A/N: Sorry this took so long for those of you who've been waiting, but I started a different fic and I just couldn't help it! XD
Yay for KakaIru!
btw, this fic is a sequel to my other fic Valentine's Day Approaches but you don't have to read that one to understand this (Valentine's Day Approaches focuses more on Naruto and Sasuke and the other students than it does on Kakashi, and it doesn't even mention Iruka. The reason this is a sequel to it is that Valentine's Day Approaches shows how Naruto and Sasuke, Lee and Sakura, and Neji and Tenten got together with their respective boyfriends/girlfriends, and also how Kakashi can be a matchmaker for other people but not for himself (yet . . .) so this fic takes place after the younger ninja have gotten together but Kakashi still hasn't done anything about his feelings until now . . .)
Oh, and Naruto isn't mine, but you know that already, so lets get on to the fic!
xxx
Chapter 1 – A Morning Walk
Iruka closed his front door and sighed, turning to face the deserted street. He liked going on these early morning walks when it was quiet . . . they gave him time to think.
The Chunin walked slowly down the sidewalk, hands in his pockets. It was going to be a long day. Naruto had invited himself over for dinner that night, and Iruka knew he'd be bringing friends. The hyperactive ninja would, no doubt, tell Sasuke, and then Sakura would overhear, and then she would tell Lee, and then . . .
Well, there was no point in worrying about it, Iruka told himself. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, savoring the silence of the empty street.
But wait, I'm going to have to cook for all those people?! the brown-haired ninja realized suddenly, bringing a hand to his forehead. It's 6:00 in the morning and already I'm tired . . .
The dejected Chunin crossed the street—he was close to a park. He could see the trees growing thicker ahead. He sighed, wondering if he'd get to have a little peace and quiet from his worries for a while.
He looked down at his feet as he walked through the park, noticing the flowers that had started to grow—daffodils and crocuses, tulips and irises. He let his breath out and noticed that he could no longer see it—the air was warmer and the sun brighter. Spring had snuck up on him. He hadn't noticed the seasons changing, as busy as he had been with work at the Academy.
The Chunin felt his spirits lifting slightly. At least he'd made it through those dark winter months. He looked up at the sky, still filled with shadows, but brightening as the sun rose in the east.
And suddenly he found himself with his nose in the grass. "Ow . . ." he mumbled as he picked himself up. Had he tripped? Over what?
"Oh . . ." he murmured, staring down at the object over which he had fallen. It was Kakashi. And Kakashi was sleeping in the middle of the clearing.
Why would Kakashi sleep out here? It's spring, but the nights are still cold after all . . . Iruka mused. He knelt down next to the grey-haired ninja. "Kakashi?" he said quietly, shaking the Jonin by the shoulders. But Kakashi just slept on peacefully, unaware of the confused Chunin hovering over him.
Iruka sat down next to the grey-haired ninja, unsure of what he should do. He eventually decided to wait a while and see if the Jonin woke up.
He couldn't just leave him there, you know?
Iruka studied Kakashi's face—or at least the visible part of it. The Jonin seemed to be sleeping peacefully enough despite the fact that he was lying on the hard ground. His hair was spread out on the leaves beneath him, and his chest rose and fell evenly in time with his breathing.
Iruka reached out a hand and rested it on Kakashi's shoulder, gently shaking him for a second time. The grey-haired ninja sighed and turned over, trapping Iruka's arm in the process. The brown-haired Chunin blushed and tried to pull his arm out, but couldn't do it without disturbing the other ninja.
Iruka wondered what he should do. Kakashi was probably tired, considering that he had only recently come back from a long mission. I shouldn't wake him up—he needs his rest. Should I take him home and wait until he wakes up or—
The Chunin's thoughts were cut off as Kakashi moved closer to him, pulling Iruka down next to him on the forest floor. How could the Jonin manage to embarrass him, even in sleep? Iruka wondered, blushing for a second time as Kakashi snuggled closer.
Well, that decided it. He looks like he needs some food and a bit of cleaning up. . . Iruka mused, glancing down at Kakashi's mud-covered boots and then up again at his tangled mass of hair.
