A/N: We're re-watching Naruto again and I still can't believe how it ended. Some of the couples did not make sense at all. Hope you like this chapter. It flowed some and then it didn't some. But I've finally gotten an idea of how to end it.
Both songs, Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons and Contradiction by Ksuke are not owned by me…they just inspired me!
Chapter Three: Wishful Thinking
Itachi thought Naruto was going to be sick. The blond's ever-present tan had gone ashen, not that Fugaku noticed anything was amiss. His father was always like this, he never noticed anyone else's feelings unless it was relevant to the business. Naruto seemed to summon a terribly fake smile - inject some enthusiasm into his voice and eyes - before replying.
"That's an awesome idea, Mr. Uchiha! The tour Sasuke gave me was wonderful and you have a really great team." At least the last sentence seemed to have a grain of truth to it. The blond's hands tightened around the keys he was holding…a familiar keychain…Naruto had his brother's keys. Itachi fought to keep his face impassive. Sasuke never let anyone else take his car. He tamped down on the impatience welling up inside; when would his father leave? What had happened to Sasuke?
"I'm glad you agree, Naruto-kun. I'll smooth out the details with Sasuke and then we could meet at the end of the week." Fugaku graced the blond with a smile, a rarity in itself, and turned to Itachi. "I'll be off then. I expect you to visit during the Hinomatsuri holidays. Naruto-kun will stay with us as well. His father has other commitments." The older man patted each of them on their shoulders and left. Itachi saw the blond flinch at the last statement but opted to let it go in favour of the more pressing issue.
As soon as the elevator doors pinged and the numbers started to decrease, Itachi walked up to Naruto. "Where is he?"
An explosive sigh warmed the air between them and the blond brushed back his hair. "We had a fight. He tossed the keys at me and left. I've looked on the way here but haven't seen him." He glanced out the window. "He didn't have an umbrella…"
Itachi worked to keep from gritting his teeth. Uchihas did not show irritation and this was a business partner's son. But he couldn't help turning away from the blond who followed him to the couch. As they both sat down, Itachi dialled Sasuke's number. There was no answer. The next attempt produced the same results. It took all of his self-control to keep himself from throwing the phone at the wall. He couldn't keep his voice perfectly controlled when he addressed Naruto. "I'm going to fix you a plate of food while you tell me exactly what happened…"
It took a while for the Namikaze to follow but he walked up to take a seat at the island while Itachi plated and microwaved the food. His voice was low and gruff when he began, telling Itachi everything - the encounter at the university before describing the conversation in the car…Itachi watched a flush of shame slide onto the blond's features as he stumbled over the fight in the office.
All his life, Itachi had been told to keep his composure. He was the older person, the one who could keep his temper in check, no matter how difficult it was to do so. His mother had drilled into him that he needed to look at both perspectives and be unbiased. So even now, when he wanted to throw a punch at the man in front of him and knock him off the stool, he managed to keep it to a grimace and long exhalation. A fretful silence reigned as Naruto ate his food. He hadn't asked if Itachi was joining him. He was a sensitive person that way…well brought up…except when it came to Sasuke. Itachi turned to put away the rest of the food, not trusting his own expressions when it came to what he had to say next.
"He wasn't, you know…" Itachi steeled himself and kept his focus on moving the containers from the counter to the fridge. "He wasn't a cover up. Sasuke managed to spend eight months without me being anything more than a brother." The bitterness that had existed from the moment Gaara had come into the picture, now coated his mouth, and he hoped it wasn't audible. He hoped that saying this much was enough. Gaara wasn't an easy topic for either of them; he couldn't even bring himself to the say the redhead's name. It was time to change the subject. "When I told you about it…it was so you'd understand my brother, not throw it in his face." He caught a glimpse of the guilt in Naruto's face intensifying and curled his lips into his mouth, pressing them together. "Well, what's done is done. It looks like we should find you a car tomorrow. I doubt you'll both be riding together after this."
He turned with a small smile, while the blond still looked guilty, the cerulean eyes were watching him with a calculating intensity. Then some small warmth crept in and the younger man smiled back. "Sure…it would help. I kinda thought you'd be angrier."
Itachi walked back to the couch and sat down. His fingers automatically dialled Sasuke again – the result was the same. He picked up the small remote control on the coffee table, he turned on some music, determined to stop focusing on his missing brother and laid his head back. A randomised playlist started up, some songs he liked and some just the latest hits. He looked took his time before gesturing for the blond to join him in the living area. "I was angrier…I am angry. But that's only because you misunderstood Sasuke. He may be a bastard, but he's never been shallow." Itachi wound his fingers into a lock of hair than fell over his shoulder; it was an anxious gesture, he tended to pull his hair a bit when he was stressed. He supposed he should kick the habit, but it always helped him feel better. "But Sasuke's been quite the ass when it comes to you, so I don't really have anything to defend him with."
Naruto gave him a full-fledged smile at that. Itachi always appreciated this particular smile; he didn't think the blond knew how breath-taking he looked when he gave those genuine smiles. He was nothing like Sasuke, but that didn't make him any less beautiful. Itachi cut short his musings there. He already knew Sasuke was jealous of the blond…musing about the said blond's beauty would lead down dangerous paths and a time like this when he thought the anxiety would eat him from inside, was the wrong time to think about it.
They made small talk for the next few hours, but Naruto had started to doze off. It was past midnight and there was still no sign of Sasuke. Itachi had already tried calling him a dozen times every hour, each call adding incrementally to the nauseous feeling building up inside him. He wished he could doze, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw something terrible happening to Sasuke. Sasuke hadn't ever cut him off like this…not even when the Gaara incident had occurred. Naruto falling asleep left Itachi with his own late-night thoughts…thoughts he didn't allow when Sasuke was with him. Treacherous thoughts and guilt that welled up in him every single time Gaara was mentioned: guilt accompanied by the gut twisting, nauseating feeling of jealousy. Itachi turned up the music and tried to concentrate on the lyrics. He paced for a while after that before settling on the couch again and trying to read a book. He'd woken the blond asking him to head inside to his bedroom, but Naruto had stubbornly refused. It was comical in a way, that they were both keeping up an all-night vigil for Sasuke, despite the fact that he brought out the worst in both of them. And he did bring out the worst in Itachi, he brought out the ugly. The dinging noise of the elevator cut short that dark thought and snapped the blond out of his snooze.
Sasuke stepped in, soaking wet. Itachi had hoped the idiot had at least taken shelter somewhere, but it looked like he'd been out in it for hours. Rage and concern warred for control as Itachi stood up. His brother had stopped in the lobby, taking in the picture of Naruto and himself in the living room. Something Itachi couldn't pin flitted through the beautiful dark eye that was exposed...Sasuke's hair was down, wet midnight locks covering half his face and obstructing Itachi's view of his other eye…the windows into Sasuke's soul.
