Author's Note: Aw, only one review? dies quietly Well, here's a second chapter, regardless. Enjoy…?

Chapter Two

"You know… I think I'm going to go talk to him, so I'll see you later, ok?" Sasuke said cheerfully with a wave before hurrying out of the gym; leaving no room at all for Itachi to protest and remind his younger brother of his promise to help him.

Meanwhile, Iruka was sluggishly making his way back to his apartment; walking slowly in the bordering-nighttime scenery from sore muscles as well as a sense of dread that came along with the fact that he was only going back home where nothing and no one was waiting for him- to be completely alone once more.

Iruka huffed just slightly to himself, more in annoyance at himself for being so down, as he watched the ground move under his feet; the orange-pink sky overhead trying to turn into a dark blue; as he took leisurely steps along the side walk; idly passing by buildings and other small businesses on his right as he went.

Suddenly, just as Iruka was in the middle of passing by a small, neon-highlighted, local bar called Chubby's Bar and Grill, the front door to the sketchy establishment violently swung open; a large, round man dressed with stringy, greasy hair wearing an old black, leather vest and dirty blue jeans immediately stumbling out in a less than graceful manner.

Unfortunately, Iruka and the obviously drunken man both fell back onto the pavement on account of smashing into each so unknowingly- Iruka from the sheer size and girth of the inebriated behemoth, and the other man just because he was too drunk to be stable.

"Hey, watch your step, you punk," the vulgar man spat rudely as he swaggered to his feet; Iruka already smelling the stinging odor of the alcohol fill his nostrils just from being around the guy.

"Sorry," Iruka somewhat murmured as he picked himself off the hard ground; his ass somewhat hurting from the fall; and proceeded to dust off his shorts with his hands.

"Huh?! Did you just call me stupid?! You little bastard…come here and say that," the massive but dumb man suddenly bellowed out to a surprised Iruka as he swayed on his feet; an evil glint in his half-opened, probably not-working eyes that were raking all over Iruka as the man obviously intended to beat Iruka to a pulp for a reason he thought he had.

Iruka's heartbeat sped up only for moment before he willed it to slow down; making himself calm down as a result- every nerve in his body wanting to light on fire from the man's harsh words towards him, but years of agonizing and strenuous training were holding him fast and steady; making him feel patient, but ready for anything.

"Look, I don't want to fight you…" Iruka said, still in his usual low, unperturbed voice, but was cut off as the man did not even intend on hearing Iruka out any further and clumsily threw his weight towards the young, dark-skinned student; the man's large, meaty hands reared back and balled up into gigantic fists to strike at Iruka.

Quicker than a blink of an eye, Iruka had already registered that the drunken man was favoring his right side; so he must be right handed; and as inebriated as he was, it was a safe bet that the man would probably try to throw a right punch first.

Even as Iruka was sizing up his informal opponent, he smoothly slid into his Muay Thai stance; fists by his face, ready to strike and protect at any time and his legs parted with his left foot resting strategically on his toes- a sigh leaving his supple lips as he made himself think clearly about what exactly he needed to do.

As the large guy rushed closer to a now prepared Iruka; shouting and being careless in his gait; Iruka was quick to deliver a sharp, forceful front kick to the man's left knee cap- the move completely of French Savate where fighters truly do try to break the legs of their opponents.

Aside from the man's instant gruff yell of pain, the only sound that could be heard was the distinct crunching noise of the man's knee cap snapping; just like the sound that is heard when an apple is being bitten into for the first time.

Unfortunately for Iruka, the man's balance was dramatically thrown off from no longer being able to put any weight on his left side; making him flail as his right side still was rushing at Iruka fast- the man's fist accidentally coming into contact with Iruka's left shoulder hard as a result.

However, Iruka was already in the midst of throwing his right elbow at the guy's now lowered head; the blow being performed perfectly as the axe of Iruka's elbow came smashing into the man's left cheekbone.

As the man reeled to the opposite side from the blow; his screaming having stopped on account of an injured jawbone; Iruka then grit his teeth, regained his stance once again, and then delivered a brutal uppercut to the bottom of the man's chin; his narrowed, fuming chocolate eyes never once leaving the man's cringing, shocked face as he was sent backwards onto the solid concrete once more.

