Title: And the morning after
Summary: Kakashi isn't used to waking up with other people in his bed. Iruka was hardly expecting to, either.
Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, I'm just goofing around. Please forgive any mistakes you find, and feel free to point them out.
Pairing: Kakashi/Iruka
Words: ~2300 [complete]
A/N: Yet another one of those overused fic ideas. I regret nothing.

Irka's not really sure how it happened.

He remembers the bar and one of the many parties organized for the simple fact that as ninja, just being alive is a cause for celebration. He remembers a lot of alcohol and maybe some dancing and now… he's in a room he doesn't recognize, in a bed not his own. Naked.

And while he's perfectly willing to assume that nothing inappropriate happened, the ach in his backside tells a different story.

Iruka isn't the good-boy-prude a lot of people assume him to be; he's no stranger to flings and drunken one-night stands. That's not to say that he's used to waking up in a strangers bed with no recollection of how he got there, either, but he's not one to freak out because of it.

So no, none of this would be a cause for worry as far as Iruka's concerned, if not for the fact that the tuff of silver hair sticking out from beneath the covers by his side lets him know exactly where he is, and who he slept with.

Now that might be a problem, because he and the copy-nin are hardly on the best of term. No one would called them friends, let alone the kind of friends that can do that together without things getting awkward. They may not see each other very often or go on missions together but Iruka works at the mission desk often enough that he passes on most of Kakashi's missions, and that's not something they can avoid.

Or at least, no normal shinobi can; Kakashi just might decide that seeing Iruka is too bothersome and stick to S level mission, which the Hokage gives out personally. Iruka really hopes he doesn't react like that, because it's both unhealthy and somewhat suicidal.

And if Iruka knows one thing about the other man, it's that he's an extremely private person. He definitely won't appreciate the fact that Iruka, of all people, is in his bed. Or at least Iruka doesn't expect him to.

Iruka isn't sure if he should try slipping out unnoticed (unlikely, he's surprised his previous shifting hasn't woken the other man already), simply get up and deal with the ensuring awkwardness or just go back to sleep. The blankets are tantalizingly warm, he's sore enough that he doesn't relish the thought of getting up, and the hangover is making his head pound in time with his heartbeat. Really, the answer is obvious, consequences be damned.

With a small sigh, Iruka lies back, curves his body towards the glorious heat source by his side, and closes his eyes. It's a Saturday, so he can afford to sleep in. He'll just relax for a while and deal with everything later.

Contrarily to popular belief, Kakashi is not that much of a pervert.

Yes, he reads porn in public, but that's mostly just for the reactions it gets, and to make people think twice about approaching him. If it weren't for his mask, people would clearly be able to see him blushing at certain bits (as it is, it doesn't always conceal the rosy tinge of his cheeks).

That's not to say he's a prude, either. He's perfectly capable of using his body as just another tool to get information, and like all ninja, he occasionally uses sex as a way to unwind after a mission. And of course, he's more often than not willing to try out some of the position in Icha Icha, provided the right person is available.

But he's not one for commitment, and he's certainly not used to waking up in his bed with someone by his side, with no idea how they got there.

Especially not when that someone is Umino Iruka.

(Thank the First for small mercies, at least; Kakashi has woken up once in someone else's bed without knowing how he got there and has no intention of repeating the experience, thank you.)

Kakashi has a few vague memories of Genma dragging him to a bar the previous evening, persistent in his belief that Kakashi needed to socialize more. He remembers more alcohol than he's used to drinking, and a handsy chuunin.

As surprising as that last revelation is, it certainly explains why Kakashi allowed himself to be coaxed into bed with someone who is, at best, frigidly polite, if not outright disenchanted with him. (Kakashi will freely admit that he does most of it on purpose, for the simple fact that Iruka is rather adorable when he's yelling. Which might also explain why he allowed this to happen in the first place.)

That doesn't tell Kakashi what he should do next, however.

Kakashi is one of Konoha's very best jounin; he's fully capable for extracting himself from the current predicament without waking the other man, but that doesn't change the fact that this is his apartment, and he doesn't exactly feel like running away from his own bedroom. If anyone will be leaving in such a manner, than it should be the chuunin that doesn't, in fact, live there.

Decision made, Kakashi prepared himself to prod the other man awake, before realizing that he wasn't wearing his mask. Drunk or not, it's been a very long time since Kakashi has allowed himself to relax around another human being to the point where he felt comfortable removing his mask. He really hopes the other man doesn't remember any details of the evening, either, especially not what Kakashi may or may not look like under his mask. (Very, very few people do, and Kakashi wants it to stay that way.)

The aborted motion is unfortunately enough to wake the chuunin, who begins to stir at his side. Kakashi scrambles to find a clean mask in a panicked frenzy. Once found, he don's it with relief, uncaring for his general state of undress. If Iruka remembers anything about the previous evening, than Kakashi would like to think that his awesome body and prowess in bed will be among them.

A quiet laugh draws his attention back to his bed, and the man in it.

Iruka is looking at him with a goofy grin, making the edges of his scar bunch up, long hair draped over his bare shoulders. It makes something in Kakashi twinge the same way a cute puppy would. Kakashi pushes the though away (he doubts Iruka would appreciate being compared to a puppy) and instead focuses on reading Iruka's expression.

He doesn't seem bothered in the least to find himself in another's bed. Kakashi smothers the pulse of jealousy he feels at that though; it's none of his business in the first place, if Iruka happens to do this sort of thing often enough to feel at ease. Sleeping together once hardly changes the fact that they're not even friends, and really, Kakashi should just be happy that the chuunin isn't yelling at him. (Not even jounin are except from hangovers; they're just better at hiding them than civilians.)

