#Step ONE# (Formal Suggestion)

The teaching day was over. Iruka sat at his desk and played yo-yo absent-mindedly. He was thinking about his life.

He was a good teacher, he liked his job, he enjoyed the time he spent with his friends. Still, there was that uncomfortable feeling he lacked something very important. He itched from inside as if he missed something and had to live a completely different life. Maybe every young adult goes through this period of doubts, maybe.

Iruka speculated if he was brave enough to leave his comfortable position and start a search of himself, to bring the harmony of soul back. Yo-yo steadily knocked a strange rhythm, slightly touching the surface of the desk.

"Hello Iruka-sensei," a lazy voice said suddenly. Iruka started and raised his head only to see a silver-haired masked man watching him from the classroom's door.

"Oh!" Iruka yelped, blushed hard and hid his yo-yo under the desk. "Hello!" he stood up politely and turned to greet the man properly. "Kakashi-sensei, I presume? You must be the new teacher of my former students." Iruka smiled, although he knew it must look a little bit awkward because of his trembling voice and vivid blush. "Please, come in and take a seat." He offered Kakashi a hand and pointed at the chair.

Kakashi nodded and approached Iruka's desk to shake his hand.

"That's right, I don't want to distract you or disturb your essential activities," at this moment the silver-haired man must have been smirking, although Iruka wasn't sure because of the mask, "yet I hope you can answer a couple of questions considering my new students and their abilities."

"Are you a poet?" Iruka muttered to himself.

Kakashi pretended he didn't hear that. He smiled obviously sheepishly, extra for Iruka's comfort, and took an offered seat.

"Maybe our talk will help me to edify them better. They are so shamelessly fond of you! You know it, right?"

Iruka felt his blush deepen. Something in this man, his manners and the way he talked, made Iruka uneasy and flattered simultaneously. As far as he, according to his rumored reputation in the academy, was known as a very polite and kind person, he decided to suppress his utter wish to yell at this intruder, ask him to get out of his study and never see him again. It was a rather hard thing to do. Someone should be grateful!

"Well, thank you, Kakashi-sensei. However, please, don't be so impressed. For sure, my students can tell you some nice stories of me being very mean." Iruka smiled, and a rather wicked smile it was indeed. Just to show he wasn't as simple and easy as he looked. For the effect of it, Iruka could not be sure, thanks to the intruder's mask. "You are welcome to start with your questions, I'll be happy to help you."

And Kakashi started. The questions were formal, observant, nothing compromising, but as Iruka answered, he felt as if he was on the edge. Telling the silver-haired man such tips as kid's particular qualities under the gaze of his mismatched eyes, turned out to be thrilling. Iruka wondered why, and suppressed just another shudder.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei" Kakashi said finally. He raised from his chair. "I'm sure your answers will be very useful during my work."

"I'm glad if it's so," Iruka nodded and stood up, too.

"Besides, it was a real pleasure to talk to you," Kakashi added, smiling sheepishly again.

Now, did he laugh? Iruka decided the man was too mysterious for his taste – he was definitely hiding a lot of expressions behind his mask during their small talk. In addition, that obviously unnatural smile looked so teasing!

"The pleasure is my," Iruka smiled politely in return. Yes, he was a very polite man! However, he didn't know why exactly he said that phrase. And, he had no idea why he said the next one: "If you need more answers, I'll be glad to help you again any time."

Kakashi, who was already half way to the exit, turned sharply around. He looked at the teacher and the gaze was intense, as if weighting Iruka whole and making a choice.

"Come to our training once, would you?" the man said. "I'm sure, kids will be happy to see you".

Iruka was surprised, but the idea itself was not a bad one, so he nodded shortly.

"And I'll be happy, too." Kakashi gave a sly wink and disappeared from the classroom, leaving a shocked Iruka behind.

The teacher stared at the closed door. Could the male move so fast, or was he so shocked by the last words that he didn't even notice him leave? Iruka shook his head and returned to the yo-yo. Still, now his mind was busy with silver hair and mysterious masked smiles.

His nod at Kakashi's suggestion was definitely too quick, and such a hasty response.

'But oh well,' thought Iruka, 'what does it change, anyway?'