"I'd rather not," Iruka said. His voice was soft and brittle, tired.

Gai sat back in his chair, set his tea down on the table. "Kakashi wouldn't have wanted this."

Iruka looked over, eyes hard, and set the cup down hard, the cup shaking, a thin split running up the side. Tea began leaking out of the hairline crack, dripping down the side of the cup.

"Shut up, Gai."

Gai smiled, but it was as tired as Iruka's voice. "You're upsetting people, Iruka. This isn't like you, and it's worrying the other ninja."

"What about you?" Iruka asked hotly. "You're fucking everyone over just as much. You lie, Gai, that's all you do. You never act like who you really are. When are your masks going to come off? When Lee's dead?"

Gai's hands fidgeted in his lap, then lay still. His smile held still, frozen on his face, and he watched the pale tea slip down the side of Iruka's broken cup.

"More tea, sensei?" he asked calmly, leaning over to pour tea into Iruka's cup. - Just keep living, sensei - He set the cup in Iruka's hands, closed Iruka's thin fingers around it, and sat back, smiling.

"I'd rather not," Iruka said tiredly, looking out the window. - I'd rather not -

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