Thank you for reviewing! Sorry for the wait. Blame my stupid wellness teacher for signing me up for the course two weeks late (when the course is only four weeks long... still can't believe it's required to graduate. Has ruined my whole summer, really.)

Kakashi did come along for Kotetsu's unofficial birthday party. He only came for the brownies, too, not because he wanted to be with Iruka or could tolerate Izumo and Kotetsu. Nope, nope, just for the brownies.

It was in the mission's room, the next day, and the 'party' basically consisted of people dropping by to wish Kotetsu a happy birthday and giving him presents. They were all going out for drinks later, which Kakashi most certainly wasn't joining- he was just there for the brownies, anyway.

Of course, when he sidled up next to Iruka and took one of the delicious little chocolate goods and the teacher beamed at him, saying, "Oh! Good! You came!" and silence fell, he decided maybe it would be a bit awkward for him to go for drinks anyway.

"Ir… Ir… Iruka?!" Kotetsu gasped, his eyes wide as he stared at Kakahsi. The ANBU frowned and crammed the brownie under his mask. What was the chuunin looking at him like that for?

"You… know… the Copy Ninja?!" Izumo exclaimed, and Iruka chuckled.

"Yes, I am acquainted with Kakashi-san. Why? Is that a problem?"

Izumo and Kotestu stared at each other, then both grabbed their friend by the arm and hauled him away. Kakashi blinked in confusion, then shrugged. He was used to being looked at oddly. That was okay; more brownies for him.

Unfortunately, the chuunin were whispering rather loudly.

"Iruka, he is famous! What is he doing here! Talking to you! That's- that's- he's-"

"Guys, he's just a person. Who likes brownies, apparently." Iruka chuckled quietly. "Just be nice!"

"But he's- he's- he's the- Iruka! I can't just talk to him! He's the- well, you know!"

Kakashi didn't know whether to be amused or offended, by this point. He just settled for licking chocolaty crumbs off the inside of his mask and listening.

There was Iruka sighing, and then, Iruka talking. "Okay, Izumo, Kotetsu. Just come over here and talk to him! He's really not that weird! Come on!"

Uh oh. He was going to have to talk to people? That wasn't part of the deal! Kakashi stopped devouring his brownie and looked fearfully over to see the three cautiously approaching him, Iruka pushing Izumo and Kotetsu from behind. The pair of chuunin looked nervous and uncertain while the teacher, determined and sure of himself. "Hello, Kakashi-san," he greeted with a beaming smile, and Kakashi shifted uncertainly.

"Hello, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka prodded his friends forward again. "Kakashi-san, meet Izumo and Kotetsu. Izumo and Kotetsu, meet Kakashi-san."

Kakashi smiled awkwardly at the two petrified chuunin. "…Hello, Izumo, Kotetsu."

Kotetsu slowly gave a one-handed wave while Izumo just stared at him. Iruka sighed. "Way to make a guy feel welcome, you two. Oh! That reminds me. Mizuki is coming for drinks later, and he is under the impression that you two don't like him. So you are going to be nice to him!"

Izumo and Kotetsu looked like they both tried very, very hard to not complain at his name. Kakashi was suddenly doubly glad he wasn't going along for drinks. "Aw, Ruka…" Kotetsu started, then forced a smile. "What I mean is, just Mizuki? What about our other friends? Like Taji; he's been hanging around for a few months and is pretty nice."

Kakashi became suddenly very interested in the brownies while Iruka replied. "I tracked down a few others, but, actually, haven't been able to find Taji anywhere. It's weird. Like he just disappeared off the face of the earth."

Izumo sighed. "Well, you never know. Sometimes, he seems to be everywhere we are, other times, he's just gone. Taji's really strange."

Kakashi nibbled on a second brownie without even realizing he had taken another. As long as if he just stayed silent, the subject of Taji would be dropped. Right?

Thankfully, Iruka drifted away after a minute to go talk with somebody else. Kakashi really wanted to follow, but- …brownies… Just when his need for Iruka over chocolate won out and he took a step towards the teacher, Izumo and Kotetsu started talking.

