Chapter 14

Moving forward.

Yos! First off, hope all of you are having a good weekend and thank you for reviews last week; they really do make my day just so much better.

And of course, enjoy the chap!

…

"Your mother?"

Ibiki instantly saw why Kakashi always wore the mask. It wasn't because he thought he looked like his father, it was because his face was as expressive as Iruka's eyes. Currently, the pale jaw was dropped in a very comic manner.

Smiling softly Ibiki nodded and leant over to look at the picture. He was very fond of it. It was a beacon, radiating happiness.

"They were best friends I believe. I don't remember your mother that much as I was five when she died"

Kakashi glanced up, confused. "Five? I thought you were four years older than me"

Ibiki frowned. "Yes, she died when you were one. A rare chakra disease"

Kakashi's confusion only increased and Ibiki's discomfort grew with it. "What? Didn't-?"

Kakashi slowly shook his head, answering the unfinished question. "Father never told me anything about her. I just assumed she died when I was born"

Died having me. Ibiki could hear the unspoken belief and felt a flash of anger. He'd always thought Kakashi had been told but it seemed he had grown up with a grieving father, assuming the grief was his fault.

No wonder the guy blamed himself every time someone died.

"Your mother..."

Ibiki glanced back over when Kakashi turned thoughtful.

"Morino, don't take this the wrong way but she doesn't look like a ninja"

Ibiki stared for a moment then burst out laughing. It only grew worse at Kakashi's bewildered look. The pale face really was ridiculously expressive.

"Great deduction genius" Ibiki chuckled as he said it, to show there was nothing malicious behind it as he grabbed one pale wrist and lead the younger Jounin back to the couch.

Returning to his comfy spot on the fluffy cushions Ibiki sighed and rolled so the strong legs were flung over the armrest before he turned to look at Kakashi who was back on the floor, but closer this time.

"My mother was a civilian"

Surprise and shock filled the pale face and Ibiki smiled. "My whole family was actually. Idate and I were the only ones with the chakra necessary to be trained. I was the oldest and besides him I had three sisters and another brother that eventually came along.'

'My mother, if you'll believe it, was a hair dresser. That's how she met your mother, if I remember the story correctly. Mam ended up giving her that style as it was low maintenance and your mother didn't have the greatest patience in the world. The blue, I think, came into being because your mother was a bomb specialist and she caught herself with a practice bomb one time, dyed herself blue. They got it off everything but the hair."

Kakashi's smile grew and the grey eye sparkled. For that instant his relation to the bright young woman in the picture was blaringly obvious.

Ibiki swallowed and quickly looked away. "Uh, my father was one of the miners. Didn't see him much, so it was usually just Mam and us kids. There's actually no one left living to remember, but the name 'Morino' didn't always mean what it does now. "

The silver head tilted to the side curiously. It looked like a puppy trying to understand human words and could only be described as cute. Ibiki chuckled.

"I was below average in skill then, mainly due to the fact I was helping run a family of six at the time with my Mam. I became Chuunin and stayed that rank, I didn't need to go higher as it gave me more than enough to support the family with all our added incomes, while being a bit safer. Meaning the chance of me dying on them and leaving a hole in the finances was lower. It went on like that for a few years, then the Kyuubi came"

Kakashi's eyes softened even as his mouth drew into a thin hard line at the sound of the name. "I've never heard anything about your family so-"

"They died. Everyone but Idate" Ibiki sighed when he saw Kakashi finch. There were a lot of people who lost their whole family on that night, but a family of seven- people didn't like thinking about it.

"I had just started a side job at T&I, equipment cleaning" Ibiki snorted. "Just imagine if people found that out huh? Anko would probably faint."

Kakashi gave a small, crooked smile at that, but it faltered and broke. The copy nin's silence an odd urge for Ibiki to continue, to get the worst of it over. Ibiki sighed.