The large, defeated, drunk man landed hard on the side walk with a loud 'flack'; Iruka was breathing too hard, had too much blood rushing into his ears to properly hear it though as he gingerly lowered his trembling fists and dropped his stance upon noticing that the man was knocked out on the ground.

Iruka only spared a moment to observe the blood slowly oozing out of the man's open mouth before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath; grateful that he had not been beaten up, but also feeling a pang of sorrow breach him.

After Iruka opened his eyes, he made himself bow respectfully to the passed out man before giving the ground a quick scan to make sure that nothing had spilled out of his backpack before he left the scene and continue on his menial journey- all adrenaline and fury that comes from fighting just draining out of his system and being replaced with a sort of mild depression.

"Well, that could have gone better," Iruka mused darkly to himself as he clutched his now throbbing left shoulder with his right hand as he walked; finally feeling the dull but ever-present pain from when that man's fist caught him there by mistake.

Little did Iruka know that someone had seen the entire incident; from start to finish; from back a little ways by another building…just hiding in the darkness as he watched the amazing feat of Iruka taking that stupid guy down.

Sasuke had ran out of the Muay Thai gym and had been practically sprinting down the street in order to catch up with Iruka before he got too far away- the need to talk to him still plaguing Sasuke's intrigued mind as he pushed his fatigue away and maintained his fast speed.

Sasuke's eyes had widened and a small, hopeful smile had curved his full lips upon noticing that Iruka was, in fact, just a little ways up; the dark skinned man apparently walking at a snail's pace, which was actually in Sasuke's favor of closing the distance between them sooner.

However, upon seeing Iruka fall down from some large, fat man bumping into him all of a sudden, Sasuke had slowed down his pace; his grin fading from his face as he had decided to stick to the shadows along the buildings that the lowering sun provided.

Sasuke had squinted at the two figures as he cautiously approached; he could tell that the man was shouting at Iruka, but he could not make out what was being said, as they were still about 70 feet away from him.

Sasuke, however, had completely stopped dead in his tracks once he had seen the drunken man roar madly and move like a wild animal to pummel Iruka; Iruka instantly getting into his fighting stance almost delicately to fend the guy off.

Sasuke had gasped out loud; immediately throwing his hand over his mouth so he could not have been heard; as he had watched; transfixed; having been totally captivated by how smoothly, but with such deadly grace Iruka had moved to use the guy's clumsiness to his own advantage and make key attacks that were sure to have enough power, and be placed to the right points on the man so end the match quickly and efficiently.

The intensity in the air was choking as Sasuke was frozen in his spot upon seeing the out-of-the-blue fight, but the raven-haired young man had not missed the harsh, thudding sound that had rang in his ears when Iruka's shoulder was suddenly knocked back- Sasuke's eyebrows immediately knitting together as a moment of worry washed over him.

As quickly as it had started, however, it was over; rendering Iruka leaving the broken and bloodied man on the sidewalk in only a moment's time…almost as if nothing had happened at all.

That was until Sasuke saw Iruka grab onto his hurt shoulder; the sight immediately zinging Sasuke back to earth as he decided that he better not just watch such a man walk off into the horizon- not with his amount of questions he had for the silent fighter having doubled since he had seen what he had.

Iruka truly was an incredible fighter; everything well-timed and with such skill that only true devotion and commitment would allow.

Sasuke had to know why…now more than ever.

A little later, Iruka had finally made it to his apartment; glad to be walking up the ugly stairs that led up to the second floor instead of lying in a ditch somewhere with a knife in his back or something; and was now stepping inside his abode.

"Hey, Hamtaro," Iruka greeted miserably to his kitten that was loyally…or lazily lounging right in front of the door; making him step over the small animal to walk any further and eventually toe off his sandals.

Iruka heaved a thoughtful sigh as he tossed his backpack onto the floor in front of the kitchen bar and practically collapsed on his sofa; his sore limbs appreciative of the break while his mind continued to replay everything that had happened today to him.

