Kakashi's warning had been well placed. Naruto bounded though Iruka's door not ten minutes later, swearing vengeance and crushing Iruka's rib cage simultaneously. It took some time, but eventually Iruka convinced Naruto that he wasn't scarred for life and could still function regularly in society.
"But...UGH. Some weird dude like...touching you. How did you deal with that?"
Iruka rubbed his forehead for the millionth time. This was definitely the most awkward conversation he had ever had. "Well. I didn't really have a choice, Naruto."
"But...UGH."
Iruka sighed. "Yes. It was Ugh. I don't really want to dwell on it."
"But...EWW."
The chuunin eyed his younger friend with pursed lips. "Would it make you feel better if I 'ewwed' with you?"
Naurto blinked. "But I'm trying to make you feel better."
Now Iruka laughed, and it was genuine. "Naruto. I really appreciate it, but going through the details does not make me feel better. Though, having you as company does. What do you say we play a game or something?"
The blond perked up instantly. "Sure! But...you're really alright? You don't need to like..spar? To get out pent up aggression or bitterness?"
Iruka stood and collected their tea cups. "No, Naruto. Sometimes things happen that are...unpleasant. It's the way of the ninja. There are so many others in our village who have been through worse than that, multiple times. I've had a very easy life here in Konoha."
"Heh heh...Iruka-sensei is invincible." Naruto responded affectionately, his trade mark toothy grin firmly in place. The chuunin turned to regard his younger student. The two of them smiled at each other, the love between them palpable in the air. Iruka placed the dishes in the sink and walked back to his blond companion.
"I wish." He sighed as he tousled the blond's hair. "But you certainly seem to be, war hero."
Naruto turned red and playfully swatted Iruka's hands away. "I'll stay with you for the next two days. To make sure no creepo puts his grubby hands on my Iruka-sensei."
"What happens if he tried to put his grubby hands on you?" Iruka teased.
"UGH THEN I'D THROW HIM INTO THE SUN!" Naruto exclaimed, leaping off of the couch and scratching his body all over. "SO GROSS SO GROSS!"
Iruka laughed as he watched Naruto completely spazz out. The chuunin always wondered why Naruto was so 'homo-sensitive'. You couldn't jokingly insinuate anything between him and another man without the blond going totally over the edge. Actually, Iruka remembered Naruto telling him that Kakashi had tried to say something genuinely nice to him and he'd freaked out. Something about Kakashi liking him.
Hmm. It made you wonder.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Just as Naruto promised, two days passed in his company. Iruka definitely wasn't complaining as the two had hardly spent any time together for the last little while. Their days mostly consisted of playing dice, eating far too much food and trying to assure Naruto that he wouldn't have any deep psychological trauma from his recent attack.
When the excitable blond finally left, Iruka found himself looking around his apartment and feeling a little empty. It made him want to ask Naruto to move in with him.
Except that picturing himself living with Naruto involved constantly cleaning up after him, cooking for him and having to entertain him. As much as he loved Naruto and cared about his growth, he didn't want to turn into his dad. Naruto may be a war hero, but he was still a teenager. Iruka was also slightly terrified that he would get 'comfortable' kind of...fathering Naruto and would never bother starting his own family.
The thought of family reminded him of his 'dream' and brought more heaviness to his heart. He found himself wondering what Kakashi was doing, if he was enjoying being Hokage. If...he ever thought of Iruka...
A loud PANG nearly caused the chuunin to have an aneurism. He whirled around and saw one of the delivery falcons desperately trying to get in through his window. Iruka ran over, opened the window and accepted the message.
Iruka-sensei,
I have news for you. Please come as soon as possible.
Kakashi.
I mean, Kakashi-sama. I mean, Kakashi-san. I mean, Hokage-sama.
Iruka turned bright, neon red at Kakashi's mocking signature.
But.
It also made him smile.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"I want to say I can't get over it. But, I'm not really that surprised." Tsunande sighed as she handed the piece of paper back to Ibiki. "Crazy is as crazy does."
"Deep. Where did you get that from?" Kakashi remarked cheekily.
"Your mom."
Ibiki barked out a laugh. "There's something wrong with you two."
Kakashi and Tsunande tried to look innocent and pointed to themselves in question.
"Anyway." Ibiki resumed, clearing his throat. "I was in there with that nutcase for two days. That's honestly all I could get out of him, and I tried everything. We did get some excellent DNA for the lab, though. He does have some amazing abilities."
"Hmm." Kakashi pondered as he slipped the piece of paper from Ibiki's fingers and gazed at it again. "I suppose I'll send the message to Mist that he's here. You've been in touch with Mei, haven't you?"
"Yes." Tsunande answered. "She's the one who sent me the news about their own little circus performance. I suppose the world can't change all at once."
"What happened, again?"
"Oh. A bunch of mercenaries decided to breach their boarders and set all their corn fields on fire. I guess they didn't get the memo about the "Mist" part of the village name. The fire didn't last long."
Kakashi snorted. "Isn't there a river running along their agricultural centre?"
"Yip."
"Ah."
"Are you guys going to tell Iruka?" Ibiki asked.
"Yes." Was Kakashi's quick response. "He deserves to know. Besides, the more informed our citizens are, the more likely they are to perform their own damage control. This illusion of 'peace' may cause more harm than good, if these kinds of incidents continue to occur."
"We've strengthened the guard again, haven't we?"
"Indeed, but every single ninja in our village except the genin are exhausted from the war. And we can't exactly have a line of 12 year old's guarding the village."
Ibiki laughed. It was a scary sound. "Why not?"
Tsunande and Kakashi eyed him as if they weren't quite sure if he was joking or being serious. He coughed, embarrassed.
"What? It happened in the last war."
A soft knock at the door saved Ibiki from further judgement.
"Send him in." Kakashi called.
Iruka entered a moment later, bowing respectfully.
"Kakashi-sama, Tsunande-sama. You called?"
"Yes. I suggest having a seat, Iruka." Kakashi responded with a smile.
The chuunin noticed Ibiki then and nodded to him. The two had never really officially met, but Iruka had a good idea of who he was. He took a seat opposite Kakashi and waited for the news.
"So. Ibiki here has been with your assailant for the last two days. He got him to talk, a little. This is what he said."
Kakashi leaned forward and handed Iruka the slip of paper. The chuunin accepted it with slight anxiety. It sure was a small piece of paper. Slowly, he unrolled it. The note simply said:
I have a thing for nice guys.
Iruka stared at it.
"What...?"
"Huh." Tsunande responded. "That's what Kakashi said."
"In essence." Kakashi continued, ignoring Tsunande. "We're under the assumption that he had no real method to his madness. He was just a miscreant taking advantage of the sensitive state of the village. He's originally from Mist, and will be either imprisoned here or sent back there. Whatever the Mizukage wants."
