by nayrukleinefee

Something clicked softly in the darkness.

"Hey, will you please be quiet?", a voice hissed angrily at the sound. "You'll wake him and then he'll kill us both dead."

"Relax", another voice answered. "Once he feels safe and falls asleep, such a little noise won't wake him. I'd have to break the door for that."

"I still can't believe we're doing this", the first voice complained. "We're shinobi, for hell's sake! Why don't we go through a window like every other normal ninja would and-" A moment of silence, then: "Wait, scratch that. I'm so not using the word 'normal' when referring to you, maniac."

A chuckle. "That's not very nice."

"But true." A snort. "Why not the window like every other insane ninja would?"

"He doesn't like that. Besides, it's trapped. Now be quiet, I- Yes! Open."

The door of the apartment swung open on silent hinges, revealing two figures, one with chin-long honey-coloured hair and a senbon in his mouth, and another, kneeling one with spiky silver hair and a mask covering almost his entire face, both looking into the dark living room of an apartment, now illuminated by a strip of light from the corridor.

"See?", Kakashi asked, a broad, triumphant grin clearly showing under his mask as he looked up to his companion from his crouched position. "I told you I'd get it."

"I didn't doubt it", Genma grumbled. "I just said you maniac should wait till we've handed in our report and then come back and knock."

"And miss this chance?" Kakashi chuckled and straightened up. "Never."

"If you get your kicks out of this, why didn't you ask him to exchange keys to avoid damaging his lock the next time?"

"I'd like to but I don't want to invade his personal space." Kakashi shrugged.

"Ooh, sure. And that's why it's so much better to break in", the Special Jounin whispered back, sarcasm practically leaking out of every word.

The Copy-nin hesitated, one of his feet already in the air to enter the apartment. "I've never thought about that", he admitted, putting his foot back to the ground. "And he never seemed to mind when I did it."

Genma groaned. "That's because he wants you to come by whenever you want to. Because he wants to exchange keys, genius."

"Oh." Kakashi blinked with his one visible eye. "You think?"

"Yes", Genma sighed, his senbon twitching in a clearly irritated manner. "He told Raidou, and Raidou told me. Besides, it's fucking obvious."

"Oh." A moment of silence followed, then, "I'll talk to him tomorrow."

"It is tomorrow. 'Tomorrow' started two fucking hours ago."

"You know what I mean." Kakashi waved his hand. "Now come on." He entered the apartment and approached another door to his right on silent feet, then laid his hand on the doorknob before he stopped suddenly.

"What's up?", Genma hissed while he carefully closed the front door and then switched on a small lamp on the couch table. "Changed your mind?"

"Don't tell anybody", his companion whispered, his voice suddenly menacing and his eye practically burning with threat when he turned his head around to look at the Special Jounin behind him.

"Hey, hey, now." Genma held up his hands in what he hoped was a placating manner. "In spite of what you may think of me, I really don't wish to die. I won't tell your beloved one we broke into his house in the middle of the night just so you pervert could watch him sleep."

"Not that." Kakashi released the doorknob and turned his entire body around to his partner in crime. "Don't tell anybody what he looks like."

"What he- Really now, Hatake. Everybody knows how Iruka looks. It's not that he's the one of you wearing a mask." Genma snorted.

"Just don't tell", the Copy-nin repeated simply, still glaring. "Or even better, stay outside the room and don't you dare to look."

"I think that's enough now, Kakashi", Genma protested. "What do you think I'll do? Jump him the moment I see his 'real face' or whatever you're talking about? I'm not at all interested in your Iruka, mind you. It's not that he's that stunning, just so you know, and-" He stopped immediately when he realized he'd made one of the Big, Probably Deadly Failures When Around Hatake Kakashi: Telling him his Iruka wasn't the most perfect, adorable, beautiful, desirable, sexiest, best person ever.

"Don't. You. Say. That. Again", Kakashi whispered, his voice menacing.

"Hey, hey", Genma tried to soothe the enraged Jounin hastily, stepping back. "I didn't want it to come out like that. I just wanted to say I'm with Raidou and don't have any intentions to change that."

Kakashi kept glaring at him for a moment, then nodded and finally turned around again. "Stay there", he commanded. "And don't you dare to look."

