Disclaimer: Not mine. Le sigh.
Warning: Yaoi! Angsty situations.
Rating: R for sex and language.
Pairings: KakaNaru, Irukaka; SasuNaruGaa; LeexSakura

Notes: KakaIru backstory ahead. It's fluffy. :D Yes, I've actually got around to it. : Lemon-ish thing at the bottom. Not your thing, skip it.

o-o-o

The River Never Ends
Chapter Eight: Ore No Mono

o-o-o

What are dreams, really? Stupid, vague ideas that never come to pass.

His won't come true. What he wants, it's too far away, too impossible. He's long since given up the idea to wish impossible things. What a silly notion.

That's why Kakashi is about to go into the Ninja academy, flowers stealthily hidden behind his back. He adjusts his jacket, scratching his chest. He opens the double doors, and every spec of white on the wall, he remembers. The floors are perfect images in his mind as if they were sowed there. He stops at Iruka's classroom, smiling softly.

The teacher is still there, still working so diligently. Iruka's brow creases in concentration, his hand scribbling across his papers quickly. Kakashi strolls into the room, the nervousness in his body slowly fading. Cautiously, he approaches Iruka's desk. Still, the other man doesn't look up.

It gives Kakashi plenty of time to second guess himself.

Are these too feminine? Will he think that I think that he thinks -

His thoughts are left broken when kind brown eyes meet his, locking and drawing him in.

"Kakashi." A smile spreads across Iruka's face, the tension in his neck lessening. "Aren't you supposed to be with Team Seven?"

Shrugging, Kakashi fluidly pulls out his present, and Iruka lets past his lips a tiny gasp. The colors of the flowers reflect in Iruka's soft eyes, and Kakashi thinks it's a beautiful sight.

"For you," he murmurs.

The scraping of the chair on the tile makes Kakashi wince, Iruka standing to meet Kakashi in his full height. He takes the extended bouquet gingerly, bring them up to his nose and taking a whiff of their sweet smelling aroma.

"They're lovely."

Breathing out, Kakashi grins, even if Iruka can't see it. "You do?"

Iruka nods, taking a random vase from a drawer in his desk. Kakashi doesn't say anything, leaning against said desk as Iruka bustles around the room, taking a cup of water by the window sill. He puts his gift beside Kakashi, looking at it fondly.

Flowers were a good idea.

With renewed confidence, Kakashi asks solidly, "D'you want lunch? I thought we could -

Groaning, Kakashi's stomach growls, the monstrous sound startling both of them. It sounds like steel being peeled from an automobile.

"- grab some together," he finishes, with a smirk.

When Iruka chuckles, Kakashi studies everything about his features. He is nothing like him. So different. But... maybe different is good, he thinks. It's connection, that's all he needs anyway.

"Sure, why not. It sounds like you haven't eaten today, anyway."

You're safe, now.

-

Their first date, not counting lunch that day, is a bit of a disaster.

Kakashi has to wear wet pants. He couldn't not wear them, they're his lucky pair. He could have prepared and not woken up way late, so he could of washed and dried them, but that's the draw backs of being Hatake Kakashi.

The pants problem really wasn't as bad as when he walked right into that random pole. It's dark, and he chalks it up to being nervous. Of course, a top jounin wasn't expected to see stupid things, anyway.

Like poles.

He's already thirty-two minutes late as it is when he steps up to Iruka's apartment. When he knocks, Iruka is less than thrilled, but gets over it. Kakashi smiles, and notices Iruka's impeccably clean. He snickers, a blush rising to his cheeks, because Iruka's hair isn't in that cocked up rooster tie. Instead, it's laying freely around his shoulders.

He looks nice, very nice.

Kakashi escorts Iruka out, casually glancing downward to Iruka's delicious looking ass. He prides himself on two things, more than anything. That would be perverting, and peeping.

So of course, he gets caught.

"Are you staring at my ass?"

And of course, Kakashi vehemently denies it. "Pfft. No."

When they actually make it to the restaurant, horrible things happen. The service is terrible and finally, the Waiter brings their drinks, only to spill them all over Kakashi. He finds a chicken bone in his steak. The stupid, annoying boy flirts with Iruka non-stop.

He walks Iruka home, and dogs attack him before he makes it to the other man's door. Pieces of meat were hidden in his sandal. He makes a mental note to slaughter that Waiter.

But the kiss -

That made it all worth it.

Even if...

Blond. Blue.

Not even close.

-

They date, and Kakashi is happy for a while. Iruka is kind and generous. He lets Kakashi be his perverted self, while appreciating it.

But one day changes everything. One moment. Kakashi decides he actually feels like ramen for once, his food. So he leads Iruka down there, because money is not on his agenda.

Everything is perfect, as perfect as the word can be, and they talk like it's going out of style. Iruka is a very interesting person, really. Always asking about his jobs and missions. Nice of him. When Iruka asks about him Kakashi can only stutter out a few meaningful phrases like - yeah, he's getting better. Pretty annoying, still, but that's just me. You're not hungry? I'm not trying to change the subject.

And Kakashi slowly looks up when Iruka's strong hand touches his shoulder, and hot breath is on his ear, whispering. "Isn't that Naruto and Sas - "

And yes, yes it is. Kakashi watches them. Sasuke is being dragged by the other boy, who's whining for ramen. It's like a trap, because Kakashi's visible eye singles in on the blond hair, the smiling face. His heart plummets in his stomach, his muscles tightening.

Sasuke inches toward Naruto's face, lips connecting. Kakashi vaguely registers Iruka's shocked gasp.

He sneaks a glance at the other man, who is smiling knowingly.

"Well, I'll be."

Kakashi frowns.

He knows he's going to break Iruka.

But it makes his resolve all the more harder.

-

Naruto whispered something inaudible into Kakashi's hair, groaning with the force of the older man's powerful thrusts. Hands intertwined, lips attached, they were in heaven.

The sheets twisted around Naruto's torso, overheated but in bliss as he met Kakashi for everything he was worth, a silent moan leaking from his mouth. They kissed passionately, the jounin's hand's caressing his body so tenderly. Naruto smiled, but held in his giggle, not wanting to break the mood.

Every thing was soft, and completely on fire.

His first time.

His virginity was Kakashi's.

And Naruto was fine with that.

His knuckles were white, his fingers clutching the skin between Kakashi's own. Teeth nipped at his ear, catching his lobe and nibbling on it delicately.

"Ahh, Ka... "

"I, I know."

Blue eyes met black, and red, adoring.

Kakashi let out a string of incoherent phrases, his hips slowing as he reached perfection inside his lover, head thrown back while he kissed the supple flesh of the boy's neck. He felt Naruto's frame quake underneath his, and let himself go.

The high eventually brought him down.

"I love you."

This will last. I won't let the dark put out his light.

"Always," the jounin whispered, laying his head against the blond's chest, breathing adjusting.

Finger's threaded through his milky white hair, massaging his scalp gently.

"Are you willing to fight?"

"Are you?"

Once again, eyes connected, and lost themselves.

Naruto nodded, lips set in a firm line.

"Always."

o-o-o

TBC...

I doubt you're going to get anymore Gaara in this. Sorry. : It doesn't work for my plot anymore.

And check out Forget Me Not, if you're looking for a SasuNaru AU, based on the Nightmare Before Christmas. -blushes- Because this fic, will most likely, end up KakaNaru.

I hope you liked this. :D