Trapped Dolphin

Disclaimers from previous chapters still apply. Nothing new if you’ve read this at ff.net. the reason I gave up a long time ago here in aff.net was because I could not understand how to get in, for the love of me. Now I’m a little bit wiser so here I am.

Chapter 10: Letting Go

There was a huge explosion, a scythe swinging through the air, Iruka falling down the cliff, Kakashi shouting his name and then jumping out after him. Everything happened so fast, Genma and Yuiko didn’t even have any time to react.

“Iruka-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!” Yuiko gasped, clamping both her hands to her mouth.

“Shit, you son of a--- you’ll pay for what you did!” Genma growled.

The old man was laughing hysterically now. “Fools! All of you are fools!” he bellowed. “You don’t stand a chance against the Oro clan! You will die! All of you will die!” he said as the two servant girls wielding scythes stepped in front of him to block the two ninjas from approaching.

“Well, Yuiko, looks like it’s up to us to show this senile old man who he’s really messing with,” Genma said to the other ninja left.

“Yup. I say we beat them up good and then dangle them by their underwear out on the cliff!” she said almost too enthusiastically.

Genma eased himself into a fighting stance and smirked. “I think I like the sound of that,” he said. ‘Kakashi and Iruka, you guys better come back alive!’ Genma thought.

~.~.~.~

Falling, Kakashi was falling so quickly, and yet not quick enough. He reached his hand out as far as he could, and yet the distance between them only grew farther. His chakra flared to epic proportions but it was no use. He felt so helpless. No matter how skillful a ninja he was, his hand would still not reach Iruka.

He saw Iruka’s tears then that small smile that graced his features. It was so beautiful and so tragic at the same time. Kakashi thought it was like Iruka was saying goodbye to him, smiling at him for the last time. There would be no tears and no smiles after this. No laughter, no clever quips, no embarrassed blushes, no angry retorts, no warmth from those brown eyes. Kakashi felt an agonizing pain in his chest, like his heart was being ripped apart.

And in that instant, Kakashi knew the true meaning of fear.

~.~.~.~

Kakashi plunged into the water like a torpedo, conjuring up all his chakra control just to cushion his fall. He remembered his previous joke and realized that he was right. No amount of chakra control could stop it from hurting.

There were bubbles everywhere. He couldn’t see anything but white and when he raised his head out of the water, he searched the waters frantically for a sign, any sign that would lead him to Iruka. He battled the current as he searched and searched. A few seconds passed by and the cold dread inside Kakashi began to swell. ‘I lost him. I lost him. Oh god, I lost him!’ his mind began to chant. He was starting to panic. He never panicked. Not until now.

Then, for a split second, almost as if it were a figment of his imagination, he saw a glimpse of Iruka’s brown hair before it disappeared beneath the waters ahead.

He swam with such speeds he never knew he possessed. The strong current of the water seemed non-existent to the jounin now. He reached his hand out again. Maybe this time, he could reach Iruka. Oh how he hoped he reached him.

The moment his hand grazed the back of Iruka’s vest, Kakashi grabbed the other man and pulled him up enough to keep his head out of the water. His worried eyes scanned Iruka’s face, deathly pale and unresponsive. But he was alive. That was all Kakashi needed to know for the moment. Using his chakra to keep both of them afloat, he hugged Iruka close to him, cradling his head on his shoulder as the swift current swept them away.

~.~.~.~

Iruka can’t remember exactly how he got hurt… it was so long ago, he was very young back then. He could remember that somehow it was his fault, that somehow, some childish act had gotten him that wound across his nose. He could remember a little about how much it had hurt and a little of how much blood was dripping down his face. But more than that, what he remembered more vividly was the look on his mother’s face. Suddenly the lines on her face were more defined, as if the years caught up with her in that moment. She looked very tired, and her face showed an expression of worry like her world was shattering before her eyes. She was scolding him for not being careful, scolding him for not listening. But as she did that, he could see the expression on her face. He couldn’t understand it then, why his mom looked more hurt than he did.

