High School Never Ends Chp. 11

[squeakyninja]

Month: February
Pairing(s): KakaIru, Minor Others
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Word Count: approx. 6200 words
Themes: AU, Romance, Humor, Coming of Age
Summary: Iruka's first day attending Konoha High turns into an eventful one, thanks to a silver haired senior. It's gonna be one hell of a school year...
Warning: Major flashback!

---"Damn it, Kakashi! Stop texting me!' Iruka said to himself and he hit the back button on his phone for the eighth time that day and it was not even lunch yet. Iruka had made it clear he needed some space to clear his head after all that had happened. That meant a break from each other. Yet, on his end, Kakashi didn't understand the concept of 'no contact,' thinking it only applied to anything physical. So ever since their last meet up, all the senior continued to do was text him nearly every five minutes, not letting up. And Iruka refused to respond to each one. He meant what he said and was sticking to it the best he could.

But then it was hard to ignore his phone constantly vibrating in his pocket. And it was hard for people around him to ignore the fact he was squirming and twitching. And he had enough of it all as he ripped his phone from his pocket. 'That's it! I'm turning it-"

"Hey, Iruka," Izumo asked one morning before classes, seeing his friend in distress. "You ok?"

He wanted to scream out he was fed up, shout that he was an idiot to believe the senior would behave with a simple rule like this. "I… I'm fine, Izumo. Thanks for asking," he replied instead, putting his phone back in his pocket.

"Are you sure?" he pressed on. "You've been acting funny for the past few months."

"Yeah, Izu' is right," Kotetsu butted in as usual.

"Damn straight I'm- Wait, 'Izu?'"

"You don't like it?"

"Whatever… Ko'."

"Ko'?"

"Would you stop it, you two?" Iruka pleaded.

The two boys turned toward their neutral friend, paused staring at him, and giggled.

"Hey relax, Iruka," Kotetsu assured him, hooking an arm around the brunet's neck. "Everything is fine between us. Don't tell us there trouble between you and Kakashi."

The freshman still couldn't believe he could keep this secret from his two best friends for so long. Either he was a pretty good sneak or the two were pretty oblivious. "N-Nah, nothing's wrong," he tried to laugh off. It was true; the two were on the long road to recovery. Just how long it would take was up to him. But for how much longer could he let Kakashi wait? Or more like now, how long could he last with the senior's constant texting?

"Alright, class. Settle down," Minato announced as he entered the classroom. Everyone could tell he was a mess. His hair was disheveled, bags rested under his eyes, his clothes were in disarray. Not to mention papers were poking out of his bag. Today was a day not to mess with him.

Everyone got out their textbooks and notebooks, ready to jot down notes. The only sound in the class was the sound of chalk on the board and pencils on paper. Everything was calm. That is, until the brunet unexpectedly got a sudden shock as he felt something in his pants move, making him jolt out of his seat.

"Iruka? Is everything ok?" Minato suddenly asked, stopping mid-lesson, grabbing the entire class's attention toward him.

For a minute, the brunet was left speechless with his face beet red. "I-I-I It's nothing, Sensei!" he stuttered on the spot. Minato believed it for a second and started to resume his lesson plan while Iruka struggled to grab his phone and turn it off. But he was just a tab bit too late when let out another yelp. Minato spun and saw him again, hands in his pants, trying to muffling his vibrating cell phone.

"Iruka…" he drowned out.

"H-Honest! It's nothing! It's-"

"Can I see you during lunch today?" he asked simply, refusing to listen any further. The rest of the class muffled their giggles and laughter as Iruka sat back down after he dealt with his phone.

"S-Sensei…" Iruka mumbled as he inched toward his sensei's desk in his office. His teacher seemed already knee deep in paper work, working diligently to get everything done. "About earlier… I'm so sorry. I-"

"Save it!" Minato told him, holding his hand up, not bothering to face him as he continued to grade another sheet and put it off to the side.

"Sensei, please. I promise you this won't happen again," he insisted.

"Yes, you will," he told him sternly. "Make sure you have a talk with Kakashi," Minato pointed out.

"Y-Yes, Minato-sensei. I'll- Wait, what? H-H-How did you-"

"He's been trying to contact me too trying to get a hold of you," he smiled, finally breaking away from his job to talk with his student face-to-face.

Iruka knew he couldn't hide the fact from his sensei. Not when he knew Kakashi as well. So, he just gave in with a sigh. "I see… He just won't quit… texting me… and I thought I turned my phone off and-"

"Iruka?" the blond jutted in. "I don't mean to pry but did something happen between you two?"

