WARNING: This fic contains boy/boy relationships. If you are not accustomed to reading it then leave right now! Rated teen to be safe.
This is my first IzumoxKotetsu one-shot. (I plan to make more.) This is also my first attempt at writing a shounen-ai or an innocent Yaoi (whatever you want to call it) and my first time writing this pairing. This is probably horribly out of character and weird, but strange enough I actually like it :) Please Review and tell me what you think!
(No flames please!) I actually liked writing this even though it came out... (Ahem) weird.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Kishimoto-sensei not me... (Sniff)
Song: Sakura Kiss (Ouran High School Host Club Opening)
Artist: Chieko Kawabe
Forgotten Words
"Mate, Izumo!" Kotetsu called out to his friend. Both were carrying large stacks of papers to Godaime's office.
"Haiyaku, Kotetsu."
Kotetsu increased his pace a little. "You don't want to know what she'll do to us if we don't get there in time, right?" He teased with a grin plastered to his face.
"I guess I don't really want to know." Izumo replied. "Demo, she's probably sleeping anyway."
"Yeah! I bet." Hagane Kotetsu said with a smirk.
But...when do I tell him?
"Oi! Kotetsu, Daijobu deska?" Kamizuki Izumo asked as he started walking backwards. His loud friend was unusually quiet.
"Nothing I...umm...I..." Kotetsu started to feel uneasy and looked away.
I've always felt that way about him, but...what if it's wrong? And...what if he doesn't feel the same way? The spiky-haired Chuunin wondered.
Suddenly Konohamaru appeared out of nowhere chasing a small dog.
"Get back here, damn it!" He scowled running around the Chuunin duo.
They looked on perplexed as the boy and dog ran lap after lap around the two Chuunin. Things got even hairier when the dog bolted straight through Kotetsu's legs making him trip.
"Aargh! Get back here!" The black haired boy yelled vanishing out of sight.
"Whoa!" Kotetsu managed to yell before falling flat on top of Izumo.
All the hundreds of papers they had been carrying flew to the ground. The huge heap was left disorganized and scattered. Not to mention the look on Kotetsu's face, which displayed pure embarrassment.
I can't believe this! I'm...on top of him! Kotetsu's face turned bright red, but Izumo just looked confused.
"Gomen, Izumo...I..." Kotetsu said getting up face flushed.
"No problem, it was the Young Master's fault. You okay?"
"Yeah." Kotetsu replied nervously scratching the back of his head. "Oh...Gomen!" He apologized reaching for his friend's hand. "You okay, Zu?"
"Yeah." The other Chuunin replied wiping his hands on his uniform. "Now...all we need to do is get these papers cleaned up." Izumo said and sighed.
About an hour later the pair was back on their way to Godaime's office. Izumo noticed there was something clearly bothering his friend. "You sure you're okay, Kotetsu?"
"I'm fine." The other Chuunin insisted ignoring the replaying thought in his head.
I can't believe it! I almost...but Izumo's face was so cute, I should've...No wait. What am I even thinking? He shook his head.
"So...how are things going between you and that girl from Iwa?" Kotetsu asked trying to bring up a conversation but failing miserably.
I shouldn't have asked him that. What am I thinking? Am I trying to make myself jealous? Wait, jealous? I'm not jealous. Since when do I care who he dates?
"Okay, I guess." Izumo sighed and shrugged.
Kotetsu eyed his friend a little suspiciously, waiting for the absolute truth.
"Okay, fine. Things aren't going well at all. It's just that...she doesn't understand me like you do, Ko."
Kotetsu suppressed a strong urge to blush.
"Well, what I mean is she's not really a close friend of mine, so it's difficult to get to know her. That's all." Izumo explained, face turning red.
Did I just say what I thought I said? How can I be serious about something like that? What's wrong with me? Izumo wondered nervously. I don't mean it like that...it's just Ko always knows how I feel. He actually understands me, unlike Yukie. He thought bitterly.
"I know exactly what you mean." His friend replied knowingly.
The pair walked on in silence. Later, Tsunade sent them on watch guard in front of the gates to Konoha.
"Hey, Zu. Your birthday's coming up soon, isn't it?" Kotetsu asked running a free hand through his spiky black hair.
"Yeah. I'll be twenty-five." Izumo said rubbing his shoulder.
"Doing anything special?"
"No. Not really, unless Yukie asks me out."
"Who's Yukie? Your girlfriend?" Kotetsu asked a little accusingly.
"Yeah, so?" Izumo responded completely unaware of the hints of jealousy in his friend's voice.
"Oh, nothing. Never mind." Was Kotetsu's glum reply.
