Prologue: Feeling the Strain
"Are you alright?"
Kakashi snaps out of the haze he was in and takes notise at Tsunade.
"Didn't know you cared." Tsunade looks like she wants to squeeze something, hard, when an outrageous smirk spreads on his face.
"Brat…" Low voice is a warning, but doesn't restrain Kakashi's smile. He covers up prettily the mistake he made as he spaced out in front of the Hokage. She doesn't need to know that Kakashi just wants to drag himself home and sleep at least a week. Such an easy mission shouldn't wore him out so much. He has just been feeling himself strangely tired lately.
"Yeah, I'm alright." Tsunade measures him a moment, but soon lets him leave her office.
Kakashi walks lazily out of the Hokage-tower and in to the streets of Konohagakure. People pass him by in hurry, but he doesn't care to acknowledge anyones existence. His mind wonders to his bed and his icha icha -s and the comfort of his own hand, but nothing more even crosses his mind. He just need to wind up a little.
"Kakashi!" a rough voice calls his name, and he winces internally.
"Yo, Ibiki", he greets the man with his normal joyful smile.
"How was the mission?"
"Good, nothing difficult." I want my bed.
"I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?"
Stop the questioning, it's so tiresome. "Fine. Just a little busy. Lots to do, with the kids, and assignments…"
"You should relax sometimes." What do you think I'm trying to do right now? Let me go, I want sleep. "Never seen you date anybody. Maybe a nice girl would help you take some time off."
At the same time Kakashi blushes and winces. Gosh, if he actually got somebody, but not a girl! All that jiggly-juggly round stuff on the hips and the appendages on the chest area. Yuck. But a nice hard body pressing to his… He gulps and blushes more. I like my mask.
"Or maybe a guy…?" Ibiki questions as he sees Kakashi's wince.
"Mmh…" is all Kakashi can muster out as he tries to get his mind out of the gutter.
"So a guy then. Anyone special in mind?" What's up with the interrogation? "Okay, I wont pressure you, but you know that you can talk to me if you want. That's what friends are for, right?"
"Thanks Ibiki." Kakashi waves and almost runs away.
How did he…?
Damn Ibiki for knowing him so well. Now all Kakashi could think about was getting laid. If that finally happened… But who would want him? If it hadn't happened yet, the statistical likelihood that it would now was nudging towards zero. He kept his lazy appearance up as he walked closer to his apartment. He would happily take a one-night-stand if he didn't have to settle with his hand tonight.
With these thoughts he turns around the corner to see the training ground of the academy, and there, on the field, something absolutely gorgeous. Tanned muscled body bending with movement, weapons flying from hands, that should be too tender to wield them, and long hair tied high. Oh yes, a shirtless Umino Iruka is definitely a sight for sore eye.