Chapter three. I really should be updating Nothing But Air, but this one is just coming naturally right now. I guess I'm thinking about this one too much. Don't worry fans of NBA ((the story not the National Basketball Association XD)), I still be updating it, just maybe not as quickly as I once was.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. He belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. But if I married Kishimoto-sensei, then it would technically be my manga-in-law ((I'm so weird XD)). I wish he was single.

Warning: One-sided Boy Love. Language. Dramatic moments. Don't feel bad if you don't like this sort of thing. It just makes you different and according to my self-help books, different is good XD ((Correction… I'm very weird)).


Naruto sat quietly on Sasuke's bed. The raven gave his friend a concerned look as he walked over to his dresser and pulled out a spare t-shirt and pants for the blonde to sleep in. Sasuke handed them to his friend and sat down beside him. The Uchiha did not know what to say to the blonde beside him, so he just settled for a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. The gesture was obviously welcomed and wanted for Naruto placed his tanned hand on Sasuke's and gave it a slight squeeze.

"Thanks, Sasuke." Naruto said quietly. "For everything." Naruto let a small smile form on his lips and he turned to face his best friend. The look on Naruto's face made Sasuke's heart beat faster. "I'm not sure what would have happened if you weren't there."

"Moron." Sasuke smiled. "You're my best friend. I'm always here for you." Naruto laughed softly, but Sasuke could still see the depressed feelings hidden beneath that brilliant smile. Sasuke pulled his hand away from Naruto's shoulder slowly. His fingers already missed the warmth that came from the other boy. "Come on, go get changed. Don't want to sleep in that ugly red Rite Aid shirt(1)." Naruto nodded and then stood up and exited Sasuke's bedroom.

The raven sighed as he fell backwards onto his bed. The raven hated seeing his friend is such a state. He felt so helpless. And even with Naruto being depressed, Sasuke could not help but think about Naruto's lips, his body… everything. The way his perfect lips were pursed into a thin line as he fought off the depressing thoughts that plagued his mind, or the way his jeans showed off just the right amount of toned muscle underneath the denim material. Maybe the blonde's perverted side was rubbing off more than the Uchiha had known. The pale boy wanted to hit himself for having such thoughts about his best friend when he was in such a horrid state.

'I can't even stop thinking about that when he's depressed.' Sasuke whined in his head.

The raven-haired teenager was pulled out of his thought when he heard a knock on the half open door. Sasuke's body shot up so that he was once again sitting on his bed. His dark eyes met with the equally dark ones of his brother.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke said in an annoyed tone. His brother, Uchiha Itachi, was a college student at Slippery Rock University, which is why Sasuke was surprised to see his brother.

"Can't I come home every now and then without a reason. Maybe I missed my little brother too much and rushed to see you." Itachi smirked at the younger of the two, which only made Sasuke scowl.

"Yeah right." Sasuke scoffed. "Well, I don't care why you're here anymore." Sasuke closed his eyes and fell back onto his bed once more. Itachi looked at his brother with a gaze of confusion. He walked into the room and closed the door slowly so that it would not make a loud noise. His parents liked to go to bed early and were already fast asleep.

"Did something happen with Naruto?" Itachi asked as he sat beside Sasuke on his bed. "He looked really depressed when I saw him in the hallway." Sasuke did not move from his position.

"His parents got into a really bad fight. I'm not sure what happened or what's going to happen between them." Sasuke rubbed his eyes and then moved to rubbed the areas beneath and besides his eyes. "He's taking it really hard." Sasuke voice was lower than usual.

Itachi understood his younger brother's body language. He nodded his head slightly and placed his hand on Sasuke's head. "You're his best friend. Just being there will help lighten his burden." With those kind words, Itachi stood up from the bed and walked over to the bedroom door.

Sasuke sat up in bed and fixed the strands of hair that Itachi messed up. The pale boy glared at his brother for a moment. "Stop acting like you know everything." He said with a smirk.

