Authoress: I'm back with the final installment of the Scars Series…*sniffles* I can't believe this is it!! But, please keep watching for future stories – they are already quite promising!!

Disclaimer: This is the last time I'll say this for this story! *cries* I don't own Naruto, but wouldn't it be nice if I did?!

Epilogue

Kakashi had to admit that he was starting to dislike transportation jutsu. His head was reeling, his vision was blurred, and his body tingled in a mixture of numbness and pain. Without the ability to see chakra, it was quite a disconcerting experience to be relocated in an instant, but, right now, it was one he wouldn't have changed for anything. It took mere moments, as he looked around at his new surroundings, for him to realize they were no longer on the sandy bank of the pond, but in a room that he immediately recognized.

He had to admit, however, that seeing it from his current position was new. The silver-haired man could only rest his head back on the soft pillow as his vision cleared enough for him to focus on the brunet hovering over him. Distinguishing the expression on the young man's face as one of concern, Kakashi could only quirk an eyebrow up curiously.

"Are you okay? You look really pale," Iruka said softly as he brought a hand up to brush a few tendrils of silvery hair away from the other man's forehead. Though his once alabaster skin was now a rich bronze matching Iruka's own, there was a bloodlessness to it that worried the brunet. Kakashi had seemed fine – other than being in pain – up until Iruka transported them back to his apartment. It was at that point that the older man began to look like he was going to be ill.

"I know why civilians refuse to be transported," Kakashi joked, his voice wavering weakly. A part of the Copy Ninja wanted to curse his bad luck – this was not how he wanted to start his second chance with Iruka! Any thoughts of moving to throw the teacher down and have his way with him were quickly vetoed as his stomach suddenly did a strange flip that left him very queasy.

"I'm sorry! I forgot…" Iruka focused a tendril of healing energy into his hand as he gingerly pressed his fingers against Kakashi's temple. Civilians were unable to control chakra, so it was understandable that being surrounded by a large amount of energy – such as when being transported by a jutsu – left them with a bit of backlash that caused nausea. But the idea that Kakashi was now one of them was too foreign to Iruka. The silver-haired pervert was one of the strongest shinobi to exist – he couldn't possibly be one of the people he had sworn to protect!

Closing his eyes, Kakashi didn't protest the warm touch that banished his sickness in moments. Though he couldn't sense it, he knew that Iruka was using only a small fraction of his vast chakra to heal him. There was no other way he could possibly improve so quickly. When that hand began to slide down off his temple and onto the mangled side of his face, Kakashi cracked open his right eye. Though his glare had no anger behind it, Iruka obviously got the hint, judging from the sad smile the teacher gave him.

He couldn't know for certain, but Kakashi trusted the brunet to have abided by his wishes and gotten rid of that healing touch of his. Shutting his natural eye, he took several deep breaths, but any attempt to keep his breathing even was quickly lost when he felt Iruka's hands begin trailing along his body. He was confident that Iruka wasn't trying to heal him, but that gentle contact still left his skin warm and tingling with awareness.

With his eyes closed, Kakashi could do little else other than feel his lover's touch dance across his marred chest and arms, smell the unique scent of him and hear the young man's deep breathing. Those three sensations were enough, however, for him to groan softly as he shifted so that he could firmly press himself against that delicious touch.

He had missed those impossibly warm hands for far too long, though he had hardly grown accustomed to them over a year ago. As Iruka's callused fingers brushed against a collar bone, Kakashi let out a soft hiss of pleasure. From the jerking movement of those hands as they quickly left his skin, Kakashi could only guess Iruka had thought he caused him pain.

Kakashi opened both of his eyes and found his gaze immediately captured by soft brown orbs filled with guilt. Before Iruka even started to open his mouth to apologize for supposedly hurting him, Kakashi pushed himself up onto his elbows and captured the teacher's lips in a gentle kiss.

"Let me heal you, Kakashi," Iruka pleaded, his voice muffled by Kakashi's mouth, but the silver-haired man understood him perfectly. In response, he gingerly licked the brunet's lower lip teasingly. Within moments of his gentle ministrations, Iruka was making a very different sound.

Moaning, the teacher quickly forgot his protest as he boldly deepened their kiss. Iruka shifted from his kneeling position next to the older man in order to straddle his midsection. Conscious to put no weight on Kakashi's body, Iruka placed his hands on either side of his lover's head, ducking down to thoroughly kiss him.

Unable to do much else, Kakashi relaxed against the bed to enjoy having the shy brunet take control. He knew he would only hurt himself if he tried to flip the teacher and return the seductive favor, not to mention that he liked this new, more dominant side of Iruka.

Instead of taking control, Kakashi focused all of his attention on the positively inspired things Iruka was doing with his tongue. When the brunet finally broke their kiss, the silver-haired man came to realize that he had somehow forgotten to breathe. Panting as soon as Iruka's lips relocated along his jaw, Kakashi closed his eyes to let his four other senses take over.

Kakashi could feel the heat radiating off the younger man, warming his own body. Though the only point of physical contact was where Iruka's lips met his skin, he could feel every inch of the brunet as though those bronze limbs were part of his own body. Long legs rested on either side of him, powerful thighs a mere hairsbreadth away from his abdomen. A perfectly tanned torso hovered over him so closely that Kakashi could very nearly feel the pounding of the teacher's heart against his own. Focusing on the teacher thusly, Kakashi didn't realize until it was too late that Iruka had been paying quite a bit of attention to the side of his neck.

