Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters and make no money off of writing fanfiction.

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As it turned out, Kakashi and Iruka refused a dinner party that same day, insisting they had better things to do this week, but promised to schedule one for the end of following week, giving themselves almost two weeks for their mysterious task. Jiraiya agreed, noting that Genma would be in the village again at that time, accompanying a political delegation from Suna, where he was hoping Tsunade may open an ambassadorial post similar to the one Temari entertained in Konoha.

Their usual roster of dinner guests had grown, but everyone was so happy to get together each week (you never knew in the line of work they were in, you just never knew when you would next get to sit with a loved one again) that it had turned into a potluck to save the couple the work of eternally hosting. It now included the rookie nine and Gai's team (those that were left), all of their remaining senseis, significant others (if they were outside the group), Iruka's old team (consisting of Kotetsu, Izumo and jounin-sensei Ibiki), Raido, Anko, Teuchi and Ayame, Shizune and Tsunade, Sai, Konohomaru and his gang, Tenzou and Kurenai's little Mirai, as well as the Sand Siblings when they were in town and what seemed like a revolving door of all of Naruto's friends from the elemental nations (though Iruka would never deny the young man that, not after years of being alone).

When the day of their dinner finally rolled around at the end of the next week, Kakashi was nearly bursting at the seams and Iruka was so stressed out that he wore his shirt backwards all day.

Nearly Two Weeks Ago (after Jiraiya left) ….

"Both?"

"Well, think about it, Kashi. Like you said, I'm a teacher—I love kids. I want more than one and I've been thinking about it for awhile and if you've been considering it longer, then why wait? We're obviously ready for this. I think that trying for our own biological children with Shizune as our surrogate is a great idea but who knows if that'll work out—medically speaking I mean. It would be a great deal of work for Tsunade and the other med-nins and really, I'm just not sure if I'd trust the civilian hospital with this."

"Okay, I think I'm following you. I'm glad to hear it because, well…." Kakashi scratched the back of his head rather sheepishly, looking anywhere around the living room but at Iruka.

"What did you do?"

"Uhhhhhh—" Kakashi blushed, scooting away from Iruka.

"Hatake Kakashi—" Kakashi gulped and waved a hand in front of himself.

"IkindofsortofputinouradoptionapplicationwithouttellingyoumonthsagoandtheciviliansocialworkercameandvisitedthehousewhileyouwereattheacademyandIforgedyoursignatureusingthesharinganandIvisitedtheorphanageandfellinlovewiththislittlegirlthatremindsmeofyou."

"You FORGED MY SIGNATURE?! Ka-ka-shi!" Iruka stood up from the futon abruptly.

Kakashi eep'd and cringed back into his corner of the futon, "It was for a good cause?"

Iruka sighed and sat down heavily. "Okay. Explain yourself—slowly this time." He turned to face his lover, face softening as Kakashi relaxed and took a deep breath to begin.

"So, do you remember when I said that our home felt more like a real home than any other place I've lived in? Well, at my old apartment I only had Mr. Ukki and before Naruto got him for me, I didn't even have that. For years. We'd only been living together for a month or two when I got this idea into my head, you know how I get those sometimes?"

Iruka nodded dryly, "Oh I'm familiar with your strokes of brilliance, love."

Kakashi nodded, "Like I said earlier, I knew you would eventually want kids and well, we couldn't just have one, so I thought I'd surprise you."

Iruka smiled wryly, "Surprise me?"

"Once I found out how long the adoption process could take—years Ruka, sometimes YEARS! I knew I needed to start it right away. So I had to forge your signature, I just HAD to. It's a good thing I have the Sharingan, too, you know, or it would have been really hard to do that. The lady said all that's left is to meet us in our home together." Kakashi was using his hands animatedly to express each point.

Iruka deadpanned. "You had to forge my signature? You couldn't just bring up that you wanted kids like a normal person?"

"Uhhhh…."

"And you do realise that adoption only takes years if you want to wait for a newborn or adopt from one of the other elemental nations? And that because we're a ninja village, the rate of orphans who need ninja parents to adopt them because of a kekkai genkai or even just better developed chakra than normal is high?"

"Ummmm, the lady at the orphanage didn't tell me that."

"She probably thought you'd done your homework and already knew if you were visiting the orphanage already."

"Oh." Kakashi fidgeted nervously in his seat. "Does that mean the application won't count?"