The brunet was a little taken back by the sudden question. "I… Well… We're working out through a few things and I told Kakashi that I needed a break from him..."

"So you're talking to him?"

"Kinda… The last time I saw him was last month and-"

"Really? How is he doing?" Minato pressed on, gleefully.

"Huh?"

"Kushina and I have been trying to talk to Kakashi for some time now, seeing if he needed a place to stay at so he wouldn't be alone after what happened..." he tried to explain. "But every phone call gets ignored, every house visit is a waste…"

"Sensei, trust me," Iruka assured him. "You don't worry about Kakashi now."

"You serious?"

"Kakashi told me… a lot of things already," he confessed. The senior had confined in him about his past, about his father, about Minato and his family, and even about Obito. Even after going through all of that, Kakashi was still… Kakashi. He smiled, "I can tell he appreciated everything you've done for him in the past and still does. Just… he needs to learn to stand on his own two feet again… and not blame himself."

"So you've noticed it too," Minato said. "Kakashi is one… that is quick to blame himself for anything. Afraid that… bad things happen to him because of what he does. Like he almost deserves it."

Iruka nodded in agreement. "He also… tried to get rid of me… But…" He could help but grin. "I'm not going to give up on him so easily," he giggled.

"You really like him, don't you, Iruka?" Minato pondered.

"L-L-Like? Well… I…" he stuttered, shocked that his sensei would go as far as to ask him a question like that. But when it came down to it, he thought about it. Why would he go through with cross dressing for him? Why would he allow Kakashi to get so close to him that he would kiss him? Why would he kiss him back afterwards? Why did he held on to the senior tightly after what happened with Mizuki? Why did he allow things to go as far as they did? Why… Why did he fight so hard to get him back? There were so many questions, probably more than what he could think right now. But all had the same answer. "…Yeah, I guess you can say that I love him."

Minato just smiled as he rose from his seat and rested his hands on the freshman's shoulders. "I couldn't think of anyone better than for you to be with him."

"Sensei?"

"Being a teacher, you start to notice the changes in your students, watching them grow, watching them mature. And from what I can see, you have changed the most," he told him.

"Really?"

"I can still remember the first day of classes. You were practically still panting with your uniform all messy!" he laughed. Iruka just grimaced as memories flooded back. That was all because of Kakashi again. "You kept to yourself and your friends in that corner. But over time, you became more assertive, more independent. And I would like to think Kakashi had a hand in that."

"Maybe," he chuckled. It was obvious it was thanks to Kakashi. Thanks to him for a lot of things. Before, he wouldn't dare stand up for himself or get into trouble. Now, he had been late to classes, late on assignments, and a suspension on his record. Though now he knows how to fight and he knows that it's a bad idea for him to parade around as a girl, no matter the occasion. One could say it has been a change for the better.

"So I'm just saying you have my blessing," he commented with a smile permanently on his face now.

"B-Blessing?" Iruka exclaimed as a familiar blush ran across his face. "W-W-What are you-"

"Heh, heh. Treat him well, Iruka!" Minato declared as he turned the brunet around and started to push him out of the door.

"W-Wait! Sensei! What are you-"

"You can see that I have a lot of work on my hands, right? I need to get it all done!" he said, still smiling. "So please, answer him soon. Unfortunately, I don't have a texting plan."

"W-What? Sensei!-" he shouted as the door was slammed in his face. He continued to stand there for a few minutes, still flabbergasted about Minato last words.

'Has Kakashi been...'

"Hey, it's Valentine's Day!" Anko proclaimed during lunch in front of her group of friends, holding three small, red boxes in her hands.

"Thanks, Anko," Iruka said after receiving his chocolate. Izumo and Kotetsu followed suit.

"So you know what this means!" she mischievously suggested.

"Anko, you don't give chocolates to get some in return next month," Izumo moaned. He hated how the girl was using the holiday as a blatant excuse to get something in return.

"I'm not suggesting that! No!" she implored unsuccessfully.

"Then I might not want your chocolates then," Kotetsu said, handing his share back to the girl.

"Hey, I worked hard on those!" she said. "Do you know how hard it is to make chocolate?"

"No, but I think it's safe to ask 'Meiji,'" Iruka pondered, taking a peek under his box and noticing the manufacturer's name in gold lettering.

"I-I-I-I just reused the boxes!" she insisted. "I swear I made them!"

But it was no use. The trio of boys knew all too well that they were given store bought chocolate. Yet, they really didn't mind. They knew it was just obligatory chocolate so it really didn't have to be hand-made. That was more for actual couples. Something Anko was not exactly familiar with.

