I am surprised that this story was liked by most reviewers. This makes me extremely happy. Thank you everyone.

Warning: Extreme OOC (there's a reason for this and it will be explained as chapter progresses). Weirdness and future sexual references and foul language. Any misspellings or wrong grammar is unintentional. I am my own beta. I could have missed some stuff.

I do not own Naruto.

ROOM-MATE

Iruka woke up extra early the next morning and found Kakashi asleep face down on his bed. He moved as quietly as he could, avoiding the chicken posters, pulling on his clothes after freshening up and leaving the room to get some breakfast. Apparently, luck wasn't with him that morning because he found all the BLT sandwiches gone and all that was left was the chef-salad (with three egg slices - it was normally two slices) and the omelet and tomato sandwich. Iruka tried to keep his promises as much as he could and seeing that the sandwich was more filling than the salad, Iruka took the sandwich before settling down to have his own.

Fifteen minutes later, Iruka headed back for the dorms to hand Kakashi his breakfast. It was just as his luck that Kakashi was stepping out of the bathroom, tying a folded and printed bandana over his forehead and tilting it to cover what looked like a scarred eye. Iruka didn't like scaling a person's look from head to toe when he doesn't even know them so he didn't realize the little things.

"Morning." Kakashi mumbled, grabbing a blue sweatshirt from his chest drawer and pulling it over his loose turtleneck that already hid half of his face.

"Good morning." Iruka greeted back. Out of caution, he looked around for the hammer and his eyes strayed towards the bulb Kakashi hammered the other night. Iruka noted that the bulb has been replaced yet again. "You're not sick or anything?"

"Nope." Kakashi smiled behind the turtleneck collar, his visible eye crinkling.

"Good. Here, I got you a sandwich. I was choosing between the salad and the sandwich, but I figured this would be more filling." Iruka handed the sandwich to Kakashi.

"Thanks." Kakashi said, accepting the sandwich gratefully, eyeing the label.

"Anytime." Iruka shrugged, offering a smile and stuffing his hands in to his jean pockets. "Look, I gotta get -"

"Oi." Kakashi mumbled. "This is an egg sandwich."

Iruka blinked and nodded. "Yes. That was the only thing left downstairs. All the BLT -"

"You had one of these?" Kakashi demanded, looking very, very upset.

"Well, there wasn't anything left by the time I got downstairs." Iruka said, not understanding why Kakashi was upset. "Would you have preferred the salad?"

"You like eggs?" Kakashi asked, fist balling up.

Iruka suddenly remembered the hammered light bulb and took a step back. "I don't mind eggs."

"I'm a vegetarian. Do you have any idea how many chicks are sacrificed everyday in production just to feed people like you?" Kakashi pointed at the posters in his walls. "Do you think they're merely useless creatures? With no life?"

Iruka felt his knees go weak. "I - I didn't know! I -"

"You cannibal!"

Iruka couldn't take it anymore. He bolted out of the room.

XXX

Iruka lingered in his last class, hoping that he could find some reason to not return to his shared room.

He was a generally nice guy and despite his humble nature, people within the campus knew him very well. He was always approached by many freshmen or transfer students for help around the campus. Seniors approached him as well whenever they needed a helping hand for a project or research (questionnaires, petition signing or fund raising purposes) because he was the just one of the most reliable people who knew where and how to get things done in the quickest and best way possible. Even instructors respected him.

Just when he was hoping that someone would need some sort of help in any way, no one came. Sighing, he packed his things as slow as he could and dragged his feet out of the empty classroom. Iruka was getting desperate for an escape when it's only been two nights.

He spent the evening doing backup reading in the library. Kotetsu and Izumo were no longer sour with each other. In the middle of his reading, Kotetsu sent him a text-message saying that they were out on a dinner-date and that if he wanted any takeout from Ichiraku. Mess hall food was not always that great so Iruka requested they bring him miso ramen and drop it off by the library. He had every intention of spending most of his night in the library and avoiding Kakashi.

Kotetsu and Izumo dropped by a good two hours later (about ten o'clock) and handed him his ramen. They were slightly wet since it's been drizzling outside.

"Here ya go! One large miso. It's on us!" Kotetsu said, handing the plastic bag to Iruka. Izumo looked flushed and happy. Iruka didn't need to guess twice that Izumo was kissed in a rather nice fashion by Kotetsu considering how he was practically glowing.

"Thanks you guys. You two cool now huh?" Iruka took the bag.

