Fact Vs. Fiction
Summary: Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.
Disclaimer: I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more. XD Howl's Moving Castle belongs to Hayao Miyazaki. (AMAZING MOVIE)
Notes: Sigh. So let me put this in caps before someone gets confused. THIS IS THE SEQUEL TO THE ACTORS. PLEASE, READ THE ACTORS FIRST IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT. Now that that's out of the way, here's what's going on. As promised, here is the sequel of The Actors, but I am warning you NOW, This story will be much slower than The Actors.
Why? A few reasons. One) I'm in my senior year of High school, which as most know, is quite a fun trip. Free time = hard to come by. Two) I'm afraid carpal tunnel is starting to set in. My wrists have been hurting near constantly recently, and I think it's because of all the artwork/notes for school/typing I've been doing. I will be taking breaks now and then to recuperate. Three) This story is also much darker than stories I've done previously, so I'm not all that sure on how it's going to go.
Sorry for this being so long, so I'll wrap up now. XD I hope you enjoy the first chapter!!
Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D
Chapter 1 – Getaway
As the credits rolled off the large movie screen, the lights turning back on, Namikaze Kirei let out the largest yawn of her life, blinking her eyes for only a moment, not wanting to pick her head up off her boyfriend's shoulder.
Just as she'd suspected, the movie was amazing, but the blonde was too tired to even bother with moving. She'd spent half the day shopping for the dress she was currently wearing, a few hours getting dolled up and – despite the notion that walking a red carpet wasn't all that tiring – Kirei had to admit to herself that it was tiring. Smiling and walking and being out past her usual bedtime made her extremely sleepy.
Maybe if she got lucky, she could get Sasuke to carry her home.
"Tired already?" One Uchiha Sasuke asked, looking down at his tired blonde with a small smile on his face. He knew it was way past her bedtime, but was she really so tired that she wasn't bothering to pick her head up?
Kirei closed her eyes, snuggling a bit closer to him; her way of saying yes.
Sighing, Sasuke couldn't help but smile down at her. "Okay, Princess. We'll go home and you can go to bed."
She was quick to get up, stumbling only slightly from the high heels she hadn't gotten used to wearing yet.
Thankfully, Sasuke was used to her stumbles and falters, seeing as how she'd done them all night and it was almost the same way she acted when she was tired, so he was quick to get up and wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her close and stabilizing her. "Come on, Princess." He told her, kissing her on the temple, seeing Naruto glare at him in the corner of his eye.
Letting it go, yet wondering why Naruto seemed so miffed at a small kiss, he walked on, leading his blonde out of the packed movie theater and down the paparazzi packed red carpet.
"Don't forget," The raven continued, squinting at the thousands of flashes when he turned his head toward her. He decided that burrowing his face in her neck would protect his eyes better. "I still have that little secret of mine to tell you."
Kirei smiled as his bangs tickled her neck like always, more awake than she had been moments ago. She kept her eyes closed to keep the flashes out of her eyes. "You're actually going to tell me now?" She asked, knowing that Sasuke never liked to tell her secrets with all these people around.
"If I wait until we get home to tell you, you'll be asleep." He replied, smiling as he planted a small kiss on her neck. He had a feeling she was pouting.
And she was, although it was just a playful pout. She couldn't hold a smile back for long, his kisses making her giggle.
"When Itachi and I were younger," He began, picking up his head and opening onyx eyes, looking back and forth to make sure they were going the right way and that no one heard his little plot. "And my parents weren't lunatics," His thumb began caressing her waist gently, eyes closing once more to try to block out those old memories he'd forgotten. "we had this little condo out in the Land of Water that we'd visit every summer to get away from all the chaos and such in Konoha. It was right on the beach, a few blocks down from the boardwalk…2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 living rooms…it was kinda our home away from home."
Kirei nodded, eyes still closed, knowing he was serious as he spoke. "I know what you mean." She said, remembering her old home miles away from Konoha; the home where she and Daisuke lived.
"Well," He continued, turning out of the red carpet and heading down the road to their right, on their way home. He also checked to make sure no one was able to hear him, seeing a few of their friends behind them, but not close enough to hear. "I decided to look into it and see if we still had it, being that we'd both kinda forgot about it…"
Curious blue eyes looked over at him, lips set slightly apart in disbelief. Had Sasuke planned a vacation for just the two of them?
A smile crossing his lips told her that yes; he had planned something of the sort. "Yes," He nodded. "I found it…and since Itachi and I never use it…I decided that we're gonna go on vacation next week, just you and – "
"I don't think so."
"Fuck."
Turning her head and body slightly to see better, Kirei found her cousin behind them, his eyes focused into a glare directed toward Sasuke. "Nii-san!" She cried, surprised he was there, Hinata at his side. The turn off for the Hokage Manor was roads back. "What're you doing here? The turn off was – "
"I know," Naruto nodded, his hard look turning much softer as he looked at his younger cousin. His glare returned when he looked back at Sasuke, who still refused to look at him. "but I refuse to let you two go on vacation together. Hinata and I will come with you." He said, noticing the Uchiha tense up, but didn't care. He wasn't letting his little sister go anywhere alone. Ever again.
"Naruto…" Hinata cooed, looking over at her boyfriend in disbelief. "You can't do that…it's their – "
"Of course I can," He answered, eyes narrowing. "I'm her Nii-san. What time are you leaving, Teme?" He asked, knowing the raven would answer. Sasuke always looked for approval from Naruto when it came to Kirei.