"Where were you?" Itachi hoped his voice didn't sound as strangled as he was currently feeling. In a move completely unlike him, Sasuke didn't deign to answer. He'd never ignored Itachi before. The older Uchiha happened to glance over at Naruto. Namikaze's face was an open book- his wide blue eyes drinking in his younger brother; a mix of sorrow, anger, pain and…warmth. Warmth that sent claws of possessiveness streaking through him, he did not want Naruto to feel warmth for Sasuke. "I said, where were you?" A biting chill had crept into the question now and Itachi felt more on edge than ever before.
Sasuke glared at him, pushing the curtain of dripping hair away from his face. His voice was bland, almost like he couldn't care less that Itachi was pissed. "Out. I'm a grown man. I'm allowed to go out and blow off steam if I want to."
His brother walked up to him, inhaling the smell of alcohol that came off of him in ways. "You've been drinking…and you're soaked through." Itachi's voice came out in low hiss.
He reached out to Sasuke, but froze when his brother batted his hand away and glanced at Namikaze, anger roiling behind the dark eyes, lips forming a sneer. "You needn't have stayed up, dobe. Guilt got your sleep?" He didn't wait for an answer and went purposefully down the hall and the door slamming jolted Itachi out of his immobility.
He'd picked speaking to the blond over letting Itachi touch him. Almost in a daze, Itachi walked to the door…something was cracking inside…he knew he should leave it alone, but he ended up in front Sasuke's door, opening it and stepping past the threshold. Sasuke was unbuttoning his shirt, the wet suit jacket was in a pool by the bed.
"Where the fuck were you?"
That got his brother's attention. Itachi rarely cursed. "Just out. I bought a crate of beer and went to the lakefront." Sasuke's voice was rough.
"And you didn't think to let me know?" Itachi ventured in further unable to control the rise in his voice. "I can understand shutting out Naruto…but you shut me out! I was worried." The admission ripped out of him; he didn't like having to show these feelings to his brother. Sasuke looked up to him…looked at him as role model for the Uchiha way. The fact that he was crumbling inside made what he was feeling all the more potent.
"You told him! You didn't even ask me if I wanted to tell Naruto…"
"I thought I could trust him with that much! I wanted him to understand…"
"Did you think about whether I'd still trust you?" Sasuke's interrupted harshly. "You think I'll let you make decisions for me? Stop treating me like child!"
"You're saying you don't trust me?" Itachi's voice was flat. Everything felt still and he was hyper aware of it all at the same time. No one had turned off the music and strains of the Imagine Dragons song Whatever It Takes sounded within this strange cloudy tension that enveloped them. He'd always considered it his song for Sasuke in the depths of his own heart and it added an intensity to the angst he was feeling. He saw Sasuke's eyes widen and wondered what the expression on his face was. The stillness was breaking up and Itachi felt a little winded. Somehow even when they had stupid arguments, anything Sasuke said hurt more than it should. He knew his brother was a little drunk but the idea of Sasuke not trusting him, of disappearing like he had done this evening, scared the shit out of him.
Falling too fast to prepare for this
Tripping in the world could be dangerous
Everybody circling, it's vulturous
Negative, nepotist
Everybody waiting for the fall of man
Everybody praying for the end of times
Everybody hoping they could be the one
I was born to run, I was born for this
(Lemon)
"Itachi…" Sasuke barely manged to get the word out when the older Uchiha was in front of him. Itachi's hands were tight in the thick raven hair and he pulled Sasuke to him in bruising kiss. The only thought in his mind was to show Sasuke…show him…love…why didn't he trust…but he had broken their trust…Gaara…Itachi lost himself in the kiss, putting an end to the fleeting thoughts that plagued him.
Whip, whip
Run me like a racehorse
Pull me like a ripcord
Break me down and build me up
I wanna be the slip, slip
Word upon your lip, lip
Letter that you rip, rip
Break me down and build me up
He let go of Sasuke's hair and broke the kiss, to trail his lips down Sasuke's neck, sucking up the water scattered over the pale skin, like dew. Sasuke's gasp as Itachi nipped him lightly only egged him on, hands in the younger man's shirt, sliding it off, exploring the exposed patches of skin.
Whatever it takes
'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do whatever it takes
'Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains
Whatever it takes
Yeah, take me to the top I'm ready for
Whatever it takes
'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do what it takes
His hands wandered over the expanse of his pale back before threading through the dark locks again. His hand slipped lightly under Sasuke's shirt, to rub his toned stomach. Sasuke squirmed a little and turned his head to capture Itachi's lips with his own in another long kiss…the urgency of it all slowing down a little as Itachi realised his brother was reciprocating. They just stood there kissing for a while, short ones, deep ones, with tongue, with nips, whatever variation they could think of. He felt Sasuke's hands fumbling at his pants and moved to help his brother disrobe him. It didn't take too long for them to be naked, Sasuke's cold body pressed up against his warm one. A stray thought that Sasuke might need a warm bath more than what was happening was shot down by his lust-filled brain.
"I'm sorry…" Sasuke's voice sounded in his ear as he sucked the spot where the younger Uchiha's neck joined his shoulder. "Uhhnn…I do trust you…" Itachi stilled for a moment before continuing his marking of his younger brother. He put a plug on the guilt that filled him, it felt like it would leak out of him at any moment.
Hypocritical, egotistical
Don't wanna be the parenthetical, hypothetical
Working onto something that I'm proud of, out of the box
An epoxy to the world and the vision we've lost
I'm an apostrophe
I'm just a symbol to remind you that there's more to see
I'm just a product of the system, a catastrophe
And yet a masterpiece, and yet I'm half-diseased
And when I am deceased
At least I go down to the grave and die happily
Leave the body and my soul to be a part of thee
I do what it takes
Itachi pulled away from Sasuke, they were both hard…he met Sasuke's eyes. He just wanted to take Sasuke and drown in his depths; burying everything else deep inside. Nothing needed to be said. Sasuke nodded and Itachi walked them back to a wall, their cocks bumping into each other, sending pleasure shooting through them. Itachi slammed Sasuke against the wall, coming up between his legs. He captured one pale pink nipple in his mouth and sucked at it a little. Sasuke moaned loudly and bucked his hips a little.
"Nnnn…Itachi…"
He played with those nipples some more, rolling them, tweaking them and they stood at attention drawing more needy noises from Sasuke. Itachi allowed himself a smirk looking for all the world like the devil; he let his palm roam below to lightly cup the younger Uchiha. But he refused to tighten his grip, until Sasuke was frantically bucking to get any kind of friction. Letting go, when Sasuke seemed to be getting close, he moved to get the lube from the drawer beside the bed. Deftly prepping the man, he locked eyes with him.
