Yay! New stories. New pairing. Enjoy, and review. Love –WTR.
-X-
"Tears are sometimes an inappropriate response to death. When a life has been lived completely honestly, completely successfully, or just completely, the correct response to death's perfect punctuation mark is a smile."
[Julie Burchill]
-x-
Fluff. It was falling from the sky, blanketing the city in white. Blinding, freezing, Icy, white. A pale man, who easily fit in with his surroundings due to his skin color, trudged quietly down the street. His breath came in short pants, a small foggy cloud appearing as he exhaled. His face was flushed, his ears were burning, his nose was frozen, and his lips were chapped. All in all, this man was not very happy. The streets were deserted, despite the fact it was around 1 o'clock in one of the busiest cities in the world. Roughly stamping his feet on the sidewalk to rid himself of the snow, the man entered a cozy nook on the corner of 6th and Kings street. The bitter but pleasant aroma of coffee filled the café, while the steam from the hot mugs warmed the room considerably. People were scattered here and there, lounging on couches, making small talk and taking small sips. The man walked up to the counter, scanning the menu quickly before looking over at the person serving him. A petite young man. His hair was messy, the golden spikes not cooperating and instead all pointing towards different directions. His skin was a warm tan, which was rare during the winter. Three scars adorned each cheek, giving the man an overall fox like appearance. What enticed the pale man the most, though, were the determined blue eyes. They were wide and innocent, as if this man hadn't ever had something to worry about. The pale man searched for the golden boy's nametag, but was surprised to find there was no nametag.
"Aren't you supposed to wear a form of identification?" The pale man asked, gesturing towards the boy's shirt. The boy grinned widely before fishing said nametag out of his pocket. "You mean a nametag?"
"I guess so." The boy gave a quick nod before fastening the golden plate to his apron. "Why is it that you're so interested in my name?" The pale man briefly glanced at the tag; finding out that the boy's name was Naruto.
"I don't see why not. That is what nametags are for... am I correct?" He asked in a monotone. Naruto raised his eyebrows, but chose to do his job rather than bother the customer some more. "Welcome to Konohacafé. May I take your order please, sir?" He said in a cheerful voice.
The pale man didn't hesitate as he said, "Tall vanilla-bean iced frappuccino. Extra whipped cream."
Naruto sucked in a deep breath before whispering, "Jesus, bastard. Do you strive to be cold?"
"It's not for me. I don't like sweet things." The blond whipped his head up from scribbling something on a cup. "Oh, you heard that? I'm sorry."
"You're sorry I heard, idiot." Naruto would have been riled up at the insult, but something about the way the man said it calmed him down. "Yeah, I guess so."
Naruto turned around and passed the cup to someone else who in turn began preparing the man's order. The blond looked around quickly before heading back to the pale man. "Since you know my name can I at least know yours?"
"No."
"C'mon, please!"
"No."
"The drink'll be on me!"
"...Sasuke."
"Okay, Sasuke. That'll be... $4.15, please?" Naruto said, smiling at the angry man in front of him.
"The hell, dobe?" Sasuke shouted, raising his hands slightly. Naruto ignored the glare being sent his way as he handed the drink over. "I was joking, teme. Relax. I'm not that cheap."
Sasuke scowled as he pushed past a group of giggling tweens. "Have a nice day, Sasuke!" Naruto called after the man, watching him take a seat in one of the least crowded places of the shop. Sasuke scoffed as he turned away from the beaming blond. Having him yell at him from across the room was not good if you were trying to keep incognito. Sasuke waited silently, staring out of the glass window on his left. The snow banks on the sides of the sidewalks were gradually growing in size. Cars slowly drifted down the road, careful to not skid on ice. The small amount of people whom were being brave and choosing to walk wore knitted hats and mittens, thick scarves, and large, volumous coats. He saw a snowman on the other side of the road, donning a top hat and a carrot for a nose.
"Sasuke?"
Sasuke looked away from the window, and saw his best friend, and boyfriend, Neji. "Hyuuga." Sasuke said, acknowledging him with a nod. Neji sank down into the seat in front of Sasuke, briefly scanning the café.
"What time is Mada- Tobi supposed to be here?" Neji asked, frowning at his slip up. Sasuke glared at the frosty plastic cup in front of him, "He said 1:30. It's 1:23, so another 7 minutes."