Everyone eventually buckled and just started to laugh at their female friend. But even then, after a minute or so, she joined in too, unable to resist. The boys did thank her for the chocolate and did promise to give her some white chocolate in return when White Day came along, homemade or not.

"That reminds me," Kotetsu pondered. "Where's my chocolate, Izumo?" he declared.

"What? Who said I was going to give you chocolate?" he asked him back. "Why can you give me chocolate?"

"Because it's the ladies job to-" Iruka quickly covered Kotetsu's mouth before he finished his line. His friend struggled a little, but calmed down after he saw the fire in Izumo's eyes, about to pop if Kotetsu finished. "Hey! I have an idea!" he proposed, pulling away Iruka's hand. "How about we just go and get some take-out today and eat at my place! My treat?" That saved him from a whopping.

That's how the rest of the day went. Couples and students handing over their chocolate to one another. It was obvious to see though which candy was obligatory and made especially for a lover. He could just imagine Asuma and Kurenai going out today as well. Possibly Genma and Raidou as well. Heck, he even saw Raite and Kuro running in the halls after each other. Not to mention the shyest girl in the school, Shiroi, was passing out candy. At least she before she ran off, face all red.

And sadly, it did pain Iruka to see all of it. He still had Kakashi wrapped around his little finger, eagerly waiting for the signal to be able to once again pounce on him. And even though he wanted Kakashi to suffer after all that had happened, today, he wanted to be with him.

To be honest, Iruka was getting quite jealous of some of the other couples around. Especially the new couples coming together for their first Valentine's.

Kotetsu and Izumo were going to spend the evening together. He could over here some his other classmates talking too about plans. He even figured Raido and Gemna and Asuma and Kurenai were going to do something today as well. Even a faint memory of when Kakashi and he were just starting to go out together entered his mind.

"Ok, class dismissed!" Minato shouted a few days later. All the students quickly placed their things away and started to pack up. "Oh! Iruka, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Iruka said his farewells to his friends as he packed up and head up to the front of the class. "Minato-sensei?"

"Ah, yes! I have a favor to ask!" he said with a giant grin on his face.

"A favor?"

"Yes!" The sensei got up as he stuffed his papers in his briefcase. He started to walk out and motioned Iruka to follow him. The student did so as the two of them started to walk back to Minato's office. "You see, coming up is a special day for Kushina and me."

"Really?"

"It's going to be Naruto-kun's birthday!" he nearly shrilled. Iruka had to laugh a little at how enthusiastic Minato was about his own child. It was sweet too as it reminded the teen of how his mom would react every year around his birthday. It seemed no matter how old he got, she always found time to surprise him with a hand-baked cake. "So we have been thinking of throwing him a little birthday party."

"So you need my help to decorate?"

Minato shook his head. "I need you to look after Naruto while we set up!" Iruka was slightly taken back at the comment. "You see, it's going to be a surprise party for Naruto! We need to get him out of the house if we are to decorate and invite guests!"

"So why are you asking-"

"Because Naruto is just so smitten by you, it's like you've become his real brother," Minato cheered. Iruka was left a little bashful.

"Well, I don't know if I could. I have to get going soon. I promised to meet up with Kakashi-"

"He can come along! Best get some practice in there before you two start having kids of your own."

"…You do realize, Sensei, that we are both guys, right? We just can't-"

"And then we need to make sure everyone come over in time…"

"Umm, Sensei. I don't even know if Kakashi would like to do this. Plus, I have some studying I need to catch up on…"

Minato turned around and faced his student. Down on his knees, he started to plead with the boy. Iruka could not believe that his sensei would go so low as to grovel for him to agree to this plan. The boy sighed as he finally took notice that there would be no way to convince his sensei otherwise.

"Alright, alright," Iruka said, tired of hearing Minato repeating 'Please, please' and making an ass of himself in front of the student body. "I'll ask Kakashi."

"Ah! Really?" Minato asked. "Thank you, Iruka!" he cheered as he took the boy into a giant bear hug, nearly cracking his back and thanking the boy over and over again. Seriously, a bit of Kushina had to be rubbing off on him. It took nearly the gasps of breath and constant beating from the tanned teen for the teacher to cease his caring affection. Minato shyly laughed it off as he let go. "But honestly, thank you, Iruka. These past months, you have been like another son to me."

"Another-" Iruka tried to ask when suddenly, Minato phone started to go off. The teacher immediately picked it up and listened on. Iruka could immediately tell that it was his wife on the other end, talking her head off as she normally did with Minato just agreeing to everything she said. Iruka had to admit, it was a bit cute.