Despite how desperately Iruka did not want to think about that horrid, drunk man and their meaningless fight, the college student could not get his mind to stop recounting detail after detail of what had transpired- every move he did, could have done, what could have been done better, etc.

Putting an inarguable halt to all his mental suffering, however, Iruka's stomach growled its furious hunger to the dark-skinned man; reminding him that he did, in fact, need to eat some kind of meal before the day was out.

Childishly pushing himself up from his comfortable couch, Iruka went into his kitchen to begin assessing what he was hungry for- the humbling thought already striking him that he deserved a good meal after what he had been through.

With his mind made up, and his gurgling stomach in agreement, Iruka opened up one of the above honey-colored cabinets and got out one large pot and two pans for which to cook his dinner- his taste buds already telling him what food he truly craved and would most enjoy for dinner.

Iruka quickly, knowingly, filled the red, metal pot half-way full with water from the tap, then poured a large, measured amount of raw rice into it; setting it on top of his stove at once since it usually took about 20 minutes to cook fully.

Next, Iruka took a few steps further into his cute kitchen to begin searching his plain white refrigerator for the vegetables he was pretty sure were there in one of the bottom, sliding drawers.

Iruka obtained some fresh cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots and made quick work of dicing them up into perfect, little cuts and slices; everything getting put in one of the pans along with a small amount of water and a tiny dash of seasoning to taste.

Lastly, the dark-skinned man quickly retrieved the already cooked servings of skinless chicken he had had leftover from a few nights ago; along with some pepperjack cheese and already-cut up green peppers from the refrigerator again.

Iruka realized that he was making an extremely unnecessary quantity of food, but it would mean that he would already have some delicious pre-made leftovers for tomorrow that would only need heating-up for a quick, good meal again.

With his mind made up to go ahead and make what he wanted, Iruka filled the last pan with the pieces of chicken, to which he topped with the green peppers and the cheese; making his smothered chicken dish; and he placed the full, heavy pan in the pre-heated oven and adjusted the timer accordingly.

Despite how hungry he was, Iruka knew that everything he had set to cook took some time before it was ready, so Iruka decided to take a record-fast shower during this time.

Normally, Iruka would not have mentally agreed with himself to partake in such a housefire-worthy act, but he was acutely aware of gross he smelled; clearly reeking of that certain 'outside' odor- that coupled with the fact that Iruka just…felt unclean.

Iruka sighed to himself, once again his thoughts going back over his reckless street fight that happened a little while ago; the whole ordeal itself just making the stressed-out man feel disgusting…disgusted with himself, more than anything.

He needed a shower.

Iruka double-checked the heat on everything he had going on and in the stove; the thought already settling in his mind to not make this a habit; before dashing off to his master bathroom- clothes being shed along the way to save time.

Once a naked Iruka was in his master bathroom, he nimbly leaned over the tub's edge and turned on the water; adjusting the temperature to his liking but with a touch more heat since he was so sore.

Iruka carefully pulled the hair tie from his chocolate locks and then stepped into the white tub and under the cleansing, tension-relieving spray of hot water.

For the second time that day, Iruka dropped his broad shoulders as his wide, but scarred back got drenched by the oncoming water; Iruka purposefully making himself feel every coursing line of the warm liquid that ran over him so as to almost let his anxiety drain away from him just like the water did.

As much as Iruka would have loved to just stand there for a little while longer doing nothing but soaking, he did remember that he had food cooking on a hot stove, so he quickly picked up his oval-shaped green bottle of shampoo and squeezed out a generous potion into his dark palm.

Iruka routinely spread the thick, sweet-smelling gel into his hair before using his fingers to massage it further into his tresses' filling his whole head with clean, white suds.

To give the shampoo time to properly set in and clean his hair, Iruka did not rinse it out right away and instead turned and picked up some red-colored body wash; the equally red contents going into his palm again.

Iruka's dark hands came together and lathered up the cinnamon and berry scented body wash before he deftly, quickly washed his long, toned body; making sure to really scrub and massage the places that were the sorest, such as the back of his right thigh, in between his shoulders blades, his neck, and his left forearm.

