Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Embracing Dreams ❯ Chapter 6
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Arigatomina 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Comedy / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.12.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 323 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Comedy / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.12.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 323 | Status: Work In Progress
Part 6
It was still raining when Naruto fell off his bed. Kyuubi liked to wake him up five minutes before his alarm went off. He did this by stretching out on his belly and then rolling over. Since he was asleep, Naruto automatically mimicked him. Naruto wished Kyuubi would do that while he was awake sometime, because it had to be a hilarious sight. He'd never actually asked him to, though. Chances were good he'd end up rolling over himself and that would be a lot more embarrassing awake.
He hit the floor with a muffled thump, legs tangled up in his blanket, and his arms still wrapped around his pillow. He grumbled and squirmed on the hard floor. He really wished he'd remember to ask Iruka about getting a rug to put by his bed. Those morning rolls were killer on his shoulders. He was always amazed at the lack of bruises when he woke up enough to stumble his way to the bathroom.
'You suck,' Naruto grumbled.
'Morning to you, too, sunshine,' Kyuubi rumbled back at him. He was still lying on his side, paws curled at the tips and tails splayed lazily behind him, mirrored in Naruto's boneless slump. He might as well have been purring in satisfaction at Naruto's lame greeting. Except he wasn't because foxes didn't purr.
'Sure they don't,' Naruto snorted, having heard that thought as cleanly as Kyuubi could hear his own. He yawned and did a squirmy stretch that brought him to his knees and no higher. 'I hate mornings so much. Why did you have to wake me so early, anyway? I don't have to be there till ten. It's not even-' He turned toward his clock and glimpsed the window. 'Ah! Kyuubi, you ass! It's still dark out! What's wrong with you, waking me this early. I told you school's out - I'm only going in for placement and that's not till ten!'
'Do you have a point?' asked Kyuubi.
'Yeah, I got a point,' Naruto scoffed. 'You're an ass. Now tell me why. Quick before I go back to sleep.'
'Iruka got up an hour ago,' said Kyuubi. He didn't give Naruto a chance to complain that Iruka always got up early on week days. 'Someone else went down not long after that. Can you guess who, or are you too sleepy to care?'
Naruto stiffened and turned itchy but alert blue eyes on the door. 'The pervert.'
'Good guess, I can't get anything past you,' Kyuubi drawled. 'Do you want to chaperone, or go back to sleep?'
'Don't be snarky,' snapped Naruto. 'It's too early to make me think, you know. And Iruka's a thousand times worse than me.'
He yawned again as he climbed to his feet, swayed a little, and then ducked back to toss his blanket and pillow on the bed. Kyuubi liked to nap randomly during the day, so he was always awake and hyper in the mornings. Naruto felt like a numb woozy lump of meat and having a hyper fox in his head was like being poked with a sharp fork. Or something like that. He really hated trying to think first thing in the morning.
'How long have they been down there?' asked Naruto, as he scrounged up some clothes for the day. He tripped over a shoe and almost missed Kyuubi's response.
'A while,' Kyuubi shrugged. 'Not long enough to worry.'
Naruto stumbled out of his closet, jangling hangers from where he'd jammed his hand out to keep him from going head-first over that stupid shoe. He could have sworn he'd put his shoes on the shelf after the last time he tripped over them. Obviously he hadn't.
'So do I have time for a shower, or what?' Naruto scowled. His eyes itched something awful. He curled a fist and rubbed at one for a second before Kyuubi growled in his ear. He promptly dropped the hand.
'You have to stop doing that,' Kyuubi said sharply. 'Every time you do, you scrub out eyelashes and it hurts.'
'Sorry,' Naruto winced. 'Really, I don't mean to. It's a habit.'
'A bad habit. Use those drops and take your shower. There's time enough for that. Iruka hasn't even made coffee yet.'
Naruto gave a dumb nod. He hated putting anything in his eyes, but the drops kept him from scratching. Kyuubi didn't just share his mind. Any irritation Naruto felt was twice as strong for Kyuubi. That itchy-eyed scrubbing was just one of those habits Naruto couldn't break himself of. It felt nice to him, rubbing till he teared up and the itch went away, but Kyuubi absolutely hated it. Naruto thought it was because Kyuubi didn't 'tear' the way he did. Just weird mutant fox Id thing.
He stumbled again when he left his room, trying to shut the door behind him midstride and failing. He hadn't cleaned his room in...about three months, so he kept the door shut as much as possible. Iruka probably guessed what was behind that conspicuously closed door, but he'd never asked. Naruto stopped, turned, and forced himself to stand up straight and steady enough to close the door. Then he turned to find someone watching him from the next doorway over.
"Hey," Naruto blinked.
