Ah, the previous chapter was super angsty, even by the angst scale of this story…sorry about that. But thanks for the reviews, always glad to know the angst isn't driving people away. (smile) One thing though, I'm afraid Iruka is turning out to be a rather unlikable character…I'm trying to have a balance between the two characters, not cast one as a suffering angel and the other as the evil tormentor of the said angel. (thoughtful) Do leave a comment if you can, on whether you think 1) readers disliking Iruka is a sign of this imbalance or 2) is simply the way the plot works and is actually a good sign that readers can identify with poor Kakashi or 3) none of the above. Love to hear your views.
Okay, enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Eleven
It was, Iruka thought, turning out to be a rather good day.
He had been nervous about coming back to teach, having been away for so long and still not feeling as strong as he liked. Although he had started his own training regime in addition to the weekly therapy schedule at the hospital, his stamina really left much to be desired. He was quite annoyed to find himself breathless after climbing up just one flight of stairs.
Iruka glanced at the clock hung over the chalkboard, heaving a small mental sigh of relief. Class would be over in a few minutes and he would be done with the day.
It had gone well but he was starting to feel a little weak, tired from being on his feet so much as he conducted the lessons. He sighed ruefully at the cane propped up against the side of his desk. He had avoided using it so far but it seemed like he might have to after all if he wanted to get home.
And heaven forbid any child should attempt some mischief now, he thought wearily casting a glance at his students.
But the children had all been wonderful so far. Those little hellions were pure trouble most of the time, but Iruka had to admit, they could be quite sweet when they got it into their minds to try.
He was surprised to open the classroom door that morning and find them all in their seats, everyone punctual for once and as good as gold. They had risen in unison and stood at attention as they greeted him with a loud, enthusiastic chorus of "Good morning, Iruka-sensei." Then, little Moegi had sniffled, tears welling in her eyes as she broke into a loud wail and ran forward to hug him. That set the other kids off too and they threw themselves at him, equal parts exclaiming in concern and cheering with joy.
They were perfect little angels all through the class after that.
A fond smile touched his lips as he looked at them working obediently at their desks. He was their teacher for almost two years now and he wasn't so easily fooled. Tomorrow, they'll be back to their mischievous ways, but he was nevertheless touched by the effort they put in, trying to make things easier for him today.
Best part of all, he hadn't seen Kakashi all day. In fact, he hadn't seen the jounin all week.
He bit his lip, feeling a small pang of guilt every time he thought of the Copynin. The jounin was annoying in the way he harassed him with his ridiculous prank, thinking he had the right to use the lapse in his memory to spin some wild tale to embarrass and irritate him for the jounin's own amusement. In fact, ever since his callous remarks at the chunin exams nominations, Iruka had wanted to put his fist through that infuriatingly calm face just to teach the man a little humility.
But he really should not have lost his temper like that. It was merely a joke. True, it was distasteful; nevertheless, it was harmless. To hit him like that was totally uncalled for. Iruka bit his lip. He knew he was hot tempered even as a kid, something he was rather ashamed of. He had worked very hard to learn how to keep his anger in check. Yet, after lashing out at Kakashi that day, it would appear he had hardly improved at all.
Iruka sighed, scratching his nose absently. As much as he loathed it, he was going to find a chance to apologize to the jounin.
The bell rang and chairs were scrapped back as the students got up, excited to be done with their studies and rush off to play.
"Alright, good work everyone." Iruka called over the noise of their happy chatter, pointing to the chalkboard. "But don't forget homework! Finish the questions on the last page of this chapter and these problems as well." At the groans and grumbles, he frowned sternly at them. "Come on, you'll be having your graduating exams this year. All of you must work hard if you want to do well."
"We will, Iruka-sensei!" Came the well-practiced chorus.
Iruka smiled and shook his head. He gathered his books and notes, feeling cheerful at the successful conclusion of his first day back at work. "Okay, class dismissed."
Without warning, smoke billowed and spun beside his table as someone teleported into the classroom. The children stopped talking and stared.
The smoke dissipated. His stomach gave a nauseating flip as he caught sight of the messy silver hair, the eye crinkled with a merry smile-
-and the bunch of blood red roses clutched in the half-gloved hand.
Suddenly, his day decided it would much rather be awful after all.
Kakashi sat on the roof of the administration block, feet dangling over the edge as he watched Iruka conduct his class in the opposite building.
