because everyone is doing it... WIP meme
Instructions: When you see this, post a paragraph or two from as many random works-in-progress as you can find lying around. Who knows? Maybe inspiration will burst forth and do something, um, inspiration-y.
i searched network and all computers, and guh, there's a lot. i suck.
1) Ebisu sat at the table with a cup of tea and a novel, as if he always got up at three in the morning. A full cup of coffee sat across from him, along with a bowl of rice, two small fish on a plate with pickled turnips, and a cup of miso soup.
He didn't look at Ibiki coming through the door, and he knew Ibiki didn't like to talk in the morning, but he couldn't resist a quiet 'good morning'.
Ibiki downed half the coffee without response, then eyed the food, his lips a thin line. He didn't like eating just before a mission. But if he didn't eat, Ebisu would sniff at him. His stomach chose that moment to remind him it was empty, and the fish smelled mighty tasty, so he ignored the man's eyebrow lift as he sat down at the table and picked up his chopsticks.
Stomach happily occupied, Ibiki looked across the table. And waited. No, it wasn't unusual for Ebisu to get up early and make breakfast. But the man usually went back to bed. Or off to train. He couldn't remember a single time in the last year Ebisu sat across from him for breakfast, unless they were both leaving.
“All that crap last night...” Ebisu turned the page of his book and took a sip of his tea. “Was that for real? Or was it more of your I'm-scary-fear-me bullshit?”
“Why would I lie about something like that?”
The book wavered. “Because you're you?”
This was why most shinobi lived alone. After only a year, Ebisu knew him in a way no one else did.
2) Aoba groaned, his eyes rolling back in his head. It just didn't get any better than this, he decided, twisting his neck to encourage the hands to knead harder. "Oh, yeah, right there, baby," he cooed, arching just a little against the chair.
He opened his eyes, grinning at the two men sitting across from him on the sofa. He owed them big time for this. He owed Genma and Raidou even more for standing them up, but once he'd gotten some sleep, he'd track them down and share his good fortune. "Hey, babe, my guests need more coffee," he purred, watching Inoichi press his lips together to keep from laughing. Shikaku wore the same bored expression he'd had since last night. Except for his eyes. His eyes had a predatory look to them Aoba had seen before in foxes grouped around a yowling vixen in heat - alert, patient, but hungry. Nothing remotely deer-like in that dark gaze.
He snickered when the hands stopped and he heard a brief huff of annoyance. "Service with a smile, sweetie," he chided, running his hand over the back of the short, pleated skirt and giving a light smack to the tight ass underneath. Inoichi couldn't hide his laughter this time, so Aoba craned his neck around, frowning. "Smile like you mean it or it doesn't count." He held the dark brown eyes with his own until those pretty eyes shifted down and Aoba relaxed. The scary grimace was replaced with a warm smile that made Aoba's breath catch.
3) Kakashi pressed against the tree, eye on the two men ahead as they walked across the sand. He hated this - he wasn't to interfere unless Genma called him, but he couldn't get too close, either. Not that Arakaki would care, he expected Roka's bodyguard to be nearby. He would have been suspicious otherwise. But it was strange, watching a man like that walking so close to Genma, their shoulders bumping occasionally, his hand touching Genma's back or arm far more often than necessary.
4) So hot, Ibiki thought, his eyes glazed. Well, he'd found the condoms at last, they didn't need to wait anymore. Except... "What are you doing?"
"See? That's exactly what I mean. What the fuck does it look like I'm doing? I'm putting on my pants. Are you guys even shinobi? Sure, you can jump out trees silently, and I guess there's some kind of genjutsu going, I don't know, I'll find out when I dispel it. If you two are ANBU-level, I need to consider switching affiliations because I could use the extra money." Iruka stalked over to where the smaller guy had tossed the shirt and shoved his arms into it, not bothering with the buttons.
"Um, I thought, we were... that is, you seemed like you liked it, and..." Kakashi couldn't seem to process the sudden shift in the teacher, and Ibiki had to admit, silently, Kakashi sounded like a moron.
Iruka gave a dignified snort as he shoved his feet into his sandals. "Whatever. Your five minutes are up." He stomped over to the big one and snagged two of the condoms. "I'll leave you the rest. That way you two can go fuck yourselves. Or each other. I don't care and I'm sure I don't want to know. Just do Konoha a favor and don't breed."
And then he was gone, heading back to the party.
5) “How long has this been going on?” he asked, crossing his arms. Two pairs of faceted eyes stared back at him. He could almost see the shrug, the lazy laugh, and a sly twist of the reptillian mouth. As if Zeyth had been destined for Genma from the day he was formed. Hell, Zeyth’s skin mirrored his own hair, and in the sunlight, he swore he and Zeyth shared the same eye color as well. But dragons had no real sense of time, and all Zeyth could tell him was he was content. Arath was content. And Iruka?
“How is Arath’s rider?”
Zeyth lifted his head, nudging against the smaller green one. Swirling eyes stared at each other, and Genma wondered if he should look away. Dammit, they weren’t even a mated pair! Where was her mate, anyway? True, Greens mated with whoever flew them, the same as Golds, and it wasn’t unusual for Greens to return to a solitary existence as soon as it was over. But Genma had never seen a dragon behave like Zeyth before.
“Arath’s rider is angry.”
Genma snorted. That would teach him to try and ask Zeyth anything about another dragonrider.
