Happy New Years, guys! And thank you for all your reviews on this story. You are all the best and I am happy I get to take you all with me to 2015! Now I hope this chapter is a good way to say hello to 2015 as well? Enjoy!

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Sasuke's POV

Fingers sliding easily through dark unruly hair, or at least it looked that way, because honestly, Sasuke put a lot of time in getting his hair to be up just right. It was something he did care about, even if it seemed he couldn't care less. Though there was no point really to have his hair up perfectly like this. Nor was there a reason for him to be dressed in dark blue jeans and a dark blue sweater. It wasn't like he was actually going somewhere today. His day would be spent right behind his computer, writing away.

Something had changed in his stories. The genre had moved back to his original love, making the characters suffer again with as much pain as Sasuke could inflict. This was what he needed to write. What fitted him the best. Why would he have changed his genre before? He shouldn't have to change for anyone. Love was overrated anyway. This was what Sasuke needed. At least it's what he kept telling himself, because how else was he supposed to face this shift in his writings? How else could he acknowledge that the pain he did give his characters, actually left wounds behind, somewhere deep and hidden?

Fingers moved swiftly over the keys, nothing really disturbing his in his daily routine. No familiar beeping sound that would warn him about a new upcoming message, no new emails that would need his attention. Sometimes they would come in, but Sasuke mostly ignored it all, as he had once done before. It wasn't about giving anyone attention anyway. He was on fanfiction just for the writing, so why would he focus on anything else? It's not like he actually wanted to go to Skype and see that mocking question mark beside a name he had once cherished. No, writing was better. Getting his mind off of things was better.

Soft footsteps moved almost silently through his room. If it wasn't for the junk Sasuke had lying around, he wouldn't have heard it. But every footstep touched something. Crunching down on a piece of paper carelessly thrown backwards or kicking over a bowl that had once been filled with food. No one would ever be able to reach Sasuke without him knowing about it. So he didn't flinch when a hand was placed on his shoulder, and he did not look up to meet the dark gaze, enlarged by the thick glass settled in front of the eyes. The only thing he did was click out of his word document and stare at his black desktop, the picture there long removed. Itachi didn't need to know about the things Sasuke wrote about. He didn't need his brother's opinion on things.

'What do you want?' Sasuke shot up in a not too kind tone, hostile right from the start, because he did not want to talk to Itachi right now.

Stepping up beside him Itachi leaned his back against the messy desk, eyes not moving to the computer at all, because Itachi understood privacy. 'When will we be seeing Naruto again?' Itachi understood privacy until a certain level.

Eyes narrowed instantly as the question left Itachi's lips, Sasuke's hostility only growing. Pushing his desk chair back Sasuke got up and moved away from Itachi, turning his face just so that Itachi could not see his expression. Sasuke didn't want to talk about Naruto. There was no point in talking about Naruto, because he was never going to talk to Naruto again anyway. They were never going to see Naruto again. And Sasuke could deal with it easily. It's not like he hadn't said goodbye to people before. It happened all the time, because people were assholes and this was how life worked. And it had been Naruto's choice to block Sasuke anywhere possible. Every point Sasuke could've reached out had been cut off, because sometimes people just didn't want to spend time together. And Sasuke had seen it coming, right? This was why he had distanced himself. To prepare for this moment. That sounded like a good reason.

'Who knows?' was his flat answer, even if Itachi would instantly know better. If really nothing was the matter, then Sasuke wouldn't have gotten up. Wouldn't have reacted so coolly. Sasuke almost felt childish for the way he reacted, almost.

It stayed silent after that and Sasuke could hear the disappointed sigh coming from Itachi behind him. Judgemental bastard. It's not like Sasuke wanted this to happen. But when someone cuts you out of their life like that, it's pretty much over, right? 'I thought you really liked this one, Sasuke,' Itachi muttered in that sad tone of his, trying to get under his skin with his kind words. Sasuke didn't need it. Didn't want to hear it. It was a low blow.

