OMG NUUUU!!! I'm not finished with the SasuNaru just because I feel the
KakaIru side has been a smidge neglected. Of course... I really don't
believe in this pairing at all... I don't hate them, it's just that I don't
see it AT ALL!! There's no KakaIru interaction except for the argument they
had over whether Sasuke Naruto and Sakura were ready for the exams. THAT'S
IT!!! So, if you know how I am personally with pairings I really don't see
happening... you'll know what the future of them might be.
Of course... just because I can see NejiNaru and ShikaNaru... doesn't mean they'll last against my NaruSasu. Yush... still NaruSasu.
I couldn't help myself... I had to use the title.
Chapter Title: 33. Morning After: Kakashi and Iruka Style
Kakashi sighed, fingering the tiny embroidery thread that lined his sheets, absentmindedly. He'd made a big mistake last night. He told himself he shouldn't, but it was only for one night, and he think he could stand holding out any longer. He knew he could fix things when Iruka woke up, but for the moment he allowed the worry lines in his forehead mar his features for a little bit longer. He shifted under the sheets, closing his eyes and snuggling closer to the naked warmth that radiated from the body next to his.
Furrowing his eyebrows together as if to keep his eyes from opening, he went over as many details of the previous night as he could, noting that moments were already starting to blur and fuzz around the edges.
He remembered Kiba's alcohol and sighed, knowing Iruka had had at least one cup full while he was watching. Between there and the place he was now didn't interest him as much as remembering what happened between the now sticky and sweaty linen sheets he was sleeping in.
He could recall most of the event in a jumbled haze of lust and passion as he'd removed Iruka's clothing almost feverously. Any coherent thoughts or protests he may have had were thrown out the window as Iruka showered him with kisses and promised him the world. None of it set in and none of it mattered, except for Kakashi's awareness of his final loss of control. He gave his body to Iruka. His body, his mind and his soul in that one night of passion, and reflecting back on it he prayed n one ever find out about it else they be dead faster than either of them could say 'Shinobi'.
Sighing again, Kakashi couldn't stop his whirlwind of thoughts that blared out every single warning they could think of to tell him to leave immediately. To abandon the warmth. He hesitated for a second, glancing up at the peaceful face of the man he was lying next to and he closed his eyes in pain. He didn't want to do this. Iruka had to understand.
Sitting up, Kakashi pulled back the covers slightly and slipped his arm from Iruka's waist. He climbed out of the bed, picking his clothes up. He was intent on getting dressed and leaving before they could talk about it, but the sudden chill and the shifting of the mattress awoke the sleeping academy teacher.
Blinking slowly to adjust to the light, Iruka sat up in the bed, frowning at the January chill. He looked up to Kakashi, who was pulling on a pair of boxers and his face mask, and blushed faintly.
"Ohayou, Kakashi." He whispered, sounding only slightly put off when Kakashi nodded back to him briefly and continued to pick up his scattered clothing. "Don't go home just yet."
"Do you know what we just did?" The silver-haired jounin asked bluntly. Iruka looked up, blushing deeper and Kakashi knew he could see the panic in his eyes. The chuunin frowned sullenly.
"Are you... disgusted by me?" He asked softly, lowering his eyes and avoiding the question. "By what we did?"
"No."
"Do you regret it then?" There was another hesitation in answering and Iruka looked up.
"Maybe." Kakashi whispered almost inaudibly.
"Did you think I was someone else? Is that why you slept with me?" Kakashi was torn to hear the pain in the younger man's voice as he strained to retain his last shred of dignity.
"No!" He protested. "But I never wanted to do this with you."
"Did you want to take it slower?"
"Yes. So slow it isn't happening, Iruka." The jounin turned to leave, not intending to say anything more to betray his fears, but Iruka jumped from the bed and blocked his exit.
"I'm sick and tired of constantly chasing after you Kakashi-san." He growled, holding his arms up to bar the older man's escape. "I want to know what the hell is going on inside of your head. It's obvious you want me. I can see it by your body's betrayal." He nodded down to where Kakashi's boxers were starting to become a little too tight for him. "I just don't understand why you are holding back so much for so long. It's frustrating and I want the truth, right now." He stepped closer, intent on making the silver-haired jounin uncomfortable. "You're not leaving until you tell me."
