Kakashi had to admit that he was starting to enjoy working with genins. Not teaching them, exactly, they'd done all the learning they'd need for a while during their years in the academy. What these budding ninjas needed now was a guide to help them to become full-blown flowers, violets or orchids, it didn't matter, as long as they reached whatever potential they had. Someone to coax and cajole, to inspire and infuriate. So that's what he was doing, and it was fun. More fun than he'd had in years. Than he'd had… ever.

They were an interesting mix, the loud brash kyuubi boy, the sullen silent Uchiha, and the girl, so polite and proper, but with a spirit about as refined and restrained as a fishwife's. And only two parents to second-guess him between the lot of them. So far they'd only done a handful of simple D class missions, but were already starting to actually work together. To respond to his teasing and provoking by seeking each other's strengths and weaknesses, exploiting and covering them, as a ninja team should. As he watched them grow he took special care to remember something, a new show of skill, a moment of insight, some little snippet of encouraging news to pass on to their former teacher. Because it pleased Iruka to hear it. And Iruka was in the mission room every day now that the school year had ended.

So that was where Kakashi went when he'd finished with the kids for the day. He lounged in a seat or propped up a wall, half his attention on his book and all of it on the chuunin teacher behind the desk. He wanted to know everything about the man who had so gently and so innocently ensnared him. Every look on that expressive face, every movement of those capable hands, and every nuanced tone in that animated voice. He was a prisoner of love, trapped within the beast, and as he looked at Iruka through its golden eyes, everything he saw was just… beautiful.

As he had for the past few days, Kakashi slouched into the mission room, and slumped into the nearest empty seat to fill out the report on team seven's latest babysitting accomplishment. What could he say? None of the kids had actually sat on the baby, which was good. Although he was sure Naruto had been sorely tempted several times, and Susuke's empathy for the helpless creature, separated from its mother for the first time in its short life, entered rare negative territory. But they had risen to the challenge. Naruto had entertained it, Sakura had soothed its crying and Susuke had changed its stinky diaper with remote cold efficiency. His paperwork done, after a fashion, he read his book, waited for the crowd to thin, and watched.

Iruka had healed well from Mizuki's attack, shedding most of his bandages after the second day, but it was clear that his wounds still troubled him. He rested a hand on the desk to support his weight when lowering himself into a chair, and stood up quickly and stiffly, as if to minimise the duration of the pain. None of this escaped Kakashi's single observant eye. There was something else today too, a nervous jitteriness about the man that wasn't connected to his injuries. Kakashi determined to pry the problem out of him once they were alone.

Unfortunately the shinobi population of Hidden Leaf did not cooperate, instead they hung around in the mission room chatting and gossiping. Four hours later the room was still unusually busy. Iruka's shift would end soon and the teacher was casting anxious glances in his direction. Kakashi let out a long sigh and took a place in line to hand in his report. When he reached the front Iruka looked at him with an intensity that was nothing short of unnerving. He slid his paper over the desk and the teacher laid a trembling hand on top of his, then looking around to make sure that no one was paying attention, whispered in his ear.

"It's been a week."

It had indeed been quite a week. After a shaky start he'd discovered that he actually liked these kids, a sentiment that he never would have believed possible. Whether he'd have quite the same opinion if they didn't give him an excuse to talk to Iruka everyday, well maybe that was one underneath he shouldn't explore so deeply.

He murmured in agreement. "Yes it has."

Izumo came to take over the desk position. Iruka pulled his hand away sharply and lowered his eyes. What was with the man today? Then he snatched up the report and without even reading it through, that was a first, date stamped it and crammed it into a manila folder. With obvious agitation and an audible hiss of pain, he stood up and walked around the desk to join Kakashi, his blushing face giving off almost as much heat as his flaring chakra.

Kurenai looked up from her conversation with Anko. "Are you alright Iruka-sensei?"

The normally shy teacher's erratic behaviour was starting to concern Kakashi too. He grabbed his arm firmly.

"I'll take him home."

They vanished in a swirl of vapour and reappeared on the step outside Iruka's apartment. Kakashi felt some of the anxiety, but none of the tension, leave the other man's body. Dark eyes looked into his, unusually round and unusually deep, dark eyes.

"Do you want to eat first, I bought lots of food?"

First? Before what?

He felt Iruka's arms creep around him tentatively. "We had a date, it's been a week."

