I still have insane writer's block that's why it took so long but my inspiration came back…only to die halfway through this chapter…T-T But it was almost done so the ending is kinda blah… but you know I got it done at least! Yeah….

Disclaimer: nothing

Chapter 10: 1 week in

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1 week. Iruka couldn't believe it's been a week since he'd met Kakashi and he was already head over sneakers for him. He just couldn't believe it! Even more satisfying, they were together! How much happier could a person get?

Iruka just couldn't wait to see his Kashi again! Look at him, he's like a love-sick school girl!

The only thing trailing through his mind was is school over is it over? How about now? I want Kakashi! Over? Yet? Now? No… NOW! No…

Poor Iruka was suffering from separation anxiety and only his silver-headed scarecrow could fix that. Scarecrow hmm?

He liked that.

Is the day over? No. Now? No. only 2 hours left. Only 2 hours…

Only 1 hours…hour. 1 hour is all that's left. 1 hour and he could see his precious yet totally crazy boyfriend. His heart soared at the word.

20 minutes. That's all. That's all haha! Wow he was starting to lose his mind… and judging by the scared looks his students were giving him, he's probably giving them all a strained and somewhat disturbing smile.

2 minutes. Now 1 minute and 30 seconds… he was waiting in anticipation with the rest of the children. He quickly shoved all the items he would need in his briefcase and the homework he needed to grade and high tailed it out of there the moment the bell ringed. He had already cleared the premises before the smoke cloud he left behind even cleared.

Iruka all but ran to the Konoha public library. Looking in the small window, he saw his Kakashi and… and some girl flirting shamelessly with him! Oh the chick was so dead!

Iruka marched up to them with a fake smile and looked his Kashi in the eye. "Hello love" making sure to emphasize on the love part. Also throwing the girl a smile-though-it's-more-a-smirk.

"Oh hey Ruka! This is Haku. He's one of my co-workers." Iruka felt his eye twitch. He? he? Oh crap…

"O-oh? S-so what were you talking about t-then?"

"I was just telling Kakashi about how Zabuza finally proposed to me! The idiot's been putting it off, he's says he was finding the right moment but I made the right moment happen when I pulled the ring out of his pants pocket!" Haku said with a smile.

Eye twitch.

"And I-" Kakashi started throwing him a smile "-was telling him about my wonderful new and insanely cute boyfriend."

"What? And who's that?" Iruka said with fake anger (though real anger at himself for being so stupid) and a smile. And an eye twitch.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, "that guy that came into the library one day. You know, the one with a pony tail that begs to be pulled down and a probably sweet tasting scar on the bridge of his nose. Know who I'm talking about yet?"

Iruka blushed. "I can take a wild guess." Kakashi laughed.

After awhile Haku left complaining that his boyfriend would want him to wear a dress… Eye twitch.

Kakashi leaned over the counter, pressed a kiss to his open mouth, and chuckled. "You so thought Haku was a girl and was flirting with me didn't you."

"No!" He said defensively but he broke under Kakashi's gaze. "No, maybe…Ok yes!"

Kakashi places his hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek, "You really are perfect for me then. Your sweet, cute, can be jealous but doesn't act on impulse, you can tolerate me. And your just as crazy!" Iruka slapped his hand away playfully and he remembered something.

"Hey since I'm here I may as well get a card for Naruto since he's been asking me to come back for the next book."

"Ok then." Kakashi drawled lazily. His heart fluttered. "Name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Age?"

"17"

And that's how it went.

At some point though, while Iruka was looking around, he came by a locked glass case with Icha Icha books inside. On the outside, he was calm and collected. On the inside he was laughing maniacally. Mwhaha! Now's my chance to see what's so wrong with this book! But how to get the key…hmm.

However his brilliant plan titled: Get key to read book NOW didn't work quite as well as he thought it would. Kakashi didn't even know where the key was an seemed sad about it. Well then, he'll just have to cheer the poor man up later on!

That being thought of, the moment Kakashi shift ended and some other guy with brown hair and wide almond-shaped eyes walked in, Iruka dragged his silver-haired lover out the door and hugged him tightly. Then, proceeded to drag him to the nearest place with food, with or without his consent.

"Eager to see me were we?"

"Yes. Plain and simple." Kakashi smiled and put an arm around Iruka's slim waist. Smirking as he put his head against his in the small booth. Whatever he had ordered while in his Kakashi-induced haze finally came to the table and he watched Kakashi watch him eat. There was a comfortable silence.

"So Iruka," Kakashi asked after they had both finished and paid and were walking home, "why were you so eager to see me? What's so special about my boring face?"

Iruka smiled and moved closer to the warmth that was Kakashi because he was getting cold in the late night air. "Everything." Kakashi smiled and wrapped an arm around his now shivering form

When they arrived at Iruka's home, he looked at Kakashi with a cheeky grin. Kakashi returned the grin and when he thought he wasn't looking - which in fact he wasn't he was to busy trying to get the keys out without dropping them from shivering to much - Kakashi leaned in for a kiss. It was long and left him breathless, and not only for air. They already had had like three other kisses but this one felt like the first. It really made him feel special. The first being a spaghetti induced accident. The second being a book induced accident. And the third being earlier this afternoon but it was chaste and quick.

