For Tsuyume

Title: The Cheesecake Incident

Recipient: tsuyume

Rating: NC-17

Pairing(s): Kakashi/Iruka

Summary: Kakashi accidentally breaks a certain teacher’s favorite mug.

Contains [warnings]: Smut, Language, Crack, Humor/Romance

Word Count: 14,700

Author's Notes: Beta'ed by gryvon and txilar.

The Cheesecake Incident

Hatake Kakashi had arrived uncharacteristically early at the Academy. The elite Jounin had actually intended to arrive early for once, since he had little else to do whenever he was in Konoha. He never realized how boring village life could be now that his Genin team had disbanded and gone their separate ways. Oh, he did have the ever-present classified A-rank mission and his precious Icha Icha books to fill his time, but ninja violence and erotic fiction can only do so much to keep him busy. He was bored, and even a little apathetic to everything around him these last few months. The whole ordeal with Sasuke still haunted Kakashi though it had been months since the troubled Uchiha boy had disappeared into Orochimaru’s clutches. And now Naruto was gone, and Sakura a mini-Tsunade in training.

And now Kakashi found himself risking his carefully crafted reputation for procrastinating because he had nothing better to do other than wait for Anko to finish with her class. In a week’s time they were to be assigned along with Maito Gai as a three cell team to accompany Tsunade as her personal guard (or more correctly, the visible guards aside from the lurking ANBU) for her journey to the Fire Country’s yearly medical conference. It was always best for a team to prepare by matching their skills before the start of a mission, and Kakashi knew that it was going to be an interesting journey with both ’The Green Beast’ and Mitarashi Anko as his teammates.

He whiled away the first ten minutes by exploring the many twisting hallways of the Academy, and occasionally peeked into classrooms to spot young pre-Genins either diligently working on their assignments or staring at the clock as if to will the minute mark to move faster. Kakashi could understand the children’s impatience. It was a beautiful spring day outside and the first of the season without rain. It didn’t take long for Kakashi to become bored with his wanderings and he made his way to the back of the building where the staff break room was located. He had forgotten to grab a bite to eat on his way to the Academy, and if he was lucky there might be a rice ball or two that he could pinch.

To Kakashi’s luck, he found the room empty of people. It contained all the necessities needed as a sanctuary away from pre-Genins and the migraines they undoubtedly caused--namely a sink, an oversized fridge, a well worn couch, tables and chairs, and, most importantly, a working coffee maker. Kakashi noted wryly that the pot was still half full with freshly made brew despite the late afternoon hour. Without a doubt the staff never allowed their caffeine-enriched elixir to run dry during the week.

He was just about to rummage through the fridge when he spotted a white cake (already partially devoured by the staff) resting on the table. Kakashi paused to regard it with one hand resting on the fridge handle, and his stomach growled with temptation. He was a man who did not normally partake in sweets, and he had always preferred wholesome food as a means to fuel his body. But, judging by the cake’s placement and decimated state, it looked free for anyone to eat--and Kakashi didn’t really want to deprive any hardworking teacher of the carbohydrates they desperately needed to keep up with their notoriously hyperactive students. And besides, he could afford to indulge since he was about to have an intense training session with Anko (who he knew would give him a run for his money, that crazy sadistic bitch.)

Kakashi selected a small piece and carefully nudged it onto a clean plate with a fork. He was not familiar with this particular cake variety, and he experimentally poked the dense white interior while frowning slightly at the apparent lack of frosting. With a shrug he pulled his mask down and took a small bite—and his one visible eye widened considerably in amazement at the rich but not-overly sweet flavor that seemed to melt in his mouth. Its creamy texture was perfectly balanced with a soft graham cracker crust that crumbled delicately while he chewed. It was not like anything Kakashi had ever tasted before--and it was heavenly. His uncovered eye partially closed in bliss as he savored the strange dessert and marveled on how he had been missing out on such a delicacy.

After the third bite he decided that something was needed to balance the rich flavor before it became too overwhelming. His eye strayed towards the coffee pot resting near the sink. Perfect. Kakashi quickly rummaged through the cupboards and at random pulled out a clean mug, it was garishly decorated with orange paint and thick blue swirls (which vaguely reminded him of Naruto) and seemed to have been decorated by one of the students. Kakashi took alternate bites of the cake and sips of the cheap black coffee as he relished the balance of bitter and sweet that rolled over his palate. He was debating on reaching for another slice when his ears caught the sound of footsteps fast approaching the break room.

Kakashi quickly pulled up his mask and set his empty plate into the sink. It wouldn’t do to be caught with his hand in the cookie jar, so to speak. He adopted a lazy slouch against the wall with the orange coffee mug in hand as the door opened to reveal Umino Iruka. The Academy sensei was taken aback upon seeing the infamous Copy-nin lounging in the break room as if he had always belonged. "Yo." Kakashi inclined his head in greeting.

“Kakashi-san,” Iruka stated in mild surprise. “What brings you here?”

“I’m meeting up with Anko.” Kakashi took a discreet sip from his mug, noticing with some puzzlement how Iruka’s eyes had narrowed slightly at the action. “We’ve been assigned to work as a team along with Gai.”

“Oh,” Iruka commented dryly while his dark eyes coolly regarded the Jounin.

Kakashi raised one eyebrow at Iruka’s behavior. He and the sensei were hardly friends—more acquaintances really, but it was unlike the normally pleasant Umino Iruka to be stiff with anyone. “Is something wrong?”

Iruka opened his mouth to speak, but before he could do so Anko suddenly popped into existence behind Kakashi in a cloud of transportation smoke. “SURPRISE FUCKER!” she crowed and slapped Kakashi hard on the back. “School is out and training starts now!”

Kakashi squawked at the hard blow to his back and in his surprise the mug flew out from his grasp. It smashed into the floor and shattered before he could recover in time to catch it. The broken shards of bright orange crockery contrasted starkly against the white tiled floor and the dark pool of steaming coffee. Kakashi was about to turn and say something nasty to Anko but stopped abruptly when his keen ears picked up an unfamiliar sound--a growl coupled with a strange grating noise.

Kakashi looked up from the floor to see the source of the sound originating from a red-faced Iruka. Fury had darkened the normally placid sensei’s features as he ground his teeth together in an effort to control his infamous temper. Kakashi was a little taken aback to see that Iruka’s ire was squarely focused on him. “Naruto made that for me before he left,” Iruka seethed, the words hissing through clenched teeth.

"Ah." Kakashi now finally understood the reason behind Iruka's odd behavior. Apparently it was bad manners to use a teacher's personal coffee mug--especially if it was a gift from precious former student.

And he had broken it.

Beyond repair.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head and forced out a disarming chuckle. “Oops?”

Anko wisely stepped away from Kakashi.

“Oops?” Iruka echoed while taking a step forward. If Kakashi had been a lesser man he might have backed away; Iruka was intimidating when mad. The prominent scar across the Chuunin’s face paled against his flushed cheeks, and his eyes flashed ominously with wrath.

Kakashi held up his hands in an unconscious attempt to placate the younger man. “Well you see here, this technically wasn’t my fault. There’s this thing called gravity--”

Then almost immediately Iruka’s anger deflated as fast as it had emerged. His face tightened with emotion as he looked down at the shattered mug, his shoulders falling with gloom.

Kakashi felt his gut twist with shame and guilt. He was far more affected by Iruka’s display of resignation than any tantrum could ever do. “I’m sorry,” he heard himself say automatically.

Iruka shook his head and sighed, and did not look up to meet Kakashi’s gaze. “I doesn't matter, it’s just a stupid cup.” Without another word, he turned around and stoically walked out of the break room without closing the door. Kakashi watched him leave with his stomach still in knots.

Anko clamped a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. “It’s all my fault. I should have been more careful surprising you like that.”

“Well he certainly doesn’t see it that way.” Kakashi replied sardonically, giving Anko a sidelong glare before squatting on the floor to collect the broken pieces. “Was this mug really that important? I’m surprised that he would keep something so precious in a place for anyone to use.”

“Who knows?” Anko shrugged while gesturing with her hands. “Iruka hasn't been himself since Jiraiya-san took off with that Naruto kid. And of course...” She frowned, leaving unspoken the other reason being the desertion of Uchiha Sasuke.

Kakashi looked down at the gathered shards in his hands. He had no real reason to be ashamed over such a trifling incident, and he was more than a little perplexed for feeling so. He reasoned that it was because the mug had been a gift from Naruto, and if anything Kakashi should feel compelled to do something in return for the sake of his former student's friend. 'Dammit.' Kakashi inwardly cursed. The delicious cake had almost been worth the trouble it had caused.

*****

"--and then he made a face like I just kicked his puppy!" Kakashi huffed and narrowly dodged a flying roundhouse kick from his training partner. "And this was after I apologized!"

"Hm!" Maito Gai grunted and spun away before Kakashi's retaliating punch could connect with his solar plexus. "This is most unusual behavior," Konoha's Green Beast mused. Both men were partaking in a light warm up exercise before engaging in their usual training routine. Anko had remembered a previous engagement and had wandered off with a promise to bring back snacks later in the day.

"Tell me about it." Kakashi's feet skidded on the loose earth as he blocked a series of blows. "Even if it was only a little my fault for breaking his stupid cup--" In a flash, Kakashi grabbed Gai's wrist and flipped him backwards high into the air. "He's a shinobi, and there is no excuse to get emotionally attached over trinkets."

