The Empty City

Ch. 8- Ashes

A/N: Oh you're gonna hate me. But I love you, so read on.

Disclaimer: Naruto Belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. The Last of Us and all associated characters and environments belong to Naughty Dog.

xXx Beta'd by: 420luver xXx

Iruka slammed his body next to Kakashi's on the door, grunting from the force. "What do we do?" he asked, trying not to panic. They needed to think this out logically to stay. "And what the fuck were those? I've never seen them before." Iruka trailed off, glancing quickly around the room. It looked like they were boxed in. The windows were high off the ground, unreachable without a ladder and no other door was visible.

Kakashi winced as the screams and clicking grew louder, emulsifying with the pounding on the door. He felt each strike resonate deeply throughout his body. "Those are Stalkers. They're sneaky sons of bitches that like to hide and attack." He flinched with another hard hit to the door. "They must have been watching us and planning this."

Iruka turned to look at the man, shocked. "They can plan? They think?" He had been under the assumption that all Infected were basically brain dead, only heeding to biological demands. So what mental capabilities did they actually retain after the initial stages of Infection? Where did Stalkers fit when compared to Clickers and Runners?

"Iruka, this really isn't the best time for a biology lesson on Stalkers. I'll tell you what I know later." Kakashi ground out, bracing himself for a new barrage of strikes. "Right now, we need to get out of here and into your room. Do you know where we are?" He turned to his brown haired companion and swallowed heavily.

The teacher nodded. "This is one of the sections of the reserved reading rooms. My room is further down the hall. Past all of..." He waved his arm vaguely, knowing Kakashi knew what he meant.

Kakashi looked away for a second before returning to Iruka. "Are there any other exits in this room? Look near the floors."

Iruka immediately knew what the older man meant and lurched off the door. He ran over to a corner of the room and began shoving bookcases and old, moldy books out of his way. Finding nothing, he repeated this on the other side of the room, throwing random items out of his way in his haste. Spying the rusted metal grate of an old air vent, he bent down and began yanking it out. "I found an air vent!" He called out, grunting as he fell back with the heavy grate in hands. A gaping rectangular hole stared back at him, allowing him to peek into the other room. It stood a few feet off the ground, and was surprisingly deep for the small room.

Tossing the hunk of metal to the side, he moved forward and began to crawl through. "Hurry up!" He shouted towards Kakashi, worried that the door wouldn't give him time to crawl through. It was a snug fit for himself; Kakashi was a bit broader and would take longer. He made it through, tumbling into the adjacent room and quickly getting up.

Abandoning his post at the door, Kakashi grabbed a small bookcase and shoved it in the way of the door. That would buy him a few seconds. He followed Iruka swiftly, kneeling and jamming his body into the hole. He crawled through, ignoring the crumbling bits of wall disintegrating around his hands and knees. Kakashi then heard the door give out, along with the obstacle he placed. Moans and clicks followed the door's demise, petering out as they searched for their target. A spike of dread shot down his spine as he quickened his pace, nearly throwing himself out into the safety of the other room. He landed on his hands, rolling out and hitting his hip on the hard floor. Bits of dirt and wall dug further into his palms as he braced himself to stand up.

"We neemph-"

A sweaty hand suddenly clamped down on his mouth, pressing hard onto his face as his body was tugged behind a fallen shelf harshly. Scooting back with the pulls, Kakashi looked up into Iruka's upside down and unnaturally pale face. A tan finger was placed tightly against full lips. With a quick tilt of his head, Iruka directed his gaze over to the middle of the room, where he knew another Infected was staring at them.

Kakashi removed the hand from his face and slowly peered over the edge of the shelf. The creature was standing abnormally still, his head turned in their direction. It was another Stalker, but this one wasn't attacking nor alerting the others. It swayed a bit on its feet, as if in a trance, and twitched occasionally, emitting a soft growling noise. The Stalker didn't appear to have spotted them yet. Kakashi slid back down, his heart pounding. His mind raced as he calculated different scenarios in which to fight the Infected without alerting the others. It was stupid to think they could sneak past it, leaving them with very limited choices.

