(Please just assume that Kakashi has grey eyes. I wrote the whole part 2 before looking back at an anime pic and realizing that Kakashi's eyes were boring black :P)

J'entends des voix
Des coups
Des gens qui se batten
Des gens qui courent

I hear voices
From knocking
From people who fight with themselves
From people who run

The kid smelled of alcohol…and something else. Picking the kid up easily in his arms, he struggled through the doorway. He was just tempted to leave the kid on the floor (why did he have to treat him so well?) but decided that if he himself were to pass out at, say, Zabuza's place, he wouldn't want to be sleeping on an uncomfortable floor either. So the couch it was.

He placed the kid on one of his white leathers, then wondered what he should do next. Perhaps he should try waking him up? But…the kid just looked so peaceful sleeping there. He stared hardly at the deepening bruise on the kid's lip. It was a harsh and brutal contrast to the rest of his face. Kakashi just kept staring at the budding lips, which were now muttering something in sleep. He quickly averted his eyes away. What was he doing?

Finally deciding that his own sleep was infinitely more important than that of a stranger's, he changed into his black silk pants (which was pretty much the only thing he wore to bed nowadays), brushed his teeth, and was about to get ready for bed when he heard his name called.

"Kakashi," the boy said weakly.

Kakashi wandered back to the living room and took a seat on an ottoman across from the boy. The boy's eyelids fluttered open as he wondered where the hell he was.

"You're at my place," Kakashi said simply, wanting to get some answers. "Now that you know my name, what is your name?"

"Sasuke," the boy uttered. The boy coughed and tears started coming out of his eyes.

"What…what happened to you?" Kakashi asked, his voice coming out harsher than he intended.

Sasuke shook his head. Fine. Have it your way.

"How do you know my name?" Kakashi pressed. If the boy threw up on his couch, he was kicking him out right there.

Sasuke decided not to answer him. "You look very beautiful," he said quietly.

Kakashi reached up to touch his face. He forgot to put on his mask while in public. There are very few people in the world who know what his face looks like under there. Sometimes, he doubts even Zabuza remembers.

Sasuke chose just about that time to throw up on the couch.

"You're late," Asuma said, at the recording studio.

"I…never mind." Kakashi gave up. He looked for his other band members and was startled to realize that they weren't here yet.

"That's what I've been wondering," Asuma said, reading his mind. "Just what happened yesterday?"

"Nothing," Kakashi sighed, grumpy. If there was anything that he hated more in the world, it was other people being late. He spent so much effort today, dammit!

After cleaning up his own sofa, he kicked the kid out. He didn't care if he was being irresponsible or a child abuser. There was only so much he could take in one night. He must have gotten only four hours of sleep.

When Gaara came in five minutes later, Kakashi decided that he himself was better off.

Gaara looked like he hadn't slept in three days. His hair was a mess and the black eye shadow that Ino probably drew in for him that morning did nothing to hide the fact that he actually was sleep deprived. He sniffed and took a seat on one of the speakers without saying "hi" to anyone.

It wasn't until noon time that they all realized that Zabuza probably wouldn't be arriving at all.

Asuma was pissed off. Putting out the umpteenth cigar in his ashtray, he stormed out of the studio, saying, "Recording is cancelled! You guys make me sick! And tell Zabuza that if he doesn't get his ass in order, we'll be replacing him for the next concert!"

Kakashi knew he wasn't being serious, but this was bad. Zabuza? Where the hell was he?

"So, what happened to you, yesterday?" Kakashi said, trying to strike up a conversation. He was also more than a little curious as to the fate of his dick-girl.

"I missed all the action," Gaara said. "By the time my turn came around, dick-girl exploded." He scratched his head in frustration. "Can you get me another one?"

"Sorry, bub," Kakashi answered. "No warranties on that one."

"Then…can you treat me to coffee? Ino and Sakura took my wallet to go shopping."

For once, Kakashi wasn't envious of the fact that Gaara had two girls. "Sure," Kakashi said, being the nice guy that he was.

Kakashi and Gaara sat at the café downstairs and ordered themselves a quick lunch. That was when Kakashi's cell phone decided to ring.

