z 7 z

"I feel bad about what I told you, I'm sorry…" said Kakashi. After a silent moment of thinking he sighed and started again.

"I understand my behavior is unbearable… sometimes! and I thank you for your patience. I'd like to promise to improve myself; you know me though and…" he stopped and shook his head. All those weak efforts were nothing. Nothing!

Kakashi looked at his reflection in the bathroom's mirror. Why does he bother at all, he should be ignorant bastard, it's what Iruka called him couple of times. But he couldn't be always ignorant. There were moments when he felt an urge to be truthful not only with himself, but also with the others. Iruka just happened to maybe meet him in the wrong place at the wrong time, or maybe those are some queer circumstances, which have brought them together, but the guy was going to get his damn apologies and a possible explanation!

If he was at Iruka's place he'd never believe those apologies. Yes, he was sorry, but basically for what? For being himself actually! And because of the fact that poor sensei was too gentle and self-conscious… no, self-centered! On the other hand he was also rather nice and it was fun being in his company and talk to him, even when they only quarreled. It felt comfortable and there was the particular tension between them, as if a lot of tiny needles were stretched between the two, making them understand each other mentally, something like to be on the same wave in spite of all they did was either shouting or pouting. Kakashi knew that it's a rare occasion – to meet an interesting human being you feel right with. He sighed again and started to look for the words onwards.

"Hi, Iruka. I remember you don't want to see me… Well, you can close your eyes, but just listen for a second! I won't say it wasn't my fault and mention that those were Genma's speculations, not my own. I don't think you are like a pie. Not that you don't look tasty or…" Kakashi growled and punched the wall with his fist. What was that for an apology? He was a fool! And they call him a genius. Iruka will never forgive him! On the other hand again – forgive him for what? He didn't do anything specifically bad… well, except some inaccurate words! At least the kiss felt good, it was so good and right, as if coming back into a warm cozy home after a long walk under the cold rain. He won't be apologetic for that wonderful kiss. Maybe it would be wise to start his speech another way?

"I liked to kiss you and I want to repeat an experience! Do you have free time this evening?" he gazed at his face in the mirror, rolled his eyes and answered to himself in a high voice, imitating Iruka.

"Of course Kakashi-san, whenever you want me I'm all yours!"

He sighed heavily and turned away from his reflection.

"Very funny… I'm a jerk indeed!" he didn't like obedient Iruka. His Iruka was… Wait, when did Iruka become his?

Kakashi walked into the hallway and stopped in front of another mirror.

"One more truth you need to know about me is that I have no talent to write poesy. I'm sorry to make you uncomfortable with it. I mean not that I don't want to write you poems, I'd like to! Just I can't…" the last words were said in a whisper. So now it turned out that he wants to write poems to Iruka? Kakashi thought about it for a while, than nodded to his reflection.

"I'd like to write you a poem, but I don't have skills for it" said he. This was a good wording. Two or thee statements of the sort and he'll be ready to meet Iruka for a talk. He decided to summarize his intentions.

"Iruka, listen to me for a minute. You are angry with me so I ask you to forgive me; in spite of I don't really get for what exactly. I guess you can help and tell me why the hell you are so mean to me. Besides, I want you to know that I can't write poesy at all, though I suppose I like kissing you and I can do it really well. So please use my beneficial skills as you wish to…" Kakashi coughed and closed his eyes tiredly. Now he came to the conclusion he wants to be dominated by Iruka. A refreshing thought indeed! Kakashi laughed bitterly. The more he thought the worthier it turned out to be. He started to see how convenient it was to be an ignorant bastard. Maybe Iruka wanted to be left in piece with Kakashi as an ignorant bastard for him just like it was before, or maybe it wasn't to insult Kakashi, it was a sort of request, a plea? A plea for Kakashi to dominate him…

Kakashi groaned and decided to go back to the bathroom. There he can do a warm bath and lay there speculating about dominating Iruka or dominative Iruka, or even better – the dominative Iruka seeking to be dominated!

