a/n: Well, when I was writing The Get Itachi Laid Challenge, quite a few of my readers asked if there was anything between Iruka and Genma. Well you're about to find out.
Summary: Iruka and Genma have been friends since they were in grade school. However, there's a couple of things Iruka didn't know about his friend. He's about to find out what. From Chapter 9 of The Get Itachi Laid Challenge verse. So yes, it will be fluffy. Gen/Iru yaoi
Warnings: AU, Gen/Iru
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Just Between Us
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Thoughts: 'blah blah'
Speaking: "blah blah"
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Genma chewed on a toothpick and cruised down the road in his blue Mazda RX-7. Ok, fine, more like sped down the road. The music blared through the custom speakers and he bobbed his bandanna clad head to the beat. He was on his way to pick up his best friend, Iruka, who had come to visit him. Well, actually, he was more than a best friend, at least to him. But that was another story altogether.
Right now, he just needed to figure out where Naruto's house was. The directions Iruka gave him was driving him in circles. 'Guess that's what I get for listening to a man who doesn't even live in Tokyo. Iruka's such a small town guy.' After seeing the same building for the fourth straight time, he cursed loudly and threw the written directions out the window in frustration. He'd figure it out himself.
It took him another half an hour, but he finally found the apartment building. And there he found Iruka standing next to a tall spiky blonde headed male. If he didn't already know it was Naruto, he'd be jealous. He whistled. Damn, that kid turned out to be a looker. He hadn't seen him since he was about 18 or 19. He was a wild scrawny looking kid back then. If he'd have known he'd grow into a god, he'd have hit on him then.
Nah, who was he kidding. Iruka would kill him if he made a move on his adopted son.
Besides, he was more interested in the father.
His tires screeched as he came to a halt next to the two males. Both of them turned to look. He rolled down the passenger side window and leaned over with a grin. "So who's the hot guy you've got there Iruka?"
Iruka rolled his eyes at his best friend. "You're an idiot Genma."
The hot blonde grinned and leaned into the opened window. "Hey Genma! It's been a while."
"Naruto. You're looking good." Genma ruffled the spiky locks. "Life must be treating you alright." Naruto blushed slightly rubbing the back of his head.
"Yeah something like that."
Genma chuckled. It was nice to know Naruto hadn't changed too much. He waited as Iruka opened the door then turned back to give Naruto a hug. Once he was in the car Genma gave Iruka a grin.
"Hey dad? Is there something I should know about you two?" Naruto teased through the window.
Genma laughed as Iruka blushed and glared at his son with a pointed, "Goodbye Naruto." Genma gave Naruto a wink before putting the car in reverse and speeding away with a screech.
"And you!" Iruka glared at his friend. "Quit encouraging him." Genma glanced at Iruka.
"What? I didn't do anything." He said still chuckling.
"Idiot."
"You love me."
"I don't know about that."
"Aww, you wound me 'Ruka."
"Just shut up and drive."
"Here." A pillow landed next to Iruka on the couch. He glanced at the pillow then up at Genma, who was also holding a blanket. But it was what was behind the blanket that held his attention. Genma was shirtless and Iruka had never noticed how built he was until now. His eyes roamed down the muscular chest. He wasn't sure whether to be jealous of the fact that he didn't look anything like that or embarrassed that he was checking out his best friend. He shook his head.
"Thanks." He also took the blanket tossed in his direction.
Genma sprawled out on the floor. "So, how's Konoha these days."
"Oh, the usual. Too boring for a rebel like you I'm sure." Iruka replied doing his best not to stare.
"Nothing wrong with Konoha. It was a nice place to grow up. I just happen to like my life in the fast lane every once in a while."
"More like every day." Iruka muttered.
"Hush you." Iruka chuckled as he dodged a thrown pillow. "So how is our little blondie?"
"Confused."
"Really? How so?"
"Well, he finds himself in love with an Uchiha."
"Isn't he married?"
"Not him. The other one."
"You mean the richest and most eligible bachelor one?" Iruka nodded. "Well that I can understand. I'm practically in love with that Uchiha. He's hot!" Genma grinned at Iruka's gaping. "What?"
"Why Genma, I didn't know you swung that way." Iruka chuckled jokingly.
Genma shrugged.
Iruka tilted his head in confusion. He had been waiting for a joking retort. "Wait…You mean you really do swing that way? When the heck did this happen? I mean, weren't you and Anko practically inseperable? I'm your best friend and you didn't tell me?"
"I never told you because it's not that big a deal. I've always been an equal opportunity kind of guy. As for my thing with Anko…well, let's just say it was basically two crazy people with an insane libido."