It was probably the same way he looked when Naruto came to him with tears rolling down his cheeks as he showed him a large bruise on his cheek and several small ones on his arms and legs. The boy was just starting in the ninja academy, and he got into a fight with one of the older boys who told him he was a freak who did not deserve a family. It must have hurt badly. He didn’t understand why the other kids ostracized him. And yet Naruto had that stubborn look on his face, like he was willing himself not to cry. He kept rubbing his eyes and suppressing his sobs. But he stopped and looked at Iruka’s face. “Is Iruka-sensei hurt, too? Why is Iruka-sensei about to cry?” the boy asked.

And when Iruka opened his heavy eyes and saw the same look on Kakashi’s face, like he was feeling all of Iruka’s pain as well, from the splitting headache, to the dull pain on his chest, to the almost paralyzing soreness of his entire body…

Somehow, Iruka felt at ease for the first time in a long while. Somehow, in that moment, a warmth blossomed in his chest, and he felt loved.

~.~.~.~

Iruka tried to open his eyes but he felt like his eyelids wouldn’t budge. He tried again, and when he was able to open his eyes even just a little, he saw Kakashi’s worried face hovering above him. The older man looked so pale and his eyes somehow looked like they were about to cry. “Kakashi-sensei?” he asked, and he was suddenly wrapped in a warm embrace.

He felt Kakashi’s sigh of relief on his ear. “I almost didn’t think you’d wake up,” Kakashi said. He pulled away from the embrace and cupped Iruka’s face in his hands. “I’m so glad you’re still alive,” he said before kissing Iruka passionately.

Before Iruka had any time to react, Kakashi broke the kiss and hugged him again tightly. ‘What happened?’ Iruka was about to ask, but then the memory of the blast, of him falling down the cliff and hitting the water, all of that came back to him.

He sat up, holding his head as the memories surged. In that moment, he had so many questions, but the only one that he was able to ask was, “Why are you here?”

Kakashi pulled away from the embrace again to look into Iruka’s eyes, “I jumped out after you,” he began, “Don’t you remember? You even looked at me before you fell in the water… after that, I somehow managed to get a hold of you and we were washed away here,” he said.

“Here?” Iruka asked automatically. He took a quick look around and saw that they were in a small cave at the side of the mountain. He was laying on a standard issue sleeping bag wearing only his pants that were rapidly drying. He saw his vest and shirt lying on a huge boulder on one side, along with Kakashi’s own vest and shirt. Kakashi opted to be modest and leave them in their pants, which was all for the better. At least, Iruka didn’t have to feel awkward towards him. Kakashi sat beside him on the dirt, the light of the fire making shadows dance around them.

His hand came up to his chest where he was slashed and saw that he was now bandaged and properly treated. Kakashi had done it.

Was he dreaming? Kakashi was here. And he saved him.

Iruka was even more perplexed.

“Why did you save me?” he asked. “The mission…”

“Do you think I care more about the mission than you? God, Iruka, when I saw you fall, I couldn’t even think of anything else but going after you,” Kakashi said, lightly caressing Iruka’s cheek.

Iruka felt his heartbeat grow faster with Kakashi’s words. To think Kakashi was so overwrought with concern for him that he dropped everything else just to save him. And yet, it all felt so surreal. How could someone care for him that much? He hated himself for always doubting. And yet, he can’t help it. “Why?” he whispered. “I don’t understand. Why are you doing this?”

“Hey,” Kakashi said with a smile that seemed to dispel all of Iruka’s worries. “I’ll say it as many times as you want. I like you. I like you so much that the mere thought of you dying is enough to make me go crazy.”

The chuunin fell silent for a while. He already made a decision to trust Kakashi. But he had to be sure. He just had to know for sure whether Kakashi’s feelings for him were true… before he could allow himself to start having feelings for him as well. Then again, maybe it was already too late.

Nevertheless, he slowly reached for the hip pouch that was still securely fastened beside his own. Kakashi’s eyes showed his surprise when he saw what Iruka was holding. He must have left it in the room. And from the hesitant and troubled look on the younger man’s face, Kakashi deduced that Iruka had seen what was inside of it.

