!
Yeah...
"Kakashi!" Genma jumped right out of the uncomfortable plastic chair, jarring his now-wake lover who had been napping against his shoulder. The two ginned when they saw their old friend who stood there slack-jawed. Finally, they hopped out of their surprised stupor and crashed into their friend, giving him a bone-crushing hug. "I can't believe it's really you! The council was wondering where you went off to."
"Genma? Raidō?" Kakashi repeated as he gazed at his friends doe-eyed and surprised. "You guys were the extractions?"
"Yup!" Raidō said with a happy smile, letting go of the pale vampire's waist and pointing a thumb at the tall ANBU standing cross-armed near the hospital doors. "And believe us, it sure was a surprise when those guys showed up in our apartment in the middle of the night. We thought they were burglars or something."
"Oh, yeah," Genma let go of his still-astounded friend and brushed himself free of invisible dirt. "Scared the crap out of Rai and me. We even broke out the baseball bat."
"y-you hit them with a bat?" Kakashi asked stupefied.
"No, only the wolf ANBU." Genma said with a shrug and the whole room went silent. Kakashi slowly felt his eye start to twitch.
"You hit Iruka with a bat." Kakashi articulated slowly.
"Yeah, Iruka! That's his name. Right, Raidō?" Genma nodded eagerly as he nudged his lover who nodded just as eagerly in response.
Kakashi stared at his two excited friend and sighed wearily before turning away from them and heading to the hospital cafeteria muttering, "This is too much."
The cafeteria was mostly empty at this time since it was around midnight and the hot cup of blood he bought warming his hands. Kakashi padded down the white hallway to Iruka's room and pushed open the door with his other hand. At the moment he didn't care who was inside the room with Iruka because he wanted to see him to make sure he was alright.
There was a nurse checking Iruka's vitals but besides her there was no one else except the unconscious patient laying quietly on the bed with his leg propped up by a pulley-system and his arm in a cast. Kakashi waited patiently by the door, sipping his drink, for her to finish the check-up and once the nurse was out of the room, he pulled a lonely chair sitting in the corner closer to the bed. Plopping himself down in it, he said out loud, "she's gone. You can open your eyes now."
The werewolf in the hospital bed cracked an eye open and sighed, stretching his right arm above his head until he heard a satisfying pop from his back.
"These beds are so uncomfortable." The brunet complained as he reached over to the little bedside table for the glass of water waiting for him. Kakashi grabbed the cup and handed it to him. With a thankful nod, Iruka downed the glass in less than five seconds.
"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" Kakashi asked teasingly with a smile. The teacher snorted as he shook his head.
"Not really. The drugs they use aren't strong enough for someone like me." Iruka said as he handed the glass back to Kakashi who took it and replaced it on the table.
"Someone like you?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow as the brunet looked up soberly.
"I've been hospitalize more times than I can count." Iruka said with a matter-of-fact tone as he readjusted the leg hanging in the cradle. Kakashi lowered his head for a moment. He had remembered why he was so eager for Iruka to come home.
"So, did you want me to read that book or was it a coincidence that it just so happened to be at my eye level?" Kakashi was so busy staring intently out the window the brunet's reaction was unseen to him.
"Would you believe me if I said it was a coincidence?" Kakashi turned his head back to find the werewolf smirking with his arms crossed. Kakashi smirked as well and lowered his eyes to the ground as he sat forward in his chair.
"No, I don't think I would."
"Oh, well, then I guess I did put it there." The brunet pulled one of the blankets covering him over his casted foot and the other he wrapped around himself. "I didn't want to tell you but you had to know so…"
Kakashi nodded. "So…base nine, huh?"
"Yup." Iruka didn't meet his eyes. He kept them fixed on an end of the blanket he was fiddling with and Kakashi took that as a signal to continue.
"And ANBU founder."
"Pretty much."
There was an awkward silence. The only sound that went through the room was the ticking of bedside clock and the bustling of the nurses passing by outside the door. Kakashi sat there uncomfortably, trying to figure out what to say next. Iruka kept his attention on his blanket, studying its fabulous stitching.
"Iruka, I have something to tell you." Kakashi said abruptly, looking up at the brunet. Iruka's head bolted up.
"Yes?"