"Don't ever shut me out again…" The dark-haired man nodded and let Itachi's hand slide behind his thighs to lift him up. They didn't break eye contact as Itachi lined his member up with Sasuke's spasming hole. They drowned into each other's eyes as Itachi slowly sank all the way into Sasuke's velvet heat. They started slow, Sasuke's straining cock sandwiched between them, as Itachi ploughed into him again and again. The slightly ajar door, the music, the presence of a guest just a door away, ceased to exist. For the next few minutes, the men were lost in their crazy, hasty love making. Grunts, moans and pants accompanied by a few low growls filled the room. It was when Sasuke came screaming his name and coating them both in his essence, that the demon roiling within in Itachi slept again. He came hard, burying his head in Sasuke's shoulder, hiding his expression, closing his eyes and finally feeling at ease. "Sasuke…" I love you….
(Lemon ends)
On the opposite side of the house, behind a closed door, blue eyes widened as cum spurted between the tan hands stilling on his member. Shame…something he felt all the time recently, bubbled up in him again. He'd caught sight of them on the way in, the door ajar and hadn't been able to help staring a little - His eyes following the slow sex going on inside before the change in speed had had him hurrying to his room. They hadn't even noticed him. He hadn't meant to jerk off…but they were so hot…so disgusting…he was a crossing a line he'd set for himself. Naruto reached for the tissues on the night stand…there was no way he was going to head to the bathroom down the corridor. His lips twisted into a sneer aimed at himself…look at him pining over the Uchiha men…he threw an arm over his eyes and tried to blank out his thoughts. He wished he could leave.
It was love at first sight. Naruto struggled to maintain some dignity…but the urge to run his hands over the smooth…he bit his lip and opted for a cool assessing gaze. But there could be no one else…the lovely sleek lines and sexy carriage…and money was not an obstacle. "I'd like to customise it…" He barely registered placing his credit card on the tray or the salesperson whisking it away. He took a few steps forward and slid a hand over the smooth metal of the hood.
"Should I look away? Maybe you'd like some privacy?"
Naruto jerked his hand back to meet Itachi's smiling eyes. "Yeah…no…I mean…she's beautiful…"
"She?" Itachi shook his head and his voice took on an injured tone. "I needn't have come with you. The moment you saw that car, it was all over. My expertise wasn't even necessary…"
Naruto rubbed his head and gave the older man a sheepish grin. "What can I say? I love attention and this is the most gorgeous thing on four wheels in the store." He leaned against the smexy Kumogakure Taifun and splayed his fingers against its doors, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips; lighting up his eyes.
Itachi's eyes snagged on his for a moment and something sparked in them, but the older Uchiha moved towards the car. "Are you getting the two-seater or the five-seater?"
Naruto looked thoughtful. "Well, the two-seater is sexier, but I'm a social person. I like having a car that can transport more than two people." He looked at his shoes for a bit and clarified. "I feel like I'm finally making friends."
Itachi tsked and turned to regard him. "You are. Unless you think I make a hobby out of watching grown men drool over their new cars…"
Naruto turned to face him fully. "Nah, man…I don't want to hear about your fetishes! But I bet I'm the sexiest drooling man you've ever seen!" He gave Itachi a charming smile before realised just who he was attempting to flirt with!
The ebony eyes stared at him assessing. "One of." There was a challenge in those eyes and the knowledge of who the other might be had Naruto reliving the night before. He turned away quickly and attempted to change the subject.
"So, I'm thinking orange or the dark teal…unlike you Uchihas I like to go loud!"
"Oh, we can be plenty loud when we want to…" The low voice sent shivers down his next and he turned wondering when Itachi had gotten so close. The man was trying the door to the driver's seat. Naruto turned a brilliant shade of red as he heard the pleasure-filled cries from the night before in his ears once more. Squawking a little, he back-pedalled away from the man.
"I know! Geez!" the words slipped out before he could hold them back making it Itachi's turn to blush slightly and look away. They looked everywhere but at each other for a few awkward moments.
"Namikaze-sama? If you could just follow me to the lounge, we could discuss those customizations." The salesperson was back. Naruto nodded and looked at Itachi, who waved for him to go ahead.
"You should pick the teal. Its bright and dark, sort of like you." Itachi didn't give him a chance to reply, moving deeper into the showroom. Naruto thought about it for a moment and then shrugged, heading towards the lounge. It took him an hour to discuss what he needed. He felt guilty about bringing Itachi and then leaving him to hang around while he did this. He should have let Itachi leave if he needed to. Finishing up the buy, he took his credit card back. He found Itachi in the vintage cars section and gave him a guilty smile.
"Sorry I kept you from work. I know your father won't be too happy about it."
Itachi shook his head. "You misunderstand…my father would support anything that kept you happy…besides, I like cars and rarely have the time to explore showrooms these days. I kept myself busy looking over possible future buys."
It irked Naruto that Itachi might be doing this just for business reasons. He'd hoped they'd been building up a friendship…hadn't Itachi said they were friends before? His musings were cut short by his phone. It was his father. "Hey, dad! How are you?"
"Naruto! I'm fine! I hope the Uchihas are treating you well?"
Naruto glanced at Itachi apologetically. "Yes, everything's fine. I just picked up a car so I wouldn't be bothering them for a ride all the time."
"That's fine. Hope you picked a good one." His father sounded distracted. "Listen, Naruto, about the holidays…I'm going to be very busy. I intend to campaign right up Hinomatsuri. I'll come and have lunch with you on that day. But until then, Fugaku has asked for you to spend it with them. I've already accepted. Just a sec…" He could hear Minato speaking to someone before he was back on the call. "So, just join them for the whole deal? Community service and whatever else they've got planned?"
Naruto wondered if protesting was going to get him anywhere. His father had promised to be there over the holidays…another broken promise to add to the long list since they'd arrived in Konoha. "Sure. I understand." He could keep the sadness out of his voice but he knew his eyes had given him away when the Uchiha straightened, looking at him with concern.
"Good. See you then! I have to run…" The call cut off before Naruto could say goodbye. Just like that, all the excitement and elation drained out of him. He used his right foot to absently scratch at his left ankle and then straightened turning to Itachi.
"I guess we should get you back to work then…"
"Or we could go grab some coffee?"
Naruto stilled. "Don't you have a ton to do every day?"
Itachi shrugged. "You don't have any classes and I don't have anything pressing to do, so we could just hang out? You look like you could do with some caffeine…"
"Are you asking me out on a date, 'Tachi?" Naruto gave him a mischievous smile.
