Never a Mistake

"I hope this works…"

"It will…"

"This better not be a mistake!"

"You think he's a mistake?" clink.

"NO! He… He could never be a mistake…"

The dingy grey floor of the bar stared blankly back at one, slightly buzzed, Umino Iruka. He had been dragged, kicking and cursing, from the mission room nearly 3 hours ago by his way-to-happy-to-have-found-love best friends, Genma and Raido. "Really Iruka, you need to find some one" Raido took a sip of his amber colored drink.

Iruka had felt like a third wheel all night, between the two virtually making out in the booth, (By the way Genma can somehow kiss without dropping his senbon.) and Genma Shamelessly groping his boyfriend. It was hard for Iruka to get comfortable when the two were so happy and… HORNEY! Iruka blushed as the thought raced through his mind. "We need to get him laid…" Genma leaned into his lover's chest.

"GENMA!" Rai elbowed him. "Do you ever not think about sex?" Rai hissed haughtily.

"And here I thought you knew be by now…" Genma laughed before he wraped his arms around Raido's neck, his hands threading into the deep brown locks, and pulled him in for yet another kiss that evening.

Iruka sighed and finished off the rest of his drink. He couldn't agree more; he needed to find someone… but it was the someone that he wanted that stopped his efforts. He couldn't deny he wanted that person for all the good reason's and the bad. When that one person says something nice, or shows that he does care about someone or something other than himself or occasionally lets his emotional guard down… Iruka couldn't help but want everything about him. Unfortunately the one person he wanted was usually a rude, self-centered, abrasive, teasing, porn reading…

'Speak of the devil…' Iruka sighed and looked up at the familiar chakra signature that appeared at his side in the booth. "Hey Kakashi," the three chimed as the obviously drunken Copy Nin slid into the booth beside Iruka.

Iruka sighed yet again. Fate sometimes hated him… okay looking over his life… Parents died, teachers hated him, and no one appreciated him 'til he was a teacher, everyone underestimates him, and he falls in love with a jerk… Yep fate hated him.

Genma shifted his senbon from the right corner of his mouth to the left. A smirk then began on his thin lips… "Iruka… You know you and Kakashi make a cute couple… and I hear Kakashi's a really good fuck buddy…" Rai elbowed him and effectively silenced him again.

Iruka's blush could have reached his ears, hell it probably did. Iruka normally bristled when someone would talk about his preference toward men, and considered it a closely guarded secret; in fact the only people who knew his secret were the other three in the booth. Genma and Raido Knew because they spent way too much time together in the mission room and Kakashi knew because he tricked the poor little dolphin.

When Kakashi was asked about his preference he would explain it was for one thing only; S.E.X. his exact quote was, 'Sex is always the answer!'

"What Rai? I'm just saying… Iruka needs to get lai… OW! Grr… and Kakashi would no doubt be willing to oblige…" Genma smirked.

Luckily Kakashi was so far gone to his alcohol induced stupor to notice what had been said.

"IiiiRuuukaaaa!" Kakashi leaned into the chunin.

Iruka audibly gulped as Kakashi's arms slid around The cunin's slim waist. "KAKASHI!" Kakashi responded by pulling the smaller man closer.

"Did… did… youuu knows you're… nice…" Kakashi slurred into Iruka's neck.

"GET OFF ME YOU DRUNK!" Iruka's crippling-to the-point-of-madness blush didn't hinder his anger.

"Okay Gen, your right, they do make a cute a couple…" Raido smiled at Iruka.

"HELP ME!" Iruka blushed struggling against the two vice like arms.

Kakashi leaned back to look at Iruka with his Ice grey eye locking onto the smaller mans brown spheres. "Iruka… Can you help me home? PWEASE!" Kakashi nuzzled into Iruka's flack vest.

Unknown to the struggling chunin, Genma and Kakashi both smirked.

"Uh…" Iruka really didn't need to be around an overly affectionate drunken Kakashi, but at the same time he couldn't let the man just stumble home and possibly hurt himself. Though for some reason something about Kakashi was off…"Okay… now get off!"

"Later…" Kakashi whispered.

Iruka's blush deepened to a darker shade than Genma or Raido could have guessed existed.

"PERVERT!" Iruka yelled indignantly.

