Teach Me To Love You

Title: Teach Me To Love You
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: KakashixIruka
Rating: T for now, will go up
Summary: Kakashi had never been anything else than what had been expected of him. And nobody had ever expected him to be human. So how could Iruka even want to be near him? How could he say he loved him?
Spoilers: Spoilers for Kakashi Gaiden and very slight ones for the events before the time-skip.
Status: Chapter 2 of ?
Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I
do not make any money from the writing of this story.


AN1:
I’m sorry for the long delay, I had this chapter finished already a week ago but things happened and I didn’t find the time to get it up. I promise I’ll try to be a better Nayru with the next one.

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Teach Me To Love You
by nayru-kleinefee


Chapter 2 – But wouldn’t weapons show that I care?

Kakashi watched Iruka move in the kitchen and make pancakes while he thought about how the Chuunin had already changed his life. Before Iruka, he’d never slept so close to another person, never even wanted to be this close at all, and he’d also never had breakfast with anybody after waking up right beside them. And he’d never felt the wish to feel before. Or at least never realised it.

He’d also never before been so frightened.

“Would you like apples in your pancakes?”, Iruka asked.

“I…” Kakashi frowned and looked at his back, once again marveling about how easy, how trusting and carefree Iruka was while being around him. “I don’t know. I never had pancakes with apples.” But apples… apples were alright, healthy, easy to find and nutritious. Good shinobi food. He often ate apples.

“Oh, apple pancakes are good.” The Chuunin turned towards him and smiled. “But if you want, I also have cinnamon. Or syrup. Or you could have all of it at once. Naruto always does that, it’s a huge mess but he says it’s good.” The smile became even warmer, brighter.

“You know…” Kakashi bit his lower lip. “I never had pancakes with cinnamon or syrup either.” Cinnamon and syrup weren’t what a shinobi was supposed to eat to stay in shape, he guessed. That and he didn’t really trust Naruto’s taste. That kid ate chicken ramen with strawberry jam, he’d seen it.

“Not?” Iruka frowned. “Then you want them without anything?”

“No, I…” The Jounin looked down at his hands. “I never had pancakes at all.” He could feel himself blush in embarrassment although he wasn’t sure why never having eaten pancakes was something to be embarrassed about. But luckily his mask covered it.

“You… Never?”, he heard Iruka ask incredulously.

“M-mh.” Kakashi shook his head. Pancakes were for humans, for living, feeling humans, not for shinobi.

“Then you will have some with apples and syrup and cinnamon now”, Iruka declared. “And maybe I even have some of Naruto’s chocolate syrup left somewhere. Or jam. And I won’t let you stand up from that table again before you haven’t at least tried everything. Oh, and I will make vanilla sauce for you, too.”

Kakashi looked up at him in surprise to see the Chuunin smile at him gently. “Yes, please”, he whispered.

Pancakes. Pancakes were for humans. And Iruka would help him to become one.

*****

“It’s weird”, Iruka whispered.

“Hm?”, Kakashi questioned and looked up at the Chuunin’s back from his empty plate he’d just taken the last bite of pancake from. They had been great. He’d never known that something as good as apple pancakes even existed. And apple pancakes with vanilla sauce. So, so, sooo good! Maybe, if he was really good, Iruka would make them more often for him? He very much hoped so.

“It’s weird”, the Chuunin repeated without turning around. “I’m a teacher, and I thought about it for nearly an hour now, but still I don’t know how I shall teach you how to love me.”

“Do you mean… that you can’t do it?”, Kakashi whispered sadly. But he wanted it. He wanted to know how it was to be human and to feel and to love. He wanted… he wanted to have apple pancakes and vanilla sauce and everything else that came with being a human.

“I don’t know.” Iruka turned around very slowly and only looked at him after the Copy-nin had quickly pulled up his mask again. “It’s different from everything else I have taught yet. It’s… it’s so very different from anything before and so much more important to me personally. And I’m a little afraid that I might not be able to do it although I want it so much.”

