He always waited until it was night, long after the sun had gone down and when most prying eyes had closed in sleep. He would sneak in, breaking in through either the front door or a window unless the other man was awake and home. In which case, he would walk right in as though he belonged there and had every right in the world to treat this place as his.

It was never that he felt he needed to hide these night-time dalliances but, rather, they flowed the way his own life did by mirroring the need for secrecy and a desire for simplicity. Truth be told he never thought about appearances much and couldn't give a damn what other's thought. Others weren't involved.

There were no lights on in the small apartment but that was no deterrent for Kakashi as he quietly slipped in through the kitchen window. He knew the moment Iruka had awoke and he made his way to the bedroom door to give the younger man a visual confirmation of his presence. The moon spilt its silvery light through the open window, lighting the room in its soft glow and Iruka looked up from his bed to gaze invitingly at his lover.

Kakashi could smell the scent of blood and battle emanating from his own flesh and rather than join the silently waiting chuunin, as he often did without a qualm, he turned without a word and made straight for the shower.

Searing hot water scalded his flesh as rivulets of grime and dried blood were washed away and disappeared unnoticed down the grated drain at his feet. The few cuts he had sustained burned unheeded but the water soothed his aching muscles and lifted his spirits. Cleaned, he left his clothes where he'd dropped them and toweled dry, briskly rubbing his hair as he stepped from the bathroom and made his way to the bedroom.

Iruka had dozed lightly during Kakashi's shower, lulled by the gentle and soothing sounds of running water and the presence of a dear friend. He knew when the water was shut off and listened passively at the sounds made before the door opened and he heard feet lightly padding to his room. Excitement flushed his skin leaving that burning, tingling sensation and a tightening low in his groin. He was amazed at how easily he accepted their arrangement, how natural it seemed they come together like this unquestioningly. He would only lie to himself if he denied how enthusiastically he looked forward to the nights.

It was need spurned from friendship, spurned in turn from necessity. They laughed in the daylight while refusing to give in to dark thoughts of life's harsh realities. At night they exhausted their bodies until they fell asleep. Sometimes they talked about nonsensical trivia; things of their everyday lives, of how classes were and how well training had been of late. Sometimes they laughed, and often they teased. Yet what really mattered was the here and now, this time of feeling and touch.

Iruka lifted the blanket as Kakashi lowered himself to the bed and he felt the still damp arms move around him. Soft, hot lips closed over his own, gentle at first then crushing and bruising. He felt the cool wetness as damp silvered hair tickled the sides of his face and forehead. Lips hot as fire burned at the corner of his mouth and moved downward, tasting the warm flesh of Iruka's throat. His night shirt was pulled over his head and cast away, coming to rest unseen on the hardwood floor. Iruka lifted his hips high to help Kakashi remove his pants before they, too, met the same fate as his shirt.

Skin slid over skin as Kakashi settled himself over Iruka, sealing their lips in a light kiss while running his hands along the younger man's arms, threading their fingers together and bringing their hands above their heads. The man always seemed to smell of such exotic spices that never failed to heighten his desires. He slowly moved his groin against Iruka's, pressing him further into the bed, reveling in the friction and pressure building with such full intensity.

He caught Iruka's deep groan with his own mouth, feeling the vibrations with his tongue as it slipped in to lay further claim on the man beneath him. They melted together, seared by the heat of their passions until thoughts of what belonged to who became nothing more than "they." Beneath silvery light and silken shadows they came together in that sensual dance of old.

Kakashi was loathe to remove his hands from the other man's body; the thought never even occurred to him as he moved lower, one hand drifting downward to smooth along a hardened thigh pull close against his own. His hand slipped between them and he lightly caressed the soft, inner thigh and heated flesh between, ignoring the burning erection that all but begged to be touched and stroked.

