Title: Fatal

Rating: M

Warning: Yaoi/Slash, BoyLove, Language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I simply play around with the genius of others, or something.

Pairing: HayateGenmaKakashi ; with a side of implied AobaRaidou, KotetsuIzumo

Chapter Two: Sickly Boy and Pretentious Man

Hayate wasn't one to wake from sleep slowly; being raised a shinobi had left him with the eerie, if not annoying ability to wake instantly with acute awareness. It was one of the very things he prided himself on, though sometimes it was troublesome in its own right. He'd never gotten to enjoy slowly coming to consciousness and taking in his surroundings with closed eyes, welcoming the warmth of the morning in such fashion was unknown to him entirely. He sat up quickly, instantly knowing he wasn't in his own home and that he couldn't remember how he'd gotten into the bed he was currently spread across. He rubbed at his chest, his breath ragged, as he coughed hoarsely a few times. Blinking into the darkness it took him a few more seconds to realize that he wasn't in danger, and he was currently in Genma's room. And he could hear the muffled noises from outside the bedroom, feel the warmth of Genma's chakra as it pulsed.

He closed his eyes tightly against the pain that he was slowly becoming aware of now that he knew there was no threat, his entire body ached, every single muscled felt like it was on fire. He groaned loudly, allowing his body to fall back against the bed without resistance. He coughed a few times trying to catch his breath, the sudden movement knocking the wind out of him slightly as he gasped sharply. He squinted; opening his eyes as a stream of light suddenly bathed the bed. It took him a second to clear his blurry vision, blinking rapidly until Genma's outline came into focus, his silhouette outlined by the dim lights behind him, from where he stood in the doorway.

"Hayate?" Genma spoke softly into the room, eyes narrowing as he attempted to make out the entire form of the younger boy on his bed, unsure if he was awake or simply making noises in his sleep.

"Gen," Hayate rasped his throat sore and dry, he coughed roughly his body seizing with pain.

"I'll get you some water, don't move," Genma said, quickly disappearing from the doorway. Hayate chuckled through the pain, wondering where exactly Genma thought he would be moving to. He barely had another moment to process the pain before Genma was sliding into the room again, flicking the lights on. Only to flick them off almost as instantly, as Hayate screamed and covered his eyes tightly with his hands, his muscles protesting at the rapid movements and forcing him to bite back a few choice words. Hayate whimpered pathetically, though he'd more than likely deny it later, as he coughed again sliding his hands to cover his mouth. "Shit, sorry 'Yate."

"It's 'kay," Hayate murmured, slowly lowering his hands. Genma set the glass of water down on the side table, before slowly helping Hayate into a sitting position with his back supported by the wall. Holding the glass up to the pale boy's lips, he helped the weak shinobi drink the entire glass.

"More?" Genma asked softly. Hayate blinked slowly, his body feeling worn and sluggish. He nodded minutely, unable to form the words in his mind let alone able to get them to leave his mouth. Genma sighed, petting Hayate's head softly for a few moments before shaking his head and disappearing to fill the glass again. Hayate's slightly narrowed eyes followed him out of the room, brow quirked in slightly apprehensive wonder. Genma returned again, his movements slow and fluid before dropping to help Hayate drink another full glass of water.

"What happened?" Hayate sighed, letting his head slide back against the wall softly.

"I'm not actually sure," Genma started slowly. Moving from the bed to pace across the floor of his bedroom, glass still tightly clutched in his hand. Hayate tilted his head slightly, suddenly noticing for the first time that Genma looked weary and ragged, and that his signature senbon was not currently between his lips. Instead his already bruised lower lip was clenched tightly between two rows of sharp white teeth.

"Gen," Hayate said softly, something in his voice causing Genma's head to snap up sharply to look at the younger boy. "Don't do this to yourself." Genma's head tilted to the side, utterly confused at what Hayate had just said.

"Do what?" Genma asked, biting his lip even more harshly, before wincing and forcefully unclenching his teeth from around his abused lip.

"Don't tear yourself apart," Hayate coughed, taking a minute to catch his breath. "Don't worry so much."

Genma growled at the younger boy, his hands fisting into his hair as he pulled slightly. Hayate's brow furrowed, something was really wrong, he hadn't seen Genma like this in quite a while, not since the night Hayate had come back from his first solo assassination mission actually. Genma rarely ever allowed himself to be caught up in his own emotions, especially not enough to actually show them by his movements or reactions. But he was now; his body seemed to be totally out of his control as he was fighting to keep himself together.

"I can't lose you," Genma said finally, his voice so soft that Hayate had barely even heard him at all. Hayate's eyes narrowed slightly. "I just can't, 'Yate. I'm not strong enough."

"Gen, I don't –"

"I know!" Genma cut him off. "I know you don't. How could you? Why would you! And I'm sorry," Genma started pacing again, his lip now bleeding from the abuse of his teeth, yet he seemed unaware as he continued to gnaw on it yet again. "I just can't, you can't leave me," Genma's voice hardened, and he turned dark eyes towards the confused boy in his bed. "You just can't. I don't care, I won't let you!"