Taking pity on his sometimes-socially-clueless but ever so sweet and adorable lover, Iruka replied, "No, it'll work—but I want to sign the papers for real myself. See, I've done my homework and the application process is the same for a civilian couple as it would be for us, it's just that the social services worker would then siphon the successful applicants into two sections: those that have clearance to adopt nin kids and those who don't and can only adopt civilian orphans."

"Oh." Kakashi hung his head and whispered something inaudible.

Iruka gently tugged his chin up. "Now let's hear about this little girl of ours."

Kakashi's face brightened immediately.

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Kakashi jiggled his leg impatiently under the table and Iruka reached over to place a comforting hand on his knee. Kakashi smiled gratefully at him through his mask and Iruka patted his leg a few times before clearing his throat to get their guests' attention.

After a few minutes of quieting down, the guests were finally all watching the nervous couple at the head of the table.

"Well," Iruka began amiably, "I would like to welcome Jiraiya-san back to the village." He raised his glass and was answered by a toast from Naruto.

"To Ero-sannin. Welcome back!" Hinata shook her head and smacked Naruto lightly on the knee. He turned to her an whined, "Wha-aat? He is."

Laughter bubbled up all around them at this and Jiraiya blushed uncharacteristically and averted his eyes from Iruka, who cleared his throat again and turned slightly to face Genma, who was sitting nestled in the middle of the Sand Siblings.

"I would also like to welcome Genma back and wish him all of the best in his new post as Ambassador to Suna."

There was a muttered, "Finally someone to make my job easier," from Temari, followed by a loud and drunk, "Hear, hear!" from Tsunade.

More laughter erupted around the table in sporadic titters. The dinner guests settled down again, thinking the speeches were over, but Genma cleared his throat. "Um, I have something I'd like to say."

Iruka peeked sideways at Kakashi, who sighed, but nodded, so Iruka signalled Genma to continue. As he did so, neither he nor Kakashi failed to notice Kankuro sit up a little straighter and smile gleefully towards Naruto. Temari even leaned forwards more, a look of keen interest on her face as she too gazed at Naruto.

Genma stood up and smiled down at the Sand siblings before turning to the head of the table. "I want to thank you, Kakashi, for taking care of Iruka." Kakashi blushed a little, but nodded his head respectfully, "And you, Iruka, for kicking my butt into doing this year-long journey that I've been on." Iruka smiled. "Tsunade," she looked up at him blearily, clearly inebriated, and he nodded, "well, thank you for letting me go. But most of all, I want to thank the Sabakus who welcomed me into their village with open arms."

He couldn't be sure, but Iruka thought he heard a whispered, "Some more than others." From Temari's direction as she frowned deeply and his smile faltered as he reached over and tapped Kakashi's bicep in their 'be on guard' warning. In response, Kakashi pushed his chair back slightly.

"But most of all," Genma turned towards the siblings again, "I would like to thank Gaara for helping me to truly understand the meaning of love."

It was silent for a whole three minutes as everyone sat in shock processing what Genma had said, as well as the fact that Gaara actually smiled in response—smiled—and allowed Genma to wrap his fingers around the redhead's hand.

Then there was that split second like an electric charge before a truly torrential downpour and a burst of pure energy out of Naruto, who dove across the table in a flurry of utensils and his indignant shouts of, "YOU DIRTY OLD CRADLE ROBBING SON OF A - YOU KEEP YOUR PERVERTED FILTHY HANDS OFF MY GOOD FRIEND—" by this point, the blond had grabbed hold of Genma's shirt and was hauling him bodily up to the table, much to Kankuro's delight, who was giggling like a madman shouting, "I told you so, Temari!" While the others looked on in varying degrees of horror and amusement.

"AND IF YOU EVEN THINK OF DUMPING HIM LIKE YOU DID MY NII-SAN I'LL KILL YOUR ASS AND FEED YOUR GUTS TO KAKASHI-SENSEI'S DOGS AND –" Naruto shook Genma like a ragdoll and the poor man looked utterly confused, as his now obvious red-headed lover tried to pry his friend's fingers off of him. Iruka was now urging Kakashi to help (but Kakashi was too entertained to even notice the jabs at his side) and trying to shout at Naruto over the terrible din.