"Yeah." Kotetsu said. "Everyone knows that Genma's dirty ass. And a playboy. There's this rumor that he played a role in Hayate's death."

Iruka raised an eyebrow. They were alone in the corridor so he wasn't worried about anyone hearing them.

"But wasn't it an accident?" Izumo asked, confused.

"He was stabbed. How is stabbing an accident? They say Genma broke up with him that night." Kotetsu said. "They say it was just a bet coz' Hayate was the campus loser. I mean you saw how they all picked on him and how he was just too weak to fight back."

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Rumors. Those are all rumors. So Genma can be a big jerk and molested you a coupla' times. That doesn't make him a bad person, you know? Besides, wasn't he staying clean of pranks since he met that other guy? Raidou I think his name was."

"So they're all like us?" Izumo pointed at himself and Kotetsu.

Iruka rubbed his head. "Not all of them. I mean, you two like males flat out. I know Raidou was dating that nurse in training in the other department. That really nice girl who does intern in the hospital next door?"

"Oh! Shizune! Yeah, I know her. She gave me a shot in my ass once." Kotetsu grinned. Izumo elbowed Kotetsu in the ribs. "Ow. Hey, I stepped on a nail! The shot had to be given in the ass!"

Iruka resisted the urge to laugh. "So Raidou was dating Shizune then."

"They broke up." Izumo said. "There's this chattery girl I overheard two weeks ago when I was getting my laptop hard disk checked. That wild girl, the one who does this party every term, invitees only? You guys know her?"

"Oh I know her! It's Anko! I made out with her once during sophomore year! She wears the nastiest panties." Kotetsu grinned lecherously.

Iruka saw the look of annoyance Izumo threw at Kotetsu's direction and buried his face in his palm. Kotetsu was such a blabber mouth and thought with his tongue rather than his brain eighty-percent of the time.

"You wanker." Izumo sighed and looked at Iruka, ignoring the look of insult Kotetsu wore. "Anko was saying that Raidou was available. She was talking to this other chic. Says that Genma adores Raidou to bits. She thinks Raidou is a blockhead."

Iruka raised an eyebrow. "I shared a class on psychology with Raidou last term. He's a sensible guy, very intelligent and really friendly once you talk to him. Far from being a blockhead."

"Iruka, this is Anko. Not everyone is a nice guy like you." Izumo shook his head.

"No, I mean, I don't get why people gets so assuming just because a guy avoid social-typhoons like Genma and Anko." Iruka shook his head. "But I don't think Genma is that bad."

"Iruka, the guy leaves 'mayo' tissues everywhere in the room! How is that not bad?" Kotetsu begged.

"Speaking of rooms, who's your roommate? Met him yet?" Izumo asked. When Iruka didn't answer immediately, Izumo quirked an eyebrow. "Is he a nutcase?"

Iruka shifted his weight to his other leg. "I'm not entirely sure. But it's only been two days. You guys know Hatake Kakashi?"

"Kakashi? Isn't he that famous copy-cat? One that never gets caught in exams? The guy's a genius!" Izumo looked at Kotetsu.

"No shit! He's got white hair?" Kotetsu asked.

"Silver." Iruka corrected without thinking.

"Boo-hoo. Big difference." Kotetsu stuck his tongue out at Iruka. Iruka in return, pulled at one of his spikes. "That's him, all right. Infamous copy cat. I hear he can mimic people's voices and actions quite well too. Hell, if you ask him to talk like Yukie, he can pull it off."

"The movie star?" Izumo blinked, making Kotetsu nod.

"Come on. No one can mimic her voice. Let alone that body posture. I mean Yukie is a babe, sure, but that's pushing it." Iruka said, unbelieving.

"I'm serious. That's what people say." Kotetsu.

"People. People say a lot of things." Iruka sighed. "What else do you know about this guy?"

"Nothing. Except that he's a genius and he's in your department. Education that is. He's doing his masters I think." Kotetsu shrugged. "Want me to sniff around for some info?"

"Just don't sniff in places you shouldn't sniff in." Iruka warned.

"Oh he won't." Izumo said confidently.

Iruka laughed. A glance at his wrist watch made him blink. "You guys better get going. It looks like it's going to pour."

"And you?" Izumo asked.

"I have a few more pages to read. Thanks for the meal." Iruka motioned towards the bag in his hand.

"No problem." Kotetsu grinned. "We'll get going then. Don't stay up too late okay?"

"I won't. I'll see you guys." Iruka nodded as the other two waved and walked down the hall.