"Sorry about that," Minato said as he closed his phone. "That was Kushina." Obviously. "I need to get going, alright? I'll talk to you and Kakashi later about the party, ok? See you soon!" Before Iruka could even reply, Minato gathered his things and headed out. He just smiled though as he watched his sensei leave. It was fine. It was nice to know that Minato felt about him.

Iruka continued to walk out of the school as well, packing up his slippers and putting on his normal shoes as he started heading home. He decided to take the long way home and just start to admire the scenery around him. It just turned October and already some of the neighborhood trees had leaves of gold and auburn. The sun already setting upon the neighborhood seemed to have intensified their colors only more. Already some had already fallen as with each step the student took, there would be a crunching noise to follow. The cool autumn breeze would occasionally brush by, causing the boy to shiver only slightly. Having a certain other around though might warm him up, he thought to himself.

'Best get some practice in there before you two start having kids of your own.'

Iruka quickly shook off his sensei's crazy ideas. But he had to admit. It would be a cute idea. True, Iruka didn't have the body that could provide Kakashi with a child of their own. But then Kami knows the senior had so many dogs that seemed to act like kids. And they did obviously like him too. Who knows? Maybe in the future, if the two are still together, they may think about adoption…

'Damn, Minato-sensei!' Iruka brushed off. 'Now his crazy ideas are filling my head! Who is to say that Kakashi and I will still be together for that long? Though I have to admit, it would be nice to still be with him after high school. Don't know if I can even think that far ahead now. Wonder if Kakashi has? Knowing him… it's hard to tell. But still, it would be nice…'

Seeming on cue, waiting for him in front of his house stood the teen with the fiery, wild silver hair, casually reading his porn book while he waited. Iruka could only smile as he walked closer.

"Hey, Kakashi!" Iruka called out. "I have a proposition for you!"

"Iru-nii!" Naruto shouted when his favorite person came by to pick him up at his home. The boy already looked excited enough to last him for many weeks. Today was a special today. He was even dressed in his favorite shirt, donning a huge red spiral shirt. It was his birthday after all. What little boy wouldn't be excited to be turning five? Quickly, the little boy ran up and immediately latched on to the freshman's leg. Iruka in turn stooped down and gave his favorite little kid a giant hug.

"Hey, Naruto-kun. Happy birthday!" he cheered as he tussled the child's hair. Naruto quickly grinned back at the teen only to take one gaze behind him to turn his giant smile into a childish scowl.

"What he doin' here?" Naruto asked firmly. Iruka shyly laughed as he turned to face his boyfriend, already in an unpleasant mood.

"Gee, nice to see you too, little brat," Kakashi snarled. Naruto returned the favor by sticking his tongue out and blew a raspberry. Kakashi quickly tried to rush his way past his boyfriend and knock some sense into the little kid. Luckily enough, Iruka was able to hold back the two before they each tried to kill each other.

"Please, Kakashi," Iruka whispered. "You promised me you would behave with Naruto today. As a favor for Minato and me." Iruka turned back to face the little boy. "Naruto, can you go and get your mommy and daddy?" Naruto's expression completely changed when he faced the brunet. With a few quick nods, the boy hurried off to collect his parents from another room in the house. While they waiting, Iruka turned back at Kakashi, this time his expression just as sour as Naruto's was. Without saying a word, Kakashi questioned Iruka, but the younger teen stood his ground. After taking a few breaths to relax, Kakashi finally calmed down.

"You're right, you're right," Kakashi whispered back. "Sorry, it's just that little kid tends to piss me off."

"Wow," Iruka said. "The Hatake Kakashi getting mad at a little kid."

"I'm not getting mad."

"Then what do you suppose what that was a few minutes ago?" Kakashi mumbled something below hearing capacity. "What? I can't hear you!"

Yet, before the teen confessed, the little boy came back with his parents in tow. Though it was more like Naruto and Kushina was towing Minato along. The boy, although took his looks from his father, had his mother's spirit. And he found himself smiling at them. There were times Minato seemed miserable in class, but he always had a smile on his face when his family was brought up. They were just one big, smiling, seemingly joyful family. No. They were joyful for sure.

"Oh, little Iru-nii!" Kushina giggled, calling Iruka by the little pet name Naruto gave him. The teen just laughed wryly, roughing his hair a bit.

"Hey, only I can say 'Iru-nii'!" Naruto demanded as he pouted. All but Kakashi couldn't help but laugh at the little boy. The older teen could not stand the little boy, even from the first day Minato showed him off. Something about him just seemed annoying, the way he would smile and laugh, or more like the way he was acting now, all over his boyfriend, just made his skin crawl.

