Archive of Our Own ^beta

(I don't own any characters etc etc)

Iruka looked at the calendar and sighed. His birthday was two days away, but he was quarantined at home for no less than two weeks due to a perfect storm of accidents at the academy.

Improper jutsu form, a questionably poisonous plant brought in for show and tell, and a few general illnesses going around the school (plus there may have been food poisoning at one point).

This all fell over the end of May, including his birthday.

Yes, Iruka was saddened that he had to be home for at least two weeks, alone. Unhappy he was not at the academy for classes with his kids. Frustrated to not be with friends, or to eat at Ichiraku's.

And disappointed he had to isolate for his birthday. Not because of the expected reasons, not at all. His friends would still be there to celebrate, that was guaranteed.

No, Iruka was missing something else.

For the past two years, he had come into his classroom the morning of his birthday to find an anonymous edible surprise on his desk. The first year, it was a small box of expensive looking cookies. Last year, a large gourmet cupcake. Both were placed in the middle of his otherwise undisturbed classroom, with no sign of who left it. Nor did anyone inquire about it, so Iruka had no one to thank, then or now. And in the past year, there had been a few similar surprises, albeit a bit smaller but no less generous. Teacher's day, last day before winter break, first day back from summer break, winter break.

So, he was quite naturally curious and saddened to think that he would miss it this year. He was also slightly worried that the person might do the same thing this year, and that not only would someone else receive the delicious surprise, but people would think he had a secret admirer.

And he didn't. Did he?

Nothing else like that ever happened. No flower deliveries, mystery gifts other than the snacks. No love letters, nothing.

So, Iruka reflected, whoever it was, they wanted to be a secret, but also wanted to honor his birthday, plus a few other days. Curious, really.

He tried to tell himself that since they knew some things about him, they would likely also know he wasn't at the academy this week, and so perhaps they would take the year off.

This, too, saddened Iruka, but he could do nothing else but be grateful for the past two years, and think of something else to do to pass the time in quarantine...

_____

On his birthday, Iruka woke fairly early, though he hadn't set an alarm.

"It's my birthday!" he said aloud, to his empty apartment. Sitting up, he shrugged as he looked around. "Might as well make the most of it," he sighed.

He had to adapt what he normally did on this day, and so after light exercise and stretching, he showered and sat to meditate and think of his family, as he couldn't get to the memorial stone today.

Just as he was finishing that and thinking about breakfast, there was a knock on the door.

Surprised, he went to open it after checking, revealing a medic nin.

"Morning, sensei," the medic greeted him. "How are you today?"

"I'm well, thank you," Iruka said. "Any news?"

The medic shook her head. "No, we think you're in the clear but we still need to have to stay home at least another week, then at the fourteen day mark we can revisit it all."

Iruka nodded, not having any other response.

"Oh, I was asked to deliver this to you since I was stopping by," she said, holding out a medium sized paper bag.

"What is it?" Iruka asked, noting it was stapled shut.

The medic shrugged. "No clue, I was just asked to drop it off, since we're limiting your visitors. I'll see you in a few days!" she told him, waving before disappearing.

Iruka quickly retreated back into his apartment and closed the door, looking at the bag as he wandered to his kitchen table.

Setting it down there, he opened the bag and found a medium sized white paper box inside.

Frowning at it, he removed the tape and opened it, revealing a nicely sized birthday cake! It was covered in white frosting, with waves of decorative piping on the top and bottom, and ribbon of rainbow sprinkles circling it above the lower level of frosting.

"A cake!" Iruka laughed, smiling widely. "How nice!"

He looked this way and that at the cake, box, and bag, but found no information of who made the cake or bought it for him.

"I wonder why they sent a whole cake," he mused. "They know I'm here...and alone...and can't come here, not that they would..."

Shrugging, he soon decided he had no more information than he had before the cake was dropped off, and so set about making tea and cutting himself a slice, delighting in seeing sprinkles baked into the cake itself.

"Well, whoever sent it, thank you," Iruka said, as he pulled out his latest book to read while he ate.

_____

The rest of his birthday was largely uneventful, as the past several days had been.

An ANBU did swing by around lunchtime to drop off some cards from his friends, a range of responses wishing him well, teasing him for his luck, and promising of more than one night out when he was released.

