Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Illusion and Dream
By : djserani
Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male
Views: 1300 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! I make no money off of this!
Chapter List
- 30
- 31
- 32
The next few days passed in a sort of dazed blur. After, that is, the mission office the morning following their... break up with the other two.

The first bad moment came as soon as they got to the office. Genma could not miss the rings on their fingers, nor which rings they were. His eyes darted from one to the other, then back up to Tetsu's face. "Uh... Congrats," he managed.

They'd both nodded, mumbled their thanks and headed into the building. Izumo had gone for coffee first thing, bringing Genma a cup. He set it in front of Gen and leaned back against the desk, looking over the older man.

Gen looked... worn. Izumo imagined he looked much the same because he knew Tetsu did, too. They'd managed to forget for a while the night before - lose themselves in each other, but when he got up the next morning to get ready, he'd found one of Rai's t-shirts in the laundry and it had all come crashing back into him. He'd stood there, staring at the stupid piece of clothing for a long time before Tetsu managed to get it out of his hands and wrap him up in a hug.

Izumo put a hand on Genma's shoulder and the older man covered it with one of his own. Their eyes met, mutual understanding, shared pain and a bunch of other things neither could name passed between them. Kotetsu excused himself to get his tea and Gen and Zumo exchanged looks again. "Would it help you to know he did it mostly to make me feel better?"

Genma dropped his eyes to the desk. "Yeah, actually. But... You... belong together, Zumo."

"He still loves you. Very much, and always will," Izumo said, quietly.

Genma nodded and looked back up at the smaller man. "Rai loves you. This morning when we woke up, he..." he swallowed. "He was dreaming about you."

Izumo closed his eyes. He wasn't sure if it was better to know this or not. "I nearly fell apart over a t-shirt of his I found." He shook his head. "God, we're a mess." He bent then and wrapped his arms around Genma, trying to offer some small measure of comfort. Gen's arms came around him, the older man's face burying itself in his chest.

And Izumo realized... just how good this man felt.

He blinked into space for a moment, then pulled back, looking down into the hazel eyes. They looked puzzled, too, like he'd felt something he hadn't expected. He shook his head, brushed at a bit of the hair that had escaped Genma's bandana and stood back up.

He had no idea what to do with that. Wasn't it bad enough that they were each in love with two people? Wasn't it bad enough that they were sexually attracted to all three? Did they really have to throw emotion into that, too?

Except, if Izumo was honest with himself, he knew it was already there. He'd felt it the other night when they'd been together. He'd already known he cared about the assassin - when he could get past his jealousy enough to see it. Izumo sighed, heard an answering one from Genma, then he sat down and they both turned back to their mission books together.

If dinner the night before had been awkward and uncomfortable in a setting like that, working together was damned near impossible. Simply sitting next to each other - mostly on Genma and Tetsu's part, was extremely difficult. They'd hand a paper or scroll or pen and would accidentally touch and they'd have to pause to gather themselves together again. Izumo thought philosophically that that's why romance at work was usually so discouraged. He finally offered to sit between them and that helped a bit, but then even he was reminded of the night he and Gen had been together and of the hug earlier in the day.

When the image of Genma, bent over him, mouth hovering near his cock flashed into his head again, he sighed. He made a quiet excuse and headed back for more coffee. He was drinking the stuff by the gallon - as was Genma - but it was the only excuse he could come up with to get away from the desk for a moment and maybe, just maybe, collect his wits.

That night had been... well, he couldn't quite describe it. He never thought he and Gen would get along in bed like they had. But they did - God, did they! And the way the older man had looked at him... he shook his head and forced himself to pour coffee. He carried the mugs back out to the main room and set one in front of Genma. The taller man looked up and smiled. "Thanks," he whispered, picking it up to sip at it.

The day didn't want to end. It seemed to stretch, the minutes ticking by like hours. Sundays were slow to begin with and a number of the teams were out on long-term missions, so there wasn't even much traffic through the office that day.

The three breathed a collective sigh of relief when Raidou came in from his mission to turn in his report. He stopped a few feet from the desk and looked from Genma to Izumo, momentarily confused about who to turn it in to. Kotetsu solved that by speaking up. "I'll take it, Rai."

