Note : I wrote this as a Christmas gift for my bestest friend, Shannon (zombiee girl). She adores this pairing. I'm not into yaoi like she is, so this was hard to write...I hope it turned out okay. She liked it :D Anyway, you can tell how much I love her, writing this when I don't even like yaoi that much. : )
Iruka idly kicked a rock down the deserted street. For him, most Saturdays were boring. There were no classes at the Academy, and with Naruto gone, next to no responsibilities to look after. Oh, there would be a mission here and there, but not as often anymore. It seemed like a good chance to relax at first, but things were so boring...
Irritated, Iruka kicked the rock hard, and it flew down the street at lightning speed. He watched it sail with a grumpy look fixed on his face.
"Ow" said a voice suddenly. Iruka jumped. He hadn't noticed Kakashi stepping out into the street, straight into the path of the flying rock. Kakashi dropped the book he had been reading in surprise, its pages landing face down in the dirt road.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Iruka called, rushing forward. "Are you okay? I was just...irritated and, I didn't know anyone was near. Here, I'll get your book..."
"No!" Kakashi almost threw Iruka across the street in his dive to get the book first "I mean, I got it."
"Uh...right...well...sorry again, I guess I'll be going now..." Iruka said awkwardly, brushing dust off himself from where Kakashi had caused him to stumble.
"Wait..." Kakashi looked a bit sorry "It's just...these books...well, I didn't want you to...I guess I just..." Kakashi sent him a pleading look "Jiraiya writes them, for goodness sake"
Iruka chuckled.
"It's okay, I understand" he said "Dare I ask what they're about?"
Kakashi averted his eyes.
"You probably don't want to know..."
"Ah..." Iruka was at a loss for what to say next.
"So, you were Naruto's teacher?" Kakashi said suddenly. Iruka nodded "He looks up to you a lot, you know. You're very important to him. It must be hard to be away from him for this long"
Iruka looked at the ground sadly.
"Yeah, it is," he admitted "It's...lonely, I guess..."
Silence fell between the two men, each looking in a different direction now.
"Hey...um...Iruka..." Kakashi said, breaking the quiet. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "How about we go get some ramen?"
"Uh...okay. I'll treat you, to make up for hitting you with that rock..."
"It's no big deal." Kakashi said, laughing slightly.
They walked to Ichiraku's in silence. Iruka noticed Kakashi started reading the book again, but he forced himself to look away, no matter how nosey he was to see what it was really about. He looked to the sky instead, which was a light shade of blue today, with wispy clouds off in the distance.
Ichiraku's was almost as deserted as the streets. Kakashi looked around before taking a table away from the counter and street, angling his seat so that his back was to both. Iruka didn't think anything of this, he was just glad to have someone to eat ramen with again.
Each of them pulled their bowls closer and began to eat. Kakashi paused to pull his mask down before doing so. Iruka thought nothing of this, considering he didn't know him well enough to know this was more than a rarity.
"Sorry I was so rude back at the chunin exam" Kakashi said seemingly out of nowhere, surprising Iruka.
"...Pardon?" Iruka said after a moment of Kakashi staring at him expectantly.
"Do you recall me pushing you down when you were arguing with Hokage-sama about my team 7?"
Iruka looked away quickly, hoping Kakashi wouldn't notice that he had taken his words - pushing you down - dirty.
What's wrong with you, Iruka? He thought Get your mind out of the gutter!
"Ha ha..." Iruka cleared his throat, and paused to recall the event "Um...yeah, I...I remember that now"
"Yes...I'm sorry for being rude" Kakashi repeated.
"You don't have to apologize for that" Iruka said, waving it off. "Besides, it was such a long time ago."
"Thank you but..." Kakashi looked into his eyes "Just accept the apology, okay?"
"Uh...okay" Iruka said, "I forgive you" Kakashi smiled.
"Thank you" he said "I feel better now"
"You were worried about that?"
"It's important to let go of regrets and fix as many past mistakes as possible..." Kakashi explained. Then he drew his eyes back to his ramen bowl.