"Well," Kakashi looked back down at his lap and twiddled with his thumbs. He had never been so nervous in his life and the anxiety built up over the past few days was threatening boiling over. He took a deep breath to steady himself. "I read how you had been in Port City and you survived the fire, so, I wanted to tell you that-"
The door suddenly burst open, cutting Kakashi off mid-sentence. Anko and at least a dozen other people ran into the room and crowded around a surprised Iruka's hospital bed, speaking rapidly over one another at the poor patient.
Kakashi was on the floor. His backside was littered with shoe-prints and his chair had been kicked into the corner on its side. Kakashi pulled his head out from where it had made an impression in the tiles, thinking momentarily, "I didn't know mini-tornadoes frequented hospitals..."
His heartbeat, which had climbed with his almost-confession and the sudden stampede, slowed back down and he shakily stood up out of the cartoon-like rut he unintentionally made. He brushed himself off and turned to the mass of people blocking his view of Iruka.
Hearing the door swing open, he glanced back to find the nurse from earlier entering. As she glanced up, her jaw dropped and she almost let go of her clipboard as she saw the crowd gathered around her patient. Kakashi watched as she quickly straightened up and braced herself. He felt dread build up in his stomach when he figured out what she was going to do next.
"EVERYONE OUT!"
Kakashi found himself out flat on his back in the hall, the crowd of people from before flying down the hall in a cloud of dust. When he finally came out of his daze, he found the nurse closing the door to Iruka's room and locking it. Kakashi quickly raised a hand to say something to her but, before he could say anything, he cut him off, "I'm sorry, sir, but Mr. Umino cannot accept any visitors."
He watched her flounce down the hall, picking himself off the floor for the second time today-or was it night?- and took one last longing look at the door before slumping away quietly down the hall.
He found himself in the lobby with nowhere else to go for the night. Sighing, he wandered over to the vending machines and looked over their merchandise before giving in to the urge to sit.
It was bad enough he had to wait for Iruka to come back. Worse when he was late. Horrible when, on top of that, that he was compelled to tell Iruka about Port City and his own involvement. Now, it seemed, the world was just against him.
"You still here?"
Unknown to Kakashi, Bear had just finished talking with the main doctor when he found the depressed vampire in the lobby with his face in his hands and decided at that moment he would do something good for the benefit of the planet; make there one less depressed vampire in the world.
Kakashi looked up and said in a very monotone fashion, "oh, hi."
"Why you so blue?" Bear asked and was surprised to not see Kakashi surprised at the fact an ANBU was talking to him.
"Had something urgent to say to Iruka but the nurse kicked me out." another sigh was born from the vampire and Bear raise an unseen eyebrow. Kakashi looked up at the ANBU and asked, "What do you think, Asuma."
Said ANBU stiffened visibly and Kakashi too raised an eyebrow. "Iruka has a big book in his basement about the whole Base-Nine-ANBU-thingy..."
"Oh," the older man relaxed at that and scratched his neck. "I brought your friends to their assigned apartment and, since Iruka won't be home, Kotetsu suggested you stay with them until tomorrow. By then, Iruka should be out of the hospital."
The vampire nodded and pushed off the chair. "Sounds good."
"So, how've you been, Kakashi?" Genma said as he stirred his blood-coffee around in its cup. The silver-headed vampire was dropped off by Asuma at the duo's place to find them lounging about in their pre-furnished place.
"Okay, I guess," Kakashi shrugged and nodded to his friend as he sipped his new cup of blood-cold this time. "How about you?"
Genma shrugged as well. "So, what do you do?"
"Do?" an eyebrow was raised.
"Yeah, Iruka says everyone plays a key part in the city. He even offered me and Rai a job in the administration."
"Administration, huh?" Kakashi thought for a moment and shrugged again the defeat. "I don't really know yet."
Genma hummed thoughtfully in response and muttered softly. "I want to be a shinobi."
"What?" Kakashi stood up in surprise, throwing his chair back in the process. "A shinobi? Genma, don't you know how dangerous that is? You were there to witness it first hand when the ANBU were bringing you here!"
"I know that!" Genma stood up too and shouted, "But I have something worth fighting for now! When me and Rai were helping the Counsel, we were nothing to them; not even subordinates! For fuck's-sake, Kakashi, I want a job where I matter and I can make a difference!"