"I, uh, didn't find anything out." Neji said, flicking a strand of brown hair away from his face.
Sasuke arched a brow. "About?"
"The plane tickets? We couldn't trace them back to the buyer." Neji sighed. He hated being the failure of the team, despite the fact it wasn't exactly his fault this time.
"Hm. First time Shika hasn't been able to do something..." Sasuke muttered, finding himself looking at the counter, where a blond was gazing back over at him. "I know... these men; they know what they're doing."
Both Sasuke and Neji turned to the window when a rapping noise was heard. It seemed the rest of the people inside heard it too. A man, dressed in a long black cloak adorned with red clouds and an orange mask, was standing at the window, flailing his arms.
"Sasuke-kun! Neji-kun!"
The men bowed their heads in embarrassment.
-x-
"Look, Tobi made a fort!" The man said, pointing at himself and then at the mound of snow beside him. Sasuke glared as he handed him his drink.
"Thank you, Sasuke-kun! Tobi has something for you both!" Tobi unbuttoned his coat, reached in, and pulled out a creamy folder. Neji took it from him, not letting him explain the details.
"Wait, Neji-kun! Tobi must say one more thing! Or else Tobi won't be a good boy!" Neji briskly turned around, bumping elbows with Sasuke along the way.
"What is it, Tobi?" Sasuke asked, leaning slightly to his left, rubbing his shoulder against Neji's.
"A clue! 'Should you trust or not trust, what is the right choice? Use this newly found knowledge to move forward.' Tobi doesn't understand, but Tobi is a good boy!"
"Alright, thanks, Tobi. Bye." Neji said, squirming when Sasuke stepped closer to him. The moment Tobi was no longer visible to them, Sasuke slammed Neji against the wall, and smirked when the brunette whimpered softly at the impact against his head.
"Ow, Sasuke... be more careful!" He hissed, closing his eyes in discomfort. Sasuke ignored the complaint and instead wrapped his arms around Neji's waist, bringing the shorter man into his chest. Neji stayed still for a couple seconds in anger before nuzzling his head against Sasuke's chest. That was when a snowball went flying through the air and hit Sasuke's forehead. The Uchiha stepped back in shock before turning and sending a glare at the intruder.
"Hey, Sasuke! If you're going to attack your boyfriend, don't do it in front of the window where everyone can see, dumbass." Naruto shouted, before stomping back inside. Sasuke couldn't help but smile softly at the blonds' outburst. He was lost in his thoughts until a pale hand reached up and gently stroked his cheek, while lavender eyes watched innocently.
"Neji... we have to look at the folder." Sasuke whispered, leaning in and rubbing his nose against Neji's in an Eskimo kiss. The young man grimaced before struggling out from beneath Sasuke's body. He quickly led the way to the Library. Only a block away, they reached it in only a couple minutes. The building was shaped exactly like a pyramid, with glass as the exterior. Both men stomped their feet on the snow covered carpet at the entrance. They then headed in the direction of the business related books. Not very many people came to that section, which is why they chose it. They took a seat opposte from each other at a long, rectangular table. Sasuke crawled out from his layers of clothing and placed them with Neji's on the leather chair beside him. He decided to keep his black and white plaid scarf on despite the warmth in the Library. He then placed the folder on the table, watching intently as Neji slowly slid out the contents. Inside were two train tickets, a couple travel documents, and a three page long letter describing the objective if their next task. Sasuke scanned it briefly, though only one concept caught his attention.
"Take the Train heading for Suna, two tickets are enclosed. In your cabin you will encounter a problem. We trust that Tobi gave you the clue, use it." It read. Sasuke sighed as he folded the letter up once again.
"Uchiha? You feeling alright? You're looking a little pale..." Neji mumbled, worry making his brows crease. Sasuke gave a slow nod. He took the pile of clothing and threw it onto the table. Neji sent him a curious gaze, which Sasuke responded to by patting the seat beside him. The brunette smiled at Sasuke's cuddly mood. It was rare for Sasuke to be cuddly, so Neji made sure to take advantage of every situation he got. Sasuke wrapped an arm around Neji and sighed when he felt the warmth against his side. He stared straight ahead, occasionally glancing at Neji for reassurance that he was there. The yellow light above them gave everything a golden glow. The bookshelf in front of them was littered with "_ For Dummies," books. Neji's warmth along with the warmth of the furnace had made Sasuke tired. His eyelids became heavy, and with one last sigh, he let sleep lead him into his reoccurring nightmare.
