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Memories
By : djserani
Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male
Views: 958 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto and I make no money from it!
Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Someone was arguing. Loudly. Shouting, even. He wanted to yell at them to shut the hell up, he was trying to sleep, but he couldn't move very well. He felt like complete crap. He hurt in a bunch of different places, including his head, he couldn't breathe very well, either through his nose or because of how heavy his chest felt. And to top it off, he was nauseous.

"Dammit, I've taken care of him most of his life!" That was Tetsu's voice.

"But he's my boyfriend," Iruka nearly shouted.

He cleared his sore throat carefully. "Hey, you're the two most important people in my life. Do you think, maybe, you could get along? At least while I'm sick?" He opened his eyes carefully to see Iruka and Kotetsu facing off, both with their hands on their hips, glaring at each other. Their heads whipped around at the sound of his voice. It would have been almost comical if he hadn't been hurting so much.

Iruka hurried over to him, perching on the side of his bed. "Hey, baby, how are you feeling?" Iruka asked, putting his hand on his forehead. Kotetsu came up to sit on the other side and there, beyond them, was a silent Kakashi leaning against the doorjamb.

"Like I've been run over by about a thousand shadow clones." He closed his eyes, trying to simply concentrate on breathing. "Ugh." He started coughing, then. When he finally calmed down, Iruka had a washcloth in his hand and was bathing his face with it. "Don't you have school? What time is it? Not that I don't want you here," he said to reassure him. "I just don't want you to get in trouble over me."

Iruka smiled. "I still have a little bit yet. Tetsu made you some tea. See if you can drink it?" The two of them helped him sit up.

"God, I can't remember the last time I was sick like this," he said, taking the cup.

"It's been a couple of years," Tetsu supplied.

"Oh, right. I remember that. Two days in the mud on that mission." He sipped at the tea and couldn't help but smile when Kakashi laughed.

"That would do it. Hey, both of you go to work. I can keep an eye on him. I don't have to report in yet." Kakashi stepped into the bedroom.

"Everyone go away. I'll be fine. I'm a grown man, not a little kid, geez," Izumo said, then ruined it with another coughing fit.

All three of them turned back to him and it was more than a little unnerving for all that attention to be on him. He shook his head a little bit, making his hair fall back over his face. It didn't last, Iruka pushed the hair away from his left eye but, he noted, left the other side down. "Stop that," he whispered, then dropped a kiss on his forehead. He frowned, looking worried. "I do have to go to class, but I'll check on you at lunch. There's tea and a washcloth here and tissues." He stood up, "is there anything else you need?" He stopped and looked around. Both Kakashi and Tetsu had amused looks on their faces. "What?" He asked with an irritated scowl.

Izumo tried not to laugh. He sounded so much like a mother hen right then. "I'll be fine, Ruka, I'm just a little sick." He chuckled, which turned into another cough. "Really, everyone get out. I'll be fine. You, too, Tetsu, get going before we both get in trouble." He threw a half-hearted swipe at his best friend who didn't even try to dodge it. "Ugh, I must be sicker than I thought if you just sat and took that." That was followed by three snorts.

"Get some rest, Zumo, we'll check on you at lunch." He paused a moment, like he wanted to say or do something else, then he and Kakashi left.

"I love you," Iruka said, dropping another kiss on his forehead. "Get your rest. I'll be back later."

"I love you, too. Have a good day." Izumo watched him leave, waving when he finally closed the door. He sighed, closing his eyes. That had been� weird. He'd certainly never had anyone fight over him before. He shook his head, then realized that was a very bad idea. He rolled over, and sat up enough to sip more of Tetsu's tea before flopping back. There were definitely more pleasant reasons to spend the day in bed. He sighed again, staring at the ceiling and didn't even notice falling asleep again.

"Really, I don't mind," Kakashi said, again. "Get going, you're already late."

Tetsu sighed. He wasn't sure why he didn't want to leave Izumo in Kakashi's care, any more than he understood why he fought Iruka so much but he really did have to go. He shook his head and leaned up to kiss his lover one more time. "If you're sure�" he frowned. "I'll be back at lunch."