"Do you… remember what happened?" Kakashi asks, tentatively, inching back towards the bed. It's not really that he minds being naked, save for his mask, but he does feel slightly vulnerable with someone else in his bedroom, staring at him. Not to mention the fact that the morning air is cool on his exposed skin and the warmth of his bed and Iruka are alluring. Kakashi tries not to dwell on the fact that he hasn't yet felt the need to get Iruka out of his bed and more importantly out of his apartment. Maybe it's the throbbing in his head.

"No, but I can figure it out. I can now say without lying that you are a literal pain in my ass." Iruka adds, sniggering at his own joke. It's a bad one, but Kakashi finds himself smiling lightly all the same, if only because of the expression on Iuka's face. More puppies come to mind.

"And you don't mind." Kakashi states, more than asks. If Iruka minded, Kakashi was sure he would have received an earful already, hangovers be damned. The chuunin had more than proven that he never held back when letting his targets knows they had earned his ire, even when said targets (victims) where jounin.

"Not really. We were both drunk; these things happen. There's no reason to make a bid deal of it." Iruka answered, with a dismissive shrug.

Kakashi hummed in response, a little distracted by the way the early morning light was highlighting certain parts of Iruka's skin and the myriad of love bites. Clearly, last night had been fun. It was too bad he couldn't remember any of it.

"You know, you can come back to bed." If he thinks it strange to be inviting a man back into his own bed, than Iruka doesn't show it. He looks more amused than anything else, and Kakashi complies, without another word. It is what he was aiming for, after all.

Kakashi lies back and lets Iruka rearrange them to his liking, with a pleased sigh. They end result is Kakashi on his back, with Iruka's head resting on his chest just beneath his chin, their legs intertwined between the sheets. It's surprisingly comfortable, especially since Kakashi really isn't one for casual contact of this nature.

"You know, I don't think anyone has ever used me as a pillow before." Kakashi says after a while, after Iruka has all but snuggled into him and tucked cold hands behind Kakashi back. Kakashi's hands are idly running over Iruka's warm skin and twining in his hair. It's a nice way to start the day, and Kakashi is determined to enjoy it, since it's not likely to happen again.

"It's a shame for them; you make such a good one. Very warm, too." Iruka's voice sounds slightly muffled, since he doesn't bother lifting his head from Kakashi's chest to speak, but the amusement and contentment there are undeniable.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"As you should."

They doze like that for a few moments longer, but Kakashi is not one to do nothing. Already, he's getting restless, the itch beneath his skin building up with the desire to just do something. Stillness isn't the issue, it's more that he's used to being at the memorial stone by this time, or off on a mission. He's never really had time to just lay in bed without purpose.

"Do you want breakfast?" Kakashi finally asks, when he can't stand the silence that isn't true silence anymore. He still doesn't want Iruka to leave just yet, however, is finding the presence of another living thing soothing in a way not even his ninken ever quite manage.

"Of course you would be the type of person who can't just lie in bed and do nothing." Iruka mumbles, instead of answering.

"Sorry?" Kakashi offers, lightly.

Iruka laughs, and Kakashi decides he much prefers that sound to the usual yelling. Well, he might very well have enjoyed a different kind of yelling last night, but since he can't remember, he'll simply have to rank that laugh as 'best Iruka sound'.

For now, at least.

Kakashi certainly wouldn't be complaining if Iruka wanted to go at it again, when they're both sober enough to remember it afterwards. He must have proven to be tolerable company if Kakashi was apparently relaxed enough to remove his mask. (No amount of alcohol would be enough to accomplish that, so it really can't be blamed.)

They dress in silence.

Kakashi looks relaxed, which Iruka decides is a nice look on him. He is so used to seeing Kakashi after a mission, when he is weighed down by exhaustion and other things Iruka tries not to think about that it seems strange to see him so carefree. Even the slump of his shoulders feels less forced and more natural, less of a carefully constructed personal and more real.

Iruka finds he enjoys the sight immensely, and fully appreciates the fact that Kakashi seems to trust him enough to simply be.

Kakashi, as it turns out, is a good cook. Much better than Iruka, at any rate. They chitchat amiably throughout the simple yet tasty meal, and Iruka finds himself loath to break the comfortable atmosphere by suggesting he leave.

Kakashi, usually so aloof and untouchable is surprisingly open, sharing tidbits of his past in responds to Iruka's own stories. Iruka finds he likes the silver haired man much more than he thought possible.

"So." Iruka begins, when they have both finished their meal and have cleared up the mess, simply basking in the quiet atmosphere of a nice morning. He may not want to leave, but he has things that need to be done, and putting them off too long never ends well. "This has been fun." The surprisingly goes unsaid. He's fairly sure it's a feeling they both share.

Kakashi hums noncommittally, and in a flash of insight, Iruka realizes that Konoha's copy-nin is insecure.

It seems so obvious in hindsight that a man who spends his every moment hiding behind a mask and lopsided hitai-ate, who keeps everyone at arm's length and whose closest friend is Maito Gai might be uncomfortable sharing so much of himself to a near perfect stranger, might do so without truly expecting anything in return. The need to make everything a test is a side effect of being ninjas, of never quite knowing who to trust. Kakashi may be a genius, but emotions really aren't his forte.

It is strangely endearing.

Iruka isn't sure how best to say let's do this again sometime and I hope we can be friends, or maybe even something more, so he settles for conveying what he means through actions rather than words. It's much harder to misunderstand.

Iruka grabs the other man and pulls him into a kiss made awkward by the mask still on Kakashi's face, but makes no move to remove it. Iruka knows that pulling it down now will not be appreciated, and would most likely only make Kakashi close in on himself. But that's fine, because Iruka is used to accommodating strange quirks.

They are shinobi, after all.