Raidou threw a grateful look at Kotetsu and handed off the report. Very little was said as Kotetsu stamped the paper and stuck it in the box to file later. Raidou stood in front of the desk, not sure who to kiss for a moment. Finally, he bent down and dropped one on Genma and Izumo had to get up and leave.

Kotetsu followed him, finally finding him in the supply room. He was rearranging boxes of scrolls, not really seeing anything. He pulled the other man against him and made quiet shushing noises in response to sounds Izumo hadn't even realized were coming out of his mouth.

Finally, he calmed and turned to his lover. "I'm... sorry, Tetsu. I..." he paused to swallow, then clear his throat. "I have you, I shouldn't be this upset."

"Shh. It's okay. I understand, remember?" Kotetsu asked and Izumo looked up into the slanted eyes.

He nodded then and a few minutes later they went back out to the main office to find that Raidou had gone home. Genma tried to apologize for them, but Izumo insisted it wasn't necessary. And it wasn't. It just...was. It wasn't fair to keep them from a welcome home because he happened to still be in love with one of them.

The day finally ended. Izumo and Kotetsu spent the evening simply curled up together, trying not to think too much. Something old and inane was on the TV that they only half paid attention to, concentrating more on each other.

The next couple of days were just as hard, in a different way. Genma and Raidou had been sent out early on a mission slated to take a few days. They'd given stilted goodbyes and watched as they took off, all four of them wanting to do much more than wave.

Back in the office, they ran into Aoba, the last man they wanted to talk to. Kotetsu sighed. "Morning, Yamashiro," he grunted, taking his place at his desk.

"Well, you're in a good mood. Friday night not work out for you?" He asked, eyebrow going up over the top of his sunglasses.

Kotetsu scowled. "Not exactly." He turned and plucked a scroll out of the section for jounin. "But I'm not sending you to Snow." He handed the orders to Aoba but when he went to pull his hand away, the older man grabbed it.

"What's this?" He asked, eyebrow going up even more. Kotetsu blinked at him, not answering right away and Aoba looked over at Izumo, catching the matching band on the other man's finger. "Wait. You switched?" He shook his head, looking from one to the other, then dropping his face into his hand. "That's not, exactly, what I was getting at."

"No shit. You wanted us to fuck each other," Kotetsu said, and Izumo sighed.

"But... you were just supposed to fuck. Not switch partners!" Aoba shook his head. "God, you guys are fucked up."

"Tell us something we don't already know," Izumo grouched. "Take your damned mission and go before we do send you to Snow."

"Okay, wait. I thought you loved Raidou?" Aoba asked, ignoring the previous comment.

Izumo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Not that it's any of your business... but yes. I do... did."

Aoba blinked at him. "But now you're with Kotetsu."

He held onto his patience very very carefully. "Yes. Now I'm with Kotetsu." He held up his hand. "Ring, right?"

"Do you love him?" Aoba asked.

Kotetsu was trying very hard to keep from punching the man. Izumo sighed again. "Would I be wearing this if I didn't?"

"I don't know. Maybe. So... what you're saying is, you love both of them?"

Izumo's head dropped to the desk. Kotetsu put a hand on his back and glared up at Aoba. "Are you trying to just rub all this in?"

"No. I'm trying to understand. What about you and Gen?"

Kotetsu cleared his throat and dropped his eyes. "He's with Rai now."

"Wait. Wait. Wait." Aoba rubbed at his temples. "Let me see if I get this straight. You two love each other and Gen and Rai love each other. But you and Gen started dating when Rai and Zumo did."

Kotetsu nodded, giving up. "Yes. Is there a point to all of this? Other than to go over our mistakes and problems for the entire mission room?"

Aoba glanced around at the... empty room and shook his head. "Just a minute, I'm getting there. So, you two started dating the other two, but you were miserable. Not because you didn't love them, but because you also loved each other. Right?" He asked, looking up. They both nodded. "Did something happen on your mission?"

They exchanged glances, then looked back at Aoba, not answering. "That's answer enough. So, you come back, knowing you love each other, but you're still attached -- and still in love with -- the other two. And I'm guessing somewhere along the way, they realized that they loved each other."

