Authors Notes: OK, this is the first story I wrote in. . .a very, very, very long time. So I'll ask you to forgive me for the shortness, lack of creativity, and other things. I'm attempting to use this as my break out story. You know, here I am, publishing my first story here and there will be more, unless you guys hate me. In which case, me and my fragile ego will leave. lol. Anyway, this may get more chapters if people like my story.
Warning: M/M and Angst
Disclaimer: Naruto Isn't mine. . . unfortunately.
Iruka was a pretty normal man. He was average height, average weight, hell he was even an average ninja. Which is why he knew, he was not (and would never be) worthy of someone as perfect as Kakashi. If Iruka was normal in every way, then Kakashi was his direct polar opposite.
And therein lied his problem, Kakashi would never take notice of someone like him. Today, was Saturday. And every child, be them ninja or not, knew what that meant. No school!
Iruka had planned his day, like he did every free day he had, with one thought in his mind. How best to stumble upon Kakashi.
He had headed to Team Seven's training spot, a few hours after Kakashi was due to arrive. After stalking. . . er, gathering information about Kakashi he was well aware of his reputation for being late.
He arrived just in time to see Kakashi, appear in a cloud of smoke. "Yo" he said to his team, raising a hand in greeting.
"Your late!!" Came the expected shout from Naruto and Sakura.
"Sorry, I got lost on the path towards the true meaning of life" Without skipping a beat, the two predictably shouted "Liar!" at him.
Iruka had grinned, knowing full well (from evenings spent with Naruto over Ramen) how their morning routine worked. Then came the crush of the day, he had approached them, greeted Kakashi respectfully, pried Naruto off him, and asked if he could stay and observe them.
"no" That was all he had gotten, a cold, hard, flat reply from the man he suspected he was falling in love with. He had tried his best not to show his hurt, but he had never been good at that.
His dark eyes were perfect for expressing emotion. He knew even Naruto had seen the pain flash in his eyes, before he politely bowed and left. He could see the anger building in Naruto's eyes and didn't want to stick around for one of the boys infamous shouts.
Normally, yes. But not now, now he just wanted to go home.
And that's how Iruka ended up where he was now. Standing at the memorial, he usually came here with an ulterior motive. He knew Kakashi came here often, and they might just run into each other. But not today, today he needed the comfort of his mother, the strength of his father.
He may be a ninja, but he had lost them far too early, to ever have hope of giving them up. He spoke with them for hours on end, whispering his pain, belting his sorrow. Well, he belted as much as one dared in a village full of ninja. The only person brave enough to shout in this village, was Naruto.
And in his case, it was a toss up between braveness and sheer stupidity.
Iruka sighed, tomorrow, I'll go back to my usual Sunday routine, no more waiting for Kakashi to notice me. No more praying he'll do that funny smile, where even though you can only see his eyes, you know it must be a wonderfully handsome smile.
Damn it, he was worse that Sakura for Hokage's sake. Here he was, mooning over someone who didn't want him, had no intrest in him in that way, or even as a friend.
He made that abundantly clear today didn't he Iruka thought.
He knew it wasn't wise to stay here, and have a pity party, so he stood up reluctantly and started to walk slowly towards home. It wouldn't be the same, after today, something inside him had shattered. And he had completely lost his will to live.
What was Kakashi's problem He thought, finally letting anger take over. After all, he knew very well that the only thing able to shield a person from emotional pain, was anger. He let it consume him, so what if Kakashi didn't like him, so what if he probably realized that Iruka was a obsessed fan-girl. .. boy. . . ninja. It didn't matter, because he was moving on, he'd had a fleeting fixation on Kakashi, brought on because Naruto was always talking about his Sensei, and how weird he was.
OK, that might not be the exact reason. . . Well, who was he kidding, he was head over heels in love with the laziest, rudest, weirdest ninja in the village. And it was a long list for Kakashi to be sitting at the top of.
And despite what everyone said, and even what had happened today, he couldn't help but wish, that for just one night Kakashi could be his, that all the problems standing between them, would just disappear.
That Kakashi would feel even one drop of what Iruka felt in his heart. All he wanted was one night, one simple perfect night to be in Kakashi's arms. .