Today was Iruka's first day, and the library, to put it briefly, was a mess. Konoha University was large, prestigious, and one of the oldest schools in Japan, but apparently his predecessor was a drunk and disorderly chimpanzee.

Before he entered the library, Tsunade had waved her hand and raised her tokkuri in the other, signaling good luck and god speed respectively. Now he knew why.

For the entirety of the morning, Iruka became preoccupied with getting the place in order. His traumatized assistants, all ranging from volunteering freshmen to underpaid seniors, practically greeted him as if he were their saving grace, leading him to the mess that was in the staff room.

Iruka had been greeted with newly ordered books yet to be placed on shelves, returned textbooks not properly categorized, and a sad, sad pile of ripped maybe-books in a corner that desperately needed restoration or a funeral.

He would come to hate paper and hardcover by noon.

There were water bottles everywhere though the boxes were now gone, and Yuuri, a tiny freshman majoring in Biology, was softly crying in the corner about her numb arms. Iruka in any other situation would have consoled her, but he couldn't feel his arms, either.

Iruka had no choice but to send a text to Naruto that their lunch plans had to be postponed. It would be the first time in years, and while this wasn't Iruka's fault, he couldn't quite push away the guilt. He threw his phone to the side when Naruto responded with too many emojis that Iruka was forgiven, and there was nothing else to do but get back to work.

He redid his bun, tucking loose strands behind his ear that weren't too short to be gathered in the hair tie, and stepped over Jun laying down face first on the floor and partially beneath the coffee table. The others had reassured Iruka that Jun did this often. He was an engineering major and felt sorry for himself most of the semester.

"Let's do our best, everyone," Iruka said, and the responses he received were varying degrees of misery.

By 3 p.m., Iruka had nearly given up. He'd volunteered for the humanities section, leaving the sciences and arts for his four assistants.

Everything had been fine, at first, until Iruka realized the books already on the shelves were not arranged by author. In fact, they weren't arranged at all, some were even backwards, and Iruka was already mentally outlining his resignation letter.

Iruka grabbed the heaviest and hardest book he could find and began thumping his head against it.

It had gone on for more than a minute when "I'm almost afraid to ask what that poor book has done to deserve that abuse, Umino-sensei," suddenly came from behind him, and Iruka drew back, startled. The book slipped from his hands and it landed on his foot, the pain knocking him off balance.

Arms wrapped around his mid-section within seconds, and Iruka's back was against a flat chest. "Careful now," Kakashi said, keeping him steady. Iruka recognized those tufts of silver hair anywhere from the corner of his eye. "It would be unfortunate if you were hurt on the job."

Iruka inhaled deeply—unintentionally breathing in the unexpectedly pleasant scent of sandalwood cologne and shaving cream—and found himself not as angry as he thought he would be. Perhaps he had beat himself harder than he intended to, or maybe his cranial magazine wounds from a week ago hadn't fully healed.

"Thank you. You have ten seconds to let me go." Iruka squinted and grimaced at the oncoming headache. "And I'm being very generous because I'm tired, but mostly because I can't yell in a library."

Kakashi did as he was told, though slowly, as if Iruka would fall apart at the seams if Kakashi went any faster. They were still close in proximity, even when Iruka moved away to retrieve the fallen book and stick it back in a random place on the shelf. The narrow aisles were designed to mock Iruka and make anyone murderous.

"You look like you need to eat," Kakashi said, after a moment. "Let me treat you."

"I need a nap," Iruka replied, hushed yet vehement. "Or a coma. Whichever comes first. Why are you here?"

"Trying to be you friend. Is it working?"

Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose. "I thought you were looking for a sugar baby."

"I don't want a sugar baby." Kakashi frowned. "I want you."

Iruka froze and slowly lowered his hand away from his face. He stared at Kakashi incredulously, and was dumbfounded to see the sincerity in his gaze.

"You—you can't just say things like that."

"Why not?"

Iruka was a man of words and to have them robbed from him for the second time in one conversation was alarming. "Maybe you should go. I'm in the middle of working."