"Saturday. Early morning." Sasuke growled between gritted teeth. He knew better than to tell Naruto to fuck off, although he'd like to. After nearly half a year, Sasuke had finally gotten back the person who made him happy, the person he loved most. God damn him being a selfish bastard and wanting her all to himself, but that's what he wanted. Time for them to get through everything that'd happened and get back to life.
But no.
Naruto just had to stomp all over that, didn't he?
Snarling slightly as he looked at the ground, his grip on Kirei's waist rather tight, he continued, growling. "Don't be late or we might forget you."
Naruto let out a chuckle, slapping a hand on the Uchiha's back rather hard. "Oh, you wouldn't forget me, teme!" He said, so much malice dripping in his voice. It was more like a warning than a statement.
Seeing the way Sasuke glared at the ground and hearing her cousin's rather ominous voice, Kirei stayed silent. She wouldn't refuse her cousin of spending time with her; he was one of the only family she had left. It would almost be like refusing her brother and that, Kirei would never do.
But on the other hand, she felt as if she were refusing Sasuke by not speaking up. He had planned this whole little vacation for the two of them; just the two of them and now, when her cousin had butt in, she didn't have the nerve to say anything. She knew Sasuke would never tell off her cousin since he was dating her, after all.
Sighing and gathering up her courage to say she didn't want him to be there, Kirei turned and all her confidence went right out the window, disappointment filling her heart.
There was no one behind them. Only deserted buildings, a bench and one lit lamppost stood behind them as they walked.
She turned back to Sasuke, still seeing that rather pissed of look on his face. "I'm – "
That look was quick to leave his face when he heard her speak as he looked over at her. "No, it's okay," He cut her off quickly, planting a kiss on her temple. "I know you can't tell him no."
"Yeah, but…" She retorted softly, turning her head away from him as the loft came into view, eyes lowering to the ground. "You planned this just for us…I should – "
"Princess," Sasuke said, setting one finger on her jaw and gently turning her head to face his. He leaned down to catch her sight when she didn't immediately look at him. "It's okay. Seriously."
She opened her mouth to interrupt, but the raven was quick to silence her, placing his finger on her lips.
"As long as you're there, I don't care if Naruto and Hinata come." He told her, seeing her lips turn up in a smile slightly. "Yeah, it pisses me off that he just invited himself like that…but I think Hinata'll keep him occupied." He smirked, leaning over and kissing her sweetly.
Despite his words, Sasuke had a looming feeling that Naruto was going to be a real pain in the ass on this vacation.
True to his feelings, Naruto was definitely being a huge pain in the ass.
To Sasuke.
He was adorably sweet when it came to Hinata and like the big brother he always was to Kirei, but when his attention was focused on Sasuke, it was like the devil himself had possessed the blonde.
Case in point, when they were just leaving Konoha, Naruto was hell bent on carrying Kirei – who was still sleeping since they were leaving at 6 in the morning – and nearly chopped off Sasuke's head when he went to wake her up enough to get her down the stairs.
Even Hinata wondered why Naruto was acting like that, and if Hinata didn't know, Sasuke thought, than no one knew.
Fortunately for him, when Kirei and Naruto came downstairs, Kirei shuffled right toward Sasuke while rubbing her eyes of sleep, not even caring that his hands were wrapped around the handles of luggage and walked right up to him, nuzzling against his chest. It was the first thing she always did in the morning; why was this any different?
Seeing the glare on Naruto's face, Sasuke could only help but smirk and hold her tightly. He even asked if she wanted him to carry her and of course, she nodded.
Which just meant that Naruto couldn't steal her away from him, as he was trying to do.
But now, after nearly a full day's travel, they'd arrived in one of the largest port/tourist cities in the Land of Water, Kaigangakure, or Seashore City as some called it.
It was both a port city and a tourist city, one half of the town centered around shipping, it's beaches lined with ports and huge ships, while the other half of town was mainly for tourists. It had many restaurants and "gift shops", along with a huge boardwalk that was lined with jewelry, tattoo, clothing and miscellaneous shops and even a small bar or restaurant here and there.
Sasuke led them to the road closest to the beach, heading toward the outsides of town. "It's the old looking white condo." He told them, memories of his childhood flooding back as they neared the old building.
Despite the weathered looking siding, the two-story condo didn't look all that bad. Yeah, the plants and bushes outside the place were nearly dead, but it still looked nice.
"It's a nice place." Hinata said as she looked it over, landing on the sidewalk in front of the building just after Sasuke.
The Uchiha couldn't help but smirk as he set Kirei down and opened the small front gate. "Just wait until you see the inside." Grabbing the bags he was carrying after Kirei took a few, even though he told her he'd get them, he lead them up the small sidewalk and up the steps, setting down one bag and opening the screen door, taking his key and unlocking the front door, pushing it open. "Welcome to home for the next week."
Kirei was the first to walk in, nearly dropping her bags when she saw the inside.
Directly to her left was a daybed, covered with an impossible number of pillows, covered in a white, pink flowered bedspread, sitting opposite of a tv stand with a rather outdated tv covered in dust sitting with in. Beside the tv stand was a dresser with 3 drawers on each side, a small lamp set upon that, with a window-like opening showing them further into the condo. To her right was another dresser, albeit smaller, with a small fake floral display on it, a mirror set above that.
Hinata followed her inside, also almost dropping her bags. She took in this first living room while Kirei walked further inside.