Sasuke looked like he'd slept in his clothes, which, Naruto guessed, he probably had. That little bag of his hadn't been big enough for a jacket, let alone pajamas and extra clothes. He was leaning in his own doorway, arms folded, black eyes narrow but not very sharp. It was his hair that caught Naruto's eye the most. It was mussy and fluffy and standing out all over the place.
'You see that?' Kyuubi smirked in his head. 'That's what he'd look like after a night of sex. Minus the scowl. And the clothes, of course.'
'Oh, shut up,' Naruto snorted. 'Is there any time of the day when you're not a pervert?'
'No.'
Naruto grinned and started toward the bathroom again. It was all the way down the hall, but he thought he'd make it without bumping into the wall. He nodded at Sasuke when he passed him.
"You're too noisy," said Sasuke.
The comment was given in a quiet tone laced with vague resentment. Naruto frowned and turned to really look at him. "What's that mean? Did I wake you up or something?"
'Of course you did,' said Kyuubi. 'Bumbling around bumping into things. He probably woke up the second you fell off the bed. He's a twitchy one.'
'Oh. Well, there you go. You'll have to stop waking me up that way.'
Kyuubi just shrugged, 'I like waking you up that way. He'll get used to it.'
"Sorry if I woke you up," Naruto said out loud. "I hate mornings."
Sasuke stared at him for a moment with a sleepy glare, then he shrugged, dropped his eyes, muttered something, and went back into his room. Naruto frowned at the door and resisted the urge to rub at his itchy eyes.
'What did he say?' he asked Kyuubi. 'Something rude, right?'
'No,' Kyuubi sighed, as if disappointed. 'He said it's fine. He looks as out of it as Iruka does first thing.' He sighed again, tails and ears slumping. 'Why is everyone so dead in the morning? You don't hunt at night, you don't do anything but sleep. You should be eager to wake up and get moving.'
'Like you're one to talk,' Naruto sniffed, once more dragging his way down the hall. 'You nap all the time. Try staying awake all day - I bet you'll be as grumpy in the morning as I am.'
Kyuubi snorted in his head, but Naruto noticed that he made no offer to take him up on that dare.
.-.
If Naruto was a numb piece of meat in the mornings, Iruka was a zombie. Dizzy, half blind, and completely incapable of quick thought. He was also slightly dangerous to himself, since he could very well drown if he attempted to shower immediately after waking up. He knew why. It was written on the side of the bottle, 'Do not operate heavy machinery.' In his case that meant he had to wait at least an hour before going near the coffee pot or the microwave. Which was a shame, since caffeine would have helped clear his brain.
Despite his living dead state, he automatically woke up at four every morning. That usually gave him enough time to sleepwalk his way to the kitchen and sit until his eyes focused, and then make coffee and sit for another hour or two before it was time to make breakfast. He liked to use the time to go over any lectures or plans he had for the upcoming week. While he wasn't capable of quick thought, his memory was as clear as ever. He did his best thinking sitting at the kitchen table with his chin propped on his wrists while the luminescent clock over the stove rolled the minutes away.
He was staring at the green numbers designating minutes, twenty-five, when the kitchen light flicked on over head. The five rolled over to the six before he blinked and glanced over to see who'd done it. He made out blurry gray-white hair, dark right below, and dark clothes. He lifted his head and gave a vague smile.
"Hello," he murmured. A moment passed and he remembered his manners. "Good morning."
"Good morning," Kakashi said back, beaming happily. "Do you always sit in the dark?"
"Yes," Iruka smiled. Always. Because if he turned on the light he'd end up staring at the coffee pot and he didn't need the temptation. "And you? You're up early."
"I always wake up early," said Kakashi. He gave a slow look from Iruka to the light switch. "Want me to turn this back off?"
There was something about the quick eager way he asked that made little bells ring in Iruka's head. He suspected it was important, but the bells sounded like they were all the way on the other side of the house, so he ignored them. He waved a heavy hand in Kakashi's direction and went back to watching the clock.
"That's all right," Iruka drawled. His tongue was awkward in his mouth. He really wanted some-
Iruka blinked and glanced back at the blurry figure standing in the kitchen doorway. "Say," he smiled, "would you mind starting a pot of coffee? I'd really appreciate it..."
"Sure," said Kakashi. He flashed another close-eyed smile and went around the counter. He didn't bother to ask where the grounds and filters were, simply opening cabinets until he found them on his own.
Once he'd flicked the switch on the pot, a simple white one with a no-drip ball and a plastic water gage, he turned around and leaned against the counter. Iruka had dropped his chin back onto his wrists, once again staring blankly at the digital clock. Kakashi watched him with a slow smile.
