He was seated on the couch, pajamas on, pen in hand and grading papers. It was getting late, but Iruka had several more to go before being finished. His eyes glanced to the clock – it was already 10:30 – and then glanced back at the ungraded assignments. Kakashi wasn't home yet. He could grade a few more.

Two papers later, he heard the door open and close. He looked up to find an annoyed-looking jounin entering the apartment.

"Welcome home, Kashi." He was having trouble keeping a smirk off of his face as he was answered by a grunt that he'd long ago decided meant, 'Why, good evening, dear. I hope you're well.' He couldn't resist –

"Have fun escorting the daimyo on his visit?" Iruka had to bite back a smile when an extremely irritated glare was sent his way. He watched as Kakashi kicked off his sandals and made his way past the couch to the hallway leading to the bathroom. When he heard the shower turn on, he went back to grading papers.

One particularly horrendous assignment later that threatened to kill his pen, he heard the shower turn off and Kakashi's bare feet padding back down the hallway to the living room. He looked up again to see a significantly less cranky, shirtless, pajama-clad jounin standing next to him.

Kakashi's low tenor rumbled in his ear as he made some unintelligible sound that Iruka had learned meant 'I'm going to bed' and placed a kiss on Iruka's cheek. Iruka glanced at his pile of unfinished grading – only three left.

"I'll be there in a minute, ok?" Kakashi grunted again, this time surely meaning, 'Don't stay up too late. Goodnight, my darling.' Iruka couldn't help but smile at his lover shuffling back down the hall before going back to his task.

Two papers and a new pen later, Iruka heard the pitter-patter of not-so-little feet on the hallway floor again. This time he didn't bother to look up – Kakashi was probably just thirsty.

So he was surprised when a pair of pale arms wrapped around him – one under his knees, one under his arms – and lifted him firmly into the air. Kakashi securely carried a protesting Iruka – "There's only one left!" – down the hall and into their bedroom, not saying a word. He deposited a still protesting Iruka on the bed and, before he could escape, climbed under the covers and pinned the brunet firmly, tucking his face into the crook of Iruka's neck.

Annoyed, Iruka tried to squirm away, but the arms around him and the leg draped over his own prevented him from moving. He tried to protest again –

"Kakashi, I'm serious. Le –" He was interrupted by a mumble against his neck. Confused, he tried unsuccessfully to get a look at the scarred face. "What?"

He felt Kakashi shift, lifting his mouth slightly from the skin of Iruka's neck.

"… Missed you…"

The last paper could wait until morning.