Iruka nodded slowly. Well. He supposed that was better than having been part of some giant, perverted master plan.
"Things like this have been happening everywhere, apparently." Kakashi continued. "Mist had their crops attacked, Cloud had a vandal breach their walls and dig up all the dead bodies in their graveyards. I forgot...what happened in Sand?"
Tunsnade laughed loudly and slapped her thigh. "Oh, someone who was obsessed with Gaara tried to get into his bedroom. She dressed up like a maid. They don't have maids."
Iruka looked between the two of them with his mouth slightly hanging open. He had absolutely no idea any of this was going on.
"I...see. Do you think we're in any real danger?" The chuunin asked Kakashi.
"Well. It's hard to say, but we have increased security as much as our resources allow."
"I'm not teaching at the moment." Iruka supplied, his face and tone serious. "Put me on guard duty."
Tsunande, Kakashi and Ibiki stared at him. Tsunande and Ibiki just looked surprised, but there was something deeper to Kakashi's glance that had Iruka desperately praying he wasn't blushing.
"Are you sure you're up for that, Iruka?" Kakashi asked softly.
"Of course. Everyone has to do their part."
With a smile, Kakashi turned and pulled a scroll off of his desk. "Well." he started, toying with it gently. "We weren't planning on holding off class for much longer, but I'll put you on for an afternoon shift at the gate tomorrow. How does that sound?"
Iruka absolutely beamed. "That's perfect. I'm glad to be of service."
The three other occupants in the room smiled with him.
"Well. Now that we've managed to guilt guard duty out of Iruka, I think we should let him have the rest of the day to himself." Tsunande chuckled.
"I can see him out." Kakashi offered. Iruka's insides instantly started doing somersaults. He wondered if this was ever going to get better.
Iruka said his goodbyes to the other occupants of the Hokage's office before he was ushered out of the room by Kakashi. If Iruka didn't know any better, and from his biased standpoint he sure didn't, he would think Kakashi was in a rush to get them alone.
Once the door to the office was closed, Kakashi turned to Iruka with a soft smile.
"You bounce back fast, Sensei."
Iruka scratched his nose in embarrassment. "Well...I'm so used to being busy, it's been strange having nothing to do. Now I can fill my day with something."
"You mean Naruto wasn't enough?"
"Oh!" Iruka laughed lightly. "Yes, he's a handful. But having him around was nice. It's good to have company."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Iruka realized he just opened the door to talk about the lack of people generally in his apartment. He hoped Kakashi would just ignore it and steer down another avenue.
"You don't usually...?"
Shit.
"Ah...I..." Iruka stammered, desperately trying to think up an excuse. "Well, evenings are usually spent marking, and then there's the missions desk. Besides, I spend my entire day surrounded by people. At night, it's nice to just relax by myself."
Boom. Iruka was sure he nailed that one.
There was this...wolfish kind of half smirk happening that was so intimidating it was noticeable under Kakashi's mask. Iruka kind of wanted to run.
"Oh. So. You spend your nights by yourself?"
"...Yes..."
"But, on purpose?"
Iruka wasn't sure how to respond, but he felt himself becoming insecure and with that, defensive.
"Well, great Kakashi-sama. How do you usually spend your nights?" Iruka snapped back, crossing his arms over his chest.
The Hokage did not seemed deterred in the slightest.
"Alone, mostly. Well. I've been spending a lot of time with Tsunande lately."
Iruka blinked.
"...So..."
"I didn't mean there was anything wrong with it, Sensei. I was just curious."
Iruka shot him a flat look. "So. You were baiting me."
Kakashi's grin seemed to grow, if that was even possible. "I'm simply trying to make conversation."
It seemed like Naruto may not have been completely off when he said that Kakashi was infuriating and incorrigible. However. Their banter, to Iruka's horror, was kind of turning him on. There was just something about someone who was intelligently dickish that got to him where the going was good. It helped that Iruka knew that in actuality, Kakashi was one of the nicest, bravest people he'd ever known. So the douche part was really just for fun.
But that didn't mean he wasn't mad. Cause he was totally mad.
"Well. We've conversed. I suppose I'll be going now." Iruka huffed. He spun on his heel and made to leave, but Kakashi planted his palm on the wall across from him and blocked him in with his arm.
"Storming off on the Hokage? Iruka-sensei. I didn't know you were capable of such disrespect."
Shit. Kakashi got him right in the tender part. Obviously, he was joking. Kakashi did not take himself seriously at all, no matter what position he was in. However. Iruka had an ingrained, deeply rooted respect and OCDness for the 'rules' and tradition. Technically, Kakashi was the Hokage. So, technically, he should be treating him the way he'd treat any other Hokage.
Iruka breathed deeply and turned back around. Kakashi's grin was gone and his face was a blank slate, but his eyes danced with mischief. He was totally fucking with Iruka and was definitely going to get away with it. Because for some reason, Kakashi being able to control him made Iruka want to tackle the copy-nin and rip his clothes off. Go figure.
"Please excuse me, Hokage-sama." Iruka continued with obviously exaggerated formality. "For my insolence. I ask your permission to retire to my apartment."
Kakashi slowly dropped his arm, staring down at Iruka with a quiet intensity. "That's more like it. Granted."
Iruka tilted his chin up in frustrated defiance, then stepped back and swooped down into a very low, traditional bow. He paused, his head level with Kakashi's waist, before bringing himself back up again. The chuunin froze, his eyes captured by Kakashi's.
The Hokage's face was completely neutral, but his eyes were smouldering. Iruka found himself struggling to breathe, as if he was trapped and drowning. He had planned to walk away, to turn and leave, but he was frozen in place. His chest rose and fell with his lungs laboured efforts. He could feel a pool of heat collecting in his stomach.
Something told him he had to leave. He had to assert himself.
First, his shoulders turned. He took a step forward. Last, oh so last, he was able to tear his gaze away from Kakashi's. It was like breaking through the surface of water. He inhaled as silently as he could when he walked away, but it was like someone had been squeezing his lungs. He forced himself not to look back, but he could have sworn he felt the heat of Kakashi's eyes on him as he left.
When Iruka got back to his apartment, all he could do was stare at the ceiling and think about Kakashi. He was...something else. Iruka was utterly and totally lost in him. The word 'sexy' kept popping up in the chuunin's head, a word he had never felt the need to use in his life. Kakashi was sexy. Iruka had no idea how to deal with it. The last thing the school teacher saw himself as was sexy, so how in the world would he ever be able to...
...To what?
The idea of being with Kakashi was just ludicrous. First of all, Iruka had JUST kind of...accepted that he swung in a different direction than most people. Despite the fact that Kakashi had looked like he wanted to eat him alive not an hour ago, the chances of him liking men as well were slim to none. Kakashi was a bit of a strange person; he read porn in public and was notorious for jerking people around when it suited him. Just because he flirted with Iruka didn't mean he actually wanted him. Iruka just needed to accept that and stop. Now that they'd actually established some sort of...friendship, he didn't want to ruin it by trying to force an envelope that wasn't going to open.