Kakashi perked up. "Are you suggesting we can meet up after you're finished?" he asked, hopeful. "There's this nice restaurant downtown and…"

Iruka looked over Kakashi's shoulder and saw that they had an audience attempting to look casual despite their ears strategically facing toward them and—binoculars? Iruka needed to get out of here.

Jun and Yuuri were absolutely shameless as they openly watched Iruka drag a delighted Kakashi into the staffroom and promptly kicked whoever was inside out.

"Okay," Iruka began as he shut the door behind him and leaned against it. "I guess we're going to talk this out like adults and ignore the fact that I'm still working and that one of us will go to jail if I raise my voice."

"You're giving me a chance?"

"I'm giving you a chance to explain to me why you haven't left me alone like I told you to," Iruka corrected, and his fingernails dug into the wood.

Kakashi frowned down at the pile of ripped books in the corner that were crying out for help. "Gai told me that I should apologize and not say the first thing that comes to mind."

Iruka had no idea what to address first so he chose the safest option: "Gai?"

"My bodyguard." Kakashi waved off the question. "That's not the point. The point is, last week was a huge misunderstanding, and offering you money so you could keep talking to me was poor taste. Please forgive me." To Iruka's surprise, he bowed deeply, and it left Iruka nearly speechless. Nearly.

Iruka then shook his head and said, "It's not just that—you invaded my privacy, and that makes it hard to even trust you." He released his hair from his bun and loosely shook the sweaty strands to release the tension from his scalp.

"I, uh—" Kakashi cleared his throat— "that was, um, also a bad decision on my part." He was openly staring at Iruka, and it was unnerving.

"And?"

"Please let me make it up to you."

"What if I don't want you to make it up to me?" Iruka challenged.

Kakashi still stared. "I don't want to carry on the rest of my days knowing that I did something that made you hate me, and that I had an opportunity to fix it."

Iruka sighed and slid down against the door until he was sitting on the floor. "Listen, Hatake-san—"

"Wait," Kakashi interjected and squatted in front of him. There was small movement behind his mask, as if he were biting his lips nervously. "I know I…made a big mistake. I treat you like I expect you to say what I want to hear, and that's wrong. If anything, I can't read you at all. You're unpredictable." He reached out and tucked several strands behind Iruka's ear.

Iruka blinked and wondered if he was hallucinating. "Thank you?"

"Look, I'm not good at this," Kakashi admitted. He pulled out a business card and handed it to Iruka, closing Iruka's fist over the thin paper. "I never was. But if you want to talk, so we can start over again, call me."

Iruka stared at their touching fingers and slowly pulled away. "Please go," he said, finally, and crawled out of the way.

Kakashi appeared disappointed, and Iruka watched him leave, drowning in sandalwood and conflict. He looked down and realized he didn't give Kakashi back the card.

Gai was still where Kakashi had left him right outside the library, holding the tea that was most likely burning his palms despite the protective cardboard.

"Has he accepted your romantic and heartfelt apology?" Gai asked excitedly. "Was the tea unnecessary?"

Kakashi grabbed the cup and tossed it into the trash. "Plan A failed. We'll have to go onto B. Maybe Yamato can help this time." He quickly walked down the hall, Gai sputtering behind him and demanding he explain what happened.

"Hey, old man!" a voice called out, and Kakashi turned to see…some loud orange person yelling at him.

Kakashi squinted. "Who is that?"

"That's Iruka's son, Naruto," Gai whispered into his ear. "Have you already forgotten?"

"Was he always wearing highlighter orange, or had I been temporarily blinded last time?"

Naruto caught up to them before Gai could answer, and he stuck his finger between Kakashi's eyes. "I hope you're not bothering my dad!"

"Now, now, don't get so loud," Kakashi replied and batted Naruto's hand away. "I promise you that my intentions with your father are not evil nor cruel."

Gai gave him a thumbs up over Naruto's shoulder and stepped away, feigning interest in the bust of Hashirama by the main entrance to give the two some semblance of privacy. Kakashi's eyes went to Naruto's other hand, just then seeing what looked like a chocolate bar and some other candies. "Does your father know you bought so many sweets? You'll get cavities."