Iruka opened the pouch and pulled out the kunai. He cradled it in his hands as the silence between the two stretched on. “I found this…” he began, observing the weapon’s every knick and scratch just to make sure. He looked back at Kakashi’s face that held an unreadable expression. “You know what this is, right?” he asked, his voice sounding frightful and hopeful at the same time.

“Yes, I had a hunch,” he replied. “It’s a kunai, the one you dropped during the fight. The one you were using to hurt yourself.”

“Then why do you have it?!” Iruka’s voice rose, not quite yelling but enough to show the torment he was going through. “I’m trying, Kakashi-sensei. I’m trying so hard to trust you… but I keep on thinking that this might be another joke, that maybe you’re just saying you like me then getting me all confused and later laughing at my face,” he said, and this time he was more confused and frustrated than angry.

“Then trust me,” Kakashi said. “Trust me enough to tell me everything that’s bothering you. Even if you don’t have any feelings for me,” Kakashi paused, trying not to wince. He didn’t think saying that would actually hurt that much. And as much as the thought that Iruka might never return his feelings, he realized he had no place to be selfish at that moment. He took a deep breath as if bracing himself for what he was about to say next, “at least trust me enough to let me love you,” Kakashi said.

Love.

Iruka’s eyes grew wide. Love. That single word sent Iruka in a new state of shock. He hadn’t realized the impact of that one word. He shouldn’t be surprised anymore. He already knew that was what Kakashi meant when he said he liked him. He already felt it. It was the word that explained why Kakashi was there in front of him right now, why he had saved his life. It was a word he never thought would leave Kakashi’s mouth. And a word he never thought anyone would say to him.

And as if that whole time, he was holding his breath, he gasped for air and shook his head. “How could you love me?” Iruka choked. “We’ve known each other for so long. You’ve always insulted me… made me feel miserable… those scathing remarks… insensitive jokes… you’ve even taken Naruto away from me… how could you love me?!” he said. He knew he was being unfair with his last accusation. But he couldn’t help it. That was how he felt.

Kakashi felt his heart break when he saw Iruka on the verge of tears. He never knew the younger man felt that way. Never knew that his foolish actions before had hurt the one person he cared about the most. He never hated himself more than he did in that moment. “I never intended to hurt you…” Kakashi began, his voice almost a whisper. “I’ve always liked you… but I didn’t know how I was going to approach you. And when I was near you, I always felt so awkward and ended up rubbing you the wrong way,” he tried to explain.

“And for the first time in my life, I felt like I couldn’t do anything right, so I resigned myself to just watching you from afar. I thought that’d be enough… but then the hokage approached me with a mission,” he began. “She… was deeply concerned about you. She noticed peculiar things about you… and she wanted me to find out what was wrong.”

With the mention of the hokage and a mission, Iruka’s eyes went wide and unfocused, and he started to shake. “Oh god…” Iruka whispered.

Kakashi wanted to just embrace him and show him the sincerity of his actions, the meaning of his words, the honesty of his feelings. But he called in his years of shinobi training to help keep his composure, and make Iruka understand everything. If he lost his senses now, he’ll lose Iruka as well, and he couldn’t stand that. There was absolutely no other choice.

“So the test…?” Iruka asked.

“Was part of the mission. But I promised you I wouldn’t tell a soul and I kept it. I told the hokage nothing,” Kakashi said.

Iruka didn’t reply. He was still shaking, and he stared at the flame like it held all the answers.

“Oh, Iruka, please believe me. I wish I knew the right things to do, and the right things to say, but I don’t,” Kakashi began. “When I found out you were hurting yourself, I wanted to do everything I can to make whatever wretched feeling you’re experiencing to go away. I wanted to be your hero, I wanted to bring a smile to your face… not the smile that you show to other people to make them think you’re okay, but a real happy smile. I thought, hey, if I could make Iruka smile like that all the time, then I’d be the luckiest guy on earth.

“I swear, I never meant to deceive you in anyway. I care about you so much, and I almost lost you when you fell… please, I don’t want to lose you again. Not because of this. Please, believe me. Trust me.”

Kakashi’s words seem to reverberate in Iruka’s head. Why was he feeling so confused? Kakashi wanted him to trust him. Maybe he already did. Maybe somewhere along the way, it became more than just trust. His pounding heart told him it was something deeper. When? When exactly did he start to fall for him?

