Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Can I keep You ? ❯ Part 22 : Flower ( Chapter 22 )

Can I keep you?

Sequel to Pumpkins and Ravens

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

Part of my 100 themes challenge.

 

Part 22 - Flower (31)

 

Naruto and Sasuke found Iruka in his apartment staring rather forlornly into the bottom of the cupboard that usually sat in the corner of the living room. The chuunin himself however was surrounded by piles of clothing, books and any item that had once resided inside said closet. The two watched the other man for a few moments uncertain what to say to the brunet, as they watched him brace one hand on his hip and the other rubbing at the nape of his neck. This particular posture the two visitors knew only too well after so many years, even if they hadn't his faced said it all. There teacher was somewhat perplexed.

 

As the blond attempted to step over the mess of objects surrounding the older man he could hear the chuunin mumbling quietly under his breath, “I'm sure it was here. This is where I saw it last....curse that damn jounin for making me need it.” Naruto frowned at his sensei and turned a curious look back at his lover, meeting a pair of deep obsidian orbs nestled under a severe frown.

 

The blond smiled at the show of confusion on the ravens face, it matched the one on Iruka's and he gave a small shrug silently agreeing with the raven's concern. He couldn't help the grin that curled the corners of his lips at the adorable expression - he really loved to see his stoic lover showing any emotion. He watched as that frown creased further into a dark and rather forbidding scowl that promised retribution later on. When Sasuke's head gave subtle tilt nodding towards the puzzled chuunin Naruto had no doubt that the Teme wanted him to find out just what had caused Iruka to pull everything out of the wardrobe onto the lounge floor. After all, the place was typically immaculate.

 

Sasuke watched as Naruto carefully picked his way across the floor, not wanting to incur the teacher's wrath at demolishing anything from that particular cupboard. He watched as the blond finally settled a few paces from the chuunin unable to get any closer to the unaware man due to the clutter surrounding him. The dobe reached out to place a tanned hand on Iruka's shoulder before speaking, “Iruka-sensei what is it that you're looking for exactly? Maybe we can help?”

 

The raven couldn't stop the slightest curl of his lip, even when he was still trying to scowl at his idiot lover, as the teacher almost jumped out of his skin with surprise when Naruto touched him. He had to commend the blond - he had gotten better at stalking - but he knew Iruka had been more than a little out of it when they had arrived. It wouldn't do for the Pre-Gennin to catch him in this state of mind. He observed the two men as the chuunin looked up with wide chocolate orbs and just stared at Naruto for a few moments, when the brunet spoke he sounded genuinely surprised, “Naruto...? What are you doing here?”

 

Naruto sighed at his startled sensei, giving the man a hard look when the brunet didn't instantly remember why they were here. He waited but when the other man didn't seem to get it he scoffed in amusement, “Che, I can't believe you'd forget Iruka-sensei! We always come over the day before Tanabata, you know me and Teme will be going to the festivities up at the shrine tomorrow night.” He gave the older man a considering look and proved a lot more intelligent than his part time nemesis suggested, “So what did Kakashi-sensei do this time Iruka-sensei?”

 

The pair watched as Iruka's face shifted from puzzlement to a deep almost angry scowl. They hadn't seen that expression on the chuunin's face for a while he was getting pretty pissed off. It was strange how they both had the sudden instinctive urge to duck behind the sofa, especially if that scowl turned on either of them. But what was even stranger was the way Iruka shifted almost nervously on the spot and the angry scowl slowly softened almost as quickly as it arrived. The pair watched their first sensei as twin mahogany orbs lost focus on them and shifted across the room to settle in the direction of the window that looked out on the street below. The two gave each other a look of confusion before turning to look at the window the brunet was so focused on.

 

Naruto couldn't help but smile softly at the sight that was laid out before him. On the small wooden table by the window sat a tall slender clear glass vase, inside the delicate glass there was a single long stemmed flower. The blond had no idea what type of flower it was, not being one to study the girly things, but he could admire the way the petals seemed to burst out from the centre, a deep cerise bleeding slowly into milky white, long thin stems poking out from the blossoms heart capped with burnt orange caps. It was a beautiful flower, stark in its contrasting colours but elegant in its crisp lines. Naruto couldn't help but comment to the raven stood over by the doorway, “It looks like a star, huh Teme?”

 

Sasuke looked at the flower, something stirring in the back of his mind that flickered like an old film as it slowly came to life. He could remember a time when he had been much smaller only reaching his niisan's elbow and his Mother had taken him out into the garden to show him this one flower. He remembered how her warm hands had held him against her warm body, cuddling him close as she pointed out the colourful petals. She had said that she loved this particular flower above all the others but she never did tell him why. He felt something tighten in his chest and he let his dark eyes shift away from the familiar sight, needing to push down the memories that tried to surface at the thoughts of his Mother.