With the amount of effort Iruka had been putting into his Muay Thai training, it was bordering on torture to his adept but still human body, as the dark-skinned man was noticing that some of his muscles were hurting him almost every day.

Suddenly, Iruka hurt a noise…or at least, he thought he did. Iruka was now under the fierce spray of his shower again; finally rinsing all soap and suds from his body when he heard what sounded like a knock at his door.

The front door was so far away; about at the opposite end of his apartment from where he was now; and the stifling 'shaaa' of his shower sort of drowned out anything else...but nonetheless, Iruka could almost have sworn that he heard that distinct, hollow, tapping noise.

Iruka was a second away from just dismissing the idea altogether as he turned off the shower; his ears still perked and ready for anything now that he could hear better though.

Knock, knock, knock.

Crap! Someone really was at Iruka's door!

Iruka hastily jumped out of shower; eyes wide, heart racing, and stomach worrying about who could want to talk to him now; as he grabbed his fluffy, black towel that was hanging on a nearby rack.

Iruka quickly bent over, flipping over his sopping hair, and clumsily towel-dried his dripping, mocha brown mane; simply wrapping the towel around his still wet waist once he stood upright upon realizing that he had not have any clothes nearby to change into at the moment.

As quickly with still trying to be mindful of not breaking his neck as possible, Iruka ran out of the bathroom, down the white, bare hall; one hand clutching where the two folds of the towel met around his waist to prevent it from falling; and up to his front door.

Iruka took a deep breath; trying to calm his nerves; before he grasped the shiny, gold-colored doorknob, gave it a good twist, and answered the door- the thought of shouting 'who is it' or looking through his peephole totally eluding the rushed, somewhat frantic college student as he had only been concerned with getting to his door as quickly as possible.

The sight on the other side of his door that filled Iruka's chocolate gaze did nothing short of startling the unsuspecting college student.

Beautiful, spiky black hair that had a certain blue sheen to it; smooth, flawless skin; dark, calming black eyes; and an absolutely charming smile greeted Iruka.

"Hey, Iruka," Sasuke said with a small smile a slight, pink blush to his cheeks, "I finally caught up with you; I was thinking I just missed you or something."

Iruka also noticed that Sasuke was still dressed in the clothes he wore in their Muay Thai class earlier. That black shirt was shirt was still hugging him so perfectly.

Upon feeling the small droplets of water fall onto his shoulders from the ends of his hair, Iruka was snapped out of his daze, and frightfully remembered that he was still just wearing his towel.

"What are you doing here?" Iruka asked, his eyebrows knit together; clearly showing his confusion; as his eyes swept the area behind and around Sasuke as if he was trying to see if there was anyone else he should know about.

There wasn't- just Sasuke.

Sasuke visibly shifted his weight from one side to another before replying, "Well…could I come in first?"

Iruka repentantly realized that he probably seemed quite rude, so he mumbled a 'sure' and stepped out of the way; pushing the door open wider for Sasuke to enter.

Sasuke's smile widened at the shy gesture, as he walked into Iruka's apartment and said a sincere, "Thanks."

Iruka just watched Sasuke slip off his own sandals by his own and walk further into his apartment; his dark eyes sweeping over this and that as he mindfully explored.

"Something smells good," Sasuke commented as he easily slid his hands into his shorts' pockets and turned his head back to Iruka who was closing the door; his mind a mess about what could be going on.

Iruka took carefully measured steps back into his apartment and towards Sasuke, not wanting to wiggle around in his towel too much before replying in a quiet voice, "Oh…yeah, thank you. Actually, it's probably time for it all to be about done, so I'm…going to go change and check on it."

Much to Iruka's relief; as he had been a little worried about leaving Sasuke alone in his apartment right when he got there; Sasuke suddenly chimed, "No problem. In fact, I think I'll check on everything while you change clothes. That is…if I can eat dinner as well…?"

The question was cocky and coy; completely obvious by the quirk in his grin and the glint in his eyes as he gazed upon a deer-resembling Iruka.

"Yeah, that's fine," Iruka replied; knowing that he did have plenty of food for the two of them, "and I appreciate the help."

