Kakashi wanted to get to the Academy early. He had been watching the clock for the last few hours, and he jumped from roof to roof an hour and a half before he was where he was supposed to meet Iruka.

He stood outside of the Academy, Icha Icha in one hand, and the other, inside of his pocket.

He wondered if Iruka would show up. He knew he would. He remembered Genma saying something about Iruka being the new teacher, so he had to show up. Besides, if that envelope was really important, he would do anything to get it back.

As he watched the children playing in the playground , he thought back to last night, and to how Iruka seemed to be obsessed by that envelope. Now Kakashi really regretted not trying to open it. Well, he still could do it, but there's was a little voice in the back of his mind telling not to.

Kakashi put his book in his pocket and looked around the Academy, he could see through the windows the students in the classroom, some writing and focused on what their teacher was saying, others chatting and laughing.

As he rounded the corner he looked around, trying to find a place to settle back and wait for Iruka. It was his ninja nature to hide in the shadows when he was tracking something. This wasn't exactly a hunt, but he still wanted the element of surprise. He wanted to keep an eye on the Chūnin for a while, watch his reactions, see what he was going to do... He still needed to figure out how he was going to play this.

He sat on a bench, not very far from the Academy. And from there he saw Iruka walking towards him, no more than 10 feet away and getting closer. The Chūnin looked pissed. There was paint in his hair and uniform. Kakashi laughed lowly. He knew exactly where the paint came from. That was one of the main reasons he would never teach brats.

Kakashi knew he had to think fast. Iruka was getting closer. He stood up and started walking, aiming right for Iruka. Face-to-face. Might as well get it over with...They got within a couple of feet, and finally Iruka seemed to notice him. The tanned man slowed quickly, but Kakashi walked right up to him. They would have run in to each other, but Iruka moved out of the way quickly, and they just brushed arms in the exchange.

"Oh, sorry," said Iruka quickly, averting his eyes.

Kakashi knew he recognized him, but it wasn't clear at all that he knew that Kakashi had planned the meeting. The Copy-nin stopped and turned around, and saw Iruka slowly walking on, not looking back, as if he was trying to pretend the brush-up had never happened...

"Umino Iruka." Iruka froze. Kakashi saw his hand shake a little, as Iruka realized he wasn't going to be able to just keep walking.

Iruka turned slowly, and look back towards the voice behind him. Kakashi stood there, and to Iruka he seemed tall and steady, like a brick wall, unmoving. He walked slowly towards him, keeping his eyes on his face. Iruka would normally have averted his eyes, not wanting the aggression of maintaining eye contact with someone that he didn't know, and probably shouldn't want to know. But this time he kept looking. He didn't look Kakashi over from head to toe. He kept staring right in his single exposed dark-grey eye. His eye seemed so dark, but there was a flash in that darkness. Iruka was unsure if that flash was a good sign.

Kakashi returned the stare. There was an awkward silence. It might have only lasted 10 seconds, but it sure as hell seemed to last longer.

"Do you want your envelope back?"

Iruka's face couldn't hide the surprise. It was Hatake Kakashi the one who had his envelope? "I...I...yeah...I…" he stumbled, still off-guard.

"Follow me." And Kakashi started to walk away.

"I don't want any trouble, Hatake-san." Iruka sounded scared, or nervous at least. Kakashi decided it was fear. So many people in the village feared him, he was growing used to it.

"Just come with me, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Where are we going?"

Kakashi looked around, the children were staring at them. "Away from the Academy."

"Nah, I just..."

"Do you want the envelope? If I wanted to hurt you I could do it right here and right now, and noone would notice." Kakashi's voice was calm. There was no threat. "I promise you, I won't do anything. Just follow me." He turned and walked away again. He knew he wanted to get the younger man somewhere private, somewhere quiet.

Iruka followed.

Hatake Kakashi? Iruka was so confused.

He had plenty of time to think since last night, to go over what he could remember of the incident on the street. He'd been in another world. His pride shattered, he thought he was standing on the edge, about to fall off, and then it happened. Literally slapped back to reality, or close to it.

He studied this man walking in front of him. He watched his spiky silver hair gently blowing up from the light wind, and wondered what that must feel like. He really would like to pass his fingers through it.

As Kakashi walked on, Iruka got his first good chance to see him up close, at least from the back. He was tall. He didn't swung his arms as he walked. He kept both hands inside his pockets.

Iruka had come a long way in the past weeks, and it hadn't been an easy road to follow. But here he was, and the road he was following now didn't seem any easier.

