As usual, seeing Naruto appear from behind a corner, in his orange clothes and with his yellow mane on end, reminded Iruka of a sunrise.

The sun spotted him and waved.

"Oooi! Iruka-senseeeei!" He called out and ran up to him. He stopped in front of him, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet a few times. "Why're you sitting here? Don't you have classes to teach or somethin'?"

"Naw, I'm just waiting for someone." Iruka chuckled at the energetic display.

"For who? ... Are you going on a date, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto looked playfully horrified. Iruka smiled.

"No."

There was a pause. Naruto had stopped his moving around and suddenly seemed unnaturally still, and very far away in his mind for a moment. A split second later he was grinning brightly again. "Would you like to?"

Iruka froze. He had the strangest feeling, as impossible as it was, that Naruto was trying to seduce him. He caught himself however, realizing he was probably jumping to conclusions.

"Nan da, nan da... Why would you ask something like that?"

"Nothing." Naruto shrugged, his eyes lingered on Iruka for about one second too long, then he stretched, took a few steps closer, and sat down beside Iruka. Right beside him, and still Iruka barely noticed him. His mind was full of the flash of tanned skin that he had caught as Naruto's t-shirt had ridden up while he stretched.

It dawned on him soon enough however, that Naruto was sitting down beside him, a little too close.

And now he shifted. Shifted even closer.

Their legs were touching. Both thighs and calves and the soles of their shoes. Not to mention their arms, if he focused his chakra just a little bit he would be able to feel Naruto's pulse. Iruka was hyper-aware of how their thighs rubbed together as Naruto relaxed in his seat, and leaned back. He considered panicking. Was Naruto really... AND HE LIKED IT?!

Oh hell no. HELL NO.

And now this kid, his little kid god damn it, was leaning in to talk into his ear. Breathe into it, tickling breath and... "So tense. You need to relax more 'ttebayo!" It was probably scientifically proveable that Naruto's voice was pure sunshine. It sparkled in front of Iruka's eyes.

Shit. Yep. He was going to hell. He was most definitely going to hell for this. Double shit. Shouldn't have looked into those eyes of his. Pools of sapphire, cerulean, endless, that's what they were, siren's magic designed to turn respectable people into perverts.

His heart gave an ache. It was there in an instant, and not really fading away properly after it had passed. He loved this kid after all.

A dragged out moment passed. Gulp. Iruka just looked straight back, unable to answer. Until, at length, something came out, together with a small laugh.

"You've grown a lot while you were away, kiddo."