Itachi smirked, eyes lighting up naughtily. "If I said yes, how would you react?"
Naruto shook his head. Why can't Sasuke be like this…? He brushed off that thought. "Put myself under police protection probably. or your significant other might start foaming at the mouth and shred me to pieces." They both smiled at the image of Sasuke foaming at the moment.
"Well, it's not a date then. Just friends hanging out." Itachi put a hand on his upper arm and steered him out. "Or did you think I was hanging out with you just for business reasons?"
Naruto gave the other a long look. Itachi read him too well sometimes. "Fine, where do you want to go?"
"There's a really nice place close by. We could leave the car and take a walk, if you'd like? You could work off some of that stress you're carrying." When Naruto gave him a look, he sighed. "Sasuke usually likes to walk it off when he's annoyed about something. I find it's a good way to work off steam…"
They checked to be sure it was okay with the showroom and then began walking to the café. Itachi was right…it was a lovely day and Naruto's spirits began to rise instantly. "So, what do you guys usually do for Hinomatsuri? Dad called to confirm I'd be spending it with you."
Hinomatsuri was the biggest celebration in Fire Country. Everyone came together to spend time with their families, millionaires went out to do some community service, festival stalls were set up everywhere and the city celebrated for two weeks, ending with special Lunch on Hinomatsuri day – traditionally a quiet affair at home – signalling the end of the holidays.
"Well, we help put up the stalls for the festivals right at the beginning, then we pick a charity we each want to work with – we try to go there for the rest of the holidays and put in a few hours without the paparazzi following us everywhere and then we have a few social dinners, attend the festivals, watch fireworks – the usual. We do make sure not to have guests over for the family lunch – it's going to be the first time with your dad and you joining us." Itachi smiled softly. "Father seems excited about it…more so than usual…I guess they really must be friends."
Naruto frowned a little. "Well, my dad did say he'd known your father very well. Why do you think this is any different from your father's other friends?"
"Because he doesn't have any…" Itachi stopped in front of a little yellow building which boasted that it was a music school and café. "Sasuke used to come here when he was learning to play the guitar. Their food is good and people don't usually bother about who we are." He snagged a small table by the window and gestured for Naruto to sit. They placed their orders; Itachi suggested the chicken club sandwich, so Naruto had gotten one too. He'd picked the hazelnut cappuccino while Itachi got a Columbian black coffee.
The older man stretched and took off his tan jacket, loosening his tie. "I should have left these in the car." He folded his tie, put in the jacket pocket and slid into a more comfortable position in the arm chair. "So how are you finding Konoha?"
"I like being back here. Mostly things are good! I get along okay with the team at work and I've made friends with some of my classmates. It isn't as lonely as I thought it would be. It's different from before, where people were only friends with me because of dad." He suddenly gave Itachi a rueful look. "Having dad around more and maybe getting along with your brother would improve how much I like it…"
"Sasuke will come around. He wasn't always like this…not this broody…but in the Uchiha family, being the second son can do that." Itachi caught his inquiring look. "For my father, Sasuke is the spare. I get the special treatment, while mother and Sasuke are just tools to make the whole Uchiha package look nice. Until recently, Sasuke used to strive to be recognised…after Gaara…he seems to have given it up."
"That's probably because you acknowledge him." Itachi blinked and titled his head. Naruto continued with his explanation. "Well, he seems to love you more than he does your father. You're going to be the next head of the conglomerate, as long as you acknowledge him, what else does he need?"
"Hm…I didn't think of it that way." Itachi's eyes glazed over as he slipped into thought about something. The waitress came over and set their orders down, the clink of the plates seemingly snapping him out of it. He looked at the sandwich. "What do you think, Naruto?"
The sandwiches were tall, white-bread towers filled to bursting with egg and mayonnaise, grilled chicken and vegetables. Gooey cheese oozed out of every layer. Naruto picked up a triangle of goodness and took a bite. "Mmm…it'sh really goo'…" He said, mouth full, the tang of the mayonnaise merging with the saltiness of the cheese and the bite of the chicken. Itachi nodded and proceeded to eat his own, with precise little bites.
They were lost in deliciousness, so when the question came, it seemed very out of the blue.
"What about you? Did your father spend more time with you when you were in Uzushiogakure?"
Naruto took his time with that question, concentrating on chewing instead of the hurt that was welling up in him. It was easy to analyse Sasuke, but when it was about him, he'd rather not go there. But Itachi's face was more open and interested than it had ever been, for some reason, Naruto didn't mind spilling his guts to this man. Naruto wondered how to answer that question. What was it like with his father? If he could see past the nagging feeling of betrayal every time the man was mentioned, what would he come up with?
"He did…but I'm starting to think it was because Mom forced him to…" the blue eyes darkened and Naruto opted to look out of the window. "The moment it became respectable to move on from her death, he decided to move here and finish the campaign he'd started all those years ago. I thought it was his way of moving on…
Itachi sighed. "Did you want to move here?"
Naruto ran his fingers through his hair. "I wanted to be with my father. Granted, I had relatives that I could stay with but I thought that I could stay in the old mansion while he campaigned…we wouldn't see each other often but at least we'd be in the same house. He tried to get me to stay in Whirlpool with my cousins and then suddenly changed his mind. What Sasuke said the night I found out seems right…he just needed a place to dump me, where I could help him most while he moved on to reach his goals."
Before Itachi could say anything. His phone began to buzz. "Sasuke?" Itachi gestured that he'd be back and stepped out to take the call.
Speak of the devil…Naruto hadn't seen Sasuke all morning. By the time he'd woken up, the older man had left for work and Itachi had been ready to come car shopping with him. He wondered what it would be like now. They were being forced to work with each other but they were working to avoid each other at the same time. He emitted a low growl of frustration and turned back to his delicious sandwich. Maybe focusing on the food, would keep him grounded. He was here with Itachi (the nice one) so the bastard could stay out of his thoughts.
Itachi walked back and took his seat. Taking a swig of coffee, he gestured to the waitress and ordered an iced americano and a hot dog. "I'm sorry, that was Sasuke. Apparently, father turned up at his office to brief him on your project. He's a little annoyed but wanted to know if he could bring the files here. I told him yes." Itachi gave him a small smile. "I know you'd rather he didn't but I wouldn't worry. Sasuke can very professional. Also, about your father, I'm sorry Sasuke said that."
Naruto nodded, dismissing the flash of excitement about meeting Sasuke again, a morose look pasting itself across his face. "It's alright. He was scared and wanted to lash out. I said some pretty shitty things to him myself."
