Kakashi carried the teen in his arms out of the bath and dried him carefully, then laid him in his bed. He covered him in the blanket and brushed his fingers against his cheek. He was… a beautiful sight.

He sat next to him, caressing the golden strands and reading his book and waiting for the teen to wake up. When the hour grew late, and Naruto was still fast asleep, Kakashi walked to the kitchen and prepared them both a drink. It was a good thing he bought instant chocolate mix in advance, he noted with a smile.

He bought all of Naruto's favorites in advance. He wanted to show him –

We have not seen each other properly in almost a year, he reminded himself. We have only just kissed. He needs more time. Kakashi stopped at the door and stilled his breath as he gazed at Naruto, curled around the spot where he sat moments ago. I need more time.

Naruto groaned. He rubbed his face against the pillow, curling under the blanket, and opened his eyes. He gazed at him, the blue dark and unfocused, and smiled softly. "Hey."

Kakashi smiled back. He sat next to Naruto, placed the drinks on the nightstand, and guided the naked teen to sit in his lap. He covered him in the blanket, breathing in his scent, and offered him his drink. "How was your nap?" he asked quietly, kissing his temple and tracing his fingers over his bare shoulder.

Naruto burrowed into his chest and sipped from his drink. "Good." He laughed, still sleepy. "Guess we'll have to go shopping tomorrow."

Kakashi hmmed and hid his smile in his drink. "I can still show you around."

Naruto nodded. "Let's go to a cool restaurant!" He declared, sitting up in his excitement.

Kakashi huffed. He rested his hand on the teen's stomach and pulled him close, back against his chest. "Any preferences?"

Naruto scrunched his nose as he thought. "Ramen?"

Kakashi cocked his brow. "You had ramen yesterday."

Naruto blinked owlishly at him. "So?"

The man sighed and finished his drink. "There is one place. It's pretty popular."

Naruto rested his hand on Kakashi's chest and turned slightly, leaning his head on Kakashi's shoulder. "Is it good?" he asked, excited yet again.

"Guess we'll have to find out." He cupped his cheek, brushing Naruto's cheekbone with his thumb.

The teen's grin widened as he drank, snuggling into his touch, and Kakashi lowered his head and breathed him into his lungs. He wanted to remember.

He took Naruto on a tour of the university, showing him the most important structures, and then led him to the restaurant. He made sure to hold the teen's hand as they walked, keeping him close, and Naruto's responding smile was brighter than the sun.

Kakashi could not look away.

He listened to him talk about Jirayia's newest shenanigans and pretended he did not notice it when the teen quizzed him about everyone's favorite coffee order. He could not look away from those bright, shining eyes that kept seeking his.

He wanted…

He led him to his bed and held him in his arms. Naruto buried his grin in his shoulder and held on, snuggling as close as he could, and fell asleep.

Kakashi couldn't. He needed more time. To hold him, kiss him, breathe him in… he needed to remember.

Kakashi read Cea's proposal, slouched in his chair, and pretended he was not staring at the clock. He wondered if anyone noticed he took his time with something that should have been rather straightforward. Naruto was late.

Kakashi breathed a bit deeper than usual to clear his thoughts. The teen must have not paid attention yesterday, that's all. Or lost track of time. Or –

Darui snickered as he commented on Omoi's work, glancing at him. Kakashi pretended not to notice.

Samui was not going to be impressed by his tardiness, especially to the meeting where he was supposed to be introduced. Brat, he glowered at the paper.

Cea kept glancing anxiously at him.

Great.

"Omoi! You're not gonna believe it!" Karui burst into the lab, her eyes ablaze. "I just met the hottest person, ever!"

Omoi did not look up from his computer. "Not me? I'm insulted."

"Obviously, not you," the woman snapped, swatting her red hair. "A new guy!"

"Oh?" Omoi leaned closer and finally looked up. "Do tell."

Kakashi returned his eye to the paper and pretended to read.

Karui huffed. "Blond, blue eyes, built like a Greek statue… insanely hot…." She counted on her fingers.