Naruto beamed. "I thought I could get him some snacks because he missed lunch." He paused, reverting back to his suspicious gaze. "How can I trust you?"

"You can't," Kakashi admitted. "I'm technically just a stranger, but I'm also going out of my way to tell you that my interest in Iruka is purely curiosity. He's a good person. You don't find a lot of people like him often."

Naruto's wariness melted into pride. "Yeah! Dad is really the best! He took me in even when people prefer adopting kids younger than me." He grinned, and although he and Iruka shared no genetics, their smile was exactly the same. It eventually faded as he continued, "But he's been hurt a lot too, ya know? Dad doesn't really let people in. All he has are Genma and Raidou."

It was unfortunate that Iruka's son was awful with keeping secrets, and Kakashi decided to exploit this. Politely, of course.

"So wouldn't it be nice if Iruka-sensei gained more trustworthy friends, hmm?" Kakashi asked, side stepping to allow a group of girls to pass into the library. "If something were to happen, he would need all the support he could get. You're both new to this city."

Naruto bit his lower lip. "I guess so." He shyly kicked his feet and didn't meet Kakashi's eyes. "Hey, you know, maybe because you're rich and stuff, you can help keep Mizuki away from him. He's bad news, and I think he'll hurt my dad again if he gets the chance."

"Oh?" Kakashi feigned ignorance. "Hurt him how? Perhaps I can lend my bodyguard."

"Wait, no, I mean—forget what I said," Naruto pleaded hastily. "He would get mad if you did that! I gotta go, anyway. I need to study really hard and keep attending my sessions, so I don't disappoint Dad again."

Kakashi shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Having difficulties? Prep classes are often advanced due to how expensive they are."

"I was never really good at school, ya know?" Naruto smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Dad is the best at teaching, cuz he gets how hard it is for me to sit still, but I do understand things…eventually."

"Perhaps you would fair better under a private tutor," Kakashi observed and got out his wallet and pulled out a card that somewhat different from the one he gave Iruka. "I have a good friend that might help. Yuuhi Kurenai used to be an elementary school teacher before she decided to move her career toward helping high school seniors. Give her a call today and say it was me who referred you."

Naruto smiled but made no move to accept the card. "Thanks," he said, "but the classes I take here are free because Dad works under the school. I can just study harder—it's about effort anyway."

"Yes, yes it's about effort. However, there's nothing wrong with asking for more help. Some people learn differently." Kakashi pushed the card into Naruto's hand and closed his fingers over it. "And Kurenai-san owes me, so I'll take care of any finances. Just think about it at least, okay?"

Kakashi could tell Naruto's defenses were crumbling. Far faster than Iruka's ever could. "Dad might not like it," Naruto replied, looking down at the card. "I shouldn't do it without his permission."

"Naruto," Kakashi began, "you're about to become a college student. Sometimes you need to make decisions without Iruka-san, and no one knows you better than you know yourself. So if you believe that this tutor will help you in the long run, do it."

With that Kakashi turned, lifting a hand in a lazy wave, and walked away, Gai right on his heels. If he couldn't convince Iruka to give him a chance, then Naruto sure could.

Iruka looked up from the computer when Naruto entered the library. Jun was beside him, sending emails to the students that returned their books damaged that they would have to pay, and Yuuri…Yuuri was crying somewhere again, Iruka wasn't sure. The others, remaining nameless ghosts, were haunting the aisles of Japanese History.

"How was your first day of preparatory classes?" Iruka asked, getting up and moving around the information desk to hug Naruto. "Sorry I smell like sweat, but today was a day of suffering."

Jun made an assenting noise behind him, or perhaps he had dropped face down again.

Naruto scrunched up his nose. "It's not that bad. A little hard, but I'll catch up." His then practically shoved the candies into Iruka's face. "I got you these! Since I know you skipped lunch, and stuff."

"I'm almost scared to let you be in charge of grocery shopping," Iruka laughed and took the chocolate. Calories were still calories, after all.

