A/N: This story is really a collaboration of short drabbles that I am writing for the 30gen challenge on live journal. The general premise is to choose a character from any genre and write on 30 presented topics. I choose Iruka-sensei. Love.

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30 Gen Challenge

1. Bad Weather

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Title: Empty Shelter
Fandom: Naruto
Author: Swiss
Character/relationship: Iruka-sensei
Theme number: #1 – bad weather
Summary: Iruka's is a safe place…or was. Non-slash.

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A steady hiss of falling rain simmered across the surfaces of Konohagakure. Twilight had come and passed, and now the world was webbed in the deep darkness that came with nighttime showers. The raindrops fell black as tears, and hung over the starless village like a wet, glistening skin.

Inside his home, Iruka found himself taking more than the usual care as he sifted dark green leaves and prepared the softly bubbling water. It wasn't really courtesy that guided his hands so delicately; he felt more irritation than generosity as he prepared the pretty olive liquid for his guest. No, he imagined that it was something more like uncertainty. He had to press more focus and energy into keeping each finger from shaking, making him meticulous. It was an itchy, watched feeling that he didn't like.

Reclining with an illegitimate ease at his table, his strange intruder sat with his chin against his palm, watching him with an indifferent yet bemused expression that turned up his face and crinkled the skin around a clear blue-grey eye that never left his back as he moved. Staring, watching.

The smooth, faded china mugs felt cool under his grip, allowing ripples of calm to circulate from those points of contact. It was only with reluctance that he filled them with steaming tea and handed one to his guest. Brazenly, the elder shifted the heavy cup back and forth, watching dubiously as the liquid lapped against the inside. Then, shrugging, he took a long gulp.

The faint grimace made webs around the man's eyes, and Iruka's fists curled compulsively around his own cup. That expression reminded him of another guest, long ago.

The playful voice almost managed to cover the steel that stirred below the surface of this man. He smiled, pained and awkward, "Ahaha, you make you're tea bitter, Iruka-sensei."

"I can get you some honey if you like," his response was automatic. He felt numb.

Kakashi's one visible eye trailed to the mug that remained on the counter top. It was an obnoxious looking thing, bright orange with long scars as though it had been glued back together at least once before. There was a beheaded pigtailed stick-figure doodled on one side. "Are you expecting more quests, sensei?" he asked languidly.

Iruka's eyes darted to it, and a slight shiver seemed to run through him. He made an almost compulsive, abortive reach for it, but subsided and forced his eyes to his guest.

"I did not even anticipate one," he said, and his pointed look made even the great Kakashi look mildly chagrined.

He coughed, pouting. "It was raining. And I was bored."

"Why not visit one of your friends."

"They wouldn't have let me in."

A muttered, half-heard complaint, but Iruka didn't seem upset so Kakashi said nothing. In the silence, his eyes drifted over the typical apartment dwelling; spartan, rather dull. The orange mug stuck out like blasphemy.

He sat thinking about it for a while in the not uncomfortable silence. Really, it wasn't a hard thing to figure out. "Hm. He came by a lot?" he asked finally. Naruto.

Iruka seemed distracted, but offered him a soft grimace. "Aha, Kakashi-san. Scruffy, hungry intruders are my specialty."

Kakashi's wince ended in a half grin. "Maybe I knew," he mumbled, and shrugged. After all, he had ended up here himself this night. Iruka's was a safe place.

The younger man sunk into a chair with a tired exhale and rested his chin against folded arms. It was a restless, deflated gesture.

Kakashi looked back at the mug on the counter. Finally, "You miss him?"

Across the table, Iruka shifted restlessly, and his eyes seemed to darken. Tears. Aw, not that. Kakashi almost cringed. Iruka-sensei was so weird. How had he ever become a Chuunin?

"Yes."

There was a grieving silence that made Kakashi fidget restlessly. Then, "It's not as though he was yours, not really."

Iruka looked at him a long time. "You're right," he was blinking. Another, almost unnoticeable tremble. "You're right."

Kakashi watched him, watched the wraith-like shadows in this other's unguarded eyes. Ridiculous, ridiculous. Hesitantly, he reached to pat the man's shoulder across the table. A feather light, almost not there touch. "A-a-ah, Iruka-sensei," he threw out carelessly. He wasn't very good at comfort. "It'll be okay."

Iruka looked up at him with blatant surprise. He seemed to be deciding if he were being made fun of. But then he let go, like an exhale on a light wind. A smile ghosted his lips, there then gone with a tired laugh.

"What?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka sunk his face into arms. He said, "I take it back."

"Take what back?"

Iruka grinned, "Wishing you'd never come."

-fin-