"I was working there during the attack and so I ended up helping with evacuations" once again that was surprising as most people thought he would have been on the front lines, all powerful. "When it was finally over I was a seventeen year old with a six year old and nothing else. The house and the mine collapsed. At least they all died instantly."

Kakashi shuffled slightly, unconsciously bringing himself closer to the couch, like a child waiting for the next part and Ibiki almost smiled at the sight as he forced himself on. Giving up more of himself to the other man.

"After it settled into regular insanity. Idate was still in school and I was running around, trying to make enough to pay for classes, food and rent, all while starting up my training again. Those years are hazy, blurred together until Idate became a Genin and I succeeded in getting not only a higher rank but by chance ended up interrogating a prisoner from Stone when the old head of T&I was late'

'I still don't really remember just how it happened but somehow I got him to talk and from that point on I was on the council's radar. You of all people know what it's like having the old bags breathing down your neck"

Kakashi gave an agreeing growl and Ibiki smirked. If there was one thing they all could complain about, it was the elders. Ibiki had nothing against older people, but the village elders were fucking annoying.

"Naruto-" Kakashi cleared his throat. "Naruto told me about your brother"

Ibiki hummed, that didn't really surprise him. "Idate made his choice; he's better off where he is now. He's probably more peaceful without me hanging around and I don't have to worry about someone using him because of me anymore" he shrugged lazily. "I still miss him sometimes, but considering how everything could have gone, I don't think this is the worst ending out there"

The silver brows farrowed. "How do you mean? You still alone aren't you? You family's still dead, half the village fears you"

Ibiki chuckled; knowing it wasn't him Kakashi was talking about. At that moment it really stuck him that, no matter how powerful and skilled Kakashi was, he was still very young. "I'm not alone Kakashi, people just think I am. Yes my family's dead and I miss them, but they weren't going to live forever, I've healed and gone on with my life, like they would have wanted. And you of all people know 'half the village' are idiots"

Kakashi looked startled at that, but it faded to a grin. "Ya, you're right."

Comfortable silence settled between them and Kakashi relaxed back, sprawling himself out over the floor and closing his eyes. Ibiki turned slightly, watching the other Jounin as he thought.

He was definitely attracted to Kakashi. He knew that much, but it was Kakashi, pretty much anyone who wasn't completely straight male, lesbian or asexual was attracted to the man in some small way. He was extremely good looking, even with the blasted mask on. It might have even added to the charm as every person could put their own ideal picture on Kakashi.

In face of Kakashi Ibiki wondered just what it was Iruka saw in him. Sure the chuunin was covered in scars now too, but they weren't really as bad as his. Tsunade hadn't been working in village when he'd been captured so the medical attention he'd received had been nowhere near what Iruka had, meaning there were a good deal more marks across his body than on the sensei's.

The scars crossing his body were horrible really; he couldn't see how anyone would find him attractive. Not to mention his reputation and even Ibiki knew he wasn't exactly a people person. Hell, the pervious conversation was probably the most he'd ever spoken at one time.

"Morino-"

Ibiki pulled from his musing by the soft mummer. Curious, he rolled slightly and looked down at the other man, sprawled gracefully on the floor.

"Why do you hate me?"

The question caught him off guard and Ibiki almost fell from the couch in surprise. It was a good thing he caught himself as he would have ended up landing on Kakashi and he didn't think the younger Jounin would have liked that.

"What?" It was the only thing he could think of to say really.

Sighing Kakashi moved to sit upright so he could look into the black eyes.

"You, why do you hate me? I know I'm not the easiest person to be around -Iruka enjoys yell that at me any chance he gets – but from the first time I met you, I could sense it. I know I've been annoying lately but that's because you were – kinda still are – getting in the way. You've always disliked me, and so I've replied in kind, so now I'm asking. Why?"

Ibiki stared blankly at the younger man for a moment, then he let himself fall back onto the couch with a sigh.

Such a simple question. The answer to which was just as simple.

"I was jealous"

The grey eye blinked. "What?"