Naruto began to fidget with the edge of his bright orange sweatshirt. "I, um, met that Kakashi guy on the way out."

Iruka looked over to Jun and saw him hastily begin to sort through the gods-help-us pile they put aside on the desk, and he decided it was best they move their conversation into the staffroom.

"Did you now?" Iruka asked once they were inside, and Naruto plopped down onto the couch.

"Yeah, he's…okay I guess. What do you think about him?"

Iruka had an extensive vocabulary on how he could describe Hatake Kakashi, but Naruto didn't need to know every synonym for stubborn asshole. "He means well and tries his best despite his shortcomings," he said after a moment, polite. "Strange. Could use help in the social department. Why do you ask?"

"Do you think we could trust him?" Naruto asked.

Iruka raised an eyebrow. "Why would we need to?"

"I mean, he recommended me this private tutor who could help me prepare for the exams." Naruto showed him the card. "He says she'll help me if I name-dropped him."

"He did what?" Iruka wondered if Kakashi was on a mission to distribute as much cards as he could. Just looking at that piece of paper Iruka could tell the service was expensive. "Naruto, if you need extra help, you can come to me. You know that right? I took those exams myself."

Naruto shook his head quickly. "No way! You're already so busy. I can't ask that of you." He looked around the staffroom. "I can already tell this place was a big mess you had to fix. It smells like someone was crying."

"You got that right," Iruka muttered and then set down the candy so he could sit beside Naruto, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Still, I can always make time for you at home. I can't be your parent if you don't let me help once in a while."

Naruto sighed and pressed his face against the side of Iruka's chest. "Yeah I know," he said, muffled. "It's just, Genma said it's not all the time a rich guy wants to help you. Hatake-san even offered to help pay for it."

"Hatake-san…what?" Iruka's grip only became claw-like on Naruto's arm. "And did he say why?"

"That sometimes I'll have to make decisions without you," Naruto confessed. "And if I think this tutor is best for me, I should do it. I guess he didn't want me to tell you about it cuz he thought you'll get mad."

Perhaps the job application should have said: Anyone with no inclination towards murder, has the capacity to stay sane when mingling with idiots, and wouldn't mind Hatake Kakashi meddling in their lives. Iruka would have turned back screaming to his hometown.

"I think I'm going to kill him," Iruka promised, to the world at large, and Naruto wisely did not try to escape out of Iruka's grasp.

Iruka decided to wait until Friday to confront Kakashi. His work at the library was too time consuming earlier in the week to reasonably plan for murder, and it was wrong to do so over dinner. Today the library was quiet, and his assistants had said it was allowed for him to leave early if his presence wasn't required. Iruka had never heard that rule before, but when he asked Tsunade, she took a long sip of her sake and said he could do whatever the hell he wanted as long as he got the job done.

This was an odd place.

Somewhere amid his organizing on Wednesday, Iruka had lost Kakashi's business card and couldn't find it no matter how hard he looked. It was fairly easy to search for Kakashi's company on the internet, but getting in was another matter entirely without proof that Kakashi at least knew him well enough to give physical evidence of their meeting.

Or maybe the secretary just didn't like him.

"Do you have an appointment?" the woman in front of him asked, not even looking at him or giving a proper greeting.

Iruka felt his smile drop and the well-kept, expansive lobby felt too constricting. "I'm sorry, this is urgent, and I lost the business card he gave me. I couldn't call."

"You lost the business card?" she repeated incredulously. "Hatake-sama does not freely give those out, and you…lost it? Forgive me for not believing you. You're not the first person to tell me this excuse."

"I promise you I'm not some stalker. I met him almost a week ago at a restaurant. If you tell him Umino Iruka is here—"

She snorted and coughed to cover it up. "You got rejected and want to ask for another date, don't you? I'm sorry, I can't do that."

"A date?! I don't—I would never—I have not gone on a date with Hatake-san," Iruka whispered vehemently.

She sighed softly and clicked her pen repeatedly. "Look, Umino-san, was it? Hatake-sama is a very busy man, and I can't interrupt his schedule by allowing someone to come in here without an appointment."