Releasing the older man's flesh from the powerful suction of his mouth with a wet pop, Iruka pushed himself up so he could eye his handiwork with satisfaction. The darkened mark was quite visible despite the tanned skin it was on. He felt a blush creeping into his cheeks when he saw his lover's reaction. Even with half of his once perfect face scarred, Iruka could see the amused quirk of his lips that accompanied the rolling of his mismatched eyes.

"It isn't nice to tease, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi said softly as he mustered up enough strength to lift his hips to brush his growing erection against his lover's rear. Though he had not consciously felt Iruka placing the large love bite on his neck, his body had still reacted strongly. Smirking when he heard the teacher let out a squeak, Kakashi could only repeat his actions.

With each shift of his hips, a blinding wave of pleasure shot through Kakashi and, judging from the teacher's expression of embarrassment mixed with arousal, Iruka didn't mind the torturously slow grinding. When the brunet began meeting his thrusts, pressing back against his hardened member, Kakashi was certain of that observation.

As he relaxed back down on the bed, Kakashi slid his hands along the teacher's sides and grasped his narrow waist. Pulling Iruka's lower body closer to his own and matching the teacher's pace to his own, Kakashi angled his hips so that his erection brushed against his lover's.

For a moment, Kakashi couldn't help but take in the spectacular sight before him. No matter what, he had always thought Iruka good-looking, but he never imagined that the teacher could look as beautiful as he currently did. Though he was stark naked, Iruka didn't seem to notice that small fact anymore as he continued their sensual dance. His scarred cheeks were flushed, not out of embarrassment, but need.

His lower lip, already swollen from kisses, was held tightly between perfectly straight teeth as he tried to hold back his whimpers. The muffled sounds still reached Kakashi's ears and sent a rush of pleasure down his spine. Those soft, whispery noises were far more alluring than anything Kakashi had ever heard before. Not only could he hear Iruka's stifled moans, but also the teacher's gasps for breath.

Mismatched eyes raked down his lover's muscular figure, mapping out every minute change he could see and feel as his fingers left the young man's waist in order to touch every inch of him. Kakashi audibly gulped as his touch and gaze brushed across the brunet's erection. Iruka bucked at the feather-light caress, releasing a soft cry that caused heat to pool in Kakashi's lower body.

Kakashi could only groan as his fingers slipped around the teacher's arousal, loosely gripping him as he matched the movement of his hand to that of their hips. It took every ounce of control he had to not tear off the remaining material separating them and sink into Iruka, but the recollection of what happened the last time he had been so forceful cooled his ardor enough that he could think and see straight.

"I-Iruka," he gasped, tearing his gaze away from the younger man's throbbing erection in order to look into his brown eyes. Though clouded by desire, there was still a flicker of confusion in those dark depths as the teacher looked down at him, waiting for him to continue speaking. "I want…" Swallowing heavily, he prepared himself to say something he had never uttered before, having never fully understood its meaning until this moment. "I want to make love to you."

He was not asking for just sex like their one night together over a year ago. Though he cared deeply for Iruka even then, he had still kept a part of himself tightly locked away. Now he had nothing to hide from the brunet on top of him and, even if he did, he would want Iruka to know about it. The realization that he wanted that deep of a connection with the teacher – that he wanted the emotional and mental relationships just as much as the physical, if not more – was one that floored the silver-haired man momentarily.

"B-But… your injuries!" Though his words were soft, there was a firm tone to the brunet's voice that reminded Kakashi who he was talking to. Iruka was a stubborn man who was quite accustomed to being in command and getting his way, whether it was in reference to pre-genin classes or the entire shinobi community when they handed in mission reports. "You have a broken leg… and you would pull your stitches."

"I'll be fine," Kakashi tried to reassure him, but saw the resolve in his lover's eyes. He inwardly groaned, not sure how the young man could possibly still be thinking so clearly that he was worried about a few stitches. Kakashi still had half of his clothes on and he could hardly form intelligent thoughts. Pressing his head back against the pillow underneath him, Kakashi took several deep breaths before he came up with a compromise. "You can be on top."

Iruka's answer was a squeak accompanied by a deep blush. Whether or not the teacher realized it, he also sat back on his heels, pressing his groin against Kakashi's, and his hands came to rest on the older man's chest. The combined reaction was enough to make Kakashi gasp.

"I won't move as much that way," Kakashi pointed out breathlessly, hoping his ranting would change the teacher's mind. At this point, he could care less if he tore every stitch and broke his leg a second time. If it meant that he could find release, he would gladly be put back in the hospital afterwards. "And if it hurts, I'll tell you to stop."

Gnawing on his lower lip as he watched the teacher through half-lidded eyes, Kakashi tried to hold back the screams he wanted to let out. He was sure Iruka had no idea that, when he was thinking something over, he had the horrible habit of shifting back and forth - now he knew where Naruto got that strangely endearing habit from. And, if the teacher had any inkling what those minute movements were doing to Kakashi's erection, the silver-haired man would cry. He'd done nothing to deserve this kind of torture.