He'd wondered, when he first pushed open the swinging door and noticed how large the numbers on the clock were. It was the sort of thing an old person would have, five inches tall with thick bold green numbers on a black background. Kakashi could see perfectly in the dark, another of those useful little talents he'd picked up. He suspected Sasuke could, too, but only if he used his sharingan. The first thing he'd noticed when he looked into the dark room was how fixedly Iruka was watching that clock. It wasn't until he turned on the light that he understood why.
Sasuke had the same problem waking up. He'd snap awake in an instant, sharingan blazing, weapon drawn, body all tense and alert. But the moment he realized there was no threat, he'd sort of melt into a daze that lasted a good hour or more. Kakashi had noticed it was worse when Sasuke had used his talents the day before. The kid had used those eyes of his constantly their first few days together, and when he'd finally dozed off and woke back up, he'd been drugged and dazed. Dead on his feet, Kakashi called it, though he knew Sasuke could snap himself out of it in a heartbeat if he was threatened. Iruka looked like that now. Worse, even, with his glazed eyes dilated far too wide for the bright room.
"You look like you should be in bed," Kakashi murmured. As he'd expected, a moment passed before Iruka glanced in his direction. Those pretty brown eyes didn't focus a bit. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Iruka said, with a wincing smile. "It just takes me a while to really wake up. That's why I get up so early. Plenty of time..."
"Hm."
Kakashi caught himself staring at Iruka's hair again. He wondered if it was against his code to scope out a man dead on his feet. Did he even have a code? No...no codes came to mind. He smiled and let his visible eye enjoy itself. Iruka had pulled his hair back in a loose tail that left thick strands falling around his face. He was wearing an overly large blue button up shirt with sleeves that fell to his knuckles and probably to his fingertips when he stood up. What Kakashi liked best was how tousled and relaxed he looked with that sleepy smile of his.
Unfortunately, those shiny dilated eyes ruined the image. Kakashi sighed and turned away. There were a few black mugs hanging off hooks just below the cabinet. He plucked two and filled them.
"How do you take it?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Black now," said Iruka. "Usually with cream and sugar, there's creamer in the refrigerator if you want some, but always black in the morning."
"A man after my own heart," Kakashi smiled.
He brought the cups over and watched Iruka wrap his hands around his mug. The table was round with four chairs, smaller than the one in the dining room. Kakashi drug one of the chairs over so he could sit closer to him. Iruka flashed him another of those weak, wincing smiles.
"I'm sorry I'm not good company in the morning," said Iruka.
"No need to be," Kakashi shrugged. "It's your home and I'm more of a freeloader than a guest. The least I can do is make coffee for the two of us. I can't offer to cook, after all."
He flashed a hopeful look at Iruka and was disappointed when the man didn't react to that barb. He sighed and sipped at his own mug. Maybe he didn't have a code, but it seemed he did have some sort of moral roadblock. Just thinking about making a friendly flirtatious gesture made him rebound off that unexpected block. Stupid block.
It wasn't like he'd planned to really take advantage of the guy. As dazed as Iruka looked, he could probably get in some major league groping before he even noticed. All he'd wanted to do was tuck one of those dangling strands of hair behind his ear. That wasn't even sexual in itself. It was more friendly than anything. Hardly even counted as flirtatious when he got right down to it. Heck, he'd have done the same thing for a sleepy Sasuke if he didn't know the kid would snap awake and break his hand for it. Nothing sexual at all.
Iruka blinked when fingers brushed over his temple, tucking a bit of his hair behind his ear. He turned to find Kakashi giving him one of his crinkle-eyed smiles. He smiled back, thinking that if he'd been awake he probably would have blushed in embarrassment.
"I come downstairs as soon as I wake up," Iruka explained. "Mornings are the only time I'm this messy, really."
"It's not messy at all," said Kakashi. "Don't worry about it."
That wasn't what he'd wanted to say, but once again that block sprang up to keep any sly perverted comments at bay. And it glared at him, as much as a mental road block could glare. Kakashi sighed again. In retrospect that little hair tucking thing was a tad suggestive. Intimate, even. He decided he'd never try something like that with Sasuke, threat of a mutilated hand or not. Just the thought of it made him feel slimy. Pervert, and gladly, pedophile, no thank you.
"So," Kakashi started, "what are the plans for today?"
"Not much this early," Iruka said slowly. "School lets out in April here, then placement tests this week to determine who advances to the next level. They don't have automatic graduation for the classes. Anyone who doesn't test up stays in the same class another semester. That's convenient for us. No matter which level Sasuke tests into, he's bound to be in a class with students his own age. The youngest boy in Naruto's class is ten, the oldest seventeen. They have mandatory attendance for children under eighteen, but it doesn't matter what level they make it to before they leave. Just as long as they're being taught something."
