Have You Seen This Man? - Prologue
Title: Have You Seen This Man?
Rating: T
Genre: Romance/Humor
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Writing belongs to me.
Notes: Here we go! After almost a year of promises and procrastination, I'm finally getting around to editing and posting this. Just in time for Kakashi's birthday! This is my first multi-chaptered fic, and I haven't written anything this long for ages, so please be gentle with me. ^_^; No spoilers. I know the title kind of sucks, and you can tell that my writing is way out of practice... But I'd love to have feedback!
Summary: Kakashi comes back from a mission, only to find a mask-less picture of himself in the jounin lounge. Now that everyone seems to think they know how he looks, how is he going to find someone that believes otherwise to help him catch the culprit?
Special thanks to my brilliant beta, Beasiesgal! <3
Umino Iruka was plastered.
The escapade had begun with Kotetsu and Izumo almost forcibly coercing him into going out for drinks. The convincing had been easier than it otherwise might have. He hadn't had to worry about classes the following day and had secretly thought (hoped) that a certain Jounin might be among those meeting up at the bar. Besides, it had been long enough that he couldn't remember the last time he'd spent some time with his friends; he really felt too guilty about that fact alone to decline.
The demented duo had practically dragged him away at the end of his shift at the mission's desk, as if they didn't trust him to show up on his own.
Here he was, sitting in a dimly lit corner of the bar, leaning on his elbows for support and giggling like mad. The little voice that usually told him when he was about to regret something had long passed out somewhere in the back of his mind, replaced by the warm haze of alcohol induced bliss. It was exactly the reason why Iruka usually refused to let him be dragged along for drinks, but such thoughts had long since evaporated along with his good judgment.
At this point, he was having trouble telling Anko apart from Kotetsu. Not that it mattered much, because judging by how much they had ingested, they were probably having the same problem themselves.
"Kakashi! No way!"
Iruka was pretty sure that this was Izumo he was currently talking to. It didn't really matter if it was Kotetsu or Anko instead, he supposed. "Yes way," he laughed drunkenly, a grin plastered widely over his features, and promptly poured the rest of his beer down his shirt. The chuunin looked down and pouted; he'd been aiming for his mouth, but had apparently missed horribly.
"Wooow, Iruka, you are plastered," probably-Izumo slurred, even though he'd done the same thing not ten minutes earlier. Then, "But I can't believe it! Seriously, Kakashi? The Hatake Kakashi?"
"I know," Iruka said, and flushed deeply, hiding his face behind both palms, because some things didn't change no matter how drunk he was. He regretted revealing his little secret as soon as the words had been out of his mouth, but there was nothing for it now. The tips of his ears burned bright red. "It's just a little, harmless crush, though. Hardly very interesting, really..." The chuunin removed his hands to direct a glare towards the other chuunin. "But I swear, if he finds out, I'll get you, Kamizuki."
Anko chose this moment to cut in. "Yeah, but what about his face? No one's ever even seen it," she slurred, then giggled. "Don't you think it's a little strange that so many people think he must be good looking? Maybe it really is hideous, like the rumors say. Wouldn't that be funny!"
Iruka sobered up enough to frown at the boisterous kunoichi, sitting straight up. "What rumors? Don't say that, it's just mean."
"Aww, now you're defending him! How cute. But they could be true. Think about it. Come on, why else would he hide his face?"
"Because... Oh, I don't know. Does it even matter?"
"Must be because he loves to piss us off," Kotetsu slurred derisively.
"I wouldn't put that past him," Iruka chuckled. Kakashi probably had a face to die for, he mused, then rolled his eyes at himself for such a shallow thought. Still, hiding a gorgeous face to annoy the population of Konoha did seem to be something Kakashi might do. Probably would do. Probably did.
Iruka's musings were interrupted when all eyes turned to him, however.
"Yeah, he really got you earlier today at the mission's desk," Izumo smirked. "You'd think you'd be used to it by now, huh. Hey, is that why you never get back at him, Iruka-kun? Because you're hopelessly in looove with him? If it was any one of us, we'd be dyed purple by now or something!"
"Yeah, jounin or not!" Anko called out, and crossed her arms against her chest. "No fair, Iru-kun."
Iruka's face lit up of its own accord and he began stammering. "T-that's not why! It's just a little crush. I am not in love with him." This was not a good direction for the conversation to be going, he thought, fighting down his blush. "I should dye you guys purple," he muttered, still tomato red.
"So you are gonna get him back?" Kotetsu pressed, elbowing the other chuunin in the ribs. "He definitely deserves it."
"Yeah, especially for hiding his face from us!" Anko added with a scowl. "He just wants to drive us all crazy." She blinked at her cup, which seemed to be empty, and then reached for Izumo's.
"Nah, he won't do it, guys, he's too in love with Kakashi. Even if the man does turn out to have beaver teeth or fish lips, like the rumors say," Izumo harrumphed, and pulled a face, batting away Anko's hand.
Iruka sank down in his seat and glared at his so called friends, who apparently thought it hilarious to make fish lips and beaver teeth at him. "Yeah, well, maybe I will get him back. Then I'll get all of you back. I told you I'm not in love with him."
"No, you won't."
"Yeah, you…like him too much. Heh."
The chuunin glowered at the three, his good mood effectively put out. "Fine," he huffed in annoyance. "You'll see. And I hope you all have horrible hangovers in the morning, too."
"Aww, Iruka-kun, we love you too!" they shouted after the fuming chuunin as he stumbled away from the table and towards the exit with a devious grin pasted across his features.