Kushina packed everything the little boy needed for his little trip around the city with the two teens. Naruto had begged his mom to find and allow him to carry around his favorite stuffed frog doll, but the woman found every excuse in the book to tell him he could not. It was better than telling him she was forced to throw the thing out, seeing as already mold had started to grow on it from Naruto constantly drooling on it while he slept no to mention the stitching falling apart and was low on stuffing.

"Now, go have fun and remember to be a good boy and be safe!" Kushina said, patting her son on his head and pecking his cheek.

As soon as the trio left, everything was up to Minato and Kushina to prepare everything before they got back. But with man's constant flirting with the boy finally out of the house for once, it would prove to be a difficult manner.

"Iru-nii!" Naruto cried. "Can we go- No! Wait! Can we go- Hey!" The boy could not stop his prattling as the three of them decided to take a walk downtown in the city. Both Kakashi and Iruka figured Naruto all the places there would keep him from wanting to go home. And it did.

The first place they went to was a local arcade, filled to the brim with many games of many sorts. Naruto insisted on wanting to play every game, but Iruka had to insist, for the sake of his wallet, that he could only play a few. It ended pretty much with Naruto with a bucket filled with tickets thanks to a skilled silver haired teen.

Afterwards, the little boy grew hungry and wished for some candy. Acting like an overbearing mother, Iruka at first denied the boy of his candy but promised they could get something else. Both teens decided it would be best to take him around Ichiraku's for a round of ramen. Naruto had never had it before and was reluctant to try it. The brunet reassured him that it was good, even going as far as saying that ramen was his favorite food. After making the mistake of eating some while still hot, Naruto tried some more and soon could not get enough of it. Proof of that was all over the little boy's face. Naruto had asked for more but again, Iruka politely turned him down but offered to treat him the next time they went out.

"Yay! I love my Iru-nii!" the boy cheered. Iruka just laughed it off while Kakashi continued to stare contently at the little boy.

The two teens decided to end their outing by taking a trip down to the local park. Already, there were a few kids playing there for Naruto to play with. Two little girls, one with blonde hair and one with pink, were giggling as they played on the swings. Another boy, his hair tied up similar to Iruka's, was lazily leaning upon a tree and was seemingly taking a nap. Soon, another boy, a little bit heavier, joined him. There were even two more boys around. One was playing with his little cream colored dog and the other seemed fascinated with a trail of ants. Naruto instantly ran out, leaving the two teens behind. Iruka was hesitant at first, but Kakashi, by placing his hand on the tanned wrist, reassured the brunet that the boy would be fine.

The two decided to sit under a giant tree in the shade it provided, with Kakashi holding on to Iruka from behind, while watching Naruto play with the other kids. It seemed the boys already took a liking to the blond while the girls seemed to blow him off, seeing him as nothing more than a pain. Though from what Iruka could see, there was one girl, dark hair that faintly shined blue in the sunlight, paying attention to Naruto from behind the slide. Yet, every time Naruto glanced in her direction, she would immediately panic and hide out of sight.

"Seems like someone has a crush on Naruto," Iruka laughed. Kakashi sat unresponsive and only held his boyfriend tighter. "Eh, Kakashi?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you been listening to a word I've been saying?" Iruka demanded.

"Let me guess: it has something to do with Naruto," Kakashi lashed out with a hint of an attitude.

"Kakashi," Iruka said slightly sternly as he turned to face the teen. "What was that for?"

"What? You know, I think it's more important for you to pay attention to Naruto than to me."

"Kakashi, first off, what is with you? And two, Naruto is just fi-" Iruka turned around, hoping to spot the boy, but only saw the other kids. He took a quick screen of the area and still, there was no sight of the little rambunctious boy. Iruka immediately got up on his feet, ready to set off a park wide search. Yet, a pale hand grasped his wrist and refused him to move.

"Kakashi!" Iruka chastised. "What the hell has gotten into you? Naruto is gone and we need to find-" Before another word was spoken, a gentle hand clasped upon Iruka's slim wrist and dragged the boy back down to the ground. Adjusting his eyes, he found himself staring upward upon his boyfriend's already bare face while his hands cupped his slightly warm cheeks. No matter how many times he saw it, the brunet would always blush even the slightest bit of seeing that face. It was a mystery to most, and while only a few were able to see it, Iruka was the only one able to kiss upon it.

"You really need to calm down, Iru-nii ," Kakashi whispered, teasing the teen.

"Not you too, Kakashi," Iruka sighed.

"What? I mean, last time I tried to make a nickname for you and you refused. Naruto makes one and you're fine with it," Kakashi argued.

Iruka angrily sighed as he rose up, got on his knees, and stared back at the silver haired teen face-to-face.

