Chapter 3

Naruto returned home with Itachi. It's been about fifteen minutes since their return. Naruto stood in the modern styled kitchen putting away the groceries. "You want something to drink?"

Itachi sat casually over the luxury foam couch within the living room. He glanced over to Naruto and kindly declined the offer before averting his eyes back to his cellphone. He finished reading the short email before he pocketed the phone, once again embracing the extravagant home.

The penthouse was huge with wide white walls and grey carpeted floors. The living room was spacious and just in a few feet stood the kitchen. The walls were absent of any decors, paintings and pictures. All the furnitures were Italian, grey and white in color with decorative white pillows placed on top.

"Where is your brother right now?" Itachi turned to Naruto who was busy unpacking the groceries he had graciously paid for.

"By day a clothing store cashier, by night a waiter." Underneath his breath, he muttered other unpleasant things he believed his brother did behind his back.

Itachi simply nodded. The two began to talk which mostly consisted of Itachi answering questions asked about his life. The idea of fame interested Naruto greatly for reasons Itachi can't comprehend. He answered the questions asked of him with few words and not many details. When you lived that sort of lifestyle, it was tedious. Itachi never once asked the conditions of Naruto's life. Truthfully, he didn't care and that's not to say he didn't care for Naruto. Rather, the lives of other people never really interested him.

They sat in silence for a while. Naruto finally finished packing everything away and washed himself and his nephew a bowl of fresh grapes. Some time passed and the apartment door swung open.

"I'm home!" Kyuubi greeted, his red hair tied in a messy bun. His denim jacket was slanted over his shoulder. He looked to his brother and son in the kitchen, a happy smile on his face. "You got groceries?"

Naruto placed the empty bowl in the sink before he turned towards his brother. "No… but Itachi did," he said smugly.

Kyuubi chuckled nervously. "What?" He figured it was another one of Naruto's tasteless jokes that he found the least bit funny.

Naruto raised his finger and pointed it to the couch. "If you don't believe me, ask him yourself." His laugh mocked his brother who stared wide eye at the man sat in his living room.

There's a long moment of stillness, the only sound heard being the running water from the faucet as Naruto washed the bowl. He was having a grand time at the expense of his older brother. Naruto's satisfied smirk widened when he saw his brother run out the apartment and in the next minute, Itachi was out of the door following after him. Naruto clapped his hands, satisfied with the outcome of his devious little plan.

"Bingo!"

Somewhere down the packed steps of the spiraling staircase, Kyuubi's heartbeat matched the quick pace of his feet. A sharp turn allowed him to momentarily escape the Itachi's sight, stopping when his name was called out sharply. Itachi's hand moved forward and quickly snatched Kyuubi by the arm, roughly pulling him and shoving him against the wall. He took a step back, composed himself as his hand brushed his fallen hair out of his face.

Silence lingered between the two men. Kyuubi tried to get his breathing under control while hoping the wall behind him would somehow open and swallow him whole. He shut his eyes, tried to rid away the painful memories. He opened his eyes to a set of cold eyes that had him unable to move.

"You're scared," Itachi said softly. "Good, that means you feel something."

Kyuubi can't seem to determine if he is awake or not. If he had fallen victim yet again to another nightmare where he faced the consequences of breaking the heart of the man he loved.

"Why are you here?" Kyuubi asked softly.

Itachi stood close enough for his chest to almost touch Kyuubi's. His dark eyes scrutinized the man beneath him. He would've thought it impossible but Kyuubi was even more beautiful than he remembered. He had gotten taller, coming into his body, and his hair had grown longer too. Itachi wanted to reach out and embrace him. It physically pained him to stand so close, look at the love of his life, and not be able to hold him. It was a different kind of pain, one that couldn't be explained so easily.

Itachi breathed in Kyuubi's familiar scent and his eyes closed instinctively to restrict his thriving needs.

Kyuubi's body began to act on its own. He reached out his arms and wrapped them around Itachi. He's unsure and scared, yet he can't seem to remove his hands that beckoned Itachi closer for reasons only the past could explain.

"You lost the right to touch me a long time ago. Take your hands off me." Itachi said slowly, bitterly.

Kyuubi's arms reluctantly fell back to his sides. He can't seem to comprehend his emotions and the air around him suffocate him with every passing second. He suddenly felt dizzy. He was a fool to think Itachi's wounds would be healed when his own was yet to blister.

"It's very hypocritical of me, maybe foolish, I'm not sure anymore." Itachi leaned in close, almost burying his face in the crook of Kyuubi's neck. "Right now, as I look at you, all I want is to hold you in my arms. I want to kiss you and keep you by my side." Itachi pulled back and looked at Kyuubi, searching for something, any sort of reaction towards his confession. "Would you let me hold you?"

"No."

Itachi swallowed down the cold response. "Do you still not love me then?"

"That is what I told you back then," Kyuubi replied. "I meant those words."