"I'm sure, get going." Kakashi opened the door and practically pushed him out.

"Okay, okay, bye!" Kotetsu threw a wave over his shoulder, then took off.

Kakashi turned down the hallway and opened the other man's door quietly. He was either asleep or faking it. He stepped in and checked, but the younger man was definitely out. He straightened the blanket, collected the dirty tissues and empty tea cup and shut the door quietly.

It had been a heck of a shock the night before to see Iruka. His body had reacted immediately and it had taken every ounce of control to not let on. His hair had been down. The loose pants hanging off of his hips showed just a bit too much of his hard stomach. And those damned deep brown eyes of his stared at right back at him.

He'd managed to avoid the man, for the most part, for a long time, but he couldn't do so entirely. They lived in the same village, which, while fairly large, was small enough that they still ran into each other. Besides that, Iruka manned the mission desk sometimes, so the simple act of claiming a mission or turning in a report meant they saw each other, even if all he did was try his best to simply annoy the man when he did so. Then there was the fact that he and Naruto spent time together, most often at Ichiraku's, so when Kakashi was with the blond, they often ended up at the ramen stand at the same time.

He sighed. He'd tried to not pay attention to him the night before, but every time he was anywhere near the man, it was impossible. He'd seen the look on Tetsu's face when he came back out with the washcloth. Kotetsu was jealous of Iruka and Kakashi wondered if that was because of him or his best friend.

For all his supposed intelligence, getting involved with that spiky-haired bastard may not have been the best idea of his. He was fairly certain that, despite what he'd seen in his lover's eyes more than once now, Tetsu was still in love with Izumo. He didn't know it, that much Kakashi was sure of, but that didn't mean much. In the end, if they figured it out, he knew he'd find himself out in the cold.

The most disturbing thought of all was that he wasn't sure just how upset he was by that thought. He was, there was no doubt about that, because knew he did love the other man, which annoyed him to no end. He simply didn't let people in and the damned annoying porcupine had managed to get around his walls.

This was even further illustrated by the fact that he, Kakashi, was jealous of Izumo. Jealous. Of the little chuunin brat in there with his hair over one eye. He was dating Iruka. He was Tetsu's best friend and, whether either of them recognized it or not, was in love with him. And if Tetsu had any idea how much Izumo really did love him, it would all be over.

Annoyed with himself, he grabbed a copy of Icha Icha Tactics that he saw on the bookshelf and settled in on the couch to read, keeping his ear open for his� he gulped� rival to wake up. God, he really was in trouble if he thought that word.

When Izumo woke, he stared at the ceiling a few minutes, cataloging the problems. The overall achiness was a little better, his head felt a bit less stuffy and he realized he could breathe a little easier. Tetsu must have put something in the tea.

He managed to sit up fine on his own and swing his legs over the side. He was going to have to make a trip to the bathroom, which seemed like a monumental task at the moment. Even feeling better, he wasn't looking forward to it. The worst part was that he was naked and would need to put something on. Getting out clothes and struggling into them seemed beyond his capabilities. He sighed.

Then he glanced up to see that there were sweatpants at the bottom of the bed. He had no idea who set them out, but he couldn't bring himself to care right then. He was too grateful they were there. He managed to tug them on with major effort and stumble to the door. But by the time he got across the room, it swung open and Kakashi was standing there. That was the last man on earth he wanted to see. He stared at the man who stared right back at him and he wondered for a moment at the look he was giving him.

Then he remembered that he was currently sharing a bed with Iruka, who Kakashi liked. He sighed, not having enough energy to fight. "I, um, need to get past you."

Kakashi stepped back and Izumo worked very hard to stay on his feet, especially in front of the other man. But when it came to crossing the hallway, he swayed again and cursed. The last person he wanted to show weakness to was this man.

The copy nin caught him and helped steady him. He took a deep breath, as deep as he could, anyway, and muttered a "thanks." Kakashi simply nodded and stepped back when he grabbed onto the door frame and moved into the bathroom. When he'd managed to finish his business, the man was still waiting on the other side of the door. He glanced at him and Kakashi offered a hand. Annoyed with the need for it, he grabbed it long enough to get back to the other wall, then disappeared into his room again, closing the door firmly.

