Title: I'm Right Here

Author: BakayaroManiac (Aida)

Series: Naruto

Pairing: Iruka x Kakashi

Genre: General/Romance

Warnings: weirdness, OOC

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Iruka x Kakashi, Raidou x Genma and Kotetsu x Izumo would have been canon pairings. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Shonen Jump.

Summary: Iruka tries to find a way to tell Kakashi that he's in love with him.

Anyway, if this turns out well and I get more ideas, then I'd love to do a sequel. I'm a chronic procrastinator, so it's a miracle you get a chapter two already.

IxK IxK IxK

It was two thirty in the morning and the storm outside had only gotten worse, the thunder booming and the lightening crackling over Konoha while the rain drummed on the rooftops. Iruka turned on his stomach from his sideways position. He was sore all over because it was Friday and on Fridays if he didn't have anything else to do he trained. The training was of course after lessons with the kids and straining his neck while filing mission room papers and taking reports. Iruka was in pain and he was tried and 'BOOM' another loud thunder.

He slammed his head on the pillow muffling an undignified whine. He just wanted to sleep.

Another fifteen minutes passed and the thunder had stilled, now only the drumming of heavy rain. Iruka could handle that. He started dozing, wondering about what Kakashi was doing. It was probably warm out by the Suna borders. He'd never really seen Suna country. But he had heard that it was beautiful there. Good food, interesting culture…

Maybe going to Suna in his vacation would be good.

Warm.

Tap tap tap.

Iruka groaned in his sleep and turned away from the window.

Tap tap tap!

"NNgghhh g'way. I hate you who'ver you are." He buried his head further into the pillow and covered himself more within his blanket.

Knock knock knock knock. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Iruka sat up angrily. "WHAT?!"

He jumped at the sight in the window with a silhouette pressing against the glass and waving. He fell off the bed with a loud thump. The silhouette cringed.

Iruka got up, rubbing his hip and stood by the window. "Kakashi-sensei?" The silhouette flashed the v-sign. Iruka opened the window and helped a limp Kakashi inside. He was cold, soaked through with rain, mud and something that smelled rather fowl. Had the man rolled in a swamp? Underneath it he could faintly smell blood. A lot. He really hoped it wasn't Kakashi's.

"Have you been to the medics?"

Kakashi had decided that slumping against Iruka was nice and warm. "No, I hate it there. I'm not hurt bad…"

Iruka proceeded to drag the tired and dazed man to the bathroom. He had an arm around Kakashi's waist and was partially backing up into the pale blue tiled bathroom. Kakashi felt considerably lighter and his waist was smaller than he remembered. Three weeks. "Let's get you cleaned up…"

Kakashi made a soft noise and was sat on the lidded toilet seat, leaning heavily back. Iruka kneeled and loosened the bandages on Kakashi's calf and folded them before placing them to the side. He proceeded with the other leg and then pulled off the dirty sandals. Kakashi was pulling off his gloves with shivering hands while Iruka stood to start filling up the little bathtub with warm water.

"Did the mission go well?" Iruka broke the silence.

"Mhmm… And was definitely not boring." Iruka smiled at that.

"That's good, I guess." He turned towards the Jounin who had managed to wiggle out of his shirt, headband and mask to reveal more mud, swamp-muck-stuff and blood on marble skin. Iruka tried to ignore the memory of… interesting dreams he had about the person in front of him the past weeks. No, bad Iruka! Hurt smelly man needs help! He grabbed the showerhead. "Come here…" He grabbed Kakashi under his elbow and pulled him up.

Kakashi just stood and stared at him only in his pants, face flushing again.

Silence.

Dark brown eyes roll.

"Strip."

A grey eye widened and more red appeared under the white skin. "Whuh?!"

Iruka was blushing too now. "Baka, I won't molest you. I have to wash you clean before you can soak in the bathtub. Now strip."

"You sure you won't do anything?" Iruka knew Kakashi was embarrassed to a point where joking was his only way out. But the man was complying and pulling off the rest of his clothes. Iruka really tried not to stare.

