Title : Cry for Me

Theme Song: Forever Young by Youth Group

Note: love the turtle on the album cover (cover is yellow and black, turtle is yellow too)


Iruka was crying.

His lover was laid out, dressed in his favourite green jumpsuit with his lucky orange leg warmers. His hitae-ate had not survived the wound that had killed his lover, instead Iruka's was tied about his waist. His hair had been washed of the gore that had coated it, but somehow it wasn't as shiny.

Iruka was crying.

He could remember every speech about youth that Gai had ever spouted to him. He finally had his wish. He would never grow old. Iruka wished fiercely that Gai had been less obsessed with staying young and more obsessed with staying alive.

Iruka was crying.

He could see tears brimming in the lone visible eye of Gai's eternal rival. Kakashi had a knack for staying alive. For outliving everyone who cared for him. The blow that had killed his lover had been meant for the copy nin. Iruka hated him for it.

Iruka was crying.

The sun was shining, the birds were singing and his lover was being returned to the earth from which he had sprung. It wasn't fair. Today should have been a day of storms, a day for the heavens to cry. It certainly should not have been Valentines Day.

Iruka was crying.

He wasn't alone. Lee was bawling his eyes out at the loss of his beloved sensei, and his team-mates were no better. The jounin who had gathered were also misty eyed, they would miss their eccentric comrade. But they wouldn't miss him as much as Iruka.

Iruka was crying.

He could still feel Gai kissing him goodbye as he left on his last mission, promising to be back soon. His could feel the weight of the other man on his back as they made love late at night. He could even smell the foul health sludge that Gai drank in lieu of breakfast.

Iruka was dying.

He couldn't live without his lover. He didn't have Kakashi's will power to continue on even when his precious people had abandoned him. He was going to stay young too. He watched calmly as they chiselled Gai's name onto the memorial stone.

Iruka was dying.

His stomach hurt abominably, so much for the poison being painless. He assigned himself a mission and left his village. A kage-bunshin hurled kunai at him until he collapsed. He dragged his bleeding body back to the memorial and collapsed in front of it.

Wait for me Gai.

Iruka's name was carved into the memorial next to his lovers'. Many suspected that the chuunin had not died of totally natural causes, but none were going to condemn the teacher in public. Grief could do terrible things to even the best ninja.