Soft mewling sounds filled the silence as Iruka began to writhe in encouragement and silent plea for more attention. His free hand caressed Kakashi's cheek and jaw, slid across taught shoulders and plunged into silken hair, gripping it tightly as Kakashi finally gave in and wrapped one large hand around Iruka's heated and straining flesh. He gasped and groaned with the pleasure and Kakashi peppered tender kisses across his chest.

He wrapped his hot mouth around one painfully taught nipple and received in return a low moan and tighter grip on his hair. He nibbled and licked, teased and stroked and when Iruka thought he could stand no more, that he must burst from the pent up pressure, Kakashi stopped altogether. He kept the bodily contact but moved his hand away. Iruka felt the slight chill and eagerly lifted his legs, spreading them wide and bringing them up closer to his chest, his knees gently caressing Kakashi's shoulders. He lifted his hazed, dual-colored eyes to Iruka and acknowledged that identical smoldering desire in the chocolate depths. He had not readied Iruka but the look in his eyes bespoke the lack of patience the younger man would have regarding that task. Broaching no argument, he skipped it.

He lifted himself from Iruka, finally breaking their contact as he positioned himself and gradually began to push inside the tight, hot depths. Iruka wrapped his legs around Kakashi's back in encouragement while his hands smoothed over the wiry, toned muscles of his fore and upper arms. Kakashi thrust hard, pushing himself all the way in and leaned forward to claim that sweetly parted mouth before pulling nearly all the way out and thrusting hard into his lover again, picking up the pace and thrusting once more, then again and over, faster, giving head to his desires and rampant lust.

His hands caressed Iruka's feverish body, whispering secret questions answered by Iruka's own maddening touch. A hand moved once more to take Iruka's erection in a possessive, claiming grasp, stroking it in cadence with the deepening thrusts. Kakashi was ravaging Iruka's mouth with his own when the darker man gasped loudly and came violently in Kakashi's hand. The hot, stickiness combined with the honeyed cavern of Iruka's mouth was nearly his undoing. As it was, Kakashi thrust hard and fast several more times before finally meeting his own desperate release within the loving warmth.

Their hard and quick breathing filled the small room as the only sounds for several long minutes before Kakashi finally broke away from Iruka to lie heavily down beside him. Iruka's eyes were closed and Kakashi watched his chest continue to rise and fall rapidly in accordance with his own. One tan hand rose shakily to rest on Kakashi's pale upper thigh in a simple but entirely possessive manner. A smile crossed his lips and Kakashi closed his eyes, completely and utterly content.

Long after, as they lay listening to their contented breathing and the various night sounds Kakashi's thoughts drifted to rest on the man beside him. Iruka's breath softly exhaled through parted lips still swollen from Kakashi's kisses and a ghost of smile flitted across Kakashi's own as the memory warmed him. Even now he could still feel their flesh melded together and smell their scents mingled together as calming incense.

He didn't need to think hard on their relationship. Theirs was companionship, deep, abiding friendship. Words themselves were unnecessary, such as now, as they lie sated with the lethargy of their lovemaking. They laughed and loved. They lived. And that was life, full of joy and sorrow, precious moments not to be wasted. Mutual understanding, far deeper than words could ever convey or do justice by, permeated their companionship.

Kakashi turned to his side, throwing an arm over the slightly chilling chest of his lover and brought the blanket up to cover them both in its cocooning warmth. The movement encouraged Iruka to snuggle deeper, his own arm snaking around Kakashi's waist and his hand coming to rest again on a pale thigh. Kakashi lay awake until he heard the younger man's breathing deepen into restful slumber before finally succumbing himself.

His final solid thought, as he lay peacefully basking in the radiating warmth was that, quite honestly, he would gladly die for this fiercely passionate, yet irrevocably tender man. To protect those he cared for most he would dare great. Yet, if ever a sacrifice was called forth he would go to it. Yes, he would die with no regrets for those important ones, for his friends, for this man that in so many words unspoken belonged to him. For his love.

~owari~