Kakashi sighed and took a step backwards to regain his comfort zone. He remembered a long time ago a little speech he'd given to Naruto. He'd said to the young boy "You have to confront the subject of your fears, but only do it when you're ready. Or only when you get caught." It seemed as though his option was the latter one. He'd been caught, but even so, he still found himself reluctant to admit it even to *himself*, much less Iruka.
"I can't do this." He exclaimed. "So stop trying. While I may enjoy being with you, there's no deeper meaning to it. You need to stop trying to get me to settle down, cause to me it's not an emotional thing, but a physical urge... to be satisfied." He hesitated, knowing how much Iruka was hearting because he could feel the stabbing pain himself with every word that spilled from his cloth covered lips.
"There may come a time when you'll thank me for not tying you down to a meaningless short fling. Stop trying to change me, it won't work."
Kakashi almost expected Iruka to start crying, but he was surprised with a new bout of anger shoved in his face.
"I don't care about years from now or even days from now." He narrowed his eyes. "I don't want it to mean something pointless to you when it means so much to me." He stepped aside. "If you leave now, it will be the same as saying you don't care about any of that or me."
"Iruka..." Kakashi protested, not moving. The dark-haired man grinned broadly.
"I thought so." Snorting, Kakashi walked towards the door anyways. Iruka's grin of victory quickly became a frown.
"I DON'T care." And with the slam of the door, Kakashi was gone. The chuunin was left to stand in the doorway, staring at the panel of wood, dumbstruck at the man's boldness. Sighing to himself, he jumped back under the covers relishing in the last remnants of Kakashi's warmth and releasing himself to the memories of the previous night, not willing to let the present sink in too deeply.
He remembered frantic caresses that were too soft for someone who didn't care. He remembered kissed traced along his jaw and down to his hipbone that were too gentle for someone who didn't care. And he remembered that Kakashi had had absolutely no alcohol that night and yet he still whispered in the tenderest voice for someone who didn't care 'You're too drunk to remember this in the morning, but I DO care'. He frowned deeply, now more confused and not knowing which version to believe; the Kakashi that thought with his head or his heart.
***
Sakura was having a hard time letting reality sink in. She'd asked herself over and over again how she could have let such a stupid thing happen, until her head started spinning from all the stress. After wandering the village, avoiding everyone who went to the party, she returned home, deciding to clean up her house before her parents came home in a couple of days.
She pushed open the door and was surprised to find Lee bending over a couch to pick up some of the garbage that had been shoved there. He heard the tell-tale creaking of the door and turned around, a cautious smile on his face. She frowned, remembering the harsh words Sasuke had said to her earlier, tears stinging her eyes. She hated him passing judgement on her. She focused her eyes on Lee and saw a look of worry pass over his features and she found herself suddenly angry at him.
"Why are you still here?" She asked loudly, her voice a lot harsher than she intended, but once she got started it was hard for her to stop. "Why didn't you leave last night?!"
Absorbing her words, he stood up straight knowing that she needed to get it out of her system. Picking up a nearby glass, she threw it at him, but he snatched it from the air with his regained reflexes. She became even more frustrated, throwing anything she could get her hands on at him, until it all just exploded in her face and she sank down into a chair sobbing. That was when Lee thought it was safe to go nearer. He crouched down in front of her, placing a warm hand on her knee.
"What are you so upset about, Sakura-chan?" He asked. "Is it what we did last night?"
"No, it's Naruto and Sasuke." She sniffed through her hands that were hiding her tears. "Naruto went to him last night. Sasuke-kun knows everything and now he hates me even more than he used to. Now I'll never get him to fall in love with me." Lee winced at the last sentence, but didn't let her see it.
"You shouldn't have led Naruto on like that when you still had feelings for Sasuke." He said in a soft voice, quite unlike the jovial act he put on for everyone else. "That's probably the only reason he is so angry with you, because it seemed as though you betrayed Naruto. He may eventually forgive you." He tried injecting his words of comfort with a little hope but she shook her head.
"Maybe, but he'll never return my feelings because of this."
"I really hate to say this, but I doubt he will either, but I don't think that has anything to do with the way you treated Naruto. He's never shown you anything but respect and a tiny amount of friendship. You are just too blind to see him for who he truly is. Or have you forgotten all the time you spent watching his every move when he was brought back from Orochimaru's village?"
"He told me that if he had wanted to, he would have been gone without anyone ever knowing." She whispered through her hands, slowly raising her head and pushing her pink hair out of her face. He nodded, a small smile on his face.