Itachi nodded and then turned back to Naruto with a small frown gracing his features. "I know I shouldn't take sides…I'm not. But I just wanted to clarify that Sasuke does not get close to anyone easily. He's had his share of people who tried to use him to gain something with our family, only to drop him when they realised he couldn't influence father. So, the Gaara thing…It wasn't a cover. He might be behaving like an asshole to you and I don't justify his actions but that one time…he…he really was in love." Again, there was that strained quality to Itachi's voice.
Naruto nodded, trying to keep his face impassive. What did you feel about Gaara, Itachi? Are you really so aloof about it? "I know. Like I said…I wanted to lash out too. I'm sorry."
Itachi smiled at him. "I'm not the one you should be saying it to. Just as I'm not the one who should be apologising to you."
At that moment, both the coffee, food and Sasuke arrived. The younger Uchiha was in a crisp navy-blue suit over a white form fitting t-shirt; he carried a leather messenger bag across his torso. Walking up to them, he threw himself into a chair and thanked the waitress for his order with a charming smile. She fluttered around a little, welcoming him back, and then left them to their meal. Sasuke nodded to Itachi and greeted Naruto with a short "hey", face impassive.
Naruto was a little taken aback. He had been expecting the usual sneers or glares but the Sasuke looked completely at ease. Like they sat around having meals together every day, well, they did, but not like this. He saw the considering look Itachi was giving his brother and then the older man pushed his chair back.
"While I like this comfortable atmosphere, I'd like it to be a little less forced. So why don't you two clear the air properly while I visit the restroom?" With that, Itachi left the two younger men alone.
Naruto was assiduously looking elsewhere, feeling Sasuke's eyes up on him. He hoped that Itachi would return quickly so they could get on with it. So, he wasn't expecting it when the Uchiha spoke up.
"I'm sorry I've been a shit to you."
He turned to look incredulously at the raven who cleared his throat and continued, expression still impassive. "I'm not saying that we're friends or anything of the sort. But it's been brought home to me that we're going to be spending a lot of time together. Animosity is not going to help us get things done. Our fathers want us to get things done and I intend to help mine."
Naruto stayed silent for a little bit. He couldn't find anything in Sasuke's face to make him doubt the sincerity of the statement. He remembered Itachi mentioning that Sasuke was the spare…maybe the younger Uchiha really did want to do well…impress his father. So maybe putting this feud aside wasn't a bad thing. "Fine. I'm sorry about what I said last night too. But you're right. We're not friends."
Sasuke nodded and began rooting through his bag for the files. "I take it you'll be using your own car once it's delivered?"
"Yes, I will." The blond took the files from Sasuke and flipped through them. "Apart from work, I'll stay out of your way as much as possible. So please stay out of mine."
Sasuke nodded just as Itachi came back. He looked curiously between the two younger men, but nothing more was said. They finished their meal and soon all three heads were bent over the project files.
It's funny how sometimes when one gets what they really want, one realises one doesn't want it anymore. For both Naruto and Sasuke, that's how it was. Itachi had become the blond's point of contact for all things personal and to hang out but he was Sasuke's lover and brother. The two younger men had completely stopped interacting with each other unless it was about their beloved project.
For Sasuke, when he'd really hated Naruto and wished that the man would disappear, he hadn't. Now that Naruto was ignoring him and living his own life, Sasuke found that he wanted to get to know the man. He was impressed with his ideas and how much he was contributing to the project. He got along well with the team in the office and seemed to be everyone's friend…everyone's but Sasuke's. Even the Hyuuga heirs frequented their home now that the blond was there. It had been two months since the Namikaze heir had moved in.
For Naruto, the more he got to know Sasuke over the project, the less he thought of the other as a bastard. He was awed by how much of a workload Sasuke could handle, the ideas he shared for the campaign and the fact that he was actually a good manager all around. The team loved him despite the surly attitude he sported.
Naruto sometimes hung out with Itachi. They carefully chose times when Sasuke had other things to do, so it wasn't like they left him out. They also told him when they were going to hang out, so he wouldn't get unnecessarily jealous. But Sasuke was jealous. He was jealous about how Itachi smiled when the two went out on their random hiking expeditions or when they got started on some project like building new Gundam models. It was not a lot of time really, just once in a while, having fun like the housemates they were. Of course, Itachi was mindful and spent most of his free time with his brother. But Sasuke found he was starting to get jealous of Itachi for spending time with Naruto.
Naruto, on the other hand, had always been jealous of Sasuke and Itachi for having each other. Now he was more jealous of Itachi having Sasuke and seeing sides of Sasuke that he never got to see. It was also interesting to see that Sasuke did have friends…Shikamaru, for one, seemed to hang out with the bastard quite regularly and Kiba took liberties that only best friends could, he even dropped in on them sometimes. He wondered how the hell Sasuke could get along with Kiba when he found Naruto annoying.
But the two hadn't really hung out with each other apart from how much they were forced to at home.
Their friends all seemed to get along with each other, but none of them could convince the men to actually socialize outside of work. They had no idea why Naruto and Sasuke went from being an amazing team during work hours to people with 'other' plans as soon as they punched in their time card. Even when everyone was together, they seemed to get more aloof later in the night. Kiba kept suggesting to everyone that it was all supernatural. The Uchiha was a vampire and the Namikaze a werewolf – so they were natural enemies forced to socialize when they were in public – so as not to raise any suspicion. Shikamaru had mentioned that Kiba'd been reading too much Twilight and that had put an end to that rumour. Though everyone secretly felt it might have been true with the abrupt change when work finished.
Things came to a head one evening, when Sasuke and Naruto had finished a presentation for their project. It was late Friday evening and Kiba came bursting into the office, without bothering to knock.
"Sasuke! Let's have a team outing! We're all knackered after the crazy days we've had…" He slammed his hands down on the raven's table. "You are not allowed to say no and you will join us."
Sasuke gave him a long look but the brunette out-stared him until he sighed. "Fine. Where do you have in mind?"
Excitement crawled up Kiba's features. "They have this new club…Red Cloud. Ino's cousin owns the place, so we can get in for free! We can leave in an hour."
Sasuke seemed to consider it and then nodded. "Dress code?"
"Doesn't matter. We're all dressed okay." Kiba turned to Naruto. "You're a part of the team and it's a team outing. This is official and you can't get out of it!"
Naruto glanced at the Uchiha who shrugged. So, he nodded. He didn't feel the need to change. He was in a deep blue long sleeved T-shirt and olive-green chinos. It was casual Friday…Uchiha was dressed similarly, only his t-shirt was black and he had on tight grey jeans. The others seemed to have been planning this since they were all more or less dressed for a club. "What about transportation? I can take four in my car."
