"Let's go out," Iruka suggested, hoping that the quick looks he had been shooting at Kakashi all evening were not as shy as he felt they were. They had been in each other's pockets for more than a week now, and there were times Iruka could hardly believe that he was occupying the same space with Kakashi. Not that Kakashi would ever know about that. His deepest feelings were his own, joined chakra or not, and Iruka worked hard to lock them away deeply. "We shouldn't stay in here, hiding from everyone."
"I'm not hiding," Kakashi returned instantly, his tone fairly bland, but Iruka could pick up a tendril of annoyance coming through their bond. "If you want to go out, let's go."
"We don't have to, if you don't want to." Iruka began to feel a little annoyed himself, and Kakashi gave him a quick, amused look. Iruka took a quick breath and smiled in return. "We don't have to hold hands for too long, you know that. I'm not used to being cooped up like this, I need to get out." He looked around Kakashi's place, which they had arrived at last night. "I really need to-"
"Get out, I know. Fine." Kakashi rose from the futon they had been sitting in and pulled up his mask, sliding a finger between the edge of the dark cloth and his skin so that it lay flat. Iruka stood as well and came close to him, reaching out to smooth down the material over his mouth. Kakashi moved his head away and Iruka clamped down on the disappointment welling up in him, hoping that none of it seeped over to Kakashi. From the long look Kakashi gave him, it was likely that some of it did.
"We can go to the Rope and Hook," Kakashi suggested as they pulled on their sandals near the door. "Is that alright by you?"
"It's fine." Iruka touched Kakashi's shoulder before he opened the door and smiled up at Kakashi's questioning expression. "Can I get a kiss before we go?"
Kakashi stared at him for a very long time and then rolled his visible eye. "I just put up this mask," he griped, even as he tugged it down and leaned forward, pressing his lips against Iruka's wide smile. Iruka fisted a hand in the front of Kakashi's black shirt and pulled him even closer, opening his mouth invitingly. When Kakashi's lips parted, Iruka slipped his tongue inside his mouth, moaning softly at the feel of Kakashi's tongue stroking against his. Their chakra hummed a contented song between them and Iruka was just about ready to push Kakashi against the wall and press a thigh between his strong legs and push his hands up underneath that black shirt-
Kakashi tore his face away, holding Iruka away by his shoulders. He was breathing hard, his cheeks flushed and Iruka kissed his jaw and neck, before reigning himself in with great difficulty.
"Let's go." Iruka held out his hand and after a moment, Kakashi took it.
They made their way down the narrow staircase and onto the quiet road. When they turned onto the main thoroughfare, Iruka felt Kakashi's fingers clench tightly around his own, before releasing. Their bond muttered in complaint, but as long as they touched each other now and again, the fainting would not occur. It was late evening, but there were still quite a number of people wandering to and from restaurants and bars. They stared openly at Iruka and Kakashi, whispering in groups...even going as far as pointing at how close they were walking to each other.
"Stop gawking," Iruka told one group of young civilians that gaped at them as they passed along the sidewalk. Iruka had just boldly brushed his hand against Kakashi's gloved fingers. "That's rude, didn't you learn any manners?"
Kakashi kept his head down, silver hair falling over his eyes.
"You forgot your Icha Icha," Iruka murmured.
"People are staring anyway," Kakashi replied lazily, but his tension twisted through their link. "Why blow their minds any more than we have to?"
"So kind of you, Kakashi-san," Iruka said drily. He heard whispering behind them and a surprised phrase filtered back to him: "...faggots?"
Iruka turned without even thinking about it, one hand slipping into the pouch Kakashi had strapped to the back of his hip, (prepared even though they weren't wearing their flak-jackets); two shuriken snapped through the air and landed heavily in the wall beside the head of one shocked teenager.
"Be very careful," Iruka said tightly, "how you use that word. It's disrespectful to anyone, especially to a great shinobi such as Sharingan no Kakashi here."
"I- I didn't realize it was the Copy-nin," the boy stammered even as he and his friends inched away.
"That's no excuse for being stupidly rude," Iruka said, impatience snipping his words into sharp pieces. "Get out of here." The boys needed no other invitation, clattering off down the road. Iruka felt a wave of hilarity emanating from Kakashi and turned to see his eye curved up in obvious yet soundless laughter.
"Maa, sensei," Kakashi drawled. "With your staunch defence of my person, I should just retire and let you do all the threatening for me."
"I just hate it when people say crap like that," Iruka admitted. They were now just a few steps from the Rope and Hook, a bar used mostly by shinobi. "That's just..." he took a few deep breaths."I just hate it."
He was breathing hard from his little rant and Kakashi was looking at him carefully out of the corner of his eye as he pushed open the entry-door to Rope and Hook. From what was coming through their joined chakra, Kakashi was pleasantly surprised.
"So do I," was all Kakashi said and then pulled him inside. The low chatter of the patrons died out as soon as they walked in, now holding hands and maintaining that comfortable chakra link between them; chuunin and jounin alike stared at them. Iruka opened his mouth to chide them all, but Kakashi squeezed his fingers and yanked him to a shadowed booth.
"Can we sit here?" Kakashi asked the shinobi who were already seated and slid in without waiting for their response. Kotetsu and Izumo exchanged uncomfortable glances and then turned to blink at them.
