HUD: I know, I know - I have better things to do then a one-shot, but I couldn't ignore this idea. It had to happen. Enjoy!

It was a normal Thursday night, and Iruka was busying himself with drafting the last portion of Friday's pop quiz about chakra channels and a warm cup of chamomile tea. Only three sips in and two marks down and a knock resounded on his door. The teacher sighed and rolled his eyes - it wasn't too late but far pass what he would consider a decent visiting hour. When the knock came again with more urgency, he sighed again and rose.

"Yes, yes," he called, stepping around his little makeshift pillow-bed. The knocking wouldn't stop, driving the chuunin's irritation up. He paused on the other side of the door and took a deep breath in an attempt to quell his annoyance. "What can I do for - "

Iruka's greeting died on his lips. On the other side of his door, knocking feverishly, was Hatake Kakashi. His single visible eye darted from Iruka's face, to the room behind him, and then quickly scanned the hallway of Iruka's apartment building. He was very obviously distressed, and Iruka felt his own defenses heighten. Whatever had the ex-ANBU on edge was easily infectious.

"Ah, Kakashi-sensei, are you okay?" He asked. Kakashi shook his head and shuffled his feet.

Iruka swallowed quickly. His fingers itched with the need to hold a kunai. "Are you in danger?" He asked, lowering his voice. "Just nod."

Kakashi paused and blinked. After a moment, he shook his head. Iruka relaxed a little.

"Can I come in?" He asked, so quietly that Iruka almost missed it.

"Oh!" Iruka could just kick himself. He held the door open wider and nodded. "I'm so sorry, Kakashi-sensei. Please, make yourself comfortable."

The jounin nodded and slipped by. Despite Kakashi's usual slouched posture, he was actually quiet tall. When he slipped by, however, he seemed impossibly small. As Kakashi paused to remove his sandals, Iruka frowned and checked the hallway before shutting the door.

Kakashi was already on the couch when Iruka came back to the living room. "Would you like some tea?" Iruka offered.

"Chamomile?" Kakashi asked after a moment. Iruka assumed that he must have smelled it and nodded.

"Yeah, is that okay?"

"...yes," he answered. The jounin had his hands folded over his lap, fingers laced and clenched. Iruka could almost see him shaking.

"I'll be back," he answered. Kakashi just nodded and Iruka slipped into his kitchen.

Iruka put the kettle on and sighed. Whatever was wrong, Kakashi felt the need to come to him. They weren't very close and, as much as Iruka wanted them to be, seeing the other man turn up on his doorstep at close to ten at night was slightly unsettling. After his asinine failure of challenging the jounin at the Chunnin Exams, Iruka had attempted to keep to himself. His pride had been wounded, his feelings hurt, and yet Kakashi still made a point to acknowledge him in passing. It was somewhere in the middle of nursing his own pride that he realized his respect for Kakashi had grown along with something else entirely.

Only Anko knew. She was the only thing close to family he still had, and Iruka knew he needed someone to vent to. Anko had laughed at him and explained he obviously had a crush. Iruka had never been more upset with her, but after her words sank in he couldn't blame her. She was right - he was just being dense.

The kettle whistled, drawing Iruka from his thoughts. He pulled down a large mug (Kakashi-sensei is taller, this should work for his hands, right?) and dropped in a tea bag. After filling the mug, he set his oven timer and watched the water darken.

After speaking with Anko, Iruka came to embrace his crush. He knew it would always be one-sided. For all of Kakashi's politeness, Iruka couldn't help but feel that it was all only surface deep. They kept up pleasantries, occasionally met for ramen if the other received a letter from Naruto, but that was that. Iruka may let a horribly written report slide if he was feeling particularly weak, but there was nothing more.

Iruka swirled the tea bag left and right, watching a small funnel develop in the centre of the mug. Satisfied that the colour was dark enough, he discarded the bag and pulled down his small jar of honey. He wasn't sure how Kakashi took his tea, so he just made it the way he would make his own - honey and a splash of crème.

Kakashi was exactly as Iruka had left him, hands clasped over his lap, but his shoulders were drawn in as if the man wanted to hide within himself. Iruka's heart stuttered - he couldn't imagine something so disturbing to put Kakashi into such a position. He hadn't been on a mission lately, from what Iruka knew, so it must be an issue within the village.

"Here, Kakashi-san," Iruka said. He held the mug out with what he hoped was a comforting smile. Kakashi looked over, tilting his head slightly because of Iruka's placement in his blind spot. He took the cup with a nod. Iruka felt like that was a success and sat back down on his pillows. "Are you feeling alright?"