With that, Iruka turned around and walked briskly to his room; not being able to withstand the intense and alluring gaze of Uchiha Sasuke's midnight eyes- eyes that were glued to his retreated form as Iruka walked away from him.

Sasuke chuckled softly to himself as he watched and heard Iruka practically slam his bedroom door shut; leaving Sasuke to go tend to the meal that he promised.

As Sasuke diligently turned off the burners on the stove and was stirring everything with utensils that he had to find on his own, Iruka was busy pacing in his room- towel still in place.

"What do I do?" Iruka whispered, panicked, to himself as he walked the distance around his bed and back again aimlessly, "I haven't had someone else in here in years…so, what do I do? What do I say?! Aw, man…"

Iruka stopped his incessant pacing and looked up to the ceiling with a calming exhale; deciding firmly in his head that he was being stupid.

He could handle this. It's just dinner. Feed him than send him on his way. That's all.

Feeling a bit more confident now that he had a plan, Iruka went over to his dark, oak drawer and quickly pulled out an old, form-fitting white shirt, a pair of blue boxers, and his favorite grey cotton sweatpants.

Now dressed, Iruka decided to leave his hair down to dry on its own, as he only bothered to run his fingers through his damp, glossy brown mane once before noting that he should not keep Sasuke waiting any longer.

Iruka kept his eyes lowered as he nervously stepped out of his bedroom, only to bump unknowingly right into Sasuke.

Iruka's eyes snapped up upon running into him, and he quickly blurted, "I'm sorry, are you okay?"

While Iruka's eyes were genuinely worried, Sasuke's eyes were hungrily roaming over Iruka's extremely close body; taking in all the dips and curves the man had to offer even despite his soft clothing.

Sasuke did not really even want Iruka to get dressed in the first place; having loved watching him in nothing but a towel; but now that Iruka was a breath away from him, Sasuke realized that it didn't even matter- Iruka was still gorgeous no matter what.

Again proving that Sasuke was a man who spoke before he thought too well on things; Sasuke cheekily said, "God, Iruka…you should wear shirts like that more often."

Iruka blushed hotly at the younger man's comment and looked away; slightly ashamed.

Sasuke noticed Iruka's adorable blush and turned around with a light laugh before adding, "Oh, and I have dinner ready. Let's eat; I'm starving."

Iruka could not say anything as he followed Sasuke back into the kitchen where his raven-haired companion had already served their food on two plates that were waiting for them on the kitchen counter.

"You…did all this?" Iruka sked dumbly; not being able to hide the pleasant shock in his voice from having someone else be kind to him.

"Well…you made it, after all. I just had to get it out and make our plates," Sasuke revised Iruka's praise with a grin and wink at his dark-skinned interest.

"Thanks, Sasuke," Iruka said sincerely, glancing over at the younger, slightly shorter man that was handing him his own plate of steaming food so they could eat and sit on the couch together.

"Not a problem," Sasuke said with a smile as he shifted his weight around a little on Iruka's couch to get more comfortable, and blew on a forkful of rice and vegetables to cool it down.

The first few bites of food were taken by each man before Iruka asked, "Do you like it?"

"Mhmm, it's great," Sasuke said after he swallowed another hurried bite of the smothered chicken; already cutting off another piece for his next bite.

Iruka could not help but smile at Sasuke's words; having rarely been complimented on anything besides his Muay Thai. So, Sasuke's praiseful words about his cooking went straight to Iruka's heart; warming it.

However, Iruka was still puzzled about a few things.

Iruka decided glumly to break the comfortable silence, where only the soft scraping of their utensils against the porcelain of their plates would sound in the apartment, and ask the question that has been pulling at his brain since Sasuke got there.

"So, Sasuke…um, why are you here?" Iruka asked; his inexperience with entertaining guests clearly evident; before quickly adding to soften his unintended harshness, "Did you need something, or did something happen?"

Sasuke clanked his fork on his plate as he finished chewing and swallowing his food before he answered, "No, nothing happened really. I just…well…"

Sasuke trailed off, suddenly feeling the pressure and butterflies that were vastly replacing the courage he had had before to speak with Iruka; making him not know what to say or how to say it.

