this carried on directly from chapter 1, as you may have guessed. its still a songfic, remember! heres a little key:
this is a thought
this is a song lyric
there! that was easy, wasnt it?
Chapter 2: Cupboard Love
I'll run away with you, by my side...A figure walks down the street.
He walks into the streetlights glare, blinking hard as it burns his sleep- deprived eyes. He rubs them and winces, adding to the raw red circles once again. His aching feet carry him towards the school building; his tired hands pull his green flak jacket tighter around his slight frame as a gust of wind tosses the dust on the ground. It's late summer and not particularly cold, but lack of sleep and a healthy diet has left our figure weak. He reaches the building and pauses, looking at the trees circling the practice area before advancing, jangling a bunch of keys in his hand.
"I suppose I could get everything ready for tomorrows lesson. Might knock me out, finally," he mutters to himself as he works a key into the lock. Suddenly, his head jerks up just as the lock clicks and the door swings open, and he glances back over his shoulder towards the dark trees. "Hmm. Thought I heard something." He frowns then shrugs, entering the deserted classroom and closing the door behind him but not bothering to lock it. "After all, who would be following me?" He laughs softly to himself before sniffing hard and crossing the room to the supply cupboard.
The children have shuriken-throwing practice in the morning, one of Iruka's least favorite exercises. He sighs heavily as he reaches up and pulls down a large crate of practice weapons. The cupboard is dark and dank, heavy with the musty stench of dust. He drops the box and removes one of the small metal stars, turning it over in his slim fingers as his eyes mist over when yet another memory, not quite as dust-coated as the contents of this cupboard but at the back of the memorial shelf nonetheless brings itself before his mind's eye.
I'll run away with you, by my side...
--------------------------------
[flashback]
"Come on Shikamaru, you could at least TRY to aim for the target!"
"But Iruka-sensei, I can't be bothered!"
Iruka rubbed his temples and tried to keep his temper. The talent this child had was obvious, it was practically oozing out his ears, but he was just so damn LAZY! Iruka pitied his poor mother, getting this child up in the mornings must be like pulling teeth! Sighing heavily, he made his way over to the target the boy was SUPPOSED to be aiming for and continued walking past it for several meters before finally finding the errant shuriken in the grass. He turned to trudge back to the field, but stopped when he spied the tall slender figure of a certain silver-haired shinobi standing a few yards away, clutching an orange-colored book in one hand and a large summer daisy in the other. The heady afternoon sunlight coated his hair with streaks of gold as he raised his eyes from the book and caught the chuunin staring. In a slow movement, he pulled his mask down and ran his tongue across his lips then tapped the page the book was open at, winking slyly and placing the flower between the pages as if marking the page. Iruka picked his jaw up off the ground after a few moments and hurried back to the children, turning his back on Kakashi.
"Rightnowcomeonkidsgetallthisawayandgetbackinsideitsalmostbreaktime!!" he gabbled while frantically waving his arms in a "hurry hurry" motion. The kids threw him scared and bewildered looks as they dashed around grabbing the weapons. A small girl piped up, "But Iruka-sensei, lesson isn't supposed to end for another 10 minutes!" but yelped and scurried away when Iruka rounded on her with a shrill "DO IT!"
What had happened to their normally calm teacher, who was normally as placid as a lake on a windless day? Well, only two people knew the answer to that one, and one looked on in mild amusement as the other ran around like a headless chicken. At last, the final star was packed safely in its box and the children had ran indoors as fast as they could, glad it was now time to escape the clutches of their psychotic sensei for the thirty minutes of break. Iruka wiped his sweating brow and let out a small sigh of relief, turning to the expanse of grass Kakashi had been standing on minutes earlier, and paling when he found nothing there but thin air. Where'd he go? He thought frantically. Since they had gotten together, Kakashi had developed a nasty habit of turning up where the chuunin least expected it and had nearly gotten them caught on more than one occasion. Iruka wasn't ashamed of his relationship with Kakashi, but he had a reputation to uphold and being caught in a "compromising position" wouldn't exactly make him a hit with the parents, whether his partner was male or not!
