25 days of Winter Cheer

Prompt: Come Home Safe

The letter in Kakashi's hands read simply "Come home safe"

There was nothing else there, but Kakashi knew that it was probably what Iruka wanted more than any of the gifts he'd sent. He'd been stupid to think the trinkets where what Iruka would want, but it was all he knew. He sighed as he looked around and took off into the forest.

Iruka sat at the mission desk on the very silent night. He'd let the others bail to go with their families, and he didn't really want to go home to the cold empty house anyway.

It was almost to the end of the night, as someone slid open the door. Iruka looked up hoping to see the silver haired nin, but was greeted instead by Genma and Raido.

"Here ya go," Genma said as he tossed his mission report on the table.

"Thanks," Iruka drawled out as he snapped his hand down to stop the paper from drifting any further.

"Someone doesn't seem like he's in that great of a mood," Genma teased to Raido.

"Give him a break, I'm betting a famous ninja is out on a mission right now." Raido chastised Genma before turning to Iruka sympathetically, "Isn't he?"

Iruka grumbled under his breath at the two, Raido may have been nicer than Genma about it, but they both seemed to be enjoying his misfortune.

Genma leaned onto the desk getting dangerously near Iruka's face to ask him something, when a voice filtered into the room from the window.

Sitting on the windowsill, like nothing had happened over the last week, was Kakashi, "Were you talking about me?"

Genma turned back towards Iruka, "Guess you won't be needing a drink like I thought." He smirked, before he got pushed backwards, falling into Raido who caught him.

"You don't mind finishing up Iruka's duties here?" Kakashi smiled dangerously at the pair, daring them to argue.

Genma stood up rolling the senbon in his mouth as he grit his teeth, getting pushed aside again by Raido who spoke up, "It's fine. We can lock up real quick for him." He said simply know better than to get on Kakashi's bad side.

The menace left Kakashi's face, smiling he threw Iruka over his shoulder, garnered a "Thanks!" and disappeared in smoke.

"Why'd you give into him like that?" Genma asked as he helped Raido pick up.

"He's been away for a week, did you really think it was a good idea to get between him and Iruka?" Raido replied.

Genma thought for a moment, "Guess that wasn't the best time…" He trailed off having thoughts he didn't really want to imagine in his head.

"Come on let's get home," Raido said softer as he turned off the lights and shut the door.

Iruka was dropped onto their bed before he realized what had gone on moments before.

"What was that for?" He asked knowing how mad Tsunade might be at him in the morning for leaving the mission desk in the hands of Genma, regardless of help from Raido.

"You told me to come home safe, are you telling me you didn't mean something by that?" Kakashi asked as he propped himself over Iruka.

Iruka silenced at that, before smirking. "That wasn't exactly what I meant, but that doesn't mean I don't mind."

He wrapped his arms around Kakashi's neck as he pulled himself up into a kiss.

"Thank you for coming back to me safely." Iruka said when he pulled away.

"Always," Kakashi replied as he set Iruka back down on their bed.

AN: End of that direct story line, hope it filled you with warm fuzzies.