That was O.o. I was certainly not expecting A LOT of reviews, not this fast at least. Oh well, glad this is going well!
Enjoy minna!
PS – This has been beta-read by V-chan (b4k4-girl)! She is totally cool! Thank you!
THE CHILD IN ME 2(Fourteen years and two months ago)
He stared at the figure standing in front of the classroom, an air of confidence and authority radiating from the twenty-seven year old man. He was smiling at all the children, while their teacher introduced him to them. He heard about him from his parents, at how he was a fair and quite an active and fun person to be around with. His generosity extended to all his colleagues, young or old. And he was a very talented young man.
"So," Their teacher said, clapping his hand together. "Yondaime-Hokage-sama will be dropping by our class, once every week, to show us a new thing to learn."
There was a chorus of 'yay' and 'wow' and 'cool' as the kids began to bustle with excitement, chatting among themselves. He, like everyone else, was just as excited and decided, that for once, he'd pay very close attention to class. Not that he didn't anyway, because if his mother found out, he'd be given the biggest lecture, and that was just unacceptable in his opinion. So, just once, he'd give the village leader, or, now referred to has Hokage-sensei, his full-full attention.
And he was not disappointed.
Not at all.
(Present)
Iruka led Gaara to the couch, and made him sit on the comfortable spot beside the dent. The dent was caused when Naruto had accidentally 'dove' in to it. Iruka had expected his jaw to break or some form of bruise on his face, or maybe even a broken nose, but Naruto remained unscathed from his 'diving escapade'. The couch was not as lucky though. The dent was so bad that if one sat on one edge, the pull of gravity would have that person's bottom pulled towards the dent. Which is why Gaara had an arm draped around the armrest of the beige couch.
"Oh get up from that thing!" Iruka said, shaking his head. He grabbed two stools from the kitchen and set one beside the couch. "Go on. No need to sit on that thing. I don't even want to know how Naruto fell asleep there."
"We were playing cards."
Iruka sighed, picking up the empty candy wrappers from the wooden floor. "Yes, you mentioned." He crumpled the empty plastic wrappers into a tight colorful ball and placed it on the wooden center table. "Aren't you going to sleep? It's getting pretty late."
"I can't sleep."
"Oh. Would you like me to tuck you in?" Iruka offered.
"I don't sleep."
Iruka raised an eyebrow. "You don't sleep?"
"Yes, I don't sleep. Something bad will happen if I do."
"Then what are you planning to do the rest of the night?" Iruka asked, curious at this 'I don't sleep' issue. It was a new thing to him to come across someone who does not sleep. Gaara merely gave him a shrug as a reply. "Well, if you want, I could lend you some books to read over the night." Gaara was giving him that stare again. The 'you're still being nice to me' type of stare. "What kind of books do you like to read?" Gaara remained quiet. He knew how to read, so it wasn't a problem. It was just that he never really picked reading as hobby. Another factor was that nobody really wanted him touching their things. Let alone books. Iruka titled his head curiously. "Gaara?"
"Anything." Gaara answered, shrugging again. "I'll read anything you give me."
Iruka was stunned by the answer. He began to get a few vague ideas of what Gaara must have gone through as a child. The questions that filled his mind were masked by his smile and calm attitude. "Well, I shall get you a few good reads. I'm sure you'd find them interesting." Gaara nodded. "It's getting late. I should get going. I'll drop by tomorrow night to leave the books over. If you need anything, you can ask Naruto and he'll tell you where I am. Tell him I dropped by and left ramen in the fridge." Gaara nodded again, as he stood up and picked up the stool he was sitting on, carried it to the kitchen and began to strap his sandals on. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"
That look came again. "I'll be fine."
Iruka nodded. "Okay. See you tomorrow." He offered a wave and closed the door lightly behind him, shoved his hands in to his pockets and walked silently down the apartment complex's corridor. He stopped short in the last few steps of the stairwell steps when he spotted Kakashi staring up at the living room window of Naruto's apartment, where Gaara was looking down from the window. "I thought you left."
"He's with Naruto?" Kakashi asked, visible eye slightly narrowed.
"They were playing cards."
"They were playing cards." Kakashi repeated, turning to look at him.
"They were playing cards." Iruka confirmed, feeling even more miffed that Kakashi was still waiting for him. "Why are you still here?"
Kakashi did not answer the question but continued to look up at Gaara. Iruka looked up himself and smiled at the redhead, waving his hand. Kakashi's eye widened a bit when Gaara hesitantly waved back. Iruka smiled one last time before walking down the street towards his own home. There was a quiet moment shared between him and Kakashi before the jounin spoke up.
"So you know Gaara."
"Barely."
"Why hasn't he killed you yet?" Kakashi asked, a hint of humor in his voice.
Iruka bit down the sudden annoyance that flared inside him. "He doesn't have a reason to."
"With Gaara, he usually doesn't need one." Kakashi shrugged.
"Why are you so against him? Has he done anything to you?" Iruka asked, stopping to look at Kakashi.
"Why are you so defensive of him? Has he done anything to you?" Kakashi countered. Iruka frowned and aimed a glare at his face. "Look, I'm just curious. I don't want a homicidal person near my comrades."
