A/N: And here's the final chapter (or I think it is, unless I can think of something better in the months ahead). Sorry for the wait. I struggled with the ending quite a bit, and I finally decided to settle for something a little more cheery than the previous chapters, considering there had been so much angst.

To Sara and Jj: Thank you for the reviews, as always.

To all the guests' reviews, thank you too!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 6: When Words and Actions Complement

Kakashi slipped the scroll into his vest pocket as he stepped out from the Hokage's makeshift office. Turning on his heels, he headed out of the small building and onto the streets, coloured orange by the sunset. He was mildly surprised when he saw Genma leaning against one of the trees by the roadside, grinning at him.

"You do look like you have a lot of time on hand." Kakashi commented idly, as he continued down the streets. Genma chuckled and fell in step beside him.

"Well I do, now that the reparation works are well underway. So, do you think you have some time on hand?" The honey-haired man rolled his senbon between his lips and glanced at the copy nin.

"What's up?"

"Ever since we faced the attack from Pain, we had all been busy with the restoration works in the village." Genma shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's been a long while since we last visited Asuma."

Kakashi stopped in his tracks, a soft look of regret in his eye. Then, turning in the other direction, he started walking again. Genma smiled and followed, as they headed in silence towards the cemetery.

"I wonder how Kurenai is holding up." Kakashi muttered quietly. "Asuma's death… Has it been so many months already?"

"Yeah." Genma stared blankly ahead. "It still kind of feels like we were just having a drinking session yesterday."

The pair continued walking in silence after that. The street leading up to the cemetery was quiet, other than the occasional civilian who greeted the two shinobi politely. Kakashi returned the greeting with a brief nod, while Genma raised his hand in a half wave. And this continued until the sculpture in the cemetery gradually came into sight.

Genma sighed softly. "Kurenai seemed fine when I saw her this afternoon with Shikamaru. Her stomach is getting bigger. Looks like she's due soon." He smiled wryly. "And Shikamaru that kid, he's so invested in taking care of her and the baby."

The two stopped before the burial stone, as their eyes traced the name they knew so well.

"He did promise Asuma that he would take care of them both and be a mentor to the child." Kakashi stared at the engraved name as he closed his eyes in a silent prayer.

"He would make a good one." Genma crouched before the stone and reached into his vest, pulling out a bottle of sake. Popping it open, he raised it in a gesture of a toast to his late friend. "Hey Asuma, been a long while since we last drank together. Sorry we haven't been visiting much. You know how much troubles the village had faced in recent months."

Pouring some of the alcohol on the ground before the tombstone, Genma then took a quick swipe of the alcohol before handing it to Kakashi.

"War is looming upon us." Genma sighed. "Attaining peace seemed like such a faraway dream."

"Or not." Kakashi gulped down a mouthful of sake and crouched down beside his friend, handing the bottle back. "When we fight out there and we bring the war away from the village, we are keeping the peace for the remaining people here."

"Warped logic, though I can't say I don't agree with you." Genma chuckled. "Oh right, there's something I have not told you, Asuma. This idiot here, he had finally made peace with Iruka. And they are now an officially known couple in the village."

Kakashi scowled. Genma laughed. "And the reason I dragged him all the way out here today, is because I wanted you to bear witness to something I'm gonna ask him. I wanted to clarify a new rumour that I heard today."

"Rumour? Haven't you got enough of them?" The silver-haired jounin frowned.

"Oh no. I will ignore any rumour that is against you and Iruka. But this one is interesting. And I heard it from Izumo and Kotetsu." Genma grinned deviously.

Kakashi stared at him blandly. Genma's grin widened. "I heard that you and Iruka are going to move in together."

The silver-haired jounin was silent for a while, his single grey eye scanning his friend thoughtfully. Then he nodded.

"Really? Trust you to not tell me about it!" Genma punched his friend on the shoulder lightly. "And to think I was so worried about you two."