"Ugh. I don't want Mizuki there! Why do we have to be Mizuki's friend if we're Iruka's?"

Izumo shrugged unhappily. "I don't know, but I agree. He drives me crazy. Why does he have to insult everyone?"

Kotetsu nodded fiercely in agreement. "Yeah, and why is Iruka still his friend? He's never nice to him! He's always complaining and never having a good time and picking on people's flaws and- hell, I don't even think Taji likes him and they've only met a few times!"

"But… he's Iruka's friend. And, well, it doesn't matter why Iruka likes him, just that he does." Izumo sighed heavily and helped himself to one of the brownies, then glanced at Kakashi. "Since apparently you're Iruka's friend, you have to have met Mizuki, right? What do you think of him?"

Kakashi froze. What was he supposed to say? He didn't know how to talk to Izumo! He barely even knew how to talk to Iruka! Oh, this was bad, this was bad…

Just pretend you're Taji. Taji can talk to these guys! Taji isn't socially inept and weird and awkward and- Taji can talk to them!

"…I don't like him."

There! That's a Taji-like thing to say, right? No, you idiot, it's not, Taji's more outgoing and would never just say 'I don't like him', nope, nope, you screwed it up, Kakashi!

But Izumo and Kotetsu both nodded happily. "Aha, something we agree on. Good. Hmm… well, I suppose we're going to weather through Mizuki's complaining tonight, eh?"

Kakashi nodded before he realized he was agreeing to go along with them for drinks. That meant listening to annoying Mizuki and being in a loud and crowded bar and…

Well, at least he would have more time with Iruka. And Iruka's brownies.

"So, tell us, Kakashi-sama. How did you and Iruka meet? You two don't really seem like the type that would mix."

Kakashi froze. He looked frantically to Iruka, but the teacher was still distracted- this wasn't good, what was he supposed to say? He couldn't say Iruka was his fix, but he didn't know if Iruka would want him to lie; what was he supposed to say? "Ah- uh- um…" he stammered, looking back at Iruka again, "N-not -sama," he finally managed, "Just Kakashi. Not -sama."

The pair of chuunin blinked together, then Izumo nudged his partner and the man jumped and nodded. "Oh, sorry, Kakashi-sa…n. Uh, well, anyway- answer the question! How did you and Iruka meet? Come on, it's got to be an interesting story!"

Oh, no, not that again! Kakashi sent a nervous glance around the room, searching for help- oh! Iruka was almost done talking, Iruka could come up with a believable answer, he just had to stall until then. "Well, you see, it is very interesting… it is… ah… well…" He fidgeted and sent another pleading look in Iruka's direction- and finally, finally, the teacher noticed and came to the rescue.

"You guys, are you interrogating Kakashi-san? Please don't scare him off!"

Kakashi slumped with relief while the two chuunin turned to address their friend instead of him. "We're not doing anything!" Kotetsu protested while Izumo nodded in agreement.

"Yeah! We just asked him how you guys met and he clammed up!"

"Ah." Iruka smiled and didn't betray any hint of being uncomfortable; he just nudged Kakashi lightly and explained. "Well, we just met in the mission's room. He seemed intriguing, so I talked to him more than was necessary- discovered he was likable."

Well… that was a really simple story. I definitely could've thought of that. Kakashi licked more brownie residue of his mask and decided to leave the talking to Iruka, who definitely seemed better at it. He was just there for the food, anyway.

Iruka really had a way of making Kakashi feel guilty. That was the only reason he'd ended up coming along for drinks.

He didn't beg Kakashi to come with them, he didn't even ask more than once. He just told Kakashi that they were going to leave now and that he would really like it if he came, too, but understood if he couldn't. And then he smiled, and suddenly Kakashi felt like he would be the biggest jerk in the world if he said no and disappointed Iruka.

