Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mission Iruka Christmas ❯ Decorations ( Chapter 14 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

"How's this?" Iruka asked studying the garland he was holding against the wall.

"Hmmm...." Kakashi said obviously no longer listening. Had Iruka been paying closer attention he'd have noticed the distant tone to his lover's voice. "Just a little to the left."

Iruka shifted the garland a little to the left, his right foot coming up off the ladder just barely. A moment later a hand grabbed his ass seemingly out of the blue startling the poor chunin and causing him to topple off the step ladder. Before he could reach the ground however Kakashi scooped him out of the air.

"Ass."

"Mmm... yes a very nice one too," he said grinning down at Iruka who blushed.

"Put me down and you get up there and finish hanging it since you can't keep your hands to yourself."

Kakashi set him down but kept a firm grip on Iruka's waist. "You weren't looking at me. I was completely within my rights."

"I was looking at the garland which still needs to be hung."

"You should have been looking at me and then this never would have happened. You really should know better than to take your eyes off me," he said grinning wickedly.

Iruka's eyebrow twitched. "You can't expect me to watch only you."

"Then you can't expect me not to watch only you."

"That doesn't even make any sense!"

"It makes perfect sense, since I can't take my eyes off of you," he said it with such sincerity Iruka just melted and looked away as the blush spread over his face.

"Kurenai is going to be back soon you two. And if we don't have this place finished I doubt she'll share the food she went out to get for all of us. So stop with the flirting and get back to the hanging of decorations. I intend to eat and I'd also prefer not to loose my lunch in the meantime," Asuma said chuckling slightly.

"Humph." But the silver haired man stepped away and moved to get up on the ladder. "I would never interrupt your time with Kurenai," he muttered under his breath.

"You would and you have, so get back to work. At least save the mushy stuff for when Kurenai is back so I have somebody to commiserate with."

They had just finished attaching the last of the bows to the garlands and Iruka went to grab some more decorations from the bags when Kakashi cut him off an snatched the last few bags from him.

"Kakashi what are you doing? Stop goofing around and give me those."

"I just uh thought I could do one of the bags while you do one and uh while Asuma does the last. Then we'll be done three times faster."

"That's faulty logic you know since even if the three of us work on the same bag we'll still get done in the same amount of time because it's still the same amount of people working on the same amount of stuff."

"Ah but that doesn't account for where the decorations go up and if one is over here and another is over there then you would actually get done faster."

"What's in the bags?"

"Uh... the rest of the decorations."

Iruka raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side. "And exactly which decorations are left?"

"There's the wreath that needs put together. I thought Asuma could do that since he looks so very comfortable on the couch."

"And?" Iruka asked crossing his arms.

"And the window decorations which I know you love, especially that canned snow. I still say a genjutsu would have been easier and look better."

"Probably, but Christmas wouldn't be the same without some cheesy holiday decorations."

"Why? It would look nicer. More realistic."

"Yes but it's not about being realistic it's well.. it's just tradition."

"Fine, then go do your silly tradition with the snow goop," Kakashi said shoving a bag at Iruka.

"You didn't honestly think I'd fall for that misdirection did you?" Iruka said refusing to take the bag just yet.

"Well... yes."

"Exactly what decorations will you be hanging up?" Iruka asked already suspecting it was the mistletoe.

Kakashi shook Iruka's bag. "Well if I only get to hang up two then I should at least get to pick where they go."

Iruka sighed and took his bag. "Put them up where everyone can enjoy them and don't think you're cornering me under one all night."

Kakashi waited until Iruka headed towards the windows before heading off to hang up the mistletoe. He was was almost to the kitchen door when the bag was snatched from his hand. "Hey!" He spun around and gave Iruka his best offended look.

Iruka looked up from studying the contents of his bag. "Oh please like I'm going to believe you're innocent enough to just want to pick where they go up." And with that he pulled out 2 extra bunches. "I told you no."

Kakashi pouted behind his mask. "It's just two extra, it's not like I'm going to plaster the place with them."

"I'm keeping these. Now be good for a change and I might let you hang them up at home."

Kakashi grinned, "Well in that case..." He waited for Iruka to kiss him on his cheek and wander back over to the window before dumping the dozen or so bunches of mistletoe back in the sack from where he had them hidden behind his back and in his pockets. Such a handy jutsu. He'd have to remember to thank Rin for that one. Okay so maybe her method for quickly tucking away medicine was quite meant to be used that way but still.

******

Iruka leaned against Kakashi as they walked through the back alleys home. "I'm so tired but it was so worth it. It's going to be a good party."

"Hmm.." Kakashi murmured into the brown hair. "I've never really liked the party but I don't think I'll mind it so much this year."

"If you really hate it we can always go home after a couple hours."

"I'm going to hold you to that," he said he pulled Iruka closer to him with the arm he had draped over the other's shoulders.

They walked in silence through the cold, their breath hanging in the air. It was one of those comfortable silences that sometimes fell between them that neither wanted to break. Time always seemed slower in those moments and they both grasped onto them as though they could hold time still forever if they could just hold onto the moment for a few more seconds.

But as always time returned, this time it was with the door of a stall opening and it's owner coming out to empty the trash.

"Nice night," Kakashi said hating to have to let Iruka go. He really didn't understand why Iruka felt it best "not to involve the civilians" in their relationship. Honestly he didn't care if the civilians knew or not but Iruka only seemed to truly relax about it in front of a few. It's not that it bothered him, he just didn't like having to let go of Iruka just because some random citizen walked by.

The old man looked up and waved. "My grand-daughter keeps hoping for snow but I keep telling her that even though it's cold it's too dry for snow. As shinobi that probably makes missions easier on you guys."

"Hai," Kakashi and Iruka said at the same time.

"Well have a good night and don't work to hard," the old man said as he walked back in.

"He's right about the snow. All the same I wish it would snow..." Iruka said wistfully.

Kakashi chuckled and wrapped his arm back around Iruka. "And people think you're the sensible one." They both laughed at that and then continued on their way.