.
"Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night."
All About Eve, 1950
.
Take Fourteen.
Sasuke wasn't someone who expressed his pleasure for things openly. However when he was standing with Naruto, posing for photos and thanking he'd worn his favourite jeans out that day, he felt like every hardship he'd ever been through was worth it for that moment.
"I'm sorry we couldn't accommodate a wardrobe change," Gai was apologising, snapping Sasuke's attention back. "It was short notice."
"It's fine," Kakashi told him. "They look smart enough today, for once."
"Hey!" Naruto protested lightly. "Are you saying I dress badly?"
"I'm saying today you don't look as though you threw on whatever was on the floor in easy reach," Kakashi shrugged. "Are you going to deny it?"
"You!" Gai called, turning to Itachi at their side. Itachi had been attempting to stand quietly and look inconspicuous, but he apparently failed at doing so. "I'd like a few photos with your brother."
Itachi frowned slightly, stepping forward as Naruto stepped out of the way. "I must repeat, I really don't have anything to do with the production," he protested mildly.
"I presume your name will come up in the interview with Sasuke," Gai replied, nonplussed. "Sit back to back on the floor, please!"
They did as instructed, posing for the camera. Itachi was happy to smile but Sasuke felt more awkward, managing a half-smile instead. He never had been one to pose for cameras, preferring natural photographs over staged ones. When Gai stopped snapping photos to turn to Kakashi, Sasuke smirked to himself as he snaked a hand up Itachi's back and yanked his hair tie out.
"One second you're my brother, and the next you're my sister," he joked in low tones. Itachi turned to give him a sharp glance, opening his mouth to protest but instead winced as an unexpected camera flashed them in the eyes.
"Wonderful!" Gai practically squealed, snapping another photo. "Wonderful!"
"You did that on purpose," Itachi murmured, finally procuring the tie from his sibling and tying his hair back up.
"Maybe," Sasuke snickered, thankful that the onslaught of camera flashes seemed to have stopped. The door to the room had opened, admitting two new people into the room.
"Anko, Iruka," Gai greeted, giving them one of his thumbs up poses Sasuke already despised. "Please find a room to interview the stars of the new Minato Namikaze movie."
Once again the group found themselves whisked off to another nearby room, splitting off into pairs to conduct their interviews. They were interested in Naruto and Sasuke, leaving Naruto and Kakashi on one side of the room with Iruka and Sasuke and Itachi with Anko on the other.
"Sasuke," Anko began demurely, a notepad and pen in hand as she sat with one knee over the other, looking at him as though she wanted to dissect him with her eyes. "We have no idea who you are- please, tell us more about yourself."
"I'm Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke began, suddenly unsure of what to say. To his own ears he sounded stupid, but he carried on. "I'm twenty and I come from a harbour town in Maine."
"Have you starred in any other roles?"
"No, this is my first one."
On the other side of the room, Naruto and Iruka were laughing like old friends, making Sasuke feel infinitely more awkward.
"How did you land the job?"
"My brother Itachi is my manager and agent, so he gave me the script," Sasuke explained, gesturing to Itachi. "I was accepted on the spot for the part." He paused before deciding to earn points with his boss who he was being careful not to namedrop. He had no idea how secretive Kakashi's role was, so he found it best to say nothing direct about it at all. "I'm very grateful for the opportunity."
"Maine is a long way away. Was it tough to leave your life behind and come to Hollywood?"
"Not at all," Sasuke replied instantly. "I welcomed it."
"Is that so?" Anko murmured, pen flying across the paper. Sasuke realised with a start that he'd sounded far too enthusiastic, unwilling to delve into his past to explain it. He quickly wracked his mind, hoping he could find a reason for his eagerness, when his brother swiftly stepped in to save him.
"Sasuke has always wanted to be an actor," Itachi explained. "As soon as the means became available to us, we moved here so he could pursue that."
"Mm," Anko muttered, her attention clearly focused on the younger Uchiha. Her hand was still flying across the paper, scribbling in what appeared to be shorthand. "Tell me, Sasuke- what's it like working with Naruto?"
"We didn't really get on at first, but we're better now."
"Why didn't you get along?"
"I thought he was an idiot," Sasuke replied simply with a shrug. "We clashed I suppose. He's outgoing and I'm more introverted."
"Okay," Anko nodded, her hand finally stilling on the paper. "That's all I need for now. Thank you, Sasuke."
She stood and made her way over to Naruto, sitting down next to Iruka and once again resuming her scribbling. Sasuke watched her curiously, turning as Itachi put a hand to his arm.
"Remember, they don't know you," Itachi murmured. "It's difficult for them to ask you things other than the basics when they have nothing else to go on."
"I know," Sasuke replied, but that didn't stop the crushing disappointment that the focus was once again on Naruto from threatening to swallow him whole.
-.-.-
"I'm so sorry," Naruto told Sasuke as soon as they were leaving the small interview room over an hour later. "I even told Anko to go back to you, but she wasn't interested."
"It's okay," Sasuke shrugged, but he knew his disappointment was transparent.
"She just kept wanting to talk about Dad anyway," Naruto sighed. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
"At least you'll be on the cover next issue," Kakashi attempted to soothe them as he led them through to the lobby. "Look at it this way- putting Minato's name all over it will make it sell better. Unfortunately, it makes his name a commodity, which I dislike but there's nothing any of us can do."