“But you will try?”, Kakashi asked hopefully.

“Yes.” Iruka smiled at him. “I will try my best. You probably can’t imagine what it means to me to be able to try and make you love me. I just don’t exactly know how to do it.” He sighed. “But I think that maybe it would be a good start to… to…” The Chuunin bit his lower lip.

“Yes?” Kakashi would do anything if it gave him the chance to change. He didn’t want to fade anymore, wanted to live finally.

“I thought that… that maybe we should have a relationship, you know”, Iruka whispered and blushed deeply. “I mean, not a real relationship, but… No. I mean, still a real relationship because it will be real if we both want to love each other, but… but without anything physical at the beginning. Just… just being together and getting to know each other better and… and trying to make you love me.”

“A relationship?” Kakashi had never had a relationship. But then, relationships were for humans, just like pancakes, and he wanted to become human. There was only one thing… “Can I sleep here if we have a relationship? In your bed? Next to you?”

“Sleep here?” Iruka blushed softly. “If… if you want…”

“Then it’s okay.” As long as he could sleep next to Iruka.

“Okay?” Iruka smiled hesitantly at first, then more confidently. “Okay.” He nodded.

“Okay.” Kakashi looked at the Chuunin, then at his hands. He had a relationship with Iruka now, a real relationship. He didn’t feel different though, but maybe that would come later. For now, he had a relationship.

“It’s rather awkward, isn’t it?”, Iruka murmured. “I mean… to start it by negotiating the terms almost.”

“Don’t relationships normally start like that?”, Kakashi asked. “If you allow somebody to come close to you, don’t you necessarily have to make sure both know what’s alright and what isn’t?” He would do it like that, but that probably was the shinobi way, not the human way.

“Oh.” He could see Iruka frown deeply. “I think you’re right, Kakashi.” The Chuunin smiled broadly. “Yes. Yes, you’re right.”

“Yes?!” The Jounin’s eyes widened in surprise. He had been right? About something human?!

“Yes.” Iruka grinned. “It seems I’m a better teacher than I thought. Or it’s just that you’re the genius you’re supposed to be.” He turned around to the stove. “Do you want more pancakes?”

“Yes, please. With apples. And vanilla sauce.” Kakashi tried a small smile under his mask, imitating the Chuunin. Not a bright, don’t-annoy-me or I-try-to-annoy-you smile but a small, honest, warm smile like Iruka’s. It felt a little unusual to do so, but it was okay. And he had a relationship, he’d understood something human and he would get even more apple pancakes. Becoming human was quite nice.

***** ***** *****

Being shinobi sometimes sucked.

Kakashi couldn’t help but scowl darkly while he limped his way towards the Hokage Tower to hand in his mission report. He’d taken down five missing nin on his own, on a mission which’s information had made him expect at most two. Numbers one to three hadn’t been a huge problem, at least not in the terms of missing nin, and number four had just managed to get a little cut on his arm, but number five had surprised him and almost ripped his leg off with an earth jutsu before he’d been able to take her down. That he’d been able to copy the jutsu was only a small comfort for his slightly mangled leg.

But now that he was back finally, he would have time to spend with Iruka on becoming human. He wasn’t sure whether to count the three days spent on the mission to the time of their relationship, but if that was the case, then he had a relationship for three and a half days already. Wow…

“Report Hatake Kakashi”, he greeted the Hokage the moment he entered her office, then summed up the events of his mission before he just stood there and let her heal his worst injuries.