He really did have so much to say and ask Iruka; countless words of praise wanting to just flow out of his mouth to the stunning, quiet beauty that was Umino Iruka, and how much Sasuke adored him right down to the last detail. The nagging to speak of how Sasuke had been completely taken in by those lovely dark brown eyes of Iruka's that spoke volumes to him of all his pain and strength, was churning hard in the raven's mind.

"I saw you fight out in the street earlier," Sasuke blurted out mindlessly, just wanting to break the silence- immediately picking up on the possibility right after he had finished saying something so careless that he very well might be asked to leave.

Iruka was deathly silent; however, as Sasuke noticed the dark-skinned man's shoulders visibly lower as well as his eyes as he began staring gloomily at the carpet…almost as if he might cry right then and there.

Iruka swallowed thickly, though not having any words to say at the moment, as he just felt merciless weight and the sorrow that he had had managed to forget just cram back into him tenfold.

"It was amazing, Iruka," Sasuke added cheerfully, setting his plate down on the glass coffee table with a soft 'clink', "I've never seen anything like…"

"There's nothing amazing about it," Iruka cut Sasuke off, deadpanning him with his abrupt solemn seriousness and low tone, though Iruka's eyes and face were showing no anger- just …emptiness.

Iruka had become very accustomed to having a certain poker face up at all times, and especially when emotions threatened to get out. It was just his way to remain stoic and impassive at all times; thereby further guaranteeing his solitude and discipline.

However, Sasuke did not miss how troubled Iruka most certainly was, how utterly miserable Iruka's handsome face looked from him bringing up the topic.

"I'm…sorry," Sasuke said, unsure of what he should say as he started feeling a horrible guilt course through him.

No one should have to look that disheartened.

"I…hate to fight…" Iruka said slowly, quietly; setting his not-finished plate on the glass table as well as he grimaced and turned his face away from Sasuke; the urge was insane of how much he did not want to talk about his reasons why.

Sasuke swallowed the lump in his throat and cautiously scooted closer to Iruka- Iruka keeping perfectly still as he probably could have cared less if Sasuke hit him in the face at the moment; he would not feel it.

However, no strike came, but Sasuke's warm, comforting hands did touch Iruka's face as the raven-haired young man gently turned Iruka's expressionless face back towards him, and then just continued to hold his cheeks in his palms.

Sasuke's heart sank a little more into his stomach upon seeing Iruka look so unhappy; the sheer impact of those beautiful eyes having lost their subtle but striking luster hitting Sasuke square in his chest.

"Why? You're so good at it…"Sasuke said a little dreamily as he concentrated his own dark eyes into Iruka's and lingeringly slid his fingertips down and eventually off Iruka's smooth, dark cheeks.

"That's exactly why I hate it," Iruka responded quizzically; probably more to himself than to Sasuke who was still eyeing him, confused.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke prodded, not willing to give up knowing more about Iruka, as he mentally recognized that whatever Iruka had to say, he would gladly listen to it and try to help if he could.

Sasuke wanted so badly to see Iruka's face brighten back up to the way it was before.

Much to Sasuke's thorough surprise, Iruka sighed, stood up; making Sasuke believe that he was going to just walk away at first; but then Iruka swiftly pulled his shirt up over his head and off his body to reveal his torso to Sasuke.

Sasuke's lips parted slightly as he was beginning to catch onto Iruka's meaning, as his onyx eyes widened as he took in the close-up sight of scar after jagged scar that criss-crossed over Iruka's back and most of his arms.

Sasuke had simply not noticed the tiny, lighter-colored lines that were mapped out along Iruka's flesh before when Iruka had just gotten out of his shower and was walking around in his towel. Now, he could not take his eyes off the lines and circles of repaired flesh that stood out amidst Iruka's normally beautiful skin.

Silently, Iruka sat back down and folded his hands in between his knees before saying lowly, "I have been fighting…all my life. It's all I've really known."

