Pairings: Kaka/Naru
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Satisfied?
Author's Notes: Ah. Now, for the age differences subject. Now, I'm no fan of shota. But if someone can give me reasonable ages to work with, and they make a fic of where the said characters are older ((16-17 or so forth)), then hey! I'm all for it!
The age of Naruto is 19, which I believe is a good age and a bit over the minor limit. Kakashi is, I'm assuming is 30. Least that seems that way in the anime. ((Please tell me if I'm giving him too much credit for his looks. Is he really older than 35-40?)) But for good measure, in my fic he's going to be 35.
If there are any more questions, please post them in your reviews and I'll do my best to answer them!
In any case, in this fic you'll be seeing some Iruka/Kakashi confrontations, and a bit of a conversation concerning themselves now.
Chapter Four: "The Morning After is Usually the Worst..."
Naruto woke slowly, the sun staring; blaring back at him as he glanced up to find the window to the room he was sleeping in, open. He grumbled, irritated that the sun had woken him up from his very short sleep, he was cranky and didn't need the sun telling him he needed to be awake. Stumbling out of bed, he fought the tightly wrapped sheets around his body that were attempting to claim his lithe form back into bed, or at the very least, the floor. He neared the window and reached out for the curtains when another obstacle stepped in his path.
"Good morning Naruto." It said. He recognized this voice as Kakashi's. "How are you? You didn't sleep well, I can tell."
Inside, Naruto was outraged, he seethed of pure displeasure and vicious hatred of the open curtains and blinding sun, he really and truly did. But on the outside, he could only muster a pout and hateful eyes, for he could no longer reach his objective and complete his mission, which was to close those blasphemous curtains and high-tail it straight back into bed.
"Curtains...Sleep..." He muttered through pursed, sleep-dry lips.
"Oh...?" Kakashi said in his usual manner, "That's funny. It's seven in the morning, you've slept long enough. I already let you sleep in. In any case, store; I need you to go. If you want breakfast, you'll have to go."
Again Naruto seethed, and his temper flared, and again, he could muster nothing more than a pout. "But I'm still sleepy. I wanna go back to bed..."
"Naruto, you can't sleep in. It's too late for that. Perhaps if you had just rolled over and blocked out the sun that way, I might have thought you still to be asleep. But you gave yourself away; you're shoddy ninja." Kakashi smirked.
Naruto didn't think his temper had could flare anymore than it had, but Kakashi's comment took the cake. "What do you mean I'm a shoddy ninja!" He cried, his body straightening and his hand rising up to clench near his face. Apparently, he had forgotten the tentative state he was in from when he had gotten up. The blankets were still enveloping his feet and in his attempt to take his usual "angry/I can do it" stance, and thus causing him to lose his balance and topple forward. Kakashi, knowing exactly what was to happen, stepped out of the way, just before he fell, he smirked again beneath his mask.
"Good to see you're awake now Naruto. You'll find the money on the dresser, and a list of groceries to get on there as well." With that, Kakashi promptly walked out of his room and proceeded downstairs, leaving a dazed Naruto to grumble on the floor.
"Should've stayed in bed..."
Trotting downstairs a few moments later, fully dressed in a pair of khaki shorts, and a black long sleeve shirt, Naruto came down only to find Kakashi sitting on his living room couch, reading a book. Surprisingly, it was not Icha Icha Paradise.
"Kakashi!" Naruto cried, walking over to him, "Why don't you go to the store if you've time to sit there and read your book?"
Continuing to read his book, he said simply, "Because I asked you to." Naruto clenched his teeth, ready to give Kakashi a piece of his mind, when, "Please."
Naruto calmed after a moment, mulling it over. "Okay." He finally said, nodding. "Anything else you want, that's not on this list that you may have forgotten?"
"No. Thanks though. Hurry up so we can have breakfast."
And with that Naruto was gone and out the door.
"Naruto." A voice said as he closed the door behind him and looked up only to find Iruka standing before him. "What are you doing here?"
"Uh..." Naruto fumbled for a choice of words, "I was doing a favour for Sensei. He asked me to get some things for him..."
Iruka looked crest-fallen, "Oh...Is that so?"
"Yeah...So, I'm going to go now..." Naruto said as he side-stepped his former teacher sheepishly, "I'll catch you later Iruka."
"Yeah, later." He simply nodded watching the blond haired boy—no—man, walked by and run off in the direction of the village.
Kakashi glanced up, hearing voices outside his door. He stood, placing his book on the small coffee table in front of him and moved toward his front door; he opened it, only to find Iruka standing there, his back turned to him.