"Oh yes I quite enjoy someone who smells like rotten foliage and decayed fish." He deadpanned. Kakashi chuckled while Iruka started washing warm water over his head until the man stopped shivering. He then pulled out a little stool and made the man sit in it and gave him a cloth to clean himself. Iruka took another cloth himself and settled behind him to get the grime off.

He tried to be as gentle as he could around the wounds, Kakashi winching from time to time, but managed to clean them, not finding anything serious. "You're lucky none of this is infected…"

Kakashi hummed in agreement while inspecting a cut on his chest. Iruka ran his fingers over the taller mans back with no real thought crossing his mind. Kakashi shivered at the touch and Iruka noticed a little red creep up his neck. He hadn't expected Kakashi to blush that much under the mask. But then again, he was pale as an eggshell. He bent down and took the showerhead again and stood in front of Kakashi, bending his head forward to wash his hair clean, running his free hand through. Kakashi complied watching the dark water make its way down the slightly tilted tiles to the drain and disappear. "Mh, this is much better than the medics."

"I thought you'd like having nurses to clean you up."

"Maa, they don't give scalp massages. Feels great!"

Iruka smiled and turned the showerhead off. Kakashi decided then to shake his head spraying all over like an oversized dog. "Augh! Kakashi! You're soaking me! Get up you weirdo!" He took Kakashi's hands and pulled him up to stand, albeit a little unsteadily. "God I hope you don't do this to the nurses!"

"Why should it be worse with the nurses?" Kahashi looked up at him while descending into the warm water of the bathtub.

Iruka blushed. "Y'know… Their clothes are white and…Eh…"

"Oh?"

A pause. Then realization hits.

"Oooh!" Kakashi was obviously a little slow tonight. "Irukaaa! You dirty man! No, hey wait!" He grabbed the retreating mans sleeve, stopping him. "Don't go! Irukaaa…" The tanned man was coaxed into sitting beside Kakashi, his shirt splattered wet and trying not to look too embarrassed. He took Iruka's hand and gave him a puppy look. "I want you to stay. You make me feel better."

The Chuunin's eyes widened. It was completely unexpected and Iruka could not help smiling warmly. He bent forward and kissed Kakashi gently, running a hand through his hair. "I'm glad that you feel better. You looked pretty screwed up when you came in. All the blood worried me with your pale skin. Now just soak here a little. I'll go find you something to wear and some bandages." He stood and went through a closet in the bedroom, finding a pair of faded blue sweatpants and the first aid kit.

Then Kakashi was dried off, had his wounds treated and patched up. The sweatpants hung a little on his slim hips, but the length fit and Iruka ushered him to bed. Sitting at the edge of the bed beside Kakashi, he pondered joining the man, but even though he'd just manhandled the Jounin half the night through, he felt unsure about staying.

Kakashi found a way out for him by tugging at his shirt and mumbling a tired thank you. The brown haired Chuunin tucked his hair behind an ear and bent down to kiss Kakashi again and after a little tugging and a childish whine from Kakashi, he too ended up under the blankets.

Then there was some more shifting around in the bed when Iruka pulled off his wet shirt and threw it away. They settled in the bed, Iruka on his side and Kakashi on his back resting his head on a tanned arm. A few minutes passed and they had both fallen into a much needed sleep.

IxK IxK IxK

When Iruka awoke it was past noon and the thin layer of clouds outside were obscuring the sun, lighting everything up in a clear grayish white hue. Kakashi had hardly moved from his position beside him. Face unmasked, grey hair covering the left side of his face and hid the vertical scar. He looked paler than usual with deep circles under his eyes and his lips were a little chapped. He also needed a shave.

It was an odd sight, Iruka's arm stood out against the almost white cheek resting on it. Kakashi was almost greyscale in the crisp light, like a colourless picture. A ghost. He almost looked transparent again.

So many shades of gray.

The faint sound of the neighbour's dog barking pulled him out of his musings and he felt more than heard his stomach rumble. He shifted and gently slid out his arm from underneath Kakashi's head. He propped up a pillow under in stead and practically rolled out of the warm sheets. Kakashi shifted a little, but didn't wake.