Iruka swallowed heavily. He was afraid to make any sudden movements for fear of being discovered. He could only assume that the Infected had miraculously not seen them and therefore, they were safe. For now. As soon as they drew attention to themselves, he knew they were fucked. The exit was right behind the Stalker, their only ticket to freedom. What can we do…?

Nodding his head slightly to prepare himself, Iruka tightened his hold on his ice pick. He was going to try and take out the Stalker before it could call the others. It was stupid to engage an enemy that he had only just found out existed, but there was no other option. Getting up on a knee, he turned to somehow relay his plan to Kakashi, who shook his head as soon as they made eye contact. Surprised, Iruka blinked when Kakashi held his hand out and crooked his fingers for the blue weapon.

Unable to read the intense mismatched gaze, Iruka somewhat unwillingly parted with his weapon as he handed it to the older man. His hand curled into an empty fist as soon as it left his palm. He watched as Kakashi fit his fingers into the grooves and swung his wrist a bit, getting a feel for the weapon. The taller man then held up a finger and gave Iruka an inquisitive look.

The teacher nodded to show he got the message. The ex-militant wanted him to wait. For what he didn't know, but it hardly mattered. Curious but worried brown eyes watched as Kakashi used the fallen shelf for cover. He was moving around the room, drawing closer to the Infected. Prickles of concern ran up his spine the nearer Kakashi got to the Stalker.

Kakashi held his breath as he neared the Stalker, moving as slowly as he could. Silently, he slithered behind the Stalker, finally stopping when he was crouched behind it with nothing but an overturned cart as cover. The taller man grimaced as a reek of rotting flesh hit him his eyes, making his eyes water. Thank God he had the bandanna as a buffer to the rank odor. This one was relatively fresh. Ignoring the smell, he focused on the Stalker's body position. Once he was within striking range, he popped to his feet and moved faster than a snake. Using both his hands to clutch the ice axe handle, he brought the curved weapon above his head and buried it in the Stalker's head with a muted thud. The Stalker squawked and turned to attack Kakashi, but was distracted when Iruka suddenly popped into its line of sight, keeping his attention from Kakashi.

Using the distraction to his advantage, Kakashi yanked the ice axe out before repeating his attack and plowing it into the mush of fungal material before him. The body dropped heavily as it gave sporadic twitches before stilling. The blue weapon stood out from its head, drooping as the body froze.

"That was close." Iruka breathed out, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead. "You all right?" He eyed Kakashi over, despite knowing that the man hadn't been injured.

Kakashi nodded. He glanced towards the partially opened door, knowing what was waiting outside for them. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" he said softly, reaching down to pull the ice axe out. He handed the weapon to the teacher. Steely red and grey met determined chocolate. His lips twitched as Iruka pressed his own tightly together.

"We're gonna have to run for it." Iruka blew out a breath heavily, his fist tightening around the handle of the ice axe. He was grateful to have it back in his hands and to have a means of defending himself.

"Whoever gets there first, covers the other. Deal?" Kakashi grinned, feeling as if they were about to do something incredibly stupid. Who were they kidding, they both knew how dangerous it was.

They could very well die, and here they were, acting as if it were nothing. Maybe it was the adrenaline fucking with his body, but Iruka felt like he was not in his own body. He nodded, turning to face the door. "On three. One." His leg muscles tightened in anticipation and his heart rate kicked up.

"Two." Kakashi copied him and faced the thin wooden door keeping them relatively safe. Bit of debris poked at his feet as he readied his body to run for all it was worth.

"Three!"

They shouted simultaneously, launching forward. The door was flung open and slammed into the wall as the two occupants rocketed out of the room and into the hallway.

Iruka knew they had been spotted when the familiar screech of a Clicker invaded his ears and clawed at his brain. Keeping his eyes on the bend up ahead, he ignored the figures darting towards them in his peripherals, all except one. Kakashi was right beside him. The silver-haired man was gaining on him, clearly faster.

