A/N: Now we're back to pointless joyful fluff! And hey, I've even managed to work in some actual KakaIru this time. Hooray for me!

Christmas with the Hatakes
By: Reggie

December 10th: Carols/Caroling

"Hey, Iruka," Kakashi poked his lover with the end of his chopsticks, grinning madly. Iruka looked up from his simple meal, curious as to what had the Jounin so excited. Kakashi responded by nodding his head to something over the Chuunin's left shoulder. Iruka turned, and couldn't help smiling too.

Sayuri was sitting in her high chair, clutching her bottle to her chest. Her usually droopy eyes where little more than slits, mostly hidden by her wild red-brown hair. Her head was starting to droop down, only to jerk up once it hit her chest and start the process all over again.

Iruka chuckled as he pushed his chair back and stood. Sayuri was quickly removed from her chair and snuggled close to his chest. "Looks like somebody is ready for bed."

She whined in protest of the word, and Kakashi laughed aloud from the table. "Oh, I just can't wait until she's big enough to tell us what she's thinking. She seems to have an opinion on everything."

Iruka bent down and kissed Kakashi's bare forehead lightly. "What can I say, she's your daughter?"

"My daughter? Iruka, if either of has to make their opinion known, it's you," Kakashi grinned, standing and starting to remove the mostly empty dinner dishes. "I'm not the one who lectured Tsunade about how exposing her bosom was setting a bad example for the younger kunoichi, and making them think that they'd have to use their bodies to be good ninja."

"I didn't know who she was at the time!" Iruka was blushing furiously at the memory, and how furious Tsunade had been before she'd started laughing at him. He still stood by his argument, though, and their daughter was never going to wear something as low cut as the Hokage did while living in their house, that was for certain.

"That's the best part!" Kakashi dumped the dishes in the sink, chuckling deeply. "As far as you knew, she was just a random kunoichi that you had never met! Even if she hadn't turned out to be the Hokage, it would still prove my point."

Iruka 'hmmed' softly in response, moving from the kitchen to the nursery down the hall, Kakashi following him like a trained dog. Neither of them knew why, but both men felt it was important that they be there to tuck Sayuri in when they could. It was always something they did together, whatever else needed to be done.

Sayuri was placed on the changing table while Kakashi went and picked out her pajamas for the night. Iruka had just finished getting her into a fresh diaper when the Jounin reappeared with a pair of dark blue sleepers. Someone, probably Anko, had found it funny that this pair had the kanji for ocean embroidered on the chest. Iruka couldn't help but smile at it as he worked small arms and legs into all the correct holes, with no help from the possessor of these limbs as she half-heartedly tried to pull away.

Kakashi's arms slid around the Chuunin's waist, and the slightly taller man stooped forward a little to rest his chin on Iruka's shoulder. "She looks just like you do when you sleep, you know."

Iruka smiled, placing one hand over those clasped around his middle and using the other to lightly brush back their daughter's untamable locks. "There's no way I look that angelic."

"You'd be surprised," Kakashi laughed lightly, turning his head to kiss his lover's cheek.

Iruka was about to comment when the most awful noise started coming from somewhere outside. Iruka started and looked towards the window, "what IS that?"

Kakashi groaned, moving his head to rest his forehead against Iruka's shoulder with a loud groan. "That had better not be what I think it is. I'm still recovering from the scarring from last time."

"What?"

The awful noise got louder, and a little more distinct. Iruka could now make out some words. "Jingle bells! Jingle bells! Jingle all the way!"

"Is that," he tried to move towards the window, but Kakashi held him fast. "Is that Guy-sensei?"

"Didn't I just say I hoped it wasn't?" The Jounin was not letting go of Iruka, not for anything.

After a few moments, Iruka gave up struggling. "I think I can make out Lee, too, and some girl voices…Sakura? How would she get roped in to caroling with those two?"

"Naruto," Kakashi answered simply. When Iruka picked the faintly stirring Sayuri up, Kakashi found he had to let go so the Chuunin could place her in her crib, but he did so with a heavy sigh.

Iruka smiled at him before laying Sayuri down in the crib. She whimpered and looked up at them, her brown eyes looking wider as she opened them to plead to be picked up again.

Kakashi chuckled, leaning against the side of the crib to look down at her too. "It's going to be hard telling her no when she masters that look."

There was a nod of agreement from his lover before the nightly routine began. This was always Kakashi's favorite part of bedtime, and Iruka smothered a laugh as the Jounin perked up in interest. Iruka himself didn't see what was so fascinating about it, but he wasn't going to complain when Kakashi showed interest in baby-related things.

Putting one finger to his lips, Iruka kissed it, before reaching down and pressing the finger against first one little foot, then the other. "Toes," he said softly, smiling as Sayuri looked at him with sleepy interest.

Outside, the singing was getting louder and, if possible, even more off key. Naruto's voice could very distinctly be heard above all the others. Iruka saw Kakashi twitch slightly.

Iruka kissed his finger again and put it on the baby's round belly. "Tummy."

"Rudolph the red nosed reign deer had a very shiny nose!" The carolers sang.

"Couldn't they pick a better song for a lull-a-bye," Kakashi muttered as Sayuri fretted slightly, not liking this new addition to her routine at all.

Both Kakashi and the carolers were ignored as Iruka kissed his finger again and touched it to each smooth palm, "fingers." Another kiss and the finger was placed on her face. "Nose." Kiss, "ears."

Normally, Sayuri was mostly asleep by this point, Iruka's soft words working magic. But she still looked wide awake and less than pleased, though most assuredly tired.

This was enough for Kakashi. Iruka watched as the Jounin stalked over to the window, radiating his displeasure, and threw it open to yell out in to the street below. "If you don't shut up and let my daughter sleep, I am going to come down and gut you all with a spoon!"

The singers immediately fell silent, as did everything else within a five block radius.

One last kiss of the finger, and Iruka closed each droopy eyelid. "Eyes." When the brown orbs didn't make another reappearance, the Chuunin moved across the room and, laughing, wrapped his arms around the Jounin's chest as he shut and locked the window. "Kakashi, I love you."

"I love you too, Iruka."