"Any pain and you'll tell me?" Iruka asked dubiously as he sat back on his heels even further, placing his entire weight on Kakashi's groin. With that increase of pressure, the silver-haired man lost any hopes of forming words, so he just nodded his head frantically as he gritted his teeth. He had never before wanted someone as much as he did at that moment – and Iruka was teasing him!? He was getting the sinking feeling that the teacher had an idea what he was doing to Kakashi's libido when he felt Iruka roll his hips back, momentarily blinding Kakashi with sheer pleasure.

When he finally could see straight again, Kakashi caught a glimpse of the teacher's face and he couldn't help but growl. Iruka was smiling!? Now certain that his lover knew exactly what kind of hell he was putting Kakashi in, the silver-haired man tightened his grasp on Iruka's hips and held the brunet still as he thrust his hips upwards.

Iruka arched his back as a shot of heat raced up his spine at the feeling of Kakashi's clothed member ramming against his entrance. Gasping, the brunet looked down at the silver-haired man and was struck at the pang of emotion that raced through him.

It was as though he was seeing Kakashi for the first time – truly seeing him for who he was. His status as a famous shinobi was gone, leaving him just a normal man. But he was anything but normal. Even without chakra coursing through his large frame, he exuded an aura of danger. Though physically weaker than he had been in years, his muscles still bunched and rippled with strength.

Iruka let his fingers trail along that chest, his touch following the depressions and ridges that mapped out the hard life Kakashi had lived. He was a man who was determined to the point of stubbornness. He was an emotionally guarded person because of his profession, which made him a bit of an ass at times. Iruka smiled, knowing that he could forgive Kakashi of anything because he now knew that the silver-haired man would never intentionally hurt him. No, Kakashi just saw the world a little differently than everyone else and, no matter how twisted and illogical his reasoning, Kakashi always did what he thought was right.

Bending down, the brunet brushed his lips against the largest stretch of dark knots that traveled down the older man's chest. He was gentle enough that he knew he didn't cause Kakashi any pain, but Iruka still felt a twinge of guilt all the same. Shifting, he pressed his lips against Kakashi's, for the moment content to just feel the older man's soft skin against his own.

Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what caused the apparent change in Iruka. The soft words, ones laced with emotion, that met his ears gave him an idea of what was going through his lover's head.

"I am so sorry," Iruka whispered against Kakashi's lips, wishing there was some way he could go back and change the past. Because of him, Kakashi no longer had his shinobi status – the one thing that was most important to the older man.

Kakashi propped himself up on an elbow, forcing Iruka to sit up so that he could look into the brunet's face. What he found there tore at him. Guilt. There was no other way to describe the painful emotion that filled Iruka's eyes with unshed tears and contorted his beautiful face into one of the most depressing sights Kakashi had ever seen.

Understanding slowly dawned on Kakashi as he brought a hand up to brush his fingers against the teacher's cheek. It wasn't just guilt that caused Iruka to look at him like that. There was also pain in those chocolate orbs. Realizing that he was the one causing Iruka pain – that his choice to remain as he was and not be healed by the teacher was the cause of it – Kakashi had to reconsider his lover's offer. If it meant erasing that pain from Iruka's face, he would do anything.

"Heal me," Kakashi stated quietly as he cupped the teacher's cheek, rubbing his thumb against the lower half of Iruka's scar. Almost as soon as he spoke, Iruka's eyes widened in amazement and disbelief.

"But you don't wan-" Iruka didn't get the chance to finish his statement. Kakashi covered the teacher's mouth with his hand, sufficiently silencing the brunet's response.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you are impossible?" Kakashi asked, the corner of his lips quirking into a crooked smile. "You want to heal me, don't you?" Iruka blinked several times, but the glimmer of confusion did not leave his large eyes. Seeing he would have to explain himself if he ever wanted peace again, Kakashi continued, "I don't want you to feel guilty… I don't want to see you in pain because of me. If healing me will make you feel better, then do it."

The gentle pressure of lips against his palm was enough to tell Kakashi that he had made the right choice in trying to compromise with his lover. Reluctantly removing his hand from Iruka's mouth so that the teacher could speak, Kakashi studied the younger man. The change in Iruka was immediate; the brunet exuded a happiness that proved to be infectious.

"Thank you," Iruka said softly as he bowed forwards to brush his lips against Kakashi's bare forehead. Kakashi was so focused momentarily on that loving gesture that he didn't feel Iruka's fingers begin to dance across his skin. By the time he noticed the teacher's touch, those hands were slipping under his waistband, gently pushing his pants down.

"What happened to healing me?" Kaskashi demanded jokingly as he lifted his hips to help his lover in stripping him. Iruka moved slowly, dragging the wet material across his skin at a torturous pace. Unable to do much else, Kakashi watched as Iruka eased the dark cloth over his encased leg, careful not to move his broken limb or put any pressure on his thigh.

"If you let me heal you, what do you get in return?" Iruka countered as he glanced up, his fingers teasing the side of Kakashi's bare hip. For a moment, the silver-haired man was unable to think of an intelligent response as he realized that there was a distinct seductive quality to his lover's tone and actions.

"You aren't allowed to leave this bed until I say so." It was demanding, non-negotiable, and otherwise entirely like the man who uttered such a statement. Iruka had to laugh at Kakashi's response. Finally removing the older man's pants entirely, the teacher moved back up so that he could kiss Kakashi thoroughly. As he mapped out every inch of his lover's mouth, Iruka let a tendril of chakra brush against Kakashi's leg. It took no more than a thought to seamlessly repair the shattered bone.