 

The raven focused on the blond instead taking in his childish comment. He couldn't help but tsk softly and go to correct him, but he could see something happy filling those cerulean pools that made him soften his words a little, “Pfft that's because it is Dobe. It's a StarGazer Lily.” He turned minutely to see if there was anything else on the table, disregarding the memory inducing bloom, catching sight of a small stiffly folded piece of parchment. The raven didn't even bother flicking on the sharingan to increase his sight, he could take a pretty educated guess who the bloom and the note where from. There was only one person that could get Iruka so flustered.

 

The last Uchiha turned to face the other man in the room once more, smiling softly at the sputtered response from the blond, “I knew that...hey how did you know that Teme?” before he ironed out his expression to face the chuunin.

 

Sasuke never gave the noisy blond a response, but instead focused on the hazy look the teacher had on his face, before speaking quietly to the other nin, “So was it him?”

 

“Him - him who?” He continued to ignore the blonds' interruptions, if he wasn't quick enough to get it then he wouldn't help him.

 

 

Although, he didn't want the idiot to keep interrupting so he relented with a deep put upon sigh and a slightly sarcastic tone, “Kakashi-sensei Dobe.” Then he cocked an eyebrow at the brunet to emphasize the question waiting for the teacher's response instead of repeating himself.

 

Iruka turned slowly away from the flower, feeling heat rush into his cheeks as he responded to the last Uchiha's question, “Hai - he came to class.” His eyes shifted back and forth between the two men feeling slightly cornered between the Uchiha's unwavering gaze and Naruto's curious baby blues. The chuunin lifted his hand to scratch abashedly at his scarred nose as he felt heat rise in his cheeks and a soft fluttering in his chest. “I'm sorry I was miles away...” The teacher looked around him taking his eyes from the two males occupying his living room to survey the sprawling mess that he had apparently made. The brunet's eyes slowly widened at the sight of all of the stuff now strewn across the floor at his feet. “I was...looking for something...”

 

Naruto jumped on the chuunin's words, finally catching an opening to renew his original course of enquiry, “Yeah we asked but you were all...” he waved a hand in front of his own face and mimicked the teacher's dazed look. “So watcha looking for Iruka-sensei?” He was more than a little concerned for his older shinobi. Iruka was family and he didn't like the way his relationship with Kakashi was causing him to hurt this way. The tension between two older nin had been palpable and likely to snap at any time. The two younger shinobi had been trying to set something up that would encourage the two, apparently, reluctant adults to release said tension but they were struggling with it. Maybe this would provide an opportunity to do that.

 

“My kimono. I thought it was in here the last time I looked but it's gone.” Iruka felt something heavy building in his gut but he wasn't sure what it might be, the fact that he couldn't find that kimono when he had been certain it had been here. It was important - he never misplaced things like that.

 

“You sure you didn't put it somewhere else?” He smiled softly at the blond knowing he was only trying to help but he was pretty certain it was in here. He eyed the mounds of clutter littering the room as though they were hiding what he was searching for.

 

“No it was in a lacquered wooden box inside of here.” Naruto watched the other man looking around the room, a small frown adorning the teacher's forehead, as he replied almost absently.

 

“Iruka-sensei? When was the last time you saw it?” Sasuke felt bad for saying it but he had a feeling he knew when it was that the older man had last seen the kimono. He had noticed the teachers absence at all the festivals they had attended that required formal clothing since he had returned and although the chuunin always said he had work - it had made him wonder if he had been subconsciously avoiding facing it.

 

“It was...I...ohhhh...” The raven watched as Iruka's eyes fell, his expression darkening and filling with sadness. He hadn't wanted to put it there but in some ways it would be better for the brunet to face it, however much he hated seeing that expression on his or Naruto's faces.

 

“Sensei?” Naruto voice came out quiet, questioning. Sasuke could hear the confusion and uncertainty in the tone but didn't dare to look and see the expression adorning his normally sunny features.

 

“It was before... before Pein attacked. I wasn't able to save much after that but I guess I tried to push it to the back of my mind.” The pair looked on as the teacher's face fell, sadness echoing in every feature as the pair looked on helplessly.

 

“Can't you buy another one?” Naruto could see the pain slowly filling his sensei's expression and he could feel the weight of that pain settling on his own shoulders. He wanted to go to Kakashi and yell at him for making the chuunin look that way; he hadn't seen that pained expression since that night so many years ago when Iruka had faced Mizuki in the woods.