-x-
The sky was a beautiful violet color. It usually wasn't such an abnormal color, but Sasuke relished in the peace it brought. The quiet sounds of morning were echoing throughout the neighbourhood. Sasuke's childhood residence was in a typical neighbourhood. There were white picket fences, neatly mowed lawns, beautiful flowers, and tall trees. Sasuke's house wasn't too big, nor was it small, just the right size. They hadn't moved into the Uchiha Mansion until he was three months from being 16, when his parents won the lottery. Sasuke stood outside of his house, taking in the calm atmosphere. His nightmare always started like this. It would give him a false sense of security, only to take it away a couple minutes later. He waited patiently for the signal. The signal meant the beginning of his torture. And there it was. The shrill sound of a bell cut through his thoughts. He watched himself ride into view on his newly purchased bicycle.
"Junior" As present-day Sasuke liked to call him, would leave his bike out on the driveway, storm into the house, and yell, "I'm home!" In his innocent voice. His mother, Mikoto, would step out of the kitchen to greet her son, though on this particular day worry was etched onto her face. Present-day Sasuke followed Junior into the house, standing still as he watched the scene for the umpteenth time.
"What's wrong, mom?" Junior would ask. Sasuke's father, Fugaku, would then come into the picture, telling Junior to go to his room. Junior would then protest loudly until his mother finally cracked.
"It's Itachi, dear." She would cry, pulling out a handkerchief and using it to dab her eyes. Junior would frown before asking, "Isn't Itachi at University?"
"No, dear. He's been in the hospital this whole time." Mikoto would say, sniffing lightly. Junior would look shocked for a couple seconds before asking, "Why is he in the hospital?"
"He's... sick." His father would say, leading his mother back into the kitchen.
Junior would stand in the doorway, forgetting about the A on his English exam he had rushed home to tell his parents about. He would then enter the kitchen, tap his father on the shoulder, and demand to be taken to his older brother. The duo would argue for a couple minutes, until Fugaku finally agreed to drive him. Mikoto would stay at home preparing dinner, while Fugaku drove his youngest son to the hospital. Present-day Sasuke sat in the front seat, watching his father struggle to not lash out at Junior. They would check in, and the young nurse with the curly red hair would point them in the direction of the room both Present-day Sasuke and Fugaku had seen so many times. They would walk down the hallway, make a right, another right, and a left, up the stairs, make a left, and finally arrive at Itachi's room. Itachi would appear startled when Junior stepped into the room. Junior would quietly walk towards his brother, taking in the pale face, charcoal eyes, and dark hair he knew so well. He would grab Itachi's hand, and demand for his brother to explain his illness. Itachi would simply stare furiously at his father for letting Junior know. Itachi would get so tired of hearing Junior scream that he would poke Junior in the forehead and ask for silence. Junior would rub at his newly formed bruise and glare at his brother, clearly waiting for an explanation. Itachi would then give him the watered down version of his illness and ask his father for some privacy with Junior. His father would agree, but not before shaking his head in disappointment at his youngest son.
"Junior, I want you to do as I say." Itachi would say. Junior would nod slowly. "Open that drawer." Itachi would instruct, pointing at the first drawer of a desk beside his bed. Junior would do so, finding a blue notebook and a thin wooden rod inside.
Present-day Sasuke walked up to his brother's bed, reaching out for the hand he could not hold. Something inside his dream prohibited him from touching any of his family members. They could not see or hear him, so he could not catch their attention. This was the torment of his dream. He was not able to do anything to change his actions as a foolish 10 year old.
Itachi would explain to Junior how to take out the fake bottom of the drawer using the rod. Junior would follow Itachi's instructions carefully, and would reveal a much older looking leather journal underneath the fake cover. Junior would ask Itachi why he was hiding his journal. Itachi would glare at his little brother until he was quiet again. Junior would be instructed to read the journal when he got home. Junior would repeatedly ask questions until his older brother shushed him with another poke to the head.