"Oh..." Iruka said, without anything else to say.
He took advantage of the silence to study Kakashi's face. He couldn't help but notice how lovely it was. His smile was small and cute, and his skin was a soft, creamy color. Except for one line protruding from under his hitai-ate, underneath his left eye. A ragged scar lid there in a thin line, a shade or two darker than the rest of his smooth face.
I wonder what that's from... Iruka thought idly.
"Why..." Iruka paused, considering his words "Why do you wear that mask all the time? Without it you look so...I mean, it's not like you're...bad looking..."
Kakashi looked skyward, his expression contemplating.
"It gives me a certain air of mystery, don't you think?"
"I guess so" Iruka laughed, "But doesn't it take away from the whole mystery if you take your mask down all the time?"
"Well, actually" Kakashi met Iruka's gaze directly now "You're the first one to see me with my mask off in a long, long time. Not even my students have seen my real face"
"W-What?" Iruka stuttered "B-But...I mean, why...me?"
"Several reasons. I have observed you very carefully..."
Iruka felt his cheeks flare up.
Damn it, what's wrong with me today? He thought angrily.
"Well, can I know what you find so...trustworthy about me?"
"No"
"What? Why?"
"I have to keep something about me mysterious or I won't be interesting anymore." Kakashi said with a shrug. Iruka sighed in irritation, pushing away his empty bowl.
"What do I have to do to get you to tell me, then?" he asked, fighting off the dirty thoughts arising into his head as hard as he could.
What's with these...fruity...thoughts all of a sudden? I'm losing it. Sheesh, I've never thought about that kind of thing before. Maybe it's genjutsu! No, who am I kidding? It must be Kakashi...he's so...NO! What am I saying?! Iruka gave his head a sharp shake.
"Well...you can come for a walk with me now" Kakashi suggested innocently.
"Yeah, okay, sure" Iruka said, thankful for the excuse to be able to look in a different direction most of the time.
"We could go to my apartment, too, if you want"
Iruka's felt his body temperature rising at a terribly fast rate.
He tried to say several things at once, but only managed a really messed up half laugh, his voice cracking in the middle of it. Kakashi might have smiled, but he wasn't sure, as he had pulled his mask up in the middle of doing so.
"I m-mean, yeah, of course." Iruka said finally.
The two walked out of Ichiraku's together, Kakashi leading the way and Iruka feeling a little silly following behind him, still red in the face and considerably hot.
He couldn't help but feel relieved when Kakashi took his book out again. It took off the pressure to say something - which he didn't want to do, in case he laughed like a fool again - and gave him the chance to look away for a little while, letting the breeze cool his heated face.
Kakashi made a right turn out of no where after a few minutes of walking, and Iruka was so disoriented he almost didn't notice. They had reached Kakashi's apartment. The heat spread across Iruka again, leaving all the cooling the breeze had done completely pointless.
"It's rather tiny, I hope you don't mind" Kakashi said as he swung open the door.
"It can't be any smaller than mine" Iruka answered.
Don't, even go there! He chastised himself. What is wrong with me?!
It turned out the apartment really was smaller than Iruka's, though not by very much. He was surprised. He hadn't known much about Kakashi before that day, so he hadn't realized how much they had in common.
Kakashi threw his book onto a random counter and yawned through his mask. Iruka looked around the room awkwardly, unsure of where to go.
"Sit down" Kakashi said, waving his arm at the bed as if he had read Iruka's mind. Iruka sat there, his face reddening to an even deeper shade.
"S-so...Now can I know what it is about me that makes you trust me so much?" he asked. Kakashi sat on a rickety looking chair across from him.
"I suppose I can tell you now" Kakashi said. "But first, you should know it took me a good deal of time to decide I really should trust you"
"How long?"
"Well, I noticed how much you cared for Naruto at the chuunin exams. So..." he paused to think "After that, I started watching you to see if I really should trust you"
"Watching me? So you've been stalking me the past couple years?"
