A/N: Why I wrote this story? Well, um, because I realised that I HAD NOT written anything in the entire year of 2010. Why this plot? Well, it just came. I wanted to write something for New Year, but I guess, I procrastinated again and I ended up completing this way after New Year. I have a few works just sitting there in my hard drive, waiting to be completed. But work's a bitch and I'm completely tied down to it. But still, I make it my New Year resolution to start writing again on a more frequent basis. Or at least I will try.
And yes, I still love KakaIru! Well, anyway, here's wishing all of you a Happy 2011! Enjoy!
Because it hurts, that is why he had chosen to avoid that path during the last two months since they had ended whatever they had between them. But now, he was walking down the same stone path, heading towards that same building he had so devoutly avoided and all the while wishing he didn't really have to do this.
But he did not really have a choice, did he? After all, the Hokage was the one who had chosen the event hall at the jounins' apartment complex as the venue for their New Year party. He couldn't very well go against his superior's choice, just because he had some personal issues that needed dealing with.
He let out an almost inaudible sigh as his footsteps grew heavier the nearer he approached his destination. Perhaps he should just turn back now and head home. He could just come up with one excuse or another for Tsunade for his lack of attendance at the party. Or perhaps, the sannin wouldn't even realize that he wasn't there.
"Don't you look like someone who's going to attend a funeral instead of a party, Iruka-sensei?"
The voice startled him a little and the chunin turned around, only to be met by the smiling face of Raidou.
"Raidou-san." Iruka smiled, albeit a little strained. He casted his eyes to the other man beside the scarred jounin and nodded lightly. "Genma-san."
The honey-haired man gave a sideways glance at the younger man before looking in the other direction. Raidou turned and frowned at his companion before nudging him none too gently at the sides.
"Have some manners, would you?" The jounin hissed. Genma scowled before turning to the chunin with a bland look.
"Good day, Iruka-san."
Raidou smiled awkwardly at the academy teacher, embarrassed by the other jounin's antics. He cleared his throat lightly and adjusted the shopping bags in his hands before he spoke in a light-hearted tone, trying to clear the tension in the air.
"So, are you heading over to the event hall, Iruka-sensei?"
Iruka nodded slowly, wondering if he should head back home now. Genma looked as if he hated him after all, and Iruka didn't know what he had done to cause the honey-haired man's unfriendly disposition.
A heavy hand landing on his shoulder brought him straight out of his thoughts and an abrupt stop to his plans. Before he could even react, the hand was already guiding him down the path.
"Don't mind Genma. He's been feeling pissy since this morning. Who knows what got him." Raidou snorted as he started down the path, with bags of groceries in tow.
Iruka threw a look over his shoulder and glanced at the nonchalant senbon-chewing man for a minute. Then he shrugged and turned back to the other man beside him.
"That's a lot of things you bought, Raidou-san." Iruka smiled as he reached out a hand to offer help to the jounin.
Raidou chuckled and thankfully handed over a few bags. "Well, Tsunade-sama did give us the task to get everything ready. And since the others are busy doing up the hall and other stuff, I had to go do the shopping with Genma."
"But these are heavy." Iruka frowned as he peered into the bag. "What did you buy?"
The scarred jounin leaned over and whispered conspiratorially. "Alcohol. No party is complete without it, especially when the party is to be hosted by jounin and attended by Tsunade-sama."
Iruka looked at Raidou, aghast. "Naruto and the others are attending the party tonight as well! How in the world could you allow the presence of alcohol?"
"Oh, that, you need not worry. We do have a jutsu that will prevent the underage from getting too near the alcohol, you know?" Raidou winked.
"Jutsu?" Iruka blinked in confusion. "I don't think I've ever heard of that."
"Tsunade-sama invented it." Raidou chuckled as he picked up pace. "Her initial purpose was to stop anyone, especially Shizune, to get near her sake. But I guess it is put into much better use on occasions like this."
"Still…" The chunin frowned.