In the past week, he had done a lot of thinking.
He realized he was going about the situation in the wrong way. All along, he had been trying to convince Iruka they used to be in love, pressing this fact most tactlessly on the chunin at the worst possible of times, when the poor man was already tired or frustrated and unlikely to be receptive to such a seemingly absurd idea. Besides, knowing Iruka's stubborn nature, simply persuading him with words was never going to work.
What he should be doing was to show the schoolteacher how very much he meant to him, make the chunin understand how he yearned to recapture that beautiful, precious bond they once had.
Woo him, so to speak, with everything he's got. As he had promised Iruka he would do.
The problem was, he had never courted anyone before.
The last time, Iruka and he had been lucky. They had found each other, grew close enough to reach an unspoken understanding that they cared deeply for each other with minimal fuss.
This time, he thought grimly, he was going to have to put in some effort.
For a long time, he turned the problem over in his head, contemplating it as a whole, dissecting it into parts, putting it back together, then taking it apart again. Eventually, he came to a rather startling but satisfying conclusion.
Courtship was actually somewhat like a mission.
He had absolutely no experience at courtship. But a mission, now that's something he could handle.
Recon. Plan. Execute. It was as simple as that.
First, he needed information. Although he loved the plot of the Icha Icha series dearly, he had always been a bit skeptical of the dramatic flair with which the hero sought the affections of his ladylove. So he read three other different romance novels and consulted guidebooks on this subject. He made notes. He reviewed his notes. And felt rather pleased when he finally distilled the process down into three essential components: flowers, gifts and a genuine affection for the target.
He smiled, he already had the last item too.
Next, he planned. Strategy had always been Iruka's strong suit but he wasn't half bad himself. He needed to catch Iruka when he was in a good mood, declare his intentions and leave before the schoolteacher could become angry. In fact, the classroom would be the perfect place for an ambush. With all his students watching, the chunin might be less inclined to curse or attack him, and might actually give him a chance to finish what he wanted to say.
Kakashi watched Iruka scratch another row of characters in chalk across the board already covered with his writings and a few diagrams. The characters were slightly shaky but they were such a vast improvement from the untidy scribbles a month ago, he felt immensely proud of the chunin.
A wave of sadness came over him suddenly. Was this how it was going to be from now on? With him in the shadows, unnoticed, quietly sharing the joys and the sorrows of the chunin? Always watching, always waiting, never to be acknowledged or loved in return?
His breath caught in his throat and he swallowed hard, pushing the depressing thoughts firmly out of his mind. Self-pity never got anyone anywhere.
Kakashi clutched the box of chocolates in his hand a little tighter with determination. It was from the shop specializing in fancy imported desserts, selling them at ridiculously high prices. He knew Iruka had wanted to try some but never bought any because he was too sensible to spend that much money carelessly on trivial luxuries.
The bell rang and Iruka was smiling as the students scrambled to their feet, eager to get out of class. That was his cue. Picking up the bouquet of red roses lying across his lap, he stood.
Operation: Woo Iruka was in execution phase. With a quick jutsu, he arrived in the classroom in a swirl of smoke.
"Yo!" He beamed at the stunned schoolteacher. A surreptitious look around showed the students watching him in surprise, awed expressions on every one of their little faces.
Excellent.
Iruka recovered quickly. "Kakashi-sensei. What brings you here?" He greeted him politely, managing to hide his dismay even as his eyes darted in horror to the flowers.
Kakashi's confidence faltered. Maybe despite all the research he had done, he still got it wrong. He thrust the roses and chocolates towards the chunin before he could change his mind entirely. "For you."
This time, Iruka's eyes shot to the children who were all watching their teacher and the strange jounin curiously.
"Er…that's very kind of you." Pink rose to his cheeks, whether in embarrassment or anger, Kakashi wasn't sure. Iruka cleared his throat, announcing in a loud, firm voice. "Thank you for your well wishes for my first day back at teaching." He took the proffered items with a strained smile.
There was a clear warning glint in his brown eyes.
Kakashi laughed uncomfortably. "Ah, that's not exactly-"
"Are you Iruka-sensei's boyfriend?" A boy with a dark green scarf wrapped around his neck nudged him with an elbow and whispered loudly. "Just like in the movies. Red roses are only for-" He waggled his eyebrows and pursed his lips together, making smooching noises in a rather odd parody of a kiss.
