26WATCHING
~Summery~
Kakashi is in love with Iruka. Why, when, and how much, were questions the silver haired man had to find the answer to by Watching the 'Sensual Sensei'.
The first two are fairly serious with a few good helpings of small humor. The third however might end up bordering on crack.
~Rating~
K
~Warnings~
Yaoi, but nothing explicit. Just hints of seemingly unrequited love.
~Disclaimer~
I will own Naruto the day you see Kakashi and Iruka making out on screen. But for now I do not own Naruto or any of it's marvelous characters. Kishi-sama does.
Kakashi sat in the silent oak tree by the academy. Sadly the tree had been his hiding spot and perfect vantage point for a year. The view from the tall tree wouldn't be all that interesting to most. It offered a view of a grayish yellow, cracking wall on the left, an open field with ashen colored picnic tables scattered behind him, and a gravel walk way to the right. None of those views interested the jounin, it was the view directly in front of him that kept him at rapt attention.
Through the square windows, that could do with a wash, stood the lean chunin most commonly referred to as, Umino Iruka. His scar scrunched up as he smiled broadly and patted the last child's head as they left for home.
Kakashi waited in this tree nearly everyday, watching his obsession teach the little hellions that (If you believe the rumors like Kakashi did,) only master Iruka could handle. He watched half the time feeling like a stalker, the other half he felt like a love-sick teenager. And he wasn't sure witch feeling was any better than the other.
'How did this happen?' Kakashi groaned inwardly.
A simple answer to a simple question was all it took to ensnare the silver haired man. A year and a half ago Kakashi opened his big mouth and dutifully shoved his foot in it.
"They are no longer your students they are soldiers under my command."
That statement, meant to show that Kakashi had faith in his team, was the beginning of the great sharingan Kakashi's downfall. Kakashi saw the anger and emotions racing along Umino Iruka's face. 'Shinobis aren't supposed to show such emotions. Was the man really that worried? Why should this Iruka person care they haven't been his students for half a year!'
The meeting ended and the different shinobi went there own ways, save one. Iruka stayed and patiently waited as Sandaime-sama told him how to test the rookie-nine.
Later, under the stars and the nearly full but not quite moon on a random roof-top Kakashi met with the overly caring man to see how his squad did. They passed of course.
"You were right Kakashi-sensei, they're good." Iruka sighed. "They've all developed very impressive skills," he admitted ruefully. Though Kakashi could still see the worry in those deep eyes. Kakashi noticed that under the soft lighting the chunin seemed to glow even with worry etched onto his handsome face. Kakashi had thought at the time, 'Did I just think he was handsome? Okay he is. But still… '
A question, "Iruka-sensei, why did you object?"
An answer delivered with a small smile, "I care about them… they may be strong ninja under your command but I can't bring my self not to worry… to not care…" And Kakashi couldn't help see those chocolate eyes shine with unbridled emotion and truth.
And right then right there the first of Kakashi's masks fell away. Kakashi felt something stir. He wasn't as much of a cold hearted bastard that he didn't care for his team, the little brats grew on him after a while, but never, no, never, could he SHOW that he cared. Hell could freeze over and Kakashi still would not spill that deep kept secret.
This chunin however, was so caring so emotional… he let every little emotion flicker across his chocolate eyes. He was a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, and always would be. He was brave too to call out a jounin because he cared about his students… he was the only person who ever cared for Naruto… he was a brave, caring, smart, mother hen. And Kakashi suddenly found himself wishing the emotional, if a bit irrational, man before him would care about Kakashi so strongly too.
He nodded at the tan chunin and without a word beyond, "ah," sprinted off the roof and away from the strange thoughts and feelings the man had stirred in the stoic scarecrow.
And then a year and half later, Kakashi sat, like he has done many times before, in the lone oak outside the academy, his little crush that started that day developed into an emotion that if forced to name Kakashi would have to call, love.
Deny as he did he couldn't deny it any longer. The infatuation that started all that time ago grew as Kakashi unconsciously and consciously watched the younger man.
