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

A/N: I want to thank everyone who has reviewed my story. I really appreciate those who take the time to do so. It encourages me to find time to work on this story. I will try not to take so long for the next up date. And a thank you goes to Nine Tailed Vixen who mentioned it, I've gone back and made grammar and spelling corrections. Anyway here's the next chapter. ENJOY!

Chapter 8

As Kakashi cleaned the fish, he kept finding his gaze drifting to what appeared to be a young man. Truth be told, he was a little freaked out by the merman. He'd just been trained to never let your enemy know he's gotten to you; always appear calm and collected. Iruka hadn't done anything that appeared hostile…yet. Maybe they were fattening him up to eat later.

No, Kakashi shook his head slightly looking down to the fish in his hands. Three small fish was hardly a descent meal when considering the only other addition to the meal was bottled water. He'd been reading too many manga (1).

Speaking of manga, Kakashi wished he had a copy of his favorite book Icha Icha Paradise on him. His recovery was going to drag by without decent entertainment which the cave was severely lacking in.

"Kakashi?"

"Hmm?"

"You just sighed. Is everything ok? Are your injuries causing you pain? I can get you more medicine if you need some." Iruka was already halfway to Sakura's bag when Kakashi stopped him.

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Iruka gave him a doubtful look.

"I'm sure. Don't worry about me." Iruka hesitated, staring at him, making him feel uneasy. "If my shoulder starts causing me any pain, you'll be the first to know."

"Ok…" Iruka moved over to a pile and began sorting through it.

'Hostile? He's acting more like a worried mother hen than a dangerous mythical beast,' thought Kakashi. 'He's too…not innocent, but more like too trusting. He knows next to nothing about me, saves my life and reveals to me what he is. He never questioned me when I said I could keep a secret. Not that I will say anything, but I could. If Iruka keeps acting so…blind, one of these days he's going to get himself killed. But then why am I so worried about him? He's as much of an adult as I am…'

"So how do people usually react when you tell them?"

Iruka was startled at the sudden question, but after a moment said, "I've never told anyone before, but I've heard humans try to kill what they don't understand." The merman watched him, but when nothing more was said went to search through the junk piles.

Kakashi's thoughts went to Iruka's answer. Maybe the merman wasn't so naïve, but then again he did just tell a human whose expertise was killing. Of course, Kakashi had no intention on ever telling any of these merma…merpeople what he does for a living. Who knew how they would react to something like that?

Tossing the last fish into the boiling water, the lobsters were in a cooler of salt water waiting for Iruka to release them later, Kakashi felt the skin on the back of his neck crawl. Iruka was watching him again. Kakashi didn't necessarily feel threatened; just uncomfortable with the scrutiny, like Iruka could read into his soul. Even if he had been watching the merman just as close in the last half hour, Kakashi decided he didn't like being on the other side of that same study. And to top it off, Iruka had been watching him for five months! At least all those time Kakashi felt he was being watched amounted to something. It had never occurred to him to look to the sea for the eyes he felt but never saw. Five months!

Kakashi hadn't lied when he said he was flattered. Very few people had ever gotten the drop on him before, including the ones on the beach and nobody had stayed hidden from his sight for so long. On the other hand, it was downright creepy. Why would Iruka stalk him? What did the merman have planned? Scratch that. It was blaringly obvious the merman had a crush on him, though Iruka himself didn't seem to fully grasp why he liked Kakashi.

He could deal with it. And he could deal with the fact that he was trapped in a cave at the bottom of the ocean being held captive by not so mythical creatures.

"I found another fork." Kakashi jerked back, so lost in his thoughts he hadn't heard Iruka approach him. 'How did he…it's not me losing my touch, he's not human.' Yeah, Kakashi would keep telling himself that.

Iruka peered curiously at Kakashi from under half dried bangs.

"Fish is done." Kakashi picked the fish out of the bowl and onto a plate with a fork. Then he held the plate out to Iruka who hesitated. The smell was not enticing enough for him to eat the boiled fish. His nose wrinkled at the offered plate.

"My cooking's not that bad. I've survived on it thus far."

"You can eat it. You need your strength."

"You sure?"

Iruka nodded and added, "I've never eaten fish that way before."

"Let me guess. You eat everything raw." Kakashi added the other fish to the plate.

Another nod. "Well except for one time, Sakura insisted we try a meat called hotdogs from a vender on the beach. It made me sick at my stomach." He watched the human settle with his back to the cave wall with his plate.

"Not surprising. You need to go to New York to get a real hot dog from a street vendor. I've tried the ones they sell during the summer and they are horrible." Kakashi took a bite of the fish, chewing experimentally. "Not the best in the world, but I've eaten worse." He turned his attention back to Iruka. "Do you eat any red meat?"

"What do mean by 'red' meat?"

"Um, that would be mammal, so in the ocean that would be dolphins and whales and those things, the sea cow things, or do they live in fresh water?"

Iruka felt his stomach lurch in revulsion at the mere notion of eating one of his friends. His horror must have shown on his face as well.