"Don't worry so much about it, Iruka-sensei." Raidou smiled as he stepped up to the entrance of the event hall and pushed the door open. "Just relax and enjoy yourself for tonight. It's New Year after all." The jounin gave a knowing smile with the underlying hint of sympathy. "And it's been a while since we've hung out together. So, let's not let such a small matter dampen your mood, alright?"
Iruka faltered for a minute at the statement, hearing the underlying meaning in the words. He turned away, avoiding eye contact with the other man and rubbed the scar across his nose awkwardly. "Don't worry, I won't."
The party was in full swing and the jounin were making a ruckus in the event hall, finally having the chance to let loose after another year of fighting, killing and having been to the jaws of Death and back more times than they could count.
Iruka stood in the corner with his close group of chunin friends and eyed the occupants in the room, particularly at one silver-haired shinobi, who looked as if he was bored out of his mind, even while his friends were trying to get him into the partying mood.
A bitter smile graced his lips as a flock of kunoichi crowded around said silver-haired shinobi, trying to get him to the dance floor.
"What are you looking at?" Izumo's voice cut into his train of thoughts and he tore his gaze away from where they were fixated at a moment ago. He gave a small shrug.
"Nothing."
Izumo raised his eyebrow in a blatant act of doubt and casted his eyes towards where his friend was staring at moments before. The gaze in his eyes softened when he realized just who it was that the other chunin was looking at.
"Kakashi-san, huh?" Izumo laid a comforting hand on Iruka's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "Haven't gotten over it yet?"
Iruka sighed and stole another glance at the man on the other side of the room, who seemed to be enjoying the company of the group of kunoichi. He smiled bitterly, deciding to be honest for once. "I don't think I will ever be able to."
"Then make it your New Year's resolution to do it in the coming year." Izumo pushed a glass of beer into the academy teacher's hands. "Forget him, I mean."
Iruka glanced at his friend who reached over and gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"It's not going to do you any good, Iruka. To keep hanging on to him like that." The long-haired shinobi glanced at the other side of the room. "He is not even bothered by that fact that you two had broken up not too long ago. He's still enjoying himself. So, why let it bother you?"
"Who knows?" Iruka bit out sardonically. "Because even until now, I'm still the foolish one?"
Izumo's eyes softened. "It's not foolish to love someone, Iruka."
Iruka merely gave a small smile and took a gulp from his glass, trying to focus on something else other than the copy nin.
"It would not have been foolish to love anyone else. But it had been a stupid act on my part when I thought I could love the great copy nin and get him to feel the same way." The voice that came out was barely above a whisper.
And he was right, wasn't he?
They had known each other for a while, mainly because of their connections with Naruto and through the brief periods of time they had spent together, Iruka had come to love Kakashi. From respecting the older nin's status as a shinobi to the secret admiration and finally voicing it out loud, it had been a few years since he laid his eyes on Kakashi.
When he finally decided to confess to the elite jounin at the New Year's party a year ago, it had taken him tremendous courage and the faith that the ex-ANBU captain would not send a fellow comrade to meet his Maker, to tell Kakashi just how exactly he felt.
When the confession had gotten past his lips, the look on Kakashi's face had remained unchanged – possibly because the mask hid whatever expression he would have on. But then, a minute later, the jounin had reached up a hand and ruffled his unruly silver hair, indicating just how embarrassed and surprised he had been.
It was then followed by a nonchalant shrug and a simple sentence of 'sure, let's try it out'.
Iruka had been surprise with the reciprocation of feelings. It wasn't a hidden fact that there had been many others who had confessed to the copy nin before and had all been met with rejections. He had expected Kakashi to do the same when he revealed his feelings. The acceptance was something unexpected, but still, Iruka had been elated.
Kakashi may have appeared unconcerned when he agreed to go into a relationship with the chunin, but Iruka believed that the jounin may just have not been good with expressing himself.
Though, in the months that followed as they began their relationship, Iruka was beginning to doubt himself and he had begun to wonder if the initial acceptance was because Kakashi had been too polite to turn down the younger man then.
They hardly had any time spent together, due to Kakashi's duties as a jounin. But whenever the older man was in the village, Iruka would seize the opportunity to ask him out for meals, or just to spend some time together.
