Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Can I keep You ? ❯ Part 13: Dreams ( Chapter 13 )

Can I keep you?

Sequel to Pumpkins and Ravens

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

Part of my 100 themes challenge.

 

Part 13 - Dreams (39):

 

Iruka awoke to pain, he winced at the familiar sensation that he had experienced not less than a week ago, although this time the pain was emanating from his forearm - which in some respects was a relief. He looked at the other nin through pinched eyes, seeing a deep furrow etched on his brow as his body shifted restlessly in the sheets. The chuunin needed to settle the other man down and get him to release the fierce grip he had on his arm, he could feel his fingers tingling at the tips where the blood circulation had been cut off.

 

He didn't want to crowd the distressed man, so he reached out with his free hand to rub along the jounin's bare upper arm, which was hooked over the sheets. He spoke quietly at first trying not to wake the others in the living room, “Kakashi-san. Kakashi-san wake up...” When the gentle shaking and quiet words didn't work he gave the older male a much firmer nudge, hoping that he wouldn't react badly to the stimulus whilst he was sleeping.

 

Iruka watched as the Copy-nin's eyelid flickered and he reached out to touch his face with just the tips of his fingers hoping the gesture wouldn't be misconstrued. He was shocked when the other nin's eye shot wide open and he tried to sit up in bed, giving a yell of pain at the sudden strain on his chest. Iruka reacted on instinct, as he had with Naruto many times before. The chuunin sat up, ignoring the fact that his arm was now free and the pins and needles in his fingertips indicated the return of the blood flow to his limb, and wrapped his body around the other shinobi attempting to sooth the panic he had seen on Kakashi's face. He crooned softly to the upset man, “Kakashi-san...it's just a dream. Shhh....”

 

Kakashi could feel the pain of something tearing into his chest and he came awake with a pained yell, not recognising his surroundings and seeing two disembodied eyes in the darkness. As he sat up suddenly, he didn't feel the wrench of something tearing open his chest, but the feeling of his recently healed muscles straining to keep him upright. His thoughts flashed through the nightmare that had, he now realised, been his memories finally unlocking. He felt slightly dazed when strong arms wrapped around him, he tensed and then eased considerably as the person began to speak in a low soothing tones, “Kakashi-san...it's just a dream.”

 

Kakashi knew that voice; his heart had felt like it was thundering in his chest as he let the teacher take his weight, allowing the kind man to settle him back against the pillows. He spoke with a stuttering voice, his mind still groggy from the rush in which he had woken, “'Ruka...what am I...?” As he was placed back against the sheets, he took in the way he was being eased downwards with such a sense of familiarity. It was oddly comforting to be in this bed, the scent he took in was tingling in his nose pleasantly. As he lay there, looking at the other man checking his bandages with skilled fingers in the dark, he remembered that he had been staying here for some time now.

 

Iruka watched Kakashi as he made sure he was comfortably positioned in the bed once again, he slipped his arms free, catching the confusion in a sole charcoal coloured orb shifting to realisation, as he carefully trailed his fingers over the wrappings on the jounin's chest. He couldn't help but feel the sculpted muscles and soft skin whenever he reached the edges of the bindings and he relished every touch - knowing it would never happen again.

 

When he was certain the other man hadn't truly damaged all the work they had done to put him back together again he looked down at Kakashi. He could see the frown that marred his brow and went to stroke it away, freezing partway there when he noticed his overly familiar action. He turned his gaze from Kakashi's sharp eye, feeling heat rush to his cheeks as he relaxed his arm against the covers, “My apologies, Kakashi-san.”

 

Kakashi caught the chuunin's action just as he froze in place, seeing that hand hovering for a moment before moving to rest in the sheets once more. He gave the young teacher a formidable glare when he apologised to him for the action, his voice came out slightly more clipped, evidence of the dreams disturbing effect and the break in his normally pristine control, “Don't apologise to me Iruka and STOP with the honorifics.”

 

Kakashi watched the other man shifting away and he reached out, running his fingers across the nearest arm, but before he could voice his `please' he saw the wince of pain as his hand ran across something sensitive. His voice softened with concern, “Iruka? What's the matter?” He watched the effort the other nin made to hide the reaction, but what bothered him more was the fact that the face he was making was an echo of the one he had seen just yesterday when he had tried to touch him.

 

Iruka couldn't help the way he had reacted to the pain in his arm, he knew it would have started to bruise as the blood had returned to the limb but he had swept it aside temporarily in favour of helping Kakashi. He tried to pull away from the other man but was stopped by the concern etched in his features and his voice as he asked if he was alright, he bit at his lip before he replied, letting the pain of that wash over his senses to distract himself from his arm. “I'm fine Kakashi-s...Kakashi.”

 

His own eyes widened in surprise as Kakashi tried to get up once more, eye focused on him, he pushed the man down by his shoulders, carefully so as not to harm him further. He stared down into a lone smoky orb before he spoke again, “Stay down - you'll only hurt yourself more.” As Iruka went to take his hands back, he found the damaged limb being held against the Kakashi's chest, restraining him with little force at all. He stared bewildered at the odd hold the other man had on him.

 

Iruka felt his arm being lifted and looked at, the jounin took his arm moving it carefully up so he could see it from his horizontal position, tutting lightly when he couldn't see it in the dark. He watched as Kakashi pushed the hitate upwards so he could see with the sharingan in the dark, taking in the bruise he was sure was forming. He tried to pull the limb away, annoyance bubbling up inside him when he wasn't released, “Kakashi-san release me and stop using up your chakra when there are perfectly good lights around the room.”

