There were bodies all around him, and he was covered in blood. There was a loud buzzing in his ears and then suddenly Kakashi Hatake woke up. Kakashi groaned softly and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked over his shoulder and saw Iruka sleeping peacefully . How on earth did he sleep through that alarm? Thought Kakashi. Kakashi climbed slowly out of bed and had a quick shower. He got dressed and sat at the end of the bed and gazed over at Iruka. Then after a moments deliberation he got up and kissed Iruka on the nose. Iruka stirred.
"Morning sleepyhead" Kakashi said happily.
"Mor..ning" replied Iruka sleepily. Iruka glanced at the clock on the wall, looked away and then realization hit, "OH CRAP. I'M LATE. AGAIN!" Iruka leapt off the bed , tripped over some sort of cushion that was on the floor and was just about to fall flat on his face when Kakashi caught him. "Slow down." Kakashi said gently "You'll hurt yourself." Iruka looked like he had something to say to that but he held his tongue. Kakashi broke the silence.
"I'm going out on a mission. I wont be back for a couple of days. " said Kakashi.
"Oh? Whereabouts are you going?"
Iruka knew he wouldn't be able to tell him, but he couldn't help but ask anyway.
" You know I can't say, I'm sorry." Iruka thought Kakashi did look sorry so he let the subject drop. "Right, I've got to go. I'm already really late." Iruka said hurriedly.
"Don't I get a goodbye kiss? I might die and then you'll never see me again, then you'd feel bad" Kakashi said jokingly. Oh, crap. I've gone and upset him. Dammit.
"Don't say things like that Kakashi. I don't know what I'd do if anything were to happen to you.."
Kakashi walked slowly over to Iruka and took his hands in his. "I was only joking. I'm sorry."
"I know.. But it's just I don't know what I'd do without you." There was a knock at the door. Iruka pulled away from Kakashi's hands and went to answer the door, picking up his satchel. There was no-one there. That was weird. "Anyway, I'm off. See you when you get back." Iruka smiled at Kakashi and walked out the door to the academy.
"What about my kiss?" Kakashi mumbled to himself.
A little while later Kakashi got dressed and walked over to the memorial to see Obito.
He spent quite a while there telling Obito everything that had been happening and all his worries.
He left feeling a lot lighter.
He thought about stopping at the academy to say a proper goodbye to Iruka but decided against it.
He knew how Iruka felt about kissing in public, though the entire village knew they were together but sometimes Iruka could be a little awkward.
Two days later.
Iruka woke up feeling unusually cold and there was also another strange feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was though.
He sat bolt upright and realised Kakashi wasn't there.
I miss him.. Thought Iruka.
He got up quickly and busied himself with his morning routine. After his shower he felt a little better. He made himself toast and then he went to see his parents. He always felt relaxed when he was at the memorial, but he felt a little uncomfortable today. He was sure people kept staring at him. He couldn't quite make out what the expression on their faces were. He was sure he saw pity, and maybe concern. Later that evening when he was back at home grading papers he realized what the feeling he'd had in the morning. It was loneliness. He missed Kakashi.
He missed the way Kakashi would sneak up behind him and wrap his arms around his waist.
He missed the way he smelt. The way that whenever Iruka would have a nightmare or woke up screaming, he would lay next to him and hold him tightly until he fell asleep again.
He loved how he would always make them both breakfast and Kakashi would always take off his mask to eat. He has a beautiful face thought Iruka.
He loved the way that Kakashi always kissed him goodbye in the mornings.
He loved how kakas.. Iruka's train of thought stopped abruptly. He hadn't kissed him goodbye.
He suddenly made sense of the looks the villagers had been giving him.
He almost fell to his knee's but managed to grab onto the corner of the table just in time.
Kakashi..
Iruka opened the door and sprinted straight to see Tsunade. Iruka burst through the doors to her room, praying she was there.
"Iruka?" said Tsunade questioningly.
"Where's Kakashi?" Iruka demanded. Tsunade looked up at Iruka and saw the worry in his eyes.
"In the hospital. He's suffering from major blood loss."
"What? How much blood did he lose?"
"Quite a lot. But it's nothing serious.
Look, Iruka I'm sorry but I'm incredibly busy, he's in the hospital. Go see him yourself." Snapped Tsunade.
"Why wasn't I told?"
"I didn't want you to worry about it.
I needed you to be focusing on teaching the students at the academy to the best of your ability. You wouldn't have been if you'd have known."
"You know that's not true."
"Do I? Just go see him Iruka. I really have to get on."
Iruka left Tsunade's room and sprinted along the busy streets of Kohona bumping into various people without stopping to apologise. He got to the hospital in under five minutes. He arrived at the nurses station breathing heavily and looking extremely worn out.
"I've got to start training more" Thought Iruka briefly.
He found out which room Kakashi was in and walked swiftly along the hospital corridor until he came across a room with a pale blue door.
Iruka paused at the door momentarily, and then entered the room. At first he couldn't see anything, everything in the room was pure white. His eyes then adjusted to the harsh light and his eyes found the hospital bed. His eyes travelled up the bed, to a face. His face. He was so pale he could have blended into the room. Iruka let out a gasp when he saw the Jounin. A medical ninja looked up and gave Iruka an apologetic look.
"We're doing the best we can. But he's lost so much blood. Not to mention he's nearly exhausted his chakra."
"But Tsunade-sama said it was nothing serious!"
"Look, he's going to be okay. He's just going to need lots of rest."
"Ok sure." Iruka made to sit down on the chair next to Kakashi.
"Not to be rude or anything, but I think it would be best if you left." Said the medical nin blushing and looking down.
"I'm not leaving his side." replied Iruka stubbornly
"I didn't mean any disrespect, I was just saying my personal opinion."
"And I was just saying mine. I love him, and so I'm refusing to leave his side."
Oh.. Did I really just say that out loud. Iruka decided that the flowers on the windowsill were suddenly very interesting, and busied himself with looking at them.
Iruka heard the medical nin leave the room. "Finally." Iruka muttered.
Iruka picked Kakashi's hand.
"I really do love you." Whispered Iruka.
I'm sorry for not giving you your kiss. I feel terrible. This is all my fault."
Iruka bent down and kissed Kakashi softly on the lips. Kakashi's eyelids fluttered.
"Did you really mean that?"
Iruka jumped about half a foot into the air.
"Sorry for making you jump" whispered Kakashi gently.
"You heard that?"
Kakashi nodded slowly.
"Yeah. I.. I did mean it."
Kakashi smiled.
Kakashi tried, and failed to sit up.
"Hey, don't hurt yourself" Iruka muttered.
Kakashi laid back down and said something under his breath.
"What was that? I didn't quite catch it." Asked Iruka
"I said, I never did get my goodbye kiss. Did I?"
"But I just gave you one."
"Did you? I must have missed it. How about another one anyway." Kakashi grinned devilishly at Iruka.
Iruka lent back down over Kakashi and took his face in his hands and kissed him sweetly on the lips.
"I love you too Iruka."
Iruka smiled happily at Kakashi, tears blurring his vision.
Inspired by the song Kaze ni naru.
Kimi to deaeta shiawase inoru you ni: The happiness I've found with you is like a prayer.