“I… I need to be alone right now…” Iruka said before standing up despite the soreness of his body. He couldn’t stand to look at Kakashi’s face. There was that look again. The look of hurt one felt because of love. Iruka averted his gaze. ‘Please,’ he thought. ‘Don’t look at me like that.’

“Where are you going?” Kakashi asked softly.

“Outside…” Iruka said, and not waiting for a reply, he walked swiftly out of the cave. The cold air hit his face and for a moment he was stunned. It was pitch black outside, and he looked up at the patches of sky peeking through the treetops. There wasn’t even a star in sight anymore, only heavy clouds gathering above. He shivered and walked on. The wilderness outside of the cave was dark and lonely, and he silently wished he had stayed in the cave with Kakashi. At least there, he was warm, and he felt oddly secure. That was what Kakashi made him feel just then. Like he wasn’t alone. Like he belonged with Kakashi. And it only added to his confusion.

He should be mad at Kakashi for deceiving him, angry with him for playing all those silly games and toying with his emotions, and most of all, furious at him for professing his love. No one ever professes love to Iruka. No one.

But Kakashi did. He said he loved him. And Iruka believed him. The man saved his life! Threw away all rational thought and jumped off a cliff to save him. How could he not believe him? But more than that, there were those meaningful glances and cryptic smiles sent his way, gentle touches and passionate kisses. He never thought anyone could love him, but now the feeling overwhelmed him.

He continued to walk until he reached a clearing by the riverbank. He sat on one of the larger boulders and held his head in his hands. Admittedly, his confusion and anxiety was slowly ebbing away.

What scared him more was the fact that he was starting to fall in love with Kakashi. He didn’t want to admit it, but maybe he already had.

Could it be true? Could someone as useless and as weak as him be worthy of being loved?

Surely there must be some mistake. Why would Kakashi want to be with him? Someone who can’t fight to save those he loved, someone who can’t even fight to save himself. Why?

Those thoughts swirled in Iruka’s mind for a few moments, until he felt the presence of another person sitting beside him on the boulder.

“You asked me why I had your kunai with me…” Kakashi began.

Iruka glanced to his side and saw Kakashi holding the kunai in both hands, cradling it as if it were a precious jewel. ‘He followed me out here just to explain himself?’ Iruka thought. ‘Just when I’ve almost forgotten about it.’

“I know to other people… it might look like any other kunai. But you and I both know it’s not,” Kakashi said.

“It’s a symbol of my weakness,” Iruka answered cynically.

“Yes it is,” Kakashi agreed.

Iruka couldn’t help an empty chuckle that came from his throat. It was surprising to Iruka why Kakashi agreed so easily. Although, maybe not surprising after all. It just showed him as plain as day what Kakashi really thought of him. Weak. Useless.

“But, it is also a symbol of your strength,” Kakashi added.

Iruka stopped and turned to look at Kakashi. “What did you say?” Iruka asked, unable to comprehend what he just heard.

“You used this kunai to hurt yourself so I thought of throwing it away when I saw it. But I didn’t because… I realized you also used this kunai to save yourself. If anything, this kunai didn’t show me your desire to die, but your desire to live… to fight for your life even if you thought it was hopeless, to fight for the people you care about, for Naruto and the others who might be in danger. And for me, that’s the best reason to keep it.”

As Kakashi spoke, Iruka could feel his chest grow heavier and heavier. He couldn’t speak or utter a single sound. He just sat there motionless as he watched the kunai in Kakashi’s hands.

Kakashi supposed Iruka’s silence meant he didn’t want to talk to him, but he continued nonetheless. “Look, I know you said you wanted to be alone right now…” Kakashi began, then sighed. “But… aren’t you tired of being alone?”

The loneliness in Kakashi’s voice struck Iruka. He turned to stare at Kakashi’s face. Then his eyes grew wide as realization struck him.

Why WOULD Kakashi want to be with him?

He found the answer in Kakashi’s eyes.

There, in those blue and red orbs, was loneliness as deep as his.