Was it allowed to visit one’s… relationship partner? Boyfriend? Intended lover? Well, was he allowed to visit Iruka in the middle of the night when just back from a mission? The next day, or more the actual day was a Sunday if he wasn’t mistaken, so Iruka didn’t have work. And he hadn’t slept at all on the mission. And he really, really wanted to sleep next to the Chuunin and maybe even get apple pancakes for breakfast. But was that allowed? It was rather late, or early already. And he was quite dirty. And smelly. But he really would have liked apple pancakes…

“Alright. Now take these pills to help your chakra refill itself, then go and get some sleep”, Tsunade ordered. “You’ve lost quite a lot of blood, your chakra’s dangerously low and you look like shit.”

“I don’t need pills.” Kakashi eyed them suspiciously. He rather stayed undrugged. The room was spinning enough already.

“Pills or hospital.”

“Pills.” He took them and swallowed them dry, his movements too fast for Tsunade to catch a glimpse at his face.

“You’ll take tomorrow off. The pills will make you rather dizzy”, she ordered.

“Yes, Hokage-sama”, Kakashi answered absentmindedly, then turned around and slowly walked out of the office, feeling himself sway slightly from drugs, exhaustion and chakra depletion. Maybe he shouldn’t wake Iruka in the middle of the night. It wasn’t particularly nice to do such a thing. And maybe he would be able to sleep without the Chuunin next to him. Oh, he was sooo tired… But still… apple pancakes…

Kakashi sighed. He wished he could have asked Iruka how to behave if a mission took him out of the village and back in the middle of the night. But the mission had been urgent and therefore he’d just barely had the time to tell the Chuunin that he had had to leave. Although he would have preferred to stay in the village and learn more about being human from Iruka. But how should he do that if missions kept taking his time? And what if Iruka decided one day that it took too long and just stopped trying to teach him?

Kakashi stopped dead in his steps. He couldn’t let that happen!

Decision made, the Jounin let the seals for a transportation jutsu follow immediately, even if it took the last remains of his chakra reserves. “Yo.”

“Gah! Hatake!” Tsunade jumped. “Are you nuts?! You can’t just jutsu into my office!”

“I can’t take any missions in the next time”, Kakashi told her. He was distinctly aware that it would have been politer and therefore more human if he had apologised for surprising her first, but politeness wasn’t easy to understand for him. He would ask Iruka to help him with that matter later. When the ground wouldn’t sway that much anymore.

“No missions? Why not?” Tsunade eyed him suspiciously. “Are your injuries worse than I thought? Or are you sick? Your file says the last time you didn’t want any missions was when you had two broken legs and a fractured skull.”

“I have a relationship now”, Kakashi told her proudly, hearing his voice sound a little muffled and strange in his ears. “With Iruka. And he made me apple pancakes.” Mmmmh… apple pancakes…

“That’s… really nice”, the Sannin said slowly. “Are you sure you aren’t sick?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” Kakashi nodded but stopped immediately when it made him even dizzier. “I just need time to learn how to love Iruka.” And he couldn’t risk that the Chuunin lost patience with him and stopped making him human.

“Ooookay…” Tsunade slowly inched back in her chair. “Does Iruka-sensei know about that?”

“But sure.” The Copy-nin frowned. “How should we have negotiated the terms otherwise?” Didn’t she know anything about relationships? No wonder Jiraiya didn’t dare to ask her out…

“Riiight…” Tsunade stood up from her chair and walked towards the door, keeping her back to the wall and her eyes on Kakashi. “Shizune? Shizune?!”

“Yes, Tsunade-sama?” Her assistant poked her head inside. “What happened?”

“Could you please go and check on Iruka-sensei right now? Just… just make sure he isn’t… tied up on his bed or something? And ask him if he had any… incidents with Hatake Kakashi in the last time?”

“Three and a half days”, Kakashi told her, but to his greatest confusion the two women didn’t seem impressed. “More like three and three quarters days?”, he tried again but only got two shocked stares in return. Maybe one didn’t count the time spent away from the other to the relationship then… This was so complicated.

“Hurry!”, Tsunade advised her assistant.

“Right.” Shizune nodded and ran off.