Kakashi took a long draw of the tea through his mask, making Iruka feel like whatever steps he had just taken were backpedaling. "No," he said flatly. Iruka resisted another sigh.

Iruka waited, expecting Kakashi to elaborate, but no reply was forthcoming. He shifted slightly and picked up his pen. The silence stretched on, even as he moved to the second page. The scratch of his pen and Kakashi's shallow sips and squirms were the only sounds in the small apartment.

Iruka found himself settling into a comfortable silence. Kakashi was barely feet away and still fully dressed in standard issue shinobi gear. Iruka was dressed far too informally to be in anything but an intimate setting, and that knowledge coupled with Kakashi's obvious calming made the teacher feel needed.

Or it could just be the tea. Iruka made a damn good cup of tea.

"Iruka-sensei," Kakashi muttered. Iruka kept his eyes down but hummed in acknowledgment. Kakashi didn't continue, instead setting his mug on the table Iruka was working on. He was considerate of the paperwork, but Iruka knew a call to attention when he saw one.

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei?" He said, quirking a wry smirk and looking at the man.

Kakashi still looked stressed around his only visible eye despite his obvious relaxing in the last hour. Iruka had to keep his expression in check from the jounin's question: "Do you hate me?"

"I - what?" Iruka stammered. He felt his face flush - had Anko said something? "Do I what?"

"Hate me," Kakashi repeated. He had folded his hands again, almost calmly, but Iruka knew better. "Do you?"

"I..." Iruka began. He coughed and found himself biting his lip. Anko must have. "I don't, Kakashi-san - "

"Kakashi."

Iruka blinked. "Kakashi-san?"

"Kakashi," the man repeated with more force. "Just Kakashi, please."

Iruka's mind was reeling. This was all becoming too much - "Kakashi-san, I don't hate you." Iruka didn't miss the added melancholy droop to Kakashi's already slumped shoulders. "Quite the opposite, in fact. I wanted to get to know you."

"As friends?" Kakashi asked. Whatever had drooped his shoulders brought his tone down, too. Iruka was at a loss.

He was going to kill Anko.

"Yes, friends," Iruka forced out. Kakashi was staring intently at him now, and Iruka felt his flush darken. "Would that be okay, Kakashi-san?"

"Kakashi," he corrected again. Iruka gave an amused smile.

"Why are you here, if I may ask? You're welcome to stay, but if there's something you need my help with - "

"There is," Kakashi injected. Suddenly his expression became clear and his eye unclouded. Whatever anxiety that was left appeared to drain away. "I need you to be honest, Iruka."

Iruka bit his tongue to correct the man. Using their names without honourifics was obviously important. He simply nodded. "I'll do my best."

Kakashi's eye crinkled in what Iruka knew to be his soft smile. "Can we ever move beyond this?"

"Pardon?" Iruka asked, suddenly confused. Kakashi's eye twinkled with amusement.

"Beyond this...game. It's obviously made for two, and I can't keep playing alone," he answered. Iruka blinked - what the hell was he on about? Iruka knew better than most that jounin were nearly all crazy, but could Kakashi have tipped off the edge without him noticing?

There was no way. He kept such a grudgingly close eye on Kakashi.

If he would ever look up from his damn porn novels then maybe he would see - oh.

Iruka closed his eyes and silently apologized to Anko as his face tripled its efforts to pull all his blood north. Kakashi slid from his seat on the couch and sat at the low table with Iruka. His knee brushed Iruka's gently, making the teacher jump.

"Kakashi," Iruka cleared his throat. He could play this off. Kakashi never needed to know, because there was no way he would ever feel the same. "I think you - "

"I'm not mistaken," the jounin said. He kept his hands in his lap but never looked away from Iruka. "I've seen you look at me, Iruka, because I do the same thing. I need to know - do you hate me?"

"Kakashi - "

"It's a yes or no question, sensei," Kakashi said. His tone wasn't malicious at all. Still, Iruka couldn't (wouldn't) believe he was being serious. "Do you?"

Iruka swallowed. His throat was far too dry. "...no."

Kakashi seemed to sit up straighter. "Do you promise?"

Iruka bit the inside of his cheek and drew in a shaky breath. "Yes."

Kakashi smiled and finally, finally, relaxed the rest of his body. All of his anxiety seemed to flow directly into Iruka, making the teacher shuffle. "I don't understand."

"If you promise you don't hate me," Kakashi began in his usual curious tone, completely ignoring Iruka's statement. "Does that extend for the future?"

