Author's Note: So, this is my first Naruto fic ever. I usually just write Harry Potter stuff because I know mostly everything about those books and I've always wanted to write some Naruto stuff, but feared I did not know enough. After being bored for months and finally bumming over my friends house and reading his downloaded Shippudun and here's how that turned out, so I hope everyone enjoys! -DMH

Disclaimer: Naruto's not mine!!

A Death Foretold

On the day that Hatake Kakashi had almost died, he had made three potentially fatal mistakes. The first being the acceptance of a legendary challenge set up between his "Eternal Rival", Maito Gai. Many had come to watch that fateful morning. Some were fearful that such a feat could never be accomplished. Others had the upmost faith in the two Jounin and admired them for their courage. This was an event that would go down in the history books. Some had even taken cameras to document the event to someday show to their grandchildren.

Maito Gai and Hatake Kakashi were going to challenge Uzumaki Naruto to a ramen eating contest . . . and win.

"Or else I will stand on my head and sing Kohona's national song one hundred and sixty-seven times while balancing two cats and a toaster on my feet . . . on a skateboard!" exclaimed Gai to the crowd that just seemed to eat it up and take more pictures of the man's charismatic smile.

"On a skateboard?" Kakashi asked flatly as he crouched on the roof of Ichiraku.

"Yes! On a skateboard!" the Green Beast bellowed in confirmation.

The Copy-nin shrugged; he had seen Gai do stranger things. The preparations were set, the ramen was cooking, the audience was hyped, but all they needed was for a certain orange clad ninja to show up for his usual morning bowl. Kakashi pulled out the latest edition of Icha Icha Paradise, a present from Jiraiya-sama the day before, as Gai posed for pictures, kissed babies, and spouted tales of Youthfulness and the Power of Springtime or whatever the hell it was he said.

Kissing down her bare back – 'Mmm.' – his hands traveled to a place no one had ever ventured – 'And where exactly is that?' – Slowly, but surely, she fell back into his arms with a heartfelt moan – 'I'm sure she did.' – and begged for him to take her. "Are you ready for me yet?" he whispered against her neck – 'I'm ready.'– "Can you not feel the evidence dripping from your fingers?" she replied – 'Damn right.' – "Then, give yourself to me, my darling. Spread your limbs to accept me into the sweet sheathe of – "

A loud cheer erupted into the air, startling the Copy-nin – though he did not show it – from the reading of his precious novel; and just when it was getting to the good part. His revealed eye reluctantly lifted from the crisp white pages to automatically search out the cause of all the commotion.

Like a tangerine god, Uzumaki Naruto dashed through the narrow roads of Konoha, eager to get to his ramen, and leaving a trail of angered/bemused/curious citizens in his dusty wake. He skidded to a halt mere inches from the cheering crowd and frowned.

"What the hell are all you people doing here?"

"Uzumaki-san!" a booming voice from the opposite side of the crowd greeted him. "Share your abundant Youthfulness this morning with us and participate in a battle of wills regarding the ingestion and digestion of noodles!"

"Wha'?" the blond gaped, the sweat drop evident on his head. The Copy-nin chose this time to teleport from the roof to his student's side.

His eyes now once again reunited with the little orange book's lovely words, he interpreted, "He would like to know if you're up for a little challenge this morning, Naruto."

"A challenge? Ah, Sensei," the young ninja began, obviously taking the path Kakashi often took to Excuse City. "I can't think right now, let alone take up any challenges. Sai and I were up all night, er, sparring and, uh, I'm just so hungry and, uh –"

"Maa, Naruto!" The silver haired man exclaimed, clapping one hand on the Genin's shoulder as the other snapped his book closed. "Hunger is essential to the challenge."

"It is?"

"IT IS!" Gai reiterated with extreme volume as he bounded over about twenty people to land on Naruto's other side. "LET US TRAVEL OFF YONDER TO A YOUTHFUL SPRINGTIME ONLY PRESENTED THROUGH A VESSEL OF MISO AND PORK!!"

"Off yonder?" Kakashi questioned.

"YES! Off yonder!" the man in the green spandex agreed, pushing his way through the crowd that hastily created a path for the three shinobi towards the ramen stand.

"So, heh heh heh, what is this challenge, Kakashi-sensei?" the blond asked with a large smile, though an air of uncertainty surrounded him.

"Gai-sensei and I will attempt to eat more ramen than you, Naruto."

The blond nodded, but the uncertainty still hung around him. "Are you sure, sensei? I am pretty hungry."

"No worries, youthful vessel!" Gai assured him. "We are the great shinobi of the Hidden Leaf village! Our bodies are trained to withstand the greatest of harm!"

"Yes, Naruto!" Kakashi agreed, his hooded eye closing as he smiled. "We shall succeed."

"Alright, Sensei," the nin shrugged, as if resigned to accept the fate of each sensei. He turned to the stand owner, Teuchi, with a large smile. "Let's start off with three bowls of pork ramen, please!"

"Say cheese!" a delighted voice shouted from behind them. They turned to face the ecstatic expression of a pink-haired kunoichi and a flashing light. Haruno Sakura's smile widened. "I just wanted a picture before you guys barfed!"

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted, his smile seeming to increase tenfold. "Will you be taking an after photo, too?"

"Of course! But Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"How are you going to eat the ramen with your mask on?" she asked, holding her camera in position as if he was going to pull down the infamous garment right at that moment. "Surely you can't eat so many bowls as fast as you do around all these people without at least someone seeing your face."

"Ah, I'm one step ahead of you, Sakura," the Copy-nin informed her, pulling a kunai seemingly out of thin air. "It is a bit troublesome to ruin a perfectly good mask, but this is a special occasion after all . . ." The kunai was lifted into the air and Kakashi sliced it across his clothed face, earning a squeak from his green-eyed student. "There, that should do."

Sakura's faced screwed up in disappointment when she saw the neat slit her teacher had cut into his dark mask in order to eat, yet still cover his face. Then, the silver haired man actually stuck his tongue out at her. "Kakashi-sensei!"

"Gomen, Sakura," he chuckled.

"Heh heh, well there goes my theory that he's hiding a tongue disease under there," Naruto laughed.

"Gomen, Naruto," the man chuckled again, turning in his seat just as three steaming bowls of ramen arrived. "Let's begin."

Three pairs of chopsticks simultaneously snapped apart.

"Itadakimasu!"

Sakura got her after picture. It was gorgeous, she decided. She would frame it in gold and set it right on her bedside, right next to her other favorite photographs. Naruto, as always, was smiling widely in the middle, flanked by two rather haggard looking men clutching, almost doubled over, to their stomachs.

She even got pictures of them standing on their heads, singing the national song, with two cats and a toaster balanced on each of their feet . . . on skateboards!

And the Hokage leads
as the warriors fight
and honor the lands
they protect with their lives . . .

'Kami, let it end,' Kakashi thought as he and Gai finally made it to the last stanza of the twelve stanza song they still had to sing one hundred and fifty-two more times. He glared at Sakura's camera as it took another picture, hoping his death glare was fully conveyed in the final product.

We pledge our allegiance
and our hearts and beliefs
to the Hidden Village
of the Leaf!

"One more time!" someone shouted from the crowd, earning the right to become the focus of the Copy-nin's Evil Eye. It so turned out that Naruto had convinced Sai to "encourage" the man he wished to become friends with. The Ink-nin's comment was only more sarcastically amplified by his practiced smile and the sign he was holding – upside down for Kakashi's benefit – that said, "SING, KAKASHI, SING!"