“Okay, Kakashi”, the Sannin said slowly. “I want you to stay exactly where you are, do you understand? I don’t want to have to call my ANBU here, alright?”

“But I want apple pancakes”, Kakashi murmured. Why was Shizune allowed to visit Iruka in the middle of the night while he had to stay here with her and her ANBU? He was the one having a relationship with the Chuunin, so didn’t that mean that he should be the one to visit him? And what if Shizune ate all his-

“You will get apple pancakes”, Tsunade assured, then muttered, “Or a nice padded cell…”

“Apple pancakes”, Kakashi insisted. “With vanilla sauce.” He didn’t want a padded cell, he wanted apple pancakes. “Can I go and ask Iruka to make some for me?” He made a step towards the door, but then stumbled suddenly and almost fell, catching himself in the last moment on the Hokage’s desk.

“Alright. Sit down before you kill yourself.” Tsunade sighed. “And tell me what this is all about.”

“I have a relationship with Iruka”, Kakashi told her while he carefully sat down on a rather bucking chair. “He helps me to become human. He teaches me to love him.”

The Sannin sighed and shook her head. “Kakashi, what did he say to that?”

“He said that he wants to teach me.” The Copy-nin blinked when his eye threatened to close on its own. “And he says that he loves me although I don’t understand how he can do that.”

Tsunade frowned. “You don’t understand that?”

“M-mh.” Kakashi slowly shook his head. “I’m shinobi. I’m not here to be loved. But still he says he does.” He noticed that he still shook his head and stopped. “I want to learn how to have emotions. I don’t want to fade anymore.”

“And Iruka-sensei said that he wants to help you? And that he loves you?” The Sannin’s voice suddenly was gentler than Kakashi had ever heard, but that were probably the drugs, he decided.

“M-hm.” He nodded. “But if I have to go on missions very often, maybe he someday won’t want it anymore. Maybe he’ll stop loving me then. I don’t want that. I want him to teach me.”

“I understand.” Tsunade smiled softly at him. “And I will not send you on missions anymore unless it’s very urgent, alright? I’ll just give you all the free days you’ve never taken in your life. But only if you promise to do your best and try to learn how to love Iruka-sensei.”

“Alright.” Kakashi nodded, then looked up when the door opened. The sight that greeted him was rather unusual, granted, but it still instantly calmed his nerves.

“Tsunade-sama?”, Iruka gasped when he hurried inside the room, with his hair unbound and only dressed in a t-shirt, some boxers and an open bathrobe. “Shizune-san said that Kakashi’s here? Why do you want to see me? Is he-” He broke off when he caught sight of the Copy-nin, then immediately flew to his side. “Kakashi! How do you feel?”

“Tired”, the Jounin murmured. “I-” When Iruka suddenly wrapped his arms around him, he gasped a little, but other than that stayed still. His mind screamed to push the Chuunin away, that he wouldn’t be able to defend himself in his weakened state, but his exhausted body just let it happen. And it felt quite warm to have Iruka close, nice…

“I’m so happy that you’re back”, Iruka whispered. “I was worried.”

“Were only five…”, Kakashi told him. “No problem…”

“Oh, you stupid…” Iruka released him and straightened up. “I don’t care if they were alone or five or fifty. I was worried about you.” He smiled softly. “I’m so glad that you’re back.”

“Then you will make apple pancakes for me?”, Kakashi asked hopefully.

“Apple pancakes?” Iruka laughed. “If you want that.”

“He didn’t think of anything else”, Tsunade said. “Oh, except for that he has to learn how to love you fast to make sure that you don’t stop loving him first.”

“I want to become human”, Kakashi whispered. And apple pancakes.

“Oh, Kakashi.” Iruka crouched down next to his chair and took one of his hands. “You don’t have to worry that I will stop loving you, alright? That won’t happen.”

“Okay.” Kakashi sighed in relief. “I even took a leave to have more time to learn.” He tried a tentative Iruka-smile, an I-mean-it smile, noticing that it was easier than the last time already.

