Love Stays

by Heartaker

Rikouchan- Thanks, I was going for something different, because I know that there are a lot of fics about the characters being in bands, but this WILL be a lot different from other such stories-

RuByMoOn17- I SURE WILL!

Atilla-the-Honey- Tis' a long time, I was going to have it where they had just left-but this brings in the angst more-That's a good idea, I'll think about it...

Chapter 2

Iruka was practically drowning in assignments that he had to check, and as the steam cleared and he stepped out the shower it hit him, and he groaned loudly. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and looked toward the steam covered mirror. Sighing, he turned around and grabbed a towel off the towel rack and wrapped it around his waist-beads of lukewarm water trailed down his back, and over his shoulders-to travel down a lean and well muscled tan chest and stomach. He fisted his hands around his dark brown hair and pulled it back to wring out the water-

RING!RING!RING!

Iruka stood there for a second, then exited his bathroom, and walked down the hall, and down the stairs to his living room to answer the phone in there. Ignoring the water build-up in his ear, he picked up the phone and placed it to his ear.

"Hello? Iruka speaking?"

"Yo."

Was the simple reply, and Iruka almost dropped the phone. "Kakashi!" He yelled into the ear piece trying to sound angry, but could only convey relief. "It's been months since your last phone call!"

"Yeah I know, baby, and I'm sorry for that. The band has just been real busy, I mean who knew they'd get this popular" Iruka smiled at Kakashi's break-the-tension joke. "Blame it on the Uchiha" Iruka joked back. He was so relieved to hear his husbands voice after so long, that he sank to his knees and braced his body against his cream colored couch. "You been doing' alright?" Kakashi asked seriously, Iruka closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the couch. "As good as I can, I just miss you so much..." It was a quiet pause. "I miss you too Koi, but I called with good news" Iruka let his eyes open slowly, and stared ahead at something in front of him. Perhaps the wall?

"I'm listening"

Kakashi paused for dramatic effect, making Iruka roll his eyes, then- "We're coming home" Iruka dropped the phone, tears of happiness blurring his vision. He didn't even realize he had even dropped the phone in his euphoria until he heard Kakashi's panicked voice. "Koi, Iruka-you didn't die on me! Man have we been gone that long..."

Iruka snatched the phone back up, his euphoria replaced with anger and hurt. "Yes you damn well have Kakashi! We weren't even married for a year, and then you leave and only call every once in a blue moon! And I haven't seen you in..." Iruka broke off and started crying, "Don't cry Iruka, I know it's been a long time, and when we get there to do the 'Coming Home' Tour, I'm going to make it up to you-we're going to do nothing but you want to do-Have sex all day long if you want too-I miss you so much, and I love you even more, couldn't you tell in the songs?"

Iruka had finally stopped crying as he listened to Kakashi's voice breaking, he wiped his eyes and smiled a little. "Yeah. I'm sure the boys are going to be happy to know that Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Neji are coming back-I should tell them"

"I think you should, although the boys wanted it to be a surprise-we should be there by tomorrow" Iruka stood up, realizing he was only wearing a towel and he was starting to get chill. "I want the first place you stop to be here Hatake Kakashi, you have three years worth of making up to do, and don't think I'm going to go easy on you!" Kakashi chuckled. "I wouldn't want to, spank me if that's what it takes" Iruka's whole face went red at the images his words entailed, and he was sure he was red in other places too. "I have to get dressed" There was a pregnant pause. "...your naked?"

Iruka smirked. "Pretty much, I'm only wearing a towel..." he trailed off with a very feminine sigh. "To bad your not here Kakashi...imagine the things you could be doing to my naked body" -there was a strangled gasp, and Iruka allowed himself a much deserved laugh.

'BANDS'

Naruto stared at the computer not really sure on how he should react, he didn't know whether he should be crying, or laughing, or throwing something. The song was definitely one that they put there heart and soul into. Naruto just wished he could somehow physically let Sasuke know that he wasn't mad, and that he felt the same. It had truly been a long time, longer than Naruto had expected it to be, or wanted it to be. He looked toward Chouji and Gaara. Chouji was predictably wiping is watery eyes on his shirt, and Gaara just had a blank expression on his face, but in his eyes, the pain showed. He stood up, and walked over to the computer.