6) Genma took the news in his typical laid-back fashion. "Kunoichi classes? You have to take kunoichi classes?"
Raidou scowled down at the man writhing with laughter on the floor. He kicked his lover, hard, but even the strangled 'oomph' didn't satisfy him. Trust Genma to skip over the obvious and pick on something small, something Raidou had never even considered being upset about. "Did you hear me? They're going to turn me into a woman. A real woman! For almost a year!"
"A real woman, huh? With boobs and everything?"
"Yeah, with boobs and everything?"
"And a cunt?"
"Yes, Genma, and a cunt. And don't say that, that's... really rude." Raidou looked at the wall, a little shocked at himself. The word never bothered him before. He chuckled, rubbing his nose. He never used it, though, unless Iruka was around. That word bothered Iruka a lot.
"Sorry, little miss. I suppose I have to say 'excuse me' when I burp now, too."
7) He looked up again when he realized the person in front of him hadn't moved away yet. "You need anything else, kid?" he drawled around the senbon, leaning his elbow against the desk. "Or you just like the view?"
The teenager gawked, and blinked, then looked away, scowling. "You don't take a lot of pride in your work, do you?" he muttered.
Genma snorted, eyes narrowing. "Don't need a lot of pride to hand you fucking piece of paper." He knew that look, those dark black eyes, that scowl. Pale face and ravens-wing hair. "If you got a problem with me, Uchiha, go stand in someone else's line."
Sasuke rolled his eyes and shrugged, turning on his heel to leave. Genma looked back down, doodling on a report, so he almost didn't hear the response.
"Maybe I do like the view."
8) Kisame growled to himself as he finished cleaning up, washing his hands in a nearby stream. Itachi always said he didn't care about his village, he didn't care about his brother, he didn't care about anything except himself. Kisame knew better - Itachi cared. He wanted his little brother to become stronger, to challenge him. He needed it. As long as Sasuke was out there, desperate to defeat Itachi, Itachi could relax. He existed. The moment Sasuke forgot about him, forgot about his revenge, Itachi would cease to exist, because life within the Akatsuki was a poor excuse for a life, no matter the reason.
9) When Team 7 returned after saving the Kazekage, Jiraiya met up with Kakashi. Kakashi had been surprised when Jiraiya asked him a direct question - "What do you know about Iruka-sensei?"
Kakashi knew the man by name, but he shrugged his shoulders. "What's to know? He's a shinobi of little talent. He has a temper and doesn't back down easily, even when it doesn't concern him."
"Naruto seems extremely fond of him," Jiraiya offered, surprised Kakashi had answered, and surprised as well by the answer. There's another story there, he decided.
"He buys Naruto ramen! Of course Naruto is fond of him!" Kakashi chuckled back, shaking his head.
10) "I'll make you forget about him," Kakashi growled, shoving Iruka roughly onto the bed. "You can't pretend you don't want it. You chose to stay here. You chose to remain my pet."
Iruka stayed where he landed, staring at the wall. His voice was tight, controlled. "I chose to stay to protect Konoha. Both of them. That doesn't mean I want to be a pet. You control my body, Master. My mind is still my own." He closed his eyes, certain his words would enrage the dangerous man hovering over him. But he had to say them. "Kakashi-sensei is a respected comrade, nothing more."
Kakashi growled at the mention of his other-world counterpart. Jealousy pounded through his veins, but he pushed it aside. This was about punishing a recalcitrant pet. It wasn't about the gentle look in Iruka's eyes when he spoke of that other man. It wasn't about the truth of Iruka's words. It wasn't about the thoughts the other-world Kakashi had. And it certainly wasn't about the shame Kakashi felt whenever he thought of that fight. He grasped the collar around the man's neck tightly, pulling Iruka backwards, his knee in the middle of Iruka's back. "Hands over your head." He smiled when two hands shot up into the air, already crossed to accept the cuffs.
11) Iruka sat still while the old woman held lengths against his face, discarding the bolts at an alarming rate. Tsunade flipped through a pattern book while an assistant stood by to answer questions. "This one?" the old woman asked, looking to Tsunade.
"It's too bright," Iruka answered unthinkingly. "What, I'm not supposed to have an opinion?" He scowled at Tsunade. "Just because Morino has to buy his dates doesn't mean I need to look the part." He stomped to the racks, eyes searching. "This one. This one. This one. Maybe this one," he announded, pulling out bolts of darker shades.
The old woman gawked while Tsunade chuckled. "So you've decided to participate. That's good." She handed him the pattern book. "I'll go find you a place to stay." She didn't need to mention she would in fact find the nearest pachinko parlor, preferably one with a bar attached.
12) With a long-suffering sigh, Kakashi pulled off his vest and dropped it to the floor. A few more quick movements and his pants slithered down to his knees.
"Everything, Kakashi."
"You're enjoying this too much, Sensei," Kakashi grumbled as briefs followed. He stretched over the desk, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach.
"Hands apart," Iruka ordered, and Kakashi complied quickly. Tsunade could have her pound of flesh, and he would win his bet. Iruka wouldn't really hurt him.
Kakashi started when Iruka quickly ran rope around both of his wrists and his ankles, cinching them tightly against the legs of the desk. He pulled at them lightly - they were well-tied, and it would take him a while to get out of them. If things got too intense, he could always break them, even with the chakra-reinforcement.