"Hello?" Kakashi said, snapping it open. He offered some sugar to Gaara, but Gaara declined. He liked drinking his coffee black and raw.

"Kakashi?" It was Zabuza. "Is Asuma mad?"

"Where the hell were you?" Kakashi said, accidentally flipping his fork onto the floor. Beside them, the couple eating inched away.

"I…can I tell you later? And if Kurenai calls…tell her I crashed at your place."

"Wait—,"

But Zabuza hung up. Frustrated, Kakashi snapped the phone closed. Sometimes, his best friend was such an idiot. Gaara watched wordlessly as Kakashi wrung his head in his hands. Then he asked the waitress for another fork. The waitress smiled as she handed it to him, but Kakashi didn't notice. Gaara calmly ate his eggs, sunny side-up.

Since Kakashi had nothing better to do for the rest of the day, he decided to visit his brother, Iruka, where he worked. Turning his car into one of the parking spaces of the local high school, he waited.

School was nearly over. Kakashi checked his watch and lit up another cigarette. It had been so long since he went to high school, he didn't even remember. In fact, he didn't even pass.

When the kids started trickling out, Kakashi decided to stay put in his car. He knew Iruka was always embarrassed when he came up to him in public, but Iruka was just too nice a guy to say anything. That was when Kakashi saw him.

The boy from yesterday. What was his name? Sasuke? He was chatting with his friends as he walked out of the high school, holding his books and wearing his school uniform. So Sasuke went to the same school that Iruka taught at. Which would mean that he couldn't be more than 16 or 17. Which meant that he either went to Taboo with a fake ID or…something else. Something was really bugging him about that kid, but he wasn't sure what.

Kakashi was so absorbed in his thoughts that it took him a second to realize that Sasuke was staring right back at him.

"Shit…." Kakashi quickly looked away, but it was too late. He could hear footsteps crunching on the gravel towards him.

"Hello, Kakashi," Iruka said, bending his head down and smiling in that kind way that he always does. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Yes…I got the day off today." Again.

"Oh. Then, would you like to take a walk in the park with me?"

"Su…sure," Kakashi said. He just never knew what to utter in front of his brother. Everything he said always came out rude, just because Iruka was just…so…nice.

Kakashi quickly scanned the crowd of students for Sasuke before getting out. Why should he be afraid of a kid, anyway? Because that kid knew where he lived. And if that kid knew, then it was only a matter of time before everyone else knew and then he would have absolutely no privacy, which is what he dreaded most of all.

Stepping out into the shadows, he followed Iruka across the schoolyard. Teachers and students waved "hi" to Iruka and Iruka greeted them all back, seeming to remember everyone's names. Iruka was just so likeable. Kakashi just wasn't sure why he was the only one who felt uncomfortable around him. Sometimes, he wondered if they were even related at all.

They took a seat on several bleachers and watched some kids practice soccer for a minute. Finally, Iruka asked, "How have you been doing, Kakashi?"

"I've been doing great," Kakashi lied. "Thanks for the fruit," he added as an afterthought.

"Oh, it was no problem," Iruka replied, looking down. "Why don't you come by for dinner some day?" But both Kakashi and his brother knew that he never would.

"Sure," Kakashi lied again. He clenched his fist, then unclenched it. Clench. Unclench.

"I…saw your performance on television the other day," Iruka said, smiling. "You all were very good."

Kakashi looked up at that comment, and realized that his brother was blushing. "I didn't even know you had that channel," Kakashi admitted.

"Well, one of the students brought in a portable t.v., and we were all watching it during lunch hour."

"Was his name Sasuke?" Kakashi suddenly realized.

Iruka gave him this strange look. "No…. Why?"

"Nothing," Kakashi said, reaching for his smokes, then restrained himself at the last minute. Iruka didn't mind (at least, he said he didn't), but Iruka's wife didn't like Kakashi very much, and the smell of his smokes on Iruka would be a dead giveaway.

"Well, there is a Sasuke in my class. Is he a fan of yours?" Iruka asked, smiling.

"I…I don't know," Kakashi answered truthfully. Kakashi didn't know why, but he just suddenly decided to tell Iruka the whole story of how he found a kid outside his flat named Sasuke and what happened from there.