He paused for a moment, taking another drink and savoring the caffeine. "Naruto has his tests today, at ten. I thought I'd get Sasuke enrolled first and then take the two of you around town. Hopefully the rain will stop by then. I don't have enough umbrellas and I'd rather not take the car."
Kakashi nodded and watched him drain his mug. He stood and waved a hand at it. "More?"
"Please," Iruka smiled.
Kakashi leaned over to take the mug and froze seconds before a figure came bursting through the swinging door. He probably could have moved out of the incriminating position before the boy caught sight of him, but where was the fun in that?
"Stop right there, you!" Naruto roared, the second he saw how close Kakashi's face had to be to Iruka's. "Back away from Iruka-sensei. Slowly, if you know what's good for you!"
Kakashi snickered silently, grinning at Iruka's dazed expression. He straightened up, mug in hand, and slowly backed away. Then he turned to grin at the outraged boy standing just inside the door. Iruka reacted a moment later.
"Naruto!" Iruka gasped. "What's gotten into you?"
Naruto didn't look at him. He was still pointing at Kakashi. Now he waved his hand to the side, motioning the man to put more distance between himself and the poor muddled Iruka. "Go on," he muttered, "move it."
Kakashi laughed out loud this time, but again, he did as he was told. "I wasn't doing anything naughty. What a perverted imagination you have. I approve of that in a boy your age, you know. Maybe you can teach Sasuke a few things while you're at it."
Naruto didn't even try to make sense of that. Despite his anger at having caught the pervert red handed, he was still a little too sleepy to think clearly. He sent a quick check to Kyuubi.
'He's still got the mask on,' he thought. 'Is that better or worse?'
'Better,' Kyuubi admitted. 'He'd have more trouble using his tongue with the mask on.'
'Good,' Naruto sniffed. Then he realized what Kyuubi had said and went red in the face. 'Oh! Not good! You pervert, making me think about that pervert's tongue and Iruka-sense all blurry and defenseless - you want me to just out and kill him or what?'
'Kill him if necessary,' Kyuubi shrugged, 'but not over this. Iruka's still dressed. It doesn't look like he had a chance to do much molesting. You made good time. Fastest shower, yet.'
'Well, yeah, I was fast, I was in a hurry to-' Naruto caught himself. 'Threaten pervert now, chat with fox later.'
He straightened up and thrust his pointing hand at Kakashi again. "You. You stay away from Iruka-sensei! I don't care how big a pervert you are, or how vulnerable and cute he looks in the morning, you will not molest him on my watch. You got that? And if I find out you tried anything while I was gone, I'll personally - um..."
'Rip his cock off and shove it up his ass,' said Kyuubi.
Naruto choked and grimaced, 'Ew, Kyuubi! I can't say that! Iruka's right there! He's out of it, but he's still there!'
'Castrate him,' Kyuubi sighed, wishing Naruto weren't so shy about using bad language in front of Iruka.
"I'll personally castrate you!" Naruto blurted, taking up where he'd left off. "With a spoon," he added, "yeah. 'Cause it'll hurt more!"
Kyuubi snickered in his head, 'I still love that line. Nice ad lib there.'
'Thanks,' Naruto smirked mentally.
Iruka choked on a gasp and stared at Naruto in shock. His face had gone very pale except for a pink blush spread out across the bridge of his nose. Kakashi found his eyes latching onto a dark scar there. It was faded with age and followed the contours of Iruka's face from the beginning of one cheek to the other. Despite his amusement at Naruto's tirade, he had a sudden urge to follow that scar with the tip of his tongue. That road block agreed with him, but hopped into place to remind him now wasn't the time.
"Naruto..." Iruka choked out, in a small voice that sounded almost like a whimper.
Naruto winced, but stood his ground. "I know you're angry and disappointed, Iruka-sensei, but you'll thank me later."
'Or ground you,' said Kyuubi. 'Either way, it was still worth it.'
'Yeah,' Naruto agreed. 'Definitely worth it.'
Kakashi grinned and refilled the cups he was still carrying. He set Iruka's down in front of him and clapped a light hand on the shocked man's shoulder.
"That's a good kid you have there," said Kakashi, beaming as Iruka gaped up at him in disbelief.
"Hey," Naruto jumped, "Don't you touch him!"
"A little possessive," Kakashi allowed, still beaming happily, "but a good kid. I like him."
"Oh," Iruka said in that small voice. He couldn't think of anything else to say so he said it again. Then he dropped his eyes and started sipping on his second cup of coffee.
Whatever Kakashi and Naruto did after that, Iruka didn't know. He fazed them out and thought of nothing but that hot caffeine and how nice it had been sitting quietly in his dark little kitchen.