Darui's eyes darted in his direction yet again. Kakashi did not move.

She growled, frustrated. "I had to hit on him – "

"So violent – "

"So I approached him, trying to, y'know – "

"Look sexy?" Omoi snickered.

"Shut up!" the woman snapped again, throwing her notebook at him. "But yeah. And I messed up!" she cried, taking out her annoyance by throwing more notebooks at Omoi. The man ducked, avoiding the barrage – and then was hit straight in the face by a well-aimed calculator. "He asked for directions to the nearest coffee shop, and I directed him…." She huffed, cheeks red. "Somewhere. I don't know what I said."

Darui choked on his laugh as he snuck another look in Kakashi's direction. "So pretty boy is permanently lost?"

Karui sunk into her chair. "Yeah." She smacked the table. "I mean, he was so nice! Since when are hot people nice? It's so inconsiderate!"

Darui coughed to mask another snicker.

Samui opened the door and glared at them. Her eyes shifted to meet Kakashi's. "He's late." She narrowed her eyes at Karui. "Why are you making all this noise?"

"Karui lost a man she had a crush on," Omoi updated her.

Samui blinked. "Someone died?"

"No," Cea rolled his eyes as Darui and Omoi started to laugh. "She gave him the wrong directions, so now he's lost."

"Forever," added Omoi.

"Who knows, he might come back," Darui said with a shrug. "He would've realized at some point that you led him astray."

Omoi hummed. "Well, maybe. But hot people tend to be idiots, and idiots don't realize things very often. What if he just kept on going? And reached the road? And you know, the roads are dangerous around here. What if it rained? And he was eaten by bears – "

Darui smacked him. "Bears? In the mountains?"

Omoi shrugged. "Pumas, then."

Kakashi realized he read the same paragraph three times in a row.

Cea rolled his eyes. "Just go after him and tell him the right directions."

"It was half an hour ago, so he's gone," Karui lamented. "Whatever. If I see him again, he's mine! I'm calling dibs!" she smacked the table again. "I'm going to hit on him so har-"

"Good afternoon, everyone! Naruto Uzumaki is here!" A beaming, shining voice burst through the door. "Sorry I'm late! I brought coffee!"

The aroma of six different coffee drinks hit his nose, laced with sunshine and crisp sharpness he could never get enough of.

Kakashi finally looked up. He smiled.

Naruto, eyes bright and smile even brighter, grinned right back.

Samui clicked her tongue. "Still late, Uzumaki."

Naruto put down the coffee trays and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry! I couldn't find the coffee shop in time. Someone gave me really weird directions…." He glanced around the room and blinked when he saw red-faced Kamui, who all but hid behind Omoi. "Oh, it's you!"

Karui stood up and crossed her arms. "I don't drink coffee, so I didn't know where it was," she barked.

Naruto tilted his head. "Really? That's weird. Kakashi told me all of you had a favorite coffee order, though." Ignoring the flustered woman, he fished one of the cups, walked toward Kakashi, and handed it to him. "I totally tricked ya yesterday," he said, grinning unabashedly.

His heart should not have responded so strongly to the sight of the teen approaching him. Kakashi accepted the drink and smiled back. "You did."

Naruto must have seen through his lie because he scoffed, rolled his eyes, and grinned again. A soft grin, almost shy…

"Darui," said Darui, leaning in for a handshake. "Welcome, Naruto."

Naruto blinked at him a few times. "Oh! Um. Hi!"

Kakashi narrowed his eye, just slightly.

"Uzumaki," Samui called. "Lab tour. Leave the drinks."

Naruto did, his eyes darting in his direction. "Bye."

Even that almost giddy smile was soft, barely hidden, just like when –

When I was his teacher. Kakashi glanced down at the paper and clenched his jaw. This is not a forbidden relationship, you brat, he thought, trying to ignore the heat that blazed in his loins in response.