Genma began to chuckle…I think this may work… "Well then we need to get going… I have things to do to this man…" Genma grabbed his lover's waist and slid out of the booth.

"Genma!" Rai growled, "I believe it's my turn to do things to you!"

"Have fun Iruka-Sensei!" Genma chided before disappearing with a small pop and a puff of white smoke.

Iruka grumbled, 'Damn Genma! The man knows I like Kakashi! The last thing I need is to be buzzed, around the stone drunk, object of my obsession!'

Kakashi nuzzled into Iruka's neck, "Sensei… Take me home…" His left hand slid down the back of Iruka's waist to the hem of his pants.

"I'm NOT THAT DRUNK!" Iruka stated rather loudly, yet somehow enjoying the alcohol induced attention. 'Now if you were sober…'

Kakashi pulled back to look at the man he was molesting… "Sorry sensei… I'll be good…" he held his hands up to signal surrender, but Iruka could just /tell/ he was smirking under the mask.

"I doubt it… and stop acting like a child…" Iruka scolded.

"Yes sir!" Kakashi gave a two finger salute before Iruka forced him off of him to slide out of the booth. That was when Iruka noticed what Kakashi was wearing. He found himself staring at a pair of dark black jeans that fit tightly and low on his hips, and a burgundy button up shirt that fell over Kakashi's lean muscle in a non restrictive manner but could show the tone body under the red fabric. Under the shirt Kakashi still had his normal mask on but instead of a navy blue mask it was black. His usual hitai-ate was still covering his eye.

"Uh… You look nice…" Iruka blushed as soon as the words were half way out his mouth.

"Really?" Kakashi asked calmly leaning on the smaller man for support through hid drunken haze. His arm wrapped around Iruka's shoulder, squeezing it lightly.

"Hai…" Iruka blushed again. 'This is a bad idea! He's sexy…' Inner Iruka screamed at himself. Iruka could even smell a soft pine scent mixed with a scent that was purely Kakashi wafting from the man leaning on him. 'He Even SMELLS sexy…' Iruka groaned in frustration.

Again something felt off to the teacher as the two men walked to the door of the small bar.

The door to the bar opened to a cold ally. The dark walls were high, but not so high or imposing that with a chakra infused jump a ninja couldn't be running along the rooftops in no time. However the sagging drunkard clinging to Iruka's right side may have a problem with running any where, never mind over precarious rooftops. Instead Iruka decided to help Kakashi hobble through the town.

"You're too kind Iruka-sensei… Thank you very much…" Kakashi.

"Thank you; uh… it's no big deal…" Iruka blushed. Again his tan cheeks were touched with red.

"You're always kind and warm… Even when you're mad…" Kakashi nearly tripped but Iruka caught him.

"Careful," Iruka chided steadying the jounin that threatened to topple over.

Kakashi chuckled, "you're even nice to cold selfish bastards that don't deserve it…"

"Thank you Kakashi…but you do deserve it." Iruka had to admit that when Kakashi wasn't teasing him unmercifully, being a bastard, or pissing Iruka off, Kakashi was a pretty good guy.

"Of course you're also annoyingly anal retentive at times, prudish and "

'OR NOT!' Iruka thought with spite as Kakashi rattled off a list of Iruka's faults.

"That's what I thought during the nominations… but you were weird…"

Iruka's eyebrow twitched and he contemplated dropping the elite jounin and walking over him. "Now your saying I'm weird!"

"Cause you weren't scared… you knew what I could do… you knew my reputation… but you still challenged me because you care so damn much!"

"Sorry I care!" Iruka bit back the urge to scream and drop the man.

Kakashi shook his head loosely. "You cared… I didn't get it… No one cares like you… I'm jealous 'cause I can't care like that… my heart won't let me…"

Iruka was silenced by that, Kakashi of the sharigan was jealous of /him/ a chunin? For a few minutes the pair walked in silence and as they did Kakashi rested his head on Iruka's shoulder. To anyone passing by they might see it as two lovers walking home, and Iruka liked that thought more that he should. And again something felt off to Iruka, almost like he was missing an important clue on a mission.

'What does he mean? His heart doesn't let him care? I know he cares. He all but fell apart when Sauske left… he still worries about Naruto being gone with Jiriya-sama. He cares, I'm sure of that!

"You do care… You just can't show it normally…" Iruka said gently after thinking for a moment.