"Junior, you've been a great little brother. Always so eager to learn. So thank you. For letting me be your older brother and letting me teach you the hardships of life. Remember, Junior. Even when I'm not here anymore, I'll always be looking out for you." Itachi would whisper, smiling at the shocked face of Junior. Junior would stay with his older brother, making small talk until his brother finally passed out from exhaustion. Junior would place a kiss on his older brother's cheek, not missing the quiet murmurs coming from his brother. One murmur, however, would stay with Junior until he became Present-day Sasuke. "Sorry, Junior. There won't be a next time."
Of course, Junior didn't understand the meaning of the statement at the time. Junior would leave the room and accompany his father outside without a last glance at the peaceful face of his brother. Itachi died in his sleep that night. That was the moment in the dream where it would all become a blend of colors. Present-day Sasuke assumed that he had blocked out this part of his memory, due to the pain it caused. Present-day Sasuke would only then be allowed a peaceful slumber, which frustratingly lasted about the last 30 minutes of his sleep.
-x-
A bright white flash was what brought Sasuke out of his deep sleep this time.
"Why are boys sleeping together?" A little girl with blue pigtails asked, still clutching the camera she had used to snatch a picture of them. Sasuke blinked away the tears in his eyes before replying, "We were cold. Don't you think sleeping with someone else makes it warmer?" He managed to smile at the wide gold eyes peering up at him. The little girl nodded happily, stomping her small pink boots on the carpeted floor. "What reading?" She asked, standing on her tip-toes so she could look at the items on the table. She reached for a cream coloured folder.
"Ooh! Like! Samantha show mommy?" She beamed, staring down at the folder in awe. Sasuke's brain must have still been dormant, as he nodded at the girl. "Just promise to bring it back, okay?" He said. Samantha grinned up at Sasuke, "Sammy promise." Samantha ran away, heading into the cookbook aisle. Sasuke stared ahead in silence before he felt the man beside him shift, and slowly begin to wake up.
"Hey." Sasuke whispered, watching the sleepy pale eyes open. Neji blinked for a couple seconds and finally pulled his hands away from Sasuke's arm. The Uchiha stood up and stretched, glancing up at the darkened sky. Snow was piling on the glass once again, rendering it difficult to look outside.
"How long were we sleeping?" Neji asked, leaning his head on the table. Sasuke raised his brows at the brunette, emitting a laugh from him. "Sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night."
"I can tell. A couple hours, I guess. We came here at about 2 to look at the... folder. Where. Is. The. Folder?" He shouted. Almost instantly, Neji stood up. Sasuke's eyes widened in realization.
"What? What is it?" Neji questioned, noticing the look on his boyfriend's face. "Damn it. The little girl. She has it. Where is she?" Sasuke said, scanning the room briefly for the head of blue hair.
"Wait, wait. Sasuke, what's going on?" Neji asked, looking frantically at the raven.
"This little girl woke me up. She took a picture of us, and asked why we were sleeping together. I made something up, and she asked to show the folder to her mother. I wasn't thinking clearly, so I said yes. But I made her promise to bring it back. I'm just not sure whether to trust her promise." Sasuke explained. Neji's eyes sparked with recognition.
"What?" Sasuke inquired. The brunette remained pensive for a couple seconds, before answering, "Wasn't there something about trust in that clue Tobi gave us?"
Sasuke tried to remember back to earlier in the day. 'Should you trust or not trust, what is the right choice? Use this newly found knowledge to move forward.'
"Yes... yes, there was. What do you think it means?" Sasuke said. He began to pace, as he always did when he was nervous. "I think... that we should stay here and wait for her. We should trust her." Neji replied earnestly.
"But, she's just a little girl. She could think this is all just a game, or she could forget..." Sasuke reasoned, staring at the table in the hopes that the folder would spontaneously appear. Neji put his hands on Sasuke's shoulders, keeping him from pacing. "Uchiha, relax. Please, trust me in this. Trust the little girl. Come on. Everything will turn out alright. I mean, your brother wouldn't screw us over like that."
The raven laughed at his boyfriend's reasoning. "Fine. I'll trust you, and trust her. But Neji, seriously... that was really lame. My brother has all the right to screw us over."
Neji smiled at the Uchiha before sitting back down in his chair. "Sit with me. I'm tired, and I'm looking for a comfy pillow."