"I DIDN'T HELP HIS ASS SO A PRETTY BOY OLD MAN LIKE YOU COULD POUND IT. DON'T YOU KNOW HE'S LIKE HALF YOUR AGE THAT'S SO—" Naruto was now all the way on Genma's side of the table and practically sitting on him as he shouted into the tokubetsu's face, plopping him forcefully back down into his chair.

"ENOUGH!" All eyes turned, mouths agape, to stare at Hinata, who repeated more soflty, "That's enough, Naruto." Naruto nodded in wonder and obediently dropped the senbon-chewing nin. "You are Gaara's friend, not his mother and you will apologise to Genma-san." Gaara looked over at Hinata with newfound respect and nodded too.

"I didn't know you could get so loud," Naruto mumbled.

"Naruto."

""Kay, o-kaaaay!" Looking at his feet, Naruto muttered half-heartedly, "I'm sorry, Toothpick-san." Hinata cleared her throat gently, eliciting a sigh from Naruto. "Gen-ma-san."

"All right," Hinata clapped once cheerfully, "Let's get this mess cleaned up!"

As guests began tidying up the utensils at their places and picking up napkins from their feet, Kiba asked in an exaggerated stage-whisper, "Where'd she learn to do that?"

To which Naruto responded dejectedly, "When she was student-teaching at the academy, Iruka-nii-san was her mentor." He glared over at the older man. "Thanks a lot."

The laughter that erupted around him at this comment broke the tension and Naruto even reached over to pat Genma on the shoulder, "You better take care of him, all right?"

Genma nodded sagely and twined their fingers together. Naruto nodded shortly and turned to his friend. "You let me know the minute he steps out of line, ya hear?"

Gaara smiled and replied, "Thank you for being such a good friend, Uzumaki Naruto. But I think I will not need your help." He squeezed Genma's hand reassuringly. Naruto patted their joined hands and returned to his seat amidst happy conversations popping up.

Once he was seated, Kakashi cleared his throat and stood, pulling Iruka back up with him. "Now you all know I'm not the best at speeches."

His statement was met with chuckles, a wolf whistle form Gai and Tsunade sloshing her drink around and hiccupping, "Damn right!"

Kakashi glared at her before continuing, "But before we were so rudely side-tracked," he glanced reproachfully at Naruto, "Iruka and I were about to share some important news."

Iruka took a deep breath and nodded his approval to Kakashi, who continued, "Mirai-chan, you'd best learn how to baby-sit and Naruto, just remember you owe your Nii-san one."

Confused babbles followed his statement, until Anko's eyes widened in an epiphany and she cooed excitedly, "Boy or girl?"

Understanding began to dawn on their guests' faces as Kakashi and Iruka parted to reveal two of their own clones coming into the room.

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Smiles broke out around the room as the shinobi saw exactly what, or rather, who was nestled in the men's arms. The clones dispersed as they handed their small charges off to their real counterparts and a shy face disappeared into Iruka's shoulder as another, bolder one scanned the crowd.

Anko squealed and jumped up, rushing over to coo at the toddlers in Kakashi and Iruka's hold. After a few minutes of fussing, she turned to Gai with stars in her eyes and announced, "I want one."

Gai's eyes went comically wide as Iruka ushered his sister away and back to her seat. She went reluctantly and made sure to caress a chubby cheek before it disappeared again into Iruka's neck.

"Well are you going to explain, or what?" Naruto shouted obnoxiously.

"Naruto, don't be rude." Hinata chided him gently.

"Hmph." He crossed his arms and slouched in his seat.

Temari leaned forward and asked, "How do you do that? I've never seen him behave that well for anyone, not even Iruka-san."

Hinata blushed a bright red and tapped her two index fingers together. "W-well, y-y-y-you see…."

Naruto interrupted. "She gives me four choices, Temari. Bed, couch, floor or doghouse. I don't choose doghouse or even floor if I can help it." He leaned on the table amid raucous laughter and bawdy comments that made Hinata turn even redder.

Iruka coughed to get everyone's attention. "These past two weeks have been very busy for Kakashi and I. As some of you know already," he glanced at Shizune and Tsunade, "My dear Copy-nin has been looking into starting a family for the last few months without my knowledge."

He reached over and took Kakashi's hand in his own, "And I'm very glad he did because when I finally got on the same page as he was, it saved us a lot of time." He bounced the toddler in his arms and continued, "It meant that after a home visit last week and several trips to the orphanage, we now have two beautiful daughters."