"If he's such a busy man, when did he find the time to show up to my apartment and my job?"

"Okay," she began, exasperated, "I will be forced to call security if you do not leave, Umino-san."

Iruka began to calculate how long he would have to beg on his knees before he could find something to distract the secretary and make a mad dash toward the stairs.

"Nozawa-san!" a voice called out from the entrance. "You look as lovely as ever. How is your little sister?"

Iruka turned to see the man he had bumped into outside of the restaurant. He wasn't in the forest green suit anymore, and Iruka grimaced at the bright jumpsuit and orange leg warmers. Well, if it made him happy, who was Iruka to judge?

"Gai-san, you are too kind," Nozawa laughed into her hand. A complete 180 from her distant attitude with Iruka. "My little sister is fine. She's been getting good grades ever since you promised to buy her that rabbit toy."

Gai stopped right next to Iruka and was radiating with joy. "Wonderful! I knew she could do it with hard work alone." He gave Iruka cursory glance and then did a double take. "Iruka-sensei?"

"The bodyguard who gives Hatake-san advice, I'm assuming?" Iruka asked dryly and bowed his head politely. "Sorry, by the way, for also bumping into you when I was leaving the restaurant."

"I am astonished you remember a simple man like me," Gai said, tearing, and grabbed Iruka's hand. "I swear upon Japan's great mountains I will do everything humanly possible to protect Kakashi so that he may protect you in turn. I have never seen my rival's heart so firmly planted into the soils of romance."

Iruka had to remind himself to keep breathing. "What?"

"You must be wanting to see Kakashi. Come, I will lead you right into the arms of Passion so that she may hold you and Kakashi in her warmth of love."

They left the speechless secretary behind, and Iruka found himself dragged along to the elevator.

"I, um, wish to clarify," Iruka started, just as the doors closed and Gai pushed the button for the 25th floor. "that Hatake-san and I have only known each other for a week. I am not interested in him, Gai-san."

Gai looked genuinely surprised. "Love truly does not make its presence known easily," he lamented, and Iruka wondered if Kakashi surrounded himself with people who just needed to be murdered for their opinions. "Give it time, Iruka-sensei. You and Kakashi will surely come together under Okuninushi's blessing in the future."

"Okuninushi? The god of love and good marriage? Did I not just say—"

The elevator doors opened, and Gai resumed dragging Iruka despite Iruka having two functional legs he could use very well on his own. They reached two large doors at the end of the hallway, and Gai let him go.

"Give me a moment while I inform Kakashi of your arrival," Gai said and winked.

Iruka texted Naruto and told him that if he wasn't home by dinner, assume he was already in jail.

It took two minutes for Gai to return, and his smile was horrifying in its implications. "He will see you now."

Kakashi was sitting behind a large mahogany desk. He appeared to be relaxed, the gentle rays of the afternoon sun settling nicely across his face. His hands were folded above a green book Iruka couldn't recognize, and something about his expression seemed so smug that Iruka immediately didn't like.

"I knew you would come around," Kakashi said, and he got up, moving around the desk toward the front to sit on top of it. "I'm glad you chose today. No pesky meetings to interrupt us."

Iruka debated taking one of the nice-looking armchairs but ultimately chose to remain standing. "Funny, your secretary was just telling me that you had a busy schedule."

"Nozawa? She's fantastic. Knows how keeps the annoying ones away." Kakashi crossed his arms and never kept his eyes off Iruka. "Thankfully, she didn't keep you away, though I'm starting to think this isn't a destined meeting between two petals floating in the unpredictable wind currents of life, as Gai put it."

"Do you think this is some sort of game?"

"How is it that you look even more angrier than you did the last two times we've met? Am I that infuriating?"

Iruka ignored the bait and got straight to the point. "Why did you offer to pay for Naruto's private tutoring? I have explicitly told you to stay out of my life, and you turn to my son?"

"Must you think of me as some evil villain trying to ruin you?" Kakashi asked and then shrugged his shoulders. "I was just offering to help. I don't have kids of my own, but I know how important education seems to be to you parents. Won't it be nice seeing your son's future taken care of?"

