*Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in it. I simply borrow them for my own musings and fantasies and do not get paid for their use in said musings or fantasies. –Nira

Hey, everyone!

Thank you all so much for the continued support and positive comments, feedback, reviews, responses, etc. You have all been amazing. I apologize for the inconsistency of my updates, but I work a full-time job with a weird schedule and have recently adopted a kitten so life has been busy, to say the least. I have five more chapters that fit after the main plot despite the conflict being over, and then I have a couple of other little spin-offs/scenes. I will make a separate "series" for the spin-offs and any other scenes I may write with any (or all) of these three characters, but as life is busy, those may be few and far between, just as a forewarning. In the meantime, please enjoy this chapter in which our favorite men have a heart-to-heart.

Much love,

Nira

Chapter 36

Iruka lay in bed staring up at his ceiling, deep in thought about the events of the last few weeks culminating into his now being in a romantic relationship with Yuriko… and the fact that he wasn't the only one. Even more baffling to him was the notion that he was okay with it. In fact, he was more than okay with it. When she had confessed to being in love with him and Kakashi both, so many questions had been answered and for either him or Kakashi to demand all of her love for themselves was selfish and inconsiderate of her feelings. The last thing Iruka wanted was to give her such a heartbreaking ultimatum. She'd been through enough pain in her life. To force her to choose between them would have been utterly cruel and would surely have bred resentment over time. Kakashi had realized it as well, so it was only natural that they would have come to the same conclusion.

A few days after their mutual agreement, Kakashi had come to Iruka and invited him to drinks so that they could have a discussion. Nervous, Iruka agreed and they went to a bar. It was fairly empty, being the middle of the day, but it seemed that it was the type of place that got very busy after dark. There were huge speakers mounted in the corners and there appeared to be an outdoor seating area with a fireplace and another bar in the back past the restrooms. The way Kakashi interacted with the staff and how comfortable he seemed in the environment made Iruka wonder if he was there often.

Kakashi ordered a double whiskey on the rocks, and Iruka followed suit with the feeling that he'd need it for whatever conversation they were about to have. When the waitress walked away, Kakashi jumped right into it.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I've invited you here…" Kakashi sighed, his eye seeing but seemingly staring through Iruka as if he wasn't really there.

"It is a bit strange, I have to admit," he replied, averting his gaze while he played with the condensation that had begun to gather on his glass of water.

"I understand. It's strange to me as well. This is the first time I've found myself in this kind of situation so there's a lot that I'm unfamiliar with. But, even so, we're in it together whether we like it or not… for Yuriko's sake."

A stretch of tense silence passed between them as the reality of the statement set in for each of them. The waitress returned with their drinks and when she walked away, Kakashi was the one to break the silence again.

"I want to let you know that despite everything, I would like us to get along and maybe even become friends, so I have some information that I think you should know."

Iruka felt his heart crash against his ribcage and stomach tangle itself in knots. It was a very intense way to stay a conversation and he wasn't sure if he was ready for it. Knowing that he couldn't back out now that they were already there and hadn't even taken a first sip of their drinks yet, Iruka swallowed down the growing trepidation with a burning gulp of his whiskey while Kakashi continued.

"Initially, I was under orders to keep an eye on Yuriko and figure out what her motives were in coming to Konoha. She was assigned to my squad in ANBU to make that a bit easier and so that I could assess her skills firsthand to determine whether she would or could pose a threat to the village. Our missions had been… intense, to say the least… but I was able to learn a lot about her as a kunoichi and as a person. When we weren't on missions, I trailed her on her daily routines. I saw everything… including her interactions with you.

