The bath was so awkward, for quite a few reasons. First of all, taking a soak together was quite out of the question, so Iruka had to content himself with the most brisk wash he had ever undertaken after a mission, still grasping one of Kakashi's hands. They had tried letting go for a moment and stepping away from each other. Iruka had blacked out on the floor of Kakashi's small bathroom; he had come back to a painful consciousness to see Kakashi doing the same, slumped beside him against the wall with his long, pale fingers rubbing at the bridge of his mask-covered nose.
"Right, so none of that as yet," Iruka had said, and then they'd managed to work together so he could pull off his jacket and shirt. His clothing smelled of smoke and sweat, with that tinge of sour adrenaline and Iruka dumped the lot into Kakashi's clothes'-hamper without asking. He was looking around for a towel of some sort, when he felt warm fingers touch his left shoulder. He sighed at the quick touch, and screwed his eyes shut for a moment, locking out the view of Kakashi's tub tucked into a corner, and the small sunken area beside it where one could wash off the dirt of the day before going to lounge in the tub.
"What is this?" he heard Kakashi say in a low whisper and Iruka smiled a little.
"A tattoo," he said, and looked over his shoulder at the other man. Kakashi's exposed eyebrow was lifted in what Iruka hoped was an impressed arc.
"Clearly. But... it takes up your entire back," Kakashi pointed out and shook his head. "I noticed some of it before, when we were at Archer. I know most of us have ink, but this-"
"It started as a dare." Iruka lifted his left shoulder. "The dragon's head on this side... and it just spread from there."
'Spread' was an understatement. The fierce dragon breathed gusts of wind on the back of his left bicep, and then its neck wound up and around his arm. It stacked its thick, black coils all over his back before its tail ended on the back of his right arm with an indolent tilt of its spikes. The scar formed by Mizuki's giant shuriken marred the perfection of its scales, but Iruka kind of liked the effect. Few persons knew of it, and his clothing always covered the ink. He found he was a bit tickled by the knowledge that it was there; most people would be surprised a chuunin-sensei would have such an elaborate tattoo.
Besides, he liked getting inked. The pain was almost negligible in comparison to what he underwent sometimes on missions, almost relaxing and every session had its cathartic purpose.
Kakashi's fingers dragged over his skin again, and Iruka shuddered. "Please stop that. It's making a bad situation even worse."
"My apologies," Kakashi murmured, but his touch remained on Iruka's upper back a beat too long. "Surprising."
"That's my aim in life, to turn people's expectations of me on their heads." Iruka quickly removed the wrappings from his upper thigh and pulled off his trousers, hoping Kakashi would still be fixated on the dragon and not notice his full body blush. He was naked in another man's bathroom, with the prospect of some kind of sex in the very near future.
This was a situation he was fairly familiar with... apart from the whole Kakashi aspect, and the fact that the seal was stoking the desire. A mission, he reminded himself futilely, but a busy part of his mind contributed all the vague fantasies he'd ever had about the elusive Copy-nin. He exerted a superhuman control over these fantasies, for if he could read Kakashi's annoyance with him at times, Kakashi would probably pick up on the truthful edge to his feelings.
The fact was that Iruka didn't have to be pushed too far by their bond. Not too far at all.
"What other expectations do people have of you?" Kakashi asked, standing and gazing off at the blue tiles of the wall while Iruka squatted and tried to scrub every inch of himself clean. Kakashi's legs were covered with a fine, pale layer of hair and they tickled Iruka's side as he twisted to rub at his ankles. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."
"I don't mind." Iruka placed the wet cloth across his upper thigh, rubbing the bar of soap over it slowly. "I suppose they expect me to be quiet and agreeable." He smiled when he heard Kakashi's incredulous huff. "But you of all people should know by now that that is far from the truth."
"As the east is from the west," Kakashi agreed.
"And you?"
Kakashi shifted, and Iruka could almost feel the weight of his stare on his back. "And me, what?"
"What do people expect of you?"