"Genma," Hayate started slowly, not all together sure what he was actually going to say, because he didn't entirely understand. Hayate had never thought about a day without his few close friends, his mind automatically figured they'd always have each other, it had never even crossed his mind that he might actually have to live without Genma, or Kakashi or any of the others someday.

"You can't go," Genma said softly, now standing stiffly at the window, forehead against the cool glass, as he parted the curtains slightly. Hayate startled from his thoughts, turning to look at Genma standing like a rigid solider, body bracing for a blow.

"Gen –" Hayate was cut off by a loud rap against the window, which startled Genma so much he jumped and stumbled over his own feet, falling to the ground harshly as the cup he'd still held in his hand broke as it made contact with the floor.

"Fuck," Genma growled, grasping at his hand in pain, as blood slowly pooled. He cursed again, fisting his hand tightly at his side. He shakily got to his feet, glaring at the window as he made his way back to it slowly. Flinging it open, he was seconds away from cursing out the person at the window, until a lithe body swung with ease into the room nearly colliding into Genma, who sidestepped at the last second, once again cursing beneath his breath. Genma tilted his head to glare at the silver headed man now standing next to him. "Kakashi," Genma glared.

"Yo, Gen-Gen," Kakashi said, his voice light with mirth. Genma sighed, feeling the tension leaving his body almost immediately with the other's presence. Kakashi's head tilted forward slightly, before his arms flashed out and he pulled Genma against him harshly, kissing the older man's temple softly. "You holding up okay?" He whispered soft enough that Hayate couldn't hear them, knowing that the boy would just get himself worked up at the mention of either man being worried over him. Genma nodded his head slightly in the positive, without really realizing.

"Barely," Genma whispered, hands clasping onto Kakashi's shirt as he hugged him, before hissing and pulling his hand away quickly. Kakashi pulled back and looked down quickly, noting the blood smeared across Genma's hand and the multiple slices.

"Genma, what did-"

"Nothing!" Genma growled his anger, worry and pain all causing him to tense once again and move further away from Kakashi. He turned towards his wardrobe, quickly and crudely wrapping his hand. Kakashi and Hayate both watched him with tight eyes, coming to the shared conclusion that something was really off with Genma. Kakashi allowed himself a moment to get his head back on straight, knowing that Genma would just step further away if he pushed the subject right now. So instead, he turned towards the bed quickly, eyes sweeping over the younger boy propped up there.

"How's my favorite sickly boy!" Kakashi said, his eye crinkling with laughter. Neither noticed as Genma tensed. Hayate smiled slightly, shaking his head at the man and resisting the urge to roll his eyes, but the tension across his shoulders and the worry in his eyes was still very much visible to the copy-nin.

"I'm fine," Hayate finally answered. Kakashi nodded, sliding onto the bed next to Hayate, pulling him into a one armed hug and pressing a masked kiss against his temple as well. Hayate leaned into the warmth, leaning his head against Kakashi's broad shoulder.

Genma continued rummaging around through drawers even though his hand was wrapped up already, he just wasn't sure he was stable enough to actually witness the closeness he knew he'd find between the two younger men if he turned around. He sighed softly to himself, shaking his head at his own foolishness.

"Good," Kakashi said, feeling the tension he had been feeling melt away completely after seeing the boy looking nearly normal. After having a quick conversation with Raidou and Aoba he'd felt nothing but worry for both of the shinobi currently in the room with him. "Well, on my way here, I was trying to think of the perfect get well present," Kakashi turned and shot a mock glare towards Genma's back, who had snorted before continuing on. "And I thought, 'Oh! I know – I'll share my favorite thing, with my favorite boy!'"

The tension that rushed suddenly back throughout Genma's entire body went unnoticed yet again by the two men in the bed. Genma pushed down the pain, and forced himself to turn around slowly. Regardless of everything else, Hayate and Kakashi had been his friends first and he'd been the idiot who'd gone and fallen for the two of them, at the same time.

Hayate groaned, "No Kakashi."

"What? You don't even know what I got –"

"I'm not accepting that trash," Hayate said, tilting his head back to look up at the silver haired man. Kakashi tilted his head down, pressing his nose against Hayate's.

"Trash!" Kakashi exclaimed, his eye widening. "My precious, loving, perfect, magnificent –"

"Kashi," Genma sighed.

"Oh right," Kakashi tilted his head back on a sigh. "Fine, I suppose I'll just have to find some other sickly boy and pretentious man to share my precious book with." Kakashi untangled his arm from around Hayate, and made to get up off the bed. Hayate whined at the loss of contact and warmth, growling and pulling Kakashi quite forcefully back against him. Kakashi's eye widened for a moment, surprised at the strength at which he'd been pulled back with. He smirked, patting Hayate's head softly.