Kotetsu sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Okay, now that you have the whole damned sordid tale out, can you please tell us why you insist on going over it?" He asked through his hands.

"Not quite done yet. So, then you go out together Friday night, follow my advice --" they looked up at him at that and he just shook his head. "Oh please, I saw you leave. And this," he said, pointing at their fingers, "wouldn't have happened otherwise. So you follow my advice and end up just as miserable because you've switched partners but still love the other two. Did I get everything straight?"

Izumo bounced his head off of the desk and Kotetsu dropped his hands, glaring at the jounin. "Yes. That about covers it. Are you through?"

"So, what are you going to do?" Aoba asked, ignoring the question.

Another bounce of Izumo's head. "Good thing your forehead protector's in front, Zumo," Aoba pointed out helpfully, then turned to Kotetsu, raising both eyebrows in question.

"Do? We've done it. What the hell else is there?" Kotetsu asked, getting pissed now.

"What are we discussing?" Iruka asked as he came out from the file room.

"We're discussing the mess Kotetsu, Izumo, Genma and Raidou are in," Aoba answered.

"Oh, yes," Iruka nodded. "Quite the mess."

"I was just asking what they were going to do about it."

Iruka glanced at the other two. "I'm not sure they've figured that out yet."

Kotetsu growled. "We've. Done. It," he bit off. "There's nothing else to do."

Aoba shook his head. "Thick. Well, I'm off. But think about this, kiddies, maybe there's something you're not thinking of." He threw a wave over his shoulder and headed out the door.

Izumo bounced his head again and Iruka patted his shoulder. "It's not that bad. Aoba can be an ass, but really, he means well."

Izumo turned his head toward the teacher, still with it on the desk. "Really? Could have fooled me. It's bad enough we're in the stupid situation, but to have it all laid out like that?" He turned it again and bounced his head one more time.

Kotetsu sighed. "Really, Ruka. What other option is there?"

Iruka didn't answer and Kotetsu glared at him. "Is there something we're missing? Because really, if there is, please, we'd love to hear it."

Iruka considered them a moment. "I need to get to class, but think about this. Who's opinion matters in this? And if you answer that, then ask yourselves the next question. What are you denying yourselves? And why?"

He stood up then, downed the last of his tea and picked up his backpack. Throwing a wave at his two friends, he headed out the door, leaving them staring after him with shock clearly written on their faces.

The two days that Genma and Raidou were gone seemed interminable. Every time someone opened the door and came into the office, they looked up hopefully, only to see another genin team or single ninja coming in. They'd sigh, exchange glances and go back to what they were doing.

The two evenings had been quiet and spent at home. They'd been invited to the Kunai one night, but decided they weren't really in the mood for drinking. Besides, there was always the hope that Gen and Rai would come home early and stop by to let them know. They wanted to be there, just in case.

But alas, they didn't. And by late in the afternoon on the day they were due back, both of the chuunin were starting to get worried. It was rare for their missions to take the full time - there was usually more time added just in case. If they weren't back yet, something may well have gone wrong.

So when they walked in shortly before the office closed looking a little the worse for wear, both Izumo and Kotetsu jumped to their feet and rounded the desk. Izumo went straight for Raidou and looked him over. "Are you okay?" He asked, inspecting the bigger man for any outward signs of injury.

Raidou stopped him, pulling him in for a surprising hug. "I'm fine, calm down." They glanced over to see Genma doing the same with Kotetsu, arms wrapped around each other. "So's Gen. Don't worry."

Izumo breathed a sigh of relief. "What happened?" He asked and started to step back, but Rai didn't let him go right away. He tightened his arms first, then finally, with a sigh of his own, he opened his arms and Izumo moved away.

"Nothing too bad. Just took us a little longer than we would have liked to find the target. At least this time, the intel was accurate. We knew going into it, he'd have a guard." He shrugged. "We're fine, though. Didn't even get hurt." He glanced over at his partner. "Gen didn't even get close to them."

Izumo shook his head. "So you went in instead, right?"

Raidou actually blushed a little. "Uh, yeah," he said, scratching the back of his head and Izumo glanced over at Genma when he heard the snort.

