Kakashi was trailing after him like a demented duckling again. "Sensei…" he whined nasally and Iruka gritted his teeth.

"I'm busy right now!" Six more days.

"But Sensei, if we don't go now, there won't be a table left! Besides, I'm hungry."

"And if I don't buy some food now, the market will close and I'll have nothing to eat tomorrow morning." Just six more days

He could hear the Copy Ninja leering. "You could…earn something with me." He suddenly was right up against Iruka, practically plastered against his back. His nose lightly brushed Iruka's earlobe. "I'd be flattered to make you some."

SIX MORE DAYS. "No." He tried to elbow Kakashi, but the jounin caught his elbow and used the extra leverage to drag Iruka into an alley. "What the hell—"

"Gai." Kakashi muttered as he flipped Iruka around before Iruka could blink. "If he thinks we're busy, he'll go away." He all but buried his face into the tan neck in front of him.

Iruka shut his eyes and prayed to the gods (who seemed to be finally inclined to listen to him) to Make It Go Away, QUICKLY.

And to make it so he didn't blush at every stupid thing. That'd be nice, okay? Thank you.

"He's gone," Kakashi mouthed into Iruka's throat, one hand in Iruka's ponytail and another on his hip.

Iruka wasted no time shoving the other off of him and hurrying out of the alley.

Only to nearly run into Team 10.

Ino took one look at him and started to giggle behind her hand. Shikamaru smirked and Chouji smiled, biting his lower lip. Asuma's cigarette twitched as he grinned. "'Evenin', Iruka-sensei."

Trying not to act like he wanted to die right there—and ignoring the fact that he was redder than a beet—Iruka mumbled a greeting just as Kakashi shuffled out of the alley, managing to look bored and enormously pleased with himself at the same time.

Ino's giggling upgraded into full-blown laughter and she leaned against Chouji (who was now chuckling into his chip bag). Shikamaru even sniggered a bit.

Asuma seemed to be holding his laughter in by biting hard on his cigarette. "'Evenin', Kakashi-san."

Kakashi nodded in acknowledgement. "Heading to the barbeque?"

"Yup. Care to join us or do you already have plans?"

"We're getting things for breakfast tomorrow!" Kakashi chirped.

Iruka wanted to die

Team 10 broke into a fresh round of laughter as Asuma tried to control the shaking of his shoulders. "Ah! Well then! We won't keep you two any longer!" Asuma managed to get out, grinning widely.

Iruka wanted to die

Kakashi waved lazily as he followed Iruka (who was wishing he had a way to salvage his tattered dignity). "Oy! Kakashi-san!"

Both ninjas turned. Asuma tossed something small at Kakashi. "You might want those! It'll make for a better evening!"

Team 10 collapsed onto the ground, clutching their stomachs and sides as they howled.

Iruka wanted to die

"Hmm," Kakashi looked down. "Ou! 'Extra-lubricated and ribbed for her pleasure'." He read off of the little foil package. "I'm sure that could work that way for either gender. Thanks, Asuma-san!"

Ino looked like she was going to asphyxiate she was laughing so hard and three males with her didn't look like they were too far behind.

Iruka wanted to die, but not before he took a few people with him. "I'm going to kill you!" He lunged at Kakashi.

The jounin ducked and took off, Iruka hot on his heels, screaming profanities and death promises, Team 10's hysterical laughter fading into the distance.

xXxXxXxXxXx

"That was good." Kakashi stretched. "We'll have to come here again next week when they have that tuna special."

"You'll have to go by yourself." Iruka picked up his grocery bag and headed for the door.

"What? But Sensei, you'll have to come!" Kakashi sounded about one-quarter of his age. "You promised!"

"And that promise is done in six days." Only six more days of this torture, and then Iruka could go back to the way life was supposed to be, with no Crazy Kunoichis stalking him, no loud and obnoxious Gai challenging him, and definitely no Hatake Kakashi!

Kakashi looked mildly stricken. "Already?" He shook his bushy head slightly. "I suppose that since I had you take care of Mr Ukki, you're counting those nine days I was gone, huh?" He sighed. "Who am I going to find to go to dinner with?"

"With your charming personality, I'm sure you'll have throngs of people waiting for you to grace them with your esteemed presence!"

"You'll have to save me from all of them."

Iruka snorted. "You'll have to forgive me when I don't come immediately rushing to your aid, Hatake-hime."

Kakashi blinked at him, then began to laugh. "Princess!" He wheezed out a few moments later. "Oh, Sensei, you've really outdone yourself this time!"

Iruka continued on, deciding he wasn't going to wait for the jounin to get a grip on himself.

"I'm going to miss our conversations," the masked man said a few moments later once the laughter had died down.

When Iruka made no immediate comment, Kakashi sidled up to him. "Come on, admit it! You're going to miss them as well!"

"Oh, of course. I'm going to miss talking to you about as much as I miss having Strptococcus pyogenes and I'm going to miss you about as much as having Yersinia pestis or Treponema pallidum."

"You always know what say to make a man feel special." Kakashi said fondly. "It takes a lot to be loved as much as Treponema pallidum." His smile was softer than normal. "Tell me, is that T. pallidum pallidum or T. pallidum endemicum or—"

"Quit following me."

"Ah, but Sensei! Our time together is limited! We need to make the most of it!"

Iruka twitched. "Go away!"

Kakashi swooped in again, breath kissing Iruka's mouth. "But what about breakfast? And the gift Asuma-san so graciously gave to us?"

Iruka sent him flying with a one well-aimed punch and stormed off, muttering evil things under his breath.

"Iruka! Iruka love, wait up!" Kakashi yelled after him and Iruka groaned.

It was going to be a long night.