"Naruto's education is none of your business. I can teach him just as well as any fifty-thousand-yen-an-hour tutor in downtown Tokyo."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and appeared to be praying to the ceiling. "I don't think I've ever met someone as stubborn as you."

"The same could be said about you," Iruka snapped and suddenly felt light headed, gripping the back of the armchair. "I refuse to have debts, and you are not going to be the first. Stop trying to help me."

"Must you be so self-centered?" Kakashi shook his head. "I'm helping Naruto, not you. I'm assuming you've taught him at least something of the martial arts you know. Perhaps Naruto will be of use to one of the teams I sponsor if he's ever accepted into Konoha."

"You're lying."

Kakashi got up and walked over to Iruka until the chair was the only thing between them. "You have no debts, not with me," he promised. "The only reason I spoke with Tsunade was because I had felt awful over our mishap, and I didn't want to see your sacrifices wasted because the idiot who was supposed to interview you didn't show up."

Was the room always spinning? Was Kakashi coming closer?

"Learn to let people in," Kakashi continued. His tone was soft, and Iruka wanted to fall asleep to it. "Not everyone is out to use you or hurt you. I can admit even I'm trying to unlearn that, and I want to begin that process with you. I don't know what it is, but there is something about you that makes me want to know more. I meant when I said I wanted you. I want you to be my friend."

"I think I'm going to fall," Iruka said quietly, and Kakashi reached out to steady him when he began to tip over dangerously.

Kakashi held him far closer than what was necessary, in Iruka's delirious opinion. It was also unfair how attractive he looked despite half his face hidden. "Are you alright," Kakashi asked, pressing the back of his hand against Iruka's forehead. "Are you sick?"

"No," Iruka whined. He mumbled something else that barely reached his own ears.

"You didn't eat lunch," Kakashi translated and carefully lowered Iruka onto the armchair. "Figures. I'll tell Gai to order something. Don't move."

Iruka sat there obediently, surprising both himself and Kakashi when he returned a moment later.

"Am I really self-centered?" Iruka whispered, not wanting to look Kakashi in the eye.

Kakashi went down on one knee in front of him. "No, you're not," he answered, sincere. "You're extremely selfless and also extremely stressed, and you're not allowing yourself to rest. You've only just started your job, and it's already wearing you down."

"The last guy in charge was an idiot," Iruka complained. "My assistants are practically zombies."

"Then they're lucky to have you now."

"It's unfair how easily you can sound kind and wise after putting your foot in your mouth."

Kakashi smiled. "I have good teachers."

"Please pay them well."

Kakashi laughed, and they fell into a comfortable silence. Iruka squinted, studying Kakashi's face and wondering how a single week had affected him so drastically. It was as if Kakashi's presence promised Iruka the excitement he'd been missing since Mizuki, but that was a gamble he thought was too soon and too risky to take.

They were better off parting after this. Naruto would resume his regular sessions on campus, Iruka would eventually forget Kakashi existed, and Kakashi would finally find a sugar baby he could tolerate. Iruka smiled at the thought.

"Should I be concerned?" Kakashi asked and looked mildly uncomfortable. "You're staring at me and smiling. I hope it involves good things and not torture."

Iruka would later blame his delirium for making him pat Kakashi on the cheek. "I don't plan on killing you," he said. "But I guess I should thank you, for watching out for me and Naruto, even though you owe us nothing. Sometimes it's hard to remember how much people can care."

"I can be a nice person," Kakashi agreed, and Iruka pulled his hand away just as Kakashi seemed to lean on it.

"However," Iruka began, "I politely ask that you refrain from any more charity. What you've done so far has been enough."

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed. Iruka wanted nothing more than to soothe the wrinkle with his thumb as he often did with Naruto. "Can we be friends, then? Can we start over again?"

Gai's dramatical arrival with takeout, announcing he was here to save Iruka from the clutches of hunger's evil tentacles, seemed to drown out Iruka's answer, but Kakashi's delighted eye-smile glowing under the afternoon sunlight told Iruka he had heard him.