Yah well, I don't like this chapter THAT much. My beta-reader didn't like it that much either! You'll know why once you read it if you are SERIOUSLY into KakaNaru. But well, just a warning, I HAD to do this. This is were the Angst and Romance lives up to its name – well, sorta'. Anyway, a big thank you to Ravenshaelo for beta-ing this chapter! Clap you guys!

Btw, someone pointed out to me that Naruto is set in an Japanese traditional world and that there are no implications of Christmas – rudely! Well, thank you for pointing that out. I appreciate your help, but no need to be so harsh. Besides, if I knew anything about Budhism, I wouldn't have put Christmas in the first place! Well, it's a bit too late to do changes now and I'm certainly going to keep in its Christmas settings for there are LOADS of fics out there with the same thing. However, I will not imply Christmas anymore (and I have done this in my other KakaNaru fic) and will replace it with New Year. There! Happy?

Oh and to all those KakaIru fans among you, I really, really recommend reading "The Silent Blade" for it is a fantastic story! Touch, Peel and Stand has been updated! Points go read because I say so! Because I love it and you should to! GO! GO! Don't forget!

Enjoy!


WHY NOT 25

"Are you and Kiba still together?" Kakashi asked, Sasuke still in his arms, He wasn't crying anymore, simply there for comfort.

"No." Sasuke answered. "He's with Hinata now. We were just – you know? Bed partners."

Kakashi did not like Sasuke's way of thinking. At the age of thirteen he already had a bed partner? That was something, and he though he knew Sasuke best. Well, guess he was wrong. "I see." Sasuke turned his gaze up to him, cheeks stained red, lips slightly parted and eyes just lost and filled with so much hurt. Kakashi said nothing but continued looking down at him. Kakashi tore his gaze away, dropped his hold on Sasuke and rearranged Naruto's blanket. He then stared at the sleeping figure and gently brushed away a lock of golden hair from the peaceful face.

Sasuke eyes darkened a bit as he observed Kakashi watch Naruto sleep. "Kakashi-sensei? I'm going for a drink. You want to come?"

Kakashi sighed and dimmed the lights in Naruto's room. "Yeah. I could use a little sake."

The duo made their way to the local pub and ordered a few jars of sake, Sasuke taking down half a bottle in one long gulp. Kakashi watched with raised eyebrows as Sasuke drank and at the same time pushed a rather large jar towards him, waving his hands once the jar was in front of Kakashi.

"All yours." He said and hiccupped, face suddenly flushing. Kakashi clicked his tongue once, disapproving of the sudden intake of alcohol that Sasuke just displayed. Did he do this often? Drink himself to a drunken stupor? Kakashi shook his head as he downed one cup in one go. He saw stars for a moment due to the sudden bitter-sour taste that attacked his senses. The burning liquid slid down his throat and settle in his stomach and he gave a light burp, which caused fumes to go up his nose. It was stupid of him to do that and he chided himself for it.

Silence engulfed the two save for the occasional hiccups from Sasuke and the clinking of jars and cups upon the table. Soon, Kakashi found himself slurring his words like an addict and seeing everything in front of him brighter than it should be.

"So Sasuke, when did you start drinking?" A rather loud hiccup escaped past his lips. The mask was long disposed off and because the pub was dimly lit, no one even noticed that it was the infamous copy-nin who was slurring and almost doubled over the round table that had several empty jars already.

"When I was seventeen." Sasuke answer, slurring just as badly. "I can hold my alcohol down pretty good! You just see!"

"That's my good student!" Kakashi burped and gave out a long groan. He placed his head on his folded arms on the table and coughed a bit. The taste of sake lingered at the back of his throat and he had one hell of a killer headache. "Oh crap! I feel horrible!" Sake did that to him. Instead of relaxing him, it gave him one hell of a headache – and it was even worse in the mornings.

"Don't we all?" Sasuke said, and somehow, even with his drunken state, his words implied more than they should have.

"Yeah." Kakashi agreed and pushed the jar in front of him away. "No more." He said, and gave out another tiny burp. "Ugh! I'm going home." He grumbled.

"Yeah. Me too. Sheesh! You can't even hold your alcohol down much! You've only had two jars. It takes at least four jars to get as smashed as you." Sasuke said, sounding somewhat happy that he beat the legendary copy-nin at something (even if its was just something as silly as consuming wine).