Lips tightening into a thin line Sasuke stared through the small gap between his dark curtains, the midday sun filtering through slightly. He hardly noticed he was balling his hands into fists, knuckles turning white as the adrenaline flowed through his body. Angry, so angry. What was he even supposed to say to that? Really liked that one? Yeah, he fucking did really like this one. Doesn't really matter when someone abandons you as if it had all been nothing. As if Itachi understood any of this anyway. The guy hadn't dated anyone in years. Sasuke quickly shook that idea off, because that was wrong. Itachi had been through enough the last couple of years and needed to focus more on himself than on actually dating. His brother had it hard enough and Sasuke did love his brother, immensely.

'What happened?' Itachi's tone stayed soft and kind, though the disappointment was still lingering somewhere deep in his throat, mocking him.

Rubbing his face Sasuke tried to relief some of the tension in it, trying to come up with a fitting answer to this. He wouldn't yell, wouldn't raise his voice, but respond like an adult. 'We decided it wouldn't work out and that it was better if we cut ties. The distance is too far. How can we cross it with such little feelings?' Slowly Sasuke then turned to Itachi, trying his best not to show what had really happened. It was better if everyone here thought it was a mutual agreement. That they both had chosen to say goodbye. In time Sasuke would believe that too and then it would all be better.

Dark gaze met equally dark gaze and for a moment Itachi pursed his lips as he let Sasuke's word sink in. For a moment Sasuke truly thought he had won, as Itachi pushed himself off the desk, ready to walk away. But instead Itachi chose to walk towards Sasuke and put a heavy hand on Sasuke's shoulder, preventing Sasuke from moving away again. 'What happened?' Itachi said again with a heavy tone this time, keeping their gazes still locked.

No emotion would be shown on Sasuke's face, no reaction would be seen to Itachi's brotherly gesture. Sasuke would not do it. But he couldn't prevent his eyebrow from knitting together, an angry glare now present in his eyes. The blank stare Itachi shot his way eventually forced Sasuke to look away. Why could Itachi always read him like a book? See exactly what was going on in that dumb brain of his. Sasuke hardly every understood it himself. It seemed to screw with him mostly.

'He blocked me,' Sasuke gritted out as he tried to shake off Itachi's hand, but it stayed firmly in place. 'Cut off all ties and left me unable to contact ever again. So we won't be seeing Naruto again. He made that very clear to me.'

Cocking his head to the side Itachi waited on more to come, but Sasuke had never been much of a talker and there was nothing left to explain. 'I've met Naruto as you know and that guy wouldn't decide that on a whim. I saw the way that guy looked at you. He wouldn't turn his back on you just because there was a large distance between the two of you, so what was his reason to block you, Sasuke? What did you do?'

Pushing Itachi's arm away now, Sasuke forced room between them, anger now clear on his face. So much for not showing emotion. Itachi just knew which buttons to press to get the right answers. 'I didn't do shit,' Sasuke replied sternly, because even if Itachi knew how to push his buttons, Sasuke didn't give in that easily.

'Very well. You don't need to tell me that. It's your own responsibility,' Itachi murmured and then gazed to the side, letting his eyes roam through the room as he gave Sasuke a few minutes to collect himself and calm down. There was no need to fight over this. Itachi wasn't here to do so. 'But something has to change, because even mom and dad are starting to notice something is off. They ask me about it, because you wouldn't respond to kindly to their offers of help. It's not like we don't see, Sasuke. You've always lived up in your room, but now it's getting out of proportions. When was even the last time you showered? You smell.' Brutally honest his stupid brother was and now Sasuke did want to raise his voice and tell Itachi to just fuck off and leave him alone. Sasuke didn't need anyone to worry about him, because he was fine. Couldn't he have a period of getting over this shit as well? It's not like he could simply throw Naruto away in the trash. He was moving on, but god. Give him a break.

Taking another step back Sasuke reached the wall and sank down through his knees, sitting down on the cold floor while bumping his head back against his blue wallpaper. 'I fucked up and it's over now. Just give me a week and I'll be fine. No need to fucking worry about me. I'm a big boy.'

