These come from the Naruto Universe I always write in (it might just be canon if Kishimoto doesn't say nay...) I'm not going to say they're good (2 of them were written out of pre-presentation stress and are a bit odd) but they're something, right? I'm hoping to expand upon these ideas if anyone likes them.
Oh, and each of these ficlets (can they even be called that yet?) were inspired by their first sentences. Ironically, the first sentence of the first ficlet is rather misleading, so just take it as an overall description. (And don't ask me what my obsession with them all being drukn was. I just now realized that *facepalm*)
~
For six months, Iruka and Kakashi had lived together.
The Academy had finally accepted Iruka’s application to become a teacher and Kakashi was forced to resign his ANBU mask for the first time.
Iruka had gone home that day, unsure if he had ever been so excited about something. Kakashi, ever the conflicting presence, was waiting on the chuunin’s doormat ready to cry, scream, or hurt something.
He hid his depression behind a fake drunk chuckle and reached for Iruka, missing twice on purpose. He was never one for being forward about his problems and the chuunin always figured out something was up when he got too tipsy to see straight.
Iruka, too ecstatic to see anything was wrong, pulled Kakashi to him and laughed.
With a whispered, “let’s go in and celebrate,” Kakashi forgot his own depression for a few short hours.
He slips out of Iruka’s apartment as the young man falls into a drunken slumber. He finds Genma first, who immediately congratulates him for Iruka’s acceptance into the Academy.
The newly appointed special jounin is drunk too- Kakashi realizes- as the man walks straight into a wall.
He leaves the brunette to nurse his cheek (cut open by his senbon in the accident) and muttering about stupid henges that won’t release.
Kakashi doesn’t know how to take this news. He wasn’t happy for Iruka, not really. Why should he be happy for the man to get his dream job when Kakashi just lost his?
But he knows he can’t lose Iruka. Especially not now that there’s nothing else. He had never been alone with himself before. Not really. He’d had his father, then sensei, then ANBU. He’d has his Hound mask. But now he didn’t have that and all he had left was Iruka and he didn’t think it was okay to be angry at the chuunin for getting the job he wanted so he had to figure out a way to be happy for him without really congratulating him or anything.
So he goes to the smith and stops by the haberdashery before realizing the haberdasher won’t have any ribbon. He stops by the Yamanaka Flower Shop and asks the little girl behind the counter if she’d trade him a ribbon for a glimpse at his face. The little girl doesn’t know why this is special, but happily obliges. Kakashi’s just happy no receipts have to be made up- Gai would never leave him be if he found out he spent money in a flower shop. For a bright red ribbon.
Besides, no one would believe Inoichi’s little girl had really seen the Copy Nin’s face.
He tied the ribbon around the key the smith had made him and slipped back into Iruka’s apartment.
Iruka wakes up to a note scribbled on an enveloped, reading:
Didn't want to ruin your celebration last night.
I thought you might like this.
Nothing else is written, but Iruka knows it's from Kakashi. The key falls out, accented by a bright red bow and Iruka is glad Kakashi isn't there because for a minute he couldn't breathe and for a minute it's just too much. But after that minute there's a grin on his face and he's not sure if it means everything he thinks, but he starts boxing up things and it only takes half a day to move him into Kakashi's place.
Both men are terrified. Iruka, because he's never been in a relationship this serious before- hell, Kakashi had been his only long term relationship to start with.
Kakashi is just terrified that Iruka would find out that they were living together for all the wrong reasons.
And eventually Iruka does find out because when Kakashi's angry, sometimes he can't hold his tongue properly. He's too busy trying to hurt to realize he's screwing himself over and he tells Iruka why he gave him his key, explains that he never wanted to live with the man, he just wanted to reaffirm the relationship without there being actual meaning behind the gesture.
What ninja needed a key?
Iruka, who was never as angry but always angrier somehow, responded that a key is like an engagement ring to nin. Only a social retard could not know that.
The two went their seperate ways at that, Iruka moving into a nicer aparement, not the bachelor's apartment he was given when he became a chuunin. He had more money now, he taunted Kakashi when he started moving out, because he had his dream job.