Kakashi pumped his legs, trying to go faster but at the same time reluctant to leave his brown haired companion alone. But it would do them no good if they got caught together; he was faster, he needed to get to the room. His feet ached as his bare soles slapped against the marble floor, stepping on sharp pieces of whatever the fuck was on the floor. The prickling at the base of his neck alerted him to the proximity of the Infected, knowing they were closing in on them. Faster, faster! He soon was leaving Iruka far behind, gaining more distance with each step. As the corner that led to their hallway came up, a blast of heat hit him hard. The fuck?

He reached the corner and turned, managing to barely stop before running into a huge fire that was engulfing the entire corridor, blocking it off completely. Waves of yellow and orange burned brightly, flickering and taunting him. Mismatched eyes widened as he realized what happened and his hand shot up to protect his eyes from the smoke. The fire he had been stoking earlier had clearly gotten out of control. It had spread from their room to the next one, using discarded books and the dry materials of the carpets to burn as fuel. It would be impossible to go into the room without a fully functional fireman's suit. There was no point in trying to get their things; they were gone.

Kakashi whirled around, intent on calling out to Iruka and alerting him before the brunette reached him, but froze. Right behind Iruka were more Infected, much more than either of them could dream of fighting. He doubted even he could handle that many even fully armed. There were mainly Runners and Stalkers pouring in after the terrified teacher.

Cursing wildly, Kakashi knew the only way out was to go down, where he knew more were probably coming in from. Maybe they could have fought if the dogs were there, but it was too late to regret not bringing them. Noticing a faded sign that said "stairs" Kakashi began waving Iruka towards it. Out of the fire and into the frying pan. Lovely. He got inside and propped the door open with his leg as he waited for Iruka to get closer.

Seeing Kakashi indicate wildly to go to the stairs was the first sign that they had fucked up. The second was the intense heat and clouds of billowing smoke that erupted from the hallway where his room had been. The third had been the sudden sound of gun ammo going off, popping loudly as the fire encroached into the adjacent hallway. Wincing with the gunshots and trying not to focus on how much his legs were aching, Iruka sprinted into the staircase. As soon as he made it through, Kakashi shut the door quickly and locked it. Thankfully, the infected had been distracted slightly be the shots, giving the teacher just the right amount of time to escape. Kakashi then grabbed Iruka's hand in an iron grip and began running down the stairs.

"The entire corridor is out, so we have no weapons besides your pick. Which in this situation, is useless." Kakashi grunted as he jogged down, his voice sounding tightly controlled. Their footsteps echoed loudly, momentarily drowning out the sounds of the Infected screeching for their victims. Clouds of dirt billowed up, swirling in the sunlight that shined through the thin windows adorning the outer wall.

"The bottom floor is where they were coming from. We're heading right towards them." Iruka said breathily, getting a stitch in his side.

"The fire is spreading quickly. If we can get out and barricade them in, it'll kill them off. If we stay up here, we're more likely to die from smoke inhalation or burning to death."

"And if we go down there with no weapons or some means of defense, we're serving ourselves up on a silver platter." Once they reached the last few steps, Iruka pulled his hand away. "Kakashi, wait." He panted out, bending over and holding his side. "I can't run anymore." He clutched the railing and pressed his forehead against it, inhaling deeply as he fought off the lactic acid build up in his muscles.

"Rest up quickly. We're running out of time." Kakashi ordered, going to the metal door separating them from the bottom floor of the library. He peered through the small window that was on the door. This area was dark, with no light penetrating through the stairway. Kakashi knew this was where the Infected were coming in from. From what he could gleam from the directory on the wall, all of the building's old machinery were waiting in the darkness. The issue would be finding an exit in the pitch black, while avoiding getting mauled.

Mismatched eyes shot wide open when a Clicker limped by, clicking softly as it moved. The fungus on its head flashed a light lilac color as it drifted by the lighted stairway, clearly unaware it was being watched. Kakashi trailed it until it disappeared further into the room, its presence only indicated by its croaks.

"What do you see?" Iruka grunted, finally standing up. He nodded towards the door. "Are we clear?" He tied his ice axe to his pants, using several bits of string he always kept in his pants pocket.

"Everything but clear. Just saw a Clicker go by. For all we know, there could be a nest down here, with much more Infected than what we saw upstairs. We're stuck." Kakashi confessed, turning to his brown-haired companion. "We can either stay here and wait to die from dehydration or smoke inhalation, or go back upstairs and die by becoming Infected chow."