There was a long pause; Iruka actually managed to finish his wash and stand up, gratefully grasping the towel Kakashi held out backwards. He mopped at his skin fruitlessly and settled for hitching it around his waist in a fairly haphazard fashion.
"They expect me to do my duty," Kakashi finally answered in a monotone.
"Boring." Iruka informed him, moving his arm around helpfully so that Kakashi could undress himself; there were moments when Kakashi had to switch hands to manoeuvre his sleeves, just as Iruka had to before. "Let me tell you what people expect of Hatake Kakashi. They expect power, mystery...a touch of suavity."
"I'm pretty sure 'suavity' is not a word," Kakashi drawled as Iruka stood out of the way and turned at an angle so he could take his turn at washing. He had caught a glimpse of Kakashi's strong jawline and wanted to just...lick it.
"How dare you," Iruka scolded faintly, entranced by how Kakashi's hair fell, now that it wasn't held up at a rakish angle by his forehead-protector. "I'm a teacher.'Suavity' is definitely a word. But you're pretty far from suave, yourself."
Kakashi went still for just one moment, but a small fringe of affront tickled at the link of their chakra before he continued his bath. "Is that so?"
"Yes. You're very rude and domineering," Iruka said, unable to stop his mouth once it got going. It was his greatest weakness, one of his sensei had wearily told him one day after school, when he had gotten into yet another fight. "And you think you can trod over other people just because they're not as strong as you are-"
His snark stopped in mid-chatter as Kakashi turned off the running water and stood up, pulling him around so that they faced each other. Kakashi's face without his mask... well, Iruka had been expecting some kind of devastating beauty, and in a way it was. Kakashi had thin scar along his lower left jaw, very faint. His nose was narrow and sharp, and slightly crooked, and he had his normal eye open; how he managed to keep the Sharingan covered by his other eyelid and not look like he was scrunching up that half of his face was beyond Iruka, but he was pulling it off just fine. There was an obvious delineation where his mask prevented the lower half of his face from tanning as much as the upper section, but Iruka figured it would even out after a day or so inside.
"If you're done with all the critique, Iruka-sensei, I think we should just get to the sex."
Iruka gaped at him and then managed to close his mouth, swallowing hard and trying to control his breathing against the excited expectation. Kakashi was naked, and Iruka manfully did not look down.
"Oh...well. Great." Iruka blinked at him. "Like I said, we don't have to have any penetration-"
"Good." Kakashi shook his head in a quick, almost dismissive motion and managed not to look right into Iruka's eyes at the same time.
"-but we still need lubricant. That thick healing oil should work."
Kakashi blinked twice. "I think I have a bottle around here, somewhere."
"All right." Iruka took a quick, bracing breath and stepped right into Kakashi's space, letting his towel fall to the floor. Kakashi made a soft noise of complaint in the back of his throat, but Iruka reached down between them and touched the warm, soft skin of his penis. Kakashi jerked back, twisting Iruka's hand up and away. Iruka let his arm be hauled like that, knowing that if he tried to resist such a move he would risk serious injury. After a few beats, Kakashi returned his hand to its appropriate position in an apologetic fashion.
Slowly, Iruka reached for him again. Their bond clamoured for more and now, but despite his almost detached air, Kakashi was wound tight, almost at the brink of springing away like a startled cat. As a matter of fact, he did look like a suspicious feline, eye narrowed at Iruka and broad shoulders hunched. Nevertheless, his free hand reached out and settled on the dip of Iruka's waist, fingers twitching for a brief moment before they went still. Kakashi looked down at his own hand and then, in a deliberate move, shifted his gaze to consider Iruka's growing erection.
Iruka exhaled slowly and placed his hand on Kakashi's waist as well, thumb rubbing smoothing circles into Kakashi's skin. Kakashi relaxed even more, and looked back at him.
Iruka slid his hand up Kakashi's side, feeling the lean muscle before resting his hand on Kakashi's chest, his thumb pressing against a pert pink nipple. He ducked down impulsively and put his lips around the beguiling bit of flesh. Kakashi's body did that all-over flinch again, and he moaned softly when Iruka sucked a little bit harder. Iruka pulled back, and looked up in his face. The skin of Kakashi's cheeks was flushed red.
