Title: I'm Home for Christmas
Prompt: Gift Exchange
Author: Kita
Rating: PG

Remind me not to try this again... (cradles abused fingers)

Iruka sighed and leaned against Kakashi, tired and happy. The boys had finally fallen asleep, sprawled on the futon in front of the small fire. "I'm glad they took it so well."

Kakashi chuckled warmly. "If you call Naruto having a twenty minute spaz in which he couldn't speak a sensible word and Sasuke looking like he had swallowed a live fish taking it well, then yes."

Iruka smiled. "It could have been worse and you know it."

"I know."

Iruka nuzzled Kakashi's shoulder. "I can't remember when I've had this good a holiday. Not since my parents died."

Kakashi sighed. "I can't remember a holiday I've ever enjoyed."

He felt Iruka smile against his skin. "We'll have to make sure you enjoy them from now on."

"Now that I have a reason to."

The smile Iruka gave him was dazzling.

They sat there for a while longer, simply enjoying each other's presence and their rather unorthodox family. Finally Iruka rose and pulled out the bag of stocking stuffers. He took down the stockings and sat back on the couch. "Here. You put the candy in each of them while I sort the rest of the stocking stuffers out."

They sat in companionable silence, filling the four stockings and then Iruka rose to hang them back up. He held out his hand to Kakashi. "Shall we go to bed? I have a feeling that they'll both be up as soon as the sun is."

Kakashi took his hand.

Iruka's prediction proved true. Naruto bounded into the room before the sky had even fully brightened with dawn. He sprang onto the bed and bounced. Iruka had to restrain Kakashi from throwing a kunai at him. "We're up. You and Sasuke can get the stockings down while we come out. We'll be there in just a moment."

Kakashi grumbled as the irrepressible ball of energy that was Naruto launched himself back out into the living room. Iruka just chuckled at him and tugged his mask down for a quick brush of lips. "We'd better get up before the two of them destroy everything in impatience."

"Sasuke?" Kakashi's voice was full of disbelief.

Iruka smiled and tugged him toward the door. "Look." He opened the door a bare crack. Sasuke was sitting cross-legged on the futon, with his stocking in his lap. To the untrained eye, it looked like he was waiting patiently, but Kakashi could see the tension in his frame and the slight way his foot jittered. Iruka's voice was warm against his neck. "He hides it well, but he's still enough of a child to be impatient."

Kakashi nodded and let Iruka herd him out into the living room.

"Finally!" Naruto sprang up from where he had been cradling his own stocking. "Hurry up, Iruka-sensei; Kakashi-sensei!"

Iruka let Naruto tug them to the couch, where their own stockings had been placed. When they were settled, he all but dived after his own. Iruka smiled at Sasuke. "Go ahead."

For a moment, Sasuke looked like a child again, not the mini-avenger he was; gleefully pulling things out of the red felt stocking. His eyes lit up at the candy and he was the first to pop a chocolate into his mouth. Iruka picked up a wrapped parcel that had been stuffed haphazardly into the top of his stocking and saw Naruto's eyes light up. Schooling his face, he ripped the wrapping paper off of it. It was a horrible thing of blue glaze and green, a misshapen lump he supposed was intended to be a dolphin. It looked nothing like the sea-creature; resembling nothing so much as a kiln accident.

"Thank you," He told Naruto with a smile that didn't look too forced. He wasn't going to lose this year.

Naruto frowned and went back to investigating his stocking. When he had opened two smaller packages, he pulled out the fateful gift. His face wrinkled into a dismayed frown as he ripped off the paper and opened the box. "Wha…?"

Iruka chuckled as Naruto held up the ghastly purple and orange and lemon-yellow figure of a demented looking frog holding a fishing pole. "My win. That mean he goes on your bookshelves for the world to see."

"Iruka-sensei…" Naruto grumped, but set the statue down carefully next to the fireplace.

After they had opened everything in their stockings, Naruto all but dived under the tree to hand out gifts. "Me. Iruka-sensei. Kakashi-sensei. Iruka-sensei. Sasuke-teme. Me…"

When all the gifts had been handed out, wrapping paper flew. Kakashi noted with satisfaction that Sasuke's eyes had softened as he had opened the book and ran gentle fingers over the lush watercolor illustrations inside. Naruto had exclaimed loudly over his ramen bowl and the set of coupons for Ichiraku's that Iruka had given him as well. Iruka's smile as he opened his paperweight was all that Kakashi could have asked for. Iruka leaned over and kissed him firmly through the mask, grinning.

"It goes on my desk as soon as I go back to work." He told Kakashi softly, ignoring the stares of the two teens.

Kakashi opened a box from Iruka to discover a signed poster from the upcoming Icha-Icha movie. It had been signed by the lead actors and Jiraiya. He gave Iruka a look that promised a good molesting later and watched with delight as red bloomed across the scarred nose.

After everything had been opened and exclaimed over, Iruka had corralled Naruto into helping him gather up the wrapping paper, while Kakashi and Sasuke got dressed. When Naruto was dressed too, he sent them out to deliver their gifts to Sakura while he started cooking. By the time they got back, he was mostly done. He handed Naruto a stack of plates and cups and Sasuke a handful of silverware and napkins and set the boys to setting the table. He pulled Kakashi aside and told him to summon the pack.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Flushing slightly, Iruka explained. "I've watched how you treat your pack when you didn't think anyone was watching. They're as much a part of your family as your students. Besides, they deserve a treat after what you put them through with my kids."

Chastised, Kakashi bit his thumb and formed the seals to summon his whole pack. When all eight of them appeared, regarding Iruka curiously, the chuunin pointed toward huge bowls of chopped meat. "Merry Christmas."

They looked uncertainly toward Kakashi until he waved them toward the bowls. "What are you waiting for? Written invitations?"

Iruka went down with a squeak to rival Sasuke's as he was mobbed by the pack. When he had been personally slobbered on by each and every one of the ninken, Kakashi tugged him back to his feet and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. "Guess it's official now."

Still wiping his face, Iruka shot him a curious glance. "Mmm?"

Kakashi smiled and pressed a kiss to the nape of Iruka's neck. "You're pack now. You're never getting rid of us now."