Applause broke out around the room, but died down so the silver-haired nin could continue, "This is our little Amai. She just turned two." The brown-haired, doe-eyed child was the bolder of their girls and she gazed out wonderingly at the small crowd.

Iruka added, turning the little one in his arms towards their friends, "And this is Kaikatsu. She's a little shy," he smiled and tickled her cheek, making her giggle and peek out from his neck, "and she's three and a half."

Naruto stared at her in amazement. It took a minute, but he eventually got up and approached cautiously, one hand out-stretched to stroke her smaller one. "Nii-san, she looks like me."

The little girl, with long blond curls and the brightest blue eyes shied away from him a little, tucking herself closer to Iruka. He laughed softly and breathed, "She does, doesn't she? You look like your uncle Naruto-jiji, don't you, Sweetiepie?" Kaikatsu hid her face in his shoulder again.

Naruto started. "Naruto-jiji? Hey! I'm not that old!"

"Don't worry, gaki," Kakakshi patted him on the head, "I think you'll make a great uncle."

Naruto ducked and then crept in towards the other little girl, who stuck both of her hands out and patted his cheeks, smiling and speaking for the first time, "Pretty!"

"Hey," Naruto growled good-naturedly, "I'm a man, Amai-chan, I'm not pretty."

"Pretty!" she squealed and clapped, to resounding gales of laughter as Naruto reddened.

"She looks like you, Iruka-nii."

Kakashi smiled. "She does, doesn't she?"

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It was hours later, after their girls were ooh and ahh-d over quite thoroughly, meeting their new extended family in a flurry of activity and all the guests had gone and the mess cleaned up that the new fathers stood in the doorway of their daughters' room. Iruka leaned against the jamb, one arm wrapped around his waist and a content smile on his face as he watched his girls, his daughters sleep. Kakashi was right behind him, one arm up over the jamb above their heads, the other round Iruka's waist to join with his lovers' and chin leaning over his shoulder.

Iruka sighed. "Sa'matter, love?"

Iruka looked up at Kakashi. "I can't believe it's only been three days. It seems like forever."

"That's what happens when you're with the people you're meant to be with," Kakashi chuckled.

"You know," Iruka said thoughtfully, "You're really deep and philosophical sometimes."

Kakashi rumbled lowly again, leaning down to kiss Iruka's neck. "That's me."

"No, really," Iruka continued playfully, "who knew there was such a poet lurking beneath that tough ninja exterior?" He pushed at Kakashi's shoulder.

"You did." Kakashi began to pull Iruka from the room, who followed reluctantly, throwing one last look at the girls before closing the door and keying the traps (because you just had to be careful, especially when one of their fathers was in the bingo books). "S'why you love me." As an afterthought, "And call me softie. You're the only one who's ever associated a word like that with me."

Iruka sighed contentedly as they entered their own room and turned to wrap his arms loosely around Kakashi's neck. "I love you for more reasons than that."

"I know." Kakashi leaned in slowly and kissed Iruka long and deeply.

Iruka sighed again. "I know the world we live in is sometimes a dark and sad place, but is it wrong to be this happy?"

"I don't think so." Kakashi slowly inched Iruka's shirt up over his head and dropped it on the ground.

"You're going to pick that up later."

Kakashi grinned. "I know."

He discarded his own shirt in the same manner and guided Iruka gently down onto the bed. "I love you too."

Iruka leaned up on his elbows, then grinned, "I know too."

Kakashi grinned back and crawled forward over his lover, to stop fractions of an inch away from being nose to nose. Iruka gulped huskily, then sobered and said, "Show me."

Kakashi's eyes darkened with lust as he answered, "Gladly."

He sat back on his knees and ran his hands slowly down Iruka's sides to catch his fingers in the edge of his pants. Gathering a small bunch of the fabric, he tugged them off and just regarded his lover for several full minutes, making Iruka blush.

Kakashi then leaned forward and kissed Iruka, tangling one hand in his silky hair as the other supported his weight. Iruka pushed himself up farther and wrapped an arm around Kakashi's shoulder to rest at the nape of his neck. He breathed loudly, clinging desperately to the silver-haired nin.