He made it to the bed and simply fell down into it. He landed face down and decided not to bother moving. But a few minutes later, there was a knock. "Yeah?" He called as loud as he could to the comforter his face was buried in.

The copy nin obviously heard it and opened the door. "You can't lay like that. And you need some soup."

Groaning, he flopped over onto his back. "There. I'm not on my stomach," he groused.

To his further annoyance, the ass just laughed at him. "Come on, if I let you go, Tetsu will kill me."

"Don't you mean Iruka?" Izumo asked, not realizing how jealous he sounded.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, just picked up the younger man and dropped him onto the middle of the bed. Izumo glared at him. "You have a seriously shitty bedside manner."

The copy nin just laughed. "Good thing I'm not a medic-nin, then, isn't it? Drink this," he said, picking up a cup of tea and shoving it into Izumo's hands.

"What is it?" He peered into the cup, wondering if it was maybe poisoned.

"It's not going to kill you, if that's what you think," he said, correctly reading the question. "Tetsu brewed it for you this morning. It'll help you feel better. I'll be back with soup in a minute."

"I don't want any soup," he said stubbornly, contrary to the growling stomach they could both hear.

"I can hear that." Kakashi said, leaving the room and a fuming Izumo behind.

"Bastard," he said, quietly, then glared at the tea cup.

"I heard that, too," the copy nin called and Izumo's scowl deepened, but drank the tea.

When he brought the soup back, Izumo considered throwing it at him, but Kakashi gave him a look that told him he wasn't worried. "I'll simply hold you down and pour it down your throat."

He glared again, too annoyed with the other man to think clearly. If he had been thinking clearly, he'd realize that the sooner he did what he needed to do - Kakashi's help or not - the sooner he'd be able to shove the other man back out the door. Instead, thinking only that if he didn't eat or get better, he'd piss off not only Ruka, but Tetsu too, he took the soup and ate it, but kept his bad humor.

Kakashi simply shrugged and left the room, which Izumo was grateful for. He ate the soup quickly in silence, and found himself droopy before he'd even finished. He managed to stay awake long enough to eat all of it, then set it on the bedside table and passed out again.

Iruka watched him sleep, unnerved by the other two men in the room. He'd considered waking him up, but knew his lover needed the rest. So, instead, he simply sat on one side, holding his hand and watching him sleep.

His temperature was down, which was good. He might just get through this in a day or so. He seemed to be breathing better, too. He reached up and smoothed a little more hair out of his left eye, leaving the other one covered. He saw Tetsu look over at him at the gesture, but he did his best to ignore it.

Kakashi was standing once again against the wall in the back. Iruka was very aware of his location at all times and it was starting to get to him. He could feel the other man looking at him, the awareness snaking up his back and he had the worst urge to reach back and scratch his back to get rid of it. He refused to give in to the feeling.

Thankfully, Zumo chose that moment to wake up. He opened his eyes and looked around, zeroing in on him. He smiled. "Hi."

It made Iruka feel ridiculously good that he talked to him first, then he could have sworn Kotetsu's spikes drooped a little at that. He shook himself mentally for the ridiculous thought. "Hi. How are you feeling?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Much better." He glanced over at Kotetsu. "What was in that tea?"

"Just stuff," Tetsu said with a shrug. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Thanks." He looked from one man to the next, then settled his eyes back on Iruka. "What time is it?"

Iruka glanced at his watch. He only had a little bit left before he had to get back. "Almost time for me to go, I'm sorry to say."

Izumo actually looked disappointed at that and Iruka couldn't help but chuckle. "I'll be back after school." He bent to him and kissed his forehead. "I'm glad you're feeling better." Then, in his ear, he whispered, "you have to get all the way better so we can make love again."

He sat back and managed to suppress the chuckle at the blush on Zumo's face. He patently ignored the glare from Kotetsu at it, dropped another kiss on him and stood up. "I'll see you after school, okay?"