Kina smiled. "Sweet! I've been wanting to ride in it for ages!" He turned to Sasuke. "You bringing yours? Shikamaru has his as well and there's only ten us going. I know! Why don't you leave it here and come with us? Consider it team bonding!"
Naruto grinned, the Uchiha looked like he'd swallowed a frog but acquiesced to Kiba's demand nonetheless. "I'm going with Shika…" Kiba rolled his eyes like he'd expected it.
They did leave within the hour. Sasuke, Ino and two others went with Shikamaru while Shino, Kiba, a flame-haired colleague called Sasame and a pale-haired man called Temujin rode with Naruto. Kiba was ultra-excited about the car.
"A Taifun…" Kiba ran his hands over the teal hood, much like Naruto had the first time he saw it. "Have you named this baby?"
Naruto have him a wolfish grin. "Kitsune, Kit for short!"
"Welcome Naruto…" The AI sounded just like the Kit from the show Knight Rider that had aired when they were all little kids. Kiba crowed with delight when he heard it and kept up an enthusiastic conversation about cars the whole time. With a squawk, he realised he'd almost missed the turn and pointed out the entrance to the club.
Naruto had never seen a club like this one…It was set way back from the street and had an actual large parking lot; the building was painted black but built in a weird Japanese style with red columns and roofs. There seemed to be a few open-air spaces – dancefloors and bars along with whatever else might be inside. It already seemed crowded…the others were waiting at the entrance. As they entered, Naruto felt like the deep base beats were crowding around him. Music always made him a little spacey. His hand being grabbed by another blond forced him to come down from rhythm cloud that had been building up in his head.
"Naruto! I've heard so much about you!" the paler blue eyes sparkled. "I'm Deidara, Ino's cousin."
He grinned and quirked an eyebrow. "Have you?"
The other man nodded. "From Ino and Itachi! Itachi's a good friend of mine!"
Come to think of it, he'd never thought about Itachi having friends either. So, meeting them was a little jarring, but he wasn't sure why he felt that way. He followed Deidara further inside and upstairs, making some small talk about the club while they headed to one of the semi-open spaces. They'd bagged one of the larger booths, the only booth on that wall, with great access to the bar, the open-air dance floor and a good view of the rest of the room. They all placed their drink orders and Naruto found himself sandwiched between Shikamaru and Deidara at one end of the table. He was so engrossed in a conversation with the other man about the how he kept the club going without any marketing campaigns, that he hadn't realised the rest of the table were already on round two. When Deidara left to take care of something, Naruto glanced around to find Sasuke missing.
"He's over there…" Shikamaru's bored voice sounded, almost muffled by the loud music. He looked in the direction the brunette had pointed. "He hits the dance floor immediately after the first round of drinks. You wouldn't believe it, but Sasuke really likes dancing."
He did seem to. Naruto found himself entranced by raven's sinuous moves as he danced with some of his colleagues. He had Ino by the hips and they were grinding together, completely oblivious to Naruto's scrutiny. It was funny how he'd had enough opportunity to see Sasuke being sexy before, hell he'd even seen the man's cock, but none of that had had the effect of turning his mouth dry like right now. Ino caught sight of him and gestured for him to come over. He caught a slight smirk from Sasuke and couldn't help taking it as a challenge. He was out of his seat in minutes.
He closed his eyes as he began to sway to the beat. It was like a possession, almost like the music held him by the hips, moving his body. It began with them dancing with Ino between them, bodies moving, winding to the beat but suddenly Kiba pulled Ino to him and they found they were pressed up against each other. By some miracle, neither stopped…when Naruto's new favourite Contradiction by Ksuke started up, Naruto just lost himself in the sensuous energy it brought forth in him.
His hands were on Sasuke's chest as he moved against him.
You make it look easy / I'm thinking hard right now
'Cause I know that you want me / From the inside out
The raven's hands landed on his hips and as everyone around them started to close in, Naruto found his face against the Uchiha's, the other man's breath fanning out against his ear.
You got me speechless / Opening my mouth
I was keeping it secret / But the word got out
Sasuke spun him around, pulling his hips against him as Naruto ground back into him. He couldn't stop moving, the niggling thought about Itachi and Sasuke washed away by the tsunami of lust threatening to take him over.
You're fast, then you're slow / Why you cold, then you're forward?
You're luring me out now /'Till your walls come down
He could feel Sasuke's hand moving against his chest and his own hands sliding up the strong thighs moving against his hips.
Yes, then you're no / But I'm not letting go
I'll be your contradiction
He turned to face the man and those pale hands brought them close again. Sliding, moving, lips so close, hot breath like lava against their face, sweat, heat, lust and then, crotches suddenly in contact…eyes snagging on each other's…a spike of lust and then…nothing…too wide raven eyes; shock battling with lust mirrored in the blue ones.
They both left the dance floor at the same time, flinging themselves into their booth, Sasuke next to Shika at one end and Naruto on the other. Shikamaru seemed to look between them and then sighed.
"Too bad Ino wasn't watching from here. She'd have begun a new fan club for the two of you!"
"Don't even joke about it…" Naruto growled at the lazy ass trying not to look at the raven beside him. "We were just dancing, geez! I tend to get lost in the music that's all!" He knew he was being too defensive, but the situation was way too bizarre.
He stood up and headed to the bar to get another drink, to get away from the Uchiha. They both needed some space. He placed his order and leaned against the bar, rubbing his head…a hard-on for the bastard…he must be losing his mind. It was just the song…that particular one had him feeling sexy whenever he heard it. Sasuke had one t…nope…he must have imagined it. Or it was because of the song. Focussing on the rest of the room, he saw a familiar red-head sitting at one of the booths.
Gaara…
Naruto couldn't help but glance toward his own booth. Sasuke seemed to have seen the other man too. It was the same look he had when he'd come to pick Naruto up at the university. Naruto found his fingers had clenched a little…for some reason, he disliked seeing the vulnerability in those ebony eyes. He looked back at Gaara…he seemed to be deep in conversation with a man who looked quite out of place here. He was in a dark suit…looking more like a secretary. An argument seemed to be going on and the scowl gracing the red-head's face told him that whatever it was, wasn't going well. He turned to see Sasuke leaning forward with a frown on his own face.
Sasuke wondered if he could live it down. What the hell had he been thinking grinding up against the blond idiot like some lust-crazed bunny…he could feel Shika's eyes boring into him. The genius probably thought Sasuke wanted Naruto or something…it must have looked like that…but there was no way he could tell his best friend that the only man he wanted was at home and publicly off-limits. Emitting a growl of frustration, he lounged in his seat, ignoring his best friend and looking around the club. A flash of red - Gaara…it was funny how that one name caused hurt to ooze from every pore of his being. The air seemed to solidify, every breathe lodging in his nose, his throat…he eyed the other man hungrily, like a scab being picked, seeing his ex always made him elated and achy all at the same time.