He frowned then turned to make his way back into the school building, but his progress was sharply halted when he walked straight into a green-clad chest and fell backwards onto the green-clad earth, banging his head painfully. His vision blurred to black for a second and little tweety birds chirped happily before his eyes as a concerned face swam into focus.
Wow, that must've been quite a bump I took there...for a second I thought I saw Kakashi staring at me.
"Are you alright, Iruka?" the voice spoke. It sounded agitated and worried.
Ugh, must've been REALLY bad, now I'm HEARING Kakashi as well!
"Y-yeah, I'm fine...I think" He let the voices owner pull him unsteadily to his feet, but his legs shook and he fell against their chest again.
"Just where I wanted you." Iruka slowly lifted his head and stared into the smiling features of Hatake Kakashi. Oh great.
Iruka extricated himself from the jounin's grip, his usual business-like persona returning. He brushed down the behind of his trousers and stooped down to retrieve the fallen box of weapons, straightening back up with a snap and a shrill yelp as a painful pinch was placed on his rear end. He turned on Kakashi with an angry look on his face, an ire worsened by the jounin's constant playful smirk. The back of his head throbbed as he ground his teeth together.
"Kakashi, PLEASE don't carry on like this when i'm at work! It's not fair! I've warned you! Now if you'll please excuse me, I have to get these tidied away before break ends. It won't do for the children to see their sensei slacking off, now will it?" He gave Kakashi a death glare before turning on his heel and storming back into the building. As he stomped through the corridors, other teachers and students leapt out his way and began whispering as soon as he had passed:
"What's got up HIS nose?"
"Who rattled HIS cage?!"
and the like.
When Iruka reached the classroom, he planted his sandal firmly on the wood and kicked with all his might, sliding through the gap just as the door, which had hit the wall and rebounded, slammed back into its frame. Throwing the door of the supplies store open, he flung the box on the nearest shelf and opened and closed his fists a few times, counting to ten over and over in an attempt to contain his temper. That Kakashi! Who the hell does he think he is? He punched a nearby practice dummy, ripping out a handful of stuffing, and repeated the phrase out loud.
"Who, me?"
Iruka whirled round as he heard the voice. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? YOU'RE GOING TO GET ME FIRED!" Iruka hissed vehemently. Kakashi just chuckled and slid the lock on the door into place before sliding his mask down his angular face.
"Hmm, well, I think I'm doing this - " he crossed the few feet of space between the two ninjas and seized Iruka's arms, kissing him hard on the lips. Iruka was in no mood for playing and told Kakashi this by biting him hard on the bottom lip. Unfortunately, Kakashi was horny as a hormonal schoolboy and took this as sign that Iruka was up for it, pushing himself further onto the chuunin. Iruka growled and attempted to escape Kakashi's grip, finally squirming out his arms and storming to the other end of the cupboard.
"Kakashi, this CAN'T happen here! I'm sick of telling you!"
"And why not, pray tell?" He clasped his hands behind his back and leaned closer to Iruka, one eyebrow raised in mock curiosity. Iruka knew he was just trying to annoy him. Never in a million years would he admit it, but he was succeeding.
"Just - just because! I mean, what if someone was to walk in here? What if the children heard us?"
Kakashi rubbed his chin, pretending to think which made Iruka wish actual bodily harm on him. "If someone walked in here, I'd be VERY impressed in your teaching skills! That's some fine ninjas you're coaching, seeing as I locked the door. And as for the children hearing us, I would again be impressed because they're all outside!" His eye formed a happy little arch as he grinned under his mask. He walked forwards again, putting his hands on the shelves behind Iruka and pinning him to them. "And besides," he whispered, sliding his knee between Iruka's legs, "Doesn't the risk of getting caught turn you on?" His lips pressed against Iruka's ear, sending little shivers of pleasure down his neck.
Damn you Kakashi! Why do you have to be so hard to resist!
I need to let go...
"No, no it doesn't!" he gasped as Kakashi's tongue worked little circles against his exposed neck. "I just can't run the risk of losing my reputation! It's almost all I have - OW! - Besides you, of course!" he added as sharp teeth bit into his flesh. Kakashi raised his head and looked Iruka in the eyes, his own heavy-lidded and mournful.