Iruka came up behind the desk and pulled Kakashi's hips back.
"What the hell?!"
"Sorry, did I startle you?" Iruka responded sweetly. "If you're too close to the desk, you might cut your hipbones."
Grinding his teeth, Kakashi nodded. "Thank you for your consideration, Iruka-sensei," he growled out.
"Anytime, Kakashi-kun."
13) "So... Kakashi. Ibiki. You seem to have a thing for ANBU. Or scars."
"Um. That's more coincidence than anything. And Kakashi was... an aberration. Type-wise I mean."
Raidou shifted a little. If Iruka kept blushing like that, he was going to forget he was an invalid. "So, perverts are out."
"No, I'm okay with perverts. As long as it's private. I mean, reading porn in public, it's kind of rude." Iruka's eyes darted around the room, watching everything but Raidou. "And obviously scars don't bother me. I have quite a collection myself. No, um, I like... big guys."
Raido felt his skin prickle, bracing himself for the rush of pain that would surely follow. Time to see if he could ride this out without Iruka knowing about it. He was almost disappointed when, instead of fire and acid, he felt a few tugs and aches. But now he was left with a growing problem that would become apparent if Iruka looked down.
"Big guys?" Raido's mouth felt dry, but he wouldn't lick his lips. That would be way too obvious. "Like, tall?"
Iruka was looking away, at Raidou's feet. "Tall. That's nice, but not so much tall as broad." His eyes darted to Raidou's and back to the foot of the bed. "Broad shoulders, deep chests."
"Oh?" It didn't escape Raidou's attention that Iruka was describing him. Not just him, but it included him. And the pressure wasn't lessening at all. With the absence of that blinding pain, all of Raidou's synapses were sending just the right signals to his brain, and his brain was telling him it was time for something more than fantasy.
14) He opened his soda and grimaced, handing it back. "Too sweet! How can you drink that?"
"Hey, I remember when you would eat candy with both hands! Don't pretend you're all grown up just because you tricked them into making you a teacher."
Iruka leaned onto his elbows, grinning over at his friend. "I only ate that way because if I didn't, somebody would take it from me. Gee, wonder who that was?" He laughed again when Anko pouted slightly, accepting another can from her.
15) If only the swans had received the 'quiet' memo. Instead, the minute they were set loose on the lake, they scattered in every direction, honking and screeching and flapping their wings, trying to drive off as many Narutos as they could. "Shino," Kiba whispered, his voice a pale imitation of his usual growl. "Make them stop. Please, make them stop."
"The swans or the Narutos?"
A sudden screech from Sakura made all of Team8 cringe. "The Sakura," Kiba groaned back.
"Naruto! Quit playing with the birds and get back to work!"
"But Sakura-chan... ouch... I'm not... hey... doing anything... yowch!"
"We should wait inside," Hinata whispered, helping Kiba to his feet.
16) He needed to stop drinking, he decided, stumbling a few steps before he found his footing. Everyone said he should drink, to let loose. It would help him forget. But again, everyone was wrong, and Iruka didn't need Mizuki to tell him that. He knew. Because as soon as he hit the pleasant buzz stage, the memories flooded in. Raidou's hand on his back as they slept, bodies pressed together. Genma's breath against his ear when he hung over Iruka's shoulder while Iruka graded papers. Bed scenes, shower scenes, dinner scenes, even lazy afternoons-doing-nothing scenes, buzzing around in Iruka's brain. It wasn't any wonder Iruka couldn't forget!
17) Usually, Raidou would get home as quickly as he could manage after a mission, eager to see Genma and carve out a little time for himself. This time, he had been the one dragging his feet, halfway hoping another mission would intercept them and send them to another part of the country. Aoba finally turned on him, shaking him by the shoulder.
"What the hell, Namiashi? Don't you want to go home?"
Raidou gaped at the man, unable to answer. No, he thought. I really don't.
Aoba stared at him, surprised. It didn't take a genius to figure this one out. "I know you didn't have a fight with Genma." Aoba looked down at his feet, kicking the dirt. "So, it's Umino this time."
"Kind of," Raidou replied, watching the dirt cloud around Aoba's feet.
"Does Genma know?"
Raidou nodded. "He suspects. We... haven't talked about it, but-"
"He's expecting it," Aoba finished with his own nod. "And Umino?"
"No," Raidou choked out, leaning back against a tree, staring up at the sky. "No. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a clue."
Aoba sighed, sinking down into a crouch. "Ouch, man. That's, uh, rough."
18) “I challenge you!”
Edward grinned at the familiar words, draining his glass again. “Which arm, Brody?” He slid off the stool, cocking his head up to the large man in front of him.
“$50 bucks, the metal one.”
Guffaws of disbelief greeted the bet even as Edward threw back his head and laughed. “I don’t have that much,” he replied, shrugging, endearing himself to his bar mates more than he realized. “But how about this? If you win, I’ll come build that fence your wife has been bitching about.”
Brody grinned, swaying slightly. There was something about Ed’s cocky attitude and easy manner that made Brody reckless. Ed’s offer of a barter bet fired his brain. “Hell no! WHEN I win, you have to go out on date!” More laughs and even cheers greeted this statement. “And I get to choose your date for you!” It was well known Brody had three younger sisters that he was desperate to unload, so his statement caused another round of laughter.
