A/N: Sorry about the out of character-ness with Itachi, and for not being true to Itachi and Sasuke's relationship with each other, but, oh well. They DO live in our world in this story, so there will be no killing of families and destroying of homes, alright? Fantastic. Now that we have that sorted out, on with the story...

Black and White

Chapter 2

I wake up the next morning with a yawn and wipe tiredly at my eyes. The room I'm in is unfamiliar, yet I've seen it before.

I stand up, loose my balance, then stand up again. This time, I remain standing and proceed to walk down into the living room to wake Sasuke up.

"Hey, Uchiha," I say softly as I shake his shoulder, sitting next to him on the couch, "Wake up, I'm bored..."

He remains sleeping, face smashed into his pillow, looking like he hasn't slept in months.

I sigh, calling it quits, and decide to try Itachi...

I walk up the stairs and knock lightly on his door.

He, unlike his brother, is awake and answers the door less than a second after I knock.

"Morning, Kai," he says, "You hungry?"

"Not really," I lie, not wanting to trouble him with having to go out to get food for my sake.

"Are you sure?" he asks, "I was just heading out for some Mickey D's anyway."

"No thanks..." I reply, "I'm not big into fast food... I prefer healthier foods..."

"Ahh... Well... Over here, I usually just get some pizza or something, so..."

"It's alright," I shrug, "I'll be able to buy myself some stuff sometime today or something..."

"Is Sasuke up?"

I shake my head.

He sighs and pushes past me, walking swiftly down the stairs.

"Sasuke!!!" he yells, jumping onto the couch... that Sasuke WAS asleep on.

"DAMN IT, ITACHI, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!" he yells, infuriated, "I WAS FRIKING TIRED, YOU COULDN'T'VE JUST LET ME SLEEP, COULD YOU?!!"

"Nope," his brother replies with a smile.

Sasuke throws a punch at his brother's head, narrowly missing it, causing me to gasp a little.

I press myself against a wall, not wanting to take any part in the fight roaring on in front of me. Neither of them seem ready to give up yet.

"You dumb ass!!!" Sasuke yells, punching his brother in the stomach, "I was SLEEPING!!!!!"

"Yeah?!" Itachi yells back, getting Sasuke in a headlock, "Well KAI was BORED!!!!!"

So, as they continue to yell at each other and beat each other to a pulp, I refuse to move. Geeze, Uchiha really meant it when he said they fight a lot...

"Alright, you know what, Itachi?!!" Uchiha yells, pulling out of the headlock he was in, "Wake me up like that again, and I will kill you!!"

"Whatever you say, little brother," Itachi smiles, standing up, fixing his hair, and straightening out his shirt.

Sasuke growls and irons out his shirt with his hands.

"You alright, Kai?" Itachi smiles at me.

I nod once, still staring at them with wide eyes.

"Alright, then, Sasuke can take you out for some breakfast, while I go to school."

"It's winter vacation," I state timorously.

He chuckles and pats my head, saying, "Not if you go to my college."

I grumble a little to let him know that I heard him, then he nudges me toward Sasuke.

"Come on, Kai," Uchiha says, "Let's go get something to eat because someone doesn't have anything edible in their house."

He shoots a look at Itachi, who just glares back as if saying, "Do you want me to let you stay here or not?"

Sasuke takes my hand and escorts me out of the house, walking toward the city for some food.

"What do you want to eat?" he asks as we get closer.

"I'm not sure," I lie, "Um..."

I fidget a little with the zipper on my hoodie, not wanting to tell the Uchiha what I want to eat.

"Oh, come on," Uchiha urges, "I know you're lying."

"Huh?"

"I'm good at reading people's emotions," he replies, pointing to his eyes, "I have good eyesight, unlike my brother."

I nod once, then respond, "I want some... um... some fruit."

"'Fruit'?" he repeats, looking down at me, "You like fruit?"

"Yeah," I nod, half expecting him to burst out laughing and call me a freak like any one else that goes to our school would've.

"Alright," he smiles, "It should be a good break from those Cup Noodle things... My parents always go out to eat and never take me with them, so I'm stuck making my own food... And I usually just make some ramen or something."

"I like ramen."

"Yeah... You know that one blonde kid that sits front and center in English?"

I shake my head. He sighs.

"I forgot..." he says, a hint of a smile playing about his lips, "You don't pay attention to the kids at our school... Well, anyway, there's an annoying blonde guy that sits front and center in English that's obsessed with ramen... It's all he ever eats. And he insists on wearing orange all the time..."

