Chapter Three: Fluttering feelings.

Waking up, Iruka felt like someone was bounding continuously against his head with something heavy. He opened his eyes slowly, and then hurriedly closed them again. It was a weird sensation and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it – it felt almost as if he had been wrapped in tons and tons of cotton wool. Why? Because all of his senses had gone numb – he was having problems hearing, his nose was blocked up, and his head felt like it weighed the same amount of his body making him feel strangely out of proportion. Yes, Iruka was experiencing his first ever hangover. But what could he do about it?

"Urgh," He swung himself out of bed and stood for a while leaning against the bed post as his room swung around him. Actually he was the one that was swinging dizzily but from his disorientation it was almost as if the walls around him were the ones dancing around.

"Uh," Iruka slumped back onto his bed, and stumbled blindly around for his phone that was on his bedside table. Typing in a few numbers that were instinctual to him rather than a memory, Iruka called the school.

"Hello? This is Allison speaking, how may I help you?"

"Allison, it's Iruka." Iruka half moaned down the phone – every word leaving his mouth felt strained, and he suddenly realised that he had an awful taste lingering around his lips. To top it off, his mouth felt like someone had stuffed a fuzzy gone off mould in it. Yeah, not nice.

"Oh, are you ok, Iruka-sensei?" Allison sounded concerned – as she should be, Iruka never ever was ill. Never. Seriously.

"I think I'm dying." Iruka began rather melodramatically, he was beginning to feel sorry for himself. "I won't be coming in." He mumbled, hanging up the phone on a panicking Alison.

"I'll just stay here, and sleep it off." Iruka thought numbly shivering as he felt a gust of cold air sweep around the room. He stayed led down for several moments until a thought snuck it's way sneakily around his mind. He hadn't left a window open so where had the gust of air come from….

Opening his eyes, and facing the site in front of him, nothing could have prepared him for it. Leaning with his legs placed widely apart and his face mere inches from Iruka's own, Kakashi stood grinning. He leapt back neatly onto the bed post at the end of Iruka's bed as Iruka leapt up screaming.

"What the hell is wrong with you Kakashi?!" Iruka was panting, struggling to get his heart back to normal again. Kakashi smiled fondly at his friend.

"Just making sure that you were still breathing, Iruka." Kakashi simply stared and Iruka frowned.

"That's all very well but you can go now." Iruka ordered, turning over in bed. He didn't expect Kakashi to obey him but it was asking, right?

"Well now that you're breathing I have no reason to leave. And besides, you wouldn't turn away a friend with medicine would you?" Kakashi smiled evilly, waving a brown paper bag that made a rattling sound indicating things were inside it. Iruka eyed it wearily – he never had medicine in his house seeing as he was never ill. A mistake that he was paying for deeply now.

"What do you want Kakashi?" Iruka numbly asked. "You already have me with this stupid bet anyway – what more could you possibly want?!" He thought bitterly.

"Nothing, my dear friend." Kakashi said, leaping off the bed and opening the bag. He pulled out several items and placed them on Iruka's bedside table. Turning Iruka looked at them and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. They looked safe enough…there was lemon tea (no doubt to get his energy up), paracetamol (for his headache) and some menthol sweets to clear his blocked senses. All seemed in order – Iruka reached for the medicine and obediently took it, ignoring Kakashi who was perched on his bed watching him fondly almost like a parent may watch an ill child. Iruka shivered at this thought – something was deeply wrong here. Kakashi wasn't really the type to have a caring deposition. So what was up?

Gulping down the bitter medicine, Iruka felt a weird feeling whiz through his body. He smiled for the first time that morning as he realised that he felt better already – perhaps the medicine had been from Tsunade which explained it's speed at working.

"Right, get changed Iruka. I'll meet you at the town centre in about an hour." Kakashi demanded as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Iruka coughed – he never understood why ninjas did that. Why couldn't they use a door once in a while?! But nooo – flashy exits were way more important – a ninja would rather use a window that stoop so low as to use a door. Cursing jounins and Kakashi in general, Iruka showered and changed. He had come to the conclusion that following Kakashi's demands was a lot easier than ignoring them. Kakashi was persistent – a habit he supposed that he had unconsciously picked up from his rival Gai.

