Hello. First of all, thank you so very much for the reviews and the kind messages. They were really appreciated. I have managed to write another chapter. This is the scene that I first had in my head when I started writing this story. I had no idea that I would end up writing 45000 words before I reached it!

ETA: I have cut this chapter down because it originally contained rather a lot of detailed smut. I have retained the full chapter at my LJ account. I can't put a link in here, but there is one in my profile. Please click that to read this chapter in full. That chapter then links to chapter 11 which is also smutty. Then it links back to this story at FF. Sorry.

Chapter 10 - 'Tis a Consummation

When Kakashi awoke, Iruka was still sleeping peacefully in his arms. He had turned over in his sleep and was now facing away from the ANBU but Kakashi was still holding him close to his body, his arm like a wooden beam, strong and unyielding, unwilling to let him go.

They had been asleep all night and most of the morning; both shinobi were so tired after the previous day's events that not even the raging storm outside could disturb their slumber. The dappled light, filtering through the foliage at the entrance to the cavern, was clear and bright.

Kakashi was unsurprised to find that he had awoken to find himself achingly hard. He had spent the entire night embracing Iruka, a man to whom he was very attracted. What he wanted to do was caress Iruka's tender flesh, turn him around and kiss him gently on the lips, then explore his beautiful body and make love to him for hours.

But he didn't know how Iruka felt about him. He didn't want to upset or offend the chuunin. He didn't even know if he was gay or straight, didn't really know anything about him. Tempted as he was by the sleeping chuunin he was holding in his arms, he decided that the best thing to do would be to take a cold bath instead.

Calm down.

Cool off.

He slipped his arm from underneath the chuunin, gently laying his head onto the bedroll and climbed down from the rocky ledge they had been resting on.

As he passed by the sleeping shinobi, he couldn't help noticing that Iruka was also aroused. That wasn't a surprise. He was eighteen.

Despite himself, Kakashi paused briefly to admire how beautiful that arousal was. Then he directed his gaze to admire the sleeping chuunin's face for a few moments: his long eyelashes forming perfect curves that defined his closed eyes, his mouth just very slightly open, the adorable scar that bisected his nose, his soft brown hair splayed across the bed mat, free and flowing, untamed by his hair tie.

There was no doubt about it, Iruka was very, very lovely.

Kakashi walked outside and made his way to the freshwater pool at the foot of the waterfall. He remembered it from his war days – it was the perfect size for a bath. He washed himself quickly under the waterfall that splashed down the cliff face, feeding the deep, clear rock pool, then plunged in. The water was quite cool and a shiver ran down his spine as it made contact with his skin. Still, the sun was bright in the cloudless sky and after a few moments he had warmed up sufficiently to sit back in the water relaxing as he observed the beach and gently undulating sea, with the waves lapping at the shore.

A while later, Kakashi heard a sound and turned his head to see a naked Iruka emerge from the cave, padding slowly across the beach and rubbing his bleary eyes as he did so. He was carrying the med-kit and the sponge and walked towards Kakashi. He was clearly intending to examine his wounds.

So responsible, so caring.

So damned hot.

Kakashi checked himself. He had decided to bathe so that he could chill out and not think about how much he desired Iruka. The chuunin seemed to be unaware of Kakashi's attraction to him or, if he did recognise it, he was doing an amazing job of not letting on, and the ANBU didn't want to spoil a perfectly good burgeoning friendship by letting these new feelings for Iruka – which might not be reciprocated - out into the open.

They nodded a greeting, and Iruka gestured with the med kit that he wanted to look at Kakashi's wounds. The ANBU sat upright in the water then leaned forward slightly to let Iruka examine his back. The chuunin inspected both wounds – the one that had been poisoned days ago and the new one. He was very precise and extremely careful as he checked both injuries.

Kakashi was beginning to feel just a little uneasy. He loved it when Iruka examined him, the way the chuunin's fingertips pushed gently at his back, soft, tentative touches all aimed towards assessing how he was healing whilst being so very careful not to hurt him.

