"Kakashi! Not here! The kids will see us!"

"No they won't. Please just one kiss?"

"No look they're right th-"

Iruka was cut off by the other jonins lips.

And in an instant they were gone and he pulling his mask back over his mouth.

"Kakashi-"

"Shh. They're coming."

"Hey Kakashi sensei we found you! Huh? Iruka sensei what're you doing here?" sang Naruto as he approached the two, Sakura and Sasuke following close behind him.

"We were just talking. You know Iruka is a close friend of mine."

Iruka blushed at the whole scenario. "Y-Yeah. I was just leaving actually. I have some work to finish. I'll see you later guys." With a weary smile Iruka turned on his heels and left Team 7 to themselves. Kakashi followed him with his uncovered eye, wishing so dearly that he could run after him or follow him to his apartment.

It's always like this. We never got to be alone and even when we still got paranoid that we weren't.

I don't know if I can do this anymore.

The next day I had a meeting with the Hokage. I had a new mission that would apparently be pretty long. Good. I'll have some time to get my mind off of him. This thing we had, whatever it was, wasn't going to last and I had to come to terms with it.


"WAIT? He has a team! He can't go on missions! Please reconsider-"

"Iruka, Team 7 won't have missions for awhile. Actually, all chunin are being kept from missions. There's too much going on. Most of the jonin are being sent on missions while the rest are staying to look after the kids. You and Kakashi are some of the more capable jonin and are already friends as far as I know which is why I've assigned you two to this mission."

"Still, he's stronger than I. Maybe I should just stay with the kids. I know school is out but maybe-"

"Please understand Iruka. If there is anything between you and Kakashi that is wrong then please sort it out and act accordingly."

Iruka sighed in defeat. "There is nothing wrong. I'll find Kakashi and leave immediately."

"Thank you Iruka."

With that I bowed and left the room. When I got to the street it took all of my will power to not bang my head against the concrete.

A long mission with Kakashi? Great, just what I needed.

It wasn't hard to find said jonin. He was perched in a tree at the training ground, reading his usual book. My feet crunched against the grass. He looked up at me when I was just a couple feet away.

"Iruka!" He smiled happily, almost dropping his beloved book.

"Hey, umm, have you been briefed on our mission for the next week?"

"Yes of course. I've been looking forward to it. Not everyday I get a long mission alone with my Iruka sensei~" He sang, jumping off of his perch.

"Heh yeah, let's get going. I want to make sure we have time to find shelter before nightfall" I lied, trying to avoid any conversation that would make this harder than it was. Believe me shelter was the last thing on my mind.

He faked a smile, seeming to catch on to my hesitance.

From then till the sun started to set it was nothing but gathering our mission supplies then jumping from tree to tree, getting closer and closer to our destination. I didn't care though. The sooner the mission was over the better.

I felt something wet hit my nose and looked up. My gaze was greeted with dark clouds that began to cover the sky. Why haven't I noticed this until now?

"Iruka it's starting to rain."

"I know. But it seems it's just going to sprinkle a bit. We'll be fine."

"If you say so"

Oh was I wrong. Within minutes thunder clapped and the rain poured, we were drenched. We stopped our decent and decided it was best to find an inn somewhere. Making camp was definitely not an option in this weather, especially in an area we didn't know.

Upon walking the streets of a nearby village Kakashi spotted one and we used the money given to us for the mission to pay for a room. It was a little room with two beds and a bathroom.

Thank God,

I went to the bathroom and changed into some spare clothes I had brought with me. I didn't bother retying my hair up. I let it lose and wore the hair band around my wrist. I also took off my headband and placed it into my bag. When I walked out of the bathroom Kakashi was changing as well and sneezed as he put on a change of pants.

"Hey, you're sick aren't you?"

He looked at me through sad eyes. He was shirtless and his exposed wet skin glowed a bit in the light. Especially his... abs. Oh gosh, his abs. "No, I'm fine."