Iruka threw his shirt in the hamper with the rest of Kakashi's soiled clothes and cleaned his windowsill and floor off. When he was done fifteen minutes later, he found himself a clean white t-shirt and shuffled around in the kitchen.

He was almost done with cooking the miso soup when he heard Kakashi pad his way into the kitchen with a bleary look on his face. "Mmh..."

"Ohayo to you too." Iruka answered and turned to look at him. "How do you feel?"

"Headache... Chakra depletion." He indicated towards his left eye. Iruka went in and got him a plain old headband and painkillers. "I hope you like miso."

"Sure, It smells great" he answered while sitting a little stiffly in the chair. He bound the headband over his left eye(Iruka caught a glimpse of deep red), swallowed the pills dry and thanked Iruka when he was handed a bowl of steaming soup. They ate in silence and Iruka waited for Kakashi to be a little more coherent.

"I'm sorry I just barged in on you like this, Iruka-sensei... I passed your house on the way home and I just..." Kakashi laughed a little embarrassedly, "I wanted to see if you were... there. I mean, I didn't think you were dead or... Shit." He turned his face away from Iruka a hand obscuring his lower face.

"Don't worry about –"

"I'm sorry I was so harsh to you at the Chuunin nominations!" Kakashi suddenly burst out. "I was wrong, I see that now. They were not ready to go—"

"Kakashi!" Iruka stilled at the look in Kakashi's good eye. It was clear and sharp, cutting into him.

"I completely disregarded your judgement and your profession. I couldn't even stop Sasuke from doing what I did when I was his age! I couldn't explain it to him and all because I've acted like a lazy asshole around them! They became stronger, yes, but they managed most of it themselves. If I had been more aware... if..." He broke their stare, focusing on the empty bowl.

Iruka who had sagged in his chair from the outburst, regarded the older man for a long moment. "Kakashi... You couldn't have known a band of Sound nin would sneak up and take him away. We were all too busy with the damn village being reconstructed. Besides, this determination has been Sasuke's sole life goal since his parents were murdered. Before he got friends and even before I had him as my student. It's been sitting too deep inside of him for too long and he has been left alone on all the wrong times sine Itachi left." Kakashi looked up at him, his gaze softer than before. Iruka grabbed a cold hand and squeezed it.

"We will get him back. Alive, healthy and safe, I know we will." He said with complete determination in his voice. "I'd like to add that I was sceptic of the way you taught. I also believed you were a lazy jerk from the babbles I heard from Naruto, but you managed to teach them and train them well." Kakashi managed a little smile from the comment about Naruto. "I kept an eye of every one of you crazy Jounin who got my first graduation of kids under your questionable mercy. But their progress was better than I had expected. If anyone could be able to get Sasuke back it will be them. All of them. " He stood then, letting go of Kakashi's hand and let the man think while he cleared off the table. Kakashi had leaned back and was staring out the window.

"Thanks," he muttered softly Iruka barely heard it. When the Chuunin was done he padded back to Kakashi and smiled at him. Kakashi looked up, face still bare and an honest, almost innocent look in his eyes. He smiled back.

"You're very handsome underneath that mask you know..."

"I looked in the mirror Iruka-sensei. I look like shit."

"Well one smart guy said to look underneath the underneath." Iruka winked.

"Hm... Did he now...?" Kakashi felt a hand run through his hair and Iruka bent down to kiss him soundly on the lips. He could really get used to this. Iruka definitely had skills with those hands and mouth.

Iruka pulled back. "Y'know Naruto likes you a lot, he always used talk about you to me when you guys came back from missions." Kakashi chuckled.

"He rambled on how a lazy perverted and always late jerk I am, hm?"

"Ah, but one interesting detail made me refrain from giving you a lecture and or kick your ass. He always called you a pervert, but he never mentioned your book besides telling me you read it a lot. Naruto always babbles too much, so he'd have told me you let him have a look if you did. But you were such a good boy Kakashi," Iruka whispered the last part to his ear, Kakashi shivered.