Edward schooled his face, picturing Mustang in this situation. No signs of annoyance, trepidation or even interest flickered, just an easy grin. “Fine, but don’t come whining to me when your wife slaps you for losing the grocery money. Again.”
19) “So, he broke up with his girlfriend, so what?” Genma sniffed, leaning against the wall three days later. He craned his neck around, catching a glimpse of the man inside.
“It’s WHY she broke up with him, moron. Get with it!” Anko smacked her friend against his chin, but softly. She didn’t want to cause a commotion in the hallway, not when the object of their discussion was just inside the room. Plus, Kurenai was there, again, making not-so-subtle pregnancy jokes. Anko had finally pulled Genma into the hall just to keep him from getting freaked out.
Genma peeked inside the room again, nodding. “Maybe he just wasn’t into her.”
“He’s a guy, Genma. How many guys would break up with a girl when she’s throwing herself at him, all but begging for a more physical relationship?”
Genma grinned, his senbon wavering. “None. Guys I know would go for it, get their rocks off, THEN break up.”
“THAT’S MY POINT!” Anko all but screamed.
20) “Don’t tease me,” Genma warned, squeezing the bottom of Chi’s thigh and grinding up. “I’m not in the mood for games.”
“Not… playing,” Chi gasped as he arched into Genma’s hips. “You said… was cute, right?”
Genma sucked in earlobe into his mouth, then bit down to get the man’s attention. “How old are you? For real.”
“Eighteen,” Chi stuttered back, his eyes closed. “But… it’s not the first time, you know? So…”
Genma nodded, burying his hand in that lovely reddish hair, wishing it wasn’t quite so short. “Where?” He’d considered bringing the man home with him, but decided maybe it would be more prudent to let Raidou have his way. At least until Genma could retrieve or replace the stolen television.
21) "You don't have to do this," Genma growled when the paramedic left, watching him climb into the ambulance and drive off. "I'm the cop. This is my job."
Ibiki shrugged and leaned back against the seat of his car. "You said you were only here because of the weapon. You're not processing the crime scene. I need this information more than you do."
"But-" Genma shook his head. "You're a stubborn bastard with a god-complex."
"I need to know if he can be trusted. Just in case we can't fix the sound on that tape. I need to know why procedures in place aren't being followed. My company has an obligation to explore this, even if the police don't. So it makes sense."
"Then do it here! Get it over with, then let me take the poor guy home! If he's telling the truth, you're just being cruel!" Genma didn't bother keeping his voice down. Ibiki's car wasn't the newest thing around, but it was as solid as Ibiki was, and just about as easy to push when it didn't want to move.
22) The voice laughed again, and Iruka could hear scratching of a pen against paper. "It bothers you, being tied up like this."
Iruka tried to scream back 'Of course it bothers me you bastard, whoever you are, and when I get out of this I'm going to kick your ass', but nothing came out. He hoped the person could read lips, could see his mouth forming the words. He pulled against the restraints, gasping when one of his feet slipped and he bounced against the end of the bench. His bladder protested, reminding Iruka he'd been there for a while.
"Are you thirsty?"
He was, suddenly, desperately, but that wouldn't help his bladder any so Iruka shook his head, licking his lips.
"Are you sure? You haven't had anything to drink in hours."
Iruka sighed and licked his lips again. Hours? He hadn't been there that long, had he? He shook his head again, biting his lips when the person got up and Iruka could hear some liquid being poured, splashing against the glass. Then gulping, fuck, he was thirsty now, and the person was still drinking, until it was all gone and and empty glass thumped against a table. Then he heard running water, the glass being rinsed out, and his bladder tingled again.
23) He smelled the smoke before he ever saw the shadow. Iruka stood up, crawling back through his window to allow Asuma to enter the apartment. "What do you want?" It was rude, but Iruka was cranky from their evening of drinking and mind games.
Asuma chuckled and left his shoes on the balcony. "That was a neat trick you two pulled tonight."
"Does it matter?"
"It matters to me." Asuma was standing in front of him, not quite towering over him, but Iruka was intensely aware of how much bigger the man was compared to him. "I didn't think it would." He shrugged again, stepping a little closer. "Nobody's watching now. Nobody will know."
"I'll know," Iruka rasped, taking a step back, then another, until his back was against a door.
A large hand reached out, curling up and around the back of his neck. "Good. I enjoy a challenge."
24) Kakashi jumped as he felt something move beneath him. Iruka’s breath was still coming fast, but his face hadn’t lost the blush. If anything, it was spreading, creeping down his neck and onto his chest. Coming up on his heels, Kakashi stared down, biting his lip to keep from laughing. Laughing would be a very bad idea right now.
Three pairs of eyes stared down, watching Iruka. “Guys, don’t…” Iruka hid his face behind a hand, wondering if he could call a ‘do-over’ for the entire day.
“It’s so, it’s still…” Genma’s voice was hushed, awed.
“Yeah, it’s like… wow,” Raidou answered in a similar voice.
Kakashi crossed him arms across his body, still biting his lip.
“Guys, please stop…” Iruka’s voice was tiny and breathless.
Genma laughed, looking down at his own crotch. “I think I’m developing a complex here.”
Raidou patted his arm. “It’s okay. Just think of what kind of head rush Iruka has to endure to pump enough blood into that behemoth.”