He could see Iruka wincing at his behaviour. "Well, that couldn't have been the Sasuke from my class, because Uchiha Sasuke is a well-mannered boy who always stays after school to help me out. He is a very kind child."

…And that was when Kakashi spotted Sasuke out of the corner of his eye, doing nothing more than spying on them. "That the Sasuke you're talking about?" Kakashi gestured with an arm.

"Oh, why yes, it is. Sasuke!" Iruka called the kid over and Kakashi looked amused as the kid tripped over his own footsteps to get there.

"Iruka-sensei," he said, bowing. Then he stared at Kakashi.

Iruka seemed completely oblivious. "Kakashi, this is Sasuke I was talking about. Sasuke, this is…." Iruka stopped short.

"I'm Kakashi," Kakashi himself replied, extending a hand. "A friend." He knew his brother was just trying to protect his identity, but Iruka always made it such a big deal that he couldn't introduce his own brother to people he knew.

Sasuke looked at his proffered hand with all the hardened blisters come from years of guitar playing. Sasuke hesitantly took it in his own, then glanced back at Iruka.

"Why, Sasuke," Iruka said, finally looking at Sasuke up close. "What happened to your lip?"

Kakashi would like to know as well. He crossed his arms and stared hardly at the boy, wondering what pathetic excuse he'd come up with.

"I…fell yesterday," Sasuke said, reaching up to touch his lip. Kakashi scoffed inwardly.

Just then, Iruka glanced at his watch. "Oh. I forgot I promised the wife that I would baby sit today. Well, take care, Sasuke. And…see you soon Kakashi?" Iruka asked hopefully.

"Sure," Kakashi lied again. He waved goodbye to his brother and they both watched as Iruka bumbled down the bleachers, highly late. Kakashi tended to do that to people he hung out with.

"Thanks," Sasuke said, hanging his head low. "For not telling him."

Kakashi wouldn't be daunted. He got right to the point. "Why were you spying on us?"

Sasuke looked up. The kid had really nice eyes. But that was besides the point. "He is your brother, right?"

Kakashi paused. Apart from the fact that he had changed his last name and he and Iruka looked NOTHING alike, he didn't know how in the world this kid would know! "Fine. He is my brother. That still doesn't explain why you were at my place last night."

Sasuke took himself a seat beside Kakashi. He started playing with the buttons on his shirt. For some reason, Kakashi found himself staring at his lips again. "I first heard about you through my brother, Itachi."

"Itachi sold himself out," Kakashi said, looking away. This was bringing back painful memories.

"But…you must have known him before that," Sasuke said hopefully.

Uchiha Itachi had been a good friend, but also a musical rival. He, Zabuza, and Itachi had good times a long time ago. But Itachi had one flaw: he was addicted to drugs. He supposed that is what did him in in the end. Kakashi hadn't seen him in years. He wasn't even sure if he was still alive. "No…I don't know him that well," he lied.

Sasuke looked sad. Kakashi had no idea Itachi had a younger brother. He looked so much like him too. He suddenly had the urge to run a hand through Sasuke's messy hair. But, of course, he didn't. "I'm sorry," Kakashi said.

"No, it's my fault," said Sasuke, sniffing. "I'm sorry for bothering you."

That just did it for Kakashi. If there's anything that melted his heart at all, it was tears. He sighed. What the hell was he doing?

"Well, I didn't say I completely didn't know your brother," Kakashi said. "I would like to know his whereabouts as well." Sasuke looked up at him. Kakashi suddenly appeared at a loss for words. "You look so much like him," he finished pathetically.

"Kakashi…can you take off your mask?"

Kakashi paused, alarmed. Sasuke took his lack of response for a yes. His slender fingers gently reached to the back of his head where the mask was tied. He could feel the boy ruffle his hair. Kakashi reached his hands back and helped him untie the rest.

Sasuke stared at him, as if wanting to burn the image of his face into his mind. "You look very beautiful." It was the second time he said that to him since they met.

Kakashi averted his gaze. He was not used to having his face exposed like this. A slight breeze blowing across his naked face made his lips tremble.

He could feel the Sasuke boy coming closer, shuffling over on his knees. Something about the way the boy didn't care if he scuffed up his pants sent a twinge to his heart.