"Okay, okay." The Special Jounin managed to give his voice an indignant undertone, trying to cover his relief about the fact that he didn't have to shove his intestines back into his stomach and run to the hospital in that condition. He still remembered the one occasion somebody had said that another Chuunin sensei was a better teacher than Kakashi's beloved. The man who'd said it – a veteran Jounin – had come to the mission room the next afternoon, appearing to be totally fine, but the moment he'd seen Iruka, he had burst into tears and sobs and begged the utterly confused Chuunin for his forgiveness.

"Stay", Kakashi repeated, effectively snapping Genma back from those unpleasant memories.

"It's okay, Hatake", he groaned back. "I swear I won't violate your lover with my eyes. Now can you please hurry the fuck up so we can report to the Hokage and then go home and sleep?"

"In a minute", Kakashi gave back, then grabbed the knob again and turned it without making a noise. With a last threatening look back to the Special Jounin he slipped inside and closed the door behind him.

"If I tell Raidou about this, he won't fucking believe me", Genma muttered under his breath, furiously chewing on his senbon. "And then he'll laugh his ass off and-"

"Genma!"

"What?", he yelped, surprised at the volume of Kakashi's shout. "What's up?"

"He's not here", the Copy-nin exclaimed, then the door flew open and revealed a sight Genma hadn't seen ever before: Hatake Kakashi in what seemed to be panic. "He's not here", he repeated, running out of the bedroom to what Genma thought had to be the bathroom door, opening it only to find darkness and no Iruka at all.

"Maybe he's spending the night somewhere else, at some friend's", Genma suggested. "Or-"

"No! He's not doing that! He's not sleeping well in unfamiliar beds!" Kakashi was running around the small apartment by now, looking everywhere for his beloved Chuunin, even lifting the couch off the floor as if Iruka could hide under there to trick him.

"Then he's on a mission", the Special Jounin tried to tell him, fully knowing that school was on and Iruka had to teach. But if an angry Kakashi was creepy, a worried, half-panicked one was sheer horrifying.

"He's not. He would have left a note for me", Kakashi said while opening the cupboard drawers.

"In his own apartment?", Genma tried to hide his nervousness behind his trademark sarcasm. "Granted, he knows you maniac are breaking in from time to time, but don't you think he would leave a note at your apartment in spite of that?"

"Oh." Kakashi stopped. „You think so?"

"Yes, I think so", the Special Jounin groaned and rolled his eyes instead saying, 'No, but I really, really hope so'.

"Then let's go!" The Copy-nin grabbed his companion's sleeve, tucking at it and dragging him to the apartment door.

"Wait, genius! You can do this transportation jutsu, did you forget?", Genma exclaimed.

"Oh, right." Kakashi stopped and looked at him. "Turn around", he demanded.

"Turn around? Why that, the fuck? I don't have a Sharingan, you don't have to be afraid I'll copy your stupid jutsu."

"I'm only embracing my Ruka from the front", Kakashi stated, unimpressed.

"WHAT? You're not embracing me from behind, pervert!"

"Don't imagine things, Shiranui."

"The fuck! Don't you dare to touch me, Hatake!"

"Now don't be a sissy, Genma."

"A- a- a SISSY?! Who are you calling a sissy, pervert?", Genma shouted. "What about I embrace you from behind and then we-"

"In your dreams!", Kakashi hissed, then took a step back.

"In my dreams, yes?" Genma crossed his arms over his chest, also stepping back, then turned his back to the Jounin. "Then you can dream your Iruka back here, prick, 'cause I'm so not going to help you find him. And I hope when you find him, he'll leave you for good for being such an asshole."

Silence stretched after that.

"Kakashi?", the Special Jounin asked when he neither felt the chakra of a transportation jutsu nor a kunai embedded in his back.

Only more silence.

"Kakashi?" Genma sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, Kakashi. I didn't mean to say that. You can put your kunai away now."

"He won't leave me", Kakashi whispered at that, sounding lost, almost broken, and Genma gave a shocked start and turned towards him again only to see his back. "He won't leave me", the Jounin repeated.

"I- he- I-" Genma stared wide-eyed when he saw his fellow shinobi's shoulders tense and shake a little. "I didn't mean it", he finally managed, walked towards his friend and placed a hand on his back, rubbing soothingly. "He won't leave you."