Realisation dawned on him. Oh. Of course. He'd said they'd have to wait a week for Iruka's wounds to heal before…well… sex. So that's what he was stressing over. Was it really that long already? But it wasn't an option if Iruka was still hurting, he had to make that clear. "I didn't necessarily mean a week week, seven days, it was just, you know… a guideline."

The teacher's voice was weak, almost whiney. "But…but… what other kind of week is there?"

Kakashi didn't want to disappoint him, and God knows he wanted it too, but he wouldn't take any chances. He frowned and took a step back. "Let's go inside."

Iruka fumbled for his key and opened the door. He led the way into a small neatly furnished living room. A large bed with a blue cover was plainly visible through an open door at the far end of the room. Kakashi took a deep breath and consciously looked away from it. The whole place smelled faintly of Iruka, a fresh smell of soap, sunshine and skin. He remembered that smell… it made his heart quicken. Iruka sat down on the sofa, took off his jacket and started to unbutton his shirt.

"I… I don't really want you to see this, but I know you'll want to, and I can't hide it from you."

He slipped the shirt down to his waist and turned his back, revealing a six inch red gash. Kakashi was kneeling behind him in an instant. He ran his third and fourth fingers down the length of the scar then placed a hand on each shoulder and pressed his cloth covered cheek against it, it was warm but not hot, healing well but not yet healed. For a shuriken wound it was a damn big one, deep too. No wonder it still hurt. Unexpectedly he felt Iruka take hold of his right hand and pull it over his shoulder and up to his face. His glove was pulled off and replaced with hot breath and wet kisses. Then he felt a slick tongue between the roots of his fingers, working its way around until it reached his index finger. He let it slide into the soft wet mouth and felt a tongue wrapped around it, licking and sucking, the suggestively rhythmic friction causing a profound response in an entirely different part of his anatomy.

Iruka slowly turned to face him and, still holding his finger gently between his teeth, pulled down his mask. Kakashi sucked in a gasp at the look of exquisite want on the teacher's face, it was something he'd seen described in his Icha Icha books but had never expected to see on a human being. Well he'd said he'd let Iruka set the pace. His hand was released and he let it fall under its own weight, dragging a wet trail down the other man's chin, throat and chest, coming to rest at the waistband of his pants. He curled his fingers under the fabric and pulled Iruka towards him so that their lips met, open-mouthed, tongue slithering over tongue in a hot breathless kiss, their auras meshed together in a vortex of sexual tension. He pressed his tongue deeper, snaking the tip towards Iruka's inner throat, lost in the tastes and textures and wonderful wet warmth that was Umino Iruka.

Possibly for the first time in his life he let his instinct and emotion take over and acted purely on unpremeditated desire, as if his intellectual self was a separate presence in the room, aware but no longer controlling. His hands, both gloveless now, traced a caress up the sides of Iruka's back feeling smooth skin and firm muscle, squeezing out a sigh as he pulled him closer. The beast was commanding him to take Iruka, to love him as a lover should. And he needed Iruka to want him too, just as much. He neededto be everything to his sweet sensei, the perfect lover.

As he looked into the depths of the man's beautiful eyes, Iruka took his hand, pulled him to his feet and led him into the bedroom.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Iruka hated to admit it but his wound hurt. Hell they all hurt, but the one in his back was the worst. He had been tempted to take a few days off so that he could lie still and not aggravate it, but he knew that would be a mistake. An injury like this needed to be moved and stretched as it healed. Otherwise it would form tight scar tissue that would be a permanent weakness. He had another reason for working every day too. Kakashi wasn't leaving the village on missions now. He had started teaching his genin team, so he had a report to turn in every day. Not only that but he came early in the evening and stayed late. Waiting until everyone else had left before giving in his paperwork. Then they could talk about the kids, about other things, hold hands, flirt. He wished they would kiss some more but he knew the other man wouldn't take off his mask in such a public place.

Besides every day was a day closer to 'the day'. 'Better give it a week to heal', that's what Kakashi had said. And today was exactly seven days since he had said it. Iruka's stomach tightened and his groin glowed hot at the thought of finally getting to finish what they'd started in his deserted classroom, before his whole world had gone insane and left him hurt and bleeding and unfucked. He'd been planning for this all week, his ultimate fantasy come true. Kakashi naked in his bed. Silver hair and pale skin contrasting with the dark blue cover. At least in his fantasy it was in his bed but he didn't care, he'd be just as happy in Kakashi's. Hell the floor right here behind the mission room desk would be good as long as the door was securely locked.