"That may be so, but Iruka-san is unlike most shinobi." Gai replied as he righted himself in the air and pulled out a kunai to deflect the stream of shuriken Kakashi had thrown at his head. Gai landed gracefully and made a headlong dash towards his sparring partner. "He has devoted his talents to building the foundation of the next generation of protectors!" Gai's limbs blurred into a flurry of fists and feet as he relentlessly attacked Kakashi, who dodged and parried just as quickly in turn. "Such devotion is so HIP and INSPIRING, and a SHINING example to all the mentors of Konoha's YOUTH!" Gai's teeth flashed in approval of his own words. "So of course Iruka-san would cherish such thoughtful gifts made by his treasured students!"

"Ah." Kakashi paused before his fist could connect with Gai's face. Gai waited politely in mid-dodge for him to continue. "I forgot to mention that Naruto made it as a goodbye present."

"I see." Gai thoughtfully pulled back and scratched his broad chin in thought. "That changes things." It was no secret that Umino Iruka shared a special bond to the point of extended family with the orphaned Kyuubi boy, a fact that still had a good portion of Konoha buzzing with gossip. Kakashi knew that Gai would be able to provide special insight into the matter due to his similar relationship with Rock Lee. After a few minutes, Gai folded his arms as a sign that he had contemplated the matter thoroughly. "One can never replace a gift from the heart."

"It was an accident!" Kakashi retorted defensively. He stuffed both hands into his pockets and scuffed the ground with a half-hearted kick that sent a small cloud of dust into the air. The action briefly made one of Konoha's most elite shinobi resemble that of a sullen child. "He didn't have to get so angry," he muttered under his breath. Kakashi started when Gai strode purposely forward to stare directly into his face. The Copy-nin narrowed his one eye at the invasion of his personal bubble but refused to back down. "What?" he demanded crossly. Gai definitely needed to pluck his nose hairs more often.

Satisfied with whatever he saw, Gai withdrew a pace. The taijutsu master's normally expressive features were unreadable, which made Kakashi all the more wary. “If you are sincere about making amends," he said with uncharacteristic seriousness. "Then perhaps you can perform a gesture of good will."

"Like what?" Kakashi was suspicious, though a little intrigued by the idea. "Should I buy him a new mug or something?"

Gai's face split into a sparkly grin. "As long as you pour your very HEART and SOUL into selecting the perfect mug, then dear Iruka-san would be sure to extend his hand in welcome to the budding flower of FRIENDSHIP!"

"Ugh." Kakashi gagged and deftly skirted away before the Green Beast's enthusiasm could contaminate his bubble. Despite the taint of Gai's weirdness, the advice seemed sound and rather easy to perform. How could he go wrong with buying a replacement mug?

*****

Kakashi paused before entering the assignment room with his gift tucked securely behind his back. It was nearly time for the afternoon lunch break, and the Administration Building was nearly empty of people other than the working staff. With the utmost caution that he only reserved while infiltrating enemy territory, Kakashi peered around the door and spotted his target seated at his usual place next to Genma.

He was relieved to see that Iruka appeared to be in better spirits, as evidenced by the Chuunin chuckling behind one hand at something Genma had said. Kakashi rocked back and forth on his heels indecisively, suddenly unsure of how to approach Iruka.

'Don't be stupid,' he berated himself with a firm shake of his head. He had faced far more difficult confrontations on the battlefield and when dealing with Tsunade--and she didn't bother holding back on any of her punches whenever he managed to piss her off (which was quite often.) At the worst, Iruka would probably just burst a vein. But Kakashi really had nothing to fret about since he had the perfect apology present to appease the sensei's wrath. With newfound resolve, Kakashi squared his jaws and marched determinedly into the room.

Iruka was momentarily shocked upon seeing the Jounin striding up to him, and hardened his face into a neutral expression. “There are no missions assigned to you today, Kakashi-san,” he said with stiff politeness.

“I know that." Kakashi halted before Iruka's desk. "I actually came here to...uh,” Kakashi resisted the urge to fidget. This was going to be more difficult than he had thought. Apologizes were definitely not his thing, and Iruka’s level stare was not making it easier. “Well, you see I—“

Iruka raised one eyebrow, waiting.

Kakashi scowled under his mask and adopted his familiar nonchalant slouch to mask his foolishness. “I got you a new mug.” With that said, he boldly thrust his gift into Iruka’s face.

Iruka’s eyes widened at the novelty cup Kakashi had so painstakingly selected. It was crafted into the shape of a sparkly eyed fat dolphin. The dolphin was periwinkle in color, and designed for its curved tail to be easily grasped as a handle. Its blunt nose was opened wide enough to comfortably drink from and gave the impression that it was singing. As a final touch, the blowhole on its head was perfectly shaped for a straw to stick in.

Kakashi was rather smug with his choice, having thought it a clever and thoughtful present. He figured that such a personalized mug related to Iruka's namesake would prevent anyone from ever accidentally using the teacher’s property again.

Iruka stared opened-mouth at his gift (no doubt in awe) and Kakashi waited expectantly for the praise and gratitude to befall his ears. Then ever so slightly, one of Iruka's eyes twitched in irritation--which was definitely not the reaction Kakashi had hoped for, and he knew then that he had somehow committed another blunder.

Someone in the room tittered and Iruka’s cheeks flushed at the sound. “Thank you,” he muttered and snatched the dolphin mug out of Kakashi's hand to hide under his desk. “Is that all Hatake-san?” he asked with an undertone of a growl in his voice.

“Yeah.” Kakashi replied, thanking the gods that his mask was hiding his own embarrassment. “Sorry again,” he mumbled and bowed his head before making a quick retreat out the door, feeling worse for his troubles.

****

"Kakashi tried to apologize to me.” Iruka said as he plopped the last mouthful of rice into his mouth.

“Was it a good one?” Anko asked while taking a huge bite out of her onigiri. She had already finished her own bento lunch in record time and had started working on her back-up rice balls. Their once routine lunch get-togethers had become few and far in-between since the devastating attack from the Sound Village. The longtime friends did their best to have lunch together whenever possible despite the overload of work and missions that needed to be done.

“Far from it,” Iruka grimaced. “He gave me a new coffee mug, and presented it openly in front of everyone.”

Anko’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. “He didn’t...”

In answer, Iruka opened his flak-vest and reached inside to plunk his gift on the table. Anko’s eyes widened considerably at the hideous dolphin mug, and then her face split into a wide grin at the sour expression on Iruka’s face. “He did!”

Iruka pushed the gaudy thing towards his friend. “Take it. It took me years to get rid of all the dolphin crap that filled my apartment, and I don’t want anyone else getting any ideas.”

“I’ve always wanted to try shoving a straw into your blowhole!” Anko chortled as she gleefully accepted the ugly mug and held it to her breasts as if it were a prized trophy. Her face turned solemn as she quirked an eye at her friend. “You really should give Kakashi a break,” she said carefully. “I think you of all people would understand what he’s been going through. And it’s not like he broke Naruto's mug on purpose.”

“I know.” Iruka sagged in his chair, his eyes fixed on a stain on the table. “I’m not really sure why I’m being so hard on him. After all, he was Naruto and Sakura's team leader.” He shrugged. “And what happened with Sasuke wasn’t his fault.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it!” Anko snapped, causing Iruka to start at the bite in her reproach. “I think you do partially blame him for what happened with that Uchiha brat.” Her glare was a little offset by the stray kernels of rice sticking around her mouth. Anko had always been a messy eater. “I bet you think that Kakashi should have recognized the signs before Sasuke went so far as to nearly kill Naruto—and as a result drive him away from Konoha to train with Jiraiya-san. Well, am I right?”

Iruka looked down, abashed at the truth in her words.

Anko sighed. “Kakashi cannot be blamed for Sasuke’s actions. He doesn’t openly show his emotions much, but I’m positive that he’s hurting too.”

Iruka cringed and sagged further down into his chair.

“After all,” Anko continued. “Sasuke has always been troubled. But who could really blame him? At least his teammates refuse to give up on him…though we adults are a lot less naive wherever Orochimaru’s concerned.” She touched the back of her neck where her former sensei had left his curse mark. “As the team leader and adult responsible for training those kids, I’m sure Kakashi has more than his fair share of remorse on his plate.”

Iruka allowed his forehead to hit the table. “I'm such an asshole!” he groaned.

“That you are!” Anko cheerfully agreed and resumed devouring her rice ball, satisfied that Iruka finally saw the logic in her speech. “But if you want to be less of one, I suggest doing something nice to make up for it…like maybe asking him out for a drink?”

“I doubt that he would agree,” Iruka muttered into the table. “Hell, I wouldn’t want to see me again either. Especially not after how childish I’ve acted.”

“Hmm. I don’t know…” Anko chewed over a mouthful of rice. “You never know unless you try, and besides—“ She paused to swallow and her eyes curved slyly over the onigiri. “He might actually enjoy you being an ass…or at least the one attached to your hole.”

Iruka shot up straight in his chair to give the kunoichi a scathing but skeptical look. “And how would you know that?”

Anko waggled a finger before Iruka's face. “A lady never reveals her resources.”

Iruka snorted at that. Anko was anything but a ‘lady.’

“Everyone knows that 'Sharingan' Kakashi is one of Konoha’s most gifted shinobi, but he also holds the grand title as a being a first rate jerk. I have never seen him go out of his way to make an apology.” Anko waved her rice ball in the air to emphasize her point. “If he has gone so far as to buy a tacky mug for you, then I’d bet my money that he’s maybe a little interested—or at least just enough for you not to think badly of him.”