Beside the dresser on her right was a door and when Kirei opened it, she found a small room, probably the second bedroom with two single sized beds in it. They had a small nightstand with a lamp in between them, a closet to the far left, a window on the wall on the far right. Poking her head in further, she found a large, but short dresser right against the wall, another small tv set upon that. A glass cabinet filled the space between the dresser and the far wall. All in all, it was a cute room.
She looked back to the door, seeing her Nii-san and Sasuke walk in. She shot a smile to Sasuke and then continued into the condo.
Walking past the first living room, the blonde smiled, feeling tile beneath her feet and seeing the pure white kitchen to her right. It was a walk-in kitchen, a small counter and cabinet on her left if she turned into the kitchen. To her right was a large counter, leading the whole way to the wall, a dishwasher sat before the corner, where the sink was located, along with many cooking utensils within stand up containers. Next to the sink were a medium sized oven and a white refrigerator.
Even though it was a small kitchen, Kirei was sure it'd fit enough food for all four of them. Well, with Naruto in the house, she hoped it'd fit enough food.
The main counter of the kitchen had a bar like top set upon it, a huge glass table set beside that. She suspected that this was where the Uchiha's ate when the lived here.
The main living room could be seen after that, since there was no doorway. It just seemed to lead into the living room, where a three-cushioned couch sat next to the wall, two end tables sat on each side of it, lamps on top of them. In front of the couch was a glass coffee table, a leather chair set on the farther side of the table. There was another chair, a wicker chair on her immediate right, but she frowned at it. From this side, you really couldn't see the tv all that well.
Beside the wicker chair was a small mantle, a fireplace underneath that, a flat screen Tv mounted upon the wall above the mantle, making Kirei sigh in relief. At least there was one up to date tv in the house.
Beyond the fireplace was another door and as she walked through the living room and opened this door, she smiled, finding the master bedroom before her eyes.
It was a much larger room, almost as large as the living room. A king sized bed sat against the back wall, in the center of the room, while a long dresser sat opposite of it, another flat screen Tv on top of the dresser. To the far right was a closet, and beside that was another door, probably leading to the bathroom, which she'd look at later.
Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist and a chin sit upon her shoulder. "Like it?" Sasuke asked, onyx eyes watching his girlfriend's mesmerized blue eyes.
"Uh-huh." She answered, unable to make any other sound with her mouth, eyes locking onto the glass doors at her far left, or rather, the porch and beach that lay behind those doors. "It's beautiful."
With a smirk on his face, the raven kissed his Princess's neck and then pulled away from her for only a second as he lifted her completely off her feet, marriage style.
Suddenly lifted off her feet, Kirei squealed and laughed in surprise, hooking her arms around her lovely Prince's neck, smiling as he carried her across the room.
He carried her all they way to the large bed, putting her down gently, his smirk turning into a smile. A very perverted smile.
Kirei continued to smile, keeping her arms around his neck as he straddled her, his hands placed firmly on each side of her head, onyx eyes staring into her own.
"And we've got it all to ourselves." He said, leaning down and ensnaring her lips with his, kissing her sweetly.
The hands around his neck laced into jet-black locks, pulling him even closer as she kissed back. When his tongue grazed her bottom lip, she smiled, keeping her lips shut tight.
He smiled back and after a few moments, forced his way into her mouth, feeling her tongue war with his.
Sighing into his mouth, Kirei couldn't believe how far she'd gotten with Sasuke. A year ago, she never would've imagined she'd be on a bed with her raven, his tongue in her mouth. She never would've imagined that she wanted to be on a bed with her raven. She knew she wasn't ready for sex, but she was slowly getting closer.
His hands itching as he kissed her, he removed them from the bed, letting them travel down Kirei's waist, to the hem of her shirt where he fiddled with it for only a moment before letting his hands slip underneath.
He could feel her stomach move against his warm hands, fingers tracing circles around her belly button as he kissed harder, wanting to hear something from Kirei.
"Ahem."
God damn it all, Sasuke thought, nose scrunching as his tongue retreated from his blonde's mouth. He just had to have the worst luck on the face of the planet, didn't he? Just when he'd gotten Kirei all to himself, Naruto had to just "pop" in.
It was a very good thing his mouth was currently preoccupied with Kirei's or else he'd be speaking pure profanity. Much more profanity than either blonde had heard in their lifetimes.
Lips formed into a very obvious scowl, he pulled away from her, turning his head and glaring at the blonde who leaned on the doorway. "What?" He spat, glaring pure venom at his "best friend". More like pain the ass.
Arms crossed, a scowl set on his lips, blue eyes glaring holes into the raven on top of his sister, Naruto leaned against the door of the master bedroom, using his head to motion to the living room. "Meeting in the living room." He growled, eyes narrowing at the raven. "Now."
Her arms hung loosely around Sasuke's neck, Kirei looked back and forth between the two, her face deep, deep red. She couldn't even imagine what was running through her Nii-san's mind; given the rather embarrassing position she and her Prince were in.
"Fine." Sasuke snapped, leaning down and kissing his blonde just to piss off Naruto more. He let Kirei remove her arms from his neck and pulled away from her, taking both of her hands in his to help her up off the bed.
Now standing, the blush still very apparent on her face, Kirei fumbled with her shirt and hair, trying to fix them as Sasuke led her to the living room, Naruto following behind her.
