Disclaimer: Don't own.
11. Memory
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Kakashi turned at the call of him name, and saw a tanned chunin briskly walking towards him.
"Kakashi-sensei, sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to meet you. My name's Umino Iruka, the former sensei of Team Seven."
Kakashi nodded and his visible eye turned into the well known inverted-U, "Nice to meet you Iruka-sensei," he held out his hand politely.
Iruka blushed when he realized that he hadn't offered his hand for a hand shake. He took the offered hand and shook it, "Nice to meet you too Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi looked down at their hands and felt the warmth from the darker one, even through his glove. It was firm, yet gentle and fitted well…if not perfect into his.
"Uh…Kakashi-sensei?"
He looked back up and noticed that he younger man was blushing furiously, "Oh sorry Iruka-sensei," he let go of the hand and, at his surprise, he missed it.
"It's – it's alright," the tan chunin averted his gaze for a moment before looking back at him, "I have to go. Again, it was nice meeting you."
"The pleasure was nice," Kakashi smiled at him and watched him turn away to walk back the direction he came from. He felt himself smile as he turned and continued his way to the bridge to meet his team, this time he had a good reason to be late.
"Kakashi?"
"Hmm?" Kakashi looked down from the sky and to the chunin in his arms.
"You're quiet…is everything alright?"
Kakashi nodded his head and kissed the tan forehead, "Just thinking."
"Oh?" the younger man propped himself on an elbow, "About?"
Kakashi smiled, "You."
Iruka blushed, then frowned, "You're just saying that."
Kakashi laughed, "You remember the first time we met, right?" Iruka nodded, a smile growing on his lips. Kakashi took a tan hand into his and kissed the knuckles, "Still as warm as then…"
Iruka felt his cheeks heat up again and smiled down at the older man. He kissed the pale knuckles and brushed his lips against them, "I agree."
12. Insanity
Iruka stood in his classroom as the children ran out, the release bell ringing and echoing in the halls. He visibly twitched when they were all out the door. The desk. Were splattered. With paint.
Iruka told himself. More like, forbade himself to let the children paint ever again, because it only meant trouble. He should have seen it coming. Children. With paint? What was he thinking? I wasn't, Iruka twitched,that's the problem.
He sighed and tried to calm himself,but these kids aren't animals! He looked back around his classroom, and it was telling him that they indeed were. Iruka sighed again and began to clean his classroom. As he made his way around a desk he slipped on, what he assumed was, paint. He laid there, staring at the classroom ceiling, counting back from ten.
Ten…nine, he took a deep breath, seven…six…He heard his window open, and footsteps walking towards him. He shut his eyes and began again, ten…nine…eight –
"What happened here?" a familiar deep voice asked.
Six…five…four…
"What the hell happened to you?" the voice was right above him now.
Ten…nine…eight…
"Hey, Iruka, are you alright?"
…five…four…three…
"Did those brats do this, or did you manage this yourself?" there was a tease in the voice and it made Iruka snap.
Iruka snapped his eyes open and glared. Kakashi mentally flinched, and watched as the chunin hastily stand up, trying to wipe off the back of his pants, and he kept glaring at him.
"Yes those brats did this!" he snapped, "This! This is what I get when I try to do something nice! Try to give them a break before exams! Try to givemyself a break, and look!" he gestured at his classroom, and then at the floor, "This is the end result! I end up with even more stress, and more to take care of! Why can't I – " his rant was effectively cut off as the jounin pulled him into a searing kiss. He tried pushing him away, but the tongue that delved into his mouth made his hands weak. Strong arms held him around his waist as his hands rested on the vested chest. He threaded his fingers into the silver hair and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss and turning it in even more heated. They pulled away, breathless and flushed.
"Are you calm now?" Kakashi asked, a bit too breathlessly.
Iruka looked around the classroom, and pulled the older man into another kiss, desperately tasting the older man. I might just snap if he leaves.
