Fighting Dreamers
Chapter 8
"Obsession"
Iruka slept with Naruto. Although he had a busy day ahead of him, he couldn't stop running his fingers through his son's hair, over his whiskered cheeks, and his tan forehead. A monster was inside of his baby, and it terrified him. In the silent darkness, with only the moonlight slipping through the parted curtains as witness, tears rolled down Iruka's cheeks in a steady stream. He couldn't cry for himself, but his eyes were never dry when his grief was for Naruto.
What would the world do to his baby if they found out what was the source of his energy?
As a parent, he could shield Naruto from hurtful words slung at him, and bandage cuts and bruises, but what did you do when the threat came from the inside? What could he possibly do? And worse – now that he knew, a part of him feared his own son. It made him disgusted with himself, but he couldn't help it or deny it.
There wasn't anything he could do.
He wiped away his tears and tried to sleep, even though he felt wide-awake. Kakashi's surprising gentleness, Mizuki's re-appearance, his new job, Naruto's first day of school, the fox demon…the thoughts and worries drifted through his mind like tumbleweeds, one after another after another and he just couldn't find any peace.
He thought of the meadow, and Kakashi's warm, strong hands on his feet. The thought made him roll out of bed with a pillow and creep into the living room. He'd slept easy enough on the couch. Perhaps he'd find some rest there. He sat on the comfortable sofa and stretched out, just as he'd done while he'd napped, but it wasn't the same. Iruka was almost ready to consider sleep a lost cause, when Kakashi's bedroom door creaked open.
At first he pretended to be asleep. Kakashi was probably just getting some water or something.
Kakashi walked briskly and silently past the couch, but then stopped abruptly. Iruka relaxed his body and resisted taking a peek.
"I wish I didn't have to go like this. Sleep well, Iruka," Kakashi whispered somewhere close to his head. In the next second, there was a brush of lips against his forehead so soft that Iruka almost wasn't sure if he'd been kissed or not. There was a moment of silence and then Kakashi said, with a hint of a grin in his voice, "You're awake, you little faker."
Guiltily, Iruka peeped an eye open. He almost wished he hadn't. Standing over him, porcelain mask pushed to the side of his face, stood Kakashi in full battle attire. It was unnerving to see an A.N.B.U. – even more so to see one hovering over you when you were defenseless and vulnerable. Noticing his tight gasp, Kakashi stepped back and gave him some space.
"Sorry. I forget how I look in this," Kakashi whispered. Iruka sat up, his eyes straining to see the details of the uniform in the darkness. He had known Kakashi was a high-level ninja, but he didn't know that he was A.N.B.U. level. It added a new worry to his heart, and the realization that he was leaving made him frown sadly in the darkness.
"Do you have to go?" he asked nervously. Kakashi moved closer again, slowly extending his hand for Iruka to grab. It reassured Iruka. He couldn't say why.
"I've been doing this for a long time, Iruka. You don't have to worry over me." Kakashi knelt down, so that he was looking up into Iruka's face. Gently, he kissed the back of Iruka's hand, still held in Kakashi's gloved one. Iruka knew it didn't make sense, but he couldn't bring himself to let go of Kakashi's hand. There was a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach that made him breathless when he thought of Kakashi leaving in the middle of the night without waking him.
What if he didn't come back, and Kakashi died thinking he didn't care for him?
Kakashi pulled his hand back and stood up, shifting his mask into place. Iruka was sure the image of him as he looked just then would never leave his memory. He tried to say something, anything, but his heart protested saying sweet words at the same time that it begged to hear them.
Kakashi began to walk towards the door, like a wraith merging into the darkness and slipping away from him. Iruka stood, stumbled a bit, and then caught Kakashi's hand once more. The man turned, a bit startled, and shifted the mask once again.
"What is it?" he asked quietly. Then, when Iruka didn't say anything, "I'll be back by tomorrow afternoon at the latest."
It was not what Iruka wanted to hear, and he could not say what he wanted to say, so he merely nodded and let Kakashi go.
"Be safe," he finally whispered. Kakashi waved over his shoulder as he left, and that was the only sign Iruka had that Kakashi had heard his whispered plea. Iruka stood in the apartment that suddenly felt so much emptier before restlessly moving back to the couch.
He didn't sleep.
When morning light slanted in through the windows, Iruka spent a few groggy moments watching dust dance in the air before rising and making breakfast for Naruto, and a big cup of coffee for himself.