His maliciousness was so great, she could feel Naruto glaring into the back of Sasuke's head.
Sitting on the three-cushioned couch, Hinata ruffled her eyebrows slightly at the three walking in. One pissed off raven, an embarrassed Kirei and a pissed of Naruto. What a great combination… "So," She began, feeling the tension in the air as Sasuke sat down, Kirei sitting next to him and darting her eyes to the floor. "What's this meeting for?"
Despite his want to sit in between Sasuke and Kirei, Naruto stayed standing, his scowl turning into a devilish grin as he looked back and forth between the three of them. "Rooming arrangements."
With those two words and the grin on the blonde's face, Sasuke's heart fell deep into his chest, his scowl and the grip on Kirei's hands loosening. He had a very sure feeling that he was not going to like the blonde's next words.
"Now let see…" Naruto continued, smiling even more at the crestfallen face of the Uchiha. "You own the place, right, Teme?" He glanced over at the raven.
Arching an eyebrow, Sasuke nodded hesitantly. "…Yes…" What was Naruto up to now…?
"Good." The Uzumaki answered, showing off his trademark grin. Sasuke was going to love this. "Nee-chan and I will take the master bedroom. Hinata," He said, turning to his girlfriend. "You can have the spare room and Sasuke," He turned to the raven, that devilish smirk returning. "You can take the daybed."
The living room went dead silent after Naruto's words.
Hinata's mouth had dropped open, her clear eyes staring in total disbelief at her boyfriend. They were on vacation, although they really weren't invited and he was telling her that she could have the spare room, while he was staying in a completely different room?! What's the point of being on vacation if she couldn't be with her blonde?!
It seemed to Hinata, as she looked over at Kirei and Sasuke, that the point of this vacation wasn't to be with her, or to enjoy it…but to keep Sasuke away from Kirei.
She sighed heavily, shaking her head as Naruto smiled. She thought he was already over being the overprotective older brother.
Kirei first looked to Sasuke and then back to her cousin, not sure what to think. Sure…sharing a room with her cousin wasn't a horrible thought…but they were on vacation, at least, she was supposed to be on vacation with Sasuke…and for a while, it seemed as if Naruto was trying to keep her away from him, but now…Kirei was sure of it.
Naruto was trying to keep Sasuke away from her. He wasn't even allowing them to sleep in the same room! With a worried look on her face, Kirei looked back to Sasuke wondering what was running through his mind.
'I'm gonna kill him.' That thought had been on repeat on Sasuke's mind ever since he'd caught them in the master bedroom. He knew Naruto was going to be a major pain in the ass on this vacation, but Sasuke never really realized exactly how much.
First he denies him a vacation with his Princess, and now he's denying him sleeping in the same room as her?! That's just like denying him sleep!
One way or another, Sasuke vowed that he was going to get Naruto back for this. He didn't know how, or when, but he swore, his glare hard and focused onto the blonde, he'd get him back.
Even though his eyes were closed, Naruto knew Sasuke was pissed, but he didn't care. "Okay then," He began, still smiling as he clapped his hands together. "now that we have the rooms decided, we can start unpacking!" He was quick to shoot a glare at Sasuke, but then bounced off, heading for the first living room where the bags were.
Hinata sighed a heavy sigh, knowing she was going to have to talk to her beloved little blonde sometime tonight. Closing her eyes, she got up, also heading into the other living room and grabbing her bags.
Despite the fact that he shouldn't be trying to keep Sasuke and Kirei apart, he was right in saying they should unpack. Better now than tomorrow morning.
As Hinata walked away, Kirei stayed seated, rolling her lips as she also sighed, wishing she had more courage to speak up. Once again, when she could've said something, anything in protest, she was silent. She just let her cousin have his way. "I'm really sorry." She mumbled, staring at the ground, her hands still with Sasuke's one.
Scheming about how to torture Naruto best, the raven looked over at her words, eyes softening when he saw her. "Kirei…" He started off softly, both his hands reaching over to hers, massaging them. "It's okay. Real – "
"You keep saying that." She said, keeping her sight away from his. "But I know you're just saying that. It's not okay." She sighed heavily, closing her eyes and leaning against him, knowing he was listening. "Nii-san shouldn't be doing this…I shouldn't be letting him do this…I mean…" Kirei's voice faded away as she took a deep breath and rolled her lips.
"Shhh…" Sasuke said calmly, taking only one hand away from hers and wrapping it around her, pulling her closer. "There's nothing you can do about it, Kirei," He whispered, burrowing his face into her hair, wanting only her to hear it as Naruto passed into the master bedroom, a scowl on his face. "Naruto's just being an asshole…and that is not your fault."
"But," She interrupted, shaking her head ever so slightly, a shiver running through her body as Sasuke breathed against her ear. "I want to sleep with you. I want to spend our vacation, the one you planned, with you. I – "
"Don't you worry," The Uchiha cut her off, his hands leaving hers and slipping around her waist as he tickled her, knowing it would bring a smile to her face. "We will spend time together. I don't care if I have to shackle him and throw him in the closet. We will spend time together," He reassured, planting kisses on the edge of her jaw, feeling her smile. "Okay?"
Smiling, she slipped her arms around his shoulders, gently laying her head on his. "Yeah…" She said, her voice a little happier than before.