"Do you want to go out for a walk?" He asked, waving a hand to indicate the house. "I'm just about done here, and I think we both could use a little fresh air."
Sakura hesitated for a second, wanting to do nothing more than curl up under her covers and sleep until the end of eternity, but there was something that shone in Rock Lee's eyes, looking something like hope. It gave her the courage to take his offered hand and walk outside.
They'd been walking for a little bit, when they passed a park and saw Naruto walking towards them. Sakura leapt forwards, while Lee balked, wondering if the blond boy was prone to lash out. He could still remember some of Naruto's earlier battles and a lot of people told him stories about how he faired against Neji, battling for Hinata's honour.
"Naruto!" Sakura called out, ignorant of the sudden stiffness in the boy's posture when he heard and recognised her voice. He looked up and panic flashed across his features. He was still wearing the clothes he'd returned home wearing as he hadn't been home yet. He nodded briefly, not entirely sure what he could say.
"Ohayo, Naruto-kun." Lee spoke up when it was obvious neither of them had plans to start a conversation. "I apologise if seeing me naked has ruined my enigmatic mysterious suave nature." Naruto forced a grin at the joke, but it was obvious he was uncomfortable at the obvious false airs they were all putting up.
"More like ruined my good dreams and gave me nightmares." He chuckled nervously. "At least it explained why you're called the Azure Beast. All that hair on your back." Lee smiled despite the tension that crackled in the air. "Sumimasen, but I have things I need to get back to. I have to prepare for my next mission." The blonde chuunin mumbled hurriedly before pushing past Sakura and Lee. It was then that Lee realised that the entire time, Naruto had avoided looking at Sakura entirely. He frowned, wondering if things would ever get better. He knew better than to wish for the impossible; things would NEVER be the same.
~~~~~~~
Heh... heh... And on to another arc we go. Trust me... because I'm enjoying this story, I'm getting out the chapters fairly quickly, and if you think that just because I've managed to jump the Sakura obstacle this time that now Sasuke and Naruto are going to fall madly in love and screw like bunnies. No. I'm keeping the pace of this story as realistic as it should be; I am an author after all... I'm not going to ruin my story just to get them into bed... if you wanted that then you should go to another fic. This is not a PWP. It will never be one.
Please stop asking me to hurry with certain things (like the yaoi, or the chapters). It will not make me do anything any faster. I actually enjoy reading reviews that take some time and effort... or are a little long. ^-^
Of course... just because I can see NejiNaru and ShikaNaru... doesn't mean they'll last against my NaruSasu. Yush... still NaruSasu.
I couldn't help myself... I had to use the title.
Chapter Title: 33. Morning After: Kakashi and Iruka Style
Kakashi sighed, fingering the tiny embroidery thread that lined his sheets, absentmindedly. He'd made a big mistake last night. He told himself he shouldn't, but it was only for one night, and he think he could stand holding out any longer. He knew he could fix things when Iruka woke up, but for the moment he allowed the worry lines in his forehead mar his features for a little bit longer. He shifted under the sheets, closing his eyes and snuggling closer to the naked warmth that radiated from the body next to his.
Furrowing his eyebrows together as if to keep his eyes from opening, he went over as many details of the previous night as he could, noting that moments were already starting to blur and fuzz around the edges.
He remembered Kiba's alcohol and sighed, knowing Iruka had had at least one cup full while he was watching. Between there and the place he was now didn't interest him as much as remembering what happened between the now sticky and sweaty linen sheets he was sleeping in.
He could recall most of the event in a jumbled haze of lust and passion as he'd removed Iruka's clothing almost feverously. Any coherent thoughts or protests he may have had were thrown out the window as Iruka showered him with kisses and promised him the world. None of it set in and none of it mattered, except for Kakashi's awareness of his final loss of control. He gave his body to Iruka. His body, his mind and his soul in that one night of passion, and reflecting back on it he prayed n one ever find out about it else they be dead faster than either of them could say 'Shinobi'.
Sighing again, Kakashi couldn't stop his whirlwind of thoughts that blared out every single warning they could think of to tell him to leave immediately. To abandon the warmth. He hesitated for a second, glancing up at the peaceful face of the man he was lying next to and he closed his eyes in pain. He didn't want to do this. Iruka had to understand.