He watched Iruka round up the rowdy kids in his class. He was always firm but supportive too. And for punishment, he wasn't above hanging a student from the ceiling fan. Kakashi watched Iruka cheer his students on and guided them through the storm of pregenin-ness like a light house would a ship.
Kakashi watched as the chunin chased a pregenin's report in a wind whipped training field for an hour. Kakashi watched as the chunin tripped and went sprawling on the ground. He watched his chestnut hair get tousled in the unforgiving torrent of wind. He watched the man laugh at himself when he realized he had chased a blank paper for an hour. And Kakashi laughed along with him, his voice hidden by the roar of the wind.
Kakashi watched Iruka work. He was always focused unless distracted or taking part in the shenanigans of his fellow mission desk workers. He watched as Kotetsu and Izumo had a prank war, that Iruka won… no one could figure out how the scarred chunin was able to tie them both up in bras and panties and strap them to the desk with a sign that read 'Perverted workmates please taunt accordingly,' at least how he did it without them realizing till it was too late.
Kakashi watched Iruka obsess over keeping his house clean. How he scrubbed everything in bleach. Watched as the chunin brushed his soft hair and washed his face before bed. (Sadly Kakashi knows how stalker-ish he sounds.) Kakashi watched as he dipped his oreos in peanut-butter and had a dill pickle on the side. (EW?...)
Kakashi watched as Iruka trained lightly, his movements smooth, and causeing his shirt to raise up and barely show the small trail of dark hair that dared to tease the copy nin. He watched Iruka wipe the sweat from his face after a good training session. He watched as the sensei moved so unintentionally sensually to avoid having one of his own clones kick him.
Kakashi watched the chocolate eyes flutter closed, his dark eyelashes resting on the mans tanned cheek. Sometimes he watched as Iruka fell over his work desk and dozed over a student's paper.
Kakashi watched Iruka wave to every one he saw on the street, giving them a warm smile to boot. It took Kakashi exactly 2 weeks to find the difference in the tan man's smiles. Often he gave a true smile, but there were to many times Kakashi saw that that spark of warmth that indicated a true 'Iruka smile' was absent from the chunin's eyes.
Kakashi watched Iruka's inner pain. No one else ever saw it though Kakashi was shocked at how someone could miss the sad; spark suffocating, pain Iruka was in. He was happy most of the time, contented with his grading and mission filing. Then, his eyes would dim and his smiles would become less genuine and more of a mask.
Kakashi hated Iruka's fake smiles, not because they were a blatant lie, WHICH THEY WERE! But instead Kakashi hated them because he didn't have the right to cheer the chunin up. No matter how much Kakashi wanted to cheer the younger ninja, just hold him and console him, he could never. Kakashi was convinced Iruka would never be his to comfort.
Kakashi and Iruka were casual friends, be it friends with animosity. However with all the friendliness, Kakashi knew he didn't have he right to cheer the chunin up, to comfort him, he didn't even think he had a right to analyze the younger man's smile.
Still, Kakashi watched as he fell poofy head over heals in love with the sensual Sensei, Umino Iruka.
'Sensual sensei? I'll have to remember that one…' Kakashi thought to himself as he wrote the new nickname at the bottom of his famous Icha Icha. He never heard or felt the familiar chakra until it was too late.
"Kakashi-sensei, why are you in that tree?" Chocolate eyes looked up at Kakashi's half-lidded grey one.
'At least he's smiling a true smile.'
Kakashi smiled but blushed a little at being caught, "Maa, Iruka-sensei, I'm just watching..."
~Author's Notes~
I really like this for some reason. Even though it turned out very different from my normal style because of it being so introspective, or at least it seems that way to me. But I like some of the eccentricities I gave Iruka.
This has inspired me to a three chapter story. I have no idea when the next will be up.
The order of these stories will be,
~1~ Watching
~2~ Waiting
~3~ Acting
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, Review. I worked really hard and appreciate the reviews very much. And any Constructive Criticism is also appreciated.
Thank you for reading!
~Lenea~