"That's okay?" Iruka asked, gently.
Kakashi stared at him and then moved his head up and down, like someone in a dream. "How about the other one?" he croaked out, and Iruka laughed. Of course Kakashi would want his nipples treated equally, and he obliged the man. Kakashi's hand tightened around his and Iruka moved up, pressing slow kisses to his finely-made collarbone and up his neck. When Iruka reached his jaw, Kakashi turned his head and pressed his lips to Iruka's in an awkwardly hesitant kiss. Iruka wanted to shove him against the wall and rut against him, but that would probably put Kakashi off the idea of intercourse for an entire week or so. However, he had actually instigated that kiss, and it was enough to make Iruka absolutely rock-hard; he was pleased to note that Kakashi was becoming aroused as well, the damp head of his cock stroking against Iruka's upper thigh now and again.
"Lube?" Iruka asked pointedly, and shifted when Kakashi reached over his shoulder to pull at the mirror, swinging it out to retrieve a dark-green glass bottle from the recess. He held it right in front of Iruka's nose and Iruka grasped it with fingers that felt weak. He stepped back, leading Kakashi out of the messy bathroom and out towards his bedroom, where a neatly made bed awaited them. Iruka walked backwards with a confidence he didn't feel, looking right into Kakashi's face, even though the jounin was staring at everywhere else but in his eyes. When he felt the edge of the bed against the back of his legs, Iruka slid his arms around Kakashi's neck and kissed him thoroughly.
Kakashi kissed him back, and allowed himself to be dragged down onto the bed, sprawled atop Iruka. He held himself away, or he tried to for a few moments, but Iruka wrapped his legs around Kakashi's waist and did a slow, rolling thrust that had Kakashi groaning against his mouth. Iruka smirked; he was pretty good at this, and he'd been complimented regularly by his lovers. As if he had read Iruka's mind, Kakashi drew back and frowned down at him.
"How many men have you slept with?"
"Why, Kakashi," Iruka said in a rather coy manner, and he made sure to stare right at Kakashi's face, "What makes you think I'm the kind of person to kiss and tell?"
"We're bonded," Kakashi pointed out. "I think I have the right to know something like that."
Iruka let his head fall back on the bed and exhaled in annoyance. "Fine. Three."
"Names and rank."
"What?" Iruka stared up at him, and then concentrated on the link between them, at the fine sliver of emotion he found there. "Are you...jealous?"
"It's the bond," Kakashi explained curtly as his gaze roamed over Iruka's face.
"Nice to know." Iruka went up on his elbows and then did his rolling hip thing again. Kakashi's eyelid fluttered, but he went right back to his expectant expression. "Fine! Uchiha Inabi, Konoha Military Police. He was my first lover."
"You lie," Kakashi breathed, actually sitting back and staring at Iruka as if he was a completely different species. "He was-"
"He was arrogant and talented, like any other Uchiha," Iruka told him. "And he didn't have a problem with taking the virginity of a teen-aged chuunin." Iruka tilted his head, shrugging; Kakashi's gaze darted to the movement of the tattoos on his upper arms and then traced its way back to his face. "I was...upset when he was killed."
Kakashi nodded. "Who else?"
"Why are we even having this conversation now?" Iruka wondered and sighed at Kakashi's set expression. "Ogano, civilian. He was... amazing."
"Next," Kakashi growled and pressed down his hips. Iruka gasped as they slid against each other and Kakashi's eye went half-lidded; he licked his lips. "Quickly, sensei."
"Namiashi Raidō, tokujō," Iruka snapped and then wrapped his arms around Kakashi's neck, for all this warm skin against his was driving him crazy. He still had the bottle in one hand, but it was half-forgotten as he kissed and writhed under Kakashi, murmuring sweet nonsense when Kakashi ventured to kiss his ear.
"As your dearly bonded, will I be informed of all your past lovers?"
