Oh my. I mean, I read a LOT of KakaIru - for a while it's been the only pairing in Naruto I've read - and sometimes I do get bored with the happy endings. This was way different, in a very, very good way.
I'm trying to say I loved this, and not only 'cause the differencies to the most KakaIrufics. I can totally empathise with what Iruka's going through - and I've never actually dealt with anything like this, so I'm giving the credit for your writing. Sometimes the stories written in one sitting are the stories that come from sources of inspiration.
The tense-sifting worked for me, seriously. Didn't actually give it much notice until the second reading, which is kinda cool - the whole thing seemed so natural I didn't actually see it - just feel.
Thanks. ^-^