It was like all the pressure in Iruka’s chest erupted and tears flowed continuously down his face.

Why hadn’t he realized it before?

The pain, the suffering… Kakashi felt it too, just like him. Blinded by his own troubles, he didn’t see just how much those eyes were crying out for him. All this time, Iruka never once knew why Kakashi was doing this, why he was insisting on getting close to him. Now he knew. Kakashi needed him too. He wasn’t useless after all.

Suddenly the strong, independent, and fearless image of Kakashi he had in mind drastically changed. And in its wake, all Iruka could see was a man who was deeply wounded, a man who was not afraid to be vulnerable in front of him, a man who wanted exactly what he himself had wanted for so long… to be loved.

Kakashi knew the pain of losing someone he loved. How many times had Iruka seen the jounin standing in front of the memorial stone for hours, even in the rain or snow? He knew what it was like to grieve for the rest of his life, to love someone who was never coming back. He knew exactly what Iruka was feeling.

*

Kakashi wrapped his arms around Iruka’s sobbing form. The chuunin looked inconsolable. Right now he wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Until Iruka turned to him and buried his face on his chest and cried. Kakashi hugged Iruka tighter, as if nothing in the world is going to make him let go.

Iruka looked up at Kakashi even as the tears flowed from his eyes. “You…” Iruka began, trying not to choke on the words as it left his mouth. He must look pathetic now. “You’re lonely too, right?” Iruka asked, his voice hopeful. “Tell me you feel exactly how I feel. Tell me you feel it too…” he said. He knew the answers to his questions, but Iruka wanted, no, needed to hear it from Kakashi’s lips.

Kakashi smiled weakly. “I’m lonely… You’re not the only one. Is it selfish of me to want to be with you because you make my loneliness disappear? Is it selfish of me to want you to accept me too? If you would just let this selfish man in… then you’ll never have to be alone. We’ll both never have to be alone anymore,” he said, staring back at Iruka with eyes overflowing with emotion.

And then Iruka kissed him.

Iruka rose up and kissed him on the lips, hugging Kakashi back like his very life depended on him.

Kakashi kissed back earnestly after he got through the initial shock. He felt like he just won a huge battle, and his prize was here, holding him back and kissing him with all the love he could muster… all the love he ever wanted from him. Iruka finally accepted him.

They parted, and Kakashi cupped Iruka’s face in both his hands, tenderly wiping away the tears with his thumbs.

“Just promise me…” Iruka whispered, his pleading voice told Kakashi just how much he wanted this. “…Promise me you’ll never leave me,” Iruka said. He knew it was an impossible request. He knew someday he’d lose him, just like everyone else. Kakashi would leave him alone too. He knew that, but he just wanted to hear Kakashi say it to him.

“I promise you,” Kakashi began, “that I’ll never leave you, and I’ll love you whether you like it or not.”

Iruka kissed Kakashi again, letting him feel all the emotion he had bottled up inside through their kiss. There was no turning back now for Iruka. He was going to stop doubting himself and others. He was falling in love with Kakashi more and more, and he wasn’t going to deny it. After a long, long while, Iruka was going to live.

~.~.~.~.~

They spent a few more moments sitting together by the riverside, watching the rapidly flowing water just an arm’s length from their feet. Kakashi was holding Iruka in his arms, and he wasn’t about to let go anytime soon.

“We were drifted pretty far from Gorrion, I think,” Kakashi said as he absent-mindedly played with a lock of Iruka’s hair.

With that Iruka turned to him in alarm. “Genma-san and Yuiko-san!” Iruka gasped. “Where are they? Are they alright?”

“Shh… don’t worry about them. They’ll manage without us,” Kakashi said.

“Did you say anything to them… where we would meet up to give the scroll back?” Iruka asked, genuinely concerned for their comrades’ safety.

“Uhh…” Kakashi smiled sheepishly. “I really didn’t have enough time… or presence of mind to say something useful to them before I came after you.”

Iruka had to admit the thought of Kakashi jumping after him made his heart beat faster. But he was still concerned about the other two ninjas. “So, what did you say?” he asked.