Despite telling himself this over and over, Iruka could not stop thinking about the way Kakashi had looked at him. Like he had barely escaped being completely devoured.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The next day, Iruka happily prepared for guard duty. As a shinobi, he always had weapons on him, even if he was just teaching. It was kind of an 'always on active duty' thing that all ninja complied with. You could be the ninja that swept the floor around the guard post, but you still had to be ready and able to fight. So, filling his packs with weapons and readying himself for battle shouldn't have really been a big deal.
But it so was.
He realized he was really low on explosive tags. Half his kunai had an inch of dust on them. His medpack hadn't been used in so long some of the antibiotics were expired.
Damn he was boring.
After a quick, refreshing stop to the weapons shop, Iruka was suited up and ready to go. He actually was a little embarrassed at himself for how excited he was. Anyone assigned to guard duty dreaded it, yet here he was, thinking it was the best thing ever. He actually got to actively protect the village. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done that.
"Hey!" Iruka greeted to the gate watcher. "Umino Iruka reporting."
"Ohhh. Yes, I was sent a message about you. Thank you for your time." The guard greeted with a smile. He checked Iruka's I.D then sent him to his post. Luckily for him, he got to stand outside of the gate, which meant he had a great view of the beautiful path and trees that lead into the city. He took a deep breath, put down his pack, and began his first day on guard duty with a big grin on his face.
Hours passed. Occasionally, one of the other guards would pass him by and strike up conversation. He met a handful of new shinobi he'd never even seen before, all promising to go out for drinks some day. The attitude at the wall seemed a little...lax, but, Iruka trusted that everyone was doing their jobs to the best of their ability. He had to admit that it was difficult to concentrate for so long without zoning out. It almost seemed like an ability only an ANBU would possess. Iruka could easily see Kakashi standing where he was, gazing out into the forest without moving an inch for a full 7 hour shift.
He almost hit himself.
Stop thinking about Kakashi, Iruka. He chided. Honestly, what good was that going to do anyone? He stood a little taller in an attempt to concentrate. It may have been only one lax guard that let that creep into the village. Iruka didn't want anything like that happening again.
Another couple of hours passed and Iruka found himself wondering how much longer his shift was. They were not allowed watches on guard duty, probably because people would be checking them every five seconds.
He yawned loudly and scratched his nose. Okay. This was pretty damn dull.
A noise caught his attention in the distance. He stood as still as possible, listening and watching. There was another similar noise to his left, and then one to his right. Alarm bells went off in his head. Iruka had a very bad feeling he was about to be attacked.
Clay pots came flying out of the bush towards him. They were all around the same height, so he merely dropped to the ground and they smashed on the wall behind him.
"ALERT!" Iruka shouted. He heard his comrades yelling to each other behind him.
More random objects came whizzing from all directions. Iruka side-stepped a teddy bear, ducked a tea pot, leaped over a small wooden chair and sliced open a painting that was coming right at his face. He had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on, but he got the impression someone was trying to make him move from his post.
A loud "BOING" sound echoed from the trees and Iruka glanced up just as a cow was launched right at him.
Holy shit. Like an actual cow.
Iruka had no choice. He leaped to the side and the poor animal hit the ground with a wet 'thud'. He tried to race back as fast as possible, but a shinobi was standing on top of the groaning farm animal. The two ninja stared at each other before they both moved. Iruka ran towards him, but the ninja leaped up and grasped onto the wall. Iruka formed his hand seals.
"Isshi Tojin!" He cried. Iruka smashed his hand onto the wall and the seal formed right in the centre of his opponent. Instantly, the shinobi was trapped. Iruka stepped back and spun around, trying to assess the remaining threat level.
Out of the corner of his eye he could see leaf ninja running along the top of the wall. Down below, foot steps were coming towards him. The objects had stopped coming. The poor cow was not in good shape.
Iruka turned back to his captured enemy. The ninja was looking down at him calmly, not at all concerned that he'd just been captured trying to breach a ninja village. Iruka stood beneath him, confused and concerned.
"What do you think you're doing?" He asked.
"I wanted to see what was inside these walls." The ninja responded.
Iruka craned an eyebrow. "So...you attacked me with nick-knacks? And a cow?"
"Well. I figured you wouldn't just let me in."
The chuunin gaped in disbelief. It couldn't possibly be this simple. "You...can get a day pass, you know."
The ninja tried to put his hands on his hips, but his movement was severely restricted. "You don't say."
"We're a village, not a barracks. All you had to do was approach the gate, show your I.D. And ask for permission. We do background checks, and you'd need an escort, but...yah."
"Huh." Was all the strange ninja managed to say. "Well. I feel like I fudged this up."
A poof of smoke suddenly separated the two shinobi. Iruka whipped out a kunai, but in an instant, a Konoha ANBU was visible. He looked up at Iruka's handy work, then turned to the chuunin.
"Nicely done. What's with the cow?"
"It...ah. He threw it at me."
The ANBU stood in silence. Iruka could imagine the kind of expression he was making.
"What?"
"Yes. It's strange. He's a little strange."
"I like pudding."
Iruka and the ANBU slowly turned to look up at their guest. He shrugged.
"It's true. I like pudding."
The ANBU sighed deeply. "I can take it from here."
Iruka bowed politely. "Thank you, ANBU-san. I believe my shift is over anyway. It's been exciting."
When Iruka started walking away, he heard the 'enemy' shinobi shout after him with everything he had.
"I LIKE YOUR HAIR!"
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Huh." Kakashi commented as he read the report. "A cow..."
"Indeed." Was the mystery ANBU's simple response.
"I can't recall...has anything like this been reported at the gates before?"
"Not that I know of, Hokage-sama. But I haven't been ANBU that long."
Kakashi hummed again as he skimmed over the incident report. Anyone involved in the situation claimed that the supposed culprit was definitely not 'of sound mind' and, unless the person he was dealing with had no formal ninja training what-so-ever, was 'completely harmless'. The ANBU had listed every single detail of the incident, including the jutsu Iruka had used to capture him. It was impressive that Iruka could even learn seals, because they were not easy, but it was one of the most basic capture seals out there. Clearly, the ninja had not been out to maim anyone, or he would have put up a much harder fight than that.
"Thank you, Kiko. I'm going to be calling an ANBU meeting sometime in the next two days. I'll debrief you then."
The ANBU bowed low then disappeared with a gentle 'poof'.
Kakashi tapped his fingers against the desk in thought. What an interesting situation. Definitely not the worst thing he could have fallen into as a new Hokage. Poor Yondaime had had to deal with a friggen Kyuubi.
