"Now for the make-up sex, right?" Kakashi asked, grinning wolfishly.

"What?" Iruka yelped, half pulling away out of surprise at the unexpected question. The blush on his cheeks darkened perceptively.

He pulled Iruka back towards him, bringing their mouths a hair's breadth apart. "Well, you have to make up for being so very mean to me, right?" The words caused their lips to brush, and Iruka shivered before they could even sink in. When the hand slid up his thigh, he swallowed but decidedly didn't move away.

The rustle of paper startled him, and he blinked as Kakashi pulled away. "Hey! Give that back!" He snatched at the piece of paper and missed.

"Oh? Is this important?" The silver-haired thief held the paper just out of Iruka's reach and grinned over at him. "Am I not supposed to read this?"

Iruka pushed him backwards onto the couch and made another grab for the paper, only to have it yanked away again. "It's not yours, you brat!"

"Well, in that case I'll give it back." The grin remained and, when Iruka reached for the piece of paper, Kakashi moved it to his other hand. "/After/ I'm done reading it."

Iruka sighed and glared down at the copy-nin. "If you don't give it back right now, I'll tell your obaa-san."

Kakashi's jaw dropped, and he chuckled lightly as he handed the paper back. "Fine, have your secret little notes."

Iruka snatched the paper and shoved it into the couch cushions. "Thank you. And, we will." He smirked and folded his hands on Kakashi's chest before resting his chin on them.

"I'm really not as stubborn as she claims," Kakashi said, wrapping his hands around the chunin. "And, don't worry, I don't think she'd really hurt you."

"You weren't supposed to read it." He pouted at the jounin and wondered how the man had managed to do so in the few moments he'd had the paper. "/And, you underestimate how over protective she is of you."

"Hmm... maybe, but if she hadn't decided to trust you, you wouldn't have been there when I got back from my mission. She's become extremely reclusive, in the last couple of decades." Kakashi tugged on a strand of Iruka's hair that had escaped from his ponytail. "So... you're going to guard me with your life, hmm?" The copy-nin asked with an amused smirk.

Iruka propped himself up and leaned forward to plant a kiss on Kakashi's lips. "Somebody has to." Shifting a little, he managed to position himself a bit closer so he could plant more little kisses on the man. He smiled when the jounin leaned into the kisses, opening his mouth slightly. Iruka lapped at the pale lips, keeping the kisses light and teasing. When Kakashi tried to deepen one particularly soft, slow kiss, Iruka pushed him backwards by the shoulders and smiled down at him.

"Please, just..." He asked, pressing their lips gently together again before breaking away. "Let me." Again, he leaned forward, this time nibbling on Kakashi's lower lip and drawing a whispered moan from the man. "I do want to make things up to you."

"Iruka, I didn't mean that." Kakashi brushed his fingers across the tanned cheek. "You don't need to. I was just teasing you."

He leaned into the touch, smiling. "I know." Turning, he kissed the pale wrist lightly. "I want to, though." Iruka felt the other relax and slowly returned his attentions to kissing the man; first on the lips, and then along the sharp line of Kakashi's jaw.

--edited for content--

"Mmm... so does this mean you like me?" Kakashi asked, chuckling softly. The copy-nin's breathing was still a little ragged.

"Maybe a little," he murmured against the flushed skin of the man's chest.

"Good, because I definitely like you. Maybe even a lot." The words were spoken softly, both more than a little sleepy.

He smiled and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

Iruka awoke when he tried to roll over and couldn't. Blinking sleepily, he opened his eyes to find Kakashi watching him rather intently. After a moment, it occurred to him that they'd shifted position, and he was lying between the back of the couch and a jounin with a rather possessive look on his face.

He yawned and smiled, fighting the desperate need to stretch. "You don't have to hold onto me quite so tightly, Kakashi-kun."

"I don't know. The last time I didn't, and you got away," the man replied, smirking.

"I promise not to run away." He attempted to stretch his legs and found they, too, were tangled rather thoroughly with the copy-nin's. Although, he did manage to stretch one, he had to settle for just his foot on the other.

"Hmm... I don't know. I like holding you," Kakashi said, squeezing him a little tighter.

"If you don't let me go, I won't let you follow me into the shower," Iruka threatened. "Besides, I /really/ need to stretch dammit."

Kakashi laughed softly before kissing the chunin on his forehead. "I love you, even if you do make rather silly threats."

"It's not a..." Iruka started before the other man's words sunk in and caused him to blush. "I love you, too." He'd known it was true the night before, when the other had made the promise not to leave. Although, saying it made it seem more real somehow.

The kiss was soft, chaste even, but still sent shivers down his back. When their lips parted, it took him a moment to recover. Kakashi leaned back, un-tangling his legs and, for the most part, releasing his hold on the chunin; although, a hand remained resting on his waist. Iruka stretched, then decided the shower could wait, and pulled Kakashi back against him.

Kakashi tossed a book on the counter and tried, unsuccessfully, to stop grinning. Even with the mask, he knew Kiko could see it. He had come to let her know things had worked out, even if his original intention hadn't been to give her the information without tormenting her a bit first. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to care.

"So, where were you last night?"

"Not here." He didn't move to take the book or pay for it, simply stood there grinning.

"Good." She handed him his book and went back to her inventory list.

He contemplated whether he should tease her about the threat she'd made to hurt Iruka if the chunin hurt him. Opening his book, Kakashi headed for the door. In the end, he'd decided not to, on the off chance he'd irritate her, and she'd do exactly what Tsunade had warned him against. Not that she'd poison her own grandson, but she wasn't above making him extremely uncomfortable. And, Kakashi wanted to remain in good health for the foreseeable future. Especially, since he had the next three days off.