O Konoha,
land of Leaf,
land we love
and work to keep . . .

'Oh, Kami, kill me.'

On the day Hatake Kakashi almost died, he made his second potentially fatal mistake sometime in the early afternoon.

He had just freshly showered – humming the damn song he could not seem to get out of his head now as he did – had promptly vomited up a good amount of the twenty-two bowls of ramen he had eaten earlier that day, brushed his teeth, replaced his mask with a new, hole-less one, stepped outside his apartment, smelled the familiar scent of bread cooking downstairs, and ran back into his apartment, tugged his new mask down, and promptly vomited up a better amount of the twenty-two bowls of ramen he had eaten earlier that day. He allowed himself one groan of self pity as he brushed his teeth for the third time that day and gargled until the taste was absolutely gone.

He shuffled pitifully out of the bathroom, slightly hunched over as he clutched his stomach, but grateful that the sound of Sakura's happy camera just clicking away was out of earshot. He climbed onto his couch and picked up the orange book on his coffee table he was already about a quarter through. When he had read the same line a total of four times, he finally allowed himself another groan and rolled off of the couch, onto the floor, and crawled to the door to retrieve his shoes.

Sakura, in all her cackling gleefulness, had told him that when he was finished with his singing and balancing act, he should rest at home and go through the usual process of handling an upset stomach – ginger-ale, dry crackers, whining – but if he did not feel better, he was to visit Kohona's Medical Center and get himself fixed up.

"I don't want to worry about you, Kakashi-sensei," she had told him behind yet another flash of her camera. "That's what Naruto is for."

He was grateful for her concern then, but he now wished she had just taken the initiative to care a bit more and had given him something to help the tsunami of stomach fluids within him. She was a medic-nin, after all.

Once he had slipped into his sandals, he performed a few hand seals and transported himself to the medical center. The receptionist gaped at him, probably because he had just appeared crouched on her desk in a puff of smoke and was now, somewhat, looming over her. "Uh . . . May I help you?"

"My stomach hurts," he told her, the look in his revealed eye bored with an undertone of promised rage.

"Okay . . ."

"I need something to settle it."

"Alright . . . If you just wait over there." She gestured to a crowded waiting area where many avoided looking his way, but a mother and child stared openly at him with wide eyes. He turned back to the nurse and slowly shook his head.

"No. I need it settled now." His tone allowed no argument, but the receptionist tried anyway.

"But . . . Uh . . . You have to –"

"What are you doing here, brat?!" a familiar, booming voice inquired. Kakashi watched as his pigtailed Hokage rounded the corner followed by a familiar shinobi with dark hair – well, technically her ample cleavage rounded the corner and was followed by the others, but Kakashi tried hard not to think about that.

"Hokage-sama," he greeted blandly. "Shizune-san . . . Pig-san."

"Lucky I had the pig with me, huh?" Shizune chuckled, heaving the animal closer to her chest. The Copy-nin smiled under his mask and turned back to Tsunade.

"I have a stomach ache," he reported.

"From what I hear from Gai, your stomach is rightfully revolting against you," the buxom blonde replied before turning to her assistant. "Bring the mission report back to the office, don't let Genma touch it, and have coffee on my desk by the time I get back there." The brunette nodded, and then said her goodbyes, taking the pig with her. "Follow me, brat."

He nodded to the receptionist and jumped off the rather tall desk, automatically regretting the action when he turned his stomach tsunami into a hurricane. He followed the powerful woman down a series of hallways, silently begging for no more movement, when they finally stopped before what appeared to be a medicine cabinet. As she rummaged through the rather large closet of pills, a familiar voice greeted him. "Ne, Kakashi-senpai!"

A silver crowned head turned to the voice instantly. "Ten – ah, Yamato-kun! What are you doing here?"

"Splinters," the ANBU elite replied, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment and rolling his eyes at the same time. "You don't even want to know what happened. So, how about you?"

"Stomach ache. Gai. Naruto. Ramen. I'm going to die."

"I've never heard you so dramatic," Tsunade chuckled, handing him a bottle of pills. "Stop whining, brat. Help is on the way. Just read the instructions."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," he replied, his eye fixed on the bottle's label.

"If you were really grateful –" the Hokage said, crossing her arms over her large chest as Yamato's mouth fell open. " – you would do me a favor."

"Sure," the Copy-nin said without a second thought.

And thus, the second mistake.

The day Hatake Kakashi almost died he made exactly three potentially fatal mistakes.

"Oh, I pity you," Yamato said to him softly as they entered the Hokage Tower. Kakashi was sure that his confusion shone on his face even through the mask, but the ANBU just gave his senpai a shrug and a smile before walking away. The silver haired nin was sure he was radiating with confusion by the time he followed the Hokage into her office and watched her take a seat at her desk. He waited patiently as she shuffled through some notes, took a sip of her coffee, moaned as if with a lover, and then took another sip. When she was finally finished with molesting her cup, she reached in her desk and pulled out a file. She dropped in on her desk and gestured for him to take it.

"What do I do with this?" he asked softly, eyeing the file with veil curiosity.

"Do you know who Umino Iruka is?"

"Yeah," he said softly, thinking back to a brunet with a thin scar across his nose and his hair pulled back in a ponytail. A brunet who taught at the academy. A brunet with brown skin that had taught Naruto and his other two students. A brunet with brown skin who was very adamant about not letting his students participate in the Chuunin exams and was not disinclined to yell. A brunet with smooth brown skin that blushed so easily when teased during his mission room shift. A brunet with coffee brown skin who once, in a flustered hurry, dropped a pile of papers on the ground and picked each up, bending over exactly twenty-seven times and causing his pants to stretch over a certain area exactly twenty-seven times, and causing a particular silver haired Jounin hiding in a tree to bite his lip exactly twenty-seven times . . . Yeah, he knew who Umino Iruka was. "Yes, I do."

"Good. Take this to him. Tell him to fill it out as necessary, and then bring it back here. Oh, and tell him not to forget to initial the corners. He lives in Naruto's district, about two blocks away. That's all," Tsunade said sweetly, not even attempting to hide her somewhat sadistic grin. He narrowed his eye at 

her, but gave a curt nod and left the room. Something just was not right about this situation. Something was just not right.

Why hadn't she just sent any regular office aid to deliver the file? It obviously was not majorly important. It seemed it would only take a few minutes to fill out. Besides, it was probably part of Iruka's job in the mission room to do such things. So why was it such an issue to bring a file to the Chuunin? Did no one else want to take it to Iruka? He found that strange. He always thought the man to be a pretty nice guy . . .

"So is it true?" the ceiling asked him. He looked up and into the eyes of an eager Jounin hanging upside down from the ceiling above him.

"Hello to you, too, Genma," he replied flatly. "Is what true?"

The shinobi gently landed on the floor behind him as he began to walk and followed him to the building's exit. "Raidou told me that he overheard Shizune talking to Yamato and Yamato said Lady Tsunade was making you deliver a file to Iruka. Is it true?"

"It's true, but she's not really making me. I'm just doing her a quick favor before going home," he said, reaching into his pocket for the bottle of pills. For some reason, this conversation was making him a bit queasy.

