Title- The Rescue
By- InuVampireChan
Genre- Romance
Pairing- KakaIru (Kakashi x Iruka)
Words- 10,657
Characters (no spaces) 47,626

Chapter 5

"Iruka! Kakashi!" Both men turned to the gate guards and offered a small smile, Iruka's more tense then the usual bright one he offered to the two fellow Chunin. "Izumo, Kotetsu."

Kotetsu grinned and slapped Iruka on the shoulder, causing the other to wince and lean slightly away from the touch. "Genma and Raido returned yesterday you had no idea how worried we all were! We thought maybe Kakashi kidnapped you." He was only teasing but hear the underlying statement of them thinking he was killed. Just because he taught pre-genin didn't mean he was at all unable to handle himself on a mission. Hearing that his partners did return though made Iruka more then happy and his shoulders relaxed slightly. He knew the Jounin could handle themselves but it was still nice to hear they were alright.

"Iruka, you're bleeding and Kakashi looks about ready to fall over." It was Izumo this time, the man brushing some of his hair from his eyes as he offered his friend a smile. "We'll inform Tsunade-Hime that you returned head over to the hospital in the meantime." Iruka nodded and turned to Kakashi who had already started to walk away at the words. Rushing to keep up with him they eventually found themselves inside the hospital and being treated for the wounds they sustained. Kakashi's were far less deadly then Iruka had originally thought, his quick healing and stitching had apparently saved the other from an infection and the internal bleeding was minimum. Iruka himself only needed a few stitches and once they were all patched up Tsunade entered and dismissed the people present.

"Iruka, good job I'm very impressed with you." She instantly praised and Iruka couldn't keep the blush off of his cheeks. "Kakashi, report."

By the time they finished relaying everything that happened night had once again fall and Iruka was dragging himself home exhausted. He was told he could return to the academy and mission desk tomorrow already knowing that work and possibly Kuni injuries to the substitute teacher would be what would welcome him to his students. His thoughts turned back to Kakashi at that, pausing in his steps to look over his shoulder toward the direction the other went when he left the hospital. He saw a different side of Kakashi on the mission, not the person who had called Naruto a solider and told him they weren't his students. The man was—sweet. He worried about Iruka and was helpful, he saw the person that Naruto was always running into his apartment and screaming about. But now that the mission was over, would he not see the other again?

Iruka brushed the thoughts aside, wondering why on earth he was so concerned of something as ridicules as seeing Kakashi again and headed up into the apartment. He unlocked the door and disabled the traps before falling into his bed and burying his head in the pillows. He would worry later now was the time for sleep.

Iruka was having… a rough day. What Iruka had thought to be a few minor injuries to the substitute had apparently turned into finding out the man was hospitalized for several Kuni and Shuriken wounds that he apparently was unable to dodge. The class had also completely wrecked his classroom so instead of starting his new lesson plan the students spent the day writing apology letters and cleaning up the mess that they had made. As Iruka headed to his next job with a throbbing headache praying that when he got there the Jounin were at least decently behaving today.

Yanking the door open Iruka dragged himself over to the desk and slumped down into it, rubbing his throbbing temple and trying to subdue the pain that had gathered there. The sound of paper rustling and whispers were heard before a few things were set in front of Iruka by a hand that looked far to familiar. Iruka glanced to the cup of tea before moving his eyes up and finding that single gray eye that was smiling weirdly at him. "Kakashi-Sensei, thank you."

"Hm, you look like you could use it Sensei." Iruka thought he almost saw a look of guilt in the others eyes but it passed so quick he assumed that he imagined it. Kakashi shifted and pulled out a scroll, passing it off to the exhausted Sensei who instantly took it. Sliding it open Iruka scanned everything that was on the page, making it was at least filled out enough he could let it pass. Iruka glanced to the drawings and tilted his head in a bit of confusion, noticing that the two people that was doodled looked oddly like himself and Kakashi… at a table… drinking…

How dark was it possible for one to turn before it was considered feverish? "Kakashi-Sensei, is your drawing ah—supposed to be asking me something?" Iruka questioned, lifting his eyes to meet the others single one that was smiling again.

"You tell me Sensei, you're the one with the better deciphering skills. Seeing as only you seem capable of reading my, mm what did they call it, chicken scratch?"