"But Iruka-koi, I just can't resist you. Just looking at you on the practice field, the way the sunlight glazed your perfect skin," he raised a hand and placed his hand on Iruka's cheek and stroked it softly. Iruka sighed softly and nuzzled Kakashi's hand. A little voice inside him stomped its metaphorical foot and shouted at him to resist, be strong! He's only trying to butter you up! But Iruka was having a hard time listening to anything but Kakashi's low, soft voice. "I just couldn't wait. I just wanted to touch you, to kiss you, to run my hands through your hair." He reached up further and before Iruka knew it, he had removed the chuunin's hitai-ate and hair band, sliding his fingers through the thick swathes of hair that fell to his shoulders. Tugging it gently, he moved his face closer to Iruka's, his lips just grazing the chuunin's nose. His words came out accompanied by short jabs of warm air that tickled Iruka but he was so entranced by Kakashi's small tugs on his hair that he barely noticed. "But your eyes were always my weakness, Iruka-kun. Soft as velvet and twice as beautiful." Their eyes locked as Kakashi trailed his lips across the scar on Iruka's nose. "I lose a little more restraint every time you look at me." Iruka trembled, lowering his head when Kakashi removed his mouth as a red flush ran across his cheeks. "Iruka-koi? Don't go all bashful on me now!" Kakashi laughed softly. "I know full well you're not the shy retiring type you like to make yourself out to be!"
"It's not that, Kakashi-kun." Iruka whispered. "I'm just - I'm sorry that I can't let go. Not even for you."
Kakashi removed his hand from the tangled brown threads on Iruka's hair and took hold of the chuunin's chin, tilting it up until their eyes met again.
"Not even for me? Are you sure about that?" His stare was so intense Iruka didn't even notice the hand running down his body until it settled at the waistband of his trousers. "But I love you." he whispered.
"I know, and I love you too, but yes, Kakashi, I'm suUUURE!" His voice rose as Kakashi's hand took a firm grip of the chuunin's crotch. Kakashi's expression changed from sullen to what Iruka could only describe as sadistic. He tugged sharply and Iruka's breath hitched in the back of his throat.
I need to let go...
"Kak-AHH-shiiii I ca-NN-'t," he gasped as the jounin's actions became a bit more forceful.
"Yes you can, Iruka! Come on, it wont hurt! And if we get caught you can just say I took advantage of you!" he grinned wickedly and licked his lips. Iruka sighed resignedly and slid the zip down on his vest, shrugging it off before doing the same with Kakashi's. What the hell, why not? Like he said, the door's locked, the kids are outside. No one'll ever know...
Famous last words.
I need to let go, let go, let go, let go of this pride...
"Okay, okay, you big kid. Just this once! And don't take all day about it."
"Don't worry, I'll make it quick!" he smiled at the chuunin as he slipped his sweater off.
"Don't you always..." Iruka murmured.
It was 15 sweaty minutes later that, while Kakashi was in the middle of doing something very clever with his fingers that had Iruka ready to melt into a pile of mush, that the younger ninja heard scuffling noises then the happy chatter of a classroom filling with children. Iruka looked from Kakashi to the door and back to Kakashi wildly. He clapped his hand to his mouth as a small moan escaped. OHMYGODWHATIFTHEYHEARDTHAT?! Iruka was convinced his heart was beating loud enough for it to be heard in the next village! He gave the still-oblivious Kakashi's shoulder a shake and whispered furiously, "Kakashi, Kakashi! They're back!"
The Jounin paid him no heed.
Iruka grabbed a handful of hair and pulled as hard as he could, which turned out to be the wrong move as the older shinobi cried, "OW! WHAT DIDYA DO THAT FOR? THAT HURT!" he glared at Iruka who was wild-eyed and staring, pointing at the cupboard door with one finger while the other was pressed to his lips in the universal sign for 'shut the hell up you freaking idiot!' He watched Kakashi follow his finger with a puzzled expression before the sound filtered into his resolutely one-track mind. A faint look of realization dawned on his pale features, followed by an evil grin.
