Pairing: KakaIru Disclaimer: I wish.
Author's note: See I didn't forget! And yes I know more KakaIru but I enjoy the pairing and frankly with all the projects I've gotten myself attached to it was far easier than trying to write a different pairing. I considered writing YamaIru for the contest but I am swamped and lazy and YamaIru is hard for me. And sorry I didn't do smut for it, it's just fluff but it's cute blushing Iruka fluff.
"You going to the Christmas party this year, Iruka-sensei?"
Iruka shuffled the papers on his desk sorting them into stacks to be filed away.
"I don't know," he muttered as he stapled a stack of papers together and tossed them on the pile to left. "So who got wrangled into hosting it this year?" He hadn't forgotten the mess he'd had to help Izumo and Kotetsu clean up last year. Honestly he still couldn't figure out how fudge had gotten cemented to the ceiling.
"Hatake-san got stuck with that honor this year." Genma sounded pleased with himself and Iruka figured he must have been part of the designating commitee.
"How did you manage that one?" Despite himself Iruka was genuinely surprised and a little impressed that they'd managed to corner the copy-nin.
"See, the trick with him is to not give him a choice." Genma grinned and shoved a paper at Iruka. "We just told him he was in charge of the party and that we'd show up even if he didn't do anything. Then we of course mentioned that if he didn't do anything we'd leave the place a bigger mess than we left Anko's."
Iruka studied the paper for a moment before initialing it and tossing it on the appropriate pile. "And if he cooperates you'll only leave it the disaster area you left Kurenai's?" At least her place had only taken half a day of deep cleaning to get it back in order. He'd helped with that one too.
"It had better be a hell of a party, he's been shinobi for over 20 years and has always gotten out of hosting our annual chunin/jounin Christmas smash."
"I don't think most of those count. He was a kid for half of them and ANBU, if the rumors are true, for most of the rest."
"Excuses, excuses," Genma said laughing and waving his hand dismissively.
"You guys are terrible."
Iruka shifted the boxes so they were perched on his hip and rapped his knuckles on the door. Hopefully Kakashi-sensei would have things he could use to cook with otherwise he'd have to run out and get yet more stuff.
The door swung open and Iruka about lost his balance, but just as the boxes leaned forward Kakashi steadied them. Somehow managing to make it look like he was casually leaning against them.
"Yo," he said, looking at Iruka with what he gauged must be confusion.
"Hello Kakashi-sensei. Can you take some of these?"
"What is all this stuff?" the silver haired nin asked as he took the top three boxes.
"Christmas decorations. I figured you probably didn't have any so I got some from the academy that we weren't using."
"And I need them, why?"
"You're hosting the Christmas party tonight whether you want to or not. And if they show up and you didn't even decorate, well you'll regret it."
"They were serious?"
"Yes, and trust me you want to decorate. If you don't they'll make sure to do it for you. Which isn't something you want."
"I don't?"
"Ask Anko about the first year she had the honor." Iruka set the boxes on the coffee table and started opening them. "Of course now she's probably the worst offender."
"So, why did you decide to come help me out?"
"I figured they hadn't warned you properly."
"Still, why bother?"
"What do you mean why? I couldn't just leave you to the wolves. Besides for some unknown cosmic reason I always end up having to help clean up the mess." He handed Kakashi a small tree. "It's not very big but it's a tree."
Kakashi just stood there staring at it. "You could put it on the table then we could set the food and drinks around it.
"Hm? Oh okay."
It took awhile, but Iruka and Kakashi managed to make the place look somewhat festive and Iruka cooked enough food to fill the table three times over.
They were just finishing up, going through the remanent decorations as they stacked the boxes in the closet, when Kakashi pulled a small leafy bundle out of the bottom of one of the boxes.
"Why do you have Viscum album in with the decorations? Did it get mispacked?"
"Mistletoe IS a Christmas tradition. We should hang it above the doorway between the living room and the dining room since people will be walking between the two a lot during the party."
"It's a tradition to hang poisonous plants around the house during a family oriented holiday? Doesn't that bother people?"
"No the tradition is um... well.." Iruka blushed and turned away.
"It's what?" Kakashi asked, heading over to the doorway and hanging the small plant above it as Iruka had suggested.
"See the tradition is if two people are under the mistletoe well..." Iruka said, walking over. "Then they kiss." And with Kakashi's arms still above his head pinning the mistletoe up Iruka yanked his masked down and planted a soft kiss on his lips.
Somehow Kakashi managed to get the mistletoe to stay so he could lower his arms and pull the chunin closer for better access.
"Way to go Iruka!" Genma cheered, causing Iruka to pull away while turning a red that rivaled the cranberry sauce he'd made earlier.
Kakashi merely pulled up his mask and glowered at the nin who was perched on the window ledge while he contemplated ways to kill the man.
He would have at least maimed him if the other guests hadn't started showing up then. By the time they left it was late and the place was a mess. To his surprise Iruka had stayed behind and was picking things up and packing them back in boxes.
Kakashi pulled a candy cane, who's end had been sucked to a point, out of the wall. A small note was attached and he was reminded yet again to kill a certain orally fixated jounin. 'You owe me now.' Genma Of course Kakashi owed him... he owed him a beating.
Iruka stacked the dishes beside the sink and watched Kakashi scrape leftovers into the trash can. "At least they bring the booze, and there's always extra," he offered hoping the scowl on the other man's face didn't mean he'd wake up and find half of Konoha in the hospital.
"That's good, because I'm going to need it disinfect everything."
"I don't think anyone has ever used it for that before," he snickered at that one and continued to scrub the dishes.
Iruka was closing the last box when he noticed the mistletoe still hung above the doorway so he went to get it down. Just as he reached up however he felt two hands on his waist and a moment later he was spun around.
Kakashi grinned down at him. "That can stay and so can you," he said before pulling his mask down. "Now where were we? Oh yes..." And he kissed Iruka who was yet again blushing.
Iruka decided being the only one who ever offered to help clean up wasn't such a bad thing and Kakashi thought maybe he might not kill Genma after all...