Chapter Four: The Promise, The Trigger

Author's Notes: Sorry for the epic fail in updating guys. Life, as we all know it can be, was being a son of a bitch. I'm trying, really I am. Please just keep hanging in there.

Warnings/Disclaimer: Done.

Chapter Four: The Promise, The Trigger

- For Akiru


Sasuke and Naruto cleaned the house in record time. It was only because after Naruto pegged Sasuke with a roll of paper towels and Sasuke beamed him in retaliation with a bottle, Iruka came down. Mid way to getting packed and swearing he was going to run late, he shouted out orders like a drill instructor.
Naruto had to forget to mention that Iruka could be irrational when it came to cleaning.

Naruto and Sasuke helped Iruka drag his luggage to his car and Naruto quoted the rules while Iruka was getting himself into the car.

"A few people will be stopping by." He promised, leaning out the window. "Sasuke, you'll probably be familiar with one of them. He's a teacher at your school."

Sasuke gave a curious glance in Naruto's direction and the blond held back a grimace, causing his lip to twitch. "Kakashi? The history teacher?"

It took all of Sasuke's will power to hold in a groan.

"Asuma is going to be stopping by, as well as Tsunade, and I think Mr. Sarutobi is going to be as well."

"Okay dad." Naruto said.

"I left you money to get food and stuff for you and your friends. Leave the emergency money alone. Pizza isn't an emergency."

The blond laughed. "Alright pop."

"I talked to all the parents and promised our wonderful supervising visitors would give them a call and give them updates. Everyone's house number is by the phone, except yours Sasuke. Just give it to them when they arrive."

"We understand dad." Naruto said dully, ready for his father to leave already.

"I left all the numbers you can reach me by the phone as well. And remember-"

"Dad!" Naruto whined. "I know."

Iruka turned just as he caught sight of Hinata's car pulling up behind him, and Naruto was excited to see she had Gaara with her. He was a little terrified to see Neji had come.

"Alright. Have fun son."

"Bring home the bacon dad."

Iruka laughed as he cranked on his car. "Love you! Be safe!"

"Love you too!"

Naruto waved as his dad drove off the street and didn't turn to face his friends till his father's car was out of sight.

"Hey Neji. Long time no see."

The older teen nodded, standing closely next to Hinata.

The blond sighed. "Asides me, these are the two guys are staying. The usual people will be dropping by to check on us. We have emergency numbers and emergency money. The girls are going to be sleeping separate from the guys. Promise."

"Good." He turned to his cousin and gave a feeble attempt at a smile. "Thank you for letting me borrow your car. Call when you need to get picked up or if you need anything."

"What happened to your car?" Naruto asked suddenly.

Neji sighed, taking the keys from his little cousin. "The brakes need replacing and I'm getting new tires."

"Good, as long as it isn't serious."

Neji nodded his thanks for Naruto's concern and turned back towards Hinata's car and drove off without so much as another word.

"Good to see he's a much happier person." Naruto mumbled sarcastically. "Still as protective as ever."

"M-more s-s-so." She giggled.

"Why do you say that?" The blond asked, grabbing Hinata's bag and leading the group back towards the house.

"He t-t-ried to give m-me a knife."

Naruto burst into a fit of laughter upon opening the door of the house and dragging the group along with him. Hinata took her bag and headed for Naruto's room where she knew the girls would be staying. The guys brought their bags into the living room where Naruto and Sasuke had already loaded it with blankets, pillows and sleeping bags.

"So your parents were cool with it?" Naruto asked.

Gaara nodded. "They were too grateful towards your father with the information he gave us to help me. They couldn't say no."

"Bitchin'." Naruto grinned. "Look, you choose where you want your stuff to go first. I want you to make sure you're comfortable so your anxiety doesn't go overboard and then your impulses get out of hand or something."

Gaara nodded his thanks. "I brought some anxiety medication in case it gets too bad."

"Where do you want to put it?" Naruto asked, taking the bottle Gaara had fished from his pocket.

"Somewhere close to you." He muttered. "I trust you to know when I need to take it. I can get stubborn."

The blond laughed, shoving the bottle in his pocket. "Sounds good."

