Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters and/or places from it. I do, however, apologize for my long hiatus.
A/N: Well, it's been awhile, but I'm back! I'm taking some time off school, so I've been working on my writing and remembered good old fanfiction. I really enjoyed writing this story, and it would be a shame not to see it through until the end. Therefore, it's my main focus and current writing project now! Enjoy
Catching Feelings
Chapter Seven: Brains & Looks
The next morning, Iruka woke up and slowly registered where he was. Once he remembered he was on a mission and in his new temporary home, he sat up quickly and cast out his senses. The house was empty. Where was Kakashi?
The tanned Chuunin got out of bed and walked towards the living room, pulling up his sagging pajama pants. He immediately noticed a piece of paper on the kitchen counter and approached it yawning.
Boyfriend-
Be back around two, out looking for a job.
Town academy is four blocks east, hint hint.
Don't get yourself in trouble while I'm gone.
-K
Iruka smirked at the letter.
I guess I'm going to apply at the academy…
With that in mind, Iruka went back to the room and took a quick shower before heading out to do some job searching of his own.
Walking down the street, the Chuunin took in his surroundings. The town was clean and obviously well taken care of, and the townspeople seemed friendly enough. It seemed like the kind of town where everyone knew everyone, but no one treated the "new guy" with any disrespect. He even had a few people stop him and introduce themselves.
By the time he got to the academy, he felt he had done a good job at getting word to spread that he and his boyfriend had just moved down the road, seeking a more accepting community. Everyone was more than welcoming.
…
Iruka arrived back at his new home around three o'clock. The academy had been very inviting, more than happy to consider hiring Iruka, and after a few interviews, did just that. The Kohona sensei had spent the afternoon touring the school and being introduced to the staff and students. He would officially start the following week, teaching a class of students with learning differences. The school had been wanting to have a learning difference class for awhile, but had been short staffed. Now they could do it, thanks to Iruka's arrival.
"Maa, how'd it go, sensei?"
Iruka hadn't even noticed Kakashi laying on the couch, feet propped in the air, Icha Icha in his masked face. The Chuunin's eyebrow twitched at the sight of the perverted book, but he held his tongue.
"Great, actually. I'll be starting at the academy next week. Any luck with you?"
The Copy Nin didn't look surprised by the news. "I'll be starting at a bar today as a bartender. Actually, it's the bar we're here to infiltrate. Lucky, eh?" The single visible eye curved upwards happily.
"That's great news!" Iruka was impressed. The job acquirement was a huge part of their mission, and getting it so soon would speed the mission up drastically.
Why do I feel almost disappointed about that?
...
The next week went by slow for Iruka. He started his job, and loved the students- even if they were hyperactive as hell. Kakashi had been working nightly at the bar, and Iruka daily at the academy, so they hadn't seen much of each other.
It was Friday, and Iruka was looking forward to the weekend off. Walking home from work, he had decided that he would take a hot bath and read a book to enjoy the start of his weekend, but apparently that wasn't going to happen. A note was waiting for him on the kitchen counter.
I-
The guys at work have been asking about my boyfriend.
I told them said boyfriend would be coming to visit me tonight!
How sweet of my boyfriend, ne?
-K
Tanned hands crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it at the wall.
"Well, there goes my peaceful evening alone," Iruka mumbled to himself dejectedly.
...
Iruka arrived at the bar Kakashi worked at later that evening. The line was forming out the door, and it took a good three minutes for the tanned man to get to the front. Once inside, he scanned his surroundings.
It was Friday evening, and the bar was packed. Kakashi was alone behind the bar, pouring drinks without stopping, though a calamity radiated off of him despite the amount of customers and drink orders.
Finally, Iruka was at the front of the bar, and Kakashi instantly noticed him, ignoring the other customers and moving straight to him. Iruka couldn't help but let his gaze trail down the other man's body.
The Copy Ninja was in all black- black jeans that hugged his hips loosely, a black button up shirt that was undone at the top, a black mask, and a black cloth eye patch. With no headband on, the mess of silver hair was hanging in his face slightly, weighed down by the humidity in the bar. The man was utterly gorgeous.
The Jounin was very aware the Chuunin was checking him out, and despite the crowded bar, he let the other man take his time looking before he said something.
"What can I get for you?" He stared at the other man intently.
Iruka snapped his attention back to the bar and flushed slightly.
"I'll have an Aviation."
Kakashi grabbed the bottle of gin, adding it along with lavender liqueur, lemon, and maraschino to the tin. He shook it quickly and strained it into a stemmed glass, garnishing it with a cherry and handing it to Iruka.
"It's on me," he said with a wink, before moving off to help the other customers.