Kakashi would have laughed at Iruka's actions had he the breath left in him after the brunet was done kissing him. Only Iruka would have been thoughtful enough to distract him as he repaired his leg. He had heard from friends that having a broken leg healed was by far the most excruciating experience one could live through. There was a moment of blinding pain, but it was nothing like the agony Asuma and the others feared every time they were admitted to the hospital. It took him only a moment to realize that his compassionate lover had to have done something to dull the pain.

Whatever thoughts he had on thanking the teacher for that kindness quickly fled him as Kakashi looked into Iruka's face. Gone were those chocolate eyes, replaced by orbs darker than night itself. Despite the shiver that instinctively ran down his back as that demonic gaze met his, Kakashi knew that he was in no danger. He had seen the eyes of a bloodthirsty creature once before and, having barely survived that experience, he knew that these were not the same. There was a softness that had not been there the last time he had seen those black eyes; if possible, they were caring and understanding.

Iruka smiled as he saw Kakashi's thoughts reflected in his mismatched eyes. Proof that the older man didn't fear him was far more comforting than Iruka ever thought it would be. To know that he was not a monster in his lover's eyes – it was something that Iruka never realized he had been searching for all this time. He had been unconsciously looking for acceptance and, to receive it from the one person he most desperately needed it from, he was understandably grateful.

Kissing the silver-haired man, Iruka let his lover take control. Kakashi's tongue dipped into his mouth, curiously trailing along his newly sharpened teeth. Having done so numerous times over the past few weeks, Iruka had grown accustomed to the pointed fangs and simply accepted them for what they were. Kakashi, on the other hand, mapped out every inch of his altered bite in fascination. The silver-haired man actually found Iruka's razor-sharp teeth positively sexy, but he was not about to tell the teacher that. He first wanted to discover how to bring the most pleasure to his lover before he let Iruka do the same to him.

Curious to see what Iruka would do next in his strange method of healing, Kakashi laid back against the pillows. Whatever Kakashi had been expecting from the teacher, it was not the shifting of Iruka's body as the brunet situated himself between Kakashi's legs. Leaning forwards, he began pressing gentle kisses against the older man's neck and chest.

Kakashi jerked back when he felt a sharp, stabbing pain at the junction between his shoulder and neck. The fact that Iruka's mouth was in that exact same place did not even enter Kakashi's mind until he felt an apologetic tongue run across his stinging flesh. Almost as quickly as the pain hit him, it was gone, replaced by a strange numbness.

Being hailed as a genius, it didn't take Kakashi long to realize what that momentary pain had been due to. "You bit me," he breathed accusingly as he tried to shift in order to glare at his lover. He was not angry at Iruka, just surprised that the young man would have bitten him without warning, but his attempts to get some kind of explanation from Iruka failed. It didn't take longer than the blink of an eye for him to realize that he could hardly move at all.

Almost immediately, his body betrayed him by feeling a wave of fear. It wasn't directed towards Iruka – he could never fear the compassionate man, not after everything they had been through – but was more of a general terror. Loss of movement in someone with as much nerve damage as him almost always meant paralysis. Paralysis was something that not even Tsunade could always heal. Though no longer a shinobi, Kakashi couldn't help thinking like one; if he couldn't move, he could not defend himself or his lover against an attacker. He was even more helpless than he had been upon waking up in the hospital the other day.

Unknowingly, Kakashi revealed his apprehension to Iruka in his quickened heart rate and breathing. Sitting back on his heels, the teacher ran a comforting hand down Kakashi's heavily stitched side.

"Relax, Kakashi."

Those two words, spoken with love and understanding, were enough to slow the man's quivering heart and gasps for air. He trusted Iruka more than anyone else in existence, so it felt natural to put his life in the young man's hands. Whatever Iruka had done to him – whatever he was planning to do – was not important to Kakashi. That realization – that he wholly, completely, and blindly trusted Iruka – was a heady one for the man who had never been able to fully trust anyone before.

"I love you," Kakashi responded softly as he watched Iruka return to pressing gentle kisses down his body. Those words brought a bright smile to Iruka's face, revealing a straight row of sharp teeth that strangely suited the kind-hearted teacher. Iruka continued his caresses, his smile broadening and a telling tinge of pink coming to his cheeks as he heard Kakashi's heart and breathing speed up again. This time, however, it was not out of fear, but something quite different.

It would have been impossible to ignore the seductive swipes of Iruka's tongue against his hip, but a part of Kakashi tried doing so anyway. He tried to remind himself that Iruka was just healing him, but the teacher's next actions proved otherwise.

Swallowing heavily, Iruka stared at his lover's arousal. He knew better than to tell Kakashi what exactly he was doing. It was not an issue of trust, but that telling the silver-haired man would make healing him impossible. Iruka knew that Kakashi's injuries were ones that could not be healed by humans. It had been his demonic chakra that repaired Kakashi's leg. It was a surprise bonus that the dark, unnatural energy also numbed his lover so that Kakashi didn't feel the same degree of pain anyone else would have.