Naruto woke early and dressed in his best clothing. The stiff blue jean shorts were too loose on him, and his collared, short sleeve shirt was missing a button near the bottom.
"Do I have to wear this, Dad? Can't I just wear my normal clothes?" Naruto whined as Iruka fought vainly to tame the boy's wild hair with a wet comb.
"You should look nice and make a good first impression. Now remember, be polite and respectful no matter what you think of your new teacher. Try to be friendly with the other children, even if they aren't immediately nice to you. I'll be on campus, so if you need anything, just come find me – with the permission of your teacher! Don't go running off on your own, okay?"
"Alright, alright. That's enough, Dad! I'm not a girl!" Naruto protested, slipping past his father and out the bathroom door, only half of his hair combed down. He mused it roughly with his hands until it poked out in all directions again. Iruka sighed.
Naruto sat at the table, expectantly waiting for breakfast. Iruka reached for the vegetables, but Naruto pouted.
"Can't I have ramen? Just this one morning?" Naruto begged. Iruka pulled out the vegetables.
"You need a healthier breakfast than ramen, but if you do well today, we can have it for dinner, okay?" Iruka bargained. Naruto grumbled but didn't protest. After they ate a quick, healthy breakfast, Iruka gave Naruto his bento box. "Are you ready?" he asked. Naruto was bouncing on the balls of his feet, about to explode with excitement.
"Yes! Now let's GO!" Naruto said, pulling Iruka out of the house, barely giving him time to lock up. Iruka was wearing simple, casual clothing – he hadn't been told to wear a uniform. The walk to the Academy went by quickly, and soon they stood outside the front doors.
Iruka hesitated, almost afraid to enter for a moment, but Naruto grabbed the door handle and flung it open, leaping in immediately after without a trace of hesitation. Iruka admired his courage and followed behind him at a much slower pace.
They went inside the front office and greeted the Genin ninja working as a secretary.
"Good morning! Iruka and Naruto Umino?" the secretary assumed. Naruto nodded, a big smile brightening his face. Iruka merely smiled politely.
"Yes, that's us," Iruka replied. The girl shifted through some papers and then stood to walk around the desk. "Ah, yes, here we are. It looks like Naruto will be in Mizuki-san's class. He's an excellent teacher. I was in his class, too," she said to Naruto. Iruka swallowed thickly and lightly touched the girl's arm.
"I'm sorry, I hate to do this, but is there anyone else?" Iruka asked, hoping Naruto wouldn't overhear. The girl looked surprised, and then confused.
"Mizuki-san requested Naruto be put in his class yesterday. He told the Academy head that he would take personal responsibility for bringing Naruto up to speed. Surely you don't wish to turn down such a generous offer? Mizuki-san is very popular as a teacher, and quite skilled."
Iruka cursed Mizuki's slyness and merely nodded. He should have known that Mizuki would try to get to him in whatever way he could – especially through Naruto. Kakashi's presence in their lives had obviously not been a big enough threat.
Iruka really hadn't expected it to work, anyway. He didn't want to push Mizuki away, but until he was certain that Naruto's secret was safe, he didn't want the two of them interacting any more than was absolutely necessary.
Again, he was left feeling helpless. He would just have to warn Naruto not to show off any until Iruka could figure out how to get him in a different class.
It was lunch when Mizuki found him. He was scrubbing windows near the playground, and Mizuki had brought Naruto's class out for their recess and lunch break. At first, Iruka focused mostly on Naruto. He watched, completely preoccupied, as Naruto waved at him occasionally from the play yard. He smiled and waved back, even though Mizuki was currently attempting to interrogate him.
"What are you doing working here, Iruka? Why are you ignoring me? I've gotten rid of Tsubaki, if that's what you're so mad at me about," Mizuki said. Iruka watched with eagle eyes as a dark haired boy approached Naruto and began to talk with him. "Are you even listening to me?" Mizuki asked rudely. Iruka dragged his eyes away from his son and wearily dropped his cleaning rag back into a bucket of soapy water.
"I'm sorry I shouted at you yesterday. I…was having a disagreement with Kakashi."
"I know you're not seeing him," Mizuki accused. Iruka swallowed thickly.
"I told you. He's just a previous customer that's become possessive over me. I only said that to keep him from strangling you." Mizuki shot him an annoyed look.