"K-Kakashi! Oi! Kakashi!" Karui closed the distance between them and glared at him, hands on her hips. "I said dibs! You gotta respect the dibs!"

"Dibs?" Kakashi scribbled a note on Cea's paper. "On my boyfriend?" He returned the paper to Cea and stood up, smiling at the blushing woman, then turned to face Cea – who was, oddly enough, equally red. "I think it's pretty good."

He picked up the drink Naruto got him and walked to his office. Samui will no doubt call him soon, and he wanted to finish a few more tasks before that happened.

Darui joined him. "What an entrance," he laughed, wrapping his hand around Kakashi's shoulder. "You could've said something earlier, you know."

"So could you," Kakashi pointed out. "He recognized you."

"Yeah," he admitted, then chuckled. "Man, you're one sharp guy."

Kakashi waited.

Darui smiled apologetically and clasped his shoulder instead. "I called him when the two of you had that fight, back in December," he confessed. "Sorry about that. I know you like your privacy." He winced. "Figured you missed him."

He did. He remembered the call, how he rushed to answer it, and when he failed, feared that he had perhaps missed his chance to set things right. But then Naruto picked up and confessed, "I missed you. I was… I wanted you to miss me too."

"Hatake!" Samui called. "My office!"

Kakashi clasped Darui's arm, nodded, and left. He entered Samui's office and once again found himself to be the target of a bright grin and shining eyes.

"Teach him the math. Get him up to speed," Samui instructed. "There'll be a test, so study well." And left.

Naruto's grin widened as he patted the chair next to him. He waited for him to sit down, then pulled his chair just a little bit closer. "What are we gonna study, Sensei?" he teased, brushing his shoulder against his chest.

Fuck.

Naruto waited until Kakashi left the room and the door closed behind him. After a relieved sigh and a stretch, he kicked himself away from the desk, away from the computer screen, and swirled in his chair.

He lifted his hands, leaned back, and grinned at the pale walls and the shiny equipment. He didn't realize how much he missed working with Kakashi.

S'like school, he thought, staring at the ceiling and smiling at nothing. Except we're kinda equal now.

It was easy to drift back to old habits, and yet, at the same time, everything felt different. Kakashi felt warmer, closer, more open… and sometimes, the way his fingers brushed over the back of his hand or hovered over his shoulder, or the way he leaned, just slightly, so he could smell him, made Naruto grit his teeth in frustration and shiver in anticipation.

Fuck. Naruto shook his head and stopped spinning. How long does it take to make a cup of coffee? He huffed and walked toward the door, opened it, and squinted. Hmm. Maybe he should turn right? Samui gave him a tour, but he was too nervous and focused on his responses to pay attention.

Well, in the worst case, he'd run into someone, and they'd redirect him. Hopefully, not that red-haired woman. She was terrible at giving directions. Naruto leaned his head on his arms. Everyone else seemed nice, though. Especially Darui. He wondered if he should tell Kakashi he called…

Naruto blinked and stared at the door before him. It didn't seem like the one leading to the cafeteria, but he did reach the end of the hall. Was it a dead end? Well, only one way to find out. He shrugged, opened the door, and a smile broke on his face.

He found a balcony.

Naruto almost rushed outside, eager to lean against the railing and drink in the view. It was early evening, and the sun began to set, painting the clouds below her pink and gold and orange. The sky was still soft blue, fresh, and inviting, and Naruto climbed on the railings and sat, dangling his feet above the abyss below him, entranced by the sight.

It felt like he was flying.

He sat there, taking his time and burning the scene into his mind.

An arm curled around his waist, pulling him against a firm, hard chest.

"Why do you insist on risking your life?" grumbled a voice, low and raspy, hiding a hint of a growl within the quiet notes.

Naruto grinned and leaned back into Kakashi's embrace. "Because I know you can't resist the sight of me in danger," he replied. His grin widened when the chest behind him rumbled in reproach.

"You don't need to take such measures to make my heart beat faster," Kakashi muttered, pulling him closer. "You disappeared," he added quietly.