"He won't leave me", Kakashi said again, sounding angry this time, and turned around to glare at Genma. "Iruka. Won't. Leave. Me!", he hissed.

"No, he won't", the Special Jounin tried to reassure him. "He loves you." And if Genma would ever again have to deal with those people believing Kakashi only saw Iruka as his little pliant puppy, he would only have to describe this encounter to prove them wrong. Not that he would ever tell anybody except Raidou.

"Yes. He loves me." Kakashi nodded. "He'll never leave me."

"No", Genma confirmed, now feeling his heartbeat slow down again which he hadn't noticed speeding up before. "And now let's go search at your apartment." He stepped closer towards Kakashi and positioned his front to the Jounin's side, laying his hands around an upper arm. "Works like this?"

"M-hm." Kakashi lifted his hands and formed the seals, and Genma felt a burst of chakra and a sudden rush of chilling air, heard leaves rustle before everything became blurred, and then his sight cleared again, and they stood in a different living room.

"Handy", he admitted, shaking his head a little to stop the slight whirling before his eyes, then bent down to light a lamp on the kitchen encounter.

"Could teach you", Kakashi offered.

"Great", Genma grinned, recognizing a 'thank you' when being offered one. "But why didn't you transport us into Iruka's apartment earlier?"

"He doesn't like that." Kakashi shrugged. "Doesn't like when- Iruka!" He jumped to the kitchen table, then to the couch.

"Any note?", the Special Jounin asked while again shaking his head because something seemed to trigger his senses.

"Nothing", Kakashi gave back miserably, then let himself fall down on the couch and buried his face in his hands. "Nothing."

"Then where can he be?", Genma asked, sat down beside him and patted his shoulder sympathetically. "You sure he doesn't spend the night somewhere else? At our apartment with Raidou maybe?" He pinched his nose with two fingers, trying to get rid of this weird, prickling feeling still in the back of his head. "Maybe they met and it got late and-"

"No." The Jounin shook his head. "No unfamiliar beds if he can avoid it."

"Then I'll go now to our apartment and wake Raidou, and we'll all search for your Iruka and- Aargh! This is driving me fucking mad!"

"Hu?"

"I don't know, maybe some remains from the transportation jutsu. It's tingling in my head and driving me insane."

"There shouldn't be any remains. You sure?", Kakashi asked, sounding concerned, and looked up.

"Yes, there's something. Wait, I'll try to find out…" Genma focused, then extended his chakra, letting it radiate inside his body and around him and- "Oh."

"What's it?", Kakashi asked, alert.

"He's here", Genma laughed. "He's here!"

"Who? Raidou? What's he doing-"

"Not Raidou, stupid. Iruka."

"Iruka?" Kakashi jumped up. "Iruka's here?"

"Yes", the Special Jounin confirmed, grinning. "His chakra tingled my nerves. Why didn't you sense him, genius?"

"He's safe", Kakashi answered simply, and Genma nodded. Iruka was safe for Kakashi just as Raidou was safe for Genma. He wasn't able to detect his lover's chakra either without searching for it. Because he was safe.

"Sure."

"He's in the bedroom", Kakashi stated and ran to the door but then opened it very carefully. Genma grinned, stood up and followed. Everybody once in a relationship with a shinobi knew not to surprise said lover in the middle of the night.

He caught up with Kakashi at the bedroom door, seeing the Jounin frozen at the sight before him, and suddenly knew why the Copy-nin hadn't wanted him to see his sleeping lover. The low light from the living room illuminated the bedroom only a little but just enough to reveal Iruka sleeping soundly in the Jounin's bed. He lay curled on his left side, his hair was open, the strands flowing around his head like waves, and his face was half buried under the blanket, a look of peace and pure content showing on the visible parts of it. Like that, he looked different from usual, Genma had to admit, younger, cuter, even more beautiful, although the Special Jounin preferred Raidou's simple, rougher attractiveness.

"You're one lucky guy, Hatake", Genma whispered and patted the Copy-nin's back, then grinned. "But you seem to rub off on him."

"Hu? Rub off?" Kakashi forced his eyes away from his lover and looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, hiding his face under the blanket, sleeping in your bed… Not to talk of breaking in other people's apartments." The Special Jounin's grin widened, then he frowned when he noticed something. "What's that?"

