Chapter Six
Unmask
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Grumbling under his breath, Iruka gathered up some old sweats. He showered quickly, not trusting the perverted man in his kitchen. After dressing, he walked out drying his hair with a towel. He really needed to get a new hairdryer. With the towel draped around his shoulders he plopped onto the couch, laying his head back and sighing. It felt good to be clean and relaxed, he thought, as muscles slowly unwound.
Sensing something near his nose, Iruka swatted at it, not wanting to open his eyes. A few seconds later the tickle came again. A frown creasing his brow, he swatted again and felt something soft brush the back of his hand. Damn fly. Wait, there aren't any flies in my apartment. Muttering to himself, Iruka waited for the tickle to come again, stretching his senses to catch when the next tickle would come. He remained as passive as he could, not wanting to alert his tormentor. A faint sense of movement to his left. Cloth scraping cloth. There! Iruka's hand shot up and left, grabbing Kakashi's hand.
"I'm bone tired and hungry. Don't mess with me until I'm fed," Iruka said, lifting his head and glaring.
He just couldn't help tormenting the teacher. He was just so damn cute when he was angry. Kakashi refused to believe the speed at which the Chuunin had used to catch him. He'd masked his presence or at least he thought he had. But where had that speed come from and how? How did he know where to grab?
Kakashi smiled to hide his inner turmoil, replying, "Alright, alright. Feed, then torment. Got it." He looked down at Iruka's hand covering his wrist. "If you wanted to hold hands, all you had to do was ask."
Iruka blushed and sputtered, releasing the wrist as if it were going to bite him. "You are such a sick minded individual."
"Do you think so? I try my best," Kakashi quipped lightly.
Iruka blinked once and muttered under his breath about insane Jounins and their perverted habits. Then his mind wound back around as to why this Jounin was in his apartment.
"What the hell are you doing in my apartment?" Iruka asked. Standing, he brushed his still damp hair behind his ears.
"Making dinner."
"Try again." Iruka crossed his arms.
"Visiting?" Kakashi tried.
"Annnnk. Wrong answer." His eye started to twitch as well as his right foot.
Kakashi slouched, putting a hand in his pocket, the other hand running through his messy silver hair. This was going so well. If he didn't tell him the truth, he was likely to get electrocuted again. "Ah, well, I just wanted to apologize for hitting you the other day." He blushed a very bright pink.
Iruka stopped twitching and sighed. At least it was honest, if not what I wanted to hear. "Alright, I guess that's as much as I can expect. But really, breaking into my apartment isn't the best way to apologize to me." His stomach rumbled. Blushing he said, "Though cooking can go a long way to thinking of forgiving you."
Smiling wide behind his mask, Kakashi rushed into the kitchen and prepared a plate of curry for Iruka. More than happy to flee those laughing brown eyes. He wouldn't say that if he knew what I wanted to do to him right now. Why does he have to look so damn good with his hair down? Returning to the livingroom, he set the plate on the table in front of Iruka and handed him a spoon when he sat down.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Iruka asked, pointing the spoon at Kakashi as he came back with mugs of cool tea.
Eye crinkling at the corners, he said, "I've eaten already." Giving voice to his lie, his stomach protested loudly. He had the grace to look embarrassed.
Iruka sighed angrily. "Get some food, Kakashi," he commanded. "I can't eat in front of a hungry man." When Kakashi still hadn't made himself anything, Iruka huffed and stomped into the kitchen. Coming back with a plate, he set it down opposite his. "Eat."
Kakashi stared at the plate with hunger. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and was starving. He'd gone without food before, but since his 'vacation', he'd eaten every time he even felt a slight hunger. He loved curry, too. But he couldn't eat. Not in front of Iruka. What if he doesn't like my face? What if he sees my father? Idiot, Iruka's to young to remember anything like that!
"Will you just eat?" Iruka griped, watching the older man.
"I can't," Kakashi whispered.
"Why not? It's easy," saying this, Iruka leaned over and jerked the fabric down Kakashi's face. "See?" Iruka smiled into the shocked face. He tried not to stare. He was jaw dropping gorgeous, but he hid it. Why? He noticed the scar marring his thin lips.