"Iruka wanted to keep it under wraps for the time being. And I thought it would be good to keep silent about it until we've moved in." Kakashi turned to glance at his friend. "Whoever knew the gossip mill would be so efficient?"

Genma chuckled. "Izumo and Kotetsu saw Iruka this afternoon. He was on his way to the administration office with one of the worker to complete some paperwork. And from what I heard, this worker was the one handling the new accommodation arrangements for the shinobi. They put two and two together and came to me, seeking verification."

"I hope you didn't give them any weird ideas that would give rise to new rumours." The silver-haired jounin snorted.

"Give me some credit, would you?" Genma scowled and turned towards the tombstone. "So yeah, Asuma, this emotionally-stunted fool is now in safe hands, so I guess you can stop worrying about him. Iruka makes a fine partner for him and certainly knows how to put him in his place. And oh yes, I'm sure you already know this. But Kurenai is due to give birth soon. Shikamaru is taking really good care of her and the baby for you. Ino and Choji seemed to be contributing a lot to her welfare too. And you know Raidou…"

Kakashi listened with a smile as Genma continued droning on to their late friend about all the latest happenings and giving him updates about all their friends. He knew that somewhere, Asuma was listening on with interest and probably laughing along with them on all the jokes made. He traced his fingers along the engraved name, knowing that despite it all, all of them, whether dead or alive, had and always will remain as close as they had always been. And while the dead ones watched over them from wherever they are, the remaining living ones will continue to watch each other's back.

He casted a glance at his friend, who returned it with a grin and a twinkle in his eyes. Though he would never say it outright, but Kakashi was thankful for his friends – Asuma and Genma, in particular. Without them, he probably would never have gotten the courage to go after Iruka and get him back. And he certainly had to give credits to them both for how far he had gotten with Iruka today.

He allowed the honey-haired jounin to ramble on a while more before he placed a hand on Genma's shoulder and pointed upwards to the darkening sky.

"We should get going. It's getting dark."

Genma chuckled and straightened himself, giving a two-finger salute towards Asuma's grave. "Well, looks like we have to go now. Kakashi is eager to get back to Iruka." He laughed at the scowl the silver-haired man gave him, before he gave a slight bow to the stone. "We will come by again, when things have more or less settled down."

Kakashi nodded. "See you soon, Asuma. And don't worry. We will check on Kurenai as and when we can."

Genma grinned and slung an arm over the copy nin's shoulder, pulling him away from the cemetery grounds, much to Kakashi's chagrin. Finally exiting the gates that led to the cemetery, Genma dropped his arm and shoved both his hands into his pocket, gazing up into the sky as he fell in step with his friend.

"When are you moving?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Iruka did the paperwork this afternoon. So I guess it will take about a week for the processing to be completed." He eyed the man walking next to him. "What about you? Got your allocation?"

"Yeah." Genma rolled his senbon between his lips. "Tsunade-sama spoke to me and Raidou this afternoon. We've got our allocated units. Come over for a visit when you are free!" Then he leaned over and whispered grinningly. "I will be a good friend and keep my couch free for you if you ever make Iruka angry and got kicked out by him."

Kakashi scowled and swatted at the honey-haired man. "I won't ever give you the satisfaction in seeing that happen. You can keep the couch free for someone else."

Genma laughed. Then that laughter gave way to a more solemn look. He patted Kakashi on the back encouragingly, a small smile on his face. "In all honesty, I don't fancy seeing you and Iruka going through again what you two had gone through before. He's a good man, Kakashi. Cherish him and give in to him whenever possible."

"I know." The silver-haired jounin turned to his friend, a genuine smile on his face. "Thank you for standing by us, Genma."

"What are friends for? Especially now that Asuma is gone, I've got to work doubly hard to cover his share too." The specialist smirked. "So rest your mind. If I ever hear anyone spreading vicious rumours about you two again, I will pin down their tongues with my senbon."