A presence tickled against Kakashi's senses. It was one of the gentlest chakra's he'd ever felt, so it was definitely Iruka. He smiled lightly to himself and gently placed the report down on his desk. As he predicted, he heard the ANBU guard address the chuunin at the door.
"Let him in." Kakashi called.
The large wooden doors opened timidly to reveal a smiling, dark haired school teacher. Kakashi smiled back in welcome and Iruka slowly approached him.
"I hope this isn't a bad time." The chuunin greeted.
"No, actually it's perfect timing. I was just going over the incident report from the gate."
Iruka seemed to perk up. "Oh! That's what I wanted to talk to you about."
Kakashi gestured for him to sit and Iruka did so. "I see that your first and only guard duty mission wasn't too dull."
Iruka looked like he was going to comment, but stopped and stared in confusion. "My only mission?"
"Yes..." Kakashi began, but paused for a dramatic sigh. He rubbed one of his temples absently. "We've received some complaints from parents that they don't know what to do with their children all day. Most of them are single parents who need to work, some are ninja families who are having trouble finding someone to look after their child while they're out. Either way, we've decided to resume class."
Iruka looked like he wanted to say something. His eyes had gotten considerably harder since he first arrived. "Was there...any indication at all that...well..."
"I'm not sure, Iruka." Kakashi finished for him. "Unfortunately, it seems that the future sanity of our village is on you and the other school teachers shoulders. It may not be a fair burden, but I can't imagine anyone who is better for the task than you."
Iruka sat in stunned silence. He just...had no idea what he had done to deserve such praise from Kakashi, of all people. The chuunin tried to say something, but his mouth just kind of moved without producing any actual sounds. Clearly, that did not help his embarrassment, and soon he was as red as Kakashi's Hokage hat. Kakashi merely smiled pleasantly before he raised a finger.
"Oh. That reminds me."
The Hokage pulled out one of his drawers and rummaged through it casually. Finally, he slipped out a little scroll, sealed with the Hokage's insignia.
"With everything that's been going on with the young students at The Academy, it's given me the impression that they may need a lot more supervision as a whole. I want to make sure they get the help they deserve, and that our lessons and teaching style suit the times and needs of our village. As such, I've basically designed a new position at the Academy. There will now be a Head Master, who is responsible for overseeing all classes, lessons and students. His responsibility will be to look at the big picture, instead of focus on a single class."
Iruka had been nodding the entire time with his eyes wide and bright. That was a brilliant idea, of course. Actually, now that Kakashi was talking about it, Iruka had no idea why they'd never thought of that before.
"That's wonderful, Kakashi-sama. You-"
The scroll was delivered directly into his unsuspecting hands.
"If you will do me the honour, I'd like that Head Master to be you, Iruka-sensei."
It seemed slightly hilarious now that Iruka had been bashful of Kakashi's minor praise not a moment ago. The chuunin stared at the scroll in his hands like it was liquid gold. He felt his entire head go red hot, but at the same time, an excitement was stirring in his gut that made his eyes shine. Head Master...think of all the things he could do. He already wanted to start some kind of after-school program to kind of coach the kids through any kind of crisis they may be going through. He even wanted to start a tutoring program.
Slowly, he looked back up at Kakashi. The jounin was eyeing him curiously, but also with a warmth that Iruka was starting to see more and more in his eyes.
"I...I'm so honoured. But, surely, someone of a higher rank should-"
"Iruka. The fact is, you are the only teacher to come to us with concerns about your students. You're the only one who tried to help them. It is very clear to me that you love them the most, and those kids deserve to be supervised by the person who has their best interests at heart. All the teachers at the Academy are good at what they do, but none of them love it like you do."
The chuunin's heart suddenly felt uncomfortably large in his chest. He never would have expected such trust, and such genuine praise from Kakashi. The Hokage was right, of course. Iruka loved every one of his students as if they were his own children. The fact that Kakashi could see that and rewarded Iruka for it seemed to tie a little rocket to his feelings for the jounin and essentially blast them into outer space. He had a bad feeling he was falling in love, and now he would be busier than ever. Closing his eyes, Iruka took a second to get a grip on himself. Kakashi was obviously waiting for an answer. Iruka stood, clutching the scroll to his chest like it was made of glass, and bowed low to his Hokage.
"Thank you for this great opportunity and responsibility, Hokage-sama. I happily accept, and will do my best for the school and my students."
Kakashi stood as well, a bright smile on his face as he clapped Iruka hard on the shoulder. "Excellent! Well, I knew you would be happy to do it, or I wouldn't have asked." He strode around his desk, coming to stand easily beside Iruka, who was doing his damned best not to make an ass out of himself and just stand there blushing and stammering. Kakashi regarded him with open warmth, his hand resting on his shoulder.
"I'm going to give the word officially to the Academy tomorrow, when school starts. I assumed you wouldn't want to lose your class, so I'm allowing you to teach and be Head Master for the first year. I thought it would be alright for you, but if it get's to be too much work, let me know."
Iruka toyed with the scroll in his hand and tried to ignore how good it felt for Kakashi to touch him. "That should be fine. I have to make some kind of plan...I already have ideas, though."
"Don't worry too much about the logistics. I'm going to write a detailed account of the responsibilities and powers of the Head Master. No one will be able to question your authority, or they'll have to answer to me."
There was a definitive protectiveness in Kakashi's tone that made Iruka's knees feel weak. The chuunin stared at him in wonder, somehow feeling vulnerable and protected at the same time. His hand gravitated to the one on his shoulder, clutching it without thinking.
"I...I don't know how to tell you how honoured and grateful I am." The chuunin whispered.
Kakashi chuckled. "Well, you don't have to. It's my job to watch out for this village. I merely made a decision that was in the best interests of everyone."
Another thick silence elapsed as Iruka stared into Kakashi's eyes. Eyes that unabashedly pierced into his soul, with a fire that he had only ever seen from Kakashi on the battle field. Iruka had no idea what to think, what to expect. No one had taken notice of Iruka like this since Hiruzen. Although, Hiruzen never looked at Iruka the way Kakashi did. But to think...even for a second that he was interested, it was impossible...
"Iruka." Kakashi murmured.
"...Uh...yah?"
"I have a meeting."
"Oh!" Iruka started, and it was like snapping out of hypnosis. He suddenly realized how close they were standing, and this warmth...
Iruka froze. He turned completely white. When the HELL had he grabbed Kakashi's hand? He yanked his own appendage back and stared at Kakashi in horror. Why hadn't he said something? Why hadn't he taken his hand off his shoulder?
"I...I'm sorry. I didn't realize.."
