●Authoress' notes: this is the translation of the fic I wrote for Iruka-sensei's birthday last year. Since it's almost 26th of march again and I couldn't come up with anything good enough for his birthday present, I decided to present this translation from Spanish. I hope you enjoy It (It's one of my favs among my own stories, I have to admit).
× Credits: It's my responsabilty as a ficker (I think that you don't become a wirter just by writing fanfics, so I try not to get presuptuous about this) to thank Nerea for helping me to correct this story (you love me, and you know It. Shhhh, It's okay, babe. I know It's a difficult feeling this grate love you feel for me. Just let it go).
***Besides, the cover is based on the amazing fanart created by nascens ( ), an incredible artist you can easily find in Tumblr. (Thank you so much for letting me borrow your work!).
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Iruka has got friends; not many, but very good friends. He has Naruto, who, even though having grown up into a marvellous adult, keeps being seen as a cheerful and absentminded child by Iruka. He's got students that respect him and listen to him, and his co-workers, who esteem him highly. Iruka has got a big, fun and noisy family. It isn't blood what bonds them, but memories, good and bad memories, giant smiles and painful tears. Blood is thicker than water, they say… Well, Iruka disagrees.
However, Iruka yearns to have something that a son, friends, students and co-workers cannot be. Iruka yearns to have someone with whom snuggle in the couch during rainy days, someone with whom watch the fireworks in New Year's Eve, someone with whom share a kiss every night and every morning, someone who warms him up in cold nights, someone who hugs him when the day has been too long or life too harsh, someone who looks at him with passion, who talks to him with love and who treats him with respect, someone with whom share laughs after a heated session of intimacy under messy sheets… Iruka longs for a life partner, but having passed 28 years of his life and with such a list of love failures on his back, that is a wish which seems rather out of reach.
Just accept it, Iruka, you are getting old and, even though Anko complains about your homosexuality or Asuma blushes every time Kurenai forces him to look at you from head to toes to honestly tell if he finds you attractive or not in spite of being a very good (and proved) specimen of the heterosexual part of mankind, or Kotetsu tells you about some colleague of his because he knows you are great and that friend of him is an incredible guy and he's sure the meeting would be worthy, or Naruto and Team Konohamaru set up a tramp to get you together with other single parents or tutors because "really, someone as cool as Iruka-sensei shouldn't be alone. It makes no sense! It's unfair!"
Even though all of that and more, you, Iruka, know better than anyone that there are people fated not to find love, that there are people who spend the rest of their lives reading novels in that coffee shop hidden in the old neighbourhood of the city on Saturday evenings while warm tones of red and orange tint leafs that clothe the streets, or walking alone throughout the beach on Sunday mornings because the sea seems far deep in winter. You know, Iruka, that even though you're so good, as much as you wish, in spite of all your efforts… Simply, you are that character of the story who watches everybody achieve their goals, who gifts others with advice, smiles and hugs whenever you know they need it or deserve it; the typical character who ends up living a painful - if not impossible- love that, of course, is unnoticed by the others and who, at the end of the story, when everything's done, watches from the crowd everyone else's happiness with a small smile dancing upon your lips. You are that character who tells to the future generations what those who were before them did. You, Iruka, are the eternal secondary character, even in your own life.
So when Naruto tells you that three days ago he build up the courage to ask Hinata to marry him, that she accepted with tears filling her eyes and that he couldn't tell you before because they spent the weekend in bed, doing things silly love birds do, planning the event like excited children unwrapping presents on Christmas morning and that he would love you to attend as his best man because, at the end of the day, you are his big brother, you have no words. You consider a great honour the fact Naruto is so proud of you and loves you so much that he wants you to assist to his wedding as his bestman. Then you hug him and cry tears of joy because that child deserves every good thing that can happen to him.
You don't really realize when the wedding has been settled until a few hours later. May 26th, your birthday… It doesn't even bother you that they have forgotten it. In fact, you understand, because you yourself have never been good at remembering important days and it has always been your friends who organize everything to celebrate. However, working adult's life has become harder recently, so everyone is under big amounts of pressure and your phone has not been collapsed with restaurants or karaokes or anything… In any case, let's be realistic; if you yourself don't remember you own birthday, why should others? It's stupid, really; in fact, It's even hypocrite. So, finally, you decide the better way to celebrate your forgotten birthday is celebrating Naruto's wedding, the child you decided to rise on your own when you left that hell of an orphanage, taking him with you and promising to give him the life a child so small and sweet as him deserved.