They would see. And so would that smug Kakashi. He had the most brilliant idea ever.
Rating: T
Genre: Romance/Humor
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Writing belongs to me.
Notes: Here we go! After almost a year of promises and procrastination, I'm finally getting around to editing and posting this. Just in time for Kakashi's birthday! This is my first multi-chaptered fic, and I haven't written anything this long for ages, so please be gentle with me. ^_^; No spoilers. I know the title kind of sucks, and you can tell that my writing is way out of practice... But I'd love to have feedback!
Summary: Kakashi comes back from a mission, only to find a mask-less picture of himself in the jounin lounge. Now that everyone seems to think they know how he looks, how is he going to find someone that believes otherwise to help him catch the culprit?
Special thanks to my brilliant beta, Beasiesgal! <3
Umino Iruka was plastered.
The escapade had begun with Kotetsu and Izumo almost forcibly coercing him into going out for drinks. The convincing had been easier than it otherwise might have. He hadn't had to worry about classes the following day and had secretly thought (hoped) that a certain Jounin might be among those meeting up at the bar. Besides, it had been long enough that he couldn't remember the last time he'd spent some time with his friends; he really felt too guilty about that fact alone to decline.
The demented duo had practically dragged him away at the end of his shift at the mission's desk, as if they didn't trust him to show up on his own.
Here he was, sitting in a dimly lit corner of the bar, leaning on his elbows for support and giggling like mad. The little voice that usually told him when he was about to regret something had long passed out somewhere in the back of his mind, replaced by the warm haze of alcohol induced bliss. It was exactly the reason why Iruka usually refused to let him be dragged along for drinks, but such thoughts had long since evaporated along with his good judgment.
At this point, he was having trouble telling Anko apart from Kotetsu. Not that it mattered much, because judging by how much they had ingested, they were probably having the same problem themselves.
"Kakashi! No way!"
Iruka was pretty sure that this was Izumo he was currently talking to. It didn't really matter if it was Kotetsu or Anko instead, he supposed. "Yes way," he laughed drunkenly, a grin plastered widely over his features, and promptly poured the rest of his beer down his shirt. The chuunin looked down and pouted; he'd been aiming for his mouth, but had apparently missed horribly.
"Wooow, Iruka, you are plastered," probably-Izumo slurred, even though he'd done the same thing not ten minutes earlier. Then, "But I can't believe it! Seriously, Kakashi? The Hatake Kakashi?"
"I know," Iruka said, and flushed deeply, hiding his face behind both palms, because some things didn't change no matter how drunk he was. He regretted revealing his little secret as soon as the words had been out of his mouth, but there was nothing for it now. The tips of his ears burned bright red. "It's just a little, harmless crush, though. Hardly very interesting, really..." The chuunin removed his hands to direct a glare towards the other chuunin. "But I swear, if he finds out, I'll get you, Kamizuki."
Anko chose this moment to cut in. "Yeah, but what about his face? No one's ever even seen it," she slurred, then giggled. "Don't you think it's a little strange that so many people think he must be good looking? Maybe it really is hideous, like the rumors say. Wouldn't that be funny!"
Iruka sobered up enough to frown at the boisterous kunoichi, sitting straight up. "What rumors? Don't say that, it's just mean."
"Aww, now you're defending him! How cute. But they could be true. Think about it. Come on, why else would he hide his face?"
"Because... Oh, I don't know. Does it even matter?"
"Must be because he loves to piss us off," Kotetsu slurred derisively.
"I wouldn't put that past him," Iruka chuckled. Kakashi probably had a face to die for, he mused, then rolled his eyes at himself for such a shallow thought. Still, hiding a gorgeous face to annoy the population of Konoha did seem to be something Kakashi might do. Probably would do. Probably did.
Iruka's musings were interrupted when all eyes turned to him, however.
"Yeah, he really got you earlier today at the mission's desk," Izumo smirked. "You'd think you'd be used to it by now, huh. Hey, is that why you never get back at him, Iruka-kun? Because you're hopelessly in looove with him? If it was any one of us, we'd be dyed purple by now or something!"
"Yeah, jounin or not!" Anko called out, and crossed her arms against her chest. "No fair, Iru-kun."
Iruka's face lit up of its own accord and he began stammering. "T-that's not why! It's just a little crush. I am not in love with him." This was not a good direction for the conversation to be going, he thought, fighting down his blush. "I should dye you guys purple," he muttered, still tomato red.
"So you are gonna get him back?" Kotetsu pressed, elbowing the other chuunin in the ribs. "He definitely deserves it."
"Yeah, especially for hiding his face from us!" Anko added with a scowl. "He just wants to drive us all crazy." She blinked at her cup, which seemed to be empty, and then reached for Izumo's.
"Nah, he won't do it, guys, he's too in love with Kakashi. Even if the man does turn out to have beaver teeth or fish lips, like the rumors say," Izumo harrumphed, and pulled a face, batting away Anko's hand.
Iruka sank down in his seat and glared at his so called friends, who apparently thought it hilarious to make fish lips and beaver teeth at him. "Yeah, well, maybe I will get him back. Then I'll get all of you back. I told you I'm not in love with him."
"No, you won't."
"Yeah, you…like him too much. Heh."
The chuunin glowered at the three, his good mood effectively put out. "Fine," he huffed in annoyance. "You'll see. And I hope you all have horrible hangovers in the morning, too."
"Aww, Iruka-kun, we love you too!" they shouted after the fuming chuunin as he stumbled away from the table and towards the exit with a devious grin pasted across his features.
They would see. And so would that smug Kakashi. He had the most brilliant idea ever.