"Why are you blinking so much?" Kakashi asked, feeling naked with the mask gone. It felt funny to be talking to someone without it.
Iruka stopped his reverie and smiled again. "I've just never seen your face before. It took me a second to assimilate it." Picking up his spoon, he took a bite of the curry, encouraging Kakashi to do the same. After a few bites, he asked, "Why do you wear that thing anyway?"
"For the mystery," Kakashi answered, taking another bite.
"Bullshit, Kakashi. You've worn that thing for longer than I can remember," Iruka snapped, more than a little tired of the lies. "Are you ashamed of your face?" Kakashi dropped his spoon with a clatter. Narrowing his eye, he slowly pulled his mask back up. But not before Iruka saw the anger lining his mouth. Oh shit.
"I have things to do," Kakashi drawled as he made his way to the door and slipped his sandals on.
"Kakashi," Iruka started.
"See you later, Iruka-san," he called cheerfully from the door. With a quiet click, Kakashi was gone.
"I'm sorry," Iruka said to the empty room.
Looking at the half eaten food, his cursed himself. He was such a fucking idiot! Why had he said that? He was always saying the wrong thing. Damn his mouth. Taking the dishes into the kitchen, he dumped the food and put the rest in the fridge. He was tired, irritated and hurt. He needed to sleep on this and then go apologize to Kakashi tomorrow. He hadn't meant to hurt him. Turning out the lights, Iruka headed to bed with a heavy heart.
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Why are you running away? He's only said what you've been to afraid to say.
Shut up! Kakashi screamed at his mind. I never should have let him take the mask off.
You wanted him to, you liar. You wanted him to see your face. And what did you see in his eyes when he looked at you for the first time?
He was stunned and then he turned a little red. But he didn't pull back in revulsion, it was almost as if he was entranced. Wait, didn't I tell you to shut up?
The first signs of complete lunacy is talking to yourself. The inner voice laughed hauntingly as it faded away.
Half laughing, half sobbing, Kakashi entered his little apartment, not caring that the door was still open. Sprawling across the bed face first, he buried his head in his pillow and repeatedly banged it against it.
"Is that a new stress relief technique?" a familiar and unwelcome voice asked from the door.
Kakashi stopped banging his head, but didn't lift it. "What do you want, Anko?" he drawled, his voice muffled in the pillow.
Anko sauntered in, spun, and sat on the bed next to her idol and quasi-friend. "I just wanted to check up on your and Iruka's relationship." She slanted him a sidelong look as he turned toward her.
"What are you talking about, Anko?" Kakashi asked turning and propping his head up on a hand.
Anko snorted and turned toward him more, leaning down on an elbow. "I'm talking about you breaking into his apartment and cooking him dinner." She smiled at his dumbfounded expression. "Iruka intrigues me. I want to know why a Chuunin like him was given twelve A-rank missions and was allowed into our meetings. And his closeness to the Sandaime was a mystery." She stared into his gray eye with her deep violet ones as they lit with a hunter's light. "I'm going to find out."
Giving her his best bored look he queried, "And this has what to do with me?"
Giving him a feral grin, Anko leaned even closer. "Oh, nothing really. I just wanted to know if Konoha's most dangerous shinobi was screwing his biggest rival yet." She watched the stunned expression on Kakashi's face. He looked rather cute like that or at least what you could see of his face. "I'll take that as a 'No'. Well, as my question was answered, I'll leave you to your stress relief."
Kakashi sat frozen. He didn't move as Anko stood and walked to the door. He still hadn't moved as she giggled and closed the door behind her. An hour later he finally fell over, not because he wanted to, only for the fact that his arm had fallen asleep.
Why are they picking on me? he whined.
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I've been a little busy lately, so I'm late updating. I mostly wrote this as I was half asleep, so don't blame me for the wackiness and shortness. I blame the creature that lives in my brain. I call it BOB.
Hopefully this chapter will be well liked. And things will just start to get racier from here on out, so look for the links to the 'not allowed on FF' at the bottom of the chapter.
Sayonara for now!