Iruka was silent as he glanced up. Smoke was beginning to sink into the stairwell, slowly drifting down. "What's option three?"

Kakashi snorted. "Option three to go traipsing into the bowels of the building with nothing but the skin on our backs as defense. It's pitch black in there and I don't know where the exits are." He leaned against the door, letting his head fall back and thump lightly. "Think, think." He chanted quietly, under his breath.

"If we can't-"

Iruka was cut off by the sound of a door slamming open and bouncing on the wall behind it. His and Kakashi's heads shot up to see the vague outlines of Infected coming in from the door they had entered, some screeching as fire consumed their body. The creatures piled in, making their way down. Smoke poured in, quickly seeping down and filling the stairway.

"Shit!" Kakashi cursed, shoving off the door. "We need to move now."

"Wait, do you hear that?" Iruka paused, knowing it was dangerous to stop for even a second, but the noise demanded attention. He feared to hope.

Kakashi's head jerked toward the door. His eyes widened and what Iruka assumed was a smile crinkled his eyes. "I hear barking."

The taller man shoved the heavy door open and whistled as loudly as he could. Immediately, he was answered by a few long hauls and growls. It was accompanied by the groaning and ticking of a Clicker making a bee line for them, its figure just barely visible.

Before it could get any closer, a white furry figure bounded in as fast a lightning, tackling the clicker and making quick work of its head and torso. A brown furred animal popped up beside it before running to greet Iruka by jumping up on its hind legs and straining to lick his face.

"Raikiri!" Iruka cried, never having been so relieved to see his familiar companion. He furiously rubbed the dog's head, giving him a tight hug. A few more licks and Raikiri pushed away, having noticed the figures still making their way down the stairs. His hackles rose and his black muzzle parted to show sharp teeth. He growled menacingly, his ears lying flat as he leapt onto the stairs and up towards his targets. Not a few seconds later and he was accompanied by the white dog and few more of the canines.

By now, heavy amounts of smoke had sunk down, letting Kakashi and Iruka know that the fire had spread like wild fire, possibly reaching their floor. The entire library was chock full of flammable material. They needed to get out fast. Trapping the Infected within the building was no longer the plan; it was to get out alive with the dogs.

"Let's go, before they have to waste time protecting us. Once they know we're safe, they'll come out." Kakashi urged, sprinting into the darkness. He was trailed by only a few of the canines, as the others had disappeared to take care of more Infected. Iruka was next to him, vowing not to fall behind again.

Running headfirst into pitch black was something Kakashi didn't like one bit. It went against everything he had ever learned and taught his companions. It was stupid and suicidal. The predator is the one that waited in the shadows for the prey to run in. That's why when he felt grimy clawed hands latch onto his leg and pull, he wasn't entirely surprised.

Landing hard, his head bounced on the floor and he saw stars. One of his dogs recognized the problem and went in for the kill, sinking its teeth into the Infected's leg and dragging it off its master.

Iruka blindly got down and felt for Kakashi, having heard the man's grunt as he felt. Once he felt thick intact shoulders under his palms, he heaved the man up. "C'mon, c'mon." He yelled, feeling panicky. He wanted to get out, now! Several times he had felt what seemed like fungus crusted hands glimpse at the back of his neck, or caress his arm. He was terrified. The hairs on the back of his neck were at full attention and his internal alarms were going haywire. From all around, he could hear shuffling and howling as the dogs attacked what he couldn't see. He was tempted to use his only weapon, but the idea of losing it in the pitch black of the room kept him from touching it. It primarily rested on sight and strength to use. Flailing it around with Kakashi nearby would result in a less than favorable outcome. There was also the chance he could end up hurting one of the dogs.

The taller man quickly got to his feet, running recklessly. It was a miracle they weren't tripping over empty boxes or old desks. But he did wonder just what was down here from the amount of snarling and the sounds of ripping flesh that filled the dry air. It seemed to surround them, coming from all angles.