'Have you tried making it up to him?' Of course Itachi would ignore the whole last bit and only focus on the very first line where Sasuke said he fucked up. Admitting that it had been all his fault. That he had scared Naruto off or whatever you wanted to call it. Sasuke was to blame, because he couldn't handle the pressure. Because he believed this distance was too much and couldn't be overcome. What had they really been telling themselves? It only hurt more now. Naruto should never have come here. They both should've stayed on their own continents, meeting people in their own countries, and spend their lives there.

Sasuke choked out a bitter laugh as he shook his head, finding Itachi's whole idea ridiculous. 'Yeah, that's very easy when someone has blocked you everywhere. It's not like he would accept any messages from me anyway. A month of silence is too long to reach out again. It would be stupid to even try. He moved on and I am doing the same,' he ended resolutely, because Sasuke was convinced Naruto would find someone new right away. Someone who was much better for him anyway. What did Sasuke really have to offer? He was an asshole, who took everything for granted. He didn't deserve anyone's love really. They would all be better off without him.

Sitting down in Sasuke's desk chair Itachi actually turned to Sasuke's computer and started clicking away with the mouse. A shot of discomfort went down Sasuke's spine as he watched it happening, not liking this at all. What was Itachi even doing there?

'You have Naruto's address, right?' Itachi muttered without taking his eyes off the screen, the glasses slipping slightly down his nose as he gazed over the thick glasses.

Another frown formed on Sasuke's face, this time out of confusion. Wasn't Itachi supposed to be reacting to what he had been saying instead of asking for Naruto's address? It's not like a dumb card was going to fix this and sending a package would be stupid too. What if it would just end up in the trash and Sasuke would never know what the effect had been? It's not like he could see Naruto's response then and that didn't sound very appealing. But Sasuke was still curious and needed to hear what Itachi had planned. If the idea was crap, Sasuke could simply reject the idea and move on with his life, as he was planning on doing. 'It's in my email.'

Another wave of discomfort came across him as Itachi moved through his inbox then, because Itachi really didn't need to see all the emails he received from fanfiction and such things. That was his private life. The one he didn't share with anyone. But Itachi hardly paid any attention to it as it quickly found Naruto's home address. Nodding at himself Itachi moved to another tab and searched for something else, which Sasuke didn't recognise from his position on the floor. Getting up wasn't an option now either, because that would only show he was interested. That he wanted to make things right with Naruto. He didn't want that. That was bullshit. It was over and done.

'You can leave tomorrow on a night flight. I'll pay for the costs this time, but you better not screw things up again. Naruto is a keeper and you know it.' Before Sasuke even really understood what Itachi had said, his brother had already paid for the ticket and the deed was done.

Then Sasuke did stand up and move over to the computer, the flight ticket staring him right in the face. 'You expect me to fucking fly there?!'

A sad smile formed on Itachi's lips as he turned to Sasuke again, staring up in those deep angry eyes, pain hidden behind so many walls it was hard to see. 'I just want my happy little brother back, Sasuke. And I know this one made you happy. Naruto is worth it.'

Sasuke couldn't respond then anymore and Itachi didn't really expect him to either. Standing up from the chair Itachi slowly made his way out of Sasuke's room, trying to avoid the junk still lying on the floor as best as he could. In the background the printer could be heard buzzing away loudly, printing out the page of the ticket, so Sasuke could take it with him tomorrow. Right as the printer let out a sigh as a signal that it was done with its duty, Itachi reached the door. And right before he closed it, Sasuke finally replied, his voice so soft it was barely audible, but it sent a satisfied smile on Itachi's lips regardless.

'I know.'

...

Now was this what we were waiting for? Not entirely realistic, but you know what, I would love it if someone did this for me. Okay, I take that back. I mean how awkward is it when someone comes to visit you unannounced and you swore to never talk to them again? I think I would die a little bit. What Naruto's reaction will be... Well, you will need to wait till next week ;) I already updated a day early! Sort of!

Now an announcement for something I am arranging with my Ladies. If you are an ItaDei fan and would love to participate in something called ItaDei week, please check out the link currently posted on my profile. You can't miss it! Thank you, my darlings!

Characters © Masashi Kishimoto

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Love, Dana