As Kakashi tagged along at the back of the group, he wondered how on earth the teacher had managed to get such a hold over him. And, damn him, it didn't even look like it took even the slightest effort to convince him to do things he had no interest in doing. He huffed and kept on walking, listening on the conversation.

As usual, it was dominated by Izumo and Kotetsu being their usual ridiculous selves, with Iruka shifting from laughing along to chastising when they got too crazy, and Mizuki… Mizuki being sulky or complain-y or annoying. And constantly glaring at Kakashi.

It took him a few minutes to make sense of the sudden hostility- but then he remembered. Oh, yes. Mizuki, as Iruka's friend and Hound's victim, was one of the few privy to the fact that Kakashi had been stalking the teacher for the past several months. And, well, since he had attempted to kill him- Kakashi couldn't expect him to be the most friendly man in the world.

But he was Mizuki, so friendliness wasn't to be expected anyway.

…Still, cold, angry, hateful, and constant glares did make him uncomfortable. Such things did no good for a paranoid ANBU like himself.

But he mostly kept quiet, so Kakashi was able to enjoy the senseless babble without too much issue.

"And so, and so, I finally convinced the Hokage to see me and consider adding syrup release to that big book of all those Konoha maneuvers up in the library, you know?"

"Yes, we know, Kotetsu," Mizuki groaned. "That book that nobody reads ever."

Kotetsu rolled his eyes and gave a dramatic sigh. "The point isn't that people read it, the point is that it would be official! That my syrup release would be official and I would be one of those awesome, elite ninja who make up their own techniques!"

Izumo and Iruka exchanged an exasperated look before the former turned back to his partner. "Okay, Tetsu. So, tell us, because we are absolutely dying to know- what did the Hoakge say when you talked to him?"

The spiky haired chuunin glared, seeming extraordinarily affronted. "You all could at least pretend that you were nice, you know! And anyway, he said that it has to have been used in battle at least ten times before it was recognized as a viable fighting technique. And then he told me that fake battles didn't count! As if I had been staging fake battles or something- like I would ever!"

Iruka leveled him with a very skeptical look and smirked. "Really? Because I recall you paying off a genin team last week to fall victim to your, ahem, syrup release. Their jounin sensei was quite upset about it; he threatened to send his three prize pupils back to the Academy for losing against just one chuunin's unorthodox attacks until he found out the truth."

Kotetsu sputtered for an excuse while Izumo and Mizuki laughed. "I- uh- well- oh, come on! That's just because I never go on missions! Who else am I going to fight with? And their sensei scares me; I had to pay them off- if I attacked them for real, he would've come after me and probably killed me!"

"Coward," Mizuki scoffed. 'Let me guess, the only reason you're not still testing it on pre-genin is because you're terrified of how badly Iruka will beat you if you maim any of his students."

"Aha! I could only maim them if my maneuver was any good, though! You just admitted it; my attack is worth something!"

Kakashi smirked. He remembered, so long ago, when he'd first stalked along after Iruka and his friends- Kotetsu was only just now coming up with his syrup release idea. It hadn't taken him very long at all to mature it into something half-passable. Coming up with Rasengan had taken his sensei three years- Chidroi had taken Kakashi one and a half, and that was after Rasengan training that had, admittedly, helped a lot.

Of course, he sincerely doubted this syrup release would be anywhere near as versatile or useful as Rasengan or Chidori. But that was probably fine for just a chuunin- and it was still very amusing, either way.

"Okay," Kotetsu grumbled amidst a chorus of laughter, "I get it, I get it. Oh… wait, I know- Kakashi!" He twisted and met eyes with the Copy-nin, who flinched immediately. "I'm sure you've fought with all kinds of weird maneuvers! Come on, is there some merit to my syrup release? Back me up here, and I'll be your friend for life!"

Kakashi stiffened as suddenly all the attention turned onto him. What was he supposed to say? He looked immediately to Iruka for help, searching for someone to save him in the social situation that was far out of his purview, and the teacher just smiled. "Kotetsu, don't scare him. Your friend for life? That's frightening when the only thing he knows about you is that you have a fetish for syrup."