"Yeah, well, you should learn to keep a muzzle on your pet." Mizuki watched the children play for a moment disinterestedly. "Speaking of pets, I want you to come over tonight. Tsubaki caused a scene when I dumped her, and I've been in the shittiest mood imaginable ever since." Iruka sighed and tried to find the right words.
"Look, Mizuki, I know we have a long past with each other, and you know I love you – I always have and I always will – but my body needs a break. I'm tired of sex. If you just need to talk, that's fine. I can meet you after I get Naruto to bed."
Mizuki's eyes narrowed at him, and then he looked purposefully in Naruto's direction. He was still talking with the dark haired boy.
"I could make things very difficult for him…if you don't make things easy for me," Mizuki threatened. Iruka scowled.
"Don't play that game, Mizuki. I know you aren't like that. Surely even you can see that it's fucked up for you to drag an innocent child into this mess."
"Since when did you and I become a mess? You know, baby face, this new, grown-up version of you isn't so attractive. You were much cuter drunk." Perhaps it was because he was so tired, and irritated with Mizuki to begin with, but Iruka's reply was quick and harsh.
"Well, one of us has to act like an adult," Iruka practically hissed. Mizuki stared at him intensely for a moment and then smirked.
"Naruto likes me quite a bit now. At first, he wasn't too happy to see me. He seemed to think that I was the one who had upset you yesterday. We had a little talk in the hall and he told me something very interesting," Mizuki said.
Iruka's heart dropped into his stomach. He knew he'd gone pale as a ghost. Mizuki smirked.
"Iruka, you know I think of you as the only one who really knows me – the only one who can satisfy me. I'm not above blackmail, like you're softhearted new toy. I'll have you run out of this village if you don't give me what I want."
"Please, Mizuki, don't do this to me," Iruka began, ready to do anything to just escape his problems. Mizuki honed in on his wariness and swooped down like a bird of prey.
"I want to fuck you in my classroom, tonight. Meet me here at ten."
Just then, Naruto shouted something at the dark haired boy and cocked his fist back. This time, he didn't miss – much to the other boy's surprise. He cradled his bleeding nose almost in disbelief before he darted forward and tugged on Naruto's baggy jean shorts. They slid off easily, and it was revealed that Naruto hadn't put on underwear that morning.
Cursing, Iruka sprinted over, following right behind Mizuki. Mizuki grabbed the dark haired boy's shoulder and turned him around to inspect his nose.
"It's broken, Sasuke-kun. Go to the nurse. Ino-chan, walk with him to make sure he gets there alright," he ordered curtly. Glaring at Naruto, Sasuke took off across the schoolyard at a furious pace. Ino was barely able to keep up with him.
"Naruto, why did you hit him, and why didn't you put on underwear this morning, for god's sake?" Iruka growled, gripping Naruto's shoulder tightly.
"Now he's going to get a scolding from his daddy!" One of the other boys cried out delightedly. Another was quick to join in on the taunting.
"I bet he starts crying!"
"Shut up, brats, all of you! Go back to the classroom, right now!" Mizuki shouted. Angry that recess had been cut short, they all shot scathing looks at Naruto as they shuffled past him. Iruka's grip on his shoulder turned into a more comforting one.
Naruto jerked away. Before Iruka could stop him, he raced across the schoolyard and past the gate, out into the village streets.
"Don't go after him. You have a job to do. I'll let the office know that he took off, and they'll fetch him," Mizuki warned before stalking off, not saying another word. Furious with the situation, Iruka returned to his window washing and put more aggression into it than was necessary.
He was finished with the chore by the time a Genin boy left the school, apparently in search of his son. Iruka didn't know how to feel. On one hand, he wanted to comfort Naruto for going through such a traumatic experience. On the other hand, he wanted to give him the spanking of his life for running off like he had.
He'd probably end up doing both.
The day raced past, as days tend to do when one is dreading something that's coming that night. When he put up the cleaning supplies and went to clock out with the front secretary, Naruto was waiting with the stern looking young man who'd fetched him.
Iruka was given another account of what happened on the playground, and then was told some truly shocking news – Naruto had been found splashing stolen paint onto the Hokage Mountain. Apparently, his new rival, the dark haired boy, Sasuke, had dared him to do it.
Iruka was told that his shift would end after he cleaned up the monument. Both Naruto and Sasuke would be helping him with the task.
The dark haired boy appeared then, his nose looking puffy and his whole head bandaged so that his hair stuck up oddly. Naruto pointed at him and laughed. Iruka knocked him upside the head.