Kakashi hardly ever asked him out, except for the times when he was going for drinking sessions with the other jounin. He would ask Iruka along, but once they were at their destination, the jounin would leave him to his own devices and seek out the companionship of Asuma, Genma and the other jounin, where he would have a more common topic to talk about with them.
Being close drinking buddies with Anko, there had been times when Izumo and Kotetsu were around to accompany him. But on days when the two chunin had duties to perform, Iruka felt completely left out in the group of elites. If it hadn't been for Kurenai and Raidou – who had tried to make him feel like he was part of the group – and for the fact that those were some of the rare moments where he could be in Kakashi's presence, Iruka wouldn't have bothered joining in at all.
And as the months had worn on, Iruka had begun to feel that whatever efforts he had put into the relationship, was being futile after all.
Kakashi never placed him as a priority, never even treated him like a lover, except for the times when he needed someone to warm his bed. More often than not, Iruka felt like he was in a relationship with himself, instead of with the jounin and he knew there was only so much he could take before he breaks.
Six months into the relationship, nothing had changed between them. In fact, Iruka felt he was more of an acquaintance to the copy nin than a partner. And Kakashi did not even seem bothered to put in any efforts to bring their relationship to another level. However hard Iruka tried, it just wasn't enough when it was one-sided. Iruka had begun to feel worn out and doubting his initial decision in going into a relationship with the copy nin.
The final straw came just two months back. He had arranged a date with Kakashi one evening, but at the very last minute, the jounin had sent one of his nin-dogs to relay the message that he would not be able to make it due to some matters that needed dealing with.
Disappointed, Iruka had taken to taking a walk down the streets. And that was when he caught sight of the older man, entering an apartment complex with a lady. He had been shattered then. But what broke him completely was when he had later asked Kakashi about it and the jounin had just given him a blank look, neither acknowledging nor denying.
And Iruka had ended their relationship then, knowing that it was too painful for him to continue it. Kakashi had silently accepted it, further concreting the fact that this relationship did not even carry any weight in the eyes of the copy nin.
They went their separate ways after that and Iruka had went out of his way to avoid Kakashi, in order to not tear open any new wounds.
But now, here he was, standing in a corner and looking at the very same man whom he had cried for and hurt by. Kakashi was now talking to Asuma in low voices and for a brief moment, Iruka felt that the single grey eye seemed to drift over to where he was standing. But a moment later, the feeling was gone and Iruka was beginning to wonder if it was a figment of his over-active imagination.
He downed the beer in his glass and reached for another.
"At the rate you are drinking, you will be drunk before the night even ends."
The amused voice made him turn his head and he was met by the smiling face of Kurenai.
"Kurenai-san." Iruka nodded politely. "It's been a while."
"Definitely had been." The red-eyed kunoichi gave him an understanding pat on the shoulder. "You haven't hung out with us in a long while."
"I…." Iruka looked away.
"I know." Kurenai leaned against the counter behind her as she tipped her wine glass and took a sip out of it. "It's hard."
The silence stretched between them. Iruka stole a glance at the older lady beside her, wondering what had gotten her to look him up in the middle of the party when she could have been hanging around her peers.
Kurenai and Raidou were the only ones who had continued talking to him after he ended whatever he had with Kakashi. For Kakashi's other friends, especially Genma, Asuma and Anko, they had blatantly disregard the chunin's presence, as though they were blaming him for something, though Iruka had no idea what it was about.
"Still, I was surprised when the two of you broke up." The kunoichi's voice broke into his train of thoughts. He turned to look at Kurenai, who was now focusing on the contents in her glass. "I thought you love him and he had been happy with you."
That statement caught him off guard. Iruka wasn't sure if he had heard right, as he stared at the older woman. Kurenai finally looked away from the glass and returned the stare with a hint of amusement.
"What's with that look?"
"Well, I thought I just heard something strange coming from you." Iruka let out a bitter laugh. "He's probably happier now that I am no longer with him."