I put my hands on my hips. "No you're not. Go lay down."

He smiled and did as told. I walked over to his bed and sat next to his body. I felt his forehead, hoping he didn't have a fever. Damn it, he did.

"You are sick. You have quite the fever."

"You going to nurse me back to health huh Iruka senseeiii"

I couldn't help but giggle, "You've been hanging out with Naruto too much." I got up and went to the bathroom to get him a hot towel. I came back and took off his headband so I could place the towel in its place. For some reason I cupped his cheek with my hand and stroked it with my thumb. He took off his mask for me, took my free hand in his and kissed the back before intertwining our fingers.

"You seemed mad at me earlier. Were you upset about the other day when Naruto interrupted us?"

"Well... yes and no."

He gave me a puzzled look.

"Kakashi... it's just... we never go on dates or get to just sit together and kiss or anything. We're a secret and so much of one that I don't even get what we are anymore. I can't keep living like this and only getting to kiss you for a second in the shadows before coming back out again and acting like nothing happened. I hate doing this and then having to go back to us just being respected teachers who happen to be friends. I was so ready to try and forget about us and get on with my life but then I got stuck with this mission-"

"You were ready to end us?"

"Well ye-"

"Do you think this is easy for me? Do you think I want this? Having to watch the man I love go through life without me and not being able to be intimate with him? The only thing giving me hope is those kisses 'in the shadows' and reading my books and picturing you and me. Then now I find out that you wanted to end it this entire time?"

"Kakashi I-"

"And you didn't even want to go on this mission did you? You were 'stuck with it'. Bullshit Iruka."

"SHUT UP OKAY?"

Kakashi's tired eyes widened at my newfound sterness.

"I love you Kakashi. I love you so much that it hurts that I can't touch you. I didn't want to go on this mission with you because I knew for a fact I wouldn't be able to focus with you around. I wouldn't be able to take my mind off you. If I really wanted to move on don't you think I would've found someone by now? Idiot." A tear fell from my eye involuntarily.

"Iruka... I love you too." He let go of my hand and brushed my tears away. He ran his fingers through my hair and pulled me down to kiss him.

I miss kissing him. I miss touching him.

Even when we pulled apart it was like gravity kept pulling us back, kept making us taste each other in ways we didn't have time for before. But of course reality had to hit me.

"Wait you have a fever!"

"Oh yeah, that's why I'm feeling dizzy. I just thought that was your doing. You tend to do that quite a bit to me Iruka" He sang happily in a smile he only did for me.

"Oh be quiet Kakashi. I should be the one dizzy. You can only imagine what I'm thinking of with you in front of me... shirtless."

"Which is the main reason I didn't put a shirt on." he said dreamily, winking at me.

I kissed him again and ran my fingers down his chest, feeling his toned muscles with my fingertips. "You're all mine Mr. Hatake~"

"All yours. Forever. I love you. When we get back I'll find a way to make this work I swear. I swear it. Stay with me..."

"…Was that a bed invitation?"

"Yes it most certainly was."

I laughed a bit. "Invitation accepted." I climbed over him and pulled the covers over us. I patted his forehead with the towel a few times before discarding it when realized his forehead hadn't been that warm anyway, plus he hadn't complained too bad.

I snuggled into his bare chest and felt him wrap his arms around me. I reached over him and turned off the lamp. Why couldn't we ever have this back in Konoha? I only knew one thing for sure and that was that I now could say I had a favorite mission.

I felt his lips run down my neck and his hands go under my shirt.

"Hey hey, whoa there. Not tonight. You're sick!"

"But Iruuuukkkkaa we might never have this chance again"

"Babe, we're here for a week."

"So... tomorrow then?"

I laughed then placed a few kisses on his chest, "Yeah tomorrow and back at Konoha when you move into my apartment."

"Hey I never agreed to that."

"And I should care because? You're mine remember?"