He looked back at the Sasuke boy, lips parted and unsmiling. Black orbs looked back at his cold, grey ones. People always told Kakashi that he never seemed like he was really there. Like no matter how much of their feelings they shared with him, they would never get through. A lot of women had been turned away from him in this way. And here was a young boy who not only had eyes of the deepest depths, but he could see reflected in it pain. His pain.

Either Kakashi didn't see the warning signs or he let the moment follow where it would. Breath against Sasuke's face, he leaned forward and kissed the boy on the lips, right where the bruise was. He closed his eyes.

Of all the women he'd been with, he'd never imagined the lips of a youth being this soft. As he continued to kiss gently around the bruised area, he could feel the boy beginning to respond….

Kakashi's eyes suddenly flew open at that moment. What was he doing? Heart pounding, he looked for his mask. Then, realizing that it was still in Sasuke's hands, he grabbed it away and put it back on. Then he got up, fumbling down the bleachers just the same way his brother had before.

"Kakashi?" Sasuke said.

At the sound of his name, Kakashi paused and slowly looked back.

"Can I still visit you?"

Kakashi slowly nodded, then rushed out of there. He wasn't even thinking as he cut across the soccer field, interrupting the game. When he got to his car, he slammed the door and shakily started the ignition. He backed out quickly and drove away.

He wasn't gay, dammit! But why did he let the boy see his face? Why didn't he stop him? Why did HE initiate the kiss?

All of these questions were flowing through Kakashi's mind but he didn't have the answer to any of them. Heart still pounding, he was in a complete panic.

What about all his porn tapes? Didn't that count for something?

He made a quick swerve and, before he knew it, he had arrived back at his apartment. Reaching his door, he paused.

Did HE just agree that he would let the boy visit him? To do what? Play guitar?

He slammed the door behind him and locked it. He was locking it from himself. Then he slid down against the door and raised his head up. He was such a failure.

Kakashi awoke from his nap in a gloomy mood. He lay in bed with the blankets up to his chest and stared at the grey ceiling.

Why had he done it? He only met the boy like, what, less than 24 hours ago? Actually, that timespan, in his world, was more than enough to have kissed a stranger and gone to bed with her. But he…was…a…boy. That is all what it came down to. A male. Besides, the kid was stupid and couldn't even hold his own drink and, what's worse, barfed all over his leather couch. And he was a stalker, yes he was. But wouldn't that make Kakashi a child molester, which was even worse?

Kakashi attributed his strange behaviour this afternoon to the fact that he was sleep deprived and was a sucker for sap stories, especially from people who were related to people he once knew. He thought he had forgotten about Itachi, but the idiot still haunted him. And now here was his younger brother, Sasuke, who had the indecency to look exactly like him. He attributed the fact that he had been kind to Sasuke last night, only because he reminded him of someone he had forgotten on a subconscious level. Okay, now he was just grabbing at straws. He had completely forgotten about Itachi and only helped the kid because he was gorgeous. And there's just something about weak and helpless things that just turns him on. That seems more likely, considering he would never go out with a woman like Kurenai. But that was because Kurenai was Zabuza's woman. Whatever.

Someone rang his doorbell and, after half-heartedly fixing up his mussed up hair, he walked over to the door and swung it open. He was almost disappointed to find that it was only Zabuza.

"Hey, Kakashi. Can I come in? I brought dinner." Zabuza held up some takeout bento boxes.

Kakashi swung the door wide and let his friend in. He winced as Zabuza trampled in without removing his shoes. Zabuza must have realized this as well because, half a second later, he kicked off his shoes towards the wall. It helped a bit, but now he had a scuffed up wall. Sometimes Kakashi wondered why he even tried.

Zabuza placed the food on the kitchen table, also white, and started laying out the food neatly and snapping the chopsticks. "I brought your favourite," Zabuza said, holding up a dish. "Squid."

"Aren't you eating dinner with Kurenai, tonight?" Kakashi asked, taking a seat and quickly snatching his bento box away. Free food was hard to come by.

Zabuza shook his head and didn't say anything. They ate in silence for a few minutes.

"Would you like to tell me what happened, last night?" Kakashi started.