Iruka's head fell low as he continued; Sasuke listening intently to his grave words; "I have always been in some form of martial arts ever since I could remember. My parents got me into it when I was just a child- we didn't exactly live in a great part of town. I had to learn how to defend myself, and I've been continuing ever since. But…I have always been in fights…and growing up, I saw how much it pained my parents to see me like that. I used to be so angry…until…"

Sasuke gulped upon hearing how Iruka finished his statement, his eyes falling specifically on a rather vicious-looking scar in the middle of his back.

Gathering some courage, Sasuke carefully asked as he placed a firm, caring hand on Iruka's shoulder, "What happened?"

Iruka's eyes looked over at Sasuke's direction, but not in the boy's face at all as he said, "…they died in a car accident. I was in the backseat…that's where I got that."

Sasuke knew Iruka was referring to that particular scar he had just been looking at remorsefully; his brain not being able to comprehend that kind of pain that Iruka must have had to endure from it…physically and mentally.

Almost without truly thinking about it; only reacting to what he wanted to do; Sasuke slid his hand that was on Iruka's shoulder down the older man's back; gently rubbing large circles over the marred, bronze flesh.

Iruka was a little shocked at first upon feeling Sasuke run his hand over his exposed back, but soon was leaning into the warm, soothing touch; truly drawing comfort out of Sasuke being so close to him and touching where he had been hurt so many times.

Iruka let out a sigh before finishing; fueled on by the encouragement Sasuke's hand on him made him feel; "Ironically, when I practice…it brings me peace. It helps me remember them. But, when I get into a fight, I feel like I am shaming them somehow."

Sasuke continued to gently stroke Iruka's back, paying close attention to how frequently he breathed and if his touches were soothing him at all, as they sat in a silence for a solid moment, just letting everything that was said sink in and digest- the meanings behind everything Iruka had said was so much more than what was only spoken.

After a minute more, Sasuke noticed the change in Iruka's demeanor; Iruka undoubtedly starting to calm down; and finally thought meticulously about what he could say to the man.

Sasuke knew that things like 'I'm sorry' or 'It'll be okay' were just so void of any true emotion and caring, so Sasuke instead decided to carefully say something not regarding Iruka's parents or past.

"Let me rub your back," Sasuke chimed with a small, friendly smile, right away catching Iruka's undivided attention as Iruka whipped his head around to face Sasuke.

To get Iruka moving, Sasuke gave him a little push on his lower back to let Iruka know that he wanted him to sit in front of him on the floor so he could work easier and Iruka could be more comfortable. Iruka tentatively accepted the offer and wordlessly slid from his spot on the couch and onto the floor, scooting over to sit in between Sasuke's legs.

Sasuke smiled from up above Iruka's head, appreciating the compliance to his out-of-nowhere request, and lovingly gathered Iruka's shoulder-length, somewhat damp brown hair and draped it over only one of his shoulders.

Iruka had to suppress the soft groan that wanted to escape his mouth from having someone play with his hair, as he was already beginning to feel a bit better; his head tilting downward to keep his side-swept hair at bay.

The next thing Iruka felt was two strong hands moderately squeeze where his neck and shoulders met; a place where he was always sore from so much training.

This time, Iruka did groan as his head rolled back from having his knotted, overworked neck muscles massaged just right.

Sasuke smiled his approval, loving how Iruka was melting like hot butter in his hands, as he continued to knead Iruka's sore shoulder muscles; using his thumbs to dig a little harder into the rigid muscles that lay underneath his dark skin.

Iruka was now totally incapable of controlling all of his throaty groans and hums of pure, concentrated relief as Sasuke took infinite care and patience of attending his shoulder muscles; his shoulder blades positively turning into sweet jelly from the attention.

Suddenly, Iruka hissed in slight pain as Sasuke squeezed his left, bruised shoulder - Sasuke immediately remembering that that shoulder had gotten hit during his fight earlier.

"Sorry about that," Sasuke commented a little sheepishly, but Iruka was already shaking his head at Sasuke's words.

"It's alright, really," Iruka said in a liquid voice, clearly wanting Sasuke not to stop rubbing his back for any reason.

Sasuke grinned and moved his hands lower on Iruka's back, rolling the tender but tense muscles along his spine; Iruka arching his back a little further as Sasuke went lower.