Kakashi shrunk back at his friend's outburst. Genma was left clenching his fists. They both sat down and Genma said calmly, "I've thought long and hard about this, Kakashi. I thought you'd understand."
"I do." Kakashi whispered.
"Why don't you become a shinobi? You have the skills. You could be great." Genma asked after a long silence and left Kakashi thinking.
"I don't know..." Kakashi scratched his head, still lost in thought.
"You'd be good at it."
"I know that but..."
"But what?" Genma persisted but Kakashi didn't answer. "There's nothing stopping you."
The other vampire hummed as Raidō entered the room. "You guys okay? I heard shouting."
"Everything's fine." Genma stood up and went with Raidō to the kitchen to help with supper, leaving Kakashi to his thoughts at the table.
After a long moment, Kakashi stood and went to the kitchen. The two other vampires looked at him questioningly when he said, "don't bother setting a place for me. I have to go."
"So soon?" Raidō asked and Kakashi nodded swiftly before leaving out the door.
It was getting dark. The shadows made by the light of the setting sun became longer and darker as the sun disappeared beyond the city's view. Iruka watched as the colors of the sky turned from pink to purple to dark blue and made a mental note to go sit on the cliff someday as the sun set. Maybe Kakashi could come too.
Kakashi.
Iruka sighed at the thought of the older man and rubbed his face with his hands. The vampire had been trying to tell him something earlier and Iruka had a pretty good guess of what it was. He was dreading the day when he would have to explain how he came across that information.
It made Iruka's heart melt knowing his silver-headed houseguest was going to freely tell him regardless of the consequences but...
Iruka could see how greatly the burden of the secret and anxiety to how he would react was taking its toll on the vampire. The brunet was afraid that if Kakashi didn't spit it out soon he'd spontaneously combust at any moment.
The werewolf snuggled deeper into the covers and pulled his feet under, pushing the irritable hospital gown down when it hitched past his knee. He was a little more comfortable than he had been earlier due to the fact that the nurses finally took off that annoying cast and replaced it with one of those plastic-y-looking braces, giving him the okay to take it out of the hanging sling.
His leg and arm still throbbed every once in a while but the pain in his shoulder was completely gone even if it was a little stiff to move. Though the nurse made him keep the bandages on his should "just in case".
In Iruka's mind, that was just a load of bull to make him suffer more for not taking care of his body properly.
Tap tap tap.
Iruka looked to see a dark figure crouched outside on the window sill and he chuckled, pulling himself off the bed and hobbling to unlock the window.
"Hey," he said as he backed up to make way for Kakashi to enter. The vampire hopped off the sill and looked Iruka up and down, taking in the fact the werewolf's silky, chocolate hair was down.
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Iruka shrugged.
"Not really. They say stay in bed but how can one when a vampire is tapping at one's window?" Kakashi sighed and shook his head at the comment.
"Here," the silver-haired man took Iruka's hand, tugging the teacher towards the bed and let the brunet use him as an anchor to walk easier when his leg gave a sharp stab of pain.
He was seated on the edge of the bed when Kakashi looked away nervously. The werewolf sighed. "I know what happened in Port City."
The vampire looked surprised at the statement and when his visible black eye met Iruka's steady, sorrel one, finding them to be completely serious. Iruka continued, "I know about what happened to Obito. I know how you, he and Rin were sent on that mission to detain those Council members that made a bomb to destroy almost the whole country."
"So, you know what I did." Kakashi snapped, clenching his fists at the memory.
"I know it was an accident." Iruka said but Kakashi wouldn't have it and shook his head angrily.
"I killed over a dozen kids, Iruka, and my teammate!" the vampire spat out. Iruka got to his feet, startling Kakashi enough for him to take a few steps back.
"Tell me you did it on purpose and then I'll believe that statement..." the werewolf whispered up to Kakashi and they stared at each other for what seemed like ages. Kakashi was just about to talk back when he remembered how he stared down at Iruka when they were in his house after the werewolf had told him about ANBU. Iruka had put all his faith in him back then. Now it seemed that Iruka had done that regardless of what had happened in Port City.