"Oh sorry. I guess with your tail it would make you a cannibal of some kind, wouldn't it? But while we are on the subject, you don't eat humans do you?"

"We don't eat our own kind!" Iruka shuddered. How could Sakura live among humans who thought like this?!

"So you're part human?"

"You already asked me that. I'm not human!" Iruka had just managed to gain control of himself after his previous irritation and here this human was stirring him up again! He didn't regret saving his life, but Iruka was beginning to regret thinking this human shouldn't be so lonely. This was probably why nobody ever wanted to be around him. He was too exasperating to deal with!

"Ok, ok. You're not a cannibal, or human, or a fish. No need to ruffle your feathers."

"I don't have any feathers!"

"It's only a figure of speech. I didn't mean it literally." Iruka glared at Kakashi as he stifled his laughter and took another bite of his meal. After he swallowed he said, "so how about you explain what you are before I make any more assumptions and upset you further."

"I'm not upset." Iruka retorted, "I'm…frustrated. Why can't you answer my questions?"

"And what questions do you want answered?"

"Why were those other humans shooting at you?"

"Oh, that question…" Kakashi paused a moment as if to gather his thoughts, then "I suppose for the same reason anybody tries to shoot someone else."

"I don't live up there. I don't know what reasons a person could have to take another's life."

Was he imagining things or did Kakashi just flinch?

"I pissed someone off and I know something that could endanger his life if the wrong people found out."

Iruka wasn't satisfied with such a vague answer, but he could tell Kakashi didn't trust him. He wondered what kind of life the human had that made him not trust people. "So that person is trying to stop you from telling anybody?"

"That's it."

"What are you going to do?" Iruka's concern for the human was overruling his frustration with him. He was scared for him, especially since Kakashi didn't seem to be bothered that some men had tried to kill him earlier today. He may not know much about life on land, but he knew getting shot at was not part of every human's life. This could only mean that whatever Kakashi was involved in was very dangerous. So why didn't Kakashi act as if this was important? He seemed more irritated than scared he'd almost lost his life.

"Once I heal up I'm going to stop him."

"How?"

Kakashi didn't answer and Iruka didn't ask again. Perhaps he hadn't thought it all through yet. An uncomfortable silence fell between them and to occupy himself, Iruka went back to sorting through the treasures. He hoped Lee wasn't too attached to the broken plant pot he tossed into a growing trash pile. They really shouldn't have allowed this place to get so cluttered.

"Iruka?"

"Yes?"

"You were going to tell me about how you're not human?" Kakashi prompted.

Iruka was thankful to end the silence. "According to the stories the elders tell, when we were declining in numbers centuries ago, the creatures of magic gathered one last time and prayed to the gods who made them. The gods heard their cries for help and gave them new homes in the hidden parts of the world. Some were also granted the ability to blend in with humans to such an extent that they could even mate with humans. This way they could replenish their numbers through those who had almost destroyed them. At least this is what has been passed down through the generations."

"So there are other magical creatures hanging around like dragons and tree nymphs?"

"Some races were killed off completely by humans. Dragons were one of those races. Others chose to die out rather than be forced to take a human as a mate. I don't know about nymphs. I've never met one."

"I take it you've met other races than?"

"I have. I know a family of shape shifters and another who refuses to say what he is. I don't think even his mate knows. All we have figured out is that Shino can communicate with insects. Most of the time he's rather quiet, but his mate more than makes up for his silence."

"You keep using the word 'mate'."

"I guess you humans would say wife or husband. His…husband is one of the shape shifters I mentioned, one named Kiba."

"Wait a minute. His mate is a male?" Iruka looked over at Kakashi, recalling how he'd seen some humans react to Sasuke and Neji. The human looked a bit surprised, but not disgusted.

"Yes…does that bother you?" Iruka held his breathe waiting for the answer, which even as he did so, Iruka realized how ridicules he was being. Even if Kakashi wasn't disgusted by the idea of two males in a relationship, that didn't mean he had a chance with the human. Any more than just because Kakashi didn't overreact when he found out about merpeople, hardly meant he would want to be in a relationship with one…

"No, I was just wondering how that affects the 'replenish their numbers' unless males can also reproduce."

Iruka turned away to hide his relieved smile. "Some can."

"You're joking right."

"No. Merman can't, but the elders say there are some creatures that can. Nymphs are supposed to only be females so they can't reproduce the same way as humans and merpeople. In Kiba and Shino's case who knows what will happen. Someday Shino might lay eggs which will hatch out puppies. I just hope he isn't like some of the insects that kill their mates after mating."

Kakashi laughed sending a warm feeling throughout Iruka's. He wanted to hear the human laugh more. It was a nice sound.

"You creatures are something else. It's amazing you've stayed hidden for as long as you have."

"Sometimes we do slip up, but humans would rather believe it was only their imagination or a trick of the light."

"So what about that blond kid Naruto? What is he?"

"What do you mean?" Iruka's voice became nervous. He had always been overprotective of his little brother.

"He didn't have a tail when he hauled himself out of the water. From what I saw earlier, he can't change that fast so I'm betting he's something else."

