Fanning the Flames

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Neji stared at the scroll with thinly veiled irritation. He did not want to be stuck on a mission for the next month, especially to Suna. Still, it could be worse, he decided. He spared a glance at the man next to him. At least Yamato was quiet. He could have been stuck with one of the Inuzuka, or, even worse, Gai-sensei.

“We'll rendezvous at the gate in an hour,” Yamato decided. “Sooner we leave, the sooner we'll get back.”

“That's fine with me,” the Hyuuga agreed. “I want to be here when Kakashi has the baby.”

“As do I,” the wood user admitted. “Hatake-senpai needs all our support.”

* * *

As soon as Neji reached his house he began to fill a field pack, calculating the number of days travel required at maximum speed.

“Going somewhere?”

“Oh, Kakashi, you startled me,” the Hyuuga exclaimed, hand over his heart. “I have a mission, I'm afraid. I need to leave in an hour.”

“You're leaving me?” the copy-nin asked mournfully.

“I'll be back as soon as I can,” Neji assured him. “Long before you have the baby.”

“I guess I'll need to move back to the hospital. I'll start packing our things.” Kakashi turned and headed into the bedroom to start gathering his possessions.

“Oh no, no.” Neji grabbed the copy-nin's hands to get his attention. “You can stay here as long as you like. It will be nice to have someone waiting for my return.”

“Thank you, but I wouldn't feel comfortable staying. I'm sure Hinata can arrange for us to transfer back to the hospital.”

“But I don't want you to go,” the normally stoic Hyuuga blurted. “You've been happy here. Haven't you?”

“You've been wonderful,” Kakashi assured him. “But none of this is fair to you. I'm not ready to get involved with anyone. My . . . issues, make it unlikely that I will be ready anytime soon. It's not right to ask you to wait. Best we make a clean break now. I should never have agreed to this in the first place.”

“No,” Neji insisted. “I won't go then. I'm not letting you walk out on me.”

“I'm not walking out on you. But it isn't right that I stay here while you're gone.”

“That's ridiculous, Ibiki stayed in your house while you were away and you had no problem with it.”

“You're the one that's being ridiculous,” the copy-nin decided. “Go on your mission. I'll see you when you get back.”

“How can I leave now?” the byakuugan user asked honestly. “I won't be able to concentrate on my mission if I know you're alone.”

“Now you're just being silly. Here or there I'll be alone. You can't shirk your assignment, that would be totally unacceptable.” Kakashi turned serious eyes on the younger man. “Your commitment to the Leaf needs to come first. If it doesn't then I still need to leave. I refuse to be the excuse for your dereliction of duty.”

“Fine,” Neji snarled. “You want me gone, I'm going.”

“Don't leave angry. What if something happens and we never see each other again?” The copy-nin leaned in and captured Neji's mouth, wrapping strong arms around the younger man to hold him in place until he relaxed into the kiss.

“That's better,” he whispered when they broke apart. “Now go run your mission. I promise I'll be here when you get back.”

“But,” the Hyuuga tried to protest, only to have a calloused hand gently cover his mouth.

“No buts,” Kakashi insisted.

The decision was made when Hinata swept into the room. “Time for your check-up Hatake-san,” she announced cheerily. “Let's see how the little one is doing. Lie down and pull up your shirt.”

The kunoichi hoisted a large case onto the table and began unpacking and smearing some gel onto the copy-nin's abdomen. “I know it's cold, I'm sorry. So, are you ready to see your baby?”

“Can I look?” Neji's hesitant voice startled them both.

“Of course,” Hinata said warmly. “Come see.”

He inched closer, fascinated by the blurry outline on the monitors. When a tiny hand suddenly filled the screen he jumped back in surprise. “Is that her?”

“Changing your mind?” Kakashi asked.

“Of course not. I'll be back before she's born. Wait for me, please.” The byakuugan user leaned in and kissed the copy-nin again, savoring the taste and feeling for a few precious moments before tearing himself away and heading out to meet Yamato.

“May I ask you something?” Hinata asked once her cousin was gone.

“Anything you wish,” Kakashi assured her. “Is something bothering you Hinata-chan? I hope Gai isn't causing trouble. I'll be happy to talk to him.”

“Oh no, no. Gai-san is wonderful,” the kunoichi said dreamily. “I need to talk to you about Neji. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think a relationship between the two of you is in my cousin's best interests.”

“I agree,” the copy-nin assured her. “I should move back to the hospital now that he's off on a mission.”

“Oh no, that's not what I meant at all,” she assured him. “But I have to admit, I did pull a few strings to get him out of town with a suitable substitute. Please don't take it personally.”