He didn't eat immediately, opting to finish his reading before heading out. By the time he did step outside, the rain was pouring down hard. If the library was a twenty-four hour service, Iruka would have stayed indoors. Watching the rain fall hard and hoping that it would somehow lighten up, Iruka dropped his bag on the floor and sat down, leaning against one of the pillars and pulling out his cool ramen. He was a firm believer than ramen had the ability to warm the soul whether it was cold or warm. Tucking in to his food and enjoying it, he noted that the rain showed no sign to slowing down any time soon.

He gave the sky another twenty minutes before giving up and grabbing his bag. "I hate the monsoon season. Damn rain." He grumbled as he strapped his backpack on and dashed out in to the cold rain.

It took seconds to soak him to the bone and the dormitories were a fifteen minute walk away from the library. Iruka took the length in a run, trying to be careful at the same time so as not to slip. Half way through, he didn't see the ledge and tripped, landing on his side and ending up looking like he was in a romp in a pig sty. He spat out a string of curses, got to his feet and continued his way to the dormitory, looking like a mangy starved bum in his baggy and soaked clothing. His hair came loose, the usually perky ponytail now sagging and dripping rivulets of cold water down his neck.

He was just rounding of the corner and about to cross the distance of the dormitory parking lot when a car roared past him, splashing muddy water all over his pants and pulling over in front of one of the buildings several meters away. He watched with his bubbling temper as the car door opened and music pumped out of the green sedan, a familiar head-full of silver hair and covered face appearing and giving the person in the front seat a handshake before climbing up the few steps towards the building entrance. Iruka watched as the car drove away to the other end of the parking lot, loud rock music still pumping out even as the distance increased.

"Dicks." Iruka grumbled and continued his way towards the building.

Given the dark surroundings, he assumed that people had the decency to at least drive slowly so as to not annoy and walkers in the street and for their own safety. A part of his mind pointed out that no one would be stupid enough to be walking around in such a bad weather in the first place. He knew it was Kakashi hopping out of the car and the idea that his roommate hung out with such bad-mannered people only increased his dislike towards him even more.

By the time he arrived in front of his dorm room, he was dripping a puddle just by standing still for a few seconds. Sighing, he dug his keys out and left his shoes outside. The room was empty when he entered and he found Kakashi's backpack on his bed along with three new canvases and the bathroom door locked, the sound of running water filling the silence of the room.

"Just my luck." Iruka hissed and quickly grabbed a towel from his drawer, spreading it on the floor so that he wouldn't be leaving a large puddle.

Kakashi didn't linger in the bathroom for too long. He came right out, dressed in more comfortable clothes, face hidden behind his hair. "You're ruining the carpet."

Iruka didn't say anything, not trusting his tongue to be rational. He was already in a bad temper and he didn't want to aggravate said temper by saying something stupid that may cause other stupid things to happen. Instead, he grabbed another towel, picked up the soaking one from the floor and entered the bathroom.

The hot tap didn't give any hot water. Iruka realized that all the hot water was used up. Cursing under his breath in a manner that would make any marine proud, Iruka stood under the cold spray and quickly rinsed himself before dressing up in dry clothes. By the time he was done, he was shaking from the cold and cursing with more fervor than before.

When Iruka stepped out, he found Kakashi lying in bed and reading one of his pornos again. Like always, Iruka paid him no mind and instead moved about to collect his laundry. "I'm going to do laundry. Anything you want done?" He asked out of courtesy.

"Cannibal." Kakashi replied back, turning a page in his book.

Iruka rolled his eyes and shook his head at the rather childish manner. Just as he was about to step out, he noticed that the canvases that were on Kakashi's bed were leaning against wall by the door. It looked abstract with lots of red and metallic colors.

"Are they yours?" Iruka asked, mesmerized. It was nicely done.

"Yes." Kakashi answered, not taking his eyes off the book.

"They're lovely. Where did you get them?"

"I paint." Kakashi answered, turning another page.

"Yeah? What do you call these pieces?" Iruka asked, examining the paintings closer.

"Left one is called 'Room-mate dying in a car accident'. The right one is called 'Room-mate being whacked in the head with a shovel' and the smaller one is called 'Room-mate dying of leprosy'. I'm actually quite fond of those paintings. My best work so far. Aren't they pretty?"

Iruka managed to croak out a 'yeah, you're so talented' before bolting out of the room and wondering where he went wrong.

TBC

Half a page shorter than the previous chapter. I will be trying to update this story every 2-3 days or so. Should it be later than that, I will try to add more length to it.