"He's always doing that. Trying to take all the hits. Bastard." Genma grumbled and Izumo chuckled.

"I know. That one's the same way, if I let him," Izumo said, pointing at Kotetsu.

Kotetsu exchanged a look with Raidou to cover his own blush. "They don't get it, do they?"

Raidou shook his head. "Nope."

Izumo and Genma glared at their best friends, but let it go. "So," Kotetsu started, "Are you guys up for dinner? Or are you too tired?"

Genma looked over at Raidou and raised an eyebrow. Rai nodded and Kotetsu spoke up. "Okay, we're out of here in a few minutes," he said and chuckled when Genma blinked at him. "We're learning your signals, too."

Raidou chuckled and shook his head. "We need to shower first. We came straight here, but we'll come by at seven? You want to go back to the barbecue restaurant?"

"Actually," Izumo started, "We thought we'd cook. We," he paused, glancing at Kotetsu, "Have something to talk to you about."

Raidou and Genma exchanged glances. "Okay. We'll see you then."

After an awkward moment where they had to fight the urge to kiss, the older two waved and headed out. When they were gone, Izumo and Kotetsu grinned at each other and went back to work. They were both extremely grateful that the day was almost over.

But when seven got close, they both started to get nervous. Just because they were okay with it, just because they wanted it, didn't mean their friends would. Izumo concentrated on the fish he was grilling and the rest of the preparations for dinner in the hopes of keeping himself distracted. It wasn't working very well.

Kotetsu came up behind him and dropped a light kiss on his neck. "Love you, baby. Remember that."

Izumo sighed. "I do. I love you, too. I just--" he started but was cut off by the knock. After Kotetsu dropped another quick kiss on Izumo, he headed out to answer it.

They'd showered and changed into the same clothes -- now repaired -- that they'd worn Friday night. Kotetsu let his eyes roam over both of them, taking in just how good they both looked. "Hi," he greeted them when his eyes made it back to their faces. He noticed them both with their eyebrows up and amused smiles on their faces and his own smile steadied just a little bit. He raised his own eyebrows in reply and Raidou chuckled.

"Hi yourself," Genma said, stepping through the doorway. They kicked their shoes off and the three of them headed into the main room. Izumo was busy setting the table and Genma headed over to help him.

"Thanks," Izumo said, smiling up at him.

"Hey, I'm hungry. The sooner it's set, the sooner we eat," he said with a wink and Izumo's smile spread into a grin. He didn't know what had caused them to be a little more comfortable with each other except maybe the time apart, but he was grateful for it. It would make the evening go quite a bit smoother, regardless of what happened.

The four of them quickly set everything out and finally took their seats around the small square table. It wasn't lost on any of them that Raidou had taken the seat next to Izumo and Genma next to Kotetsu without even really thinking about it. They said their quick thank you and then in silence, they dug into the food.

"So, tell me about the mission," Izumo said to fill the silence.

Genma glanced at Raidou who motioned back to him and took another bite. "Food's too good. You talk."

The other three laughed, Izumo's grin staying firmly on his face at the obvious compliment to his cooking and Genma started in on the story. The whole thing - including questions - took up most of dinner. Gen and Rai insisted on helping to clean up and it was funny to see them all trying to work around each other in the tiny kitchen. They kept bumping into each other or elbowing someone. At one point Raidou, in exasperation, simply lifted Kotetsu up and set him aside, causing everyone except the spiky-haired man to laugh.

When clean up was finished, sake was warmed and the four friends headed out to the living room. Raidou took up a spot on the end of the couch, Genma sprawled in their only armchair, tipping the bottle of sake back and sending a considering look at the other two. "So, what did you want to talk to us about?" He asked.

Izumo took a spot on the other end of the couch from Raidou and stared at the other man a moment. He fought the urge to scoot over and lean against him and instead exchanged a look with Kotetsu who couldn't seem to sit at all. He was standing at the window, fighting the need to fidget. He turned around and cleared his throat. "We figure that we need to talk."

"Okay..." Raidou said, carefully.

"About us." Kotetsu added. At the raised eyebrows, he sighed. "All of us."