"It's not an act." Itachi replied. Both of the brothers laughed. Sasuke looked back up at his older brother and smiled. There was a peaceful silence for only a moment before Sasuke spoke again.

"Thanks."

"Anytime, little brother. Anytime." Itachi was about to leave the room when Naruto opened the door and walked in. Itachi moved back a little so that Naruto could get through the doorway. "Ah, Naruto. Haven't seen you for a while. How are you?" Sasuke realized from how Itachi was talking, that when he said that he had saw Naruto in the hall, he meant that he was spying on him from his own room. Itachi would always tease the blonde when they were younger by flirting with him and the action just seemed to have stuck with the elder Uchiha (much to Sasuke annoyance).

"Uh, hey there Itachi." Naruto said with a nervous smile. "I'm fine, I guess."

"You seem to get more handsome every time I see you. Makes me want to come home more often." Itachi gave the blonde a seductive grin and Naruto returned it with a nervous laugh. Sasuke growled in his throat, which caused his older brother to glance over at him. His raven bangs fell into his dark eyes as he turned his head slightly.

"Itachi." Sasuke warned the older man. "Enough." Itachi backed away from the tan boy; his smirk growing wider.

"All right. If you wish." Itachi then moved around Naruto to get to the door. But before the older man was completely out of the room he smacked Naruto's ass as hard as he could. Naruto let out a yelp and jumped when the pale man's hand connected with his butt. He whipped around to face the door and then turned back to look at Sasuke, who was completely infuriated with his brother's actions.

"Damn. I thought he would stop doing that when he got a boyfriend." Naruto said quietly. He rubbed his ass tenderly and hissed at the slight pain that the elder Uchiha had inflicted.

"I don't think anything would make him stop doing that." Sasuke sighed. "Actually, he may do it more often this year. With Kisame(2) in Iowa and everything." Naruto swallowed loudly and sat down next to his friend on the bed. His eyes were as wide as they could possible be.

"I don't think I can handle another year of being molested by your brother."

"I don't want you anywhere near him when your birthday comes around." Sasuke said with a small laugh. "If he finds out that you're going to be eighteen and legal… who knows what he'll do." Sasuke had remembered when he had turned eighteen over the summer. Both Sasuke and his brother had attended a private school when they were younger and the ages for grades were different from public schools(3). His brother told him, at least five times everyday for a week after that, he should have sex right away, to which, of course, Sasuke had repeatedly disagreed. Naruto froze in place. His mouth drop open and his eyes seemed to bulge out of his head slightly. He then attached himself onto Sasuke's arm. Sasuke was surprised to say the least. It took most of his will power to hold back the blush that threatened to appear on his cheeks.

"No!" Naruto whined. "I don't want to be deflowered by your brother!" Sasuke twitched at Naruto's choice in words. "Deflowered" sounded too… girly. Pushing that thought aside he laughed at his friend.

"I'll kill him if he touches you, okay." Sasuke said after he was finished laughing.

"Yay!" Naruto gave his friend a big goofy grin and snuggled into his arm. "Big, strong Sasuke will save me." Sasuke sighed at the blonde's mocking tone. Naruto stopped smiling and looked up at his best friend for a moment. His expression was serious and Sasuke was a little taken back by the look on the blonde's face. "Sasuke?" he asked softly. "What do you think will happen between my parents?" Naruto released Sasuke's arm from his tight grip; the raven already missed the close contact between them.

Sasuke sighed as he looked into his friend's beautiful blue eyes. "Naruto, I really can't say. I know you're parents as well as my own, and I just don't know what will happen."

"They're gonna get divorced, aren't they?" Naruto asked as his eyes avoid contact with Sasuke's. The pale boy's heart sunk as he saw the look of grief on the tan boy's handsome face.

"It's very possible, Naruto." Sasuke said honestly. Naruto sighed.