"What about the stupid school uniforms?"

It's only just now that I realize that he wasn't wearing a uniform when I first met him.

"Well, we're allowed to choose our own shoes, and wear accessories, you know? So he wears everything that he can orange..."

"Why weren't you wearing the uniform when I first met you?" I ask.

"I don't wear the uniforms."

"Why not?"

"Because I hate them."

"So... you just don't wear them?"

"Nope," he smiles, "That's the only reason my grades are so low- I refuse to wear the uniforms. And I have my ear pierced..."

"I noticed that..."

"Yeah..."

We walk into a grocery store, then continue talking.

"I've always wanted to get my ears pierced," I say, winding my way toward the fresh produce aisle.

"Why haven't you?" he asks, following me.

"My parents can't afford it..." I mutter, looking down at my shoes as I walk.

"That sucks," Sasuke replies, "Well, I could pay for you."

"No, please don't!!" I gasp, looking up at him, "I don't like letting other people pay for me when it comes to stuff like that..."

"Well, can I at least buy whatever you want here?" he sighs, waving his hand to indicate the grocery store, "Itachi would eat my soul if he found out that I made you buy your food..."

"Alright," I smile, "Your brother's nice."

"Pfft."

I raise an eyebrow and shrug as if to say, "It seems that way."

When we walk out of the store, Sasuke grabs my hand and pulls me along with him to somewhere that I don't know.

Down the street...

Into a mall...?

"What're we doing here?" I ask quietly, looking around.

"You're getting your ears pierced," he says, smiling.

"No!! I can't let you pay for-"

"Yes, you can," he interrupts, "And you will. This is a gift to you; you're not rude enough to not accept it... are you?"

"You make me sound like a bad person when you put it that way..." I mumble.

"That's the idea."

I grumble, blowing a strand of hair out of my face as he drags me into a Claire's.

"Alright, she needs her ears pierced," Sasuke said to the lady there.

"Umm... I'm going to need a signature form the parent or guardi-"

"Right here," says a voice from the door.

The Uchiha and I look over to see Itachi standing in the doorway.

"Hey, how'd you get there so fast?" I ask, really meaning to say "I thought you were in school" but not wanting to give the ear-pierce lady the hint that he really isn't my "parent or guardian".

"Mad ninja skills," he smirks, then turns and smiles at the lady, "She's my adopted daughter."

Uchiha's eye twitches, and my eyes grow wide.

"Alright, fine," the lady sighs, "Come have a seat right here."

Sasuke nudges me toward her, and I sit down on the stool the she indicates.

After Itachi pays, we leave, and I grumble.

"You guys didn't really have to do that," I said, "I feel bad for making you pay for all this stuff for me..."

"Don't feel bad," Itachi smiles, "It's our pleasure."

"Yeah, but you just paid someone to jab little holes into my ears."

"Yeah, and the 'little holes' are awesome, now cheer up, would you?"

"Sorry, sorry!!"

When we get home and put most of the food into the fridge, I cut an apple and put it in one of the bowls that I find in Itachi's cabinets.

"Hey, Sasuke," I call, "Do you want some apples?"

"I want some!!" Itachi yells from the living room, jumping up and walking quickly into the kitchen where I am to get some.

"Why weren't you in school?" I ask as he grabs a piece and pops it into his mouth.

"It was cancelled today," he replies, "My teacher's really superstitious and one of my classmates told him that it was a lifetime of bad luck if you taught while it was raining or something... And the news says 70 chance of rain today, so..."

"Nice!!" I laugh. He chuckles.

"In fact, he's coming over tonight to help me with my math because I suck at it and my math teacher is evil... I hope you don't mind."

"No problem," I smile, "What kind of math is it?"

"Some algebra shit or something... I don't know, all I know is that I suck at it and I'm gonna fail if Deidara doesn't help me..."

"I don't like math, but I'm good at it."

"Deidara hates math," Itachi says, nodding, "But he has the highest grades in our class... Which is weird."

"It is."

At this moment, a loud whistle slices neatly through the air. I make my way over to the stove where I was boiling some water for tea.

"Would you like some?" I ask Itachi, "It's chamomile."

"No thanks," he shakes his head, "I'm more of a coffee kind of person."

I nod as I pour the water into a mug and put in one of the tea bags that Sasuke bought for me.