Already feeling exhausted, Iruka fetched some cleaning supplies and told the boys to follow him.
It was a long trek to the monument and required them to climb what felt like a million stairs. By the time they reached the top, Iruka was ready to throw his trouble-making son off the top of the mountain. The boys had grumbled and bickered with each other the entire way, despite his numerous warnings to knock it off.
"I'm not cleaning up his mess. You do it. You're the janitor, right?" Sasuke asked arrogantly. Naruto growled at him like a little bear cub and balled up his fist again. Hastily, Iruka stepped between the two of them.
"Yes, Sasuke-kun, I will be helping you clean this because it's my job. You two will be helping me because you both acted terribly today. Here are two rags. Get to scrubbing," Iruka ordered. For his sanity's sake, he put Sasuke on one side of the giant face and Naruto on the other. He scrubbed in the middle.
It was after two hours of scrubbing that Iruka began to worry Sasuke's parents would be angry with him for being out so late.
"Sasuke-kun, what time do your parents expect you home?" Iruka asked. Sasuke was quiet, and Iruka almost repeated the question again.
"My parents were killed a long time ago," he finally answered. Iruka stopped scrubbing and sighed. He walked to Sasuke's side of the face and looked down at the sullen child.
"Who takes care of you then?" Iruka asked. Sasuke shot him a look full of contempt.
"The village used my money to hire a nanny. She comes to cook for me and then leaves. I take care of myself," Sasuke replied shortly. Iruka's gaze softened, and he returned to his portion of the rock.
"Then you can came have dinner with us tonight, and I'll put fresh bandages on your nose. Don't bother arguing. I won't accept no for an answer," Iruka said. Naruto groaned when he realized Sasuke would be coming home with them. "Shut your mouth, Naruto. I'm very disappointed in your behavior today. It hurts me when you behave so badly. Did I ever teach you to steal? When did I tell you it was okay to ruin something that doesn't belong to you?" Iruka began to lecture. Up until then, he'd resisted the urge. Naruto stayed quiet, harshly scrubbing and trying not to cry.
Finally the job was done to Iruka's satisfaction and they all began the walk towards Kakashi's apartment. Iruka had no real right to return there, but Kakashi was out anyway and he didn't want to make things worse for Naruto by showing Sasuke their shabby apartment.
Besides, he wasn't sure he had enough food at home to feed the two boys, and he was hungry as well. He would just have to take advantage of Kakashi's generosity for one afternoon.
The two boys were exhausted by the time they reached the apartment. Immediately, Iruka ordered them to clean up. Naruto was put in the bath first while Iruka inspected Sasuke's nose.
"Here, hold this ice pack to it." When that task was done, Iruka began fixing them dinner – something healthy and full of vegetables. After all, he'd told Naruto he'd only get ramen if he behaved.
It was in the middle of all this that Kakashi came home. He took one look at the boy sitting on his dining room table with an ice pack held to his nose and then went straight to his bedroom.
"A.N.B.U.!" Sasuke said, though it was muffled by the ice bag on his face. Iruka winced. He probably should have let Kakashi know they were inside somehow. As far as he remembered, the identity of the A.N.B.U. was supposed to be secret.
Kakashi emerged a few moments later in normal clothing, Naruto following on his heels wrapped in a towel, his hair dripping water everywhere. Kakashi passed Sasuke and raised an eyebrow.
"Who are you?" he asked in a bored sounding voice. Sasuke, obviously impressed by his status, quickly replied.
"Uchiha Sasuke, sir," he replied in a respectful tone he had not used with Iruka. Kakashi nodded and then moved into the kitchen. He peeked over Iruka's shoulder but did not embrace him or steal a kiss as he would have done if they were alone.
"Miso soup!" he said happily. Iruka hadn't even realized he'd been making the man's favorite. Still, he wasn't going to tell him that.
"You like miso soup, right?" Iruka asked awkwardly. Naruto came into the kitchen, leaving puddles in his wake.
"Did you kill anybody, Kakashi-sensei? I broke Sasuke's nose, just like you showed me!" Naruto exclaimed proudly. Iruka shot Kakashi a glare.
"Hey!" Kakashi held up his hands in a placating manner, "I didn't tell him to hit anyone!" Iruka rolled his eyes and shoved Naruto out of the kitchen.
