Broken Pieces

Chapter 1

"Hokage-sama, if you don't give me that damn book, I'm going to gut you with a dull shuriken!"

The ANBU on duty smirked underneath his porcelain mask, not making any move to reveal himself in order to defend the Hokage. He listened amusedly for the ritualistic protest—this routine had become as steady as clockwork over the past three weeks, beginning almost immediately after the new Hokage took office and had been assigned his...temperamental...assistant.

"Maa...why can't I fire you?" the Hokage responded. The ANBU guard could hear the pout in his voice. His assistant made a particularly outraged grunt of surprise/protest, and more papers were slammed down onto a desk.

"Feel free! In fact, why don't you fire me before this weekend so you can sort all this mess out yourself and I can take a long overdue vacation to the hot springs," the assistant retorted. The esteemed Hokage's answer was a long-suffering sigh.

"Where did all that come from? How can one simple mission produce so much paperwork? I think I'm going to read my book instead," the Hokage replied. The assistant let out a roar that sounded almost inhumane with rage.

"GIVE ME THAT DAMN BOOK!"

The ANBU shook his head, a small sigh escaping him. They were back to square one. The bickering from the Hokage and his assistant had been almost non-stop. Some were betting Iruka would crack and request his old afternoon assignment, working at the mission desk. Others said Kakashi would finally get tired of the constant nagging and find some way to replace his assigned assistant with one that had a bigger rack and a short skirt.

Genma yawned a bit tiredly under his ANBU mask. Personally, his money was riding on them both ripping each other's clothes off and having sex amidst all that unfinished paperwork any day now.

~*~

Iruka was bone-tired when he left the Hokage tower every night. It was supposed to be an honor, to be promoted from mission room staff to personal assistant to the Hokage. It showed that the village elders trusted him completely, valued his judgment, recognized his experience in handling the delicate and often confusing issues of village bureaucracy. If the Hokage had been anyone else, Iruka just knew he would have enjoyed the work. After all, he'd practically been the unofficial assistant to Sarutobi, though that was a Hokage that never seemed to need anyone's help. If it had been Naruto that had been chosen, like everyone had expected, Iruka would have loved the job and carried out his duties like the proud surrogate father he was.

But the elders had insisted Naruto was not seasoned enough to guide a village back to glory after near total destruction. They decided instead that Kakashi Hatake would take the job until the village was running smoothly again, and then the reigns would be handed to Naruto in peacetime, after he'd served his time in ANBU running hard missions and lending his strength to the village. It made sense, even Naruto agreed; Konoha needed him more on active duty now. It was better to pass the Hokage duties to someone skilled but older, someone that might be a little less quick on the battlefield, but someone who's reputation would command respect from enemy and friendly nations alike. Nobody fit that description better in theory than Kakashi, but the logic behind it didn't make the pill any easier to swallow. Iruka absolutely and completely loathed his new job.

"Today was a good day, don't you think?" Kakashi chirruped beside him as they exited the practically deserted tower. It was late, extremely late, and Iruka still had a pre-Genin class to teach the following morning. Technically, assisting Kakashi was only supposed to replace the hours he would have otherwise spent in the mission room, but his new "boss" had no respect for the concept of shift-work. He seemed to think that as soon as Iruka arrived in his office, it was a game to see how long he could procrastinate, or trick Iruka into thinking he was working only for Iruka to discover (with much screaming and scolding) that he was not. Kakashi's antics meant they stayed late every night, without fail, and after three weeks of this, Iruka was about to collapse.

"Today was...slightly more productive than usual. At least that's something," Iruka replied wearily. He adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder, definitely feeling the weight of the papers inside that still needed grading. It was half past midnight.

"Maa...Iruka-sensei, it's still early. Why don't we get a drink somewhere?" Kakashi suggested. Iruka gaped at the taller man incredulously.

"It is not early, Hokage-sama! I still have papers to grade tonight," Iruka replied, the tiredness finally revealing itself in his voice as well as his exhausted posture. He tried not to notice the ever-growing bags under his eyes, but that morning one of his students had asked him if a bad ninja had punched his face. Iruka absolutely refused to start wearing make-up to cover the signs of his tiredness, but he knew he was looking less than his best as of late. Not that it mattered. He had nobody to impress.