Kakashi licked his lips and turned to the bathroom. Undoubtedly he is able to continue the rehearsal of apologetical speech any moment later.

z z z

Kakashi half-sat in the almost cold water, his head on the edge of the bathtub, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, an expression of blissful happiness on his face.

'Knock-knock!'

Tiredly turning his head to the side, Kakashi stared at the main door through the opened door of the bathroom. Get away whoever you are, he thought lazily.

"Kakashi-san?" asked the familiar voice. "Are you home?"

Kakashi jumped from the bathtub hectically. He grabbed the towel and tied it around his thighs just as he hurried to the door. It's Iruka, he thought, Iruka! A happy smile appeared on his lips.

He almost opened the door but suddenly remembered about his bare face. The first impulse was to take the towel off and hide the face behind it in a case Iruka came not alone. Still, realizing it will be too embarrassing to stay in front of people entirely naked, he decided not to do it and simply pressed the palm to the lower part of his face. Then he opened the door.

Iruka's eyes widened when he saw Kakashi's corpse, wet and with nothing but a towel around the hips. Kakashi hummed, seeing Iruka was alone, made him a sign to come in and leaned against the closest wall. Iruka came in and shut the door.

"Hallo Iruka-sensei" muttered Kakashi, his face still hidden behind his palm.

"Hallo" nodded Iruka. "You can take your hand from your face, I saw it anyway" added he.

"Oh, right" said Kakashi and took his palm away, letting Iruka see his slightly smiling face. "I was thinking about what I should say to apologize… Well, I thought that you won't like it, I imagined you'll probably yell at me anyway… and then I decided to take a bath…" he wanted to tell Iruka something just not to be impolite, but it seemed to him now he'd better stay stunned.

Avoiding looking at Kakashi's appealing body, Iruka started to observe the hallway and noticed the wide-opened bathroom's door. Among all the other stuff he saw there was a half-full bathtub with distinguishing signs of…

"Do you jerk off thinking about me yelling at you?" wondered Iruka, trying to stay cool. It worked so far, though he waited for an answer. He couldn't decide what he wanted to do more - to come closer to Kakashi or to hide behind the coat rack.

"Look at me" demanded Kakashi and Iruka turned to him, fixing the gaze on his face. "Do I look like a man that jerks off thinking about you yelling?" he asked.

"Well…" drawled Iruka, starting to blush. It was silly of him to suppose such a thing!

"I am though" declared Kakashi.

Iruka didn't understand at first.

"What?" he asked completely amazed.

"I said yes, I jerked off thinking about you" pointed Kakashi, watching Iruka's reaction. It seemed that the other man wasn't disgusted, and it made Kakashi glad. But Iruka looked lost and unsure, as if he had expected something and found completely surprising thing instead. "Why are you here anyway?" asked Kakashi frowning.

"I've got a letter just a while ago" he took a paper from his pocket and came closer to Kakashi, handing it to him. "I knew it wasn't you, still I was worried somehow, just a little bit, you know…" muttered Iruka, blushing even deeper and looking to the side.

Kakashi took the paper from Iruka's hand, ignoring the slight shiver caused by the brush of their fingers; he wanted to know what made Iruka worried.

On the piece of paper there were a couple of rhymed words, written in neat italics. That was definitely not Kakashi's handwriting.

'IF YOU WON'T BE MY AT MY FIRST SAY, I'LL KILL MYSELF! I'LL FIND THE WAY' read Kakashi.

"Damn Genma!" he hissed angrily.

Iruka shrugged.

"What if it's not Genma?" he asked, definitely shuddering.

"If it's not Genma I'm going to find the bastard who wrote it and kill him personally for making you nervous" stated Kakashi, stretching his hand out to take Iruka's hand into his own.

"Really?" whispered Iruka, watching his hand disappear in Kakashi's.

Kakashi hummed, stroking Iruka's palm soothingly. Knowing it wasn't Kakashi who wrote a poem this time, Iruka still came to him. Whatever it meant, Kakashi liked the fact very much.

"Sure" smiled Kakashi, drawing the other man to his frame and embracing him tenderly.