"I know better than to cross you ever again..." Kakashi answered. "I've already been lucky enough to not have you perform some sort if revenge on me for the Chuunin-exam incident." He wrapped an arm around Iruka's waist and rested his face against a firm chest.

Iruka smiled at the almost Naruto-like gesture and ruffled the silver hair. "Ne Iruka-sensei-

"Just call me Iruka."

"Iruka, then," Kakashi blushed a little of the prospect of intimacy. "Did you happen to find my Icha Icha book?"

"Yes, I'm sorry Kakashi, it didn't survive the soak... There was a hole in the plastic bag you put it in..."

Kakashi stood grabbing Iruka's arms. "No!"

Iruka's eyes widened at the serious look Kakashi was sending him. Whoa... didn't know the book was that important... Kakashi's eye was actually shining with tears and Iruka was crudely reminded that painkillers were mind altering in very unpredictable ways and to add Kakashi's obvious chakra depletion, it seemed to hit the Jounin very hard. "K-kakashi?"

Tears had already soaked through the bandage from Obito's eye. "M-my... my book... My precious autographed book..."

Iruka's heart clenched with guilt. There were really few things more heartbreaking than watching a man cry. Kakashi was practically hyperventilating by now so Iruka grabbed the pale trembling hands that were gripping his biceps tightly. "Kakashi, calm down I was just kidding! I left your book in the living room."

Kakashi stared, then twisted out of Iruka's grip and made a dash towards the living room. He managed halfway before he fell over without the slightest warning. Iruka gave a surprised shout and ran to the fallen man. He lifted Kakashi and turned him on his back.

Kakashi was snoring lightly.

IxK IxK IxK

It was Monday and Iruka had been working at the mission room again and was mostly just looking forward to going home for the first time in years. Kakashi was recovering just fine. After he had fainted the man had slept twelve hours straight and when he woke up, he looked much better. Good enough for Iruka to coax some solid food into him and make him write a mission report he could deliver back to the Hokage. That Sunday night when they settled to bed, Iruka had looked at his sleeping companion and realized that he had showed Kakashi that he loved him without even telling. He had wrapped both arms around the sleeping form, pulled him close and kissed him. He really didn't have the words to tell him how he felt anyway.

"So how was it?" Kotetsu asked as he wrapped an arm around Iruka's neck, his dark dread-locks tickling the Chuunin's cheek.

"How was what?"

Genma grinned from where he was sitting and talking to Raidou. "We know Kakashi is staying at your place! Spill! Is he any good?"

"Who told you that!?"

"Tsunade-sama." Kotetsu said with a bright toothy smile. Iruka sent a mental curse at her and opened his next file, promptly ignoring the three men. It looked kind of stupid when he was tucked in the crook of Kotetsu's arm.

"Iruka! Tell us!" Genma whined. Raidou, blessed blessed sweet Raidou Iruka thought, just kept quiet even though he looked just as curious.

"Come on guys, he JUST came back! He's still humping around on cutches!"

"CRIPPLE SEX!" Genma never got to dodge the pencil cup that came flying to connect with the centre of his forehead, knocking him out and off the chair he was sitting in. Iruka was fuming at the comment while the two rest were staring at Genma disbelievingly. Even Raidou didn't move to help his fallen boyfriend.

Iruka sat down from where he had jumped up. "I did not have sex with him."

"But are you... together now?" Raido asked with genuine interest. Iruka scratched his nose, his face turning a little pink.

"I think so... I mean, he took off his mask for me. That's a good sign right?"

There was a gasp from both ninja and even Genma sat up and stared at him.

"You SAW Hatake Kakashi's FACE!?" All three exclaimed.

At that point Anko had decided to drop by with her report along with Kurenai and Gai. There was a pause where everyone just stared at him.

'Shit,' Iruka thought as blast of mixed questions assaulted him.

Owari

Argh FINALLY done. This chappie was so hard for me to write. But I really enjoyed it!
Hope you guys liked it! XD

And thank you all so much for reviewing! I LOVE YOU!

Love – Aida