The brown-haired Chunin shook his head again. Today was going to be a strange day, he could already tell. With a sigh, he stood up, taking Kakashi in his arms.
He couldn't just leave him there, you know?
xxx
Iruka sat on the side of the bed, looking down at Kakashi. He had put the Jonin down on the bed and taken off his muddied boots, setting them by the door, but Iruka didn't know what to do now that the ninja was lying there—he figured he just had to wait until Kakashi woke up.
Iruka glanced up to look out the window. The sun had just risen above the line of trees outside Konoha, sending soft beams of golden light over the village. The Chunin glanced down at Kakashi's masked face, slightly illuminated in the early morning light. The Jonin's visible eye was still closed in a peaceful sleep.
Iruka reached out hesitantly to rest a hand against the other ninja's cheek.
It seemed like eternity passed within those seconds . . . he sat there paralyzed, finally bending down to rest his elbow on the other side of Kakashi's chest.
The brown-haired ninja let out an unsteady breath. If Kakashi woke up . . .
Iruka lifted his other hand and gently unfastened Kakashi's mask, drawing it away from his face slowly.
Kakashi's lips were slightly parted, his breathing easy, his face calm. Iruka blushed, realizing that the Jonin was just as good-looking as he remembered. He hastily pulled away.
The Jonin's mask and forehead protector lay on the table by the bed. Iruka realized that he was staring at Kakashi again and shook himself, standing up abruptly and walking to the door.
He'd make soup and wait till Kakashi woke up. Yes, he whispered to himself. I need to make breakfast. He tore his eyes away from the Jonin one last time, and closed the door decisively.
xxx
Kakashi blinked and opened his eyes. Sunlight streamed through a window behind him.
Where am I?
"Mmm . . ." he sighed, turning over and burying his face in a pillow.
Wait . . . what's this pillow doing here . . . he thought sleepily, sitting up and looking around. The last he knew, he'd been sleeping in the middle of a forest, not in a bedroom. Kakashi looked around the room—there were bookcases next to the bed and a table with a lamp. His boots were by the door, and his forehead protector lay by the bed with . . . was that . . .
. . . his mask?
Kakashi's hand flew up to his face to confirm his suspicions. Sure enough, his face was bare. The Jonin pulled the covers back and climbed out of bed hurriedly, grabbing his mask from the table. He walked to the door and flung it open. He marched down the stairs and walked straight into the kitchen.
I know this house! he realized with shock. This is Iruka's house . . .
He'd been there before, of course, when the Chunin had invited him over for dinner, or when, more typically, he'd invited himself over. Assorted vegetables had been spread out on the cutting board ready for chopping, and Kakashi could smell soup cooking on the stove.
Just then, Iruka walking in, holding grocery bags. He stopped suddenly, seeing Kakashi standing there, puzzled, in the middle of his kitchen. The Chunin set the bags down quickly, feeling his stomach flip at the sight of the Jonin. "Uh . . . hello, Kakashi . . . would you like some breakfast?" he asked shyly.
Kakashi blinked, turning around to face Iruka. Was the Chunin blushing? The grey-haired ninja raised an eyebrow. "Uh, first I'd like to ask why I woke up in you're house, in your bed, not wearing my mask? Well, except that now I have my mask, of course," he said, rubbing his eyes and attempting to glare. "But I need an explanation for all this!"
Iruka fidgeted. "I couldn't just leave you in the park, you know? And so I thought I'd do you a favor by bringing you back here and letting you rest. About your mask—you don't actually sleep with that thing on, do you?" Kakashi's look clearly stated "yes, stupid" but Iruka ignored him. "By the way, I cleaned the mud off your boots . . ."
Kakashi leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. Iruka seemed more nervous than usual. Why was that?
The Chunin looked hesitantly at Kakashi. "You're not mad at me, are you?" He took a step toward Kakashi, moving in the direction of the door. "Uh, I'll get your boots for you if you want—"
Kakashi took Iruka's shoulders and stopped him from walking by. "I'm not mad at you, Iruka," he muttered. "Sorry that I was being grumpy. It was kind of you to do everything." He paused, looking into the other ninja's eyes. "What's up with you, anyway?"