Kakashi looked up at the cloudy sky thoughtfully. “I think I said something like… ‘take charge’ to Genma-san.” When Iruka looked at him as if he had done some grave mistake, Kakashi tried to explain his way out. “But hey… I’m sure he understood that they have to get the scroll… and return it to the Platino’s themselves… or something…hehe,” he laughed nervously.

“But Kakashi-sensei,” Iruka began.

“Look, don’t worry about them so much. We have to worry about ourselves first…”

“But the scroll…” Iruka tried to say, but Kakashi continued.

“…like how we can get back to the Platino house to meet---“

“Wait,” Iruka said, placing a finger on Kakashi’s lips to stop him from talking. “You didn’t let me finish,” Iruka interrupted. “What I’m trying to say is… the scroll… I have it.”

Kakashi’s eyes grew wide. “You what?” Kakashi said when Iruka removed his finger.

“I have the scroll… It’s in my pack, back in the ca-mmph,” Iruka explained, the last part coming out in a muffled yelp when Kakashi suddenly kissed him.

“Wow, I didn’t even realize you got it. You’re just amazing. No wonder I fell in love with you,” Kakashi said with a wide grin.

Iruka blushed like a ripe tomato and pushed Kakashi away. “Stop saying such embarrassing things,” he said.

“Oh that’s not so embarrassing compared to all the things I told you a while ago,” Kakashi beamed.

“I’ll be sure to remember every single detail,” Iruka replied with a smile of his own.

“So, let’s see that scroll for ourselves, shall we?” Kakashi said. They both stood up and started walking back to the cave.

“Hey…” Iruka began.

“What?”

“Did you really ‘watch me from afar’?” Iruka asked, and had the pleasure of seeing Kakashi blush.

“Damn, when you say it like that, it makes me sound like a stalker,” Kakashi said.

“Well, did you?” Iruka urged.

“Uhh… lets just say I’m really good with leaves,” Kakashi said, grinning from ear to ear.

“Huh. Now I know why the leaves on the tree just outside my classroom were thicker than usual… ” Iruka said thoughtfully.

“Well, that’s not the only tree you should be worrying about,” Kakashi said with a wink, and Iruka was left thinking of all the other times Kakashi might have spied on him.

~.~.~.~.~

“This is the troublesome scroll alright,” Kakashi said when they got back to the cave and Iruka took the scroll out of the bag. “Then we’ll be the ones bringing it back to the Platino’s.”

“You think Genma-san and Yuiko-san will be there when we get it back?” Iruka asked.

“Hmm… I’m sure they’ll try to steal it from the old man, and when they realize it’s not there… they’ll put two and two together and meet us at the Platino compound,” Kakashi said.

“I sure hope so,” Iruka said as Kakashi started inspecting the scroll.

“Hah, I knew it!” Kakashi said in triumph.

“What is it? They didn’t get to open the seals, did they?” Iruka asked.

“No. Not even a single one. The old man tried to fool us by blinding us with that bright light so we can’t see that when he opened the scroll, the writings didn’t appear…” Kakashi said.

“…because the scroll was still heavily encrypted,” Iruka finished.

“Exactly. I had a hunch that was what the unnecessarily bright light was for,” he said.
“So, wait a minute,” Iruka said. “You knew that the illusion might be fake…from the very beginning?” Iruka asked.

“Well, I didn’t believe for a second that the scroll was activated and the illusion had taken effect. I thought, ‘who is this old geezer fooling?’ But when I saw you falling, I was shocked that what he said was true… that he was going to show me the thing I feared the most,” Kakashi explained.

“Kakashi-sensei! What were you thinking?” Iruka asked, trying desperately not to blush and to calm his heart from beating to quickly. Kakashi feared his death? It was too good to be true. “What if it were only an illusion that I was falling? You could have died!” Iruka said in sincere concern.

“I knew it could have been an illusion. That if I jumped to save you, I would have fallen into their trap and I would die, our mission would fail and the Oros would win. But I knew that I couldn’t just stand by and watch you die, whether in an illusion or in real life.”

Iruka was dumbstruck. Even if it were an illusion, Kakashi would still save him? He would choose him over his mission, over beating the enemy, even over his own life? “You would do that… just for me?” Iruka asked.