"Look at me..." Iruka whispered to Kakashi as he touched the vampire's hand lightly. Kakashi looked back down at the smaller man as Iruka wrapped his index around Kakashi's. As he spoke the vampire tried to look away again but the brunet wouldn't have that and held his face there with his other hand, "it wasn't your fault. I personally remembered reading the original report and I read nothing about you intentionally dropping that bomb on the school."
There was a moment of silence and Kakashi thought, "wait. What?" as he furrowed his brows and backed away. Iruka saw the look and dropped his eyes and hands. The vampire struggled for words as he tried to understand what was stated before finally uttering, "You read my report?"
Iruka's mouth opened and closed without any sound as he retraced his steps to find more space between him and the silver-haired man who was advancing with a suspicious look on his face. Iruka stumbled until the back of his knees hit the hospital bed and he fell back onto it. The werewolf sighed, looking down at the floor in what seemed like shame and bit his lip as he said, "I've done some things I'm not proud of and I've know I've done worse things than you. Just after Port City, I broke into the Grand Archives and read as much as I could before burning it down."
Iruka glanced up at the vampire but looked back down when he saw the older man's disbelieving look, continuing, "I had my reasons for doing what I did but it doesn't mean what I did was right. I read your report because I wanted to know who did it so I could kill them but... Well... I read what happened and why and... I... I don't know... I guess I understood that it was an accident and…I was determined to... Do something about it. That day ruined a lot of lives just because some lone vampires decided to take fate into their own hands and... I wanted to change that and... Well, if no one else did than I would."
Kakashi stared at Iruka in tension-filled silence, his face emotionless. He didn't even look surprised or shocked. The werewolf glanced back up and waited for a response.
But the vampire didn't respond; he only stood there staring at Iruka, thoughts whirling within his head.
"You should go home. It's getting late." The teacher told Kakashi, letting his gaze fall back to the floor. The silver-haired man nodded dimly and quickly went to the window, hopping out after one last look at the werewolf who kept his gaze elsewhere.
Once Kakashi was gone, Iruka sighed heavily and placed his face in his hands, elbows on his knees, scrubbing his eyes before running his fingers through his hair. What has he done now?
Kakashi watched in silence as the sun set behind the horizon and the darkness crept into his room. He finally turned his head to the window after a few hours. He had realized from the conversation with Iruka earlier before that he knew nearly nothing about Iruka besides his age, a few tidbits of his past and some of his favourite things. So many questions filled his head now. As if he has been in a dream before.
He felt so stupid... He didn't even know why he was here. Was it because he wanted a new life like he thought at first... Or did Iruka trick him? Or had he just been entranced by those sparkling brown eyes?
He shook his head. No, he came because he wanted to do something about the Council. Yes, that was it but he wondered… why did Iruka want to change the world so badly?
Kakashi took of out of the room and sprinted down the two flights of stairs, taking the steps two at a time. He tugged the nail out with a little too much force and was thrown off balance for a few moments before righting himself in time for the wall to have slid up all the way. He threw the doors open and went right to the lamp in the corner, lighting it and going to the bookcase. He pulled a book off the shelf and flipped through it, searching but finding nothing of interest and pulling out another. He did so with the rest of the books on the shelf and went down the bookcase going through every single book. He snapped the last one shut and sighed in frustration; nothing. None of the books in Iruka's library gave any details on Port City, ANBU or the Base Nine beside the short bit in the book Iruka planted there. The books were mostly on events and people that lived before the wars and some on poisons, plants and stargazing. He replaced the books carefully on the shelf, taking his time.
What pushed Iruka to create ANBU? A little information like that shouldn't be so hard to find, right? Then why was there nothing in these books? It made him wonder. It could have been that the werewolf didn't want his life written down.
Or maybe the teacher didn't want them falling into the wrong hands.
Crutches were definitely on Iruka's hate list at the moment. Hospitals too but they were lower than those stupid crutches. Gosh, Iruka couldn't wait to get home and flop down on the couch. He had been standing for at least half an hour and the dumbass of a nurse at the reception desk didn't even have the thought of getting the young man with the plastic brace and casted arm a chair. He had briefly wondered how she got her job.
Anyway, here he was hobbling down the streets that morning as people gave him some strange looks. It wasn't everyday they got to see their leader with his forearm in a cast and using crutches. Though, the brunet was thankful that the nurses at least had the decency to dress him the clothes that were left by Kotetsu and hand him a tie for his hair-which felt exceedingly greasy.