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I can't believe this! Kotetsu thought miserably back at his apartment. What am I supposed to do now? Tell him? I can't tell Zu, he'll freak. Plus...I don't want to jeopardize our friendship over this, I just...can't help the way I feel about him.
The way I've always felt about him.
Oh yeah...and Zu's birthday is coming up soon. I have to get him something, but what?
Wait. He thought with a sweatdrop. Isn't a guy giving another guy a present sort of weird? As in gay? As in unmanly? Arrgh! I can't take this! He thought nearly freaked out before he heard a knock on his door. Kotetsu nearly jumped out of his skin when he opened the door and found Izumo standing there.
"Hey, Kotetsu."
"Uh...hey." He laughed nervously scratching the back of his head,
"I have a message from Tsunade-sama for you. She says we'll be proctoring the third part of the Chuunin exams this year."
" But isn't that Genma's job?"
"I heard he just came back from a long mission and has too many injuries to count."
"So basically he's going to stay in the hospital and have Shizune take care of him all day?"
"Yeah." Izumo replied grinning.
"Genma's such a lazy ass sometimes." Kotetsu said with a smirk shaking his head.
"But we get to actually proctor an entire part of the exam ourselves. Think about that! Awesome, huh?" Izumo said excitedly.
"Sugoi!" Kotetsu answered back with another boyish grin.
They high-fived each other and then Izumo headed back to his apartment.
I should've told him. But...I can't! I just can't!
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"But, Yukie!"
"No! Forget it, Izumo!"
"C'mon, just give me another chance!"
"Just forget it! We're over!" The dark-haired girl shouted storming off.
Why did she leave? I don't get it...and why do I feel sort of empty inside but sort of happy inside at the same time? What's wrong with me? He gripped his shirt.
"Hey, Izumo! What's up?" Kotetsu asked a while later as he sat down next to his friend on a bench. He sensed something was seriously wrong.
"You okay?" He asked Izumo suddenly very worried.
The other Chuunin sat with his head in his hands.
"I'm fine." He mumbled.
"What's wrong? Tell me!" Kotetsu nearly shouted, turning on his friend and grabbing him by the shoulders.
"I...broke up with Yukie."
"Nani?! But why?! I thought you loved her?!"
"I did. Or maybe I just thought I did. She broke up with me. You know what, Ko? I'm not really sure of my feelings anymore." Izumo answered his friend emotionlessly staring into space.
"Are you crazy?" Kotetsu shouted then stopped.
Izumo had moved his hands from supporting his head and now they rested on his knees.
"I'm not really sure of anything anymore." He said again in the same monotone voice, but there was a slight hint of sadness.
And that's when Kotetsu noticed. There were a few stray tears falling down Izumo's face as he looked away from his friend.
"Izumo?"
There was no response.
So Kotetsu did the only thing that was left for him to do. It was completely irrational but...he had to comfort his best friend...he just had to. No matter what the cost. Even if it meant showing his true feelings.
And that's when he pulled Kamizuki Izumo into a hug.
Izumo just stared blankly ahead. He didn't feel calm – like he had with Yukie. His heart started to beat a little faster and his face flushed. Despite the shy Chuunin's embarrassment, he noticed how nice it felt to be held like this. Kotetsu's strong arms encircled him protecting him from all harm.
Kotetsu closed his eyes and held his friend tightly, silently praying that everything would work out. The hollow feeling was gone. Izumo felt at a sort of peace, until...
This isn't right...wait. Stop! How can I want this? I don't...
They pulled apart abruptly faces flushed. Kotetsu saw a mixture of anger and shame flash in his friend's eyes.
"Izumo, I..."
Kotetsu didn't get to finish his sentence as Izumo dashed back to his apartment. He didn't stop to look back the entire way.
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Izumo lay in bed that night unable to fall asleep. Memories of him and Kotetsu flooded through. In some they were tackling each other, in others they were laughing over a prank they just pulled on Genma. He saw Kotetsu's boyish grin flicker through his mind repeatedly.
But...we're just friends. What am I thinking? He closed his eyes. I just don't want to be hurt again.
Kotetsu sat on the rooftop of his apartment, staring up at the starry night sky.
Izumo, I... He thought gripping his chest. I never meant to hurt you, so why can't you just see? See how I feel about you and accept it? Why? He briefly closed his eyes.
(Flashback)
"Hey, Ko?"
"Yeah?"
"Isn't it awesome how we're now Chuunin?" Izumo asked his best friend. Both lay down in the grass staring up at the sky littered with twinkling stars.
"Hey, Zu?"
"Yeah?"
"Never mind." Kotetsu said turning his head away from his friend's.
Both friends placed their hands behind their heads as a sort of cushion against the rough ground.
Why do I feel this away around him? He's...just my friend.
"You okay, Ko?"