He should be running now, running in the other direction. Was he walking in to another stupid situation? Willingly? He didn't even know what the Copy-nin would want to do with him. Couldn't he just give the envelope back and go back to his life. Almost everything in the silver-haired Jōnin told him to back away.

Almost everything.

And so he followed.

They reached the bench where Kakashi was sitting before. The Jōnin sat down in the same spot, and Iruka sat right across. There was a warm, brilliant sunlight streaming around them.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, starring each other down. Kakashi pulled the envelope out of his pocket and tossed it in the air. He caught it, held it up, and spun it around so Iruka could get a good look. "Here's the envelope."

"Uh, thanks, Hatake-san."

"Just one thing you have do for me, and then you can have it."

Iruka was worried. What kind of situation had he gotten himself in to. He could tell he wasn't going to like this...

What does he want? Iruka's mind flashed and he could feel his stomach sinking . He said I had to do one thing and I could have the damn envelope back. What would he want from me? This can be a problem...

They sat in silence for a while longer, staring eye to eye. Iruka knew the ball was in his court. Kakashi had made an offer.

"Hatake-san, I just want the envelope back, I don't want any trouble," he finally said...

"Maa. Who said you're in trouble, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka blushed slightly. No-one until now (except the students in the Academy) had called him sensei. "I just.., I don't know what you want me to do..."

"I already told you, stay calm."

Iruka took a deep breath. "OK. Well what do you want me to do?"

Kakashi looked him over. He could tell Iruka wasn't as nervous - the fear was fading. At least for now. "All you need do is answer me one question."

There was no way to tell whether Kakashi was mad, sad or sleepy. Half of his face was covered and his voice betrayed no emotion.

"A question?"

"Yes."

"OK."

"Alright. Why were you so distracted last night?"

"Last night?"

"Yes. I wanted to say that it was Genma's fault because he was drunk but no. It was yours. You bumped into him and you didn't even see it."

Iruka looked down at his hands. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell Kakashi the truth. No way in hell. "I was preoccupied. Uh, with some business."

"What business? Reading what's inside of this envelope?"

"Yeah. It wasn't anything important. I just got absorbed, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Yeah. I... I'm sorry I ran into Shiranui-san."

"I don't think you are, Iruka-sensei. You don't even remember about it, do you?"

"Not really. I'm sorry."

"Why do you keep apologizing, you don't remember. And you bumped into Genma, not me."

"Well it seems like it upsets you, and I didn't mean... I didn't intend to upset you, and I'm sorry for that, that's all I mean."

Iruka couldn't understand why he was getting these questions. Kakashi didn't look mad. He seemed to be asking because he was upset about Iruka being distracted in the other night, and Iruka really didn't know what the Jōnin was talking about. All he could remember was getting slapped in the back, and losing the envelope. And the people in the street. And... Why did Kakashi care anyway.

Kakashi didn't know why he was asking these questions either. He intended to just give Iruka the envelope. From almost the moment Genma slapped him the other night and Kakashi saw him standing there dumbstruck, zoned-out, he had been wondering what was inside the envelope that made the tanned ninja be so unaware of his surroundings. He knew he was going to give the envelope Iruka, that had been his intention all along. But he could do that later. Maybe.

Kakashi knew that something was really bothering the Chūnin, and it was connected to something that was inside of the envelope. He had to find out what it was. It never occurred to him that it was none of his business, or that Iruka might not want him to know. But he was going to find out anyway. One way or another.

Kakashi never raised his voice, and he never even flinched. As far as Iruka could tell, he was just sitting there, patiently waiting for an answer. Iruka's mind flashed back to last night, and what he saw when he opened the envelope. He had intended to do some quick shopping, and not be at the street for long at all. Sunday nights in the street was not Iruka's stomping ground. But nothing about last night ended up as expected.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Hatake-san, it was just personal business stuff I was reading, I should have been paying attention."

It never occurred to Iruka to ask Kakashi why Genma slapped him for just bumping into him. Clearly it was a mistake, an accident. Kakashi didn't seem like the type who wanted questions instead of answers... Best to just get this over with, make something up, get the envelope back and be on his way. He didn't mind looking at Kakashi, the Jōnin who was staring at him, gleaming in the sun. They were ten feet from the main entrance of the Academy, on a busy Monday, but they seemed like they were miles away.

But questions? Nah, this didn't make any sense. He'd apologized. Surely he didn't think he was going to tell him what was in the envelope. It wasn't any of his business. It wasn't anyone's business.

Kakashi looked at the envelope and sighed. "What do you have here that made you so distracted..."