They passed a street that was still fairly busy, as ninjas and civilians that worked the night shift wandered amongst the bars and restaurants that were still open. The rebuilding of Konoha had made dramatic leaps in the month or so since the Akatsuki attack. Everyone was picking up the pieces and pulling things back together, but still Iruka felt like the work would never be finished. The lure of the cheerily lit bar, with customers inside laughing and relaxing was tempting, oh so tempting, but he knew there would be no relaxing for him.

"I'm not ending your shift yet," Kakashi said, as they reached the place where they usually went separate ways. Kakashi typically got some food and did god-only-knows-what until it was time for him to report back to the tower. Iruka normally turned the opposite way towards the slumbering apartment district, where upon reaching home, he did even more work before passing out on his couch, usually too exhausted to move to the bed.

"Excuse me?" Iruka asked, his tone as sharp as his narrowed eyes. Kakashi remained undaunted.

"I'm telling you to relax a bit and have a drink with me, Hokage's orders," Kakashi said, his eye cheerfully arching. Iruka huffed in irritation.

"It's polite of you to offer, and a drink would be nice, but—"

"I didn't offer. I ordered. Come on, you can treat me," Kakashi declared, sounding if possible even more pleased with himself, "After all, you said it yourself. I was especially hard-working today. Don't you usually treat your students when they work hard?" Kakashi queried innocently. Iruka clenched his fists tightly, resisting with every shred of being plowing his fist into Kakashi's smugly happy face. Oh, the nerve of the man...

"Are you really serious?" Iruka ground out, wondering how he still had the energy to be so furious.

"Completely. Come on!" Kakashi insisted, effortlessly grabbing Iruka by the strap of his briefcase and hauling him towards the nearest bar. It was still being rebuilt, but there were a few hastily constructed booths out of the direct glare of the lights. Kakashi led him to one such booth, ignoring the respectful greetings he received from the patrons already drinking. He gave Iruka a slight push, and the school teacher/personal assistant found himself half-sprawled in the corner table. He righted himself indignantly, unable to immediately scold Kakashi because the bartender had rushed over to take their order. Seconds later, Kakashi was sitting across from him smiling disarmingly as the bar's best sake and a plate of sushi was brought to their table.

Iruka stared exhaustedly at the innocent looking little cup of alcohol, thought of the hard day he'd had, and promptly downed it. Without hardly any pause, he scooped up the second and downed it, too. Kakashi's revealed eye was widened almost comically. Iruka all but growled in his defense.

"What? You're making me pay for it, aren't you?" Kakashi just smiled at him.

"Can I eat some of this, or are you going to inhale it?" Kakashi asked, clearly still amused. The alcohol had already hit Iruka's stomach and made him feel instantly a little queasy. He blandly shook his head, and Kakashi began to eat under the cover of jutsu. As Hokage, he still kept his face covered. He'd been told by the elders he could no longer wear the Jounin uniform, though, so instead he dressed now in all black, with a dark red robe vaguely reminiscent of the one the Fourth used to wear. He passed on the hat, though—Iruka doubted Kakashi could stuff it over all his gravity-defying hair, even if he wanted to. Within seconds, the appetizer was gone, without it ever looking as if Kakashi had removed his mask. The barkeep watched their table anxiously, and was quick to hurry back over when Kakashi casually waved his hand to order another round.

"I've had a drink—two even—can I go home, now?" Iruka asked, already knowing Kakashi's answer. A cheerful smile.

"Nope! You're such pleasant company, Iruka-sensei. I just hate letting you go at night," Kakashi said. Iruka narrowed his eyes tiredly at the sarcasm he suspected but didn't hear. For all intents and purposes, Kakashi sounded sincere. At least he was good at that aspect of being Hokage—nobody could bullshit like Kakashi Hatake.

"Then if you're not going to let me go, you'll have to let me get some work done while I keep you company," Iruka insisted, already reaching for the flap of his briefcase. Kakashi didn't stop him, merely smiled for a moment at him and then took the two new drinks from the bartender.