"At first I thought that I was following her around simply because it was my assignment… but eventually, I realized that it had become personal. I was concerned about her well-being and jealous of how close she was with you. I wanted to know where she went when she couldn't sleep, why she was so quiet and withdrawn, what had happened to make her fear and hate men and other people. I wanted to figure her out. The more I learned, the more I realized that she was as broken and bruised as I was and just trying to make it through each day and I just…"

Kakashi trailed off then, lost in thought and Iruka fidgeted in his seat. Did Kakashi know that he was describing more than just his own thoughts and feelings about Yuriko, but Iruka's as well? Iruka hadn't gone on any missions with Yuriko, but every time they were together he learned something new about her that made him want to learn more. There were so many connections between her life and his own that he couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie that slowly blossomed into romance, just as Kakashi had just explained. Hearing Kakashi describe his own journey to discover his feelings for Yuriko made Iruka realize that they really weren't so different in how they each came to love her.

"Perhaps we're more alike than we originally thought," Iruka chuckled. "I understand now what she meant when she said that we're all different but similar and entirely intertwined. We all know what it's like to have lost people… important people. We can all see the hurt in someone else who has experienced the same thing. And it seems we're all much too kind-hearted for our own good. It hurts to see that same hurt in others… especially when we've come to care for them as deeply as we have."

Kakashi smiled a sad, understanding sort of smile. Iruka was right, and now Kakashi could see why they three had found themselves in this strange, interwoven polyamorous relationship. Iruka was unnervingly observant and Kakashi understood why Yuriko was attracted to him. In that moment he realized that he wasn't jealous anymore; there was no longer a reason to be.

Iruka was good for her- he saw the positive in everything and was genuinely kind and nurturing. He took everything in stride without judgment or negativity- the optimist showing her that there was still good to be found in people and the rest of the world. And Kakashi was the one who had been in her shoes or been there with her in so many terrible situations, comforting her and being a shoulder to cry on when everything seemed to be at its worst. He knew exactly how deep-cutting the world could really be- the realist keeping her grounded.

"I'm glad we agree," Kakashi smiled.

"There's… something that's concerned me about all of this," Iruka spoke up, a blush across his cheeks.

"What's that?"

"There are rumors about you, Kakashi-san."

"Oh? What kinds of rumors?"

Iruka swallowed hard, unsure of how to broach the topic of the rumors regarding Kakashi's promiscuity. How could he admit to another man that he felt inferior to him in terms of romancing women? In this case, Yuriko specifically.

"They say that you've slept with a lot of women… is it true?"

"Yes," Kakashi stated bluntly.

"I see… How does Yuriko feel about that?"

Kakashi laughed, thinking back on the first few weeks of knowing Yuriko. "She absolutely despised me for it for a while. Hated my guts."

"Since you said you'd trailed her and seen her interactions with me, I'm assuming you heard what had happened to her to make her hate men so much, right?"

"Yes… I heard… It made me sick to my stomach."

"Don't you think it might come up as an issue for her?"

Kakashi realized that Iruka's questioning was very loaded and seemed to have an ulterior motive, and he wondered why it even mattered, but in order for everything to work smoothly, they had to be honest with each other, so he answered anyway, hoping Iruka would get to the point. "No, I don't."

"Why not?"

"I've explained it to her already. My bedding women was for my own benefit in one way or another, yes, but every single woman that I've been with has been consenting and I make it a point to satisfy their desires before my own. I can't even count the number of times that a woman left my apartment satisfied while I wasn't, and that's fine. It's up to the woman whether she wants to reciprocate. It's not my place to expect or demand it of her."

Iruka was struck dumb. He hadn't expected such honesty or for Kakashi to say that he'd already told Yuriko. Even for having a reputation as a ladies' man, Kakashi was surprisingly chivalrous. It made Iruka feel ashamed for asking such loaded questions with such malicious intent of getting a leg up on him in their individual relationships with Yuriko.

"Why did you bring up such a topic? There has to be a reason for it. Your questions seemed very pointed," Kakashi demanded and Iruka shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Just then the waitress came by again, asking if they wanted another drink and Iruka sighed in relief for the brief respite. Unfortunately, it was short-lived. As soon as she walked away again, Kakashi's gaze was penetrating and focused entirely on Iruka.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. It was in poor taste."