The fact that Kakashi had not balked at him using demonic chakra in the first place told Iruka that he could do what he must to heal his lover. Kakashi trusted him without reservation, so Iruka felt a little guilty at testing that confidence. But if it meant he had to be a little underhanded so that Kakashi's body did not rebel against his attempts to heal him, so be it.

He knew Kakashi wouldn't consciously fight him, but there was no way the man's body would be so accommodating when being overrun with demonic chakra. Without the ability to sense energy like he had once been able to, Kakashi would understandably panic when he was filled with unnatural chakra. It was for that reason he had temporarily paralyzed his lover. All it took was a thin line of chakra placed at the base of his neck. It was too easy when Iruka considered it was the infamous Hatake Kakashi that he'd only had to touch in order to incapacitate him. That thought strengthened Iruka's resolve; Kakashi could not remain as he was. Iruka knew him better than that. For a while, Kakashi would learn to cope with his change in lifestyle, but after that? Without something to keep his mind off what he had given up, the man would eventually sink into a depression that he would have no hope of bringing himself out of. There was no way anyone, not even Iruka, could save him from that fate.

Glancing up momentarily, Iruka focused on the reddened mark at the base of Kakashi's neck. It was another liberty he had taken in the name of healing his lover. As Mizutamari Mari had told him time and time again, the transfer of demonic chakra was simplified by a blood tie. That was, in part, why he and the kappa had settled on an exchange of energy for blood so many years ago, despite the fact it left Iruka weak and nauseous.

The metallic taste rested strangely on his tongue. Mari had said that blood was as distinct as a person's scent or physical features and, having had a taste of Kakashi's, Iruka knew that he would always recognize that particular flavor. His demonic senses, far superior to those of average humans, would be able to pick out Kakashi with ease. It was not only the red fluid that Iruka had lapped up before quickly resealing the small wound. It was Kakashi's heartbeat and his breathing that told Iruka's ears who he was. It was the man's scent, his laugh, his gaze, his touch – it was everything about Kakashi that Iruka had etched into his memory so that he would never again be able to forget the man he loved.

However distasteful it had been to the human side of him to take some of Kakashi's blood, Iruka did so in order to make it easier for his lover. He could remember the first time he'd had a large amount of demonic chakra flood into him without that small saving grace of Mari being able to direct it. It was not an experience Iruka would ever want to repeat. It was that motive that fueled his actions now. He would save Kakashi from that kind of hell.

Paralyzing Kakashi so that the man didn't fight back and thus hurt himself even more, taking a little of his blood, and now, distracting him – they were all means of protecting Kakashi. Swallowing again, Iruka decided on his course of action.

Without warning, Iruka gripped the base of Kakashi's member, eliciting a strangled whimper from his lover. Shifting so that he hovered over Kakashi's groin, he stuck out his tongue and hesitantly licked the purplish tip. Rewarded with a sound that could only be called a muffled scream, Iruka repeated the action, finding that he liked the slightly bitter taste he was met with.

Kakashi gritted his teeth, unable to do anything else as Iruka continued his painfully slow exploration of his cock. If he could move his arms and legs, Iruka would have already been on his back and Kakashi would be thrusting into him until they both found release. Instead, he had to settle for panting for air as he futilely tried to move his arms so that he could wind his fingers into Iruka's long hair and direct his lover's mouth. Oh hell, he would fuck Iruka's mouth in blissful abandon if he could.

Becoming bolder by the moment, Iruka wrapped his lips around Kakashi's member and gradually lowered his head down. Tracing the throbbing vein in the underside of his lover's erection, Iruka took as much of Kakashi's length in his mouth as he could without gagging.

Slowly bobbing his head, running his tongue along his lover's hardness, Iruka knew Kakashi to be more than distracted enough for what he wanted to do. Continuing his movements, Iruka let his dark chakra seep into his lover. Seeking out the blood whose taste he already knew so well, he was able to find every chakra pathway that ran alongside blood vessels, no matter how minute. As he increased the flow of chakra into Kakashi, Iruka sought out each wound, creating a pool of energy that would heal the man's injuries without Iruka's direction.

It was slow, meticulous work, but Iruka was still amazed at how easy the whole process was. Not once did Kakashi's body try to rebel and fight off his chakra. Iruka pulled away from his lover when he finally realized why Kakashi wasn't asking why he was being filled with demonic chakra. It wasn't that the man was so distracted that he didn't notice the energy; it was that Kakashi had lost all ability to sense chakra. It was a fact Iruka could not wrap his head around, so it was one he had not taken into consideration earlier.

Iruka looked up at Kakashi and a wave of self-reproach hit him when he saw his lover. Eyes on the brink of tears from frustration stared back at him, silently asking him why he had stopped. The realization that Kakashi had no idea what he was doing internally made Iruka's actions seem so much more reprehensible to the teacher.

"Undo whatever it is you did to me, Iruka," Kakashi begged softly, his voice weak with unfulfilled need. The question did not even have time to be processed in Iruka's mind before the silver-haired man found his arms and legs freed from their induced paralysis. As soon as he regained the ability to move, Kakashi did exactly what he had wanted to do since he first saw Iruka go down on him.

