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Kakashi is just leaving for a mission when he catches sight of Iruka-sensei bending over out of the corner of his eye. Almost instinctively, he whips up his hitai-ate and takes a quick photo with his Sharingan, saving the mental image for later, when he’ll undoubtedly be cold, hungry, and most probably in need of a pleasant distraction from the pain of his most recent injury.
“Thanks,” he says with a wave. Iruka just blinks at him, straightening with the errant paper he’d dropped in his hand.
“Huh?” he says, but Kakashi is already through the front gates and leaping for the trees.
It’s several days later when Kakashi comes back, indeed cold, hungry, and limping a little from a rather nasty cut on his thigh. His dark mood improves greatly after he walks into the mission room just in time to see Iruka stretch his arms over his head, his flak jacket and shirt riding up enough to bare a couple inches of wonderfully tan, toned flesh. It’s too much to resist, and Kakashi snaps another pic with his Sharingan before anyone can notice. The sudden wave of dizziness is worth it.
“Thanks,” he says, and gets another confused blink in return.
“For what?” Iruka asks, but Kakashi has already dropped his blood-stained report on the desk and ducks out the nearest window.
The next week, Kakashi is on the run from Gai and yet another silly competition, this one involving who can eat the most dog biscuits, so he takes shelter in the large tree in front of the Academy, landing on an upper branch and concealing himself in the thick foliage. He glances in through the window next to his hiding spot to find the classroom empty, the lesson concluded, though Iruka-sensei is still seated behind his desk, hunched over as he grades papers. Kakashi is delighted to see Iruka sit up, give his shoulders a roll, then reach up to pull his hair free of its confining ponytail and shake it out, combing the long locks back with his fingers. Another peek, another saved image. Kakashi is building up quite the album.
“Thanks,” he says through the open window, Iruka jerking in surprise.
“Why?!” he shouts after Kakashi, but he’s seen Gai (the green jumpsuit is hard to miss) and beats a hasty retreat.
After a few days, Kakashi is finally recovered from eating thirty-six dog biscuits and decides to go out to one of the training grounds for some practice. He arrives to find a very sweaty, very shirtless, and very hot Iruka-sensei just wrapping up his own session. He stares at the other man’s glistening pectorals, entranced by the beads of sweat slowly gliding down towards his chiseled abs and prominent hip-bones. He doesn’t even need the Sharingan for this one, he knows he’ll remember this particular image for the rest of his life. He’ll be seeing it in his dreams.
“Thank you,” Kakashi says simply. “Just...thank you.”
“For the last time, for WHAT?!” Iruka cries, exasperation bleeding around the edges of his voice. Kakashi moves to walk by him, but stops short as Iruka flings an arm out. “No! NO! You do NOT just walk away this time! I demand an explanation!”
“Do you have something against being thanked?” Kakashi cocks an eyebrow at him in amusement.
“I do when I don’t know what it’s for,” Iruka shoots right back, huffing. “Seriously, why do you keep thanking me? I haven’t even done anything!”
“Oh, but you have.” Kakashi winks, which only makes Iruka sputter with indignation.
“What? What ?! What could I possibly have done?!” He throws his hands up in defeat.
“This,” Kakashi explains, gesturing grandly at him from head to toe. Iruka stares, dumbfounded.
“You just...gestured to all of me.”
“Exactly.”
Iruka blinks. Blinks again. And then slowly turns red. The color washing across his cheekbones compliments Iruka’s already dark complexion in such a lovely way that Kakashi has to resist taking another photo. Despite what people think, he does have some tact.
Also, he’d probably get slapped.
Finally Iruka clears his throat.
“...Oh. Um. Okay.” He shuffles his feet awkwardly. “You’re...welcome?”
Kakashi simply nods and goes to walk by him again. Iruka makes no move to stop him this time, instead frowning at the ground and biting his lip.
“You know...” he says after a moment, bringing Kakashi to a halt beside him, “there are other ways to show your appreciation than just thanking me.” Kakashi tilts his head, bemused.
“...How?”
Iruka stares at him, considering. Blushes a shade darker.
“...You could buy me dinner.”
Or several, Kakashi decides. He is, after all, quite thankful.
-End-