"Uh...Gaara..." Naruto said in a voice that wavered, the dangerous glint in Gaara's eyes was scaring him...a lot. "Where's your song, let me read it?" His voice spoke no room for argument, and Naruto (like a good little fox) walked over to his book bag, searched through it and pulled out his song, handing it to Gaara. Gaara took Naruto's recent seat at the computer chair, and red it over. His face stayed as emotionless at ever, but for someone who really knew Gaara, his emotionless face, showed so many things. "Pull up the thing, so we can make a beat to this song" His voice was firm like he had already made up his mind over a decision he had been thinking over. Chouji finally decided to voice his thoughts. "So Gaara, you okay?"

Gaara ignored him of course, and Naruto didn't argue. He pulled up the Beats Program, 'Fruity Lupes' and stared at Gaara expectantly, wanting to know exactly what Gaara was playing at. Gaara seemed to have memorized the song in his head-Chouji walked over, and stood beside Naruto. Gaara's face was screwed up in concentration, and he seemed to press every button, and click every dial on the program-Naruto loved beats and made some in his spare time-he often sent some of the beats he made to Sasuke, so 'The Leaf' could use them for they're songs.

After awhile of watching Gaara do whatever it was he was doing, he stopped and turned intense forest green eyes on his two friends, a small smirk on his face as he pressed the play button. At first they couldn't hear anything at all, then the beat started to present itself, it was a nice beat that rose at just the right intervals and gave you such a feeling of hope that it was amazing. The beat matched his song perfectly, his blue eyes met green. Gaara handed Naruto his song. "I'm going to play the beat over, when you feel ready sing the first verse of the chorus" Chouji raised a eyebrow but didn't comment. "I don't-"

"Just do it." Gaara interrupted a dangerous look in his eyes.

Naruto knew better than to argue with Gaara, he'd have to be Insane.

He nodded his head. Gaara turned away and pressed play, Naruto held his breath as the beat started up, and then right when the beat dropped he opened his mouth and sang-

Cultivate your hunger before you idealize.

Motivate your anger to make them all realize.

Climbing the mountain, never coming down,

Break into the contents, never falling down,

Naruto's voice was powerful, and rough. Sasuke had a smooth and silky voice, but Naruto's was much more sharper. He sung the song with such intensity that Gaara and Chouji couldn't even blink-the beat matched the song perfectly, and Naruto's voice sung the song, like he had been singing it all his life.

The song was coming to a close and Naruto sang the last line of the chorus in a almost whisper 'Cause you'll hate yourself in the end...letting his voice die off. The beat ended and Naruto stared at the paper in front of his face, noting that his hands were shaking, the paper trembling underneath his fingers. He looked up and saw the awed looks on Chouji and Gaara's faces.

"That was beautiful Naruto-Why didn't you tell me you could sing like that!" Chouji exclaimed glomping Naruto. "I never really paid attention to my voice" Chouji gave him a 'are-you-nuts-your-voice-rocks!' look. "Well you should man, that song could change someone's life!" Naruto looked pass the excited Chouji and at Gaara, who was smirking more than ever. A very creepy I-know-something-you-don't-know smirk.

Naruto gulped.

'BANDS'

Gaara stopped in front of Iruka's door, it was starting to get dark-but it wasn't dark enough for Iruka to start yelling at them about curfews and what not. Naruto was nervously tugging on his shirt, and Chouji was standing behind them a pleasant look on his slightly rounded face. "I don't know about your idea Gaara..." Gaara shushed him with a look. Then rung Iruka's doorbell.

Iruka answered the door and a startled look crossed his face. "Boys, what are you doing here...and at such a late hour!" He said a stern look over taking his features. "We came to talk to you" came Gaara's voice, straight to the point as usual. "Well..." started Iruka floored, he moved out the way and let the three boys walk threw. "What did you want to talk about, would you like some tea?"