He smiled back, keeping his lips close to her ear, his voice soft. He didn't want that glaring blonde hawk of a pain in the ass to overhear. "Now, go ahead and get unpacked. I'll unpack too and as soon as we're done, we'll let Naruto order pizza and while he's busy doing that…"
Kirei's smile grew just a little wider, hearing that playful tone in his voice. She knew he was planning something in that clever little mind of his. And whatever it was, it was, without a doubt, good for the two of them.
"We'll sneak outside and hide away for a while…okay?" He finished, kissing the bottom of her ear, smiling.
Kissing jet black locks, the blonde smiled and pulled away from him, knowing that another pair of eyes were on her. "I guess I'll go unpack then." She let a sly smile slip to Sasuke and then raised her arms up, stretching before she got up from the couch and walked away, into the other living room to get her bags.
Still sitting on the couch, Sasuke smiled as he watched her, his eyes shifting to another blonde when she disappeared. Immediately, black eyes were narrowed, glaring to meet the glare on him. "What?" He spat, standing up.
Leaning on the doorway once again, Naruto kept his glare adamant, his voice low and dangerous. "I'm keeping my eye on you."
Snarling every so softly, Sasuke walked away.
"So," Naruto asked happily, walking into the small kitchen after finally unpacking everything of his. "Who's ready for some pizza?!"
Hearing the word "pizza", Kirei nearly flew from the master bedroom, her bag not even halfway unpacked. Pizza meant time to spend with Sasuke. "I am!!!" She cried, running over to the kitchen counter, her smile large as Hinata walked out from the spare room and Sasuke walked up from the other living room.
"Pizza sounds great," The raven said as he walked up, smiling when he saw the glint in his blonde's eye as he walked up to her. "Doesn't it?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her waist, nuzzling the top of her head sweetly.
Standing in the walkway of the kitchen as Naruto grabbed the phone, clear eyes saw both the glint in Kirei's eyes and the smile on the Uchiha's face. A sly, but happy smile crossed her lips. "So that's what their up to…" She mumbled, shaking her head slightly.
"Yeah, I want to place an order for take out." Naruto said, opening and poking his head into the refrigerator, holding the phone beside his ear.
Pushing off the counter she was leaning on, Hinata winked to both Kirei and Sasuke, walking up beside her blonde and tapping his shoulder. "Naru, honey," She said, opening clear eyes wide, pouting her lip. "I think I want some Chinese too…"
His eyes focused on that one lip, his mouth opening slightly.
As her little blonde focused on her, she looked behind him, to the couple watching.
With a smile and a wink, Kirei and Sasuke took hands and quietly walked across the living room and to the giant glass doors, opening them as quietly as they could and slipping out the door.
As soon as Sasuke shut the door, he peered back inside, seeing Naruto nearly drop the phone as Hinata wrapped her arms around his neck and pull him close. She smiled and gave a subtle look to the Uchiha. "I think we'll have more than enough time on our hands." He said, smiling.
Following his sight, Kirei let a smile slip on her lips. "We'll have to thank Hinata sometime. But," She continued, bringing her eyes back to those onyx eyes she loved. "Where are we gonna go?"
His smile turned into a smirk. "A place that Naruto would never think to look."
Before her eyebrows could crease, Kirei was suddenly lifted off her feet, her arms instinctively wrapping around her raven's neck as he jumped up, landing softly on the top of the nearly flat roof of the condo. "The roof." She smiled as he set her down and then sat behind her and pulled her close. Leaning against his chest, she tilted her head back, allowing her to see her raven. "Good idea."
He kissed the tip of her nose with a smile, letting his arms wrap around her small waist and hands lace with hers. Without words, he used his head to motion to the shoreline.
Letting her eyes linger for only a moment, the blonde followed his motion, sighing in content when she saw the beginning of a very beautiful sunset. Her fingers closed just a little tighter with his, pulling his arms around her more as she snuggled against him, smiling.
How she wished time would stop right there.
Sasuke wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it must've at least been an hour, since the sun had gone well beyond the horizon.
During that hour of beautiful sky and holding his blonde close, the raven was thinking. He knew that on vacation all thought should be on fire and out the window, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't help but ask why.
Why Naruto was being such an asshole. And especially to him! Weren't they best friends, after all?
When he'd first started dating Kirei, Naruto wasn't near as possessive, or protective. Sure, he had his moments of, "Hurt her and I kill you," but it wasn't like this. He wasn't purposefully trying to keep the two away.
Now that the Uchiha thought about it, all of this started after Akatsuki. After Kirei had been kidnapped. After the Seven Tail got out. After the base burned to the ground. After they'd –
"I think I know why Naruto's doing this." Sasuke mumbled softly, loosening his grip on the blonde in front of him.
Blinking to come away from her daydreams at his words, Kirei whined softly as he let her go and then smiled when he set his hands on her waist. She squealed when he picked her up and turned her around, pulling her onto his lap and holding her there. "You do?" She asked softly, bringing her blue eyes to look into his.
Onyx eyes were looking at her, but they weren't looking at her eyes. It was more like he was looking at her. "Yeah." He answered her softly, nodding. "Kirei," He began, eyes shifting down, to her hands. "Do you remember a few months ago, when we found you at Akatsuki?"
His voice was so soft, if her eyes hadn't been watching his lips, she wouldn't've heard it.
Closing her eyes for only a moment to think back, Kirei opened blue eyes to find that his were on hers. For once, she was ashamed to answer. "…No."