"Feels good," Iruka mumbled somewhat dazed as he could only feel those talented, slender fingers work all of his anxiety; all of his problems right out of him.

It was cleansing, it was relaxing; it was Heaven and Iruka 'mmm'ed and sighed his pleasant appreciation over and over; getting lost in Sasuke's careful contact as his back was molded like clay. He really did not realize how tense his muscles really had been, how much stress he felt deep inside, until Sasuke had started massaging him; taking it out of him.

Sasuke smiled at Iruka's dreamy comment as he said a quick "good" and maintained a slow, steady pattern of kneading up and down Iruka back; secretly loving how Iruka would wiggle just slightly with every one of his moves.

When it was apparent that Iruka was about asleep where he sat on the floor, Sasuke softly said; as to not ruin the serenity of the atmosphere; "All done."

"Thank you, Sasuke- I needed that," Iruka replied; still leaning back against Sasuke's legs and the couch with his eyes closed in peace; not wanting to move just yet.

"Well, I think I should be going now. It's gotten pretty late and Itachi kind of worries…"Sasuke said, a little miserable with his own recognition and spoken sentences to Iruka, as he was not ready to leave him just yet, if even at all.

Mind still a warm, cozy pile of mush, Iruka courageously; automatically replied, "I don't want you walking home by yourself after what happened to me."

Sasuke perked up upon hearing Iruka say something that indicating that he cared about him; even if it was just about his physical well-being, but Sasuke smiled nonetheless and blushed-grateful that Iruka was not able to see it.

"Then…can I stay here for the night?" Sasuke asked, his voice was as thick and sweet as honey as he asked his coy, but sincere question to Iruka, who was slowly getting to his feet.

Sasuke stood once Iruka was standing upright; his own onyx eyes searching Iruka's brown gaze as his question still hung heavily in the air between them.

Iruka brought up a hand and scratched the back of his head; weighing his options as well as grasping that he had been the one who unknowingly just hand-delivered Sasuke that kind of opportunity with the comment he had made.

Sasuke's eyes never left Iruka as he watched the dark-skinned man think things over to himself; his handsome face showing of the fact that Sasuke's idea was, in fact, in everyone's best interest.

Then, almost startling Sasuke, Iruka cleared his throat before saying, "It's probably best...so uh…I guess you can sleep here on the couch. Oh! Just watch out for Hamtaro if she decides to use you as a pillow or something."

"Hamtaro? What's that?" Sasuke asked with a smile; feelings of blissful relief of not being rejected swelling inside him with each passing second.

"She's my cat- well, kitten. I found her on the street and decided to take her in. She…should be…around here….somewhere…" Iruka answered as he began looking around his apartment for his disappeared, mischievous kitten.

"She's probably in the sink," Iruka then thought out loud; casually saying such an unusual inference about his only pet as if he were commenting on the weather.

Suddenly, both of them just starting laughing at how hilarious the image of a cat in a sink was; the rich, cheerful noise filling the usually dull and quite apartment as Iruka and Sasuke chuckled and huffed together- the tension and seriousness that had previously stifled the room immediately lessening from such a charming exchange.

Wiping a small tear that was threatening to run down his cheek from laughing so hard, Sasuke then cleared his throat as well before stating as calmly and naturally as he could, "Well, if you don't mind, I'd rather not risk crushing your kitten…wherever she is…so..."

"…so?" Iruka inquired with a raised eyebrow, a little perplexed about where Sasuke was going with this, as he leaned over and gathered up his discarded shirt in one hand from the couch cushions.

"I'm going to sleep next to you- you can keep me safe," Sasuke commented with a smirk as he was already turning around to begin walking down the hall; leaving Iruka behind as the dark-skinned man experienced an extremely short, but sharp moment of sheer panic.

As quickly as his heart attack feeling came, it was gone as Iruka forced himself to get a grip and deal with his situation as calmly as his nerves would allow.

"So much for 'just dinner,'" Iruka mumbled bemusedly to himself, as he recalled his earlier plan that he had made with himself when Sasuke had first arrived at his abode.

Another A/N: More on the way- it's already in the making. Hopefully this time, I shall get some more reviews...yes? Yes?? Oh God. feeling ill