Kakashi arched an eyebrow in amusement. "Should I thank you or should I begin to worry that you are going to murder fellow comrades in Iruka's and my names?"

"I won't murder. I will just maim them enough to make it look like an accident." Genma let out a devious smile.

Kakashi shook his head in mild amusement and laughed. He hadn't felt this relaxed in a long while and he knew he certainly had his friend to thank for his good mood that evening. That, and the fact that Iruka had agreed to living together. He knew he had everything he ever wanted and he wouldn't ask for more.

"So you are gonna move out way before we do, huh?" Genma's voice broke into his musings.

"Guess so."

"Need help moving?" The tokujo raised an eyebrow.

Kakashi's eye arched up in a smile. "Sure. We could do with the extra help."

Kakashi stepped into the jounins' quarters to find his lover leaning against the wall and reading a book. He walked over quietly and smiled when Iruka's head tilted up to regard him.

"Welcome back." The smile on Iruka's face made Kakashi felt like his day had just gotten better.

"I'm back." The jounin shrugged off his vest and slipped into a seat beside his lover. "Long day?"

"Not really." Iruka closed the book and set it down beside him. He gazed at the older man with a soft smile. "You are late today. Did the meeting not go well with Hokage-sama?"

"No, it went well." The silver-haired jounin rubbed the back of his nape ruefully. "I met Genma on my way back and we decided to pay Asuma a visit. So it took a while."

Iruka sighed wistfully and placed a hand over the jounin's one in a comforting gesture. "I saw Kurenai-sensei on my way back earlier and we stopped to have a cup of tea together. She seemed to be getting over things slowly. She's really strong."

"She needs to be for her's and Asuma's child." Kakashi said quietly.

"Yeah." Iruka sighed and rested his head on the jounin's shoulder. He closed his eyes, feeling the familiar arm slipping around his waist and pulling him close.

They sat in comfortable silence, listening to the distant laughter and voices from the streets below. It was a momentary peace that both of them treasured. Iruka vaguely wondered when would be the next time that he got to hear these wonderful sounds again.

"Iruka." Kakashi's voice broke the serenity of the moment.

"Hm?" Iruka's eyes remained closed, as he relaxed to the feel of the warm body against his.

"It's about time."

The chunin slowly opened his eyes and glanced at Kakashi curiously. The jounin's face broke into a grin that was visible even through the mask.

"What time?" Iruka frowned, befuddled.

Kakashi's grin widened. He leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially. "Well, we are going to live together soon. So it's about time for the son-in-law to meet the parents-in-law."

It only took Iruka a split second to know what his lover was talking about. He turned a bright shade of red and rubbed his scar awkwardly, his eyes looking everywhere, but his lover.

"Well, what do you say?" Kakashi eyed him, a cheerful twinkle in his grey eye.

"I guess." Iruka casted his gaze down and tried to will the blush away. Lifting his head a little, he met the smiling eye of the jounin and he returned it with a soft smile of his own. "We can visit my parents at the same time too."

Kakashi chuckled. "So I get to meet the parents too."

"Of course." Iruka reached forward and pinched his lover's nose playfully. "It's only fair."

Kakashi grabbed the tanned hand and pressed a kiss on the knuckles. "Let's do it tomorrow." Then he leaned forward and kiss the chunin on the lips, before he drew back and whispered. "So, are you going to wear the wedding dress to meet them?"

Kakashi dodged and slipped away from his lover's side, just as Iruka's raised hand swatted at him. Then he stayed in the spot he had dodged to and allowed the younger man to tackle him down onto the futon.

The soft laughter filled the corner of the room and Genma stood watching by the doorway, with his arms folded and an amused look on his face. Turning to face Raidou, who looked equally tickled, he gestured for the man to leave.

"Well, now that they have each other, I don't think they need dinner anymore. So, let's just go on without them."

Kakashi stood beside his lover and watched as Iruka rubbed the nape of his neck awkwardly.