"Kakashi! The window!" Iruka cried, spying the rectangle of light that popped into sight after a few more seconds of blind running. "We can get out through there!" It stood a taller than him, probably at ground level from the outside. The foggy glass allowed for a meager amount of sunlight to slip through, illuminating the area around it like a beacon.

Spying the window, Kakashi made a break for it. They were kicking up clouds of dirt and what he feared might be spores. The particles danced and spiraled in the air, shining as they drifted through the sunbeam leaking in. It was slightly open, letting a tiny breeze through. The position suggested that the dogs had gotten in through it. It was a bit high up, closer to the ceiling.

Reaching the wall, Kakashi got down on one knee next to the wall, lacing his fingers together and propping his hands up. He motioned for Iruka to step into his hands so he could lift him up.

Iruka immediately understood and nodded. Stepping onto Kakashi's hands, he was hoisted up. Sticking his hands out the window, Iruka clawed his way out, ripping up grass and plants as he dragged himself through the opening. He felt Kakashi's hands on his ass, shoving him up. Once he was through, Iruka scooted back and stuck his hand down. Feeling Kakashi's slightly large one clamp onto it, Iruka braced himself with a foot against the building to yank Kakashi out.

A piercing cry suddenly cut through the air. Iruka felt Kakashi's hand suddenly grip his tighter and refuse to budge. Peering down into the building, his eyes met Kakashi's, his own heart pounding painfully fast and hard in his chest.

"That was one of my dogs." Kakashi said tonelessly, his eyes eerily vacant. A fraction of a second passed. "I can't…." Tearing his hand back, Kakashi spun around and vanished into the depths of the building, leaving Iruka behind.

"Kakashi!" Iruka cried out, reaching out for the man. His hand grasped at thin air. "Fuck!" The teacher slapped a hand against the building's exterior.

Fearing for the silver-haired man and dreading what the cause of the cry was, Iruka scrambled to his feet and bolted to the other side of the structure. Reaching his usual entrance, he tried kicking the door in. Knowing what was keeping it blocked, he struggled to move it even a few inches in, damning his own safety measures. After a few attempts, it was clear the door wasn't budging. "Goddammit!" Iruka yelled, frustrated. Giving the door one last angry kick, Iruka ran to the only other entrance to the edifice. He had to get back in. He silently prayed that it wasn't Raikiri that cried out, but felt awful that he'd rather another dog get hurt than his own.

xXx

The entire floor was inundated with thick heavy smoke that burned his eyes. Squinting and trying not to inhale too much smoke, Kakashi wandered aimlessly through the building, gagging as he tried to whistle. All he could see were waves black and orange swarming around, heating the building up to dangerous temperatures. His skin burned and felt like it was cooking in the blistering heat. He could swear most of his hair was burnt off.

He whistled again, the shrill noise piercing through roar of the raging fires. Finally hearing familiar faint barking respond to his calls, Kakashi ran towards it, his heart in his throat. His feet hurt, singed with fallen ashes and sparks. Chunks of debris dug into his soles as he sprinted towards the barking, honing in on it. The air in his chest stung, but all he could focus on was reaching his canines. Running down a flight of stairs before they were swallowed up by the flames, Kakashi found his pets.

They were whimpering and cowering together on the floor, all surrounding one in the middle. Bloodied white fur peeked up from the soot covered mass. It was breathing shallowly, letting out soft whines.

His heart dropped to his feet and Kakashi nearly froze, slowing down. Fear crowding his chest, and making his blood run cold in his veins, Kakashi reached the circle of wolf dog. Stepping over them, he reached out to lightly touch his beloved companion, crouching down beside her. "Hey girl." He whispered softly, parting the dirtied fur as he searched for wounds. Everything around him seemed to disappeared as he saw several splintered ribs poking out of the dog's body, jutting out into the open air. Patches of hair, skin, and meat were ripped away, leaving open holes in the once strong body. He recognized the brutality as the doing of a Clicker. Blood dribbled out, leaking onto the floor and painting his feet. The warmth was sickening. The other dogs whined and shuffled around. They knew.