"Moron...the other girls are here." Sasuke said, elbowing Naruto and pointing out the window.

"Be a man and help them?"

Sasuke sighed, tossing Naruto a dirty look before turning and heading out the room and walking out the front door.

"Mind if I ask something?" Gaara said suddenly, ticking off his fingers in a certain order.

"Sure." Naruto chirped.

"What happened with Kiba?" He asked. "You don't have to answer."

The blond shrugged. "He isn't exactly thrilled with finding out that I'm gay. It's hard on some people."

"Why?" Gaara asked. "You're still you."

The blond laughed and shook his head. "Thank goodness you can grasp that concept."

"Of course." He muttered. "If you weren't yourself, I'd still be all alone."

The blond went to reply earnestly, saying how much that meant to him, but their privet moment was interrupted by Sasuke, Sakura and Ino walking in.

The blond smiled at Gaara and nodded in silent thanks before taking the girls upstairs to help them get settled.

Everyone was finally there.

Everyone that meant everything.


After Naruto decided five in the evening was the best time for pajamas, everyone had piled into the living room dressed to impress their pillows. Sasuke began giving Naruto hell for his orange, yellow and green socks that were bright enough to blind him apparently. Hinata and Ino had traded slippers. Gaara had lent Sakura a shirt when she realized she brought the wrong pajama shirt.

Tsunade had already stopped by, and to Naruto's surprise, brought more junk food and sodas. She double checked that the girls were feeling safe and were going to be sleeping in the other room before using the phone to call everyone's house. Sasuke had easily talked his way out of Tsunade not calling.

She said Asuma was going to drop by on his way home from work to double check everything and she wasn't sure about their well known history teacher. He loved surprises too much to tell.
Naruto walked back into the living room after he politely walked Tsunade to her car.

"So what now, guys? Junk food, more junk food and maybe a little bit of a movie?" Naruto chuckled.

"I was looking forward to some junk food, actually." Sakura replied.

"Well do you think we might be able to get some?" Ino chuckled.

"He-here? No." Hinata smiled.

"Damn." Gaara muttered. "Drawn in with false hope of horribly bad but tasty food. Naruto, you asshole."

Sasuke sighed, "Looks like we'll just have to kill you."

Sakura shrugged. "Well, I'm in no mood to really kill someone. Too happy. But I'll be glad to help you bury the body."

"Hmm." Ino grinned, tapping her chin.

"What are we going to need?" Gaara smirked.

Hinata shrugged. "A sh-shovel for one."

"Boots, gloves, aprons, acid and something to light you on fire to be safe. You seem to eat to much to decompose like I want." Sasuke said in a dead tone.

"You know, Sasuke, I figured only you would know what you need to murder someone." Naruto laughed. "But you forgot one key thing."

"That would be?"

"Ice cream." Naruto deadpanned. "Murder is insanely pointless if you don't get ice cream afterward. I'm disappointed in you to forget something so important."

The group began laughing loudly when Sasuke's palm met his forehead at the statement he deemed stupid. Only Naruto would want to talk about food after someone mentioned murder and decomposition.

The hours ticked on along with the mindless television and talking. Random conversations over anything that they could think to talk about. Someone seemed to change the channel every ten minutes.

Naruto finally dug out a stack of DVDs and held a voting process to see which would be the one they would watch.

Due to Sasuke refusing to participate in the voting, the girls swept the floor.

Naruto sighed. "Alright, kid movie it is."

"At least it's a good one. Not one of the ones you go back and watch and wonder why in the hell you liked it in the first place." Gaara said.

"Agreed!" Sakura said, throwing up her hand in the air. "I hate that. Its like your childhood memories get kicked a little."

Naruto popped in the DVD and jumped back on his place on the couch, settling comfortably into the soft cushions. He passed a new soda to Hinata as she tossed him a candy bar. Ino and Sakura threw their legs over each other sloppily and comfortably as they shared a bowl of popcorn on the rest of the couch. Gaara was fiddling with something on the floor where he lay on a laid out blanket.
Sasuke stood from the loveseat silently as the previews at the beginning of the DVD played.

Naruto spoke up. "Where are you going? The bathroom is to the right, bastard."