Iruka’s cheeks warmed as he briefly considered Anko’s words. “No.” He shook his head vehemently. The idea of him and Kakashi together was just too ridiculous. “There’s no way.”

Anko leaned over to look directly at Iruka; her dark eyes shone with what she hoped was a pleading puppy-in-the-window look, but in truth her expression made Iruka’s skin crawl. He knew that demented look all too well, and what it could entail.

“Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaasse?” She coaxed while batting her eyes. “I know that my Ruru-kun needs to get laid something bad!”

Iruka made a face at the hated nickname and edged slightly away in his chair. “No.”

Anko increased her tactic by leaning farther over the table until her well endowed bosom pressed menacingly against the surface. “If you don’t…” She threatened sweetly. “I’ll squish you until you agree!”

Iruka recoiled in horror, knowing that Anko was making no idle threat. “FINE!” he snapped. Anko was quite persuasive whenever she wanted to get her way, and he never wanted to pass out in a face full of her cleavage ever again.

“Good!” Anko settled triumphantly in her chair and completely ignored the venomous glare Iruka shot at her. She pulled another onigiri out from her coat pocket and began to unwrap it. “I’ll pass the word on to Kakashi that you have something important to say. So be prepared for him to pop up unexpectedly, and I mean unexpectedly.”

Iruka grumbled at the smug look plastered across the kunoichi’s face. Between facing Kakashi again and dealing with Anko’s unorthodox methods she used while ‘helping‘ her friends, it probably wouldn't have been so bad to have suffocated after all.

****

“You wanted to tell me something?”

Iruka nearly fell over backwards in his chair. He had been so absorbed in his paperwork that he had failed to sense Kakashi’s presence before his desk. It had been less than an hour since he had lunch with Anko, and apparently the kunoichi had spoken true on Kakashi’s habit of unexpectedly 'popping up.'

“Oh! Kakashi-san!” Iruka sputtered as he tried to gather the stacks of papers that threatened to topple over from his floundering. He glanced up to see Kakashi impassively watching his every movement. “So n-nice of you to stop by! You see, I-I wanted to—that is, can I ask you if…” This was not going well at all. Iruka had not given any thought on how to say his proposal, and he trailed off at the bland look on the Kakashi’s face. Iruka's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. Great, maybe Kakashi had already decided to dismiss him. Deciding to take the dive, Iruka blurted out “CanIaskyoutodrinkmeout?”

Kakashi raised his one visible eyebrow. “You…want me to drink you out?” he asked slowly.

Iruka felt his cheeks burn. Now people were giving them odd looks from around the room. “A drink,” he said quickly. “Can I buy you one to, uhh…” Kakashi continued to stare with that same guarded expression. “…to apologize for my rude behavior.” Iruka mumbled.

“Sure.”

“Sure?” Iruka parroted, almost disbelieving his ears.

Kakashi blinked languidly, a motion that seemed to savor the Chuunin's discomfort. “Do you have somewhere in mind?”

Iruka actually did not, and said the first place that came to him. “Umeboshi’s?” Iruka remembered the bar as being a bit of a dive and had recalled it solely as a landmark during his usual path home from work.

“I have training until dusk tonight.” Kakashi looked Iruka up and down. “Is that too late?”

“Not at all!” Iruka laughed, a little too loudly for his own ears. It was not as if he had just asked Kakashi out on a date or anything. Or had he? “I’m usually up late working on school work anyways. I don‘t mind staying up a little later for a drink with a friend.” He added hastily.

Kakashi stepped back with an unreadable expression in his eye. “I will see you then, sensei.” He disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Iruka inwardly cursing himself for acting like an idiot.

****

Kakashi’s heart thumped loudly in his chest as he bounded over Konoha’s many tiled roofs and telephone poles. He had been sorely tempted to turn down Anko’s message to meet with the sensei, but had decided to show up out of curiosity and armed with a few blunt jibes if Iruka had intended to embarrass him further. Kakashi had gone to the Administration Building expecting a confrontation, and Iruka offering to take him out for a drink had been the last thing he had expected to hear--though the fumbled proposal had been a reward in of itself (turnabout was fair play, and the sensei was kind of cute when flustered.)

Iruka had stood out in Kakashi’s mind ever since the ill fated Chuunin Exams when he had openly challenged the Jounin in a heated outburst for the benefit of his former students. The younger man had squarely met Kakashi’s gaze and had firmly held his ground while they argued before the Hokage (and a goodly amount of dumbstruck shinobi) as if they were the only two people in the room. Iruka had eventually acknowledged the logic behind Kakashi’s training methods, but had never backed down from the Jounin nor his own principles.

It was that display of gumption that intrigued Kakashi more than anything, Iruka had shown that he was neither awed nor intimidated by Kakashi’s rank and reputation--and unlike many of the other rank-and-file shinobi, he had never tried to curry for his favor with empty words of praise before or since. Iruka treated him as an equal and (until recently) with courtesy and respect. Kakashi had nearly given up hope that the sensei would ever warm up to him, though apprehension had tinged his relief. Umino Iruka had caught Hatake Kakashi’s eye…but the world infamous Copy-nin had absolutely no idea on how to make the first move.

Kakashi was a genius in the shinobi arts, but he could admit to himself that he was more than a little rusty when it came to socializing or dating. Everyone seemed to like Maito Gai…or at least enough to tolerate him. Kakashi had seen firsthand how the Green Beast could impressively sway a person with the right application of flowery words and theatrical hand gestures. That, and Gai was the only shinobi in Konoha that he could seek advice in these matters. Tenzou Yamato was probably a far more reliable (and more normal) resource, but it was widely known that his fellow ANBU comrade could never resist withholding a juicy piece of gossip after a few drinks were inside him. If anything were to come out publicly between him and Iruka, Kakashi would prefer that it would be on his own timing.

He stopped short on the edge of the training field when he spotted both Gai and Anko engaged in an intense sparring match. Kakashi watched his two comrades from a safe distance. Anko fought like a bar brawler and was not above using the occasional stray gopher or rabid squirrel (Kakashi was reminded that he still had yet to sterilize those bite marks on his ankles) Anko had apparently decided to forgo small mammals in favor of flinging her favorite breeds of poisonous snakes at her partner. Gai seemed unperturbed by the riled reptiles, and tip-toed around the wriggling snakes as gracefully as a ballerina while exchanging blows with his usual zeal.

“Ah! My esteemed Eternal Rival!” Gai proclaimed happily as he narrowly avoided Anko knocking him down into the potentially lethal ground of snakes. “I hope your errand has brought you successful results?”

“Yeeaah.“ Kakashi scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “About that…” He made a slight inclination that he wanted to discuss the matter privately.

Gai nodded at the unspoken request. In a flash, he disappeared in a cloud of bright green smoke and reappeared with flair besides Kakashi. “Please forgive me, Anko-san!” He struck a dashing pose for the kunoichi’s benefit. “But I must attend to my longtime rival in matters of the masculine variety! I swear to make it up to you by returning to our match with renewed VIGOR!”

Anko rolled her eyes dramatically as she made the motions to dismiss her summoned snakes. "Whatever,” she huffed and turned to walk towards the river with a wave of one hand. “I'll be skipping stones until you boys are done with your little therapy session."

"Anko-san is a most strenuous partner!" Gai grinned as he followed Kakashi to the sparse treeline bordering the training field. "It is delight and a rare joy to spar with such a refined lady who fights without restraint!"

Kakashi warily looked over Gai's shoulder to spot Anko spinning on her heels while wielding a boulder the size of a small child over her head. She flung the boulder with a screech that reminded him of a banshee. It skidded across the river’s surface then bounced over the bank to crash against a

massive tree. Anko leaped about whooping in delight as the unfortunate forest denizen toppled over with a groan whilst birds squawked in anger as they fled for their lives.

"I don't think she understands the meaning of restraint." Kakashi observed dryly.

Gai’s dazzling smile temporarily blinded Kakashi (those pearly whites had a tendency to glint in the sun). "Only our fair village can produce a kunochi with unrepressed SKILL and GRACE!"

"Riiiight." Kakashi shifted the conversation before Gai's attention could be distracted by another of Anko's antics. "Remember how I told you how Iruka reacted to my gift?”

“A most regrettable outcome!” Gai shook his head in sorrow. “Who would have thought adorable porpoises would peeve him so!”

“Well, he asked me out for a drink." Kakashi shrugged his shoulders and shook his head in bemusement. “I don’t get it Gai. He called me over to apologize for being rude after I pissed him off twice in a row…and now he said that I was his friend!“

"That's wonderful news!” Gai declared. Kakashi was sure that the Green Beast’s smile had stretched what was beyond humanly possible, and he half expected the top of Gai’s head to fall off. “Asking you out for a drink is the first step on the path of everlasting friendship!”

“Sure, friends are great.” Kakashi replied flatly. He shifted his eye about the field to make sure that they were truly out of earshot. “But if I want him to be more than just a friend…“ he quietly ventured.

“It is up to YOU my Eternal Rival, to allow the most honorable Iruka-san to know your intentions!” Gai declared, his eyes sparkled with bold ENTHUSIASM. “Then perhaps the rising moon of ROMANCE will light up the darkness in the nights to come!"

