#pinkmistletoe

My Tumblr Crushes:

cryptidliam

sleepy-skittles

pinkmistletoe

tofixtheshadows

lozenger8

bitchybisexual

cryptidharry

offateandfortune

The fact that the stove was on immediately struck Shikamaru as odd, an abnormality, if you will. It was not something to be alarmed by, but Shikamaru found himself curious. He and Naruto rarely cooked anything on the stove, and even more rarely cooked anything at all unless Iruka or Kurenai (or both) were supervising.

“Don’t freak out,” Naruto said gravely, when Shikamaru’s eyes finally landed on his messy form. The entire front of his shirt was covered in water. 

“Ah.”

Naruto snorted and continued rinsing the rice. He happily accepted the kiss Shikamaru planted on his cheek. “This is the third try. The last two were soggier than porridge.”

Shikamaru decided to go down a safe route. “Why are you making rice? I thought Iruka left enough for the next two days for us to just heat and go.”

“We have a rice cooker,” Naruto whined as he caught wayward grains while draining the metal pot. Shikamaru tried not to smile when he missed a few. “We need to learn how to use it ourselves! Dad can’t do it for us forever. We’re nineteen.”

Shikamaru sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay. I’m assuming we’re going to cook meat on the stove?”

“Yeah. Tonkatsu. Gotta fry it.”

It had only gone downhill from there. The rice was ruined, the tonkatsu too salty, and there were bread crumbs all over their hands and shirts. 

“Cooking is so easy,” Naruto tried, always the one to motivate. Shikamaru stared sadly at the wasted egg on the floor. “All you have to do is follow the instructions, right? Both of us can read. We can find a cookbook and try again.”

“We can also call Iruka and Kurenai,” Shikamaru suggested. “That’s easier.”

Naruto had already formed the familiar hand sign. “We can definitely get them.” And they watched the clone scramble out of the window.

“Well,” Shikamaru began, and cleaned up the egg. “Maybe we should clean this mess before they come and yell at us.” He squawked as his arms were suddenly full of an affectionate Naruto.

“Or the clones can do it for us?” Naruto brushed his lips against Shikamaru’s jaw.

(pre-dawn morning counts as morning, fight me)

Iruka grunted, his hand pausing in Sasuke’s messy hair,fingertips resting against the sweaty roots. That was the third time Naruto had kicked his ribs in his sleep, and if Naruto woke Sasuke after Iruka spent the last hour chasing away his nightmare, he would temporarily dye Naruto’s hair highlighter orange if Sasuke didn’t strangle Naruto first. 

Sasuke grumbled softly and tightly gripped the front of Iruka’s shirt as if he were afraid Iruka would disappear overnight. Iruka sighed inaudibly and knew that this would be another sleepless night, but in the end, he didn’t mind.

The war was over, and Iruka was being dragged along across the world with two boys who wanted to see the sunset on every coast. 

“Sensei,” the fussy ghost attached to his back murmured, clumsily patting Iruka’s face. “Ya gotta bed. Big day ‘morrow.”

“Sleep,” Iruka corrected instinctively, and smiled when Naruto patted his face a little harder in annoyance. “Okay, I’ll sleep.”

“Quiet you two,” Sasuke complained, his voice hoarse and half a whisper. “I want more than four hours of sleep this time.”

Naruto snorted. “I thought those bags under your eyes were a fashion choice.”

Iruka pressed Sasuke down before he could climb over him to grab Naruto. “No fighting,” Iruka scolded, “we have to be up at sunrise.” Which was in two hours, Iruka realized, when he checked the clock on the far wall.

“Yes, sensei,” the two replied, most likely pouting, and Iruka laughed.

“Welcome to the family,” Iruka joked to Sasuke and resumed running his fingers through his hair.

“We’re a mess,” Naruto added.

Sasuke’s only reply was a small hum, and Iruka tried his best not to laugh as they all resumed their awkward positions on a bed meant for only two people. It was perfect.

They had learned to move around one another in the kitchen years ago. This had only really started to become useful to them lately, after they moved into a bigger home to accommodate Gai’s wheelchair. 

Iruka hummed softly, tipping the last spoonful of sencha into the plain ceramic pot and replacing the lid. “Is Kakashi spending the night in the guest room again?” he asked when Gai began clearing the table.

“He’s decided to, and I quote, spare us this evening,” Gai replied, amused, and deliberately brushed his fingers against Iruka’s thigh as he passed. “I think he’s hiding from Naruto again.”

Iruka managed to playfully tug Gai’s ponytail in retaliation. Gray strands striking against his fingertips. “It’s a little surprising, don’t you think? That Naruto decided he no longer wanted to become a Hokage, but a teacher instead.”

“I think it’s the perfect occupation.”

“How so?”

Gai finished washing the plates and raised a brow. “He has the perfect example.” He turned, propelling forward until he was within reach to grab one of Iruka’s hands. He gently kissed each knuckle. “He’s following in your footsteps. To be as kind to others as you’ve been to him.”

“Oh.”

“The boy calls you his father and thinks you’re the most strongest shinobi on this planet,” Gai muttered, on the border of fond exasperation, “and you’re still surprised when someone tells you he loves you more than anything?”

Iruka swallowed. “Sometimes it’s unbelievable. I just wanted to be there for him, because he deserved that. I couldn’t help but think that maybe I was too late to help.”

“Never,” Gai said. “You’ve always been right on time.”

Iruka rubbed his neck with his free hand and laughed lowly. “Even with us?”

Gai snorted. “If I had to wait until I was eighty to hear you confess to me, I would have complained just a bit.”