"I knew it: You are jealous!" Iruka pointed out, lightly flicking the other's forehead.

"Oh? What gave it away?" the senior said, turning his face away as he rubbed his head.

"Kakashi," Iruka growled lightly. "Have you ever thought that maybe that something is wrong with you if you are jealous of a little five year old?"

"Not if he can give you a nickname and I can't," Kakashi huffed. "Plus, look who's talking Mr. 'I'm gonna kiss my boyfriend infront of the entire student body."

"Kakashi," Iruka lightly growled. He heavily sighed as he decided he had to do the one thing he could. Quickly, before Kakashi could comprehend the situation, the freshman leaned in, slid down the other's mask, and locked lips with him. The brunet even took the opportunity of the senior's open mouth and inched his tongue in and glided it upon the others. The kiss left Kakashi stunned.

"I-Iru-"

"What is there to be jealous of… if I only kiss you…" Iruka said, trying to hide his embarrassment. Kakashi saw right through it and smiled as he leaned forward and gently kissed the other's lips.

"Thank you, Iruka," he whispered. "Maybe you are right. It is silly of me to be jealous when only I can do so many things with Iru-nii…" Iruka could only smile as they both leaned in again to share another kiss.

"Hey, what are you doing with Iru-nii?" Naruto screamed, catching the two off guard. Kakashi looked back while Iruka turned around to see the little boy, back in plain sight and from the looks of it, no harm was done upon him. "Answer me!"

"Uh… Well," Iruka said, trying to laugh it off. "You see-"

"We were kissing!" Kakashi shouted bluntly.

"Why?" Naruto asked innocently.

"Um… You kiss someone when you say thank you!" Iruka said as that was the first thing that popped in his head, trying to cut off Kakashi before he could say another work. Like clockwork, Iruka found himself scratching his facial scar while he lied to the boy. "You see, I-I fell. B-But Kakashi broke my fall! So I was thanking him!"

"Really?" the boy asked. Iruka nodded furiously in agreement. Naruto looked skeptically at Kakashi, only to see Kakashi nodding as well.

"Well, will you look at the time? Best we take the little tyke home, eh, Iruka?" Kakashi said trying to direct the conversation elsewhere. Iruka agreed.

"Aw, but I wanna play more!" Naruto whined. Iruka would not have one word of it as he stood up lecturing the poor boy. Kakashi looked on and recalled a conversation he had with his old sensei before he came by today. Minato was right. If Kakashi and Iruka were to adopt, Iruka would make the perfect little mommy.

"Surprise!" everyone shouted when the trio returned. Naruto was instantly shocked. All over the house, streamers flew across the ceiling and balloons littered the corners. Signs were posted abundantly, all saying 'Happy Birthday.' Iruka couldn't help but smile at the sight. It reminded him of when his parents would celebrate his birthday. It wouldn't matter how old he got, every year, each birthday was just as special as the one that followed, and each accompanied by a party like this one. He was glad to know Naruto had parents with similar feelings.

Already in the living room were a few kids that were Naruto's age. There was one who's hair style matched Iruka's, lying upon the ground, almost napping. Another kid, more plump than the other, sat nearby. The swirls on his cheeks only helped give the illusion that his smile was bigger than what it actually was. One more boy sat nearby, keeping to himself, skin pale and hair jet black like a raven.

"Shikamaru! Chouji! Sasuke!" Naruto cheered as he quickly ran over to his friends. Shikamaru finally woke up from his trance as he greeted the boy along with the others. The two teens continued to watch on as the boy started to enjoy his party.

"Thank you boys for taking care of Naruto," Kushina said walking by over to the two with Minato in tow. "Sorry for having to put up with him. I know he can be a handful."

"Oh, no problem," Iruka said. "Naruto actually behaved well."

"With the exception of almost running off on his own," Kakashi whispered under his breath. Iruka quickly glared back at him before jabbing his elbow into his side.

"You two should stay for the party," Minato insisted.

"Why thank you but no-"

"We would love to stay!" Iruka insisted on, interrupting his boyfriend. The silver haired teen glared back at him this time with only the other staring back, unwilling to blink.

"That guy is Uchiha Fugaku," Kakashi whispered, as if he was reading Iruka's mind.

"Wait, Uchiha?" Iruka asked. "Is he related to Obito?"

Kakashi nodded. "The Uchihas are a huge family that lives around here. Surprised you haven't noticed by now." Iruka gave the same a quick glare for the teen's rude remark. "Plus, remember Mikoto from the resturaunt? Her and Kushina are best friends. So that guy is Uchiha Fugaku, her husband. So naturally, she's Sasuke's mom." Kakashi whispered, as if he was reading Iruka's mind. The brunet nodded in agreement. Now that it was mentioned, Sasuke did look a lot more like his mother than his father.