Kakashi turned to leave but not without one last kiss and a sweet goodbye.

Iruka was floating and glowing… right until he walked in the door…

On his couch were two boys making out heavily. Iruka was too tired to deal with this but nonetheless coughed awkwardly.

"*ahem*" they broke apart instantly. There, sitting on his couch, was his adoptive son Naruto and the emo kid from earlier, Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke ran from the room, past him, and out the door in less then two seconds.

"Uh-" Naruto started.

"I don't really care. If you like him do what you want ok? Besides, your 17 what could I possibly say to dissuade you? Plus I got a boyfriend of my own *dreamy look*" Iruka finished.

"EW!" Naruto fled from the room but he could hear him mutter under his breath, 'do you even know what he reads?'

Iruka was starting to wonder if he should know what his lover reads. He should try to figure it our, but only for future references of course… And blackmail hehe.

Ah him as he evil side! Wait what evil side? What story was he in? No he's in the right story (that's not going anywhere might he add (hey!))

Truth be told, he had no idea what to do now. He was home, bored, with nothing to do and all he could think about was his silver scarecrow. He went to sleep, hoping he'd have a nice dream…

"Ruka love I'm home! Hmm, why does this feel like Déjà vu? Haha!" Kakashi entered the room with a flourish and removed the scarf that hung loosely around his neck and face.

"Happy birthday Kashi!" Iruka entered the room with a neatly wrapped box that seemed to be whimpering. Kakashi looked at the moving package in his lover's hands and kissed him right on his scar.

"You remembered?"

"you really are crazy if you think I'd forget something your birthday old man!"

"I'm not that old!" Kakashi said playfully.

Iruka nudged his present over to Kakashi who took it with a smile.

"So if I open it will a monster come out and eat me? Because this seems alive."

Iruka smiled and hugged Kakashi from behind, "well if it is a monster I'm here too so if it eats you it has to eat both of us."

Kakashi slowly opened the wrapped box and was nearly knocked over if not for Iruka holding him. Upon opening the box, out jumped a little puppy and attacked Kakashi with little puppy kisses.

"A puppy for my birthday! Aw he's so cute! What should we name him?"

Kakashi's eyes were just as big and round as their new puppy's was and they were just as innocent as they both looked up at Iruka expectantly.

"Whatever you want to name him."

Kakashi's eyes crinkled into smiles and he put a hand to his face, thinking.

"I know! Let's name him Ruka junior!"

"You want to name our dog that?"

"Yes!" he said with a pout.

Iruka smiled. "Alright."

Everything was great. They were happy, smiles all around, but then everything went wrong.

A flash of silver hair, not Kakashi's, was in his face filling his vision. It was him again. He was back. For whatever reason Iruka didn't know but the pain of seeing his face was too much and he found himself collapsed on the floor under his steely gaze.

"Still just as spineless as ever Iruka." His grin maniacal and spiteful, his features twisted into something only a true monster could posses. How could… he can't be here no. Kakashi, where was Kakashi? He was gone, how could he leave him? No his Kashi would never leave him…he would never…

But as cold hands drew themselves around Iruka's neck, he panicked.

Mizuki's twisted face was the last thing he saw before blacking out.

Iruka woke up panting and sweating. It was not a good dream he had, in fact, it was a horrible nightmare. His heart was beating a mile a minute and suddenly Naruto was standing at his door with a worried face and a knife from the kitchen.

"Iruka are you ok? Are you hurt? What's wrong why did you scream like that?"

"I-I…I uh…" Iruka tried to catch his breath while trying to also explain to Naruto why he was screaming bloody murder.

10 years and the poor kid still doesn't know why he screams like that on some nights.

"I'm fine Naruto, go to back to bed."

"Iruka…"

"I'm fine." Naruto gave him a look and a look around the room before reluctantly closing the door and Iruka didn't shift until he heard the soft click of the door closing down the hall.

He inhaled deeply an lay back down. He thought about happy things, the kids he taught, rainbows and butterflies, he thought about Kakashi. But the images wouldn't leave his mind.

He laid there comfortably with the occasional paranoid look around the room and a soft sigh. No matter what he did, his thoughts kept drifting back to that face and how he wished so much right now to be in Kakashi's arms.

He did not sleep a wink for the rest of the night.

The next day he went to school with dark circles under his eyes and a grumpy attitude. The kids screaming didn't help his ever growing headache. The only thing that made the day worth his time was when the day was finally over and he was waiting at the library for his Kakashi.

Yes, he could stand the fears if there was always a Kakashi there to lock them up with a key.

Thinking about that, he realized Kakashi held many keys that belonged to Iruka. He held the key to his mind, his dreams. The key that locked away his fears and worries. Soon he would give him the key to his apartment even.

But most importantly, he held the key to his heart.

See? I told you it was kinda a crappy ending.