"I wonder who it was that my mom found." Naruto said more to himself rather than to Sasuke. "I guess I'm still just a stupid kid you thinks that their father is the best guy in the world." Naruto let out a small laugh, but his smile was quickly replaced with a frown.

"You'll still see them both. They just won't be living together." Sasuke said as he placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Besides, this might be for the best. I mean you told me the other day that they seem to just be fighting constantly lately. Maybe they'll be happier apart."

"I still wish we could still be a family."

"I'm sure everything will be all right." Sasuke smiled at the blonde, and Naruto returned the smile. "Now come on. Get some sleep."

Naruto glanced at the digital clock on the dresser beside Sasuke's bed. It was only half passed eleven. Naruto jutted out his bottom lip and pouted. "But it's so early. Why don't you stay up later?"

"My parents have gotten me into that habit, you know that."

Naruto gave up and moved over to the other side of the bed. Sasuke's bed was a big queen size, so whenever he and Naruto had sleepovers at his house they would just share the bed. It had been that way ever since they were first became friends back in their middle school days and the habit just seemed to have stuck with them. Of course Sasuke would have to listen to at least an hour worth of Naruto making perverted jokes about it before they fell asleep and another hour or so when they woke up. The raven hoped that Naruto, in his current condition, would not be able to make any jokes.

Sasuke got up and turned off the light and then returned to his bed. He laid himself down and pulled the covers over his body. "Goodnight." The pale boy muttered.

"What? Not in the mood tonight?" Naruto snickered and Sasuke groaned. Apparently Naruto could spare a few perverted jokes even when he was in the worst of moods.

"Goodnight, Naruto" Sasuke said forcefully. The blonde beside him laughed.

"All right, all right. Goodnight Sasuke." The raven sighed as a peaceful silence swept over his room. Unfortunately, the peace was disrupted by unwelcome thoughts in his mind. He really wanted to control himself, but it was very hard to do so when Naruto was lying beside him. The pale just hoped that he would not have any perverted dreams about a certain blonde-haired boy.

Eventually the two boys drifted off to sleep, both with stressful things on their minds.

---------------------------------------------------

Naruto awoke to the sound of a loud music coming from the chair on which he had set his clothing on last night. The blonde jumped out of bed, which caused the comforter and bed sheets to fall off of the bed with him. Naruto mumbled under his breath about the pain, but ignored it and tried to focus on stopping the loud music. He slowly made his way over to the chair. Once he was at the chair and look at his clothing he saw that the music was coming from his cellphone and within a second thought flipped it open without even looking at who was calling him. He yawned and stretched his arm up before placing the phone by his ear.

"Hello?" He said in a tired voice.

"Narutoooo." A sweet voice chimed on the other end. It was too sweet and sugary to be real. Naruto winced, but immediately recognized the owner of the voice.

"Ah, Sakura?" He asked, still with a tired voice. "What is it?"

"Well… I'm standing outside the front entrance to Century Three Mall, it's nine…" there was a slight pause. "Thirty-two a.m. and I wanted to know… WHERE THE HELL YOU ARE!!!" The sweet, bubbly voice suddenly transformed into a loud, screeching siren that at the first sound of it made Naruto drop the phone and jump back slightly.

At this point, Sasuke, whom was trying to go back to sleep ever since the loud music started blaring throughout his entire room, decided that he was not going to get anymore sleep that morning and just gave up. He sat up in bed and scowled when he noticed that Naruto had pulled all of the covers off of him when he fell. Sasuke was going to get up and make himself breakfast, but when he heard more screaming coming from Naruto's phone, he thought it best to stay. Sakura could be pretty scary when enraged. The raven was happy that his parents had already gotten up and left for work, otherwise they would have not taken too kindly to all the noise.

"I would have appreciated it if you would have at least fucking called to tell me that you couldn't make it!" Sakura shouted on the other end.

"Sakura, I just woke up. I didn't mean to stand you up." Naruto tried to reason with the angry pink-haired girl, but it seemed as if she was in no mood today.