Sitting up, Kakashi pulled back the covers slightly and slipped his arm from Iruka's waist. He climbed out of the bed, picking his clothes up. He was intent on getting dressed and leaving before they could talk about it, but the sudden chill and the shifting of the mattress awoke the sleeping academy teacher.
Blinking slowly to adjust to the light, Iruka sat up in the bed, frowning at the January chill. He looked up to Kakashi, who was pulling on a pair of boxers and his face mask, and blushed faintly.
"Ohayou, Kakashi." He whispered, sounding only slightly put off when Kakashi nodded back to him briefly and continued to pick up his scattered clothing. "Don't go home just yet."
"Do you know what we just did?" The silver-haired jounin asked bluntly. Iruka looked up, blushing deeper and Kakashi knew he could see the panic in his eyes. The chuunin frowned sullenly.
"Are you... disgusted by me?" He asked softly, lowering his eyes and avoiding the question. "By what we did?"
"No."
"Do you regret it then?" There was another hesitation in answering and Iruka looked up.
"Maybe." Kakashi whispered almost inaudibly.
"Did you think I was someone else? Is that why you slept with me?" Kakashi was torn to hear the pain in the younger man's voice as he strained to retain his last shred of dignity.
"No!" He protested. "But I never wanted to do this with you."
"Did you want to take it slower?"
"Yes. So slow it isn't happening, Iruka." The jounin turned to leave, not intending to say anything more to betray his fears, but Iruka jumped from the bed and blocked his exit.
"I'm sick and tired of constantly chasing after you Kakashi-san." He growled, holding his arms up to bar the older man's escape. "I want to know what the hell is going on inside of your head. It's obvious you want me. I can see it by your body's betrayal." He nodded down to where Kakashi's boxers were starting to become a little too tight for him. "I just don't understand why you are holding back so much for so long. It's frustrating and I want the truth, right now." He stepped closer, intent on making the silver-haired jounin uncomfortable. "You're not leaving until you tell me."
Kakashi sighed and took a step backwards to regain his comfort zone. He remembered a long time ago a little speech he'd given to Naruto. He'd said to the young boy "You have to confront the subject of your fears, but only do it when you're ready. Or only when you get caught." It seemed as though his option was the latter one. He'd been caught, but even so, he still found himself reluctant to admit it even to *himself*, much less Iruka.
"I can't do this." He exclaimed. "So stop trying. While I may enjoy being with you, there's no deeper meaning to it. You need to stop trying to get me to settle down, cause to me it's not an emotional thing, but a physical urge... to be satisfied." He hesitated, knowing how much Iruka was hearting because he could feel the stabbing pain himself with every word that spilled from his cloth covered lips.
"There may come a time when you'll thank me for not tying you down to a meaningless short fling. Stop trying to change me, it won't work."
Kakashi almost expected Iruka to start crying, but he was surprised with a new bout of anger shoved in his face.
"I don't care about years from now or even days from now." He narrowed his eyes. "I don't want it to mean something pointless to you when it means so much to me." He stepped aside. "If you leave now, it will be the same as saying you don't care about any of that or me."
"Iruka..." Kakashi protested, not moving. The dark-haired man grinned broadly.
"I thought so." Snorting, Kakashi walked towards the door anyways. Iruka's grin of victory quickly became a frown.
"I DON'T care." And with the slam of the door, Kakashi was gone. The chuunin was left to stand in the doorway, staring at the panel of wood, dumbstruck at the man's boldness. Sighing to himself, he jumped back under the covers relishing in the last remnants of Kakashi's warmth and releasing himself to the memories of the previous night, not willing to let the present sink in too deeply.
He remembered frantic caresses that were too soft for someone who didn't care. He remembered kissed traced along his jaw and down to his hipbone that were too gentle for someone who didn't care. And he remembered that Kakashi had had absolutely no alcohol that night and yet he still whispered in the tenderest voice for someone who didn't care 'You're too drunk to remember this in the morning, but I DO care'. He frowned deeply, now more confused and not knowing which version to believe; the Kakashi that thought with his head or his heart.
***
Sakura was having a hard time letting reality sink in. She'd asked herself over and over again how she could have let such a stupid thing happen, until her head started spinning from all the stress. After wandering the village, avoiding everyone who went to the party, she returned home, deciding to clean up her house before her parents came home in a couple of days.