Sitting up, he captured Iruka's face between his hands and plundered the teacher's mouth until they had to break apart for air. Not giving his lover a moment's reprieve, Kakashi pulled the brunet against him, forcing the teacher to straddle his waist. The feel of Iruka pressed against him, the young man's rigid member jutting against his abdomen, was enough to dissolve what little self-control Kakashi had left. Instinctively shifting his own position, the silver-haired man groaned as his erection brushed against his lover's entrance.

Kakashi glanced up into his lover's eyes, expecting to see a host of emotions that would show Iruka was reluctant to resume their sexual relationship. He was stunned to the point of breathlessness when he saw what those eyes truly held.

Passion. Need. Desire. They were there in abundance and there was also the blush of embarrassment that made Iruka the adorable man that he was, but there was something that blindsided him. Love – there was no other way he could describe the warmth that Iruka's eyes were filled with, what made those impossibly dark orbs shimmer with a wetness that did not seem to match the rest of the man's inhuman features. And with that obvious love was a trust that Kakashi finally understood the depth of, and now could only wonder how he could have possibly lived without it for so long.

No words needed to be spoken as Iruka pushed his hips down, slowly impaling himself on his lover's well-lubricated member. Kakashi could only lean back on his elbows as he gritted his teeth, fighting against the urge to speed up their pace, to take Iruka with all the passion he felt towards the young man. He would not hurt his lover again, no matter how much his body cried for him to take control. They had the rest of their lives together for Kakashi to teach Iruka that pleasure took many forms. Slow and gentle, or rushed, on the brink of pain – there were countless ways to show Iruka the depth of his feelings for him.

Iruka let out a soft gasp as he sat back, taking every inch of his lover inside him. It was nothing like their one night together last year. There was no pain, no immediate soreness, though Iruka had the feeling that in the future his backside would be aching quite often if Kakashi always got his way. It was a pain the brunet looked forward to.

He could feel his body stretching to accommodate the silver-haired man and, within a few minutes of slow rocking, even that mild discomfort was gone, replaced with a deep satisfaction that sent shockwaves of heat down the teacher's body. That gentle, almost peaceful mixture of sensations was quickly torn to pieces as the man underneath him shifted for the first time. That minute change in angle as Iruka lowered himself down filled the brunet with indescribable pleasure.

Falling forwards, no longer able to fully command his body, Iruka somehow caught himself before he landed heavily on his lover. That momentary control quickly disappeared as Kakashi moved again and Iruka was blinded with another jolt of sensation. Crying out softly, he instinctively pressed against Kakashi's throbbing member and was rewarded with the hoarse cry that escaped from between his lover's clenched teeth.

Kakashi's large, powerful, yet gentle hands wrapped around Iruka's narrow hips, guiding the inexperienced teacher in a slow, sensuous rhythm that sent Iruka's head spinning. The silver-haired man pushed himself up, brushing his lips against Iruka's in a loving gesture that quickly turned into a mating of tongues intermixed with gentle nips and swallowed groans.

Feeling Iruka grow accustomed to their matched thrusts, Kakashi let his grip on his lover's sides loosen and one hand slid to the young man's member. Circling his long fingers around Iruka's otherwise untouched erection, Kakashi easily matched their slow pace. Running his other hand along every inch of his lover's tanned skin, Kakashi could feel the tightly corded muscles trembling with desire. Any intentions of slowly bringing his lover to the brink of insanity quickly fled Kakashi's mind when he felt a change in Iruka. His movements became more urgent, his breath now came in strangled gasps, and his fingers clutched the sheets as though they were the only thing keeping him anchored to the ground. A part of the silver-haired man was amazed to realize that Iruka was getting close to coming.

Kakashi had endurance that could be considered worthy of a marathon when it came to sex. It was no wonder his lovers had always been cut from the same cloth, taking hours at a time to find release. To fall in love with a man who needed little more than a few touches to come was ironic, but Kakashi would have it no other way. Tightening his grip around Iruka's member, he looked up into his lover's eyes. The man was not surprised to be met with black orbs that were filled with a multitude of readable emotions.

What Kakashi was surprised by was the wave of heat that burned through him with that single glance. He didn't know how to describe that sensation, but it was strangely familiar. It took Kakashi an embarrassingly long period of time to realize that the feeling was recognizable because it was similar to when he was channeling chakra.

That momentary familiarity quickly disappeared as the warmth spreading throughout his body seared him. Expecting pain – having burnt his chakra pathways more than once in his lifetime – Kakashi was once again stunned when there was no agony. No, this wave of heat was not painful in the sense he had been expecting. It was beyond anything he had ever felt before. If he had to liken it to anything, Kakashi would have called it pleasure, but it was much more than that.

Looking back into his lover's eyes, Kakashi didn't ask what was happening to him now. Whatever it was, he knew it was somehow Iruka's doing and, that being the case, it was nothing that was going to hurt him. Closing his eyes, he surrendered to those sensations, matching Iruka's quick thrusts with his own, only to be rewarded with another wave of that unnamed feeling. As passion overtook their rhythm, every nerve ending seemed to be on fire with that pleasure-like feeling, escalating out of control.