"Unlike you, I prefer to have a healthy kidney and bladder." Kakashi retorted hotly and shakily got to his legs, pulling his mask back up. He wobbled out of the pub, Sasuke behind him, a bit shaky on his own two feet.

Sasuke made it a point to walk Kakashi home to make sure that he at least collapsed somewhere other than the floor. When they reached Kakashi's apartment, the copy-nin couldn't even get the key in the keyhole so Sasuke ended up opening the door for him and herding him in to the bedroom. Kakashi tripped on an old edition of Icha Icha Paradise on the floor and grabbed at the nearest thing his hands could reach, that being Sasuke's sleeve. The poor Uchiha landed smack on top of Kakashi on the bed and found himself staring into a pair of mismatched eyes. A groan escaped Kakashi from his aching and spinning head and he winced under the mask.

Sasuke suddenly found himself peeling the mask down and staring at his teacher's pale features. The man was already half asleep but when Sasuke kissed him then and there, Kakashi blinked his way back to reality.

And it just happened.

Sasuke sat up before the morning rays peered through Kakashi's blinds. He found himself naked and sated. He stared at the copy-nin lying beside him on his side, a hand over his head while the other was thrown over his own waist. The mass of silver hair lay sprayed all over the pillow. Sasuke found himself liking the sight – hell he loved it! It was something that shouldn't have happened – but it did! Sasuke enjoyed it and he figured so did Kakashi. Sasuke found himself blushing and quickly got of the bed, wincing when he backside began to throb with pain. He hadn't had any for quite sometime and so it hurt.

 
He grabbed his clothes, marched out of the bedroom, pulled them on and left through the front door. Kakashi wouldn't remember – or maybe he would. Sasuke hoped that he would. He wanted Kakashi to remember last night.

Once he was inside the safety of his own house, he closed the door and headed for the bathroom. That was when he noticed several red bite marks on his neck, chest and shoulders. Oh Kakashi had been wild and at the same amazing time, he had been extremely gently – and Sasuke LOVED it. He briefly wondered if they could do it again and this time, he wanted something more. Not just a quickie, but something that both could treasure. He was asking for too much, but he couldn't help it.

One night with Kakashi had made him fall for him. BAD!

Kakashi woke up slowly, the sun's rays tickling his skin with warm sensations. His eyelids fluttered open and his bedroom door came in to view. He shifted in his bed and slowly rolled on to his back, so that he was facing his dull off-white ceiling. He brought a hand to rub his neck and winced. He then blinked and rubbed the little irritation on his neck. The skin was somewhat uneven. Shrugging he sat up and padded to the bathroom, turning the hot tap on and standing under the steaming spray. When he was done, he wrapped himself with a towel and pulled the toothbrush from the little holder beside his mirror and began to brush his teeth. He was quite amazed that he wasn't hurling his guts out from all the sake he had but he was thankful anyway. A cup of strong sugarless black coffee would make the headache he had go away and he'd be fine.

His eyes flicked on to the mirror and then he blanched – spitting out the toothpaste and rubbing his eyes to make sure he was wide awake. He rinsed his mouth and remained hunched over the white porcelain sink, telling himself that what he saw wasn't there and that his eyes were playing tricks on him. He stood up straight and stared at the mirror – no trick going on and definitely not a genjutsu.

A screaming red mark was pasted and glowering on the right side of his neck and those little teeth marks were what he felt earlier on. A string of curses escaped his lips and he stalked out of the bathroom and slammed the door. He grabbed another clean Jounin uniform, grateful that it would hide the marks.

 
"Shit!" He growled out between his teeth and headed out of his apartment in to the nearest café to grab a cup of coffee. So who exactly did he let into his bed last night? What could he –

A familiar figure walking down the street made Kakashi drop the paper cup he had in his hand – SASUKE! His fingers trembled and soon it was his whole body. If he did not feel sick earlier, he sure as hell felt sick now! With a quick poof he was back in his apartment, kneeling beside the toilet and heaving the aftermaths of huge-amounts-of-alcohol-consumption. When he finished emptying his stomach, he leaned against the bathroom-tiled walls and stared at the white bulb above him. A shaky hand came up to his face and he let out a breath.

"What have I done?" He whispered.

TBC