The Assassin and the Dolphin

Author: jabotus

Rating: T

Pairings: Kakashi x Iruka

Warnings: AU – yaoi (two guys in a relationship)

Disclaimer: Don't own.

'…..' - thoughts

Chapter 7

Kakashi wasn't saying anything, just continued to stare.

Iruka reached for his discarded shirt wholly uncomfortable with the way the human was staring. Maybe he had made a mistake in showing Kakashi his true form. He'd never felt more like a freak than in the theses moments of absolute silence. Iruka pulled the shirt over his head and gasped in surprise when he saw Kakashi kneeling next to him once the shirt no longer blocked his sight. Before he could guess what the human was doing so close to him, Kakashi reached out and pressed a hand against the upper part of his tail. Iruka went red at the intimate touch. Nobody had ever touched him there before!

"It's so smooth." Iruka couldn't respond with words. How could he when his crush was touching him so intimately…but Kakashi wouldn't know that. He couldn't possible know how sensitive merpeople's tails were.

"I thought you would have scales. From the stories I mean. You are half-fish right?" Iruka grabbed Kakashi's hand and moved it away from his tail.

"Please don't touch me there." Iruka released his hand reluctantly. "I'm a mammal, not a fish."

"Then why do you have these?" Iruka jerked when Kakashi brushed his hand over his gills on his side. Kakashi had lifted up the shirt to get a closer look as well. Were all humans so touchy feely or just this one?

"Sorry. I didn't hurt you did I?"

Iruka shook his head. "No, it tickled." Kakashi would have to be blind to not see how he was affecting him. "Could you just not touch me?" Iruka yanked down his shirt.

Kakashi leaned back on his heels and went back to starring. Iruka wished he'd stop doing that too, but it was much better than the touching. Not that he didn't want Kakashi to touch him, he did but … oh what was he thinking. His face must be as red as a lobster now. Iruka ignored the questioning look on Kakashi's face and reached for a dry towel instead. He needed to get control of his emotions, snapping at the human one minute, rambling about private matters the next, and through it all blushing at a simple glance. Iruka was a mess.

"I…I brought you some fish."

"So I see. The lobster is…not cooperating." Kakashi was still starring. It was still as unsettling as it was earlier.

"What?"

"You had legs earlier. I saw you walking in here."

Iruka didn't think he could get any redder. He was wrong. How could he let himself get so worked up when he knew about human's disbelief and then storm out of here like a child?

"When my tail dries, I will have legs." Iruka pulled himself the rest of the way out of the water.

"So you're human some of the time?" Kakashi went over to the fire to give him space, but kept watching him.

"Not exactly." Iruka went to work at drying his tail for the second time that day.

"You may as well tell me the whole story. I already know your secret."

"It's not a secret!"

"So why would I and all other humans for that matter not think you exist?"

"Because when humans did know, they nearly made us extinct."

"See it is a secret." Iruka paused to look at the human. There was something about his voice. Kakashi was starring at the fire now. He must have sensed he was being watched because he glanced back at Iruka. "Don't worry. I can keep a secret. I know quite a few actually, but I doubt you would be interested in human affairs."

'Human affairs?' thought Iruka, which reminded him of something he wanted to know.

"Why did they shoot you?"

Kakashi gave him a sad smile. The one Iruka had seen sometimes while he had secretly watched Kakashi sitting alone on the cliffs.

"How about we make a deal? I'll answer your questions if you answer mine, but I'm telling you up front that I won't be able to answer some of your questions."

"That doesn't seem fair."

"I may know what you are, but not who. You could be a spy."

"You're rather paranoid."

"Of a creature I didn't know existed a mere ten minutes ago. I think I'm handling it well. Why? Do you think I'm not?"

Iruka glanced down to his tail. He had to admit Kakashi did seem to be taking it rather well. Maybe…

"Fine, you have a deal, but could you turn around please."

"Why?"

"My tail is almost dry."

"And?"

"I'll change soon."

"So what, I'll turn to stone if I watch?" Was he laughing at him?

"No…I…" Iruka wasn't sure why. When it was just their group here, nobody put on clothes unless playing around. Nudity didn't concern them. He'd assumed Kakashi would be offended since humans wore clothes all the time.

"Are you embarrassed to be seen naked?"

"…No."

"Cause I already saw you once when you rushed out of here earlier. You have nothing to be embarrassed about."

Iruka's face flamed up yet again which had to be unhealthy. The way this human talked! Iruka didn't know how to react. He felt offended and complimented at the same time. 'But he did comment on how I looked…could he like males too?' Iruka glanced over at the human who was still staring into the fire.

