Chapter Two.

The sapping heat was beginning to relinquish its stranglehold on the day and a gentle breeze mesmerised the occupants of the mission room, circulating relief and a new energy. Iruka beamed with pride and amusement, halfway through marking a stack of classwork, ignoring the tick of the clock and the heat that restricted his breathing in spite of the refreshment pervading from the open windows behind.

Not long now. Hehe, you may always be late but I've got you pegged, Kakashi. Thank god I set all this work – it's just enough to help me look all busy and nonchalant – though I know you do that one better – and it means the others deal with reports first, leaving little old me free to see to you. Ahem. Not that I don't feel mean… still someone has to be last in line and if it's not me then I'll be damned if I don't give myself away by accident. Genma would have a field day… not to mention Anko. God help me should Anko find out.

A soft luminescence like the dying embers of the day rose up into Iruka's face and he visibly buried himself further into his work, his heart skipping in time to the clock. Across the room Genma shifted in his seat, slipping his eyes to the side to focus for a moment on Iruka. The senbon between his teeth tilted up a little, in time with his lips. Turning his full attention back to the nin at his desk, Genma considered the mission room a place where his skills were just as relevant as they were out in the field and he employed them there regularly, spying for his own interests in-between missions. He took his time looking over the report in front of him – Iruka was at the level three classwork-burial stage, so it couldn't be long now. Genma didn't want to miss a trick and from the swift glances he shared with the rest of their colleagues, neither did they.

Kakashi stuffed his hasty report in the first pocket he found and started his rooftop-dash before he could argue with himself. The wind played with his hair as he moved, for a moment freely pictured as the shallow imitation of a skilful and tanned set of fingers. His stomach lurched as he landed with a shudder. Racing up the stairs, oblivious to his apparently "hip and trendy indifference" to a green blur, Kakashi tried to even his breathing out.

Come on, this is ridiculous. This shouldn't be hard. That shouldn't be either, dammit! Okay, he's got half an hour left. That's oh-so-coincidentally just enough time to deal with me before oh-so-coincidentally leaving at the same time and in the same direction as me. It's just a matter, now, of stretching this out. Maybe I can get in on that ramen tonight. It's not perfect but it's a start. Sorry Naruto, as if I could let you have this sensei all to yourself…

Kakashi stiffly opened the opened the door to the mission room and slipped in. He consciously slouched and stuffed his hands in his pockets, hiding his body's overwhelming urge to fidget. He paused for thought, caught in the last of the day, he appeared as a perpetual half-moon, holding secrets behind the mask he clung to as much as it did to him.

Dammit, does he sit like that on purpose? Flicking his hair like that… mmmm… it's as if he's playing with me, asking me to fix my hand through that mane of his. Don't think you'd get a 'no' there, chuunin, especially not with that pen to remind me where your mouth is, the tease. For someone who claims my reading habits are a bad influence, your 'innocent teacher' is doing a damned fine simulation of a 'naughty secretary'. You may well be under my skin now but I sure as hell can't let it show how you got there. That can wait. Ramen first – you just need a 'yes' – an answer either way, at least. Here goes nothing. Cool but not too cool.

Kakashi headed over to Iruka's desk, his heart taking twice as many steps as his feet. The jounin paused in front of the desk and two moments later Iruka looked up with rehearsed surprise.

"Ah! Kakashi-sensei – welcome back. Please, have a seat," he gestured. See? Two can play at the nonchalance game.

With a final sweep along his ponytail, Iruka brought his hands together on his desk and fixed Kakashi with a benevolent eye, hoping to keep its flash of excitement to himself. Across the room, the murmur of 'looking busy' continued as Genma uncharacteristically managed to fight back a laugh.

"Yo! Iruka-sensei." Kakashi drawled with a hand up in greeting. Cool but not too cool.

Kakashi accepted the offer and slouched irreverently to hide a multitude of nerves. He dared to steal a glance at the younger man's glowing features before meeting chuunin's gaze, attempting to remain beyond reading and enjoying his peripheral view of the soft pink creeping across Iruka's cheeks.

"You're late as usual," Iruka beamed at making the first onslaught his own, though he knew full well that he was next in the firing line.

"Maa, I can't let you have all the fun, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi raised his eyebrows, "You get to enjoy my pitiful report and I get to enjoy being late."

Iruka could have sworn that was a smirk he was seeing. He pressed on.