"What's what?" The Jounin moved his eyes back to the bed.

"That grey… thing in his face. Looks like there's more under the blanket." Genma frowned again. "Seems to be fluffy or something… Do you let your dogs sleep in your bed?"

"Erm… No… And that… That's nothing", Kakashi mumbled.

"What do you mean, 'nothing'? It's huge and- wait!" Genma looked more carefully at his companion's face – or at least the visible part – but it was hard to make out in the diffuse light from behind them. "Are you… blushing?!"

"No."

"Yes, you are!"

"Am not!", Kakashi hissed.

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am- Look, there's nothing I should blush about."

"Then what's that grey thing there?"

"It's- it's-" Kakashi sighed. "It's Ruki-chin."

"Ruki-chin?"

"Yes. Ruki-chin. My… plush… dolphin…"

"Ruki-chin, your plush dolphin?!", Genma snorted out, desperately trying to keep himself from roaring in laughter not to wake the sleeping Chuunin, and instead started to giggle madly. "You've got a plush dolphin named Ruki-chin?"

"Yes", Kakashi whispered indignantly. "Iruka gave him to me as a birthday present. And there's nothing funny about-"

"And- and- and do you hug it at night? And c-cuddle with it?"

"He's comforting!"

"Y-yes, I b-bet!"

"Stop laughing, Genma. Now."

"I- I t-try, I really d-do", the Special Jounin giggled, not able to support his weight anymore on his shaking legs and therefore settling down on the floor, holding his aching stomach.

"Now will you stop laughing or do I have to make you?", Kakashi forced out between clenched teeth, glaring down to his almost choking fellow shinobi.

"No, no, I…" Genma swallowed hard, then forced himself to calm down. "I'm done. I'm done", he panted.

"Better be."

"Why do you have a plush dolphin?"

"I told you Iruka gave him to me."

"No, I mean why did he give it to you?"

"He said he wanted to give me something to keep me company at night when he's out on a mission."

"He really goes on missions?"

"Yes. Much more often than you think. High B-rank", Kakashi told his friend, looking proud.

"Not bad", Genma admitted. "Didn't know that."

"Hardly anybody does."

"Hm. Kakashi?"

"Yes?"

Genma grinned. "Who of you named the dolphin 'Ruki-chin'?"

"Genma…", Kakashi growled.

"Okay, okay, never mind." The Special Jounin grinned wider and stood up. "But I have to admit it looks like it's really comforting. Iruka looks perfectly happy with it."

"Oh. Yes." Kakashi looked at his lover again. "I wonder why he's here."

"Longing for you?", Genma suggested. "We've been out nearly three weeks."

"But he doesn't sleep well in unfamiliar beds", the Jounin whispered back, approaching his lover's sleeping form slowly before settling down on the side of the bed next to his back and stroking his hair gently.

Genma kept on grinning, noticing that the infamous Copy-nin, master of a thousand jutsus and feared throughout every enemy's country was for Iruka, in fact, safe. He made a step forward and just wanted to tell Kakashi they should really go now and see the Hokage when Iruka started to stir in his sleep, sensing the Special Jounin's chakra near him.

"Oh no, go away!", Kakashi hissed, waving his hand. "You'll wake him and-"

"Kashi?", Iruka mumbled, turning his head a little to his side and blinking.

"I'm here, Ruka", the Jounin whispered and leaned down to kiss his beloved's temple. "Go back to sleep."

"You well?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Ruka."

"Genma?"

"All safe and sound."

"Good." The Chuunin yawned. "Raidou wants to kill him."

"Kill him?", Kakashi chuckled, looking up at a stunned Genma. "Why?"

"Mmmh… Forgot", Iruka mumbled, then turned further around to face his lover. "Kiss?"

"Always." The Jounin bent down and captured his lover's lips.

"Mmh." Iruka frowned. "Without mask."

"Only if you don't mind somebody watching", Kakashi answered. "Genma's here, love."

"Later, then", the Chuunin mumbled. "All mine under there."

"All yours under everything", Kakashi chuckled, managing to appear leering under his mask at the same time. "Now go back to sleep."

"M-hm." Iruka turned around again, his arms already snugly around the plush dolphin before- "Wait! Genma's here?", the Chuunin asked, surprised, and lifted his head to look at the Special Jounin.