"No," Hayate mumbled, burying his head against Kakashi's neck as he wiggled himself back under his arm. Genma frowned slightly, twitching to turn away once again from the sight before him, but forcing himself to look, to acknowledge and to accept it for what it was. It had always been easier for Kakashi and Hayate to exchange physical comfort with one another, than it was for Genma with either of them. The three of them had slowly become closer and closer to one another over the years, their friendship crossing the normal boundaries of any friendship and yet in all the important ways it was still so much like a normal friendship. Genma was never jealous over the touches the other two shared, because Kakashi and Hayate went together as well as Genma and Hayate did, and Genma and Kakashi did. They all fit together, just differently.

It wasn't jealousy, or even envy exactly. Though sometimes he found himself upset that they could show one another their care so easily, in a way that Genma wasn't sure he'd ever be allowed to. But, he did definitely always feel uncomfortable, as if he was intruding on a private and intimate moment that his eyes should not be witnessing. Genma felt an ache of need and want pulse deep within him, and knew that he had to talk to them, both of them soon or else he was going to end up breaking all over the place. Genma watched as Kakashi and Hayate cuddled against one another, talking so softly that Genma couldn't hear them, and he felt a strong surge of pain rush through him.

He was suddenly overwhelmed with just how left out he felt, something he had never felt around them before. It was never a competition; they'd always just been the three of them for the past few years together, a team. They had never closed Genma out from anything, always welcoming him with metaphorical open arms. But, for the first time since the day they'd all met he felt pushed aside and forgotten. Their daily lives had started revolving around one another, they'd begun to gravitate towards and around one another somewhere along the line, but Genma suddenly felt like he didn't fit there anymore, as if he'd been quickly and thoroughly cast aside without a second thought. It was as if they'd finally decided to get rid of the extra baggage. And the foolishness he sometimes felt came back with a strong and bitter vengeance so suddenly it nearly knocked him to his knees. How could he have not realized sooner just how much further away from the two of them he'd actually been all this time. But they had never looked more beautiful. Like they belonged together, fit together, molded against one another Genma couldn't help but notice how perfectly Hayate's smaller body fit against Kakashi's.

He bit his lip harshly, feeling the previous cut slice back open as the blood trickled into his mouth and down his chin. Closing his eyes against the images of Kakashi and Hayate together without him, as they tumbled through his mind, fists clenching at his sides, he turned away harshly. He pushed down all the harsh words that suddenly wanted to spew out of his mouth, knowing they'd all be lies and hurtful to all of them. He should have known, he shouldn't have been so stupid. He felt the burn in the back of his throat, the sting in his eyes and he knew that he was going to breakdown and cry yet again. And he had to get away; he couldn't allow himself to hurt them not now, not ever. He had to protect them from his pain, or else he would end pulling them down right along with him.

"Gen?" Hayate said, his voice soft yet rough. Genma didn't turn around, didn't acknowledge his name, didn't answer the boy because he couldn't formulate the words he wanted to say and nothing but bitter anger was currently coursing through his entire system. The temptation to yell, to thrash about, to curse, scream and cry about the unfairness of it all was so overwhelming that he had to close his eyes and force down the bitter bile of self hatred. He fought down the tears, the pain, and the hurt. He walked towards the door, his steps faltering at the door. He hesitated a moment, before forcing himself out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind him with a definite click before walking towards the kitchen quickly.

Hayate and Kakashi both sat there, motionless staring at the now closed door, as the emptiness pressed upon them suddenly. Hayate's hands squeezed tighter against Kakashi, his face tight with pain.

"Kashi," Hayate whimpered.

"I know love," Kakashi whispered, stroking a hand over Hayate's head softly. "Let me go talk to him. You should get some more sleep anyways. Let me take care of this."

Hayate nodded, burying his nose against Kakashi's neck pulling back before the urge to kiss him became too strong. Kakashi turned towards Hayate, looked down at the smaller boy in his arms.

"We promised," Hayate said softly.

"I know," Kakashi replied, closing his eye tightly against the pain. "We wouldn't without him, and we won't. Not ever Hayate, I hope you know that without –"

"We can't without him," Hayate whispered. "I know."

Kakashi nodded, moving off the bed. He turned back to help Hayate settle back against the bed, tucking the small boy under the covers securely. He pulled a lock of dark hair softly, causing Hayate to smile up at him. Kakashi pressed a kiss against his temple. The injustice of the world, of the life they lead crashed down on him suddenly and he fought down the uncharacteristic urge to shed tears. He hadn't allowed himself that luxury in far too long, but it almost felt as if this situation called for them. Pure clear crystals filled with the sorrow, the longing, the emotions that swirled within him but he hadn't always been able to define until Hayate had put it all into words and perspective for him.

The longing burned so brightly, so forcefully, so pure and raw within him. Sometimes he wasn't sure how he'd managed in life at all without the solid strength of Genma, or the quiet caring of Hayate. They completed his person in a way he could never explain, they kept him grounded and made him whole. They filled the empty holes that had been punched through him long ago, filled the aches and soothed the pains.

"Sleep now, I'll take care of everything."

"Okay," Hayate mumbled sleepily, his eyes already becoming heavy as he burrowed further into the softness of the bed, surrounded by the pure masculine scent of Genma that helped lull him to sleep.