"Shh! Keep it down!" Kakashi gestured wildly with his hands while glancing nervously over at Anko who was occupied with prying another boulder from the ground. “I don’t know even know how to talk to him about--”

“Just be yourself, Kakashi-san! Your natural HIP and COOL charisma would be sure to convey all that you cannot express with words!” He suddenly grabbed Kakashi to boldly embrace his longtime comrade-in-arms and friend. “I believe in you, Kakashi-san! The glory of love will WORM its way into both your hearts!”

“You could have used an analogy without worms,“ Kakashi drawled while he slipped away from Gai’s grasp with practiced ease. “Do you have any useful suggestions that you can give me?”

“I find that the most unerring way into a man’s heart is to openly share your hobbies!” Gai struck his famous NICE GUY pose (which was entirely wasted on his present audience). “Sharing your passions is the best way to reach a common ground! It is the most sure-fire way to everlasting LOVE and satisfying COMPANIONSHIP!”

“Hmm, perhaps…“ Kakashi scratched his chin thoughtfully. Gai’s idea for an icebreaking topic did make some sense, and the Green Beast’s previous advice had somehow snagged him a date with Iruka despite the disaster with the dolphin mug. Kakashi was sure to find a common hobby with the sensei--and with luck it might just fall under the erotic fiction variety. He would plan on bringing his latest Icha-Icha novel, just in case.

****

Iruka had made it a point to arrive at the bar well before dusk had set. He vividly recalled Naruto complaining that the Jounin had a perpetual habit for tardiness, though Iruka had also showed up early with the intent to catch up on some grading. He sat at a private booth in the back of the seedy bar. The smell of stale alcohol had seeped into the worn table along with the rest of the furniture but it thankfully wasn't strong enough to rub off into his paperwork. He really shouldn’t have bothered to bring his work along, as he was only absent-mindedly grading and was more preoccupied with sipping his sake and constantly shooting nervous glances at the main entryway. ‘I wonder how late he’s going to be?‘ Iruka thought as he tipped back his head to catch the last few drops of alcohol in his cup.‘I’m going to get plastered at this rate.’

“Oh, there you are sensei.”

Iruka swallowed hard in an attempt to keep from choking. His eyes watered and he coughed at the harsh liquid burning his throat. He spun about to see Kakashi peering down at him over the wooden barrier that separated their booths. “What the--how long have you been there!?” he demanded.

“Oh, about an hour or so. I got bored watching Anko terrorize Gai and came here to catch up on my reading.” Kakashi waved a familiar orange bound Icha Icha novel for Iruka to see. “It’s my hobby, you know.”

Iruka’s irritation disappeared at the statement. “Reading porn in public is your hobby?“ He couldn’t help but chuckle at that, remembering how Naruto ranted about that habit as well.

Kakashi eyed the half-filled sake bottle that rested on Iruka‘s table. “Have you been here for a while?”

"Not really." Iruka replied and hastily began to stuff the scattered papers into his satchel to make room as Kakashi walked around to join him.

“I’m glad,” Kakashi said as he seated himself. “I couldn’t stop myself, you see. I was at the best part in the book where Hiroko had just been taken to the evil overlord’s love dungeon where he has this huge device that goes up her--”

“Why don’t I buy you that drink first?” Iruka quickly interrupted, his face had turned to a particular shade of red that could only be from embarrassment.

Kakashi blinked, realizing that Iruka was apparently not an avid Icha Icha reader. “Oh, sure.“ He motioned for the bartender to bring him the house sake and tactfully tucked his book away in his flak-vest. An awkward silence settled between them as they waited for the sake bottle to arrive. When it finally did, Kakashi filled his cup and raised it towards Iruka. “Thanks for the drink. Kanpai.”

“Kanpai.” Iruka echoed as they clinked their glasses together before downing their drinks.

Kakashi broke the silence before it could resettle and motioned at the overstuffed satchel resting besides Iruka’s seat. “Don’t you ever let your hair down?”

Iruka gave his companion a perplex look. “What do you mean?”

"I always see you working."

Iruka shrugged his shoulders. "I don’t have a lot of down time with everything that has happened lately, and with me juggling two jobs.” He leaned over to refill Kakashi‘s cup and gave the Jounin a wry smile. “I only let my hair down at home nowadays. It’s the only place where I can find some time for myself.”

"Ah." Kakashi had a brief image of Iruka seductively tugging at the elastic tie to allow the shoulder-length hair to cascade gracefully around his face in a curtain of silky brown. He mentally shook himself to focus on the task at hand. “What do you do to yourself at home?”

Caught off guard at the odd question, Iruka did not notice that he had overfilled Kakashi’s cup. Sake dribbled over to soak into the much abused table. “Excuse me?”

“Hobbies!“ Kakashi quickly stated, and added “Do you have any?” He congratulated himself on his smooth recovery.

“Oh.” Iruka pulled the bottle away. "Well…Recently I started to experiment more with cooking.” He grabbed a napkin to soak up the spilled sake. “I’ve discovered that I have a small talent for baking things. I don't eat a lot of sweets myself, but the rest of the staff at the Academy seem to like what I make."

“Hmm. That’s nice.“ Kakashi idly remarked, then stiffened as realization stuck him like a thunderbolt. “Don‘t tell me…” He stared at Iruka in disbelief. "You made that white cake?"

"I know, it’s not my best…" Iruka sighed and he scratched the bridge of his nose where his scar fell. "It was my first time making cheesecake, so it didn't turn out as well as I hoped." Iruka looked up at Kakashi in surprise. “You tried it?”

"It was delicious." Kakashi admitted. He fidgeted awkwardly as he explained "It was why I was drinking coffee in the first place. It seemed to go well with it."

Iruka blinked at his companion for a moment, then his face broke out into a grin. “So that’s why you were drinking that poor excuse for coffee!“ Iruka laughed, it was a sound that sent butterflies into Kakashi’s stomach. "So I'm partially to blame for breaking Naruto’s mug after all.” Still smiling, the Chuunin shook his head at the irony as he refilled his own cup. “I am really sorry for all the trouble that I’ve caused you."

“Think nothing of it!” Kakashi grinned under his mask. “But if you don’t mind, I would love to try your ‘cheesecake’ thing again.”

“Sure, I can make it again.” Iruka paused to sip his drink. “Do you have any special requests? I can add a fruit topping or a different flavor into the mix. There‘s quite a few cheesecake varieties out there.”

“There are other flavors?” Kakashi’s mind boggled at the possibilities. A half formed (and somewhat devious) plan surfaced in his mind, one that included a perfect excuse to continue meeting with the sensei along with the added bonus of cheesecake. Kakashi grabbed Iruka’s free hand and stared hopefully into his startled eyes. “Iruka-sensei! Please allow me to be your guinea pig during your quest to discover the perfect cheesecake formula!”

“Huh?” Iruka blinked owlishly.

Kakashi bowed his head earnestly. “I promise to be the most honest and adept test subject imaginable to help advance your culinary skills!”

“Really, there’s no need for that!“ Iruka tried unsuccessfully to jerk his hand away. Apparently the Copy-nin did not take no for an answer once his mind had been set. A few bar patrons shot surly looks at the commotion they were making. “But if you--”

“Then it’s settled!” Kakashi cried, his one visible eye arching happily. “I’ll arrive at your place tomorrow at this same time.” Kakashi relinquished his hold and slipped away from the booth. “I’ll see you then, sensei. I await with baited breath to sample your sugary delights!” His eye still curved with glee, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Iruka sat stunned in his seat. 'What the hell just happened?' From across the room, the bartender gave Iruka a ‘thumbs up’ signal along with a knowing nod and wink. Iruka snatched Kakashi’s abandoned drink and proceeded to gulp it down. He was going to need it, for only the gods knew what the following evening would entail.

“Ah, Iruka?”

Iruka sputtered the drink all across the table. Kakashi scratched the back of his head sheepishly as Iruka tried to recover from choking. “Where exactly do you live?”

****

Iruka had settled on making strawberry cheesecake for Kakashi. He had been fortunate to have all the ingredients on hand to make the promised dessert, and started the moment he had returned home after leaving the bar. While he waited for the cheesecake to bake, Iruka took a good look at his apartment and despaired at what he saw. His living space was not exactly a disaster, but he had slackened on his chores during the last few months. Iruka rolled up his sleeves and set about in a cleaning frenzy that lasted well into the morning and resumed the following afternoon after returning from work. Iruka was determined to have his apartment ready with plenty of time to spare in case Kakashi had decided to arrive early again.

Iruka’s head popped out from the bathroom at the sound of a polite tap on his front door. Scowling, he tossed the toilet scrubber aside and peeled off his cleaning gloves as he purposely strode towards the entryway. “I appreciate your candor for punctuality Kakashi-san, but it’s not nearly close to--” He opened the door find a tiny dog patiently waiting on the doormat.

“What‘s up?” The little pug greeted gruffly. He was dressed in a miniature Hitai-ate and a dark blue vest bearing Kakashi’s trademark henohenomoheji symbol.

“Um, can I help you?” Iruka asked uncertainly.

“The name’s Pakkun,” the pug brusquely stated. “I was sent by the Boss to ask a few questions.”

Iruka narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What questions?”

“Red or white?”

“What sort of question is that?”

“For the wine,” Pakkun explained while scratching behind one ear with his hind leg. “The Boss is making dinner to bring over, and he wants to know what sort of wine would go good with your dessert.”

“Dinner?” Iruka gave the pug an incredulous look. “He’s making dinner?”

