Naruto grinned, chuckling to himself as he unabashedly stared at Kakashi walking to the lab. He knew Kakashi felt his eyes on him, and the soft pink that marked the tip of his ears was oh so worth it.

Kakashi wore a cotton button-up, light and flowy and olive in color, a flattering pair of jeans, and brown leather shoes, all of which Naruto picked for him yesterday. And Kakashi promised to wear them all without complaint; he even wore the silly socks with the little cartoon dogs that Naruto added to the shopping pile without the older man noticing.

Kakashi sighed as they reached the building. His shoulders were stiff. He glanced at him, expression torn between resignation and fondness, and opened the door.

Well, maybe he was enjoying himself a bit too much.

Omoi was the first to greet them. "Yo," he said, waving his hand and not looking up.

Karui, the only person in the lab who, for some reason, didn't like him, muttered something that might have been a greeting and might not. Well, he never expected anything from her. She was a weird one, that's for sure.

Naruto decided to find Darui.

He opened the door to the corridor in one swing and revealed Cea, who seemed as surprised to see him.

"A morning person, huh," the man huffed, blinking bleary eyes, and noticed Kakashi.

Naruto waited, holding his breath –

"Morning. Move, Naruto." He waved his empty coffee cup. "You're blocking the way."

Naruto moved aside, slightly annoyed – even more so when he caught Kakashi gazing at him, his eye all too knowing –

And then Darui entered the lab.

The man yawned, ruffling his own hair, and waved to them. "Morning. Cea, pour me one too."

"Fuck off."

"Rude. Share the love, man," Darui replied, sneaking behind him and stealing the pot.

"Hey! I've been up since three AM! Give me that."

Darui ignored him as he poured himself a mug. "Your unhealthy habits got nothing to do with me." He used his superior height to hold the kettle right above Cea's head. "Kakashi? Naruto? Anyone wants some coffee?"

"I do! Give it – "

"Anyone but Cea, that is-OW."

Cea stomped on his foot and retrieved the kettle. "You asshole-" and blinked when he noticed Darui's attention was no longer on him. He followed his gaze and focused on Kakashi.

Naruto grinned. Finally.

Darui waved his hand in their direction, snickering. "Look who finally made an effort."

Kakashi hmmed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Cea scoffed, turned his back, and poured himself a cup. Karui and Omoi looked up, confused by the commotion, and gazed at Kakashi.

The man withstood their interest in him quite well, Naruto thought. Amateurs in Kakashi-watching might have missed the tightness of his jaw, the too-rigid boredom that dominated his expression, the fake, impenetrable calm.

But he was no amateur, and his grin widened as he gazed at his lover.

The side glance Kakashi aimed at him meant there'd be hell to pay, but he didn't care. This was so worth it.

Omoi blinked, frowning, and then his eyes lit up. "Hey! You don't look like a hobo!" He tilted his head. "Are you trying to get a raise?"

Karui smacked him. "Why would he get a raise for wearing nice clothes?"

"Well, you're supposed to dress for the job you want, and if Kakashi changed his clothes, he might be getting a new lab, and then…." The wheels slowly started to turn in Omori's head, causing him to grow pale. "And then maybe I'd be asked to fill his spot? Or work under him in the new lab – and I'd have to manage it – so either way, I'll need new clothes, too, but I've been saving for a new console, and if I spend money now, I won't be able to buy it in time, and what if it'll be sold out? Then I'll have to order online, but that could be sketchy – "

Karui smacked him again. "He just went shopping, dumbass."

Samui entered the lab. "Morning – "

"Samui! Did Kakashi get a raise! Or was he fired? Or maybe he's going to a job interview, and I'll lose my job, and – "

Samui glared and raised her hand. "Please. It's eight in the morning." She rubbed her forehead. "Do I want to know?"

Darui snickered. "Well, that depends if you want to know why Kakashi decided to dress up, today of all days."

"I do not," Samui dismissed him and walked toward her office. She paused near her door and gave the two of them a scrutinizing look that almost caused Naruto to hide behind Kakashi. Almost.