"Oh . . . I pity you," the bandana wearing nin said, closing the door behind Kakashi as he left. After popping two pills, he made hand seals and teleported to Naruto's part of town. The place was not unfamiliar, but he relatively knew no one other than his student who lived there. The apartment complexes were cluttered close to one another and Kakashi had the feeling that they were cramped and not so pleasant inside. He walked slowly down the street and pulled out his Icha Icha just as he was passing the building he knew to be Naruto's.

"Kakashi-sensei!" He rolled his eye; he should have known he wouldn't get any reading done within a one mile radius of Naruto. He put his book away and greeted the blond Genin . . . and his new teammate.

"Yo."

Naruto smiled at him and Sai bowed respectfully. "So, what are you doing here?"

Kakashi took one look at the boys flushed faces and Sai's rather puffy, red lips and suppressed the urge to ask what were they doing. "Well, I've come to deliver a file to your Iruka-sensei."

Naruto's eyes went wide at the name and his mouth dropped open wide enough to drive a bus through. "Wha'?"

"Please explain to me why delivering this file to Iruka-sensei is such a massive problem," Kakashi requested.

"Well, uh –" The Jounin noted that Naruto's hand lifted to scratch the back of his neck. So the issue was something to be nervous about. "It's Iruka-sensei's day off," the blond said as if that explained everything.

Kakashi blinked. "So?"

"So, uh . . . It's his day off!"

What was today . . . Wednesday? Thursday? . . . Tuesday? Whatever; it was a day the teacher should be at the academy teaching and usually afterwards, he would work the mission room. And he was having a day off. Once again . . . "So?"

"Iruka-sensei only takes the day off work once every couple of months," Naruto explained as Sai smiled at him blandly. "He's a total workaholic, but his days off . . . they're . . . um . . . um . . . um . . ."

"Sacred," Sai supplied, spotting an old man he wanted to sketch.

"Yeah! Sacred! Thanks, Sai!" The brunet smiled at him; Kakashi noted it was a bit dreamy. "Anyway . . . when he's disturbed . . . he's a bit . . . um . . . um . . ."

"Homicidal," the brunet supplied.

"Well . . . I wouldn't say that," Naruto said. "But he's kinda scary."

"Really scary," the other said with no emotion.

"Almost to the level that you believe he could potentially be homicidal," Naruto confirmed.

"Where does he live?" Kakashi asked, believing that he actually might be a bit annoyed at the entire situation and aching for it to end just so he could go home, chew through a few rolls of antacids and pop the rest of these pills before he just died.

Naruto raised a hand slowly, as if resigning the man to death for the second time that day, and pointed down the road. "Turn the corner and walk two blocks, then turn the corner again. He lives in the first building on the left, second floor, the last apartment at the end."

The silver haired nin nodded at both young men and began to walk. After about twenty seconds of walking, he turned back and saw the brunet reach for the blond's hand . . . Yeah, they weren't obvious. He reached Iruka's apartment rather quickly and frowned at the state of the building. For a man with two jobs, he should be living in a nicer place than this. He knocked on the door and waited; surprising himself by readying himself to dodge any attacks. The door opened and his back stiffened.

There Umino Iruka stood, in a tight white t-shirt and a baggy pair of blue and green plaid lounge pants, his hair down, the tips of dark strands barely touching just below his shoulders, holding a bowl of cereal in one hand and a spoon in the other. Kakashi noted he looked rather sleepy and a bit peeved, but other than that, he was the same Umino Iruka. "What?" Well, almost. That rude greeting was certainly not Iruka-ish.

"Um, Lady Tsunade sent this to you to fill out," he said, holding out the file and silently cursing himself for the "um".

Iruka's eyes narrowed at the file and he stepped aside so the Copy-nin could step in. "Come in. Quickly."

Kakashi quickly slipped off his shoes as the door was closed briskly behind him. He absently noted how cute the teacher's feet looked peeking out of his long pants. Iruka frowned at him when they met eyes once more and took the file, albeit a bit harshly, from his hand. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure." Iruka's eyebrow went up as they sat down on his small, but comfortable furniture. "But Tsunade said to fill it out as necessary . . . And don't forget to initial the corners." He earned an eye twitch for the last line. He looked around with his lone visible eye, a bit eager to see Iruka's apartment. It was warm and homey. Obviously, the landlord did not permit painting because the walls seemed too pale and clammy for Iruka's style. Iruka was more suited with warm colors like gold or an earthy brown. His thoughts suddenly halted when he wondered why he had thought such a thing. Perhaps it was because Iruka's couch was an earthy brown color and his chairs were a golden color . . . duh.

Why was it that Kakashi had the ability to make himself feel stupid even silently in his own head?

Then he found his thoughts trailing back to the décor. There were photos of Naruto everywhere for one thing. For another, Iruka seemed to have a thing for collecting weapons . . . Kunai, swords, shuriken, a whip, katana, even some more western weapons . . . A whip? 'No, Kakashi, keep those dirty thoughts at bay. You've seen people fight with whips before . . . You've got marks on your body from people you've fought who used whips. It's just a normal weapon.' He set his focus back on the décor and smiled slightly when he noticed he was sitting next to a wall filled with nothing but the colorful artwork of Iruka's students. There must be more stuck to his fridge, he thought and thus turned his thoughts to the other rooms of the small apartment. He found himself wondering what the man's bedroom looked like. 'What did he decorate that whip? . . . Uh, with! . . . Hell, I just wanna know if there's a whip!'

"Ah, Kakashi-san." His eye flicked back to the brunet who had just capped his pen and was placing the papers back into the file. "I'm finished. If you don't mind, could you take these back to the Hokage, please."

Ah, there was the Umino Iruka he knew.

"Of course. I was planning to anyway," Kakashi replied as he stood and took the folder.

"Thank you," the Chuunin said, walking him to the door. Kakashi nodded , pushed his feet into his shoes, and walked out with the file under his arm. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye," he said as the door closed behind him. Well, that was not as bad as the hype had made it to be. Iruka had been a bit grumpy and that was all. He wasn't dead. No big deal.

And that thought was Hatake Kakashi's final and most potentially fatal mistake.

The night Hatake Kakashi actually died his friends took him out to celebrate the fact that he was alive.

"And he let you just walk out?" Genma asked as his drunk boyfriend nibbled on his ear. "Raidou, quit."

"Yeah, why wouldn't he?" Kakashi asked as he took a sip of his beer through his mask. He didn't really like the taste of beer and it really was not better through his mask, but what the hell? His stomach felt better and what better way to celebrate that than make himself want to throw up again.

"Because when I disturbed him on his day off a year ago, he laced my senbon with something that caused my skin to turn blue for a month!" Genma snapped.

"I remember that!" Raidou giggled, then he turned to Kakashi while cupping his mouth as if telling a secret, but in his regular tone of voice. "That's why we call it The Smurf."

"Oh, shut up, Raidou!"

"So what? Maybe he was just tired today and did not feel like 'punishing' me for ruining his day off," Kakashi chuckled. "Or maybe he doesn't feel he knows me well enough to enforce any kind of punishment. Or maybe he just doesn't like you, Genma."

"He also responds to Smurfy," Raidou informed him before downing more sake.

"Shut up, Raidou," the other snarled before pulling the needle from his mouth and stabbing it into the bar the trio sat at. "I cannot believe you don't remember about what happened to Anko."

"What happened to Anko that was so memorable?" Kakashi asked flatly.