"Go get dressed, and then bring your towel back in here to clean up all these puddles, Naruto! Please cooperate with me. It's been a long day and I'm going to have trouble thinking up enough punishments for you if you keep causing trouble tonight," Iruka scolded. Then, to Sasuke, he said, "Alright, Sasuke-kun, let's clean you up in the bathroom and put on some fresh bandages."
"Want me to finish dinner?" Kakashi asked. Nodding gratefully, Iruka passed him the stirring spoon he'd been using.
"When you finish, could you make sure Naruto cleans up the puddles?" Sasuke and Naruto were bickering with each other from opposite ends of the apartment, and Iruka didn't even have a chance to thank Kakashi properly or tell him he was glad that he was back safe. Kakashi stood in the middle of the craziness and felt oddly serene. After his gory mission, the simple, domesticity of a full house and a hot meal cooking was soothing.
In the bathroom, Iruka told Sasuke to wash his arms up to his elbows. Then, while the boy glared, Iruka gently washed his face. He peeled off the old gauze carefully, pulling the bloody cotton away from Sasuke's nose. His face was already quite swollen and bruised.
"I'm sorry Naruto did this to you. He's new here and it's very hard for him. Have you ever been in a new place?" Sasuke only scowled. Iruka didn't let it deter him. "But what you did to Naruto wasn't very nice either. How would you like it if someone pulled your pants down?"
Sasuke averted his eyes. He was unable to stare defiantly into Iruka's for very long.
"That's what I thought. Once we've gotten both of you cleaned up, I want you to apologize to each other and try to be friends. Is that understood?" Iruka asked, forcing Sasuke to look him in the eyes and nod. "Good," Iruka said. He finished bandaging Sasuke, this time taking more care not to mess up the boy's hair so much.
When he was done, without thinking, he kissed him lightly on the forehead and squeezed his shoulder.
"There, all better. Do you need something for the pain?" Sasuke stood frozen in place, staring up at Iruka with wide eyes. Iruka wasn't aware that he'd done anything special. It was his habit to kiss Naruto's forehead whenever he hurt himself, and Sasuke had looked like he needed the tiny comfort. Iruka pretended not to notice Sasuke's assessing look –as if the boy was trying to analyze what the gesture had meant.
Iruka returned to the kitchen, to see Naruto fully dressed in his pajamas, cleaning up the puddles in the kitchen with his towel. Kakashi had finished the dinner and served it, and the meal was waiting. Iruka led Sasuke to the table and then asked Kakashi where he kept his painkillers. The Jounin quickly fetched some for him, and Iruka gave them to Sasuke with a glass of water.
Then they all sat down, Iruka on one end and Kakashi on the other. Iruka smiled tiredly at them all and glanced expectantly at Naruto. The blonde boy grumbled under his breath, but quickly spoke up to avoid his father's wrath.
"I'm thankful for Sakura-chan. She's the girl I'm going to marry once I've beaten up Sasuke," Naruto said. Sasuke shot him a dark look and scowled.
"You'll never beat me, cry baby, and no girl would ever like you!" he retorted. Iruka was about to break up the fight but Kakashi, grinning under his mask, held up a hand.
"Who is this Sakura-chan? Is she cute?" he asked with a happily curved eye.
"No!" Sasuke replied immediately, a disgusted look on his face. Naruto glared at him hotly and then slammed his hand onto the table.
"Don't call Sakura-chan ugly or I'll break your nose again!"
Sighing, Iruka said loudly, "I'm thankful for this quiet, peaceful dinner after a terrible day." Kakashi caught the hint and told the boys to quit bickering. Still, his guilt over riling them up obviously didn't prevent him from getting into more trouble.
"I'm thankful that the new volume of Icha Icha Paradise will be -"
"That's enough about that, Kakashi-san," Iruka interrupted. Kakashi only grinned in reply.
"Let's just eat, and no more bickering, or talking about inappropriate things at the dinner table!" Iruka scolded. Subdued, Naruto mumbled an apology and then plowed into his dinner with gusto. Sasuke took after his example and soon they were all eating the delicious meal. When it was done, Kakashi grinned wickedly under his mask.
"Sasuke-kun, it's late. You should stay the night."
"But -" Naruto interrupted. Kakashi ignored him.
"In fact, I insist. You two go brush your teeth or something," Kakashi ordered. Iruka spent a moment trying to figure out what Kakashi was scheming, but by the time he realized it Sasuke had already agreed to stay.
If Sasuke was sleeping with Naruto, that meant he either had to take the couch again or sleep with Kakashi. He glared at Kakashi when the boys weren't looking.