Zumo nodded. "Okay, but� if you have stuff to do, grading and lesson plans and stuff, you don't have to come over here."

Iruka frowned. "If you don't want me to�"

"That's not what I said. You're much better company than others," he sent a pointed glare at Kakashi and Iruka wondered at it, "but I don't want to get in the way of things you need to get done."

Iruka shook his head. "At worst, I can grade scrolls anywhere." He squeezed his hand. "I'll see you later, baby." He tacked that last on for Kotetsu's benefit.

Izumo gave a half smile, obviously picking up on it. "Okay." He glanced to the side, opened his mouth, but thought better of whatever he was going to say. "I� I'll see you, baby," he said, instead and Iruka felt a bit of disappointment, but he understood. He hadn't exactly gone out of his way to tell Izumo he loved him, either, though he wasn't sure if that was to spare Kotetsu's feelings or because of the presence of the copy nin.

He waved again, nodded toward Kotetsu and started for the door. As he passed Kakashi, he brushed against his arm in the small room and swallowed hard when he felt that little touch go through him. Damn the man, he affected him without even trying. He forced his mind back to Izumo and headed out.

"Tetsu, could I get a book or something? I doubt I'm going to sleep much this afternoon. I'm feeling a lot better, thanks, I think, to your tea." He turned to his best friend, and smiled, patently ignoring the silent copy nin leaning against the wall.

"Sure, which one?"

Izumo shrugged. "One of the Icha Icha books, I guess. Then you should go, too."

"Yeah, I don't want to, but Tsunade has me running again this afternoon." Kotetsu made a face.

"I'm sorry. You know what? I can get it, get going. Did you at least eat?"

Tetsu shook his head, "no, but Kashi made me a rice ball to eat on the way back. And I can get you a damned book."

"Really, I need to get up anyway. You know I hate laying around like this." So saying, he sat up.

Tetsu stood, watching him sit up. "Well, if you're sure�"

"I'm fine, really. Get to work. I'll see you later." He made a vague shooing motion toward the door.

"Okay." He frowned and stared at him another moment, then waved and headed out, glancing at Kakashi, who followed him, to Izumo's relief. When they left the room, he got to his feet, grateful to feel himself steadier. He opened his door and concentrated on getting to the bathroom and ignoring the front room. He could still sense Tetsu's chakra right near Kakashi's and knew he didn't want to see what they were doing.

When he came back out, Tetsu was gone and he made his way into the living room. "You really should get back to bed. You could make yourself worse this way," Kakshi said from the couch.

Izumo snorted. "I'm sure you'd go right back to bed." This was patently ignored by the copy nin. He headed to the bookshelf and pulled a random Icha Icha novel off the shelf, turning back toward he bedroom.

He settled in, determined to read and ignore the other person in the apartment, but it was hard to do. He sighed and set the book down, rubbing his face hard. The look Kakashi had given him earlier came back into his mind and he wondered, for a moment, if it really was Iruka he'd been thinking of. He couldn't be jealous of him and Tetsu, could he?

That didn't make any sense. He knew the copy nin cared about Tetsu, but he - Izumo - and Tetsu were just friends. Best friends, maybe, but just friends. Why would he be jealous? Unless, of course, Kakashi recognized more in his face than he thought he'd let on. He frowned. If Kakashi could see it, could Iruka? Could Tetsu? Shit, he hoped not.

He didn't think Tetsu would pick up on it, even if Kakashi and Iruka did. Iruka already knew he had feelings for his best friend, so maybe he wouldn't make any more out of it than what he already knew. In the end, he still didn't want to hurt the teacher. As much as it would hurt him the best thing that could possibly happen for Iruka was that Kakashi would finally get his head out of his ass and talk to him.

He sighed. Maybe it didn't matter what gender a person dated, it was all too damned complicated. He stared at the ceiling a few moments, but he couldn't seem to make his brain put it all together. He forced himself back to the book, though he still didn't get into it very much.

