Title: Something Between Us

Author/Artist: theablackthorn

Pairing: Kakashi/Naruto

Rating: NC 15

Hatake Kakashi awoke to the sickly smell of disinfectant and the scratch of starched cotton sheets against his bare arms; he became immediately aware that he was in a hospital. This made some sense to him, realising that he had made it back from his mission in almost one piece. But what had him distracted was the gentle touch of someone's calloused fingers carding through his thick silvery hair.

The way they ran the strands carefully through their fingers, nails raking gently across his scalp had him almost purring at the soothing touch. It was confusing because Kakashi couldn't figure out who would have the nerve to stroke him in such a fashion, conscious or unconscious. It had come to his attention, long ago, that people found him unapproachable, though from his perspective he couldn't figure out why that was.

He made very little effort to disguise the man he was, content with being seen as the lazy, unabashed, porn reading shinobi that everyone thought they knew so well. He was aware that he kept people at a distance with his quirky demeanour and penchant for less than appropriate reading material, but he didn't care. So why was it that he enjoyed the gentle caresses being lavished upon him?

He couldn't really say.

But when the warmth of that hand disappeared he felt bereft. He rapidly blinked open both eyes, tomoe turning lazily in his uncovered sharingan eye, as he searched for the source of the calloused palm that had given him such comfort.

There sat in the plastic chair beside his bed was one of the old team seven. He could see the apparent shock rounding sky blue eyes as he watched his tanned cheeks flush a deep scarlet. The hand that had been stroking him so tenderly was rapidly withdrawn, instead clutching at the material of a top the older shinobi didn't recognise, though it was in the blonds' signature orange and black.

"Naruto?" He was confused by the presence of his old student, but also by the changes that where so obvious in the young man. The Naruto he had known had grown a lot in the time he had been away, it had been almost two years since the hyperactive blond had gone on a mission to haul back the last Uchiha after the battle with Akatsuki.

Kakashi was struck by the startling similarities that Naruto shared with his father the Yondaime, the warm tone of his skin, the slightly longer sunny locks, his frame had filled out and Kakashi would guess that they were nearing the same height now. But that signature mega-watt smile was missing from the effervescent man.

Naruto fumbled for something to say to the suddenly very awake Kakashi, "Kakashi... sensei... I... uhm... well... I... I need to go..." then he was up and out the door before any other nonsense could spill from his lips. He wasn't sure what had been going through his mind when he had first run his fingers through those soft, slivery strands.

He shook his head at his own idiocy – what was he doing? A desperate need had blossomed inside him when he had discovered that Kaka-sensei had been missing for three weeks and that concern had culminated in a furious search for the jounin.

He had gone out against the Hokage's direct orders to find him and had brought him home. But he hadn't managed to shake the need to be close to the other man, even though he had thought that he'd gotten past those feelings.

The reassurance of other mans presence, whether conscious or unconscious, soothed him and allowed his body to become accustomed to the older man's nearness once again. It had been such a shock to find Kakashi-sensei passed out in the woods, he would have thought that he was dead but for the nin-ken's presence around their master.

Naruto had lost too much already; he couldn't bear to lose his old sensei too. He knew obaa-chan would be pretty damn angry with him when she got a hold of him, but for now, he hoped he could avoid the old lady.

Naruto stopped a little further down the hallway that lead away from Kakashi-sensei's room and looked down at the hand that had been stroking the silky strands of his hair. He let the smallest smile turn his lips as he ran shaking fingers across the skin reverently. He felt his heart speed up as he remembered watching the older man sleeping so soundly. He had never believed he would get the chance to touch his old-sensei in such a way and the feelings he held deep down for the other shinobi squeezed at his heart.

Kakashi watched the blond race from the room, the stumbling words he had managed to give before leaving exhibited another change in the young man, his voice had altered, deepening and it made something in the vicinity if his heart twist. He had missed some vital years of the blonds' growth and he was saddened that he hadn't gotten to see it. He had taken a lot of missions outside the village when Naruto had gone to bring Sasuke back, unbeknownst to most, but one nosy baa-chan, his reasons weren't what everyone thought.

