Author's Note: THIS IS REALLY BAD.  I just want that to go on record.  Other warnings include possible drowning in sap and probable non-canon/fanon. 

  A Simple Scene  

Iruka pushed the door open, not entirely sure if he should have knocked first. He had practically run all the way here, only restraining his pace in compliance with public courtesy. The little place was quiet except for a vague rustle of a page turning from the bedroom. Iruka tossed his coat on the shabby couch and slipped his shoes off, padding softly toward the back. Peering into the room, he saw Kakashi flopped on the bed with a book. A dim light was shining from the bed stand, only enough to illuminate the words on the page.

"Kakashi...? This better be good--I skipped a meeting at the acad—" Iruka began.

Setting down the book, the Jounin looked up and smiled. "Hi...sorry I didn't come to the door."

Kakashi's face was a bit too pale, his eyes a bit too dark, and his voice a little too tired for Iruka's liking. All flashes of annoyance melted from Iruka's mind at the agreeable, yet slightly off image in the room. With a questioning look, he walked over to the side of the bed and looked down curiously at Kakashi. The Jounin stretched a little and smiled with closed eyes under his gaze.

"I think I over-did it a little with the Sharingan yesterday," he said lightly, punctuated by a short cough.

Iruka jumped, having almost entirely zoned out, lost in his own thoughts. For a moment he could only let his eyes travel around Kakashi's face...along the soft smile, around the curve of his cheek, down the jagged line of the scar over his eye.

"...You look sick..." Iruka finally managed to get out.

"Do I?" Kakashi looked mildly surprised at this concept. "I don't feel a hundred percent, that's for sure..."

Iruka sat carefully on the edge of the bed and hesitantly touched the Jounin's face with his fingertips. "You're burning up...."

"I'll be alright," Kakashi answered quickly.

"You shouldn't have been pushing yourself so hard in the cold weather," Iruka scolded, tugging the blankets up higher around the other ninja.

"Yes, mother," the Jounin answered playfully, wriggling his arms out of the blankets with a wince.

A look of worry crossed Iruka's features and started to reach out again, but stopped for fear of what Kakashi might think of such an action. Instead, he reached around and adjusted the pillows absently under the disarray of silvery hair, a faint blush spreading over his cheeks. As Iruka's left arm drew back, Kakashi grabbed his hand and twined their fingers together while at the same time drawing the blankets up over his face to cover all but his tired eyes. Shocked and more than a little pleased, Iruka stared in disbelief at the overly warm hand in his. Kakashi didn't say anything, just hid under the blanket and let his eyes close slowly. Iruka pulled his hand away gently and slid his hands over the Jounin's face, leaning close so his lip barely brushed Kakashi's cheek. He stayed close for a long moment, feeling his friend's arms clasp tightly around his back, a gesture Iruka was quite sure would be painful for the Jounin's aching muscles.

"You need to be resting," Iruka chided quietly into Kakashi's ear.

"I am...."