"So yeah, dad and mum, this is Kakashi." The chunin took in a deep breath and Kakashi watched in amusement as a blush spread across the cheeks. "He's… um… My lover."

The jounin reached for the younger man's hand and stepped forward, his eye arched into a smile. "Pleased to meet you." Then the smile faded and he casted a solemn look at Iruka, who returned the gaze.

"Please rest assured that I will take care of him. As long as I'm here, I will make him happy." The affectionate grey eye never left him and Iruka smiled. He could almost hear his parent's approval of his man before him.

Turning back to the stone, Kakashi bowed politely. "I give you my promise in this."

Iruka traced his fingers along the engraved names wistfully, silent for a moment. Kakashi never said a word, leaving him to his own musings. Then finally, he lifted his hand and turned to the older man with a smile.

"Come on, let's go visit your parents."

Kakashi nodded and led the way. Down several rows and further up, somewhere near the cemetery monument, the jounin came to a stop in front of a tombstone with two names engraved on it. The stone looked much older than some of the stones Iruka was used to visiting – a telling sign of how long it had been around.

Iruka stepped forward and placed the flowers in his hands on the marble. Straightening himself, he casted a glance to his lover who gave him a soft smile.

"So dad, as you had asked, I brought him. And mum, you probably had already heard about it from dad." Kakashi reached for Iruka's hand and laced their fingers together. "This is Iruka, my lover. We are going to live together soon."

Iruka scratched his head in nervousness and awkwardness. It felt weird to be introduced in such a way to a slab of stone. But who was he to judge? After all, he had just been to his parent's tombstone and spoke to it, introducing Kakashi in the same way too.

Taking a step forward, Iruka gave a polite bow and closed his eyes in a silent prayer. Then, he opened his eyes and visually traced the two engraved names. Reaching forward, he placed his hand beside one of the names, silently giving his respects to the man behind the name.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, after hearing from Kakashi, all the honourable things that you had done, Sakumo-sama." Iruka spoke softly as he casted a glance at his lover, a loving smile on his face. "Please do not worry. I will take care of Kakashi."

The jounin grinned and stepped up beside the younger man. He solemnly eyed the familiar name on the stone, knowing that his father was watching wherever he is now and giving his blessings to the both of them.

"Wherever you are with mum, I hope you are happy, dad. Whatever the circumstances may be, I was really glad we got to talk after so many years. It really does help me to move on." Kakashi closed his eye, almost feeling his father agreeing to the same thing. "And you know, I'm still proud to be your son and having the honour to carry on your legacy."

Iruka wrapped a hand around the jounin's arm, leaning close to him and offering the silent comfort. Kakashi opened his eye and smiled at him.

"Well, it's getting late. We have to go now. We will come visit again, dad."

Both lovers gave a polite bow before the tombstone, then turned and walked away, their hands entwined like their lives would be from now on.

The small apartment was bustling with activity. Genma and Raidou were shifting things around the living room, while Naruto, Sakura and Sai helped out in the kitchen.

Izumo and Kotetsu stepped through the doorway and eased a bookshelf into the apartment, heading for the study room.

"Be careful, the two of you." Iruka called out from the dining area and his two friends gave him a smirk and a sign that they were fine, as they disappeared into the study room.

Kakashi stepped out of the bedroom and stretched himself as he headed for the front door. Reaching it, he leaned lazily on the wall next to the entrance.

"Waiting for something, Kakashi?" Genma grinned, as he plopped down onto the newly-arranged couch and stretched out his legs.

"Yeah. The coffee table." The silver-haired jounin grinned as he glanced at the clock. "About time too."

And just as he finished speaking, a loud barrelling sound was heard, startling everyone in the room. Moments later, a spandex-clad figure appeared at the doorway.

"And here I am, my Eternal Rival! To come to your aid in this Springtime of Youth that we all revel in! I have my honourable challenge with my honourable teammates! And we have decided…"

"Gai..." Kakashi spoke blandly, obviously not in the mood for any talks about 'springtime' or 'youth' when they were all frantically busy with the apartment.