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Months have passed by. Now it's just a week until the celebration. Naruto, the gang and you arrive at Hokkaido, where Hyuuga compound is, the perfect emplacement for a family as ancient as respected. Hokkaido temple will be perfect for the ceremony, and the house is big enough to host the majority of the guests. Truth be told, having had so little time, Naruto and Hinata have managed everything just fine.
You wake up slowly, stretch your arms and check the hour on your phone. It's 7 A.M. Surely, everybody is still asleep, but you know that once you've woken up, it's impossible for you to fall sleep again, so you decide to get up and shower. Once you're done, with nothing to do and so much time in your hands, you remember that beautiful beach you saw while getting to the Hyuuga compound.
Therefore, one half-hour later, you find yourself standing by the sea, listening to the relaxing sound of crashing waves and the squawks of the seagulls rising to fly, feeling the cool morning breeze caress your cheeks and cradle kindly the thick and long chestnut strands of your hair, which you have decided to let free of any tie after the bath.
So there you are, breathing the salty aroma dancing in the air, watching the horizon opening up in orange and violet brushes of light. You are so relaxed you blend with the landscape, unconscious of feeling nothing else. For a moment, It's as if you weren't even there. And then, something huge which barks non-stop draws you to the ground.
"¡Hey! Are you okay?" Asks a worried voice. Someone pulls the giant and exited dog away from you. You try to get up, but your head is spinning. Fortunately, the stranger helps you out. Once you're sat, and after waiting a bit for the world to stop spinning around, you open your eyes, still a little confused. There, kneeling in front of you, watching you with a preoccupied look in his face, It's one of the most handsome men you have ever seen.
"I'm sorry Bull has tackled you", he says. And you, puzzled, look around. The big dogo is sat by his master, his head down. There are other dogs. Seven, maybe? Bull whines helplessly and, instantly, the entire pack is beside him, nuzzling him. You, mostly recovered, smile tenderly at the scene and decide to take pity on the miserable hound by petting his head. The animal gives in as soon as your hand reaches that magical point behind his ear, and then there's only a puddle of happy dogo. A very happy one, indeed.
"Don't worry; It's okay. I'm sure Bull just wanted to play. Right, boy?" You say to the hound that, for now, is happy just laying sprawled and letting you do anything you want. Really, anything. For your petting skills seem to have reached one of the best positions among the dog's favs from now on.
The stranger looks surprised, but then a funny smile appears. He gets up and offers you a hand to stand up. Once again, the handsome stranger apologies and, as a repayment, he invites you to coffee. You accept because… What? Perhaps you have something better to do than accepting the nice invitation of a handsome stranger who's feeling guilty because one of the lovely eight dogs he owns decided that you seemed like a good play-time partner in the moment he saw you?
Within an hour, Kakashi's got you utterly mesmerized. The man is a marvellous specimen, one of those that combine knowing smirks, smartass and spicy humour sense and a funny fixation for making you blush and smile even though you try to hide it by biting your lips. You learn from him that his family has been tied to the Hyuuga's for generations, since both clans helped to found Hokkaido, and that Hinata invited Kakashi to the wedding since she considers him an uncle. At the end, both of you admit the world is a very small playground, because Kakashi was Asuma's classmate in university as well as he is Genma's boss, both of them former classmates of Iruka in his high school days and still friends nowadays. The not-knowing-each-other-until-now part seems like a stupid joke, taking into account the oh-so-many-times the entire gang reunites to party or to catch up and all the events and corporate meetings a cause of which Kakashi has to go to Tokyo or the few times Asuma and Genma have invited him to go to one of those infamous dinners with friends.
Both of you bid farewell under the promise of meeting again tonight at the Hyuuga's. You turn around to leave and don't see the expression in Kakashi's face. Because you may have been mesmerized, but you have left Kakashi smitten by your honesty and your naturalness, by your enchanting smiles and your lovely blushes, by those beautiful eyes of yours and by that way of being, so calm but curious, those clever answers to Kakashi's jokes and comments, the amusing sense irony you may use more than not.
Kakashi smiles, impatient for dinner tonight.
