This is the fourth (and final) story for @kakairu-rocks 2024 Maze Challenge. Bakers AU! Kakashi has finally cleared the final roadblock and caught up to Iruka!
This story was also inspired by a drabble I wrote for the forum's June DDN.
Summary: Iruka is in his favourite place in the whole world.
Iruka was content. He was in one of his favourite places, the kitchen of the café he ran with Kakashi, making one of his favourite treats. No matter that he'd been here before dawn, or that it was a gigantic batch—the largest he'd ever put together at once—the kitchen was his happy place.
His first batch of dough was just about through its second rising, several others were at various stages, and the latest batch was ready for mixing. The yeast mixture looked good, so he tipped eggs, butter, vanilla, lemon zest, and flour into the mixing bowl and started the stand mixer to knead the dough.
He heard the door open and close just as he was transferring the dough to a larger bowl for it to start the rising process. Once it was covered and moved off to the side to rise, he smiled and waved at Sai, the first of those he was expecting today.
“Good morning, Sai. How is the day looking?”
“Good morning, Iruka. My walk here was nice—the sun is out.”
“Good, good! Hopefully, it will be like that the next few days, too.” The next few days being the annual food festival in the Konoha's largest park. “The first batch of lemon rolls are about to go into the oven, so if you could get started on the cream cheese icing…?”
“Of course.”
Iruka grabbed the first trays filled with rolls ready for baking and placed them into the oven. He set the timer and went to get the bowl with the dough that was ready for rolling. He added some more flour to that already on the counter from previous batches and went to work. He hummed as he rolled, and the sound of the electric beater was soothing background noise.
He had just finished spreading the lemon-sugar mixture onto the rolled out dough when the oven timer went off, so he put in his oven mitts and opened the oven. The smell of sweet lemon wafted out and filled the kitchen.
Iruka heard the back door open and close again just as he was pulling his head—and the tray of lemon rolls—out.
“Kakashi!” He hoped Kakashi could hear the excitement in his voice. “How does the stall look?” He turned and set the tray on the counter to cool, then felt arms snake around his waist, and a kiss on his neck.
“It looks great. A warmer, a cooler, and all the hookups we need for our equipment. I left Sakura in charge of decorating. Naruto's stocking our supplies.”
Iruka grinned and rolled his eyes. “And did you leave Yamato to supervise? Or are the two of them on their own?”
“Yamato is supervising. He'll bring them back here to help when they're done over there.”
“Good. Can you get started on the cookies?”
Kakashi nodded and left to change and wash. Iruka went back to roll and cut his current batch of rolls, and Sai came in to spoon the icing over the just baked ones. Another waft of sweet lemon filled the kitchen as the icing melted over and into the rolls.
The morning passed quickly in a rhythm of mixing, rising, rolling, shaping, baking, and icing. Iruka barely noticed when the café opened for the day, except when his missing three employees came in—Naruto could never be ignored. Their customers loved his loud, cheerful attitude. Sakura, he knew, was helping out front while Sai and Yamato packed and stored the fresh treats for transport to the festival site. And they'd get to do it all again tomorrow—and the day after if tomorrow went well.
His rhythm was only broken when Kakashi waved a plate of food in front of his face.
“Is it lunch already?”
Kakashi gave him a peck on the nose.
“The lunch rush should be starting in 30 minutes. You've just enough time to eat and change, and for the last batches of rolls and cookies to finish baking.”
Iruka returned Kakashi's peck.
“Thanks. Has everyone else eaten?”
“Sai and Naruto have. Sakura and Yamato will after we do.” Kakashi held up his own food, then herded Iruka to the break room.
They sat side-by-side at the small breakroom table enjoying the lunches Kakashi had made. Iruka savoured the flavours of ginger and apricot on his tongue as he ate last night's leftovers. He listened as Kakashi went into more detail describing the festival site. They were placed between restaurants specialising in Greek and Iranian cuisines.
“I hope there's enough down time to try some of the other foods.”
“The workers at the Iranian stand proposed a trade in the morning before the festival opens.”
Iruka leaned against Kakashi now that they were finished eating and let his whole body relax, trusting Kakashi to take his weight.
“That sounds perfect.”
Kakashi leaned in, too, wrapping his arm around Iruka. They spent the rest of their time in perfect, comforting, restful silence—in Iruka's favourite place in the whole world.
🐬 🐺
This is the recipe I referenced. Disclaimer: I have not actually baked it. But I love lemon desserts and love to go browsing.