13. Misfortune
Kakashi woke up, and looking at his clock on his nightstand, he was up too early. He figured he could sleep for, at least, another three hours, since he didn't have to meet team seven in an hour. He rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. He found that he couldn't. He rolled over again and his mind starting thinking, I wonder what Ruru's doing…sleeping probably, he sighed and rolled onto his stomach. Thirty minutes passed and he rolled over onto his back and glared at the ceiling. He figured he could get up and lounge around for a while until he headed to meet his team. He rolled off his bed and miscalculated how much room he had on his bed, he landed on the floor with a loud thump and nearly hit his head on the nightstand. He groaned and pulled himself up, his feet got tangled on the sheets when he tried to make his way to the bathroom and fell to the floor again. He cursed softly, and then louder for good measure. He gave a frustrated groan and got up again, this time making sure that there no way he could somehow trip and hurt himself again. While looking around for any hazards, his foot met his bedframe. He stood there, frozen, trying to keep his frustration in check. He limped away from his bed and glared at it,Screw this. He gave one last glare at his bedroom before making the hand seals, and teleported out of his bedroom.
He reappeared in Iruka's bedroom and found the chunin still sleeping, Shouldn't he be getting ready for work? He slowly walked over to the bed and crawled over to the sleeping younger man, "Iruka," he said softly, "Iruka." The younger man groaned and shifted to get more comfortable. He moved closer and shook the younger man, "Iruka, don't you have to go to the academy?" Iruka's eyes snapped open and slunged around, one of his elbows ungraciously met the jounin's jaw.
"Oh god! Kakashi! Are you ok?" the jounin whimpered and held on to his jaw, "Kakashi, I'm so sorry!"
Kakashi tested his jaw and whimpered when it popped back into place, "My day…cannot get any worse."
"I'm so sorry, 'Kashi," the chunin looked at him, a guilty expression on his face, "You scared me awake when you told me I have to go to work."
"Don't you?" the jounin touched the spot where elbow and jaw met, rubbing it.
Iruka shook his head, "Day off," he gave him a sheepish smile, "three day weekend."
Kakashi continued to rub his jaw, a frown on his face.
"I'm sorry, love. Let me see," he pulled the pale hand away and saw a bruise forming. He pulled the older man closer and kissed the pale bruise, "I'm sorry." He softly nuzzled the older man's jaw.
Kakashi sighed, "It's ok, don't worry about it." He felt the younger man make a trail of kisses along his jaw and nibble on his ear lobe.
"I missed you last night," he said softly into his ear.
Kakashi felt a shiver go down his spine, "You said you were tired and wanted to go to bed early."
"I did…I was," he kissed right below the ear lobe, "Though, I'm not exactly sure why you left."
Kakashi wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist and realized that the chunin wasn't wearing any pants, "Ruru," he growled.
"I thought you were going to come back during the night," he pulled away and smiled sheepishly at him, a blush crossing his cheeks.
Kakashi figured it wasn't going be such a bad day after all.
Well, it was for his team, he was an hour later than usual.
14. Smile
It was his smile that drew him in, that attracted him towards the tan chunin. At first he found it silly to be so attracted by a simple smile, but he couldn't help but feel warm and just…happy when the chunin smiled at him. Even if was only a friendly smile, the same one when he would turn in a mission report and when they would randomly meet at Ichikaru's. He found it strange, that a simply smile could express so much: friendliness, shyness, and even anger. Even though, it never ceased to amaze him. Even now. After years of being in a committed relationship with the chunin the warm smile never ceases to make him feel better, whether it's after a harsh mission or he was just being an idiot. Never would he have thought that a smile would mean so much to him. And he would never guess that his own smile, was not the first thing Iruka fell in love with, but his lone blue eye that did what he couldn't see his lips do.
15. Silence
There was a silence between them, but the words continued ringing in Iruka's ears.
"I can't do this anymore Iruka…"
He never thought he would hear those words, not from him, not from the man he loved. But what struck him hard and deep, and stabbed his heart was that he said those words in such a broken voice. Like if he regretted them as they left his lips.
"Kakashi…" his voice broke and he bit his lip trying not to cry. He wouldn't cry, he couldn't. He felt betrayed, and he felt his heart slowly breaking.