 

Kakashi gave the chuunin a penetrating glare at the obvious disregard for his insistent request that he didn't call him `san' and also for trying to lie to him, when he clearly wasn't any good at it. He spoke with firm authority, “I will not let go until I can assess for myself what damage I have done to you. Also it's not like I can get up to switch on the lights, is it Iruka-sensei.” He added the last in an attempt to rile the other man, showing him why he didn't like it.

 

Kakashi watched as the other nin paused for only a moment before retorting, “You didn't do anything Kakashi-san.” He smiled at the fiery temper he was seeing in the chuunin, the meek and mild young teacher had some fire in him and he liked that. But it wouldn't do to have him constantly lying, so he let his hand wander over the surface of the bruised skin, fingertips as light as butterfly wings.

 

He looked deep into Iruka's eyes before speaking, “So the fact that my fingers lay exactly over the marks on your arm is irrelevant sensei?” To emphasize the point he wrapped his fingers carefully around the tender bruise. He saw resignation in the chuunin's gaze as he stopped trying to pull his arm away. “Why are you trying to protect me? I am not a child Iruka.”

 

Iruka looked back down at Kakashi, taking in the bandages wound around the other male. He turned his face away, “Because we all need protecting sometimes Kakashi. Even when we think we are too old for it.” He felt heat steal across his cheeks as his eyes focused on the bed sheets. He let those calloused fingers walk across his skin for a few more moments as the silence stretched out, then, clearing his throat; he spoke again, “You should get some sleep. You're still healing, will you let go now...please.”

 

Iruka felt a deep pang of longing as those fingers drifted away from his skin, he shifted in the sheets, preparing to get up and move to the living room now that he had been released. He would miss the warmth of Kakashi's body resting next to his own, it had been a long time since he had slept beside anyone and it brought home all the more what he was missing in his life. As he sat on the edge of the bed, he felt a quiet sigh escape through his parted lips before he whispered back to Kakashi, “Goodnight Kakashi.”

 

Kakashi lay on his side watching the chuunin shift away from him, he couldn't decide whether he should let the other man go or try to pull him back to his body. He wanted Iruka close to him, as selfish as that was at the moment, he loved the warmth and comfort his simple presence gave him. But he had hurt Iruka, however unintentionally, and he had a disturbing feeling that he had done it before. He stared at the teachers t-shirt covered back as he sat on the edge of the bed, when the jounin heard that deep almost forlorn sigh he couldn't help reaching out to him.

 

Kakashi shuffled carefully in the sheets, trying to ignore the niggling feeling in the back of his mind that wasn't sure if this was a wise decision. He wanted to comfort this man - he needed to and though he knew there was a reason for that he wasn't ready to study it yet. He got close enough to have his chest almost pressed to Iruka's back, so he hooked one arm around him, before speaking simply, “Stay Iruka. Please. I am sorry that I hurt you.”

 

Iruka had paused at the edge of the bed, warring with himself. He wanted to stay but he knew the reason behind that was a deception on his part towards the other nin. When he felt the older shinobi shifting behind him and the firm press of a warm arm curling around his belly he turned slightly to look back over his shoulder at Kakashi. When he heard those words slip from mask covered lips, he felt his decision slip through his fingers. How could he refuse this man? It wasn't even a choice.

 

He turned more fully to look at Kakashi, his fingers pressing to those mask covered lips, feeling the breath pass through the fabric warming his fingertips. “I will stay here - for tonight only. But no more apologies - promise me that Kakashi.” He watched the jounin nod in response, before helping him gently move back to the other side of the bed.

 

Iruka settled himself on top of the sheets, for the first time seeing the blanket he usually kept over the back of the sofa pooled at the bottom of the bed. He smiled at the thoughtfulness of the two young men that were hopefully sleeping in the room next door, before easing back onto a soft pillow.

 

Kakashi couldn't resist the urge to reach out and twine his fingers through the rich bitter chocolate coloured strands that draped so temptingly over the creamy pillows and though the feeling made him feel rather silly he let his fingers gently twist the strands around his fingers. The silky hair smoothed between his digits and soothed him in an odd way - he saw a flash of a small child twining pudgy fingers through a mass of soot coloured locks and realised those fine strands belonged to his own mother and he had been the child.

 

The chuunin felt a soft tug at his scalp and turned his head to face the Kakashi, restraining the need to smile at the fingers twining in his loose hair. He didn't hold back the soft smile he gave Kakashi when their eyes met and the fingers halted as though he were a child being caught doing something inappropriate. Iruka would never have chastised him for what he was doing, he liked the sensation it made him remember a time when he had first taken to helping one young blond boy and how sometimes he would fall asleep with his hands toying with his ponytail. “Go to sleep Kakashi or you'll take forever to get well.”

 

Kakashi felt his cheeks flush with heat and was glad for the shadows that had kept his face from view when he was caught by Iruka. But when he saw the tender smile curl those plush lips he couldn't resist the smile he gave back, eye creasing in response as he knew the other man couldn't see the smile for the mask he was wearing - and for once he regretted that. The chuunin brought about the strangest feelings and urges in him, some he hadn't felt for a long time.

 

It made him feel excited and nervous inside and before exhaustion took its hold he vowed to himself that he would try to give some meaning to these turbulent thoughts and emotions shifting through him. He left his fingers twinned in the chuunin's hair as the other didn't seem to mind the odd gesture and gave the young teacher a quiet sleepy sounding, “Goodnight Iruka.”