He didn't seem surprised by her answer, hands on her waist moving up to her face, cupping her jaw gently. "You had a cut here," He said, right thumb moving across her check, from the bridge of her nose to nearly the end of her jaw. "and," He continued, moving her bangs out of her left eye. "you had a bruise here." He let his eyes travel to that spot, imagining the bruise once more.
Kirei listened in silence, eyes watching his although he looked at where her cuts and bruises used to be, black eyes very soft, very much in remembrance.
His fingers never left her skin as they slid down her face, resting gently on semi red lips. "You were coughing up blood…" They slid farther, to her throat. "And you couldn't speak."
She gulped, feeling his fingers against her neck. She didn't know whether to apologize or say anything. She decided it best to stay silent.
His eyes slipped shut as his hands left her throat, setting gently on her waist. Even when he opened his eyes, he kept them from her sight, looking at her lap or the shingles on the roof. "It wasn't easy…seeing you like that."
Despite the fact that he wouldn't look at her, she watched him, feeling her heart race slightly. "…I'm…I'm sorry…" She whispered softly, feeling as if she should be sorry. She should remember. She should remember everything…but she couldn't.
Everything was a blank.
He looked back up at her, depths of sadness in his eyes. "It's not your fault, Kirei." He said, making sure she understood that fact, keeping his onyx eyes on her sapphire ones, hands clenching just slightly. "It won't ever be…" His voice lost some confidence as he went on. "It's just…" His eyes flickered away, heart beginning to race in his chest. "It was scary…seeing you lying there. We thought you were dead."
Kirei didn't realize she was crying until a tear rolled down her cheek.
"I was scared…that I'd lost you…and that I couldn't…" The Uchiha's voice faded away as his eyes closed in pain.
Holding a watery smile on her lips, Kirei pulled him into her arms and into her chest, holding him tightly. She couldn't help but close her eyes too.
He never shed a tear, his hands leaving her waist and wrapping around her, holding her close to him. He burrowed his face into her chest and gripped her shirt tightly. He wasn't ever going to let her go.
The blonde's tears had since stopped, although her eyes remained closed. Her hands kept him close, one petting the back of his head, trying to get him to calm down somewhat.
It was a few minutes before either one spoke or moved. As far away as they were, they could hear the roar of the waves crashing against the beach.
Sasuke never released his blonde, but at least let her shirt go, pulling away from her only slightly. He took a very deep breath, keeping onyx eyes away from her blue eyes.
She let him sit back up, but her hands never left him. They simply slipped down and laced together behind his neck. "Sasu – "
"Do you remember your first day in the hospital?" He cut her off, voice still very soft, eyes shifting from her lap to the roof.
Despite him not looking at her, she lowered her neck, trying to get his eyes to look at her. When his question registered in her mind, she blinked, eyes drifting downward. Yet another thing she didn't remember. "…no…" She replied softly, rolling her lips.
He figured as much, but wasn't upset in the least. None of this was her fault. "…I went in to see you…about 15 minutes after you got out of surgery…" He sighed, remembering the details a little better than he would've thought. Before continuing, he smiled only slightly, taking only one hand away from her and reaching up to his neck, removing her right hand from his neck and holding it with his. "I sat there for I don't know how long just playing with your hand…"
She felt his hand turn hers over, his thumb pressing gently into her palm. But she stayed silent, not knowing what to say and knowing that Sasuke never talked like this to her. Or to anyone.
"And all of a sudden…you started waking up…and you asked me where you were." He had more of a smile coming onto his face, although he still wouldn't look at her.
She watched his eyes, never seeing that look before. It was so soft…so…caring.
"I told you that you were home. In Konoha." He continued, gently pushing her fingers into her palm. "You sighed as best you could in relief."
She chuckled softly. Yeah, that sounded like her.
"Then you asked about Akatsuki…" Sasuke said, his voice becoming slightly louder. "And I told you they were dead…all of them but you and Itachi. You nodded and then asked about Naruto."
Kirei knew she shouldn't remember any of this, being under anesthesia since she'd been in surgery, but somehow, it felt familiar. If she closed her eyes, it felt even more familiar.
Before continuing, he pulled the fingers he pushed into her palm back, examining her palm. "I told you he was sleeping and that he'd – "
"Forever." Kirei said suddenly, eyebrows knitting together as her eyes closed just a little tighter. Why, of all times, did that word pop into her mind?
She didn't understand it. She remembered nothing of that day and yet this one word was just in her mind, flashing a bright sign at her. It was right there in her heart…but why?
A large smile crossed the Uchiha's face as he closed his eyes, taking her hand in his and putting it back around his neck. His hand returned to her waist, tickling her only slightly as he brought his face very close to hers, his lips right beside her ear. "You asked me to stay with you."
Kirei couldn't help but smile. And smile broadly. When she opened her eyes, she smiled even more, finding onyx eyes on her own. She didn't even give him the chance to say anything before pulling him into a kiss, wanting to express how much she loved her Prince.
There were no words in any language that could express it more.
"Kirei!!"
Sasuke smiled as he kissed back, hands gently gripping her shirt to hold her close to him. It was good to hear Naruto freaking out.
"TEME!!!!" A crash sound accompanied his scream.
Kirei was also smiling, although, she was chuckling, her hands woven in his hair, gripping the black locks tight.
When they finally broke apart a few minutes later, nearly gasping for breath, both sets of eyes closed, Kirei leaned her forehead against his, her hands still holding his black locks, his still holding her tightly.