She hmmed and looked away. "But if I did, I'd say the culprit is clearly Uzumaki. Excuse me." And disappeared behind an opaque glass door.

Suddenly, all the eyes in the room focused on him. Naruto took a small step back, edging closer to the door to Kakashi's office.

Cea rolled his eyes. "They are going on a date," he asserted, hmphing when he finally managed to grab the coffee kettle.

"Eh? So he makes an effort only when it comes to his boyfriend? That's mean," Omoi replied, wiping his brow. "I thought I was done for."

"You always think that," replied Darui, snorting. "You look good," he added, clapping Kakashi's shoulder and offering him a steaming mug. Suddenly, he leaned closer. "Can I be the ring-bearer?"

Naruto flushed red. Heart hammering, the floor below his feet started spinning, so he leaned his hand against a wall. Is that – is that what it meant? It didn't seem that romantic at the time. Except, well, for the dressing room stuff. His heart beat faster. Kakashi was, after all, so protective of his privacy, so maybe this display was too much? Did he mess up?

A hand ruffled his hair, snapping him out of his own emotional mess. "Naturally, I'm going to delegate that responsibility to one of my dogs."

"Pakkun?"

"Most likely."

Naruto watched them, eyes wide, and noticed the relaxed grin – almost a smirk – that danced upon Kakashi's lips – "Hey! Don't make fun of me!"

The two men turned to look at him, glaring at them from underneath Kakashi's large palm.

Kakashi leaned closer, causing his heart to stumble. "Hmm? I thought you liked my dogs."

"What's that got to do with anything?!"

Kakashi frowned. He dropped his hand and stepped near him, perhaps sensing the storm rising within him, but it was Darui who diffused the tension with a light chuckle. "No worries, man, I'm just teasing." He clapped Kakashi's shoulder again. "You take good care of my friend here, and that's all that matters."

Naruto nodded, cheeks flushed. "S'my job, y'know," he replied gruffly, trying to ignore the way Kakashi's eye suddenly homed in on him.

"Speaking of which," Kakashi interrupted, his fingers coiling around his wrist, "we should carry on with ours." He waved to Darui, saluting him with his coffee cup, and led Naruto to his office.

Naruto followed, flustered and uncertain. Was this how things were supposed to go? Did he overdo it? Was shopping together more romantic than he realized?

He waited for Kakashi to close the door, a thousand questions burning on the tip of his tongue –

And Kakashi closed the door, put down his mug, and pushed him against the wall.

A skillful hand tangled in his hair and pulled, cushioning his head and tilting it upward, while long fingers curled around his neck and jaw, guiding him backward and feeling his pulse, and Kakashi leaned in and kissed him.

Naruto gasped as all rational thought, as well as Samui's warning, faded from his mind. His hands grabbed Kakashi's shirt, pulling him closer, and Kakashi growled in response, nipping at his lips. His thumb brushed Naruto's jaw, then pressed on his lower lip, guiding him to open his mouth – and Kakashi growled again, the sound raw and deep as it vibrated against Naruto's chest – and devoured him.

A moan escaped his lungs, rushed and feral, and his fingers sought purchase in Kakashi's hair, pulling on the silver strands and guiding him closer – only closer –

Kakashi pulled away.

His rugged breath clashed with Naruto's lips, caressing the swollen flesh in waves, as the man slowly rested his forehead against Naruto's. "Fuck," he breathed, jagged and raw, as he leaned closer and nosed at his hair. "I find it impossible to resist you," he whispered, his voice velvety and yet guttural as it danced along his skin, "when you say things like that."

Naruto gasped when he felt teeth grazing the shell of his ear. He tightened his hold of Kakashi's neck and couldn't for the life of him figure out why Kakashi would try to resist him in the first place. "Good," he mumbled, tracing his fingers in Kakashi's hair. "I like it, um, when you initiate."