"Funny." Iruka said sarcastically. "He's just a kid."
"Which part of suicidal do you refuse to comprehend?" Kakashi asked, slightly taken aback that his worry was cast aside.
"The one coming from you!" Iruka fisted his hands. "Do you even have the slightest idea of what that boy has gone through? He - He can't even believe that someone would have a conversation with him without running away! Does that mean anything to you?"
Kakashi blinked. "For a person who just met a stranger, you're getting very defensive." Iruka rolled his eyes and turned his back to Kakashi to walk away. Kakashi grabbed him by the shoulder. "Why are you defensive anyway?"
"If you had any ounce of compassion in that stone-for-a-being you call your soul, then maybe you'd understand." Iruka said, shaking the hand off.
"That's not fair." Kakashi whispered, rooted to his standing spot, the words hitting him like a vicious slap.
"What is fair, Kakashi-san? Enlighten me, because the meaning I'm getting is appalling!" Iruka snapped, temper getting out of hand. He could feel a migraine coming up from the whole situation. "Well?"
Kakashi shook his head, eye boring in to his. "I don't get you. Why would you stand up for someone who you barely know? And a kid like that as well!"
Iruka felt the breath hitch in his throat for a second before he stared at Kakashi's feet.
(Fourteen years and one month ago)
Iruka found himself getting cornered, his lunch clutched closely to his chest. He loved his lunch. His mother prepared him shrimp tempura and egg-rice, with just the right amount of carrots and little fried egg bits. He couldn't ignore the bean sprout stir-fry with cabbage bits and soy sauce that he so loved eating with his egg-rice. Today was his lucky day because he had been getting extremely good grades at the academy ever since Hokage-sensei started teaching every Monday. As a reward for his hard work, his mother constantly made sure that he had his favorites for his lunch.
And so the bullies were after him.
"Hand it over, Iruka-CHAN!" The tall boy with long dark hair named Kutsu said, his gang of three behind him.
Iruka swallowed and with all his effort, darted in one direction, away from the bullies. Lunchbox clutched tightly under his arm, he performed the hand seals that he had perfected that made his teachers and parents proud and created three illusion clones, all running off in different directions. He ran forward blindly, determined not to lose his lunch - again - to them. Last month, they got away with it. But he wouldn't give up shrimp tempuras that easily! It was his! His mother made it for him! He earned it! He won't -
A strong grip grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. Automatically, he kicked out as hard as he can, earning a loud yowl from the assailant. On his feet, he dashed in another random direction and took a sharp skidding turn onto one of the market streets that led to the academy. Only then did he realize that he was running in circles, the bullies hot at his heals. His clones were perfect and he guessed that they probably saw through it already.
It was the painful collision, the sound of a clattering lunchbox and the stinging pain in his bottom that snapped him from his thoughts of losing the bullies. He looked up and found a thatch of messy blonde hair and curious blue eyes look down at him. All thoughts fled from his mind, as he blushed redder than the fire patterns on the white cloak the man was wearing.
"Is something the matter, boys?" The man said, stepping around Iruka to face the bullies.
"N-Nothing sir!" The bully-leader, Kutsu, squeaked.
"Then be on your merry way home. I'm sure Iruka-kun will find his own way without you chasing the life out of him, don't you agree?" An additional glare sent the four boys running down the path without looking back. The tall man sat back on his heels beside Iruka, who was still blushing. "You okay?" Iruka nodded dumbly. "Bullies. When I was your age, I was pretty much pushed around too."
Iruka couldn't believe it. He was talking to HIM! Him, the Yondaime! The handsome, young, talented and smart Yondaime was talking to Iruka, Pipsqueak of the century and girly-looking for a boy.
"Uh -"
The man turned to look at the lunchbox and its spilled and wasted contents. "That your lunch?"
Iruka then remembered the lunchbox that he was carrying and fighting for. He looked at the upturned blue container, the dolphin pattered cloth that it was wrapped in now soaked in soy sauce and lying a few inches away from the plastic container. The contents were scattered around it, all covered in dust and dirt, ants slowly gathering around it. He felt horrible. He just spent the entire lunch break running around like headless chicken, remembering every lesson he took to defend his lunch and now he'd lost it to a bunch of hungry ants.
"My lunch." He mumbled, feeling his eyes water. He had skipped breakfast that morning because he woke up late.
"That is unfortunate."
Iruka bit his lower lip and gently picked up the soaked cloth wrapping and folded it in the neatest way he could. He couldn't stop the sniff that came out because he found himself crying. He wiped at his eyes angrily, not wanting to be seen as weak in front of the man he so admired. Determined, he acted as calmly as he could, and gathered the upturned container. The man was strangely quiet as he watched Iruka. Iruka tossed the container and cloth in the nearest trash bin before returning to watch his food slowly disappear with each hungry ant. He mourned for his loss. He felt sorry for himself. What kind of a ninja was he to not see what was in front of him? Or sense it even?
"You're going to watch them take your lunch?" The man asked, voice slightly tainted with amusement and humor.
