Title: Joy to the Sensei's
Prompt: Late Gift Shopping
Author: Kita
Rating: PG

Iruka was waiting for him when he came out of the bathroom, but the chuunin said nothing. "Come on. Get showered and dressed. We still have work to do." Iruka handed him a pile of clothing and a towel. Kakashi stared at him numbly for a moment before moving to obey.

Pausing inside the bathroom, he looked down at the clothing. It was standard issue uniform, the dark shirt and pants. The shirt had an attached mask. Kakashi held it for a moment, wondering, not for the first time, what Iruka was doing with clothing tailored with masks. It wasn't like Kakashi was the only shinobi in the village that wore a mask, though he knew he was the most adamant about not taking his off, but he'd never seen the chuunin wear one, not even when the academy had been closed down and the teachers taking missions.

He heard Iruka moving around in the other room and sighed, setting the clothing down. The mystery would have to wait for another day.

He showered and dressed. Thankfully the pants had a drawstring, because they hung low on his narrow hips. The shirt fit a little loose, but well enough. Still toweling his hair dry, he came out of the bathroom. Iruka was dressed and the hair he was brushing up into his usual ponytail was damp.

He caught Kakashi's odd look and grinned. "I water Junko's plants while she's out on missions, so I have a key. I borrowed her shower while you were using mine."

Iruka tied up his hair and tossed Kakashi his vest and a scarf. He smiled. "Lets go."

They arrived at the school and Iruka let them into the teacher's lounge. Apparently Kakashi hadn't been the only one suffering a hangover. The other teachers straggled in, most of them looking worse for the wear. The woman he vaguely remembered hitting on him at the party looked like she was three days dead. She snarled at Iruka and accepted the cup of coffee he held out to her. "Never fucking drinking again." She grumbled into the coffee.

Iruka chuckled under his breath. "You say that every time you get a hangover, Noriko-sensei. And you'll still do it."

"Oh, leave me to wallow in my misery in peace, why don't you?"

"You're just jealous."

"That you don't ever get hangovers? Hell, yes." The redhead grumbled into her coffee. "Go away now, and let me die in peace."

Iruka chuckled again and patted her on the head, earning an irritated swat.

The man Iruka had introduced before as Hikaru stood up. "If we're all through bemoaning hangovers and such, lets get this over with, shall we? Everyone, make sure your classrooms are ready for when the students come back after break then we'll run a quick check and make sure everything is locked up. Then we have nearly a week free of students."

A muted and rather lackluster cheer went up. Kakashi followed Iruka back to his classroom. Iruka was swift and efficient as he directed Kakashi to clean the blackboard while he straightened up the classroom itself, putting forgotten books on the shelves and making certain the all the practice weapons were accounted for and safely locked up. When they were done, they joined with the other teachers in making sure the windows were locked and that the building was safely shut up for the holiday break.

The cheer as Hikaru locked the main entrance was neither muted nor lacking in enthusiasm. Iruka waved a cheery goodbye to the other teachers as he took Kakashi's arm and dragged him in the direction of the main market square.

"What are we doing now?" Kakashi considered pulling his arm free and thought of the grief Iruka would give him for it. Safest not to, then.

Iruka smiled, his cheeks flushed with the cold wind. "I have to pick up the things to make Christmas dinner for you, me, Naruto and Sasuke is Naruto manages to convince him to come along. And I have to pick up a few last minute gifts. You should buy gifts for those three, at least. You can give Sakura hers early."

The thought had Kakashi slightly panicked, but he kept his voice unconcerned as she asked, "Mah… What should I buy them?"

Iruka grinned at him. "Don't look so worried. It's not too hard. What do they like?"

Kakashi considered. "Well, Naruto… he likes ramen, ramen and ramen."

That got a laugh out of Iruka. "Too true. Let's see, you could get him a ramen bowl or vouchers for the ramen stand. Maybe the bowl as the main gift and the vouchers for a stocking stuffer. He'd like that." He grinned. "See, that was easy. How about Sakura?"

"Sasuke."

That got another full-throated laugh. "Well, since I don't think delivering a tied up Uchiha would work, what else can you think of?"

Kakashi racked his brains. During one of their missions, they had stopped overnight at an onsen just inside the borders of Fire Country. It had taken two hours to get Sakura out of the baths. "She likes onsens."

"Okay, that one's easy too. Either get her a gift certificate to one of the local hot spring onsens or a selection of bath things. Now, what about Sasuke? And don't say Itachi's head on a platter."

"I won't say it, but that doesn't make it any less true."

Iruka snorted. "Come on, what else?"

"Weapons?"

"You can do better than that."

"More weapons?"