Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. This is for the Kakairu Livejournal Xmas Challenge, with the prompt "working over the holidays".

Iruka cursed his luck as he unlocked and kicked open the door to the mission room, while juggling a pile of scrolls. He hopped over the threshold and slammed the door behind him. It was Christmas day but there was still vital work to do that could not wait. Even though everyone else had the day off to celebrate, Iruka thought sourly. He knew he should have never made that bet with Kotetsu but even now, at the ripe and responsible age of twenty three, he couldn't resist a challenge. And as a result here he was: at work on Christmas day with his hair still tinged a festive mixture of red and green. While Kotetsu, the smug bastard, was warm at home with Izumo, where the two were probably feeding each other bonbons and laughing it up that they'd managed to trick Iruka into taking his shift.

Iruka dumped the paperwork on his desk and went to kick the heater into spluttering life. The sun was shining brightly but it was icy cold with snow thick on the ground outside and frost covering the windows. After making himself a coffee, he returned to his desk and slumped down into the chair. Trying not to feel too sorry for himself, he began sorting through the scrolls, setting aside the ones that weren't too vital and could be dealt with later.

To be honest, Iruka consoled himself, it wasn't like he was missing out on much. This was a day for family and lovers and, with Naruto off training with the Toad Sannin, and no lover to speak of, the day would probably have seemed a little empty anyway. This didn't make having to work while everyone else gadded about a nicer prospect, but at least he was being useful here…and, while he was here all alone, he could probably organise a nasty mission involving slugs for Kotetsu. With this comforting thought he set to work.

It was several hours later and already dark, when a blast of cold air disturbed Iruka from his work. He looked up to find the copynin sitting on the window sill, a bag of takeout food dangling from one long finger.

Kakashi smiled and raised a hand in greeting. "Yo."

Iruka grinned back, trying not to blush. "Ah, hello, Kakashi san. Merry Christmas."

"Ah yes, seasons greetings. Although, I have to say sensei, you aren't looking particularly festive. Except for your hair." He added with a smirk.

Iruka's hand flew to his dyed hair and he felt his face grow hot again.

"Ah, yeah, I forgot about that. I really am going to kill that man one of these days."

This cryptic explanation seemed to satisfy Kakashi because he nodded and hopped down, closing the window behind him.

"I heard that you had been stuck with mission room duty and I remembered that I still have that overdue mission report you've been hounding me for." From a pocket he produced a crumpled piece of paper and, with an air of great contrition, set it down before Iruka and stepped back, holding the takeout bag in front of him, as though it were some kind of talisman that could protect him from the sensei's infamous wrath. His one visible eye twinkled.

Gingerly, Iruka picked up the pathetic scrap of paper and looked it over with distaste. "Well, at least you finally handed it in, even if it is about six months late at this poi-." He cut himself off as he finally registered what was scrawled all over the page. He turned a hard glare on Kakashi and found him watching him gleefully, waiting for the explosion.

Iruka didn't disappoint. "KAKASHI!" He bellowed. "What the hell are all these, these obscenities?!!!" His voice rose an octave in his indignation. "Is that me???" He spluttered. "And you. Doing, doing, having relations??!!"

"Maa, Iruka sensei, there's no need to get ahead of ourselves here." Said Kakashi, still grinning. "Look, it's a plan for the evening. See here," he pointed to the top of the page, "First, we have a romantic candlelit dinner." He gestured towards the food. "Then, a moonlit stroll, a chaste first kiss, a couple of gropes, and bed for a night of bliss." He ticked them off on his fingers. " See drawings 5 through 11 for details on that. Of course, if you prefer, we could skip stages 1 through 4 and get straight to the good bit." He added with a lecherous grin, blithely ignoring Iruka's look of outrage.

When Iruka just stood there, apparently stunned into silence, Kakashi continued.

"So how about it, Sensei? Fancy being my Christmas date?" He waggled his eyebrow provocatively.

That Christmas, the citizens of Konoha were treated to an entertaining spectacle as Iruka Sensei's bellows filled the air with creative threats against Kakashi's honour, dignity, and manhood. While the Copyninja, chuckling gleefully, ran and somersaulted over the city rooftops in a bid to escape both the verbal and slightly more deadly projectiles Iruka threw at him.

Only Gai saw it for what it was, as he watched the show from the Hokage's mountain, and wiped away the manly tears that rolled down his noble cheeks to sniff and sigh: "Ah, Young Love."

Thanks for reading!