Kakashi pulled away so he could look at him, his one eye startled, and Naruto shivered as he pulled him back, flush against his chest. "You're always waiting for me," he mumbled, brushing Kakashi's ears, "and I know you're doing it cuz you want to match my pace n' all that, but, um, I like it cuz it makes me feel like you want me like I want you."

Kakashi's eye burned as he leaned closer, his lips millimeters from his –

"Hatake!"

The door opened suddenly, but Kakashi already stepped away, sitting nonchalantly at his station and drinking his coffee. Naruto found himself shoved into a chair and then pushed to the other end of the room.

Well, at least his instincts are useful, thought Naruto, blinking up at Samui.

The woman glanced at the two of them, rolled her eyes, and gave Kakashi a stack of papers. "The latest results. Please review them and submit them by the end of the day."

Kakashi winced. "Any chance Aey changed his position on paper copies?"

"You know the answer," the woman replied, her voice clipped. "Employ your assistant," she added, waving toward Naruto, "in a manner productive toward his education, Hatake."

Naruto gulped. "Um, we were only doing sciency-related stuff, y'kno-"

Samui focused her eyes on him. "I didn't ask for an explanation, so please do not lie," she replied, her voice even and measured. "End of today, Hatake."

"Will do."

Naruto waited, flushed and still tingling, for the door to close behind her. "Um." He hesitated, then rolled his chair over. "Think we're in trouble?"

"Not particularly," Kakashi replied, sighing in defeat as he ruffled through the large stack of papers. He looked up, a small smile on his face. "Sciency, huh."

"Shut up," Naruto replied, cheeks red, and leaned his chin on Kakashi's shoulder. "Think she knew cuz-because I didn't use grown-up vocab?"

Kakashi glanced at him, then shook his head and ruffled Naruto's hair. "No. You just…" his voice faded as his fingers tangled in Naruto's hair, tracing burning paths down his cheek, "look like you've been kissed, that's all."

Naruto stared, mouth dry, and leaned closer. "What does that mean?"

Kakashi blinked, then huffed. He fixed Naruto's hair, then handed him a small stack of paper from the large packet he'd been given. "You can review Cea's model. He tried to develop his own algorithm, so make sure to compare his results to the previously published one," he handed him another stack, "and check which explained the results better. Are you listening?"

Naruto scowled and straightened the papers he accidentally crushed in his fist. "I am. Stop avoiding my question."

Kakashi's hand tangled in his own hair. He sighed softly, then leaned closer and kissed Naruto's forehead. "Your cheeks are flushed, your hair is messy, your eyes are slightly glazed, and your lips are swollen." He traced his thumb over sensitive flesh, his fingers over burning skin. "I should have controlled myself better," he murmured, then kissed his forehead again. "I'll make you coffee, hmm?"

Naruto nodded, leaning into his touch. He grinned. "You like me when I look like that, don't you?"

To his surprise, Kakashi was affected immediately. The calm, controlled man flushed bright red, looking ridiculously embarrassed.

He stumbled out of the chair and toward the door, covering as much of his flushed face as he could with his palm while his other hand searched frantically for the handle. "I'll. I'll make coffee. Stay there."

His hand, finally, found the handle, and Kakashi practically stumbled out as he made his escape.

Huh.

Naruto cupped his own cheeks, his expression blank, and turned to gaze at his reflection, blurry on the nearest black screen.

He looked like… himself? Perhaps a little redder, but that wasn't new. Still, it seemed he had discovered a new power he didn't know he had before. He wasn't sure how to feel about that, but he knew he was going to use it, and soon.

A quick rapping of knuckles against the door, which was then opened, interrupted his plotting and revealed Darui. "Yo. Do you know when Kakashi's gonna be back?"

Naruto grinned. "Once he finishes making my coffee. What's up?"

The man leaned against the doorframe. "Wanted him to review my math, that's all. Man," he added, laughing, "you got a pretty good eye, Naruto. I guess you picked his winter clothes, too?"