Kakashi made his way slowly down Iruka's body, which he littered with kisses along the way, to stop at his proud erection, blowing softly on the mushroom shaped tip and causing Iruka's breath to catch in ragged gasps. He then took just the tip into his mouth, sucking hard and then softly, sensuously swirling his tongue around the mushroom-shaped head. Iruka kept himself still, though he wanted to buck his hips up and looked down at his lover with a pleading look and a repeated whisper of, "Show me. Make love to me."

"Do you trust mu, Ruka?"

"Of course. With everything."

Kakashi reached up and unfastened his hitai-ate, leaning over to fasten it around Iruka's eyes. As he kissed Iruka deeply again, eliciting a throaty moan from him, he slid his hands up and down Iruka's biceps. "Do you trust me?" he repeated.

"With everything."

Kakashi very carefully fashioned a ribbon of chakra and wound it loosely around Iruka's wrists, pulling them up and over his head to tie to the headboard. Knowing they were loose enough for Iruka to just slip out of, Kakashi whispered, "Just play along and don't move, kay?"

Iruka nodded and Kakashi proceeded to remove the last of his own clothing as Iruka strained his ears to listen. Kakashi knew Iruka expected him to make love to him, to take him, but to Kakashi, who rarely trusted anyone with his heart he could think of no greater show of trust than to give himself to Iruka, so he did just that, preparing himself quickly while Iruka was blindfolded, then sinking himself onto his lover's hot, engorged flesh. Iruka, expecting something else, gasped in surprise then sighed in pleasure. He wound his hands tighter in the ribbon to have something to hold onto and Kakashi smiled down at him.

Though they had done this before, with Kakashi as 'bottom,' they were often in the crushing throes of passion—he wanted something different today and took his time, slowly rolling his body back and forth, riding Iruka languidly and sighing softly at every quiet moan escaping his lover's lips.

Kakashi trailed his hands firmly down Iruka's sides, speeding up only a little and leaning forward on both hands to place soft kisses over Iruka's face. Their climax built slowly but surely and both began to breath heavier as sweat beaded on their bodies. Iruka clenched his fists more desperately around the ribbon and arched fully into Kakashi's welcoming heat. Knowing they were close, Kakashi bent to his elbows and engaged his lover in a deeper, wetter kiss that involved lots of tongue, drowned out moans and swallowed breaths. He began to clench his muscles tightly around his chuunin's length every time he brought hiss hips down and felt Iruka begin to thrust up with keening whines. Finally, finally, with a few more languid rolls of his hips, Kakashi coaxed Iruka's seed from him and felt the warm of gush of liquid fire melt his insides. As he paused to catch his breath, Iruka slumped backwards, his hair splaying out on the pillow behind him.

Groggily teasing his hands out of the ribbon, Iruka chased away his sleepiness by tossing the hitai-ate across the room and sitting up to catch the Copy-nin in a passionate, searing kiss. He cradled the older man in his arms as he turned them over, propping pillows behind Kakashi and whispering as he slid a few calloused fingers over the scar on his left eye, "Watch me, Kashi."

Kakashi slowly opened his sharingan eye and blinked to get used to it, then concentrated on his lover who was lying on his stomach between the Copy-nin's legs. Iruka reached out one hand and tugged on Kakashi's erection, firmly wrapping a hand around him as he leaned forward to gently kiss the tip. His hand slowly made its way downward to lovingly caress Kakashi's balls as he slowly sucked in the rest of his shaft. Kakashi's pupils blew wide and he gazed with rapt attention down at Iruka who carefully deep-throated the silver-haired nin's entire length until his nose was pressed right up to the sensitive skin under his navel.

Swallowing thickly around the appendage, Iruka pulled back a little and bobbed his head a few times while squeezing the base lightly with his hand. He was gratified with a lusty cry as Kakashi came not a few moments later, sharingan eye still open wide to catch the show.

Iruka crawled up to lay beside his lover, who scooped the clover over them and spooned into his side.

"I love you."

"I love you."

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Aaaaand—cut. Thanks for sticking with me!

PS There will be an epilogue to look forward to though, even if I'm marking it as complete because the main story has been accomplished.

A. N. Naming fetish time again: Amai means sweet and Kaikatsu means cheerful.

A. N. 2 : I might make the guys' trip to the orphanage into a one-shot later. Eventually….maybe, because there is a story I had in mind there but couldn't fit it in naturally with the flow of this chapter.