In the early evening, there was another knock on his door.

As he was heading to it, Iruka heard a familiar voice on the other side.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto wailed. "Open up!"

Iruka sighed as he stood inside his apartment, looking through the peephole at a frustrated Naruto.

"Naruto, you know I can't," Iruka reminded him. "I have to stay inside, alone."

"But it's your birthday! We always hang out on your birthday!"

"I know," Iruka agreed. "But we'll have to hang out another day, I'm still here for another week. This is to keep everyone safe, not just me!"

"I don't care!" Naruto yelled. "I want to take you out for dinner! I've been saving for weeks from mission pay!"

Iruka smiled at that. "I really appreciate that, but this is an order from above," he sighed. "How's everything been with you?"

"Okay, I guess," Naruto sighed. "Sakura still ignores me and Sasuke is Sasuke. And Kakashi-sensei has been a bit distracted, but still training us."

"I'm glad to hear things are pretty normal with you, I'm jealous," Iruka commented. "Thank you again for coming out, but you should get going and get dinner anyway. Celebrate in my honor, okay?"

He watched the blond pout but nod.

"Okay," Naruto agreed. "But as soon as you're out of there --"

"I'm all yours," Iruka added, through the door. "Thank you again, Naruto!"

He fondly watched as the boy waved and left, turning back to his apartment and laughing at the matter.

A few minutes later, there was more knocking on his door.

"Naruto!" Iruka yelled as he walked back to the door. "I told you I can't come out, and you can't come in!"

"It's not Naruto, sorry not sorry," a voice said from the other side.

Iruka's eyes widened as he looked through the peephole, finding Kakashi on the other side.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't really believe in formalities when there's a door between us," Kakashi said, shrugging. "I heard you were stuck at home for your birthday, so I thought I might help to make it less boring."

"I appreciate that," Iruka said, surprised but flattered by this offer. "But I'm quarantined, no one is allowed in without medical permission."

"I've got that covered," Kakashi told him.

"What?" Iruka asked, looking through the peephole but not finding anything unusual. "How?"

"I'm a clone," Kakashi said.

"What?"

"A clone, but the food I brought is real," Kakashi said, holding up takeout.

"I'm not sure I believe you," Iruka admitted.

"You should. Even I wouldn't cross Tsunade about something like this. But a clone, they can't catch whatever you have."

"I don't really have anything," Iruka said. "Probably. Hopefully."

"So? Open up or I'll let myself in."

"This is really unexpected," Iruka said, looking around at his apartment. Sure, he had been home alone, but at least he had kept it fairly tidy. Still, he wondered why the other man had shown up?

"Iruka," Kakashi called out. "Food is getting cold."

The teacher internally debated between his options. Let the copy nin in, clone or not, and risk getting in trouble? Or spend his birthday night alone...

Figuring he was in the clear as he hadn't invited the other man over, Iruka slowly opened his door and peered out.

"Are you sure about this?" he whispered.

Kakashi gave him an eye smile. "Of course. Now, I'm coming in," he said, and Iruka opened the door wider, quickly closing it after the other man had entered.

"Nice place," Kakashi said, looking around. "Are you hungry?"

"I am," Iruka said, still surprised by his visitor. "Not to be rude, but what are you doing here?" he asked, as he followed the other man to the kitchen.

"I told you, it's your birthday. I didn't want you to be alone," Kakashi said, opening up the bag and placing containers on the table.

"I know, but...why?"

"Naruto seemed pretty sad about it, so I thought I might help everyone out," Kakashi said, after a moment.

"Are you definitely a clone?" Iruka asked, frowning.

"I am. Want me to prove it?"

"Maybe?"

Kakashi shrugged. "You could hit me or something, but then I'll have to send a new one. And dinner might get cold."

Iruka laughed. "Maybe I'll hit you after we eat, then. Wait, can clones even eat?"

"I make special clones," Kakashi said. "One thousand jutsu and all."

Iruka laughed again and they sat to eat.

"Naruto will kick himself that he didn't think to make a clone for this," Iruka said. "How's he doing with his training, otherwise?"

Kakashi began to tell Iruka stories of Naruto, as well as Sakura and Sasuke, and Iruka shared stories of them from their academy days.