"You admit it! You did stand me up! Obviously you care more about sleep than you fucking do about ME!!" With those last, loud words, Sakura hung up the phone and left a confused and still very tired blonde on the other end. Naruto looked at his phone as the dial tone starting playing instead of Sakura's voice and sighed. He then close it was let his body fall down flat on the ground.

"I can't believe I totally forgot about Sakura." Naruto whined as he ran his long fingers through his blonde locks.

'I can.' Sasuke thought to himself as he yawned. Tears formed the corners of his eyes as he stretched. He gave a small smile of pleasure as he heard a few popping sounds coming from his shoulders. "She'll get over it." Sasuke said as he rose from his bed.

"Sasuke." Naruto said. He looked over at his friend from his spot on the floor.

"I don't really care if she's mad or not." Sasuke yawned again. "So, do you want breakfast?" Sasuke's quick change of subject seemed to have work, for Naruto quickly jumped to his feet and agree within a second.

"Ramen, please!" He said with his usual big grin.

"No ramen. Not for breakfast at least. Seriously Naruto. You keep eating like that and you'll get fat." Sasuke smirked at the blonde, who was moving closer toward him and the door. Sasuke also move closer to his bedroom door and opened it.

"I've been eating it for years! And I have great abs." Naruto smiled as he lifted up his shirt to show off his abs.

"I'd have to agree." Itachi said as Sasuke fully opened his bedroom door. Itachi was leaning against his own door and had his arms crossed over his chest. He smirked as the two younger boys looked at him in shock. His dark orbs peered through strands of long raven hair that fell over his handsome face as he let his head tilt to lean against the wooden door to his room as well.

"Don't sneak up on us like that, Itachi!" Naruto said as he let his shirt fall back down over his stomach. "I think I had a heart attack just now."

Itachi laughed and started walking down the hallway before the two boys. "That would take all the fun out of it." The three of them walked through the hall and down the steps. When they reached the kitchen, Itachi went over to the coffee machine to make his daily morning beverage. "So, who was that on the phone that woke me out of my peaceful sleep?" Itachi asked as he poured some coffee grounds into the machine. Naruto gave a small chuckle and scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh sorry." Naruto replied as he sat down at the kitchen table. "That was Sakura. I'm really sorry that she woke you up, but I forgot to meet her and she was really angry."

"Don't be sorry. I just wanted to know who it was." Itachi put the water from the pitcher into the top of the coffee maker and turned the machine on so that the water would boil. He hated waiting for the water to boil. It always took so long and he was too tired from just waking up to have much patience for the machine.

"I should really call her back. I mean to at least apologize." Naruto looked up at the ceiling as if he was looking at his cellphone through the wood and plaster.

Itachi snickered from were he stood. Naruto and Sasuke both glared at the older man. "What was that for?" Sasuke asked as he opened up the cupboard to find something edible to eat in the house.

"Oh, nothing. It's just," Itachi paused to let out a small chuckle. "I believe Sakura has you whipped." If Sasuke had not had such a firm hold on the cupboard door handles, then he would have fallen over. Naruto stared at Itachi for a good while. His shocked expression turned to that of pure loathing for the elder Uchiha. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and pouted.

"I am not whipped! Especially by Sakura." Naruto retorted. "It's just my nature to be nice."

"And if you're not nice you don't get any, am I right?"

Naruto went to say something to that, but stopped himself when he realized what Itachi had said. He turned away from the two ravens and blushed fiercely. Sasuke closed his eyes and scowled, preparing himself for some ridiculous and perverted joke that Naruto would say about his sex life with Sakura. When he heard nothing from the blonde whatsoever, he turned to face his friend and saw the embarrassed look on his face. He could have sworn he heard the blonde mumble something under his breath.

"What was that, Naruto?" Itachi asked as he turned his attention away from the coffee machine so that he could face the blonde.

