Title: First Attempt (and not just mine...)
Pairings: IrukaxKakashi/KakashixIruka
Rating: M - gets a bit saucy later on.
Spoliers: Unlikely - vague reference to early storyline but not a dead giveaway, either way.
Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any right to the Naruto series... Oh, but if I did!
Warnings: Contains a few swear words but rated mainly for sexual content. Please do not read this if you find sexual references to be offensive - especially with an all-male cast.
A/N: Like the title says, this is my first attempt, so reviews really very much appreciated. Also, I'm not completely sure about which rating is most suitable, so it's M to be on the safe side - any advice regarding this would be great. Thanks.
Chapter One.
Iruka gave an inward sigh as he breathed in the morning sun that seeped through the curtains, spilling across the surface of his bedroom and a new day. He resisted movement a little, allowing the warmth to sink into his tanned face, fixing the glow that would remain until the later hours of the evening. Thoroughly rested, Iruka casually straightened his bedcovers and made his way into the bathroom. Refreshed from his minute-perfect routine, he towelled his hair dry and slipped through to his bedroom, a heavenly, bitter-sweet waft lingering in his wake. His uniform was laid out ready from the night before, a habit that had not left him for nearly a decade; he dressed with expert precision and padded swiftly toward the thought of breakfast, hair caressing his shoulders and drying to a shine in the full warmth of the apartment. Onwards and upwards, once breakfasted the bathroom beckoned again and it was here that Iruka stopped. Fixing his dark eyes ahead, where the curves of condensation still dissipated, Iruka started to comb his hair. The silver shine had an almost haunting, lunar quality to it, always managing to catch Iruka off-guard as he tried his hardest to concentrate and settle his mercilessly giddy breakfast. The cool psiren sang into his mind's eye, his own closed against the welcome rest as he tightened his hair band and tilted forwards in dream-like resignation.
"Such a fool…" he sighed, the longing churned in his gut. "Such a fool…"
A shy yet gentle grin began to tug the corners of his mouth in despite his resolution.
" Still, another day with you in it."
A mixture of anxiety and elation spiked throughout Iruka and he allowed himself the pleasure of a smile that spread over his face completely, highlighted by the cheeks, which burned in contrast to the mirror against his forehead. Satisfied, Iruka relinquished his pose but not his reverie, leaving his hopes, already condensed on the mirror, in favour of adjusting his hitai-ite. Breathing a long sigh as he left for another day in the classroom, Iruka knew that his pupils would not be the only ones watching the clock.
Okay, almost time. Calm down Hatake or you'll blow it again. Just act cool, that's what you do best. Just… not too cool. Right, cool but not too cool… What? Oh bugger it, just get in there now like and act like a man, or you never will.
"Maa, you guys can do what you want now. I have to hand in our mission report."
Kakashi managed to get his words out casually, despite his body's best attempts to strangle him with excitement; it settled for tracing the length of his spine with a single bead of ice from his shimmering hairline. The masked jounin suppressed a shiver of many kinds.
"Yeeeeah." A cry came out from a spinning and jumping blur of orange and yellow. I can go and see Iruka-sensei. He hasn't bought me ramen for a whole week!"
"Hn. Hold that thought Naruto, he's in the mission room today." … and he'll be all mine thank-you-very-much. If I can just slip away now…
Sasuke raised a half-inquiring eyebrow, before nodding curtly and turning to go.
"Oh, um…"
A flustered Sakura fought to get her words out. Any words would do, really, just as long as they caught Sasuke's attention. Sakura skipped and sidled alongside the departing Uchiha.
"Ano… maybe we could do something… a little more personal…?" she suggested, hastily adding, "to help with training, of course."
A nervous blush lit up her cheeks as they trailed out of sight.
Hehe, I've heard that before. Kakashi's eye line arched in amusement as he, too, turned to leave. Halting just as abruptly as it had started, Naruto's gaudy whirlwind vanished, leaving the boy facing his sensei, arm out, fist clenched and a pair of brilliant blue eyes fixing Kakashi down.
"Oi, oi, oi! Kakashi-" PERVERT! "sensei. I'm coming, too," he yelled, hitching his breath in the split second his brain abused his sensei.
Shit. No, no, no – I can handle this. Think. Think dammit!
"Maa, Naruto… what exactly happened on this mission?"
Here we go… Kakashi wasn't known as a genius for nothing. Legacy and accolades aside, he was a man who read with the accuracy of a surgeon – people as well as porn. Holding his breath, Kakashi tilted his wildly adorned head and awaited the results.
"On… this… mission…?"
Naruto scrunched his face up, trying to draw up the last days by force. Suddenly a brightness animated him and he jeered with laughter.
"Aaaah haha haha! You can't have forgotten already, baka! We followed the suuuuper garden challenge and I beat that idiot before faking a serious injury, saving his ass and winning Sakura-chan and the blessing of the old hag who hired us!"
Well, that was a surprise… maybe I'm losing my touch.
"Hn. I can't put that in the report, Naruto. Even if it had happened that way. The mission room is not somewhere you can waste Iruka-sensei's time. When I've finished with him, I'll let him know you're waiting."
Honest… but then, I'm not sure I'll ever be finished with him…
Kakashi smirked to himself behind his mask. It was times like these that he was thankful for it. Only those who had studied his face or had an uncanny knack could tell a smile from a smirk or a grin by the subtleties of his solitary laughing eye and the position of his mask.
"Honto, honto Kakashi-sensei?" the boy cried out. "Great, I'd better choose what sort of ramen to have. Hmm… I need to remember the bit where I saved the village again, too!"
Kakashi chuckled to himself as the blur of the number-one-hyperactive-knucklehead-ninja faded from the scene and a sigh of relief allowed itself to escape Kakashi's body. Really, next to getting Naruto to take a hint, handing in a mission report should be the easy part.
Get it together, Hatake. Cool, but not too cool. Yeah right.