"Indeed… but that doesn't answer my question. Why did you bring it up?"

Iruka sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in nervousness. "Since you were so honest, it's only fair that I show you the same courtesy. I'm ashamed to say it but you intimidate me, Kakashi-san. Because of your reputation, I was worried that Yuriko would be more attracted to you since you have more… romantic experience than I do."

Kakashi was shocked. He didn't think that Iruka was the jealous type, and he had even less of an idea that Iruka would be jealous of him for any reason.

"She's… not that kind of person…" Kakashi stated finally after a long, awkward silence. "I doubt it's even crossed her mind."

"I know you're right, but… I still have no idea how to even be in a relationship. You've got me beat on that front by a longshot."

"I wouldn't say that. Believe it or not, but I've never actually been in a true relationship. Yuriko is the first."

Iruka laughed a nervous sort of chuckle. "You're right. I do find that hard to believe."

"Is it really so strange that sex can be meaningless if there is no genuine attraction to someone more than physically?"

Iruka hadn't really thought about it. To him, love and sex were always intertwined. It just seemed like the way things were- a slow, natural progression- but there he was questioning everything he thought he knew about love and relationships and feeling that he'd been extremely naive and close-minded. There was another long silence as Iruka was deep in thought. Kakashi watched the gears turning in his head as they each slowly sipped their drinks.

Eventually, Kakashi spoke up again, breaking the awkward tension; "I would like to surprise Yuriko with a date if that's alright with you."

Iruka choked on his drink, sputtering and coughing, wincing as the liquid burned in his throat and nose. Why was Kakashi asking permission from Iruka to take their girlfriend out on a date? It was still weird and hadn't quite set in that they were both dating Yuriko, but it should be between Yuriko and Kakashi what they did together, he thought. It shouldn't have anything to do with him, so he voiced his opinion as such.

"Because I want you to be aware of my intentions. It is not my plan to bed her, but I'd be lying if I said it has never crossed my mind. Our own interactions with Yuriko may inadvertently affect the other's relationship with her in one way or another, so I want you to know," Kakashi explained and Iruka blushed at his blatant honesty once again. Again, it was something he hadn't thought about but Kakashi made a good point.

"She's not used to being shown affection, as I'm sure you're well aware, and she's even less forthcoming with her own emotions, but that doesn't mean she doesn't show them in other ways. Since I met her even when she didn't even know me she was still concerned with my well-being. She… she took care of me when I didn't even know that I needed to be taken care of and in ways that I didn't expect to create such an impact… She truly is like the sun to me, and I'd like to show her how much she really means to me. Even if one date won't truly do it justice, I still want it to be meaningful and special."

Iruka was quiet for a moment but soon, a smile broke out across his lips and he found that he couldn't stop himself from laughing. He wasn't laughing at Kakashi or what he'd said. He was laughing because he wanted the same thing for similar reasons. It was a funny dichotomy they had going, each a slightly distorted reflection of the other. The more he thought about it, the more he laughed at the realization that they were both hopelessly in love with Yuriko, and all of his apprehension about the nature of their relationship melted away. He knew then that he and Kakashi would get along fine. When he explained it all to Kakashi who had an offended and irritated look on his face, Kakashi couldn't help the smile that broke out across his own lips. When Iruka calmed down Kakashi raised his glass in a toast.

"To Yuriko," he smiled.

"And the fools maddeningly in love with her," Iruka added good-naturedly, clinking his glass with Kakashi's and taking a big drink.

Iruka smiled remembering how he and Kakashi went on and on about how Kakashi's and Yuriko's first date as a couple should go after that and it made Iruka start to think about how he would take her out, himself. He'd finally come up with an idea, but lying there, staring up at his ceiling still, Iruka couldn't help but wonder how their date went.

"I guess I'll have to ask her about it when I see her again," he grinned and finally gave in to sleep.