Itachi's confronted by his past and he finds himself at a loss for words. Kyuubi's eyes seem to peer through him to the deepest corners of his soul. He found himself hypnotized and drawn into those calm emerald eyes. He's still yet to meet another soul with such warm eyes. He's suddenly drawn out of its spell as Kyuubi's words finally reach his ears.

"There's no reason for you to be here. I have lived my life peacefully knowing that I'll never see you again."

For the first time since their reunion, Itachi grinned with pure amusement. "When did you become so heartless that you'd even dare to me like this."

"From now on, let's try hard to never again cross each other's path. For the sake of-"

A swift movement of Itachi's arm left the rest of Kyuubi's words trapped in his throat. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

"It's too late to be in his life." Kyuubi watched Itachi fiercely, not backing down. "He's our son. You owe him that much."

"Your son," Itachi said coldly. "He was no longer my son the day you took him from me."

Kyuubi nodded his head. "I know. My son."

Kyuubi turned to leave and he's relieved when Itachi doesn't make an attempt to follow after him. At the top of the staircase, his eyes found Itachi's the instant his name was called.

"Why should I let you off so easily?"

"Every day I see that boy, I'm reminded of the pain I caused you. I'm reminded of the past we shared. If you think that's an easy punishment, I'm not the heartless one."

Itachi watched the single tear silently trail down Kyuubi's face before he disappeared from his sight. Itachi's left admiring the intricate craft of the wall. He exhaled sharply. The emotions he thought he had rid away five years ago suddenly bombard him all at once. He's left angered, sad, confused, and afraid. In his moment of vulnerability, he finally faced the truth for what it was. He had abandoned his son and now he's left to wonder whether it was all worth it or not.

Kyuubi entered his apartment and was immediately attacked with a hug from his son. His hand ran through his son's hair as he swallowed back the tears.

"Hey, baby, how was your day?" The corners of his mouth tugged into a smile, a smile he's struggling to keep in place.

Jay watched the tears fall down his mother's face and he becomes visibly upset by it. "Why are you crying, mommy?"

Kyuubi stayed still and allowed his son to wipe away the tears with his small hands. "I love you so much. I love you more than you'll ever know."

Jay snuggled into his mother, hugged him tightly. "I love you too."

Kyuubi pressed a sweet kiss to the boy's forehead. He shut the apartment door as he stood up. He listened with enthusiasm when Jay informed him of the new high score he had acquired on some game the boy couldn't stop playing. As long as he showed the same dedication towards his school work, Kyuubi had no problem with the boy's obsession.

Naruto walked into the living room dressed in an oversized sweater and joggers with the brand GUCCI written boldly over it. His blonde hair was tucked under the red beanie he wore. He walked behind the sofa and kissed the top of his nephew's head. "I'll see you later, Jay." He doesn't spare his brother a glance.

"Where are you going?" Kyuubi asked him from the kitchen.

"Out," Naruto replied. By the door he's placing on his sneakers.

"You can't go out, you have to watch Jay. I have plans tonight with Yugito."

Naruto snatched his headphones from around his neck and shuffled them over his ears. "Not my fucking problem."

Kyuubi cursed under his breath as he rushed over to the door. Peeking out, he saw his brother walking further down the hall. "Naruto!" His call was ignored and within seconds his brother disappeared down the steps.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me?"

His patience was running thin.

—

The bus ride was long but he enjoyed the long distance. He began a slow stride, admiring the silence of the night and appreciating the coolness of the air. His headphones blasted the powerful vocals of one of the lead singers from his favorite rock band.

Naruto walked to the beat of the music, his eyes lingering on the ground as he listened to lyrics that seemed to speak to him directly. The story of a man seeking acceptance in a world that rejected him, a man not wanting to be alone anymore. He suddenly recalled his teacher's words. Sometimes, that's the best thing to do. He scoffed at the words. How could a math teacher possibly understand what he was going through when his own brother couldn't seem to figure it out?

The short walk forced his thoughts to subside as he finally arrived at his destination. The familiar two story house welcomed him as it always did in his time of need. The building is a traditional Japanese architecture. It stood in the middle of the uniformed buildings, same cracks between the bricks, to the rusting of the paint at the bottom of the white painted fences that nobody else would notice except him. If not for the assigned numbers printed largely above each home, Naruto was certain residents would accidentally enter each other's home. He could imagine the chaos that would erupt.

Naruto knocked loudly against the door even though he's aware there's a perfectly functioning doorbell. The door swung open and he grinned as he took a step forward and pressed his lips against warm ones.

"Boo!"

"So scary." Kiba scoffed, laughing.

He moved to the side, a flash of blonde hair moving past his eyes before disappearing inside the house. His eyes scanned the street of his neighborhood swiftly. The peppermint gum in his mouth has turned stale and at such perfect timing.

He shut the door.

—

Did anyone see that twist coming?