"Hi there!" Genma waved cheerily.

"Hi there, too", Iruka greeted back, sat up and rubbed his eyes sleepily, thus revealing more of the big, grey, soft head of the plush animal beside him, its black eyes glinting a little in the dim light. "What are you doing in my apartment? Does Kakashi want to train you how to break in? You and Raidou have an apartment together, did you forget that?"

"Breaking into your apartment we did earlier tonight." Genma grinned. "We're at Kakashi's now, you know. And I'm beginning to think that maybe you should teach me how to break in, sensei."

"Me?" Iruka frowned. "Why m-" His eyes widened in realisation, then he turned to look at Kakashi. "'m sorry", he mumbled.

"No need for that", his lover gave back and brushed the back of his left hand reassuringly over the Chuunin's cheek. "Nice to come home to a warm bed."

"And a warm plushie", Genma threw in, grinning, and thus gained himself a heated glare from the Copy-nin before he even realized the other possible meaning of his words.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi. I didn't mean to… to…", Iruka continued.

"It's okay", Kakashi reassured him. "You're free to come here whenever you want."

"I know, but… it's different when you're gone, you know. You don't break into my apartment either when I'm away."

"How do you know?", Kakashi asked, his eye arching into an upturned bow, indicating he was smiling brightly. "Tonight I did. Maybe I'm doing it on a regular basis."

"You don't." Iruka smiled a little. "I'm shinobi, remember? I know who's been when in my apartment."

"Granted. I'm sorry." His lover leaned down to kiss him again. "But why did you come here, love?"

"I…" The Chuunin turned his head away, blushing. "I felt lonely. I missed you."

"Missed you, too, Ruka."

"I know." Iruka smiled again. "And then I thought I could come over here and… you know, get something from you."

"Get something?", Kakashi asked incredulously.

"Yes, you know… a shirt maybe or something… Something that smelled of you."

"Something that smelled of me?" The Jounin laughed, then took his lover in his arms. "You're so cute."

"Am not!", the Chuunin protested but hugged him back.

"Are too", Kakashi chuckled. "Didn't you find anything good enough?"

"Yes… No… I…" Iruka blushed again, even darker this time. "I found a worn shirt and then I wanted to leave but I saw Ruki-chin and-" He blushed, his entire face dark crimson, and threw an embarrassed look at Genma.

"Already knew", the Special Jounin admitted, grinning brightly. "And by the way, did you name him or-"

"Doesn't. Matter", Kakashi growled.

"Oh." Iruka frowned, then his face lightened up again in what could have been an evil thought showing. Or utter and total innocence. "Oh, I forgot that you have a plushie, too, Genma", he stated, smiling brightly.

"Oh?" Kakashi listened up, then a devilish grin appeared on his face, even visible under the mask. "You have a plushie, too, Genma?"

"It's not a plushie", the Special Jounin tried to defend himself.

"It's not?", the Copy-nin asked innocently.

"No, it's not", Iruka confirmed, still smiling. "It's a pillow. Raidou made it by himself last Christmas. He asked me to help him with the sewing, then he wanted to colour it and write something on it."

"Oooh", Kakashi mock-squealed. "There's a message on it? I wonder what it could say…"

"None of your business", Genma hissed. "And we should go now and-"

"Raidou wouldn't let me look. I don't know what's written on it", Iruka stated, looking innocently up at the Special Jounin. Then Genma wasn't quite sure but thought he saw an evil glint in the Chuunin's eyes when he added, "And I mixed it up before. Raidou gave Genma the pillow, but Genma gave Raidou a plushie. A wild boar."

"Oh, really?", Kakashi asked, looking like he'd just found out he'd have Christmas, his birthday and an Iruka-is-having-a-free-day-to-spend-with-Kakashi-and-play-day altogether. "I wonder what that's supposed to mean…"

"Nothing!", Genma hissed. "And keep your perverted mind away from my Raidou, prick."

"Never would come near him", Kakashi shot back angrily.

"And what's that supposed to mean?", the Special Jounin hissed, stepping towards the Copy-nin and aiming with his senbon

"Guess", Kakashi growled and stood up, then draw a kunai from the bandages around his thigh.