"That's a very blunt way to put it."
"Ah ha ha..." Iruka laughed nervously and cleared his throat "So, you decided to trust me because..."
"Well, the final series of observations were completed today" Kakashi explained "It began with the book. I made it seem mysterious and tempting on purpose, but you didn't look at it when you had the chance"
"Oh...I didn't want you to think I was nosey..."
"And you accepted my apology without complaint." Kakashi added next "Some people argue before accepting apologies, but you didn't. I don't like arguments."
"Well, no...it's not a big deal-"
"And lastly..." Kakashi said, with an slight air of grandeur "You're mind is like mine."
"Uh...What's that now?"
"You're perverted" Kakashi said, being blunt once again.
"I'm not!" Iruka argued, feeling his face heat once again.
"I carefully chose my words so that they could be taken in a...well, in a dirty way" Kakashi admitted "And each one you took in the vulgar way that I intended. I could tell by the way your facial color changed and your body temperature increased."
"Uh...uh...uh..." Iruka's voice stuck.
"In fact, it's happening again now"
"Stop that!" Iruka protested, his whole face completely red and warm now.
"Oh, am I making you nervous?"
"Yes, dammit, you're making me nervous!"
"Sorry" Kakashi said, smiling sweetly "But at least now you know how I've felt all day"
"Huh?" Iruka all but forgot his own nervousness for a moment.
"You make me nervous. I just don't show it as easily"
"Why would I make you nervous?" Iruka demanded.
"Because..." Kakashi looked at the floor "You're so perfect, and I'm afraid I'll lose you"
Iruka was at a total loss for words.
"...Kakashi..." he managed after almost a full minute of only a gaping stare "...You...Why...you're the one...aah!"
Kakashi looked up. Iruka sighed.
"You're the perfect one" Iruka finally got out "I'm just...me...You're the copy ninja Kakashi. You're a legend!"
"Well...thank you..." Kakashi said "But I have to insist that you are far greater than you give yourself credit for"
Iruka met Kakashi's eyes then, and he knew he wasn't lying. Kakashi's normally dull eyes were sparkling the way a person's eyes sparkle when they are speaking of something they are passionate about.
Then Iruka's brain seemed to turn off, and he reached forward, towards Kakashi, and pulled off his mask, slowly and deliberately. Kakashi moved forward in his chair, so that his knees were brushing Iruka's. He touched the skin of Kakashi's soft face, tracing the lines of it with his fingers, and brushing over his scar. Kakashi simply closed his eyes, his arms limp in his lap.
"Iruka" he said after a few minutes "I didn't tell you what was the most important thing I observed yet"
"What's that?" Iruka asked distractedly, still idly tracing patterns on Kakashi's face. Kakashi opened his eyes as Iruka moved his fingers over his brow, and met his eyes steadily.
"I love you"
"...Kakashi..." Iruka whispered. "I barely know you. But all day you've made me feel nervous and all...all hot..." he let out a breath, and Kakashi shivered a little at the touch of it on his cheek.
"Iruka..." Kakashi whispered heavily.
Iruka turned redder than he had all day before answering.
"...I barely know you..." he repeated.
Kakashi didn't answer this time. He leaned in and pulled the elastic out of Iruka's hair, pausing to run his fingers through it and sigh into his ear.
Iruka shivered, a deep shiver that went all the way through him.
Oh what the hell. He thought.
He leaned in then, and kissed him on the mouth.
Kakashi wasted no time on surprise, and jumped forward out of his chair. Iruka fell backwards, onto the bed, and Kakashi laughed a little.
"This is insane" Iruka said aloud, grabbing onto Kakashi's vest with both fists. "This is crazy..." Kakashi pushed the chair away, balancing himself on the bed with his knee.
"I wholly agree..." Kakashi started, moving in closer to Iruka now. He kissed him roughly, leaving Iruka short of breath and considerably dazed. "...But that's what makes it fun."
They moved further up on the bed. Kakashi tugged at the zipper of Iruka's vest.