"I'll clean up, Iruka. Why don't you help the boys get ready for bed?" Feeling irritated by Kakashi's mischief making and the smug look he had on his face, Iruka didn't bother to soften the blow.
"I'll get them to bed, but I'm meeting my friend tonight. It's so kind of you to offer to baby sit the boys."
Kakashi's face went from grinning and mischievous to dead serious in a heartbeat. An awkward tension started to grow. Both boys stared between them unsurely.
"Dad, I didn't know you had a friend -"
"Hush, Naruto. Go get in bed. You go, too, Sasuke-kun."
"But aren't you going to tell us a story?" Naruto began to whine. Iruka shot him an irritated look and nearly lost his temper.
"Naruto, I am not in the mood to hear you whine! Get in bed before you get a spanking!" Naruto looked upset, and Iruka felt guilty for using such a harsh tone with him, but he was still angry with his son and now he was irritated with Kakashi as well. Sasuke, who was much more observant than Naruto, gently tugged on the blonde's shirtsleeve. Reluctantly, Naruto followed after his rival, leaving the adults alone. Naruto's eyes began to water and he scowled furiously in an attempt to keep from crying.
Sasuke leaned close to him so that he wouldn't be overheard by the glaring adults and whispered, "I'll tell you a story, okay?" After hearing that, Naruto managed not to cry. When the boys were out of earshot, Iruka broke his glaring contest with Kakashi and began picking up the dirty dishes. Kakashi didn't move.
"You didn't have to yell at him like that," he said quietly. Iruka practically slammed the dishes into the sink and turned angrily, hands on his hips.
"He broke a boy's nose, ran away from school, stole paint, and then splashed it all over the Hokage Mountain. Since you don't even like Naruto, much less have any right to parent him, I think you should just shut the hell up when you don't know what you're talking about," Iruka growled. He was pissed off and stressed to his maximum. Kakashi remained calm, his face expressionless.
"I wasn't trying to take advantage of you. I thought you might like another massage, since you seemed to have had a hard day," Kakashi replied. Iruka, angered even more by the fact that Kakashi wasn't fighting with him, just slammed his hand onto the counter instead. Immediately, he regretted it as pain shot up his arm. Kakashi still didn't move, merely watched him passively as he cradled his arm against his chest.
"I'm…I'm sorry for yelling. It's just been a really, really bad day," Iruka said, breathing heavily through his nose like an irritated bull. Kakashi finally relaxed and sauntered closer to him.
"Don't go tonight," Kakashi said. The 'stay with me instead' was heavily implied. Iruka scowled at him, and Kakashi froze again.
"I thought you weren't going to ask anything of me. You're trying to make me choose between the two of you," Iruka accused. Kakashi shook his head.
"No. I just don't want to see you hurt," Kakashi replied soothingly. Iruka, however, merely glared.
"You want to get laid instead of Mizuki. You're no better than he is! Using Sasuke-kun to try and manipulate me into a situation that doesn't make me comfortable – what the hell is wrong with you two? Don't you both ever get tired of being so damn sleazy?"
Kakashi wanted to defend himself, but his constant habit of looking underneath the underneath set him on a different track.
"Mizuki manipulated you into going tonight. What has he said to you? Did he threaten Naruto?" Kakashi asked gently. Iruka looked away, the anger draining out of him almost instantly. He looked defeated and very, very tired.
"Please, Kakashi, please don't do this. What do you want to hear? Do you want me to tell you that you're better than he is? Do you want me to tell you that I need to be rescued from my own life? Why can't both of you just leave me alone? Don't you realize that you and Mizuki are the ones causing me to be so stressed and unhappy?"
Hurt, Kakashi swallowed thickly and tried not to let it show.
"You're trying to guilt trip me into letting you do whatever you want to do, but that's not going to work. He's going to hurt you tonight, and I'm not going to let him do it. I said I was going to take care of you, and I'm going to do that whether you like it or not." Iruka's anger snapped back into his eyes.
"Don't fuck with me! I'm not a child you can boss around!"