Naruto was unusually subdued, leaving Sasuke to put aside his own feelings in an attempt to cheer him up. Nudging his arm once they were in the Cadillac and heading back to the studio, he gave him a tiny smile and moved his hand down to Naruto's.
"You need to smile," he remarked, tapping his hand lightly in comfort. "You scare me if you don't smile."
Naruto did as requested, but it was clearly forced. Sasuke pulled his hand away, wondering what on earth he was thinking when he had made the movement in the first place. Out of the corner of his eye he studied Naruto, taking in his newly made-up features. The man looked stunning despite his melancholy, leaving Sasuke reminded that his fancy for him showed no signs of dying off.
The only problem was Naruto was most likely straight. It left Sasuke in quite a dilemma. He was beginning to forge a genuine friendship with the man and he had to work with him- telling him how he felt might ruin their working relationship, as well as drive them apart.
His eyes strayed to the front seat where Itachi was quietly speaking with Kakashi. Itachi seemed to notice the gaze on him, glancing across and giving Sasuke a tiny smile before continuing his conversation.
Itachi had correctly guessed Sasuke had felt something back at the photo shoot. Whether he was tactful enough to keep it to himself or not, Sasuke had no idea- unlikely considering Itachi would probably want to go all big-brother-protective on him about the whole issue. He sighed, turning his eyes to the window instead. He was supposed to be just acting the movie and reaping the rewards, not getting involved in other people's affairs and falling in love with idiots.
It took him a moment to realise what he had just thought. It hit him with a start and he couldn't help but gasp. Falling in what?!
"What is it?" Naruto asked, glancing at him in mild concern.
"Nothing," Sasuke replied bleakly, not turning to meet his gaze. "Worry about yourself."
-.-.-
Kakashi let them take a break for lunch when they arrived back, Sasuke finding himself immediately cornered by his brother before they'd even left the reception area on the way back in.
"Time for a chat," he whispered as he took his arm. "We'll be back soon," he promised Kakashi and Naruto, giving them a wave before leading Sasuke off out the way they had just come in.
"I can walk," Sasuke muttered, wrenching his arm free as Itachi sat on the building's step, tapping the floor next to him for Sasuke to follow his example.
"You needn't," Itachi replied. "Sit and tell me what's going on."
"I can handle my own business," Sasuke sulked, folding his arms and glaring at his sibling. "Stop trying to pry where you're not needed or wanted."
Itachi, to Sasuke's surprise, didn't push the issue. "Fine," he shrugged. "I'm here if you want to speak, Sasuke. You aren't fooling anyone though."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sasuke snapped at him before turning on his heel and walking straight back inside. Naruto was waiting in the lobby, chatting with the receptionist before turning his way.
"Shall we go for lunch?" He asked, pecking Sasuke quickly on the cheek as a greeting. Over the last week he'd been doing it every time they parted, even if just for a minute, and Sasuke had let it happen. Was that why his traitorous mind was now thinking thoughts of silly things like love?
"Sasuke?"
Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts, realising he had been walking through the hall to the cafeteria with Naruto almost on autopilot.
"Kakashi tells me it's Itachi's birthday this weekend."
Sasuke turned to him sharply. "It is?" He mentally wracked the dates in his mind, realising that it was indeed true. He sighed, feeling even more disappointed in himself. He'd been so caught up in life he'd managed to completely forget something so important- though Itachi himself hadn't brought it up, either.
"Are you guys doing anything for it?" Naruto prompted, clearly attempting to snap him from his reverie once more.
"How does Kakashi knows that?" Sasuke asked instead.
"Apparently he saw it on a form Itachi filled out at the hospital," Naruto shrugged. "You forgot, didn't you?"
"I don't have the money to get him something," Sasuke sighed, setting his gaze to the floor as they walked and once again avoiding the accusation.
"Well, that's why I brought it up," Naruto said, his tone slightly awkward. "I assumed with everything that happened last week that you guys were having money trouble, and I... Well, I wondered if you wanted to borrow some-"
"No."
"Hear me out!" Naruto pleaded, lowering his voice as they entered the cafeteria. "If you won't borrow money, how about you let me throw a party? We can hold it at my luxury estate- I don't live there anymore, but we can push it to the media and let them take some photos. Do you see where I'm going with this?"
Sasuke did, eyes widening slightly. "So you're saying we can use it as promotional material, but in reality we all know it's for Itachi's birthday more than anything?"
"Meaning you get to throw him a party, proving you didn't forget after all, and we get to pretend to the media it's something related to the movie," Naruto concluded. "Sound like a plan? With Starlet interested in us and running their article next month, the other magazines will be falling all over themselves to feature us too and compete with their sales next month."
"I'll think about it," Sasuke told him, but in his mind he was already going over the idea with a fine toothed comb. Kakashi knew people- perhaps he would invite celebrities? Perhaps celebrities would want to come to it? He shook those thoughts, focusing on the far more important one- his name, his picture, finally beginning to project up into the Hollywood stars. He was walking the path towards his dream.
That said, the one thing he currently had his eye on would have to stay a dream. He sighed, eyeing Naruto as they selected their lunch together. Life would be too perfect if he got him as well. Fate surely wasn't that kind?
-.-.-
Author's Note: I hope you had a lovely Christmas and New Year :)
For a few reasons I won't bore you with, updates aren't going to be as frequent as they have been. I have no intentions of abandoning this fic or leaving months between updates or anything, but it won't be every few days like before. Sorry, but it's unavoidable. Hopefully when I do get chapters posted the wait will be worth it.
Thank you for reading, reviewing, etc!