"At least they're not hungry anymore." Iruka mumbled. "Sorry, Hokage-sensei. I didn't see you."
"No worries." He answered and stood up to approach the alleyway. Iruka thought he already left, but was very surprised when he set down two kittens over the fallen meal, which immediately began to devour the food. "See? In this world, all living things share. Hmm?" Iruka looked up at him, eyes wide and still glazed with unshed tears before blushing some more and staring shyly at the egg-rice that was rapidly disappearing. "And you must be very hungry. You've put up quite a defense for your lunch against those bullies, and might I add that your clones were excellent. Come. Let's get some lunch. I'm hungry myself."
Iruka stared up at him, his stomach doing flips as the taller man held out his hand for him, which he took, following the elder's lead towards the cozy ramen stall at the edge of town.
All the while, Iruka was blushing, his thoughts basically saying, 'his hand is so warm!'
(Present)
Iruka blinked and looked up at Kakashi. "He's a kid. That's all I'm going to say."
"But it runs deeper than that, doesn't it?" Kakashi said, stepping forward so he was closer to Iruka.
"I don't even know why I'm still here talking to you! Listening to you, actually!" Iruka turned around and stomped home, completely ignoring Kakashi.
The nerve of that man! He didn't need to listen to what he said. He was no child and he knew how to deal with his own issues. With those very thoughts in mind, as Iruka got read for bed, he found himself feeling calm.
XXX
The pile was huge. Iruka didn't even know where to start. Sighing, he took his seat and picked a random document from the pile and began to read the text. Grabbing a pen, he began to jot down notes, almost mechanically, in to big blue book, before stamping the document with a 'complete' sign and placing it on one side of his desk. The same thing happened for the next two hours or so, until he felt the beginning of tension building up on his shoulders and neck.
He stretched for a while, tilting his neck from side to side to release some of the knotted muscles that made his entire backache.
"I'm getting old." Iruka mumbled, and rubbed his forehead.
The door slid open and a chuunin set another pile of papers beside him, apologized and hurried off to his own work. Iruka stared at the now two piles dismally, feeling oddly depressed at the sight. He was going to have to pull an all-nighter if he wanted half of those to be off his desk. With renewed vigor, he began to tackle each document one by one, pausing to stretch before bending over the paper and resuming his task.
He didn't even notice the time until it was eleven in the evening. He was quite surprised at himself that he didn't feel any hunger, even if he just skipped lunch and dinner all the same. He was, however, glad to see that he was nearly done with work. He was about to stay for another hour or two when he remembered the books.
"Oh crap!" He got to his feet, sorted the papers and carried them to the next room, leaving it on Raido's desk and bounding off to his classroom.
He pulled the locker door open, and began to pull out some books. He took out about eight different novels before elbowing the locker shut and bounding out of the academy, wishing those who were staying behind a good night as he headed for Naruto's apartment. He managed to knock on the door, and was not very surprised to find Gaara answering the door, and blink up at him, before his eyes somewhat softened at the sight of the books.
"I got your books." Iruka said, smiling. Gaara opened the door wider and Iruka headed for the living room. He set the books down on the table and found himself staring at the couch.
The dent was gone.
"I fixed it." Gaara said.
"Oh!" Iruka was surprised. He sat on the couch, pleased that there was no pulling-down effect and smiled. He decided not to ask Gaara just how he fixed a badly damaged couch. But he mentally respected the boy some more.
"Would you like some tea?" Gaara asked.
"Tea?" Iruka asked, staring at Gaara for a while.
"Naruto told me that if someone came over, I should offer them something to drink." Gaara said, sounding like a machine.
"Tea." Iruka repeated. "Tea is fine. Where is Naruto anyway?"
"Sleeping. He was training with Rasengan." Gaara replied, walking off to the kitchen and left Iruka in the living room. Iruka sighed, leaning back against the couch and smiling. It was a very comfortable couch. Draping an arm around the armrest, he allowed his head to rest on his arms. He blinked several times, and without much control, he fell asleep.
XXX
Gaara came out of the kitchen, cup of tea in his hand and set it on the table. He turned to Iruka, expecting him to pick the cup up but blinked when he found the man asleep, a slight pink tinge on his cheeks. His hair was slightly messed up, ponytail no longer taut, but drooping, little strands framing his face.
Frowning a bit, Gaara stalked to Naruto's room, took the spare blanket lying at the foot of the bed and threw it over his shoulder. He sighed, without noticing, and pulled the yellow blanket that had somehow managed to get to the floor in the middle of Naruto's sleep. He draped it over Naruto, who was mumbling something about the new flavored ramen. He stared at the blonde boy for a moment, and then left the room, spare blanket over his shoulder. He unfolded the blanket and threw it over Iruka's frame, who, if possible, snuggled deeper in to the couch.
With nothing else to do, Gaara flopped on the ground beside Iruka, picked up a book, flipped to the first page and began to read.
TBC
I may be a Yaoi writer, but I'm not THAT twisted. Really, I don't think pedo. The IruGaa and GenGaa thing will be clear as chapters progresses. Okie dokie?