She pushed open the door and was surprised to find Lee bending over a couch to pick up some of the garbage that had been shoved there. He heard the tell-tale creaking of the door and turned around, a cautious smile on his face. She frowned, remembering the harsh words Sasuke had said to her earlier, tears stinging her eyes. She hated him passing judgement on her. She focused her eyes on Lee and saw a look of worry pass over his features and she found herself suddenly angry at him.
"Why are you still here?" She asked loudly, her voice a lot harsher than she intended, but once she got started it was hard for her to stop. "Why didn't you leave last night?!"
Absorbing her words, he stood up straight knowing that she needed to get it out of her system. Picking up a nearby glass, she threw it at him, but he snatched it from the air with his regained reflexes. She became even more frustrated, throwing anything she could get her hands on at him, until it all just exploded in her face and she sank down into a chair sobbing. That was when Lee thought it was safe to go nearer. He crouched down in front of her, placing a warm hand on her knee.
"What are you so upset about, Sakura-chan?" He asked. "Is it what we did last night?"
"No, it's Naruto and Sasuke." She sniffed through her hands that were hiding her tears. "Naruto went to him last night. Sasuke-kun knows everything and now he hates me even more than he used to. Now I'll never get him to fall in love with me." Lee winced at the last sentence, but didn't let her see it.
"You shouldn't have led Naruto on like that when you still had feelings for Sasuke." He said in a soft voice, quite unlike the jovial act he put on for everyone else. "That's probably the only reason he is so angry with you, because it seemed as though you betrayed Naruto. He may eventually forgive you." He tried injecting his words of comfort with a little hope but she shook her head.
"Maybe, but he'll never return my feelings because of this."
"I really hate to say this, but I doubt he will either, but I don't think that has anything to do with the way you treated Naruto. He's never shown you anything but respect and a tiny amount of friendship. You are just too blind to see him for who he truly is. Or have you forgotten all the time you spent watching his every move when he was brought back from Orochimaru's village?"
"He told me that if he had wanted to, he would have been gone without anyone ever knowing." She whispered through her hands, slowly raising her head and pushing her pink hair out of her face. He nodded, a small smile on his face.
"Do you want to go out for a walk?" He asked, waving a hand to indicate the house. "I'm just about done here, and I think we both could use a little fresh air."
Sakura hesitated for a second, wanting to do nothing more than curl up under her covers and sleep until the end of eternity, but there was something that shone in Rock Lee's eyes, looking something like hope. It gave her the courage to take his offered hand and walk outside.
They'd been walking for a little bit, when they passed a park and saw Naruto walking towards them. Sakura leapt forwards, while Lee balked, wondering if the blond boy was prone to lash out. He could still remember some of Naruto's earlier battles and a lot of people told him stories about how he faired against Neji, battling for Hinata's honour.
"Naruto!" Sakura called out, ignorant of the sudden stiffness in the boy's posture when he heard and recognised her voice. He looked up and panic flashed across his features. He was still wearing the clothes he'd returned home wearing as he hadn't been home yet. He nodded briefly, not entirely sure what he could say.
"Ohayo, Naruto-kun." Lee spoke up when it was obvious neither of them had plans to start a conversation. "I apologise if seeing me naked has ruined my enigmatic mysterious suave nature." Naruto forced a grin at the joke, but it was obvious he was uncomfortable at the obvious false airs they were all putting up.
"More like ruined my good dreams and gave me nightmares." He chuckled nervously. "At least it explained why you're called the Azure Beast. All that hair on your back." Lee smiled despite the tension that crackled in the air. "Sumimasen, but I have things I need to get back to. I have to prepare for my next mission." The blonde chuunin mumbled hurriedly before pushing past Sakura and Lee. It was then that Lee realised that the entire time, Naruto had avoided looking at Sakura entirely. He frowned, wondering if things would ever get better. He knew better than to wish for the impossible; things would NEVER be the same.
~~~~~~~
Heh... heh... And on to another arc we go. Trust me... because I'm enjoying this story, I'm getting out the chapters fairly quickly, and if you think that just because I've managed to jump the Sakura obstacle this time that now Sasuke and Naruto are going to fall madly in love and screw like bunnies. No. I'm keeping the pace of this story as realistic as it should be; I am an author after all... I'm not going to ruin my story just to get them into bed... if you wanted that then you should go to another fic. This is not a PWP. It will never be one.
Please stop asking me to hurry with certain things (like the yaoi, or the chapters). It will not make me do anything any faster. I actually enjoy reading reviews that take some time and effort... or are a little long. ^-^