Naruto immediately went straight for his presents in the living room all along a long, folding table. He quickly grabbed the first one he could reach, a box neatly wrapped up with orange wrapping paper and topped off with a red bow. A little tag accompanied it saying To: Naruto, From: Sasuke.

"Naruto!" Kushina scolded. "Put that back! You're not opening your presents now!"

"It's ok, Kushina-san," Fugaku butted in. "I have to take the boy back with me shortly. He has a karate lesson in a half an hour and can't afford to miss it." That was the kind of man Fugaku was. He treated his older son, Itachi, the same way. There was no time for games and play. Just strict discipline and hard work.

"Oh, lighten up, Fugaku!" Minato shouted. "Let the boys have their fun! Little Sasuke can miss a lesson if it's for a friend's party!" The old Uchiha just continued to glare at him, as if spiting him, looking down upon his fellow sensei. In the end, both parents couldn't come to an agreement so they both settled on Naruto opening his present from Sasuke now as long as the pale boy was around.

Naruto took no time to start ripping the wrapping paper off the box in a frenzy. He seemed to work so fast, like a hurricane. The boy wouldn't focus on his homework or try to behave himself, but was so efficient when it came to him getting something. Within a manner of minutes, all that was left was a brown, cardboard box sealed up with layers of tape. Although it seemed difficult, it was nothing the little boy could handle and in a blur, the tape was ripped off and thrown on to the ground. The blond carefully and slowly opened up the lid, gently peeking inside, building up the tension for himself. He glanced at the present for only a second before he took it out of the box for a better look. Seemingly handmade, from the auburn faux fur to the white trimming and the skilled stitching along with small brown marble-like eyes was a stuffed fox with nine long, soft tails.

"My mom and I took a long time trying to make that, usuratonkachi," Sasuke said, showing off his bandaged up fingers. "So you better like-"

"Wow! Thanks, Sasuke!" the boy screamed as he interrupted his friend by jumping upon him and holding him tight. Yet, what he did next, no one expected. Not even Sasuke.

With a slight maneuvering, the little boy rose up and pecked the other's soft lips.

Minato was left with a blank stare as Kushina stood there gawking and Fugaku's eyes widened to great proportions. Little Chouji was left in shock as well while little Shikamaru only rolled his eyes. The ones who were left the most stunned were the two teens. Iruka was left speechless while Kakashi started to gain new respect for the little boy. The only one not left a wreck was Sasuke himself. Instead, only a slight blush rose upon his cheeks as he raised his hand to his still warm lips.

"N-N-Naruto!" Kushina stuttered. "W-W-Wha-"

"What? Imma suppose to kiss Sasuke! That's what you do when you say 'Thank you.'"

"W-Who told you that?"

"Iru-nii did!" the boy smiled as he pointed back to the brunet. Iruka could not bear to raise his head and meet eyes with the blonde's parents. Instead, he stood silent and still, unable to do anything. Kakashi looked at his boyfriend and quickly went into action.

"Ah, well, look at the time! Sensei, it was a pleasure. We will see you on Monday," the silver haired teen said in a rush and he latched onto the brunet's shoulder and quickly dragged him out the house. Minato motioned them to stop but even Kakashi was too fast for his old sensei.

Heck, even little kids had found love, yet here he was stuck by himself. He knew deep down Kakashi would be here for him if he asked. But Iruka had been totally ignoring him ever since the day with Minato. Though it hasn't stopped him from trying texting him again. Iruka thanked Kami that he got an unlimited texting program. Yet, it didn't stop amusing him. The brunet sighed and grinned as he came to the realization that even when the two were apart, Kakashi could still make him smile.

So while his friends were busy devouring their sweets, Iruka sneaked away back to the lockers near the front, found Kakashi's, and snuck in a small green box filled with homemade, bitter chocolate before returning back.

He wasn't going to let his own silly rules get the best of him today. No matter what, he was going to give something to the senior.

Iruka lied on his bed, staring at his ceiling, later in the month. After Valentine's Day, surprisingly, he stopped getting texts from a certain, silver haired senior. He started to wonder numerous things as to why. Could he have hated the chocolate? Could he think that it came from someone else? Could he have just given up by now, finally? Again, all Kakashi every brought him were damn questions!

"That's it!" he shouted to himself as he grabbed his coat and keys and headed out the door. He didn't give a damn about his rules anymore. He was going to see Kakashi again, face-to-face.

