Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Can I keep You ? ❯ Part 2: Keeping A Secret ( Chapter 2 )

Can I keep you?

Sequel to Pumpkins and Ravens

Main Pairings: Kakashi/Iruka, Sasuke/Naruto and others

Part of my 100 themes challenge.

 

Part 2 - Keeping a Secret (53):

Iruka stood near the front door awaiting the arrival of one of the best medic's in Konoha and hoping she would be able to ensure that the currently sleeping jounin hadn't harmed himself with his sudden actions. The chuunin had assumed that it would take at least fifteen minutes for her to arrive if not more, so he had gone back into his bedroom, eyes watching the steady rise and fall of his patients chest before making sure that there was no evidence of the tussle the pair had had.

He then went to the chest of draws and spent a few minutes digging around for the one high collared top he had, a cream coloured roll neck sweater that would hide the slowly purpling marks from the medic nin. He went and checked on the other shinobi's temperature again, changing the warm compress for a fresh one once more.

Iruka wanted to touch the soft silvery strands just above his fingertips as he had been for weeks but thought better of it not wanting to set off another attack like before. The school teacher assumed that the famous ninja had been delusional - there had been something in the way he had looked at him that seemed a little off. His fingers clenched as he pulled away once more, checking one final time around the room and then glancing at the prone form in his bed before heading to the front door and the only mirror in the house.

The chuunin made sure that the sweater adequately covered the darkening bruises, making sure not to touch the painful marks, he adjusted his top to cover them all before moving back down the hall, through the living room, circling around the couch and heading into the kitchen for a quick glass of water. He spoke to himself as he went to check that his voice wasn't rasping and sore as it had been, the medic nin would go straight for his throat to fix it if she heard it.

The words were random and designed to test his pitch as he went up and down the scale, “The kids are out of school for the next four weeks of summer. Naruto and Sasuke are coming to visit for dinner tonight to check on Kakashi-sensei.” It helped him get his mind in order to organise his day and list out things he needed to do. “I need to go and get some grocery's for tonight and get to prepping some work for the new term.”

Iruka sipped at the water and deciding his voice sounded reasonably normal and the moisture from the drink he now held would hopefully dispel any last dryness in his throat. It had been about twenty minutes since he had sent the scroll out by messenger bird when he heard the quiet rap of knuckles on the front door. He deposited the glass in the sink and headed for the front door, checking through the spy hole to see who was there. When he moved back he was frowning at the person on the other side of the door - trying to puzzle put why this particular nin had landed on his doorstep.

He shrugged nonchalantly and opened the door with a small smile in place for one of his favourite ex-students and the third member of the original team seven. “Good afternoon Sakura, how are you?” The pink haired woman smiled at her old sensei and gave her answer, “Hey there Iruka-sensei - I'm well thank you. I'm afraid shishou is busy and couldn't make it down here so she sent me to check on Kakashi-sensei. Is everything alright?”

Iruka was now very grateful that he had covered up the dark bruises that were forming on his neck - he would never want any of the three members of the original team seven to think badly of there sensei. He smiled at the young woman, “I'm sorry to worry you Sakura - please thank Hokage-sama when you see her for sending you over so quickly. I know she is very busy. I was a bit concerned about Hatake-san because he was thrashing quite hard and I was hoping you could check that he hasn't split any of his stitches? The fever just doesn't want to break and he hasn't woken yet.”

The young medic must have heard something in his voice when he spoke of the jounin because she reached out and put a comforting hand on his arm, “It'll be alright Iruka-sensei. Kakashi-sensei's been through worse than this. To be honest it took me quiet a while to heal after I'd been hurt too. Sleep is probably the best thing for him. Come on we'll go check on him now.” Iruka nodded politely as she withdrew her hand and he moved back so she could cross the threshold.

“Thank you Sakura - that helps.” She smiled at him with a soft curl of lips before toeing off her sandals and made her way to the bed room. Iruka watched from the doorway as she settled her medic's pack on the ground by the bed, knowing he may need to assist her at some stage.

Sakura was very methodical and careful with the injured man and yet Iruka felt an odd possessive need to keep her hands from that ivory skin. He knew, rationally, that what she was doing was necessary but he felt his hands balling under his folded arms as she checked the stitches she had exposed before re-bandaging the older nin's chest.

She checked his temperature and then turned back to Iruka as she straightened from the bed. “He seems to be doing very well, the excess movement didn't pop any stitches and his fever is dropping from the initial readings that where taken. Hopefully he should start to wake for short periods. Iruka-sensei you must make sure he doesn't over do it. He has a bad habit of discharging himself to early - you need to keep him here as long as possible and resting as much as you can.”

Iruka nodded at what he had known already but he was glad that she had said the other man would hopefully wake soon. Then would come the issue of explaining things - he hoped Naruto would be here for that and that the young blond would be able to final tell his old sensei the truth. The chuunin's chocolate orbs met the Sakura's pale turquoise and he gave a soft smile, “Thank you Sakura for coming so quickly.”

Sakura returned the smile to him and made a point as she walked out to the front door and Iruka's eyes wandered back to the jounin, “We all know you worry about that one sensei. But he's a tough man - you'll see and maybe when he's feeling better he'll want to know about that secret you've been hiding.” Iruka's cheeks heated at the comment and he heard a soft chuckle from the doorway, “Later Iruka-sensei - call me if you need anything!”

Iruka heard the door click shut before he turned back to the older man quietly sleeping in his bed. He walked across the room and settled on the edge of the mattress, reaching out and trailing one finger down the smooth features of the Copy-nin's face coming to a stop when the surgical mask ran under his fingers. He leant in, his hand gently stroking the soft silver strands of Kakashi's hair and whispered into the shell of the sleeping man's ear, “Wake up soon Kakashi. The more you sleep the more I worry about you.”

Iruka rose from the bed and walked across to his small desk, settling in to do some paperwork as he watched over the jounin - though in truth he didn't get much done before there was another knock at his door.