"Iruka had paid every shop owner in town not to sell her dango . . . and then he made her fill out her mission reports," Genma said as his lover twirled his honey brown locks between his fingers. "Stop it, Raidou."

"Stop it, Raidou. Shut up, Raidou. Harder, Raidou. Faster, Raidou."

"Well, she eats too much dango and what's so wrong with filling out mission reports?" Kakashi asked, pleased that he had stopped himself from bursting into laughter from Raidou's commentary.

"Do you have any idea how backed up her mission reports were? I have no idea why she was even still allowed to go on missions; she had so many to do. Anyway, Iruka locked her in a room for three days and the room had a glass door and he sat in front of it every day and night . . . eating dango. She was in hell."

"And then he turned sorta green after awhile, so we called it Mr. Grinch."

"Raidou!"

"What? Is that more embarrassing than The Smurf?" Kakashi laughed, unable to help himself. "Why didn't she just smash the door?"

"Every time she tried to, he infused it with his chakra. He has almost abnormal control over his chakra. It's kinda scary."

"Mister Grrrrrrrrr-inch!" Raidou sang, earning a cuff on the ear from his boyfriend. He pouted. "Boy, I'm wasted."

"You sure are," Genma agreed, earning a giggle and a sloppy kiss. "I should take him home. See you, Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded at the couple and held in his laughter when Raidou went into his drunken rendition of 'Like a Virgin' adding in a "Mister Grrrrrrrrr-inch!" every once in awhile.

"Oh shut up, Raidou!"

"Give it to me, Raidou!"

"Kami!"

"Wow, they're loud," a soft voice said from his left. He turned and faced the topic of conversation since the beginning of the night. The brunet did not look as he usually did, Kakashi noticed. It must have been the lack of the teacher's vest – Kakashi had devoid himself of his as well – it caused a drastic change in appearance and revealed the tight black shirt the man usually wore beneath it.

"Hello, Iruka-sensei," he said with a sly smile. He quickly traced the man's relaxed figure with his lazy gaze and smiled wider.

"Hello," the brunet replied with a smile of his own. His eyes – like melted dark chocolate with a hint of cinnamon Kakashi noticed, not that he was paying much attention – traced over the Copy-nin's masked expression making the man feel both hot and uncomfortable all at once. "How have you been?"

"Since you last saw me this afternoon?" the man asked, arching a silver brow. Iruka blushed and nodded; so cute. "I've been fine. And you?"

"I've been . . . regretful," the teacher replied, rubbing his neck in a gesture that showed his kinship to Naruto.

"Regretful?"

"I want to apologize . . . to buy you a drink," the brunet offered. "I'm a bit embarrassed by my earlier behavior. I was very rude."

"Maa, Iruka-sensei, I don't believe I need anything else to drink," he replied, gesturing to his beer on the bar. "But I think I'll accept the apology, though it is not necessary. I should be the one apologizing. I did, after all, disturb you."

"But you didn't," Iruka told him, his face reddening even further as he took a step closer to the Jounin. "I thought about it and . . . I think I might have somewhat . . . embraced the disturbance."

"Embraced the disturbance?" Iruka nodded and batted his unnaturally long eyelashes; Kakashi knew men had longer lashes than women, but damn! "What do you mean by that?"

The brunet smiled knowingly and stepped closer until the Jounin feared he would fall off his seat. "I mean that . . . I liked being disturbed because . . . it was you."

"It was me?" the silver haired man asked dumbly.

"You were there, weren't you?" the other laughed.

"I believe I was."

Iruka bit his lip – 'Oh God.' – and moved closer until the only thing between them was Iruka's amazing scent. "I would very much like to . . . buy you a drink. I know you don't want one, but it would make me feel better."

"Do you want me drunk, Sensei?" the Copy-nin joked and the teacher blushed.

"I'm trying to get you loose enough –" 'Too late!' "– to dance with me," Iruka concluded and Kakashi inwardly groaned. The other man must have noticed it because his pretty lips pouted, causing the man to groan again. "You don't dance, right?"

"Right," the silver-haired nin replied, trying his chances with an apologetic smile.

The brunet huffed heavily and crossed his arms; his pout was suddenly even more evident. "Well, I guess I could find someone else to dance with me."

"I guess so," he said and his groin groaned at him for inviting its only hope for satisfaction to dance with someone else. The brunet smiled at him – his groin cursed – and he left, disappearing into the thick crowd, but his quick eye followed the man, followed the people who touched the man, followed the people who groped that man, and soon he climbed out of his seat to retrieve the man. When he finally reached the man, Iruka was dancing with a woman that seemed a little too enthusiastic with her hands. They were in his hair, on his chest, his ass, the place down there that was not his ass . . . Kakashi's revealed eye narrowed and he stepped up close to the other man. The teacher looked over his shoulder to see who was pressed up against him and he smiled when he met the Copy-nin's gaze.

"Kakashi-sensei. You joined me!"

"Of course," the other replied, smoothly wrapping a hand around the brunet's waist until he was closer to Kakashi and farther from the touchy-touchy woman. She rolled her eyes at him and reached for Iruka, but he narrowed his eye dangerously and she huffed angrily before stomping away. Iruka did not seem to notice the woman's exit, but he began to roll his hips over and over so that his 'wonderful, fantastic, amazing, incredible, whimsical, sensational, excellent, marvelous . . . whimsical?' ass ground into Kakashi's grateful groin with every move. Kakashi was not sure if he was even dancing at the moment and he did not care because this man was grinding on his genital area. 'Thank you, great gods of Icha Icha!'

"Whoo, let's sit down," Iruka huffed out after a few more minutes – or an hour; Kakashi did not know – and took the other's hand in order to lead him through the crowd and back to the bar. Somehow, the brunet smiled his way into getting a seat from a random man at the bar and as he ordered himself a drink, Kakashi stood next to his stool gazing at him silently. "What?"

"Nothing," the other chuckled.

"What?" Iruka asked, leaning a bit closer when he was already so close and Kakashi swallowed nervously.

"Uh . . . Have you noticed anything strange happening between Naruto and Sai?" he blurted, earning a strange stare from the other man.

Iruka shrugged and reached over the bar slightly to steal a straw from the bartender's apron. The man noticed and smiled at the flirty brunet, but he backed off slightly when he noticed the single dark eye silently cursing him. Iruka slipped the straw into his drink, some clear alcohol with a leaf floating in it, and sipped it slowly, his eyes directed toward Kakashi now and seemingly unwilling to leave him. Finally, he set the drink down and shrugged again. "They do seem rather close and I have caught them several times jumping away from each other as if they did something wrong. What have you seen?"

"Well, I haven't really seen anything other than Sai reaching for Naruto's hand," Kakashi said. "And Sai had looked as if he had been thoroughly kissed only moments before I saw him with Naruto."

"Thoroughly kissed?" the brunet asked, a sly smile gracing his perfect lips. Kakashi gulped. "How could you tell? Are you an expert at thoroughly kissed lips, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Well, um . . . I-I've some experience on the matter, yeah," he stammered out, inwardly berating himself for looking so foolish and causing Iruka's smile to widen.