A short time later, Kakashi brought in a tray with more tea and soup. They stared at each other again and Izumo had no idea what to make of the look in his one visible eye. He cleared his throat.

Kakashi set the tray down carefully. Izumo picked up the tea and considered the copy nin for a moment as he sipped at the hot brew. When neither of them said anything, Kakashi turned to go. As he got to the door, Izumo sighed and gave a grudging, "thanks."

Kakashi paused and nodded. "I'll come back and get it in a few." Then he left.

The younger man frowned into the cup, then drained it and moved on to the soup. He ate quickly, then put the tray back together, his mind a complete jumble, still. He had no idea what to make of the other man. He shook his head, determined to let it go.

He must have fallen asleep before Kakashi came back because when he woke quite a while later, he felt much closer to normal and the tray was gone. He sat up again and stood, finding himself able to stand without any swaying. There was definitely something to normally being a healthy person, making it easier to recover from being sick. He did a few experimental stretches and when he could still move, he left the room.

Kakashi was sitting on the couch, Icha Icha novel in hand, reading. Izumo frowned at him a moment, then sighed. "I'm sorry."

The copy nin looked up at him. "Why?"

"You were here to help me and I was an ass to you."

Kakashi shrugged. "Not everyone likes to be taken care of."

Izumo could have left it at that, could have let him think it was just being sick. But it wasn't in his nature to lie, which was one of the reasons he'd never been cut out for going undercover. He walked around the coffee table and took a spot on the other end of the couch. "I didn't like you."

Kakashi blinked. "I'm sorry?"

The younger man shook his head. "That's not exactly what I meant to say. I don't know you well enough to know if I like you or not. What I meant is that� well, I'm worried about Tetsu." It wasn't all of it, but at least it was closer to the truth.

Kakshi set the book down and turned to him. "Do you think I'm going to do something to him?"

He frowned again. "No. I mean, not deliberately, but� well, the whole concept of caring about someone, loving someone, is a new one for him." He smiled ruefully, "Tetsu's never been one to hang around someone for long before. His record is three dates."

Kakashi chuckled. "I gathered that already."

Izumo watched the look in Kakashi's eye carefully, the crinkle at the corner. Whatever he may feel for Iruka, he definitely cared for Tetsu, too. He sighed, rubbing his face, then let his hands drop. "I'm beginning to think the whole damned dating thing is overrated."

Kakashi laughed. "I can agree with you on that one. Life is so much simpler if you're alone."

Izumo found himself laughing. "That is true." He shook his head. "Awfully lonely, though." He paused. "Look, just� I just don't want to see him hurt."

Kakashi stared at him a moment and he fought the urge to squirm under that gaze. "I have no intention of doing so."

Izumo met the steady look a moment, then nodded, "I� believe that."

They fell into silence for a few moments when there was a knock at the door. Izumo closed his eyes briefly looking for the signature, then recognized Iruka's chakra. He'd been masking it and he remembered that the man was former ANBU. He probably had to consciously not hide it.

"What are you doing out of bed?" His lover demanded when he'd opened the door.

"I'm feeling better," he said defensively.

"Bed. Now." Iruka said, pointing toward his bedroom, using the teacher face and Izumo blushed.

He glared at Kakashi, who was laughing, as he passed then paused, watching in fascination as Iruka apparently turned the teacher face on him and he stuttered to a halt, his own face coloring over the mask. "He's scary when he gets like that, isn't he?" Izumo asked in a conspiratorial whisper and Kakashi nodded.

"What?" Iruka asked from behind him.

"Nothing," he said, glancing once more at Kakashi before heading into his bedroom. He climbed into bed and watched as Iruka closed the door and dropped his bag. He pulled his vest off and dropped it down next to it, then he came over and surprised him by climbing up next to him in the bed.

"I couldn't very well do this out there, could I?" He asked, settling in next to him and Izumo grinned, wrapping his arms around his lover.

"No, I guess not. Did you have to turn the teacher face on me, though?"

"I had to make sure you'd go." He said, a snicker in his voice.

Izumo sighed. "You're just too good at it. You even cowed Kakashi and I'm sure that's no mean feat."

