyone?
“Hey, I was thinking, thanks for your help with everything, but I might get Naruto something else for the holiday,” Iruka posed. “At least, as a main gift, and the seals could be like a secondary one. But I do appreciate everything!”
“Anytime,” Kakashi agreed, as his mind raced. “Uh, what will you get him?”
Iruka shrugged and tucked his hands in his coat pockets. “I don’t know, I’ll probably just wander the village and markets tomorrow, since I’ve already burned through a bunch of time and don’t have a lot of free evenings.”
Kakashi nodded. “I could join you,” he said, to Iruka’s surprise. “If you didn’t mind. I need to finish up some of my own shopping,” he lied. “Including my team, small things really.”
Iruka smiled. “Sure, that would be nice. Uh, do you want to get dinner here first and then go?”
“No!” Kakashi barked out, for he and Iruka at Ichiraku tomorrow was the last thing he wanted to do. “I mean, let’s get something else, plus Naruto might eat here tomorrow and then you’d have to dodge him…”
Iruka nodded. “Right, good point.”
They made plans to meet at another area of the village and go for a quick dinner from there, before parting ways and wishing the other a good night.
Kakashi again wondered what his life was becoming, that he had to juggle training his genin team with Naruto’s mission, and now holiday shopping to boot.
“Great, just great,” he sighed as he entered his apartment. “Let me start a list of who I need to shop for…”
___
They went shopping twice that week, actually, as there were just under two weeks to go until most people were exchanging gifts around the 24th/25th. Iruka teased Kakashi about waiting until the last minute for his shopping and the jonin just agreed, pretending he had been more focused on Naruto’s request of him than anything else. That was partially true, and really, he was just going to get his friends socks like he did any other year. No one had too many socks, right?
But this year he added small things to everyone’s socks piles, trinkets and little treats he found while out with Iruka. Chopsticks, bandanas, chocolates and snacks, pens, bookmarks. Things he found he didn’t mind buying or selecting for people, that it wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought it would be, either for his sanity or wallet.
What it didn’t help, however, was his mission. For all the time he spent with Iruka, he had no more evidence to suggest even a whiff of a partner. No gifts for a special someone, no meeting anyone for plans, nothing. Was that enough to satisfy Naruto, the jonin wondered? For again, he would present it with his finding that there didn’t seem to be anything to point to a relationship, but Naruto seemed determined to have something proven…
Finally, Kakashi took it on the chin. Sometimes, he reminded himself, the only way to accomplish a mission was to tackle it head on, no matter the cost.
“Are you single?” Kakashi asked as he and Iruka finished their second night of shopping with having a hot beverage in the village square.
Iruka’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Yes,” he said, blinking. “Why, are you asking me out?”
“What?” Kakashi asked, not expecting that question.
The teacher shrugged. “Just asking a question back.”
Kakashi’s brain fizzled out and he cursed himself for not thinking that Iruka would be a step or two ahead of him once more. “Uh…I mean…” he began, but struggling with what to say. Could he just admit that Naruto wanted him to ask? Was that lame? Kakashi could survive being lame, right?
“Okay,” Iruka said, unaware of Kakashi’s turmoil. “Dinner two days from now?”
“Uh…”
“Is barbeque okay?”
“Yes?” the jonin heard himself slowly answer, as if in a haze.
“Great, see you at the academy at…5?”
“Okay?” Kakashi asked rather than agreed. Seemingly satisfied, Iruka nodded and smiled, wishing him well and leaving to take his packages home.
Kakashi stood where he was at a small high table as his brain finally returned to the here and now, and his mouth fell open.
“Did I just get a date?”
____
The next day even the genin could tell something was off with Kakashi, but as it led to him being more distracted than anything else, they took advantage of it to ask to end training early. He numbly agreed, and Sakura and Sasuke scampered off.
Naruto stayed back, and looked at the jonin expectantly.
“Any updates?”
“Nothing! Not a thing! Absolutely nothing!” Kakashi shouted.
“Geez, okay, chill,” Naruto laughed. “You’re still spending time with him though, right?”
“I am…”
Naruto nodded. “Okay, well, you’ll have something to tell me soon, I just know it!” he cheered, running home.
“More than you know,” Kakashi sighed as he turned to leave the training ground. He should confess, the copy nin thought. To Naruto, and certainly to Iruka. But when? Maybe…maybe on their not a date, Kakashi thought. Tell Iruka it over dinner, surely he’ll laugh and understand?
But maybe he wouldn’t, the jonin admitted. Maybe Iruka would feel betrayed, and curse him, or accuse him of lying, which he had, Kakashi sighed. Maybe he could just get pulled from this mission? Have the Hokage or whoever rescind it? But then he’d have to go to Hokage Tower and Kakashi knew Iruka was working there…
His mind continued to run in circles as he walked around the village trying to figure out what to do, and only realized after a bit that someone had been calling his name. Turning, he found Kurenai and Genma waving and smiling. Kakashi nodded in greeting and walked over to them for a distraction.
“How are you?” Kurenai asked.
