Rebound

Chapter 4: Just a Friend in Need

Characters: Raido and Iruka, with plenty of Konoha's other fine shinobi making appearances!

Rating: Mature- Older teen - Adult

Warnings: Yaoi, coarse language, sexual innuendo and potty mouths.

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

Author's notes: To CEL: Thanks so much! Gen's one of my faves :) To Anise: lol, I have to breaks as reader and writer, my brain just gets overwhelmed at times. And I'm always watching other fandoms, even if I'm not reading/writing in them. Always looking for the next thing to slash the hell out of, lol. Hoping for longer chapters now, I think I might have gotten back into my groove, though they still won't be mini-novels any time soon :)

Iruka couldn't stand it anymore.

The rain had gotten worse, big drops splattering on his face and the back of his neck, highly uncomfortable everywhere his flak vest didn't protect him. The chuunin watched as Raido's thin pajama pants were soaked through within seconds, tan skin drenched, the odd milky residue in his hair rinsed clean. That was the only benefit to the downpour. Otherwise, the big tokujo looked utterly miserable as his once-friend trashed his belongings. And the trash talk spewing from Genma's mouth... was kinda weird, but hurtful all the same.

Surely, one of their close friends would step in and stop this mess? Iruka looked around at the tree's occupants, searching for someone who knew the two shinobi better than he. The most notable were Aoba and Kotetsu, the two standard fixtures on the tokujo's teams and in their circle of bar hoppers and club goers. And it was rumored that Aoba and Genma had a 'serious' thing going several years back. Iruka thought it proper that a more intimate friend than himself interfere with the spat.

Wait a minute! This is supposed to be your chance!

Iruka frowned and pushed the little voice away. He wasn't that interested in Raido that he'd forget his place and jump in the middle of a fight that had nothing to do with him. That would be the height of rudeness, not to mention foolishness. Right. Neither the time nor place and it's just Raido who barely knows you outside of the mission room and probably only remembers that one night a year ago when you got completely smashed at that post-evaluation party and vomited in his lap. Gods...

The chuunin shut his eyes and sighed. A soft noise came from his left, brown eyes opening, one of Kakashi-sensei's ninken whimpering quietly before nudging his cold nose against Iruka's hand. The man grinned apologetically and pet the summons, the smell of wet dog already gaining a hold in his clothes and hair.

Iruka looked up just in time to see a sandal nail Raido on the shoulder. Aoba seemed to have noticed it, as well. The sunglasses were pushed up onto the limp spikes, olive green eyes narrowing against the rain. The older man's body shifted forward, as though to leap down and lend aid.

Go! GO GO GO! Do it! Iruka's head felt as though it would explode from the volume of his inner voice. The silly bugger didn't know when to shut the hell up. Despite his subconscious's insistence, Iruka remained where he was, chewing on a fingernail with rabid intent.

The CDs came down, missing Raido by mere inches. The look of despair on the tokujo's face was too much for Iruka, no thought involved as he jumped. He barely even took note of Aoba's feet leaving the branch only a split second after his own. The sunglassed shinobi, green eyes wide with surprise behind the lenses, twisted around and landed in Iruka's vacated spot.

Everyone still within the trees observed the scene with growing amusement and plans for a betting pool...

Iruka landed silently, not a difficult task considering the storm and the screaming shinobi. But the second his feet touched down in a growing puddle of water and CD fragments, the chuunin lost his momentum. Rai's broad back was just over an arm's length away, the muscles tense under naturally tan skin, the scarring on his left shoulder shifting as the big man moved.

The rain soaked pants clung to every line and curve of his ass.

" Do... do you want some help?" Iruka stuttered out, a finger coming up to nervously wipe some rain from his horizontal scar. He resisted the urge to do the same to Rai's intricate network of twisted flesh; the water was following the raised lines of dead tissue until left free to fall down his unmarred skin. A human riverbed, of sorts.

Raido whipped around, obviously startled and Iruka hoped he didn't get kunai'd for it. " Ah, uhm... Iruka-sensei, uh..."

At least four dozen magazines were tossed from the window. The resulting splash of warm, dirty water made Iruka ache for either a shower or a barefooted run through one of the training fields. Summer rain storms were always good for either option.

Pulling his mind away from childish delights, and stalling, Iruka attempted to ease the awkwardness of the situation. " It's okay, Raido-san. I mean... it happens sometimes and I, I was just walking by and thought you might want some help picking up." A medium sized box of something fell into the bushes, some of its contents spilling out of the wet cardboard. Iruka saw that they were underclothes and blushed. " But, I'd understand if you, uhm, didn't..."

