Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters and I am not making any money by writing fanfiction.

…..0…0…0…..

Iruka trudged over wearily, sighing out a tired, "What seems to be the problem, Mr. Hatake?" stressing the name and making the otherwise polite question seem forced.

"Um, well, my car won't start." Kakashi followed Iruka back towards his car, tripping over his frozen feet every few steps.

"Yes," Iruka turned to face him as they came to a stop beside the car. "I can see that. Do you know why it won't start?" With an added, "Other than the fact it's a ridiculously unsuitable muscle car." under his breath that Kakashi wasn't sure if he'd imagined or not.

Kakashi sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. Couldn't he just help and not be snide? "It's probably that the battery is dead. This model wasn't really, um, made for this weather, I guess."

"You don't say?" Iruka gave him a deadpan stare, then intoned dryly, "Try to start it, will you?"

Kakashi quickly obliged, sliding into his driver's seat and turning the key. Iruka nodded. "That sure sounds like a battery problem. In all honesty, it could be the starter too, but…. give me a minute." He disappeared behind the hood for a second, and Kakashi heard a, "Dammit!" Much to his surprise, Iruka appeared at his elbow a second later, shaking his head. "It isn't the battery. Not quite, anyways. Do you ever get maintenance done on this car of yours?"

Kakashi thought back and then smiled sheepishly, "I might have forgotten the last few appointments?" He scratched the back of his neck self-consciously. There was just something about Iruka that made him feel like a little kid getting caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

"So…." he began as the silence got tenser, "Can you give me a boost?"

Iruka turned to him, his face flat, "No."

Kakashi paled. "You've got to be kidding me! You're just going to leave me here? Stranded? Freezing? Dying?" Kakashi's voice pitched higher up with each word, in a near panic until it dropped dramatically to a whisper on the last syllable.

Iruka sighed and took off a glove to scrub at his face. "No, you idiot, I can't give you a boost because your battery cables and your ground cable are all corroded. I don't know how you managed it, but really, only you would. They definitely need to be cleaned and possibly even replaced. Your car isn't going anywhere, anytime soon. Get in my car."

As Iruka finished, he turned abruptly and made his way back towards the road. Kakashi stared dumbly at him for a minute then rushed to close up his car and find his satchel, before Iruka changed his mind. Stupid cables.

…..0…0…0…..

As Iruka sat waiting in the warmth of his Jeep, he watched Kakashi struggling out in the wind, shaking his head at the stupidity of his situation. Why couldn't it have been anyone else? As Kakashi fumbled at the door, then gestured at it wildly, Iruka sighed. "It is unlocked. You just need to push the little button in as you pull the door handle."

Kakashi smiled sheepishly again as the door opened, letting in blasts of freezing air. "Oh."

Iruka shook his head. Anyone else!

"Why does it have a button?"

Iruka replied shortly as he put the Jeep in gear, "It's basically for camping."

Kakashi waited, but since Iruka didn't elaborate, he breathed a drawn out, "O-kaaay….."

Iruka sighed, rolled his eyes and then answered, "The SUV is a four by four and trail-rated for off-roading. The doors have the button so animals, such as a bear, who are actually quite intelligent, mind you, cannot accidentally open the door. If you're off-roading or camping and happen to be stuck in your vehicle, because they don't have opposable thumbs."

Kakashi thought for a minute. He supposed if a bear swiped repeatedly at a regular door it might get lucky, but still, it seemed a bit like overkill. "What if you're not in the car?" He turned to Iruka questioningly.

Iruka's bright smile caught him off guard for a minute, as he answered, "Then you're S. O. L. Wanna go camping, Hatake?"

Kakashi regarded Iruka for a while, not entirely sure if that was rhetorical and then answered slowly, "No."

Iruka laughed out loud. "I figured not. You're too much of a city slicker for camping. Besides, it wouldn't be that easy to get rid of a prick like you, would it?"

Kakashi turned to him, mouth agape. He'd never heard the man talk like this, so, so normal, with slang and swears. Sure, he'd been insulted by the man, but that was usually delivered like an iron fist covered in a velvet glove, far more subtly even when the man was going off like a loose cannon.

Iruka turned. "What?'

"You sound so…." Kakashi paused, and Iruka interrupted him.

