Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto universe.

Characters: Kakashi, Iruka
Relationships: Kakashi x Iruka
Rating: K
Summary: Iruka has attachment issues to his students were.
Prompt: "Presents" from Christmas Fest
Word Count: 472

Something Like Tradition

When Hinata was five, in her first year at the Academy, she'd cried to herself after class every day for the two weeks leading up to Christmas break. It was the first real crisis Iruka had dealt with as a teacher. And, so, Iruka had sat with her after class day after day—talking to her, comforting her, keeping her company until someone from the Hyuuga clan came to collect her.

Bit by bit, the whole story had eventually come out. Hinata's birthday was the twenty-seventh of December, and had been forgotten in the excitement and rush over Christmas and treaty celebrations. Even her clan had overlooked the day in its mourning and recognition of the third anniversary of the death of one of her uncle. Somehow the Academy sensei had attained permission to take the young heiress out to dinner and buy her a few presents, to make it up to her.

Kakashi had found this all out when he'd come home thirteen years later to find a mess of presents and his lover sitting in the middle of the living room. It turned out Iruka's heart was still breaking for that little girl who had felt so absolutely alone. That little girl was now turning nineteen, though, engaged and strong in a way that was eerily reminiscent of Kurenai.

"I'm being silly aren't I?" Iruka finished his story. He curled a lavender ribbon around his fingers. "She's grown, I mean, and not nearly as fragile anymore…"

And it was silly, at least a little bit; and Kakashi was fairly certain Iruka knew it. On the other hand, of course, it was as silly as, say, the jounin's instance they buy presents for his ninken and hang their stockings on the mantle with everyone else's. A practice which the chuunin had very patiently gone along with.

Moving to sit behind Iruka, Kakashi wrapped his long arms around his lover. "I think somewhere inside of her, there's a little part of Hinata that takes delight in knowing you remembered," he whispered.

"Really?" Iruka turned a little until he was facing Kakashi.

"Yes." Kakashi nodded solemnly. He remembered when he was younger that there was some childish part of him that had brightened every time Minato-sensei had ruffled his hair, even when he claimed to hate it. That was the part he saw in Hinata's eyes from time to time, when she saw Iruka.

Lone eyes twinkling mischievously, Kakashi rested his forehead against Iruka's. "Besides, it completely makes up for the fact that her father is an utter bastard."

"You…" Iruka choked out, apparently outraged. But he was also laughing, just a little, and Kakashi took that as a good sign. Warm fingers were sliding his mask down and chapped lips pressed against his, and Kakashi took that as an even better sign.