Iruka blushed outrageously. There was a bit of an awkward silence. "Nothing, Kakashi. Why would you ask?" Iruka managed.
"Oh, I don't know, besides the fact that you're turning the color of a tomato . . ." Iruka blushed harder and struggled, but Kakashi held him firmly. "So you just picked me up and took me home?" the Jonin asked, his visible eyebrow raised.
The Chunin nodded mutely. "I couldn't just leave you there . . . you would get cold . . ."
Kakashi smirked beneath his mask. "Aw, Iruka cares about me. That's so cute."
Iruka lowered his eyebrows. "Kakashi!" The Jonin dropped his hands from Iruka's shoulders and shrugged. Iruka went back to chopping vegetables for the soup. "Why exactly were you sleeping in the park anyway? You seemed pretty demented to me before this, but now you seem downright crazy," the brown-haired ninja said with a sniff.
Kakashi blinked lazily, shifting his weight and taking a deep breath in preparation for what would be a lengthy explanation. "My house was flooded because there was a storm and I had just got back from a mission and I couldn't knock on anyone's door since it was practically midnight so I managed to get my sleeping bag out of my garage but then it got soaked because it was pouring rain so I threw it away—it was going to get mildewed anyway—and went to try to find somewhere to sleep and this particularly nice pile of leaves appealed to me so I lay down and slept on it." He raised an eyebrow. "Is that good enough for you?"
Iruka shook his head. "You could have knocked on my door. I would have understood."
Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Hn. Well, thanks for this. I wasn't really looking forward to waking up all cold and wet in a park."
Iruka nodded, smiling almost unnoticeably. "I'm always willing to do a favor for a friend." The silence was comfortable now, with the quiet, crisp noises of the knife. "By the way, breakfast is almost ready, so . . ."
"I'll just go wash up. I'll be down in a second," Kakashi replied, disappearing up the stairs.
What is with him today? the Jonin wondered. He's acting weird and blushing at everything. I have to say, though, it's kind of cute . . .
He smiled as took his mask off, splashing some water on his face. He brushed the twigs and leaves off his back and looked in the mirror, putting his mask back on and adjusting it. His hair was unmanageable as ever, sticking up in a mass of grey locks.
"I'm hungry," he muttered with a grimace. "And I wish my house wasn't flooded . . ." The Jonin shrugged it off and walked back downstairs, closing his eyes in happiness as the smell of Iruka's soup floated under his nose. "Mmm . . . Iruka, that smells so good . . ." he murmured, sitting down across from the Chunin.
Iruka smiled and looked down. "Thanks."
"So are you having anyone over for dinner tonight?" Kakashi asked, trying to be off-hand.
The brown-haired ninja sighed, putting a hand over his forehead. "Yes, Naruto invited himself over. And I'm sure he's bringing friends—he'll at least bring Sasuke, Sakura and Lee. I don't know how I'm going to make enough food for that many people . . ."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Well then, if you think you need help with the cooking, I could always help you."
Iruka looked up, relieved. "Yes, that would be great! And you could have dinner with us as well," he added. "I'll need someone . . . intelligent . . . to talk to," he laughed.
"Alright. How about I come over at 4:30?"
Iruka nodded. The grey-haired Jonin smirked beneath his mask. Operation Invite-Yourself-Over-To-Iruka's-House complete.
The two ninja had finished their soup at this point. They got up and walked to the door. "Well, thank you for the breakfast, and I'll see you at 4:30," Kakashi said, waving a hand lazily as he walked down the steps. Iruka waved back and closed his door rather hurriedly.
Kakashi shook his head. What's with him today? The blushing and the awkwardness . . . you'd think he liked me or something.
The Jonin smiled. Hmm . . .
xxx
A/N: Yay, I'm so glad I posted this! It took sooo long to write.
Next time: Kakashi helps Iruka make dinner, and it turns out Naruto invited Sasuke, Sakura, Lee, and Neji and Tenten over. Oh no . . . what will poor Iruka do?!
Review please!
- Snow