Iruka would have laughed at the others words if his body wasn't turning so hot and his heart wasn't trying to put him in cardiac arrest. Taking a deep breath the academy sensei smoothed out the scroll and glanced back up to the silver Jounin before everyone else in the room. Everyone was watching them, clearly interested in what was going on and Iruka felt his eyes twitch in annoyance. "Get out! The mission desk is closed!" When no one moved Iruka grabbed a few Kuni and glared. "Out!" In less then half a minute he found mission scrolls thrown at him and the room completely empty save for the other two desk workers Izumo and Kotetsu. Iruka slumped back into the desk and lifted his eyes to blink at Kakashi.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and shifted almost seemingly uncomfortable. "You didn't have to chase everyone away Sensei."

"Did you see their faces? I think if I spoke everyone would get the wrong idea." Iruka stamped the mission report and looked back up to Kakashi. "It's acceptable but Kakashi-Sensei, were you asking me to go drinking with you?"

The Jounin leaned forward and smiled even more. "You did save my life Iruka, the least I can do is invite you out."

The loss of the suffix was not missed by the academy teacher this time and Iruka found his face once again heating up. "Alright sure, Ichiraku?" Iruka stood up from the table and grabbed his academy bag. "Izumo, Kotetsu, can you handle things here?" The mentioned Chunin nodded, a bit to excitedly, and motioned for Iruka to just leave already. Iruka shifted his bag and slowly followed Kakashi out of the mission desk room—through a window—and down into Konoha's streets. Ichiraku had good Sake, rich Sake and Ramen. Iruka never went there and didn't have at the very least a bowl of Ramen. Iruka was already grinning at the thought when they slipped below the curtains and slid into their seats.

Teuchi looked up from the cash register and waved. "Iruka-Sensei! Welcome and I see you brought Kakashi with you this time." He bowed to the both of them and pulled out a paper with a pencil. "What can I get the two of you?"

"Good evening Teuchi, Naruto is still away unfortunately. Kakashi-san here," he waved to the man next to him. "Offered to take me drinking after our latest mission." Teuchi nodded and scribbled across his pad with a grin.

"I'll get our finest Sake bottle out for you both. Anything else?"

Iruka nodded and tossed the man a few Ryo's. "Bowl of Miso Ramen please Teuchi." Since Kakashi was paying for drinking Iruka would pay for his own Ramen. Though eating was definitely better first. Drinking on an empty stomach always ended bad for him.

Teuchi nodded and tucked the Ryo away before turning to Kakashi. "Anything for you?"

"Mm, just the Sake please Teuchi-san." The old man nodded and vanished from them before returning with the Sake. He placed it before the both of them and went back again to begin the Ramen for Iruka. Kakashi filled his cup and before Iruka could even blink it was empty again.

Damn he was paranoid. "Kakashi-Sensei if you down Sake that fast you're going to make yourself sick." Kakashi blinked his one eye and looked curiously over to Iruka before he began laughing, making the Chunin blush hotly and turn away.

"Mah, you're right Iruka-sensei. But you worry far to much sometimes." Iruka mumbled something incoherently in response to that before pouring himself some Sake and drowning it down. However, the Sensei didn't go drinking too much and unbeknownst to anyone else he was an incredible lightweight when it came to alcohol. Not even an hour later Iruka had finished his Ramen and between him and Kakashi had knocked off two bottles of Sake before Teuchi cut them off.

Iruka's head was resting on the table watching the Jounin-Sensei with a curious eye. "Did you know when I was a kid I felt sorry for you?" He slurred between hiccups, clearly trying to stay awake as best as he could. Kakashi gave a small hum of acknowledgement and turned to the Sensei clearly telling him to go on. "You were so young, the whole village had known that you became a tool for war simply because you were good at it." Iruka lifted his head up and looked down to the table in front of him. "At first I respected you and thought it was amazing, but when I went home my mom told me something in regards to you. She said that although you had respect, money, and the village being proud of you… you lacked a childhood. While I was out playing with Mizuki and the other kids you were out doing missions no child should have to." His hands clenched around the cup he was holding, his voice no longer slurring and holding a bit of edge in it. "You were only a few years older then me and already you had seen what it was like to be lonely and seen as a monster. More then half the village feared you, I'd seen people flinch as you walked by and that was before you had acquired the Sharingan, it just didn't seem fair." He was jealous at first, but after watching Kakashi and listening to his mother he couldn't help but feel sorry for the Jounin. No one should have to have gone through at such a young age what he did.