.-.
TBC
It was still raining when Naruto fell off his bed. Kyuubi liked to wake him up five minutes before his alarm went off. He did this by stretching out on his belly and then rolling over. Since he was asleep, Naruto automatically mimicked him. Naruto wished Kyuubi would do that while he was awake sometime, because it had to be a hilarious sight. He'd never actually asked him to, though. Chances were good he'd end up rolling over himself and that would be a lot more embarrassing awake.
He hit the floor with a muffled thump, legs tangled up in his blanket, and his arms still wrapped around his pillow. He grumbled and squirmed on the hard floor. He really wished he'd remember to ask Iruka about getting a rug to put by his bed. Those morning rolls were killer on his shoulders. He was always amazed at the lack of bruises when he woke up enough to stumble his way to the bathroom.
'You suck,' Naruto grumbled.
'Morning to you, too, sunshine,' Kyuubi rumbled back at him. He was still lying on his side, paws curled at the tips and tails splayed lazily behind him, mirrored in Naruto's boneless slump. He might as well have been purring in satisfaction at Naruto's lame greeting. Except he wasn't because foxes didn't purr.
'Sure they don't,' Naruto snorted, having heard that thought as cleanly as Kyuubi could hear his own. He yawned and did a squirmy stretch that brought him to his knees and no higher. 'I hate mornings so much. Why did you have to wake me so early, anyway? I don't have to be there till ten. It's not even-' He turned toward his clock and glimpsed the window. 'Ah! Kyuubi, you ass! It's still dark out! What's wrong with you, waking me this early. I told you school's out - I'm only going in for placement and that's not till ten!'
'Do you have a point?' asked Kyuubi.
'Yeah, I got a point,' Naruto scoffed. 'You're an ass. Now tell me why. Quick before I go back to sleep.'
'Iruka got up an hour ago,' said Kyuubi. He didn't give Naruto a chance to complain that Iruka always got up early on week days. 'Someone else went down not long after that. Can you guess who, or are you too sleepy to care?'
Naruto stiffened and turned itchy but alert blue eyes on the door. 'The pervert.'
'Good guess, I can't get anything past you,' Kyuubi drawled. 'Do you want to chaperone, or go back to sleep?'
'Don't be snarky,' snapped Naruto. 'It's too early to make me think, you know. And Iruka's a thousand times worse than me.'
He yawned again as he climbed to his feet, swayed a little, and then ducked back to toss his blanket and pillow on the bed. Kyuubi liked to nap randomly during the day, so he was always awake and hyper in the mornings. Naruto felt like a numb woozy lump of meat and having a hyper fox in his head was like being poked with a sharp fork. Or something like that. He really hated trying to think first thing in the morning.
'How long have they been down there?' asked Naruto, as he scrounged up some clothes for the day. He tripped over a shoe and almost missed Kyuubi's response.
'A while,' Kyuubi shrugged. 'Not long enough to worry.'
Naruto stumbled out of his closet, jangling hangers from where he'd jammed his hand out to keep him from going head-first over that stupid shoe. He could have sworn he'd put his shoes on the shelf after the last time he tripped over them. Obviously he hadn't.
'So do I have time for a shower, or what?' Naruto scowled. His eyes itched something awful. He curled a fist and rubbed at one for a second before Kyuubi growled in his ear. He promptly dropped the hand.
'You have to stop doing that,' Kyuubi said sharply. 'Every time you do, you scrub out eyelashes and it hurts.'
'Sorry,' Naruto winced. 'Really, I don't mean to. It's a habit.'
'A bad habit. Use those drops and take your shower. There's time enough for that. Iruka hasn't even made coffee yet.'
Naruto gave a dumb nod. He hated putting anything in his eyes, but the drops kept him from scratching. Kyuubi didn't just share his mind. Any irritation Naruto felt was twice as strong for Kyuubi. That itchy-eyed scrubbing was just one of those habits Naruto couldn't break himself of. It felt nice to him, rubbing till he teared up and the itch went away, but Kyuubi absolutely hated it. Naruto thought it was because Kyuubi didn't 'tear' the way he did. Just weird mutant fox Id thing.
He stumbled again when he left his room, trying to shut the door behind him midstride and failing. He hadn't cleaned his room in...about three months, so he kept the door shut as much as possible. Iruka probably guessed what was behind that conspicuously closed door, but he'd never asked. Naruto stopped, turned, and forced himself to stand up straight and steady enough to close the door. Then he turned to find someone watching him from the next doorway over.
"Hey," Naruto blinked.