Iruka covered his face with both hands, eyes closed tightly. “Will you all please quit staring at my DOODLE?!” he shouted, his voice loud and ringing across the entire apartment.
i searched network and all computers, and guh, there's a lot. i suck.
1) Ebisu sat at the table with a cup of tea and a novel, as if he always got up at three in the morning. A full cup of coffee sat across from him, along with a bowl of rice, two small fish on a plate with pickled turnips, and a cup of miso soup.
He didn't look at Ibiki coming through the door, and he knew Ibiki didn't like to talk in the morning, but he couldn't resist a quiet 'good morning'.
Ibiki downed half the coffee without response, then eyed the food, his lips a thin line. He didn't like eating just before a mission. But if he didn't eat, Ebisu would sniff at him. His stomach chose that moment to remind him it was empty, and the fish smelled mighty tasty, so he ignored the man's eyebrow lift as he sat down at the table and picked up his chopsticks.
Stomach happily occupied, Ibiki looked across the table. And waited. No, it wasn't unusual for Ebisu to get up early and make breakfast. But the man usually went back to bed. Or off to train. He couldn't remember a single time in the last year Ebisu sat across from him for breakfast, unless they were both leaving.
“All that crap last night...” Ebisu turned the page of his book and took a sip of his tea. “Was that for real? Or was it more of your I'm-scary-fear-me bullshit?”
“Why would I lie about something like that?”
The book wavered. “Because you're you?”
This was why most shinobi lived alone. After only a year, Ebisu knew him in a way no one else did.
2) Aoba groaned, his eyes rolling back in his head. It just didn't get any better than this, he decided, twisting his neck to encourage the hands to knead harder. "Oh, yeah, right there, baby," he cooed, arching just a little against the chair.
He opened his eyes, grinning at the two men sitting across from him on the sofa. He owed them big time for this. He owed Genma and Raidou even more for standing them up, but once he'd gotten some sleep, he'd track them down and share his good fortune. "Hey, babe, my guests need more coffee," he purred, watching Inoichi press his lips together to keep from laughing. Shikaku wore the same bored expression he'd had since last night. Except for his eyes. His eyes had a predatory look to them Aoba had seen before in foxes grouped around a yowling vixen in heat - alert, patient, but hungry. Nothing remotely deer-like in that dark gaze.
He snickered when the hands stopped and he heard a brief huff of annoyance. "Service with a smile, sweetie," he chided, running his hand over the back of the short, pleated skirt and giving a light smack to the tight ass underneath. Inoichi couldn't hide his laughter this time, so Aoba craned his neck around, frowning. "Smile like you mean it or it doesn't count." He held the dark brown eyes with his own until those pretty eyes shifted down and Aoba relaxed. The scary grimace was replaced with a warm smile that made Aoba's breath catch.
3) Kakashi pressed against the tree, eye on the two men ahead as they walked across the sand. He hated this - he wasn't to interfere unless Genma called him, but he couldn't get too close, either. Not that Arakaki would care, he expected Roka's bodyguard to be nearby. He would have been suspicious otherwise. But it was strange, watching a man like that walking so close to Genma, their shoulders bumping occasionally, his hand touching Genma's back or arm far more often than necessary.
4) So hot, Ibiki thought, his eyes glazed. Well, he'd found the condoms at last, they didn't need to wait anymore. Except... "What are you doing?"
"See? That's exactly what I mean. What the fuck does it look like I'm doing? I'm putting on my pants. Are you guys even shinobi? Sure, you can jump out trees silently, and I guess there's some kind of genjutsu going, I don't know, I'll find out when I dispel it. If you two are ANBU-level, I need to consider switching affiliations because I could use the extra money." Iruka stalked over to where the smaller guy had tossed the shirt and shoved his arms into it, not bothering with the buttons.
"Um, I thought, we were... that is, you seemed like you liked it, and..." Kakashi couldn't seem to process the sudden shift in the teacher, and Ibiki had to admit, silently, Kakashi sounded like a moron.
Iruka gave a dignified snort as he shoved his feet into his sandals. "Whatever. Your five minutes are up." He stomped over to the big one and snagged two of the condoms. "I'll leave you the rest. That way you two can go fuck yourselves. Or each other. I don't care and I'm sure I don't want to know. Just do Konoha a favor and don't breed."
And then he was gone, heading back to the party.
5) “How long has this been going on?” he asked, crossing his arms. Two pairs of faceted eyes stared back at him. He could almost see the shrug, the lazy laugh, and a sly twist of the reptillian mouth. As if Zeyth had been destined for Genma from the day he was formed. Hell, Zeyth’s skin mirrored his own hair, and in the sunlight, he swore he and Zeyth shared the same eye color as well. But dragons had no real sense of time, and all Zeyth could tell him was he was content. Arath was content. And Iruka?
“How is Arath’s rider?”
Zeyth lifted his head, nudging against the smaller green one. Swirling eyes stared at each other, and Genma wondered if he should look away. Dammit, they weren’t even a mated pair! Where was her mate, anyway? True, Greens mated with whoever flew them, the same as Golds, and it wasn’t unusual for Greens to return to a solitary existence as soon as it was over. But Genma had never seen a dragon behave like Zeyth before.
“Arath’s rider is angry.”
Genma snorted. That would teach him to try and ask Zeyth anything about another dragonrider.
6) Genma took the news in his typical laid-back fashion. "Kunoichi classes? You have to take kunoichi classes?"