"I was with you, the whole night," Zabuza said, as if trying to drill that fact into Kakashi's head.

"Yes, but afterwards."

Zabuza stopped eating and looked down at his hands. "I didn't go home to Kurenai, last night. I…you remember Haku, right?"

Haku…the name sounded vaguely familiar. "Wasn't he a roadie of yours?"

"Yeah, you remember. The one who had a penchant for cross-dressing."

"Oh, THAT Haku," Kakashi suddenly realized. Him and Gaara always made fun of him, but the kid was very good at putting on their camera makeup. "What does he have to do with Kurenai?" Kakashi asked, wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes.

"I…slept with her last night."

Kakashi continued laughing but it suddenly died down. "Did you just say 'her'?"

"Yeah. Haku had a sex-change operation last year. You know, he always wanted one. And…and…." Zabuza's face burned red.

Kakashi's mouth was hanging open. "You had sex with a hermaphrodite?" he asked incredulously.

"Her. He was a HER!" Zabuza grumbled, putting his head in his hands.

Kakashi sat quietly, his favourite squid dinner untouched. Was that the person whom Zabuza had been talking to all night at Taboo? It must have been. "What was it like?" he finally asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Well, he had breasts," Zabuza said, wringing his hands. "And his body…was smaller, you know? And…."

"And?…." Kakashi asked, completely hooked.

"He had a vagina, Kakashi."

Kakashi furrowed his brows in thought. "Then how do you know it was even Haku?"

"I KNOW these things, Kakashi. Trust me." Zabuza looked absolutely miserable.

Kakashi felt almost sorry for his friend. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I kissed a boy today."

Zabuza nodded absently. "Yeah. You're always doing crazy things like that, Kakashi," he said quietly.

What did he mean, he always did things like that? Why did he always have to be seen as the irresponsible one? "Well, at least I didn't cheat on Kurenai," Kakashi said, suddenly getting mad.

Zabuza looked up, shocked. Then Zabuza's face hardened as well. "You know I love Kurenai. And what about you and Kurenai? I know the way she looks at you, Kakashi. I'm not stupid. Take last night, for instance…."

Kakashi was shocked. They were going off on a completely different tangent here.

"You were practically all over her on the dance floor. The way she touches you, the way she laughs. Only an idiot would think that she didn't love you." Zabuza was seething by now.

Kakashi crossed his arms. "There is nothing going on between me and Kurenai. As a of matter of fact…." Then Kakashi stopped. He promised Kurenai that he wouldn't tell Zabuza anything about her being pregnant.

"What? What?"

Kakashi lowered his head. "Nothing."

This seemed to make Zabuza even more angry. He stood up, snapping his chopsticks in two. "I know there's something going on between you two. And if I ever find out that you did Kurenai any wrong, I swear I'll kill you!"

Kakashi did not know what to say. He merely stared up at Zabuza silently, wondering when his friend will see reason.

When the blow came to his face, he completely wasn't expecting it. Kakashi lay on the floor, half-blinded while Zabuza stormed past him and slammed the door.

Kakashi rolled over on the kitchen tiles. "Shit…." He slowly stood up and grabbed the edge of a kitchen counter. He could already feel his cheek and part of his eye beginning to swell. Dizzy, he sat himself down at the kitchen table. For some reason, a part of him was still happy that Zabuza had left the food at his place. Taking a squid, he ate it tiredly and wondered why everything was happening to him today. Was he really such an irresponsible person? But he really did think that cheating on Kurenai was wrong. Was it because of revenge on Zabuza's part? If that was the case, then it all boiled down to Kakashi being wrong again, and Kakashi was REALLY…TIRED of being wrong. He couldn't even begin to think about how he was going to explain to Asuma and everyone how he got that bruise. But, as Zabuza said, that was just the way he was. And Zabuza knew him the best.

Frustrated, Kakashi took up his electric guitar and banged out his unspent feelings on it. Next door, his neighbour banged on the wall and told him to shut up. Kakashi played until the pain in his eye was too much, then put an ice pack against his cheek, lay down on the couch, and watched porn flicks until he fell asleep.

Credits: top verse from Les Nubians - Insomnie