Sasuke looked like he'd slept in his clothes, which, Naruto guessed, he probably had. That little bag of his hadn't been big enough for a jacket, let alone pajamas and extra clothes. He was leaning in his own doorway, arms folded, black eyes narrow but not very sharp. It was his hair that caught Naruto's eye the most. It was mussy and fluffy and standing out all over the place.
'You see that?' Kyuubi smirked in his head. 'That's what he'd look like after a night of sex. Minus the scowl. And the clothes, of course.'
'Oh, shut up,' Naruto snorted. 'Is there any time of the day when you're not a pervert?'
'No.'
Naruto grinned and started toward the bathroom again. It was all the way down the hall, but he thought he'd make it without bumping into the wall. He nodded at Sasuke when he passed him.
"You're too noisy," said Sasuke.
The comment was given in a quiet tone laced with vague resentment. Naruto frowned and turned to really look at him. "What's that mean? Did I wake you up or something?"
'Of course you did,' said Kyuubi. 'Bumbling around bumping into things. He probably woke up the second you fell off the bed. He's a twitchy one.'
'Oh. Well, there you go. You'll have to stop waking me up that way.'
Kyuubi just shrugged, 'I like waking you up that way. He'll get used to it.'
"Sorry if I woke you up," Naruto said out loud. "I hate mornings."
Sasuke stared at him for a moment with a sleepy glare, then he shrugged, dropped his eyes, muttered something, and went back into his room. Naruto frowned at the door and resisted the urge to rub at his itchy eyes.
'What did he say?' he asked Kyuubi. 'Something rude, right?'
'No,' Kyuubi sighed, as if disappointed. 'He said it's fine. He looks as out of it as Iruka does first thing.' He sighed again, tails and ears slumping. 'Why is everyone so dead in the morning? You don't hunt at night, you don't do anything but sleep. You should be eager to wake up and get moving.'
'Like you're one to talk,' Naruto sniffed, once more dragging his way down the hall. 'You nap all the time. Try staying awake all day - I bet you'll be as grumpy in the morning as I am.'
Kyuubi snorted in his head, but Naruto noticed that he made no offer to take him up on that dare.
.-.
If Naruto was a numb piece of meat in the mornings, Iruka was a zombie. Dizzy, half blind, and completely incapable of quick thought. He was also slightly dangerous to himself, since he could very well drown if he attempted to shower immediately after waking up. He knew why. It was written on the side of the bottle, 'Do not operate heavy machinery.' In his case that meant he had to wait at least an hour before going near the coffee pot or the microwave. Which was a shame, since caffeine would have helped clear his brain.
Despite his living dead state, he automatically woke up at four every morning. That usually gave him enough time to sleepwalk his way to the kitchen and sit until his eyes focused, and then make coffee and sit for another hour or two before it was time to make breakfast. He liked to use the time to go over any lectures or plans he had for the upcoming week. While he wasn't capable of quick thought, his memory was as clear as ever. He did his best thinking sitting at the kitchen table with his chin propped on his wrists while the luminescent clock over the stove rolled the minutes away.
He was staring at the green numbers designating minutes, twenty-five, when the kitchen light flicked on over head. The five rolled over to the six before he blinked and glanced over to see who'd done it. He made out blurry gray-white hair, dark right below, and dark clothes. He lifted his head and gave a vague smile.
"Hello," he murmured. A moment passed and he remembered his manners. "Good morning."
"Good morning," Kakashi said back, beaming happily. "Do you always sit in the dark?"
"Yes," Iruka smiled. Always. Because if he turned on the light he'd end up staring at the coffee pot and he didn't need the temptation. "And you? You're up early."
"I always wake up early," said Kakashi. He gave a slow look from Iruka to the light switch. "Want me to turn this back off?"
There was something about the quick eager way he asked that made little bells ring in Iruka's head. He suspected it was important, but the bells sounded like they were all the way on the other side of the house, so he ignored them. He waved a heavy hand in Kakashi's direction and went back to watching the clock.
"That's all right," Iruka drawled. His tongue was awkward in his mouth. He really wanted some-
Iruka blinked and glanced back at the blurry figure standing in the kitchen doorway. "Say," he smiled, "would you mind starting a pot of coffee? I'd really appreciate it..."
"Sure," said Kakashi. He flashed another close-eyed smile and went around the counter. He didn't bother to ask where the grounds and filters were, simply opening cabinets until he found them on his own.
Once he'd flicked the switch on the pot, a simple white one with a no-drip ball and a plastic water gage, he turned around and leaned against the counter. Iruka had dropped his chin back onto his wrists, once again staring blankly at the digital clock. Kakashi watched him with a slow smile.
