The Light in the Dark [ENGLISCH/GB]

9- The End

It was now time for Naruto and Hinata's big day and he still had no escort to the wedding, but so what? He had taken a proper break from everything and had even been away from the village for a few days, he had simply needed some distance from everything that had happened and now wanted to concentrate fully on his school and his task as headmaster, but there was still the task of taking Naruto's father's place at the wedding.

Iruka looked at himself in the mirror again and smiled, he did look a little tired but it wasn't too bad and he didn't want to stay long at the party either way. So he took his time drinking a cup of coffee before he left. The whole village had been festively decorated and almost everyone wanted to be at the wedding, because it wasn't just any wedding. Happy laughter could be heard everywhere and the people seemed to be really happy, no wonder, because thanks to Naruto's friendships in all the villages, good security was provided, so that all his friends could attend the wedding and the non-Shinobi could just enjoy the peace.

Slowly he entered the festival grounds and froze when he saw Orochimaru, what was going on here? But his eyes fell on Naruto who was standing next to the Youdaime. What had that...But before he could think about it further, the two of them came upon him and his whole body stiffened a little. "Hey Iruka-sensei..." greeted Naruto, seeming to beam. "Kakashi allowed Orochimaru..to use the Edo Tensei for my father...so he could be at the wedding..." And Iruka understood, he took Naruto in his arms and hugged him tightly. "I'm really happy for you Naruto..." he said and then let him go as the youdaime bowed to him. "Thank you...for everything you have done for Naruto and for trying to be in my place for him. You have done a truly outstanding job. Kushina and I are very proud that Naruto has turned out so well." And Iruka blushed around the nose, of course he had thought then about not complying with the Third Hokage's request and not giving a damn about Naruto, but he hadn't had the heart to do that. "N..Not at all Youdaime-sama," he said and swallowed. "I was happy to do that after all.... After all, I too lost my parents to the Kyuubi and could understand his situation to a large extent. Probably better than anyone else from the village." And then he bit his lip, once again Kakashi had taken something from him, this shithead really had no feeling at all. But he was happy for Naruto that somehow he was able to spend this special day with his father after all. After all, the 4th Great Ninja World War had ended right on Naruto's birthday and that was also when the Edo Tensei was disbanded....

Sighing, Iruka joined the other guests and saw Sakura whispering to Hinata out of the corner of his eye, who nodded. What was going on there? Well, that shouldn't be his problem and so he followed the ceremony, clapping the loudest when the word was spoken and his heart jumped for joy. It was as if his own son was getting married and that filled him with immense pride. But what followed irritated him. Normally Hinata would throw the bouquet to her friends, but she gave it directly into Kakashi's hands and Iruka's eyes widened. That bastard...what was that about...he knew Iruka was there, so did he want to humiliate him even more than he already did?

He turned around and was about to leave when his hand was grabbed and he looked into the grey-haired man's face. What did that mean?

-*-

It had really taken some preparation, which is why it had really taken until the wedding. The sealed Edo Tensei Jutsu had to be dissolved, for that they had to find Orochimaru and they had to concentrate on reawakening only one person instead of several.

But Kakashi knew that if it wasn't Naruto's father himself, he would never get Iruka away from the wedding and his protégé. He was simply too much of a father for that! And that was one of the things he loved about him, Kakashi had spent the last few days sitting at home thinking about what he loved so much about Iruka and why he loved him in the first place. Somehow he had tried to put it down on paper, but nothing clever had come out of it and so the women had given him an idea, which they had discussed with Hinata beforehand. So the big day had finally come and nervously he looked around when Iruka appeared and spoke to Minato, obviously confused. He could also see how annoyed Iruka was that he took the bouquet and how he then turned to leave. Kakashi himself couldn't really blame him and so he took quick steps towards Iruka, grabbed his wrist and pulled him along.

Away from the party and their friends, away from the places where everyone was watching them, not that he was ashamed to be with such a wonderful man, but he would rather have the first confession of love just for the two of them where not all eyes were on them. He would hardly get a decent sentence together anyway, simply because he was so excited and terrified of Iruka's reaction. What if the other didn't love him anymore? What if Kakashi had destroyed him too much? But there was no time for such thoughts at this moment. The grey-haired man wanted to concentrate on the positive feelings, on what Iruka triggered in him and he wanted to make the brown-haired man understand that somehow. But he was very clumsy in such things...If it had been up to him, he would have just stood in front of the other's door with a bouquet of flowers and told him how he felt, but Sakura had said that that would simply not be enough after all this.

"Kakashi...you're almost tearing my arm off" he heard Iruka say as he brought him back to the here and now and they were already standing in a beautiful spring meadow. This place was a little outside the village and he hadn't noticed how fast he had been running.

Iruka tore himself away, looked around and Kakashi could see in his eyes how he wondered what was going on here and the grey-haired man looked uncertainly at the bunch of flowers in his hand.

Love...A five letter word and yet it had such a big meaning....

"Iruka I...I wanted to apologise to you for my behaviour...It wasn't right to kiss you first and then reject you like it was nothing. Like it didn't matter..." he started his little speech and swallowed. "But I...god why is this so hard..." he cursed to himself and then looked into the other's eyes, those eyes that had captivated him so many times before. This man was everything he had ever wanted in his life and so much more. "You know...that kiss it didn't mean nothing...it was.... I let my feelings guide me this one time...Took something I desired so much since I first saw you...But..." Again he cursed softly, Kakashi was simply not made for such things.

-*-

Puzzled, he stood with Kakashi in this really beautiful spring meadow and then listened to the grey-haired man. He seemed to be struggling with the words and was probably trying to find the right ones. Kakashi had always wanted them to kiss? Had he always longed for it and simply let his feelings guide him?

But then he realised what this was...It was a confession of love.... A confession of love from the man of his dreams, the man who had been responsible for his emotional chaos in the last days and weeks and had obviously been through one himself. Of course, why hadn't the thought occurred to him immediately that it was just as hard for Kakashi as it was for him? Well, the question was answered quite simply: Because this one time he hadn't worried about the well-being of others, but had concentrated on his own. But before Kakashi could really continue talking, he fell around his neck, pulled down his mask and pressed his lips to those of the grey-haired man. Those few words he had stammered out were enough to show Iruka what Kakashi probably really felt.

During the kiss, he felt those strong arms wrap around him and Kakashi began to return the kiss. Here in this spring meadow, not only the flowers and grasses were flourishing, but also their new love... A love that couldn't have had a more complicated beginning.

"I love you, Iruka "Kakashi breathed against his lips and a smile formed on his lips during the kiss. "And I you, shithead," he grinned and they let themselves sink into the flowers and grasses....

- —

And with that, it's done :) A small but nice FF about one of my favourite ships...Of course I hope you liked it and that you will join me for my next FF :)

The name is "Sacrifice Your Heart" and will go online with the first chapter either tonight or tomorrow :) It will also be available in two versions (English and German).

It will be an Eruri FF (ErwinXLevi from AoT).

Until then

Yours Rapha