“I already did… and I’d do it again if I have to.”

Iruka felt his eyes begin to water again.

“Aww crap. Did I say something wrong again?” Kakashi asked.

“No, no,” Iruka said with a slight smile. “I just… I was just thinking… if there was something good that I did… for me to be worthy of you,” Iruka said.

Kakashi felt like the world had just sung him praises fit for a king. “I’m not all that special, you know. And don’t ever think for one second that you’re not worthy of being loved. You are more than worthy of anyone’s love… just because you’re alive and you are you. There’s no other reason you need,” Kakashi said.

Iruka smiled and hugged Kakashi tightly. “You’re so kind to me all of a sudden,” Iruka said with a smile on his face. “I think I’m starting to rely on you too much already…”

Kakashi cleared his throat. “Well… I’m not THAT kind,” Kakashi said, shifting uneasily.
Iruka eased his embrace a little to look at Kakashi’s face in wonder.

Kakashi cleared his throat again and glanced downward for a split second before meeting Iruka’s eyes again.

Iruka, bewildered, looked down at where Kakashi glanced… and saw exactly what Kakashi meant, and blushed a whole new shade of red again.

“I can’t really help it,” Kakashi said with his own face blushing slightly. “Especially when the usually shy Iruka suddenly kissed me, several times, and even hugged me tightly…”

“So…” Iruka said, then cleared his throat as well, “out there… by the river… when we were… uhm… sitting together…?” Iruka asked.

Kakashi couldn’t help but chuckle at how innocent and embarrassed Iruka looked. “Yeah… that wasn’t a scroll you were feeling poking you at all…” Kakashi said unabashedly.

“Kakashi-sensei!” Iruka said indignantly.

“What?! It’s the truth. I can’t help the way I feel every time you touch me… or I touch you…It just happens…”

Iruka looked at Kakashi’s face thoughtfully. Then blushed a deeper shade of red when he said, “Do we… uh… have to take the scroll back immediately?” Iruka asked shyly, almost refusing to meet Kakashi’s eyes.

If he did meet Kakashi’s eyes, he would have seen them sparkle like a little boy’s on Christmas day. “Hmm…” Kakashi said, then a lecherous grin was plastered on his face, “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind waiting till morning…” Kakashi said before hugging Iruka tighter, their bodies touching in all the right places. So much so that Iruka would definitely think that THAT is NOT a scroll. Not a scroll at all.

EXTRA:
In the Platino Clan house:
“Yuiko-san?” Genma asked.
“Yes?” Yuiko answered.
“They have the scroll right?”
“Yes!” Yuiko answered in her usual perky self. “They survived. I know they did! Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei are the greatest! They won’t let their love end in tragedy!” she said.
“Ohh… is that so huh?” Genma said thoughtfully.
“Uh-huh, uh-huh! They’ll return the scroll for sure!” she said.
“Then why the heck aren’t they here yet?! It’s nearly sun up! Where in the world are they!!” Genma complained.
“Oh, Genma-san… you know those things take time,” she said with a giggle.
“What things?” Genma asked, then seeing that lecherous fan-girl expression on Yuiko’s face, he balked. “Never mind. Forget I asked.”
“But Genma-san, don’t you wanna know what I think’s really happening?” Yuiko said, her voice positively giddy. “You see here… they’re probably somewhere… in the forest…
“Ohhh…dear hokage, what did I do to deserve this?” Genma mumbled to himself.
“…like, oh, oh! A cave! And they’ve got their sleepingbags…” Yuiko went on and on… until Genma thought that he really WAS placed in a never ending illusion he would surely die from.


TBC

AN:

Next chapter will be new. Sorry for the long wait. expect longer intervals in between chapters. I’m about to graduate college in a few months so life’s hectic, which is why this story has been put on hold for quite a long time. rest assured, it has been revived. And hopefully it will stay alive until the very end. I am revising past chapters for tiny flaws and shocking grammatical inconsistencies. Please do forgive me for those. Maybe when the new chapter comes, the other chapters will have new and improved versions posted as well.
Till next time. Cheers!

SD