“That’s what I said!” Pakkun rolled his droopy eyes. “Didn’t you hear me the first time? Oh, I also need to know if you like eggplant.”

“Yeah, eggplant’s fine.” Iruka agreed while absently nodding. He didn’t know that Kakashi could cook.

Pakkun waited patiently for a moment, then arched an eye at Iruka (who was still lost in his thoughts.) “And the wine?”

“Oh, right.“ Iruka blinked back to reality. “I suppose red would be fine.”

“Roger that.” Pakkun turned to leave then hesitated in mid-step to give Iruka one last searching look. “The Boss is really looking forward to tonight, okay?” With that said, the ninkin sprinted off around the corner the apartment building.

Iruka stared at the direction where the ninkin had disappeared. ‘Kakashi’s making me dinner. And bringing wine.’ This was sounding more like a date than the previous night.

Iruka slammed the door shut and resumed tackling his chores with renewed vigor. He was determined to make his apartment as pristine as the smooth surface of his completed cheesecake, of which he hoped to the gods above that he did not flop.

****

Iruka’s apartment was now cleaner than it had ever been since the day he had moved in. He was still polishing the kitchen water facet when his guest finally knocked on the front door. He tossed the rag under the sink and gave a last look about his sparkling apartment to make sure everything was set and ready. Iruka composed his face into a less harried expression as he rushed to open the door.

“I hope you don’t mind that I brought dinner.” Kakashi greeted Iruka and held up a cloth wrapped parcel decorated with mini shuriken. A dark green bottle of dark wine was cradled in crook of one arm.

“Of course I don’t!” Iruka smiled and stepped back to invite him inside. “It’s very nice of you offer, and I haven't had dinner."

Kakashi respectfully toed off his shoes before stepping into the apartment. He carefully set the food down while his one eye roved about as he took in Iruka and the immaculate living quarters. “Your place is very…tidy. Have you been cleaning all this time?”

“What makes you say that?” Iruka resisted the urge to laugh hysterically. The ten minute nap had had been able to snatch during his lunch break had probably not been enough sleep. At least he could make decent coffee at home to keep himself going.

Kakashi pointedly looked Iruka up and down. “Have you looked in a mirror recently?“

Mystified, Iruka walked towards the bathroom with Kakashi close in tow. He flipped the lights on and was mortified at what he discovered in his reflection. He was still wearing his stained cleaning clothes for one, but worst of all he looked utterly haggard. Dark circles underlined his eyes (of which he could clearly see the effects of too much caffeine coursing through his system) and his bound hair hung limp with several loose strands poking out at odd angles. “I-I-” Iruka was at a loss for words, and could only watch as the color drained from his face.

Kakashi clucked his tongue and proceeded to move Iruka away from the bathroom mirror. “Well now, this just won’t do. I thought you said that you only get to relax when you’re alone at home, and here I find you working hard and with your hair still up.”

Iruka wordlessly allowed himself to be led into the living room and did not resist when Kakashi gently encouraged him to sit on the couch. Kakashi made a warning motion for Iruka to remain where he was and disappeared into the kitchen to prepare their meal. Iruka felt like a complete idiot, all the hard work he had done to make a good first impression had gone to waste. At least Kakashi had shown concern and some amusement at oversight of his appearance.

Kakashi returned with the food after a few moments rummaging through the kitchen, and Iruka was stunned to see what he had prepared. Spread neatly across the low table was eggplant miso soup, freshly made rice, grilled river trout, and finely chopped spring salad for them to share. Iruka’s stomach growled at the tantalizing aromas wafting from the steaming food. “You made all of this?” Iruka cringed at his words. He had not meant to sound so disbelieving.

Kakashi seemed unbothered by the question. “I dabble in cooking every so often.” He handed a pair of chopsticks for Iruka to take. “I figured that we should at least try to eat healthy if we’re going to indulge in dessert.”

Iruka nodded wordlessly as he accepted the chopsticks and a bowl of the steaming miso soup. Everything Kakashi made was delicious, and Iruka ate everything offered to him with gusto. Kakashi ate more slowly, and was secretly delighted upon seeing Iruka enjoying his home cooked meal.

“Wow,” Iruka said when he finally pushed away his empty rice bowl and leaned back into the couch with a sigh of contentment. “That was amazing!”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Kakashi gave a little bob of his head and swatted Iruka’s hand away from the dishes when the Chuunin attempted to rise. “Relax, please. You’ve worked hard enough already.” Kakashi chided as he gathered the leftovers and dirty dishes. He returned shortly with two cups and the opened wine bottle. “I think the cheesecake can wait a bit while our dinner settles.”

“Good idea,” Iruka agreed as he snatched the bottle out from Kakashi’s hand. They were still in Iruka’s home, and he wanted to act like a proper host at least for the dessert portion of their meal.

Kakashi settled comfortably in his chair as he watched Iruka pour out the wine. “I thought that you were going to relax.”

Iruka looked up sharply. “I am relaxing!” He was starting to feel the effects of exhaustion now that his belly had a warm meal inside.

Kakashi was unperturbed by the cranky sensei, and tapped the back of his head in reference to the hair tie Iruka still wore in his hair. “I won’t be convinced until it’s off.”

Iruka made a face, then reached up to yank the elastic band off. His hair flowed free in a way not unlike Kakashi‘s fantasies--with the added bonus of Iruka pointedly shaking his head for the loose strands to fall away from his face. Once settled, the dark hair barely fell past his shoulders. “Happy now?” Iruka asked in a tone that bordered on being surly.

“Much.” Kakashi nodded, appreciating the view. “I’m actually a little jealous of you. My hair is so stiff.” He brushed a hand over his head, and the silvery mane sprung back up. “See?”

“I like it.” Iruka gave Kakashi a half-smile as he appraised his companion’s appearance. “With your mask and everything, I think it gives you a rakish quality.”

Kakashi shifted in his chair and tried his best not to appear too outwardly pleased. He normally didn’t care much for compliments, but it was different coming from Iruka. “Now, how about that cheesecake?” he hastily suggested as a means to hide his discomfort.

Iruka’s eyebrow raised slightly in wry humor. “Only if you’re truly ready to be my test subject.”

“For your cheesecake, I’ll be willing to do almost anything!” Kakashi said with utmost sincerity. “May I ask what variety that we will be sampling tonight?”

Iruka chuckled as he stood up. “Strawberry. I thought that we could start with the most common flavor before we try to be more experimental.”

“I do like strawberries.” Kakashi craned his neck to watch Iruka pull the much anticipated dessert from the fridge. Iruka returned shortly bearing two generous portions of the cheesecake and set the plates between them on the coffee table. The strawberry glaze oozed enticingly over the edges of the cake, and seemed to glow with an ethereal beauty which probably had something to do with Kakashi’s overactive imagination.

“It’s so pretty…” Kakashi sniffed as he destroyed the cake with a determined stab of his fork. The bite size portion wavered before his covered mouth as he caught sight of Iruka sharply in taking an expectant breath. Kakashi was suddenly overcome with a strange emotion that centered well beyond mere gratitude for the sensei. The cheesecake, the excessively cleaned apartment, the lack of sleep--Iruka had done it all in preparation of his visit. No one had ever gone to such great lengths before for Kakashi’s benefit, and he was moved by Iruka’s efforts. Suddenly shy under Iruka’s intense expression, he turned away to pull down his mask and stuffed the cheesecake into his mouth--and was nearly knocked off his seat as his tongue exploded with the new flavor.

Kakashi had thought he had tasted a piece of heaven when he had first tried cheesecake. He discovered then that the oral pleasures of cheesecake could be akin to something far more carnal…and Iruka’s strawberry variation was utterly orgasmic. Kakashi’s eye rolled up in bliss as he slowly chewed. “Definitely a success!” he practically moaned.

Relief flowed into Iruka’s smile as he watched Kakashi eagerly inhale the dessert. “I did a few modifications to the recipe to help balance the strawberry flavor.” He picked up his wine cup and sipped it to congratulate himself on a job well done.

Kakashi carefully placed his plate down with a satisfied look across his face. “I really appreciate it,” he nodded towards his empty plate, then added “And all the cleaning you did, though you really shouldn‘t had gone through all that trouble.”

“I did go a little overboard with the cleaning portion,” Iruka chuckled in agreement. “I guess I was a little nervous. I haven’t had a guest over since Naru--” Iruka abruptly bit off the name before he could finish.

A heavy silence fell to spoil the cheery mood. Iruka stared down into his wine cup and did not meet his companion’s eyes. Kakashi clenched and unclenched his hands sporadically as he struggled to find the right words to put Iruka at ease, but nothing could be said that could alleviate the apprehension that they both felt for Naruto and Sasuke--nor for the events that had led to the tragedy. “I miss them too.” Kakashi simply said, finding that it was all that he could say.

Iruka looked up to meet Kakashi’s gaze. His heart twisted at the barely concealed emotions that warred to overtake the Jounin’s partially visible features. Anger, sorrow, and a fair amount of self loathing were plain for Iruka to see. On impulse he reached out to squeeze Kakashi’s gloved hand as a small measure of comfort. “To Team Seven.” Iruka withdrew and held up his cup at Kakashi’s mildly startled reaction to his gesture.

“To Team Seven.” Kakashi clinked his own cup against Iruka’s and they both drained their wine down to the last drop. Kakashi placed his cup down and gave Iruka a playfully stern look to lighten the heavy mood. "It’s getting late, and you need your rest.”