Sasuke sighed in mock frustration before taking the seat next to Neji. The brunette placed his head in Sasuke's lap, shut his eyes, and calmly fell asleep. Sasuke waited for about two hours, watching the little people that did come here pick out their selections and leave. He could faintly feel his stomach rumbling, but it was ignored. He kept his eyes on the quiet aisle that led from the cookbook section to the business related section. His eyes began to tear up every once in a while due to way he stared at the aisle. Neji remained asleep, occasionally murmuring Sasuke's name along with a random object. Sasuke's shoulder was tapped, and in a quick motion he turned around while managing to not stir Neji. It was one of the employee's at the library, dressed in a black shirt, a purple vest, and a pair of dark jeans.
"Sorry to bother you sir, but I was told to find a man by the name of Sasuke Uchiha? Are you by any chance him?" The young woman asked, narrowing her eyes at the sleeping man in Sasuke's lap.
"Yes, that's me." Sasuke said, smirking at the woman. She had a mop of pink hair. Her green eyes caught Sasuke's gaze, and she returned Sasuke's smirk with a smile of her own. "Alright, would you please follow me?" She called as she turned around. Sasuke exchanged his lap for his jacket, making sure to not wake Neji. He threw one last look back at his boyfriend before following behind the employee.
"Who needed to find me?" Sasuke asked, watching the woman make a series of turns. "They didn't give their names. Or their reason." She continued before Sasuke could ask again. Sasuke scoffed at the woman's apparent rudeness. Then again, he always deserved it. They finally reached the Employee's Only room that every public place had. It was dark and cold, almost like an abandoned warehouse.
Sasuke could see a shadow lingering in the back of the room. "Hello?" He called out, silence being his answer. The door closed behind him, and he could hear the faint click of the lock, as well as the young woman's yells of outrage.
"Show yourself!" Sasuke shouted, cautiously stepping forward. The shadow was still there, unmoving. The silence was almost frightening. The darkness was overwhelming. Sasuke wondered if his heart was supposed to beat this fast. A familiar voice spoke beside him, causing him to trip over his feet in his scramble to turn around.
There in front of him, stood the shadow. Her voice echoed throughout the room, making Sasuke the slightest bit paranoid. Sasuke could vaguely see the outline of her hair, which was most certainly blue.
"I have your folder, Sasuke." She hissed, sounding so unlike the adorable little girl he had spoken to just hours before. "How did you know my name, Samantha?" Sasuke asked, unconsciously scooting backwards.
"Samantha? You think I'm Samantha? The name's Konan. Take a look, Uchiha." She said. As soon as her sentence was finished, a bright light flickered to life above them. A tall woman towered over him. Her inky blue hair was pulled back into a bun, while a decorative paper flower was pinned directly above her right ear, holding her bangs back. Her eyes were a warm amber framed by long, dark, lashes. She wore the same cloak that Tobi had worn, only hers was tighter and more form revealing.
"Konan. You belong to the Akatsuki?" Sasuke questioned, standing up. He now realized he was taller than the woman.
"Yes. Your brother said you were a dumbass, but not this much... here's the folder." She said, handing the folder to him. The lights dimmed until both Sasuke and Konan were thrust into darkness once more. Sasuke wouldn't have noticed that Konan had left had it not been for her hot breath against his neck. "Make sure it doesn't happen again."
Sasuke merely nodded, wondering whether she could see him or not. The door was opened a couple seconds later, and the young woman who had led him here began to shout his name, obviously not noticing him standing directly beside her.
"It's okay. I'm right here." He said, pushing past her. "Oh, Sasuke, I was so worried! They just wouldn't let me inside, and I was trying so hard, really I..." She trailed off when she realized that Sasuke had obviously left.
Just as Sasuke entered the Business section, he was tackled to the ground by a furious Neji.
"Where the hell were you? You had me so worried, asshole!" Neji shouted, before nuzzling his face into Sasuke's neck. Sasuke sighed as the reassurance that came with holding Neji arrived.
"So, where were you?" Neji asked, leaning back to look at Sasuke. The Uchiha debated for a moment whether to tell Neji about Konan or not. He settled for a semi-truthful answer.
"Samantha, the little girl, was different... than what I thought. I have the folder now, though."
-x-
So, hope you guys liked it. I'll get more into the whole Journal/Akatsuki thing next chapter. If you guys like it, of course. I had so much fun writing the dream you have no idea. My inspiration for after the Konohacafé scene and on was "Sleepyhead" By Passion Pit. I love that song. Anyways, please review.