The kunoichi raised an eyebrow. Then she shrugged. "Raidou was right. You would never believe that he was happy with you, would you?" She gave a dry smile. "I don't blame you for that. I wouldn't have believed it too, if I were you. Not with the way he's behaving anyway. But well, I always think Asuma knows him better than anyone else. And if he's the one saying that, there must have been some truth in it."
Now that caught the chunin's attention. He turned to the older lady and eyed her warily. "Asuma-san?"
"Yeah." Kurenai took another sip out of her glass. "He said he had never seen Kakashi so comfortable around someone before. And from the way Kakashi was asking him for relationship advice and the way he had been talking about you, he knew that Kakashi was serious about what he was getting himself into."
This new piece of information threw the younger man totally off guard and he suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Kakashi had been talking to his friends about him when they were together? Why wasn't he aware of it? Why hadn't he seen it then if the jounin had been this devoted?
"So when you initiated the break-up with Kakashi, Asuma was furious, as was Genma and Anko. But of course, they wouldn't have understood, because they did not see how Kakashi was neglecting you. But well, I guess I can't blame him either. As Asuma had told me, he had absolutely no idea on how to deal with being in a relationship and the responsibilities and commitments that came with it."
Iruka was silent for a minute. Kurenai gave a dry smile. "You know, I was really impressed with your patience. If I were you, I would have given up on him long ago." The kunoichi fiddled with her glass as a momentary pause took over. "But of course, that was before I came to know that he was serious about his relationship with you."
"That's all over anyway, Kurenai-san." Iruka cut in, not wanting to hear anymore. He knew better than to believe those lies. He had seen what he needed to and the way the jounin had treated him was enough to tell him that this relationship was nothing more than a one-sided affair.
He smiled, even as he felt the tears threatening in the corner of his eyes. "I don't want to think about it anymore or even hear anything more about it. If you are going to instill any more hopes in me and convince me that it's still worth it to carry on the relationship with Kakashi-san, then I don't want to hear it. If you really had seen my pain when I had been with him, you would have known how much agony I had to go through then. I really can't go through that a second time. I don't have the courage to."
When he finished what he wanted to say, Kurenai was staring at him, stunned for a minute. Then she nodded in understanding and gave the chunin a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I'm sorry I brought it up. It must have been hard for you as well. I just thought you deserve to know after all you had gone through. Well, it's his loss that he can't be with you. He only has himself to blame for not knowing to cherish you when you two had been together."
"We are just not fated to be." Iruka threw a glance to the other side of the room and watched with a tinge of sadness as a kunoichi flirted with his ex-lover and Kakashi seemed to accept the advances. "I think he's much happier now. At least, he has the freedom to choose what he wants to do, who he wants to be with."
"Iruka…"
"And I guess that's it." The chunin put on a cheerful expression on his face and smiled at the genjutsu user. "I'm a little tired, so I guess I will be heading for home. Goodbye, Kurenai-san. And happy new year."
Before Kurenai could say another word, Iruka left her side and headed over to where Izumo was trying to support a drunk Kotetsu.
"Izumo, I'm leaving."
The long-haired shinobi turned his head in surprise, as he momentarily let go of his other inebriated friend, not caring even as Kotetsu slumped to the ground in a drunken heap.
"Now? But it's going to be the countdown soon. Can't you wait a little while more?"
"I'm tired." Iruka feigned a smile. "I'm going back to get some rest."
"Liar." Izumo frowned. "You just don't want to stay here and keep seeing him."
"Well, I can't stop you from thinking what you want." Iruka shrugged. "Anyway, I'm leaving."
Izumo let out a sigh and glanced at his friend with a trace of weariness. "I can't stop you, can I?" He smiled and gave the tanned chunin a hug. "Alright then. Take care of yourself and I will see you tomorrow. Have a good rest and happy new year."
"Same to you too, Izumo." Iruka returned the hug and pulled back. "Don't drink too much."
Izumo waved him off with a feigned scowl and bent over to haul Kotetsu to his feet. Iruka laughed and turned on his heels, heading towards the exit.
He casted a glance at where he had seen Kakashi last, wanting to catch a glimpse of the jounin one last time.