“Really?”, Iruka asked and smiled back.

“Really”, Tsunade told him. “And I want you to do your best to teach him, sensei.” She grinned. “It’s about time the brat finally gets something good in his life.”

“Oh.” Iruka blushed. “I… I will.”

“And make me apple pancakes?”, Kakashi inquired softly. “Tomorrow? No, today? For breakfast?”

“Yes.” The Chuunin smiled. “I will make you apple pancakes. With vanilla sauce. And if you want, I will also make you waffles and muffins and chocolate cake and anything else you want.”

“M-hm.” Kakashi nodded. He’d never had waffles or muffins or chocolate cake before. But if they were anything like apple pancakes, he would make sure to not miss any of them.

***** ***** *****

Iruka looked younger when he slept, much younger. And more vulnerable, but not in a defenseless way. Only… more fragile somehow. And peaceful. Kakashi found that he liked to look at him.

Well, he would have liked to sleep more, too, but somehow he couldn’t anymore. He’d had… hmmm… seven hours of sleep in a row and now he was wide awake. He’d never had this before. He always had needed at least twelve hours of sleep each night, or not sleep, no, more time to try to sleep, then sleep a little, then wake up and then try to sleep again and convince himself that the horrible things he’d seen had only been a dream. But now he slept next to Iruka, he only had to close his eyes and then he could sleep for hours.

And watching Iruka while he slept was good, too. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so… calm.

***** ***** *****

“Hey, Kakashi!”

Kakashi stopped in his walk to the mission room and instead took a step back and looked into the Hokage’s office. He really wondered what she could want from him. He had been about to visit Iruka and see whether the Chuunin had time to explain something to him that he’d been wondering about for quite some time by now.

Why the snorg were those little hearts on everything people gave to each other shaped like they were? They didn’t even remotely look like real hearts. And he knew that for sure, having seen quite a share of them over the years.

“Come in, Kakashi. Have a cup of tea with me.”

“Thank you, Tsunade-sama”, he answered and entered, then closed the door behind himself before he sat down in front of her. Then he quickly jumped up again, bowed and sat back down. Yes, he’d been practicing politeness with Iruka. He still didn’t quite grasp why people considered it important, but he could do polite, no problem.

“So, how did you like the waffles?”, the Sannin asked, smirking, while she handed him a small cup with steaming tea.

“They were good. And the muffins, too. And the chocolate cake.” Kakashi took a careful sip through his mask, but to his relief the tea wasn’t spiked with anything. Although he wasn’t so sure about the Hokage’s cup…

“Better than apple pancakes?” Tsunade was grinning broadly by now.

“No.” Kakashi shook his head. Nothing could be better than apple pancakes, he was absolutely sure about that. Even without vanilla sauce. Or no. Especially without vanilla sauce. Vanilla sauce was good, all sweet and yummy, but it overwhelmed the taste of the apple pancakes too much, he’d found. So apple pancakes without anything were best ever.

“I see.” The Sannin’s grin grew even broader. “And what did you do to thank Iruka-sensei for all that?”

Kakashi looked at her unsurely. “What… what am I supposed to do?” Had he done something wrong? Maybe even disappointed Iruka? Made him sad?

“You didn’t do anything?”, Tsunade asked, then shook her head. “You can call yourself lucky that Iruka-sensei is too nice than to kick you out for being such a lazy ass.”

“I don’t want him to kick me out”, Kakashi assured. “What should I have done? And can I still do it?” He didn’t want Iruka to be angry or sad.

Tsunade sighed but smiled again. “You’re hopeless. Just pray that Iruka-sensei’s as patient as he seems to be.”

“Do you think he’ll lose patience with me?”, Kakashi asked softly.

“No, you baka.” The Sannin snorted. “Lucky baka. But make sure to show him that you are grateful for his efforts sometimes, alright? And not only on anniversaries. Which I hope you’ll have very much of, just so you know.”