Kotetsu scowled. "I do not! Now, come on, Kakashi, answer!"

Kakashi stammered for a second before he cleared his throat and managed to give a reply. "Well, I don't know anything about the technique except that it involves syrup. So… based off just that… yep, I'd have to say that it doesn't sound very effective."

"Gah!" Kotetsu clutched a hand over his heart. "Ack… that hurts. Come on, give me a chance! Hell, you don't even know me- why do you have to side with Izumo and them!"

"Because he's got half a brain, that's why," Mizuki remarked, then continued on, muttering under his breath so only Kakashi could hear, "though that's probably all he has."

Kakashi simply looked at him for a moment, then turned back to the others and let out a silent sigh. This was going to be a long night.

And a long night it was, forty five minutes, seven seconds and counting later. Kakashi decided he hated something more than Mizuki, and that was being in this loud, crowded bar. He was quite literally sandwiched between Iruka and Kotetsu, and while he in no way objected to the proximity to his fix, Kotetsu, on the other hand… And there were way too many conflicting smells for him to be comfortable, and way too many people moving- it was literally impossible to keep track of who was where and who were serious threats and who were minor ones. And Mizuki could just sit there and glare at him all night, and Paranoid ANBU Senses said that people sending him constant death glares were a danger to his health.

All of these things added up to make one very unhappy ninja, and Kakashi was beginning to regret letting Iruka talk him into this. Whether the teacher had those weird powers with guilt and persuasion or not.

The group chatted and bantered until they were all sufficiently just drunk enough to be perfectly coherent but one more drink would just be the beginning of a downward spiral. The edge had been taken off of Mizuki's hateful glares, Kotetsu was no longer insisting on going on and on about the merits of his syrup release, Izumo was almost able to be talked into being irresponsible, and Iruka was no longer watching Kakashi quite as closely or worriedly. Kakashi had no almost-drunk-but-not-quite mannerisms, because he hadn't had anything to drink. He wasn't an idiot; why dull his reflexes in this extraordinarily (potentially) dangerous situation?

Izumo and Kotetsu had been casting nervous glances at each other for the past hour, though Kakashi was reasonably sure he was the only one who had noticed. Just when it was getting bad enough to make Kakashi himself nervous, Izumo cleared his throat during a lull in the conversation and straightened up in his seat.

"Oh, you're scaring us now, Izutetsu," Mizuki chuckled, gesturing between the pair of chuunin. "Got something to tell us, mmm?"

Okay, so, maybe Mizuki had had one more drink than the others. Or maybe Kakashi had spiked one of his drinks to make him just a little more drunk and a little less annoying. Anything could have happened…

Rather than replying, Izumo just laced his fingers with Kotetsu's and smiled, a little nervously. "Okay… um… this is a little hard to say. I did it this morning, for Tetsu's birthday present, and no one else knows yet. But we wanted to tell you before we made any official announcements, because, well, you're our best friends and you've known us even before we got together." Izumo bit his lip and looked away, his cheeks surprisingly flush with nervousness or perhaps excitement, and Iruka interceded, eyes wide and a hesitant smile on his lips.

"Wait a minute, you two. Official announcements? And you're talking about your relationship… and you both look so excited you're about to burst… don't tell me-!"

The pair both nodded eagerly, though Kakashi had never been more confused. Even Mizuki seemed to understand. Heavens, since when had he become more socially inept than Mizuki?

"Yes," Kotetsu began, then tugged at the bandage over his nose awkwardly with his free hand. "I…we… stop looking at us like that, I have to actually say it- gods, I know it sounds stupid, but it won't seem real until we actually tell people!"

Kakashi was really getting confused now. Iruka looked so excited, and Izumo and Kotetsu were both blushing now and even Mizuki seemed a little less blunt and a little more interested than usual. What on earth was going on?

A moment passed in silence, and then both chuunin burst out with an explanation together, looking so thrilled that they could just die now and be happy.

"We're getting married!"