Ibiki grinned ruefully, the action causing the long scars on his face to crease slightly. "I was jealous. The feeling started after the Kyuubi attack and I was running myself to the ground trying to support Idate. Back then it was toward your social standing. You had all the money you needed – I knew that cause I helped in the File Office sometimes and had seen your monthly paycheck – and you always had people around you, powerful people, like the Hokage and the elders. Even if they didn't love you, you were important enough to be seen and taken care of, while I was invisible, trying to scrap up enough to afford food for one more week while still paying rent for the month. I needed someone to be angry at and you were as good a target as any."

Ibiki sighed again and glanced over at Kakashi who was looking at him with an unreadable expression.

"If it's any consolation. I hated the Hyuugas' too"

Kakashi snorted and turned so he was relaxing against the front of the couch, back to Ibiki but still close to the Interrogator. "It's a good reason as any I guess, but why after?"

Ibiki shrugged. "After? I guess by then it was just a deep feeling. You had been handed everything, I had to crawl up the ladder to get to my position of power. I know you were forced into a lot of things a child shouldn't, but you were always famous, Kakashi, and you would have held power in this village whether or not you had become the copy nin"

Kakashi frowned at that, but didn't say anything. The logic was a bit twisted, but still logic.

"H-has that changed?" the younger man sounded nervous and Ibiki realized Kakashi was scared. Scared of being rejected.

He paused, trying to think of the most delicate way to do this while still making it forward enough to get his point across and leave no uncertainty's for Kakashi.

Slowly Ibiki pulled himself up and moved his feet back to the floor so the thick calves bordered Kakashi's body. Startled Kakashi tilted his head back to look up at the older man who was now looming over him.

Without warning Ibiki dipped forward, big hands holding Kakashi's head in place as he claimed the pale lips in an upside down kiss. It was an awkward position but Ibiki made it work as he pushed his tongue into Kakashi's mouth, deepening the kiss.

Kakashi moaned at the contact and pushed up, trying to get closer and groaning when the awkward angle stopped him. Not discouraged he shifted so one knee was braced on the floor, giving him leverage to push himself closer to Ibiki while one hand moved up and hooked around the strong neck.

The kiss lasted several long minutes, neither man wanting to give up contact long enough to change positions, so they stayed, perfectly balanced as they fought for control. It wasn't gentle in any sense of the word. Teeth nipped at soft flesh while tongues met in the middle, both men battled for dominance until Ibiki broke away, panting for air and staring down at an equally flushed Kakashi.

"Answer enough for you?"

The grey eye looked confused for a moment until the previous conversation came back and Kakashi let out a breathless chuckle and let himself collapse back onto Ibiki's lap, part of him still sprawled on the floor.

"Ya, that bout said it"

Quickly turning Kakashi righted himself and surged forward, hands braced on either side of the bigger man's waist, his own body still settled in between the strong thighs to reclaim Ibiki's mouth, taking control of the contact this time.

Neither Jounin noticed the figure watching them from the bedroom, the grey door held open just a crack.

Stepping back, Iruka quietly closed the door, making sure it made no sound as it settled back in place. Creeping back to Ibiki's huge oak bed Iruka crawled up and slipped under the covers. His leg still hurt and the world tilted to the right if he moved wrong, but as he drifted off to sleep, there was a soft smile on the dark lips.

…

Ryth: Cha! And there we go! I gave Ibiki the history I did as I could never really see him as a bitter person, he always just seemed to accept the situations thrown at him. Which I think is the main difference between him and Kashi. Kakashi buries himself in the past, but I think Ibiki's the kind to take it and move on, acknowledging he can't change anything now anyway.

Jiraiya: ya, ya, touchy feely. NEXT WEEK-!

Ryth: NNNAAAAHHHH! *gabs him and whacks his head against the wall* YOU. WILL. NOT. RUIN. THE SURPRISE!

Jiraiya: I'm sorry! I'm sorry! AGH! REVIEW PEOPLE! IT CALMS HER!