He had come to care far more for the young man than was proper with the age gap between them, add to that they were both men, and Kakashi had decided to take more missions away from the village to try to put those emotion behind him.

Kakashi remembered the way the Hokage had frowned at his reasoning when she had spoken to him about it, but he had remained adamant, even when she had said that Naruto was old enough to make up his own mind. He sometimes wondered if it was fear that had driven him through those gates; he'd lost so many people in the years since he become a shinobi, could he bear to lose Naruto too?

He had disagreed with Tsunade and removed himself from the temptation.

When the blond had returned from his mission Kakashi had deliberately stayed well away from him, managing to see Sakura and Sai on occasion, in secret – though he could probably assume that it would get back to the blond.

He had heard rumours of a relationship growing between the fox and the Uchiha heir, and it was as he had believed all along, there was no place for him in the blond's heart. The things the pair had gone through together, and for each other, was more than any friendship could demand.

It was clear that Naruto was in love with the Uchiha. He would be damned if he said that it hadn't hurt, and that was when he had been assigned this newest mission just three months ago.

He rubbed absently at the skin over his heart; he could feel the constant ache he had grown used to over the years consuming him as he yearned for the one thing that he could never have. There had always been something about Naruto, he carried something very special within him, not the Kyuubi, but it felt like he held a little bit of sunshine and gave it freely and without discrimination to everyone he met. It warmed people's hearts and he had missed that too.

The jounin starred up at the ceiling, sharingan covered once again; the image of Naruto's flushed cheeks and wide sapphire eyes making his body warm with need that he desperately tried to suppress. He turned his mind away from the image and focused instead on how he had managed to get back to Konoha, his last cohesive memory was of passing out a good two days run from the village. His last act before unconsciousness had been to summon his nin-ken to watch over him while he rested.

He watched as fragments of what could have been memories or possibly dreams flitted through his mind.

iHe had awoken with a deep sense of lethargy, uncertain of his surroundings, when he opened his eye to cast about he found the shadowed holes of an ANBU mask looking back at him.

He had tried to move, to sit up – anything, but found his body unresponsive as his eye rolled back in his head as searing pain shot through his body.

He had blacked out from the agony that ripped through him.

When he had opened his eye once again, he observed the ANBU through pale lashes, as he spoke with his nin-ken.

All he had seen of the man in the fading moonlight was the traditional porcelain mask bobbing up and down as he spoke with the dogs. His vision faded to black as his mind sunk into darkness.

He had awakened to the brush of soft fingertips tracing down his cheek, he couldn't get his eyes to open, to focus, as his mind started to become hazy as a gentle voice that sounded so familiar whispered to him, "I found you Kakashi-sensei."

His mind had become cloudy with pain and bone deep exhaustion and his conscious had left him to darkness.

Kakashi had spent what felt like hours dipping in and out of consciousness.

He had stared unseeing into the fire, trying to rebury the feelings that where rousing inside him.

He had waited for the other man to wake, listening to the soft breaths that teased at his silvery hair just over his ear.

When the ANBU awoken from his sleep Kakashi had watched through veiled eyes how he had watched the Copy-nin.

The mask had hidden his face from Kakashi's eyes and he had wanted so desperately to see who this man was that had brought him such comfort.

He had discreetly watched the ANBU, enjoying the way he was comfortably sprawled against his toned frame./i

As he lay there in the hospital bed he thought back over the events absorbing the fragmented memories of how he had arrived here.

A surprising amount of feelings had welled up inside him and led him to believe that he may know the identity of the ANBU agent. He had slipped just enough. The young man's chakra signature had felt so familiar and as he pieced the bits of the puzzle together he knew without even asking his nin-ken that the man who had saved him had run out of this room not five minutes ago.