The mission room was unusually crowded when he saw Kakashi enter, sit down and take out his book. He looked so calm, so cool, was he really not the least bit excited at finally getting to 'the next level'? Of course Sharigan Kakashi was always cool, no one could read him. Only a fool would try. As soon as everyone was gone he'd invite him to dinner, their first real date. He'd bought food to cook, or they could go out, and he'd stocked his fridge with food that didn't need cooking in case that seemed like too much trouble. He had wine too, and sake, and beer, and he could always make tea.

The hours passed but the mission room was still crowded, way too crowded. Couldn't fate give him a break just once? Finally Kakashi put away his book and joined the queue. Iruka barely scanned the papers being handed to him until at last he had Kakashi in front of him, but there were too many people around, too close, he couldn't speak. As a pale half-gloved hand pushed the paper towards him he rested his own hand on it, to keep it there, to keep Kakashi there, while he struggled for what to say and the chance to say it.

As soon as no one was looking in his direction he seized the brief moment, leaning forward and whispering the words that had been on his mind all day. "It's been a week."

Kakashi didn't even blink but answered as if he was agreeing about the weather. "Yes it has."

God the man was cool. But they had to make an arrangement to meet. Where should he go? When? He had to know. Now!

Before he had another chance to speak Izumo was standing next to him and it was time to go. He pulled his hand away before the other chuunin had a chance to see how he was clutching at Kakashi's, date stamped the report and shoved it in the folder. Kakashi took a step back from the desk.

Iruka felt panic rising inside him. Surely Kakashi wouldn't leave? Not now, not just because of all these people? He stood up, too quickly, without balancing his weight first. Shit it hurt. Then walked around the desk, forcing himself to walk not run. His emotions were flaring out of control for everyone to see. Everyone was looking at him. Someone asked him if he was alright.

He heard Kakashi's voice through the confusion. "I'll take him home."

And then he was standing outside his own apartment.

It was ok, he could relax. Maybe Kakashi had manipulated him into this deliberately. His mind scrambled back towards his original plan.

"Do you want to eat first? I bought lots of food."

Kakashi didn't respond. Damn. He must have noticed how much it hurt him when he stood up. Well how could he not have? Iruka put his arms around the other man gently, to show that he was ok, that he was willing, hell more than willing. "We had a date, it's been a week."

Kakashi's answer was much too careful. "I didn't necessarily mean a week week, seven days, it was just, you know… a guideline."

"But…but… what other kind of week is there?" He was fine, he'd show him. Kakashi must have seen worse wounds than this, must have had worse wounds than this. The scar was ugly but he'd have to swallow his pride, he couldn't exactly hide it anyway.

Kakashi's suggestion sounded more like a command. "Let's go inside."

Iruka opened the door, led him inside and stripped down to the waist.

"I… I don't really want you to see this, but I know you'll want to, and I can't hide it from you."

He felt Kakashi touch the scar, Kakashi's hands on his skin. Those skillful powerful fingers that he'd watched doing such mundane tasks. Turning the pages of his book and holding a pen to scratch an untidy signature. Assassin's hands. Kakashi rested a hand on each shoulder. He could feel their strength lighting a fire in the skin beneath. But something was wrong, the gloves. He wanted bare skin against his skin. He reached back, pulled a hand towards him and took off the glove. That was better. Now it wasn't a killer's hand, it was a lover's, his lover's. He kissed the palm and stroked his tongue over the toughened skin, finding the more tender skin between the fingers, taking one into his mouth and feeling it, tasting it. Kakashi couldn't deny him now, it would be too cruel.

He turned around and pulled down the mask, wanting to know, needing to know, the answer on the other man's face. It was there. He released his grip on the finger and felt it slide down to his waist.

Suddenly they were kissing, breathless, excited, wanting more, needing more. He could feel his chakra flooding the room and Kakashi's more powerful chakra wrapped around it, folding into it as they swirled together until they were so closely blended that he could feel the exact moment when Kakashi released control. Kakashi was all lover now, every part of him, the assassin had no place here.

Iruka took his lover's pale slender hand and led him into the bedroom. The rest of his pale skin would look just as perfect against the blue cover.