He had after all, made the quiet resolution that he would start afresh in the New Year and he would forget all about Kakashi. Perhaps, he could even find someone else who cares for him as much as he does.
But the jounin was no longer there, as was the kunoichi who had been hanging around him the entire night. Iruka had a good guess on where they had headed off to. With a bitter smile, he stepped out through the doors and into the quiet, cold streets of Konoha.
Iruka wasn't surprised by the silence of the night. Half of the village were enjoying themselves and partying the night away in the events hall by the jounin complex. And the other half, which are the civilians, are probably celebrating the coming of the New Year in the warmth and quiet of their own homes.
He glanced up at the sky and stared at the few twinkling stars that were present that night, admiring their beauty and their strength – at how hard they shone, to try to at least bring a little light to the earth they are looking upon.
And then, he caught sight of it. A flicker of a light as it dashed across the night sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"A shooting star, huh?" Iruka smiled wryly. "If wishes by the shooting star really come true, then I wish none of this had ever happened. That I had never fallen in love and gone into a relationship with the one person who would break my heart."
"Then where would I be?"
The voice startled him. Iruka spun around, only to meet the intense gaze of a single grey eye that he knew so well. For a moment, he forgot how to breathe, as he stared wordlessly into the masked face of the one who had hurt him so many times over.
"Kurenai told me you were leaving. So I came out to look for you." Kakashi scratched his head awkwardly and that single act, brought Iruka out of his trance.
"Whatever for?" Iruka turned around and wrapped his arms around himself, suddenly feeling the piercing cut of the cold wind. "Don't you already have some forms of entertainment going on for tonight?" Iruka knew he sounded bitter. But, he couldn't find it in himself to be polite at that moment.
Kakashi frowned at that sentence. "What are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm saying." A tear found its way down his cheek and he swiped it away, not wanting the copy nin to see how weak he was. "You should go, Kakashi-san…."
"Iruka…"
"… You shouldn't keep a lady waiting for you..."
"Hey, wait…"
"…. It's not polite and you know…."
"Wait a minute, Iruka."
"…. It's not every day that you get such a pretty lady. And…"
A sudden strong grip on his arm brought his ramblings to a stop. He turned around, surprised and stared into the intense grey eye boring into his.
"I said wait a minute." The frown on Kakashi's face darkened. "What 'lady' are you talking about?"
This was getting too much for the chunin. He wrenched his arm free of the jounin's grasp and glared at him, unable to hold the hurt in reign anymore. "The one who was hanging around you the entire night at the party!" He shouted, not bothering anymore if someone would actually hear him. "The one whom you were laughing and flirting with the entire night!"
"Iruka." Kakashi took a step forward, but the chunin retreated immediately.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Iruka choked out, feeling the strain in his throat with the emotions that were threatening to spill. "Didn't we already end it? Weren't you happier when you finally got rid of me? Or are you here to see how I'm still tearing up myself over you? To laugh and mock at me? Or are you showing pity for the person that you dumped?"
"Iruka!" Kakashi growled, as he reached forward and grabbed the chunin, pulling him into his arms. "Calm down!"
The younger man fought against him, trying to pull free. But Kakashi held on tight, refusing to budge, even as he tried to calm the academy teacher.
Iruka on the other hand, had no idea what was happening. Why did Kakashi look him up? Why was he holding him like this?
But the chunin wasn't exactly sure he wanted his questions answered. Whatever it was, he knew that the answers would not be what he wanted. He did stop fighting the older man though and he just slumped in the embrace, trying to figure out just what the other man was thinking.
"What do you want?" Iruka whispered, his voice muffled against Kakashi's shoulder.
"We need to talk." The jounin's voice was grave.
Iruka gave a bitter laugh. "That would be new. You don't talk. At least not to me."
"I'm sorry." Kakashi brushed the back of his hand against the chunin's cheek, startling Iruka with the gentle gesture. "That is why I need to talk things out with you now."
"What?" Iruka asked softly, feeling all his energy draining from him. It was exhausting trying to comprehend his ex-lover. Kakashi had been acting so cold towards him all along, yet, when Iruka had finally decided to let go, the jounin was the one who was taking the initiative to approach him. He pushed the other man away, trying to put some distance between them to clear his head and think clearly.