"Emphasis on the crazy." Iruka had spent more than enough time around the two in high school and beyond. Anko was almost scary. "That woman is a sadist."
"Nah, she's alright. She just acted like that in front of you because you're so uptight sometimes." Iruka looked affronted.
"I am not uptight!"
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not."
"You sure about that Ruka?" Genma asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Of course I am." Iruka replied with a glare.
"Really?" He stood up and walked up to a still sitting Iruka, who was doing his best not to blush. Genma thought it was cute. It was at that moment he decided to go out on a limb for something he had wanted for years. He had to get his friend warmed up to the idea though. He hoped it wouldn't result in him falling flat on his face.
Or in the case of Iruka, maybe punched to the floor.
He kneeled in front of the red-faced man so he could look him right in the eye. Then he raised his hand and grabbed the other man's chin shifting it back to the front so he couldn't avoid him. "Then why are you blushing?"
Iruka looked anywhere but at his friend. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You don't?" Iruka's eyes lowered to his lap and Genma got the chance to really see those long dark eyelashes framing the brown eyes. They were beautiful.
Then he grinned, his thoughts taking a completely new turn. He really couldn't help himself after all.
Genma leaned in closer and waited. Eventually the patience was rewarded. Iruka finally raised his eyes, mostly out of curiosity. But Genma didn't really care why as long as he did it.
"Do you find me attractive Iruka?"
Iruka choked.
Yes, Genma was serious, but he was also a prankster and loved getting a rise out of Iruka, so when he saw the reaction, he couldn't help but laugh.
And that was how he ended up being caught off guard by a punch that landed him flat on his back.
So much for not getting punched to the floor.
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But of course, Genma, being the ambitious person he was, did not give up. He would get his Iruka eventually. He just had to get him to admit that he wanted him.
So the next morning, Genma was back to teasing a blushing Iruka. This time about his cooking. He declared it to be so good, it was like having a girlfriend making breakfast for him. He was answered by a piece of bacon thrown in his face.
"Genma," Iruka growled.
"Yes?" He asked innocently.
Iruka shook his head. "You're incorrigible."
"Excuse me? There you go using those big teacher words again."
"Oh shut up you idiot."
Genma chuckled and got up. "Thanks for the breakfast baby."
"GENMA!" Iruka looked ready to kill.
He ran before Iruka could grab him and locked himself in the bathroom laughing as Iruka ranted.
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Since he was already locked in the bathroom, he decided to put his next plan into action. He took a shower. Now one might wonder what kind of plan that was and why a shower would make any difference?
Well, take one body, some water, and one small towel. Mix well. What do you get?
Well, let's see…
Genma walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. The towel was pretty short, only reaching mid thigh. Water still dripped from his freed dark locks. The droplets slowly slid down his tanned muscular body and stopped at the towel that was wrapped right below his navel.
He walked past Iruka in the living room where he had been watching TV while waiting for a turn at the shower.
Iruka didn't dare look up as he passed by.
Genma would not be deterred. He went into the kitchen and came out with a bottle of water. Twisting the cap, he lifted the bottle to his lips and chugged it down, doing his best to look like one of those sexy commercials with his body tall and with his head back to show the bobbing of his adam's apple.
Iruka gave it a valiant effort.
He really did.
But those darn traitorous eyes slid over to the corner so that the orbs could get a view of the man. And once that happened, his whole head turned along with his eyes. His lips parted as he took in the body of the man he had called his best friend since grade school. His eyes followed the trail of a drop of water that started from his neck down his chest, over a very well-defined six pack only to disappear.
NO! He wanted to see more!
At the unbidden screaming voice in his head, Iruka gasped and squeezed his eyes shut, swiftly turning his head away from the vision. He was hoping to every god in the universe that Genma couldn't read his thoughts and that he couldn't see the blush that he knew was creeping up his neck to his cheeks.
His hope was futile.
Genma had been watching the entire time, so he saw Iruka checking him out. He saw those eyes roam slowly down his body. He saw the blush flash up quickly.
What else could he do but walk up to the man who had his eyes closed and put his hand on the tense shoulder. "Hey, Iruka, shower's all yours."
Brown eyes popped open and at finding his face in such close proximity to the slightly damp body, he felt a trickle from his nose and clamped a hand over it.
Iruka, while on the verge of a nosebleed, yelled at Genma to put on some clothes.
Genma decided to be nice and give Iruka a break for the rest of the day. After Iruka showered and dressed, Genma took him around town, checking out some of the museums he knew the school teacher would like. By evening they were both hungry, so they stopped at a stand to get some takeout. They walked through the park eating straight from their cartons.