Naruto's breath shivered. Kakashi said – he said – he really said – "You were gone for a long while. I was bored," he said instead. His hand rose to tangle with the one still plastered against his chest.

"Ran out of coffee," the man said. He nuzzled at his neck, breathing him in. "Ready to come down?"

Naruto huffed. "You're such a worrywart," he complained, blushing. Still, he hooked one leg above the railing, then another, and twisted to face Kakashi instead of leaning against him.

Kakashi still held him, his arm around his waist while the other leaned on the railing, cornering him within his reach; keeping him safe.

Naruto grinned brightly at him. "I'm taller like that," he declared.

The man cocked his brow. "Shall I fetch you a highchair?" he replied dryly.

Naruto scowled – or at the very least, tried to, because Kakashi's one eye was ardent, despite the sardonic glare, and his hair reflected the sunset, and –

He was beautiful.

Naruto cupped his cheeks, leaned down, and kissed him.

Fuck. He hooked his legs around Kakashi's waist, almost desperate to pull himself closer. Lighting flashed through him the moment Kakashi's lips touched his, warm and demanding and intoxicating. He moaned and tangled his fingers in Kakashi's hair, pulling him back as his other hand cupped his jaw and tilted his head up. Pleasure addled his mind with sweet dizziness as he ravished Kakashi's mouth, drunk on the power the height difference granted him.

Kakashi groaned in response, his grip tightening as he pulled Naruto even closer, fingers trailing burning paths along his back –

"Better not let Samui catch you doing that."

Naruto broke contact and jolted up – almost too much – and was immediately pulled back to safety by Kakashi's unyielding arm. The man guided him back down and looked up with an apologetic grimace.

His ears, Naruto noted, still dazed, were bright red. A thought flashed through his mind; Kakashi hadn't noticed someone sneaking up on them because he was busy kissing him.

Fuck. Naruto swallowed and pouted. "We weren't near the equipment," he protested, glaring at Darui.

The man laughed softly. "No worries, man. You really shouldn't sit on the railing, though. That's one hell of a fall."

"I wasn't planning on falling," Naruto protested. He wanted to say more, but Kakashi's hand materialized in front of him, holding a steaming mug, and Naruto tried, and failed, to fight the soft smile and softer blush the act stirred in him.

He accepted the mug with both hands and looked up just as Kakashi offered a quick-to-disappear smile of his own. "Few do." He turned to gaze at Darui.

The man blinked back and cleared his throat. "Well, there's a festival tonight to celebrate the first day of the summer thunderstorm season. The entire team is going, and I figured you might, well…."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Like with food and music and all that?" he asked excitedly.

Darui smiled at his response. "Well, it's fairly traditional. Mostly food and games that try to rip you off. But people usually stay up pretty late. It's considered good luck if you catch a glimpse of lighting during the festival."

"If you don't get hit by one, you mean," Kakashi countered dryly.

"We'll come!" Naruto declared. He grabbed Kakashi's hand. "I wanna try everything!"

He looked up, a challenge gleaming in his eyes, ready to face whatever excuse the man would come up with – and yet, he encountered no resistance.

The man sighed, smiled, and held his hand. "All right," he said quietly. "But if you catch a fish in one of those fishing games, know it will be eaten by the dogs."

Naruto scowled in a failed attempt to hide his grin. "I thought they were well-behaved."

"They are. I will feed it to them personally."

"Hey!"

Notes:

So I wrote a somewhat different interpretation of the scene where Karui hit Naruto. Just like in the anime, though, her violent behavior got her nowhere

Also – Kakashi and Naruto are trying to behave normally around people. They are not very good at it, but it's the thought that counts (?)

Also also – Naruto is an absolute charmer, but he has no idea. Once he'll figure it out, Kakashi's done for.

So that's it! What did you guys think? Comment moderation is turned on to monitor any possible trolls or antisemites (which I haven't received yet, thankfully), but your comments are more than welcome! I always love to hear your thoughts!

See ya next week!