Sasuke walks into the room and reaches for an apple.

"Mine," Itachi hisses, slapping his hand away.

Uchiha gives his older brother a major "what the fuck" face and grabs an apple, popping it into his mouth.

"Holy shit, these are good!!" he exclaims.

"Yeah, they are, aren't they?" I reply, smiling, "They're really sweet..."

"Some of you must have rubbed off on them," Itachi grins, eating another, "Right, Sasuke?"

"Hn," Sasuke grunts in reply.

I giggle a little.

"And now you're laughing?!" Itachi gasps, "Yesterday you wouldn't even smile!!"

"Well, you guys have helped me open up a bit more already..." I mumble, looking down at my shoes.

"Stop looking down!!"

"Sorry."

After we finish eating the apple, I go back up the guest room and sit on the bed, my backpack on my lap.

I almost feel guilty that there's five different outfits in it, though I know I should feel glad. I've been planning to run away for some time now, but not once have I actually gotten around to it.

Am I scared?

I shake my head to keep the thoughts back and take out my journal, opening it up to the next blank page.

December 17

Me again. It's been a few days. I've been feeling more alone than ever lately. Yet, here I am at Uchiha's Sasuke's brother's house, feeling, dare I say, accepted...? It makes me feel weird to not be looked down at. I'm content here at Itachi's house, but I can't help but think about what may be waiting for me. Is it a fortunate turn of events, or the lull before a storm? So, here I sit, unable to do anything but wait... Wait and see...

I close my journal, careful not to look at it as I do, just in case I catch a glimpse of any of the other pages that I've... written on.

"Kai?" says a voice softly on the other side of the door with a soft knock.

"Um!! Yes?" I gasp, cramming my journal under my pillow.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asks, opening the door.

"I'm fine."

"Oh... I'm bored," he sighs, sinking down into the chair next to the desk.

"Me too," I sigh as well.

"What do you want to-"

"ITAAAACCCHHHIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" comes a voice from downstairs along with 50 loud bangs on the door.

"Oh crap," Sasuke whines, "Not him..."

"Who is it?" I ask.

"Deidara..."

"Hi, Deidara," Itachi says downstairs, opening the door.

"Hi, un!!" he replies, too chipper for my taste.

"Kai!!" Itachi yells, "Come here, I want you to meet someone!!!"

"Nice knowing you," Sasuke says, "Knowing Deidara, he'll squeeze you so hard you explode."

I walk cautiously down the stairs, dreading meeting Deidara already.

"Deidara, this is Kai."

"Hi," I mumble, looking down at my sh-

"SHE'S SO CUTE, UN!!!!!!!!"

squish

And I suddenly can't breathe. Or move.

I gasp for air.

"Alright, Deidara, don't kill her!!" Itachi yells, "Seriously, let go!!"

Deidara lets me go... then hugs me again. Only this time, it's not as tight.

"You're Kai, un?" he asks, letting me go.

I nod carefully.

"You're cute, yeah!!" he smiles.

"Umm... thanks...?"

"Do you like art, un?"

"Yeah, do you?"

"Art is a bang, un!!!"

"O-kay then..."

"Alright, Kai," Itachi smiles, "I know you were just upstairs talking to Sasuke, so I'll let you get back to that."

"Thank you," I say a little too happily as I turn and dart up the stairs and away from Deidara.

Sasuke, upstairs in the guest room, waits for Kai to come back. He sighs and lies down on the bed, resting his head on the pillow, and sliding his hand under it as usual.

But this time, he feels something. He grasps the book tightly and pulls it out from under the pillow, reading the words on the front: Black and White

It's scribbled, barely legible. The book is grey, and the word "black" is written on a white piece of paper glued to the front while the word "white" is written in white on a black piece of paper glued next to it. The word "and" is written in dark grey, barely visible against the grey background.

The Uchiha, being a bit curious as to what the book is, opens it to a page in the middle and gasps, quickly closing it again and sliding it back under the pillow.

Luckily, Kai came in once the shock wore down a bit...

"Hey, Uchiha," I say, sitting down next to him, "You're right, Deidara is scary."

The raven haired boy nods in agreement, smiling warmly at her, struggling to keep a lid on all the questions swimming around in his head.

"Are you alright?" I ask, "You don't look like you feel well. You're even more pale than usual..."

"I'm alright," he replies, adding at the end, a silent, "But are you?"