Chapter Six

Kakashi and Asuma were making their way to gym class after a long morning of being separated. Both were awkwardly quiet, this even alerted Rin whom joined them.

"You two are quiet?" Rin stared before a sly grin crept across her features. "See each other naked again?"

"That doesn't bother us anymore." Asuma smirked. Kakashi shuddered, making puking motions off to the side.

"Gross. I didn't need to know that." She shuddered smiling broadly. "But I've got news that you guys have to know! Obito's moving back!" Rin clapped.

"Really?" Kakashi smirked.

"Cool. We haven't seen him since grade seven." Asuma noted.

"I know! Isn't it great?!" Rin was big eyed and skipped away.

"She got over you in a hurry." Asuma teased, poking him in the ribs.

"Good." Kakashi went silent again. "Last night, something weird happened."

"How weird?" Asuma stopped to sit in the 'empty' foyer.

"Well, after we finished babysitting I walked Iruka home." Kakashi blushed. "But he said that he… keeps feeling my eyes on him. Then he asked if it was weird to have feelings for a guy. I think –"

"He's definitely in love with you." Asuma leaned back against the wall.

"You think?" Kakashi kept walking to the change rooms. Asuma quickly followed.

Just after they left, Iruka came from around the corner where he'd been writing down some proper notes. He didn't quite know what to think, maybe Kakashi hated him now.

xxxx

The two of them changed before the others got in after the first bell rang, and then they slipped out. Only to find Asuma's 'favorite' teacher, Mr. Falan, their P.E. teacher.

"Boys ready to play a little soccer?" Falan teased, grinning at the stricken look on Asuma's face.

"Soccer?" Asuma gaped. "I thought we were weight lifting?"

"No, some kid broke the water pipe in the weight room."

"Uh… my stomach's not feeling so good." Asuma cringed, wrapping an arm around his midsection. Falan rolled his eyes.

"Three weeks ago, I might have fallen for that. Maybe if you hadn't been using it every day since then..." Mr. Falan growled. "Asuma. You're a piney, Kakashi, piney." He tossed the smelly, sad excuses for jerseys at them.

"We can always pretend to play." Kakashi sighed, slipped the green mesh over his grey sweater. He wrinkled his nose at the stench emanating from the worn-down fabric.

"And what happens when the ball comes?" Asuma growled, slipping his own piney over his head. He sighed, realizing his had a ripped strap.

"Scream like a little girl." Anko teased joining the conversation. "Nice toga."

"Shut up." Asuma pouted, tugging at the material.

"Isn't that what you always do though?" Anko teased again. "We only started semester two in February and already you've managed to sit out of all the activities. Stop smoking, or get a trainer."

"It is only May." Kakashi stated flatly.

"Whatever." Anko muttered, rolling her eyes. "We have two months left of school, suck it up." She smirked and followed the herd of students into the gym.

Mr. Falan divided up the teams, evenly distributing talents and genders. Anko was sided on Kakashi's team with Kakashi as captain, while Gai and Rin were on the opposing team. They also had the small sized grade ten class joining them, amongst that class was none other than Iruka.

The herd migrated from the gym towards the soccer field. The game started and Anko scored the first goal ten minutes into the game. She turned and bowed to her teammates who were already retreating. Another twenty minutes later the score sat at three to five, shirts versus pinnies. A small quarrel erupted between Gai and a member of Kakashi's team, so Kakashi stepped into break up the fight, when Gai's knee connected violently with his groin area, and Kakashi folded over. Gai suddenly came to the realization that he'd injured Kakashi. At first he thought that he deserved it for getting in the way, but as a fellow male, he cringed.

"Hatake, are you alright?" Gai got down on his knees, Asuma came just as quickly. Iruka and Anko stood at the side watching as Mr. Falan helped Kakashi stand and then took him to the infirmary.

By the end of class, Kakashi was lying in the infirmary on his side, holding onto an ice pack. Thoroughly bored and still in pain, Kakashi stared at the wall across from him. The diagram of the human digestive system was proving to be of little interest, when the zipper of a pair of jeans appeared in front of him. Startled, Kakashi blinked and looked up to see Iruka staring down at him with what could only be described as a slightly amused look.

"Feeling better?" Iruka asked as he sat down on the chair. Kakashi glared.

"Not particularly." Kakashi winced as he realized that his voice was still higher than normal. He glared as Iruka began laughing at him.

"Sorry." Iruka said, stifling his laughter.

Iruka's face relaxed and Kakashi was able to see concern written clearly across his face. "But seriously… are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Kakashi closed his eyes and buried his face in the crook of his elbow. He heard Iruka sigh.

"So… how's -"

"Kakashi! Are you alright?" Asuma panted, bent over with his hands on his knees.

A look of shock passed over Asuma's face before he grinned. He straightened and put his hands on his hips.

"Well I see that you've well taken care of, eh, Kakashi?" Asuma winked, Kakashi glared and Iruka blushed slightly.

Asuma yelped and ducked, narrowly avoided Kakashi's ice pack, which had gone soaring across the room.

"Okay, I get it. Not funny." Asuma sighed nudging the ice pack with his runners. "Are you coming to History or should I tell Morino that you're not coming?"

Kakashi sighed.

"Give me a few minutes." Kakashi was relieved to find that his voice was returning to normal.