"I think…" Sasuke began in pants, trying to catch his breath. "he's overcompensating for seeing you almost dead…"
She listened quietly, keeping her eyes closed and pants silent. She wanted to hear what he had to say.
"He's afraid to see you…get taken and get hurt again…" He added. "And so…he's keeping everything away from you…even me."
"Just like prom 2 years ago." She said, remembering how outrageous her Nii-san had been back then. He'd yelled at her enough to make her hate him, if only for that one day.
Sasuke chuckled, remembering that day. "Yeah, like then."
"I'm going to murder you, teme!!!"
Both blonde and raven sighed, hearing Naruto's shouts through the building. The neighbors in the condo next to theirs could probably hear too. They'd probably start complaining soon.
Sighing, Sasuke didn't want to say it. "I guess we should head back down now." He didn't need to open his eyes to know that Kirei was pouting, almost begging him to stay. So he didn't open his eyes.
When he didn't open his eyes like she did, she whined lightly, pushing her lips onto his. "Please?"
"No," He refused, eyes still closed as he turned his head. "we should go back down." He could feel the grip on his hair loosen considerably. "But," He continued, opening his eyes and looking at her, a smirk placed on his face. "we'll come back to our little rooftop anytime you want to, okay?"
She was still pouting, although both knew she was trying to hold back a smile. "Okay, Sasuke…" She mumbled, averting her eyes playfully.
He smiled, watching those eyes. "Come on, Princess," He quickly moved his hands to her waist and poked her sides, making her squeal in surprise. "Let's go inside and get something to eat."
With smiles on their faces they disentangled from the other, making their way to the edge of the roof, where Kirei refused to let Sasuke get her down. She wouldn't let him catch her, or hold her and then jump off. No, she wanted to get down on her own, to prove to both him and her Nii-san – although he wasn't watching – that she could do things without them.
So, Sasuke jumped down first, staying very close to her. He had a looming suspicion that Kirei was going to slip and he wasn't about to just let her slip and fall. Even in the dark, he kept a sharp eye, just waiting for her to fall.
Keeping her grip on the roof and gutter, cautiously letting one foot reach down far enough for her toes to find the railing. After her toes came her whole foot, and when she felt secure enough, let the other foot come down.
With well-trained eyes, Sasuke watched as Kirei set her whole weight on that one foot and turned it ever so slightly to come down. That turn, he knew, would make her slip and fall, which is exactly what she did.
She shrieked loudly when she didn't feel something beneath her feet, her hands slipping off the roof.
But Sasuke was ready for it; he'd seen it coming and with arms held out, he caught her, gripping tight to let her know he'd caught her. "Shhhhh," He said softly, noticing just how close she was. "It's okay…"
Her arms were wrapped completely around his neck, her left shoulder close enough to his lips that he could literally move his head forward and kiss it. He hadn't realized it, but she'd buried her head completely into his shoulder, her hands gripping his shirt tight. Tighter than she'd ever gripped his shirt before.
He ruffled his brows at it, but shook his head slightly, throwing the thought from his mind as he began to set her back on her feet.
Her hands gripped tighter. "No, don't," She begged, burrowing closer. "Don't put me down yet."
He could hear the fear in her voice, black eyes trying to find hers. When he didn't, feeling how her nails gripped into his shirt and almost into his back, he smiled. "Don't worry, Kirei. I won't." He whispered to her, feeling her body relax slightly. The fall must've scared her more than he thought.
Inside the condo, a fuming Naruto ran from out of the second living room at the sound of the scream and when he saw his cousin, his little sister in that bastard's arms, he growled. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he stomped toward the porch.
Coming out of her own room, Hinata immediately knew what was happening. "Oh no you don't," She mumbled, jumping out in front of him and holding him back, clamping a hand over his mouth. "You're not going out there."
"BRrrrfff!!!" He protested, which just made Hinata push him away even more.
"No." She replied, voice very stern. "Naruto, what did I tell you about but – " Hinata silenced herself when the glass door slid open. Keeping Naruto back, she turned her head and when she saw them, she couldn't hold back a smile.
Sasuke was the one shutting the door, although his one hand was currently preoccupied with both of Kirei's hands, her eyes watching him. She looked a little shooken up, if Hinata looked at her right.
Just as soon as the door was shut and locked, Kirei pulled the Uchiha along, coming right up to the both of them at the counter.
Hinata could've sworn Naruto was biting at her hand to let him speak…or rather, yell.
"Nii-san?" The smaller blonde asked, her voice soft, her hands pulling Sasuke's one around her waist, effectively bringing him closer. "Do you think we could watch a movie while eating pizza?"
Any tenseness in the older blonde disappeared and the biting against Hinata's hand stopped when he heard her. He blinked a few times, staring into those big blue eyes of his cousins, her lower lip pouting in the cutest way possible. He couldn't help but sigh and remove Hinata's hand. "…Okay, Nee-chan."
The Hyuuga blinked at her boyfriend, surprised at the sudden calmness he had. Looking at Kirei, she smiled. 'Of course, that look always turns him into putty…' "Well, you guys might have to heat it up…"
"That's okay." Sasuke said, letting Kirei pull him into the kitchen to get a few slices. He was staying close to her on account of Naruto, who seemed very calm…very…non protective. The raven was pretty sure that wasn't going to last long.
"What movie do you want to watch, Nee-chan?" Naruto asked as he watched them, very careful not to growl or snarl. He knew by just looking into those blue eyes that something wasn't right…something had scared her. Protecting her could be set aside. For now.
