Title: Ways to Die
Author: Sparklehunter
Email: Light shounen-ai, deathfic
Summary: Lying together on a beach, Iruka tells Kakashi "There are worse ways to die."
Author's Note: This does have a continuation, of a sorts, that I may write - if I get the motivation. Review if you want it? Sankyu!
Ways to Die
by sparklehunter
"There are worse ways to die ," Iruka says.
They are lying on the beach, tangled together, Iruka a dead weight on Kakashi's chest. Kakashi has his free arm draped across Iruka's back, the other tangled with the smaller man's hand. Iruka's breath is shallow and labored against his neck. The water around them - lapping at his ears, covering their legs - is cold, and salty.
Iruka's body is numb, and he is glad, because he cannot feel Kakashi's fingers trailing across his back. He does not know if he is still breathing, but he knows Kakashi is from the slight gasps in his ear, and that soothes him. Salt is crusting on Kakashi's clothes, and he is again grateful for the numbness. He thinks the salt would be rough against his cheek.
Kakashi stirs under Iruka, and Iruka cries out from the pain that tears through the numbness. Beneath him, Kakashi freezes.
"There are worse ways to die," Iruka says.
There is quiet forgiveness for the pain in his words. Kakashi tells himself the moisture on his cheeks is from the ocean, as he whispers soothing nothings in Iruka's ear.
Kakashi's fingers are numb, and he is glad, because he can no longer feel the wet blood and spinal fluids and broken bits of bones in Iruka's back. He feels lighter, as his own blood mixes with Iruka's blood in the water, like Iruka's body is the only weight tying him to the earth.
Iruka moves his head just slightly, enough to look at Kakashi's red eye. Kakashi squeezes his hand, and Iruka smiles.
There are, Kakashi thinks, as Iruka drifts off on his chest and the world begins to fade away around him, worse ways to die.