Remembrance

Remembrance

"Hey, Sasu-chan,” Naruto greeted his lover with a hug from behind and little neck nuzzling.

“Stop it, Naruto, we’re in public.” Technically they were in public, but the empty men’s room of a small tea shop is hardly what one would call conspicuous.

“So?” Naruto asked, ignoring Sasuke protests and holding him tighter. He hardly cared what people thought of his private life.

“So...I thought we'd agreed to keep it a secret?” Sasuke answered, wriggling uncomfortably in Naruto's arms. He elbowed the blonde the best he could in his position, but it didn't seem to have any effect on Naruto.

“No, you agreed to keep it a secret. I don’t have a problem with people knowing how I feel about you.”

“Well, I do,” he said, as if Naruto didn't already know.

“What are you so afraid of?” Naruto honestly didn't understand. Sasuke had done stuff in the past that was so offensive, he'd almost gotten himself killed because of it, but now, all of a sudden, he cared what people thought? Naruto couldn't quite wrap his mind around it.

“People are not going to take kindly to our relationship.”

“So what? What are they gonna do? Who would dare say something to either of our faces? Especially yours? The whole village is afraid of you, even Sakura’s a little frightened,” Naruto pointed out.

“They should be afraid.” Sasuke's confidence in himself only proved to confuse Naruto further.

Naruto looked at his lover disapprovingly, “You spent too much time with Orochimaru. He’s turned you into a psychopathic sociopath.”

“Psychopathic sociopath? I didn’t even know you knew what those words meant,” Sasuke teased lightly.

Naruto pinched him as he laughed at him, “Sasu…there’s nothing wrong with us, you know that, right? It’s okay for us to be together.”

Sasuke looked down and didn’t answer.

“Sasu?”

“It’s just…before my father was…before he died, he would always talk to Itachi and me about getting married to a strong kunoichi and having loads of children and such…and…one of my cousins…he was gay…and my father would always talk about how he was a…a disgrace…”

“Do you feel like a disgrace, Sasu?” Naruto asked quietly, concerned. He'd known Sasuke's family was fucked up, so he really shouldn't have surprised that they would act that way, but it still shocked Naruto a little that they could treat their own clan members so harshly

Sasuke didn’t answer.

“There’s nothing wrong with it, Sasuke. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. We’re happy together, aren’t we?”

Sasuke nodded.

“Then who cares what your father thought? You’re not your father, you’re you. I love you, Sasuke, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise.” Naruto hugged Sasuke tighter.

“But, Naruto…”

Just then, Iruka walked into the restroom looking cheerful, as always. He stopped when he saw the two jounin huddled together.

“Iruka-sensei,” Naruto said, looking up.

Sasuke wouldn’t look at him. He was embarrassed beyond words that he'd been caught in what he felt was a very intimate position with Naruto and was hoping he could just melt into the blonde and disappear forever.

“Naruto, you don’t have to call me sensei anymore. You're higher ranking than me now.”

Naruto smiled warmly, “You’ll always be Iruka-sensei to me.”

Iruka returned the smile and then let his gaze dart from the blonde to the Uchiha and back. His warm smile turned to a grin, “I knew it.”

“Knew what, sensei?”

“I knew you two were a couple.”

Sasuke looked up then, “How? How did you know? You couldn’t possibly have known…”

“Oh, you two have been meant for each other since you were kids still in the academy. Honestly, I can’t believe it took you this long to realize it,” Iruka said matter-of-factly.

Naruto grinned a toothy grin and kissed Sasuke’s head affectionately. “See, Sasu? Iruka-sensei knew, but he doesn’t care. Why should anyone else care? Besides, since when do you care what other people think anyway?”

“Naruto, I’ve spent my whole life caring what others think, my father, my brother, the whole damn village…”

“Um…I know this is none of my business,” Iruka started, “but…if I’m not mistaken, it sounds like you’re afraid to be open about your relationship, am I right?”

They both nodded.

“Well, let me tell you from experience that it’s better to be open about it.”

Sasuke looked at him, “But what if people think it’s wrong?”

“Naruto’s right, Sasuke, it doesn’t matter what other people think. As long as you’re happy, that's what really matters.”

Sasuke thought about it for a moment, “What did you mean by ‘experience,’?”

Naruto wished Sasuke hadn't asked that, but was too late. Iruka’s smile faded and disappeared at the remembrance of Kakashi.

“Kakashi and Iruka-sensei were lovers just like us,” Naruto said quietly, so Iruka wouldn't have to.

All three of them were silent as they remembered their great, but fallen comrade.

Sasuke hadn’t been around when Iruka and Kakashi started dating and no one had bothered to tell him about it. He hadn’t been there when he died either. He’d heard about it, he’d been killed by the Akatsuki. He’d missed the old silver-haired jounin. When he came back to Konoha after killing his brother, he’d wanted to have a one-on-one with him, but he was already dead when he finally returned.

Naruto had been there when Kakashi was killed. He’d always felt a little guilty about it, like it was his fault. He thought he should have done something, anything, to save him, but he hadn't been able to. He'd been helpless to do anything but watch as the Akatsuki member slaughtered his old sensei. Naruto ended up killing the man, but that wouldn’t bring Kakashi back.