Raidou scowled down at the man writhing with laughter on the floor. He kicked his lover, hard, but even the strangled 'oomph' didn't satisfy him. Trust Genma to skip over the obvious and pick on something small, something Raidou had never even considered being upset about. "Did you hear me? They're going to turn me into a woman. A real woman! For almost a year!"
"A real woman, huh? With boobs and everything?"
"Yeah, with boobs and everything?"
"And a cunt?"
"Yes, Genma, and a cunt. And don't say that, that's... really rude." Raidou looked at the wall, a little shocked at himself. The word never bothered him before. He chuckled, rubbing his nose. He never used it, though, unless Iruka was around. That word bothered Iruka a lot.
"Sorry, little miss. I suppose I have to say 'excuse me' when I burp now, too."
7) He looked up again when he realized the person in front of him hadn't moved away yet. "You need anything else, kid?" he drawled around the senbon, leaning his elbow against the desk. "Or you just like the view?"
The teenager gawked, and blinked, then looked away, scowling. "You don't take a lot of pride in your work, do you?" he muttered.
Genma snorted, eyes narrowing. "Don't need a lot of pride to hand you fucking piece of paper." He knew that look, those dark black eyes, that scowl. Pale face and ravens-wing hair. "If you got a problem with me, Uchiha, go stand in someone else's line."
Sasuke rolled his eyes and shrugged, turning on his heel to leave. Genma looked back down, doodling on a report, so he almost didn't hear the response.
"Maybe I do like the view."
8) Kisame growled to himself as he finished cleaning up, washing his hands in a nearby stream. Itachi always said he didn't care about his village, he didn't care about his brother, he didn't care about anything except himself. Kisame knew better - Itachi cared. He wanted his little brother to become stronger, to challenge him. He needed it. As long as Sasuke was out there, desperate to defeat Itachi, Itachi could relax. He existed. The moment Sasuke forgot about him, forgot about his revenge, Itachi would cease to exist, because life within the Akatsuki was a poor excuse for a life, no matter the reason.
9) When Team 7 returned after saving the Kazekage, Jiraiya met up with Kakashi. Kakashi had been surprised when Jiraiya asked him a direct question - "What do you know about Iruka-sensei?"
Kakashi knew the man by name, but he shrugged his shoulders. "What's to know? He's a shinobi of little talent. He has a temper and doesn't back down easily, even when it doesn't concern him."
"Naruto seems extremely fond of him," Jiraiya offered, surprised Kakashi had answered, and surprised as well by the answer. There's another story there, he decided.
"He buys Naruto ramen! Of course Naruto is fond of him!" Kakashi chuckled back, shaking his head.
10) "I'll make you forget about him," Kakashi growled, shoving Iruka roughly onto the bed. "You can't pretend you don't want it. You chose to stay here. You chose to remain my pet."
Iruka stayed where he landed, staring at the wall. His voice was tight, controlled. "I chose to stay to protect Konoha. Both of them. That doesn't mean I want to be a pet. You control my body, Master. My mind is still my own." He closed his eyes, certain his words would enrage the dangerous man hovering over him. But he had to say them. "Kakashi-sensei is a respected comrade, nothing more."
Kakashi growled at the mention of his other-world counterpart. Jealousy pounded through his veins, but he pushed it aside. This was about punishing a recalcitrant pet. It wasn't about the gentle look in Iruka's eyes when he spoke of that other man. It wasn't about the truth of Iruka's words. It wasn't about the thoughts the other-world Kakashi had. And it certainly wasn't about the shame Kakashi felt whenever he thought of that fight. He grasped the collar around the man's neck tightly, pulling Iruka backwards, his knee in the middle of Iruka's back. "Hands over your head." He smiled when two hands shot up into the air, already crossed to accept the cuffs.
11) Iruka sat still while the old woman held lengths against his face, discarding the bolts at an alarming rate. Tsunade flipped through a pattern book while an assistant stood by to answer questions. "This one?" the old woman asked, looking to Tsunade.
"It's too bright," Iruka answered unthinkingly. "What, I'm not supposed to have an opinion?" He scowled at Tsunade. "Just because Morino has to buy his dates doesn't mean I need to look the part." He stomped to the racks, eyes searching. "This one. This one. This one. Maybe this one," he announded, pulling out bolts of darker shades.
The old woman gawked while Tsunade chuckled. "So you've decided to participate. That's good." She handed him the pattern book. "I'll go find you a place to stay." She didn't need to mention she would in fact find the nearest pachinko parlor, preferably one with a bar attached.
12) With a long-suffering sigh, Kakashi pulled off his vest and dropped it to the floor. A few more quick movements and his pants slithered down to his knees.
"Everything, Kakashi."
"You're enjoying this too much, Sensei," Kakashi grumbled as briefs followed. He stretched over the desk, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach.
"Hands apart," Iruka ordered, and Kakashi complied quickly. Tsunade could have her pound of flesh, and he would win his bet. Iruka wouldn't really hurt him.
Kakashi started when Iruka quickly ran rope around both of his wrists and his ankles, cinching them tightly against the legs of the desk. He pulled at them lightly - they were well-tied, and it would take him a while to get out of them. If things got too intense, he could always break them, even with the chakra-reinforcement.
Iruka came up behind the desk and pulled Kakashi's hips back.
