To the Winner Goes...

Gai gave Iruka time to calm down after his run in with Kakashi before entering the chuunin instructor’s classroom. He hoped he knew what he was doing. Either he would win the challenge here and now, or he would lose all chance of ever finishing the challenge at all. To say he’d lose would be a bit presumptuous, or so he felt, because he was quite convinced Kakashi would never succeed at all. Then again, there had been no time constraint. Gai hoped that, if he failed now, Kakashi did not continue to hound the chuunin, but rather accepted a sort of victory.

Iruka looked up as someone entered and was very shocked to see Maito Gai. He was one of the last people Iruka would expect, leaving the chuunin to wonder what brought him. His mind went to Kakashi’s behavior. Surely Gai wasn’t going to do the same thing! Had he just become one of their silly challenges?!

He hoped he was wrong, as much for himself as Gai, because it would be a shame for him to be knocked down to Kakashi’s level on such matters as those of the heart, he spoke, “What may I do for you, Gai-san?” He hated to think Kakashi talked Gai into something so . . . so . . . so base. He wasn’t sure he wanted to see Gai trying to woo him. It was so uncharacteristic.

Gai walked over to the desk, looking down at Iruka. “Kakashi has issued a challenge. I don’t agree with his choice, but I do it or forfeit the point.” He gave an uncharacteristic fidget before moving on. “I will gladly accept defeat if you won’t help me, but I have to at least try.” He took a slow breath. “One of us has to get a date with you.” Had it been any other man that would have sounded blurted out in embarrassment, but from Gai, it just seemed his normal boisterousness. Except to Iruka, who could tell by the man’s eyes, that he was, indeed, embarrassed.

Iruka blinked slowly at him a few times. So, he had been right. Still, Gai would take a yes or no, then bother him no more. It was both surprising and thoughtful. And to just tell him the truth up front . . . His honesty was pure Gai.

It would serve Kakashi right if he said yes right now. He knew the silver-haired jounin wouldn’t stop until he lost. Not with something like this. Gai would probably be better company, and he wouldn’t try to get into his pants either.

“Alright, Gai-san. One date can’t hurt anything, and it will get Kakashi to leave me alone.” He smiled at the black-haired jounin. “When do you wish the date to be?”

Gai was stuck on Iruka saying yes, so he didn’t know what to say at first, only issuing a small sighed grunt that sounded very confused. He finally got something akin to ‘huh’ to come out.

Iruka had never seen Gai like this. He found it cute, endearing. Was the man really that surprised he said yes, or that anyone would say yes, he wondered. “I said yes, Gai, I will go on a date with you.” He sweetly smiled at the older man. “Now, when would you like to have the date and what do you want to do?” It struck Iruka that, more or less, he’d gone from the askee to the asker but he didn’t mind. He liked seeing Gai so . . . out of his element and flustered.
Gai nodded. “Tonight? We can . . . uh . . . Have dinner?” He sounded so uncertain. Almost like he’d never done this before. Which, he had once or twice, but it was so long ago and he’d always been asked. He had no idea what he was doing, he realized.

“Dinner is fine.” Iruka kept his smile, finding Gai somewhat amusing when he had no idea what he was doing or how to handle the situation. Generally, Iruka figured, he’d take it on like he did everything. With his bravado and confidence that were rivaled only but his own pupil. “Meet me here at nineteen thirty, alright?”

Gai nodded again. “Here at nineteen thirty. Uh . . . What should I . . . I mean . . . ” He motioned vaguely to his ever-present green garb. He didn’t know if it would be appropriate for dinner on a date or not, especially not knowing where they are going. Then again, everyone already had seen him in it, so it really wasn’t like it’d be odd to see him dressed this way. But on a date, maybe he should try to be a little different, make an effort . . . Why did people choose to go through all this mental strain on a regular basis?

Iruka laughed lightly. “That’s fine, though I think you’d definitely turn heads in something different.” He grinned at the jounin, eyes roaming slightly trying to picture Gai in something different. Jeans and a T-shirt . . . He would put money on Gai looking damn sexy like that.

The chuunin pinked. Where had that thought come from? Okay, so Gai had a nice hard body and strong arms. Perfect arms to hold a willing body against that nice broad . . . Iruka shook himself mentally. He was not ogling Gai, even if he now wanted to see what that chest felt like to lean against. This was just a date to keep Kakashi from bothering him. Not a means of finding a man to share his life with.

Gai nodded, watching as Iruka suddenly pinked as his eyes moved over the jounin. The taijutsu master wondered what he was thinking but refrained from asking. No doubt that would only embarrass the smaller man more. “I’ll leave you until then, Iruka-sensei.” He smiled at the chocolate-haired man softly, not his usual shiny grin.

“Until dinner, Gai-kun.” Iruka smiled again, as sweetly and kind as the first. Gai was a dear man. He imagined the dinner would be very pleasant, especially since it seemed the man didn’t have to be boasting and waving his thumb around with a glint to his teeth all the time.

Gai nodded yet again, this time slightly in parting, and he left the academy. He failed to notice the shadow in a tree nearby that moved to follow him along his path as he left.