"...I barely know you..." Iruka said again, his voice quiet now.
"Should I stop?" Kakashi asked, a tone of reluctance in his voice.
"...No, I'm about to get to know you" Iruka said, smiling lightly. Kakashi smiled back, unzipping the rest of his vest.
"You're the uke" he said.
When Iruka awoke, he had one of those moments where you have no idea where you are. He blinked slowly at the unfamiliar ceiling, wondering why he could feel the coolness of a wall pressed against his right arm. Why was he so close to the wall?
He tried to roll over, but something was blocking the way.
"Hmnn..." came the thing blocking him. Iruka blinked again, his brain moving in slow motion.
It was fairly dark in the room, but the curtains were of a light fabric, and let a little bit of soft light filter in from outside. Iruka squinted around, waiting for his eyes to adjust.
Suddenly the thing next to him - he was almost on top of it, he realized - drew in a long breath through its nose and exhaled in a sigh-like way before settling back into a contended steady breathing again.
Iruka settled back against the pillow. The peaceful breathing next to him made him feel peaceful too. He closed his eyes, thinking about falling back to sleep, when he remembered what was going on.
He sat bolt upright, yanking the covers up over himself and the man crammed in next to him, half hanging off the tiny bed.
"Ohmigosh!" Iruka cried, blurring the words together with the fog of sleep "I...you...! What about school...?!"
"It's the weekend" Kakashi mumbled.
"Last night we..."Iruka's face burned.
"Get back into bed. You're making me cold."
"Sorry..." Iruka lid back down, his still loose hair spreading over the pillow once again. He shifted until he was comfortable, the fabric of his pants awkward in the bed.
"You can remove those if you want" Kakashi said calmly. He wrapped one leg around Iruka's, tugging gently at them with his feet. Iruka jolted violently, then calmed himself a little when he felt at least the light fabric of boxers still clothing Kakashi.
"No, I'm good." Iruka said, willing his breathing to go back to normal. Kakashi laughed slightly and moved his leg back again, so that one was half hanging off the minuscule bed.
"Go back to sleep then." Kakashi said softly, brushing his mouth across Iruka's bare shoulder before moving back over to his side of the pillow. Iruka settled back, and the room descended into silence again. Both of them shut their eyes, but Iruka's mind was still going full speed ahead.
"One last thing,"Iruka broke the silence "Um..."
"I'm not annoyed with you. Keep your uncomfortable pants on if you want." Kakashi interrupted.
"That's not what I was going to say," Iruka said. He started yanking the pants off anyway, kicking underneath the sheets like a little kid. He gave them one last kick and they fell outside the sheets and landed with a dull thud on the floor at the foot of the bed.
"Happy now, you perv?" Iruka said.
"Yes!" Kakashi answered cheerfully, unashamed. "Now what was it you were going to say?"
"...I was going to say you should come closer, so you have more room" Iruka mumbled.
"There's no way I can possibly have any more room..." Kakashi muttered. Iruka fell into unmistakably disappointed silence.
"...Not that I'm objecting." Kakashi added. He moved in closer, wrapping his arms around Iruka, and pressing his bare chest to his bare back.
"Happy now, you perv?" he mimicked lightly.
Iruka couldn't help but laugh.
"Yes I am, thank you." he said buoyantly. Kakashi laughed too, his breath tickling Iruka's ear and making him shiver.
"...Go to sleep." Kakashi whispered. Iruka shivered again.
"Quit distracting me and I might be able to" Iruka muttered.
"Hmmmnn" Kakashi let out a gentle, quiet little laugh. He closed his eyes and smiled to himself.
"Oh and...Kakashi?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you too"
Kakashi smiled widely and kissed Iruka's hair.
"Good" he said "You're a little late, but I'll take it."
He pulled Iruka closer to him and pressed his forehead to his neck.
They fell asleep again like that, in Kakashi's tiny little bed.
A/N : Reviews would be wonderful. Tell me if I did okay. I'm a bit worried, since I don't usually write yaoi...