Unable to do anything else, Kakashi clung to his lover, desperately gasping for air, but without any luck. His very lungs refused to cooperate with him, filling not with necessary air, but a burning, warm sensation. That same heat filled every sense. He could taste it on every inch of sweat-covered, bronze skin that he pressed his lips against. He could smell the electric-like aroma and hear the sharp crackling of it in the air. It rolled across his skin like a thick fog. As he tilted his head back to look at his lover – to find out if Iruka was experiencing this same thing – he could see that same heat on his lover's skin. It permeated every inch of the teacher, making the young man glisten ethereally. That momentary glance sent Kakashi's head spinning – in that moment, he knew that he had truly seen Iruka for the first time.

He could not control the surge of possessiveness that hit him as he looked upon his beautiful lover; Kakashi slammed into Iruka as he tightened his grip around the teacher's erection. Rewarded with another wave of mind-blowing heat that scorched every inch of him, Kakashi could only cry out hoarsely. It took no more than a few thrusts for him to feel his own release coming.

Too overtaken by the sensations stampeding through him, Kakashi didn't wonder why he was so close. A part of him already knew why – it was because of the brunet he was buried deep inside. It was because of the young man who arched his back, crying out Kakashi's name. It was the teacher whose entire body tightened around him as Kakashi felt the rigid flesh in his hand throb powerfully, and a wave of blinding heat hit his abdomen. Most of all, though, it was because of his lover – and the words that escaped Iruka's swollen lips – that made him lose his last bit of control.

"I-I love you, Kakashi."

It could have been a scream, a sob, or a whisper – it didn't matter to Kakashi as he felt the world around him disappear. No matter the decibel, it was that phrase that sent him over the edge as he exploded inside his lover. He knew he cried out as he filled Iruka with his seed, but other than that, Kakashi knew nothing of what happened around him for some time. Within moments of his climax, Kakashi fell into darkness.

When he finally came to, the silver-haired man was immediately aware of a warm pressure on top of him. It was heavy, but there was something impossibly comforting about it. If he could have moved his arms, he would have wrapped them around the weight on his chest, but he did not have the strength to pick them up. Unlike earlier when Iruka paralyzed him, Kakashi knew not to worry about this inability to move. This time, he could feel his muscles trembling with fatigue and the attempts to lift his limbs, but they fell heavily back onto the soft mattress beneath him.

"You're awake." The voice was soft, like a caress, and the words were not a question, but a statement. It took Kakashi a moment to recognize that sweet voice in his sex-induced stupor. Finally finding enough strength to move, he threw his arms around the young man resting on top of him, loosely clinging to his lover.

A warm, wet pressure touched his temple and Kakashi didn't have to even think about it to know that it was his lover's lips against his skin. Those lips continued moving down, brushing against his right cheek, then along his jaw. They then moved to the scarred side of his face, pressing against every inch of skin. Unable to help himself, Kakashi smiled at Iruka's loving gesture.

"H-How long… have I been out?" Kakashi asked thickly, his tongue still uncooperative as he slowly recovered from his mind-altering orgasm. Expecting an answer in the range of a few minutes, Kakashi was understandably amazed when he heard the self-satisfied ring of Iruka's response.

"Several hours. I slept for a little while too," Iruka said, his lips still pressed against Kakashi's skin. The teacher then pushed himself up so that Kakashi could focus on his lover's face. There was a tell-tale tinge of scarlet across those scarred cheeks, but at the moment, Kakashi was too tired to make fun of Iruka for his innocence. Instead, he weakly brought a hand up to brush his thumb along the teacher's cheek.

"What was that?" Kakashi questioned. His tone was without blame or anger – he, in fact, was so amazed at those sensations Iruka had awoken in him, he could care less what Iruka had done to achieve it. He was asking simply for curiosity's sake.

Expecting a flush of color across his lover's cheeks and a stammered, embarrassed answer, Kakashi was surprised to see a glimmer of apologetic tears. "I-I'm sorry," Iruka started to stammer, but was momentarily silenced with a look from his lover. Bowing his head, Iruka explained what had probably happened. "I had started healing you… but then you and I… and…"

Erupting in a startling shade of crimson, Iruka fell silent, unable to put his speculations into words. Glancing up at Kakashi for a moment, he winced, hoping the older man could forgive him for losing control. He had not meant to leave that excess of demonic chakra inside his lover, especially not for so long – or during such an experience. As his own energy had flared during their lovemaking, so had the reserves he had placed in the silver-haired man. It did not take very long for Iruka to realize why Kakashi had seemed so surprised – and so exhausted – by their activities. It was because the man had never experienced something like that before.

Kakashi remained silent, waiting for Iruka to get over his bout of embarrassment before he continued. Instead, he watched his lover's face and was amazed by the sheer number of emotions that raced over it as the teacher tried to find the right words.

"D-Demons feel things a little differently than humans. I've gotten used to my heightened senses when channeling demonic chakra… but when I… and…"

Kakashi had to bite his cheek to keep himself from laughing at Iruka's discomfort. To save his lover from complete mortification, the genius filled in the blanks. "You were channeling demonic chakra to heal me, but then you got aroused and lost control of your lust." The man smiled, having now figured out why Iruka had switched so quickly from healing him to giving him the best blowjob of his life. Pressing his lips against Iruka's forehead, he let out a little chuckle. "That isn't anything you have to apologize for."

"There's more…" Iruka said softly as he glanced down at Kakashi's chest. Wincing, he felt another blush coming on as he sensed the older man follow his gaze. The sharp intake of breath that came out of Kakashi was enough for the teacher to bow his head in shame. Losing control of his passion was one thing, but to do so when he had already filled Kakashi with demonic chakra – that was the mistake he had been trying to apologize for.