His box full of underwear and socks somehow went missing- which was rather odd because he had been carrying them himself- as he crossed town to his new place. He found them the next day when he reached the Academy.
Somebody had stapled them together in chains (alternating between socks and underwear and very aware of the different color patterns) and hung them up in his classroom.
Iruka couldn't help but snort at that. Completely juvenile, but it was an action he could understand.
Even though it didn't work out, it had for six months.
Six long, very good months.
~
This next ficlet I'm kind of proud of. I really like it but I'm not sure about posting it to ff.net.
It also has a vague reference to a very recent chapter from the manga. First to spy it gets to commission a fic.
~
Ninja didn’t date.
It wasn’t something anyone ever mentioned. No one had informed Iruka that the only couples he saw in the market were civilians. Eventually, when he learned to search out chakra and read body movements, he figured it out himself.
With that realization, everything clicked into place.
Ninja didn’t date.
Kurenai and Asuma weren’t dating. They never had, they never would. Someday, after years of this not dating, they might get hitched, but never married. It’d be something quick that only the hokage knew about. Except everyone would know.
It was all semantics really. But there was something very comforting about knowing that he wasn’t dating Kakashi. The man would come to his apartment and he would go to Kakashi’s and sometimes they would do secret things that weren’t so secret but were close, so close.
But they weren’t dating.
If they were, then that means that Kakashi means something and that means that Iruka means something and one of them (Iruka) could be kidnapped and the other (Kakashi) would let him die because a ninja can’t be blackmailed by an enemy.
And if they were dating, when one of them dies on a mission (and Iruka knows that he’s kidding himself when he says he might be the one to die first because really, he hadn’t been on a field mission in over a year and Kakashi was ANBU half the time and that stupid bastard would jump in front of the kunai sooner than risk not being able to knock it out of the way if Iruka didn’t look like he was moving fast enough) it wouldn’t be too bad. A comrade had fallen, but no more than that.
Because they weren’t dating.
And when Iruka breathes this into Kakashi’s ear - “We’re not dating. Not a couple. We’re not. We’re not. We’re not”- as the Copy Nin takes him, they both have to clench their teeth and it’s all that keeps them from saying anything stupid.
And when Iruka sits on his roof on nights when he can’t fall asleep and Kakashi is sitting on a windowsill just around the corner, it’s okay.
Because they aren’t together and they aren’t together. And if they’re not together, then they can’t be hurt.
~
This next one I am still working on and will definitely be put onto ff.net once I finish (and expand) it. Enjoy.
~
Kakashi and Iruka spoke often of fidelity.
Kakashi claimed he couldn’t stay faithful to one person, especially when there was so little to the
relationship as it was.
“We’re more like sex buddies than two people in a committed relationship,” he said one night when the topic came up.
Iruka stared at him and Kakashi didn’t know what it meant; years later, Iruka’s students would come to know this stare very well, identifying it as the challenge it was.
For being a genius, Kakashi would never figure this out about the chuunin.
“Alright,” Iruka had replied. “Sex buddies.”
Three weeks later, Kakashi realized how much more there had been to their relationship than the fun, gropey parts. Those parts were still good but… less, since they were the only thing between the two now.
He wouldn’t admit he was wrong, of course. He wouldn’t allow himself to be humiliated like that. The chuunin thought he was teaching a lesson? Fine. Let him teach his lesson, because Kakashi was used to self-deprivation and emotional pain.
A few more weeks of loneliness were nothing for him.
Iruka did eventually cave, “cornering” Kakashi- who very much let himself be cornered and they both knew it- in the missions room one evening.
He wanted to go back to how they had been nearly two months before. Kakashi pretended to think about it before sighing heavily.
“I guess I can try this monogamous thing.”
Kakashi wasn’t too bad at this monogamous thing, he found.
It was hard at first, but only because it was so instinctual. The day after he and Iruka reconciled, Kakashi was in the Hokage’s Tower when one of his occasional sex partners stretched sensuously before intoning that she might need to go visit a certain broom closet on her way out.
He hadn’t realized what he was doing until his hand closed around the doorknob. Panicking, he disappeared into a cloud of smoke and leaves, reappearing in the middle of the market.