"They're back! You better get out there Iruka! Can't keep the kiddies waiting!"
If looks could kill Kakashi would have exploded.
Iruka grabbed his discarded clothes, frantically trying to sort his from Kakashi's while his lover stood with an idiotic grin on his face. Oh THATS right, laugh it up why don'tcha? He threw Kakashi's sweater at him wishing he had time to strangle the Jounin with it, cursing under his breath a few times as he struggled to fasten his belt. STUPID CLOTHES! IS IT COMPULSORY FOR THEM TO BE SO DAMN DIFFICULT?! He KNEW he shouldn't have let himself be sweet-talked! Damn that Kakashi! He ALWAYS gets me in trouble! As he zipped his vest up and glanced behind his shoulder to make sure Kakashi had actually got dressed and not decided to "out" him to his entire class by striding around in his underwear declaring Iruka the best lay he'd ever had, he took a few last deep breaths and repeated a small mantra:
Stay calm, act natural, stay calm, act natural.
He threw the bolt back on the door (Who the hell puts locks on the INSIDE of cupboard doors anyway? If I ever find them I'm gonna -), and walked out into a classroom of strange looks. He could tell his face was bright red and that Kakashi still had that infuriating grin under his mask. He smiled weakly and walked over to his desk, trying desperately to stop his legs shaking and grabbing the edge to stop himself from keeling over completely. He couldn't stop fretting over whether or not the children had heard anything. A boy in the second row raised his hand and Iruka's insides completely vanished, the void filling with lead. Here it comes. "Iruka- sensei, what were those strange noises coming from the cupboard? Why were you shouting Kakashi-sensei's name?" and I'll be hit with therapist bills from all the parents who say I've scarred their child for life!
He gulped and prayed fervently he hadn't started sweating. "Y-yes? What i-i- is it?"
The child lowered his hand and piped, "Why were you and Kakashi-sensei in the cupboard?"
Oh, the joy of childish innocence.
Iruka turned to Kakashi as though searching for an answer there. Yeah right, I'd get more sense from things that live at the bottom of the lake. Finding nothing but an enraging smirk and a little wave that confirmed this, he faced the class again and cleared his throat.
"Ahh, wEll yOU see nOw," his voice breaking as he spoke, "I was, umm, clearing up and cOUldnnn't reach the she-shelf the box went on, and Ka-ka- ka-kakashi-sensei was kind enough to hELP me!" He grinned feebly as he reached the end of his sentence. His smile became a little desperate and strained as he looked out at the sea of faces, not one of them looking convinced in the slightest. The boy spoke again.
"But sensei, you're a ninja so couldn't you just -"
"WELL IF THAT'S EVERYTHING we'll just be getting on with this afternoon's lesson shall we?!" Iruka almost screamed, silencing the child and making every other small body shrink back in their seat. "I'll just see KAKASHI- SENSEI to the DOOR." he turned to the jounin and placed both hands on his back, practically pushing him out the door. Kakashi gave the kids a wave and allowed himself to be manhandled to the doorway. Iruka opened his mouth to tell Kakashi he would see him later. He never did tell Kakashi this though, as a hand wrapped itself in the fabric of his vest and hauled him out the classroom into the hallway, pinning him to the wall thus rendering him momentarily speechless. Iruka looked madly from left to right. "Kakashi! Let me go, someone could come along any minute! Come on, you had your fun, now - " Kakashi cut him off by fastening their lips together. Iruka mumbled and fought against the intrusion of Kakashi's tongue but the Jounin was too strong for him. Then, just on the edge of his hearing, Iruka could swear he heard.