Kakashi dropped his hand from Iruka's shoulder to the small of his back. He gently guided the chuunin forward, their eye contact never breaking. "If it was a problem I would have said something." Kakashi answered. They stood before the doors to his office, Kakashi's hand still on Iruka's back. The chuunin felt like his entire body was on fire. He wanted to kiss Kakashi so badly he nearly leaned forward on instinct.
"Kakashi..."
The doors were opened. Iruka felt the gentlest of pressures from the hand on his back, so he stepped through. Kakashi stayed in the doorway, smiling at Iruka pleasantly enough, but his eyes were telling a story Iruka didn't know how to decipher.
"Good luck tomorrow, Iruka-sensei. I plan on coming by the Academy in the next few days to see how things are progressing. But, if there's anything you need in the meantime, you know where to come to."
Iruka nodded, not trusting his voice. He smiled as brightly as he could, but there was something in him that was starting to feel bad. It was...confusion. He didn't understand Kakashi at all, or what any of this meant. As much as he wanted to just brush it all off as 'part of his personality', the common sense part of Iruka knew that wasn't true. This was a little bit much, even for Kakashi.
It was as if the new Hokage could sense Iruka's growing frustration. He gently placed his hand on his arm and squeezed.
"I'll see you soon, alright?"
"Sure." Iruka responded easily, before taking the few extra steps needed to enter into the hallway and leave Kakashi's side. He realized with horror that he'd just left the Hokage's office without paying the proper respects, again. But, the soft click of the door closing told him that Kakashi hadn't noticed. Or cared. Either one.
As Iruka headed back to his apartment, his mind was tormented with a whirlwind of thoughts. He was elated, absolutely elated about his new position. Nervous, definitely. But he felt like it was right and that he was going to love it. For that, he was truly grateful to Kakashi. The Hokage had recognized him for his talents and rewarded them.
But...
Whenever Iruka thought of Kakashi, his gut twisted painfully. Up until now he had merely excused what was obviously heavy flirting as just Kakashi 'being himself'. Looking back on their time together that day, Iruka couldn't excuse it anymore. Kakashi was openly hitting on him and there was no other way to look at it. He should have been happy, but instead it caused him pain. Whenever they would really seem to...connect, Kakashi would push him away. There was no denying it. Iruka wasn't sure if that meant Kakashi enjoyed flirting with him but had no intentions of ever pursuing anything more, or if he was keeping things 'friendly' for other reasons.
Of course, expecting anything from Kakashi at this point in his life was ludicrous. He had just become the Hokage right after a massive world war. He was obviously going to be busy and have a lot on his mind. It was understandable. That wasn't what was hurting Iruka.
It was the second option. The idea that Kakashi enjoyed yanking Iruka around for his own satisfaction, without taking into account how it would make the chuunin feel. But...an assumption like that seemed unfair towards Kakashi. The Hokage had been nothing but incredibly kind, understanding and tender to Iruka. And generous. To make a new position and then put Iruka in it...
He scoffed, chiding himself. Wow. Just because he wanted Kakashi and the chances of getting him were slim didn't mean he had the right to get upset. The reason he had been drawn to Kakashi was the kindness in his eyes. If he really believed he was kind, he needed to trust him.
As soon as Iruka reached his apartment, he got to work on drafting the changes he wanted to make at the Academy.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
As soon as Iruka arrived to class he was literally attacked by a mob of children.
"IRUKA-SENSEI! IRUKA-SENSEI!"
"I MISSED YOU!"
"YOU'RE LEAVING US?"
"DON'T LEAVE US WITH EBISU-SENSEI, IRUKA-SENSEI!"
"Wow, wow, children! Oww, Jubei, that's my hair. Okay, everyone please settle down."
The poor chuunin was literally prying 11 year olds from his chest and legs, settling them down, only for another two to take their place.
"I'm not -OWW, Hiyata! Ugh, did someone drool on me...?"
After a very stressful ten minutes attempting to control the emotional crowd of children, Iruka finally managed to get them to sit down and stop freaking out by threatening to take away recess for a week. He stood, panting, adjusting his hair tie and vest while he looked down at them with barely suppressed anxiety.
"Wow. Class. I understand emotions are high, but we all need to keep our heads. Understand?"
"Yes, Iruka-sensei..." Was bashfully murmured amongst the crowd.
"Great. So. To address the first issue; no, I am not leaving you. Not for a second."
Everyone cheered. Iruka waited patiently for them to settle down again before he continued. "Second. I have no idea how you all heard so quickly, but yes; I am now the Head Master of the academy. Nothing will change in this class, as I'm going to finish being your instructor this year. Well. We're not really sure what's going to happen next year, either. All the same, no one has to worry about anything. We wouldn't put you through such a big change when you have more important things to worry about."
"Like graduating..." One girl offered quietly.
Iruka smiled and ruffled her hair. "Yes. Like graduating. There's one more announcement I want to make. I'm going to be forming an after-school, ah...'sharing circle'. I want everyone who has any concerns about the infinite tsukuyomi to be able to talk about it if they need to. Does that sound appealing to anyone here?"
There was a tense silence where all the students looked around the small group to see if anyone was putting up their hand. The few students who already hesitatingly half-raised theirs slowly extended their arms. Soon, half the class had either fully raised their hands or were making shy little waves where they hoped only Iruka could see them. The chuunin smiled warmly.
"Alright. Now! Let's get back to work. We have a lot of catching up to do."
"AWWWW!"
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The students weren't really what you would call 'attentive', but Iruka was heart-warmed to see that they were paying as much attention as they could because they'd missed him. The chuunin really hoped the ones who needed help would show up to his 'sharing circle' after school. He hadn't wanted to call it counselling in case it scared the kids away.
During lunch period Iruka had a very intense meeting with the rest of the teachers. Kakashi had made the official announcement as he said he would, and most of the teachers were elated and congratulated Iruka with genuine excitement. However, it was too much to hope that that sentiment would be carried through by everyone. He saw some very bitter, jealous faces during their meeting that made him a little sad.
"I'm hoping we can all work together to get the children motivated again." Iruka announced to the faculty during their meeting. "I think speaking to the students about their concerns with the infinite tsukuyomi will help them get past whatever they're going through, but what does everyone else think?"
His friend and long-time work mate Suzume spoke up immediately. "I like it. I've been having so many problems with my students, it's unbelievable. We have to do something or I'm going to lose my marbles!"
"I agree. Some of my students seem...angry. Like, they've just got all these pent up emotions. I thought being with their families would help, but a lot of the parents in our village are just too busy." A male teacher sighed, twirling his pen around nervously. "I think it really is up to us."
"Frankly? I don't think it's any of our business." One teacher sneered. "We're supposed to be teaching them how to be ninja, not raising them."
Iruka was about to respond, but another teacher beat the chuunin to it.
"Fat lot of luck that'll do us when they won't listen. Seriously, you haven't noticed a difference in your kids?"
"I suppose so. But, if they don't work, they won't graduate. These are the future ninja of our village, we can't coddle them. That is not the ninja way."