"What? Not like a prude? How well outside of work, Hatake? Some people believe need to remain civil and professional." Iruka eyed him, making it obvious what he thought of Kakashi's professionalism, then added, "I'm in the comfort of my own damn vehicle and I'll speak any way I like."

Kakashi nodded and then noticed where they were. "I live in that direction," he said, pointing to a road they had just passed.

"Sorry, but take a look outside. We'll be lucky if we make it to my house, much less to yours and then mine. You'll just have to stay over, it's not like it'll be for long and we're not complete strangers." Iruka grinned, "If Naruto's over, and I'll bet anything he is, I'm sure he'd appreciate some one-on-one tutoring."

At this sarcastic remark, even Kakashi laughed, answering with an equally sarcastic, "I'm sure."

…..0…0…0…..

Iruka pulled up outside a row of townhouses, turning to Kakashi and speaking, "Our mom's uncle, so my great-uncle I guess, owns almost the whole block. He rents these three out to myself, his own son—that would be my cousin Asuma, and a family named Inuzuka."

"As in your brother's best friend and the high school's resident troublemaker, Kiba Inuzuka?"

Iruka smiled, collecting his things and adding with a large smile before going out into the biting wind where more conversation would be impossible, "Of course. The one and only. They met when I moved in a few years ago. Since my brother is always over."

"Hmph. So I have your sorry self to thank for that dynamic duo," he shook his head as he followed Iruka up the path.

As they made their way into the hall, shaking off snow and closing the door against the howling wind, Iruka called out, "I'm home! You here, Naruto?"

As Kakashi reached down to undo his shoes, he heard his student answer, "We're in here, Ruka!"

Iruka answered, "We?"

"Yeah." Kakashi heard footsteps as Naruto obviously padded towards the door, continuing, "Mom and Dad are still out of town because their plane couldn't land in the storm, so I figured I'd crash at your place instead of being all alone, and Kiba came over because—hey!"

Kakashi looked up into his student's pointing finger. "What are you doing here?"

Iruka sighed. "Be nice, Naruto. I'm sure he doesn't want to be here any more than you want him to be. But he is a guest and you will be nice."

Naruto waved his brother off, "Yeah, yeah. Why's he here anyways?"

Iruka sighed again, putting his boots into the closet with a muffled, "I mean it, be nice," then resurfacing to add, "His car broke down and he needed a ride. There was no way I was driving him home and then driving more in this storm, so I told him he could stay tonight."

Naruto glared a little at Kakashi, looking him up and down and saying, "I'm not doing any extra homework, so you'd better not get any ideas," before disappearing back into what Kakashi assumed was Iruka's living room.

Kakashi chuckled inwardly as Iruka turned to him with an apologetic smile. "Sorry. He's usually more polite to guests, but well, you already know each other- you spend half the school day together, so he's obviously not going to be shy. Hey," Iruka raised his voice, "Did you boys eat yet?"

This time Kakashi heard Kiba answer as he shuffled into the hallway, " Not if you're cooking, Iruka." He stopped in the doorway, gaping, "Whoa…. Teacher! It's…. a teacher. Hey, Naruto—the math dude's here!" He backed up to holler in to his friend.

"Yeah, I know dummy. Just go to the bathroom so we can keep playing. Tenten's on the line and she says that she and Lee are ready to storm the other base as soon as we're ready." Kiba nodded and disappeared.

Iruka sighed, as he looked Kakashi up and down, his gaze stopping at his sopping wet pants legs and socks. "Do you ever dress for the weather?"

Kakashi tilted his head with a self-deprecating smirk, "In the summer?"

They both laughed as Iruka motioned him forward. "Come on. Since Kiba's in the downstairs washroom, you can change in mine. I should be able to find you something of mine that fits—" he paused, looking back at Kakashi's slightly taller, but definitely thinner frame, "—ish?" he finished with a smile.

As Kakashi followed him up, he took a deep breath and said, "Hey, thanks. I mean, I know we're not buddies or anything, so thanks. Not a lot of people even stop for pulled over cars nowadays."

Iruka smiled over his shoulder, "You're welcome." As they climbed the last few stairs, he contemplated, then added, "I think most of them are just afraid. You never know what kind of whacko could be waiting out there."

"But you're not afraid?"

Iruka smiled, "Yeah and look what I ended up with—my brother's crazy math teacher."

Kakashi laughed, but continued, "Really though. What If I had been crazy?"