It was the worst for Iruka. Kakashi had been the love of his life. They’d been so happy together. The eccentric jounin and modest chunin…they were an odd couple, but the world just seemed so perfect when they were together, as if nothing could go wrong. After he died, Iruka found out just how wrong the world could be.

---

When they’d first started dating, Iruka had had the same problem Sasuke did. He didn’t know how people would react to them, but he was sure it wouldn’t be positively. The problem first arose during lunchtime on a regular school day. The kids were all home eating with their parents, but Iruka stayed in his classroom to grade papers while he ate.

“Ruru, it’s lunchtime, take a break for once,” Kakashi said as he hopped into the room through the window facing the street.

“You know,” Iruka said, not even bothering to look up, “you can use the door.”

“Why would I do that? I would have to go inside the front doors all the way down the street and then walk all the way down the hall to get here. Why would I do that when there’s this conveniently placed window right here just waiting for me to use it instead of the door? Poor Window,” Kakashi stroked the windowsill like it was a pet, “everyone’s always using Door. When is it your turn?”

Iruka laughed at the man, “I think Genma’s right, you have lost your mind.”

Kakashi grinned, “Well, duh, it’s common knowledge that all jounin have to be at least a little crazy. It’s practically part of the job description.”

“Just another reason not to become a jounin.”

Kakashi laughed, “Indeed. Now, come, Ruru, let us go out and dine together on this fabulously bright and sunny day.”

"You sound like Gai," Iruka commented, still not looking up from his students' exams.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that..."

“I can't go out anyway, I have to finish grading these.”

“Finish them later, it’s lunchtime now, and I want to go to Ichiraku’s. Let’s go,” Kakashi insisted. It was always so hard to get Iruka to abandon his work for even a little while. He was so devoted. It was admirable, and Kakashi respected his diligence, but sometimes it drove him slightly nuts that he had to convince the chuunin to do anything with him. Sometimes it was like the man didn't even want to spend time with him.

“I have to finish these, Kashi.”

“Ruru…do you want me to carry you there? Because I will,” he threatened lightly.

Iruka looked up at him, “You wouldn’t dare…”

Next thing Iruka knew, he was being carried, bridal style, out the window and into the streets.

“What the hell?! Put me down!” he said in a dull shreik.

Kakashi ignored him and proceeded to leap from rooftop to rooftop in the directions of the best ramen shop in the village.

“Put me down, you crazy old man!” Iruka yelled, wiggling around in Kakashi's grip.

“Old? I’m only three years older than you!” Kakashi protested indignantly as he leapt across another street from the rooftops.

“PUT ME DOWN!”

“Okay, if you insist…” Kakashi let go of Iruka in midair and the chunin plummeted towards the earth screaming bloody murder.

Iruka righted himself before hitting the ground, but he’d also worked himself into a fit of rage and was ready to destroy the insolent little jounin just as soon as he found him…“KAKASHI! YOU GET YOUR SKINNY LITTLE ASS OUT HERE NOW!!” he yelled, already plotting all the horrible things he was going to do to his lover for this insult to his pride.

“You called, love?” Kakashi said, smirking behind Iruka.

Iruka whirled around to face the smiling jounin, “YOU’RE A DEAD MAN!”

“You said to put you down,” pointed out innocently.

“I didn't tell you to pick me up inthe first place!”

“You have some anger issues, don’t you, Ruru?” Kakashi asked, which only served to infuriate Iruka further.

Iruka screamed wordlessly at him and lunged.

The two rolled around on the floor in a battle of epic proportions. Iruka was trying his best to murder Kakashi and Kakashi trying his best to breathe past his fits of laughter at Iruka’s failed attempts to murder him. People had gathered around the two to watch the spectacle they were creating. They would have placed bets, but…it was obvious that the chuunin wasn’t going to succeed in killing the Copy Ninja.

Finally, in order to calm Iruka, so they could have lunch together before Iruka had to go back to work, Kakashi did the only thing that quieted Iruka when he’d worked himself into a tizzy. He pulled his mask down and kissed him softly.

Iruka froze and melted into the kiss, or was going to until he noticed all the people staring. He jumped to his feet and away from Kakashi. He stared at Kakashi's confused face for a second before running away back to his classroom where there weren’t a million eyes staring at him, judging him.

“Ruka…?” Kakashi inquired from the window a few moments later. Iruka was sitting in his chair behind his desk trying not to hyperventilate. “Ruka, what’s wrong? All I did was kiss you.”

“In front of a crowd of people!” Iruka exploded.

“So?”

“So…you’re not supposed to do that…” he said, quieting.

Kakashi was quiet as he thought. He wasn’t sure what the problem was, but he had an idea.“Ruka…are you…ashamed of us?”

“No,” Iruka said quickly, “I just…”

“You’re afraid of what people will think of you,” Kakashi finished for him.

Iruka just nodded.

Kakashi slunk into the room and gathered Iruka into his arms. “Ruka…” he started.

---

Iruka told Sasuke and Naruto what Kakashi told him that day. Kakashi had been right, as always, and they were happier for it. He wanted Naruto and Sasuke to have that happiness. “Don’t ever be ashamed to show your love for someone,” Iruka said quietly into the silence, tears glistening on his cheeks, “You never know how long you’ll get to be with that person, so enjoy it while it lasts.”