By the following Monday, Kakashi was back to speed. Iruka had stayed with him through Saturday night, when he'd finally made the poor teacher go home. He'd spent so much time worrying about Kakashi that he looked more frazzled than Kakashi'd ever seen him. Besides, how was he to plot his diabolical plans to make Iruka his with the intended target under the same roof?

As he entered the school building today, Kakashi already had everything planned, down to the most finite detail. Call him a slacker if you will, but he was damn thorough when the occasion called for it. And for Iruka, it called for it.

Iruka sighed. Now that his weekend with Kakashi was over, he found himself almost…sad. Not that he wasn't glad Kakashi was better! No, even not seeing him, he decided, was better than seeing him hurting like that. Not that he wouldn't do it again if he was needed, because he would. In a heartbeat.

But of course, the whole thing had left him even more mixed up than he was before. Now he knew what it was like to hold the younger man, knew the feel of his lips against his own, and most of all, he knew that he loved all of it. All of him. Which made it even harder to pretend to just be his friend, because now he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wanted more.

Iruka was mulling all of this over in his classroom during lunch. He didn't really feel like going to the lounge, because then he would have to face Kakashi, and he wasn't sure he could do that yet without doing something really, really stupid. Best to cement things back into place in his head before he even tried to speak to Kakashi again.

And then a knock on the door sent his whole plan to ruin, as a certain silver-haired sensei let himself into Iruka's classroom. Said teacher strode over to Iruka's desk and leaned on the corner, facing Iruka with a smile on his face. He didn't say anything though, he just smiled.

"Is there something you need, Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka asked after a few moments. It was kind of awkward, being stared at like that.

Kakashi crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Well, Iruka-sensei, I was thinking…I took up a lot of your time this weekend, and even though I'm a blast in any situation, I'm pretty sure there were other things you could've done with your weekend." He leaned forward. "So, I think it's only fair that I make it up to you."

"It's really okay," Iruka protested. He didn't know what Kakashi's idea of "making it up" to him would entail, but he wasn't sure it would work too well with his conflicted hormones. Then again, it would probably be something like a gift card or a fruit basket…

Kakashi just smiled brighter. "No, no, I insist. It's only fair that I pay you back in full. So," Kakashi took a deep breath. "I will wait on you hand and foot this weekend, and even into the week, if you want."

Iruka almost choked on…well, what did he choke on? Air? He quickly shook his head and his hands. "No, it's alright, Kakashi-sensei! I didn't mind it at all, and I wouldn't expect that of you. It's really fine!" Iruka protested quickly, too flustered to see the barely concealed laughter in Kakashi's single uncovered eye.

"Well then, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi said, barely managing to keep from laughing at the blushing sensei's antics. Iruka was already freaking out about the possibilities of his next suggestion. "Would you at least allow to treat you to dinner tonight?" This was his real offer.

Iruka was just about to refuse, but then he caught on to what had actually been said. Hatake Kakashi, the man of his dreams (PG rated and otherwise) had just asked him to dinner? So it wasn't exactly a proposal to marry or something, but that was better than he could've hoped for.

Kakashi waited as Iruka processed his invitation. It really was adorable how easily Iruka wigged out about stuff. He could imagine the debate going on in Iruka's head. Was it platonic? What did he mean by dinner? Would it just be like two friends getting together? What was this unbelievably sexy, witty, God of a man really thinking? (Okay, maybe he took a few liberties with that last one.)

Anyway, Kakashi had planned the evening to be sure that it would clear up each of those questions, all in due time. Hopefully, he'd figure it out when they hit the restaurant, but going of what Kakashi knew of the teacher – which is a lot, actually – he was willing to bet that he would be completely oblivious until Kakashi all but spelled it out for him.

Finally, Iruka seemed to remember how to speak. "Yes, of course. That sounds great," he said, a smile finding its way to his face.

"Good then. I'll pick you up at your place at seven." With a winning smile, he strode casually out of the room, leaving Iruka to collect his thoughts.

Inside the room, Iruka's lips slowly lifted from their dumbfounded down-turn into a grin that put the lights in the room to shame as his heart threatened to beat straight out of his chest.

That same feeling stuck with him throughout the day, and now, as the clock hit five before seven, it increased tenfold. Anxiously, he looked down at himself again. He hadn't had any idea of what to wear, so he opted for something that could be casual or formal. Khaki pants that hugged his legs in what he hoped was an appealing way, and a green button up that clung to his chest and abs.