Raido was still trying to get his tongue to work properly as Iruka gave him the most beautiful sympathetic smile. Genma's plan had worked, for the most part; Iruka was indeed standing before him, asking to help. The big brunette decided he would gladly take that much, tossing the ' inviting you to his place' part of the plan out the proverbial window.

" Oooooh! Oi! Won't need these anymore!" Genma screamed from the literal window, throwing a handful of straps and chains into the air. " Find someone else to tie up and sensually torture for hours and hours and hours until they black out from the awesomeness!"

Oh, dear gods, what the fuck is that man thinking? I'm not even the one who did that to him! Rai didn't flick his gaze up, though he did catch a glance of Genma's favorite set of bed restraints landing in the bushes. Apparently his friend meant business if he was risking the expensive leather and silver. " Uh, Iruka-sensei, uhm, yeah. Sorry." He managed to finish a sentence before the heat in his face could increase to volcanic proportions. Shifting from one foot to the other, scratching anxiously at the scarred cheek, Rai looked everywhere but at the younger man before him. " You don't have to, ya know, but thanks."

Iruka smiled even brighter. " No problem, really." He glanced up and saw that the worst of the storm clouds had moved on, taking lightning and thunder with them. The rain, however, was apparently there to stay. A broad hand reached up and slicked back the loose strands of hair that had wiggled out of his ponytail. Another glance at the underclothes. " I can, uhm- I'll grab the CDs if you want to get your clothes, " A glance at the allegedly cum stained comforter still in the tree. " and your blanket." You are NOT going to grab that thing and bury your nose in it, no matter how long you've gone without!

Raido nodded, water streaming down his face, hair plastered down. Without another word he went about gathering his things, ever aware of the eyes still in the treeline, the chuunin only a few paces away and the brilliant-but-annoying jerk still enjoying his playacting.

" I see! Already replaced! Well, little chuunin, I hope yer tight ass can handle that bear sized cock of his!"

" That's it," Rai muttered just before flinging the discarded sexual restraints back at his friend with more than a little chakra boost. The BDSM gear hit Genma full in the face and he fell back, cursing loudly. Rai stood stock still, shocked by his action and by actually making his target; Genma was not known for standing still for attacks.

" Raido-san?"

Spinning on heel, Raido really hoped Iruka hadn't just seen him do that. But, of course, he had. He stared into incredulous sable eyes and stammered, " Iruka-sensei, I just- I didn't mean- well, I kinda did- but, he just really gets to me sometimes, that mouth of his and- I'm sorry." He could only hope the chuunin didn't think he was some violent, abusive monster after everything Genma had said and his own outburst.

The surprised look dissolved into a smile and quick assurances. " No! No, I'm actually kinda, " Iruka wiped the accumulated rain from his nose. " Impressed. You always seemed so put together, calm, easy going. Like a big teddy bear." He thought that probably wasn't what a grown man, shinobi or otherwise, wanted to hear.

" I am! Most of the time, I swear!" Rai hurried to make his own assurances. Perhaps Iruka was looking for a big teddy bear type. The tokujo would have to be careful or his main crush would seek out an Akimichi to fill his cuddly desires.

Iruka had had no doubts, really, despite his words. He chuckled, rain drops falling from his chin and nose. " I believe you. It's just nice to know that I'm not the only one who loses his temper and wants to throw things. I wish I could throw things at my students more often." Laughter mingled with the rain and Iruka blushed, realizing that his interest in the man had just jumped a few notches with the aggressive display. I'm such a submissive when he's around! How does that happen? Argh!

Rai laughed, as well, happy to have gotten past the little bump with the plan more or less intact. He went back to picking up his garments, rushing to jam his boxers back into the swiftly deteriorating cardboard box.

The CDs were salvaged as best as the chuunin could, the broken ones lamented briefly before being scooped out of the puddles and pushed into an errant sock. Iruka let the sound of pounding rain drown out any stray thoughts. He was just helping a friend. A friend that he wanted to get to know more. And in a naked manner, if Rai wasn't adverse to the idea. Someday. Maybe. Just a friend in need, Umino! Iruka finished with the CDs and moved on the smaller items, like Raido's toiletries. He opened his satchel and began shoving toothpaste and hair brush alongside his school papers.

And then his mouth opened without prior consent from his brain. " You should stay with me tonight."

Raido dropped his underwear.

tbc...