A/N: Sorry if this chapter isn't up to expectations…I'm currently experiencing what some affectionately call writer's block. I call it incompetence.

Emotional

-Something Nice-

Kakashi scowled at the jounin leaning against Iruka's desk, laughing at something the teacher said. Iruka had a pleasant smile on his face that widened at something the guy said. The copy-nin felt his scowl deepen when the other jounin put his hand on Iruka's shoulder and squeezed it, almost growling when Iruka patted the hand companionably. He hopped down from the tree, silently fuming as he pretended to read the little orange book in his fingers. From the outside, he looked bored as usual, but his inner turmoil could put Sakura's to shame.

After his last encounter with Iruka four days ago, the teacher had pretty much given him the silent treatment. Or more like the apathy treatment. True to his word, Iruka stopped being emotional around Kakashi. Even when Kakashi taunted him with his usual tactics, Iruka simply nodded indifferently, said a politely curt word or two, or otherwise just plain ignored the other man. In the short time that Kakashi had been treated to this indifference, he realized that Iruka was spot on when he accused Kakashi of taunting him on purpose.

Kakashi scowled at himself as he reluctantly admitted that he missed it. He dreadfully missed it. He desperately wanted to feel that sensation of having all of Iruka's attention directed at him once more.

And he knew how he was going to get it.

Iruka was giving him this silent treatment because of something he had done. If something as simple as a kiss had made Iruka angry enough to stop being angry, or at least pretend to – Kakashi didn't fail to notice the little twitch in the teacher's brow or the sparks that fizzled in the dark eyes when he continued to hand in messy mission reports or tease about the chuunin's rank – then imagine what something more than a kiss might make the teacher do. And recently, Kakashi had begun imagining this sort of thing with increasing frequency…

***

"Can I help you, Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka asked as he turned around to face the jounin. He sensed the man entering through his kitchen window, making a big noise with the curtains – he hadn't even bothered trying to sneak in.

"No, I'm quite alright," said Kakashi with that little grin on his eye. Iruka felt irritation bubble up in him. What was it about this man that set Iruka at boiling point so easily?

"Then forgive me if I'm being rude, but what are you doing in my kitchen?" Iruka asked curtly.

"Not much. Just standing around, really," Kakashi answered pleasantly. There was a genuine little grin in his eye this time, and Iruka couldn't help the twitch in the corner of his own lips before he remembered the situation.

"Indeed," he answered shortly, before turning around once more to put away the dishes he'd just washed.

"What did you have for supper?" Kakashi asked conversationally as he watched the chuunin bustle about the little kitchen.

"Chinese pork dumplings," Iruka answered shortly, packing the dishes away.

"Boiled or steamed?" Kakashi asked.

"Fried," Iruka answered.

"I was unaware of that method of cooking Chinese dumplings," Kakashi said.

"Oh," Iruka answered.

"Will you teach it to me?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka turned around with a sigh and crossed his arms, leaning against the sink, "Kakashi stop playing games. What do you want?" he asked impatiently. Kakashi shrugged, a smile on his lips that he knew Iruka could see despite the mask.

"You've been very good this week," Kakashi said, leaning comfortably against the doorframe, effectively blocking the conventional exit to the kitchen and trapping the chuunin inside.

"What are you talking about?" Iruka asked, his eyes narrowing briefly at the realization that he was trapped before he shrugged it off and turned to fill the kettle with water.

"You've not yelled at me once all week," said Kakashi with a nod when Iruka gestured at a pot of tea leaves.

"Yes, well. Wouldn't want to disappoint you," said Iruka dismissively, placing a few pinches of the leaves into a couple of cups.

"I've missed it," said Kakashi casually, noticing the pause in Iruka's actions.

"What?"

"I've missed it a lot," Kakashi continued, watching as Iruka placed his hands onto the edge of the counter as he leaned forwards, waiting for the kettle to boil.

"You're not making sense, Kakashi-san," Iruka said with a sigh, as if to say 'not like you ever do'.

