Falling in love

Iruka never knew which gender he felt attracted to until a fateful day in May. He had turned 23 years old only days before, but despite the canon experience men his age used to have; Iruka had not been interested in relationships with anyone whatsoever.

It was only past noon when the brunette made his way from the academy back home, a large stack of students' essays protruding from the bag he was carrying, and sent his thoughts travelling to further plans for the day. He knew he would have to mark the papers he had collected this morning, and then make sure he got some decent food into his already protesting stomach. Today's breakfast had taken place far too early in the morning and he really needed something more to keep him functioning all day long.

Absentmindedly, he walked past market stalls and yelling civilians as he tried to wrap his mind around what he would use this evening for. He only realized where he had been going when his foot caught on a casually outstretched leg and was sent flying face first to the rough ground. A startled yelp caught in his throat as he tried to roll over but was restricted by a long arm suddenly wrapping around his chest. His face stopped in midair, hovering only inches over what could have been a really painful landing. A burning sensation spread all through Iruka's lower arms and wrists where he had tried to hold himself up against the downfall, and he knew he must be bleeding by now, but all he could feel was relief for the unexpected help.

Carefully, he was pulled back until his heels touched the ground, and then released to sit on his own.

Iruka's eyes roamed about, taking in the mass of papers that had spread all over the ground during his rapid fall and then jumping to his arms where sand and rough grit mixed with his blood. He winced but was taken aback by chilly fingers taking a firm hold of one of hands. Gently, his arm was turned to rest in a gloved palm, as a man stepped in view and moved to squat in front of him. A quiet gasp flew past Iruka's lips as he recognized the masked face that was intently studying his breached skin.

"Y-you…!?" he blurted out before realizing how impolite he must seem, and blushed furiously.
Iruka thought he saw a fleet smile cross the masked face of Hatake Kakashi, but he couldn't be sure and decided to look elsewhere.

"I… I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention" the young man admitted, still glowing with mad redness.

A quiet chuckle drew Iruka's attention back to the jounin still perching in front of him, and only now he realized that the man had been watching him intently. His visible eye looked far less bored than what Iruka could remember as its usual manner; indeed, it rather seemed to be searching for something, and although the man was laughing quietly to himself, the stormy gray eye belied his curiosity. One of the gloved hands still held Iruka's arm in a firm grip, and the younger man could feel his blood drain from the wounded area.

Uncomfortably, Iruka started twitching to escape the all too tight grasp the other man held on his arm, and the gloved fingers retreated in one quick movement. The eye that had been studying Iruka's face so curiously before narrowed ever so slightly and the chuunin groaned out in misery.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to… ah, it was just... my arm hurts enough even without the pressure and….. and I don't think you wanted to hurt me." Iruka trailed off lamely.

The instant reaction took him by surprise, though, and he looked up into the unblinking eye as a soft baritone washed over him.

"Why are you apologizing?" came the words, spoken neutrally, from under the mask, but the raised eyebrow betrayed the jounin's surprise.

Iruka swallowed. Slowly, he withdrew his arm to rest it in his lap together with the other one, before he shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"I… I just thought you might have been wondering….. I was being impolite, wasn't I?" He stared down at the bloody mixture covering his arms.

A deep rumble made the young man start, and he looked up again. The chuckle was back.
"Why are you apologizing?" the other man repeated, and Iruka could have sworn he saw the mask twitch as lips stretched into a smile. "You were just being honest. If anything, I should be the one begging your pardon. It was my posture that caused you to stumble, to begin with." And the silver crowned head bowed briefly.

Iruka didn't realize he had been staring in awe until cool fingers touched his lower jaw and pushed it upwards. Hatake Kakashi was bowing to him? A wave of something Iruka couldn't quite identify sent a shiver down his spine and burning heat started to coil in his stomach, slowly rising in his chest until his heart was pounding painfully against his ribs. The mad blush on his cheeks was back, spreading across his nose and to the far extent of his scar. Again, Iruka thought he saw Kakashi smile.

A moment of silence passed between the two until Iruka got painfully aware of the increasing amount of people who were standing nearby, watching them. Quiet whispers broke through the surrounding area and Iruka's blush deepened. With sudden haste, he made his way to the scattered papers he had been carrying with him to collect them all and then be on his way once more, but was stopped by the same tight pressure across his chest that had prevented him from crashing, face first, onto the ground earlier. A strong arm had sneaked around his upper body and restricted his every movement, so Iruka held still for a moment and sent a quick glare over his shoulder. What he had not anticipated, however, was the proximity in which Kakashi's face hovered next to his, and the young man let out a startled cry.

"Ah, I… Kakashi-sensei, I need to… regain my papers. If the wind picks up, I won't be able to collect them all!" he pleaded, but the man at his back didn't release him. Instead, a second arm wrapped around his belly and took a hold of one of his bleeding arms, holding it up for him to see.

"Do you really want to have that on your students' homework, Iruka-sensei?" he asked honestly, and Iruka felt the heat in his face rise to his hairline. He hadn't thought of that at all.

Resolutely, he shook his head. But what to do with all this mess? A little exhausted, the young teacher leaned back against the warm body behind him. He couldn't tell how to carry the papers without smearing them with his own blood.

Already he wanted to turn to the bystanders to ask if anyone was ready to help him out when a finger was pressed against his lips.

"It's okay. I'll accompany you home and carry that load of- what are they, essays? - for you."

The grip around Iruka's chest tightened as Kakashi rose to his feet and dragged the smaller man with him. Iruka kept quiet this time, his face hanging low in shame and embarrassment. His heart, however, was hammering furiously inside his ribcage, and even as the jounin retreated from behind him to kneel and pick up all the papers, Iruka felt as if the heat had never left him.

For a moment he just stood there, awkward, watching the higher ranked shinobi retrieve all the stray papers from the ground. It was only after a few more minutes that Iruka mustered up enough courage to raise his voice again.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, shrinking back where he stood as he realized how ungrateful he must sound. He quickly backpedaled. "I mean, why is someone like you helping someone like me? It was not your fault that I wasn't paying attention to the street! You could just as well scold me for being so pathetic…"

Kakashi didn't so much as look up to him while collecting the papers, but Iruka saw the smile tug at his mask once more.

"Iruka-sensei, do you want to refuse my help? If so, just let me know, and I will no longer bother you with my attention." he responded casually, a low chuckle rising in his throat even now.

Iruka was just about to object yet again when he realized the slight tint of red right above where the jounin's mask ended, and he stared at the apparently heated skin in silent astonishment. The possible words he could have mustered were stuck in his throat as something started tickling in the depths of his belly. Oblivious to the meaning his own emotions, the chuunin kept his gaze on the other man steadily, feeling slightly dizzy.
He did not raise his voice anymore for the following minutes, silently accepting the elite jounin's inexplicable courtesy up to the point where the man asked to be allowed into his home.

Iruka did not object.

All he really objected to was to be left alone after Kakashi had treated his arms with surprising patience. And so the jounin stayed.