Challenge: I'd like to see an Iruka + Kakashi getting together story. Winter setting plz.
Also combine it with a bildungsroman on Kakashi.
A Bildungsroman is a novel which traces the spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the main character from (usually) childhood to maturity.
The winter always made Kakashi reminiscent. It was probably the cold weather which had forced his family to spend more time together. The long dark nights inside their cozy home. He didn't spend enough time at home in the winter. The winter meant more profitable missions with more importance. That meant he spent more than his share of time trekking through the snow. Silent days of empty landscapes always sent his mind back to wandering and after so long, the snow itself made him think back.
What do you do with a boy that would never grow up? Kakashi had practically spurted out of the womb just as he was: impetuous, introverted, and frankly, annoying. It was incredibly frustrating being his parent. He spent all his days trying to figure you out, put you off, and generally set you off balance so he had the upper hand.
In fact, the only way his parents could get control of him was forcing him to sit in an empty room - his bedroom. Because he was always in trouble, he never had any toys in it. His poor mother cried to her friends at every opportunity about her improper son. They sympathized with her only partially, because their children would complain that they could never be at the top of anything with Kakashi always staying three steps ahead of them. Her husband was still a hero to his country.
It seemed as if he had known earlier on that if he kept trying, he would eventually surpass everyone around him. With very few exceptions, this was true. It taught Kakashi that results were favorable over methods. You just had to do a little damage control to soothe over the angry masses. But as long as everything turned out okay, they would calm down, wouldn't they?
The shock of losing his parents and his standing at the budding of adolescence taught Kakashi caution. He wasn't 1 at the academy any more. He had been a jounin for a while and was expected to act as one. He couldn't be stirring up trouble wherever he went. He had gained friends and lost them all to battle. Adulthood taught Kakashi to be cautious with his heart. If you loved or even liked someone, their absence could hurt you.
He wished he could learn contentment. To fall like snowflakes from the sky, fine with being different from the rest, but still knowing that they would all land in the same place.
He chalked it up to his own selfishness, but Kakashi had always lived by proving himself the best at what he did. He couldn't resist being with other people, even if he acted like he could. So he ended up alone and hating it. It was how he hurt himself for letting his friends and parents die. It was how he hurt himself when he finally grew up a little and realized that he would never be the strongest. There was always someone a few steps ahead.
He sighed into the winter air, his breath forming a small cloud in front of him. A teammate of his remarked how comforting it was to see that. 'There really is a face under that mask!' Kakashi never really saw what was so impressive about noting that. Of course he had a mouth. You could see the faint outline inside his mask. Even if someone wasn't sitting on the same stone bench as he was, they would still know that it was cold.
So cold that he could barely feel the tops of his legs. The lining underneath his jounin uniform wasn't seeming to do much to block out the cold. Konoha never dropped to the low temperatures of water or snow country, but for the residents it was still bitterly cold.
He hated to leave. It was pleasant sitting on the little stone bench under the ancient tree. The tree was the last standing of an almost entirely dead generation. The ground around it only held grass until seeping back into the large forest. The few inches of snow had covered everything in a fine, shimmering coating of white so delicate and shining that the entire landscape glittered. The tree branches twinkled in the setting sunlight. He couldn't imagine a more peaceful picture than camping under this very tree, eyes closing to the sight of snowflakes glittering like stars.
However, he was cold and had no gear. Besides, someone had been steadily approaching for a few minutes now and didn't seem like they would be changing course any time soon. Any second and they would come into the clearing. he looked blandly out into the sky, not sure if he wanted them to know he saw them approaching or not. He considered for a moment using ninjutsu to disappear, but if it happened to be Gai, that would very quickly lead into a contest he didn't feel like competing in. Probably not Gai, whoever it was, they were wearing appropriate shoes for the weather. The crunching sound of snow heralded their solid footsteps. The first visible element was their large, brown fur collar jacket showing through the leaves and the simple paper umbrella. They walked into the clearing without gumption.
Iruka-sensei. Kakashi wished again that he needn't leave. He'd always found the teacher's company to be pleasant... Actually, more than pleasant. His 'unusual desires' only saw fit to separate him even more from his fellow ninja. Kakashi sighed to himself. Without the ties of the past or any family, he just couldn't see the point in trying to connect with someone else.
He had originally worn his mask across his face because he thought it made him look more intimidating. When his skill made him more intimidating, he wore it so other jounin would take him seriously. Now he wore the mask because he couldn't bother to pull that much unnecessary attention to himself. The people that were closest to him were used to him being a certain way; distant. Anything else and they would start inquiring about how he felt and that's not something he wanted.
This teacher, he had noted, had a tendency of treating him like a child with an unusual habit. A kid who hadn't let go of his teddy bear yet or stopped chewing on a teething ring. The feelings were ambivalent; they were two opposing waves of a painful past and the powerful glimmer of a hopeful future. In other words, Iruka gave him butterflies in his stomach and it sometimes was more than Kakashi could stand. In other other words, Kakashi had it bad for the younger chuunin.
"Ohayo, Kakashi-san!" That friendly greeting, a wave and Kakashi's heart flipped. He told himself every time he saw him that Iruka didn't have any power over his feelings. Regardless, he always somehow seemed to cave in to him...even if just a little. He barely turned towards the teacher with his one eye half-closed. Kakashi lifted his hand in an imitation of a greeting "Ohayo." Underneath his mask he was chewing on his bottom lip. It was a habit of his he'd never bothered to strike since no one saw him do it. He turned away from Iruka before he felt the need to start telling him how many other kids loved him just to see his smile. If Iruka was a woman (and magically Kakashi still attracted) things would have been so much easier.
"Anou...I didn't expect to see you here." Nervous laughter. Iruka thought he was intruding, which he was. It was a welcome intrusion.
Kakashi waved a hand to quiet his apologies. He didn't want to spend his time here, or with Iruka, or most especially here with Iruka listening to him apologize for making his day better. "Don't worry over it"
Iruka nodded once and smiled out of the corner of Kakashi's eye.
Asuma once told Kakashi that asking a woman out was easy. If you asked her nicely the worst thing she could do would be to gently let you down. You just had to get past the rejection part. He had said that the most important thing to remember was that it was better in the end to be rejected kindly than carry on after them for years.
His sigh turned into a white fog that the wind swept around his face. He had been very silent for several moments and Iruka was fidgeting.
"Anou," He broke the silence, scratching the back of his neck with one gloved hand. "it's starting to snow very heavily and you must be cold, so..." He thrust forward his other hand with his umbrella in it towards Kakashi. Once the man walked out from under the tree he'd be covered in snow that would melt against his skin in minutes, soaking him. Kakashi could imagine Iruka's picture of him frozen and smiled.
"Arigato, Iruka-sensei. However, I cannot be rude and take your only umbrella from you." His eye curled up into a semicircle of happiness at the offer as he pushed it off with both hands. He was afraid at this point if he came that close to Iruka he would be able to hear his thumping heartbeat. This was his chance! He couldn't just ask him out on a date like Asuma did, so this was the best he was going to get. His mouth was dry and he was actually feeling a little faint.
Iruka looked disappointed and pulled his umbrella back. Not only had he potentially ruined his good chance, but had probably lowered himself in Iruka's opinion. "However, I wouldn't mind sharing."