What is it like?

2. To hold hands

"Supper sounds like a good idea," Iruka sighed, rubbing his temple as he graded the last test paper.

"I'm sure nobody would mind if I helped you grade the papers," Kakashi said, leaning his head on his arms as he watched Iruka scribble a "B-" on the corner of the paper.

"I don't think I could trust you to mark any of the papers for fear of every single one of my students failing," Iruka sighed, packing the papers away and smiling at Kakashi as he watched with his head in his arms, "Don't worry, it hasn't been very difficult teaching you, and you've been cooking all the meals and cleaning, so I've got plenty of time on my hands," he said.

"That's what friends do, right?" Kakashi said, standing up as Iruka does.

"Well, most friends don't cook each other's meals or do their laundry," Iruka laughed, putting on his shoes and heading out, locking the door behind him as Kakashi followed dutifully.

"Kurenai does that for Asuma all the time," Kakashi pondered aloud.

"I think Kurenai and Asuma have surpassed the stage of being just friends," Iruka said with a chuckle.

"Does that mean we have as well?" Kakashi asked casually, following closely behind his teacher. He secretly grinned at the little blush on Iruka's cheeks.

"This is different. You only do those things for me out of self-imposed obligations," said Iruka.

"It's not really an obligation when you enjoy it," said Kakashi, appreciating the darkening blush on Iruka's cheeks.

"You enjoy washing my socks?" Iruka joked awkwardly.

"I enjoy cooking for you," Kakashi answered straightforwardly. Iruka shook his head lightly.

"That's very kind of you to say so," he said.

"I also quite enjoy washing your underwear," Kakashi continued. Iruka's face flared red as he spun on his toes, about to reprimand the jounin for his inappropriateness when Kakashi laughed openly, "I'm just teasing, Iruka-sensei. Your underwear is quite safe, don't worry."

"Kakashi, you're probably the most inappropriate student I've ever had," Iruka scowled, before giving in and chuckling lightly.

They were soon greeted by the bright lanterns and cheerful colours of the shopping district.

"Lots of couples out tonight," Iruka commented as they passed yet another couple walking past, arm in arm, the girl with her head rested upon the guy's shoulder, or nestled in his arms.

Kakashi was mostly silent after they entered a small restaurant and ordered some food, along with a bottle of sake.

"I have a new question for you," Kakashi said suddenly a while later as the waiter cleared up their plates.

"Go ahead," said Iruka, his cheeks lightly flushed from the alcohol.

"What's it like to hold hands?"

"You've never held hands before?" Iruka asked, looking up with a disbelieving frown. Kakashi shrugged. "How old are you?" Iruka asked, looking disbelieving.

"I'll be twenty six next year," Kakashi answered.

"And you've never even held somebody's hand?" Iruka frowned.

"Haven't had much experience with the whole relationship business," Kakashi shrugged again.

"So you're a…a virgin?" Iruka asked, the alcohol making it difficult to suppress his curiosity.

"I've had intercourse before, but all occasions were in order to complete my mission," said Kakashi boredly.

"Oh. Good. I was afraid for a moment that you'd ask me what sex was like…," Iruka laughed a charming blush on his cheeks

"I don't see the appeal in intercourse," said Kakashi honestly, "They moan and scream and pull ridiculous faces, and I really can't figure out why," he said.

"So…that means you've never had an…uh…," Iruka paused. He wasn't THAT drunk yet…

"An orgasm? Guess not. I've heard about it. One of the missions I mentioned required me to give the target an orgasm in order to learn how she released the poison she used to murder the seven victims she was accused of," Kakashi said detachedly, as though talking about retrieving a scroll or finding a lost nin.

"And you've no interest in finding out what it's like?" Iruka asked, his curiosity getting the better of him

"Will you show me?" Kakashi asked.

"No!" Iruka replied, a little louder than he'd intended to. Kakashi looked a little hurt by the outburst.

"Fine, no need to yell. Besides, it seems almost painful," he said, "But holding hands, that looks delightful," he grinned.

"Well, I guess the only way for you to learn that is if somebody showed you I guess," said Iruka, gazing around the room as though he might find somebody with a "Professional Hand-Holder" sign around her neck sitting in one of the booths.

"Who did you have in mind?" Kakashi asked.