"You are crazy." Iruka rummaged around in his drawers as Kakashi waited a little awkwardly, trying not to make a puddle on the carpet.

"What if I was…. homicidal?"

Iruka bent down to rifle through some lower drawers and Kakashi couldn't help but notice his quite nice derriere as it swung in his direction. A mumble muffled by the drawers, "You're not homicidal."

Iruka stood up, a little red-faced from being hunched over and continued, "If you've made it this long in the school system and not had a breakdown, I think it's safe to say you're pretty stable." He added with a smile, "No matter how nuts my brother and his friends think you are."

"But what if I was?" He insisted, knowing he was bordering on obnoxious, but he just couldn't let it go for some reason.

"What, are you actually worried about me? Hatake, you can't even stand me." Iruka tried to shuffle around his houseguest to go downstairs; but by the look of surprise on his face, has was caught off guard as Kakashi stopped him by the arm.

"Well, you are letting me stay. And borrowing me clothes. And feeding, me, I hope, so I should at least make sure you're not going to keep stopping on the side of the road and picking up weirdos." He smiled. "The next one might not be as nice as me, you know."

Iruka backed up a bit, then reached over to slowly pry Kakashi's hand off his arm. "I'll be fine." He made an indiscernible face, "I grew up in some rough neighborhoods when I was a foster, before Mom and Dad adopted me. I can take care of myself."

Kakashi sighed as he watched Iruka go, who seemingly couldn't get away from him fast enough. He had always secretly thought Iruka's temper was kind of hot, but other than that the man just seemed so proper it was downright boring. Kakashi was quickly realizing how different Iruka was outside of school and he kind of liked it. He was unsure if Iruka was even gay, but either way—it looked like he had just thoroughly freaked him out.

Way to go, stud, Kakashi congratulated himself silently, as he turned to go change in the bathroom.

…..0…0…0…..

Iruka, meanwhile, was hyperventilating in the kitchen. That hit way too close to home. He looked around the room, slightly panicked, but tried to calm himself before someone found him in the kitchen. He moved so that his back was against the fridge and he could see the whole room. Then he took a deep breath. When he was a little calmer, he shakily made his way to the back door to make sure it was locked, then to the front door to do the same, poking his head into each room as he passed it to make sure they were empty and secure.

As he slipped out of the laundry room—after making sure the window was bolted—his brother intercepted him in the hallway. He paused and looked at Iruka funny for a minute, then opened his arms, asking, "Is it the hair?"

Iruka shook his head and hugged his younger brother, sighing into the warmth. "Thanks."

Naruto pulled back, peering up at Iruka. "No problem, bro, you always took care of me." He smiled and added, "You going to be okay?"

Iruka sighed, shaking his head as he said, "Um, yeah. It was just something he said, about picking up weirdos and how it could be a bad idea."

"It is a bad idea and you know Mom and Dad or Uncle wouldn't like it one bit. Especially Mom. If she finds out you picked someone up on the side of the road and then brought them home, she'll kill you herself."

"Yeah, I know." Iruka hugged himself, rubbing one hand up and down his other arm.

"It's all right this time though. Kiba and I are here and we don't like him much anyways, so, if he goes postal, we've got your back."

"Yeah," Iruka laughed, shivering a little. "But it's just a math teacher, right? No harm done."

"Right." Naruto patted his brother on the arm and then headed off to the kitchen. "Need a hand with dinner? Or…. just some company in there?"

"Naruto, it's nearly eight p.m., do you really think I'll believe you haven't eaten dinner by now? I got home really late."

Naruto turned as they made it into the kitchen, then reached for the pantry door as he complained, "Well, Kiba's sister made dinner and it's just not the same as his mom's cooking or yours."

Naruto made a pouty face at his brother as he pulled a bag of potato chips out of the cupboard. "Kiba and I are still hungry," he whined.

Iruka laughed, "Of course you are. Teenagers are bottomless pits, I swear. Especially boys."

"Hey!" Naruto spluttered indignantly, "Tenten can really put it away too. And have you seen Ino eat? She might look like a lady, but she eats like a pig."

Iruka laughed, "Should I tell her you said so?"

Naruto paled, waving his hands in front of himself. "No! No, of course not, she's lovely and of course Kiba eats like an animal too anyways, so it's not like, um, I mean, uh…. No! NO, please don't tell, her, she'll eat me ALIVE!" Naruto dropped to his knees comically, pulling at his hair.