"Hehe, so speaking of reports, you know I can't let you go until I have yours." Not that I'd mind the 'not letting you go' part.

Kakashi wordlessly padded around his person and a good three minutes later 'remembered' his report's location. He took it in both hands, in a play of honour and passed it across to the sensei, taking a moment to absorb the irony and the flush on Iruka's face as he played along.

"Ah, Your most precious yet, I see," Iruka bowed, allowing a grin to slant across his face, "I promise to give your labour the attention it deserves," the grin crept further.

Iruka was chuckling before he'd finished scrunching the report into a ball between his hands and his chest heaved with relief at the broken tension. Kakashi mirrored the amusement in his arched eye and even let go of an audible laugh, relieving Iruka enough to have him clutching his sides as his eyes streamed uncontrollably. It was only on calming down that Iruka realised the room had gone quiet. He held up the balled report, his breathing slowing but the laughter still apparent on his face, and as people caught on the room was filled with sporadic chuckles, which prompted a renewed attention to work. Iruka shot Kakashi a brilliant smile before turning to the report, his head still hazed with the scent of jounin but clearer for recent relief.

Very smooth, Hatake – smoother than I expected, anyway. Just don't let go of the situation or you'll miss your chance.

The minutes that followed proved to be difficult ones. Iruka spent most of them buried in the report, stealing glances from behind the few loose hairs on his face whenever 'reaching for a pen' could be an excuse; Kakashi could more openly gaze but felt numerous eyes on his back and used his latest Icha Icha volume as suitable cover against the already rising tension. If nothing else, it would get a reaction…

"I hope you don't read that in class, Kakashi-sensei," the levelled calm returned to Iruka's voice as he lowered his eyes, "I'd hate to think what it might do to your students," he blushed at the very thought of the book.

"Protective as ever, Iruka-sensei?" Kakashi smiled, "but judging by how often they call me a pervert, I don't think I'm teaching them any bad habits. Especially Naruto."

Iruka lifted his dark eyes to meet Kakashi's clear blue one at the mention of Naruto's name, then shifted his gaze awkwardly as embarrassment took its hold.

"Er, yes… Naruto. It's been a long time since I saw him… we haven't been out for ramen. I was wondering… how is he doing?" he finally looked up again but his forefinger remained in position, nervously feeling the scar where it swept his cheek.

Naruto! Here's your chance. God, does he know he's doing that?! "Naruto is as disruptive as ever," no don't pout! I mean – not a bad one! Dammit Hatake, not too cool, "but you know, Sasuke is in my group as well and while their rivalry is very disruptive, it also pushes them further and Naruto has improved greatly." That's it, he's smiling that smile for me now, just one more step. "With enough training, he may be able to become as great as the one nin he admires the most – you." That's done it!

It was as if the day had dawned for a second time in twelve hours and Kakashi was entranced, basking in the full glow of Iruka's pride.

Don't miss this. "Maa, speaking of Naruto, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi began as the object of his affection slipped a little from his reverie and sank his chocolate eyes into the ravenous blue one in front of him.

"Yes?"

"He's anxious to see how you are – and to pass on his record of events from today."

"Ah, yes – it's only natural for him to make sure you haven't missed out his most 'heroic' deeds!" Iruka beamed again.

"Hn. I heard the short version earlier," Kakashi smirked.

"Oh? I take it it's a good one this week?"

Here it is – don't mess this up! "Let's just say I wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall at Ichiraku's tonight," Kakashi drawled, trying his hardest to sound casual. Take the bait, take the bait, dammit!

The next few seconds suspended themselves in the detail of slow-motion anxiety, only relieved by Iruka's eventual blush and stutter back into life.

"W-well then why don't you come along?" Iruka visually searched his desk for a better excuse than the one handed to him. "I-I mean obviously you're a busy man," and my face is about to burn off so this had better sound good, "but it would be good to put the two sides of the same story together to get a clearer picture." Damn that was lousy. Too late now…

"Maa, if Naruto doesn't mind…" Oh yes, that is totally a good smile. Finish your paperwork my little chuunin and then you're all mine – at least until Naruto joins us. Did I manage to stay cool? Ah fuck it – it's not like an opportunity like this slaps me round every day. Let's just get out of here.

Iruka packed up the rest of his marking and slung a bag over his shoulder.

"Shall we?"

Hell yes! "After you, Iruka-sensei, after you."