How should I react to that? Hmm… hmmm… just do what you did when Minato told you that he and Kushina were getting married. Yes, just do that! Kakashi carefully schooled his masked features into an enthusiastic smile and beamed, and was relieved when he saw that Iruka was doing the same.

"I can't believe it!" the teacher exclaimed, hands clasped together in amazed excitement. "I'm so happy for you two! Oh my god- Izumo, I thought you would never ask! You've been together for three years already, and everyone already thought you were dating for years before you actually were- but when you two never tied the knot I just thought…"

Kotetsu's smile broadened while his partner's blush just grew even more noticeable. "Get this- he bought the ring six months ago! He was just too nervous to ask!"

Izumo stuttered an excuse while Iruka snorted. "Ah. Just like him, just like him."

"I was not too nervous! I was just- I mean- waiting for the right moment! Yes, waiting for the right moment!"

"Nobody waits for six months, Zumo."

"But I was just- um- oh, shut up, Kotetsu!"

The spiky haired chuunin grinned. "Whatever you want, hubby."

Izumo burst out laughing through a mouthful of drink, spitting the majority of it onto Iruka as he reacted to the word. His face went red when he saw what he had done to the teacher, who was sitting there dripping and staring and laughing.

"Oh my god, Iruka- look what you've done, Kotetsu! Oh, god! I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay, it's okay," Iruka insisted through his laughter, standing. "It's not a big deal. Just let me go clean up."

Izumo stood as well, tugging Kotetsu along with him. "We will help you. Since this is Kotetsu's fault!"

"Me?! You are the one who-"

"You knew it would make me laugh and that's why-"

"Not true!"

Kakashi grinned as he watched the bickering couple trail along after Iruka to the bathroom. Just like Minato and Kushina. Admittedly, that was absolutely his only experience with relationships, so for all he knew, all couples were like that. Still- if that was what romance was all about, he could partly understand what all the fuss was about. Okay, maybe only a little. Hmm… perhaps Iruka could explain it to him?

Kakashi shifted when he felt the heavy weight of a glare come to rest on him again. He raised his head to look right back at Mizuki, who was sitting across from him and glowering at him like he had just said something horribly offensive. He sighed. This was not his dream end to the night. "Can I help you with something?"

"Heh," Mizuki muttered, dropping his fist against the bar table and swinging around to they were face to face. "Can I help you with something. What a joke."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb. I know that you know that Iruka told me about you… that you were the bastard that attacked us. Sorry, but I don't take kindly to people trying to kill me."

It didn't help at all that Mizuki was completely justified. Kakashi just shrugged carefully, becoming inordinately interested in his gloves. "That's all well and good, but I didn't exactly come here for you."

"I don't care if you came here because you've got a god damn crush on Kotetsu. You tried to kill Iruka and I, and then suddenly Ruka's friends with you?! I call bullshit."

"We're not friends," Kakashi snapped. "And I did not try to kill him."

"Oh, well excuse me. Sorry for assuming that an attack like that was meant to kill. Look, you pretentious prick, I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention. Iruka trusts too easily. If you're taking advantage of that and end up hurting him, then I don't give a damn who you are, I'll hurt you right back."

"Did you say something?" Kakashi asked through a yawn. "I'm sorry. I just found counting the ceiling tiles more interesting than you and zoned out."

"Think you're funny, do you?"

"I've been told I am, yes."

Kakashi could feel Mizuki's Chakra roil in fury and began tapping his fingers lightly against the bar, leveling him with a flat, somewhat bored look. "Maa, Mizuki, you don't want to be here, and I don't want to be here. Can't we just sit in silence? Or do I have to listen to you throw out empty threats the whole time?"

Mizuki's eyes narrowed. "You think these are empty threats?"

Considering you hurt Iruka more than I ever could? "Oh, no, not at all. I'm sure you would try to hurt me. I just know you wouldn't succeed."

"Cocky, are you?"

"Why, yes. I have good reason to be, don't you think?"