After three more times of almost having something happen, Kakashi realized he needed to do something to curb this habit.
It wasn’t like he wanted to go around sexing up the village. Not this year, at least.
It was just so natural. Back in the day, Watari would tilt his head towards a door and Kakashi would circle around to the window. Toko would open her window as he walked past and ask if he’d like an afternoon snack and he’d go up to meet her.
It wasn’t really planned or thought about. He just did it. Which made it that much harder to not do. Cravings, he could repress. Urges, he could kill.
Instinct? Ninja survived because they constantly followed and trusted their instincts.
So he’d have to curb them, redirect them to something less disastrous to this teetering relationship he found himself in.
That’s why the fourth time he panic-teleported into the middle of the market he noticed that book in the window. A little orange book.
The answer to all his problems.
Kakashi ducked into the little shop, grabbed that wonderful little book, and threw a handful of money at the surprised man behind the counter.
Kakashi didn’t want to risk being tempted again and to the chagrin of every morally upright person in the market on that sunny afternoon, the legendary Copy Nin strolled down the street reading Icha Icha Paradise, renowned for its sheer inappropriateness.
~
Just a note, if you don't recognize a name, I probably make it up. I mean, I didn't want Anko to tilt her head toward an empty room or Gai to invite Kakashi up for an afternoon snack *shudder*
I thought you might like this.
Nothing else is written, but Iruka knows it's from Kakashi. The key falls out, accented by a bright red bow and Iruka is glad Kakashi isn't there because for a minute he couldn't breathe and for a minute it's just too much. But after that minute there's a grin on his face and he's not sure if it means everything he thinks, but he starts boxing up things and it only takes half a day to move him into Kakashi's place.
Both men are terrified. Iruka, because he's never been in a relationship this serious before- hell, Kakashi had been his only long term relationship to start with.
Kakashi is just terrified that Iruka would find out that they were living together for all the wrong reasons.
And eventually Iruka does find out because when Kakashi's angry, sometimes he can't hold his tongue properly. He's too busy trying to hurt to realize he's screwing himself over and he tells Iruka why he gave him his key, explains that he never wanted to live with the man, he just wanted to reaffirm the relationship without there being actual meaning behind the gesture.
What ninja needed a key?
Iruka, who was never as angry but always angrier somehow, responded that a key is like an engagement ring to nin. Only a social retard could not know that.
The two went their seperate ways at that, Iruka moving into a nicer aparement, not the bachelor's apartment he was given when he became a chuunin. He had more money now, he taunted Kakashi when he started moving out, because he had his dream job.
His box full of underwear and socks somehow went missing- which was rather odd because he had been carrying them himself- as he crossed town to his new place. He found them the next day when he reached the Academy.
Somebody had stapled them together in chains (alternating between socks and underwear and very aware of the different color patterns) and hung them up in his classroom.
Iruka couldn't help but snort at that. Completely juvenile, but it was an action he could understand.
Even though it didn't work out, it had for six months.
Six long, very good months.
~
This next ficlet I'm kind of proud of. I really like it but I'm not sure about posting it to ff.net.
It also has a vague reference to a very recent chapter from the manga. First to spy it gets to commission a fic.
~
Ninja didn’t date.
It wasn’t something anyone ever mentioned. No one had informed Iruka that the only couples he saw in the market were civilians. Eventually, when he learned to search out chakra and read body movements, he figured it out himself.
With that realization, everything clicked into place.
Ninja didn’t date.
Kurenai and Asuma weren’t dating. They never had, they never would. Someday, after years of this not dating, they might get hitched, but never married. It’d be something quick that only the hokage knew about. Except everyone would know.
It was all semantics really. But there was something very comforting about knowing that he wasn’t dating Kakashi. The man would come to his apartment and he would go to Kakashi’s and sometimes they would do secret things that weren’t so secret but were close, so close.
But they weren’t dating.
If they were, then that means that Kakashi means something and that means that Iruka means something and one of them (Iruka) could be kidnapped and the other (Kakashi) would let him die because a ninja can’t be blackmailed by an enemy.