He'd wondered, when he first pushed open the swinging door and noticed how large the numbers on the clock were. It was the sort of thing an old person would have, five inches tall with thick bold green numbers on a black background. Kakashi could see perfectly in the dark, another of those useful little talents he'd picked up. He suspected Sasuke could, too, but only if he used his sharingan. The first thing he'd noticed when he looked into the dark room was how fixedly Iruka was watching that clock. It wasn't until he turned on the light that he understood why.
Sasuke had the same problem waking up. He'd snap awake in an instant, sharingan blazing, weapon drawn, body all tense and alert. But the moment he realized there was no threat, he'd sort of melt into a daze that lasted a good hour or more. Kakashi had noticed it was worse when Sasuke had used his talents the day before. The kid had used those eyes of his constantly their first few days together, and when he'd finally dozed off and woke back up, he'd been drugged and dazed. Dead on his feet, Kakashi called it, though he knew Sasuke could snap himself out of it in a heartbeat if he was threatened. Iruka looked like that now. Worse, even, with his glazed eyes dilated far too wide for the bright room.
"You look like you should be in bed," Kakashi murmured. As he'd expected, a moment passed before Iruka glanced in his direction. Those pretty brown eyes didn't focus a bit. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Iruka said, with a wincing smile. "It just takes me a while to really wake up. That's why I get up so early. Plenty of time..."
"Hm."
Kakashi caught himself staring at Iruka's hair again. He wondered if it was against his code to scope out a man dead on his feet. Did he even have a code? No...no codes came to mind. He smiled and let his visible eye enjoy itself. Iruka had pulled his hair back in a loose tail that left thick strands falling around his face. He was wearing an overly large blue button up shirt with sleeves that fell to his knuckles and probably to his fingertips when he stood up. What Kakashi liked best was how tousled and relaxed he looked with that sleepy smile of his.
Unfortunately, those shiny dilated eyes ruined the image. Kakashi sighed and turned away. There were a few black mugs hanging off hooks just below the cabinet. He plucked two and filled them.
"How do you take it?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Black now," said Iruka. "Usually with cream and sugar, there's creamer in the refrigerator if you want some, but always black in the morning."
"A man after my own heart," Kakashi smiled.
He brought the cups over and watched Iruka wrap his hands around his mug. The table was round with four chairs, smaller than the one in the dining room. Kakashi drug one of the chairs over so he could sit closer to him. Iruka flashed him another of those weak, wincing smiles.
"I'm sorry I'm not good company in the morning," said Iruka.
"No need to be," Kakashi shrugged. "It's your home and I'm more of a freeloader than a guest. The least I can do is make coffee for the two of us. I can't offer to cook, after all."
He flashed a hopeful look at Iruka and was disappointed when the man didn't react to that barb. He sighed and sipped at his own mug. Maybe he didn't have a code, but it seemed he did have some sort of moral roadblock. Just thinking about making a friendly flirtatious gesture made him rebound off that unexpected block. Stupid block.
It wasn't like he'd planned to really take advantage of the guy. As dazed as Iruka looked, he could probably get in some major league groping before he even noticed. All he'd wanted to do was tuck one of those dangling strands of hair behind his ear. That wasn't even sexual in itself. It was more friendly than anything. Hardly even counted as flirtatious when he got right down to it. Heck, he'd have done the same thing for a sleepy Sasuke if he didn't know the kid would snap awake and break his hand for it. Nothing sexual at all.
Iruka blinked when fingers brushed over his temple, tucking a bit of his hair behind his ear. He turned to find Kakashi giving him one of his crinkle-eyed smiles. He smiled back, thinking that if he'd been awake he probably would have blushed in embarrassment.
"I come downstairs as soon as I wake up," Iruka explained. "Mornings are the only time I'm this messy, really."
"It's not messy at all," said Kakashi. "Don't worry about it."
That wasn't what he'd wanted to say, but once again that block sprang up to keep any sly perverted comments at bay. And it glared at him, as much as a mental road block could glare. Kakashi sighed again. In retrospect that little hair tucking thing was a tad suggestive. Intimate, even. He decided he'd never try something like that with Sasuke, threat of a mutilated hand or not. Just the thought of it made him feel slimy. Pervert, and gladly, pedophile, no thank you.
"So," Kakashi started, "what are the plans for today?"
"Not much this early," Iruka said slowly. "School lets out in April here, then placement tests this week to determine who advances to the next level. They don't have automatic graduation for the classes. Anyone who doesn't test up stays in the same class another semester. That's convenient for us. No matter which level Sasuke tests into, he's bound to be in a class with students his own age. The youngest boy in Naruto's class is ten, the oldest seventeen. They have mandatory attendance for children under eighteen, but it doesn't matter what level they make it to before they leave. Just as long as they're being taught something."