"The ninja way is to watch out for one another." Iruka responded. He tried to keep his tone light, but there was a definite edge to it that made the board room go silent. "This is not a normal situation. A ninja is supposed to be adaptable; we need to adapt to this threat to our fellow villagers well being. Just because our students want to be ninja doesn't mean we have to ignore the fact that they're very young and very human."
The silence persisted. Many of the teachers nodded their heads in agreement, but some still seemed sceptical.
"My brother was fighting in the last Great War when he was twelve years old." One teacher commented, his eyes hard. "He had to suck it up and deal with it. You're telling me our kids can't even shake off a measly dream without needing their hands held the entire time?"
Iruka bowed his head, his eyes closed. "That was a different time. Hiruzen-sama never would have put fresh chuunin and genin in a war if there had been a choice. But there hadn't been. I would have given my soul to be able to help my parents in the Kyuubi attack, and I hadn't even graduated from the academy yet. We can't treat the children of this generation as if they were living in the last. The reason we fight and bleed and die is for peace. Now that we have it, why do we need to act as if we don't?"
At the intense silence produced by his speech, Iruka decided he needed to take things down a level. "However. I understand peoples hesitance to get too 'involved' in our students personal affairs. So, my idea of balance is to hold only one of these counselings sessions and see how everyone feels about them. If we find they're effective, we can talk about having a few more. How does that sound?"
Iruka saw everyone around the table nod their heads. Some were a little more hesitant than others, but regardless, he had the go ahead from every teacher at the academy.
"Now..." Iruka laughed, scratching his scar. "Who wants to volunteer?"
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Iruka absently thought about all the other times in his life that he'd ever felt stressed and realized bleakly that he had no idea what stress was until now. He supposed it was good that only six children had broken down crying instead of all of them, but it didn't really make him feel that much better.
After their 'sharing circle', the chuunin felt some of the children had really benefited and would be alright on their own from that point forward. But, those were only the kids who hadn't had dead relatives come back to life or family members act completely different than how they actually were in reality. Those children would need constant support, and Iruka and the other teachers just couldn't give it to them. They needed their families to be completely aware of what was going on. Iruka's original idea of a parent-teacher meeting clearly needed to happen.
He couldn't have looked forward to anything less.
First of all, telling any parent how to raise their kid was a damn tricky business. Some parents were incredible human beings who deeply appreciated any information on their kids well being. Some were arrogant assholes who wouldn't hear anything that didn't mesh with their versions of reality. Most were a little something in between.
When Iruka finally got back to his house it was almost 9 o'lock at night. School ended at 3:30. The teachers had held a meeting after their respective sessions not only to detail the information they'd gleaned, but really, to council each other. A female teacher named Aiina had started bawling during their debrief. One of her students was an orphan who couldn't get over the fact that her parent's hadn't actually come back to life. She seemed to be living in some kind of distorted reality where she expected her mom to pick her up from the orphanage at any second. Apparently she had been waiting ever since she woke up from the dream. It was just tragic.
Iruka dropped his bag outside of his front door as he fumbled with his keys. He couldn't wait to just flop down on his bed and-
"I...Iruka...?"
The chuunin turned in surprise. Standing just down the walkway from him was one of his fellow teachers, Imika. She looked terrible.
"What's wrong?" Iruka asked, slowly walking towards her.
"I...I'm not doing so well."
It really made Iruka question his humanity when his first instinct was to be frustrated at her answer. He was exhausted and had just spent the entire day dealing with emotionally distraught children. He really didn't need this right now. But. She was his friend, and she'd come to him for help. He couldn't just send her away. Internally, he swore up a storm to release some tension before he smiled at her and extended his hand.
"It's alright. Come in, I'll make you something hot to drink. I don't know how much longer I can stay awake, but I'll try."
She smiled as brightly as one could when they were seconds away from crying and took his hand. He ushered her into his apartment, turned on the light and tossed his bag somewhere out of sight. "Just have a seat on my couch."
Iruka went to his kitchen and started throwing things together. He mostly just drank tea, which he thought would be good for calming ones nerves, but he always heard women talking about how much they liked chocolate. He had a package of instant hot-cocoa left over from one of his game nights with Naruto and decided to whip that up instead.
"Do you want to start telling me what's wrong?" He called from the kitchen as he busied around.
She seemed flustered as she toyed with the ends of her dress. "Well. It's...it's embarrassing. I know I'm supposed to be strong for the students, and I...want to be, you know? But I'm going through something too, and hearing the kids talk about their feelings makes me think of mine as well..."
Iruka put the kettle on and braced himself against the counter. This conversation made him wonder how many other adults were suffering like he was, like Imika was.
"It's ok. Go on." He insisted as warmly as he could.
"It's just..." She sniffled, taking a deep breath. "I don't know if I can really talk about it when your so far away." She breathed with a laugh, rubbing at her eyes. Iruka turned to look at the kettle. It was boiling. He prepared their drinks as fast as he could and brought them over on a tray.
"Sorry about that. Here you are."
He offered her the hot chocolate and she took it. Their fingers brushed, and when he went to pull away, he felt her tighten her grip in an effort to keep him there.
"Ah...it's a little hot." Iruka stammered nervously. She laughed and let go, giving Iruka the opportunity to take a seat a little father from her than he had originally intended. He really hoped this wasn't heading where he feared it was.
"In my dream..." she started, sipping her hot chocolate and smiling at him when she approved of it. "..I was happily married. I was so happy Iruka, it was unbelievable. My husband was everything I'd ever wanted in a man: Sweet, handsome, good with kids. And then...I woke up. And the reality is that I haven't even been on a date in years. My parents keep asking me what's wrong with me. I'm almost thirty and..."
She choked up, squeezing her eyes shut and biting her knuckles to keep from crying. Iruka looked on, understanding what she was going through completely but feeling uncomfortable in how to deal with her. He wanted to help, but he wanted to keep it professional, too, because there was something about this situation that made him think he was going to need to assert some kind of control very soon.
"...and...I'm just...I'm so lonely. No one wants me." She turned to him, twisting almost violently. "Help me, Iruka. I can't die alone!"
Well.
Iruka kept his face calm and serious as he spoke. "Imika. Believe me when I say that I understand how you feel completely-"
"-Then-"
"-Wait, please." Iruka interrupted, his voice firm. She stopped talking, but tears had started to spill from her wide eyes and the chuunin was worried things were only going to get worse. "You can't let that dream get to you like this. You are in control of your own life, not anyone else. There are a bunch of single teachers at the academy that you could try to get to know. Or, you could spend more time in the market, I hear the Tea Tent is a great place to mingle -"
"-YOU DON'T GET IT!" She screamed. Whipping her arm back, she flung her half finished mug of hot chocolate and it smashed against the wall across from them.