Iruka's temper spiked; Kakashi's internal mortification had been building up again, but it melted away to more glee at Iruka's irritation. They sat close together, thighs touching and Kakashi released Iruka's hand, placing his arms on the table and raising one to rest his chin on a knuckled fist.
"Hello," Iruka told them pointedly, waving a hand to the bartender, who lifted his chin in acknowledgement and raised his eyebrows in question: what'll you have? Iruka put up two fingers and the hand-signal for 'beer'. The bartender nodded.
"Make mine a low-malt," Kakashi muttered and Iruka signalled to the bartender again, who looked a little scornful at the new order, but brought over their drinks anyway.
"So..." Izumo began when the bartender left them. "So."
"I didn't know you were both gay," Kotetsu blurted and then winced, turning to glare at his companion. "Why did you step on my foot, Izumo?"
"It was an accident," Kakashi cut in before Izumo could retort. He shifted back and his face fell into shadow, before pulling down his mask and taking a long pull from his drink. He replaced his mask and came forward again into the dim light. "We have to be like this for awhile, so I suppose we'll just endure it."
Iruka's chest burned at Kakashi's resigned tone. He took that desolate feeling and locked it away, as far from their joined chakra as he could. He kept forgetting that this whole situation wasn't the same experience for Kakashi as it was for him.
"'Ruka-kun!" Someone hollered from across the bar and Iruka flinched. Oh, no. Not Anko.
Because the world hated him, Anko clambered into their booth with a wide, dangerous smile, pushing Izumo and Kotetsu further into the corner unceremoniously.
Ignoring their grumbles, she regarded Kakashi and Iruka with the expression of a cat cornering a panicky pair of mice. Iruka shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. Kakashi's cautious inquisitiveness trickled over to him.
Anko looked from one to the other, leering. "Finally! The honeymoon is over and I get to see my darling Iruka!"
"Anko," Iruka warned and she narrowed her eyes playfully.
"You got the Copy-nin to marry you," Anko declared. "Umino Iruka, you sly dog. And after all we've been through, why haven't you invited me to any ceremony?"
"First of all, I didn't get him to marry me," Iruka said through clenched teeth. Kakashi was dying with laughter beside him, Iruka could feel it. "Secondly, there isn't going to be a ceremony because this isn't real."
"How can you say that, Iruka-sensei?" Someone else screeched and it was Kakashi's turn to flinch. Guy was bounding towards them, shoving Anko over and plopping down into the space, his eyes wide and shocked. "How can you treat Commitment and True Love like worthless things?" He blinked expressively and then scowled at Iruka, a frightening expression under his straight black fringe. "Iruka-sensei. I'm going to ask you to outline your real intentions regarding my Worthy Rival."
"Look, it's not about intentions," Iruka tried to explain, but this seemed to set off Guy even more.
"You are supposed to be a shining example to other shinobi," Guy intoned, pointing a lecturing finger at Iruka. "If you don't treat your relationship seriously, then gay rights in our village will be viewed as unimportant!"
His voice echoed through the shocked silence of the Rope and Hook. Kakashi was giving Guy a bored stare, but he was deeply discomfited.
"Maa," Kakashi said carelessly, even as his thigh pressed against Iruka's in distress. "I'm sure there are other gay ninja, Guy-sensei."
"Of course there are!" Guy bellowed. "This is why you need to demonstrate your commitment sincerely!"
"Are yougay, Guy-sensei?" Iruka ventured. Guy drew himself up and sat as straight as a board.
"No," he said with great dignity. "But I will support my Worthy Rival and his lover and anyone else who wants to live their life as they choose. That is my ninja way!"
He was standing at this point, his arm held up in a Fist of Oath.
"Thank you, Guy," Iruka said, trying not to squirm. Beside him, Kakashi was almost sliding off the seat in his careless manner, but he felt almost as awkward as Iruka. "Your support is much appreciated, as is everyone else's." Iruka nodded at the other shinobi, who returned the nod, and concentrated on their drinks for a while.
"Yeah, I mean," Izumo started hesitantly after Guy sat back down, "there are great gay ninja, I suppose. Powerful ones. Just because they're gay didn't mean that they aren't, you know, kick-ass."
"Yeah! I think Orochimaru was gay," Kotetsu put in, his face brightening. He turned to Anko for help; Anko shrugged. "Now that I think of it, it's pretty obvious. So, there you have it! One of the great Sannin, gay!"
"I really don't think that Orochimaru is a good example to use right now," Izumo said, staring at his drink contemplatively.
"Right," Iruka said, dragging out the word and glanced at Kakashi, who was looking at the others around the table with his visible eyebrow arched. Iruka touched his hand under the table, and Kakashi stroked his fingers, so light that Iruka would have thought he imagined it, if their joined chakra hadn't curled against his skin in satisfaction, just like a spoilt kitten.
"Our chakra was bonded together by mistake," Iruka told them, hoping he sounded far more careless than he actually felt. "We're working our way through it."
"A chakra-bond." Guy narrowed his eyes at them, the conversation of the other tables muted around them. "So...there is no youthful and affectionate emotion?"
"Not everything should be classified as youthful, you know," Kakashi told him and Guy wrinkled his nose. "And no. There's nothing but a seal between us."
"Exactly," Iruka said, and made every effort to hide the clenching sensation near his heart.