“And how?” Anniversaries? Now what was that again?

“Kakashi…” Another sigh. “Don’t you know anything? Give him a present or something. Something nice. Chocolates for example.”

“Chocolates?”, Kakashi asked incredulously but then remembered having seen Sakura giving some to Sasuke one day. Or trying rather. He cringed at the memory.

“Baka”, Tsunade repeated. “Go and find something to make Iruka-sensei happy, alright?”

“But what?” Kakashi frowned. Maybe he could give Iruka some new wea-

“And no weapons or any other ninja supplies”, Tsunade said sternly.

“Not?” The Jounin tried not to look too sheepish.

“Not. The presents I’m talking about are… are things that aren’t really necessary. You know, things that… that just show that you care.”

“But wouldn’t weapons show that I care?”, Kakashi asked. After all, he wanted Iruka to be safe. And weapons would ensure that. Or medi-kits.

“You still have much to learn.” Tsunade shook her head but smiled. “Find something that’s nice and makes Iruka-sensei happy. Something that he doesn’t get every day and that’s… well…” She shrugged. “Luxury.”

“Luxury?” Kakashi doubted that Iruka was a person who liked luxury. It somehow didn’t seem to fit.

“Hatake”, Tsunade growled. “You drive me crazy, you know that?” She sighed. “Okay, listen. Think of something nice to give to Iruka-sensei, and if you don’t find anything else, buy him some chocolates. That’s not very inventive, but it at least shows that you try. Alright?”

“Alright.” Kakashi nodded. He would make Iruka happy somehow, he just needed to figure out how exactly, but that couldn’t be that hard, now could it?

*****

A stuff bear? Mmmh… No. Too… too stuffy and bear-y. Iruka didn’t need anything like that, especially if he was supposed have it in his bed like the girl on that poster. Iruka shouldn’t have anything in his bed that could take away the space for Kakashi.

A set of marbles? Maybe, but… No, they were too roll-around-y. Despite being a shinobi, Iruka could have a very, very, very bad day and trip over them and fall and then hurt himself in case Kakashi wasn’t there to catch him. Iruka shouldn’t be hurt, never.

A cactus? Maybe that small one there? Hmmm… But no, Iruka could get pricked and then the thorns would stay in his skin and hurt him and he wouldn’t be happy. And Iruka should be happy.

Oh, that set of shuriken looked handy. Maybe- No, Tsunade had said no weapons. … But still… Maybe the next time. To make sure that Iruka had something to defend himself. Yes. Next time some shuriken and some small kunai and a medi-kit and- oh, better two medi-kits, just in case, and-

Oh, what was that? Oh, one of those, that was nice. Maybe Iruka would like it? But what if he didn’t?

*****

“Iruka?”

“Kakashi.” The Chuunin turned towards the window and immediately smiled gently. “Come in, please.”

“Thank you.” Kakashi quickly shed his shoes, then reached behind him and took his present from where he’d hung it on his belt. “Iruka?”

“Yes?”

“I… I have something. For you.” Kakashi held out the large bag of chocolates he’d chosen at last.

“Chocolates?” Iruka took the present, smiling. “And so many? Kakashi, you shouldn’t have.”

“Then… then you don’t like them?” A cold hand of disappointment seemed to grab the Jounin’s heart.

“No, that’s not it.” Iruka opened the bag carefully. “I’m sure I’ll like them. What’s in them?”

“Chocolate nut cream.” The shop owner had said that those chocolates were his top sellers.

“Oh.” Iruka’s face fell.

“Iruka?”, Kakashi asked, slightly concerned.

“I… I’m sorry, Kakashi.” Iruka took a deep breath. “I… you know… I don’t really like chocolate nut cream. It’s a matter of consistence, I think.”

