“Got another date?” Genma grinned and flicked his senbon teasingly across his lips. Iruka, giving him a disgusted look, reached out and shoved him off the desk.
“I’m not dating Kakashi.” Iruka growled, blushing. “He’s my friend. Like you are.”
“Well, that doesn’t mean anything, does it?” Genma gave him a wicked grin, reseating himself on the desk. “I’m your friend and it doesn’t stop me from wanting to…”
“SHUT UP.” Iruka growled again, blushing harder. “Just…shut up, Genma. I’m not in the mood.”
“Words to break any man’s heart.” Genma laughed and ducked just in time. The kunai that Iruka lobbed at him passed over his head and thunked into the opposite wall, startling Kotetsu, who gave them a disgusted look.
“God. You are such a…pervert!” Iruka stood and gathered up his papers, giving Genma a fierce glare. “Really. You’re a jounin; try to grow up a little?”
He spun on his heel and marched into the back office, still blushing.
The whole situation drove him crazy. He and Kakashi had started to meet for lunch occasionally, mostly discussing Naruto and team 7’s development. Iruka found Kakashi kind of…fascinating. The special jounin was so damn changeable. Some days he was lighthearted and teasing, making Iruka blush every ten seconds. Other days he was oddly serious, and their discussions would stray from the team to other, deeper topics. Death. Fear. The life of a shinobi. Iruka didn’t kid himself that he could fully understand the darkness of the other man, but he could-and did-serve as a willing pair of ears when Kakashi felt the need to talk.
Iruka really, really liked Kakashi. But not like…that.
Iruka was really, really straight.
He sighed.
Too bad the village is so damn eager to see us hooked up, he thought with a painful grin. It was kind of embarrassing, the attention being paid to Iruka and Kakashi’s non-existent love life. Genma teased. Kurenai and Asuma worried. And Anko…Anko was full of “advice.”
Not to mention everyone else, Iruka thought with a sigh. Even Ibiki seemed to be getting in the action. Ibiki had cornered him the other day and delivered a really odd lecture on the instability of ‘certain jounin’ and the inadvisability of getting too deeply involved.
Iruka was going crazy.
He filed the papers and returned to the outer room. Genma was busy; Shikamaru and Shino were turning in their report and quietly advising him of some peculiarities in their last mission.
Iruka sat down and started shuffling the papers, listening to the conversation. He couldn’t really understand the words, but it was a soothing drone in the background while his mind wandered.
What am I going to do? I can’t…these rumors. They’re so damn…intrusive. Even my well-meaning friends are driving me insane. But no matter how hard I deny it, nothing seems to work.
I could stop seeing Kakashi.
Iruka sighed. He didn’t want to. Getting to know the silver-haired, reclusive jounin was a pleasure. Every time he learned something new, something that he suspected that few other people knew, it was like seeing a new petal unfolding from an exotic flower. Enticing. Beautiful. Seductive.
He blushed at that thought.
What the hell?
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Chapter notes: Don't Own Naruto.