"I said we don't do that sort of thing." Naruto's voice was still low, but the two brothers could hear him this time. Needless to say, they were stunned. A pervert like Naruto not having sex with his girlfriend was a bit surprising. Given that they had only been going out for three months, but Sasuke still thought that some one like Naruto would have done it by now. The youngest Uchiha then realized how he had missed the fact how Naruto had mentioned something about Itachi "deflowering" him rather than just "raping" him, which would have been more appropriate if the blonde had sex with anyone at that point. The pale boy also thought Sakura looked and acted like the kind of whore that would throw herself at anyone who would come her way. But that was just his opinion.

"You mean you two aren't having sex." Itachi questioned.

"No. And stop talking about it so casually!" Naruto's blush became redder.

"Sex is a normal part of any healthy teenager's life, Naruto. Talking about it casually is natural. You sound like a virgin." Naruto's face turned bright red from ear to ear and from the top of his head to the base of his neck. Itachi stared in wonder as the blonde said nothing. "No. Naruto, you're a virgin. Aren't you?" Naruto remained silent. "You should really have sex. You'll be a mess for your woman if you don't know what you're doing."

"Can we just stop talking about this, please?" Sasuke said forcefully as he turned away to look back in the cupboard for some food. He found so Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and pulled it out. He then opened the refrigerator to find milk for the cereal.

"That is also such a virgin line." Itachi smirked. Sasuke scowled at his older brother. "You two really need to get laid. I had already done it several times by the time I was your age."

"I do not need the mental images of you having sex with some one permanently engraved into my mind, Itachi!" Sasuke shouted. His older brother just snickered.

"Actually, I can do without those too." Naruto added in. His face showed an expression of disgust. Itachi smirked.

"Naruto since you need to have sex, I feel that you should consider asking me to help you out in that department."

"Didn't I just say I could live without images of you having sex with some one? I'm sure some one includes myself. So thanks, but no thanks." Naruto paused for a moment and then let a small smile slip on his face. "Besides when and if me and Sakura have sex, I want it to be special." Itachi rolled his eyes.

"Every virgin says that about sex. And they don't listen to the people with experience that say that it's not going to be good your first time."

Sasuke walked over to the kitchen table with two bowls filled with cereal and milk and set one down in front of his friend and one in front of himself. As he handed Naruto a spoon he wondered how the three of them came to be chatting casually about such a subject as one's first time sleeping with another person. And considering that the object of his desires was sitting right next to him he really did not want to discuss this matter.

Naruto did not even know he was gay. Let alone that the raven was crazy about him. He grumbled and started to eat his cereal, hoping that the conversation would be dropped and something else would take it place soon.

"You can't change my mind about this, no matter what you say." Naruto said as he waved his spoon in Itachi's general direction. The blonde then took a bite out of his own bowl of cereal.

"Stubborn as always." Itachi sighed as he poured himself a cup of the coffee that was finally ready. "Oh well. It's not my problem if she dumps you because you're inadequate in bed." The pale man then exited the kitchen and started walking toward the stairs. Naruto paused in his chewing and stared at the cereal floating in the milk with wide eyes. Sasuke noticed the change in attitude and looked over at his friend in concern.

Once the Itachi's footsteps died down, Naruto looked over at his best friend with an expression of horror on his handsome face. Sasuke was about to question as to why that was, when Naruto started talking.

"Sakura… Sakura wouldn't dump for something like that? W-Would she?"

Every fiber in his being told Sasuke that the statement that Itachi made was fully possible and that Sakura may, in fact, do something like that to the blonde boy beside him; but when Sasuke saw the terrified look on his best friend's face, he just didn't have the heart to crush his hopes. "No." Sasuke replied simply as he looked away from Naruto. He could not bear to look him in the eyes. "She wouldn't do that to you." It hurt to say such things to his friend. He wished that he was brave enough to come clean with his feelings, but he was too cowardly to admit it.

Naruto gave a small smile, not completely convinced by the raven's words. "I hope you're right." He said before he began to consume his cereal. "I should get out of here soon."

