Tunnel Vision

Kakashi couldn't remember the last time he'd woken up with someone by his side. Well, more like on top of and tangled into him. It was a mystery how they'd gotten that way, because they had been spooning when they went to bed; and Kakashi hadn't been aware of any movement throughout the night. Actually, he hadn't been aware of anything. It was the best night's sleep he'd had in ages, like having Iruka by his side made him feel like he could let his guard down and completely relax. Kakashi blushed, slightly embarrassed at how easily his defences had dropped; and looked at Iruka, who's head was resting on his chest, rising and falling with his breaths. How could one man have such power over him? And why was the only thing he wanted to do was kiss him?

Iruka stirred, suddenly on the verge of waking up; and Kakashi watched as he opened his eyes and slowly became more alert. There was an innocence to his movements that Kakashi found cute; and when Iruka lifted his head and turned to him with a warm smile, his heart fluttered wildly.

"Morning, 'kashi." Iruka mumbled sleepily, leaning over to kiss him.

Kakashi was taken by surprise feeling Iruka's lips across his bare skin - he had forgotten that he wasn't wearing a mask; and it made him more sensitive to the touch, sending sparks flittering across his body. His arms tightened around Iruka as he kissed back, parting his lips to taste more of him; and when he slowly pulled back, he was met with an endearing smile that made him blush.

"God, you're adorable." Iruka said, kissing him again.

Once they were out of bed, Kakashi went straight to the jug, a little dazed, and started preparing a cup of tea for Iruka, and coffee for himself. He usually went for tea, too, but sometimes coffee just went down better in the morning; and it was one of those days. By the time it was ready, Iruka had gotten dressed, wearing Kakashi's clothes again since his own still needed to be washed; and he looked more awake and ready for the day.

"What's on the agenda for today?" he asked, taking a sip of tea.

"I'm taking you on a date around the village." Kakashi said more confidently than he felt. "And hopefully in the process, seeing places you've been to before will help with your memories."

"That sounds like a lovely idea - I've been wanting to check out the village since you picked me up from the hospital."

"Well, let's not waste too much time here - there's plenty to see."

It wasn't much longer after their conversation that they were ready for the day and were out the door; and a few hours and a lot of walking later, Iruka found that he was really enjoying the date.

Rather than follow the main road, Kakashi had taken him through a lot of side streets, claiming that it was more interesting; and he kept excitedly pointing out his favourite places along the way, as well as some he thought he would like, and would be useful when he went back to teaching at the academy. Overall, it had been a fun morning; and now he was getting curious, because Kakashi had suddenly announced he was taking him for lunch, but wouldn't say where, just that he would like it.

They wandered along a line-up of market stalls; and as they neared the end of the street, Iruka smelled something absolutely delicious. He couldn't quite pick what it was in amongst the other scents around, but in a way, it smelled like home; and he really hoped Kakashi was taking them wherever it was.

As they neared the corner, Iruka figured out where the aroma was coming from - a place called Ichiraku; and looking at the stall front, he felt like he knew something, like he had a memory at the tip of his tongue. Kakashi smiled at him, pleased that he had become more alert and interested in his surroundings, and guided him to the stall. When they arrived, he gestured for him to take a seat, and then he joined him on his right.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted to the seemingly empty stall.

"Well, if it isn't Iruka-san and Kakashi-san; two of my most loyal customers! It's good to see you again!" An aging man grinned, coming out from the back, carrying a stack of bowls. "What brings you down this end of town?"

"Not much good, I'm afraid. Iruka has a serious case of amnesia, so I'm taking him on a date around the village to see if he can remember anything."

"What? How did you get amnesia, Iruka-san?"

"From a mission, apparently. Someone poisoned me, but I don't remember the details." Iruka answered. "I don't remember this place, either; but it feels familiar, like I've been here a lot."

"Ah, just you wait - one bowl of Ichiraku ramen, and your memories will return!" The man smiled kindly. "Would you like your usual, or is there something specific on the menu that you would like to try?"

"What's my usual?" Iruka asked.

"Miso ramen topped with pork, vegetables, and a boiled egg."

"That's actually what I was looking at…"

"Old habits die hard." Kakashi chuckled. "I'll have the same, thank you, Teuchi-san."

"Shall I add some extra naruto, today, too?"

"Naruto?" Iruka asked thoughtfully. "I could swear I know someone by that name…"

"See? You're remembering already!" Teuchi encouraged. "I'm going to add the naruto for good luck."

"Thank you."

The meal was as delicious as it smelled. Iruka was really enjoying the flavours in the ramen bowl, and found the experience very nostalgic. He felt like he was getting a glimpse into the memories he'd had at this very place, and could tell that the time he spent here was with someone he loved in a different way to Kakashi; like the fog in his head had thinned enough for him to see shapes, and he was feeling his way around the story the shape was telling. He could feel that if he just tried a little harder, felt around the story just a little bit more, took himself on a slightly longer nostalgic journey, he would remember something else. Perhaps something about the person he was so fond of… Of someone who surely liked ramen, considering how often it felt like they visited the place...

"Naruto!" Iruka gasped excitedly. "I just remembered that I come here with Naruto!"

"I'm happy for you, Iruka-san." Teuchi smiled pleasantly.

Kakashi wrapped an arm around Iruka's waist, blushing and grinning beneath his mask. The way Iruka's eyes lit up like they held the very world inside of them made his heart skip a beat; and Kakashi felt like he could gaze at him for hours. He loved seeing Iruka so happy; and having him so close created a warmth in his chest, like Iruka's feelings were affecting him, too. And god, if he wasn't so embarrassed about public displays of affection, he would have kissed him then and there. It was like he wasn't doing things to pretend anymore; but was acting out of desire.

After the excitement at Ichiraku, Iruka couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day - he was ecstatic. His memory was coming back bit by bit; and it made him feel more hopeful about the rest returning, like the fog that was clouding his mind would definitely clear. It was strange because this time, everything he knew about Naruto came back to him, from his background, personality, and likes and dislikes; but despite remembering Kakashi first, he still didn't know too much about him, and nothing about their relationship beforehand. It was frustrating not knowing, but he had faith that he would remember something soon.

"What's on your mind?" Kakashi asked as they neared his house.

"I'm just happy that I'm slowly getting my memory back. And I can't wait for the ones of us to return..."

Iruka stopped walking when they reached the gate, and beckoned Kakashi over, pulling him into a warm embrace. He planted a kiss on his cheek, smiling as he gazed at Kakashi's half-hidden face.

"I'd love to remember how I fell in love with you."