I love this chapter because of well … the Genma-ness! Woot! Beta-read by b4k4girl! Arigato! Check out her stuff minna! She's got cute stuff!
Enjoy people! It's nearing its end. Maybe about five or six chapters more then it's over.
WHY NOT 29Iruka shook off the umbrella outside Naruto's door and shockingly found his door unlocked. "That boy! Honestly! He should learn to secure his own home!" He stepped into Naruto's apartment, kicked his sandals off and padded in to the living room. He found Naruto sitting under the living room window, staring at the rainy night sky, dressed in his blue pajamas. "Hey Naruto! You didn't lock your door! How could you? You want to be robbed or something?"
"Hey Iruka-sensei." Naruto greeted him, still looking at the sky.
"Genma will be swinging over. He got a raise in his salary and decided to treat you and me to ramen take-out. He should be here soon. Ichiraku has quite a crowd at this time of the evening and it's raining for crying out loud!" Iruka headed for the bathroom and left the door slightly ajar as he changed into home clothes. He and Genma would be crashing the night at Naruto's in celebration for what Naruto did today - confess! "I thought Genma and I would sleep over. Don't worry about any noises though. We won't do anything! I also asked Genma to fetch some groceries for you. I'll be cleaning your kitchen and throwing away most of the things..." Iruka poked his head out of the hall and found Naruto still in his sitting position staring at the sky. Iruka frowned. "Naruto?"
"Yeah?"
"You don't want us to stay or something?"
"No, no! By all means, please stay! The whole week in fact! I - I don't want to be alone for a while." Naruto said, voice decreasing to a whisper.
Iruka smiled and walked over to the boy wrapping an arm around him in a brotherly fashion. "You silly boy!" Iruka chided playfully. "You should know by now that you're never alone. You always have me if anything happens. How could you forget that? And Genma too!"
"Yeah. I know." Naruto said and dipped his head, closing his eyes.
Iruka frowned. "Naruto? Something wrong?"
"I didn't confess." Naruto said.
"Oh?" Iruka sounded surprised.
"I couldn't." Naruto explained what he said to Kakashi and what he heard and how everything actually made sense - including the part of what the Hokage said before he died. "I - I couldn't deny Sasuke his happiness. That would be so selfish and heartless of me. And - And Kakashi didn't even say anything. A part of me was hoping he'd contradict my words, but he didn't and I don't know what hurts the most." Naruto dipped his head. "I shouldn't be like this. I should be happy for them, but oh god! Sensei, it hurts. It hurts so much. Why does it hurt?"
"Oh Naruto." Iruka hugged him, and that was when Naruto began to cry.
"I don't want to cry." Naruto tried to laugh but only ended up crying. "I really don't want to cry. Hokages don't cry." Iruka smoothed down Naruto's hair. "I love him, Iruka-sensei. I really do."
"I know you do, Naruto." Iruka said and held him tighter. "I know you do. And that's why it hurts."
"Don't hate them, Iruka-sensei. It's not their fault. It just - happened. Don't hate Kakashi-sensei for this. It really isn't his fault."
Naruto held on to Iruka throughout the entire time he cried until he got so tired from crying that he fell asleep.
Genma knocked on the door and Iruka opened it. "I got us the -"
"Hush, hush, Gen." Iruka kissed Genma's cheek and helped him with the load in his arms. "Naruto's asleep."
"Heh? I got us ramen! Why not wake him up?"
"I don't think it's such a good idea." Iruka said, a frown on his brow.
Genma kissed him fully on the lips and gave his neck a little nip. "Tell me, love. Why is it not such a good idea?"
Iruka set the table and took out the ramen Genma bought while he changed his clothes. Once they were seated at the small dining table and eating, Iruka told Genma everything. "He loves him so much Gen...I - I'm surprised myself. He actually ate Kakashi's expired breakfast."
"Well, I'd do the same for you." Genma said and gave Iruka an intense love-filled look.
"I know." Iruka said, and reached out for Genma's hand across the table and gave it a light squeeze. "But I'm worried about Naruto. And that Kakashi! Honestly! For a Jounin, he's an idiot!"
"I hope you don't think of me in that way." Genma said, pouting a bit.
"You silly little thing." Iruka said. "But really, Genma, I'm serious."
"I know you are, love. Look, I think it's best we leave Naruto on this for a while. As in to sort out his feelings inside him. We just give him a shoulder to cry on, some reassurance and that kind of stuff. But this is something he decided on and acted on. In fact, we should respect his decision. He's grown up in a grand way." Genma stared at his half empty ramen bowl. "I don't think I'd be able to make a sacrifice like that. Give up my happiness for the sake of someone else and not hate him or her for it? It's complicated."
"Yes." Iruka said. "It is."
"We just have to be there for him, all right? It's the best support I can think of." Genma said, giving Iruka's hand a little kiss.
"You're right. Naruto needs support now." Iruka said, but he couldn't help but feel a bit bitter towards Kakashi and Sasuke. He really couldn't help it.
Genma took Iruka's class. Naruto had one hell of a stomachache and was busy puking his guts out in the toilet when he left that morning. Iruka, being the mother hen that he was, stayed at home to take care of Naruto. Genma was nibbling on his needle while he kept a sharp eye at the students copying the long lecture notes from the black board. Oh how he loved giving these kids a hard time - thinking they're all great and know everything. Heh!
He found Kakashi peeking through the door and motioning for him to come outside. Genma gave a stern warning to the scribbling students and left the classroom. "Hmm?"
"Where's Iruka?" Kakashi asked.
"What do you want from him?" Genma asked, switching to defense mode.
"I need to speak to him." Kakashi said, sighing. Genma noticed how his eyes were a bit bloodshot and how he had dark circles under them.
"He's with Naruto right now. Poor kid's got one hell of a stomach ache." Genma said, leaning against the wall and watching as Kakashi's shoulders tensed.
"Is he all right?" Kakashi asked in a whisper.
"I guess he will be. When left this morning he was vomiting." Genma smirked a bit when he found Kakashi's shoulders tense even more. "You know it was entirely your fault?" Okay, that caught his complete attention. "You made him breakfast didn't you? Ever stop to check the expiry dates? That stuff had been in Naruto's fridge for a long time." Kakashi paled. Genma was older than him by three years, so he had respect for the Jounin and dared not answer him back. "Funny thing was though, was that he ate it all without complaining." Genma shrugged. "I swear, if I were in his place, the only reason I'd do such a thing was if the person who made it was somewhat special to me. Like my mother. And Iruka of course." Genma said, rubbing his chin. "Yeah, that's what I'd most probably do."
Kakashi remained frigidly still. "I see."
"Oh well. Iruka is at Naruto's place if you really want to talk to him that bad." Genma turned back to the classroom door. "Good luck."
He closed the door and allowed a satisfied smirk to quirk his lips. Life is good when you're in the lead!
"All right class! You can leave once you're done copying!" Genma said, suddenly in a good mood. Now, there was a sale at the ice cream parlor. Something to tease Iruka with - Genma laughed inwardly.
TBC