The two sat in stunned silence. Iruka stared at her. His eyes were wide and nervous, but his mouth was set and his jaw clenched. Imika looked like she was in shock. Slowly, she breathed deeply, fixed her skirt and smoothed out her hair.
"I'm sorry." She apologized, her voice edgy and shaky. "But you don't get it. Of course there are plenty of men in the village; of course. But they don't want me. No one wants me, Iruka."
Slowly, she stood, turning her whole body to face him. Iruka sat on the couch as calmly as he could, but his entire body was tense and he was clenching his jaw so hard he could hear his teeth scraping against each other.
"Look at me. I have breasts, I have legs, I have hair." She tugged at her skirt, pulled her hair, pushed up her breasts as she spoke. "I don't understand. Am I ugly?"
"No."
"Am I repulsive? Do I smell?"
"Imika. Please, calm down."
"Make me calm down, Iruka. Make me feel better. Make me feel like a woman."
The chuunin's mouth snapped shut. He was in ninja mode, calmly assessing the situation as it unfolded. He could tell he needed to be exceedingly careful.
"What you're asking for is not going to make you feel better, Imika. Please calm down."
"YES IT IS! THAT'S ALL I WANT! Why don't you want me, Iruka!? I'm not good enough for you!? You think I'm hideous?"
She advanced on him, pulling at her hair and screaming. He leaped up off the couch, holding out his hands, backing up but moving in an arch in what he hoped was a bee-line for the front door. "You're not hideous, you know you're not. Don't let your dream get to you Imika, you see what it's doing to our students..."
"Fuck our students! God damnit, they drive me crazy! What do they even have to worry about!? They have their entire lives ahead of them! I'm almost thirty and I'm single and alone and miserable!"
If Iruka was getting one positive thing from this terrifying experience, it was being proud of himself for not having totally gone off the deep end. Yes, he was also single with absolutely no prospects at the tender age of "almost thirty", but he still had enough sense to continue on with his life and make the best of everything. Clearly, Imika missed that memo.
They had walked around each other in a very tense, almost stand-offish circle that put Iruka closer and closer to his front door. He wanted them out of his apartment and out into the open where he could get some help. There was no way he was putting his hands on Imika in case she tried to tell the police he attacked her. He wouldn't put anything past the poor teacher right now.
"I'm sorry for that, Imika. But I can't help you."
"You can't even give me ONE night? ONE night to feel good about myself? I thought guys liked sex, I thought they didn't care where it came from!? I'm THAT disgusting, that I'm not even good enough for one lay?"
Finally Iruka was close enough to his door that he reached behind him and turned the handle...
"What are you doing...?" She asked, her voice cracking.
"I think we should take this outside...fresh air is good..." Iruka explained as he pushed the door open and took a back step outside.
She rushed him, pulling at her skirt. "You're running away!"
Run he did. He jumped back, taking three long strides into the walkway that lead to his apartment. He grasped the railing and looked over, desperate to see anyone in the streets. It was nearly 10 o'clock at night, so they were empty, but it was a ninja village; there was always someone to help.
"Some assistance, please!" Iruka shouted into the air. A police officer had to be somewhere.
"You think I'm crazy?" Imika screamed as she came sliding out of his front door. "That's why you don't want me?"
"Well, the way you're acting, what am I supposed to think?" The chuunin snapped. He was trying to be calm and understanding, but his characteristic temper was starting to flare up. "Just calm down. We're both Sensei, we're supposed to be role models. We're outside where everyone can hear you, have respect for yourself." His words were harsh but his voice was still soft. Iruka was hoping now that they were in public that she'd take it down a notch.
In the matter of about five seconds, Iruka witnessed Imiki completely unravel. Her eyes were angry, then they were crazed, then they were sad. She brought her fingers to her lips, chewed on them, then tugged at her hair again. Slowly, she sunk to the ground, as if she was melting. As her knees bent, she looked sadder and sadder, lifeless even. She hit the ground like a sack of bones and lay there, sobbing. Iruka watched in complete horror from his position with his back pressed up against the railing.
The sound of doors opening around his building almost made Iruka cry with relief. He heard people murmuring to themselves, shuffling. He heard footsteps approaching.
"What the heck is going on out here...?" A man exclaimed as he came around the corner of the building. He held up a badge to Iruka. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. "I'm an off duty police officer. Was it you who called for help?"
A loud wail sounded from the lump of flesh on the ground. The police officer looked at her, then looked back to Iruka. He raised a single eyebrow.
"Damn."
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Once again, Iruka found himself in the Hokage's quarters. He was sitting on a long bench outside of the Hokage's Office as he waited for Kakashi.
He felt like a pile of shit.
Emotionally, he was completely fried. It made him almost hysterical with laughter that he'd thought dealing with sad children had been trying. Nothing would ever compare to an emotionally disturbed woman who refused to accept reality. Truthfully, he felt terrible for her. He understood the sadness of having felt what ideal happiness could have been like only for it to be snatched away. It was kind of funny, actually, that he had been suffering the same way as Imika. They probably could have helped each other out. Talked about it over tea, stuffed themselves with junk food. But, Imika was beyond that kind of help now. He hoped she'd be ok. She hadn't been a bad teacher at all, and now they would need extra help with her class.
He rubbed at his eyes. Iruka was thoroughly exhausted, but the incident had been reported and he needed to speak to the Hokage before he left the building. The idea of seeing Kakashi both elated him and terrified him. The thought of his comforting presence, warm voice and soothing intelligence was almost enough to make Iruka feel better. But...he didn't think he'd be able to handle their confusing flirtations that eventually lead to nowhere. He was too low.
Slowly, Iruka's eyes closed. Slowly, he sank down in his seat. The chuunin came to rest against the wall, his deep breathing signifying his sleeping state. His hands relaxed and the scroll he'd been given to bring to the Hokage slipped out and landed on the ground before him.
Ten minutes later, Kakashi quickly rounded the corner. He stopped immediately at the sight before him. Iruka, passed out in the hall, looking as rough as Kakashi imagined he'd be. Slowly, the Hokage stepped closer. There were dark rings around the chuunin's eyes and his brows were furrowed even in sleep. He looked like he'd been through another war.
Kakashi gently brushed a few stray strands of hair out of Iruka's face. The soft touch was enough to wake the chuunin. His eyes blinked open. He stared at Kakashi in surprise. The jounin made no effort to remove his hand from the side of his face.
"I can't imagine this is very comfortable." Kakashi chuckled. His eyes had nothing but affection in them as he gazed down at Iruka.
"I...I didn't realize..." Iruka tried to explain through a loud yawn. He made to get up, but Kakashi gently pushed down on his shoulders.
"It's alright. Don't move." He instructed quietly. Iruka did so, watching as Kakashi walked around him and sat by his side. The Hokage smiled warmly at Iruka, his eyes understanding. "It just hasn't been your week, has it?" Kakashi chuckled.