Naruto grinned right back. "Yeah! Um. S'nice to know that he wears them." His eyes flickered up toward the man. Darui spoke about the act so casually, so maybe that meant that shopping together was not that weird? Should he ask him? Should he wait for Kakashi? Darui was a grown-up, after all, and, unlike Kakashi, pretty straightforward. But Kakashi was so private… Naruto gritted his teeth, frustrated. Why did relationships have to be so hard?

Maybe he should just ask Sakura? But she'll tell Sasuke. And Ino. And –

The sound of squeaking leather interrupted his troubled musings. He looked up to find Darui settling into the seat next to him, leaning forward. "You all right? I mean, I don't want to be nosey, but you have been making…" he paused, scratching his scruffy beard, "facial expressions."

Naruto's eyes flickered up, toward the door, but he didn't see Kakashi's silhouette, so he figured he probably had a minute or two before the man returned. "Um," he leaned closer as well, lowering his voice, "S'not that weird, right? I mean, shopping together, n' all. I kinda forced him to do it," he quickly added, embarrassed, "but, um, my friend does it with her boyfriend, so I figured, I mean, I thought I figured – but then you guys made marriage jokes n' Kakashi won't even have sex with me so I don't know – "

He blinked, his breath faltering when he realized what he just said. Fuck. He waved his hands frantically. "Um. I mean. Forget it, s'stupid – "

He felt his cheeks burn under Darui's wide-eyed stare. And what if Kakashi heard –

"No, no," Darui managed, recovering from his stunned silence. "Just, eh, give me a moment. Huh." He ran his hand over his face, groaning quietly. "Man, relationships. Let's start from the easy part," he said, his voice growing warmer, and smiled at him. "Shopping together isn't strange at all. It's just… intimate, I suppose. I was surprised Kakashi would give up his slacker style for anything, that's all. That's why I teased him, but I meant it in a positive way, yeah?"

Naruto frowned. Slacker style? Kakashi simply didn't like dressing up. Was it on purpose? His eyes widened. Did he force him to do something he was that uncomfortable with?

"Hey, kid, I didn't mean it as a bad thing." A heavy hand ruffled his hair, the fingers thick and clumsy and not at all like Kakashi's. "I figured it's a defense mechanism or something. A way to keep people out and guessing, that's all." Darui shrugged, dropping his hand. "Maybe he doesn't need it when he's with you."

Naruto stared, eyes wide, and wondered if Darui was a secret Uchiha, too. "Um. Was I talking out loud?" he whispered, his cheeks heating up.

Darui stared, then leaned back and laughed. The sudden sound, rich and warm, calmed some of Naruto's nerves. "No," he chuckled, "but you are very easy to read, I suppose. You wear your heart on your sleeve. That means your face," he added when Naruto, quite foolishly, checked the sleeves of his shirt. "Yeah, I don't know. It's an expression."

"O-oh." Naruto covered his cheeks, trying to force the heat away from his skin. It didn't seem to work.

"Kakashi is very attuned to you, by the way," Darui started, his voice lowered, "but even he might miss a few things, so," he licked his lips, looking embarrassed, "you really should speak to him about, I mean, if you guys have a, a different set of expectations – "

Naruto scoffed, rolling his eyes. "We talk about it all the time. He says I'm too young and I'm not ready n' stuff like that but I am ready and I am eighteen so I don't see what's the big problem. N' all my friends already had sex so – "

"That's not relevant," Darui interrupted, his hand slicing the air. "Everyone has a different pace. Sex is… intimate, and it's different with each partner. It's not something you should make a competition of."

"No, I'm not! I'm – " Naruto pursed his lips and forced himself to lower his voice. "Everybody's talking about it all the time. I just – I wanna know what it's like," he confessed, his voice a choked whisper.

Darui sighed. "Naruto, did you think that maybe Kakashi… wasn't ready?"

Naruto stared, eyes wide. "Um. No." His heart started racing. "You mean. You mean he's. Uh – "

"No," Darui chuckled. "I know he isn't. Our teams used to hang out after competitions, and hookups, well, happened. But like I said, it's different with each partner." Darui smiled at him, softening his voice. "I think you are very important to him, and maybe that's why he wants to take his time. Point is, sex should be something both partners want to do. No one should feel pressured into it, yeah?"