“Oh.” Kakashi looked at the Chuunin, then at the bag of chocolates in his hand, and then to the floor. He’d done it wrong, had done everything wrong. But he’d tried so hard, so very hard to find something to make Iruka happy. He’d wandered through the whole village to find something and nothing had been good enough and he’d been so confused about everything.

“I’m so, so sorry, Kakashi.” Iruka took a step forward and embraced him. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’ve done it wrong.” Kakashi tried to relax at the touch but found that it was hard, even harder than usual. “But I tried. I really tried.”

“I know, Kakashi.” Iruka rubbed his back gently. “I know. And I can try them, that’s okay. Maybe this kind of chocolate nut cream is more my taste than the kind I had before.”

“I should have given you the stone”, Kakashi whispered but then shook his head. “But that would have been even worse, wouldn’t it?”, he murmured bitterly. Who had ever heard about giving a stone as a present, now really?

“A stone?”

“Yes.” Kakashi sighed. “I found it today.” But it was useless, just as useless as those stupid, damn chocolates. Useless as all his pathetic efforts to understand and make Iruka happy and become human.

“And… you wanted to give it to me?”

“M-hm. It has a hole in it, you know.” Kakashi sighed once again in defeat and freed himself from the Chuunin’s arms before he dag in his pockets for the stone he’d found. “It also has a line on it. I thought it looked like your scar.”

“The one on my nose?”, Iruka asked, a smile in his voice.

“Yes. Ah, here it is.” Kakashi took out the stone. It wasn’t big, only about the size of the first part of his thumb, and had a light, sand-like colour. The line on it was grey, almost white, and the small hole almost in the middle.

“It’s nice.” Iruka took it, smiling, and turned it between his fingers. “Are you collecting stones with holes?”

“No. Yes. Well, not really.” Kakashi shrugged. “I pick them up when I see them, but then I somehow lose them again. Don’t know. I’m not good at keeping things.”

“But I am.” Iruka smiled broader. “What about you give me the stones you find and I collect them for you?”

“You want that?” Kakashi couldn’t help but smile back. “That would be nice.”

“I know.” Iruka grinned. “And like that, we will have something just for the two of us.” He leaned forward and gently embraced the Copy-nin. “And they all will be wonderful, perfect presents, Kakashi, because each of them will show me that you think of me.”

“Hm?” Kakashi frowned, but then understood. Or at least was rather sure that he did. “Oh. Then the stone would have been a better present than the chocolates?”

“It doesn’t really matter what you give me, Kakashi”, Iruka whispered. “But right now, the stone was a better present than the chocolates. But only because I know that there’ll be more stones.”

“O… kay…” Kakashi didn’t really understand that. But Iruka was happy, and that was all that counted. He would try to make Iruka happy as often as possible.

***** ***** *****

“Kurenai?”

Kakashi stopped when he heard Asuma’s voice around a corner. And Kurenai seemed to be there, too. Now that was handy. He could ask them if they knew something he could make Iruka happy with. And smile.

“Asuma”, he heard Kurenai answer when he turned around the corner. “How nice to see you.”

“It’s nice to see you, too”, the bearded Jounin answered, then seemed to… fidget on his place.

Kakashi frowned, unnoticed by them. Something seemed to be wrong.

“Kurenai…” Asuma took a deep breath. “You look very pretty today.”

Kakashi frowned deeper. Now what was that about? Kurenai looked just as on every other day.

“Oh”, the kunoichi breathed and blushed, then smiled softly. “Thank you, Asuma.”

“Eh… Hehe…” Asuma blushed and scratched his head.

Kakashi quietly turned around and walked away. Now that… Asuma had told Kurenai that she looked pretty and she had smiled. He would have to think about that.

*****

“Iruka?”

“Yes, Kakashi?”

“Iruka, you…” Kakashi took a deep breath. “You look very pretty today.” Hey, that hadn’t been that hard.

“I… pretty?”, the Chuunin asked in disbelief.

