o~o~oOo~o~o

When it's time to make a change

Make it rain

Make it rain down, Lord

o~o~oOo~o~o

It was just the first of a few evenings spent together having dinner. Iruka's life began to fall into a routine as the school year got closer to spring. He'd spend his weekdays at the academy, and nights would be split between helping Naruto with homework and feeding him or working at the mission desk. Kakashi would always be waiting after those shifts to walk with him to Ichiraku's, and Iruka would always bring home takeaway for Naruto, who would undoubtedly be half asleep on Iruka's couch. It seemed that once the boy got a taste of affection, he was loath to let it go, so he ended up spending more time in Iruka's apartment than his own, which Iruka was more than fine with. He enjoyed the boy's company—it added a sense of family and warmth that Iruka hadn't realized he needed as much as Naruto did.

The week before graduation exams, Kakashi was sent on a five-day mission, which ended up taking longer than anticipated. Of course everything would go to hell while he was away from the village. Mizuki's betrayal burned hot like the fuma shuriken wound that narrowly missed Iruka's spine while he had been protecting Naruto. It was two days after the attack, spent drifting in and out of consciousness while forced to lay on his stomach in the hospital, that Iruka awoke to a tingling on his arm. He cracked his eyes open slowly, adjusting to the meager light that filtered in from a small lamp across the room.

Kakashi sat at his bedside, his eyes cast downward as his thumb grazed the mark on his Iruka's left arm.

"Ka-kash—" Iruka tried to speak, but his voice was rough and gritty, his throat feeling like it was on fire.

Kakashi's gaze flew to Iruka's face, and he swiftly reached for a pitcher of water that sat on the bedside table. He poured a cup and held it close to Iruka's mouth for him to sip.

"Slowly," Kakashi murmured softly.

After drinking his fill, Iruka laid his head back onto his pillow, feeling the sting of his back ease as his body relaxed. He continued to watch Kakashi in silence as the jounin reached out to hold Iruka's hand in his own, gently rubbing the chuunin's palm with his thumb.

"Kakashi, what—" Iruka began to ask when the other man interrupted.

"I know we've never talked of soulmarks, but since you never mentioned yours, I'd just assumed you didn't have one either."

Iruka's brow furrowed in confusion, trying to understand Kakashi's bewildering statement and his heartbroken tone.

"Kashi, I don't understand. What are you saying?"

Kakashi cleared his throat before pointedly looking down at the midnight blue numbers etched on Iruka's skin.

"Your mark. Is there someone you want me to bring to you? You deserve the comfort of your soulmate while you're in such pain, sensei."

Somewhere in the back of Iruka's mind, he realized that this wasn't a conversation they should probably be having while his mind was fuzzy and on strong painkillers.

"I don't understand. I already do. You're right here."

Kakashi's eyes widened. "Iruka, I—I don't have a soulmate. I don't have a soulmark."

Iruka squinted at Kakashi in the dim lighting, still trying to wrap his mind around what the jounin was saying.

"Besides, I was in ANBU when I was fourteen. I don't think we ever crossed paths at that point yet."

Iruka blinked slowly, which helped dispel the cobwebs figuratively covering his brain.

"You don't have a soulmark?"

Kakashi shook his head.

Iruka huffed a small laugh. "Maybe it's somewhere you haven't seen, because you must be mistaken."

Kakashi sighed sadly. "Iruka, I wish more than anything for that to be true."

Iruka smiled softly and twisted his wrist so that he could grip Kakashi's hand. "When I was ten, the ANBU called Hound lifted me off the ground during the Kyuubi attack. My soulmark burned and changed from gray to blue right before my eyes as he leapt away into the chaos."

Kakashi bodily jerked and looked as if he'd been smacked upon the head.

"That was part of the reason I acted out so much as a teenager trying to get your attention. I didn't connect the dots about you being Hound until last summer, but I assumed you didn't want to speak about it, so I kept quiet."

"Iruka," Kakashi gasped, "are you sure?"

Iruka nodded slightly. "One hundred percent. The only person I've ever talked to about it is Lord Third. I was depressed, and he gave me a shoulder to lean on and great comfort."

Even in the dim lighting, Iruka could make out the sheen of tears in Kakashi's eyes. "Iruka, I—," Kakashi's voice was broken but no longer sad. "At some point, I guess my father assumed that I wasn't going to have one when none appeared. It wasn't uncommon; neither he nor my mother had soulmarks."

"I wasn't born until you were four, so I guess that's understandable. Maybe your mark appeared somewhere that isn't easily visible. I'm sure we'll figure it out."

Kakashi glanced at Iruka's lips before looking over his shoulder. Iruka followed his gaze to see Naruto sleeping peacefully in a comfortable chair across the room. The chuunin's heart warmed as he looked back to Kakashi. To his surprise, the silver-haired man was gently easing down his mask to show his full face for the first time. The scar through his left eye extended down slightly past the apple of his cheek. His lips were thin and a small beauty mark adorned the left side of his chin.

"Iruka, may I kiss you?"

In his haste, Iruka pushed up slightly, causing a searing pain to rip across his back. Kakashi chuckled as he helped Iruka adjust and breathe as the pain eased away. Leaning down, he brushed his lips softly against Iruka's before pulling back with a blush as the chuunin chased after his lips.

"Go easy on me, Ru. I've never kissed anyone before."

Iruka's face revealed his shock. "Seriously? How? You're amazing."

Kakashi's blush deepened at the compliment. "You're sweet, but as I'm sure you're aware, my life has been pretty complicated. After the night we lost Minato-sensei and Kushina, I closed myself off to every possibility of caring about anyone. Until recently, my life has been mission after mission. You're my first—you're my everything, Iruka."

Kakashi's gaze fell sad as he gently ran his hand across Iruka's back just above where the bandages began. "I'm so sorry that I was too late to stop this."

Iruka felt his stomach clench at the memory of what happened only a few days ago. "It wasn't your fault," Iruka spit out vehemently. "I—I wasn't strong enough to protect Naruto."

Kakashi shook his head. "If I don't get to shoulder any blame, then neither do you. That traitor deserves everything that Ibiki will torment him with—and then some if you ask me."

"Is that where Mizuki is now? With T&I?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, yes. I may or may not have taken down half of the ANBU who were on guard there trying to get to him, once I made sure you were stable, of course."

Iruka let out an involuntary yawn, causing Kakashi to smile and lean down to kiss the younger man's forehead.

"Rest, love. I'll be here. We'll have plenty more time for discussions when you're up for it."

Iruka grumbled slightly but was unable to resist the pull of sleep. "And cuddles?" he murmured sleepily.

Kakashi chuckled. "I will cuddle you for the rest of my life if you ask, Iruka."

"M'kay," Iruka whispered as he drifted off to dream about finding out intimately just where Kakashi's soulmark could be.

Needless to say, he eventually had the opportunity to find it a few months later as he kissed every inch of his soulmate's body. A distinctive, dark red number ten was etched onto the skin of Kakashi's inner thigh, near his groin.


Title song used: Make It Rain by Ed Sheeran

Thank you so very much to my beta, Chaya Sara, who always makes time for me and pretties up my words! I would be lost without you!

Also, a huge thank you to Kageillusionz, who was so kind to me during this process. She pre-read the story, let me bounce some ideas around, and generally made me feel comfortable and welcomed in this new fandom that I've jumped into. In fact, all of the KakaIru Discord group have been amazing, and I'm happy to have had the opportunity to do this!