Kakashi let him go, though his single grey eye was trained on the leaner form, looking out for signs that the chunin was going to make a run for it. He followed silently as Iruka started walking towards the bridge that overlooked the river.
Silence stretched between them as they stood beside each other on the bridge; one trying to understand the other's train of thoughts and the other, trying to find the right words to say.
Kakashi cleared his throat. "I know I haven't exactly been the best lover."
Iruka's eyes widened at that statement and he wondered if he had heard wrong. Stealing a glance at the man beside him, he realized that Kakashi was serious, and he had more than this to say.
"When you first confessed to me, I was surprised. I never expected it from you and truth be told; I had no idea what to do."
"Was that why you weren't able to reject me outright?" Iruka asked quietly, trying to keep his tears at bay. "You know, you should have. Reject me, that is. At least, we won't have to drag it out and prolong the pain."
"That's not what I meant." Kakashi folded his arms on the wooden bar and stared at the dark waters below. "I did not expect you to confess. At least not to me. You and I, though we are both shinobi, but yet, we are from two different worlds. You are well-liked and respected by everyone in the village, but me? All my life, I have taken more lives than I can count. My life has been tainted by blood since I was six and I never know what it is like to love another. After all, that wasn't taught to me when I attended the academy and definitely not in the shinobi world out there." Kakashi let out a chuckle without humour.
Iruka finally turned to face the older man, stunned by that brief speech. But Kakashi continued staring at the waters below, not meeting the other's eyes.
"I wasn't sure if you knew what you were getting yourself into. I have a dark side, which you probably do not even know about and I have no idea how to tell you about it. Do you understand, Iruka? If you choose to be with me, you will have to deal with my dark nature, and that isn't something that can be handled easily. Hell, there are times when I couldn't even deal with it myself."
"Do you really think of me as so flippant?" Iruka asked quietly after a moment of silence. "Did you really think that I would have gone into a relationship without much thought?"
"It's not that. It's just that there are times when I do wonder how much you really know about me." Kakashi let out an almost frustrated sigh. "I'm not exactly the most readable person, you know?"
"I admit I probably do not know everything about you. But isn't that why we should spend more time when in a relationship, to try and find out and understand each other? And being in a relationship also meant to accept your partner's good points as well as bad. That's why, I never expected you to be perfect. You wouldn't be you otherwise." Iruka took in a deep breath to calm his shaking self. He was finally able to say what he had been holding in for the last few months.
"I never knew what you were thinking." Iruka said, in a voice so soft that Kakashi almost did not hear him. "I didn't know how to react to your nonchalance. I wasn't even sure if you were forcing yourself to be in the relationship." The chunin swiped a stray tear from his cheek and glanced at the older man with a smile plastered on his face. "But well, it's already over anyway. There's no point in saying these anymore."
Iruka turned to leave. "It's getting late. I should be getting home. And Kakashi-san, you should head back to the party as well."
"Kurenai said that you left me because of my negligence."
That statement froze the chunin in his steps.
"When you initiated the break-up, I thought it was because you had enough of dealing with my dark personality and you couldn't accept what you saw in me the longer you stayed with me. That was why I let you go so readily. But it was after that, when Raidou and Kurenai spoke to me about you, that I realized that I was probably the one who pushed you away."
"I may not have been very sure about this relationship when we first started. But somewhere along the way, I guess I really did develop some forms of feelings for you." Kakashi spoke, a silent conviction in his voice. "You were always there with something to offer me and for the first time in my life, I was seriously thinking about what I wanted from this relationship and what I should do to offer you something."
The jounin stepped around to face the previously retreating figure. Hands shoved in his pockets, he smiled wryly. "I thought that bringing you to meet my friends and to mingle with them was enough to let you know that I am serious about this. When you left, Raidou and Kurenai told me off and that was when I realized that just letting my friends know that we are together wasn't enough."