 

“Yes I suppose but that one... it was my Father's. Plus I can't afford one right now. It's one of the reasons I spent so much time working on the holiday celebrations - they pay more. I'm trying to save up for a few things around the house and a new kimono is a frivolous expense.” Naruto and Sasuke could see the pinched expression on Iruka's face, the words that fell from his lips after he'd mentioned his Father rang hollowly in their ears. They both knew how much it hurt the chuunin to have lost those things that his parents had left him after the Kyuubi attack.

 

“Ohhh...” The blond turned dark sapphire orbs to the raven who was still stood silently in the doorway. He could feel the guilt washing through him. It would seem that the Kyuubi's power and the beast itself seemed to cause nothing but heartache for the ones he cared about most. Naruto looked to Sasuke for some semblance of comfort, seeing the other man deep in thought before obsidian eyes shifted up to return the sad stare.

 

Naruto felt his heart warming at the sight of the soft smile curling one corner of Sasuke's lips as they looked at each other, absorbing the small amount of comfort they could from such a distance. He felt Sasuke's warmth slipping past the guilt and the sadness that had tried to burrow under his skin. He hadn't lost much in the time Pein attacked Konoha but that was because he hadn't had much to lose, but he knew of far too many that had lost everything and yet they had rebuilt and flourished again. He just hoped the teacher would be able to do the same.

 

The blond watched as those dark eyes turned back to their old sensei and he knew Sasuke had thought of something that may help the situation. Naruto watched the raven turn, staring now at the pale profile of his face, the sharp aristocratic nose, soft lips and fierce obsidian eyes framed by silky black locks. Sasuke was beautiful and it was often in moments like this that he truly noticed and appreciated what the raven meant to him. He felt like he hadn't lived until dark shinobi had come home, until he had been able to hold the other man to him with nothing but skin between them. His lips curved in a tender smile as he watched his lover speak to the distressed chuunin.

 

“Iruka-sensei? It may not be the same as what you have lost... but Jiraiya-sama stored away a lot of the things from the Uchiha house before he went to face Pein. We have been meaning to go through everything... there will be something there you could use.” Naruto stared at the raven, it was practically unheard of for the stoic man to actually offer anyone assistance unless they asked first, but as he looked at his lover, mouth slightly agape, he realised that this was actually the second time Sasuke had tried to help Iruka-sensei.

 

The first time had been when he had given the chuunin their bruise balm for his throat and now offering him something as personal as his own family's kimono. It made Naruto's chest ache with how much he wanted to crush the silly raven against his chest, kissing him senseless in thanks. He was slowly opening up and it made him both proud and unbelievably happy that it was Iruka that the raven had chosen. It made Naruto feel like his chest was simultaneously crushed with emotion and exploding with admiration for Sasuke. The raven was accepting his version of family as his own and that was more than Naruto could ever hope for.

 

Iruka looked back at the Sasuke and gave him a soft smile, feeling the warmth of the last Uchiha's generous and stilted words. He pivoted so he was fully facing the young man, taking in the slightly awkward looking posture and the way those dark eyes seemed to waver every now and again from his own. The sadness that had felt like an over bearing cloud seemed to lift slightly, leaving behind a small weight on his heart that he knew would ease with time. It had been a while since he had gone to visit his parent's - perhaps now was the time?

 

The chuunin spoke softly, not putting too much emphasis into what he said for fear of ruining the development that last Uchiha was making, “Thank you Sasuke-kun. That would be very nice.” He gave the raven a sincere smile before shifting uncomfortably, he rubbed at the nape of his neck before turning pleading orbs on the two young men, “But first would you mind giving me a hand with getting out of this mess.” He watched the two and couldn't help noticing the way Naruto's cheeks were turning an interesting shade of puce and were puffed out like a chipmunk, before the blond grabbed his sides let out a loud guffaw. Iruka turned to Sasuke to see the raven smiling at the blond and he couldn't help but let out his own warm chuckle.

 

He stopped when he heard the raven speaking to him again, “Iruka-sensei - you may want to move your that thing... a certain jounin has a bizarre penchant for entering through windows.” He watched Sasuke wave his hand in the direction of the flower and wondered why the young man's gaze remained as far from it as possible. He stored that away for later he turned to the raven.

 

Iruka smiled at the last Uchiha before returning his gaze to the elegant looking flower, “You might be right there Sasuke - but then I could make him tidy up in recompense, hmm.” He turned and gave the surprised Uchiha a wink.