"Thank-you," he said, sliding one towards Iruka. The brunet didn't plan to drink it, but as he spread out his paperwork, he was struck with the irrational fear that Kakashi would somehow spill it on purpose, and then his student's papers would reek of alcohol. That would be just the sort of prank Kakashi would find hilarious, the irritating prick. Imagining the indignant protests of the parents, Iruka hastily downed his third little cup, telling himself it was for the safety of his reputation as a moral, upstanding teacher. It had absolutely nothing to do with the pleasant, sleepy warmth spreading in his chest after the first two. Kakashi just continued to smile, taking a small sip of his own drink, which was particularly potent. Since taking on the roll of Hokage, Kakashi had found it difficult to sleep at nights. He'd discovered that a bit of strong sake helped him wind down. He didn't think Iruka was a closet alcoholic—he probably just didn't realize how strong the stuff was. Three drinks and he'd surely be...sleeping on the table. Kakashi's chipper smile finally faded, as he looked upon his wearied assistant, slumbering peacefully using his students' papers as a pillow. Truly, Iruka had been the real Hokage over the past few weeks.

It was selfish of him, but Kakashi still hadn't moved far beyond the day he'd woken up in the crumbling hospital, when Sakura had given him a completely confidential diagnosis—his days as an active ninja were over. He could manage brief bouts of his old, impressive strength, but there were consequences for blowing out every chakra path his body possessed. Kakashi had always expected to die on the battlefield. Being forced into a sort of half-way retirement, honored for strength he no longer possessed, didn't suit him at all. One thing led to another, and somehow he'd been appointed Hokage before he even fully realized what was going on. Tsunade was in a coma and Shizune had her hands full running the hospital. So many were dead, and so much was lost, and someone had to start bandaging the village's wounds.

Iruka had been that person. Kakashi wanted to help him, he honestly did, but paperwork had never been his strong point. Besides, Iruka did things so quickly it was hard for him to catch onto the process—and that was another issue he was confronting. His Sharingan was spent. Unusable. Completely blind. Nobody except himself and Sakura knew, but adjusting to life without it was unexpectedly hard. Not being able to sneakily lift his forehead-protector to instantly memorize the order with which Iruka filed the I-47 damage claims left him feeling worse than useless. Over-reliance on his Sharingan had weakened his natural memory, or at least that's how it seemed. He felt like he was standing in a small hurricane of paperwork that made no sense whatsoever, while Iruka shuffled and stapled, completely frustrated with his ignorance.

He knew he wasn't a very good Hokage, but if he didn't at least pretend, for the sake of the village, then what did he have left? He had no family to care for, no skills beyond being a legendary ninja. Practically useless on the battlefield, all he could offer to Konoha now was a frightening reputation and an image of strength, even if it was a false one.

He could be that face of strength, though, and he could try to take care of Iruka, who was the true hero. Tirelessly picking up Kakashi's slack, keeping things running smoothly at the academy, not to mention finding time to write all the inspiring speeches Kakashi had recently become so famous for...the man deserved a medal, or at the very least, a solid night of sleep. That had been Kakashi's intention when he suggested the drink, knowing no matter how badly Iruka wanted to keep working, the alcohol would send him straight to bed.

Now he had a slight problem, though. He knew this particular bar stayed open to the wee hours of the morning, but he wagered Iruka-sensei wouldn't be too pleased to wake up drooling on his unfinished paperwork with a sore neck. With a small sigh, Kakashi shuffled Iruka's papers into a pile again, and then rounded the table. He gently shook the Chuunin's shoulder, receiving only a tired groan in response.

"Wake up, Iruka-sensei. My apartment is practically next door. You don't have to walk very far," Kakashi coaxed. Eyes hardly open, the school teacher stood unsteadily and practically fell into his arms.

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama, I should have warned him it was a strong drink," the bartender apologized, appearing at Kakashi's elbow.

"Don't worry about it. He needed the sleep. Here," Kakashi said, awkwardly trying to fish out his wallet while supporting Iruka with his other arm, who was now snoring softly against his neck. The bartender helped him, and with the drinks and food paid for, Kakashi continued his mission of getting Iruka out of the bar. Once Iruka was semi-alert again, at least walking partially on his own, Kakashi hastily stuffed his papers in his bag and slung it over his shoulder, returning to Iruka's side. Slumping against Kakashi's warm side gratefully, Iruka let himself be guided.

A few tables away, Genma smirked at his companion.

"I told you, Anko. They're so going to end up fucking," he commented amusedly. Anko, who had placed her money on Iruka throwing in the towel, looked highly put out. Genma's assessment suddenly seemed quite astute and accurate.