It only took a second for Iruka to burst out laughing. Tears stung at his eyes, but he wiped them away and just laughed. Kakashi laughed occasionally as well, watching Iruka loosen up with a satisfied expression.
"What...an understatement..." Iruka sighed, making one last scrub at his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Iruka. I know you must be stressed. It's a shame, because I heard you made some progress in class today."
"Oh?" Iruka asked, surprised. Who had he talked to?
"Mm. But, I can save that talk for later. I'm assuming that's your statement on the ground?"
Iruka turned bright red. "Oh. Yes...Sorry. It must have fallen when I passed out..."
Kakashi merely bent down and picked it up without another word. "It seems you're a magnet for people looking for comfort, Iruka. I suppose it makes sense. You always seem to make an extra effort to help others."
Kakashi unrolled Iruka's statement as the chuunin watched him with interest.
"But it's important to know when you need to ask for help yourself."
The silver haired Hokage turned to look back at Iruka then, his expression suddenly sombre. "So. Are you alright, Iruka?"
The chuunin instantly became conflicted. It was like he had a natural response to turn help away and handle everything himself. But, Kakashi was essentially daring him to. He knew he wasn't alright; but he wanted Iruka to say it, despite the fact that he was apparently programmed not to.
Kakashi continued to stare him down, his expression deceivingly neutral. Iruka's expression slowly degraded from tired, to torn, to barely holding on. He inhaled deeply, bit his lip, squeezed his eyes shut. He clenched his fists.
"...No. I'm not..." He sobbed. His hand flew to his eyes, trying to physically hold back tears. No damn way was he crying in front of Kakashi, but it seemed inevitable. Why did the other ninja have to show so much damn concern?
Iruka could feel something brushing against his hand. It gently took hold, pulling. Iruka let his hand be guided down, glancing out of the corner of his eye to see Kakashi gazing at him, his look just as smouldering as it was before. Iruka forgot about his frustrations as he became lost in that gaze.
Kakashi hooked a finger in his mask and pulled it down, never taking his eyes off of Iruka. His face was just as handsome as the chuunin imagined it would be. Iruka's heart skipped a beat when Kakashi closed the small gap between them and brought his face so close to Iruka's that their lips were hovering barely an inch apart. He paused, his eyes boring into the chuunin's. Iruka's were blown open, barely able to accept what was happening. He could tell, though, what Kakashi was waiting for. He closed his eyes and before he could move forward, Kakashi was kissing him.
Iruka moaned loudly and threw his arms around Kakashi's shoulders. Their kiss was instantly fast and deep, their mouths opening, bodies pressing together. The chuunin could barely breathe it was so intense, but he hardly cared. He barely had control of himself. Noises, background images, it was all gone. All he felt was heat, electricity, and Kakashi. He moaned again just at the thought of his Hokage. Kakashi laughed lightly against his mouth, his hands roaming up Iruka's back. The chuunin shivered as Kakashi dragged his fingers through his hair, pulling at his hair tie. The brief thought that they were technically in public entered Iruka's mind, but it evaporated instantly.
They pulled up and somehow Iruka ended up in Kakashi's lap, following his lips wherever they went. He gasped when their hips ground together, feeling Kakashi's burning erection pressing against his own. Iruka could hardly believe what was happening, he'd never felt so good in his life. It was exactly what he needed.
"Iruka." Kakashi gasped against his lips. The chuunin would have kept going, but there was something in Kakashi's tone that made him pull back just enough to see his face. The jounin's eyes were alight and he was smiling.
"Someone's coming."
Iruka blinked. "Oh..."
Oh right.
Suddenly, Iruka was yanked back down to reality. It must have shown on his face because Kakashi laughed out right and gently lifted Iruka off of his lap and onto the bench. The school teacher could now hear footsteps coming down the hall and, extremely embarrassed, he rushed to organize himself. He yanked out his hair tie and quickly redid his hair. His vest was a disaster, shirt untucked, oh shit...
"Yo." He heard Kakashi call.
Somehow, the copy-nin had put himself together in record time and had greeted their visitor before he rounded the corner. Iruka didn't want to think about how Kakashi was so good at that, he just took the opportunity to make himself presentable.
Hopefully his raging erection wasn't too noticeable.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Kakashi, Iruka and the shinobi responsible for petty crimes finished up their business in record time. Iruka wasn't really aiming to get Imiki locked away or anything, so there wasn't much dirty business to get to. Kakashi merely decided she was unfit to teach and sentenced her to six months of therapy, further sessions pending judging on what her psychiatrist prescribed. He was also sure to add in a clause that banned her from ever pursing Iruka, trying to talk to him or getting in contact with him in any way. The chuunin wondered how that would be possible if she ever returned to the Academy, but he wasn't about to complain. He never wanted that incident repeated again.
By the time they finished with all the legal business it was nearly midnight. Iruka was literally passing out where he stood. When the officer left, Kakashi placed a gentle but firm hand on the chuunin's shoulder and smiled at him. "Iruka. You need to go to sleep."
The chuunin blinked blearily. "...Yeah...I do..."
Kakashi hesitated just slightly, then seemed to say 'fuck it' and bent down to kiss Iruka on the forehead. The chuunin leaned into it, closing his eyes. Damn he was happy.
"I'll come and see how you're doing tomorrow." Kakashi murmured. He leaned back to look down at Iruka again, who was smiling up at him with an endearingly dopy smile.
"M'kay."
Kakashi laughed "Try not to fall on your way back. We're already down one teacher."
Iruna shot him a sassy look, but it had no bite to it at all. The chuunin actually really wanted to talk to Kakashi, to see how he felt, but he was exhausted. A serious conversation wasn't such a hot idea right now. Even knowing that, Iruka found it difficult to leave. He assumed he would have moved towards the door ages ago, but his feet stayed locked in place.
Kakashi noticed his hesitance with a grin. He reached forward, grabbed the front of Iruka's vest, and gently pulled him in for a goodbye kiss. They both seemed to melt into each other. The kiss was soft and drawn out, and by the time they pulled apart, Iruka wondered if he'd actually be able to make it home without wiping out. The strength of his legs was questionable.
"Goodnight, Kakashi." The chuunin whispered.
"Goodnight, Iruka. I'll see you as soon as I can." Kakashi answered with a warm smile.
Finally, Iruka was able to leave. As he headed home, he tried to figure out how his night could have gone from nightmarish to dreamlike in the span of a couple of hours. He felt like he needed to slap himself to make sure he still wasn't sleeping in the hallway. But, time would tell. He still needed to talk to Kakashi.
Surely, tonight his dreams would be filled with sweet things, instead of random hands he had no power to fight off.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
HOPE YA'LL LIKED!