"Maybe," Kakashi answered. Iruka made a face and then pushed at Kakashi, urging him to sit back on his heels. Iruka sat up himself, and pulled the cork of the bottle, pouring some of the thick liquid into his palm. Under Kakashi's heavy and curious stare, he smeared it on his inner thighs, quite liberally. Then, he capped the bottle and let it roll to the headboard, lying back and wriggling until his legs were pressed straight together.
"How does this work?" Kakashi sounded as if Iruka had outlined a circumspect battle-plan.
"Slide your cock in between my thighs," Iruka answered, deciding that with a person like Kakashi, blunt was always the best route.
"Ah." Kakashi stared down at Iruka's legs, seeming to tally the sum of his crotch. Iruka's cock twitched under his inspection, the show-off. "Very well."
Iruka kept his gaze fixed on the ceiling, trying to instill a clinical mindset, but he exhaled as Kakashi pushed in between his thighs. Non-penetrative, of course, but it was still amazing, the sensation of Kakashi's hard prick sliding against his skin, slow and uncertain at first, then picking up in both speed and confidence. Iruka undulated, keeping his legs close together so that Kakashi could get that tight sensation.
"Wow," Kakashi groaned, and Iruka agreed in a moan. Kakashi paused shifted up and Iruka felt his shaft rub on the underside of Iruka's scrotum. "Amazing."
"Mmm, yes." Iruka rest his hands lightly on Kakashi's waist, fingers splayed. "Like it?"
"Almost like with a woman," Kakashi said, holding himself over Iruka by his hands anchored on either side of Iruka's head. A bit like doing a push-up, but that was nothing.
"Surprisingly soft." He went back to thrusting, and Iruka closed his eyes, imagining Kakashi actually inside him, their bodies entwined so closely that they would hardly be moving at all, just shifting slowly together. The greedy commands of the bond began to fade as Iruka drew closer to the edge, arching up in a desperate need to get more of Kakashi's skin against his. Too bad Kakashi wasn't kissing him, or stroking him...well, maybe that would have been a bad thing. He probably would have come faster in such a case.
"Couldn't you henge into a more feminine form?"
Iruka's eyes snapped open and he glared, even though he was shivering on the edge of release; only Kakashi would be so bluntly offensive during sex. "Couldn't you henge into less of an asshole? Just...ah, hurry. Hurry up. Yes."
"Fuck," Kakashi swore and thrust even faster, and Iruka scrabbled for the lubricant; he simply tried drizzling some more over his thighs, hoping some would be pushed in with Kakashi's movements, but his hand was shaking, his whole body was caught up in a fine tremor. He let out a sharp cry when Kakashi collapsed right on top of him, still moving with jack-knife jabs of his hips against Iruka's. Kakashi's mouth was pressed against his shoulder as warm come spurted between his thighs. The sensation of that tipped Iruka right over, gripping at Kakashi's sweaty back and bucking up as he came.
Iruka let Kakashi's weight press him into the bed for a few moments as they lay there for a few moments, breathing hard. Then, Kakashi raised himself up on his elbows, looking down at Iruka with a shadowed expression. Iruka reached up and stroked his cheek with a small smile.
"Good?" he whispered and Kakashi nodded. "And I didn't even need to henge into a woman," he teased.
Kakashi still didn't say anything. He rolled off Iruka and stretched out beside him, all lean lines and glistening skin. Iruka felt himself twitch in tired appreciation. Iruka tugged on the sheet, pulling it up so he could get the end to wipe between his thighs. Then he shuffled out of the wet-spot, moved his hand a bit so that it covered Kakashi's fingers and very determinedly, fell asleep.
AN: Iruka's tattoos were inspired by a fanart called 'Kakairu 2' by Kristal on y!Gallery: yaoi.y-gallery.*net*/*view*/*292804/ (without the asterisks). It's not explicit, but probably not worksafe and you might need an account to see it. I hope the artist doesn't delete it, I think it's lovely. Ruthea at deviantArt created an awesome fanart for this fic and I'm so grateful for it: ruthea.*deviantart*.com*/#/*d2z9twn (again, without the asterisks and again, it's not too explicit but it's also probably not worksafe).