Meanwhile, Kakashi waited till they were out of sight before simply lifting Iruka into his arms bridal style. The man didn't protest; in fact, he went completely slack almost the second his feet were lifted off the ground. The gentle snores came almost instantly, and Kakashi felt a little bit of drool soaking into his robe. Iruka was heavy, but Kakashi's muscles reveled in the feeling of actually being used again. Three weeks as Hokage, almost entirely without exercise, made him feel like a stranger in his own body. It was slow going up the two flights of stairs, but Kakashi felt invigorated after accomplishing his goal. He gently set Iruka down outside his door, fishing for his keys for a moment before letting them both inside.

Over the years, his paychecks had increased dramatically, but Kakashi had never moved out of the small, one-bedroom apartment that had been his home after the death of his father. His bed, kitchen and closet all shared the same space, with a tiny connecting bathroom. After living in such close quarters for so many years, the expansive rooms in the Hokage tower meant for his use were impossible to sleep in, even once all the rubble had been cleared away and the rooms rebuilt.

His bed was made for one person, and until tonight, it had never felt two bodies on it at the same time. Of course, Kakashi was no virgin. He'd had a fling or two over the years, but he never brought anyone home. It spoke to just how much he'd come to respect Iruka-sensei over the past few weeks that the snoring man was now curled up around his pillow. Kakashi stood, only managing to escape Iruka's surprising urge to cuddle him by offering his pillow as substitute. With a sigh, Kakashi went about his nighttime ritual of undressing, hanging his new uniform in his wardrobe, toeing out of his sandals, and tugging off his forehead protector. He typically slept in only his boxers, and he didn't see any reason for changing that habit now.

He then had the more enjoyable task of observing Iruka in a way he had never seen him before. Completely relaxed, the irritation eased from his brow, the flush of anger gone from his tan cheeks, the man looked younger, more vulnerable. Kakashi gently removed Iruka's sandals, and then eased him out of his flak jacket. He carefully put these items away before untying Iruka's forehead protector, and freeing his hair from the tight band. Kakashi knew it was a bit of his perverted side coming out, but he didn't think twice about unbuttoning Iruka's pants and sliding them off, justifying it with the knowledge that, sure enough, the pants were heavy with hidden weapons. He didn't want to get poked in the middle of the night, after all. By the same reasoning, he carefully removed a kunai strapped intimately to Iruka's upper thigh, trying not to overly fixate on the image of the heavily sleeping man spread out on his sheets, legs slightly parted, hair loose and gentle around his face.

"You don't have anymore hidden weapons, do you?" Kakashi asked softly. Of course, Iruka offered no response. He shifted, though, inadvertently trapping Kakashi's lingering hand between his warm thighs. Kakashi allowed himself a moment to feel the soft skin underneath his hand before he pulled away, adding the kunai to the pile of Iruka's things. The air in his cramped apartment was warm, or maybe that was just him, but either way Kakashi opened the window. Noticing Mr. Ukki's soil was a little dry, he fetched the plant a drink of water from the small sink in his bathroom. He knew from carrying the man home that Iruka didn't have any weapons hidden under his shirt, but a sad longing in his heart begged him to remove as much of the fabric as he possibly could before he lay down beside him, for what would probably be the only night he'd ever sleep with the man in his arms.

The truth was, for quite a long time, but especially since his final battle with Akatsuki, Kakashi had wanted, no—needed, the special brand of warmth and comfort only Iruka-sensei could give. He'd known his own feelings for the oblivious Chuunin had grown deep when he'd thrown himself between Iruka and Pein without hesitation, fully expecting it to mean his own death. Iruka's survival, even if it was only to die at the next enemy's hands, was all that had mattered to him. Kakashi assumed he was in love, but he never in his wildest dreams hoped the emotion would be returned. Before the battle, perhaps he could have offered something to Iruka, protection or security, but now he had next to nothing. It would probably only take a year or so for Naruto (with his limitless chakra and exuberance) to generate enough revenue for Konoha to completely rebuild, and then he could take the position that should have been his to begin with. Kakashi wanted to see his old student fulfill his dream, he truly did, but a part of him dreaded the day. He knew that it would be the day Iruka no longer had any obligation to him, and he would simply fade from everyone's memory, floating aimlessly through the village like a ghost.

Like so many other nights, sleep stubbornly refused to release him from his sad, lonely thoughts. Stripping off Iruka's shirt, he went even further and pressed a masked kiss against Iruka's forehead.