Frustrated and tired of the mind games, Kakashi shut Iruka up the old-fashioned way. He pulled his mask down roughly and captured Iruka in his arms, slanting his mouth over the brunette's. First he struggled, but as the fiery kiss became more demanding, Iruka's knees weakened and he surrendered to the chemistry between them. Their tongues battled furiously, and Kakashi felt Iruka trying to dominate him. Kakashi growled and trapped Iruka against the kitchen countertop forcefully, refusing to let him step away or escape. The smaller man's temper sparked and he began to push against Kakashi's chest. Kakashi thrust his arousal against Iruka's belly and ran his hands possessively up Iruka's sides. Iruka shuddered and gasped for air when Kakashi finally pulled away.
"Let me go, you son of a -"
Kakashi cut him off with another kiss. He tore out Iruka's hair band and roughly knotted his fingers into the long, chocolate strands. Kakashi reached for the button on Iruka's pants and had the zipper half way down when the feisty brunette kneed him in the crotch. He grunted in pain and bit Iruka's lip on accident. Iruka cursed and pushed him back. He staggered and glared.
Iruka's lip was bleeding heavily. When Kakashi re-gained the ability to speak, he said the first thing that came to mind.
"I'm still not letting you go to him," he growled, feeling as if he were on the battlefield. Iruka covered his bleeding lip with his hand and then turned on the sink, letting the icy water soak a kitchen towel before he pressed it to his mouth. Iruka didn't reply, but his shoulders were shaking badly. Trembling in outrage, Iruka turned around to face him again.
"He knows about Naruto, and he's going to hurt him if I don't do what he wants," Iruka said. Kakashi didn't hesitate to reply.
"Then I'll kill him. Problem solved," he growled. Iruka swallowed thickly and fear crept into his eyes.
"You're unbalanced right now," he said. Kakashi smirked and closed in on him again.
"You think your day was bad? I killed three people today. Killing isn't the hard part, though. What's hard is doing that kind of thing and then coming home to an empty, heartless apartment and thinking about those vacant eyes staring up at you until you collapse. But I get home today and there's this beautiful man making dinner, and these cute kids arguing about pranks and crushes, and puddles on the floor and school bags blocking the door. It was the first time I've ever come back from a bad mission and felt like I wasn't going to fall apart. I said I could care for you without wanting anything for myself, but now I know that I can't. I want this from you," Kakashi gestured at the messy dinner plates and the bedroom that held the slumbering kids. Iruka felt hot tears well up in his eyes.
"I think Naruto and I need to go back to our place tomorrow morning and you need to forget about us," Iruka said shakily, obviously upset. "You're getting way too involved," Iruka said. Frustrated, Kakashi snorted in dismissal and stepped back, his arms crossing over his chest.
"I can't do that. I'm obsessed with you," he replied. Iruka shook his head.
"If you care about me -" Iruka began. Kakashi got in his face, staring deeply into his eyes.
"Don't you get it? I care too much. I want you too much." Iruka gently caressed Kakashi's flushed cheeks, trying to calm him down some.
"Why does what I want never matter? You make pretty promises, but in the end, you're just like everyone else, sweetheart," Iruka whispered. Kakashi brushed his thumb over Iruka's bleeding lip, his revealed eye narrowed.
"I hurt you," he said softly, some of the sanity returning to his uncovered eye. Iruka nodded. Kakashi, the legendary ninja, turned into a helpless baby right in front of Iruka's eyes. The brunette wrapped his arms around Kakashi in a tight hug as the taller man trembled. They sank to the kitchen floor, Kakashi clutching him tightly. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Kakashi repeated, voice thick with unshed tears. Iruka soothed him.
"Let me put you to bed, sweetheart," Iruka persuaded. Weakly, Kakashi agreed. Holding Kakashi's hand, Iruka lead him into his bedroom and stripped him of his flak vest. He guided him to sit on the bed, and then he pulled off Kakashi's sandals. Iruka gently pushed his shoulders, and Kakashi lay down, allowing Iruka to pull the covers over him. At the last moment, he found Iruka's hand in the darkness.
"I do care about what you want, and I don't want to make you unhappy. You and Naruto go. I won't bother you anymore. If you ever need anything, just…just ask me. I'll still tutor Naruto to help him catch up. Go…go do what you have to do and stop worrying about me," he said brusquely. Feeling as if something was stuck in his chest, Iruka could only nod in reply.
"Thank you," he finally managed to say. Kakashi forced himself to let go of Iruka's hand. Without another word, Iruka left the bedroom and disappeared into the night, heading for the school and his meeting with Mizuki.
A/N: Has Iruka made his choice? Is it over between them? Tune in next time to find out, lol! I hope you guys are enjoying this, and thank you for all the lovely reviews.