May Heat

Chapter Six

The sun had long since passed under the low horizon of the seaside village when he came up to the doorstep of his old mentor's home. He could still feel sand that clung to the inside of his shoe. Sand clung to everything, you'll find it months later at the bottom of your luggage and in the pockets of your trouser.

Sasuke stomped about on the walkway to loosen the sand from the grooves and wiped his soles on the brown floor mat with the phrase " Home sweet home" in bold cursive writing. He waited a moment before knocking with three short strikes on the door.

He could hear the television play inside, some sort of sitcom with a live audience. He could hear small voices and the thumping of feet before the door opened up. Kakashi held a cigarette in his mouth, the corners perking upwards when he saw who had arrived.

"Oh, well isn't this the famous author, Uchiha Sasuke?"

Iruka could be seen inside the kitchen, having heard the door.

"Hello sensei, how have you been?" Sasuke reached out his hand for a handshake, but instead received a hearty grip on his hand, pulling him into a hug.

"No need to be so formal! Living in the city has made you even more dry of a character, huh." He received hearty pats on the back before being released from the embrace. "Come on in! Iruka has been preparing for you coming by for dinner."

Sasuke recovered rigidly from the act of friendliness, straightening out his shirt and entering the small home. Kakashi went in to the kitchen, grabbing utensils to set up the table.

"It's been-let's see, 8 years now? You jetted out of here as soon as you got your diploma. Literally!" He let out a chuckle, remembering the old principal's face when instead of shaking hands with the Uchiha heir, he was sidestepped and a plume of dust was all he got at the important event.

"I've never been the type to go to events like that." He looked around the townhouse and his eyes fell upon the bar cart with glass bottles of hard liquors and smooth wines. Kakashi notices his gaze and moves to the bar, taking a glass from the storage compartment. "Are you a wine man?"

"I'm feeling more whiskey tonight, but I could enjoy a good red." Kakashi nodded and looked through his collection for the one he had in mind.

"Did you meet any of your old friends since you came back?" Iruka asked from inside the kitchen.

Sasuke immediately thought of Naruto at the club, but he simply replied "No".

Kakashi looked at him with a look in his eye that made Sasuke feel like he knew that he was lying. They silently stared at each other for a moment, the sound of Iruka entering the room cutting it short.

"Let's all sit at the table, kay?"

Sasuke was quick to escape, breaking from the pressure of his stare. Whatever Iruka had made smelled amazing, the warm aroma wafting in the air.

"Thank you for letting me join you for dinner." He pulled out a seat for himself as Iruka set the table.

"Absolutely! Former students of mine come by all the time, but for you to come, it's a real treat."

"Former students?"

"Oh yes, a lot of them were from your year actually. Maybe I just had a better connection with you guys."

Kakashi leaned back in his seat, his stare bore into the side of Sasuke's face."...Naruto was here yesterday."

"Shhh!" Iruka hushed him before turning to look at Sasuke uncomfortably.

"I see." Sasuke reached to pick up his chopsticks to eat, but his movements felt stiff, his mind too lost in thought to focus on basic mobility.

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The sky from the seaside had more stars compared to the city but one wouldn't realize what was there before until they experience a world where the night is engulfed in fluorescent lights and planes.

Sasuke went out to the porch with his drink in hand, leaning his weight against the railing. He didn't know exactly why he came here, for that sense of familiarity? Nostalgia? Maybe he was hoping to find some answers.

But it's unlikely to be something he can find.

He could hear the sliding door open and close behind him, the flick of a lighter revealing the identity of his company. Kakashi leaned back against the railing, lifting his head to the sky and letting out a long exhale of smoke that lingered in the cold evening air.

"Are you going to tell me why you're here?"

"There's no 'why'", Sasuke took a sip of his liquor, cold at his lips but drained warm through his chest.

"Of course there is. You don't come looking for me if you weren't in need of counseling."

Sasuke scoffed, " Counseling. I don't need counseling."

"But you want to talk about something. About a certain someone."

"You could say that..."

Kakashi chuckles under his breath, pulling out a folded up sheet of paper and holding it out to him.

"If you want to talk, I think he'd have better answers than I do." Sasuke stared at it, he felt that same paralyzing cold.

"So...are you going to take it?"