Genma glanced over at Raidou, then to Izumo. "What about us?" He swallowed as the mood among them started to go from the light hearted fun they'd managed through dinner to the same volatile emotional mix that they'd been mired in for so long.

"We... love... each other," Kotetsu managed to get out. He looked again at Izumo, who nodded in encouragement.

Genma blinked at him, then his eyes dropped to his lap and he swallowed. "Yeah, um... do we," he took a deep breath and blew it out. "Do we really have to go over this?"

"I think we do," Izumo said. "See, we got stuck talking to Aoba right after you guys left."

"Asshole," Raidou put in.

Izumo chuckled a little and glanced at the taller man. "Indeed. He -- a little gleefully, I think -- felt the need to go through the entire thing among us for the last few weeks, outlining everything that was wrong."

Genma's head dropped. "Definite asshole. One of these days, I'm going to punch him."

"Me, too," Kotetsu said, "But this time, he was actually rather useful."

"We didn't exactly enjoy hearing the way he laid it out," Izumo said. "But the last thing he said to us was that there might be something we weren't thinking of."

"Which, of course, only pissed you off," Raidou said to Tetsu, who nodded.

"Quite," he replied, smiling over the fact that Raidou had known him well enough to get that. "If he knew, he could have just told us."

"Except that when we did figure it out on our own, it made a lot more sense..." Izumo started.

"And we were much more accepting of it than we might have been if he'd just suggested it in the first place," Kotetsu finished.

"So what did he suggest?" Genma asked, looking a little lost.

"Nothing," Raidou said, "He just hinted at it, but I think I know where he was going with it." The look he gave the younger two was shrewd.

Izumo nodded. "It was actually Iruka who gave us the final push."

"Oh?" Gen asked, still looking confused.

Kotetsu nodded. "I asked him, point blank, what the hell we were missing."

"He didn't answer directly," Izumo said. "He had to get to class, but he asked us a couple of key questions that, of course, put us on exactly the right path."

"Teacher, you know. He's good at that kind of thing," Tetsu said.

Genma and Raidou both nodded. "So..." Genma prompted when neither of the chuunin continued.

"He asked us who's opinion really mattered." Kotetsu said.

"That answer's easy," Genma said. "Ours... Yours, Zumo's, Rai's and mine."

"Right," Izumo nodded. "So then the second question, a two parter, but an the important one."

"What are we denying ourselves?" Kotetsu asked.

"And why?" Izumo finished.

The four friends sat still for a moment as they let the questions sink in and the answers to those questions surface.

It was Raidou that offered the first answer. "Happiness. Love. Each other. That's what we're denying ourselves."

Izumo nodded. "And the why, then, is easy."

"Because somewhere along the way we got it into our heads that we have to care about something other than what we think. Because we know what other people would think if we..." Kotetsu trailed off and cleared his throat. "Why do we have to split up?" He asked Genma, who stared at him a moment before looking at Raidou. "Why can't we still care about each other... love each other?"

Raidou's gaze was currently fixed on Izumo. "We can," he said, looking at Tetsu, then at his own best friend.

Genma's eyes widened a little as the pieces all fell into place. His eyes darted from one to the next, finally landing on Kotetsu. "Well, hell."

"Aoba called us thick." Izumo said, chuckling. "I hate to admit he was right."

Raidou shook his head. "We'll never tell him that."

"No way," Kotetsu agreed.

"So... now what?" Genma asked, glancing at the younger two. "I mean, even if we're okay with this... and... I am."

"I am, too," Raidou said and the first thing he did was lean over and pull Izumo toward him, then into his lap. Izumo grinned up at the big man.

Kotetsu crossed the room and stood next to Genma... who pulled him down into the taller man's lap. "I think it's obvious Zumo and I are."

"Okay, then..." Genma said, raising his eyebrows.

Here it was, the big one. Kotetsu and Izumo exchanged glances. "Well, um, there are two bedrooms here..." Izumo said, his voice falling almost to a whisper and his eyes dropping to where his hands were playing with his ring.

"It would have to be temporary," Raidou said, matter-of-factly and Izumo's head shot up.