As they cleaned up from dinner, Kakashi opened the refrigerator to put leftovers away.

"Oh, you got the cake, great!" Kakashi said, spying the white bakery box. "Did you like it?"

"I did," Iruka admitted. "Wait, that was you?"

Kakashi nodded as he put the food away.

"Why?" Iruka asked, seemingly his go-to question that evening.

"Well, I thought you might like something a little bigger than usual, since you'd be home to eat it," Kakashi said. "For a few days, this time."

"That's true," Iruka admitted. "Wait, 'this time?' What does that mean?"

Kakashi cleared his throat and shrugged. "Should we watch a movie or something?"

"Kakashi," Iruka said, crossing his arms. "What did you mean?"

"Nothing? Forget I said it. Should I make tea, do you want some with cake?"

"Yes, but I want an answer," Iruka said. "Wait, did you...did you give me the cupcake last year?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Maybe?"

"And the cookies the year before?"

"It's possible."

"And...other snacks, here and there?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Kakashi said, and Iruka suddenly felt slightly embarrassed.

Maybe Kakashi wasn't behind the more ocassional items. Surely Iruka didn't have that much of an ego to think that there were multiple people leaving surprises though, right?

"I'm kidding," Kakashi admitted. "Those were also me. Unless you got a lot of them," he said, his visible eye narrowing. "Then it seems I have competition."

"No, just..." Iruka thought about it. "Four? Not including the birthday one."

Kakashi nodded. "Then all me. So, about that movie and tea?" he asked, opening cupboards to look for tea and cups.

"I had no clue," Iruka said softly, as he watched him. "To the left, by the way. Anyway, I've wanted to thank whoever it was, but I didn't know."

"I know," Kakashi admitted, as he pulled down two cups. "I wasn't sure about letting you know."

"For two years?" Iruka laughed, as he moved to another cabinet, pulling out tea. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

Kakashi shrugged again. "I got lost on the path of life?"

Iruka rolled his eyes. "That's a lame excuse, but I won't push you for the truth. For now," he added, as he set water to boil.

"Well that's good," Kakashi sighed. "I want to keep up my air of mystery."

Iruka laughed. "You shouldn't have admitted to it all, then."

Kakashi shrugged, yet again, as he poured the water into the cups. "You busted me, and I couldn't let someone else take the credit."

"Well, I'm appreciative. And to think, you've been doing it even more so for the past year," Iruka said, shaking his head as he cut cake. "Would you like a piece?"

"No, but thank you."

"Ah, you're not into sweet things, isn't that right?" Iruka mused as he put the cake back into the fridge, taking his plate and cup to the living room.

Kakashi followed behind. "Yes, but I'd make an exception for birthday cake with you, if I wasn't a clone. It'd be a waste on me."

Iruka looked at him as they sat on the sofa. "I forgot I'm with a clone," he said, shaking his head. "Wait, didn't you eat dinner though?" Kakashi shrugged, and Iruka sighed. "I'm not sure if I'm happy for the company, or mildly embarrassed to be with a clone on my birthday night."

"I'd like to suggest being happy for the company," Kakashi said. "It must beat dinner with Naruto."

Iruka laughed. "He's a nice kid, you know that."

"I won't admit it," Kakashi mused. "But, he's okay."

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Some teacher you are," he teased.

Kakashi gave him an eye smile but didn't deny it, and they picked a movie to watch, drinking tea and sitting side by side on the sofa for it.

Overwhelmed slightly by the day's events, and by having company for the first time since starting his quarantine, Iruka soon fell asleep, leaning on Kakashi as he dozed.

When Iruka woke the next morning, the early morning sun was streaming into his apartment, the television was off, and a blanket was covering him.

He was also alone, and wondered if he had dreamed it all.

"If I did, it was a nice dream," he sighed as he stretched. "Albeit an odd one."

He used the bathroom and moved to the kitchen to make coffee, noticing a note on his kitchen counter.

"I hope you had a good birthday," it read. "I'll send another clone around for dinner tonight, see you at six," signed with a henohenomoheji.

Iruka smiled as he re-read it, thinking about the night ahead as he took out the cake to have a piece for breakfast.

Looking at the cake, he shook his head.

"A clone who ate real food but not cake...I wonder if it was even a clone at all," he laughed. "I wonder..."