“Okay, meh, whatever, and you?” Kakashi meant to say. But instead, he blurted out something entirely different.
“I have a date with Iruka and I don’t know what to do!”
He closed his eye and groaned at his admission as the three stood in silence.
“Wow,” Genma mused, and Kakashi cracked his eye open expecting to see the other jonin laughing at him. But instead Genma smiled around his senbon. “Good for you.”
“What?” Kakashi asked, but he was once more distracted by Kurenai linking her arm through his.
“Sounds like you need some help, let’s go!” she said, starting to pull the copy nin along, Genma nodding as he followed them.
___
In what felt like the blink of an eye to Kakashi, he found himself waiting near the academy for his date with Iruka. He had a small box of chocolates, little ones wrapped in foil to look like snowmen, that he didn’t remember buying. No, instead he had flashes of Genma and Kurenai helping him to prepare - picking out the gift, discussing what to wear (he was adamant to stay in uniform), what to talk about, what to do, how to act.
Kakashi shook his head to focus. “I’ll tell him as soon as I see him,” he repeated over and over, for he hadn’t even told his friends why there was a date to begin with. No, he needed to be honest with everyone. “As soon as I see him.”
But then Iruka was leaving the academy grounds and smiling widely at the sight of Kakashi. And the jonin basked in the warm smile sent his way, for him, and admired how nice Iruka looked today…and then the Icha Icha soundtrack played in his head, and Kakashi was screwed.
Iruka greeted him as he neared, and Kakashi took a deep breath, steeling himself for his admission. Instead, he found himself holding out the chocolates and saying “for you.”
Kakashi blinked; did Kurenai put a genjutsu on him? He checked; there was none…
Iruka’s eyes widened in surprise. “Thank you! That’s unexpected, but really nice!”
Kakashi nodded and Iruka suggested they go to dinner. The jonin fell into easy conversation with the other man on their walk and over dinner, not running out of things to talk about. Nothing Kakashi had to worry about, he realized, as that had been something he and his friends had discussed. No, he found himself lost in stories Iruka shared and recalled his own, while also reviewing and comparing general likes and dislikes.
Kakashi paid the bill, waving Iruka’s attempt away, but agreed to the teacher’s suggestion to grab a hot drink and walk around the village. The brunette called dibs on paying for that and Kakashi laughed as he agreed, soon holding a hot chocolate, to his surprise, as they wandered the village at night, sights and sounds of the holiday all around them.
They passed window after window, stall after stall, discussing what they saw and gifts they had bought in their previous shopping trips. Kakashi saw an item Naruto had mentioned to the other genin he was going to buy for Iruka, and that jolted Kakashi back to the reality of why he was out with Iruka tonight, to confess.
But…but Iruka was nice, Kakashi reflected as he listened to the other man talk. And handsome. And Kakashi realized he could be himself around him, didn’t need to be anyone or anything else. Not to mention, Iruka was quite competent as a shinobi, and created very interesting and useful seals; in short, they were compatible in their career paths, the jonin posed to himself. And hadn’t how many people said that they’re a good match?
Iruka asked him a question and Kakashi snapped back to the present, offering an eye smile and general, vague answer, which seemed to suffice.
Before he knew it, he was walking Iruka home, and the brunette kissed a masked cheek, thanking him for a nice night and confirming plans for a second date before slipping inside his home.
Kakashi left the building in a daze, but hadn’t gone far when he passed a couple walking hand in hand and laughing about something. Their interaction, so wholesome, made him stop and sigh.
“I have to do what’s right,” Kakashi told himself, taking a deep breath and turning around. A moment later, he was once again at Iruka’s door, knocking before he could stop himself.
“Kakashi? Is everything okay?” a clearly surprised Iruka asked upon finding the jonin on his doorstep.
“I have to be honest,” Kakashi began, and confessed everything. Naruto’s true mission, who Kakashi had talked to, that he had been following Iruka, when it continued, and so forth.
“That’s…a lot to take in,” Iruka murmured once the jonin was done.
Kakashi nodded. “I know, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie, things just escalated.”
“Uh, yeah they did, wow…”
The copy nin sighed. “I’ll go,” he said, turning to leave.
“No, Kakashi, wait!” Iruka called out, but the jonin disappeared in a swirl of leaves, and the teacher was left alone in the cold night air.
_____
The next day, Kakashi decided to throw a pity party for himself, beginning with sending a messenger hawk to his team to report he was sick, and holed up in his apartment. He knew he couldn’t get away with that two days in a row without raising suspicion, so the following day he dragged himself out of his apartment and met with his team, begrudgingly.
Naruto ran to greet him out of earshot of Sakura and Sasuke, and Kakashi sighed heavily and wearily.
“Any updates?” the blond asked.
“I can confirm, Iruka is single. Very single,” the jonin reported, the words feeling heavy on his tongue.
“Oh, awesome!” Naruto cheered and began to walk them back to the others. “And are you feeling better?”
“No, not at all,” Kakashi sighed.