The two had had a strained friend ship since the chunin exams. Kakashi had caught Iruka after the nominations and demanded to know why it was his business. Iruka had told him because he cared.

Since that day Kakashi teased Iruka, tortured him, turned in sub par reports and would wait until they were at least 3 days late and insisted on turning them into Iruka. But on those rare occasions when the two talked Iruka found himself becoming friends with Kakashi… that's why he was so scared to let Kakashi know how he felt… He didn't want to loose that friendship he had come to depend on. He had even poked into his friend/obsession's past to find what happened to him with his father.

What was it that was bothering Iruka? Something, was alluding him… some detail wasn't fitting… 'Damn it… something is off here…'

They walked past Hokage tower the moon shining behind it illuminating the well worn path below.

It was then Iruka realized he had no idea where he was going…

"Where do you live?" Iruka asked.

"At home…" Kakashi murmured.

Iruka felt the vein in his head throb and rubbed his scar to quell his anger. "I meant, where is your home?"

Kakashi laughed.

"Do you live in the jounin apartments?" Irkua pressed.

"Nope…" Kakashi pressed into Iruka's side and turned to face him and grip him closer. "I live somewhere more private…" Kakashi's hand slipped from his shoulder and ghosted down Iruka's back landing on his backside giving a squeeze.

Let's just say Iruka's hormones weren't doing him any favors tonight.

Iruka gulped again, the last thing he ever wanted to be was Kakashi's drunken mistake. He never wanted a one night stand. Yes he wanted Kakashi, but could not face loosing his friend no mater how badly his body wanted to betray him. He couldn't help but truly care for the emotionally scared man.

"I'm not drunk enough…" Iruka sighed. "I'm not going you be your mistake."

"Maybe I'm not either…" Kakashi whispered, "And never, who said you would be?"

Iruka began walking forward with Kakashi still holding him tightly. "Your drunk…" It then dawned on the chunin where the silver haired man lived… he had snooped into the man's past after all. "You still live in the Hatake House…"

Kakashi nodded "I never said you would be a mistake Ruka…"

Iruka blushed "I would be if you don't move your hand away from my ass!" He started walking in the direction of the old Hatake house. "I don't want to be a drunken mistake or a one night stand! Thank you very much…"

"Ruka… You're an idiot…" Kakashi whispered so quietly Iruka couldn't really hear it and leaned his head on Iruka's shoulder again.

They walked in silence from there. Soon the blue tiled house loomed directly ahead. The house WAS private; Iruka had to give Kakashi that. It was back off the main road in a small thicket of forest growth. The door was a solid cherry wood door with a neat little paw print carved into it where the peep whole was situated.

"Kakashi where's your key?"

Iruka could see Kakashi smirk under his mask, "In my pocket…"

Iruka didn't have the patience for Kakashi's perverted sense of humor. "Give it!" Iruka held his hand out.

"Get it yourself…" Kakashi purred.

"NO!" Iruka blushed.

"Do you find me that repulsive?" Kakashi turned to look the man in the eye.

Iruka's cheeks were like a tomato. "You're not repulsive I… I., you're just drunk out of your mind."

Kakashi smiled his eye arched only slightly, indicating a genuine smile, "Here you go…" the key appeared in Iruka's outstretched hand so quick that Iruka missed the motion.

"Thanks…" Iruka sighed and opened the door.

Then a thought ran through his head, what does Kakashi's home look like? Iruka's mind was filled with visions. First, a filthy home piled high with take out containers garbage and blood stained clothing strewn over the floor. Second, a vision of an empty home with a fridge and a bed with plain white sheet being, the only things in the home, flashed by. Last, a vision of a huge library/weaponry, no where to sit or stand because of the pile's of scrolls and books, and if you could find a place to sit you would have to watch out for kunai lying around. A warriors home…

Iruka let a breath of air as he saw a simple living room. The light blue walls were bare sans a few framed scrolls hanging around. The floor was a soft green, the room reminded Iruka of an open field in a way. The floor plan was too, something Iruka didn't expect. A dark blue couch sat in the middle of the room with a coffee table in front of it. To the sides of the room were a few book shelves and tables, but all in all, the room was very open… it was a strange sight to see when Iruka thought of how the owner of this home always seemed to close himself off from the world…

"Did you expect a pig sty?" Kakashi laughed as he forced Iruka to help him 'stumble' to the couch.