"Ha. Hardly." He dropped a soft kiss on his forehead. "Well, looks like the fever is gone. How are you feeling, anyway?"

"Good." He grinned.

"Not that good. Not yet, anyway," he said with a stern look.

Izumo pouted. "You're so mean, sensei."

"I can be meaner. Next time, I'll bring a ruler with me," he threatened with a wicked grin.

"Promise?" At Iruka's raised eyebrow, he laughed. "Just kidding. Really, I'm almost back to normal." He yawned, annoyed at himself. "Okay, better, anyway. I hate being sick."

Iruka laughed and dropped another kiss on him. "Well, you should rest as much as you can. Settle in, I'll do my grading."

He got up and grabbed his bag and Izumo curled up on his side, watching him get settled. He smiled at the way Iruka's forehead scrunched up when he tried to decipher someone's handwriting. He never felt himself go under, but the next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake. He opened his eyes to find Kakashi, of all people standing over him. "Uh, I need your help. I think they're going to kill each other."

"Huh? Who?" He blinked up at the copy nin, trying to clear the cobwebs from his brain.

"Your best friend and your lover."

"What? What's going on?" Izumo rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and sat up. He glanced at the clock to see it was dinner time.

"They're trying to cook," he said in amusement.

"Together? In Tetsu's kitchen?" Izumo's eyes widened.

"Yeah." Kakashi said, "and I'm not sure I want to get between them."

"So you're going to throw me in?" He shook his head and muttered, "I knew you had it out for me."

Kakashi laughed. "You're sick, they won't kill you."

"Great, thanks," Izumo said, standing up and heading toward the kitchen. He noted as he did so that he felt pretty much normal.

They were squared off like they had been that morning. Both with their hands on their hips, both bent towards each other, noses only centimeters apart. Izumo would have been jealous, were it not for the red faces and angry looks.

"It's my kitchen!"

"You invited me to help! If you didn't want my help why did you ask?"

"Because I thought we could work together!"

"If what you were doing made any sense, maybe we could!"

"Of course it makes sense! You can't cook pork like that!"

"Why not?"

"Because it would taste awful!"

"It would not! And your method is so much better?"

"How long are we going to watch this?" Kakashi asked him in his ear.

Izumo shook his head, took his life into his hands, and stepped into the kitchen. "Um, guys?"

"YES, it's better! It's not nearly so bland!"

"Bland? BLAND? What you're doing is going to kill you! There's so much spice in it you won't be able to taste the pork!"

"Guys?" Izumo tried again.

"Zumo likes it that way!" Testu lifted the wooden spoon in his right hand and Izumo finally had enough. It was time to step in before fists started flying.

"HAGANE KOTETSU! UMINO IRUKA! ENOUGH!" He roared. They both stopped dead and turned to him, blinking in shock. "If you don't stop bickering, I'm going to cook!" He stood, staring at them both, his arms crossed and one foot tapping.

The color drained from Tetsu's face and Iruka looked terrified. They glanced at each other. "Um, you cook the pork, I'll make the vegetables?" Iruka asked and Tetsu nodded.

"That works."

Izumo spun around to see an admiring look in Kakashi's eye. "I might have to try that sometime."

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure it would work the same for you. Can you cook?"

"Oh, yeah, I can, good point." Kakashi said and they both beat a hasty retreat from the kitchen.

The pork was a little spicy. It was something he'd never had the heart to tell Tetsu because it was one of the dishes he'd been proudest of. But he ate it, and ate just as much of the vegetables, doing his best to make them both happy.

He tried to help clean up, but all three of them vetoed it. Even if he could fight Tetsu - who would have given in eventually, he couldn't do anything when Iruka gave the Teacher Face and Kakashi simply crossed his arms, the implied threat obvious. Izumo wasn't about to actually fight the copy nin over it. He sighed and sat on the couch with another cup of Tetsu's tea, instead. He wasn't sure he wanted to be in the kitchen with them, anyway.
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Memories	By : djserani Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 958 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto and I make no money from it!

Memories