Iruka sighed. "Oi, you're so dramatic. Get up and go eat your chips. I won't tell. But if you're planning on eating dinner with us, don't you dare eat the whole bag!"

Naruto hopped to his feet and raced out, calling back, "I won't! I'll share with Kiba."

"Naruto!" Iruka popped his head out of the kitchen door, only to bump right into Kakashi. "Ooops, sorry."

Kakashi smiled as Iruka backed up into the kitchen. "No problem." He spun around as he entered the room, saying, "Ta-da! I changed."

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Good for you. Now give me some space if you want to eat tonight."

Kakashi crossed his arms, and Iruka raised an eyebrow. "If you're going to cause trouble, Hatake, I can always toss you back out onto your ass in that storm."

Kakashi huffed, but turned around and went down the hall into the room he had assumed was the living room. Peeking around, he saw the two boys huddled around a gaming system in front of the TV. Definitely the living room, all right.

He took a seat on the couch behind the boys, but very quickly tired of watching their game and listening to them on their headsets, interacting with two people who seemed to be his other students, Tenten and Lee. He cleared his throat to interrupt, but when neither boy paid him any mind, he sighed and reached forward to tap one on the shoulder.

Kakashi paused, then decided on Kiba, hoping he'd be more polite since he was a guest as well and had obviously been in awe when a teacher had shown up. Naruto, on the other hand, seemed very at home in his brother's place and since said brother was a teacher himself, that didn't seem to cow him either. Having settled his decision, he tapped the brunet boy on the shoulder.

Kiba paused his game and turned around. "Yes?"

Naruto squawked as the screen froze, "Hey, Kiba! What are you—" he turned, then sighed. "Oh." He made a cross between and frowny face and a pouty one.

Kakashi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He figured that he ought to at least make an effort to be nice to his host's little brother, so he went with a polite, "Is there anything for me to do here? Our host seems to have kicked me out of the kitchen."

Naruto scowled, then spat venomously, "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of the kitchen." He turned back to his game abruptly and grabbed at Kiba to get him to do the same. Even the other boy seemed surprised at Naruto's outburst. Though the boy was often rude, he was a very cheerful person and anger didn't seem to suit him well.

Kiba pulled back a bit. "Dude, what's up with you? He just asked a question." Kiba then turned to Kakashi. "Sorry teach. I'm not going to be much help in that department. We only ever play games and watch movies when I'm over. I think there might be some books in there though? I've seen Iruka with a few." He motioned vaguely to the coffee table, which seemed to double as a storage chest.

As Kakashi nodded and headed back to the couch and coffee table, he overheard Kiba whisper, "Overreact, much, dude?" as he elbowed Naruto.

Naruto muttered back, "You know Ruka doesn't like other people in the kitchen alone with him, 'cept me and Mom, Kiba. Whether he's a teacher or not, that rule applies to him as well. Especially with his ridiculous hair."

Kakashi rubbed at his hair self-consciously, a little miffed and offended. Sure, it stood up at odd angles sometimes and he'd gone grey early—he was only in his early thirties—but hey, that wasn't his fault, it ran in his family!

As the boys went back to their game, Kakashi settled on the couch and pulled the coffee table towards him. He opened it and sure enough, there were definitely stacks of novels in there; mostly what looked like mysteries by a guy named Max Collins and, interestingly enough, a whole bunch of books about the history of martial arts. There were also a few other mysteries, some cookbooks, two or three books about ocean life and a new PD book that just came out for teachers to work with the new 'Math Perfect!' program. Kakashi hmph'ed. He owned it too. Judging by Iruka's copy, he hadn't read it either. Kakashi smiled. Pre-packaged teaching that was ready to roll out by box corporations was crap anyways. Better to make up your own resources and lessons.

Then, stacked underneath, behind a book about baseball and another about medicinal herbs, there were what looked like photo albums. Jackpot! Kakashi smiled to himself. This was going to be sooo much better than a mystery or a martial arts history book.

…..0…0…0…..

A. N. I want to get a solid backstory in before they just jump into bed with each other.…. Even though I don't think I'll be patient enough for that to stick. Besides, I'm a little disenchanted with sex right now…. It's so much better to write it than actual real life- real life sex is kind of disappointing…. Or maybe yaoi has just spoiled me and I'll never look at sex the same way again. Sigh….