Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, he belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, and no profit is made from my writing this.

Of Fox Grins and Mismatched Eyes
A Collection of Kakashi x Naruto Shorts & Oneshots


By: ladygizarme
Beta: Houseki
Warnings: manga spoilers, boys kissing
Summary: As his door bursts open, Kakashi realizes Naruto knows.
A/N: Intended for the drabble fest on the lj comm kakanaru, though I just couldn’t cut enough to make 500 words. Went from 700 down to 513 and couldn’t stand to lose anything more, so I put back a little bit. >.> It's a good exercise in becoming less wordy, though. (I hope?)

Oh, and reviews are love.

Whenever You Need Me

As his hospital room door bursts open, revealing a panting, angry-but-confused Naruto, Kakashi holds back a groan, realizing he’s been told on.

“What do you mean you’re retiring?!” Naruto demands, not even bothering to ask if it’s true—much as he wants to disbelieve.

Finding no use in denying, Kakashi sighs and settles more in bed, hoping his seemingly-relaxed state will encourage Naruto’s.

Naruto’s tensed body relaxes some, his shoulders slumping as he treads solemnly to Kakashi’s bedside. He drops into the chair, looking over at his masked sensei apprehensively, though Kakashi sees the familiar determination lurking just under the surface—that part of Naruto that won’t give up, and won’t let others do so without a fight, either.

Kakashi is too tired to fight, though, and this isn’t how he wanted to tell him. He’s been here a month, and is still healing. And fighting with Naruto takes too much energy. So he just looks at him.

Naruto sees the acquiescence in Kakashi’s one-eyed stare, and knows the rumor is true. Clenching his hands, he stands up, leaning over the bed to pound his fists into the mattress.

“How can you stop being a shinobi?! Don’t tell me a few injuries are enough to make you stop!”

Naruto’s gut twists, remembering how bad Kakashi’s ‘few injuries’ were; how his heart wrenched when he’d returned to find Konoha destroyed and Kakashi on the verge of death, unable to go to him in the heat of battle.

“It’s just time.”

Kakashi doesn’t tell Naruto that, despite his injuries healing, he’ll never be the same. He went too far with the sharingan, too many times, and now he’s paying for it.

He won’t tell Naruto it’s for the best anyway—will never tell him that this gives Kakashi the perfect excuse not to accept the position of Rokudaime.

Naruto’s knees give out, dropping beside the bed.

“But I… I’m going to be Hokage…”

Soft words, but Kakashi hears the emotion; reads the hidden meaning.

Don’t you want to serve as my shinobi? I thought you would be beside me, always.

“You told me you believed in me. And now you’re leaving me.”

For all the strength he’s witnessed from Naruto, Kakashi is touched that he’s also gotten to see him at his weakest—overwhelmed by the world, needing Kakashi’s shoulder to lean on. For the second time, though, Kakashi blames himself for causing such an occurrence.

Kakashi puts a hand on Naruto’s shoulder. Soulful blue eyes look up at him.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still be here for you, whenever you need me.”

He can’t promise forever, but whatever he has left is Naruto’s.

That look of determination is back in Naruto’s eyes. Though the sadness is still there, Kakashi knows it’s been soothed when Naruto smiles. There’s a certain depth to it, though. Like maybe Naruto understands the things Kakashi won’t say. But in the next instant, when his mask has been pulled down and lips are pressed to his, Kakashi knows he’s forgiven.

As Kakashi returns the kiss, Naruto knows he’s saying, “Thank you.”

~*~*~*~
~ Owari ~