Iruka smiled at the classical music in the background courtesy of the free orchestra playing on the other end of the park. "This is nice."
"It is isn't it?" They found a bench and sat down eating the last of their dinner. Genma sighed and stretched both arms over the back of the bench and leaned his bandanna clad head back looking straight up at the trees and the sky above them. "I like coming here sometimes. It reminds me of home."
"Maybe you should try visiting home more often." Iruka replied jokingly. Genma had only been back to Konoha once since he made the move to the city.
"What the hell for? The only reason for me to visit would be you." Genma said it in a teasing manner, but he meant it. Iruka looked over at his friend, who was still staring upwards, trying to see if he was serious or not. Genma's head never moved, but his eyes slowly traveled to the right until he could see the other man's face.
They stared at each other. Even when they blinked, neither looked away. Iruka's heart sped up as he got lost in the dark eyes. He wasn't sure what exactly was happening, but he knew that things were slowly changing between him and his best friend and he didn't know how to stop it. He wasn't even sure he wanted to. Before he had the chance to really think about what he was beginning to feel, Genma looked away and sat up.
Genma could see the confusion swirling in the brown eyes. He had half a mind to kiss the confusion away, but he didn't want to make things more complicated yet. The last thing he wanted to do was screw things up before it began.
"Ready to go?"
Iruka nodded with a half smile.
Iruka couldn't sleep.
For some reason, his thoughts continued to revolve around the man in the other room. The man he considered to be his best friend. The man he was now starting to question his friendship with.
It's not that they weren't friends, they still were. They had always been...at least as far back as he could remember. Iruka could always count on Genma for anything. Even after he left their small village for the city, he always kept in touch. And it had become a tradition, of sorts, for him to come visit Genma at least once a year. It became even easier once Naruto moved here. He could visit both of them at the same time. So sure, they were great friends.
But his thoughts over the last day – and if he was completely honest with himself, a bit longer than that – weren't completely friendly.
How the hell did this happen?
All he asked for was a nice peaceful - well not so peaceful...this was Genma he was staying with - weekend with his friend. Instead, he ended up finding out his son was in love with the most well known Uchiha alive, who just happened to be male, and his best friend was bisexual. Of course, Genma's preferences didn't bother him. What did bother him was the flutter in his chest that he felt every time his friend was near him. It bothered him even more that his mind kept flashing back to the almost completely naked man drinking water in the kitchen in his full view.
What was this feeling?
He felt it from the top of head to the tips of his toes. It was this warm tingly feeling every time Genma's dark eyes zeroed in on him. It was the pounding of his heart when he smiled. Ok, sure, he knew what this meant although he was slightly afraid to admit it to himself. It's kind of ironic that he spent all that time talking with Naruto about his feelings for Itachi and now he found himself going through the exact same thing. He had never thought much about what kind of person he would be attracted to. So these new feelings were a complete shock to him. He had never been one of those people who had romantic attachments all the time. Sure he was nice to everyone male and female, but none of them caught his eye. He was beginning to wonder though, was Genma the reason that he hadn't been attracted to anyone else? And now that he thought about it, he had always felt a bit jealous of Genma's relationship with Anko when they were younger. At the time, he had figured it was because he had the childish need for Genma's attention. Well, it was a need for attention, just not the way he thought.
What was wrong with him?!
Developing feelings for your best friend was a huge no-no. There's no way Genma would feel the same. He was a small town boy. He was perfectly happy living in Konoha, a village where everyone knew everyone and no one's business was a secret. He loved teaching there where he could watch the kids he taught grow up to become competent men and women. Genma was a city guy through and through. He loved the bright lights, the sounds, the fast pace. They were completely wrong for one another.
That single thought made his heart hurt.
Genma was in bed sighing for what was probably the hundredth time. He had only one more night after this one before Iruka had to go back. And he'd gotten nowhere. But then, had he really actively pursued the man? He'd made jokes about it, teased him, maybe even hinted a little, but he'd never actually told him.
That kind of pissed him off.
He never thought of himself as a coward. He'd always been the outspoken type, didn't care what anyone else thought of him. So why hadn't he really done anything?
Iruka was right in the next room. How hard could it be to simply walk up to him and declare his undying love? 'Melodromatic much Genma?' Ok fine, he would never go so far as to be that sappy. But really, was it so hard to just tell Iruka what he thought of him? He wouldn't have another chance at this for months, maybe a year or more.
That thought was all it took to get Genma out of bed.
Iruka was staring at the ceiling when he heard the light slapping of feet against the floor. He glanced toward the hallway to see Genma walking into the room. He quickly closed his eyes and tried to act like he was asleep.