Very gently, he cradled the dog's head in his arms, looking into grey pain-filled eyes. The pupils were dilated, twitching as they focused on him. A low whine escaped the injured canine. His thumbs gently brushed her snout. "Shhh, shhh. You're okay, you're alright." He crooned, his voice breaking as ran his fingers through the sticky fur. He smiled, feeling his face contort strangely as he worked to hold onto the grimace that was hurting his face. "You're a good girl. You're okay, you're all right." The taller man whispered, his chest tightening as he lied.

The dog's eyes closed, a warm tongue slipping out to run weakly against his palm. Her head dropped back, falling heavily onto his arm. Kakashi bowed his head, his teeth clenched tightly.

The sharp crackle of fire drew his attention. Feeling disconnected and numb, Kakashi realized they were nearly surrounded by heavy flames. It was in the main room now, raging as it was fueled by decades old books and wood. The glass windows were shattering, tinkering as they cracked and exploded. He was mildly surprised it hadn't reached him sooner. The dogs were barking now, agitated and scared. They were up on all fours, circling and whining. With a heavy heart, Kakashi realized that they were stuck.

Fighting the desperation that hit him, Kakashi fought his body for control. This isn't the moment for this. They need me. Gathering his wits and determination, Kakashi scooped up the white wolf dog, buckling under the weight but determined. If she had to die, it wasn't going to be in this hell hole. She deserved better. Minding her wounds and trying not to jostle her, Kakashi cradled her protectively in his arms as he gazed hopelessly around, unable to see past the walls of fire that surround him and the other canines. His mind raced to remember the layout of the building and to recall some exit, but he was coming up blank. He couldn't think straight, as much as he tried. His arms shook.

"KAKASHI!"

His neck nearly getting whiplash, Kakashi's head twisted around to see a staggering Iruka bursting through a closed hallway and into the room. The teacher was ramming a cart through the mess of moldy boxes and books, creating a path. Vigorously, he pointed behind him. "This way, come on! I found a way out! Quickly!"

Kakashi darted forward towards Iruka, following the brunette to the front of the library. The pack of dogs quickly followed, howling as they escaped to freedom.

They reached the entrance. The thick, heavy doors had been broken in; jagged pieces of ancient wood lay scattered on the floor, mixing in with what looked like shards from a chain. Iruka's ice axe was embedded deeply in the remaining wood, the handle lying on the floor. The psychology teacher had basically clawed his way back in to help, sacrificing his own personal weapon in the effort.

Gazing down at the still body in his hands, Kakashi was silent.

xXx

The sound of a shovel digging into the earth filled the air. With each shovelful, Kakashi watched the brown dirt sprinkle onto the makeshift wooden coffin, covering it little by little. His hands blistering from the work, and his back aching, Kakashi ignored his body's complaints. He focused on the spade, watching it disappear and reappear as he dug. A strong breeze drifted by, causing the tree that over looked the graveyard to shake and dance. The sound of its leaves rustling hid the noise of the shovel. The smell of fire still lingered in the air; it was fainter. The library was nearly gone, having been swallowed up by the flames moments after they escaped. They were lucky to be alive.

Nearly finished, Kakashi spared a glance around him, at the other unmarked mounds that each represented a torn piece of his soul he'd never get back. And now he was adding another member. Gritting his teeth, he went back to work, moving faster.

Iruka watched onward with sorrowful eyes. He stood a ways back, not wanting to intrude. He already loved his pet so much, he couldn't imagine the pain of losing one. As harsh as it was, it was one of the realities of their time. Everyone was subject to death; no one escapes. He had seen many couples ripped apart, families destroyed, and loved ones killed brutally. Children murdered before their parent's eyes, mothers and fathers turning on each other. This world was no place for love. To fall in love, whether human or to a pet, was incredibly dangerous. The chances of that sentiment turning to pain were always high, with no positives. Who would willingly pursue something so special and precious in a world like theirs?

But he had; he'd adopted his own furry companion that wormed his way into his heart. He had broken one of the very few rules he created for himself. Beside him, Raikiri was just as silent. The German Shepard was patched up from his own wounds he received in the burning library. Iruka surmised that the building would be almost gone by now, leaving only a skeleton of what it had been, and with it, everything he had lived for. He had next to nothing now.