"STOP IT!", Iruka shouted. "Or I'll throw both of you out of my apartment."

"Sorry", Kakashi mumbled and scratched his head sheepishly, then let the kunai disappear again before he realized something. "Wait… That's my apartment."

"Oh. Yes." The Chuunin smiled sheepishly back and dragged the plush dolphin out from under the blanket to hug it, revealing-

"Is that my shirt?", his lover asked, intrigued, and sat down on the bed again.

"What? Oh… That- Yes, that's your shirt."

"And why does Ruki-chin wear my shirt?", Kakashi chuckled, then added cheerily. "And if I hear you laugh one more time at the name, Shiranui, you'll need help to walk home, you understand?"

"I understand", Genma told him, biting his lower lip.

"Well…", Iruka started. "You know… I found the shirt and then I saw Ruki-chin on your- It's not that funny, Genma, at least not as funny as the name of Raidou's plushie. Or of your pillow…"

"Alright, I understand, sensei", Genma assured hastily.

"Good." Iruka nodded.

"You saw Ruki-chin", Kakashi reminded him after he didn't go on, nodding approvingly at a lack of giggling from the Special Jounin's part. "And then?"

"And then I…" Iruka sighed. "Then I thought I could take Ruki-chin, too, and then I dressed him with the shirt to have both at once."

"Very smart, sensei", the Jounin teased him. "Doesn't explain why you're in my bed, though."

"It looked nice…"

"It looked nice?", Kakashi chuckled.

"Yes. And comfy. And it smelled of you, too." Iruka frowned, then looked at Genma. "That's why Raidou is angry with you, I remember now."

"I don't understand…", Genma admitted.

"You changed the sheets of your bed before you left."

"Yes, but… He told me to do it the day before."

"That was before he knew you had to go on that mission. This way, he came home to an empty apartment, a little note from you and a clean bed. And trust me, he didn't like that."

"He didn't like a clean bed?" Genma frowned.

"No." Iruka sighed. "He didn't like an empty bed without you that didn't smell like you."

"Oh."

"Yes. 'Oh'." The Chuunin shook his head. "In fact, when he told me that toda- yesterday, he gave me the idea to get something from here that smelled of Kakashi."

"Oh."

"Yyyes… Raidou always sleeps with one of your worn shirts on when you're away."

"Oh."

"Genma, would you please stop that? It's driving me mad."

"O- Yes. I…" Genma blinked. "I didn't know that. What shall I do now?"

"Apologizing helps. At least that's what I heard", Kakashi suggested.

"Yes." The Special Jounin nodded. "That's good, I- The mission report!"

"Tomorrow?"

"Right. Tomorrow. Won't hurt to wait with that." Genma nodded, then turned around to run out of the room.

"Bye, Genma!", Iruka shouted after him, grinning, right before the apartment door slammed shut.

"How mad's Raidou?", Kakashi asked, pulling down his mask and finally kissing his lover thoroughly to make up for the lost time.

"Mmmh", Iruka sighed, then grinned. "Not that mad. Maybe I exaggerated a little. He'll live, I guess."

"Good. No need for a rescue mission then", the Jounin decided, then shed his hitai-ate, the bandages around his thigh and the weapon pouch along with his vest, shirt and pants, and lay down next to his lover. "How did you sleep here?"

"Fine. Why do you ask?" Iruka reached out to place the plush dolphin behind him on the other side of the bed, then snaked his arms around Kakashi's neck and dragged him close, taking a deep breath and burying his face in his lover's chest.

"Because you don't sleep well in unfamiliar beds."

"Unfamiliar?" The Chuunin looked up at him and arched an eyebrow. "This bed smells of you, it's not unfamiliar." He snorted softly. "It's the best bed ever."

"Oh." Kakashi hugged him tighter. "Want a key to come here whenever you want?"

"Hmm, would be nice." His lover curled himself up again, nuzzling the Jounin's throat. "Want a key to my apartment, too?"

"You'll only get one if I get one", Kakashi stated, smiling.

"'kay", his lover murmured sleepily. "Sleep now?"

"'kay."

"Love you, Kashi."

"Love you, Ruka. Missed you."

"Missed you, too. Ruki-chin's nice but you're better." Iruka chuckled.

"Ruka?"

"Mmh?"

"What's the name of Genma's pillow?"