"Experience, huh? You mean you've had thoroughly kissed lips or that you've been the cause of thoroughly kissed lips?" The teacher was teasing him, he knew it, and he was positive the skin his hitate and his mask left uncovered was bright red. His suspicion was confirmed when Iruka chuckled and ran a finger down Kakashi's exposed skin. "You look flushed, Kakashi-sensei. You want to go outside?" The Copy-nin nodded hastily and Iruka climbed down from his stool. "Oh! Wait!" The brunet turned back to the bar and shuffled through his pocket to pull out some money for his drink. Before Kakashi could offer to pay for it, the bartender smiled at the teacher and told him it was on the house. Kakashi growled at him and he went away. Iruka laughed, grabbed Kakashi's gloved hand and led him through the bar and out. "Where should we talk next?"

"You live closer to here than I do," Kakashi said, thinking himself smooth. "You want to go to your place?"

Iruka smiled. "Yes."

'Should I take off my mask now? No . . . Not yet . . . Now? . . . No, not yet . . . Now? Now for sure! . . . No . . . Not yet . . .'

Kakashi had never debated with himself so harshly before, especially with a solid issue such as his mask. The notion of even considering taking off his mask for another man . . . for another shinobi was laughable to him. Sure, Iruka was good-looking . . . very, very good-looking, and, sure, Kakashi had not been laid since . . . when was the last time he was in Rain Country? And, sure, it had been a long time since he felt another's lips against his and, sure, Iruka was very, very good looking and, sure, when he looked straight into the man's eyes everything in the world seemed to melt into his chocolate gaze and there was no one but the two of them in a moment that could be a second, an hour, a year, or a lifetime of blissful existence without Kakashi even being aware . . . What was he talking about? 'Yeah, so that's why I shouldn't take off the mask . . . Right?'

He reasoned with himself to keep it on since Iruka himself did not seem too concerned with the thin piece of cloth. In fact, the brunet seemed a bit too occupied with the pale temple beside Kakashi's revealed eye to even care about the mask. As he felt the velvety roughness of the other man's tongue trace the line beneath his silver eyebrow, the Copy-nin scolded himself for paying more attention to the potential reveal of his face rather than the delicious schoolteacher currently in his lap, mumbling his name every other second. He cursed his Jounin learned ability to multitask through most distractions, such as a twenty-six year old man who smelled like cinnamon and blissfulness pushing him back into a couch, straddling his lap, and mumbling dirty, dirty words in his ear, and he vowed to put all his attention on Iruka . . . Bad idea. As soon as he did just that, he almost came. Iruka's beauty was such a type he had never experienced before. For one thing, it was not exactly beauty, but more of a masculine grace that allowed his face to become absolutely dazzling without weakening his appearance. Iruka was so strong, so sexy, so masculine without taking away Kakashi's own masculinity. Iruka could be dominated without full submission, could be submissive with a deadly hint of control. The blush across the scar that crowned his hard cheekbones and patrician nose proved how a shinobi could be soft enough to be made love to, but hard enough to be respected as a true warrior. Kakashi almost could not move in his breathlessness, but somehow, he managed to find the strength to squeeze the tight cheeks of Iruka's behind in his wide palms.

However, Iruka must have sensed the other man's almost orgasmic awe of him because he pulled away slightly, lifted his hands so that they were pressed against the back of the couch on either side of Kakashi's head rather than the Copy-nin's shoulders, and gazed down at the man with concern. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah – yeah, it's great! I mean . . . it's nice. I'm fine. Let's keep this going," Kakashi said, reaching a hand down to pull Iruka's head back down to his ear, but the younger man shook his head and pulled away, even standing up this time.

"Let's keep this going . . . in my b-bedroom," the brunet said, his voice abruptly cracking in his own special blend of shyness and hot, seductive lust. Kakashi nodded and rose from the couch to allow the other man to lead him into the room he had spent a great deal of time in wonder about. Finally, he was going to see Iruka-sensei's bedroom, not that he had been thinking of it before that whip incident . . . 'Wait! There might be a whip in here!'

Kakashi quickly took in the set up of the bedroom upon his entry; in the muted colors of nighttime, he could barely make out that the walls were the same bland color the living room walls were and that they were adorned with many weapons – more than the living room actually – but none of them was a whip.

"You don't like my room?" Iruka asked as he moved to the largest piece of furniture in the room. "You look disappointed."

"Oh no," Kakashi hastily assured him. "I was just thinking of something else. It must have made me frown or something."

"Don't think of anything else, alright?" the brunet asked him sweetly as he crawled to the center of his bed. "Just think of me."

"That will not be hard to do," Kakashi said, walking closer and closer to the bed until his thighs were pressed against the edge of it. Without taking his gaze from Iruka's, he lifted his hands and untied his hitate, careful to keep his Sharingan eye closed, and set it on the nightstand beside him. Iruka smiled and followed suit, setting his own beside the silver-haired man's. He rose so that he was on his knees, kneeling on the edge of the bed in front of Kakashi and leaned forward to push silver hair away from a pale forehead. He placed a gentle kiss there and Kakashi's body shivered. Iruka only smiled again and began to unfasten Kakashi's vest, letting it lie on the end of the bed when he finally managed to get it off. He tugged the loose fabric of Kakashi's black shirt out of his pants and the Copy-nin automatically lifted it over his head, revealing a tight black tank that was connected to his mask. Iruka slowly kissed the newly bared shoulders until he felt hands tugging at his own shirt. He pulled it off to reveal his naked chest and smiled at the sharp intake of air he heard the man take as Kakashi opened both eyes to memorize the expanse of golden brown skin before him. The Jounin's gaze finally lifted back to his as the man impatiently tugged off his gloves and threw them carelessly to the floor. "So . . . how do you want to do this?"

Iruka flushed deeply in an amazing wave of scarlet that graced the skin almost to his golden brown shoulders. He shrugged said shoulders and dropped his gaze from Kakashi's dark eye. "W-Would y-y-you like t-to l-l-lay – l-lie ac-across t-the bed?"

Kakashi stopped himself from making any sounds that might seem like laughter, the sensei seemed as if he would burst into nervous tears if he did, so instead he climbed into the bed silently. He stacked a few pillows so that his head would be propped up and he crossed his arms behind his neck so that he could peer coolly at Iruka. "What now?"

The fading blush gained a bit more color as Iruka sat on the bed and began to loosen his leg wrappings. Once he completed his task and after sending Kakashi as shy glance, he moved to the other's leg wrappings and soon had them off so that they were piled with his own beside Kakashi's relaxed form. 

After taking a deep breath, the silver-haired man watched as the seductive Iruka appeared once more with a smile. He had to ask again, "What now?"

Iruka smiled back and crawled into the other's lap so that he was straddling the man's narrow waist once more. He kissed Kakashi's smooth forehead and tongued his temple and ears until the elder man's hands were tracing up the sensitive sides of his exposed torso. He grabbed the hands by their wrists and, under the gaze of a rather surprised Copy-nin, lifted them above Kakashi's head to be pinned against the bars of his iron headboard. Keeping the thin wrists together with one hand, Iruka used the other to reach into the pile of wrappings and tie them around the Jounin's wrists.

"I like this," Kakashi said softly, silently forgiving Iruka for the lack of whip and, at the same time, thanking him for the presence of the barred headboard. The brunet smiled at him and kissed the space between his eyes while checking to see that his arms were securely tied.

"Are you comfortable?" Iruka asked politely, his eyes full of laughter and lust and . . . mischief?

"Yes, Sensei, I am."

"Good," the brunet replied grinding himself onto Kakashi's hardness as he reached back for something. "Because we're going to be here for awhile."