Sasuke turned and shook his head lightly. "I'm going outside to make a phone call, moron."

The blond glared in his direction as he heard the front door open and close, the group lightly chattering about the previews to movies from when they were young.
Blue eyes found Sasuke's bag from school, just were he left it. The blond frowned when he noticed Sasuke's cell phone sticking out from the top.

"I'll be right back." Naruto muttered as he followed Sasuke's path out the front door, leaving everyone else behind in his house.

Naruto caught the sight of Sasuke's headlights on his car shining and heard the engine purring lightly.

Nartuo jogged barefoot up to Sasuke's car. He cursed as each step connected his feet with sharp acorns that had fallen from the sole tree in the front yard. He smacked his hands on the glass of the passenger window and watched as Sasuke barely flinched from the surprise.

He yanked the car door open just before Sasuke managed to lock it.

He bent his face in the open door and gave him a funny look. "It's polite when a guest tells people he's leaving. A phone call? Man, I thought I was the moron out of the duo. You're screwing up big time."

"I'll be back." Sasuke sighed out.

"Don't let me keep you, jackass."

Sasuke turned and gave Naruto a foul look. "What's with the damn attitude? I said I'll be right back."

"Because if you didn't want to come in the first place, you should have said so. If you were going to skip out, you could have at least told me. Damn, you really are a bastard."

Naruto straightened up and slammed the door shut, immediately turning around and ready to march the hellish front yard. He just couldn't resist the urge to stop when Sasuke's car door opened after the car shut off.

Sasuke threw his arm on the top of his car and glared at the blond.

"Look, I can't watch that movie, alright?"

"Why?" Naruto asked skeptically.

"I've opened up to you today more than anyone in my life. Can't you be satisfied with that?"

"No."

"Well, too damn bad moron."

Blue eyes rolled and tan hands were tossed in the air. "It's a damn movie. Really? Get over yourself."

"Have you ever had something that triggered a memory? A smell? A song? A book? A movie?"

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, of course."

"Were they all always fun and happy memories?"

Sasuke could just barely see through the dim outside lighting. But he caught Naruto's body sagging in realization and defeat.

Naruto took the few steps back to the car, holding in his curses with each step. He stopped and turned with his back gently leaning into the car that took up his driveway. He leaned his head back until it uncomfortably set on the top of the car.

"Every time." Naruto sighed. He turned his head slightly towards the direction of Sasuke, his eyes stayed locked on the sky. "Every time on a night like this...man. You know, when there is only a few clouds in the sky? The air is chilled but not cold. There is barely a breeze that just constantly brushes you. Its horribly quiet, you know, even the crickets aren't singing? That's my trigger."

The blond jumped, jerking his head up and twisting his upper half around when Sasuke slammed his car door shut.

"Then go inside."

The blond shrugged. "It isn't my favorite movie anyway."

"Stop, Naruto."

The blond chuckled, turning his face back to the sky. "That's a change, my name instead of moron. Stop what, anyway?"

"If it's a bad memory that it triggers, then go inside."

The blond sighed, "Why, then you're there with yours."

"Why do you do that?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

"Do what?"

"Put others far before yourself."

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe it's kinda like the same reason you don't want to let others in on your life. You know? We don't...hmm, how do I put it into words?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he leaned back against the car next to Naruto and bumped his shoulder. "We don't want to get hurt. In our own ways."

Naruto turned and smiled at him brightly, "I might have you become a non-bastard yet, Sasuke. You being open and all."

Sasuke shook his head. "You truly are a glutton for punishment."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's a difficult task, moron."

"Meh." Naruto shrugged indifferently. "Can I ask you one last thing, and then I swear I'll stop asking."

Sasuke snorted. "What, for the night?"

"Yeah, duh."

"Just get it over with."

"Why the movie?"

Sasuke lips twitched, itching to fight to explain why. Instead he decided otherwise. "It was the very last movie my family watched together. There was a really bad storm, I was six and I hated the thunder."

"You were scared." Naruto corrected. Sasuke glared back.

"It was the very last time my parents told me they loved me. It was the last time my mother ever tucked me into bed and the last night Itachi came into my room to read me my favorite bed time story. He used to act it out with me. It was the last night in our old house before we moved to the new one. Before we stopped being a family and just became roommates."