VOICES?!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
He thrashed madly, wrenching at Kakashi's hair with both hands and all but punching him in the gut but alas, it was all to no avail, and their lips were still locked when Gai, Asuma, Kurenai, Genma and Hayate walked around the corner and came face to face with the two kissing shinobi, their happy conversation dying on their lips. Well Hell, why didn't they just bring the ENTIRE village with them?! Kurenai's the biggest gossip in Konoha and the only thing in the world bigger than Gai's mouth is the Hokage monument, and thats only by oooh, I dunno, about TWO INCHES?!! Iruka could do nothing but stare helplessly at the group, the agonising silence finally broken by a tinkling noise signalling the needle slipping from Genma's mouth and the fwooshing of the sheaf of folders falling from Kurenai's arms. Everyone of them to a man (and woman!) were gawping, mouths wide, as Kakashi finally disengaged himself from the chuunin and turned to face the group. Kurenai, her hands in front of her eyes, was peeping at them disbelievingly through her fingers while Gai stood behind her with his jaw scraping the linoleum floor. Asuma and Genma were both just staring, Asuma's cigarette stuck damply to his bottom lip and Hayate was crouched behind them now, both hands clamped to his mouth to suppress a fit of giggles.
Iruka waved his hands and stammered, "It's not what you think! Honestly, it's not!! We were just - we were just -" Realising he couldn't talk his way out of THIS one and that it was pretty damn obvious what they were JUST doing, he trailed off as Kakashi slung a nonchalant arm around his shoulder, almost knocking him over in the process, and grinned at their friends.
"Hey guys! We were just doing what any normal couple does! Asuma, Kurenai, don't pretend YOU'VE never kissed each other in these hallowed halls in all the time you've been together! And please, close your mouths - you're catching flies." He peered over Kurenai's shoulder at the stricken Gai, whose eyes were in dire danger of ending up on the floor along with his chin. "And Gai, my eternal rival! Looks like I beat you at something else! I found love before you! I think that makes the score nine each!" Gai stammered something that MIGHT have been 'G-g-good for y-y-ou' but Iruka couldn't hear properly for the flurry of voices in his head, each acting out a different Kakashi-torture fantasy. None of them seemed enough for Iruka. Boiling oil would have been too good. Chinese water torture would have been too good. Needles under his FINGERNAILS would be too good! Freaking FISHHOOKS in his SCROTUM was STILL waaaay off the mark! Iruka was looking forward to sitting up loooooong into the night dreaming of all the ways he could destroy Hatake Kakashi's life.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Hatake Kakashi casually removed his arm from Iruka's shoulders and made as though to walk towards the group of stricken colleagues, who all took a collective step back. Kakashi giggled, which to Iruka's ears sounded just a little manic (or rather, just a little more manic than usual), and turned to the doorway. Five pairs of eyes followed him as he swaggered past Iruka, slapping him hard on the ass and calling loudly, "I'll be home for dinner, honey! See you then!", as he disappeared into the hazy sunshine. The eyes swivelled back to Iruka.
Oh Lord just take me now. Pretty please? Or could the ground maybe open up and swallow me, if it's not too much trouble?
Unfortunately for Iruka, neither of these things happened. Instead, what happened was a small voice rising from somewhere near the ground behind Iruka, saying, "Iruka-sensei? Hitomi-chan saw you and Kakashi-sensei kissing. Does that mean he's your boyfriend?"
Iruka closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath before he slowly turned around, staring down at the same little blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy that had asked why they were in the cupboard. An eyebrow twitched furiously as he fought to hold his tongue. He hated children. They are the hideously malformed offspring of the Uberlord of the deepest reaches of Hell and the most wart-ridden witch your average evil forest usually vomits up after breakfast. Becoming a teacher was the worst idea he had ever had. Whatever had posessed him? He could have been enjoying an easy, hassle-free job like being the Hokages personal tongue-scraper, or Konohas resident dung-shoveller! He opened and closed his mouth a few times, imitating the expressions of the frozen jounins perfectly. Then suddenly, pretty white stars flashed in front of his eyes. He watched as the scenery around him became seriously tilted. Has...something gone wrong here? Oh no, wait, I'm just fai - The stars imploded into themselves, merging into one complete surrounding blackness as his legs folded beneath him and he slumped onto the floor in a dead faint, his last thought being a vision of his perfect, untarnished reputation going up in flames, and Kakashi toasting marshmallows over the resulting bonfire.
aww poor ruru-chan!! whatever will that nasty kakashi do next? stay tuned to find out! -