The shoveling stopped. Iruka pushed several strands of wayward brown hair behind his ear. Kakashi straightened up, planting the shovel in the ground besides the new pile of earth. He stood there, immobile, his back to Iruka. Licking his lips, Iruka stepped forward. A tan, singed hand reached out towards Kakashi's shoulder, stopping before it made contact.

"Kakashi," He began lamely, trying to come up with something to say but finding nothing. He didn't know that pain, and he didn't want to know. How could a person continue to live with that much pain and suffering in one heart? He was aware of the other mounds of dirt around Kakashi, aware that the white dog hadn't been the first. But something told him that one had been truly special.

"You don't need to feel sorry for me, or for her. You don't need to blame anything. We know the risks of living in the world, we know what can happen. You can tell this isn't the first time I've lost something close to me." Kakashi spoke softly, not turning around. "This isn't the first time, but I never get used to it." A wayward pale hand crept over his heart, feeling it beat strongly beneath its touch. He rubbed at the spot, as if it would sooth the ache.

Kakashi closed his eyes, tilting his chin up as he focused on the coolness of the breeze. He smiled, this time genuinely. He could picture her somewhere happy where she wasn't in any danger. They had been together for a long time; she was resting now, far away from their fucked up world. He let the agony wash over him, appreciating it in a painful way. The more it hurt, the more he knew he was alive. "Each time it's like a new slice, reaching places I thought were dead. The worst is that I know it won't be the last, not as long as I'm still alive."

Hands wrapped themselves around his chest from behind, one tan one covering his own. Taken off guard, Kakashi's eyes opened and glanced down at the arms around him. He felt Iruka's face press into the middle of his back. The brunette was hugging him tightly, the embrace almost painful.

Unable to convey what he wanted to say into words, Iruka tried to express his feelings into the grip. Kakashi was strong, stronger than he could ever be. He submitted himself to that type of loss willingly, knowing it was inevitable. For a man who he had once thought of as cold and dangerous, Kakashi had a huge, scar-filled heart.

"You tell me not to be sorry but I still am." Iruka spoke, his voice muffled by the fabric on Kakashi's back. "You tell me not to blame, but I feel it. I can't help it." He fought back the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry that this happened and I'm sorry I can't be of more comfort. For everything I know, this is something I'm not familiar with and I don't know what to do." He pressed his face deep into the taller man's back, feeling almost ashamed as his inadequacy.

"I'm telling you not to blame yourself, because it was neither my fault nor yours." Kakashi said quietly. "There are too many "ifs" to try to place blame, it's not even worth it. Believe me, I know them all. I'm telling you not to feel sorry, since it's better this way. One less soul to suffer here with us. She's free now. Besides, you don't need to say anything. I can read you like a book and I know what you want to say, even if you don't."

This time, Iruka fell quiet, simply clinging onto Kakashi. They stood there, watching the sun slowly drift across the sky. Iruka felt no need to break away and Kakashi made no move to end the embrace. It was peaceful, soothing. It was painful to know that Kakashi had suffered through this experience multiple times, all alone. It was a wonder that the man was still as sane and as functional was he was. He felt Kakashi lean into the embrace, resting slightly against him.

Iruka let his mind wander, but never once let go of the taller man. He vaguely recognized that a long time had passed since Kakashi finished digging. How long had they been there? He had to go home soo- Oh. Realizing with a start that he was now homeless and therefore had nowhere to go, Iruka shoved the thought aside quickly. He would worry about that later. If human contact was all he could offer Kakashi, he was willing to spend the entire day like this, no matter how ludicrous it sounded. He felt somewhat indebted, felt an urge to stay with the man. Lapsing back into calmer thoughts, Iruka tilted his head and looked around.

They were in the backyard of Kakashi's house, in a secluded corner that was overlooked by an enormous tree. The grass wild and tangled, but it never covered one of the mounds. In all, he counted around 7 other graves. Where they all canines?

Working up the courage to ask, Iruka swallowed, his arms tightening unintentionally. "A-are all of these tombs, dogs?" He finally asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

He felt Kakashi's voice vibrate through his chest. "Four of them are dogs. Three were actual people."