"What are you doing?" Kakashi asked, arching his neck and twisting to look around to see what the other man was doing. Iruka was seemingly digging around his vest that had been left at the end of the bed for something. He found it with a soft triumphant sound and turned back to the Copy-nin to reveal his prize. Kakashi frowned at the little orange book Iruka had in his hand, but hopefulness slowly crossed his features. "Are we going to act out a scene?"

Iruka shook his head and set the book on Kakashi's firm chest, opening it to the first page. "Is this a new book?"

"Yes," Kakashi said through the pout that had grown due to lack of role-play. "I just got it yesterday."

"Mmmhmm, I thought so," Iruka said, more to himself than Kakashi. The way he was peering at the book was beginning to worry Kakashi, but soon the brunet smiled down at him and every thought fluttered out of his brain and directed themselves to his grateful groin; a groin which Iruka was unconsciously rubbing against. "Do you know what I like to do with new books, Kakashi-san?"

"What?" the Jounin asked, silently wishing for his hands to be free so he could touch Iruka's interesting nipple to see how sensitive it was, but the bonds were too strong.

"I don't really like surprises," the teacher revealed, tracing a finger over the pale skin right above the mask's edge. "So I usually read the first page of the novel and then turn to the back of it to see how everything works out before reading the rest of the story."

'Why would anyone do a stupid thing like –' Realization hit Kakashi hard and he cursed himself for throwing away his Jounin ability to figure out situations before the unthinkable happened.

"Naruto told you," he said flatly and Iruka's smile widened.

"Oh, yes he did," the man all but purred and Kakashi lurched forward to tear himself out of the wrappings tying him to the bed, but Iruka was quicker than him – a shocking feat in itself – and place a hand to the bonds. He felt the surge of chakra running through his ties and wished he had paid more attention to Genma's warnings as they tightened around his wrists. "Sit still and this will all be over soon enough."

His eye widened at the words spoken with an evil sense of satisfaction and glared at Iruka. The man merely flipped open his book and thumbed through it.

"This bookmark says that you're almost finished with chapter three. Hmm, the plot must just now be picking up, so there will be many, many surprises in store or you, huh, Kakashi-san?" The Copy-nin opened his mouth to respond angrily only for it to be stuffed with a piece of cloth. "No speaking when the sensei is speaking, Kakashi-san. You know that," Iruka tsked. Kakashi growled around his gag and came to a quick decision; he opened his Sharingan and . . . Once more, Iruka was too fast for him and there was an eye patch on his face.

'What the hell, Iruka?!' he tried to scream, but it came out more like, "Whumph rah phelm, Eroofah?!" and he gained a peal of laughter for his efforts.

"Now that I know that there will be no more interruptions, we can peek to the end of this lovely tale," the teacher giggled cutely – albeit a bit maniacally, but it was cute just the same. He shuffled around for a moment as he leaned over a muffled muttering Kakashi to turn on the lamp at his bedside. His movements only caused his bottom to grind further into the other shinobi's erection, but he paid no mind to it or the muffled groan he incited. Instead, Iruka began to read, his voice clipped and precise, but adding special character voices at each dialogue part of the story as he would in his classroom, but instead of eager to learn Genin, he had an enraged and bound Jounin trying to knock himself unconscious by banging his head back on feather filled pillows just so he would not hear. So far, Iruka had given away the secret of the queen's missing pantaloons. He had uncovered the Serial Debaucher without reading who all he had debauched. The sadistic Chuunin was even about to reveal whether or not the king, ever so faithful to his beloved queen, would give into the love of his chambermaid.

"Phweeze!" Kakashi begged weakly, not thinking he'd be able to bear it. "Phweeze, Eroofah!"

Iruka laughed, patted the other on the head before telling him kindly to shut the hell up, and continued reading. "'I could not possibly do as you ask of me, your highness,' the lowly maiden cried, throwing herself at the man's feet. 'How can I ever hope to earn your love if I give myself to you so easily?'

The majestic man laughed at this and rose to his feet, lifting her up as he did. 'How can I ever hope to love you if you are not willing to be mine completely?'

'But I am!' she sobbed, clutching at his robes. 'I am, I am!'

'Then show me,' he replied and she . . . I don't think we need to read this part. It gets kinda dirty. Let's just skip it," Iruka said abruptly.

"NNNNNNNNNNNNN!!" Kakashi screamed against his gag.

The brunet just shrugged at him and gave him a look of confusion. "I don't understand what you're saying, Kakashi-san, but I'll assume it has to do with the vulgar nature of this book. I agree, let's move on."

Kakashi could have cried.

Twenty minutes, three skipped sex scenes, Iruka's monologue as to why porn could ruin one's mind, a bucking attempt that only proved that Iruka could be an avid and skillful bull rider if he chose to be, and a series of incoherent rants later, Iruka read the last line of Kakashi's book, smiling down into the bound man's gaze the entire time. "And the man who knew not how to say 'I love you,' looked to his chambermaid and said . . ." Kakashi closed his eye tightly as if the action could suddenly cut of his hearing and therefore preventing Iruka from ruining his last hope. "'I love you.' Aww, wasn't that just lovely, Kakashi-kun? I'm sure you'll have fun reading the book now that we've determined the plot will end nicely."

The sensei slowly set the book aside with a content sigh and removed the eye patch and the gag from the Jounin's mouth. Kakashi, so downhearted, could not even find the spirit to yell at the other man, but instead stared up at him pitifully and asked, "Why?"

Those chocolate eyes – with just a hint of cinnamon – narrowed at him dangerously and Iruka leaned so close to the other that Kakashi could taste his breath, delicious as it was, through his mask. "Because you ruined my day off and no one gets away with that; not even you, great Copy Ninja."

"You monster," Kakashi growled back. "Now that you've dragged me through hell and back, can you get me out of this mess?!"

Iruka sighed heavily and climbed off the other man, carefully avoiding the arousal that was still very evident. He untied the chakra bonds with a smile and continued smiling as he led Kakashi to the front door.

"That was better than sex," he admitted, his smile only widening as he opened his door to allow the man whose arms were full of all his clothing to exit his home.

"Was it now?" Kakashi growled.

"Oh yes, it was." Maybe it was that damn smile or maybe it was the way he said or maybe the cocky little way the little Chuunin leaned casually on the doorframe that caused something within him to snap. Not only had the schoolteacher outsmarted him and defeated but he just had to gloat it in his face. Almost as if facing one of Gai's worse challenges, the spirit of competition rushed through the Copy-nin so quickly, he barely had time to recognize it. Without thinking, he dropped what was in his hands and slammed the door closed behind him. Chocolate eyes that were once so triumphant widened in shock and worry. Kakashi pressed the Chuunin into the nearest wall, propping himself with both hands on either side of the brunet's head and knocking down a framed picture in the process. As the teacher was pinned to the wall, comprehension clouded his amazing eyes and Kakashi smiled down at him, his grin almost feral and malicious enough to burn through his mask. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Just don't . . . I don't know if I can do this," Iruka said softly, his lashes fluttering to fan across his cheeks as the other man nuzzled his face.

"Ne, Iruka-sensei, you were so great at it before," Kakashi reminded him, moving so that he leaned against the wall above Iruka's head with the length of one arm and he used his free hand to incite a whimper from the brunet's lips by dragging his fingers down the other's chest. "Or was that all an act, my little Iruka-sensei? My, are you a delightful actor, I really thought you wanted me."

"I . . . I'm s-sorry," Iruka whispered as his body shuttered against Kakashi's fingers.