Mizuki hands curled into fists, and Kakashi decided maybe it had been a bad idea to spike his drinks. More alcohol often made mean people even meaner. And more stupidly violent. "Look," he interceded before things got out of hand, "I… apologize for attacking you. But you're not going to scare me off from Iruka, if that's what you're trying to do."

"I don't know what the hell your problem is, but stalking someone for months and then flying off out of control and attacking their friend? That's considered creepy as hell and just plain wrong. I don't know why Iruka is willing to even speak to you, but if I find out you're manipulating him in some way I will-"

"You'll hurt me right back, yes. Enough small talk. Mizuki, you annoy me. When I was, as you put it, stalking Iruka, I saw plenty of you. Plenty of you, and you hurting Iruka."

Mizuki blanched. "I have never touched him!"

"Might as well have, with all the insults you dished out every moment you two were together. I don't like you, and I want to see as little of your face as possible. Don't bother me, and don't hurt Iruka, and we won't have a problem."

Mizuki stared at him, then raised a shaking fist to grab onto the edge of his vest. "How in the hell did this turn around to you threatening me?!"

"Maa, I do more than talk. Now, are you going to leave me alone, or do we have a problem?"

"You are the one shoving your face into everything! You are the one with the problem!"

"Actually, you seem to be the only one with the problem."

Mizuki's eyes darkened, and he seemed to be about to scream a reply- or hit him, Kakashi wasn't sure which- when a new voice interrupted. "Mizuki! Kakashi-san!"

Mizuki froze, and both of them turned to look at stare at Iruka. Kakashi smirked a little under his mask, because, with Mizuki's hand fisted around Kakashi's vest and Mizuki's face in Kakashi's, he certainly looked like the aggressor. The teacher stalked up to the both of them and ripped Mizuki's hand off of him. "What the hell happened?! Are you two fighting?!"

Mizuki blinked, seeming a little out of sorts and surprised, while Kakashi leaned back and smoothed out his vest with the heel of his hand. He decided to let Mizuki take this one, considering how the fight had been ninety percent his fault. There was no reason for him to antagonize the chuunin even more by talking his way out of it.

Luckily, it didn't seem like Mizuki was much of a smooth talker. "Iruka! I was just- this bastard was- he… he was- something about… he…"

Iruka's cheeks were flush with anger and he groaned loudly, taking a step back to glare at him. "I told you that Kakashi-san was probably going to be here, and that if you don't like him, fine, you don't have to come! I understand you not liking him but that doesn't mean you get to start fights with him!"

"I didn't come here to start a damn fight with him! I came here to talk to him! And then he just- damn him, he made me angry, and I-"

"Don't try and blame this all on him!"

Kakashi shifted, a little uncomfortably now. As much as he hated Mizuki, he had instigated the fight, and he had purposely riled him up, and, well… Mizuki had good reason to be mad at him. He cleared his throat. "Ah… hmm… Iruka-sensei…"

The teacher started, then turned to look at him, anger still clear on his face. "Kakashi-san?"

He cleared his throat and curved his eye up into a smile. "Well, I was arguing with him, too. I mean… don't just put all the blame on him… besides, I can take a few insults here and there. It's all right."

Iruka's eyes widened in surprise, and he opened his mouth, then shut it. He didn't seem to know what to say. Kakashi shifted awkwardly under his blank gaze, and, for once, was quite thankful for Izumo and Kotetsu when the pair suddenly intruded in on the tense moment.

"Iruka! Iruka, I forgot, I had to ask you something!"

Izumo's question broke the stillness, and Kakashi withdrew immediately, giving a little one-handed wave. No matter how wonderful Iruka was, Mizuki made it not worth staying. "Well, I will see you all later… things to do, missions to take… busy, busy, busy. See you around." He drifted back into the crowd, the thick crowd full of people that was danger and kept his instincts alive and sighed. Kakashi made his way to the exit in a few quick seconds, eager to be out where he could smell easier and breathe and see his surroundings. Ah, this was nice. Almost as nice as Iruka.

Not quite, but almost…