“Yes?”, Kakashi tried carefully. Shouldn’t Iruka be blushing and smiling now?

“Pretty?”

“Not?” Uh-oh, this wasn’t going as planned. But why not? He’d done everything just like Asuma, so why didn’t it work? Was there some secret behind it? Some kind of trick maybe?

“Kakashi, I’m a man.”

“I know.” Kakashi frowned. Now that was obvious.

“And still you think I’m pretty?”

“I… I…” Kakashi sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Kakashi, why… Kakashi.” Iruka shook his head. “No, Kakashi, I am sorry. What… How I reacted. It wasn’t right. Sorry.”

“Okay?” Kakashi was completely confused now.

“It’s just that I’m not used to being called ‘pretty’, you know.” Iruka shrugged, but then smiled. “But thank you very much for the compliment.”

“But you don’t want me to call you ‘pretty’”, Kakashi guessed.

“Well, it’s… it’s… Normally, women are called ‘pretty’, you know.”

“Oh.” Kakashi frowned. “Oh. That’s why it worked on Kurenai.”

“On Kure-” Iruka broke off and the Jounin could see his expression change from confused to angry to sad in a matter of seconds. “Did you tell Kurenai that she was pretty?”, he asked softly and turned his head away.

“No!” Kakashi shook his head vigorously. “Asuma did. I only heard it.” Kurenai wasn’t pretty! She was… she was Kurenai, just that.

“Oh”, Iruka breathed. “And… and then you…”

“I saw that she… she liked it, you know. She was smiling and blushing.” Kakashi bit his lower lip under his mask. “And then I thought that if I said it to you, you would smile, too…”

“You wanted to make me smile?”, Iruka asked softly.

“M-hm.” Kakashi nodded. “I like it when you smile.” Seeing Iruka smile always made something inside him… change. It seemed to make some of his tension vanish to know that Iruka was smiling only for him because of something he had done.

“Thank you, Kakashi.” Iruka smiled at him. “That’s wonderful of you.” He made a step forward and took the front of the Jounin’s vest with both his hands before he closed the space between them and placed his head on his shoulder. “I love you.”

“I… I like it when you smile”, Kakashi repeated, not knowing what to say else. He carefully wrapped his arms around the Chuunin and stroked over his back but held his uncovered eye on the open window. It wasn’t easy but he would stay like this as long as Iruka wanted. And maybe Iruka would smile for him again then.

*****

“Iruka. Iruka.” Kakashi sighed. “Okay, it’s fine now, I got it. You can stop laughing now.”

Iruka didn’t look as if he wanted to stop. In fact, he didn’t even seem to be able to stop.

“Iruka, I understand it, alright?” Kakashi was starting to get a little bit miffed by now. Although he had to admit that it felt good to see Iruka laugh so whole-heartedly.

“Al… al… alr-right…”, Iruka gasped, choking back more laughter. “I- I- I w-will stop n-now.”

“I don’t think it’s that funny.”

“It i-hiisss…” Iruka squeezed his eyes and mouth shut, trembling.

“Is not.”

“Y-you should have s-s-seen yourself”, the Chuunin panted. “All serious and calm, and then… and then… and th-then…” He broke into another laughing fit.

“It’s not funny”, Kakashi insisted and swore himself he would never again ask Gai for advice about Iruka. Or about anybody. Or about anything.

“And then you s-s-said, ‘You look v-very manly and you-you-youthf-ful today’!”, Iruka roared and fell off his chair.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

tbc


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AN2:
As you’ve probably noticed, I tend to… let’s say, digress a little within this story. I have the actual main storyline all planned out but I don’t feel like just writing it as a constant chain of events. I rather feel like taking my time and filling in bits of not-so-important stuff, just like the stone-thing because I think those kinds of details are what makes this story warm and tender. And since this is my story, you’ll have to live with it, I’m afraid. ;-)
Nayru