"I have no idea. How do you even bring up that sort of thing? 'Hello, this is Kakashi. I need you to hold hands with him, if you don't mind'," Iruka laughed pleasantly.

"Will you do it? Please don't yell again," Kakashi added quickly. Iruka's actions paused at lifting a cup of sake towards his lips as he considered it, the little alcohol buzz wrapping warmly around his mind.

"Yeah, alright why not. It's just holding hands after all," Iruka said with a little blush. He put down his sake and lifted his hands so that his palm faced Kakashi. The jounin looked at the raised palm disapprovingly.

"Not like this. I meant holding hands properly. While walking down a street, or on a beach," said Kakashi stubbornly. Iruka stared at the silver haired man for a few seconds before he heaved a sigh and stood up, dropping some money onto the table and heading out.

"Well? Come along then," he said, turning to look at Kakashi over his shoulder when the man didn't follow, a tiny slur in his voice.

Kakashi eagerly stood and followed Iruka out the door. He felt his cheeks warm up slightly when warm fingers brushed against his as they walked down the busy street. He walked a little closer to Iruka, and gently wrapped his hand around the shorter man's warm palms, noticing the lovely blush on the chuunin's face as he desperately avoided eye contact.

"Is it everything you've ever dreamed it to be?" Iruka joked, trying not to enjoy the strong warmth around his fingers too much.

"Better," Kakashi said, a light curve in his eye as the two men strolled down the busy street, hand in hand, earning them more than a few odd glances, only half of which Iruka noticed due to his partial inebriation.

"You never came across as the romantic type," Iruka said awkwardly as they walked aimlessly, the charming blush now solidly evident in his cheeks at the sensation of Kakashi's strong fingers interlaced between his own.

"I try not to come across as anything much. That's my job, after all," Kakashi said, recognizing where they were and subtly tugging Iruka in the right direction.

"You come across as quite a lot of things," Iruka said softly, following Kakashi towards a lightly sloping hill.

"Yeah? Like what?" Kakashi asked, his hands tightening around Iruka's when the chuunin slowed down a little.

"Where are we going?" he asked uncertainly.

"You'll see when we get there," Kakashi said, smiling lightly. Iruka frowned for a moment before he started walking again, following Kakashi's lead as the older man pulled gently at his hand. "Still don't trust me, Iruka?" he asked softly, sounding a little hesitant.

"It's not that. It's just that I…," Iruka paused, unable to finish his sentence.

"What do I come across as?" Kakashi asked, changing the subject, sensing Iruka's discomfort.

"Odd," Iruka answered, immediately feeling guilty when Kakashi's curious eyes dropped to the ground and his pace slowed down.

"I've been told," said the jounin, "All the more reason for me to go through with these lessons," he said.

"You're trying to be normal?" Iruka asked, sounding disapproving. Kakashi looked up, a hint of surprise in his eye.

"Well, yes. That's the whole point. I want to know what it's like to be a civilian, in the hopes that I may learn to behave more like one," he said.

"You're a jounin, all jounin are supposed to be a little eccentric," Iruka lectured.

"Even jounin don't enjoy being alone, Iruka-sensei," said Kakashi lightly, glancing up at the sky, that was beginning to dim.

"So you thought I'd be the perfect person to teach you how to be average," Iruka sighed, staring at the ground as they walked, their hands still woven together, feeling so natural that they'd already forgotten that they were doing it deliberately.

"No, I wanted you to teach me because it would give me a good opportunity to hold your hand," Kakashi said cheekily, squeezing the warm hands enveloped by his own.

"You see? You're odd," Iruka said, glaring at the ground as his face heated up further. He felt the fingers slacken around his hand and he squeezed, "Odd isn't necessarily bad, Kakashi," he grinned at the older man.

"In my experience, it is," said the jounin, stopping at a giant tree on a cliff that overlooked the whole of Konoha.

"Yeah, well, I'm the teacher, and I say it isn't," Iruka said playfully, admiring the view, careful not to let Kakashi know that he was featured prominently in Iruka's peripheral vision.

"I could argue that you're the odd one for saying that," Kakashi smiled.

"Maybe I am. Is that a bad thing?" Iruka grinned.

"Not at all," Kakashi laughed, looking into the sky, "Next question, Iruka-sensei."