Asuma shrugged. "I'm gonna go get some smarties."

"They don't actually increase your I.Q., Sarutobi."

"Quiet, Hatake. Just let me live my fantasy." Asuma said dramatically as he left.

I really don't want to know what his fantasy is… Kakashi thought as he sat up, cringing. The next few minutes passed in a rather uncomfortable silence. Kakashi' eyes would shift between Iruka and his own knees. He sighed lightly.

"Is it weird to have feelings… for a guy?" Kakashi asked quietly. Iruka looked up at him, frowning.

"I asked you that."

"You sure did."

Another uncomfortable silence stretched out.

"I don't think it's weird." Iruka said as he stood up. "And it's not gross or unnatural either. As long as it'll make you happy I see nothing wrong with it. People need to think less about their reputations if it's getting in the way of their happiness."

Kakashi stared at Iruka, not fully expecting such an outburst. Iruka blinked at him before blushing and thrusting his clothes into his arms.

"Here, I brought you your clothes. I can give you a ride home if you wanted."

And with that, Iruka was out the door, with Kakashi blinked stupidly as he sat on the bed… table thing. He shook his head before standing taking his shirt off. He'd just grabbed his faded black tee when –

"Kakashi, are you…"

Kakashi turned to see Rin staring at him from the door way. He sighed lightly before pulling his shirt on.

"Hi, Rin. Mind turning around so I can change out of my shorts?"

XxXxXxXxX

Ten minutes later, a very embarrassed Rin and a very bruised Kakashi walked through their history door. Kakashi walked up to the teacher and handed him the note from the school nurse. Upon reading it, Ibiki cringed.

"So, how are things with Iruka?" Asuma winked at Anko and Gai. Kakashi glared.

"How should things be? Nothing happened." Kakashi said, sitting as far away as possible from Gai.

"C'mon. You guys were alone for, what, 10 minutes? Hand over the details." Anko demanded with an evil grin.

"I'm sorry. Did you say something?" Kakashi grinned and Anko glared.

"C'mon Kakashi. Something must've happened." Asuma said, nudging Kakashi.
"Nothing happened. He just… offered me a ride home." Upon seeing the threesome of perverted grins pointed in his direction Kakashi glared once more. "Not that kind of ride, you perverts!"

"Kakashi, I don't care how many times Gai hits you in… unpleasant places, it does not give you the privilege to yell in class." Ibiki snapped from the front of the class. Kakashi grinned.

After XxXxX School

Kakashi walked through the main doors of the school to meet up with Iruka. He was talking to Genma, who was on the school paper as well. He hadn't even seen Kakashi when he walked up beside him.

"Oh, hi Kakashi." Iruka smiled. "My car's over by the stop sign."

Kakashi nodded and wobbled over to the navy 2 door. Iruka followed behind him and unlocked the doors.

"Are you still… hm, sore?" Iruka blinked.

Kakashi blushed a bit as he stepped into the car and pushed himself into the seat. He looked over at Iruka as the car gently roared to a start. "A bit. Nothing I can't handle."

Iruka smirked and put the car in drive. His little car smoothly went along for a few blocks and as if on random he pulled the car over to the curb and parked. Locking all the doors and windows he looked at Kakashi stiffly.

Kakashi's muscles tightened and his face gazed intently at Iruka, he was anticipating the worst, but he couldn't move, still being slightly in pain and all. Fear gripped his voice, but he smiled in confusion as Iruka opened his mouth.

"I'm confused." Iruka stated flatly, his face now twisted and humorous.

Kakashi sighed and pressed back into his seat. "About me?" A nod confirmed his suspicion, but it wasn't satisfying. "What's so confusing about me?"

Blinking several times, forming a sentence in his head, he looked out his front window. "I asked that question to you and you simply leave, then you bring it up again today. Are you just messing with me?"

"That night you and Kurenai showed for our show, I didn't see anyone but you. I thought I was seeing things. After babysitting with you and talking with you; I shared a secret with you that only 5 people in my life know." Was his abrupt interruption during Iruka's explanation. "I wasn't messing with you. I'm just as confused as you are."

Iruka glimpsed sadly at Kakashi, questions and thoughts flipping through his mind. An onslaught of words flew from his mouth, with no time to stop him self. "Could you be in love?"

Kakashi's face contorted into hysteria as he held back a scream. He knew it would be no good to get all worked up over such a difficult question. "I, I don't know." He blinked slowly. Feeling Iruka's eyes piercing the side of his head with a slight hint of frustration. "I've only ever had one girlfriend, and after we broke up I simply forgot about dating and "love". If this feeling is "love" than I've never felt it before."

Satisfied with a lengthy answer, Iruka put the car back in drive. "It's fear." He stated simply and turned across the tracks onto Kakashi's street. "The sad thing is, I feel it too."

Cringing, Kakashi nodded and pulled his backpack onto his lap. He took out a CD in a clear, plastic case. "It's a recording of a song that I've been working on." The car halted in Kakashi's driveway. "Give it a listen and tell me what you think." The door slammed and Kakashi hobbled up the stairs to his porch and into the house.

Peeling the CD off the plastic casing and putting it into his CD player, Iruka drove home listening to a song Kakashi had trusted him with, as a critic and a friend.