Iruka snorted in amusement, momentarily ignoring his own discomfort. "I won't say you wouldn't piss me off, but hate isn't a possibility."

"Good," Kakashi answered. "I'll take my chances."

Iruka opened his mouth to ask what, exactly, Kakashi would be taking a chance on, but then the jounin wasn't wearing his mask.

Iruka had always had ideas for what Kakashi looked like, especially after admitting to himself his feelings. He tried to ignore Naruto's suggestions of buck teeth or a clef chin or some hideous birthmark. He was glad he had.

Kakashi kept on his hitai-ate but the black cloth was pooled around his neck. Iruka trailed his eyes along the smooth skin and straight nose and thin lips. His skin was so pale it nearly glowed. Iruka felt his own cheeks heat again as his shock wore off. Even with the long scar down his left cheek, Iruka couldn't imagine a person that was more handsome. Oh, kami - Kakashi was coming closer.

"Maa, sensei," Kakashi whispered. Iruka could feel his breath ghosting over his lips. "Do you still promise?"

"Yes," Iruka breathed, and then Kakashi smirked and Iruka's eyes dropped to his lips.

Iruka wasn't sure what to expect. Kakashi's lips were soft and still moist from drinking his tea through the mask and moved carefully against his. Iruka could sense a slight hesitancy after a second and realized it must be because he seemed to forget what was happening. When Iruka pressed back and tilted his head for a better angle, Kakashi sighed and slid a gloved hand up Iruka's arm to rest under his chin. He deepened the kiss, directing Iruka's jaw and the chuunin found that he didn't mind.

Iruka's mind entirely shut down when Kakashi licked the seam of his lips, and his heart thundered as that clever tongue took advantage of his gasp and delved deeper. He was nearly certain that Kakashi could hear his heart, it was so loud, but it didn't matter - Kakashi didn't let up his onslaught, and Iruka was suddenly very glad to already be sitting. The kiss started slow and searching, but the moment Iruka agreed it turned hungry and desperate that left the teacher panting and wantig more.

"Do you hate me now?" Kakashi whispered against his lips. Iruka opened his eyes - when had they closed? - and stared at Kakashi's lips again. They were slick and a kiss-red that stood out beautifully against his slightly flushed pale skin. Iruka drew in a shaky breath.

"No," he answered softly. Kakashi smiled, a bright raise of his lips that Iruka immediately adored. He was sure Kakashi had his reasons to cover his face, but seeing the man without his mask now would forever ruin him. "I don't think I ever could."

"Hmm," Kakashi answered. He trailed his thumb along the edge of Iruka's jaw and made the chuunin shiver. "What has you so confident? You don't know me."

"No," Iruka admitted. He leaned into the touch of Kakashi's long fingers and pressed his lips against his wrist. "But I want to."

"Why?" Kakashi asked. It was almost as if Kakashi needed the assurance. Iruka still didn't know what brought the man to his door that night, but if it would keep him there he was willing to answer anything.

"Because I..." He began, then cleared his throat. "I like you, Kakashi-san. I want to get to know you."

Kakashi's hand moved to cup Iruka's cheek. He rubbed the scar lightly with his thumb as he spoke. "You don't think that's a bad idea?"

"No." Iruka didn't need to think about it. He had already come to terms with his attraction and he didn't regret an iota of it. He felt raw, talking about it, but Kakashi had come to him, and that gave him some confidence. "I know what you'll say. But I've been wanting to tell you for a while now - "

"I know," Kakashi said lightly.

" - and now I get the feeling you're teasing me," Iruka finished drily. He lowered his eyelids in a suspicious glare and frowned. Kakashi grinned and chuckled.

"No, sensei," he assured. "I'll gladly tell you you're wrong on that." He pressed his lips to the side of Iruka's mouth chastely. "I'm only curious."

"What for? You obviously know everything I'm going to say," Iruka snapped. It made Kakashi laugh again, and Iruka couldn't manage to stay mad.

"I just had an idea," Kakashi answered. He smiled softly and shifted, turning to fully face Iruka. The teacher's hands twitched in his lap. His blush hadn't died at all, and now Kakashi's other hand dropped over both of his.

"Why did you come here tonight?" Iruka asked again, softly. Kakashi paused.

"Well," the jounin began. "Today, at the mission desk, you seemed like there was something on your mind. I wanted to ask, but it wasn't the right place. I seemed to have worked myself up into a frenzy and came here."

Iruka searched that metallic silver eye for any deception. Kakashi seemed to be honest - wait. Iruka recognized this... "You're under a jutsu," the teacher said. Kakashi blinked.