"No you're not," the other corrected him, watching the path his fingers were taking along the ridges of the tanned skin above hard abdominal muscles. "You planned everything out so perfectly in your vindictive pursuit of retribution."

"I wasn't being vindictive . . . Naruto told me that he had warned you . . . and that I should d-do something to pay you back for not . . . listening to him," the Chuunin concluded with a gulp of air as the masked man nuzzled the length of flesh from his cheek to the crook of his neck.

"Maa, Iruka-sensei, you know better than to listen to Naruto. I'm guessing he's the one you got your idea to ruin my Icha Icha from, right?"

"Yes," Iruka told him, his hands lifting to Kakashi's chest as if to push him away, but they stayed still, every once in awhile twitching with his whimpers and shivers. "He told me how you reacted as if there was hell on earth when he almost told you the end of a book during training."

"Hmm, I remember that . . . You two pranksters are very, very clever; bringing me here, using your excellent chakra control to keep me tied to a bed and executing your plan almost perfectly, but . . . Do you know what you did wrong, Iruka?" he asked in a heated growl against the other's ear. He smiled when he noticed Iruka's knees buckle at the sound of his name purred through Kakashi's lips. "Hmm?"

"W-what?"

"You failed to anticipate . . . how you were going to get me out of your apartment," the man informed him, lifting his slender fingers from trembling tan skin to his own silver hair. He pushed the silky strands from his brow and away from his scarred eye and opened the Sharingan slightly so to memorize Iruka's exact expression. The sensei was caught in daze, it appeared, and his pouty lips were parted in surprise, 

his eyes hooded with desire, his body trembling in what could be fear or anticipation . . . So many expressions this sweet little Chuunin could make without much effort. Kakashi found himself liking this Iruka more than the seductive veil of Iruka the man had adorned earlier. "Not only did you do that, Iruka, but you also underestimated my ego."

"Naruto said you can take a joke," the brunet countered weakly.

"Naruto should know by now that his humor and mine are supremely different seeing as his last attempt at a 'joke' had him hogtied to a tree branch for a day."

"A-are you . . . m-mad at me?" Iruka asked, the tremble in his voice traveling to his lip as well.

"Well . . . Damn," Kakashi said slowly. "Not when you pout like that and look at me with those big chocolate eyes."

"Chocolate eyes?" Iruka smiled shakily, his hands hesitantly sliding up to the other man's shoulders.

"With just a hint of cinnamon," Kakashi confirmed, earning another sweet smile. "I guess we both overreacted, huh?"

"Well, you didn't, I don't think, but . . . This was worse than the time I turned Genma blue. I'm so sorry, Kakashi-san." The brunet fidgeted a bit in Kakashi's arms. "Is there anything I could do to make it up to you?"

Kakashi grin was so obvious even through his mask that Iruka blushed when the meaning of it was realized. Pale hands trailed between their bodies and tapped Iruka's firm golden brown chest. "I think you're half ready enough to begin to make it up to me."

Iruka allowed his arms to drop from the other man's shoulders as his blush overwhelmed his face. "I don't think I can do this . . . I did not mean to lead you on, but I . . ."

"Don't do this sort of thing?" Kakashi supplied for him when he trailed off. The brunet nodded and looked away. Kakashi cursed at himself for his luck; hot, young, half naked Chuunin with a body to die for and he did not have one night stands. Shit.

Kakashi pulled back and moved to his pile of clothing sitting before the front door. As he moved to put his long sleeved shirt back on, he snuck a glance at Iruka and found the man watching him with an open expression of regret or . . . yearning. It was as if the man was disappointed that all Kakashi wanted was a one night stand. Kakashi understood; he, himself, wondered why all he wanted was a one night stand with this amazing man. He could just be so stupid sometimes, wanting the most useless things. He could use a man like Iruka in his life, someone to ground him, to come home to, to prank him . . . Why couldn't he just try a relationship out with the man. What was really stopping – 'Oh, duh.'

Rolling his eyes at his own stupidity, for he was the only thing blocking him from getting Iruka, the silver haired nin yanked the shirt back off and took his place before Iruka once more. "Unmask me."

"What?"

"I said for you to unmask me . . . please," Kakashi said, gulping down his sudden nervousness. "I want to show you that . . . I don't want to do that sort of thing either. I want something . . . more."

He curled his lip in disgust when he realized how clichéd and sentimental he sounded, but he soon found out that the gimmicky phrasing of his words did not matter since Iruka was lifting his hands to his mask.

"This is a big deal, isn't it?" Iruka whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Kakashi asked back.

"Because this is a big deal, right? I don't want to ruin the moment," Iruka whispered, the tips of his fingers at the edge of the Jounin's infamous mask.

"Oh . . . I guess you're right," Kakashi whispered back.

"We're idiots," Iruka laughed.

"Thank Kami, I thought I was the only one."

"No, no," the brunet assured. "I knew I was being stupid right when I tied you to the bed. But did that stop me from climbing into your lap and reading you porn? No."

"Okay, if you're going to say stuff like that, you're going to have to take off this mask now," Kakashi told him and the pair broke into a fit of giggles – manly giggles, as Gai would say. As Iruka's fingers curled into the masks fabric, however, the laughter died away and an air of seriousness swept between them. It was as if they were crossing a threshold, opening a door they could never close again . . . Iruka pulled the mask down.

Kakashi closed his only opened eye as trembling fingers traced down the sensitized skin of his face.

"I can't believe how pale you actually are," Iruka whispered, tracing the line where Kakashi's skin went from pale to paler. His thumb gradually moved lower. "Or how thin your lips are."

"You don't –"

"I do like it!" Iruka hastily told him. He used two fingers to trace over the pale pink lips and smiled as if to prove his point. "It's just . . . I expected . . ."

"An odd defect or something?" Kakashi asked, leaving Iruka fascinated with how his lips formed the words and how they curled into a smile . . . Kakashi's smile.

"I guess I've been listening to too many of Naruto's theories," he admitted with a slight blush. Kakashi kissed him. "Wha'?"

Kakashi kissed him again to give him a second chance to figure out what was happening and when Iruka did nothing but gape, he was kissed again. Kakashi's lips felt like silk against his; sure, they were slightly chapped and, sure, they were a bit salty from sweat, but is that not what makes a man? Thin, salty, chapped lips? Iruka thought so as he sunk further into the Jounin, his arms resuming their former position on Kakashi's bare shoulders and sliding around his neck. The kiss was slightly hesitant, full of both men's insecurities and Iruka pulled away slightly to ask, "Do you think we can do this? I mean . . . we don't really know each other, right?"

"That's why we should try to learn about one another, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi told him.

"Yes, but . . ." The teacher bit his lip and looked into Kakashi's gaze pleadingly.

"You think you seduced me, don't you?" Kakashi asked and Iruka looked away with a slight nod. "Well, you did." The brunet's shoulders slumped. "But I should tell you that I've . . . wanted you for a long time. You interested me and . . . I've always wondered what it would be like to be with you."

"Oh."

"Yeah . . . Oh."

"So we're going to do this?"

"Yes, I suppose so."

"How will we explain this to Naruto?" Iruka asked, genuine worry on his face.

Kakashi chuckled and brushed a hand down the side of the worried expression. "We'll explain it when Naruto can explain whatever's happening between him and Sai."