"Family?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Just people I met and began to care for before I had to kill them."

Iruka hummed quietly. "Why'd you kill them?" he inquired carefully. It was obvious that Kakashi held no moral qualms about taking another person's life, but to bury them here next to his deceased canines signified that they had been important.

"They had been bitten," Kakashi sighed. "It doesn't take long to change after one bites you; I found out the hard way. Removing the infected limb doesn't help either." Her rubbed at his shoulder. "One was bitten by a Stalker that had followed us here; the woman was subsequently bitten by him once he changed. She tried to protect their daughter…" Kakashi waved in the direction of a smaller grave. "I was out gathering supplies to stock up on. By the time I got back, it was too late. I found her sitting next to him, with their baby girl in her hands." The taller man's voice trailed off before picking back up again, much quieter than before. "She had managed to kill the man, but begged me to finish them off. She didn't have the heart to kill her own child. She wanted to die first, not wanting see her little girl change. I obliged."

"How horrible," Iruka whispered, gazing at the graves.

Kakashi hummed committedly. "Asuma loved Kurenai. He tried to protect her, but failed. He did manage kill the Stalker that bit him, but that's where the good part ends. He then tried to cut off the part of his hand that had the mark, but Kurenai told me it hadn't worked. It took about 3 hours before he changed fully and attacked her and the baby," Kakashi shivered as a cool breeze swept by. "It was raining that day."

Iruka closed his eyes. It solidified his stance against becoming too attached to anyone. Love was inherently doomed here. This world no longer supported such fantasies; they all ended in blood and pain. But you're getting attached to Kakashi, his mind warned. This could be your last chanc- Iruka firmly pushed the niggling though away. He and Kakashi were nothing more than friends. Close friends, but that was it. He didn't want to be the one that had to lower Kakashi's body down below the earth.

"It's getting late," Kakashi mused, looking up. Iruka had lapsed into silence, still clutching onto him. He frowned as Iruka removed his arms quickly and stepped away. A chill ran down his spine as Iruka's body heat drifted away. He already missed the contact.

"Ah, yes. I should probably get going," Iruka started, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Get going where?" Kakashi turned to look at the brunette, a confused look on his tired face.

"I…" There was nowhere for him to go. Leaving town now would be useless as he lost all his supplies and gear. He had no weapons, no food, and not even a map to tell him where to go. Everything had been burned up, turned to ash.

"Don't be stupid. You're staying with me." Kakashi ordered. Something told him he would need to keep Iruka closer than before. He acknowledged that the teacher might be somewhat unaware of his feelings towards him, but he still wanted the man next to him. He had lost so much already; he didn't want to lose the brunette as well.

He suspected that Iruka avoided relationships at all costs, seeing as how he never mentioned them despite being a bit of a talker. He pointedly mentioned he never had anyone special even before the outbreak happened. The teacher would leave before forming any connections with anyone. It was an ingenious idea. Being overly sentimental could get you killed, and focusing on keeping others alive before you was definitely a one way ticket to death. But choosing to have those attachments despite the absurdity of it was what kept Kakashi sane, and kept him. He was surprised that he, the ex-militant and loner would value the little connections he made, when Iruka, the sociable and likeable teacher, would actively refuse them. It was contradictory.

Sure he tried to kill everyone he met now, but he had learned to treasure the people he met before he decided it was better off to be alone. Iruka was proof he still wanted that human contact. Instead of killing him off, he had grown to have feelings for him, feelings he knew Iruka could reciprocate.

"I wouldn't want to impose," Iruka stammered, taking a step back.

"I told you not to be stupid. Do you really think going out right now is a good idea?" Kakashi challenged, reaching out to grab Iruka's hand. He wasn't going to let him go. "You're supposed to be the smart teacher, not the dumb student."

"I am," Iruka said indignantly. Finding no counterargument, he tugged his hand back, trying to free it from Kakashi's grip. "I would just prefer if-"

"I don't think I can handle being alone right now," Kakashi admitted quietly, tightening his grip. "And I know you'd be the safest in my home." He felt Iruka's fingers begin to slowly curl around his own.

xXx

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