"It's a letter from a friend, just that... I, um, I just wasn't expecting it. Kinda surprise me, but it was no big deal." Iruka laughed quietly. Maybe Kakashi would buy it. Iruka thought he was a good liar.

"You're lying."

Iruka smiled, and tried, again, to play it off... "I'm not, really Hatake-san, it was nothing, I was just killing time and got caught up reading the letter and that's it, I promise..."

Kakashi wasn't smiling.

Like a building fell on him, Iruka realized what was happening. Kakashi had the envelope, he'd opened it, he'd had seen it all. Iruka felt like he was going to faint. The blood was rushing to his head and he was coming to a full-on panic. Kakashi had seen it, and now he was going to do what? Blackmail him? Clown him? Oh no, this wasn't happening. Dammit.

"Hatake-san, can I have the envelope back, I've got to go?" Iruka got a little bolder now, the adrenaline starting to pump.

"Not yet." Contrary to Iruka, Kakashi was calm.

"But it doesn't have anything to do with you," Iruka said quickly, the irritation clear in his voice and in his face. "It's none of your business."

"I know, but I still want to know what's inside the envelope. And don't lie. I know it's not a letter." Kakashi's voice was so deep, almost soothing, but it didn't stop Iruka from reeling in panic.

Fuck! Iruka knew he was screwed. This guy wouldn't be asking all these damn questions if he hadn't seen what's inside of the damn envelope. He saw it, and now Iruka knew the flood was about to start. This was just the first incident. What would be next? His friends? The Hokage? Fuck this. Fuck Mizuki. Damn. It's all his fault. Iruka's mouth was dry and he finally felt the sun beating down on him. He wanted to hide, but here he was in broad daylight.

Kakashi watched Iruka's tan skin going from red to white, and the Chūnin really did look like he was about to explode. Not anger. It was terror. Kakashi kept his eye on him.

Iruka had had enough, though. If he didn't get out of there soon he was going to die. He jumped up, but stood in place. His voice shaking, the desperation clear, he asked again. "Hatake-san, please, can I just have the envelope?"

Kakashi just looked at him, not moving.

That was it. Iruka lost it completely. He just yelled "FUCK!" and started to walk away.

He was walking back towards the Academy's main entrance. He looked terrible. Kakashi could see him trembling as he walked away.

Iruka just wanted to get away. He needed to think - he needed to be away from the questions - needed to be away from all this...Rather than heading out towards his house, he was heading back to the Academy. He wasn't thinking. He stopped at the door, waiting for a teacher, who was carrying a pile of scrolls, to come out through the door. Even at the end of his world, his good breeding took over and he politely waited for the teacher to exit. The wait was just long enough for Kakashi.

Iruka felt a hand on his shoulder.

Kakashi walked up close behind him. Iruka's heart skipped a beat. He had no idea what would happen next. He didn't turn around, he just stood there. Kakashi kept his hand on the Chūnin's shoulder. It must have been an odd scene, if anyone was even paying attention.

Their bodies were only inches away.

Kakashi leaned his head in and calmly said, "It's okay, Iruka-sensei, here's the envelope."

With his other hand he reached around and held the envelope in front of Iruka. Iruka took it, and then he really lost it. He couldn't hold it in anymore, and the tears started flowing down his face. Even though he didn't make a sound, Kakashi could sense from his body that the Chūnin was sobbing. Iruka started to lean down, the emotion trying to bring him to his knees. As he slowly bent forward his body pressed in to Kakashi's, who was standing behind. Iruka's ass pressed up against Kakashi's waist, and the Jōnin noticed himself getting hard.

When Iruka realized he had leaned back in Kakashi, he bolted upright. Kakashi caught him and held him by the arms. His grip was strong, but not hurtful. Iruka was so overtaken by what was happening, he didn't feel any panic. He could feel the heat from Kakashi's body pressed behind him, could smell his scent. He looked down and saw the fingers of Kakashi's left hand which was wrapped around his arm. His fingernails were long but meticulously clean. His hand was so pale. The contrast between their skin was beautiful.

Kakashi firmly turned Iruka around. Iruka was still looking down. He was still trembling. "I'm...I'm sorry, Hatake-san. I…"

"It's okay, Iruka-sensei. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I... I..." Iruka stumbled.

"I need to go"

Iruka finally looked up. His eyes were still puffy, and a tear tracked down his check. Whatever it was had shaken Iruka to his core, and Kakashi knew his questioning had taken him back to the edge. That wasn't his intention. He just wanted to know what it was all about.

As Iruka shuffled off towards his classroom, Kakashi never took his eyes off him.

He had to know what was inside of that envelope.