Kakashi crouched in the tree opposite the ninja academy, watching the vibrant blur that was Konoha's future pour out of their classrooms. So he was to take on another genin team. He didn't like training genins. Not that he had ever really had to, none had ever passed his bell test. But even the idea of that level of involvement in other people's lives was… disturbing. And they were children, children with families, more people for him to deal with. Why couldn't Sandaime just leave him to do what he was good at?

He waited, silent and still as the tree itself, as the last exuberant figure scooted out of sight. A wild, golden-haired boy, full of noise and untamed energy. Even his clothes were too loud and too bright. He certainly hoped he wouldn't be given anyone like that to deal with. Kakashi lowered his legs over the branch and sat, looking despondently at the now empty building. Except… it wasn't quite empty. His keen eye caught the flicker of movement inside one of the classrooms. Of course, the children had left but no doubt many of the teachers still had work to do. Maybe even his teacher.

Kakashi had deliberately avoided Umino Iruka since he had frightened the poor man half out of his wits in the mission room, two months ago. But he hadn't forgotten him. In fact he thought of him constantly. Holding in his mind the image of a sweet tan face, usually with a shading of blush. Lowered eyes behind full dark lashes, and the smell of skin and soap. But still, it would be nice to actually see him. The thought that the teacher was right there, just the other side of the courtyard, it was too sweet an opportunity to ignore.

He leapt from the tree to the classroom window silently, invisibly. Iruka was busy at the back of the room either taking something out or putting it away. Kakashi made his way to the doorway. He could stand outside the room, leaving the other man secure in his own territory and talk about the kids. They were a legitimate topic of conversation. He'd be getting some of them soon after all.

"Iruka-sensei, I hope I'm not disturbing you. I've just heard I'll be getting a genin team. I wondered if there was anything you could tell me about this year's crop?"

The teacher spun around, shuriken in hand. Kakashi stifled the instinct to draw one of his own.

It's a training weapon, for the kids. You're trying not to frighten him remember!

"Hatake-san, er please come in, can I make you some tea?"

The chuunin started across the room. Kakashi met him way more than half way. "Tea? Yes. That would be very nice."

They stood, separated by a child's desk, as the silence between them stretched into awkwardness. A familiar blush started to spread across the top of Iruka's cheeks. Kakashi cursed himself for his reflexes. Why did he have to move so damn fast? Couldn't he forget that he was a jounin and just be a human being for once? And hadn't he planned to stay outside the classroom? There had to be something that he could do to put the other man at ease, to show his human side. In a moment of inspiration he pulled down his mask.

Iruka stared at him in shock. Was it a mistake to take it off? Was he even more scary without it? The teacher raised a shaking hand to Kakashi's face and traced the outline of his cheek and jaw. The hand was joined by another as they slipped back, below the line of his headband, and threaded fingers through the shorter hair at the back of his head. Kakashi held his breath and stood as still as stone, all his focus on the sensation of those hands ghosting across his skin. Iruka took a deep breath, deep enough for both of them. Then, his whole body trembling, he leant across the desk and gently touched their lips together.

Without breaking contact for a moment Kakashi slid over the desk. He pressed into the kiss, probing deeply with his tongue, getting a tentative, then an enthusiastic response. Hungry for more he pulled Iruka against him, encouraged by the teacher's hands fisted in his hair. How had he believed that he could be happy with just a memory of this face? Been willing to settle for so little? This was what he wanted, lips against his lips, flesh against his flesh. Iruka in his arms. He felt limp, dizzy, every nerve in his body tingling. His senses saturated with the smell, feel, sight, sound and taste of Iruka.

Now he realised that the glimpse of pure emotion he'd seen in that first smile, in the mission room so many months ago, was just that. A first glimpse. A fleeting look at the beast through a cracked-open door. For with this kiss the door had been flung open and he could see the great golden creature whole, and already it wasn't enough. Now he wanted everything. The beast's name was true love, one of the most powerful and terrifying monsters in existence and he had looked into its eyes. He wanted it to devour him, and Iruka. Together. He wanted to be Iruka's and for Iruka to be his. Completely. He wouldn't accept anything less.