The werewolf felt so relieved when he finally opened the door to his home and dropped half-dead on the couch; home sweet home. After laying there for what seemed like a good ten minutes, he pushed himself up and found his mail sitting on the table, wondering for a moment where Kakashi was but dropping the thought quickly; the vampire could do what he wished and Iruka was too tired to process it.
He left the crutches by the side of the couch to give his pained armpits a rest and bunny-hopped on his good foot to the table. He picked up the little pile and sorted through them, dropping the bills and onto the table with great ceremony. Sighing, he picked up one of the bills and tore it open-not an easy feat when the cast on his arm reached down to cover some of his thumb while trying to not put so much pressure on one foot. The brunet scanned up and down the page, biting his lip at the numbers presented.
Kakashi glanced up from the shelf. He had begun to daydream and was lost in thought when he heard the door open and close upstairs, sucking him out of la-la-land. Who could that be? It wasn't morning already was it?
The vampire poked his head out of the room and was hit with two things; the sunlight spilling through the window and the smell. That wonderful fragrance. Kakashi took a deep intake through his nose and sighed as he was overcome with that scent. He knew this one; he had smelt it before but he couldn't place where.
Without thinking, Kakashi flitted up the stairs to the main floor-following the smell-where he found Iruka with his back to the vampire.
Ah, yes, Iruka. The smell was the strongest up here and there were no fruits or perfume bottles in sight so it had to be Iruka. The sweet-smelling werewolf was innocently biting his lip and when the brunet let off a sigh and dropped the letter he was holding to pick up another, Kakashi was hit with another wave of aroma that assaulted him so hard he could practically taste it on him tongue. It made Kakashi wonder. Usually, the vampire had more of a taste for bitter but Iruka it smelled like honey and flowers all rolled up with the tiniest amounts of fruits. It was intoxicating and Kakashi felt drunk just by breathing it in. He considered the possibility of tasting; scarlet liquid flowing over his taste buds, sending them into fits of pleasure. His mouth was starting to salivate at the thought and his feet automatically brought him right behind Iruka where the smell was the strongest.
He didn't notice the werewolf had gone rigid when he heard Kakashi step up behind him. He didn't notice Iruka pale when he leaned into the crook of the brunet's neck and inhaled the captivating aroma that radiated from Iruka, dragging his nose up towards the teacher's ear as his hands came up to caress the werewolf's shoulders.
"k-Kakashi?" Iruka stuttered out through a trembling jaw. "W-when was the… last time you had something to drink?"
Kakashi hummed and thought about the question for a moment as his nose traced the outline of Iruka's ear and came back down to the tan neck. His thoughts wandered around until he spoke in a husky voice. "Don't know."
Iruka froze as Kakashi finally gave into the urge and let his fangs slip out and graze the smooth neck before him; both of his eyes now bloody red. Iruka gasped lightly when he felt Kakashi stop and retreat as he took a deep breath. Iruka knew what came next.
SMACK!
Hey guys. Sorry for such a long wait but I had a family crisis to deal with and a funeral to go to and help out with.
R.I.P. to my much loved great aunt! We will miss you!
I've also been pretty busy with Changeling but don't worry this story takes precedence for me since it's going to be around five times longer (I'm estimating Changeling to be five chapters; maybe six at the most.)
IMPORTANT! I would really appreciate it if any of you would give me the name of any narusasu/sasunaru, genrai/raigen, izuko/koizu writers that would really love. I am trying to form a group which would be called the "Naru-tarded Shonen ai Avengers" (still working on the name). Said group will be-true to its name-Naru-tarding the Avengers story. I have already decided Kakashi to be Captain America, Genma to be Iron Man and Naruto to be the Hulk (but with different names of course). Yes, KakaIru fans, Iruka will be Kakashi's main love interest in that. I'm thinking he'd be a very kick ass Black Widow.
Anyway, the authors chosen to be in this group (and betas) will each Naru-tard a hero. I am forming this group so I call dibs on the KakaIru part. XP
So, if any of you have suggestions…feel free. Anyone have any ideas for Thor?
So, see you guys next chapter!
and i would like you guys to meet my best bud madwriter96!