Giving a brief grunt of satisfaction that Kakashi was indeed recovering well, Iruka then did something that surprised his companion. He dipped the sponge into the pool, squeezed it to release excess water then gently started washing the ANBU's back. The sponge was coarse but the contact it made with his skin was so gentle that it made Kakashi's abdomen turn cartwheels. So much for his honourable intentions to dampen that morning erection.

The ANBU glanced downwards and could see the chuunin's reflection in the water, distorted slightly by the small ripples, but his expression was clear. It looked dreamy. Kakashi didn't know what he was thinking.

Iruka wasn't really sure himself why he was doing this. He had intended simply to check and dress the assassin's wound and had been slightly surprised to find him bathing.

Kakashi could feel his heartbeat beginning to quicken as Iruka continued sponging his back with his delicate, considerate touch – it felt wonderful.

The chuunin decided that as he had started washing Kakashi, he might as well continue. He liked caring for the ANBU and felt that this was his way of giving something back. He moved the sponge over the top of Kakashi's shoulder and started rubbing it around his neck and over his chest in a slow circular movement. Always careful, always gentle.

Kakashi took a sharp intake of breath. He was doing everything he possibly could to suppress the feelings of desire that were beginning to course through his body but, kami, he was enjoying it so much.

As Iruka reached over Kakashi's shoulder and started washing further down his chest, the prickly sponge briefly – and unintentionally - brushed across one of the ANBU's nipples, instantly sending pools of pleasure straight to his groin. His pulse was racing, within seconds he was fully hard again and there was no way of disguising it.

He gave in.

As much as he had genuinely tried to suppress his desire, the delicious sensations caused by Iruka's soft caresses were becoming too much for Kakashi to bear. He closed his eyes and arched his back, tilting his head backwards as he savoured the chuunin's touch.

But at the very moment that Kakashi's head fell back, Iruka leaned forward to reach further across his body with the sponge.

Their cheeks brushed.

It felt as though a spark of electricity passed between them. A brief quiver, a slight shock, tantalisingly beautiful contact.

Kakashi couldn't stand it any longer. The instant he experienced the wonderful warmth of Iruka's caramel skin brushing against his face he knew that he could hold off no longer. He took a chance and did the thing that he'd been wanting to do for days and had been so honourably, so desperately, trying to avoid. He turned his head quickly and captured Iruka's lips in a kiss.

Iruka paused as their lips met. He drew his head back just a few millimetres. Time seemed to slow down as his mind processed what had just happened.

Kakashi had kissed him.

The Black Ops assassin had kissed him.

The ANBU who had been assigned to kill him had kissed him.

And then he kissed Kakashi back.

The ANBU's eyes widened and his heartbeat quickened as he realised that the impossible had happened and that Iruka was responding to him. He sat up in the water immediately, twisting around so that he could get better access to that soft, warm mouth and he cupped the chuunin's face in his hands.

Their lips crashed together as those tentative initial touches gave way to a hungry kiss that was filled with passion and desire.

Emboldened by Iruka's response, Kakashi tentatively flicked out his tongue to taste at the chuunin's soft full lips and was even more surprised when the younger man opened his mouth to welcome Kakashi inside. Their tongues intertwined, gliding, tasting, exploring.

Iruka's heart was pounding and yet he felt as though he was in a daze. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Kakashi, the elite assassin, was kissing him with a passion that he had could never had imagined. Sure, Iruka wasn't totally inexperienced, but none of his previous encounters had been anything like this. This was so fiery, so intense, so unbelievably beautiful. So unexpected. And yet… he could feel himself becoming aroused.

He wanted more.

Kakashi wanted more too. He wanted to hold Iruka in his arms and experience again that gorgeous embrace, that wonderful feeling of skin against skin that he had enjoyed so much the previous night.

He wanted to possess the chuunin entirely. He couldn't control himself any longer. He gripped Iruka's shoulders then pulled him into the rock pool with a mighty splash.