“I promise to go straight to bed after you leave.” Iruka rolled his eyes in mock exasperation as he stood up to follow Kakashi to the front door. ”But only after I’ve refilled my cup one last time.”

“As long as you take the time to enjoy the fruit of your labors.” The Jounin inclined his head towards Iruka’s uneaten cheesecake slice that sat upon the coffee table. He hesitated for a moment while slipping his shoes on, and nervously glanced up at Iruka. “So ah, I was wondering…” Kakashi ventured as he stood up. “My team will be leaving next week for our mission, so...” He shuffled his feet nervously before taking the plunge. “Can we do this again tomorrow?”

A little color flushed into Iruka’s cheeks, and he caught himself wetting his lips and looked away to focus on a spot in the freshly scrubbed walls. “I’d like that.”

A slow grin tugged on the corner’s of Kakashi’s mouth as Iruka’s face deepened to a darker shade of red. Unable to resist the temptation any longer, Kakashi pulled down his mask and dove in to kiss Iruka‘s mouth (which had dropped open in shock) before he lost his nerve. “Goodnight.” Kakashi breathed into Iruka’s ear as he stepped outside to melt with the darkness of the night.

For several heartbeats, Iruka stood gaping at the spot where Kakashi‘s face had disappeared. He slowly closed the door and made his way to sit down hard on the couch. He blinked at the empty chair where Kakashi had sat mere moments ago. “So it was a date!” Iruka was surprised at the sense of relief that washed over him at this revelation, more so than he had been over the unexpected kiss.

****

Iruka awoke the next morning regretting every last drop of alcohol that had ever passed his lips. He had forgotten that even a small amount of wine gave him a terrible hangover. He pulled himself out of bed with an effort to prepare for what was to be sure another harrowing day at the Academy and made a beeline to the bathroom sink to down several glasses of water (and painkillers) to help ease his headache. He glared at his reflection for a moment, and then smiled as last night came back to him. Hatake Kakashi had kissed him!

Giddy as he was from the memory, Iruka had overslept and had to rush through his morning routine. At the last moment he remembered (with a fair amount of dread) the excitable shrieks of his pre-Genin class and pocketed more medicine as a precaution. He was still in the grips of morning auto-pilot when he opened the front door to leave--and nearly stepped on Pakkun sitting on the doormat. Iruka did a violent double-take when he saw seven other dogs of various breeds and sizes surrounding the entryway. Every single one wore Kakashi’s familiar henohenomoheji symbol on the back of their specially made blue uniforms, and sat on their haunches as if they had been patiently waiting for him to emerge.

“What’s all this about?” Iruka demanded, a little intimidated by the ninkin pack blocking his way.

Pakkun stepped forward to speak. “The Boss wouldn’t stop talking about your baking skills last night. And we want to see for ourselves what the fuss is all about.”

“Oh.” Iruka eyed the ninkin staring at him, and tried to reason with them. “Look, I have a terrible hangover and I’m late enough as it is. And besides, don’t dairy products made dogs sick?” Three growls and five sounds that could only be the canine equivalent of scoffs answered his plea.

Seeing no way around the persistent dogs, Iruka sighed in exasperation. “Fine. Just wait here.” He disappeared back into his apartment and quickly returned with the leftover cheesecake evenly divided into eight portions. It was all gone within moments after setting the plate on the ground.

“Not bad.” Bull commented, licking his chops.

“Got any more?” Shiba asked eagerly.

“Could be better.” Uhei coughed. “I could do without the strawberries.”

“Boss said that you can do different flavors.” Guruko sniffed at the empty plate. “Can you do gravy next time?”

All at once the ninkin began yipping out suggestions.

“Make it steak flavor!” Bisuke cried.

“I prefer chicken myself. “ Akino suggested helpfully.

“No! I want pork!” Shiba clamored. “Barbeque pork cheesecake would be AWESOME!”

“That‘s just stupid!” Uhei scoffed. “Salmon roe is far better than barbeque, and prettier.”

“I am not doing special requests!” Iruka firmly interjected. The dogs ignored him and continued with their debate on the perfect meat flavor for cheesecake. “Look,” Iruka rubbed the bridge of his nose where his headache was worst. "I’ve got to get to class soon, and I can't do that with all of you blocking my way."

The ninkin stopped talking and turned to focus expectantly on Iruka.

"What now?" Iruka growled.

"You never said what topping you are going to make." Bull calmly observed.

"It's a surprise!" Shiba gasped and excitedly wagged his tail. "He's gonna surprise us!"

"Ha!" Uhei winked knowingly at Iruka. "It's going be salmon roe, I just know it!"

"Please leave." Iruka groaned.

"Alright pack!” Pakkun sharp command brought the pack to immediate attention. “I think the Boss’s mate has had enough for now. Let him get to work."

“What did you just call me?” Iruka demanded the pug, his voice rising to a shrill pitch. “His MATE!?"

The pack ignored Iruka as they began to trot away. Pakkun was last to leave, and gave the Chuunin a gruff “We'll be back" before running to join the rest of his comrades.

Iruka hurried down the stairs as soon as he was sure the ninkin were gone. The pounding of his hangover was worse now, and he still had a class full of weapon-wielding pre-Genins to look forward to.‘How can this day get any worse?’

Iruka should have known better than to tempt fate.

****

“Iruka-sensei?“ Haruno Sakura poked her head into the Assignment room to get Iruka’s attention. “Tsunade-sama wishes to speak to you.”

Iruka smiled warmly at his former student and handed a dour faced Genma his stack of mission reports for him to file. “Thank you Sakura, I’ll leave right away.” She looked tired today. Tsunade must have made her pull an all-nighter at the hospital again. Iruka could sympathize, now that his hangover had been medicated away.

Shizune opened the door once he reached the Hokage’s office, and Tsunade beckoned for him to step inside. “Iruka, so good to see you.” She smiled at the polite bow the Chuunin gave her. “I called you because I have a very important C-rank mission for you--one that needs your hands alone for the good of Konoha.”

“Anything, Hokage-sama.” Iruka dutifully replied. “I will gladly lay my life down for the sake of our village.”

“Yes, yes.“ Tsunade waved the remark away. “There’s no need to be drastic. As you know, I will be leaving for the Fire Nation’s yearly medical conference next week--in four days to be exact. I would like you to make fifty orders of cheesecake for me to take along.”

Iruka blinked at Tsunade in surprise. “Excuse me?”

“A little bratty bird told me that you are quite exceptional at making cheesecake.“ Tsunade tapped one manicured finger on her desk. “I would like you, Umino Iruka, to represent our fair village on the potluck dessert table--and if it‘s as good as the rumor claims to be, your baking skills will become famous throughout the Fire Nation!” Tsunade smiled as if she were doing her hapless underling a huge favor.

“Don’t forget to ask for a bourbon flavored one!” Shizune hissed in a loud whisper. Tsunade discreetly kicked the kunoichi under the desk to silence her.

Aghast, Iruka stared at the two women in disbelief. Tsunade’s pig Tonton wriggled in Shizune’s arms and oinked impatiently for his reply. “B-but my job--”

“I will give you special leave for this top priority mission.” Tsunade motioned for Shizune to grab the paperwork. “You will, of course, be reimbursed for all the supplies.”

“Of course.” Iruka weakly agreed, seeing defeat as well as his fate sealed in the form of Tsunade’s mark stamped onto his ‘Mission Leave’ slip. Iruka suppressed an irritated scowl, he could make a very good guess at who this ‘little bird‘ might be. At this point, he should probably just quit working as a shinobi and open up a bakery shop.

****

The infamous Copy-nin mused on what a glorious day it was to be alive as he reached to pick another flower out from Mother Earth‘s generous bosom. Kakashi had never before noticed how beautiful the spring flowers could be, nor how amazing the blue sky looked with the golden sun to brighten the world. He absently tossed an empty flower stem to add to the ever growing mound and proceeded to work on plucking the petals off a doomed daisy. He had heard somewhere that flowers held the fortune of wisdom for the deepest and most intimate parts of budding relationships, and Kakashi had many important questions. “He likes to do it missionary style on the coffee table, he’d rather not, he likes to do it missionary style on the coffee table, he’d rather not…” Kakashi hummed as he alternately plucked the petals.

“How long has he been at it now?“ Anko asked as she joined Gai on the edge of the training field where they could get a good view of Kakashi blissfully destroying flowers while safely staying out of his earshot. Anko had taken a break and had returned with her favorite dango treats to share.

Gai tapped his chin as he checked the position of the sun. “I’d say…approximately three hours and forty two minutes. It warms my heart with unsurpassed JOY to see my Eternal Rival WALLOWING in the throes of youthful PASSION!” A single manly tear cascaded gracefully down his finely chiseled cheek.

"It took them long enough.” Anko muttered as she savagely bit into her dango. “It's a good thing that Iruka's scared of my boobs, otherwise he'd never would've asked Kakashi out." She chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "But I'm glad that he did, Iruka needed to get that stick out of his ass and enjoy life a bit.”

Gai smiled brightly at Kakashi’s figure in the distance. “I must admit that I had my doubts at first. Kakashi-san’s nonchalant COOL but ever so HIP personality might seem aloof to some--and my ever esteemed Eternal Rival is not one to easily give his heart away!“

“However,” Anko said as she carelessly tossed her empty dango stick. “I can’t help but be a little envious of them.”