"Most people take stitches out before they heal an injury," Kakashi said jokingly as he brought his fingers up to brush against the neatly tied knots that covered his upper body. Unlike earlier, however, they no longer followed deep lacerations. No, now his skin was completely healed. It didn't even hold the slight discoloring of a scar. It was as though the injuries had never even existed, though Kakashi shouldn't have been surprised by the teacher's healing abilities.

"That isn't all…" Iruka whispered as he looked up at his lover's face. His cheeks warmed as he looked at the handsome man he was sitting on. Bringing a hand up to Kakashi's left cheek, he ran his thumb along the man's flawless skin.

The silver-haired man's eyes widened at Iruka's gesture, obviously feeling the difference from the surprise in his mismatched eyes. One of his hands flew up to his face, gingerly touching the area where he once had disfiguring scars. Gone were the depressions he had received from his fight with Iruka, but his skin felt different. It was too smooth – too even. As Kakashi ran the tips of his fingers below his left eye, he began understanding Iruka's apologies.

There was no scar covering his unnatural eye – no mark to tell his famed past. Kakashi could tell he still had the Sharingan, but he could not tell how he knew that exactly. Instead of wondering over that, he began inspecting his body for his old scars. The uneven bones due to breaks from his many fights with Gai were gone, replaced by perfectly-formed limbs and ribs. The numerous scars on his fingertips from years of summoning Pakkun and the others had disappeared. No longer did he have the deep depressions from the countless kunai, shuriken, and other weapons that had hit him over the years.

As he looked at Iruka, Kakashi knew his expression was one that demanded an explanation, no matter how uncomfortable it would make his lover.

"To heal you, I was channeling demonic chakra through you, but you couldn't feel it… but then I lost control… so when we were, um, together, the energy I had left in you went haywire. So it healed everything it could find wrong with you – it didn't heal your eye, making you lose the Sharingan, because it must have seen your eye as an improvement…" Iruka trailed off as his gaze met Kakashi's. Expecting to find anger and perhaps mistrust, the teacher was amazed when he saw that neither of those things had a place in Kakashi's face. No, the only thing he could find there was love.

"Did you think I would be mad you healed all my old scars?" Kakashi asked softly as he brushed a finger against Iruka's cheek. The brunet did not have to answer – the watery eyes were enough of an indicator. "If you had asked me if you could heal them, I would have told you yes. Some of them hurt like hell whenever the weather changed." The soft, joking tone of Kakashi's voice was enough to make Iruka smile.

"What I want to know is what had been going on when we were making love. At one point, you looked like you were glowing…"

"Oh… that…" Iruka bit his lower lip in a cute display of nervousness. Kakashi had to laugh at the adorable picture of innocence Iruka was when the teacher was forced to talk about sex. Unable to help himself, the silver-haired man brushed his lips against the brunet's nose. "I told you… demons feel things differently than humans. Well, they experience things differently, actually. As far as I can figure, since I had filled you with my chakra, some of what I was experiencing was transferred to you."

Kakashi felt his jaw begin to drop as he understood the implication of Iruka's words. "T-that was what it was like for you?!" The very idea that every time he made love to the teacher, Iruka would be feeling such sensations was enough to make the pervert excited for their next interlude.

"O-only when I'm more demonic, I think," Iruka whispered as he tried to ignore the warmth creeping up the back of his neck and across his cheeks. To have his perverse lover know that he had climaxed was one thing – to experience what it had been like was another thing entirely. Iruka had the feeling that Kakashi would use that knowledge to his advantage for some time. The next words out of his lover's mouth made him certain of that.

"We will have to test that theory."

"Pervert," was Iruka's only verbal response, but he quickly acquiesced to his lover's unspoken demands. And, keeping to their compromise, Kakashi did not let Iruka leave their bed until he was completely certain Iruka's assumptions were right. In turn, the teacher could only inwardly laugh and wonder how long it would take his beloved to realize that it was not just his physical injuries that had been healed. Chakra pathways had been reformed, neural problems solved – even his emotional difficulties had somehow been healed by their lovemaking, though Iruka had the feeling that that particular change had nothing to do with demonic chakra.

As it turned out, the two men took a well-deserved vacation before returning to the shinobi life that had molded them into who they were.

--

Authoress: Finally done! *cries from sheer happiness* I apologize for how long it has taken me to write the epilogue…but I hit the worst writer's block of my career as a FFN writer…and nothing could get me to finish this! But, having put off schoolwork and forcing myself to be as perverse as I could, I have finally finished!

B.Z.: Well, I'm proud of you for finishing it. Good job. Though I still look forward to updates from your other stories... You were only a few chapters in with those ones, afterall... Good luck with your thesis, btw. I was lucky. I got to do a portfolio instead of a thesis. I suppose it all depends on the course...

Authoress: Yeah…thesis…*cries* I gotta write it to graduate – it is going to get in the way of my writing fanfics, but I will strive to set aside time to put up those new stories I have in mind!!! A huge thanks goes to B.Z.-chan for beta-ing this chapter! She does amazing work!!! And thank all of you for reading! I hope everyone enjoyed the Scars Series!! Please review and look out for new stories! Until then, ja ne!!