Iruka moved through the bar, trying to find somewhere to sit. Everywhere was full, so he found an empty space of wall and leaned against it, sipping his chilled drink.
Before he knew it, there was a man approaching him. The man was rather handsome, with blonde hair and blue eyes. His body was beautifully sculpted, and Iruka couldn't help but admire him.
"What's a guy like you doing alone in a bar on a Friday night?" His words slurred slightly, his eyes glazed over a bit from the alcohol.
"My boyfriend is the bartender." It felt weird calling the elite Copy Ninja his boyfriend.
"Well, I guess I have you to myself then." The guy seemed harmless and genuinely friendly, and Iruka liked him. Not liked liked him, but liked him enough to carry out a conversation with him for awhile.
...
Kakashi never stopped paying attention to Iruka, even while taking drink orders, slinging drinks, and closing customers' tabs. And he definitely noticed the man giving Iruka so much attention by the west wall.
Frustrated he couldn't get away from the bar, he continued to do his job angrily. Why was he so mad that another man was talking to Iruka?
It wasn't like the academy teacher was actually his boyfriend. It was a fake relationship, therefore shouldn't the jealousy be fake as well? He wished it was. Jealousy wasn't something he had ever really felt before- at least as an adult- and the unfamiliar feeling was driving him crazy. And making him uncomfortable.
The night went on, and the blonde man continued talking to Iruka and buying him drinks. And the drunker the man got, the closer he moved to Iruka.
Just try touching him, shit head.
The man did just that. He reached up and brushed a stand of Iruka's chocolate brown hair behind his ear, and started to move his face close to Iruka's, snaking an arm around HIS boyfriend's waist. However, it didn't get much closer.
…
Iruka was starting to feel uncomfortable after talking to the blonde man for awhile, whose name was Taiko. What had started as friendly conversation, had turned into flirting on the other man's end.
Suddenly the man was pulling Iruka closer and trying to kiss him.
Not able to show he was a ninja, Iruka didn't try to make a scene out of it. But he didn't have to, because all of a sudden, a white haired bartender was in the middle of them, and Taiko was on the ground.
Kakashi smiled way too happily.
"You need to leave the bar now, if you'd like to keep your pretty face, that is."
Taiko scrambled to his feet, looking embarrassed and angry.
"Fuck off man, we were only-"
The undercover Jounin had Taiko shoved against the wall before Iruka could blink.
"What's going on over here, Kakashi?"
A tall, black haired man approached the group out of no where, hands tucked in the pockets of his black slacks.
Iruka watched Kakashi's body forcefully relax, and his hand fell off the blonde man, letting him slump against the wall.
"Maa, well this man was giving my boyfriend too much attention, and didn't take my request for him to stop nicely." Kakashi turned towards the black haired man and smiled too happily behind his mask, moving his arm around Iruka. "This is Iruka, by the way. Iruka, this is my boss, Raiku."
The demeanor of Raiku instantly changed, and he raised his hand, summoning security. Two larger men approached them instantly.
"Get this man out of here." Taiko was instantly hauled out of the bar. Iruka almost felt bad for the guy.
"Iruka, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." Raiku smiled warmly, yet his features still appeared ice-like. A hand was held out to Iruka, and he shook it.
"The pleasure is mine." Iruka smiled back, and then glanced at Kakashi, who although was smiling under his mask, was stiff. Was he truly angry? Iruka didn't understand why if he was. But he had the sense that the older man was not faking it.
"Raiku, would you mind if someone else attended the bar while I take a quick break to show Iruka around?"
"Of course, Kakashi. I appreciate your hard work this week."
Raiku walked away and Kakashi grabbed Iruka's hand, leading him to the outside area of the bar. When they got to a less populated area, Kakashi turned around to face Iruka, letting go of his hand.
"Do you normally cause so much attention at bars?" The Jounin's voice sounded carefree, but Iruka got the complete opposite vibe.
"Excuse you? He was flirting with me. I didn't do anything!"
"You lead it on."
"I did not!"
Both men were fuming.
"Don't forget you have a boyfriend."
"Don't forget you have a fake boyfriend," Iruka snapped back.
All of a sudden, Iruka was pinned against the wall, tanned wrists held above his head by a pale hand. A black jeaned leg was pushed between his own legs so he couldn't move, and a masked face hovered inches from his own.
"It may be fake, but don't fuck around with me, Iruka. Don't take this game too far."
Just as quickly as the body pinned him to the wall, it was gone, and Kakashi disappeared.
Iruka stood there open mouthed for a few moments, before he registered the situation and straightened up.
What did Kakashi mean? And why was he so mad?
A/N: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think of the story so far, and if you see anything wrong.