"The last night of not being lonely. Of being happy." Naruto muttered.

The silence was enough of an answer for Naruto and he nudged Sasuke's shoulder with his on purpose.

"Remember, bastard. I promised you won't feel like that anymore."

"Yeah, I know, you're here to insure I have an everlasting headache."

Naruto chuckled and kicked off the car and shouted over his shoulder. "Lets go put on a new movie and crack open some new sodas."

In the dim lighting, Naruto missed the rare occurrence of a small smile as it graced Sasuke's lips, just as he kicked off his car and followed Naruto into the house.


No one really meant to fall asleep where they were, they fully intended to follow the rules that were set, but sleep happens. Asuma said so as he stopped by and found half the group passed out. Hinata was curled up in the chair under Naruto's favorite blanket. Sakura and Ino were leaning against each other on the couch covered in the blanket Gaara threw over them when he realized they were asleep.

Gaara was on the floor closest to the hallway, curled up in his sleeping bag lying on his stomach. He went out trying to finish a movie.

Naruto laid in the dead middle of the floor, facing the television that was now turned down to a lower level. Sasuke had his space set up next to him from where he was originally sitting. Naruto was the space invader.

"Hey, moron." Sasuke whispered in the room full of light snores and deep breathing.

"What if I was asleep?" Naruto whispered back, rolling over to face Sasuke instead of the quiet television.

"With all the caffeine and sugar you ingested tonight? I doubt you'll sleep for a week."

"High tolerance, I got a few more minutes – max."

Sasuke couldn't help the snort of humor at the blond's quick retort. "One last question."

"For the night?" Naruto mocked quietly with a small grin.

"Duh." Sasuke sighed, nudging him with his elbow.

"Why is that your trigger."

"Hm, you truly are a bastard." Naruto said as he made himself more comfortable, "It was the night I found out nothing."

Sasuke bunched his eyebrows together in confusion. "Either you're talking in riddles, or you're more tired than you thought."

Naruto turned his face into his pillow as he laughed before resurfacing. "I was given up for adoption. I never knew if my parents hated me or loved me. If they gave me up out of spite or love. I didn't know if I looked more like my mom or dad, whose personality I got stuck with. On a night like that was when Iruka broke it to me that I was adopted."

"Some are bad, and some are good." Sasuke sighed out.

"What?"

"The triggers. I remember my last happy moment and you remember your worst."

Naruto shrugged, stretching one of his arms out of the sleeping bag and covering part of the space between them. "This time it didn't hurt as bad though. You know? I wasn't alone when I remembered. Plus I have to remember how much Iruka loves me. You need to remember the same thing about your family."

Sasuke nodded as he rolled over to face Naruto whose eyelids were beginning to drupe. The blond snickered lightly. "I'm totally telling Sakura she snores in the morning."

"You going to shoot for two and tell Ino she drools?" Sasuke whispered with a smirk.

"Sure, why not. Maybe if I tell Gaara he looks like an angel when he sleeps he'll protect me from their wrath."

Sasuke flicked at Naruto's hand with his own. "Idiot."

Blue eyes watched as Sasuke's hand settled on the floor just next to his. Their fingertips were so close to touching. He could visibly see the difference in the tones of their skin and had to remember to start with pale emo jokes in the morning.

Sasuke twisted in his sleeping bag to get a better position, their fingertips brushing each other in what seemed like a drawn out moment.

"Your hand is freezing, moron. Get under your sleeping bag."

"Your hand is fucking hot. I knew you were there devil incarnate."

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he watched Nauto's eyelids finally touch down and struggle to open. He had lost his battle against sleep. So figuring it was safe, Sasuke gently covered Naruto's exposed hand with his own. Just for a little bit he figured, until his hand was warm. No one would know. Sasuke almost jumped out of his skin when Naruto's fingers slid in between his, lacing them together.

Slurring his words and smiling lightly, his eyes still unable to reopen, Naruto whispered.

"It was like we were made for each other, huh?"

Then, before Sasuke could even think of something to say back, Naruto snored right in his face.


Author's Notes: I hope everyone likes this chapter as much as I do.