"Why is Yuura with him?" Shikamaru broke through the haze and leaned over Sasuke's shoulder. "Doesn't he work for Gaara's dad?"
Sasuke nodded. "It's always bad news when he's around…I wonder what's going on?" He could see Gaara's face clearly from here. The argument seemed to be in full swing if the scowl on the pale face was anything to go by. Then Yuura leaned forward and said something…Gaara's face started to crumple, viridescent eyes wide with pain and Sasuke couldn't help standing. The older man moved away, leaving the red-head alone, face in his hands. As Sasuke moved, Shikamaru caught his arm.
"Are you sure you want to go to him?" His eyes were anything but bored. "Temari told me you guys ended it very badly…he might not want to see you just now."
Sasuke watched the man make his way to the stairs and snatched his hand away from Shikamaru. "I'll have to risk it. He doesn't look so good…the last time Yuura met him, his father had had his uncle Yashamaru thrown out of the family. I can't let him go like that…"
He quickly headed for the stairs and went down them. Looking around, he saw a flash of red disappearing into a restroom. Walking up to it, he slipped in and found no one, checking the stalls, he found all but the last one empty. "Gaara?"
"Leave." The music was so loud, he almost didn't hear him.
Sasuke tried the door and found it unlocked. His ex was sitting on the shut toilet, gazing at the floor, deep in thought. "I saw Yuura…is everything alright?"
"I. Said. Leave." Green eyes looked up at him, slightly dazed and rage-filled.
He should have left…he knew he should have, but he never could walk away from the other man. "Look, I'm concerned, okay? Whenever that man shows up, something shitty happens." He crouched in front of the flame-haired boy and looked up into his eyes.
"Why do you care?" came a low growl.
Sasuke was worried. Gaara hadn't ever been like this, not even when he'd found him and Itachi together. He wondered what more his father could have done to have the man look like this. "Let me help you. Whatever happened between us, you know I care. Tell me what happened." Sasuke felt a little vulnerable. Gaara was the only person apart from Itachi who'd seen the caring side of him. Anything that Gaara said now would be hurtful, if it was negative.
Green-eyes glittered with hate, fury and pain as they studied him. Sasuke wanted to flinch away but held his ground. A terrible smile tugged at Gaara's lips. "Huh…you didn't seem to care so much when I last saw you. Or when you were using me for a cover up…"
Sasuke swallowed and took a breath. "You can't keep thinking like that. I didn't use you. I lov…" Pain exploded in his cheek as he went flying out of the stall and crashed into the middle of the floor. He tried to push himself up to his feet, but the other man was on him in seconds.
"You do not care! You did use me! Don't come pretending you give a fuck…" Another punch hit Sasuke square on the chin making him see stars. He tried to shake his head but apart from a feeble "No" he wasn't able to get anything out between the punches. Gaara was going at him now and pain bloomed in different places but he made no move to fight back. This was what was supposed to have happened back then…he deserved it, so he would let Gaara take it out on him however he needed to. He curled to the side, coughing after a particularly savage blow to his stomach. The man had moved away a little, Sasuke staggered upright, clutching the wall.
"Please…I loved y…" A kick sent him sprawling to the floor again and a few more followed, hard enough that he could feel himself slide a little with each one until he was up against the opposite wall. Gaara had never been vicious…Sasuke didn't think he'd be able to get up, if this continued. His ears were ringing and he could feel blood on his chin. But what came next was worse.
"YOUR BROTHER!" The scream reverberated in the restroom. "You asshole…you fucking asshole." Gaara was on him again but Sasuke had gone limp with fear. A fist came hurtling towards him, but the fear that scrambled up his spine was worse. Had anyone heard him? Panic fuelled the terror and Sasuke started to blank out.
And suddenly, the weight was off him. He forced his eyes open, his vision swimming…through the haze he could see a blond hauling Gaara back. He willed himself to blink the bleariness out and focus.
Naruto's eyes were chips of ice as he looked at the red-head and his voice was dangerous. "You're lucky that the music is so loud, it drowns out anything you just said. You're luckier that I locked the door behind me when I came in." He shoved the red-head against the wall. "I don't care how hurt you are, that wasn't the kind of secret you could go screaming to the rafters. I get that it was painful and awful for you to find out. I get that Sasuke was in the wrong, but he came in here concerned."
Naruto let go of him and walked to fallen raven. "Yes, I know about them…I live in the same house. But I also know the why of it all. I'd like you to please keep it to yourself. The consequences will be terrible, if they get found out. Please leave now."
Gaara got to his feet. "Be careful, Namikaze…they might use you exactly how they used me."
Sasuke heard most of this, but very woozily. He was now having trouble keeping his eyes open. Gaara had punched his jaw at least three times on the same spot; he'd stopped short of breaking it. His nose was bleeding though not broken, but the punches to his stomach had winded him, making breathing a little difficult. As his brain realised, he was safe, Sasuke gave in and passed out.
Naruto ignored the red-head who had yet to leave. He didn't know why he was feeling so furious, even though one part of him thought the boy deserved it. But Naruto had been there for the whole thing hiding in one of the cubicles. He didn't think it would get this bad…he'd seen Sasuke practice his martial art, he'd thought the raven was fighting back. He'd heard all of it and come out when Gaara'd started yelling about Itachi. Much to his chagrin, he found that he'd been watching the Uchiha getting over Gaara since the time he'd picked him up at University. Seeing this happen, when all the Uchiha had done was show concern made his stomach clench with rage.
"I get that you feel used. But I need to make it clear to you. He's been a broody mess since you broke up. I face the brunt of it everyday so you'll have to take me at my word." Naruto called Deidara to come down and moved to pick Sasuke up. Naruto picked Sasuke up carefully in a fireman's lift. "Maybe you should hear him out…to get closure, so you both don't lash out at those who care."
They heard a knock and Gaara moved to open the door. The pale blond man entered, looking between all three of them.
"Is there a back door that I can get him out of?" Naruto's expression brooked no questions.
Deidara nodded and with a fierce glare at Gaara, led the blond and his raven burden out. They walked in silence down a meandering path that came out at the far side of the parking lot. Deidara helped him open his car door and arrange the unconscious man into the front seat belting him in securely. They nodded to each other and Naruto thanked him before speeding out of the parking lot.