"I make perfect sense, if you listen."

"You're saying that you miss being yelled at," said Iruka disbelievingly, turning to look at Kakashi with a brow raised.

"I miss being yelled at by you," said Kakashi with a serious nod.

"You're insane," said Iruka, crossing his arms.

"No, I'm addicted," Kakashi admitted with a shrug. Iruka raised both brows.

"To being yelled at?"

"Iruka…the reactions that you rewarded me with…the explosive energy that you possess…let me escape from the mindless faces that swim in the bloody mess of my memories," said Kakashi quietly. Iruka's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected confession before he frowned again.

"I'm not an angry person by nature, Kakashi-san. I'm temperamental, but I'm not a sadist. If you're such a masochist, I suggest you go and piss off Ibiki. Or Anko."

Kakashi chuckled lightly and saw Iruka's eyes soften at the sound.

"It's not the anger. I just realized that when you were angry at me, you directed your full attention towards me. You focused all of you emotions on a single point, and it was like nothing I had ever experienced before… to be the center of this fiery, brief little universe," Kakashi stepped closer, but stopped at the suspicious look that appeared in Iruka's eyes. He stopped and continued with a sigh, "Your emotions had unwittingly become my drug, sensei. That anger without murderous intent. The fury that never spilled over into hate. The pure, raw feeling that only you seem to be capable of…I want more," he finally said, looking up and directly into the dark brown eyes as they stared wordlessly at him.

"So why did you go through so much trouble to make me stop being so emotional, besides the fact that it annoyed me?"

Kakashi shrugged, and looked away.

"Kakashi-san, I asked you a question," Iruka said firmly, but his voice was sincere, and Kakashi looked up reluctantly.

"I didn't know how to deal with it," Kakashi said, "I don't like being helpless. Your explosive but untarnished fury was unfamiliar. But the more I received it, the more I wanted it…," Kakashi shook his head, "You scare me, Iruka."

Iruka grinned, "What? Helpless little chuunin like me?"

"You know I was just taunting you. That fist in my gut still hurts," Kakashi admitted, rubbing his stomach where Iruka had punched him.

"Oh…that…yeah…," Iruka muttered, turning away to fill the tea cups with water, "So you basically just taunted me to make me angry so you could have your little highs on adrenaline," Iruka said, shaking his head, "Typical. Ever considered that maybe I don't enjoy being angry, Hatake?"

"Yes. That was another reason why I wanted you to stop. Because if you didn't, I couldn't stop myself from trying to make you angry with me," Kakashi said with a smirk. He was surprised at the sound of laughter from the chuunin and he looked up to see the teacher shaking his head in disbelief, quietly sipping his tea, the other cup resting beside him on the counter.

"You're unbelievable, Hatake. No wonder you're a jounin. You're completely insane," Iruka chuckled, the suspect having long disappeared from his eyes as Kakashi came closer to pick up his tea.

"Lack of insanity is pretty much the only real reason why you're not a jounin," Kakashi muttered as he leaned against the counter besides Iruka. This easy companionship was something unfamiliar to Kakashi, and he found it incredibly enticing.

"That, and my over-emotional nature," Iruka teased, looking away as the jounin pulled down his mask. Kakashi grinned into his tea as the two men quietly stood in the neat little kitchen.

"Thank you for the tea," Kakashi said as he finished, subtly pulling his mask back up. He placed the cup in the sink before heading towards the window, "This is the second time I've invited myself over. Sorry."

"Seriously, why did you come here anyway?" Iruka asked, rinsing the cups before putting them away.

"I was going to try making you angry again," Kakashi grinned cheekily. Iruka scoffed at him.

"Has it not occurred to you that I do have other emotions?"

"I learned today that having tea with you is also quite nice," Kakashi smiled, "Not as exciting as getting yelled at, but…it'll do."

Iruka shook his head with a grin, "Get out of here you damned druggie," he laughed, still grinning as Kakashi disappeared from the window. There was a small smile concealed behind the mask, his mind soothed by Iruka's easy laughter.