"Iruka?" He queried softly.
The aforementioned man turned to him, "Oh! Kakashi. Hi."
Kakashi nodded in acknowledgement and Iruka smiled sheepishly.
"I just came for something I left here. It was a photo I forgot. The one of the Hokage and I." He said softly.
"Ah...Ano..." Kakashi turned his head and glanced about in thought. He spotted said picture a second or so later adorning the top of his fireplace in his living room. "Ah. There it is. I'll be just a second."
Iruka watched him head off and sighed. A moment later, Kakashi was standing back in the doorway and handing him the picture he had asked for.
"There you are Iruka-kun." The silver haired man said softly, holding out the picture. "Anything else?"
Taking the picture into his hands slowly he glanced up at Kakashi, "Kakashi, that's not the only reason I came over."
Kakashi raised his brow, "Oh?"
"Yes. I want to talk to you. May I come in?"
Kakashi pondered the answer to that for a moment before nodding slightly. "For a moment; I have some things to do."
"I see. Thanks."
The two made their way into Kakashi's, the silver-haired jounin made his way into his kitchen, Iruka following slowly behind.
"Coffee?" Kakashi asked.
"Sure."
He took down two coffee cups and set them on the counter and then; turning his back to Iruka, he then began to make the coffee.
The silence was deafening.
"So, Iruka, what did you want to talk to me about?" Kakashi asked a moment later, breaking the ice.
Fidgeting ever so slightly, he replied. "Just, don't you think it's too soon to be having him over like this? I mean, it's rather quick especially since you and I—"
"You and I Iruka...We weren't meant for each other, and you know that. I cannot help how I feel."
"Yes, but you seem to have absolutely no regard for another's feelings! It's like you kicked me aside to get to him!"
Kakashi visibly stiffened; his eyes narrowed as he turned his head slightly, enough to glare at Iruka from the corner of his eye. "That is not true, and you know it. If you would dare to say something such as that about me, then Iruka, I'm afraid you do not know me at all. Don't you dare place my morale to such a low, degrading standard."
"Hah!" Iruka exclaimed, "I don't see how you can stand to make such a statement with that boy here and now, living with you and probably screwing him, so quickly after I said goodbye to you."
Kakashi raised his head slightly with indignation as he "hmphed" and crossed his arms, turning to face Iruka while resting against the counter. "We are not seeing each other, just so you know. "
"Then why is he here?"
"He needed a place to stay; he asked and I let him. We aren't a couple; we are two men, living together. Should it come to be more someday, then so be it. But I don't need you assuming that we're fucking already. Do you really think of Naruto and I as such whores?"
"He doesn't need a place to stay! He has his own apartment! Your excuses for screwing the brat are even more lame than the ones you give for being late! Come up with something better than that!"
"Whether or not you believe me; that is the reason. That is the truth."
"You expect me to believe that? Then what's the reason he needed a place to stay for? Huh?"
Kakashi shook his head, "I can't say."
"And why the hell not?"
"Because it's not my place to say it."
"I'm so sick of your lies Kakashi!" Iruka cried, "I'm so sick of it! You never give me an answer! I want a straight forward answer! Tell me the truth!"
"I did damn it! It's your choice to believe me or not!" Kakashi yelled back, straightening his form and letting his hands fall to his sides, his fists clenching.
"How can I believe you when you said you loved me and then broke up with me?"
"You're the one that broke up with me! You accused me of my 'eye wandering' when it was really you! I vowed to stay faithful to you! It was you whose eye was wandering!"
"Because I knew you could never love me like you love that little brat!"
"I did love you. But you're so insecure about everything; you began to doubt my love. I was ready to settle down with you. True, I could never love you in the same way, but you can't love two people in the same way. It just doesn't work that way."
"Kakashi..." Iruka said as tears formed silently in his eyes, burning them, threatening to fall down his cheeks.
"As for that 'little brat'..." Kakashi said softly, raising his head slightly to look past Iruka.
Iruka turned to find a sheepish Naruto who looked as if he had just been scolded, standing behind him. "Naruto..."
"I, uh, forgot the money, Kakashi-sensei." He stumbled slightly.
"No problem, I forgot to leave it on the dresser like I had said." Kakashi said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, searching for a few yen. Walking beside Iruka, he handed Naruto the money and then stuffed his wallet back into his pants. "We need more milk, by the way."
"How long have you been there...?" Iruka asked after a moment.
"Long enough, actually." Naruto said slowly, an edge of ice hinted in his voiced and his eyes not being able to look into that of his former teachers. "I, uh...I'm off now, Kakashi. I'll be back in a bit."