Gai took the opportunity to spin around as a means to dramatically present his ever trusty NICE GUY pose. “Then allow me to ease the burden of your despair, my ever so GENTLE but oh-so skillfully LETHAL Lady--by asking you to join me at the local café for a tall latte and a fiber-enriched scone!”

“Oh! You called me a Lady!“ Anko coyly smacked Gai hard on the back, which caused him to stagger from his carefully composed stance. “You’re such a charmer!” She giggled. “It would be my pleasure to join you!”

“Ahem.”

Anko and Gai turned at the polite interruption to see a masked ANBU standing behind them. They both stood to professional attention as the operative briefly stated his message. “The Hokage immediately requests your presence. There has been a change of plans.”

****

Hatake Kakashi dragged his feet as he sadly walked up to Iruka’s apartment door. Tsunade had summoned his team to inform them of some disaster that had recently occurred in the north of the Fire Nation’s border. As a result, his team’s objective had altered from accompanying Tsunade to her conference meeting to that of an investigative A-rank mission with orders to leave at dawn. Kakashi would not see Iruka again for nearly a month.

Kakashi frowned when Iruka did not answer his knock. The Chuunin was certainly at home; light penetrated the closed curtains and he could hear the muffled sounds of rapid footsteps and banging pots inside. Kakashi notified Iruka of his presence by unlocking the door (with his handy emergency hairpin) and easily avoided the anticipated triggered shuriken that flew out from the doorframe. Tiny bells set inside the drywall tingled in alert of an intruder.

It was a very scary Iruka that emerged charging from the kitchen with a razor sharp kunai at the ready. Flour covered the majority of Iruka’s clothing along with cake batter splattered all over his navy blue apron. Globs of cheesecake stuck to the ends of loose hair that poked from his disheveled ponytail. Kakashi had thought the sensei had looked frazzled the night before--but it was nothing compared to how he now appeared.

Iruka’s bloodshot eyes widened at Kakashi for a moment, then with a groan of realization he lowered the kunai and buried his face in one hand. “I completely forgot that you were coming over tonight.”

Kakashi peered over Iruka’s shoulder to see the once pristine apartment decimated by scattered cooking utensils and empty cartons that dripped the remains of its contents all over the counters and floor. All of the furniture seemed to be covered in a dust of flour, aside from the dozen or so perfectly baked cheesecakes that sat cooling on every available surface in both the kitchen and living room. “Are you starting a catering business or something?” he asked.

Iruka’s left eye twitched as he gave the Jounin hard look. “A ‘little bird’ informed Tsunade-sama that I could bake. She ordered fifty of my damned cheesecakes to take along for her stupid potluck.”

“Ah, about that…” Kakashi took a cautionary step backwards in case Iruka’s temper exploded at the bad news. “I’m afraid Tsunade had just now decided to cancel going to the medical conference due to pressing Hokage-related business.”

Iruka’s jaw dropped open in shock and his mouth worked as to speak for a few moments as he processed what Kakashi had said. “You’re telling me…” he waved his kunai at the mess. “That I did allof this for NOTHING?”

“I assume that she forgot to tell you?“ Kakashi cringed.

Iruka walked over to the wall and proceeded to lightly knock his bare forehead against it. “Just. My. Luck.” He complained while hitting his head at each word. “What the hell am I going to do with all this cheesecake?”

“You can always give them away to needy ninkin, though you’d probably wouldn’t like cleaning up the mess in the backyard afterwards.“ Kakashi placed a hand in front of Iruka to stop his assault on the wall. “My mission has changed. I have to leave with my team at first light tomorrow,” he bluntly stated.

“Oh.” Iruka remained where he was with his forehead pressed against Kakashi’s hand, unsure of how to respond. A cold feeling had spread throughout his chest and into his limbs. “For how long?”

“A month. Maybe more.” Kakashi stepped away and made a motion with his head to walk towards the living room. “I brought a going away present.” From behind his back he presented a wide wooden box.

Iruka gripped the box tightly and nervously followed the Jounin to sit beside him on the couch. Iruka pried open the lid to find two small rounded parcels wrapped tightly in green cloth.

“This one first.” Kakashi lightly tapped the rightmost bundle, and Iruka gave him a brief puzzled look before picking it up. He inhaled sharply as the cloth fell away before his fingers to reveal a familiar pattern of orange glaze and blue swirls painted on ceramic. The shattered pieces of Naruto’s mug had been expertly pasted back together, the only evidence of its previous destruction could be seen in the fine cracks that spider-webbed its smooth surface. “Kakashi-san…” Iruka breathed, at a loss for words.

“I cheated a bit by using my Sharingan.” Kakashi admitted while he self-consciously scratched under his Hitai-ate. “I don’t think that it’s any good to use for drinking, but I’m sure that it would make an exceptional pencil holder.”

“It’s…“ Iruka swallowed hard. “It’s wonderful.” A warm smile pulled at the corners of his mouth which melted the all stress that he had endured during the day. “Thank you.”

“You still have one more,” Kakashi reminded with a pointed glance at the remaining cloth covered parcel, of which Iruka dutifully began to unwrap. “I made it since you don’t have a proper drinking mug to take to work.” He grinned as Iruka gaped at what was revealed under the green fabric.

“I-I--” Iruka stuttered as he rotated Kakashi’s mug in his hands. The light blue glaze glimmered prettily in the light, but it was not the color that caught his attention. It was decorated with two stick figure parodies of themselves bearing their distinguished hairstyles, and eight bulky forms of which he could only guess as representing the ninken pack surrounded the base. Little orange squares floated above the figures with interchanging blobs of white spots.

“I put all my favorite things on your mug!” Kakashi beamed and pointed to one of the white blotches. “See, I even added your cheesecake next to my Icha Icha books!”

“So you did!“ Iruka laughed as he carefully placed the two mugs back into the wooden box. He glanced at Kakashi out of the corner of his eye as he slid the box under the coffee table. His mouth had gone dry at what he wanted to do next, but he was far too shy to openly approach. He desperately wanted to kiss Kakashi--and maybe do a little more than that. Anything could happen on a mission, and with the Jounin‘s prowess it was in no doubt going to be an extremely dangerous one. “When do you leave?” he quietly asked.

“At first light tomorrow,” Kakashi replied while giving Iruka a similarly indirect look as he very, very slowly inched closer to the Chuunin. “So…if you don’t mind, could I stay and visit here for a bit?”

Iruka clamped his hands onto his legs to keep himself from wiping the sweat from his palms. It had suddenly become very warm in the room. “I’m not baking anymore, so I don’t mind.” His could feel his heartbeat growing faster as Kakashi moved closer, and his hand twitched when their knees touched. “Would you….uh,” Iruka gnawed his lower lip. “Would you like to stay here tonight?” He let out a bark of nervous laughter as he glanced around his messy apartment. “It’s not nearly as comfortable as yesterday, but if you’d like--”

“I’d love to.” Kakashi interrupted, and gulped down the lump in his throat as he tentatively reached out to cover Iruka’s hand with his own. Iruka spread his fingers to allow their hands to intertwine. A barrier seemed to break at this small movement, and both exhaled as the tension eased between them.

“I really wish that we had more time together.” Iruka breathed as Kakashi leaned closer.

“Time is not often a luxury for men like us.” Kakashi truthfully stated as he tentatively held up his free hand to trace the curve of Iruka’s jaw. Time was a terribly precious gift for any shinobi. It was a reality that they both understood only too well. He pulled back to give Iruka an imploring look. “May I?” he gestured to the Chuunin’s bound hair.

Iruka gave his consent by tilting his head for easier access, and with a gentle tug Kakashi pulled the hair tie free. “I love your hair,” Kakashi murmured appreciatively as he gently ran his fingers through the smooth dark strands. Iruka closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. Emboldened, Kakashi craned his head to brush his cloth covered lips over the nape of Iruka’s neck, and was rewarded with a low moan resonating deep within the Chuunin‘s throat.

“Shit!“ Iruka cried out suddenly, and in a flash he was out of Kakashi’s reach and dashing into the kitchen. “I forgot the oven!”

Kakashi muttered a dark curse under his breath as he watched Iruka scramble to save the cheesecake in the oven. Iruka sighed in relief to find his desserts whole and unburned, and kicked the door closed with one foot while straightening to turn the oven off for the cakes to sit. He yelped in surprise when Kakashi’s strong hands slid behind under his arms to wrap around his torso. The Jounin’s uncovered mouth ghosted over his right ear. “Now, where were we?”

Iruka twisted around to face Kakashi until their noses nearly touched. He gave him a coy smile with one eyebrow raised in humor as he slipped a finger into Kakashi‘s mask to tug it down. “I think we were about to ki--” Kakashi cut off Iruka’s words by doing just that. Iruka returned the kiss eagerly, his eyes falling closed as he pulled the Jounin closer.

Kakashi practically purred when Iruka’s mouth opened to allow his tongue to dart in. It quickly became apparent that they were both hungry for more contact as the kisses became more desperate and the touches bolder. Kakashi’s eye strayed towards the counter to spot a mixing bowl filled with cheesecake batter. A sly grin pulled at his mouth as he gently steered the unsuspecting Chuunin into position by pressing his back against the counter.

“What are you--?“ Iruka looked confused as Kakashi pulled away to dip his fingers into the bowl, and gasped when a cool hand snaked under his apron and shirt to push the garments up until both his stomach and chest were exposed.