In this sense, Iruka found himself numbly walking to the town centre an hour later. He still had this weird feeling trailing through his body but he put it down to the working of the medicine more than anything. He stood still for a while surveying the busy on goings of the people around him, as he searched for Kakashi. Not for the second time, he wished that he could revert back to his carefree ways before the bet had started but now that it had – he would see it through!

"Oh no, Kakashi is sorely mistaken if he thinks he has won this one yet!" Iruka thought feeling a new found stubbornness and competitiveness flutter in his heart. It would only last six more days – and after that he could just forget about it. So…he might as well make a fool of himself, because if he didn't and he lost…well, he would be making a fool of himself anyway due to whatever forfeit Kakashi would come up with. Iruka was quick to suppress this thought – it was no use depressing himself further.

"Iruka!" A loud clear voice, and a waving hand brought Iruka back to his senses, and he followed the sound until he noticed Kakashi who was leaning against the fountain that was in the centre of the town. Hurrying around people he made his way towards his friend.

"Shoot Kakashi, what's the plan for today?" Iruka asked, wanting to get the worst over and done with. If he knew what Kakashi had planned then it wouldn't be so bad later.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow thoughtfully – seemed like his friend's spirt was starting to heat up. "Interesting…" He thought to himself, though concealing his emotions behind that mask of his.

"Why Iruka, eager?" He bantered but didn't leave time for Iruka to answer. "Today we will be visiting one of our fellow jounin's parties." Kakashi began.

"Don't say it Kakashi." Iruka warned feeling that he knew where Kakashi was going with this one.

"Say what?"

"Her name. We're not going."

"Who?" Kakashi grinned widely.

"Her."

"Speak up – I can't hear you."

"Kakashi!"

"I'll see you at Anko's at five pm then."

Iruka was left staring miserably at the puff of smoke that Kakashi had left behind.

"Stupid lazy ninjas." He grumbled as he thought of the night ahead. What was he to do now? He was all set out for not caring about reputation tonight but that was only with strangers – he couldn't make out with someone he already knew – especially if that someone would see him again at a later date! Iruka was lost in his thoughts as he walked. He presumed he knew where Kakashi was going with this one – it was a well known fact that Anko was more than slightly –aheh- up for it, and had more than a slight crush on the mysterious silver haired ninja known as Kakashi.

Iruka began mentally tallying points in his head. If Kakashi and Anko – aheh- got lucky that night then Kakashi's points would sky-rocket. Unless, unless…Iruka gulped as a disturbing thought hit his mind…unless, he could keep the hands on Anko occupied. Iruka shivered, it was plan but not a nice one. If truth be told, Anko scared the hell out of him. She was way too forward for the shy teacher and when she had hit on him at an office party – he had run the other way…fast. But what was worse – Anko or Kakashi's forfeit? Iruka numbly realised that he was blocked into a corner with no escape.

These troubling thoughts stalked around Iruka's head like a caged tiger as he went shopping for food for tea, and even when he was back at his flat preparing his tea. (It's pasta if anyone is interested.). That feeling that get travelling along his body in waves was still there which worried Iruka slightly – surely the medicine couldn't still be working four hours later? Was it an after affect? He took it just to be nerves after the party.

Iruka settled down in front of the television and began flicking through the channels. He was happily munching on some pasta and watching a documentary on caterpillars when a familiar puff of smoke indicated that 'he' was back.

"Kakashi?" Iruka questioned between mouthfuls of oh – so – yummy warm pasta.

Kakashi was sat next to him and seemed to be staring at him intently. "Feeling uh ok, Iruka?" Kakashi asked, un-nerving Iruka slightly by staring at Iruka's crotch for quite some time.

"Um, yeah. Why..?" Iruka suspiciously asked.

"Ah, no reason." Kakashi grinned then poofed away again.

"Well…" Iruka thought. "That was weird." He took to watching the television again – it was on the break now and showing a curvy women who was advertising chocolate. She was eating seductively making Iruka frown. That weird feeling was back again…but it was trailing lower down now…almost at the bottom of his stomach. Just what was it?! Iruka was beginning to get troubled by this feeling, and why was he starting to wonder if Kakashi had anything to do with it?!

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Author's notes: Can anyone predict what is happening to Iruka? Am thinking may have to update his to an 'm' rating – would that make some readers leave? Next chapter will feature Anko's party – with tons of the other jounins! Will Iruka decide to distract Anko from Kakashi? Does Kakashi have a sneaky plan? Guess!!

Love you all my little reviewers!! x