"What the hell?!"
"Sorry, did I startle you?" Iruka responded sweetly. "If you're too close to the desk, you might cut your hipbones."
Grinding his teeth, Kakashi nodded. "Thank you for your consideration, Iruka-sensei," he growled out.
"Anytime, Kakashi-kun."
13) "So... Kakashi. Ibiki. You seem to have a thing for ANBU. Or scars."
"Um. That's more coincidence than anything. And Kakashi was... an aberration. Type-wise I mean."
Raidou shifted a little. If Iruka kept blushing like that, he was going to forget he was an invalid. "So, perverts are out."
"No, I'm okay with perverts. As long as it's private. I mean, reading porn in public, it's kind of rude." Iruka's eyes darted around the room, watching everything but Raidou. "And obviously scars don't bother me. I have quite a collection myself. No, um, I like... big guys."
Raido felt his skin prickle, bracing himself for the rush of pain that would surely follow. Time to see if he could ride this out without Iruka knowing about it. He was almost disappointed when, instead of fire and acid, he felt a few tugs and aches. But now he was left with a growing problem that would become apparent if Iruka looked down.
"Big guys?" Raido's mouth felt dry, but he wouldn't lick his lips. That would be way too obvious. "Like, tall?"
Iruka was looking away, at Raidou's feet. "Tall. That's nice, but not so much tall as broad." His eyes darted to Raidou's and back to the foot of the bed. "Broad shoulders, deep chests."
"Oh?" It didn't escape Raidou's attention that Iruka was describing him. Not just him, but it included him. And the pressure wasn't lessening at all. With the absence of that blinding pain, all of Raidou's synapses were sending just the right signals to his brain, and his brain was telling him it was time for something more than fantasy.
14) He opened his soda and grimaced, handing it back. "Too sweet! How can you drink that?"
"Hey, I remember when you would eat candy with both hands! Don't pretend you're all grown up just because you tricked them into making you a teacher."
Iruka leaned onto his elbows, grinning over at his friend. "I only ate that way because if I didn't, somebody would take it from me. Gee, wonder who that was?" He laughed again when Anko pouted slightly, accepting another can from her.
15) If only the swans had received the 'quiet' memo. Instead, the minute they were set loose on the lake, they scattered in every direction, honking and screeching and flapping their wings, trying to drive off as many Narutos as they could. "Shino," Kiba whispered, his voice a pale imitation of his usual growl. "Make them stop. Please, make them stop."
"The swans or the Narutos?"
A sudden screech from Sakura made all of Team8 cringe. "The Sakura," Kiba groaned back.
"Naruto! Quit playing with the birds and get back to work!"
"But Sakura-chan... ouch... I'm not... hey... doing anything... yowch!"
"We should wait inside," Hinata whispered, helping Kiba to his feet.
16) He needed to stop drinking, he decided, stumbling a few steps before he found his footing. Everyone said he should drink, to let loose. It would help him forget. But again, everyone was wrong, and Iruka didn't need Mizuki to tell him that. He knew. Because as soon as he hit the pleasant buzz stage, the memories flooded in. Raidou's hand on his back as they slept, bodies pressed together. Genma's breath against his ear when he hung over Iruka's shoulder while Iruka graded papers. Bed scenes, shower scenes, dinner scenes, even lazy afternoons-doing-nothing scenes, buzzing around in Iruka's brain. It wasn't any wonder Iruka couldn't forget!
17) Usually, Raidou would get home as quickly as he could manage after a mission, eager to see Genma and carve out a little time for himself. This time, he had been the one dragging his feet, halfway hoping another mission would intercept them and send them to another part of the country. Aoba finally turned on him, shaking him by the shoulder.
"What the hell, Namiashi? Don't you want to go home?"
Raidou gaped at the man, unable to answer. No, he thought. I really don't.
Aoba stared at him, surprised. It didn't take a genius to figure this one out. "I know you didn't have a fight with Genma." Aoba looked down at his feet, kicking the dirt. "So, it's Umino this time."
"Kind of," Raidou replied, watching the dirt cloud around Aoba's feet.
"Does Genma know?"
Raidou nodded. "He suspects. We... haven't talked about it, but-"
"He's expecting it," Aoba finished with his own nod. "And Umino?"
"No," Raidou choked out, leaning back against a tree, staring up at the sky. "No. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a clue."
Aoba sighed, sinking down into a crouch. "Ouch, man. That's, uh, rough."
18) “I challenge you!”
Edward grinned at the familiar words, draining his glass again. “Which arm, Brody?” He slid off the stool, cocking his head up to the large man in front of him.
“$50 bucks, the metal one.”
Guffaws of disbelief greeted the bet even as Edward threw back his head and laughed. “I don’t have that much,” he replied, shrugging, endearing himself to his bar mates more than he realized. “But how about this? If you win, I’ll come build that fence your wife has been bitching about.”
Brody grinned, swaying slightly. There was something about Ed’s cocky attitude and easy manner that made Brody reckless. Ed’s offer of a barter bet fired his brain. “Hell no! WHEN I win, you have to go out on date!” More laughs and even cheers greeted this statement. “And I get to choose your date for you!” It was well known Brody had three younger sisters that he was desperate to unload, so his statement caused another round of laughter.
Edward schooled his face, picturing Mustang in this situation. No signs of annoyance, trepidation or even interest flickered, just an easy grin. “Fine, but don’t come whining to me when your wife slaps you for losing the grocery money. Again.”