"… That if we do not complete our challenge of being the fastest…"

"Gai." The copy nin's voice went a notch higher.

"… To accomplish the task of moving the coffee table to my esteemed Eternal Rival's house…"

"Gai!" The silver-haired jounin resisted the urge to pummel his friend. He didn't really want to have to clean up blood from his doorsteps on the first day of moving in.

"Yes, my Eternal Rival?" The bowl-cut hair jounin finally gave his attention to his silver-haired friend, accompanied with his trademark grin and a thumbs-up.

"Just place the coffee table over there." Kakashi waved in the general direction where Genma was seated.

"Leave it to me!" The ever exuberant jounin strode forward to where Kakashi had indicated for the piece of furniture to be placed. He shot a glance at Genma who merely gave him a shrug and wave his hands around, indicating to Gai that he could place the coffee table anywhere suitable.

Gai nodded and stepped forward to begin animatedly measuring the space to decide on the best position to place the coffee table, all the while murmuring things to himself.

The silver-haired jounin shook his head and walked away, leaving his friend to deal with it. There were still plenty of other things to be done.

Genma, Raidou, Izumo and Kotetsu were the only ones left in the apartment after the rest who had come by to help in the moving left a while ago. Gulping down the last of his beer, Izumo stretched and stood up.

"I've got an early morning duty at the mission room tomorrow. So I guess I had better get going."

"Me too." Kotetsu yawned.

"We should leave too." Genma smiled and stood from the couch with Raidou. "Thanks for dinner, Iruka."

"I should be the one thanking you guys for the help in setting up this place." Iruka smiled gratefully. "Kakashi and I wouldn't have been able to get much done if it was just the two of us."

"Well, we didn't help much. Just shifting things here and there." Genma scratched his head sheepishly.

"I would thank you for giving us that comfortable couch." Kakashi grinned. "Though, that would be kept for you if you get kicked out of your apartment by any future lovers."

Genma smirked at the silver-haired nin. "Someone's getting cocky." He gave a friendly punch to Kakashi's shoulder. "We shall see who gets to sleep on the couch first."

Iruka shot a confused look between his lover and the special jounin. Raidou laughed and patted him on the back.

"Don't even try to wrack your brains to understand them. It would just be a waste of time." Stepping back, he glanced at the clock on the wall. "All right, we really should get going and leave you and Kakashi to get some rest."

Izumo nodded, as he made to move to the front door. Then as an afterthought, he stepped towards Iruka instead and pulled him aside.

The tanned chunin eyed his friend curiously, but Izumo merely smiled. "I'm happy for you Iruka. What you have today didn't come by easy. Remember to hold on tight and treasure it."

"I know." Iruka returned the smile. "Thank you for everything, Izumo."

The long-haired chunin nodded and the two walked back to the waiting group.

"All right, we will see you two tomorrow." Genma winked cheekily. "Enjoy your first night in the comfort of your bed!"

Iruka blushed and Kakashi scowled. Laughing, Genma headed towards the door with the other three following. Then he turned his head before he opened the door and let himself out.

"Let us know if you guys need any more help with the place." And with a final wave, he stepped out of the apartment with Raidou, Kotetsu and Izumo.

When the door clicked shut, Kakashi turned to look at his lover. Tugging down his mask, he pressed a kiss on the soft lips in front of him.

"What was that for?" Iruka whispered affectionately against the lips hovering over his.

"Just wanted to." Kakashi smiled. Then he nudged his lover. "Go take a shower. I will clean up the living room."

Iruka grinned mischievously and stepped forward to place a kiss on the jounin's lips, before he turned and walked towards the bedroom, with a single grey eye staring at him amusedly.

Kakashi stepped out of the shower to find the bedroom empty. Stepping out onto the hallway, he spied the lean figure of his lover by the balcony.