Iruka blushed at how his thoughts were so easily read. "Maybe…"

"Don't go into the kitchen then… you'll be completely disillusioned." His eye arched to punctuate his statement. Iruka laughed slightly breathlessly.

Again Iurka felt something was amiss but couldn't put his finger on it. How did the man ever make it to chunin without being able to figure out what was amiss in the situation? He really couldn't think of what was bothering him.

Finally reaching the deep blue couch Iruka lowered the, dead weight, better known as Kakashi, on the couch. Kakashi's arm slid from Iruka's shoulder to slide down Iruka's waist to remain in control of his loose body.

"I figured to turn in the messy reports you do you had to be messy… I can't believe you're so neat…"

"I try…" Kakashi laughed. Though Kakashi was sitting on the couch now his arm stayed around Iruka's waist.

Iruka blushed and began to pull away, "I should go… Goodnight Kakashi sen-" he was cut off from suddenly being pulled down to Kakashi's level. He landed against Kakashi's chest with an 'oof'.

Out of reflex to not crush the man under him, Iruka pulled his knees up and found himself Straddling the jounins lap. Iruka realized this was a very compromising position.

Iruka opened his mouth to protest, then before he knew what was happening (before he could bring himself to care why it was happening) Iruka felt smooth lips move against his own. Iruka's heart began to hammer so fast, it felt like a humming bird was in his chest. He felt Kakashi's breath wash in to his slightly parted lips before his tongue joined Iruka's in the chunin's mouth. Iruka tasted a hint of hazelnut. Then a piece fell into place, the little clue that had evaded Iruka all night. Kakashi didn't smell like alcohol or taste like alcohol, and he was speaking very coherently for someone who was 'drunk'…

Shock made Iruka pull back and stare at blankly at the unmasked man in front of him. Kakashi really was handsome Iruka decided. His face was a shade paler under where the mask normally covered. His angular chin blended gracefully into high cheek bones. The only blemish was the scar running down Obito's eye. And his pale smooth lips were thin but pouting over the fact that Iruka had pulled away.

Part of Iruka was immediately honored and nervous about seeing Kakashi's true face. He knew that it was something most of Konoha would kill to see, but that few ever would. The other part however, was confused to say the least… he was too buzzed to sort it out properly in his jumbled mind.

"You don't smell like alcohol…" Iruka stated in shock.

"Of course, I never drink! Alcohol slows the reflexes you know." Kakashi grinned his perfectly strait teeth glittering in the low lit living room. "Not a very good thing for a ninja, Ruka…" Kakashi lifted his hand up to the tan chunin's face.

Iruka's heart began beating wildly, 'He's not drunk… he's sober? And he still is… uh… what's the word?' Kakashi's thumb rubbed over Iruka's scar. 'Doing things that make my heart race…' Kakashi rubbed the small of iruka's back. 'And that…make me want to do things…bad things…or good things depending on how you look at it. AH WHEN DID KAKAHSI GET IN MY HEAD!'

"Then why..." Iruka asked breathlessly. His eyes seemed to say 'why where you acting like you wanted me?'

Kakashi smirked before answering, "You were so cute when you thought I was drunk."

"WHAT?" Iruka blinked, "what do you mean?"

"Are you sure YOU'RE not drunk sensei?" Kakashi chuckled. "I've been trying to tell you all night." He sighed in mock exasperation. You would never be a drunken mistake or a sober one for that matter… You could never be a mistake…"

"You acted drunk…" Iruka slowly tried to shake his head to make himself try to think like the twisted jounin, "To…"

"I've been trying to say this all night while we were on our pleasant little walk…'

'Pleasant for you, you weren't being groped.' Iruka thought.

"I thought my actions would speak for themselves… I've been saying… I really… Uh…" Kakashi blushed; yes the famous Copy Nin blushed. Iruka stared in awe at the way his pale cheeks glowed pink for even the shortest second.

"Iruka… I…" Kakashi took in a breath. "You are the warmest, most careing person in all of konoha. Everything you do you do with such fire and emotion. It's so refreshing, you and your emotions… they're real, and you never have to pretend to be an unaffected tool." Kakahsi looked up into Iruka's brown eyes almost like he could see the emotion's whirling in them. "You are sweet kind and full of life…" Iruka noticed Kakashi shake. "And this is terrifying for me to say… Sex I can deal with…but this is difficult." The Copy Nin looked lost for a moment. His face was a very expressive one, maybe that's why he kept the mask on most of the time.

