Fanning the Flames

A/N - msuzumaki, ShikaChouFan4Life, mistress0fyaoi, Achillona - thank you so much for your continued support! LN Tora - I'm glad you found them real enough to have motivations, I'm accomplishing my goal ;) Finally, LightShadowsh . . . as a writer there's nothing better than sweeping someone away, but, please, put school first . . . the story isn't going anywhere ;)

Now, On with the chapter!


Chapter Fifty

Kakashi's eyes fluttered open on a sea of white. He couldn't suppress the sigh of frustration. He was more than familiar with the inside of hospitals, and this was the last place he wanted to be. He slid quietly out of bed, making sure he wasn't connected to any wires, and headed for the cupboard.

“Hatake-san, you shouldn't be out of bed.” The guilty party spun on his heel to face a wrathful Hinata.

“I can't stay here,” he began.

“Well, you don't have a choice. Now that you're up I'll bring Obito down from the nursery for you.”

“He's here?” the astounded jounin asked. “Why? What's wrong?”

“Nothing's wrong,” she assured him. “You need to stay here until the baby is born and you need to bond with your son before you have another infant on your hands. We have a nursery here for when you are sleeping. This way you can spend as much time with him as possible.”

“Thank you, Hinata.” Kakashi laid a large, calloused hand over her's. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

“You two belong together. Besides, I didn't like the way Hokage-sama and Kurenai-sensei were squabbling over him.”

“If I promise to stay in bed can I go home?” If the plaintive tone weren't enough, the puppy dog eye currently trained on the medic would have melted the hardest of hearts.

“I wish I could Kakashi-san, really. But it's just too dangerous. You do have a visitor though.”

“I'm surprised you kept Kurenai out this long,” he said with a chuckle.

“Oh, it's not Kurenai-sensei. I sent her home and told her to come back tomorrow. She and the twins were all worn out,” Hinata explained.

“Not Iruka?” the copy-nin begged. “I really, really can't deal with him right now.”

“No, no one who will upset you. That would be counterproductive.”

“Fine, then send my 'mystery visitor' in. I could use something to take my mind off being stuck here,” the jounin replied with a smile.

A few minutes after Hinata left the door pushed open a few inches. “May I come in?”

“Tenzou, what brings you here?” the copy-nin asked brightly.

“I'm here to check on you, of course, senpai. I've been very worried about you.”

“Now why on earth would you worry about me?” The copy-nin turned a brilliant smile on his former colleague, although it faded at the bemused look on the younger man's face. “What are you thinking so hard about? Is it this?” A pale hand stroked across the swell of his abdomen and warm brown eyes dropped to follow the motion.

“Actually, no. I'm sorry for staring. I'm still not used to seeing you without the mask,” Tenzou explained haltingly.

“I'm sorry. Would you like me to put it on?” Kakashi pulled the sheet up over the lower part of his face, once again cursing his lack of clothing.

“No, no, not at all. I'd just forgotten how very good-looking you are, senpai.”

“Are you flirting with me, kohai?” the copy-nin asked.

“No,” he practically yelled. “I mean, of course not. You're married to my boss. That would be suicide.”

“What's the matter, baby bear?” the silver-haired man teased. “Afraid of big, bad, Ibiki?”

“Don't call me that. And no, I'm not afraid of him . . . well, maybe just a little.” Tenzou hung his head sheepishly. “He's very possessive.”

“Not anymore, he isn't,” Kakashi retorted through gritted teeth, good humor gone. “As soon as I can travel I'm leaving for Sound. I don't have any reason to stay here now. And don't you dare propose. Gai, already tried that. I need to do what's best for my children. That means not growing up where their father is miserable.”

“Well, if you go I'm going too,” Tenzou decided. “I have no one else to keep me here. That asshole ruined things for all of us, you know. I like having you around the village. I don't have many friends. Kurenai-san feels the same. A lot of the older ANBU members are plotting a wake up call for that so-called husband of yours.”

“Leave Ibiki alone,” the copy-nin demanded and Tenzou quailed at the fierce look on the elite's face. “He's suffered enough because of me. If he wants his freedom I can hardly blame him.”