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Dinner has been great. The majority of people is gone by now and others, like Kakashi and you, have decided to stay and help to clean the place. When all of you are done, it's almost midnight. The guys are playing at the dining room some silly game with cards that, more often than not, provokes loud roars of laughs that end up becoming murmurs when they remember who the owner of the house is and his legendary bad temper. Kakashi and you rest at the traditional Japanese garden porch. A couple of beers nicely cold in between while you watch the fireflies flutter over the small pond of the garden.
Neither of you say a thing. You just sit there, enjoying the atmosphere and the company. Kakashi reaches for his beer and takes a long sip, and your eyes, without your brain's consent, follow the smooth motion of that Adam's apple when the liquid goes down his throat. Perhaps It is because of the alcohol, but you cannot avoid blushing at the thought of that being a very nice neck, strong and covered in pale, smooth skin which spreads to the juncture of those sturdy shoulders. Kakashi looks at you and, suddenly, you feel like a tiny cat in front of a powerful puma.
Dinner has been nice; everybody chatting and catching up, laughing and drinking maybe a little too much. Kakashi and you have been talking all night long, taking advantage of being sat in front of each other; your friends in common telling some of the most embarrassing, hilarious and stupid things both of you have ever done. And, when you realize it, you cannot take your eyes off Kakashi; It isn't as if he was much better than you, anyway. And, if not for Genma, you're sure you would have been looking at each other too much time for two grown-ass men who've just met. And now, Kakashi is looking at you that way… As if he was about to jump at you, and you feel your heart hammering in your chest because you cannot stop thinking that please, please, please, yes.
However, something happens and, suddenly, Naruto and Kiba get out of the dining room , cards on their fronts and running as if their lives depended on it and end up jumping over both of you and keep going through the patio. Behind them, Sasuke and Neji, completely red-faced and with an oh-not-so-fun look, although Yamato and the rest of the gang seem to disagree, because all of them are sprawled on the floor, laughing so hard Asuma may have swallowed his own cigarette.
Kakashi and you look at each other, the moment completely ruined, but the scenario is so absurd both of you simply can't help yourselves and end up joining the almost maniac laughers. When Hiashi shows up with a lightsaber in hand and threatening with killing you all if you keep doing so much noise, the situation doesn't improve. Even Hinata ends up laughing so hard she cries! She's so surprised that his father –his father!- is drunk enough to menace somebody with Hanabi's lightsaber. Oh good God, her sister is going to be so ashamed when she discovers that his father knows about her fanaticism for Star Wars…
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The next day, everything is chaotic and stressful. It's the last day before the infamous wedding, and the Hyuuga compound has become in what Asuma calls "pastel craze for diabetic fairies".
Within an hour, you are helping to stick paper lamps to the walls of the patio, since the youth plans to dance till falter all night long in the beautiful garden.
"Looks like you're doing good", says a voice from down that stepladder you are up on. You look down and there he is. Kakashi looks at you amused, surely a cause of that piece of paper which you haven't be able to get rid of for half an hour. You return the smirk in that ironic way that makes Kakashi finally laugh. But then, Kakashi's eyes flutter as they look a little more down, and when his grin turns into something almost feral, you simply know that he's looking at your perky bottom, as Genma loves to say just to ruffle your feathers. You blush furiously and, unintentionally, lose your balance at the top of the stupidly high stairs. That could have been a very dangerous fall if not for Kakashi, who catches you in his arms, scooping you up, before you kiss the ground. When you decide it's safe to open your eyes and lift your head to know why you're not a puddle of broken limbs on the floor, your faces are so close that your blush doubles its already usually high customary levels. But Kakashi's features show such a relieved expression in spite of his stiffened back and tense shoulders that you are incapable of backing off.
Kakashi then looks at you strangely, as if he has just realized something very important, and you can feel the runaway rhythm of his heart, just as fast as yours. You lower your gaze, embarrassed, but Kakashi just holds you closer, embracing you against his chest and hiding his head in the crook of your neck, and then he's breathing heavily against your skin, inhaling the slightly sweaty aroma.
"Fuck, Iruka…", he sighs against the tender skin with husky voice, and It is as if somebody had dropped a bomb in your brain, because your neurons have decided to go on an air traffic controllers' strike and every thought just crashes against a white wall of incomprehension. Your arms come to life and wrap around his neck.