Iruka gaped, unable to answer. He hadn't known that the jounin had been thinking about these all along. Does this mean that it wasn't a one-sided love affair on his part? Does it mean that Kakashi had really reciprocated his feelings? He wasn't sure, but still he felt a sense of hope rising in him.
"I had said this before. I'm not exactly the best choice for a lover. My duty demands too much attention and I am literally walking shoulder to shoulder with Death every minute of my life. And dealing with a relationship? I have no prior experience and I would absolutely have no idea what to do if I'm in one. I even had to take two months to think things over before I can find the right words to say." Kakashi reached over and took the younger man's hands in his. "But, if you are still willing, if it's not too late, I want to try this again."
Iruka was choked with emotions. He hadn't expected this from the copy nin. He hadn't even expected that Kakashi would put so much thought into salvaging their relationship. It was so obvious that the jounin had returned his love. Why had he doubted the man before?
He reached up with one shaking hand and caressed the jounin's masked cheek. He smiled as Kakashi's hand cupped over his and gave it a light squeeze.
"Should I confess again?" The chunin chuckled lightly, as he felt himself being pulled into an embrace.
"No. Let me be the one to confess this time." Kakashi tugged down his mask and smiled at the younger man. Leaning forward, he captured the chunin's lips in a tender kiss.
In the distance, the New Year bell sounded, signaling the beginning of the New Year. Loud cheers resonated throughout the village as greetings filled the air.
For Kakashi and Iruka though, it signifies a year of new hopes and new beginnings for them.
Epilogue
Iruka opened his eyes, to find himself snuggling next to a warm body and for a moment, he was stunned beyond words. Then, as his sleep-induced mind began to clear, he started to recognize the scent of the other person and he finally realized where he was.
He couldn't help the smile on his face as he recalled the previous night's event. He shifted slightly and reached up a hand to trace the sleeping face of his lover. As he traced the chapped lips, a pale hand caught his and the single grey eye opened, twinkling with amusement.
"I would rather you kiss me awake, you know?" Kakashi grinned and Iruka was sure he wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning.
The chunin chuckled and leaned over, pressing a soft kiss on his lover's lips. "Good morning."
"Morning." Kakashi tightened his grasp around the younger man's waist. "Why are you up so early anyway? It's a holiday, you know?"
"It's just a habit for me." Iruka smiled. "Anyway, since I'm up, I will go and get breakfast started."
"It's fine. We can always go out for breakfast later. Let's sleep in a little more." Kakashi grinned. "It's not often that we get a break. And knowing Tsunade-sama, she will only let us rest for today. After that, she will wear us down to the bones."
Iruka chuckled softly as he nestled back into the copy nin's arms. For a moment, they stayed in their blissful state, until something struck the academy teacher.
"Kakashi."
"Hm?"
"You know, you haven't explained something." Shifting out of Kakashi's embrace, Iruka sat up and stared at the older man.
"What?"
"Two months ago, right before we broke up. There was this time I chanced upon you meeting another woman. I asked you about it then, but you didn't say anything about it. So, are you going to tell me now?" The chunin frowned. "Who was she?"
Kakashi blinked a few times, trying to recall what the teacher was saying. After a few moments, something seemed to strike him and he was suddenly at a loss for words.
"Ah, well…" The jounin scratched his head as he sat up in his bed.
"Well?" Iruka raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you now." Kakashi sighed. "That was Genma."
"What?"
"Well, yeah. That time, he kinda upset Raidou and he wanted to make amends. But he was worried that Raidou might still be in a bad mood, so he asked for me to accompany him to make the visit. At least it wouldn't be so awkward."
"But I saw a woman!" Iruka's frown darkened.
"Well, you weren't wrong. He was dressed up as a woman. I asked him about it. But he said that was his secret with Raidou. I'm not one to probe anyway." The jounin shrugged. "If he was unwilling to say why, so be it."
"Oh?"
The jounin nodded. Then he stretched himself and pushed back the covers. He stood up from the bed and reached a hand towards the younger man. "Well, I'm wide awake now, thanks to your questions. I guess, let's go to the kitchen and get breakfast started."
Iruka chuckled and took the offered hand, following his lover out of the bedroom.