This is a series of 5 shorts I wrote for a contest on the KakaIru LJ community. All are under 500 words. This was a challenge I put for myself. The contest was 5 locations (excluding specific ones), a theme, and somebody had to walk in on them at some point. I decided to focus on the description of the location, have them each less than 500 words (this is hard for me oddly most of my chapters are over 1000 pretty easily), and the theme is kisses. I might continue this to do other themes in series of 5 shorts / theme when I have more time.

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It started when Iruka was sitting on top of the Hokage monument. Ever since Naruto had gone to train with Jiraiya, the village had been a lot quieter, and Iruka had been a lot less busy. So, on Wednesday, when he normally headed for ramen at Ichiraku's, he decided he didn't really feel up to eating alone and instead headed for the monument.

The sun was starting to set, the colors blending together till they were like a fire on the horizon. Iruka sighed as he watched day slowly fading. He wished the day would pass into night so it could just be over, and he could mark another day as gone. If he could just stop pretending he wasn't lonely, maybe things would be easier.

Despite what everyone thought, Iruka didn't have a lot of close friends. The ones he did have were out on missions a lot or had significant others they liked to spend their evenings with. The result was that Iruka spent his alone. He could probably go to the bar and some of them would be there, but... it'd never really been his kind of thing and only made him feel more out of place.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The voice came from behind him, and Iruka spun around, surprised. He hadn't sensed anyone, but, when he caught sight of the copy-nin, he realized most probably wouldn't have noticed the man's presence any sooner.

"What?" Startled, he couldn't recall what the man had asked.

"The sunset, Konoha... It's beautiful." Kakashi wasn't really looking at him, rather behind and off to the distance.

"Yeah..." Iruka turned back around, settling again and stretching his legs out in front of him. "My mother said the sunset made her think of a parent tucking her child into bed. She said the sun was trying to bless them with the last bits of warmth as Konoha closes it's eyes. Like a good-night kiss."

"Sounds like something a mother would say," the other man chuckled as he sat down next to Iruka.

They sat there until the sun was gone and only the barest color remained in the sky. Neither of them said anything, but Iruka didn't mind; it was nice to have the copy-nin's company. Reluctantly, Iruka dusted his pants off and stood, still staring out at the horizon; this time wishing the moment could last and knowing it couldn't.

"Iruka..." Kakashi's voice was quiet but the chunin heard and turn to smile at him. "Thank you."

Iruka was going to say something, tell him that his thanks was unnecessary, that he too had enjoyed watching the sunset with the other. He was, but, before he could, the silver-haired man leaned forward and planted a soft, covered kiss on his lips; and, the words had simply melted with the last rays of light. "Good-night, Iruka."

And, before he could recover, Kakashi was gone in puff of smoke. Iruka reached up and touched his lips, slightly confused.