The genin seemed to believe his previous lie and that day’s actually honest answer, and no one said anything when he went easy on them for training. Sakura eventually posed that perhaps it was time to break for lunch, and Kakashi agreed and was about to suggest they just call it a day overall, when Naruto shouted out a greeting to…Iruka. Kakashi’s heart sunk, and he groaned.
The other genin greeted their former teacher warmly, and the chuunin smiled and greeted everyone with a wide smile, asking about their training.
“And how are you feeling?” Iruka asked Kakashi. “Naruto told me you weren’t feeling well yesterday.”
“I’ve been better,” Kakashi muttered, glancing away from curious brown eyes.
“We were about to stop for lunch,” Naruto told his former teacher.
“Oh, good timing, me too!” Iruka laughed. “How about we all go get something warm, my treat?
The kids cheered, but Kakashi shook his head.
“I should go,” he posed.
“You’re going,” everyone else said in unison.
“It’s free!” Naruto laughed.
“It’ll help you feel better!” Sakura reminded him.
“If I’m going, so are you,” Sasuke said.
And Iruka, well, Kakashi didn’t wait for a response. Clearly outnumbered, he just nodded, and followed behind the others as they discussed what to have. Silent and sullen, Kakashi longed for his bed and the quiet of his apartment.
The group went to a small noodle shop, sitting at a rectangular table with Kakashi sitting across from Sasuke. Naruto positioned himself between Kakashi and Iruka, with Sakura sitting across from him, and the other four carried the conversation as Kakashi sat in silence. He assumed they believed he wasn’t feeling well and therefore was not talkative.
Eventually, Iruka paid the bill and the group thanked him before the genin left, with Sakura and Naruto having decided to drag Sasuke to some holiday thing. Kakashi took a deep breath, preparing himself for “that” conversation with Iruka, who had remained in his seat. The jonin briefly glanced at him before looking at the table.
“So,” Iruka began. “About that next date.” Kakashi sighed.”I was thinking that since we did barbeque, maybe a nice curry place would be good this time?”
Kakashi’s head whipped to look at him. “What?”
“Yeah, something that’s not ramen or noodles. I guess we could do sushi instead?”
“You still want to go out?” the jonin asked before he could stop himself. “After what I told you?”
Iruka shrugged. “It’s unconventional, sure, but I get it. And really, what, you never lied to me, you just kept your mission a priority. Very noble, and honorable.”
“What?”
“Uh, but if you’re saying you don’t want to go out again, we don’t have to,” Iruka added in a rush, a blush on his face. “I mean, now I see that if it was to appease Naruto…I should have thought that through more,” he said, facepalming.
“It wasn’t only for that,” Kakashi quickly told him, and the younger man looked at him. “I like you too, it turns out.”
Iruka laughed. “Turns out that I like you too. Quite a pair we make,” he sighed.
“Yeah,” Kakashi agreed, and they sat in silence for a moment, taking the news in.
“Well, I know you were home sick yesterday, so I should let you get some rest,” Iruka eventually began, standing to leave.
“I wasn’t sick-sick,” the jonin admitted. “Just, uh, moping,” he added, hoping Iruka wouldn’t hold it against him…
Instead, to his relief, the man smiled at him. “We all need a day to ourselves here and there. Well, if you’re feeling up for it and are free, I know a nice cafe that has a killer hot cocoa. Want to check it out?”
Kakashi gave him an eye smile and stood as well. “I’d love to.”
____
A week later, Naruto frowned at Kakashi as they walked away from that day’s training ground together.
“I thought you said Iruka-sensei was single?” he asked, and the jonin nodded.
“He was.”
“But I heard Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei talking that he’s started dating someone?”
“He is, now,” Kakashi agreed.
“What! What happened?”
Kakashi shrugged. “Oh, hmm, he met a nice guy and started to date them.”
Naruto scowled. “Who is it? I need to make sure he’s good enough! When I get my hands on him –”
“Don’t you trust Iruka?” Kakashi interrupted.
“I don’t know,” Naruto huffed, crossing his arms.
The copy nin shrugged again. “Well, my mission ended so I’m leaving that to Iruka. I suppose he’ll tell you when he wants to.”
“No fair!” Naruto scowled again.
Kakashi sighed. “Will it help if I told you what he’s getting you for the holidays?”
As expected, the younger shinobi’s mood brightened instantly. “You know what it is?”
“I do,” the jonin said with a nod.
“Tellmetellmetellme!” he pleaded, and Kakashi couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’ll tell you one gift, but he’s still working on another. I’m actually helping him with it.”
Naruto’s eyes widened. “You’re still spending time with him?”
“I am.”
“And his boyfriend doesn’t mind? Iruka-sensei doesn’t mind?”
Kakashi laughed again. “I can assure you it’s not a problem.”
“Good,” Naruto agreed, nodding. “The last thing I want is for Iruka-sensei to be unhappy, especially for the holidays.”
Kakashi nodded as they walked. “I think this will be a very happy holiday season for him,” he told the blond, making sure that the gift he got for Iruka was securely tucked away in his vest.