"Konohamaru!" Iruka was beet-red. He glared at Kakashi as if he was somehow responsible.
Kakashi sighed as he surveyed the chaos that had erupted around them. Children were cheering and clapping Konohamaru on his back for his boldness, hooting with raucous laughter. Other children descended on Iruka like a swarm of flies. "Is it true, Iruka-sensei? Is it true? Is it true?" They shouted as they tugged at his arms to get his attention, jumping up and down excitedly.
The only quiet one was the little Hyuga girl who sat primly at the back of the class. But she stared so intently at him with her milk-white eyes, her young face set to a disturbingly adult expression of faint disapproval, that Kakashi had the distinct impression she was appraising him to see if he was worthy enough to court her sensei.
Things were fast getting out of hand. He glanced at Iruka who was busy fielding questions, shouting for the students to quiet down as he tried to restore order. The chunin had gone pale, leaning wearily against the table, looking a little faint. Kakashi frowned in concern. The children's presence was supposed to help but it was only making things worse.
"Quiet!" He shouted.
The kids fell silent and stared. A little girl sniffled, frightened eyes tearing up.
"Stop that." He snapped irritably. How Iruka could stand this day after day, teaching these little monsters and enjoy it was beyond him.
He swept his gaze around the room sternly. "Now, I believe Iruka-sensei already said class is dismissed." He said, his voice low and dangerous.
They didn't need to be told twice.
As the children fled and the classroom was finally empty, Iruka realized he was still clutching the stupid bunch of roses in his hand, the stems were getting grimy from his sweaty grip. Throwing it down onto the table, he sank into his chair and closed his eyes, suddenly feeling too weak to stand.
He could sense Kakashi rooted to where he stood a few feet away, tense and uncomfortable. The jounin shifted his feet uncertainly. "Iruka."
Without opening his eyes, Iruka sighed. "I cannot tell you how sorry I am for hitting you that day, Kakashi-sensei." He said quietly. "But if you're going to tell me we were in love one more time, I'm afraid I might just have to punch you again."
Kakashi laughed, a low warm chuckle, and walked over to where he sat. He opened his eyes when he felt the jounin crouched down beside him, sitting on his heels as he rested one hand on the back of his chair and the other on the edge of desk for balance.
"No, Iruka." He assured him. "I have not come to tell you that, although it is really the truth." When Iruka started to protest, he held a hand up in silent appeal.
"But I'm not going to try to convince you because I know everything we had is meaningless to you right now." The dark eye closed briefly as though in pain, then opened to look up at him with a determined smile.
"I just want you to know I'm being serious, that I care deeply for you and I'm going to prove it to you somehow." His fingers gave a tiny twitch, as if he was going to reach for Iruka's hand but thought better of it. He looked at him beseechingly, trying to make him understand, and Iruka was taken aback by the depth of emotion he saw in his eye.
"Even if it's just a joke to you, I hope that you'll at least give me a chance to prove that it's not." Kakashi said softly, almost pleadingly. "Please?"
His uncovered eye was dark and wistful as it flittered over his face, searching for an answer, gazing at him with such sad longing Iruka felt his heart clenched.
Iruka looked away. He knew he was blushing under that intense gaze, a little shaken to be the subject of such open devotion, and completely baffled that it was coming from a person he barely knew.
Kakashi-sensei is quite an actor if this is a joke, he thought absently. And it really was too ridiculous, too impossible to be anything but a joke.
There was no harm if he were to play along, was there?
But if he were honest with himself, he would admit that he did not like that look on Kakashi's face, obvious even under his mask. That profound sadness in the lone grey eye and the bright smile that was brittle around the edges, fragile as though the jounin was suffering some terrible hurt. It made his insides twist into knots to see Kakashi this unhappy.
"Alright." He blurted without thinking.
Realizing what he had done an instant later, Iruka groaned inwardly and braced himself for the upcoming triumphant sneer or mocking laughter as the jounin teased him for falling for one of his tricks. He wasn't expecting Kakashi to grasp his hands, breaking out into a wide grin as though it was the best thing to ever happen to him in his life.
The situation was so strange, it made his head hurt to think about it.
"But on one condition." Iruka frowned in reproach before the jounin could say a word. He had to bite back a laugh as Kakashi froze and looked at him anxiously. Still, he couldn't resist a smile as he jerked a thumb at the flowers on his desk.
"No more damn roses."