It didn't take him long to find Kakashi. He was in his backyard near the kennels, tending to his dogs. He could only smile as he watched him, comparing the scene to a mother hen and her chicks. He guessed they were the only ones the silver haired teen could have relied on during his rough patch without being with him. He walked slowly over, trying not to get any of the dogs' attention. That plan failed when the pug got up and turned to look behind his master.

"Guess that didn't work," Iruka confessed, shyly looking at the senior.

"Iruka? …You're here," Kakashi responded, still a little skeptical about Iruka being at his home.

"Yeah, I guess I am," the brunet shrugged. "Um… Can I talk… with you? For a minute?"

"Ah, yeah. Just let me go lock them up…" the silver haired teen motioned. "…Last time they were running free, they chased the mailman down a few blocks."

Iruka couldn't hold in a slight chuckle, imagining the scene.

So he waited and watched as the senior petted each one, made sure they had enough food and water and closed the gate to the giant kennel that held them. He walked back to the brunet and with a nod toward his house, asked Iruka to join him inside. And the freshman followed. Kakashi already headed toward the kitchen when he entered, tending to an already heated pot of tea. He poured himself a glass before grabbing out another one. Iruka didn't voice any objection as he watched the senior carefully do the same thing and hand over the tea. He was warm to the touch, soothing. After blowing on it a few times, he took a quick sip. Chai. Delicious.

"So…,"Kakashi started, leaning back on the counter, careful of his words. "What did you come here for?"

"Please, Kakashi," Iruka insisted. "You don't have to walk on eggshells around me… especially after you spamming my phone with your texts. And Minato-sensei as well."

The senior laughed a little. "Sorry about that. After you were ignoring me, I decided it would be best to stop."

"Heh, it's fine. Don't worry," he said, going back to the unsettling silence between them. That answered his question.

"I got your chocolate," Kakashi confessed.

"Ah, really? I mean-, is that so," Iruka fumbled. "Sorry, I know you don't really like sweets so I tried to make them bitter-"

"Wait, you made them?" he asked.

"Ah, yes."

"So that's why they were extra delicious. I normally don't like sweets," he confessed, toying with the freshman's emotions.

'You didn't have to say it like that…' Iruka thought as his face started to redden.

"Anything else, Iruka?" he pressed on, trying to say anything to keep the conversation going.

"Hmm? Oh! Well… Um… I…"

"Are you here because you decided to change your mind? You don't want to be with me?" he wondered.

"Kakashi, I already told you I was going to take you back! So there's no need too-"

"So is that why you're here? Is my punishment up?" he grinned slyly.

"What? I… I…" Iruka stammered, caught off-guard.

"Because if it's not up," he mentioned, pushing off of the counter and walked closer to the brunet. "Then why are you here?" he asked him, his mouth just hovering over the other's.

"B-Because you're such an ass!" he declared, pushing the senior off or at least attempting to. Yet, he didn't know if it was because Kakashi was too strong or because in his heart, he couldn't push him away. Not any longer.

"So does that mean we're good now?"

"N-Not yet…" Iruka wasn't going to let this situation be run by Kakashi. "I… I need you to agree on five more terms before I take you back!" he declared, turning and facing away from the pale senior.

"W-What? Five?" he questioned. "But you! You said nothing about-"

"Five! No getting crazy ideas from your porn to practice with!" Iruka announced first.

"Eh? W-W-What would make you think-"

"Four, no ridiculous nicknames or cross-dressing! I've had enough of that already!" he said next.

"Cross-dressing sure, but I-Iruka, no nick-"

"Three, if you stay at my place, I expect you clean up after yourself! I'm tired of cleaning after you!" he clarified.

"Heh, yeah. Sorry about all that. So sure but-"

"Two, no going out being a recluse when something terrible happens!" he nearly screeched. "And…"

"And? Iruka?"

"And… if you also promise to never make me regret taking you back, promise to hurt me, then I'll take-" Iruka didn't have time to finish his sentence as Kakashi's pale but warm lips stopped Iruka dead in his tracks, unable to resist after going a month without them. And Iruka couldn't be happier as he missed the senior's lips as well. His fingers dug into his shirt as the kiss became more heated.

"Damn, I missed that…" Kakashi muttered, still at a loss of breath.

"…So?" Iruka sighed.

"Hmm?"

"…I take it that you accept?"

Iruka glanced away, waiting for a response. Yet, he did not receive one. Not a word. For him, that was enough. He knew without looking by now when Kakashi was smiling. He knew things were coming back together.

"So I guess that my trick of 'no texts will make Iruka get worried and come over' worked, eh?" Kakashi asked. He just got a slap in the face as an answer.