"What Kakashi?" Iruka's hopes were impossibly high at this point. Iruka knew that what Kakashi said next would either shatter him, or make him happier than he ever thought possible.

"I really like… I think I may love you…" Kakashi's eyes fell… "So I came up with a scheme to tell you… Actually it was Genma's Idea for me to pretend to be drunk… to play to your kindness…" Kakashi smiled sheepishly.

Iruka was shocked, had Kakashi really just say that he loved him? He did and he was waiting for Iruka to respond.

"If you're joking I'm going to beat you into a Jounin puree." Iruka choked. "You really pretended to be drunk so you could get a chance to tell me YOU like ME?" Iruka smiled as Kakashi's hand rose up to gently rub over his blushing cheeks again. Iruka leaned into the calloused hand and felt it relax him. "I realized I loved you right after Naruto left to train with Jiriaya. But, I've been so afraid you didn't like me, and that if I showed you how I felt I would loose a friendship that I couldn't face loosing…" Iruka began to feel tears leaking out of his eyes. "I thought my action's spoke for them selves…"

"Ruka…" Kakashi sighed and leaned to place his forehead against the chunin's. "Now that I know you feel the same way, I can promise, you'll never loose me… The only way to get rid of me will be to send me away…and even then, I'm stubborn and a dense, I may not get the message." Kakashi chuckled.

"Thank you…Kashi…" the pair sat in comfortable silence for a few moments letting the realization that neither mans love was unrequited sink in. Iruka allowed himself to just bask in the warmth radiating form Kakashi. Iruka used the silence to resituate himself more properly, though he chose to remain in Kakashi's lap.

When the silence was broken it was Iruka who did so by chuckling darkly, "I'm going to kill Genma…"

"Why?" Kakashi looked down at the chunin with his eyebrow quirked.

"He knew how I felt about you and how you felt about me… And he still put us through this hell…"

"Hm… Your right…" Kakashi pulled Iruka closer. "I have to thank him…"

Iruka groaned and buried his head into Kakashi's chest. "I do love you though Ruka Ru."

Iruka smiled and curled into the older man's chest. "I love you Kashi. You really thought Pretending to be drunk would woo me?"

"It lured you to my house didn't it?" Kakashi kissed the dolphin's forehead.

Iruka had to admit he loved the feel of the casual kiss. They had been friends for so long but had always kept a certain distance. The feeling of being close, the feeling of warmth and safty, and the casual kisses made Iruka melt.

"Well that" Kakashi smiled a genuine smile arched eye and all. Then his smile turned menacing, "And I wanted an excuse to molest you in public."

Iruka growled, "Pervert! Manipulating pervert." Iruka then began to tickle the feared Sharingan Kakashi who began laughing and protesting. Iruka's fingers worked their up the older ninja's sides brushing over the sensitive area's over his ribs gently but with enough force to send the Copy Nin into a fit of laughter.

"Iruka!" Kakashi panted and grabbed Iruka's hands effectively stopping the chunin, and pulled them up. "Can I help it," Kakashi purred lowering his head to Iruka's neck, "If you're just too cute and sexy to resist…" Kakashi placed a slow kiss over the brunet's collar bone. "mmm…" Kakashi licked his lips as he lifted his head to look into Iruka's brown eyes. "Is it my fault you are just so tempting, I can't keep my hands off you?"

Iruka blushed but smiled at the silver haired shinobi. "Well you'll just have molest me in private from now on…" then leaned in to plant a kiss on Kakashi's warm lips.

Kakashi smiled into the kiss and purred over the chunin's lips, "Sounds like a plan to me…"

AN-I was going to go for the smut at the end but... I chickened out. ^_^;

My first KakaIru fanfic ever! I've been reading way too many KakaIru fics and so I wanted to try my hand at writing one.

I really enjoyed writing this so don't be surprised if I post another Kakashi/Iruka story on here.

I am NOT Masashi Kishimoto! So that means I do not own any of the naruto characters. I just came up with a thought of Kakashi pretending to be drunk. The plot bunny is mine, That's all.