19) “So, he broke up with his girlfriend, so what?” Genma sniffed, leaning against the wall three days later. He craned his neck around, catching a glimpse of the man inside.
“It’s WHY she broke up with him, moron. Get with it!” Anko smacked her friend against his chin, but softly. She didn’t want to cause a commotion in the hallway, not when the object of their discussion was just inside the room. Plus, Kurenai was there, again, making not-so-subtle pregnancy jokes. Anko had finally pulled Genma into the hall just to keep him from getting freaked out.
Genma peeked inside the room again, nodding. “Maybe he just wasn’t into her.”
“He’s a guy, Genma. How many guys would break up with a girl when she’s throwing herself at him, all but begging for a more physical relationship?”
Genma grinned, his senbon wavering. “None. Guys I know would go for it, get their rocks off, THEN break up.”
“THAT’S MY POINT!” Anko all but screamed.
20) “Don’t tease me,” Genma warned, squeezing the bottom of Chi’s thigh and grinding up. “I’m not in the mood for games.”
“Not… playing,” Chi gasped as he arched into Genma’s hips. “You said… was cute, right?”
Genma sucked in earlobe into his mouth, then bit down to get the man’s attention. “How old are you? For real.”
“Eighteen,” Chi stuttered back, his eyes closed. “But… it’s not the first time, you know? So…”
Genma nodded, burying his hand in that lovely reddish hair, wishing it wasn’t quite so short. “Where?” He’d considered bringing the man home with him, but decided maybe it would be more prudent to let Raidou have his way. At least until Genma could retrieve or replace the stolen television.
21) "You don't have to do this," Genma growled when the paramedic left, watching him climb into the ambulance and drive off. "I'm the cop. This is my job."
Ibiki shrugged and leaned back against the seat of his car. "You said you were only here because of the weapon. You're not processing the crime scene. I need this information more than you do."
"But-" Genma shook his head. "You're a stubborn bastard with a god-complex."
"I need to know if he can be trusted. Just in case we can't fix the sound on that tape. I need to know why procedures in place aren't being followed. My company has an obligation to explore this, even if the police don't. So it makes sense."
"Then do it here! Get it over with, then let me take the poor guy home! If he's telling the truth, you're just being cruel!" Genma didn't bother keeping his voice down. Ibiki's car wasn't the newest thing around, but it was as solid as Ibiki was, and just about as easy to push when it didn't want to move.
22) The voice laughed again, and Iruka could hear scratching of a pen against paper. "It bothers you, being tied up like this."
Iruka tried to scream back 'Of course it bothers me you bastard, whoever you are, and when I get out of this I'm going to kick your ass', but nothing came out. He hoped the person could read lips, could see his mouth forming the words. He pulled against the restraints, gasping when one of his feet slipped and he bounced against the end of the bench. His bladder protested, reminding Iruka he'd been there for a while.
"Are you thirsty?"
He was, suddenly, desperately, but that wouldn't help his bladder any so Iruka shook his head, licking his lips.
"Are you sure? You haven't had anything to drink in hours."
Iruka sighed and licked his lips again. Hours? He hadn't been there that long, had he? He shook his head again, biting his lips when the person got up and Iruka could hear some liquid being poured, splashing against the glass. Then gulping, fuck, he was thirsty now, and the person was still drinking, until it was all gone and and empty glass thumped against a table. Then he heard running water, the glass being rinsed out, and his bladder tingled again.
23) He smelled the smoke before he ever saw the shadow. Iruka stood up, crawling back through his window to allow Asuma to enter the apartment. "What do you want?" It was rude, but Iruka was cranky from their evening of drinking and mind games.
Asuma chuckled and left his shoes on the balcony. "That was a neat trick you two pulled tonight."
"Does it matter?"
"It matters to me." Asuma was standing in front of him, not quite towering over him, but Iruka was intensely aware of how much bigger the man was compared to him. "I didn't think it would." He shrugged again, stepping a little closer. "Nobody's watching now. Nobody will know."
"I'll know," Iruka rasped, taking a step back, then another, until his back was against a door.
A large hand reached out, curling up and around the back of his neck. "Good. I enjoy a challenge."
24) Kakashi jumped as he felt something move beneath him. Iruka’s breath was still coming fast, but his face hadn’t lost the blush. If anything, it was spreading, creeping down his neck and onto his chest. Coming up on his heels, Kakashi stared down, biting his lip to keep from laughing. Laughing would be a very bad idea right now.
Three pairs of eyes stared down, watching Iruka. “Guys, don’t…” Iruka hid his face behind a hand, wondering if he could call a ‘do-over’ for the entire day.
“It’s so, it’s still…” Genma’s voice was hushed, awed.
“Yeah, it’s like… wow,” Raidou answered in a similar voice.
Kakashi crossed him arms across his body, still biting his lip.
“Guys, please stop…” Iruka’s voice was tiny and breathless.
Genma laughed, looking down at his own crotch. “I think I’m developing a complex here.”
Raidou patted his arm. “It’s okay. Just think of what kind of head rush Iruka has to endure to pump enough blood into that behemoth.”
Iruka covered his face with both hands, eyes closed tightly. “Will you all please quit staring at my DOODLE?!” he shouted, his voice loud and ringing across the entire apartment.