Iruka didn't answer. He had spent most of Naruto's younger years defending him from everybody who had disapproved of him taking in the orphan. They insisted there must have been a reason he was abandoned, but Iruka wouldn't listen. It wasn't until the boy turned ten years old that they discovered he wasn't as human as Iruka had originally thought. He'd had enough trouble getting his people to accept what they thought was a human; he didn't have the strength to tell them the truth later. Iruka was afraid they would have killed his brother or banished him. Only Sasuke and Sakura knew the truth and had agreed to keep silent on the matter. No matter how much Iruka liked Kakashi, he didn't dare tell him the truth.

"See," Kakashi spoke up, "even you have some things you don't want to tell me. I understand though. I won't ask again. It's your turn to ask a question." Kakashi then finished off the last of the fish.

Iruka picked up a gold coin with a person's head on one side of it along with markings he couldn't decipher. He didn't know what to ask. The real questions would probably be ignored, like why was Kakashi not upset someone had tried to kill him…which could meant things like that happen often to him. So what was left? What kinds of questions were supposed to be asked when getting to know someone? Oh, wait there was something…

"Do you have any family?"

"No." Well that was insightful and from the quick response, Kakashi wasn't going to elaborate on that one.

Kakashi set aside his empty plate and went on with his next question. "So back to the mating thing; specifically the part about humans, is it true you can have children with humans?"

"Yes." And before Kakashi could drag him further down that line of questioning, Iruka asked another. "Do you have any hobbies?"

For a moment, Kakashi looked at Iruka as if he was crazy to ask such a question. Iruka turned away from him. Iruka already knew about humans, maybe not everything, but nothing he wanted to ask Kakashi. He wanted to know specifics about Kakashi himself, not generalities about humans.

"I read Japanese novels and manga. My father, or what I remember of him, wanted me to learn his native language. I don't remember my mother at all, but she was an American and he wanted me to study both cultures."

"I was an orphan at a young age too." It was out of the blue, but Kakashi didn't seem to mind.

"Will the children between a human and merperson have a tail?"

What was with these questions? "The first few generations, yes, but if the family continues to take human mates, the tails will be lost. Instead they have webbed hands and feet." Kakashi nodded as if putting together something in his thoughts. Perplexed, Iruka blurted out, "Why are you so interested? You want to have a kid with a mermaid."

"Nah, I'd be a horrible father. I was just working my way into asking if they have to have sex in or out of the water in order to conceive."

Iruka stared at the human, turning an unhealthy shade of red, yet again. He was….was…Iruka couldn't think of a word to call him. It was worse than when Sasuke and Naruto discovered what sex was and badgered everyone with questions.

He heard Kakashi chuckle. "You really are too easy to tease, though that doesn't mean I'm not interested in the answer."

Iruka's jaw opened and shut, but no words came out.

"Does this mean you don't know? Are you a virgin perhaps?"

A strangled sound passed through Iruka's lips. First were the questions about eating dolphins and now this? This was not what he imagined their first real conversation would be like, not that he believed they would ever have a real conversation before today. But this certainly was not the kind of personal information he wanted to delve into.

"Remember you don't have to answer any question you don't want to."

Another strangled noise.

"Are you okay, Iruka?"

Iruka nodded before whispering softly.

"I didn't catch that."

"Either. It doesn't matter."

"Interesting…the tail would make it rather kinky though, at least from a human perspective."

Iruka stood up hastily. He didn't want to know where Kakashi was going with this. Kakashi was nothing more than a pervert. How could he have feelings for someone who only thought about sex? 'Cause you didn't know him, Iruka told himself. At least he found out sooner rather than later. He was saved from making a fool of himself…more of a fool anyway. Kakashi had found out about his stalking. 'I'm such an idiot.'

"I think…I think that's enough questions for today. It's late and I should make sure Naruto made it back home in one piece."

"You two live together?"

"He's my brother." Iruka didn't want to stick around any longer to explain anything more. What if Kakashi planned to take advantage of him? What if…what if those men were shooting at him because he had hurt somebody? The possibility sent a chill down his spine. Could he have made a horrible mistake in saving this stranger?

"I…I'll be back tomorrow. With the others." Iruka ran to the pool and dived in without removing his clothes. At least the human was trapped in the cave and couldn't hurt any of his friends from in there.

Kakashi watched the merman practically run away from him and dive into the safety of the pool. He ignored the guilt which tried to force its way into his thoughts. He didn't have room for any more guilt in his life, but at least this time he stopped it before it could escalate out of his control. He had dealt with it and it had been surprisingly easy. 'It' being the crush the merman had on him. Kakashi had scared Iruka away on purpose. If he had allowed Iruka to pursue him, the merman would only be hurt in the end. Better to scare him off now, before either learned any more about the other. Iruka was too nice to be caught up in any of his problems. With a sigh, Kakashi put out the fire then went to his crude bed. Careful to stay off his injured shoulder, he laid down on his other side to try to get a few hours of sleep. It had to be better this way.

1) If you have read Petshop of Horrors, recall the first "mermaid" in the series