"Nar'to...dun eat ma ramen!" the exhausted brunet mumbled, reaching past Kakashi's pillow and swatting at something feebly, no doubt imagining the same boy that had just been occupying Kakashi's thoughts. Kakashi gave the man a fond look, hesitated only a second, and then pulled off his mask as well. It took a bit of maneuvering, but soon he had an armful of Chuunin under the covers, and whether it was the sake or the calming presence of Iruka, Kakashi realized with sleepy surprise that he was drifting off to sleep.

~*~

Iruka was slow to wake up. He'd had a hard time getting up in the mornings since his promotion, but this was something entirely different. His body, especially his head, felt so heavy. He was aware that he was sleeping in Kakashi's arms, of all places, in a strange place, but he just didn't give a damn. For the first time in what felt like ages, he had that feeling that came on particularly good mornings that completely overrode all logic, and gave him permission to sleep forever in his little nest of warmth. This higher power didn't speak to Iruka often, but Iruka knew no matter how strange his position, there was no way he was getting out of bed any time soon.

Kids, village, and responsibility be damned, he'd finally gotten a good night of sleep and felt so good.

"For some reason, I thought there would be more yelling," Kakashi mumbled quietly, his amusement obvious. When Iruka only grumbled something against his chest in response, Kakashi smirked. "That particular type of sake gives you a hangover that's almost nice. Totally worth all the money you paid for it," Kakashi teased. It was the only way he knew how to talk to Iruka. Predictably, the man began to wake. He blinked slowly, rubbed his eyes like a little child would, and popped his jaw because he yawned so widely.

"We...aren't wearing very many clothes," Iruka finally managed, looking down at the man he was straddling with a growing blush. A devious plot formed in Kakashi's sleep-fuzzed brain, half-prank, half-wishful thinking.

"I'm surprised your blushing this morning, after you were so...uninhibited...last night," Kakashi drawled. A delighted voice in his brain pointed out the fact that Iruka hadn't untangled their bodies yet. True, he still looked slow with sleep and the unique hangover he was experiencing, but if he'd really hated Kakashi, wouldn't he have been more upset?

"I...we...are you implying that you took my virginity—and I was too drunk to remember it?!" Iruka said, his hand slamming down threateningly on Kakashi's exposed throat, not choking, but not ruling out the option of doing so. Then he realized, and his look of sleepy outrage turned to one of complete surprise.

Kakashi wasn't wearing his mask. Iruka blinked once, twice, completely stupefied. Kakashi grinned charmingly, unaware of his own appeal, relaxed even in such a vulnerable position. He and Iruka both knew that no matter what the Chuunin threatened (and he was pushed to bodily threats quite often in Kakashi's presence), Iruka would never hurt him.

"You were amazing, despite being a virgin," Kakashi continued to play with his words, always implying, never making a direct claim. Iruka finally pulled away from the haven of covers and the tangle of limbs awkwardly, standing in Kakashi's small bedroom with a blush spreading over almost his entire body.

"I can't believe I really...I don't feel any different," Iruka observed, beginning to sound suspicious. The Chuunin's hand moved almost subconsciously to his posterior, and Kakashi almost chuckled out loud. He smirked instead, completely enjoying his game and forgetting all about how depressed he'd been feeling lately. Iruka was like breathing fresh air and standing in the sunshine. Corny, but true.

"I was gentle. You really don't remember?" Kakashi asked, adding a touch of upset to his voice. Iruka was beginning to look confused, his hands raking through his long, dark hair as his blush intensified.

"I...I...I have to go!" Iruka blurted, hastily grabbing his newly spotted stack of clothing and dressing in lighting speed. In his haste, he grabbed Kakashi's sandals instead of his own, and they were far too big on him. Surprised that Iruka was actually believing it, Kakashi could only watch in amusement as the Chuunin practically vanished, leaving behind his hidden kunai, his briefcase, and his hair band as souvenirs.

Slowly, a grin spread over Kakashi's unmasked face. For the first time since he'd become Hokage, Kakashi couldn't wait to go to work.

A/N: So I've been writing, just not on the fourth arc of Fighting Dreamers. Forgive me? This wasn't the only new story idea I got as soon as I finished New Promises. Expect a bunch of new stories from me over the next few days. I have quite a bit written on this one, so updates shouldn't be too far apart...at first. I think anyone that's familiar with my writing knows I'm a slow-moving-vehicle. As always, I heart reviews!