“Just experimenting,” Kakashi hummed as he traced a line of cheesecake batter starting from the middle of Iruka’s collar bone and down his toned stomach only to stop a few inches below the navel. “I’ve never had Iruka flavored cheesecake before. I‘m sure you‘re full of creamy goodness.“ Kakashi leaned over to lap up the batter on Iruka’s chest.

Iruka shivered as the tongue slowly made its way downward at an agonizing pace. Kakashi slipped from his grasp the further down he traveled, and Iruka could only groan with need as the licks become more heartfelt around his stomach.

Kakashi watched Iruka’s reactions very closely, alert for any signs of discomfort as his mouth neared the southernmost region of the sensei’s body. He did not want to ruin the moment by pushing too far beyond Iruka’s comfort level, despite the fact that he could clearly see the other man’s arousal. With the last of the batter gone, Kakashi withdrew his tongue and casually brushed his lips below Iruka’s navel where a soft line of dark hair trailed to disappear below his trouser’s waistline. Iruka’s grip on the edge of the counter tightened until his knuckles turned white, and his hips bucked slightly in anticipation as he saw Kakashi’s lips move even further down to nuzzle at the bulge. Iruka realized then that Kakashi was waiting for him to give some sign of content, and with a shaky hand he reached out to encourage Kakashi to continue.

With a smile, Kakashi gave Iruka’s stomach one last lick before tugging his Hitai-ate off his head. The sharingan swirled in its socket as it was released from the darkness, Kakashi wanted to remember everything that happened tonight in perfect photographic detail. Iruka hissed at the sudden burst of cold as he unzipped the pants and edged them far enough off to allow his mouth better access.

"Oh GODS!" Iruka moaned and threw his head back at the sensation of Kakashi’s mouth engulfing his dick, and ignored the pain of banging the back of his head on the cupboards in doing so. He ran his fingers through Kakashi’s silvery hair and gripped it forcefully by the roots in the Jounin’s scalp to urge his movements.

‘What a kinky sensei.’ Kakashi thought with amusement as he continued to make Iruka stutter and curse in a very enticing way. He was extremely fortunate to have had the time to consult the flowers earlier that day, the advice had proven to be quite invaluable so far in what turned the sensei on (though of course, it could just be coincidence). Kakashi hummed in pleasure as he sucked, and at the added sensation Iruka shuddered and roughly pulled the Jounin’s head away.

“Please, I need you to stop.” Iruka panted, his cheeks were flushed and his eyes glazed over in lust. “I’m sorry, I was getting too close.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Kakashi straightened from his crouch to be at eye level.

“I was, ah…“ Iruka pushed his apron down to cover his erection (though the evidence was still quite obvious) “I was thinking that maybe…“ Iruka fidgeted and looked away, his blush more furiously red than ever before. He muttered something under his breath.

“What was that?” Kakashi leaned closer to hear, and Iruka bowed his head down and very faintly whispered, “I don’t really need to walk straight tomorrow.”

Oh yes, a very kinky sensei indeed. Kakashi glanced around the messy kitchen. “Here?”

Iruka looked up to meet Kakashi’s eyes, and with a mischievous smirk he swung his hand out behind to knock aside the cooking utensils and two of the cheesecakes onto the floor.

“How could you!” Kakashi lamented at the ruined cakes, but his attention was soon diverted from the tragedy the moment Iruka hopped to sit on the counter and grabbed the front of Kakashi’s flack-vest to yank him close for a passionate kiss.

“It’s my kitchen.” Iruka growled as he struggled out of his pants. “Didn’t anyone tell you to never complain with the cook?”

“Baker, technically.” Kakashi corrected as he removed Iruka’s apron and dug for the small bottle of weapon oil in his pocket, which quite handily doubled as a lubricant. Shinobi tools were always practical and efficient. After dipping a finger in the bottle he encouraged Iruka to reposition a little closer over the edge of the counter, then very lightly ran his fingertips up the inside of Iruka’s tanned thighs before gently probing at the puckered entrance.

“Ah!” Iruka hissed and curled his toes. “Cold!”

“It‘s my lube.” Kakashi replied as he carefully worked his finger in. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you to never complain during sex?” He snickered when Iruka playfully smacked him upside the head at the snark. They both fell silent as they concentrated on the task at hand, Iruka inhaled sharply at the intrusion of another finger, and did his best to relax while Kakashi made a scissoring motion inside.

Kakashi pulled away once he felt that Iruka was ready, and squeezed more of the oil into his hand to cover his own exposed erection. He made a little gasp at the contact. “It is cold!”

“Told you so.” Iruka smiled nervously as he watched Kakashi position himself, and inhaled sharply when the Jounin very, very slowly eased himself inside. It was almost torture, how it did but did not hurt. Iruka bit down hard on his lower lip to keep himself from crying out as he was stretched and filled with a burning sensation.

“You okay?” Kakashi sounded as if he were at his limit for self control. “You’re very tight.”

Iruka nodded and exhaled with a grimace, it had been a while for him. “I thought that you were going to make me walk funny?” he challenged Kakashi with a lopsided grin.

“My my,” Kakashi pulled back with a devious glint in his eye. “Aren’t you full of surprises? I think that I’m beginning to like you even more, sensei.”

“Me--ah!--too.” Iruka grunted at the quick snap of Kakashi’s hip. The burning sensation was quickly fading to something that could be easily ignored while his partner moved. Kakashi continued with the slow pace (interjected with a few quick surprise thrusts) as he tried to find the right angle. He knew he had found it when Iruka yelped and involuntarily tightened around him.

“There it is,” Kakashi smirked triumphantly.

Iruka loosened his grip on the back of the Jounin’s vest and drew in a deep breath. “Harder.”

Kakashi was only too happy to comply with Iruka’s request. He withdrew until the tip of his cock was nearly out. He waited for half a moment like a deep breath before a dive, then mercilessly rammed in. Beads of sweat slicked down his face as he gave into the instinct to rut without abandon. Iruka either did not notice or care that his shoulders and head pounded into the cabinets, the dishes inside rattling in protest at each powerful thrust. Iruka gabbled in both curses and praise while clawing desperately at the Jounin’s back and keened in ecstasy as each push brought him closer to the edge. He wrapped a leg around Kakashi’s waist and bucked into each push.

Kakashi shuddered at the sensation of the sensei coming undone beneath him. Iruka choked out a cry as he came (though Kakashi thought it had something to do with his name) and with the added sensation he was not too far behind in following.

The both remained wordlessly leaning against each other as the aftershocks tingled throughout their limbs. Iruka’s thighs trembled slightly as he began to unwind his legs from around the Jounin. “That was…” he swallowed in an effort to wet his dry throat and give himself time to search for the right words. “Fantastic!”

Kakashi hummed an agreement as he carefully withdrew, and noted the evidence of Iruka‘s pleasure between them on their clothes. With his thumb, Kakashi caught a droplet off his ruined black pants and sampled it with a quick flick of his tongue. “My, you are full of creamy goodness!” He smirked at the scandalized look on the sensei’s face. At the mention of creamy treats, Kakashi glanced down at the destroyed cheesecakes on the floor and his lower lip began to tremble. “Such a waste!”

“I don’t know why you’re so sad.” Iruka comforted Kakashi by nuzzling the crook of the Jounin’s neck, and enjoyed his musky scent. “I’ll just make more cheesecake for you next time.”

At hearing Iruka’s offhanded statement, Kakashi thought at that moment that his head might explode with joy. He impulsively grabbed the Chuunin’s face by the cheeks to pepper him with kisses.

“Easy!” Iruka laughed as he pushed Kakashi away to slide off the counter. He reached for his discarded pants and sighed wearily at the mess that surrounded them. “I want to at least take a shower if I can’t clean my apartment tonight.” He quirked an eyebrow at Kakashi. “Coming?”

“You’re just too adorable.” Kakashi chuckled as he happily followed Iruka towards the bathroom. Neither him nor the sensei would probably get much sleep tonight, but the memories will give him a reason to hurry back once his mission was completed. There was going to be a next time when he came home.

****

Iruka did walk a little funny the following morning. He walked (or more correctly, nearly hobbled) with a light bounce to his step and grinned secretively at anyone who inquired about his good mood. Kakashi might be gone for a month, but he was already looking forward to the Jounin’s return (and with a few ideas on how to welcome him home.)

He knew something was amiss the moment he entered his classroom. All of the student’s chattering abruptly ceased the instant he closed the door behind him. Iruka narrowed his eyes and glanced about the room suspiciously, his chakra feeling out for any unexpected traps that his unruly students might have set.

“Iruka-sensei, Iruka-sensei!” Konohamaru cried, waving his arms for attention. “Look at what’s on your desk!”

Iruka’s gaze traveled from his student’s curious faces to creep towards his desk and spotted a beautiful bouquet placed on the surface. Iruka groaned inwardly as he walked over to reach for the card attached to a rose. Knowing his students, they had already read its message and were about to burst with questions. The card was written in a neat flowing script that he recognized immediately as belonging to his former student and florist Yamanaka Ino.

Dear Iruka,

Thank you so much for the wonderful evening. I ordered these flowers especially for you, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed your company last night. I can’t wait to taste your creamy goodness again.

---Kakashi

Iruka suppressed another groan, knowing full well that thanks to Ino and her tendency for gossip, half the village already knew of his relationship with Hatake Kakashi.

“Sensei!” Konohomaru demanded seriously. “Why does Kakashi-sensei want to taste your creamy goodness?”

Iruka vowed then that he was going to shove a whole cheesecake down Kakashi’s throat when he returned.

Fin

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