Genma glanced at the object of his thoughts for a long moment before sidestepping to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and walked back into the living room. First he took a sip of water. Then he took a deep breath and walked over toward the sleeping male.
Iruka's heart pounded in his ears. He had one eye barely open...just enough to see what Genma was doing. When he saw him walking over to the couch he quickly closed his eye and feigned sleep.
With a sigh, Genma sat down in front of Iruka and smiled at the innocent yet handsome sight his friend made. His eyes roamed over the sleeping face...the long lashes, the sensuous lips, the long scar that ran over the bridge of his nose. He lifted his finger and traced lightly over the scar. It made him look dangerous, sexy.
It took everything the "sleeping" Iruka had not to flinch at the light touch.
"Heh, I remember how you got that scar Iruka." Genma whispered. "I guess really it was my fault for making you play hooky with me from school. Only you would somehow end up cutting your self on the top of the fence." He chuckled softly. "Blood was everywhere and I was panicking. It's funny, you never did get in trouble for leaving. I'm the one who had to stay late for a week. I guess they figured your pain was punishment enough." His finger moved farther down, ghosting over his jawline and his lips. Before he moved them away a hand grabbed the finger. Genma gasped.
"Yes, it was your fault. For some reason, though, I was willing to forgive you. And you deserved your punishment." If there was enough light, Iruka would have seen Genma's face suffused in a pink blush.
"I-I...thought you were asleep."
Iruka chuckled. "I can tell."
Genma blinked.
Iruka gazed at the suddenly silent man.
"You're so...beautiful." Genma blurted out unconsciously. His eyes widened and he looked away for a moment, slightly embarrassed.
Iruka thought it was comical. And sweet. He smiled and sat up and leaned on his elbows. Genma wasn't sure what to say now. Iruka though, his smile had turned into a smirk, and Genma was wondering if he should move away.
"Are you attracted to me Genma?" Iruka asked teasingly. Genma's eyes widened. The tables had been turned on him now. He had to laugh at the irony. But he wasn't beaten yet.
"Yes, I am." He leaned forward, closer to Iruka's face. "In fact, I do believe that I might be more than attracted." He placed his hands on Iruka's knees and moved in between his legs, leaning so close their noses almost touched. "I think I might even love you."
Iruka had played the game, but now he wasn't sure that it was such a good idea, especially now that Genma's face was so close to his with the confession coming from his lips. At first he was shocked at hearing the words. But he was worried that his best friend just might be playing with him. "Don't tease me Genma."
Genma, who had been staring at the tempting lips, raised his eyes upward. Their eyes met and Iruka couldn't miss the seriousness in the dark eyes.
"I'm not." He whispered while his fingers curled around Iruka's neck and pulled him the last inch forward so their lips met. Iruka's eyes widened at first before slowly closing. Genma raised his other hand placing both hands on either side of Iruka's face and tilting his head to the side molding their lips together.
Genma's fingers moved upwards, reaching for the tie that kept the ever present ponytail in place, yanking it out and immediately tangling his hands in the long dark locks. Iruka moaned at the slight pull on his scalp. Genma took advantage, slipping his tongue between the parted lips moaning at the heat surrounding his tongue. The tongue slowly mapped every inch of the hot mouth and then swirled around Iruka's tongue, coaxing it out to play. Iruka sucked on the appendage and soon their tongues were moving together in its own dance. Soon Iruka pulled away in need of air.
Both of them opened their eyes and Iruka blushed slightly. Genma breathed hard taking in the ravished look Iruka sported because of him. He smiled in relief that Iruka hadn't turned him away. "Sleep with me."
"What?!" Iruka's eyes went wide as saucers and his mouth dropped opened at the other male's forwardness.
Genma rolled his eyes. "Not like that! Jeez, what kind of person do you take me for Iruka?!"
Iruka stared incredulously. Did Genma really want him to answer that?
"Dammit Ruka, that was a long time ago. You can't hold that against me now." Genma shook his head exasperated but still couldn't stop the grin from appearing. "I meant to sleep. Just sleep. Maybe we'll both be able to get some rest that way."
Iruka smiled. "Alright. Only to sleep. But since tomorrow is my last day, you owe me a real date."
Genma laughed happily and pulled Iruka up. "Deal."
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a/n: Yes, I know…no lemon. Don't hurt me! I'm a firm believer that there is no way in hell that Iruka would get that naughty with anyone that quickly. (He does have his own "Iruka Rules of Dating" after all, which he tried to push on Naruto in TGILC) But hey, I left room for more one shot goodness if you'd ever like me to go on with it. :) I hope that this will at least satisfy you for a bit longer while I start working on the sequel. Thank you for reading and your reviews are always appreciated.