Archive of Our Own

"Thank you for your hard work," Iruka said, "and happy holidays." He looked up and motioned the next person forward. He usually tried to be a little more welcoming, but everyone was in a hurry tonight, wanting to get home to their families or friends, to whatever celebration they had planned for this evening. Iruka was scheduled to work the desk until it closed, and Iruka didn't really have plans after that: he might go join some of the other teachers at the party Daikoku was throwing, or he might just go home. He scanned the report in front of him, turned it around and handed it back, with a pencil.

"If you can please fill out section three," he said, "and then step back when I've finished with the next person." The woman made a face, but took the report and pencil and stepped aside to finish filling it out. Iruka risked a glance at the line: still just as long as before. Maybe longer. He motioned the next person forward, and took his report. It was a familiar rhythm, and Iruka found that once he stopped worrying about what time he might be able to leave, everything went much more smoothly. The occasional person had a complaint about being made to complete (or in one case, entirely re-submit) reports, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. When people started coming in covered in snow, Iruka shivered sympathetically. He wasn't much looking forward to going home, because his landlord hadn't really fixed the heat all the way since it had broken a little over a week ago. It was warm enough to keep on the right side of the law, but that wasn't exactly comfortable, and the hot water was less "hot" and more "tepid" by the time it got through iced-over pipes.

"Thank you for your hard work, and happy holidays," Iruka said, stamping a report and putting it aside, and held his hand out for the next report. When no paperwork materialized, he looked up.

"Kakashi-san," he exclaimed, "what are you doing here?" Iruka felt his face heating up - he hadn't seen much of Kakashi in the last week, and he wasn't entirely certain how to act, now that he knew Kakashi snored very softly and liked salted fish and rice for breakfast. Things had been much clearer when their encounters were nearly anonymous: it had been easier to push aside any awkward or inappropriate feelings and treat Kakashi as just another person.

Kakashi smiled (and when had Iruka begun to be able to tell when he was smiling, even when his eye didn't curl up?) and leaned a hip on the desk.

"Well," he said, "I did have a mission report to turn in." Iruka blinked. He knew Kakashi had been gone, but he'd gotten the impression that it had been an A or S-rank mission, and therefore one whose report would go straight to the Hokage. "And when I passed by earlier, I saw your name on the duty roster. Working all evening, Iruka-sensei?" Kakashi clicked in reprimand, and made a face - was that mock-disappointment? Iruka shook his head.

"You can't deny it that easily, sensei! You're right here at the desk, after all."

"No, I -" Iruka stopped, composed himself (a little). "Someone has to staff the desk, Kakashi-san. Better me than someone with family who would miss them."

Kakashi scooted back on the desk, drawing one foot up, wrapping his arms loosely around the leg and resting his chin on his knee. He looked Iruka in the eye.

"What about friends who might miss you?" he asked. Iruka flushed.

"They're happily enough occupied," he said, "I don't think my absence will exactly ruin anyone's night, and it's not as though it's particularly tiring, sitting here for an evening." He felt a little embarrassed.

"Hmm," Kakashi just looked at him, a considering look in his eye, and Iruka wondered, a little nervously, what, exactly, Kakashi saw when he looked at Iruka, what had caught his eye in the first place, or kept his interest this long.

"Is there something I can do for you, Kakashi-san?" Iruka asked, nervousness sharpening his voice.

"Just Kakashi, sensei," Kakashi said, voice low. "And if you like, you could come home with me when your shift ends. I don't have plans, exactly, but," his voice darkened, "I'm sure we could figure something out."

Iruka swallowed, and nodded. Kakashi smiled, stood, and turned to go. "I'll leave the door open," he said, as he left, "so just come in. No need to knock."

Iruka watched Kakashi leave, and wondered how he was going to keep himself from watching the clock for the next hour and a half.

* * *

For the second time in two weeks, Iruka found himself outside Kakashi's door, hand raised. He reached out, turned the knob, and walked in.