Far away, Asuma and Kurenai look at you two smiling and decide that Ino and Sakura may need help with the flowers.
Eventually, Kakashi lets your legs fall smoothly until your feet reach the floor and you can stand on your own, but the embrace is never broken. Both of you separate slowly from each other, and yet, not too much, for the warmth is devastatingly captivating. You look at each other, not knowing what to say. Finally, both of you smile embarrassed and amused by your own stupidity, and, between jokes, you two go back to work, but you know, as well as him, that something has changed.
The day passes by swiftly and, before you realize it, the sky is getting dark. After dinner, everybody is sprawled between the porch and the huge dining room, too comfortable and tired to do anything else than chat. Kakashi needs to leave, since his dogs have been alone all day and, even though his garden is big, the hounds deserve to go out once a day at least to feel free. Everybody says their goodbyes and he leaves. Not half an hour later, Naruto notices Kakashi has forgotten his jacket and Genma, as sharp as ever, looks at you knowingly.
"Iruka, could you give it back to him? In the meantime, we'll finish cleaning", he offers. It's rare for Genma not to be a sneaky bastard and try to give you a hard time when it's more than obvious that he has realized the looks between you and Kakashi. Then again, Genma isn't such a bad guy; he just loves the drama, so he enjoys making people think of him as the kind of man parents warn their daughters (and sons) of. So you merely bite your lip when that shy smile tries to go out. Genma winks at you and, after taking one of the paper lamps that have left, you leave the house with your heart about to sing opera. With a little of luck, you'll find Kakashi at the beach.
As soon as you reach the seaside, some happy barks give you clues of their whereabouts. You lift up the paper lamp to lighten the way from above and there they are, eight different silhouettes playing around one far taller. The light attracts their attention. You call his name while walking towards them and, in just a second, the dogs are surrounding you, expecting a good petting session. You can't help yourself and laugh at those big and hopeful eight pair of eyes, but try to content them. However, you lack enough arms for them all and, at the end, they get impatient and tackle you down to the ground.
Kakashi, who has seen everything while approaching to you with calmness, at least gets to you. He looks at you from above with an amused smirk, his features warmly illuminated by the paper lamp light. Such a breathtaking sight… and you just get to smile at him biting your lips with shyness. Kakashi throws a rubber ball far away and the dogs, completely exited, go running like crazy puppets with a super dose of sugar to catch It. Kakashi then sits down by your side, in front of the sea, with the subtle light of the little lamp playing shadow games on him.
"You left without your jacket", you tell him eventually, realizing you never explained why you were there to begin with.
"I know", he says, and It takes a couple of minutes for you to understand the meaning behind those simply words. You turn around to look at him in the eyes, not very sure what to expect; maybe you have been overthinking everything and finally gotten the wrong idea. But the way those eyes reflect yours with such a depth leaves you breathless and with no doubts. Kakashi smirks at the sight of the infamous blushing climbing from your neck till your ears. And even though you hate to be the centre of attention and being made fun of your reddening cheeks, you don't feel cowed, just stupidly happy, so you smile, although that shy side of you shows up again, and once more there it is, the biting of your smiling lips.
Of course, you aren't aware of what you cause in Kakashi every time you do that and, before you realize It, Kakashi is leaning in, pressing his lips on your in a light caress. You don't react, just… You don't know what has just happened. The only think your brain is capable of processing is that Kakashi is there, irradiating so much warmth that you thing you're going to melt. You look at him, searching for an answer to the unsaid question.
"You drive me crazy every time you do that", Kakashi whispers, his face only millimetres away from yours. Your chest is going to explode; that's for sure. But, in the meantime, you just smile embarrassed, looking at him throw your lashes and doing again that thing with your lips unconsciously. But you aren't aware of it, because it's one of those tics you have had for years. So you cannot help it and end up biting your lips as a sign of shy happiness. And Kakashi can't take it anymore because you are a fucking vision, with your hair almost untied, your reddened cheeks, the sound of the sea as a soundtrack, and that smile –Oh, by the Gods, that smile… it's too much and Kakashi's human and there you are and he feels that, if he doesn't kiss you again, he's gonna be the most pitiful man on Earth.