And if they were dating, when one of them dies on a mission (and Iruka knows that he’s kidding himself when he says he might be the one to die first because really, he hadn’t been on a field mission in over a year and Kakashi was ANBU half the time and that stupid bastard would jump in front of the kunai sooner than risk not being able to knock it out of the way if Iruka didn’t look like he was moving fast enough) it wouldn’t be too bad. A comrade had fallen, but no more than that.
Because they weren’t dating.
And when Iruka breathes this into Kakashi’s ear - “We’re not dating. Not a couple. We’re not. We’re not. We’re not”- as the Copy Nin takes him, they both have to clench their teeth and it’s all that keeps them from saying anything stupid.
And when Iruka sits on his roof on nights when he can’t fall asleep and Kakashi is sitting on a windowsill just around the corner, it’s okay.
Because they aren’t together and they aren’t together. And if they’re not together, then they can’t be hurt.
~
This next one I am still working on and will definitely be put onto ff.net once I finish (and expand) it. Enjoy.
~
Kakashi and Iruka spoke often of fidelity.
Kakashi claimed he couldn’t stay faithful to one person, especially when there was so little to the
relationship as it was.
“We’re more like sex buddies than two people in a committed relationship,” he said one night when the topic came up.
Iruka stared at him and Kakashi didn’t know what it meant; years later, Iruka’s students would come to know this stare very well, identifying it as the challenge it was.
For being a genius, Kakashi would never figure this out about the chuunin.
“Alright,” Iruka had replied. “Sex buddies.”
Three weeks later, Kakashi realized how much more there had been to their relationship than the fun, gropey parts. Those parts were still good but… less, since they were the only thing between the two now.
He wouldn’t admit he was wrong, of course. He wouldn’t allow himself to be humiliated like that. The chuunin thought he was teaching a lesson? Fine. Let him teach his lesson, because Kakashi was used to self-deprivation and emotional pain.
A few more weeks of loneliness were nothing for him.
Iruka did eventually cave, “cornering” Kakashi- who very much let himself be cornered and they both knew it- in the missions room one evening.
He wanted to go back to how they had been nearly two months before. Kakashi pretended to think about it before sighing heavily.
“I guess I can try this monogamous thing.”
Kakashi wasn’t too bad at this monogamous thing, he found.
It was hard at first, but only because it was so instinctual. The day after he and Iruka reconciled, Kakashi was in the Hokage’s Tower when one of his occasional sex partners stretched sensuously before intoning that she might need to go visit a certain broom closet on her way out.
He hadn’t realized what he was doing until his hand closed around the doorknob. Panicking, he disappeared into a cloud of smoke and leaves, reappearing in the middle of the market.
After three more times of almost having something happen, Kakashi realized he needed to do something to curb this habit.
It wasn’t like he wanted to go around sexing up the village. Not this year, at least.
It was just so natural. Back in the day, Watari would tilt his head towards a door and Kakashi would circle around to the window. Toko would open her window as he walked past and ask if he’d like an afternoon snack and he’d go up to meet her.
It wasn’t really planned or thought about. He just did it. Which made it that much harder to not do. Cravings, he could repress. Urges, he could kill.
Instinct? Ninja survived because they constantly followed and trusted their instincts.
So he’d have to curb them, redirect them to something less disastrous to this teetering relationship he found himself in.
That’s why the fourth time he panic-teleported into the middle of the market he noticed that book in the window. A little orange book.
The answer to all his problems.
Kakashi ducked into the little shop, grabbed that wonderful little book, and threw a handful of money at the surprised man behind the counter.
Kakashi didn’t want to risk being tempted again and to the chagrin of every morally upright person in the market on that sunny afternoon, the legendary Copy Nin strolled down the street reading Icha Icha Paradise, renowned for its sheer inappropriateness.
~
Just a note, if you don't recognize a name, I probably make it up. I mean, I didn't want Anko to tilt her head toward an empty room or Gai to invite Kakashi up for an afternoon snack *shudder*
Ok, these were amazing. All 3 of them. I especially liked your explanation of why Kakashi reads Icha Icha. XD
ReplyDeleteSadly, I probably would not have even blinked at Anko's head tilting or Gai's invitations... too much fanfiction I guess...