Naruto nodded, feeling glum. A pout settled on his lips. "Y-yeah. I know. I just… I just want him to see me as a grown-up, too. I didn't mean…."

"I know, I know," Darui said with a reassuring smile. "Relationships are hard, man. Don't feel bad. I mean," he chuckled, "it's obvious Kakashi is very important to you, too." He clapped his shoulder. "Maybe you can do something for his birthday? It's romantic, and that might… well."

Naruto blinked, then paled. His birthday. How could he forget something as obviously important as a birthday?! Fuck! Fuckfucfuck –

"It's the 15th of September, by the way. You have time."

Naruto blinked, then gazed up at Darui.

The man looked amused but not judgmental. He supposed that was something, so he decided to dare. "Um. Can you help me plan it? I mean, I don't have a lot of money, but I do… I want it to be perfect." His cheeks flushed, but he refused to look away. Determination bled through his heart and coursed through his veins.

Darui's smile widened. "Sure thing, kid. And don't you worry, Kakashi is not impressed by money. He's – "The door suddenly opened, revealing a calm, composed, ridiculously handsome Kakashi.

The man held a coffee mug and seemed immediately curious as his eye flickered between the two of them.

Naruto flushed as he tried his hardest not to wear his heart on his face for once.

Darui grinned and waved. "Took your time, didn't you?" He lifted a stack of papers. "Can you look over my math? I want to submit it, but Samui nearly had my head last time because of a calculation error." He turned back to face Naruto with a grimace and added, "Embarrassing, I know."

Naruto stared at the tiny pile Kakashi handed him, then the giant one still resting on his desk. "Maybe I can review it? Um, I mean, if it's just for calculation errors."

Kakashi hmmed. "That's a pretty good idea, actually. Do you mind?" he asked Darui as he offered Naruto the steaming mug. "He has a good eye."

Naruto flushed red and tried to fight that blinding smile that threatened to take over his face. Kakashi thought he's got a good eye! He thought he was good! He tried to busy himself with his drink instead, hoping his ears weren't as pink as they felt.

Darui laughed. "Nope, not at all. Tell me if you find any other errors, yeah?"

Naruto looked up, eyes wide, but Darui seemed amiable enough. He didn't seem to mind Kakashi's offer or doubt his ability because of his age. He grinned right back. "You got it!"

Darui huffed. "So energetic." He waved. "Well, text me when you're done or if you have any questions. See y'all at lunch!"

Kakashi waved back and smiled. He turned to face Naruto the moment the door closed. "What did the two of you talk about?"

Naruto blinked, then grinned. A wide, shit-eating grin.

"Not telling ya."

Notes:

So Naruto is once again plotting lol Poor Kakashi doesn't get a break (or need one, tbh ;) )

The next chapter is going to be fun! But it will be published two weeks from now because we're going on a winter vacation to a place with mountains and lakes and snow.

Happy Hanukka! And Merry Christmas! I know there's still time, but I simply ADORE Christmas decorations! It truly is the month of lights and merriment, and I pray that the same light will enter people's hearts and fill them with love and kindness.

So… what do you think about Naruto's plotting? And what did you think about Naruto's talk with Darui? Please let me know! Your comments truly mean so much to me.

Thank you for your support, and I hope to see you again two weeks from now!

PS: TigrezzTail: It's kinda fun writing Naruto as both innocent and kinky at the same time lol combining his lack of experience with far too experienced sources of inspiration (and his own impulsiveness) has the potential for a lot of… fun moments ;)

The yell will be something Naruto will find hard to replicate, but he will eventually figure it out. That is, it isn't simply a matter of pleasure (which you kind of hinted at in your last line haha). And yep, absolutely. Naruto is used to being controlled by people who were stronger than him, so having Kakashi obey him by his choice is extremely empowering and loving for him.