They were at a parking light when Naruto turned to look at the other man. A bruise was forming on Sasuke's left cheek and another on his chin…he reached out to lightly run a fingertip over it. The anger intensified as he recalled charging out to find that the older man hadn't blocked any of Gaara's moves. Did the younger Uchiha really love Gaara that much? He clicked his tongue at the stupid thought and the feelings it brought with it. He couldn't help but gaze at his still form…Sasuke was fucking beautiful; even more so than this brother. While Itachi had a sort of mature beauty, Sasuke was a work of art.
Naruto shook his head and turned his attention back to the road. Ever since that meeting at the café, they had been ignoring each. In doing so, Naruto had ended up noticing more than before. He could understand why Itachi was so passionate about his brother – he slammed his head against the wheel, the burst of pain quelling the rebellious thought-faction in his head. The rest of the drive went by with complete focus on the road ahead. As he pulled up into his spot at the Uchiwa Hotel, he saw that Itachi was waiting for him, face a worried mask. Deidara must have called him.
The man ran up to the car almost was soon as he turned it off.
"Careful, he's bruised all over." Naruto leaped out to help Itachi. Somehow, he didn't want Itachi carrying Sasuke bridal style. He slipped a shoulder under Sasuke's arm, letting Itachi take his other arm. They made their slow way to the penthouse.
They manoeuvred the boy onto his bed. Naruto stayed as Itachi deftly stripped his brother, both men taking in the numerous bruises on his torso.
He does this all the time…he strips Sasuke, holds him, runs his hands over his skin…look at him, he knows exactly how to get Sasuke's clothes off…wait, why am I even thinking this? It's because I know about them, that's all. Nothing else. Aaaargh! Naruto clenched his fists and moved forward to pick up the clothes lying in a pile at the foot of the bed. Sasuke was all beat up and he only seemed to be focusing on his sexiness!
He went to the bathroom to drop the clothes in the laundry basket, when he returned, Itachi handed him ointment, antiseptic liquid and cleaning pads. "Could you begin with cleaning his wounds? I hate to do this but I have to call the doctor and if both of us work together it will be much faster."
Naruto nodded and headed to the bed. Itachi stepped out and could be heard in the living room. Soaking one of the pads with antiseptic, he began dabbing at the spots where the skin had broken. He finished with Sasuke's chest and cheek, wetting a clean pad with water to dab at the split lip. He found himself enamoured by the pale lips; he couldn't help but trace the beautiful bow shaped line of the upper lip. He stopped horrified at the creep he was turning into. Willing himself to concentrate solely on the task at hand, he began smoothing the ointment over the bruises.
A soft moan broke the silence, as the other man stirred. Naruto continued spreading the soothing goop on every bruise he could find until a low whisper sounded. "Aniki?"
Naruto felt a burst of unreasonable annoyance as Sasuke asked for Itachi. "No. It's me, teme."
Sasuke's eyes opened to focus on him, almost crossing comically as he took in Naruto's hands on his cheek and a sudden soft blush spread over his face. He looked around. "We're home…why are you here? I mean…what are you doing in my room?"
"Some thanks for me hauling your ass back here in one piece." Naruto finished with the last bruise and moved to cap the ointment. "Itachi went to phone your doctor, so I took over this job. It seems to be taking a while."
"Hn. Yamato is hard to get a hold of at night. But he's the best and he won't rat me out to my father." Sasuke lay back, eyes glancing impatiently at the door every so often.
Naruto sighed. Sasuke and Itachi. Itachi and Sasuke. They tended to make him feel left out even when they weren't trying. Suddenly, fingers touched his hand which was lying by Sasuke's side. "Thanks. Thank you for sticking up for me."
He looked up into those gorgeous sable eyes and couldn't help the small smile. "You're welcome."
The dark-haired man seemed to become a little agitated…resorting to look at the door again. The warm blush across his cheeks was the only sign that he wasn't ignoring the blond out of spite.
Itachi hurried into the room and crawled onto the other side of Sasuke's bed. He leaned down and caught Sasuke in a gentle kiss, seemingly wary of the split lip. Naruto opted to study the room, since it was the first time he'd come in here. The walls were painted a muted cream with water-colour print curtains…a forest print in browns, greys and different greens. A bookshelf covered one wall with photo frames, books and martial art trophies. Sasuke's clutter was organised and a desk at the window had meticulously sorted files on it. When a throat was cleared, Naruto looked back at the two on the bed.
Sasuke seemed to be very interested in his blue sheets. Itachi smiled. "I'm sorry; I keep forgetting that you might not be okay with this. Thank you, Naruto-kun."
Naruto nodded. "Nah, it's ok. I think I'd better get going. I have work to do for school." He was on his way out when he turned suddenly. "Teme, do you want me to look over the project files we brought back? You look like you could do with a lie in."
The surprised way Sasuke was staring at him made him feel like Medusa with the power to freeze every mortal being…he'd always thought the beings who froze would have had that same expression on their face. After a little bit, Sasuke sighed and lay back on his pillows. "Yes, I would…but put sticky notes in instead of annotations? That way I can make sure I approve of any changes."
Naruto nodded and was about to leave again when Itachi spoke up. "You know, if the doctor says we have to keep him up, you're always welcome to join the party."
Naruto broke into a smile. "Thanks…I might want my beauty sleep more but if you need the company, wake me up." He entered his bedroom, locking his door behind him. He threw himself on the bed and struggled to keep the images of Sasuke and Itachi out of his mind. But they just wouldn't let up.
Unbidden, his hand slipped into his pants; into his boxers. His manhood went from soft to hard in record time. Sighing in defeat, he closed his eyes and let himself be swamped by the images of the two men together. He imagined their hands all over him, he imagined their mouths all over him…he wanted to be there, he wanted some of that attention too. Ah, god…they would take him, maybe Sasuke would take his ass virginity while Itachi did Sasuke? Or maybe he'd be able to take Sasuke, while Itachi took him from behind…an Uchiha sandwich? Each thought drove him closer to the edge and finally Naruto came, biting his lip as hard as could, holding back the sounds threatening to erupt from his throat.
Once he'd come around from his high, he slammed a fist back onto the bed. He would not find it attractive damn it! Not this. Itachi, maybe…he could understand being attached to Itachi, but not Sasuke…never Sasuke. The feel of Sasuke's skin under his hands came back to him suddenly. Naruto closed his eyes in despair. Never Sasuke…
A/N: This was a hard chapter…especially the whole question of to add in the lyrics or not to add in the lyrics. Usually, I don't like lyrics breaking the flow of a story but the lyrics are what gave me those scenes, so I decided to include them anyway. I actually think I like this version much more than the original. I've managed to flesh Itachi out more early on instead of in the middle and I think the middle will still have the same impact as it did before. I also finally have an ending planned as well as a way to make it happen. So hopefully this time, I will complete this story well!
Please leave a review…tell me what you liked!
Taka