The older man flinched at the tone, he shook his head, "I…Iruka…I can't keep putting you through this…"
Iruka's eyes widened, he felt tightness in his throat, He's doing this for me? But – why –"Kakashi, what do you mean?"
The older man didn't answer, he only shook his head, mostly at himself, "I should have known better…I'm sorry…" Kakashi turned to leave but wanted to stop when he heard that broken voice call him, he wanted to turn and take the chunin into his arms. To take him home, out of the sterile hospital and hold him. He felt his jaw clench, I'm the reason he's here to begin with. He opened the door and forced his feet out the room.
Iruka stared at the door. The click echoed in the room, and it burned. His tears stung and fell onto his hand. He couldn't remember the last time he cried, when it was this painful. It was only the silence that took his choked ,muffled sobs, and burned the ears of the jounin standing outside the door.
16. Questioning
Kakashi entered his apartment to a disgruntled Iruka sitting on his couch.
"Oh there you are, where were you?"
"I should be asking you that," Iruka countered back.
Kakashi quirked his visible eyebrow, "What do you mean? I was looking for you."
"You were looking for me? Did you try the restaurant you told me to wait for you at?"
Kakashi was now confused, "What?"
"It was your idea to meet for lunch," he glared, "You practically stood me up!"
Kakashi's visible eye widened, "What? I thought I said Wednesday."
Iruka gave him a disbelieving look, "Today is Wednesday!"
A shocked expression took the jounin's pale face, "Oh. Shit."
Iruka snorted and began to laugh, "I can't believe you sometimes. What day did you think it was?"
"I really thought it was Tuesday -," he choked and gasped, he suddenly remembered something.
"What?"
His palm met his face, "I was suppose to meet team seven for training today."
Iruka gave him a blank look, "And you're a genius?"
17. Blood
Iruka entered in apartment and was greeted by a distinct smell of iron. The smell was so strong it nearly made him gag, Oh god, please tell me he's alright. He went to his bedroom, where the smell was strongest. Huddled in a corner was his lover.
"Kakashi!" he hurried to the jounin's side, "Kakashi!"
"Iruka," came the tired response, "Iruka…"
"Kakashi, please tell me this blood isn't yours…"
The jounin shook his head, tears left a trail on a dirtied cheek, "Not mine, Iruka," the voice crack and the visible blue eye shut closed, urging his self-control back.
"Kakashi," he cupped the older man's face, "Kakashi, what is it? What happened?"
"Iruka," he choked and placed his hands on the younger man's, "Iruka…I…" he swallowed and tried to hold back his tears.
Iruka took the jounin into his arms, despite his current state, "Shh, it's alright, let out Kakashi…it's ok…"
The jounin held on to the chunin as if for dear life and began to sob into the chunin's chest.
Kakashi, what has you so shaken up? Iruka threaded his fingers into the dirty hair soothingly, and rubbed the jounin back, "Shhh, it's alright…"
"It was a mission…to kill any witnesses…" he managed saying, and starting shaking, "Iruka…they were only children…"
Iruka's eyes widened, and his heart ached for his lover. He held the older man closer, Why do you have to go through such harsh things Kakashi…
"They were only children…they didn't know any better…," he buried his face into the younger man's chest, "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry Iruka…"
"No, why are you apologizing Kakashi? Its…it's what you had to do…don't put yourself through this."
"Things like this…never bothered me before…," the older man rested his forehead on the chunin's shoulder, "I always did what I had to do without remorse…for spilling blood that wasn't mine."
Iruka leaned his head against the older man's, "You seem to forget that you're also human, Kakashi…," he said softly, his hand continued to run through the dirty silver locks.
"I killed children, Iruka…," the thought alone brought fresh tears into his eyes, "What must you think of me."
"I don't think any less of you Kakashi, nor do I think differently about you," he pulled back the hitai ate and soothingly kissed the exposed temple, "I understand, Love, it's your duty, you did what you had to do…even if you think it was wrong…" he trailed off and felt the older man begin to tremble again, choked sobs filled the room, choked sobs that slowly faded away as the older man cried himself to sleep.