"Uh, no?"

"You are!" Iruka pulled his hands away. He leaned closer and frowned. "I knew it. Anko did something to you."

Kakashi squirmed. Iruka was surprised to see a light dusting of pink on those pale cheeks as the ex-ANBU avoided his gaze. After a moment, he sighed. "Fine, yes, she did something to me. I saw you talking with her yesterday and then today you seemed upset. When I asked her, she threatened me and put a timed jutsu on me. It only releases until I do something...particular."

"Like?" Iruka demanded. He remembered yesterday - Anko had immediately berated him to talk to Kakashi any chance they met, and it put the teacher on edge. Anko was a clever woman, Iruka gave her that, to be able to pull one over on the great Hatake Kakashi, man of a thousand jutsu. Kakashi shifted his gaze to Iruka and pouted. Iruka's heart literally melted, but he sure as hell wasn't going to mention it.

"I had to ask you out," Kakashi mumbled. "But I couldn't just do it. I needed to know if you felt the same. Until now, I thought you hated me."

"I...always thought you hated me," Iruka confessed. Kakashi blinked at him before grinning brightly.

"Well, I suppose I should be thanking Anko," he chuckled. His eye was shining brightly with an emotion that made Iruka's stomach flip. "I guess we both missed the underneath, neh?"

Iruka smiled softly. "Yeah, I guess we did."

Kakashi kissed him softly again and took both of Iruka's hands in his. "Iruka, I was wondering if you would like to go out with me, to dinner, tomorrow night?"

Iruka chuckled and continued to smile. "I would like that, Kakashi."

"Thank you," the jounin answered. When he pressed his lips to Iruka's again (screw the date, Iruka was totally cool just making out all night), he felt a warmth surge through the man as a loud pop of chakra resounded. Kakashi sighed against his lips and sagged forward.

"This may be forward, but," Iruka whispered. He let Kakashi's chin drop to his shoulder. "Would you like to stay the night?"

"Ooo, sensei - "

"Just to sleep!" Iruka rushed, feeling his cheeks flush. He could feel the leer pressed against his neck. "Just sleep."

Kakashi was silent a moment before he gave Iruka's hands a squeeze. "I'd like that."

Later, after Iruka had found a slightly short pair of old sweats and a handkerchief for Kakashi to tie over his eye, they settled comfortably together on Iruka's bed. It was odd, how easily they fit together, but Iruka decided that it was just one of those things that simply made sense.

He felt his eyelids drooping as Kakashi pressed fully against his back. "Kakashi?"

"Maa, sensei - you should wear your hair down all the time," he sighed, pressing his nose against the nape of his neck. The teacher shivered and chuckled.

"Maybe," he teased, and could feel Kakashi's pout. "What jutsu did Anko use, anyway?"

Kakashi sighed, blowing warm breath along Iruka's neck. The chuunin shivered again and suppressed a low moan. "Something Anko said she had just created. It was a jutsu to cause...overstimulation. She laced mine with a trigger, but she's going to take it to Tsunade as a cure for 'performance'."

"Performance...?" Iruka mumbled. "Like - "

"Yeah," Kakashi grumbled. "By time I got here, I was pushing five hours."

Iruka couldn't help the laughter bubbling up in his chest. "Five hours and you come see me?!"

"Who should I go to?" Kakashi asked, wounded. "Only you could fix it!"

"Maybe a medi-nin? You should see someone if it lasts more than three hours," Iruka laughed. Kakashi grumbled more against his neck. "What was that?"

"I wanted to come to you," Kakashi answered. He leaned up and rested his chin on Iruka's shoulder. His expression was open and nervous. "Only you."

Iruka's laughter tampered off at Kakashi's statement. He could agree with only wanting Kakashi to come to him in light of his earlier predicament, but he smiled instead. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Kakashi."

The jounin smiled brightly and pressed his nose against Iruka's shoulder. "Good." Iruka couldn't help his spreading grin as Kakashi threw his arm around his waist and pulled him impossibly close. "Good night, Iruka."

"Good night, Kakashi," the teacher answered. Iruka felt wonderfully comfortable already and knew he would get a fantastic night's sleep with Kakashi pressed close. If he was allowed any sleep - Kakashi's sly fingers were trailing lightly up his abdomen under his shirt - but Iruka wasn't complaining.

Perhaps he should get Anko a gift to show his thanks tomorrow.

A/N: So there we have it. I may write a version from Kakashi's POV (ugh, the turmoil!) if you all enjoy. So tell me - there's a fancy box right below! :)