Kakashi pulled away breathlessly and took in the look of joy, bewilderment and lust on the teacher's flushed face. Yes he would have it all, but not yet, he wouldn't risk frightening him again. He held the other man close and, pulling back his shirt, ran the tip of his tongue slowly from shoulder to earlobe, sucking gently when he got there. Iruka melted in his grip, breath catching in his throat as he sighed in pleasure. Kakashi brushed their lips together one more time then pulled up his mask, and left.

Tomorrow he'd come back to see if he was offered another kiss. He'd let Iruka set the pace. The beast could wait awhile, but he'd be ready for it. He had been for a long time.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

It had been a very difficult day for Umino Iruka. Naruto and Sasuske had been as bad as they get, which was bad. And if anything the girls were worse. Why had he agreed to teach pre-genins? The little ones were so adorable, so loving, so obedient and anxious to please. But this age? When the girls developed into women's bodies overnight and grew four inches taller than the boys, but still had the minds of children? And the boys started to feel the needs and desires of an adult while still trapped in the bodies of children?

He knew why. Because this was the age when children rejected routine obedience to their parents but had not yet developed a mature will of their own. This was the one time in their lives when they would open themselves to whoever was there to guide them. And he wanted to be the one to reach into that space and turn the path of their lives along the right track. Because Sandaime had reached him at just this age and turned his life back, away from the direction he was letting it wander, away from waste, unhappiness and regret.

He wanted to be the one to reach them because he knew he could. It wasn't a talent he had learned, or earned, or even deserved, but it was there. Sandaime had seen it in him when he had appointed him as a teacher, he'd had his doubts at first, but the old man had been right and he had his successes to prove it.

Naruto tore out of the door, dead last as usual, screaming something at Sasuke. He smiled affectionately, well he'd have at least another year to work on that one, there was no way he'd be ready to graduate.

With a weary sigh he turned to clear away the weapons scattered at the back of the room. The lesson was supposed to have been pure theory, and on unarmed combat. But they were ninjas, it was to be expected. When he was finished he would still have a few hours to kill before his shift in the mission room started. His work there had always been his break from teaching, his chance to be with the 'grown-ups' for a while. But it had lost much of its appeal in the past couple of months. The reason was simple. Hatake Kakashi didn't come into the mission room anymore, at least not when he was there.

He hadn't seen the man since that fateful day when their hands had accidentally touched, and in an off guard moment he had let the full extent of his feelings show. It had only been for a fraction of a second, but Hakate-san was the best, the briefest moment was all he needed to sum up another's intent. Obviously the elite jounin had no time or interest in having love-sick chuunins, afraid of their own emotions, mooning over him. His reports were still filed, as messy, disordered and late as ever. But they hadn't been given to him.

He was roused from his thoughts by a voice at the classroom door, deep, languorous, familiar.

"Iruka-sensei, I hope I'm not disturbing you. I've just heard I'll be getting a genin team. I wondered if there was anything you could tell me about this year's crop?"

It couldn't be! He turned around and there was the familiar form, silhouetted in the bright doorway. Shaggy hair, lean slouched figure, everything but the book. Hatake Kakashi.

Iruka opened his mouth and words came out, but he didn't even know what they were. He put down whatever was in his hand and made his way towards the front of the classroom. He'd hardly gone more than a few paces when Kakashi was in front of him separated by the mere width of a classroom desk. Hatake-san was here, in his classroom. He'd come to see him. Iruka's stomach tightened and twisted, feeling empty and filled with rocks at the same time. He could see the lips under the jounin's mask moving but the pounding of his heart blocked out the sound.

Then Kakashi pulled down his mask.

Iruka's heart skipped a beat, several beats, maybe it had stopped completely. He raised a hand, shaking way beyond his control, to the bare face in front of him and traced its contours with his fingertips, unable to believe such perfection could exist from the evidence of his eyes alone. Then he decided. Or something decided for him. This chance would never, could never, come again. He held the back of the man's head, took a deep breath, and kissed him.

Suddenly Kakashi was all over him, hands, thighs, lips, tongue. It was heaven, ecstasy. Iruka gave up all attempts at reason and surrendered to it, willing the man not to stop, to hold him forever, to be held forever, their bodies molded into one. Then as suddenly as he had arrived he was gone.

Iruka wandered over to the sink in a daze and started to fill his teakettle. What had just happened? It was all so fast, was it an hallucination brought on by the stress of the genin exams coming up, or had Kakashi really been here and had he really kissed him?

And why the hell was he making tea?