He paused for a moment, taking another drink and savoring the caffeine. "Naruto has his tests today, at ten. I thought I'd get Sasuke enrolled first and then take the two of you around town. Hopefully the rain will stop by then. I don't have enough umbrellas and I'd rather not take the car."
Kakashi nodded and watched him drain his mug. He stood and waved a hand at it. "More?"
"Please," Iruka smiled.
Kakashi leaned over to take the mug and froze seconds before a figure came bursting through the swinging door. He probably could have moved out of the incriminating position before the boy caught sight of him, but where was the fun in that?
"Stop right there, you!" Naruto roared, the second he saw how close Kakashi's face had to be to Iruka's. "Back away from Iruka-sensei. Slowly, if you know what's good for you!"
Kakashi snickered silently, grinning at Iruka's dazed expression. He straightened up, mug in hand, and slowly backed away. Then he turned to grin at the outraged boy standing just inside the door. Iruka reacted a moment later.
"Naruto!" Iruka gasped. "What's gotten into you?"
Naruto didn't look at him. He was still pointing at Kakashi. Now he waved his hand to the side, motioning the man to put more distance between himself and the poor muddled Iruka. "Go on," he muttered, "move it."
Kakashi laughed out loud this time, but again, he did as he was told. "I wasn't doing anything naughty. What a perverted imagination you have. I approve of that in a boy your age, you know. Maybe you can teach Sasuke a few things while you're at it."
Naruto didn't even try to make sense of that. Despite his anger at having caught the pervert red handed, he was still a little too sleepy to think clearly. He sent a quick check to Kyuubi.
'He's still got the mask on,' he thought. 'Is that better or worse?'
'Better,' Kyuubi admitted. 'He'd have more trouble using his tongue with the mask on.'
'Good,' Naruto sniffed. Then he realized what Kyuubi had said and went red in the face. 'Oh! Not good! You pervert, making me think about that pervert's tongue and Iruka-sense all blurry and defenseless - you want me to just out and kill him or what?'
'Kill him if necessary,' Kyuubi shrugged, 'but not over this. Iruka's still dressed. It doesn't look like he had a chance to do much molesting. You made good time. Fastest shower, yet.'
'Well, yeah, I was fast, I was in a hurry to-' Naruto caught himself. 'Threaten pervert now, chat with fox later.'
He straightened up and thrust his pointing hand at Kakashi again. "You. You stay away from Iruka-sensei! I don't care how big a pervert you are, or how vulnerable and cute he looks in the morning, you will not molest him on my watch. You got that? And if I find out you tried anything while I was gone, I'll personally - um..."
'Rip his cock off and shove it up his ass,' said Kyuubi.
Naruto choked and grimaced, 'Ew, Kyuubi! I can't say that! Iruka's right there! He's out of it, but he's still there!'
'Castrate him,' Kyuubi sighed, wishing Naruto weren't so shy about using bad language in front of Iruka.
"I'll personally castrate you!" Naruto blurted, taking up where he'd left off. "With a spoon," he added, "yeah. 'Cause it'll hurt more!"
Kyuubi snickered in his head, 'I still love that line. Nice ad lib there.'
'Thanks,' Naruto smirked mentally.
Iruka choked on a gasp and stared at Naruto in shock. His face had gone very pale except for a pink blush spread out across the bridge of his nose. Kakashi found his eyes latching onto a dark scar there. It was faded with age and followed the contours of Iruka's face from the beginning of one cheek to the other. Despite his amusement at Naruto's tirade, he had a sudden urge to follow that scar with the tip of his tongue. That road block agreed with him, but hopped into place to remind him now wasn't the time.
"Naruto..." Iruka choked out, in a small voice that sounded almost like a whimper.
Naruto winced, but stood his ground. "I know you're angry and disappointed, Iruka-sensei, but you'll thank me later."
'Or ground you,' said Kyuubi. 'Either way, it was still worth it.'
'Yeah,' Naruto agreed. 'Definitely worth it.'
Kakashi grinned and refilled the cups he was still carrying. He set Iruka's down in front of him and clapped a light hand on the shocked man's shoulder.
"That's a good kid you have there," said Kakashi, beaming as Iruka gaped up at him in disbelief.
"Hey," Naruto jumped, "Don't you touch him!"
"A little possessive," Kakashi allowed, still beaming happily, "but a good kid. I like him."
"Oh," Iruka said in that small voice. He couldn't think of anything else to say so he said it again. Then he dropped his eyes and started sipping on his second cup of coffee.
Whatever Kakashi and Naruto did after that, Iruka didn't know. He fazed them out and thought of nothing but that hot caffeine and how nice it had been sitting quietly in his dark little kitchen.
.-.
TBC