Title: Pretty Paper

Prompt: Wrapping Paper

Author: Kita

Rating PG-13

Kakashi opted for eating out. It seemed safest. He mulled things over as he followed Iruka in search of a restaurant.

To be honest, he wasn't at all sure what to think of this version of Iruka-sensei. He'd never give the man much thought before, and only minimal thought after his now-infamous blowup at the chuunin exams.

But this Iruka wasn't like the unassuming schoolteacher or the blushing Mission room worker.

If he weren't quite sure it wasn't a henge or a genjutsu or any other infiltration attempt he could think of, he'd say it wasn't the same man. But he'd tested the theory, by the simple expedient of glancing at the man with his sharingan. Unique chakra patterns couldn't be duplicated, by any known means, and he'd known Iruka's from the very first time he'd met the man.

Iruka and two other chuunin had been on a courier mission and had encountered Kakashi and the missing-nin he'd been fighting. Kakashi had gotten a good look at Iruka's chakra pattern when the unassuming man paused to toss a handful of shuriken and kunai at the nin—distracting him long enough for Kakashi to get in a solid blow that had laid the rogue out-cold with a broken cheek and jaw. (He'd gotten bitched out for that one too. It had taken a day of force-healing to get the man in any shape to take under interrogation.)

So it was really Iruka, but he was so much more than he'd ever thought the chuunin was. Kakashi deliberately steered his thoughts away from the hazy, alcohol-saturated memories of the hot slide of skin on skin. The feel of that lean body moving against him… in him. Kakashi shook himself out of his reverie as Iruka touched his arm. "How about here?"

Kakashi knew he was flushed, but hoped the mask hid the color in his cheeks from sight. "Fine." He mumbled.

Iruka chuckled and somehow Kakashi knew that the chuunin knew what he was thinking. The restaurant was small and dark and the woman at the counter had the look of a retired kunoichi. She smiled at them and waved them to a table with a hand that had only the thumb and two fingers. "Hello, Iruka-san! It's been a long time. How are you?" She greeted Iruka warmly.

Iruka grinned back at her as they took seats and set their bags on the floor by their feet. "Better all the time, Chiyoko-san. How are you?"

Her smile was radiant. She rested her maimed hand against her belly. "As you said, better all the time."

Iruka's smile grew another inch or so. "That's wonderful. You must be thrilled."

She beamed. "Oh, yes. And I can't stop Kenichi from telling everyone we see. He's started redecorating the spare room already." She handed them menus and set glasses of water on the table. "And you? Are you ever planning on having any of your own? You'd be a wonderful father."

Iruka shot Kakashi a sideways glance. "I doubt it, Chiyoko-san. I have more than enough children every day to need any of my own."

She sighed, and patted his shoulder. "Whatever you say, Iruka-san. So is there anyone special in your life, besides Naruto?"

Iruka's eyes slid to Kakashi and he smiled softly. "Oh, I think there could be."

The kunoichi laughed. "That's wonderful. I'm glad for you. Oh, here I am nattering and you haven't even opened your menus yet." She hurried off.

Kakashi opened his menu, but the words printed on it didn't even register. He was watching the chuunin over the top, mulling over the conversation with the woman. He thinks there could be? What the hell? Did Iruka think he…?

Iruka smiled and caught his eye. "Don't think so hard, Kakashi-san. I can smell the smoke from here. We're just here to get something to eat."

Kakashi frowned at his menu. Did Iruka like him? Was that what this was all about?

Tanned fingers gripped the edge of the menu and tugged it down until they were eye to eye again. "You're doing it again. And yes, it was you I was talking about."

Kakashi spent the rest of the meal in a daze, pondering the implications of what Iruka had just said. When they were done eating, (Kakashi doing so automatically and Iruka keeping his eyes fixed on his plate) Iruka led him back out into the evening air. The wind had picked up with the setting of the sun and it was quite cold.

"Kakashi-san?" Iruka's voice was soft. "Did you want to wrap those now or later? I told you, I have wrapping paper you can borrow."

Kakashi slowly looked up. "Now."

Iruka looked away and nodded. He led the way back to his apartment. When they were inside, Iruka toed off his sandals and stepped out of Kakashi's way.

Kakashi took a deep breath, decision made. He reached up to tug down his mask. Gentle hands stopped him. "No." Iruka said, brown eyes sparkling at him. He leaned in and softly kissed the end of Kakashi's nose through the dark fabric. "I'm patient. I'll wait to unwrap my gift."