The music sped up and so did their motions. He watched as the brown haired nin spun away from the rest, leaving Genma and Anko dancing together as he moved by himself, weaving through the crowd smiling like there was nothing more wonderful in the world. The flickering lights glinting against his sweat soaked skin as he moved with the music like no one else could, and everyone who came near him seemed intoxicated by the fact. They'd dance with him, challenging him in a way, but always, when he moved away, it was clear none of them were his equal.
Eventually, the figure reached Kakashi and, when he did, stopped dancing. One flash of the light he was moving, the next he was simply smiling up at him. If you weren't listening, you wouldn't have noticed that it was at the exact moment the note of the last song stopped and the note of the next song started. "Kakashi-san, I didn't expect to see you here!" He had to yell to be heard over the music. "You don't look like you're having any fun!"
"I'm not." Kakashi didn't bother to yell, but he knew Iruka heard him or had guessed what he'd said.
Iruka slid closer to him and leaned up to speak in his ear. "Come dance with me?" It was only partly a request, since the chunin had grabbed his hand and tugged on it gently when he pulled back. He looked in the big doe-like brown eyes sparkling with mischief.
"I can't dance!" The music really was far too loud. It was the truth, though. He didn't know anything other than formal stuff suited for getting close to a dignitary at a party.
Iruka seemed to think about this for a moment, then pulled himself against the copy nin and slid his hands to the silver locks; his face so close, Kakashi could feel his breath. "I can fix that..." It was practically a whisper but, somehow, Kakashi heard him. It might have been a brief pause in the music, or the man's close proximity, or maybe Kakashi even read his lips... he didn't know. Whatever the reason, he heard him and raised an eyebrow questioningly, until he felt Iruka's fingers playing with the knot of his hitai-ate. Then, the look became surprise.
His hitai-ate slid off and disappeared somewhere. The music faded, the long drawn out ending of the song strangely quiet. "Dance with me, Kakashi. Just this once?" He asked, his lips so close they lightly brushed Kakashi's masked ones as they moved. A shiver danced it's way down his spine, and when the other man pulled away, tugging gently at his hand again, he let himself be lead to the middle of the floor. The dancers already on the floor gave way, leaving a surprising amount of space for the chunin and his new partner.
The song finally ended, and Iruka and looked at him seriously before whispering, "Please." Nobody could have heard it, and, without being able to read his lips, Kakashi wouldn't have known what he'd said. As the first notes of the song started playing, Iruka moved. His body sliding, rocking, and twisting to the sound, and it wasn't until he was pressing his body against the chunin's in perfect time, that he realized he was moving as well.
One song ended and the next began, but the two never stopped moving their bodies, grinding together as those around them stared in fascination. Iruka slid a hand up Kakashi's chest as he swung his body around and behind, sliding the other over the copy-nin's bare shoulder and down the length of his arm. One motion flowed into the next, until they were gasping and their muscles shivered from the exertion.
Kakashi was in a daze when Iruka pulled him off the floor and lead him over to the bar, handing him a large glass of water before downing one himself. The water tasted funny, drinking it through the mask, but he was too tired to pull it down, and was pretty sure he'd choke trying to drink it fast enough no one would see. He watched as Iruka downed his fourth glass of water before pulling Kakashi's hitai-ate out and leaning it over to tie it back on him. "Thank you," he said, grinning as he pulled the knot tight. It was a little quieter there, but still far too loud for Kakashi's taste.
"That was so hot!" Anko screamed, wrapping her arms around the brown-haired chunin. "Iruka god... I mean... no screw it you are a god!" Then,she looked at Kakashi with a bemused expression. "I still can't believe you got the famous wall flower to dance with you, Iruka!" Kakashi shrugged.
"Yeah, I thought you never danced, Kakashi-san?" Genma half asked, half stated, coming up beside him. He ordered a couple of drinks, and handed one to Anko, who downed it in a single gulp.
"I don't," Kakashi said loud enough they could hear him, then took a drink from the now refreshed glass of water.
"Will you 'not' dance with me then?! Because I think you're right! That wasn't dancing! That was more like you two having sex with your clothes on while we all got to watch!" Anko yelled, an arm still draped over Iruka's shoulder.
"No!" At first Kakashi thought he'd said it, he'd started to, but then he realized it had been Iruka. "I'm the one who got him on the floor, so he's mine for the rest of the party!"
"You selfish, selfish man!" Anko sulked.
"Damn right I am! He's the only one here who can keep up with me out there!"
"How about after you're done with him?" Anko asked, grinning.
"By then the party will be over!"
"That's okay! I'm sure I can find a way to put those moves to good use!" She grinned wickedly at Kakashi, who took another drink of his water, trying to look bored.
"But..." Iruka started before the meaning sunk in and caused him to turn several shades of red, which was surprising since he was already flushed from all the dancing.