Setting the time on the microwave for their three slices, Kirei thought for only a moment. "Howl's Moving Castle." She finally said, smiling as she looked at Sasuke and then her cousin. "Is that okay?" She asked in the sweetest voice she had, making sure she kept her eyes with her cousin's.
Smiling, he nodded quickly. "Of course, Nee-chan!" And with one small scowl toward Sasuke, he turned and headed into their room, where he found said movie and brought it out to the living room. Before Kirei and Sasuke got out of the kitchen, he put the DVD in, turned on the tv and set the whole system up.
"Go ahead," Kirei said softly, turning slightly to see her raven. "I'll be just a minute. Go sit down."
Sasuke lingered for a moment, wanting to make sure she was okay. "Okay." He said, her small smile convincing him. But before he let her go, her stepped just a bit closer to her, leaning and kissing her neck, making sure to make her giggle. It was always nice to hear her giggle.
Kirei sighed a very happy sigh, trying her hardest to stifle her giggle. "Go on." She mumbled, a huge smile set on her lips. It was hard to, seeing as how he found her soft spot and started kissing until she finally laughed and pushed him away. "Go on." She repeated.
He could only chuckle, seeing that slight tint on her face. "I'm going, Princess." He said, finally letting her go and out of the kitchen and to the couch in the living room. Nodding to Hinata, who sat on the one end of the couch, he sat at the other end, sure that Naruto could sit with Hinata and he could sit with Kirei and yet allow Naruto to be close to his blonde.
But as Naruto came to the couch and smiled at Hinata, he sat next to Sasuke, leaning back into the seat happily, holding the remote in his hand, waiting for his Nee-chan. Of course. The raven should've known better.
Holding the rather hot plate of pizza, Kirei sighed inwardly. Was her Nii-san really trying to test her? As calmly as she could, she walked over to the couch and kept her voice calm. "Nii-san?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.
The Uzumaki could feel that glare, despite his cousin's rather happy look. He knew that deep down, she wasn't all that happy. "…yes?" He asked, a bit afraid to look up at her.
She had a smile on her face. "Would you mind moving over? I want to sit beside Sasuke." But her smile wasn't because she was happy.
It took Naruto less than a second to move over toward Hinata.
"Thank you, Nii-san." Kirei replied, smiling a true smile as she sat on the couch beside Sasuke. "Careful," She warned him, seeing him reach for one of his slices. "It's hot."
He smiled at her concern, wrapping both arms around her and pulling her close before taking a slice anyway. After all, traveling all day, unpacking, traveling up to a roof, admitting some locked away feelings and then catching his beloved? Yeah, Sasuke was hungry.
Sighing, Naruto also pulled his blue haired girlfriend closer too him, knowing that he really didn't spend a lot of time with her today. Keeping Sasuke away from Nee-chan was a lot harder than he expected it to be.
With a smile, Hinata took the remote from her blonde and pressed play, happy that he was finally leaving them alone. They deserved to have a little time to themselves with everything that'd happened in the last year.
The lights off and Howl's Moving Castle beginning, both couples rested themselves, getting ready for the week ahead, full knowing that this would be one of very few times to relax.
Neji sighed the most relaxed sigh he'd ever sighed in his life. He was currently sitting on his porch, sipping on some hot coffee while reading the newspaper he'd just gotten.
It was early morning and a little brisk out, so he threw on a button up t-shirt, leaving it unbuttoned. He just wanted something covering at least part of his chest.
But other than that and maybe a breeze here and there, the sound of the waves crashing on the beach was a sound for sore ears.
Setting down the newspaper because the news was rather boring, he closed his eyes and reached out to the table, to his coffee and pulled it back, taking a sip of the hot liquid. It was nice to be out here, just him and his fiancée…
"NEJI?!"
Shocked and surprised, the longhaired Hyuuga promptly spit out his drink all over the table.
He knew that voice.
"Hyuuga Neji that IS you!!!"
And he did not want to hear that voice. Not on his vacation.
In a ridiculous blue, floral patterned t-shirt, Naruto jumped over the railing of their porch and onto the Hyuuga's, smile broad. Who knew that Neji was going to be here the week of his vacation?! "You butt," He began, plopping in a seat beside his friend and slapping him on the back. "You didn't tell me you were gonna be living right next to us!!"
Neji felt like smacking his head off the table. Repeatedly.
Suddenly, the glass door slid open. "Neji?" A sleepy Raiha asked as she rubbed her eyes of sleep. She figured he was out here, seeing as how she'd woken up without him.
Thanking God, Neji stood up quickly, walking over to her. "It's okay Raiha," He said, setting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm just out here."
"But who was yelling?" She asked, not able to see the blonde sitting at their table.
Of course, he made his presence known. "Hey there, Raiha-chan!!!" Naruto yelled, waving his hand and smiling.
"Oh." She mumbled, a little more awake than before.
"I should've checked to see who our neighbors were before renting this place…" Neji mumbled to her, turning her around and gently nudging her back inside the condo. "Go ahead back to sleep, love. I'll be in a few minutes…" He hoped.
Still somewhat sleepy, she nodded. "Okay, honey." She shuffled away, ready and willing to go back to bed. 6 in the morning was way too early to get up.
"So Neji," Naruto began, still sitting in the chair, grinning as his friend. "What do you think about coming down to the beach later and playing a friendly game of volleyball?"