Pakkun would not have trusted just anyone with his safety, the ANBU had called him by his first name and finally the mask he had worn. Kakashi hadn't recognised it at the time but, as he went through his memories picking out details, he remembered the white mask, red whiskers and pointed ears of the kitsune.

It was pretty ironic all told.

Kakashi felt hope blossoming in his heart at the way the blond had held him, touched him, no one else would have dared such behaviour with him. Could it be possible be that baa-chan was right?

He hoped that he wasn't about to make a fool of himself. He got up stiffly from the bed, taking in the cast on his arm, the bandages securing his cracked ribs and the surgical mask that had been carefully put in place. He headed for the window and looked down to see a blond head making his way from the hospital doors; he was up on the second floor.

He slid the rolling window open and leant a little precariously on the sill with his plastered arm as he called out to his former student. Kakashi watched as Naruto turned this way and that before facing the hospital. Kakashi watched as his cerulean orbs widened as he recognized him.

He crooked his finger at the blond shinobi, but when Naruto shook his head in refusal he gave the blond an obvious glare, and moved himself up to perch, somewhat painfully on the windowsill.

The jounin's eyes never left the blonds and he saw him trying to decide what to do before scowling at the ground and stomping back towards the hospital, jumping up to the open window that the copy-nin was perched on.

Kakashi felt strong arms curl around his waist as he was forcibly pushed back into the room, a harsh, throaty voice whispering into his ear, "Damn it don't do that... idiot Kakashi-sensei... trying to kill yourself before you leave the stupid hospital!"

Kakashi smiled behind the confines of his mask at the blond that was standing just scant inches from him, with his arms coiled around his waist. He didn't resist the urge to wrap his unrestricted arm around the young man within his reach, letting the weight of it land firmly on his shoulders. He listened to the quiet mumbling that followed, picking out odd words as he was manoeuvred back toward the bed.

"After everything... poor Pakkun...troublemaking...stupid...sensei... time...away." Naruto sounded both irritated and resigned to pushing him about and he didn't mind that, but he wondered at some of the odd phrases the blond was expressing.

"Naruto... what about your time away?" He felt the young shinobi stiffen at his words and then felt the pang of loss as he attempted to withdraw from his embrace. He held on to Naruto with his un-plastered hand, not knowing what to do and too unsure of how to express his own feelings for the younger man.

"Naruto?" He didn't know whether it was his voice that reached Naruto or his actions as he squeezed the blond with his arm, but he looked up and their eyes met, cerulean locking with his lone slate grey. Kakashi saw a variety of emotions slide across those sweet features and the blush that bloomed on whiskered cheeks made his body throb with need.

Kakashi watched avidly as Naruto's face firmed, lips flattening and Kakashi knew he'd made some kind of decision.

Naruto moved back from him and Kakashi felt the cold rush in where the blond had been holding him. He let him go, feeling his heart squeeze painfully, his fingers trailing down the smooth skin of his tanned forearm, tracing gently on the palm before releasing his hand.

When he looked up again he saw those sapphire orbs watching him and he made his hand move away to tangle in his own silvery locks as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and uncertainty.

"Maa – sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He turned away and moved back to the bed, but before he could reach it warm arms imprisoned him and he was hauled back against the familiar contours of Naruto's warm chest. His eye widened and he looked down at the long fingers that had laced together locking him in place, the tomoe swirling in his bare eye as he absorbed the feel of the blond shinobi pressed firmly against his back.

Kakashi could feel Naruto's heart racing in his chest before he spoke again, "I... Kakashi-sensei... I don't know how to... gah!"

Kakashi felt his body being turned and that warm chest was then pressing firmly against his own. He watched transfixed as the young ninja he had trained pressed a soft, chaste kiss against his cloth covered lips.