"I don't think Iruka has any kind of say in that matter, Anko-chan!" Genma said, grinning.
Anko smiled and leaned over. "So, Kakashi-san, want to come 'dance' with me after the party?" Her smile turned down right wicked but still held the teasing tone of her voice.
"Tempting, but I don't think I have the stamina for you, Anko-san!" Kakashi smiled warmly, letting her know, without hurting her pride, that he wasn't interested. "Another time maybe!" They both knew the lie for what it was.
She gave them all a playfully defeated look before turning on Genma. "So then, since he turned me down, you want to come home with me?!"
"I'm nobody's second choice!" Genma laughed.
"Prove it. Come back to my place!" They both laughed and she dragged him off, disappearing into the crowd.
"Think he'll take her up on the offer?" Kakashi asked.
"Probably!" Iruka said, shrugging. "So, why did you decide to come?"
"Have to congratulate Sakura on making chunin, of course! I haven't seen her yet, though!" Kakashi frowned and rubbed his ears. "How can anyone think in this noise?"
Iruka grinned and grabbed his arm. "Come on! I saw Sakura a little while ago!" He let himself be dragged away from the bar and through the crowd, over to a dark corner where he made out a group of younger nin. It was a little quieter over there, and Kakashi's ears were grateful. "Sakura-chan!" The pink haired girl waved as they walked over.
"Yo," he raised a hand in his usual manor and smiled slightly.
"Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei!" She beamed. "We saw you dancing earlier! You guys were amazing!"
Iruka blushed but shrugged. "We wanted to congratulate you guys on making chunin. I can't believe you and Ino both made it this time."
"I'm glad we didn't have to go up against each other this year, though. I didn't think I'd make chunin, when Shino beat me."
"Knowing when to withdraw is a very important trait when leading a mission."
"You're right, of course, Kakashi-sensei. I hated it all the same, but it was impossible to get a hit on him with his insects. They just scatter." She groaned at the memory. "It was so frustrating!"
"You performed well, Sakura-san," Shino said, coming up behind her causing everyone else to chuckle.
"Thank you, Shino-san. You are a frustrating opponent, and I hope I never have to go up against you again. Oh, and I hear you and Neji will be under evaluation for jounin soon."
"Perhaps." He turned and looked at his teammates. "Let's go." When he turned and walked away, they followed, smiling and saying their good-byes, explaining they had a mission in the morning.
"Oh, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, I almost forgot, Tsunade-sama wanted me to tell you she wanted to speak with you if I saw you," Sakura said, grabbing Iruka's wrist and dragging them off to a door a few feet away. "Go in. I'll go find Tsunade-sama."
-----
"Iruka, will you dance with me later?" Shizune asked, leaning in and smiling up at him through her eyelashes the moment they walked through the door.
"He can't."
Shizune turned to look at the copy-nin. "And why not? Does he belong to you?"
"He promised to keep Anko away from me, since he's the one who dragged me out to dance and gave her 'ideas', so he can't."
"You could just hide in here and play poker."
"No, he can't. I won't play poker against him. If I was going to do that, I might as well just give him my money."
"Kurenai's right. Even without using his sharingan, it's worse than playing shoegi against Shikamaru," Asuma said, taking a drag on his cigarette.
"Just because you two thought you'd unmask me with strip poker and LOST, doesn't mean you should just give my secrets away."
"Gai and Genma were in on it, too!" Kurenai practically whined.
"Genma got what he deserved. I still have that senbon, too. And Gai... well, I didn't see any reason to punish myself."
"It was Genma's idea. You should have taken all of his clothes," the jounin said, the tone as close to a whine as Asuma ever got.
"Nah... getting his senbon was far more entertaining. He'd strip if you asked him to. But he never goes without his senbon."
"He does have a point, Asuma. The constant sulking about feeling naked was really entertaining." Kurenai started giggling and the way her boyfriend rolled his eyes.
"The pointed looks at Kakashi were just plain disturbing, though."
Kakashi grinned, his visible eye turning up in a pronounced half circle. "And, he still didn't get to see what's under my mask."
"Ugh! That was way more than I ever wanted to know!" Kurenai and Asuma chorused.
Tsunade came through the door carrying the drinks, while Sakura trailed in behind with food. Kakashi pulled Iruka with him as he stepped aside to let them through. "What did you two do to poor Iruka? He looks like he's about to pass out."
Shizune, who'd been staring somewhat dumbfounded at them, turned her focus to Iruka. "You should sit down."
"You're right, he should," Kakashi said, pulling the chunin away from the medic nin making eyes at him.
Iruka blushed even more as he was promptly set down on the cushion beside Kurenai. Settling behind him, Kakashi leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Since you're protecting me from Anko, I'll protect you from her."