He nodded, "Take as long as you need."
With that, the blond haired boy was out the door and off again.
It was silent again as Kakashi crossed his arms and leaned solemnly against the doorway. He sighed. "Get out Iruka."
"What?"
"Get out. Go back to your new toy. I'm done with you here. You can say what you will about me, but Naruto is innocent in this."
"Kakashi..."
He closed his eyes slowly, "Iruka, do not make me mad. Please, get out. We can discuss this matter later, if you really need to. I, however, am done with you."
Iruka wiped his eyes as he cast one last glance at Kakashi and left without another word.
Kakashi sighed softly, continuing to lean against the doorframe of the kitchen for support. He was shaken, but not visibly so. To hear Iruka of all people talk that way of Naruto...It hurt him; it made him want to hurt Iruka.
After a minute or two, he managed to compile himself into a respectable manner and head back into the kitchen for that cup of coffee he had intended to get before things had gotten...chaotic? Yeah, that was a good word for it...
Naruto grabbed the gallon of milk and hefted it up into his arms as he attempted to balance the other items in his arms. When he felt as though he had the milk in a comfortable position, nestled between his arm and his side, he then headed toward the checkout lines.
And then the inevitable started to happen; he started to think.
Why was Iruka saying all that? Does he really think of me that way? Of Kakashi that way?
As he was thinking, the milk decided that this would be a great time to jump from his arms and drop straight in down below. Stumbling to catch it and yet keep the other items he held in tact, which he was failing miserably at, he tried to dive his free arm under it in hopes he could at least break the fall of it. Suddenly, a pair of creamy white hands reached out, catching it. He slowly straightened himself and cast his eyes to the person who had saved his milk from a horrible death of being splattered across the marble floor.
"Sakura!" He announced to no one in particular other than himself, "What are you doing here?"
She smiled, "Shopping, what else?"
He smirked, "I see."
"So how are you?"
"I'm good, you?"
"Fine." There was an awkward silence between the two for a moment before Sakura then spoke up once more. "Say, we stopped by your apartment today and you weren't there. Where'd you go?"
Naruto fumbled, "Oh, I was...At a friends."
"Oh, well, I have the spare to your house! I forgot!" She reached into her pocket and removed from it a small bronze key attached to a bare key ring. Quickly, she then transferred it from her hand to his pocket.
"Thanks Sakura."
"Oh, no problem."
"So how—"Naruto began to say when he was suddenly cut short by a familiar voice. He looked past Sakura to see Sasuke making his way to the aforementioned girl, carrying to different cartons of milk.
"Sakura, do you drink low fat milk, or—"Sasuke said, looking up and cutting himself short as he laid eyes on Naruto.
"I drink low fat. But you can get 2 if you want." Sakura said as she turned to Sasuke in answer, only to find that he was staring rather...angrily at Naruto, who in turn was staring back, only his face held a more docile—more saddened—expression.
Naruto was the first to speak, "I've got to go Sakura; I've got to get this stuff home now. Can I have my milk?"
"Oh, Naruto, I can carry it—"
"No, no." He said, cutting her off, "I can manage, just put it back in my arm."
She complied as she stared at him in wonder. "Alright. See you later then!" She called after him as he quickly made off the second she had placed the milk back into his hold.
"Sasuke—" She began as she turned back to him, but stopped herself short once more as she looked at Sasuke.
His expression was one of anger and resentment as he stared after Naruto. She placed her hand on his arm and he slowly focused his gaze on her. "Let's go." He said.
"Yeah sure. Soon as we finish getting the rest of the groceries." She said softly.
"Alright. Let's be quick about it. I want to go home."
"'Kay!" Sakura called out after him as he then turned and made his way back down into the milk section.
Just what was up with these two? She had to find out. She had to help them, right? It was her duty to her friends that she help them out no matter what.
Right?
End AN:
I really hate Sakura, really I do. But I'm trying my hardest to do no Sakura bashing, not yet anyway.
Arr! I write so slowly sometimes. Sorry I don't put out more often. Really I am. But I'm a very finicky writer. And I won't write and throw up some crap and call it good. I want to entertain you guys! Not give you some "kakahi and nrto got 2 gether and haed sexxours. Saske and sukra haed sexxors 2, and then they got 2gethers and had oragiys. Lololol!111oneone"
Yeeeah... So I'm sorry. I really am glad that you guys like my story. I really am. I like to know that I'm entertaining you guys.
If you guys keep giving me such good reviews, I might just do some fan art!