Kakashi kept his eyes on the other, a bit of shock shining in the one visible one before it vanished and he took back that uncaring mask he wore so often. Iruka glanced over to him and Kakashi slid off of the bar stool, hands stuffed in his pockets. "The village needed someone to defend it. I did what I had to in order to protect everything."

"What about protecting yourself?" Iruka whispered them so low he wasn't even sure he had actually spoken them. Kakashi and his dog hearing though had clearly heard it as he looked back over to Iruka. "I get protecting the village, the will of fire is what burns in us all. But you have to think about yourself to Kakashi." He dropped the suffix this time and turned to the Jounin, sliding off of the barstool and stumbling a bit. His voice may have seemed sober but he was far from it. Kakashi helped stable his standing and the Chunin turned to look up to him. "You deserved a life but all you got was being used. The elders don't care about you, all you are to those old crones is something they can bend to use and destroy their enemies. But that's not all you are, you're a man you're human you have feelings and desires to, and you shouldn't have to hold those back." Iruka had never seen Kakashi with anyone who seemed like they were dating. He had never seen the man with anything but Gai and the few other friends that he knew Kakashi had. Did the man even let himself love? The thought made the heavily drunken man feel a bit sad for the other.

"Iruka," the softly spoken name caused the Chunin to look up to the other Sensei. "Let's get you home you need to relax and sleep the Sake off." Nodding wordlessly Iruka leaned into the warm arm that wrapped around him to keep him standing upright.

"Mm," Iruka mumbled and started to stumble from the stand toward his house. "Okay Kakashi, if you say so." When he woke up Iruka was sure he was going to regret spilling everything he did at the moment that section of his brain was currently cheering for being able to stand and say when he did to Kakashi.

They managed to get Iruka to his apartment without having Iruka collapse or fall on his ass. Upon reaching the males front door Iruka reached into his pockets and started to dig around for his keys, yanking out the dangling set and trying to get it into the lock. He finally made it and turned around to Kakashi, looking up to the male's eyes a smile. "Thank's for taking me out, it was—sweet of you. I have to admit after the Chunin's exams I did misjudge you. There is a lot to you I never knew Kakashi."

The smile again returned and Kakashi took a step forward, causing the Sensei to be pressed up against his door. "And I you, Iruka. You're a lot more then I give you credit for." Iruka wasn't sure if it was the alcohol that caused him to miss the quick movements or if it was Kakashi's close proximity that caused it, but he missed the movement between Kakashi yanking down his mask and the lips that were suddenly on his own.

If his head wasn't spinning before it most certainly was now and it took Iruka less then half a minute to lean back into the kiss. His eyes attempted to go cross to see the lower half of the others face but it gave him an even worse headache to try so he instantly stopped. The humor filled chuckle he got from Kakashi in the kiss instantly informed him that he had been caught and the kiss instantly took a more heated turn, apparently the other trying to distracted him from one of Konoha's most deep secrets. His hair tie was snatched from his head and Iruka felt cloth covered hands dig their way into his hair, drawing forth a moan that was instantly lost in the kiss. He always loved his hair played with it was a weak point of his. Iruka wiggled around in the others hold and managed to get his hands on Kakashi's shoulders to keep himself upright. Letting his eyes close and temporarily forget about the mask less face that trying to draw his attention.

They kept the kiss like that, Kakashi playing with Iruka's hair and their lips moving against each other's, Iruka's more sloppy from being drunk. Kakashi eventually pulled back and looked down to Iruka, showing him that smile that the Chunin had been dying to know if it was true and gorgeous under that mask. He was right—Kakashi had one of the most beautiful smiles that Iruka had ever seen and he couldn't stop himself from cupping the others cheeks and dragging his fingers along the delicate cheekbones.

"Hm, Iruka, I think I would like to get to know you a bit more."

Honey colored eyes moved up to meet the single cobalt eye that stared down into his. "I think I'd like that to, Kakashi." This was one evening he would definitely not be forgetting anytime soon.

When morning rolled back around Iruka nearly fell off of his bed, the night's events playing over again in his head. With his face turning as red as possible he buried it into his hands and groaned, his heart reacting to the kiss that continued to play over and over again almost teasingly. Everything he had said was true and that kiss—gods the man should be more famous for what he could do with his mouth then his skills as a ninja! He had enjoyed it, far more then he ever wanted to admit. It was addictive, sweet, and Iruka was definitely looking forward to the next time they went out to get to know each other better.