"I'm home, Love!", Kakashi yelled cheerily the moment he entered the apartment. "And I got your apples! The green ones! Now come here and give me a kiss 'cause I've been such a good boy!" He lowered his mask and grinned. This would certainly gain him one of his lover's beautiful smiles and maybe a little blush. He could never have enough of them.
Kakashi dropped the apples – red, sweet ones for him, green, more sour ones for his lover – on the kitchen table along with the other groceries. "And I got something REALLY nice for you!" He grinned again and hid the strawberries behind the milk in the fridge. He couldn't wait to feed his beloved Chuunin with them tonight. And then he'd taste them from his lover's lips... Mmmh...
"Love? Ruka? Are you hiding from me?", he asked mock-concerned into the living-room where his lover had been browsing the internet when he'd left for shopping an hour ago. "Did I do something bad while I was away? Please tell me, Love, so I can apolo-"
Kakashi stopped dead when he turned around and saw his Chuunin standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
Iruka looked at him, his hair dishevelled like he had tried to rip it out, his eyes red and swollen. And in his look Kakashi saw anger and exhaustion and-
No, no, Love, please don't- Don't look at me like that. Like I've hurt you. You know I can't stand that. I feel like dying when you look at me like that.
"Ruka?", he asked out loud. "What- what happened? Who did- I-"
"Who's Kaori?", Iruka whispered.
"Kaori? I- I don't- Ruka, what happened?" Kakashi was more than concerned now. He took a step towards his lover, but to his horror Iruka stepped back, away from him.
"Tell me, Kakashi." His voice was barely audible. "How long did you know her?"
"I- I don't know what you're talking about, Love. I don't know any Kaori, I-"
"You can be honest, Kakashi. I can deal with it." A single tear ran down Iruka's left cheek and ripped the Jounin's heart into pieces. "You can tell me about her. And about Yuki and Saeko and- and- and O- O.C." Iruka sobbed and turned away from his lover.
"Ruka, I don't-" Kakashi hurried towards him and reached out a hand to take his lover in his arms. "I don't know them, Ruka-love. I promise I-"
Iruka turned around again and slapped the hand away. "Shut up!", he yelled.
Kakashi stopped dead at his Chuunin's outburst. "I-"
"Would you just shut up? I can't stand-" Iruka took a deep, shuddering breath and another step away from him. "I can't stand it when you lie to me now. J-just tell me how l-long you... you've been ch-" He swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "How long have you been cheating on me? The whole time? Ever since we've-" He sobbed again and bit his lower lip.
"Chea- Cheating on you?", Kakashi asked incredulously. "I've never cheated on you, Ruka. I love-"
"Shut up! Don't say it! I don't want to hear it anymore!"
"But it's true!", Kakashi yelled but regretted it immediately when he saw his lover flinch at the volume. "I love you, Ruka", he pleaded more quietly. "And I've never cheated on you, Love. I never did and I never will, I promise."
"Don't say that. I'm not that stupid, Kakashi", Iruka whispered, eyes still closed.
"You are if you really believe I would ever cheat on you, Ruka-love", the Jounin whispered back soothingly, closing the space between him and his lover. "I love you."
"Don't-"
"I'll say it as long as you doubt it, Love." Kakashi made a final step and closed his arms around his lover. He could feel Iruka tense the moment they touched. "Shhh, Love. Don't be sad anymore. I love you. I will never cheat on you, I promise." He placed a small kiss on his lover's forehead.