“No, it's fine,” the copy-nin said wearily. “It's ridiculous to think that you'd approve of me as his companion. May I ask who you paired him up with?”

“I'd love your opinion,” the heiress said with a smile. “It's Yamato-san. Gai and I tried to think of the person that reminded us most of you.”

“He's a good man and an excellent choice. He's always been too solitary. But I certainly don't see the resemblance.”

“He's quiet, like you,” she elaborated. “He's also very strong, Neji admires strength.”

“So I've noticed,” the copy-nin admitted. “Where are they headed?”

“Hokage-sama sent them to Suna on a delivery mission,” Hinata explained. “They should be gone for a month. Hopefully that will be enough time for them to become close.”

“Does my kohai know you set him up?” Kakashi chuckled as he pictured Yamato's face during that conversation. He's know the younger man long enough to anticipate the embarrassment he would feel at being singled out for anything.

“I had Gai approach him to see if he was interested first. I wouldn't want to go to all this trouble if he wasn't at least willing to try.”

“So, it seems you have my rival wrapped around your little finger.” The copy-nin smiled broadly. “Are there wedding bells in your future?”

“Hatake-san,” the kunoichi exclaimed as a bright blush stained her cheeks. “I'm sure he has no such idea.”

“I think you'd be surprised, Hinata. Gai is more than ready to settle down and start raising a brood of his own. You do want children, don't you?”

“Eventually,” she admitted. “But we've only been dating for a few weeks. It's way too soon to start talking about such things.”

“He's been looking for someone like you for far too long. I wouldn't be surprised to see you two married by the end of the year. I know Gai's anxious to start a family of his own.” The copy-nin tilted his head, watching the kunoichi closely for a reaction.

“I honestly hadn't thought about it,” Hinata admitted. “I guess I should.”

“You should,” Kakashi said seriously. “Then you should discuss how you feel with Gai. You don't want to start a marriage with unrealistic expectations on either side. Believe me, I speak from experience.”

“What unrealistic expectations did you have?”

“I thought we'd be together until one of us died. I never anticipated anything like this happening,” the copy-nin explained. “If I'd known I'd be alone with two children to raise . . .”

“I know you, there is no way you'd change a thing. You love your children, you love your husband and you love your friends. You can try to pretend otherwise, but it's obvious.” The kunoichi pursed her lips, wondering how far she could push her friend. “He wants to see you, you know.”

“Who wants to see me?”

“Your husband. He has his memories back. He's moved back into your house, and taken to stalking my cousin and generally making everyone miserable.”

“If he wants to see me so badly why isn't he here?” Kakashi asked reasonably. “It's sweet of you to try and cheer me up, but I'm fine. There's no need to resort to elaborate ruses to make me behave.”

“Neji kept him out.” Hinata grabbed the copy-nin's arm when he tried to turn away. “He's afraid you'll leave. Please believe me. All Morino-san wants is to see you. He's worried sick about you and the baby.”

“Then he should come see me. I'm not going anywhere.”

^ * ^ * ^

Hiashi wrapped a towel around his waist and headed back into his room. His cold shower, unfortunately, hadn't done anything to quell the erection he'd been walking around with since the copy-nin came to stay in the compound. He debated ignoring it, but realized that path was what had sent him into the shower in the first place.

He dropped the towel on the floor and stretched out on the futon. The stoic clan leader wrapped a hand around his erection, letting out a hiss of pleasure. His eyes dropped shut and he began to slowly stroke himself, rubbing his thumb across the head to spread the pearly drops of precum.

As he stroked himself he pictured the scene he had spied on the other day, only instead of his nephew, it was his cock the copy-nin had his lips wrapped around. He bit his lip and sped up the pace as his internal fantasy played out. “That's right,” he muttered. “Suck me, you know you love it.”

Hiashi was so engrossed in the fantasy playing out in his head, that he failed to notice the figure watching him from the shadows, mouth agape. The mysterious visitor's eyes narrowed as the sounds coming from the Hyuuga resolved into words.

“Please 'kashi, so sweet, don't stop,” Hiashi muttered as he jerked himself fast enough that his hand was a blur. “Gonna fuck you through the floor. I've wanted this for so long.” After just a few minutes the hot coil of lust inside of him snapped and he sprayed his seed across his chest with a bellow of the copy-nin's name.

“That was certainly eye-opening.”

Hiashi's eyes snapped open to take in a very angry Aburame Shibi. “It isn't what you think,” he tried to explain.

“I think you should shut up,” the bug user warned. “I don't particularly want to hear what you have to say right now.”

“I wasn't expecting you back from your mission until tomorrow.”

“Obviously,” Shibi replied drily. “So koi, is there something you have to tell me?”