The teacher smiled and pushed himself closer to Kakashi, nuzzling the side of his pale face with his scarred nose. The Copy-nin's arms wound around his waist, his hand resting on the small of his back and causing his breath to hitch from the stimulation of rarely touched skin.

"You liked that, hmm?" Kakashi asked huskily and the other man buried his face in the crook of his neck. He ran a pale finger down Iruka's scarred spine and smiled into dark hair when a small sound erupted from the back of the other's throat. He palmed the warmth of the Chuunin's back and relished the reaction he got, grateful that he had found a way to have the man panting against him within seconds; he just set aside the knowledge of erogenous zones for future reference. Suddenly aware of the bareness of Iruka's torso, he pulled his tank quickly over his head and pushed himself flush against the other male once more, earning a moan. "I want you so much, Iruka."

"Bedroom? I promise not to tie you to the bed again."

"I told you I liked that, though," Kakashi pouted. Lips soon covered that pout and he began to pull away from the wall, taking the brunet with him, and slowly backed into the direction of Iruka's room, careful not to end the kiss. In the process they bumped into many things, Kakashi's bare back taking the brunt of most of the collisions, but the kiss was worth it. Eager to make the kiss horizontal, the Copy-nin launched them onto the bed as soon as they crossed the threshold of Iruka's dark bedroom and then dedicated his life to making sure his lips graced every cell of bared brown skin; starting with those interesting brown nipples. He skimmed his smile against the left one, loving the delicate feel of it and pressed a gentle kiss to it. The right one, however, since he discovered he liked the taste of it, was made to suffer through the tugging of teeth and almost rough sucking and rolling of tongue. He found Iruka enjoyed this method of sensation much more, if the whimpers and gasps were anything to go by, and he reiterated the same affections to the left nipple. Next the navel was to be sampled, perhaps circled by his eager to taste tongue for awhile before actually dipping inside. He was pleased when he pulled the greatest reaction by far out of Iruka with this action and stared up at the begging mouth.

"What do you need?"

"Please just . . . I can't take it, Kakashi," the silver haired nin was told. He decided to end his teasing and moved his attentions to the dark hair that created a path to glory below Iruka's waistband. He tugged the pants off carefully, taking the underwear with it, and studied his prize long and hard, loving how long and hard it was. "Please, Kakashi . . . Please."

How could a man refuse such a perfectly whimpered plea? Kakashi sure could not and he was grateful that he did not have the strength to as he burrowed his face into soft hair and sensitive skin, inhaling the musky smell of man and sex and enjoying the feel of his lover's trembles. He nuzzled Iruka's need until the tip of his nose rested just under the dark, leaking crown of it and he used his curved lips to kiss back down to the base only to lick back up, kiss the wet slip and slide down once more to repeat his ambush of pleasure on the other side of the shaft.

"'Kashi!"

His name had never sounded so wonderful, he mused. He opened his mouth and took the other man halfway inside in the hopes of hearing his name once more. A few more strokes of his tongue, the soft moaning of ohohoh, and a gentle squeeze of Iruka's base later and he did. He pulled away of course, having worked himself up a little too much and sat up to pull down his pants as he watched the brunet wiggle the rest of the way from his. Golden brown legs fell open in invitation and he smiled, feeling as if he was on the verge of finding a solace. He situated himself between those legs, allowed them to wrap around his waist, but he did nothing but kiss his Chuunin for awhile, willing the other man to share the amazing taste still lingering on his tongue. Pale fingers thread into dark hair, loosening it enough until it fell almost completely from its tie and framed Iruka's flushed face. He moved in for another kiss, a longer one, but was frozen in a gasp as the brunet lifted his hips up, effectively bringing their erections together; heated, wet, and straining flesh against straining, wet, and heated flesh. He pulled back until he was on his knees, his hands gripping Iruka's hips, and watched the two members dance against one another in their urgent desire. He closed his eyes from the extremely erotic sight and bit his lip for anticipation for his aching releasing.

"'Kashi . . . inside me," Iruka's soft voice reminded him. He hissed a harsh curse from being denied an orgasm, but opened his eyes to gaze into Iruka's in order to calm himself. He stroked a hand through his lover's hair and down his face, damp with sweat and tears of restraint.

"I'll take care of you, Iruka," he promised, running a finger to Iruka's lips and pushing for entrance. He moaned as the brunet sucked the digit and whimpered when the sensation ended. He replaced the finger with his own tongue instead, swallowing the other's moans when the wet finger circled a puckered ring between their hot bodies and slowly pressed inside. Strong hands clawed at his shoulders and the brunet gasped at the intrusion, but Kakashi pressed a hot mouth to his temple and whispered, "I have you, 'Ruka . . . It's alright . . . I'll care for you . . . It's alright . . . It's alright . . ."

He pulled his finger out slowly and brought it to Iruka's mouth along with a second one and watched as desperate lips sucked at them. He slid his fingers out and adjusted their bodies until Iruka was in his lap, his arms clutching his back and shoulders as their erections were pressed hard against each other's. Kakashi reached behind his lover to press his fingers to Iruka's entrance, pushing them in and out slowly and watching in amazement as the brunet began to move on them.

"Another one," Iruka groaned huskily into his ear, his voice dark and deep with passion.

"Already?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes." Kakashi pushed three fingers into his own mouth this time and hurriedly brought them back down to where he ached to dwell most. Iruka hissed in pain as the fingers wiggled their way inside him and clenched his eyes tight to keep the tears from falling. The Jounin used his other hand to rub the small of his back and cooed softly in his ear until the burning pain eased away, allowing him to focus on the stimulation of the bundle of nerves within him. One stroke of the spot and a rush of cool pleasure soothed his heated body, another stroke and he was shivering, a third and he was gasping, a fourth and he was begging, countless others and he was in a frenzy, arching against the amazing man pleasing him and crying out for completion.

Kakashi could only take so many moans of InsidemeInsidemeInsideme before having to give into the amazing temptation to take the other man. He pressed Iruka back and once again positioned himself onto his knees. He reached down to take his sensitive flesh in his hand, gripping it at the base so not to explode embarrassingly soon, and pressed himself to a place he thought he would never be. Iruka took him in so easily, he realized, grateful that not only his body was overly eager for their union. He slid into the heat until he could no longer move and he grasped Iruka's trembling thighs, moving them higher up his waist, and further pushing himself into that which threatened to consume him. He glanced at Iruka's face and caught the man watching him with wide eyes, one hand covering his mouth as the other grasped harshly at his own hair. Kakashi pulled the hands away and kissed the brunet as he began to roll his hips. He delighted in the tastes of Iruka's moans, swallowed them greedily, in fact, as they picked up with the lengthening of his strokes. He pulled back for better leverage and plunged himself into the other man harder and faster, selfishly pulling his satisfaction from the other man even as he gave even more pleasure. Iruka screamed beneath him, either words he could not understand or words that were not meant to be and he closed his eyes at the tightness around him that melt his world in its inferno and dragged him closer and closer to the brink of what could be insanity or nirvana and he let himself drop, not caring much which, and allowed himself to let go.

He opened his eyes to soft lips against his and realized he was still inside Iruka . . . his lover. He smiled at the other man through his panting and the other man smiled back through his own. He vaguely felt hands tracing up and down his sweat-dampened back, but he had a theory that he could be hit by a train in that moment and would not be fazed at all.

"Are you alright?" Iruka asked causing a bubble of laughter to rise in his throat.

"Honestly, I think I just died."

-End-