Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mission Iruka Christmas ❯ Home ( Chapter 18 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

"I don't even know why you still keep your own apartment. You only sleep there when he's away on a mission," Izumo said, staring out at the empty mission room.

"Because it would be weird sleeping at his place when he's not there."

"Do you get up and leave when he has to leave in the middle of the night?"

"Well no... but that's different."

"How?" Kotetsu piped up from the other side, not seeming to buy the argument anymore than his partner.

"Because he invited me to sleep there that night," Iruka said, shaking his head. "It's different if he's there when I come home. I'm not intruding then."

"Intruding? You both refer to it as home. I don't think he cares. Do you Izumo?"

"I think Iruka's just scared of commitment. Maybe he's afraid his crazy jounin will drive him crazy too and he'll need a place to hide out from the ANBU when he goes on a murderous rampage," he said, grinning over at his partner.

"Kakashi is not crazy!" Iruka said, feeling rather indignant.

"Well then, why haven't you moved in with him?"

"Because he hasn't asked me to, okay! Now get off my back!" Iruka said and stormed off. Presumably to get some coffee.

"He doesn't have to get so pissy about it," Izumo said with a yawn.

After a good long coffee break Iruka came back and found Izumo and Kotetsu up to their ears in mission reports and injured shinobi. Sighing he sat down and took a report from a limping Genma.

"Your report seems to be in order but.."

"But what Iruka-sensei?"

"It says everything went well and no injuries were suffered on your mission."

"That's true," Genma said, leaning on the desk and yawning slightly.

"Then how, may I ask, did you manage to sprain your ankle?"

"You see I wanted to get back sooner so I could go shopping for a gift for Raidou. Before he got back from his mission. And I guess I underestimated how much chakra I used on the mission and I kind of... tripped climbing up the wall to get in here."

Then there was Ebisu who was hurrying back from a trip to Suna who managed to break his wrist when he misjudged a leap in his haste. Kiba had a new bright stripe on his face, this one right between the eyes and when asked he mumbled something about a pole, no sleep, had to hurry.

It seemed that everyone Iruka took a report from was hurt, and not because they'd had a difficult mission but rather because they'd been carelessly rushing home for the holidays. It irritated Iruka that his fellow shinobi would be so reckless. So by the time he was headed out the door and on the way back to his apartment he was ranting about it, muttering incoherently under his breath.

"I know they want to be home with their friends and their family, but Kami couldn't they at least consider the idea that getting home safely is far more important than getting home an hour or even a day ahead of schedule?" he ground out as he kicked a rock along in front of him.

The rock bounced off the steps to his apartment and he watched as a hand snaked out and caught it mid bounce. Iruka blinked, his foul mood forgotten at the sight of Kakashi sitting on the steps.

"I got back early so I thought I'd come get you before you got too comfortable," Kakashi said tossing the small rock lightly to Iruka who snatched it out of the air.

"I thought you weren't supposed to be back for another two days?"

"Things went smoother than expected," he offered.

"Did you already turn in your report to Godaime-sama?"

"I'll do it in the morning. It's late and I'm tired. Let's go home."

"You do look pretty exhausted," Iruka said stepping closer to Kakash,i who stood slowly and stepped down off the steps. "Are you sure you're okay? You look like you're favoring your right side. You didn't get hurt did you?" Anyone else would have just chalked the slow movements up to Kakashi's usual slouch and lazy gait, but Iruka spent too much time watching that body not to notice the difference.

"Saa... I'm fine 'Ru," Kakashi said as he pulled Iruka to him and buried his face in the chunin's neck.

Iruka slid his hands around Kakashi's waist and prodded experimentally.

"Ow! What did you do that for?" the other said yelping and jumping away.

"If you're so fine, why did that hurt so bad?" Iruka studied his fingers and the spots of blood on their tips. "And you're bleeding."

"It had stopped until you poked me."

"Inside now," Iruka said, pushing him back towards the steps.

Kakashi groaned, "Can't we just go home?"

"You're hurt and you're exhausted, my place is closer so you can just sleep here tonight." Iruka watched as Kakashi visibly sulked. He knew that for whatever reason Kakashi didn't like his apartment. Though he couldn't quite figure out what it was all about. Oh well he'd worry about it another time.

"Fine..." Kakashi said and marched up the stairs.

"So what idiotic thing did you do that resulted in you getting hurt?"

"What makes you think I did something stupid?"

"Because there seems to be a rash of stupidity running rampant through the shinobi that are going out on missions."

"I just miscounted how many there were and one of them managed to get me with a kunai. I was in a hurry, no big deal."

'No big deal?' Iruka seethed inwardly. "It could have been a big deal. What if it had been a more serious injury?"

"But it wasn't. And I wanted to get home. I missed you."

Iruka growled, "If you'd slowed down you wouldn't have gotten hurt and you'd probably have gotten home just as quickly. Stupid jounin, you never think."

"I resent that! I just wanted to be home with you. I've spent too many nights out there by myself with nobody to come back to, so you'll just have to forgive me for wanting to spend as few days out there alone as possible," Kakashi said not bothering to hide his own annoyance.

"And what good would it do you if you had to spend those days and more in a hospital?" Iruka was not going to back down on this. He didn't like the idea of Kakashi or any other nin taking chances that were unnecessary.

"Well excuse me for wanting to be home with you at the risk of a few extra scratches."

He could tell Kakashi wasn't going to back down either. So since they were inside he did the one thing he knew would allow him to win the fight. He yanked Kakashi's mask down and kissed him, hard and slow until they were both out of breath. "I want you home with me too, love, but I want you safe more," he said planting another soft peck on his lover's mouth. "Promise you'll remember that instead of trying to rush home. Please?" Another kiss, this one a little longer than the previous.

"Fine, you win," Kakashi murmured against his lips. "Cheater." Iruka smirked at that. Hey as long as he won.