“But, senpai,” the younger man argued. “Everyone knows none of this was your fault.”

“Fault has nothing to do with it,” Kakashi insisted. “Ibiki deserves a peaceful life. He's had nothing but turmoil since the moment we met. I respect his wish to be left alone. You should , too.”

“But he was happy with you.”

“And now he isn't,” the copy-nin snapped angrily. “Look, I appreciate your concern. But I'd rather not think abut all of this right now. I'm a little tired, kohai. Perhaps you can come back tomorrow.”

“As you wish.” Tenzou bowed deeply before heading toward the door. “I will be back,” he assured the jounin before heading out.

“That's what I'm afraid of,” Kakashi muttered as the door swung shut. Before he had time to dwell on the visit Hinata came in bearing a grinning Obito.

“Sorry to take so long, Kakashi-san,” she murmured. “They were just getting ready to feed him when I arrived. I thought you might like to do it though, so I brought you the bottle.”

“Thank you, Hinata,” the copy-nin murmured gratefully. “I think that's just what I need.” He pushed himself into a more comfortable position and held out his arms. A broad smile lit his face as he cradled the tiny baby.. “Hello, cutie. Would you like some dinner?”

Hinata watched as the intimidating sharingan no Kakashi fed his infant son. If everyone could see him like this, they'd change their opinion of our copy-nin, she decided. Certainly she never expected the battle-hardened shinobi to be so very tender. I can see why everyone falls in love with him. She shook her head, pushing her mind off forbidden trains of thought in favor of the practical realities of his care.

“Are you hungry, Kakashi? I can get you some dinner. I'm afraid your diet is salt and fluid restricted at the moment. Still, I'm sure they can whip up something tasty.”

“Whatever they have that fits the bill,” he murmured, eyes never leaving the feeding infant in his arms. “I'm not picky.”

“That's not the point,” she scolded. “Food is something that should be enjoyed.”

The jounin just shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry, but hospital food is hospital food. No matter what you order it tastes like cardboard. Actually, considering my diet restrictions make that bland, dry, cardboard,” he amended. “I'll eat whatever I need to, I don't have to enjoy it. It isn't about me right now.”

“You're being suspiciously cooperative,” Hinata decided. “What are you planning?”

“Nothing,” Kakashi assured her. “It's been a long day. I just want to sit here and relax with my son.”

“If I get back and you're gone . . .”

“I'll be here. Trust me. You don't get to be as old as I am without knowing when to stop and take it easy. My children need me I'll not leave them alone like my father left me. You have my word on it.”

“He had a good reason.” Both heads swiveled to stare at the figure lounging against the door frame.

“How are you two doing?” Genma asked. Hinata opened her mouth to answer, then realized the tokubetsu hadn't even noticed her. “I had a talk with Ibiki.” The senbon sucker dropped into the bedside chair, leaning forward to rub a calloused finger across the top of Obito's head and chuckling when the tiny pouf of hair took on an eerie resemblance to his father's.

“You shouldn't have done that.”

“Of course I should. You're miserable, he's miserable, Ru's miserable and I'm stuck in the middle of a nightmare.” Genma leaned forward and leaned his elbows on the bed to whisper conspiratorially, “He doesn't know what he needs.”

“Am I to assume that's where you got your black eye?” the copy-nin inquired drily.

“How did you know? I used a genjutsu to hide it. No one else has noticed.”

“Genjutsu rarely fool me,” the copy-nin retorted. “You should know better Gen-chan.”

“You're in an awfully good mood,” the tokubetsu decided. “Why?”

“I'm stuck in a situation I have no power to change. I learned the hard way not to fight restraints, it only makes it harder,” Kakashi replied in an almost inaudible murmur. “Besides, apart from the awful food, this is no worse than being at home.”

“So, do you want to know how my talk with your husband went?”

“I think that eye speaks for itself. You should have someone look at it before you leave. You may be able to hide it well enough, but your sight is affected on that side. You could endanger yourself or someone else if it came to a fight,” the copy-nin insisted. “You'll never forgive yourself if you need to protect you precious person and you can't. Besides, I know how Ibiki feels, I don't need it rubbed in. I'd much rather have you explain about my father.”