Genma nodded and grinned. "Yes. Definitely."

Kotetsu looked over at his best friend, then back at Genma. "Um..."

"That kitchen is way too damned small for all of us," Raidou said and Izumo laughed.

Kotetsu's smile spread into a grin and he captured Genma's lips in a heated kiss. Genma moaned quietly into it, his hands coming up to frame Tetsu's face. "God, I missed this," he whispered when they broke apart again.

"Me, too." Kotetsu whispered.

"One more thing," Genma asked, when they managed to recover their wits a few moments later. He cleared his throat loudly and Izumo and Raidou broke apart with effort.

"What's that?" Izumo managed, pushing at Raidou's wandering hands. The bigger man chuckled and continued making life difficult on the chuunin in his lap.

Genma lifted Kotetsu's hand. "Are you two still..." he asked, not quite able to finish the sentence.

"Ah," Kotetsu said, nodded. "We thought of that, too."

Raidou lifted an eyebrow and stopped torturing Izumo for a moment. "Oh?"

"Mm hmm. And, as an added bonus, we could torture the ninja corps for weeks trying to figure us all out."

Genma's eyebrows went up. "I like it already."

Kotetsu met Izumo's eyes and nodded. They both reached into their pockets at the same time and pulled a ring out that matched theirs. Four identical rings. They each offered one to the man they were sitting with. "It doesn't have to be legal or anything like that. All we really care about is that we belong to each other."

Genma stared at the ring for a moment. When he'd seen it on Kotetsu's finger back at the camp they'd found the chuunin in, he had, for a few brief moments, wondered what it would be like to marry the man. They weren't necessarily talking about that. But it was, in essence, the same commitment. But this time, it wasn't just to Tetsu. He glanced across the room and Raidou and Izumo looked up at him. No, it was all of them.

Why not? If they were willing to live together, love together, why not this, too? He met his best friend's gaze, then that of Izumo and a smile spread. "We can't do anything the normal way, can we?" He asked them and the other three laughed.

"No, definitely not," Raidou said, taking the ring from Izumo. He looked down at it again, then back into the brown eyes. He dropped another kiss on those damned addictive lips, then met each of the others' eyes. Finally, with a deep breath he nodded. "Yeah... I want to."

Izumo grinned and took it back, pushing the band onto Raidou's finger. They kissed each other again, this one full of promise and then looked up at the other couple.

"Gen?" Kotetsu asked, his heart pounding at the hesitation he saw in Genma's face.

Genma shook his head, looking up. "Sorry, I... just kind of never thought I'd be making a decision like this." He swallowed around his dry throat. "God, for so long, I thought I'd spend the rest of my life just watching Rai and Zumo or Rai just... not wanting me. Then I had you and I was sure I could put Rai away to be with you." He shook his head again. "And now I don't have to give either of you up. It's just... a lot to accept. But I want this. To commit to you... and them." He held his hand up and Kotetsu slipped the ring onto his finger, then their lips met in a long kiss that said everything words couldn't.

He stood up, then, and pulled on Gen's hand when the taller man cast him a puzzled glance. They crossed the room together and settled in on the couch next to the other two. Kotetsu leaned over and dropped a kiss onto Raidou and Izumo climbed off of Rai's lap to plant one on Genma, who pulled the younger man in and gave just as much. Kotetsu climbed onto Raidou, straddling the bigger man and they, too, got lost in each other.

"So, the last question is... do we fuck first or move first?" Raidou asked when they surfaced for air and the other three laughed.

"Duh," Kotetsu said and three sets of eyebrows went up. "With this group? Is this really a question?"

Genma snickered, his hands moving down Izumo's body. "Nope. I know what I'm doing," he said, nipping at the younger man's neck. Izumo moaned, then was surprised when he was unseated. "Moving, what did you guys think?"

More laughter, then Genma was tackled to the floor and after briefly trying to figure out who'd pinned him down, he realized it didn't matter who'd done the tackling. Because they all belonged to each other, now. He rolled and grinned up into the face hovering over him. "Now that you have me pinned, what will you do with me?"
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Illusion and Dream	By : djserani Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1300 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! I make no money off of this!

Illusion and Dream