He found Iruka sitting on the lounge bed – courtesy of Raidou – and staring up into the night sky. The long, brown hair that cascaded over the chunin's shoulder and the peaceful look on that tanned face with closed eyes and a genuine smile, reminded Kakashi of a beautiful picture.

He walked over and sat down, sliding his arms around his lover's waist. Iruka habitually leaned into the embrace and sighed contentedly.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Thinking." Iruka murmured. He could picture his lover's curious eye on him and the way the older man was holding back the urge to ask further. He almost burst out laughing. Glancing up at the pale face, he reached out a hand to trace the unmasked jaw.

"I'm thinking how amazing it is that we have come this far."

Kakashi sighed. "You mean it's amazing that we had to go through so much, just to get here? I would rather not have put you through all those pain before."

Iruka smiled and tugged his lover down for a kiss. "It was worth it." He whispered against the lips and leaned back into the jounin's embrace, a look of contentment and bliss on his face. "At least, we learnt more about each other. And hopefully, that will give us enough experience to not repeat the same mistakes again."

Kakashi nodded silently, his eye gazing at the man before him in reverence. The two sat in comfortable silence, gazing into the distance.

"War is coming, isn't it?" Iruka asked quietly, one of his hands reaching over to grasp the jounin's one tightly. Kakashi eyed his lover in surprise at the sudden solemn topic. Then he looked away, understanding coming to him. It was inevitable. They were both shinobi and they knew when things weren't right. Iruka wasn't oblivious about such things. Being a teacher had sharpened his instincts to be more aware about the happenings that affected the village on a large scale. And he had also probably been told about his role in the upcoming war.

Kakashi gave the hand in his a comforting squeeze. "Yes. And it can't be helped."

"They are coming for Naruto again, aren't they?"

The jounin nodded. "They want the nine-tailed beast. But we will not let them have their way. We will protect him."

"I'm worried." Iruka closed his eyes and shifted his position to wrap his arms around the older man.

"For Naruto?" Kakashi chuckled, trying to ease the worry in his lover's mind. "I wouldn't worry about him. He will have you there to guard him."

"I'm worried for you too." The voice that came out was barely above a whisper. "You will be out there fighting again and I won't be there to watch your back."

Kakashi tightened his hold on the younger man when he felt the body tensing in fear. It seemed that the memory from the last time when he brushed past death on such a close proximity, was still clearly imprinted in Iruka's mind.

"I will be all right." Kakashi whispered reassuringly. "And besides, it's not only us fighting. We have the allied shinobi forces, formed from the five great shinobi countries. We have quite the credible fighting force this time."

Iruka glanced up at the smiling face of his lover and he couldn't help returning it, even if it was strained. He leaned his forehead against the broad chest and one of his hands reached up to curl around the jounin's neck.

"Not that I doubt your capabilities, but you have the tendency to place everyone's safety before your own in the face of danger." Iruka glanced up at his lover. "I can't and won't change that trait of yours. But promise me that you will do your best to keep yourself safe too."

Kakashi nodded, his thumb caressing a tanned cheek. Then he leaned forward and pressed his lips to the chunin's forehead. "I promise."

And as Iruka snuggled back against his chest, he was resolved to keep that promise right till the very end. He would be damned if he broke his promise to his lover again.

As they lay in bed that night, Kakashi couldn't help feeling how familiar yet unfamiliar this scene was. They had slept in the same bed many times before in the past, yet this time, it felt more intimate than any of the others.

He smiled when Iruka stirred slightly and drowsy brown eyes opened to gaze at him.

"Why aren't you asleep?" Iruka asked sleepily.

The jounin smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Did I wake you up?"

"No." The younger man snuggled into the arms around him. "I just woke on instincts, I guess."

"Go to sleep. You still have a long day tomorrow." Kakashi whispered, one of his hands reaching up to run his fingers through the long brown hair gently.