Kakashi's eyes opened impossibly wide, as he took in the sight and feel of the blond haired ninja pressed against him. When those lips withdrew and their eyes met again he wriggled his arm free of the tight embrace and lifted his hand to touch the blonds' cheek.

Naruto flinched back from the hand, but the jounin was determined. Kakashi gently trailed his fingertips across soft skin, tracing the three whisker like scars before running his hand into soft blond hair.

He let his eye crinkle as he smiled, showing Naruto that he wasn't angry. When the arms around him loosened again he feared that Naruto would leave him again. He reached up for his mask and pulled the fabric away, baring his face for the young man to see for the first time, before quickly planting his lips against the blonds'.

Kakashi moaned when their lips touched, he carefully let the tip of his tongue trace the Naruto's lower lip, before suckling it into his mouth. His eyes fluttered shut and his hand found its way to the nape of the blonds' neck, kneading at the stiff muscles.

Naruto had stiffened when Kakashi's lips had descended on his own, uncertain about what had happened, but he felt himself gasp at the soft, hesitant touch of his sensei's tongue as it traced the soft skin of his lip before it was gently nibbled. He let his own tongue reach out and stroke against the Jounin's as his eyes fluttered shut and his body pulled up flush against the Copy-nin's.

Kakashi let Naruto guide the gentle kiss they were sharing, the blonds' hot slick muscle the first to break past his own lips and caress his tongue. He moaned at the teasing touch, feeling his body tremble with need as they came flush together. He suckled on the invading appendage, curling his tongue sensuously around it.

He carefully deepened the kiss, pushing past the supple muscle invading his own mouth and pushing into Naruto's. He trailed his tongue over plush lips, plunging inside to stroke all the surfaces he could reach in the blonds' mouth as he felt Naruto whimper into the kiss.

Naruto felt his whole body thrumming with need, as he was consumed by the heat of the kiss they were sharing. He could barely believe that Kakashi-sensei was allowing him to do this; it had been something he had fantasized about for so long. Naruto's emotions where stirring thick and fast, reaching for the surface. He released Kakashi to run his hands across his partially bandaged chest, learning the other man's lithe frame.

Kakashi pulled away from the kiss only because of his need to breathe and heard the quiet mewl that the blond gave at his absence. He felt calloused palms tracing across his semi-naked torso and slipped his own hand down Naruto's neck to the orange shirt he wore, his hand trailing underneath and pulling the fabric downwards as his eyes took in the sight of Naruto's fishnet covered chest, his nipples already hard little nubs begging to be touched.

"Naruto... I want you...do you understand?" He could feel his need for the blond burning through his veins, making him voice his desperate need to touch and be touched by the delectable young man.

Naruto pulled back, hazy cerulean orbs watching him from under lowered lashes. Kakashi watched Naruto nod once before he was pushed him back till his knees hit the bed, tumbling him onto his back and tender ribs.

Kakashi tried to hide the winch but didn't manage the feat when Naruto settled in beside him, crooning at him as he carefully ran gentle hands across his bandaged flesh. "I'm sorry sensei... I forgot you were hurt."

Naruto looked away abashedly but his hands never left Kakashi's skin and he felt the pain fade away under the careful ministrations. He tangled his hand in Naruto's sunny blond strands and brought their mouths together in a passionate lip lock that was all hot, slick muscles and needy gasps and moans.

When their lip's parted Kakashi looked up into heavy lidded sapphire eyes and watched lip's move without comprehending the sound. He flushed, "What?"

"Not here sensei. Not now, you're hurt you know."

Kakashi looked up with a wide eye at the blond hovering above him, calloused palm cupping his bare cheek, "But…?"

"No but's." Kakashi watched as Naruto's eyes hardened, his lip firming in determination and he knew he'd lost.

He sighed softly, eye never leaving Naruto's gaze, "Mah, such a tease."

Kakashi couldn't help but feel the warmth of Naruto's presence along his side as the blond chuckled, a blush tinting his cheeks.

"We'll see Kaka-sensei."