His hand twitched indecisively for the unbuttoned top buttons. He'd been fighting with himself over that all night. He didn't want to seem weird, especially if this was just a friendly outing – his heart sank a little at that.

With a sigh, he fastened the top buttons. Why should he, a painfully average guy, even bother hoping that someone as amazingly extraordinary as Kakashi would want him?

Tucking his helmet under his shoulder and readjusting the bandana slanted across his eye, Kakashi let out a soft sneeze. "Someone must be talking about me," he thought, grinning. Maybe it's Iruka! he thought gleefully. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he walked up to the door of Iruka's quaint little home.

It wasn't really familiar practice for him to knock on the door, but he thought that it was the polite thing to do, so that was what he did. He hadn't even connected on the second knock before the door opened.

Iruka felt his heart leap into his chest at the sound of the knock at his door. Doing one last check in the mirror, he hurried to the door. He'd no sooner opened the door than his jaw nearly hit his toes.

Kakashi looked absolutely amazing. He wore a zipped grey cardigan that framed his figure handsomely, highlighting his muscular build. His black jeans fit just as well, and if Iruka hadn't felt plain before, well he did now.

"So…can I come in?" Kakashi asked, a pleasant smile on his face.

Iruka gave a start. "Of course!" he exclaimed, stepping quickly to the side. "I'll be ready in just a second, I just have to grab a few things. Feel free to make yourself at home!" Iruka wasn't sure why he was so nervous – scratch that, he actually knew exactly why he was so nervous: the silver-haired god of a man standing in his living room.

A god that just happened to be standing right behind him.

No, right behind him. As in his lips were right. Against. Iruka's. Ear.

"Relax," Kakashi whispered, and Iruka tried his best not to shiver at the feel of his warm breath across his skin. This was really just too much.

Rather than having a mild heart attack on his living room floor though, Iruka forced himself to take a deep breath and slipped away from Kakashi's grasp. "Sorry, just not really use to this sort of thing. I mean, not that this is a thing, because it's not. Well, it is. I mean, I do go to dinner sometimes – okay, I mean I go to dinner with friends all the time, and I—"

Kakashi's voice behind him cut him off mid-babble. "Iruka?"

"What?" Iruka asked, turning around…

Just in time to have a pair of lips press against his. His eyes went wide for a moment, but then a hand snaked around his waist and fingers laced through his hair, and shock was replaced with pure bliss.

Then just like that, Kakashi broke the kiss, his single uncovered eye dancing. It was all Iruka could do not to huff in disappointment.

"Not that you aren't adorable when you ramble like that," Kakashi said, his smooth voice sending shivers down Iruka's spine, "But I've been wanting to do that for a while now."

"Have you now?" Iruka replied. He wasn't really sure what to make of that. A lot of people called Kakashi a player – with those damn porno books he read, he might've been. But the Kakashi Iruka knew and loved didn't seem like the type to do something so…callous.

Kakashi scratched his head sheepishly. "Since I started at the school two years ago," he said, eye twisting into a warm crescent. "I actually had tonight all nice and planned out. It was genius actually. I wasn't gonna tell you I love you till the end."

Iruka's eyes got really wide at that, and his heart thudded against his ribs like it was trying to make a jail break. "L-love?" he stuttered.

"Did I say that out loud?"

Iruka nodded.

"Oh…well, yeah. L-O-V-E, head-over-heels, please let me spend the night at your house tonight Iruka, love."

Iruka blinked.

"Did I say that last part out loud again?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka nodded.

"This is becoming a problem," Kakashi chuckled, but then he shrugged. "Oh well, what can you do? Since I've been utterly graceless so far, I'm just going to go ahead and go for it. Iruka, would you be my boyfriend?"

For the first time in their entire friendship, it seemed, it was Kakashi that was the nervous one. Iruka, on the other hand, leaned forward,

And crushed their lips together.

The kiss lasted much longer this time, until both of them desperately needed oxygen. When they did break apart, Kakashi smiled. "I guess that answers my question," he said, pressing his lips to Iruka's once again.

How they ended up on the couch that night, neither of them could be absolutely sure, but as Kakashi started to doze off, Iruka curled into his side, he knew one thing for certain.

This was way better than dinner.