Iruka cradled his blood soaked lover, his tears spotted the jounin's vest as they silently rolled down his cheeks as he cried for his lover, and the unfairness he has gone through.
18. Rainbow
Iruka left the academy, hoping he could make it home before it began to rain. Apparently luck was not on his side. He frowned and noticed that it wasn't raining that hard, so he figured he might as well enjoy it. He looked up and watched the rain fall, the light tapping on his face was relaxing. He closed his eyes and let the water fall on him. A firm hand on his shoulder made him jump and whip his head around. Effectively hitting Kakashi across the face with his ponytail.
"Oh, you startled me," he smiled sheepishly at the older man, realizing how silly he must of looked.
Kakashi smiled under his mask, the water making it cling onto his face, "I didn't want to bother you, but I also didn't want you catching a cold."
"Oh," he gave a embarrassed chuckle, "I guess you're right."
Kakashi looked up, and pulled back his hitai ate, "It is relaxing though."
Iruka smiled and looked up, the water hitting his face in lights taps. He felt a gaze on him and looked back at the jounin, and blushed when the older man was intently looking at him. The sky lit up as the sun broke through the clouds, making both nins look up, "But…it's still raining." A strong arm wrapped around his shoulders and pointed. Iruka followed the direction and saw a rainbow not too far off in the distance. He felt the older man lean his head against his, a smile spreading on his lips. Soft lips kissed his temple and whispered, "Let's go home." He nodded and the rainbow disappeared. He looked into the mismatched eyes, and realized that a rainbow couldn't compete.
19. Gray
The sky above was glum, yet there could be no better weather for a funeral.
Iruka stood in front of the Hokage's memorial as the crowd slowly dispersed. He felt a presence standing behind him, but he couldn't turn around. His body felt numb and reality slowly approaching him.
"Kakashi…" he said softly and the presence behind got closer and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. After a few moment, he turned to him, and looked into the lone blue eye. Kakashi met his gaze, but looked away, "Kakashi?"
"We should go…before it begins to rain," he looked at the framed picture of Sandaime, before looking back to the younger man. Iruka nodded and followed the older man to his apartment. They walked in silence, the silence that was only broken when Iruka took out his keys and unlocked the door.
They changed out of their formal attire and into shirts and sweatpants. Iruka walked out of the bathroom and found Kakashi laying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He walked to him, and joined him. He gently rested his head on the older man's strong shoulder, half sprawling on top of him. Kakashi wrapped an arm around his shoulders and rubbed his biceps in a soothing gesture. He rested his hand above the older man's beating heart and closed his eyes. A warm hand entwined its fingers with his, and soft lips pressed against the crown of his head. Their fears and sorrows stayed unspoken.
The gray, glum clouds didn't leave, even after it rained.
20. Fortitude
Kakashi watched the tan chunin busy around the kitchen. He watched as the chunin went from stove to cabinet to fridge and then back again, with such grace that only merits a shinobi. He watched the muscles flex and work under the t-shirt that seemed too small on the younger man, the seemingly loose sweatpants. His hair was fixed in an equally low loose ponytail. Loose bangs brushed against his scarred cheeks.
Does he even know how beautiful he is? His eyes continued to study the younger man as he prepared dinner, seemingly unaware of his observations, no I don't think he does. He debated if he should intervene and take the chunin into the bedroom to show just how beautiful he is or let him finish dinner.
Dinner. Iruka. Dinner. Iruka.
Kakashi grinned.
Dessert.
Iruka nearly jumped when arms snaked around his waist and lips softly plant kisses along his neck, "K-kakashi – the dinner," he sighed as a hand wandered up to his chest and cross to his shoulder, pressing him closer to the older man, the other crossing over and holding his hip. Lips brushed along his neck, his hot breath ghosting along his skin.
"I want dessert first," he whispered into the chunin ear, and felt the younger man shiver against him.
When it comes to Iruka, Kakashi has no sense of fortitude or self-control.