The taste of your lips. (Kakashi x Iruka oneshots)

Too old

To clear up any confusion about this oneshot part (even though I definitely should have made clear enough in the story), but the Iruka and Kakashi you see here are taken from Boruto so, they definitely are now older then last seen in Naruto, which is the usual ones I go for in these stories. Yet, this time, somehow I felt the need to go for a soft fluff with the older versions of them.

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It was a late evening when Iruka, the director of the academy, was walking back home from his day at work. He had his head in the clouds as he thought back to the kids he just ran into to, trying to mess up the academy. He decided to take a seat at the familiar old bench as he sighed to himself. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps can be heard closing in as a familiar voice calls out to the brown haired headmaster.

"Hey, Iruka. Is something the matter?" The white haired retired hokage asks with a slight concern in his voice while sitting on the bench right besides Iruka.

"No. Not really. Why?

"Oh, I guess I assumed something was wrong since you were sighing while sitting on this bench were you usually would come when something was troubling you."

"Oh. I guess your right. I used to come here when something was troubling me... Well, but this time it's not much. It's just kids being kids. Honestly, I'm kind of missing the times when I was working with children directly. Yeah, I might be the headmaster of the academy and I might see kids everyday, but it is not really the same as working with them as a teacher. This way you can truly get to know what kind of person every child is and make new bonds with them. Heh, what a nice time I had teaching all the children before, like Konohamaru and Naruto, and others. There might have been some bad times, but even more so, there were many good times and I'm sure every student has made great memories. Not to mention how everyone has grown up to be such fine shinobi. It kind of makes me feel old thinking that."

"Yeah, I definitely see your point. Honestly, talking about being old, makes me think about what have I even accomplished throughout my life. Well, I might have had quite enough of adventure and experience. I had even the chance to be a hokage which I was never really aiming for, but even so, I feel like my accomplishments are barely just a scratch of my life. There is definitely so much I already missed out on, but it's too late for all that..."

"Yea.. I know what you mean. I also have things that I have never accomplished and now it's too late for that. One of witch is getting up in the ninja ranks and becoming a jōnin, but then again, I guess, I never felt the need for that. Though, now that I think about it, Naruto is also still a genin and hasn't gone up the ranks apart from jumping straight to becoming a hokage. He's a hokage who couldn't even became a jōnin before that, and now it's also a bit too late for him to go back for that."

"Haha. Yea, you're right about that." Iruka's point about Naruto made Kakashi chuckle slightly.

"What about you? What have you not done?"

"Well, I guess it's getting married."

"Oh, right. I guess that's another thing I haven't done either..."

"Then again, I never really had time to be thinking about relationships." Kakashi leaned back deeper into the bench while raising his stare at the passing by clouds. "There was so much going on in my life. Father's death, the second great ninja war, my friends deaths, me becoming part of the anbu, then later on a team leader for my own squad, another ninja war and lastly becoming a Hokage. Yeah, I was just too busy for a relationship. Then again, if I really wanted I could have found a woman quite easily since it seems that most of them were always pretty fond of me. I'm sure if I was interested in having a relationship with one of them, all I had to do was just to show my face and most likely I would already have a girlfriend. Then again, that's why I wear my mask in the first place, since I don't particularly want anyone to fall for me just because of my looks." Kakashi signed deeply because of the heavy thoughts.

"That's understandable.." Iruka also sighed agreeingly.

"Yeah... Though, I actually did have someone I liked and I might still do. Yet, I never have really told him. I guess I wasn't really sure if that's the right thing to do, especially since I was still doubting my own feelings. Also, even if I did tell, most likely my love wouldn't have been returned anyways." Kakashi still had his gaze fixed at the sky.

"Wait. Did you say he?" Iruka furrowed his brows questionably.

"Yes. Well, I never truly have thought of myself being able to love another man, especially since woman's body always seemed quite attracting to me. Yet, somehow, without even knowing exactly how, I ended up liking him. I guess, that makes me bisexual then. Then again, it doesn't really matter right now anymore, since it's too late for everything now anyways."

"Maybe it's not too late?"

Kakashi finally lowered his head back from the sky and sat up properly. "No. It's too late. After all, we both are too old for that."

"I don't exactly mean for marriage or for a relationship. What I meant was that it's not too late to at least confess to that person. After all, this way there will be one less regret."

"Heh." Kakashi let out a sigh like chuckle. "Well, I guess I kind of already did that."

"Oh? What.. What did he say, if you don't mind me asking?" Iruka looked at the white haired retired Hokage curiosly while feeling a slight nervousness.

That's when Kakashi put his hand on top of Iruka's. "He's still kind of clueless."

"Wait.. You don't mean me?" The brown haired headmaster asked surprisingly.

"Yes. I mean you."

"Oh... I see... I'm sorry for not realizing that sooner."

"It's okay. It's not your fault, but mine.

Iruka takes in a deep breath before letting it out. " I guess it's my time now, to have one less regret. If I'm being honest, I also kinda liked you in a way. Though, I always considered it as just my admiration for you, but deep down I kind of knew it was more then just that."

"I see. I'm kinda glad to hear that." A soft smile appears on Kakashi's face.

"But yeah.. We're too old for this now" They both end up saying in sinch as they lean back on the bench staring off longingly somewhere far into the sky, as if hoping to return back the past time, while their fingers softly intertwine with each others.