"You don't have to." Sasuke said as he eyed the tan boy out of the corner of his dark eyes.

"I know, but I just feel like I've overstayed my welcome."

"You're like family, Naruto. You can stay here as long as you want."

Naruto then put the bowl to his mouth and drank the remains of the milk left inside. "It's fine. Besides," Naruto paused and picked up his now empty bowl so that he could place it in the sink with the rest of the dirty dishes. "I have to face my parents sometime, don't I?"

Sasuke remained silent, but nodded. "Our door is always open if you need it, man." Naruto smiled and nodded. He placed the bowl in the sink and then ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs so that he could change out of the clothes that Sasuke had leant him and back into the ones he was wearing last night. It only took the blonde a minute or so to complete this task and it no time he was saying his goodbyes to Sasuke and rushing out of his front door.

Sasuke's gaze remained downcast toward the ground as soon as the blonde had left the house. It seemed so empty now that the blonde had left. He wished that he had insisted more that Naruto should stay, but once again his own cowardice got in the way of something he was too afraid to go for. Sasuke sighed as he made his way slowly into his living room. He dumped himself on the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

He then rolled over onto his side and stared at the portraits and fancy trinkets that decorated his walls. He sighed once again pulled a pillow over his head to cover the light that was shining through the window and into his eyes.

"So when did Naruto and Sakura start dating?" Itachi voice rang through Sasuke's ears and the raven-haired teenager was pulled out of his thoughts abruptly.

"Stop sneaking up on people!" Sasuke shouted as he threw the pillow that he was holding at his older brother. Itachi caught it and smirked. "God, you're like a fucking ninja(4)."

"The best there is. Now answer my question. When did they start dating?"

"I think it was back in July. You probably didn't hear about it because you were in Iowa with Kisame for most of July and August and then you left for school almost right after that." Itachi nodded, but he looked as if he was deep in thought.

"I thought that she would always ignore him. I wonder why she decided that she liked him."

"Fuck if I know." Sasuke grumbled.

"Now, now. Don't be such a sore loser, little brother. She got to him first fair and square. I told you before I left for Iowa that you should tell little Naruto about your feelings, now didn't I?" Itachi placed his hand on Sasuke head and ruffled his raven locks.

"You did. But I… I just couldn't."

"You'll lose him if you don't." Sasuke's eyes widen as far as they could possibly go at that statement. He suddenly sat up on the couch and looked at his brother with a look of fright and shock.

"Why… Why would you say something like that?" Itachi remained silent for a long while. He then removed his hand from atop Sasuke's head and then started to walk away from the younger boy. The raven-haired teenager still followed his older brother with his gaze. He began to panic when his brother did not say anything, but he then wished that he had remained silent and did not say anything at all.

"I said it because it's true." With those last words, Itachi disappeared up the stairs and left Sasuke alone once more.

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(1) Ugly red uniform indeed. And the shirts they give us are always three sizes too big. I wonder if that's because my boss thinks I'll get fat… er XP. I have a horrid self-image.

(2) Kisame looks human in this story. No blue skin… or gills… or any other fish-esque qualities.

(3) It actually happened to an old friend of mine. I forget which private school she went to though. I think it was in a different state now that I think about… :gets lost in thoughts:

(4) Don't need to say anything for that to be ironic XD.


I had to put a little ItaNaru in here. I think the pairing's funny, but nevertheless hot XD. And then there's mention of ItaKisa. That pairing is kind of freaky… but it's better because of the fact that the Kisame in my story is not fish-like.

Funny tid-bit… the conversation between Naruto, Itachi and Sasuke ((well not really Sasuke)) was inspired by an actually conversation I had with my older sister. A few of Itachi's lines are from her ((word for word)). So thank you sister! Always a gateway of inspiration to me XD ha, ha. Love her.

Long, huh? And it ends on such a sad note. Well… next chapter we get to see how Naruto takes the divorce of his parents and we get to meet the new man in his mother's life!!