25 days of Winter Cheer
Stockings hung with care
Prompt: The real way to a man's heart is through his dogs
Iruka stood by the mantle scratching his head in thought, as Kakashi watched in amusement. It wasn't often that Iruka showed visible signs of confusion or being unsure, but when he was like this Kakashi loved to watch the face of his lover scrunch up oddly with each new idea.
This time Kakashi had no idea what the Chunin was contemplating, but he continued to watch in silence waiting for his favorite face. Just then an idea struck Iruka, as his face changed from the scrunched up annoyance, to excitement. The pony tailed man leaned down, shuffling through the box at his side pulling out a stack of stockings.
The first hung was his own, placed on the edge of the mantle with a small nail that had already been there, having ignored Kakashi's suggestion of a kunai a few years prior. Iruka walked to the opposing side placing Kakashi's on the end as well.
Iruka then went down the line placing a set of paw print stockings between their two, eight in total, each adoring the name of one of Kakashi's ninken. Once he was finished, Iruka stepped back smiling in pure joy, the face that Kakashi couldn't wait to see.
At that moment he jumped up from his observational spot on the couch and hugged his lover from behind.
"When'd you get all of those?" Kakashi asked about the new additions to the mantle.
"I found them on sale after Christmas last year," Iruka replied, "I thought the ninken deserved a treat from Santa this year. They're usually pretty good, and they help keep you safe, so that's always good in my book."
Kakashi smiled, Iruka turning around in his arms to hug the man back.
"Well I'd say they already love you, but this will just cement it in their brains that you're better than me." Kakashi pouted, letting his lover kiss it away.
"I don't know about that, you'll always be their master."
"I guess, but thanks for thinking of them." He replied smiling softly.
Kakashi leaned down to capture the lips of his Iruka, before they sat down, cuddling on the couch.
AN: My family has the paw stockings for our cats, but they work for dogs equally.