"Yeah, just a little hungry." Kotetsu replied with a grin looking back at Izumo.
It was then that Izumo smiled.
"We'll always be friends, right?"
"Yeah." Kotetsu answered, as he caught his breath.
Izumo's smile...his smile was to say the least...just beautiful.
As they lay there under the night sky, Kotetsu couldn't help feeling different about his friend. He blushed lightly and snuck a glance at Izumo, who started pointing out the different constellations.
Why...why do I feel this way about him? I'm not sure, but I know that I want to protect him so that nothing bad ever happens to him...cuz I...I couldn't live with myself then. Izumo is just so...special to me.
"That's not the big dipper, that's the little dipper, baka." Kotetsu corrected.
"I knew that. I was just testing to see if you were even listening." Izumo replied with another grin.
Maybe...maybe that's when I fell in love with Izumo. He reflected looking down at the village below him.
No matter what happens...I have to make things better between us. I just...can't bear to lose him.
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The next day Kotetsu mustered up his guts, and went to Izumo's apartment. He knocked once then twice. Still no answer. He knocked three times. He waited. Finally the door opened.
As soon as Izumo saw who it was he slammed the door flat in his friend's face.
"Izumo, I..."
"Forget it. Get lost." He said angrily from behind the door.
Kotetsu was hurt. This was so unlike the Izumo he knew and loved.
"Fine, Zu. If you don't want to open the door, then don't. I just have to...tell you something."
"Nandeska?!"
Kotetsu reeled back from his friend's harsh words, but he tried to remember...he was the one who had infringed on Izumo's space.
"First of all, I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to make you mad, it's just...I...I couldn't stand to see you so depressed over Yukie. I...just wanted to make you feel better. And second...Zu?" He paused swallowing. "I hope we can still be friends." Kotetsu finished.
It was then that the door opened.
"I hope so too." Izumo replied with a small smile. "Sorry I was such a jerk, I just..." He started apologizing.
"Never could imagine not even in a million years that you're gay?"
"Yeah." Now Izumo smiled back as Kotetsu pulled his friend into another hug.
"I just hope the feeling is mutual. Cuz I thought I was weird." Kotetsu confessed before pulling apart and looking away.
Izumo smiled. "Well, I guess it is then."
Kotetsu felt like a giant boulder had been rolled off his heart. He could finally breath now. Hagane Kotetsu could finally proclaim his love to the one person he loved most in the world, and the best apart was...he didn't have to be ashamed about it.
"And Zu?"
"Yeah?"
"Happy birthday." Kotetsu said before pressing his lips against Izumo's.
Izumo caught his breath in his throat. He never imagined anything like this could be so...wonderful. He felt his face get redder. Kotetsu is...kissing me!
They pulled apart briefly lost in desire for one another's companionship.
"I love you, Zu." Kotetsu said holding his friend's face and looking deep into his eyes.
"I love you too, Ko." Izumo said with a smile.
"I'm so glad that I don't have to hide from you anymore." Kotetsu whispered in his friend's ear before he resumed kissing him again.
Long forgotten words had finally been spoken.
Owari!
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Note at end: Actually while writing this I imagined Yukie (Izumo's ex-girlfriend) as Yukie Fujikaze from the first Naruto movie. Don't ask why – it was a totally random pick. Umm...Izumo's not bi he just feels calm around girls. A manga I highly recommend is 'Only the Ring Finger Knows.' It's an innocent, sweet Yaoi. Reading it helped me to write this story. Also the gay/unmanly joke was borrowed from Hisaya Nakajo's Hana Kimi. Sorry Nakajo-sensei! (I couldn't resist!) Until next time, Ja ne!
Tsunade: I'm giving you all a mission!
Izumo: What is it?
Kotetsu: (Grins) I know! Let's go torture Genma!
Genma: (Twitch) Who hired this idiot?
Tsunade: Review now! As soon as you're finished reading!
Izumo: Hai, Godaime! (Salutes)
Genma: Baka, you can't review! You're in the story!
Kotetsu: Don't make fun of Zu! I'll...I'll...
Genma: (Chews on senbon) You'll what? Cut my hair while I'm sleeping, or use my toothbrush to clean Akamaru's teeth, or how about writing 'Genma Sucks' on my window in bright red paint?
Kotetsu: (Twitch) How did you know?
Genma: Amateur. Try learning a thing or two from the Kyuubi kid.
Japanese Words
Mate: Wait up
Haiyaku: Hurry!
Godaime: Fifth Hokage
Demo: But
Daijobu deska?: 'Are you okay?' or 'Is everything all right?'
Gomen: Sorry
Sugoi!: That's amazing!
Nani?: What?
Baka: Stupid
Nandeska?: What is it?
Hai: 'Yes!' or 'Yes, sir!'