"That would be lovely, thanks" Chouji answered, his voice just as pleasant. Iruka threw him a calculating look then walked into the kitchen, to fix it up. Naruto stood in the center of Iruka's living room perspiring. Gaara stood calmly next to him, staring at Iruka. He waited until Iruka had picked the tea cup up. "We want to start a band, and we want you to be our manager" He said in one voice of deadpan. Just as he predicted Iruka dropped the tea cup, throwing him a look of utter disbelief.

"Need help with that Iruka?" Chouji asked, still in a voice of pleasantry.

'BANDS'

Sleeping child is gone

Sleeping child is gone...

Shikamaru let the last cords of his guitar play, and let the song die-he moved locks of brown from in front of his eyes and un-strapped his guitar. He then looked toward Sasuke, whose raven bangs were obscuring his face. "When do we leave, I'm ready to go now" Sasuke tapped the mic, even though it had long been turned off. "After practice-we have to start that song back up..."

Shikamaru stared at Sasuke for a second, then shook his head strapping back on the guitar. Neji who had been quietly listening to them talk, turned to his keyboard. His brown hair was tied back, but long strands fell threw, since it was tied loose. Shikamaru started the song off, then Neji followed suit-Sasuke put his mouth against the mic-

Don't take a trip to anywhere alone

You jumped on a ship,

which is almost drowned

You said you were faking then do

I love your clone?

He has a quick temper once fired..

Neji pulled his mic toward his face, scooted up a little in his seat-Shikamaru continued playing softly in the background, Neji sang but continued to play against the keyboard.

He cannot control

He cannot control

Then Sasuke took back over the song, his voice was soft, and he sung the song as if he were in pain...

I know that you're lying to me

That's why we collide

I know that you're calling every night in secret

I pretend to be a sleeping child try to shut my ears to you

He loves a fresh comfort it's not me

'Cos I'm too dry to give

I'm too dry to give

Neji started to sing the third verse with him, while Shikamaru continued to play, with his eyes closed, just letting the calming beat, and Sasuke and Neji's trance voices wash over him, and somehow forget about the pain of being so far away from Chouji. He guessed that was what they were all trying to do, forget that's why they practiced so hard, till Sasuke's voice was gone, Neji's fingers were cramped, and he could no longer stand.

He couldn't wait to go home...

Sing or just stay if you cannot sleep

Give me a kiss to run away from nightmares

I don't like to make sure if you're next to me when

I wake up with fears I rather stay in my dream

That's better than losing myself

You'll find me disappeared

You'll find me disappeared

Neji pulled back from his mic, and Sasuke leaned forward until he was practically kissing his, you could hear his breath rushing across it-making it sound like the wind was blowing. He wrapped his long fingers around the head of the mic and sang the last two lines of the song;

Sleeping child is gone

Sleeping child is gone...

The door swung open and Kakashi stepped into the room, his one visibly eye gleaming brightly.

"That was wonderful, brought such a tear to my eye..." He trailed off at the looks he was receiving and coughed. "Yeah, well you guys can pack up, we'll be leaving in about a hour-so we should start heading to the airport" He watched them as they mechanically took apart there equipment and put it away. He could tell that they were drained and tired, and missed there lovers. He did too, more than words could say-but they would only have to bare the distance for a little while longer...only a little while...

"Don't worry guy's, it'll all be over soon" He gave them one last understanding look, and left out the room softly closing the door behind him. Shikamaru put his guitar away and sighed. "Until we have to leave again, that is-God, I cannot wait to see Chouji, and check-up on some R & R" Neji stiffened, he could picture Gaara in his mind, and he suddenly became very hot and oddly excited. All Neji had been thinking about in his spare time, (which was very rare) was think about that first unexpected kiss him and Gaara had shared. How hot and desperate it had been.

It had felt so surreal, he had never been kissed before-or even thought about it for that matter, he smiled faintly then went back to packing away his things. Sasuke moved his fingers threw his thick hair and just stood there. A clear image of bright blue eyes flashed before his eyes, and Sasuke thought of the sunshine.

:Wait up dobe, I'll be home soon:

To Be Continued...

'Sleeping Child'-by Bonnie Pink (Who just so happens to be my favorite J-pop singer, and yes she's a woman)

-Oh in the first chapter when Naruto says the locker combination 4-16-8, that's my actual locker combination-

Next Chapter-…