A/N: Again, thanks to all those who have reviewed. I had run out of inspirations for a while on how I should continue with this, but your reviews have definitely kept me inspired and motivated to keep this fic going. So, this fic is dedicated to all of you! Thanks.

Chapter 10: Surprise

Iruka slide the door open a little and peeped in. The nurse looked up in surprise.

"Yes?"

Iruka straightened himself and blushed, as he cleared his throat. "I…… Um…… I'm looking for Kakashi-san."

"I'm right here!" A voice came from somewhere deep inside the room and Iruka felt himself blushed harder as he slid the door all the way and stepped in.

"Iruka-sensei, what a surprise." Kakashi grinned, as he held up his tank top half way for the medic nin in front to tend to a cut across his abdomen.

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Stop talking like Genma."

"But I'm not Genma." Kakashi's eye arched into a smile, as the medic nin finished wrapping a bandage across his torso and pulled away.

Iruka sighed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess." The jounin pulled his tank back down and rubbed the nape of his neck. "Nothing serious."

Iruka studied the jounin. Other than the wound which he had seen the medic-nin treated, the other injury was on his upper left arm, wrapped in a stash of white bandages.

"That doesn't look like 'not serious' to me, Kakashi-sensei." Iruka pointed to his arm with a frown.

"It's just a scrape." Kakashi shrugged. "I've got far worse injuries than this before."

"Hatake-san, here are your medication. Please remember to change your bandages every four hours to prevent infection. And try to minimize your movements. You don't want your wounds to open up again." A nurse interrupted them. Kakashi nodded and took the bag from the nurse before pulling his shirt and vest on.

"Well, I'm done here, Iruka-sensei. Let's go." Kakashi smiled. Iruka shook his head and walked out of the room. Kakashi followed with a happy grin behind his mask.

They fell in step beside each other and walked in silence.

"It's a nice feeling." Kakashi suddenly said.

"Huh?" Iruka stared at him, confused.

"It's nice to have someone to check on you when you are hurt." Kakashi stared at the path in front of him.

"Oh?" Iruka blinked. "Well, here at the hospital, you can have every single person to check on you if you want. The nurses will be happy to shower you with the attention, I'm sure."

"You know I don't mean that." Kakashi grinned as he turned to look at the chunin. Iruka met his gaze for a moment before turning away, blushing.

"How about dinner tonight, Iruka-sensei?" Kakashi asked casually. It was almost a familiar question now.

"Are you sure? You are injured. The nurse told you not to move around too much. And you just came back from your mission. You need your rest." Iruka frowned.

"I said it's nothing serious. I still need to eat too. There's a new restaurant –"

"I decline." Iruka cut in. Kakashi stopped in his tracks and looked at the chunin who continued walking.

Iruka paused when he realized that Kakashi was no longer walking beside him. He turned to look at the jounin who was standing a few steps behind him with an unreadable expression. But oh well, who can read his expression when his entire face is covered, revealing only an eye.

And then, Iruka turned a beet red when he realized what he had just said. Had he just turned down a dinner date from Kakashi? That was definitely not what he had meant.

"Um….. I don't mean it that way, Kakashi-sensei." Iruka stuttered. Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Iruka gave an exasperated sigh.

"What I mean is that you shouldn't move around with your injuries." Iruka said in a small voice. "You know….. I…… Um…… I can cook dinner at your house."

Kakashi was silent. Iruka fidgeted nervously as he waited for a response. He almost felt like digging a hole and hiding in it. Had he just invited himself to the jounin's house? What has gotten into him that he dared to make such a suggestion?

Before he could even recover, someone was pulling him by the arm out of the hospital, a happy voice ringing beside him.

"Ah…… Iruka-sensei, then we are going to have to do some groceries shopping. I'm looking forward to the feast that you are going to whip up tonight."

Kakashi couldn't believe his luck as he walked down the streets with Iruka. A S-rank mission topped up with some injuries had pushed the chunin right into his arms. Not literally, but at least it had brought them closer. He had been surprised when Iruka actually showed up at the hospital to check on him. He didn't know how Iruka found out, but he was glad that the chunin did. It assured him more than anything else that Iruka actually cares for him.

And hell, the academy teacher had even volunteered to cook for him at his own house. Kakashi would never have thought this would even happen until they are officially together. That is, if he ever got to that.

"So, what else do we need to get?" The older man asked as he adjusted the bags in his hands.

"I think that's enough." Iruka grimaced. "You have been buying every single thing in the marketplace. I'm sure you have enough food to feed a small army for one week."

"Well, that gives me a good enough reason to have you cooking for me for the next one week, isn't it?" Kakashi teased as he watched the younger man for a response.

And as expectedly, Iruka blushed.

"Shut up and let's get going." The chunin muttered. Kakashi chuckled.

"Well, let's shop a bit more. There may be things that we could have missed out on." Kakashi walked down the streets cheerfully. Iruka stared at the jounin's back, and then to the bags he was holding and finally to the bags in his own arms.

He seriously doubted that there was anything else that they have yet to buy.

Iruka sighed and trailed after the jounin. After all, that wasn't his money to spend.

A few more stops at a few more stores, a little more groceries adding on to the pile that the two shinobi were already carrying and a bit of contemplating from the jounin later, Iruka practically dragged Kakashi back to his own apartment.

"Kakashi-sensei, are you thinking of inviting the whole of Konoha to eat with you?" Iruka frowned as he grabbed the jounin's wrist and dragged him away from a confectionary shop. As much as he wasn't the one paying for it, Kakashi is buying a little too much for someone who is staying on his own and seldom cooks.

Kakashi blinked as he was being pulled down the street after the chunin. His eye paused at the tanned fingers clutching on tightly to his own pale wrist. Apparently, Iruka was irritated enough to not have noticed the contact.

Kakashi grinned and he let himself be led away by the chunin. He wasn't going to say anything and spoil the mood or draw Iruka's attention to the fact that he was holding on to the jounin's wrist.

Yup. Step four is definitely going to be executed that night.