Kakashi opened his door, slightly bleary-eyed - he wasn't exactly awake, nor exactly pleased to be awoken, Gai's latest Challenge had kept him out with his friend much later than he'd anticipated it would last night. He blamed that for extra moment it took to recognise the person on his doorstep. A very familiar, very cute, and usually - when Kakashi saw him, anyway - very indignant schoolteacher.

"Ah. . . Hello?" he said blankly. Iruka was at his door. Why was Iruka at his door? Iruka had never sought Kakashi out, much less at his home - Iruka barely spoke to him save when Kakashi found him, and then he could usually only trap Iruka at the missions desk.

"Ohayou!" Iruka said with a bright smile that made Kakashi feel like its warmth was not only directed straight at him - which it was for once, there was no one else to be seen - but somehow blooming inside his chest. "May I come inside please?" he asked.

Kakashi blinked. "Ah, actually-"

"Thank you!" Iruka stepped close and Kakashi let him inside, a quick couple of hand seals disabling the wards that would have thrown him out or attacked him even with Kakashi's implicit invitation. He closed the door and turned to watch Iruka walk into his apartment, not sure what to make of this.

Iruka turned towards him with a smaller smile that was somehow warmer still. "You are not twelve." he said, and Kakashi scratched the side of his head, wondering if Iruka was going to make any sense today.

"No, I'm not." Kakashi agreed, when it seemed like Iruka might be waiting for something. "I am aware of this, as you might be surprised to-"

"I work with twelve year olds all the time." Iruka said, tilting his head to one side, a knowing smile playing around his lips. "Kakashi-san, I recognise when a boy is trying to get attention - pulling at a ponytail, you could say," he reached up and ruffled his own lightly in illustration, "rather than simply meaning to be a bully. I just didn't expect to see it from a grown shinobi." he added, with a light snort.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Maa . . . I don't think I get your meaning, sensei." he said, with just enough of a smile that Iruka - who was quite observant - might see it behind his mask. Really, he hoped he didn't get Iruka's meaning correctly; surely the man wasn't. . .

"Don't you?" Iruka's smile didn't fade, and he raised an eyebrow in return, stepping towards Kakashi. He watched warily. "Aren't you supposed to be a genius, Copy Ninja no Kakashi?" Iruka said lightly, coming closer still.

"Maa. . ." Kakashi said uncomfortably. Sharingan was no help with sexy schoolteachers, or indeed with social interactions he'd never learned how to handle, even if he had been using it now.

"Could you really think of nothing better to get my attention, Kakashi-san?" Iruka asked, and Kakashi took half a step back, automatically cataloguing the ways he could exit this situation, though he couldn't exactly flee from Iruka in his own apartment. "I want you to stop." Iruka said firmly, and Kakashi choked down the sting of it.

"I," he paused, closing his eyes for a moment; he wouldn't try lying to Iruka now, "I am sorry if I . . . discomfited you in any way, Iruka-sensei." he said smoothly as he opened his eyes. "I will endeavour not to do so further."

Iruka walked right into his personal space in a way almost no one ever did - even if they'd stopped bandying about Nakamagoroshi no Kakashi most people still stayed away, showed wariness of him. Kakashi was more than used to being avoided. Iruka didn't even hesitate. Just like he didn't hesitate to swat Kakashi's hands away if he tried to sneak his mission scroll out of turn, or bellow at him when his reports were subpar.

"Kakashi," Iruka said, dropping the honorific and resting a hand on Kakashi's chest, and he didn't know which was more startling, "I don't think you are understanding me correctly."

"Iruka-sensei-" Kakashi began, but Iruka interrupted him.

"So let me be very clear." Iruka said, and reached up, fingertips brushing the top of Kakashi's mask. His eyes widened. Iruka smiled, then closed his eyes before he pulled Kakashi's mask down and kissed him firmly, cupping his jaw with a light touch.

Kakashi was stunned still for a moment, but then he reached up - a little wary - brushing his fingers over Iruka's cheek in return, tentatively returning the kiss. Iruka gently nudged his nose against Kakashi's before he retreated.

Eyes still closed, he pulled Kakashi's mask back up neatly over his nose.

"You don't have to needle me to get my attention," Iruka said, with a slight smile, as he met Kakashi's gaze, "you just have to ask. Or I suppose," he added, with a soft laugh, "you don't, since I came here on my own."

Kakashi just looked at him for a moment. He didn't waver. "If I did ask . . . would you come here again?" Kakashi asked, feeling a smile tug at his lips.

Iruka's smile widened, and he winked playfully. "Kakashi-san," he said primly, "I would do all manner of things, were you to ask me."

Kakashi's brows rose, and he grinned. "I'll keep that in mind." he promised silkily.

He pulled his mask down again, savouring the look of surprise on Iruka's face, and bent his head to kiss Iruka again. He paused just before their lips met. "I do so like the way you shout at me, though, sensei." he teased, and muffled the startled, indignant sound Iruka made with his lips.

Kakashi meant it, whatever Iruka thought - he was quite something when he was heated up and roundly scolding Kakashi like he was a naughty pre-genin rather than a jounin most people trod carefully around. He had no intention of giving up needling Iruka entirely.

And if it could lead to things like this . . . Kakashi would be a very happy man indeed.

He smiled against Iruka's mouth, bit playfully at his lower lip, and let his hands slide downwards over Iruka's fit, graceful body.

Omake

Iruka narrowed his eyes, feeling something was out of place. He looked over the training grounds critically - he was alone here for the moment, though his students would be descending upon them at any moment - but found everything as it should be.

A sharp tug at his ponytail made him jump, spinning to look behind him as he brought one hand to his hair, mouth open to scold whichever student had-

Iruka's eyes narrowed. None of his students were good enough to evade so well and there was no sign of anyone. He dropped a hand to his pouch but didn't yet draw a kunai, extending his senses to look for a chakra signature.

Another tug, a little lighter this time, startled him almost more than the first.

A lean body pressed against his back. "Ohayou, sensei." Kakashi purred in his ear, arms wrapping around his waist. Then his sparking, powerful chakra signature pinged off Iruka's senses.

Iruka was frozen for a moment, and then he dropped his hand, stifling disbelieving laughter. "Did you get up early just to stalk me at the training grounds and literally pull my ponytail, Kakashi?" he asked, tilting his head and looking sideways.

Kakashi's one visible eye curved up as he smiled under his mask.

Crazy jounin, Iruka thought, a smile pulling at his lips, and tipped his head to kiss Kakashi lightly, on top of the mask.