This kiss is different from the previous one. Tenderness and sensuality prevail. He runs his fingers through your hair to cast the damn hair tie off so he can feel those silky strands caressing his cheeks while kissing you. Then, Kakashi cradles your head, his fingers stroking gently the sensitive skin from behind your ears and you moan, utterly helpless. It's uncontrollable, that feeling in your chest, and you completely let go. With one of your hands, you frame his face while; with the other one, you hold onto his shoulder, looking for a support point and drawing him closer at once. Kakashi leans forward, searching for more contact, and your hand goes from his shoulder to his neck in a sweet caress that makes Kakashi purr. The silver haired man nips your lower lip, asking with gentle eagerness for permission, and you cannot refuse; you're too drunk in emotions to do so.
You open your lips and his tongue, curious, explore every nook of your mouth. Soon, his tongue finds yours and, then, a sensual dancing starts. Warm, sweet, slow, hot and passionate… The initial tenderness remains, but, suddenly, the passion is so much that Kakashi must stop himself, or else he could end up making love to you right there, although you wouldn't mind. In fact, you couldn't care less. Perhaps, you would encourage it even… And by «perhps» you sure as hell you mean «in fact».
Your lips split, but you remain embraced, enjoying the lovely corporal heat that keep you both warm against the chilly air of the beach. When, almost three hours later, you come back to the Hyuga compound with your hair being a complete mess and Kakashi's leather jacket put on, and you run into Asuma and Genma, who are smoking at the garden, and they smirk mischievously, you smile back at them in full force, too happy to care about being shy or self-conscious. Once in the privacy of your room, you can't avoid take into the reflexion the mirror gives you, and when you see just how stupidly cute you look with that jacket on, some sizes bigger than what you usually wear, you can't avoid the urge of sniffing the jacket lapels, breathing in the aroma of soap and mentholated tobacco.
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The wedding ends up being one of the most emotional days in your life. Kakashi greets you with a swift kiss that both of you know it's not enough, but It'll have to do for now. Kakashi takes your hand in spite of the surprised looks and barely disguised smiles, and you, Iruka, know that something really big has to happen for you to separate from this man in the near future.
Before reaching the altar, Naruto hugs you tightly like the child that, at the very end, he still is. You smile at him, hugging him back, assuring him he's going to be an exceptional husband, for you don't hope less of the child you raised. It's at the feast where everybody surprises you. It's supposed to be the godfather the person in charge of giving a speech. Instead, it's Naruto who stands up. And when he starts speaking about the father he never had and the brother Heaven sent him in return, when the lights soften and some guests start placing 29 little candles over the wedding cake, you're perfectly aware it's too late to try and hide your tears. Kakashi says nothing. He just takes your hand in his beneath the table, intertwining his fingers with yours and caressing your wrist with his thump.
When the dance floor is full up of people, Kakashi whispers in your ear to ask you if you want to dance with him. Hell, did he really need to ask? Both of you know that the answer is «no», but you're positive that Kakashi was just looking for excuses to get you as close as possible. Oh, well, it isn't so bad.
Nobody says a word, as if all those who know you two would have always known what was going to happen the moment you meet each other, as if it was fate. Kakashi seizes the slow song the orchestra plays to stuck to you, and you smile at him, this time so overwhelmed that you don't chew your lips and Kakashi, although he misses the action, decides it fits you too.
"I don't have any present for you… But I hope to be enough for now, so: happy birthday, Iruka…
And It's then when your own story begins, but what you don't know is that Kakashi's story goes with yours, because the same way he's your beginning, you're his. And the days snuggled up on the couch, tangled under your bed sheets and the walks by the beach, from now on, will smell like mentholated tobacco, salt and dogs. And, when a year later, you come back home late and find Kakashi in just a pair of black boxers waiting for you behind the door and says "Bed. Now." Because the cute idiot has just returned of doing business abroad and has run out of time to buy you a decent gift and he really thinks that selling you his body in exchange is good for your relationship, you only laugh and kiss him. "Happy birthday", he says, and you think "happy birthday for me, indeed".
"Maybe It was fate what brought us together, but It'll be us who will make it last forever… for we are fated", says Kakashi when you're drifting into sleep, murmuring the lyrics of that song you danced with him exactly a year ago with his lips brushing your forehead. You nod with a tiny, happy smile dancing upon your lips, snuggling into his bare chest.
FIN