Iruka twisted as he fell in and gasped as the cold water made contact with his skin. But he didn't have time to protest before Kakashi had pulled the chuunin towards him, pressing his body against him, wrapping his strong arms around him. He wound his elegant fingers into Iruka's hair and stroked the long chestnut strands as he leaned forward to claim another kiss.

Their tongues battled, their bodies writhed together, thrashing in the water as they held each other in a fierce embrace.

Iruka shivered. The water was cold. Kakashi kissed the chuunin briefly on the lips and pulled himself out of the pool. He was thoroughly self-assured and the expression in his eyes utterly sincere as he offered his hand to Iruka to pull him out of the water. The instant the chuunin emerged from the pool, sparkling drops of water dripping from his smooth skin, Kakashi reached underneath his knees, put an arm around his shoulder and picked him up, with the intention of carrying him to the cave.

Iruka's eyes were shining as he looked up at Kakashi and began to protest. "I can walk there, you know," he giggled.

Kakashi's voice was very low as he gently but firmly pressed his lips against Iruka's soft mouth to silence him. "I know. But I want to take you there," he murmured in a husky voice that was drenched with desire. He didn't want to miss even a single second's contact between their bodies. When they reached the cavern, Kakashi laid Iruka down on the bedroll and settled beside him.

Each gazed at the other, observing each other's expression as their minds tried to take in what had happened. They were both incredibly turned on and their pulses were racing, but Kakashi knew he had to slow things down, just for a moment, so that he could be certain that Iruka wanted this.

"Are you okay with this?" Kakashi whispered gently. He had a feeling that the chuunin was probably not that experienced and guessed, correctly, that Iruka had never been with a man before.

Iruka looked up at the ANBU, observing his concerned expression. This was very new to him but he had always believed in loving the person and not their gender. He wasn't in love with Kakashi but he did feel an attraction to him. What they were doing felt right. It felt natural.

It felt good.

"Yes." The chuunin's words were heartfelt as he gazed at Kakashi with his wide, expressive eyes.

As Iruka looked up at the ANBU he realised that this was the first time he had seen Kakashi smile with his mouth. It was lovely. It was surprisingly shy, something that had been hidden from the world for so very long, as though Kakashi didn't really know how to smile. Beneath that aloof exterior Iruka could now very clearly see a tenderness and a kindness to the ANBU's personality, something that he was finally allowing himself to reveal to his companion.

He could also see desire.

CUT SCENE PLEASE VISIT LJ FOR FULL VERSION

They just held each other. Iruka lay in Kakashi's arms, revelling in the warmth of his body, basking in the afterglow of their passion.

Iruka's mind was whirring as he tried to take in what had just happened. Eventually curiosity got the better of him. He just had to ask.

"Why?" he whispered.

"Well, you were leading me on, seducing me as I was bathing…"

Iruka sat bolt upright and protested immediately, "Of course I wasn't! How could you think that?" He could feel his face beginning to turn a remarkable shade of scarlet, heat rising up inside him.

Kakashi's eyes curved into a smile. "You're really cute when you get flustered," he declared.

"I bloody well am not cute," Iruka retorted vehemently.

Kakashi just couldn't continue. He pulled the chuunin towards him and gave him a hug that was filled with genuine affection. "I'm only teasing you. You take the bait really quickly."

He could feel the tension in Iruka's body begin to subside. He gazed at the chuunin and whispered in his smooth voice, "I don't really know why it happened. But I like you very much, Iruka, and it just felt right."

He paused briefly, observing the chuunin's expression. Iruka's irritation melted away and he could see nothing but warmth in the older man's eyes.

"Are you okay? You enjoyed it, ne?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, it was amazing."

The ANBU brushed the chuunin's chestnut hair away from his face then pulled Iruka towards him, squeezing him tightly. Pressing a warm kiss upon his soft, full lips, Kakashi murmured, "Good."

As they lay together, holding each other close, Kakashi came to realise slowly that he was feeling something that he hadn't felt in weeks.

Calm.