Sakura had warned him, along with Neji and Sasuke that a lot of humans didn't approve of same-sex couples. When they were on land, it would be better to 'not be open about it' as she put it. Sasuke, of course, who didn't give a flip about humans or what they thought, so as with the clothing issue, if Neji was with him, made sure everybody who saw them knew they were together. Sakura had been right. Iruka had been shocked at most of the human's reactions when they saw the two boys kissing. Some actually became violent. Probably why Sasuke did it, the young merman loved a good fight. Thankfully his disdain of humans kept him from coming to the surface too often.

Iruka had also seen the opposite reaction too. Once two girls had come up Neji and Sasuke and commented on how nice it was to see two people who were not afraid to be who they wanted to be.

"Nice legs."

Iruka let out a sound resembling a squeal. He grabbed a pair of shorts and stood to pull them on, nearly falling over in his hurry. He heard Kakashi laughing.

"Do you torture everyone you know or just complete strangers?"

"Not everyone, just the cute ones."

Iruka was starting to think he was going to be permanently red whenever around Kakashi.

"Why are you taking this so well?" he asked once fully clothed and seated at a safe distance.

"I'm not sure." Kakashi studied him once more. It was still unnerving, but for some reason, Iruka didn't feel like a freak this time. "Would you prefer I not accept it?"

"No…this…this is good. But why?" Kakashi seemed to be amused by his question.

"Unless I'm hallucinating, your tail certainly felt very real. And…I guess I've seen some things in my life that most people would never believe. This is just another thing to add to the list." Kakashi laughed softly before adding, "Though I will admit that this one does go to the top of that list."

Iruka wasn't sure what to make of Kakashi's answer, but he really shouldn't be questioning his good fortune. The human's reaction could have been worse…much worse.

"Maybe someday I will tell you about how I nearly lost my eye."

'Someday?' thought Iruka. 'Is this a hint to not to bother asking about his scar? Is that one of those questions he warned he wouldn't answer?' Iruka pouted. This really wasn't fair. All Kakashi had to do was ask and he would probably bare his soul to the human while Kakashi had no trouble keeping things from him.

Kakashi picked up one of the fish. "Are you hungry?" Using a rough piece of metal he found, he began to scrape off the dead fish's scales.

Iruka nodded and moved closer to watch what Kakashi was doing. He'd seen other humans do the same thing, but never understood why. The scales were what made the fish crunchy.

After a few minutes of silence, Kakashi paused in his actions. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"Me?" Confused, Iruka looked up at Kakashi who was watching him with a thoughtful expression.

"My shell. You're the one who kept returning my shell."

"I…" Iruka wanted to deny it, but what would be the point. "I did." He hurried into an explanation, "It looked important to you. I couldn't figure out why you kept throwing it into the ocean. If it was so important to you, why wouldn't you treasure it and keep it safe?"

Kakashi looked stunned for a moment. Iruka hurried on with his reason, "the first time you saw it returned, you seemed surprised and held it with such reverence, but then you came back a few days later and threw it away again. You obviously didn't want to keep it, but I couldn't stop myself from returning it. Each time I thought maybe you would change your mind."

Silence fell over them. Embarrassed, Iruka played with the edge of his shirt unable to meet Kakashi's eyes, though he felt them on him.

Finally the human spoke, "the first time I threw the shell into the ocean was four months ago."

"Five months." Iruka corrected.

"You've been watching me for five months?"

"Er…" Iruka was very aware of how this made him look. 'I've been stalking him for five months. No matter how anybody looks at it, it was creepy.'

"I'm flattered."

"Huh?" More confused than ever, Iruka finally looked up from the floor. Kakashi was smiling…a real smile, not the broad flirting one he wore when teasing, but a small gentle smile. Iruka knew he would have lost his ability to stand had he been standing. His stomach did a somersault.

"I can't possible fathom what you found so interesting about me for you to watch me so long, but it is consoling to find out. I've been detached from my own race for a long time now and I guess I've forgotten what some things feel like."

"What things?" Kakashi laughed and shook his head. He didn't answer, but continued scrapping off the fish scales.

Frustrated by his curiosity, Iruka wanted to demand the human to answer some of his questions. How could they get to know one another if he was the only one will to share personal information! But before he could retort, Kakashi spoke up again.

"Yo Iruka."

"What?" He spat out.

"Do you know how to cook lobster?"

"No."

"Maybe we should just free them then. Besides this little guy is starting to grow on me." Iruka glimpsed up and blinked. He blinked again and despite his growing frustration, he smiled. Then he laughed softly at the sight of Kakashi holding a toy shovel at the end of which dangled a lobster.

"You have to admire a creature that refuses to die easily."