Iruka relaxed into the gesture, but he kept his gaze fixed on the jounin, as a contented smile graced his lips. "So do you."

"Yeah." Kakashi grinned sheepishly. "I will sleep in a while. Go to sleep."

"What got you thinking so hard that you can't sleep?" The chunin's eyes fluttered close and he ran his fingers along his lover's back absently.

"Just thinking." Kakashi let out an inaudible sigh. "How nice it is to have you here sleeping next to me."

Iruka laughed softly. "I slept next to you every day when we were staying in the jounins' quarters."

"You know that's different." Kakashi pulled his lover closer and nipped at his ear gently, in an almost playful manner. He laughed when Iruka jumped, totally not expecting the jounin to do that.

"Now I'm wide awake." Iruka mocked frowned at the copy nin, though the corners of his lips tugging up gave him away.

"I know of a way to put you back to sleep." Kakashi leered.

"Don't even think about it. I need to deal with thirty pre-genin tomorrow. They are going to start learning how to throw the shuriken." Iruka grinned.

The jounin chuckled softly, and kissed the soft lips before him, unable to resist the temptation. When he pulled back, he regarded his lover with a solemn look.

"I want to see you waking up tomorrow. I want to be here when you wake up tomorrow."

Iruka's smile faltered for a minute, when he understood the meaning behind the older man's words. Kakashi was still guilty about what he had done months ago, when he had put Iruka through the pain of a secret relationship and never staying around with the chunin till the morning.

He tightened his arms around the older man's waist, trying to reassure Kakashi.

"So does that mean I have to wake up real early tomorrow?" Iruka spoke in a light tone, hoping to chase away the demons in Kakashi's mind. "Since you have an early morning meeting with Hokage-sama."

The soft rumbles that vibrated off the jounin's chest as he chuckled made Iruka smile. Gazing up, he lifted a finger and traced his lover's face affectionately, his eyes staring intently into the single grey one, trying to convey all his feelings.

"Don't look back anymore, love. We have a lot more things to look forward to." Iruka whispered. "I'm trying my best too, and I need you to move with me, so that I can keep going forward."

The copy nin leaned into the caress and nodded. "I'm sorry." He said hoarsely.

"Don't be." Iruka let his fingers run higher to run through the silvery strands in a soothing motion, before he dropped his hand back down to wrap around the jounin's waist. He smiled softly "So, now that I've gotten what I think is the load off your mind, do you think you can sleep now?"

Kakashi grinned. "I will do so when you do."

"Then get ready to fall asleep within the next five minutes, because I can barely keep my eyes open now." Iruka smiled sleepily.

Kakashi tucked his lover close to his chest and stroke Iruka's back, coaxing the drowsing younger man into full sleep. Finally, when he heard the even breathing and the warm body relaxing against his, he pulled back and kissed his lover gently on the forehead. Then closing his eyes, he followed Iruka into sleep.

It may have been a long journey, riddled with pain, hurts, doubts and heartaches to get to where they were now. But there was also a great deal of promises, dedication, devotion and love invested to make their love strong and unyielding. Along the way, they had stumbled, made mistakes, and discovered more about themselves and each other, which eventually gave way to the realisation that they could not do without the other in their lives.

The journey to finding their way back to each other had been more difficult than the jounin had thought it to be. But Kakashi was thankful that Iruka never gave up. And it was the silent strength in Iruka that made him held on and pushed him forward too. And while it hadn't been too smooth sailing, but the bitter-sweet experiences had been more than worth it. It had allowed them a deeper understanding of each other, strengthening their bonds in the process.

There had been an equal amount of tears and anger but lesser laughter and joy during the time they had been together, then and now. But Kakashi knew, they will continue to create more happiness in the time they are going to spend in the future, to compensate for what they had not done in the past. And despite the uncertain future ahead, the jounin was certain he wasn't going to let go, no matter what.

Because right now, everything he had ever wanted was right there in his arms. And if Iruka wasn't going to give up on this love, neither was he.