Closet Case: Reopened

Here we are at chapter 2 and I still don’t own Naruto or any trademarks related thereof. I don’t own anything else you may recognize either.
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Ebisu woke up early the next day. He always woke up early, even when he didn’t have to, it was an old habit, and as everyone knows those are the hardest kind to break. Lying in his bed a bit longer than he would usually allow himself, he took time to fully wake up- or at least awaken as much as he possibly could without his morning coffee and Oreo cookies, so what if it wasn’t a healthy breakfast- before heading to the shower.

Upon exiting the shower, Ebisu came to realize that there was someone knocking on his door. Realizing that it was more than likely Moegi come to ask him a million more questions about his sex life. It really was less trouble to just indulge her in her more innocent questions, the ones like, “Is he a good kisser Ebisu-sensei?” or, “Ebisu-sensei, what attracted you to him?” than it was to attempt to avoid her inquiries all together. Besides, not answering his door when he was clearly home would be rude, and Ebisu- as was established in the previous chapter- tried to never be rude.

When the special tutor opened the door he was rather surprised at who he found waiting on the other side. It is fair to say that his visitor was surprised by what they saw as well.

“Oh! Iruka-san, how… unexpected,” Ebisu winced at his own words, he had just been startled is all. Umino Iruka was perhaps the last person he would have expected to pay him a visit at his home. “Do, please, come in,” he offered the younger man quickly, hoping to make up for his earlier- unintentional- rudeness.

Iruka nodded and entered the apartment allowing himself to be led to the living area by the older man. “I suppose that you’re wondering why I stopped by,” Iruka started, after politely declining the offer of anything to eat or drink.

“Yes, I suppose I am,” Ebisu admitted. “Not that I mind, I was just a little surprised, is all.”

Iruka offered up a kind smile. He much preferred the Ebisu sitting across from him to the one he saw day to day around the village. The one sitting, talking to him now, was more casual. His dark hair was damp and mussed, he had obviously just had a shower, and his clothing was different. It was neither a uniform, nor anything Iruka would ever picture on the Jounin. Ebisu was clad in a pair of maroon drawstring pajama pants, and a heather-grey tee-shirt, that appeared to be a size or two too large for his slender frame. Gone from his face was the round dark glasses that the older man always wore, they had been replaced by a pair of un-tinted rectangular glasses that suited him much better. The all over effect made Ebisu appear less stuffy and more relaxed, which, somehow, made talking with the Jounin less difficult.

Ebisu made a slight hemming noise in his throat, encouraging the young school teacher to continue on with the conversation.

Iruka, realizing that he had zoned out in his stupor at seeing the older man dressed down and looking far more normal and relaxed than he had ever seen him before, blushed slightly, reminded himself that it wasn’t polite to sit and stare off into space, and then continued to explain the reasoning behind his visit.

The young Academy sensei had bumped into Moegi, Konohamaru, and Udon while running some errands. It was then that the young group of Gennin had explained about their canceled training session, as well as their concern for their somewhat high-strung instructor, or rather, Moegi had explained, while Udon sniffled- why that boy’s nose was constantly runny he would never understand- and Konohamaru frowned while standing with his arms crossed in front of him.

Upon hearing Iruka’s tale, Ebisu was somewhat confused. Why would his team be concerned over his health? He had almost asked as much out loud when suddenly he understood. He had used illness as his excuse to cancel the day’s training, when in reality it had simply been his desire to have on day to himself, without having to look over his shoulder for over zealous yaoi fan-girls, which had spurred his decision.

Once Iruka was quite positive that Ebisu was healthy enough to be left on his own (the way Moegi had described his behavior had made things seem much worse than they actually were), he smiled that warm, friendly smile of his, and promised to come check on him again at some point later on that day. The younger man was definitely a caregiver; there was no doubting that fact. Ebisu had been surprised at the thoroughness the school teacher had shown in assessing his health. The Chuunin had even tested his temperature, using the back of his caramel coloured hand rested against Ebisu’s far paler forehead.

All in all things hadn’t gone as planned. There had been no shy touches, or meaningful sidelong glances, or sudden declarations of deeply hidden feelings- not that Moegi or her legion of rabid yaoi fan-girls actually expected that last one to happen… still it would have been rather nice if it had. Unfortunately, there just hadn’t been any romantic chemistry between the two men.

Just because their first attempt at finding Ebisu a nicer, gentler, more affectionate lover had been a complete flop, it wasn’t to say that they were going to give up. Yaoi fan-girls of their caliber were in no way defeatists! They were simply going to try again, and again, and again, for as many times as it took until they got it right. Now all that there was left to do was to find the next candidate.

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This story is going to be pure crack incase you haven’t noticed. Writing Iruka and Ebisu together in the same scene without Naruto is fucking hard! I couldn’t come up with a way to make it funny or anything (My brain hurts).